CD Review: The Carolina Chocolate Drops Make It Sound "Genuine"

The Carolina Chocolate Drops are a breath of fresh air in this computer heavy music industry. Their soulful roots shine bright on their newest release "Genuine Negro Jig".

The album feels like you time traveled back to the early 1900's when music was played from the heart and not from the wallet. The songs that make up this album are mostly covers of blues and jazz greats from yesteryear with a couple of originals added in. The album starts off with the Etta Baker instrumental "Peace Behind The Bridge". It's a great introduction on what to expect from this great band. Their version of the blues song, "Trouble In Your Mind" will put a little pep in your step. "Hit'em Up Style" has a beat provided by Justin Robinson that's hard to resist, but it's Rhiannon Giddens vocals that carry the song. If you close your eyes and listen to "Cornbread And Butterbeans" will your mind will place you right in the deep south, on the farm. Rhiannon's vocals fly high on "Why Don't You Do Right?" and the accapella "Reynadine." The eerie sounding original "Kissin' and Cussin'" was inspired by Ike and Tina Turner and all those bad relationships. Singer and banjo player Don Flemons saves his best act for last with a haunting version of Tom Waits' "Trampled Rose."

The new album "Genuine Negro Jig" was released in February and is available everywhere. The Carolina Chocolate Drops are also currently on tour in the North Carolina area before heading up the east coast at the end up April. For more information on this hot new band, please visit www.carolinachocolatedrops.com.

Concert Review: Norah Jones Brings "The Fall" To MGM Grand

Multi-platinum selling artist Norah Jones has been soothing audiences for almost a decade with her sultry, smooth voice. Her music has swayed between jazz, rock and country and her band has changed its line-up on a number of occasions, but it’s her voice that is the one constant that fans have come to know. Norah Jones brought her latest band to the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods to promote her most recent album, “The Fall”.

Opening the show on rhythm guitar, Norah Jones, dressed in a blue bubble skirt accompanied by some bright red high-heel shoes, jumped right into the new album with “I Wouldn’t Need You”. The first six songs of the show were from her latest release with the biggest response coming from her single “Chasing Pirates”. The opening chords of her 2004 hit single “Sunrise” drew a big applause from the audience. Norah Jones seemed most comfortable at her piano where she would do most of her interacting with the sold-out theatre crowd. Lead guitarist Smokey Hormel was able to steal the spotlight at times, especially during his slide-guitar solo of “Back to Manhattan”; however, Norah was everyone’s main focus whether she was on guitar, keyboards or piano. A solo performance of her breakthrough hit “Don’t Know Why” seemed the lack the extra punch provided by the band, but that night, Norah could do no wrong. Her 2003 single “Come Away With Me” drew one of the biggest applauses before finishing her set with a cover of The Kinks’ song “Strangers.”

The encore began with a quartet of musicians that included Sasha Dobson (acoustic guitar and vocals), Gus Sevffert (stand-up bass), Smokey Hormel (steel guitar) and Norah on acoustic guitar and vocals. They performed a cover of Hank Williams’ “How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart”, a song that was given to Norah Jones to give music to Hank Williams’ lyrics. The entire band joined in for the closing song, “Stuck” as Smokey Hormel’s solos and Norah Jones’ smiles enticed the crowd to deliver a well-deserved standing ovation to the evening’s performance.

Setlist:
I Wouldn’t Need You
Tell Yer Mama
Light As A Feather
Chasing Pirates
Even Though
It’s Gonna Be
Rosie's Lullabye
Waiting
Sunrise
Cold Cold Heart (Hank Williams cover)
Back To Manhattan
Sinkin’ Soon
Bull Rider (Johnny Cash cover)
Carnival Town
Man Of The Hour
Don’t Know Why
Young Blood
Come Away With Me
Strangers (The Kinks cover)

encore:
How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart (Hank Williams)
Stuck

CD Review: HIM's 13 Chapters of "Love"

Finnish rockers, HIM, return with their seventh studio album entitled, "Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice, Chapters 1-13". Singer/songwriter Ville Valo wrote these songs as a way of getting back at all the people that have broke his heart or let him down. This new album was produced by Matt Squire (Panic! at the Disco, All Time Low) and was released in February on the Sire record label.

"Screamworks" starts out with the heavy rocker "In Venere Veritas" which gives us some of lead singer Ville Valo's most powerful vocals. The rest of the album flows between alternative rock anthems and rock radio hits before returning with the heavy "Ode To Solitude". The album's first single, "Heartkiller" carries a message to all those who were scarred by a break-up. HIM show their softer side with "Disarm Me (With You Loneliness)", but the lyrics are nothing short of revengeful. Keyboards play a large part in introducing the songs "Love, The Hardest Way" and "In The Arms Of Rain" before the rest of the bands takes over the songs. The album finishes strong with the heavy hitting "Like St. Valentine" and the experimental "The Foreboding Sense of Impending Happiness". Fans new and old will appreciate the band's attempt to tackle the albums overall theme of emptiness and revenge.

HIM are currently on tour promoting their new album. They will be performing at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia on March 26th, the Sonar in Baltimore on March 27th and the House of Blues in Boston on March 28th. For more tour dates, check out www.heartagram.com. HIM's new album is available now in stores and online.

Concert Review: Ace(s) Wild At Mohegan Sun

After two tours of duty as the lead guitarist of the legendary band Kiss, Ace Frehley finally seems comfortable out on his own. Last year he released one of his strongest solo albums and has received rave reviews of his live shows overseas. The Wolf’s Den at Mohegan Sun was the place to be for the Kiss Army fans of Connecticut as Ace Frehley performed the first of only three scheduled US tour appearances.

Ace Frehley’s performance Friday night felt loose as he mainly stuck with Kiss classics (Rocket Ride, Parasite) as well as classics from his Kiss solo album (Snowblind, Speedin’ Back To My Baby). Ace only touched upon his new album for a moment with ‘Sister” and “Pain In The Neck” which wasn’t perfect, but not bad for the first time ever performed live. The crowd finally made their presence known during the chorus of his 1987 Frehley’s Comet hit “Rock Soldiers.” Frehley’s bassist Anthony Esposito took over the vocal duties on the Kiss songs “Love Her All I Can” and “Strange Ways.” Kiss fans went crazy for “Rip It Out”, but Ace hit his stride with his signature songs “NY Groove” and “Shock Me.” The latter song featured a smoking guitar solo, which is exactly what happened as his guitar began to smoke halfway through the solo. His band returned to finish the set with the Kiss hit “Shout It Out Loud.”

The encore was a trio of Kiss concert staples beginning with “Deuce.” Drummer Scot Coogan took the lead vocals for “Love Gun” and Ace finished the 2 hour show with one of his favorite Kiss songs “Cold Gin.” The small venue played perfectly to Frehley’s strength as he felt connected to his fans. Frehley stated earlier in the show, “always bet on Ace” and he delivered on that bet.

Setlist:
Fractured Quantum (recording)
Rocket Ride
Parasite
Snowblind
Sister
Pain In The Neck
Into The Void
Speedin’ Back To My Baby
Rock Soldiers
Love Her All I Can
Talk To Me
2000 Man
Strange Ways
NY Groove
Rip It Out
Hard Times
Shock Me
Shout It Out Loud
Deuce
Love Gun
Cold Gin

CD Review: Luther Russell Gets Going With "Motorbike" EP

Singer-songwriter Luther Russell will release a six-song EP entitled "Motorbike" on March 15th. These songs are taken from his forthcoming double-album "The Invisible Audience." Russell has produced over 20 albums in the past decade, but this is only his second solo album since moving from Portland, Oregon back to his hometown of Los Angeles.

Motorbike begins with the title track that has a very "Americana" feel to its sound. The combination of the acoustic guitar and steady drumbeat is the perfect beginning to this short trip through sound. The harmonizing voices of "Dead Sun Blues" and "Et Al" give off a very laid-back, "swinging on the front porch" type vibe. Both songs are well-placed in this concise EP. "A World Unknown" sounds like a lost out-take from Blind Faith with it's shake-style drumming and acoustic blues guitar riff. "Tomorrow's Paper" is the "rock" song that most people will relate to with its Foo Fighters-type sound. But Russell finishes the EP with an acoustic song "Somehow or Another" about rising up from the ashes of defeat.

Luther Russell will be performing at the Rockwood Music Hall in New York City before heading overseas for a dozen dates in April. For more information on Luther Russell's new EP "Motorbike", check out www.lutherrussell.com.