Groovitational Pull
Flavor Grenade
Release Date: June 8, 2009

Reviewed by Sarah Seehafer

Groovitational Pull is not your typical four man group. In fact, there is nothing typical about Groovitational Pull at all, which may be the main reason why I found myself absolutely loving every moment of their most recent album, “Flavor Grenade”. Released in June of 2009, “Flavor Grenade”, is a combination of Dispatch meets Sublime (and their sweet younger brothers Umphrey’s McGee), dropped in a blender with Flight of the Conchords, and added with just a splash of ska on the side. Needless to say, this is a very funky band, or as they put it, a “funk love jam rock reggae sound” band.

Hailing from the reggae capital of the world, jam members include, Caleb “Papa Shanga” Nordhaugen- lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and trumpet; Brett “Father Zerubbabel” Miller- drums, vocals (aka “white guy rap”); Jon “The Prophet” Kertzman- bass guitar, vocals; Kevin “Kev Bounce” Israel- guitar, vocals. Also included is band manager as well as sound and light technician, Al Ostrander, otherwise known as “Crooked”. Something tells me the band’s followers have these names memorized like the back of their reggae rockin’ hands.

The album starts off strong with Morse Code. Groovitational Pull has exceptional reggae music, but what they bring to Morse Code that a lot of reggae bands forget about is a rock aspect. It brings a totally new flavor to the music and by adding the electric guitar, you just get a completely fresh new tune. It absolutely grabbed my attention which would have otherwise been zoning out to solid reggae.

Chicken Scratch was another big hit for me. The flow of the instruments together was just easy on the ears and soul, yet made me want to get up and dance at the same time. I support any band that gets me on my feet ready to dance away.

Two Thieves and Groovilicious Superstitions are also a few more of the many great tracks on this album. If you don’t have it already, you absolutely need a copy. Even if it’s your “summer only” album. It’s a necessity. I’m embarrassed that I knew nothing of this band prior to the review, but they are now on heavy rotation on my playlists.

For a listing of live shows, you can check out the band on Facebook or MySpace. Music can be purchased through iTunes as well as live shows. 

July 2010: Victoria Vox, Los Lobos, Tim Schweiger

Los Lobos
Tin Can Trust
Shout! Factory Records
Aug. 3 release date

By Jim Lundstrom

In 1973 four guys from East L.A. started making music together. Adding a fifth member in 1984, the Los Lobos lineup has remained intact to this day. That alone is an amazing accomplishment. The fact that they continue to create exciting, relevant and, most importantly, listenable music makes Los Lobos the alpha males of the pack.

Louie Pérez (guitar, drums, vocals), David Hidalgo (guitar, violin, accordion, percussion, vocals), Cesar Rosas (guitar, vocals), Conrad Lozano (bass, vocals) and the relative newcomer Steve Berlin (keyboards/saxophone) have always stayed close to their roots. They are deep multicultural roots firmly planted in rock, folk, blues and country music of America and from the Hispanic heritage of the original quartet.

Twenty-six years after their major label debut, the T-Bone Burnett-produced How Will the Wolf Survive (a record that made Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time), Los Lobos is set to release Tin Can Trust on Aug. 3.

This 11 songs of pure Los Lobos opens with the darkly burning “I’ll Burn It Down,” with blues rocker Susan Tedeschi harmonizing with lead singer Cesar Rosas on the chorus. A little later, track 7 to be exact, the band gets inflammatory again with the soulful “All My Bridges Burning,” which features the classic and classy guitar interplay Los Lobos is known for.

Two celebrations of Mexican musical heritage are included on Tin Can Trust – “Yo Canto” (I Sing), a breezy cumbia that will have you shaking it, and the norteno-style party tune “Mujer Ingrata” (Ungrateful Woman), featuring Hidalgo squeezing out sparks on his accordion.   

It’s been a while since a band tried to create a new dance craze with a song, but that may change with “Do the Murray,” an instrumental led by Hidalgo’s blistering lead guitar (at least I think that’s Hidalgo, who has always seemed to me to be a fan of the Peter Green-led Fleetwood Mac of the late 1960s; the band has been known to perform Mac’s FM staple “Oh Well” in concert).  

Perhaps the key to Los Lobos’ creativity and longevity is best found in the one cover tune, “West LA Fadeaway.” The song is, of course, by the Grateful Dead. Its inclusion could be a nod to the 1980s when Los Lobos opened Dead shows, but whatever the reason for its appearance here, this version is tougher than anything the Dead could ever do. Los Lobos creates an uncompromising wall of sound that you have to deal with head-on. There is no going around them or waiting for them to finish because they’ll just roll right over you and not look back.

But don’t take my word for it that these elder statesmen of American music are kicking it better, smarter and harder than most of the younger bands out there. You can check them out for yourself at loslobos.com. Or better yet, catch them live Friday, July 23, at the Door Community Auditorium in Fish Creek (dcauditorium.org).

Tim Schweiger and the Middlemen
The Big Letdown

By Jim Lundstrom

Neenah native Tim Schweiger and his bandmates -- Amos Pitsch (Tenement) on pitch-perfect drums and vocals, and Michael Zink (formerly of the Mystery Girls) on bass  -- don’t let anyone down on this great new 10-song CD.  

The recording is so crisp and clear that it seems to jump out of the speakers. Recording, mixing and mastering was performed at Howl Street Studios and Mystery Room Mastering by Justin Perkins, Schweiger’s bandmate in The Obsoletes and Yesterday’s Kids.

Schweiger is certainly the star here, playing masterful guitar, singing with polished authority and playing every other instrument on the record, including harmonica and a very tasty-sounding organ.

Besides being a gifted musician and talented songwriter, Schweiger is obviously a serious student of American pop music of the last 50 years or so.  I have a feeling if he hears a sound he likes, he either knows how to reproduce that sound or will find a way to do so.  That is not to say he is simply mimicking or regurgitating the music of others. He has his own voice and it is heard loud and clear.

Standout tracks include: “D’jango Fett,” a crunchy rocker complete with swooping B-3 and a psychedelic guitar rave-up), which rolls right into another infectious guitar rave-up called “If You Want Me (You Can’t Have Me),” which is followed by a melancholic harmonica to introduce “Up on Talking,” which turns into a Police-ish reggae tune, followed by a pleasantly insistent and infectious guitar on mood-swingy “Loss of Empathy,” followed by “Sister,” a gentle acoustic tune that turns into a hootenanny; it feels like a lost song from the Billy Bragg/Wilco/Woody Guthrie collaboration Mermaid Avenue.

In short, there’s not a wrong song on the record because Tim Schweiger is the real deal.

You can get your own copy of The Big Letdown at local music vendors, or at Schweiger shows. Next up is The Obsoletes at Cranky Pat’s in Neenah on July 3. He and The Middlemen open for the sold-out Screeching Weasel show at the Triple Rock Social Club on Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis on July 23. You can also catch them at 3 p.m. on July 31 at the Green Bay Exclusive Co., and again that night at the Crunchy Frog.

Victoria Vox
Exact Change
Released May 25

By Sarah Seehafer

If you’ve previously been unaware of Victoria Vox’s existence, it’s most likely because you have been avoiding the local music scene for the past decade. This is an artist that travels, and travels, and...you get the idea. If it’s not locally in your neck of the woods, then it’s across the country.  

Truthfully, you don’t even have to stay in the country to catch a set by Vox because you can find her just about anywhere. She has played multiple tours in other countries and truly has touring down to an art form, an art form that can often result in new and fresh material while sitting in traffic, or moving cross-country to her new home in Baltimore, MD.

Originally from Green Bay, Victoria Vox has made quite the name for herself with her beloved and loyal fans that take dedication to a new level by contributing to recent album costs. The debut excitement of Exact Change raised more than $21,000 to help Vox with
her release; $4,000 of that was donated within the first day.

She has seven (count ‘em- seven!) albums under her belt, as well as a song written about her by Grammy award-winning artist, John Mayer, titled “Victoria.” Oddly enough, that song is the very reason I was initially intrigued by Vox nearly seven years ago. Mayer and Vox both attended Berklee College of Music. Vox graduated with a degree in
songwriting.

That very same degree and life throughout the years may be why Exact Change shows as much growth and depth as it does. The album as a whole is a new side of Victoria that I want to see more of, even if that constantly includes a giant tag on clever album artwork, created by G. Carr Illustrations and Design of Denver, Colo.

For those of you without a fresh copy, I highly recommend getting one for yourself.  Everything from the stunning photography, to the CD itself resting in a change slot, to the winning jackpot of having a plastic fish bone floating in water inside of a washing machine (literally floating in blue colored water inside the album cover). I couldn’t
make that up if I tried, so again, I highly recommend getting yourself a copy before it’s too late.

Of course, the actual album is undoubtedly my favorite Vox album to date. The music and lyrics in Exact Change have grown significantly since her previous album release in 2008. There is so much more depth and life than on previous albums and it shows immensely.

Exact Change starts off on a very high note with “Summertime,” what I believe to be a very sweet summer hit, perfect for those summer playlists, because we all have them, whether we’d like to admit it or not. The song is catchy with great music to blend with it, and for those looking for the same Victoria they’ve always known and loved, fear not, it’s still her.  

“Mother Nature” is another track I feel is along the same lines as some of her previous albums tracks, but with a look at the bigger picture in which our world stands right now.

Some personal favorite tracks included “Oh I Wonder,” “Technicolor Way,”
“Make A Mess,” and “Shake It Up.”

“Oh I Wonder” has an added intensity that I’ve previously never heard from Vox. It grabbed my attention from the very beginning. It had more of a rock vibe than pop, which was a nice side to see.  

“Technicolor Way” is another great departure. The guitars and piano during this track were a huge standout. Absolutely a new favorite of mine.  

“Make A Mess” is a little darker in the sense that the rawness of the song and the music itself tugged at your heart in agreement with the lyrics: “Please understand/Take the time to get to know who I am.”  “Shake It Up” showed off some more growth in lyrics
and sound. I loved the jazzy feel to it, as it’s not something I’m used to hearing. Vox has such a smooth yet strong voice in all of these standout tracks. It’s something I can definitely get used to.

Growth, life, a new environment, some departure from the past, all of these things have combined to make a perfect blend of music and lyrics in Exact Change. I can’t wait to hear what Victoria continues to come up with to share with the world.

Music can be purchased through Vox’s website, victoriavox.com, iTunes, CDBaby, and as always, live shows. Whether your poison is MySpace, FaceBook, twitter, tumblr., you name it, you’ll find her for show info and the day-to-day happenings in the life of Victoria Vox.