Rosewater's newest release is called So Long SoCal.
Check it out on their bandcamp, scroll down for link.
Rosewater is Blair Clark's new pop punk band out of Madison, WI.
Rosewater is a three piece garage band from Madison WI. Male and Female fronted band of two guitars and a drummer. Both guitarists sing. We have been together for 3 years. The music is frantic and fun, sweet punk, sour pop. We put on a killer show, no yapping just rock and roll.
Thanks for listening - Blair
https://soundcloud.com/blair-clark-804478008/bad-city-by-rosewater
https://www.facebook.com/rosewaterlbc/
https://rosewaterlbc.bandcamp.com/
So Long SoCal album art
Blair Clark - guitar, vocals
Leah Brooke - guitar, vocals
John Driscoll - Drums
Recorded live in the basement of John's house.
All rights reserved
Review of Rosewater's So Long SoCal by Joe Tell.
Rosewater's latest release is called So Long SoCal.
The first song is 405. It has a straight ahead, no frills punk rock sound. Punk rock minimalism at it's finest. The combination of Blair Clark and Leah Brooke on vocals gives the music a hip sound, reminiscent of the Velvet Underground and early B-52's. The band sounds like something straight out of CBGB's from the late 70's or early 80's.
Family sounds like a (sped-up) conservation between a loving couple set to punk rock music. The fast pace and guitar heavy mix makes the lyrics hard to make out. This quality will have you listening to the song over and over in an attempt to make out exactly what the words are...at least that's what happened to me but after a few attempts I finally made out the lyrics.
California Girl has a totally authentic garage rock sound and feel. The single coil guitar sound sounds cool along with the cymbal crashes and intermittent stops and starts.
ER is a song about a place most of us don't want to be in lately. Despite of the subject matter the song still rocks.
Lookout! closes out So Long SoCal and rocks out in a similar style following suit with the rest of the songs on the release. It's another short but sweet song played with a strong sense of punk rock urgency.
Love Bomb album art
Bad City album
Stereo Pharoah - Ridgway, Pennsylvania
Aggressive Back to Basics Rock & Roll
-Cody Legacy Laughner (Vocals/Guitar)
-Michael Padasak (Drums)
-Elle Laughner (Bass/Artwork)
Recorded at Graphite Sound Studio (Warren, PA) by Anthony Brown
Produced by Cody Legacy Laughner
Artwork by Elle Laughner
Stereo Pharoah Catastrophile music review by Joe Tell.
Kitty Riptide is the opening track and the quick song sets a fast pace and an aggressive feel. The adrenaline filled solo ramps up the energy even more. This track is sure to get your blood pumping, leave you wanting more and waiting for the next song to kick in.
Can you please repeat that?...what did you say?...Tinnitus is up next. Tinnitus is a fast paced punk song. The first time I heard this song I couldn't understand the lyrics, maybe due to my tinnitus?...Tinnitus is something I am familiar with but the lyrics are split between the hearing impairment and something that makes you feel all right. First thing in the morning, rolling all day and night, hmm?... It really sounds like 2 singers on this song even though I don't think there are 2. This is a unique and cool touch which differentiates each part musically and lyrically. The lyrics may be tongue in cheek but the song packs an energetic rock punch.
Ultragotha is a mid-tempo alternative rock track. The drum performance on this track is excellent. Ultragotha sounds like a unique pairing of Soundgarden and Silverchair. The sound is further enhanced by some really cool wah-wah guitar flurries.
Right Now has the sound and structure of a great 90's alternative rock song. The band starts fairly quiet and mellow but then ramps up the energy playing faster and harder. The band conveys a strong sense of urgency and a feeling of angst in Right Now.
Spoon and Key has a cool stereo guitar intro. The band then busts out into an intoxicating, fast groove. The lyrical content has a couple of narcotic references and in between the verses the band sounds melodic, creating a different sound and feeling from the verse.
Hangman is one of my favorite tracks on Catastrophile. The band shows off a slower, heavier side. The verse music is crunchy with its muffled guitar. The band then transitions from a melodic passage to a riff heavy groove which sounds like a combo of Black Sabbath and Soundgarden, two of my favorite bands. I would have loved to hear a guitar solo but the song doesn't suffer from the lack of solo.
Running Away kicks off with a killer drum intro. Running Away is a straight ahead hard rock track. The vocal timbre and lyrical content reminded me of Kurt Cobain.
Morphine is sure to get ya movin' and groovin' along with the bristling tempo. The music is strong and hard-driving and further accentuated by a steady helping of cymbal crashes.
Marketbasket is a catchy and melodic track and one of my favorite songs on Catastrophile. The guitar progression sounds like it was played with a slide giving it a blues rock feel. The vocal performance is one of the best on the release and it may have you singing along by the end of the song.
California Rain sounds like one of the most musically adventurous tracks on Catastrophile. The guitar and drum performances are some of the best on the album. After reading the title of the song I was expecting a mellow song but California Rain is definitely one of the best songs on the release.
Old School Obese Horse is pounding and powerful, I really like the slide guitar touches. The emotional vocals sound mysterious and seem to describe a secret plot.
Dozer is literally a musical bitch slap, a sonic attack on the senses. Stereo Pharoah definitely saved one of the best for last. The mid-tempo pace should induce some movement of the physical body. The drum performance is the best on Catastrophile, especially on the bridge section of the song.
Any fan of the 90's alternative rock sensibility will love Stereo Pharoah's Catastrophile.
To hear Steroe Pharoah goto...
https://stereopharaoh2020.bandcamp.com/releases
Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils
Upcoming performance dates
Interview with Jennifer Westwood by Joe Tell.
1) What's your favorite song? It would be impossible to pick one song of so many. But probably the song that really strikes a chord with me personally is "Try a Little Tenderness" as recorded by Otis Redding. There's so much I love about it and if my life were a movie it would fit prominently on the soundtrack. The lyrical content and the way its delivered is perfection. At the start its like someone sitting a young man down and having a heart to heart, and by the end, especially in some live versions, he's full on preaching.
2) What artist(s) inspired you to become a songwriter? Songwriting is never anything I thought about or thought I could do. I think just being in church and around different styles of music and the way it moved people made me want to try but it was more of an activity like sitting down and coloring than a conscious effort to write a song for people to hear. When I was in my first band I really didn't like the lyrics that were presented to me. They were far too vague and held no meaning to me. I felt if I was going to sing something, it should matter. That's when I became conscious about lyrics and cadences and how emotion fits in.
3) What song have you written is your favorite and why? This time of year my favorite song I've written is "Round and Round." Sometimes a song is mingling of truth mixed with fiction, my story mixed with someone else's stories. But that song is 100% about me, how I relate with my hometown personified, how I love it, and my complicated relationship with it. Winter in Detroit is hard on me.
4) Why do you write songs? I write songs to express myself but also for the challenge. I don't feel like its something I'm qualified to do but I don't feel like I should care. So writing a song is like firing anyone that has criticism for me or would tell me what I can and can't do, what my place is in this world - sometimes that means I have to fire my critical inner voice.
5) Can you remember the first time you wrote a song? The first time I wrote a song, I am pretty sure it was a rap. And I'm pretty sure it was Jesus rap.
6) Who gave you support to keep writing in the beginning? Who gave me support in the beginning to keep writing? No one. I do have supportive parents. My dad wanted me to go to music school and I didn't. I was afraid of the debt and I really regret that. But as far as writing goes, I think its safe to say I surrounded myself with the wrong people. I had low self-esteem and maybe the people in my life were the people I thought I deserved. When I did go to school for music for a while, it was re-iterated to me that it was a waste of time and money. I don't remember anyone ever telling me, "that's a great song" or "you should keep working on that". I know one local songwriter made mention of one of my lyrics kind of early on and it made me feel great. But if I were waiting on approval I don't think I'd be writing now.
7) What do you feel like when you sing one of your songs and people applaud? I won't lie. Having people applaud to a song your wrote is an amazing feeling. Especially if the lyrics are sincere and personal. Its a great risk to wear your heart on your sleeve whether people know they are your thoughts or not. It does make me feel validated and I feel a connection to people, like I've found my tribe.
8) Are you more of a singer or songwriter? I'm more of a singer. I feel like its more comfortable to interpret someone else's words and get creative with approach. It goes back to the "wearing your heart on your sleeve". I'm still often inhibited and there's less risk involved in telling a story written by someone else and it also feels less selfish. You get to express and work out all these feelings in front of the world that wouldn't be appropriate during the course of normal day. So to top it off and say, "here's my version of love, life, work, play"... Sometimes I get hung up on that or that inner critical voice jumps in. And going back to those moments when people applaud or tell me how much they love a song for xyz, it really goes a long way in reminding me that this is a way that we all relate to life's ups and downs together. I definitely want to be a better songwriter. Its something you practice like anything else.
9) What inspires you to write? People I love, people I can't stand, horrible circumstances, situations I wish I could change for people, the absurdity of the world, things people say about me or tell me.... all inspire me to write. Sometimes just normal conversations I overhear make me want to go home and write. Ordinary talk can be so poetic. In the past I've had hang ups drawing off my own personal anger or heartache where another person was involved. . I felt like it was not a thing a nice girl would do, to air your dirty laundry, or worried people would think I'm hanging on to things I'm over. I think I'm ready to break that trend and I do regret not expressing myself more fully.
10) What's next for you and the band? Dylan and I are wrapping up the year here in Detroit. This is our longest stretch home in 4 years - 3 months straight! We've had a lot of ups and downs but find ourselves in a situation where we are able to catch our breath. Normally I'd be getting ready to escape the Detroit tundra with some gulf states touring but we need to stay put for a minute to get ahead. We are focused on getting in the studio to record a few new songs and tending to personal business in preparation for 2020. In late January we will be headed to northern Arizona where we have been offered a beautiful spot to work on writing and pre production by some generous people that know how hard we work. We will be collaborating. The time is right for us to shift gears. We will be performing in New York, Kentucky, then make our way west via Nashville, Memphis, Austin and hit some places in NM, AZ and CA as well. In the meantime, we are doing lots of local events in Southeast Michigan. Musically, I have an idea for 4 EP's I want to do as a series if I have my way.
Dylan Dunbar and Jennifer Westwood
Full band shot from the Lexington Village Theatre in Michigan.
Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils are a self described "music genre bending band based in Detroit, Michigan that combines blues guitar licks, soulful vocals and rustbelt sensibilities," their latest EP, Marfa Lights proves that statement in spades.
Music review of Marfa Lights by Joe Tell.
The title track, Marfa Lights, is a sweet and soulful track. The Handsome Devils lay down a slow and sensual groove for Jennifer to sing along with. Jennifer's vocals are a unique and soothing blend of the sultry soul of Aretha Franklin and the primal passion of Janis Joplin. Dylan Dunbar's rhythm guitar is classic Motown at its best and his solo adds a touch of funky blues to the sound.
Next up is Sinner Part Time, a song about drinkin' and hard livin' proving that the versatile band has a real knack for rock-n-roll. Sinner Part Time offers a staccato beat punctuated by a distorted guitar and soulful slide guitar melody. Jennifer's vocals rise high over the hard driving beat. A cool bass lick takes the song out.
Covering the timeless country song Jolene seems to be a rite of passage for any country music band that wants to be taken seriously. Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils cover the song beautifully. Jennifer's passionate vocals soar above the dramatic music. Their cover of Jolene is one the best covers I have heard of this classic tune.
Living On A Fringe has a country rock sound and sensibility that would fit in perfectly on any country music radio station playlist. The lyrics describe the dreary in's and out's and demanding daily grind of a blue collar lifestyle. Dylan Dunbar's slide guitar adds a stylish sense of melody to the sound.
Nothing A Bourbon Can't Fix is an uptempo rocker and one the best on the Marfa Lights EP. The guitar drives the song into a frenzy and Jennifer shows off her rock vocal chops. Needless to say the song is about throwing back a couple of pops with some close friends in trying to erase some bad memories.
Marfa Lights is a fantastic first effort by the band. They flawlessly blend Americana, Blues, Country and Rock styles in a way all their own.
Highly recommended, see the band on tour in a town near you!
Website
https://www.jwhandsomedevils.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/jwhandsomedevils
Twitter
https://twitter.com/JenniWestwood
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/jwhandsomedevils/
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/user/JWHandsomeDevils
iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jennifer-westwood-handsome/id988143580
Special thanks Jennifer Westwood.
