The Grotto “Rain Maker”
Posted on February 14th, 2008 at 10:06 am by Junkie


OK, obviously this was written when I was in another place (physically and mentally). Some biz-arre town named Grand Junction Colorado or whatever. But the CD rocks still so I’m sharing. They have all new stuff too, so hit them up.

Writing reviews the past few weeks has been hard. I had one I needed to do because the band was hitting town, another because I’d had the CD so long it was becoming embarrassing … and, you know.

But a friend and coworker dropped off The Grotto’s CD in the middle of this. I listened and immediately wanted to fling the other reviews aside and share the great sounds coming out of The Grotto. So what this other international band was coming to town - The Grotto is already here! They are OURS! And they rock.

This CD is a four-song shortie and it was a blast. Perfect to drop into the CD player and fill your commute with local sounds. “Nothing” starts out slow and then hits a very sweet groove. The music and lyrics sound so polished, it makes me proud. What is too hot about this song is that about three minutes in the guitars and Jake Ruybal’s vocals just explode. What a great way to finish off a meaningful song.

“All You Need” lets us know right away that we’re dealing with a multi-talented band, as Lyndsy Pritchard takes her turn on vocals. The chorus of this song is so intense and head-filling it made my hair stand up the first time through. Some excellent keyboard work adds to the originality of this tune, taking it from a “Hey, Fleetwood Mac could have done this” song to something altogether with and beyond its time.

Although a great listen, “No One But Me” is (in my questionable opinion) the “weakest” song on the CD - that’s not to say it’s weak like weak - just comparing it to the others, the vocals are a bit cloudy. The guitars come out so clear and sharp … maybe that’s why the vocals seem a little underdone. The song breaks about two-thirds of the way through and really showcases the instruments. The vocals do pump up, but not enough to break free. Definitely not a song-killer, because this band is clearly made up of talented musicians.

“Rain Maker” is a haunting mix. I really enjoy the almost unsettling shifts in the music and mood. Pritchard’s smooth vocals do perfect service to the lyrics. I don’t know who composes what, but this band is as tight as any that’s been around the block 20 or 30 times. What an outrageous and wondrous thing that they are from Junction. God, this town rocks!

Grab some CDs and other cool stuff on the band’s site Web site www.thegrottoband.com. I’m going to be sporting The Eye t-shirt ASAP. See The Grotto on April 28 at Mesa Theatre & Club. Call the club for times and all that.

Posted in Music, Music Reviews, Independent, Indie, Rock | No Comments »

Little Green Men “I Want to Believe”
Posted on January 17th, 2008 at 9:37 pm by Junkie


I’ve listened to this CD so many times I can hold it up and see my hand through it. Yes. I’m addicted.

The band has a wonderful flavor of Cranberries nicely mixed with the song writing skills of Garbage’s Shirley Manson and the sometimes semi-manic tang of Cocteau Twins. There’s too much too good to say about Little Green Men.

I suspected the group was a front for a pack of really talented, famous musicians who wanted to test their skills without the taint of name appeal. But Little Green Men is real and I’m shocked to learn this is their third CD. Why some disgusting money-hungry and exploitive major label hasn’t scooped them up is beyond me. Maybe it’s the fact there’s a nasty heavy metal band with the same name. Who can say.

And then there’s that thing about the band being on some mysterious 3-year hiatus …

Pam Webberley is the singer/songwriter for LGM and she is a standout. Sometimes, too rarely, these people come along - Shirley Manson, Souixie Sue, Dolores O’Riordan, Liz Fraser - and increase the collective music intelligence of the section of the human race that actually has ears. I can’t and won’t attempt to explain why this CD is so outstanding. It’s something you just have to hear.

And there’s no reason why you can’t. I’m linking you directly to the download page for two songs “Highland” and “Am I Pretty” right here. I guess I should warn you that some of the songs might be emotionally disturbing. They’re meant to be. They’re honest and intelligent.

Posted in Music, Music Reviews, Indie, Rock, Hot Vocals, Smashing Lyrics | No Comments »

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