Do I hear a waltz? No, but I hear some ROCK & ROLL!

Been a wee bit since I went on about my musical taste but I’ve gotten a few new albums lately- some artists that I love and others that are new to me- and I wanted to share. Let me say this first- this is all opinion based; I am not trained in anything musical nor do I have much of a knowledge other than my own taste. I cannot tell you that a piece of music is important or special because it blah blah blah… all I can say is what I feel about the music and how it moves me. I can tell you what I like and what I don’t. Take it as opinion, not fact, and if what I say intrigues you- then check out the music for yourself and let me know what you think. Now that I’ve laid out that disclaimer, let’s begin.

Hard Six– Teenage Paranormal Romance

I need to start off by saying that I am biased to Hard Six- been friends with the band for years. Knowing that… I love this band. And this album is such fun! I’ve previously linked to one of my favorite songs on the album, “The Unicorn Song”, which has a bit of an ear worm in it and it just gets in your head… but not in a bad way. Hard Six is a rockabilly band based in Ventura, California, with some fine punk flavoring that just makes you want to boogie.

This 10 song CD features 7 original rockabilly hits and 3 covers- one of which is Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”. I’ve already pointed out my favorite- “The Unicorn Song”- which screams writer Michael D. Henry’s sense of humor to me. Honestly, the first time I heard this song, I had to stop what I was doing, asking myself “did he really just say that?”, before I burst out laughing. And I still laugh. Every time  And I think that’s an awesome thing with rockabilly- it’s about fun. You’re meant to be dancing, singing along, and laughing as you listen.

Again, I’m not a music expert- so I can’t go into details about amazing bridges and skillful playing. But I can tell you that from the moment the CD started playing I was hooked. The first piece, “999 Tears”, grabs you by the balls- metaphorical in my case, obviously- and doesn’t let go. There’s a promise of fun from the get-go. This CD hasn’t left my car since I got it last fall- it’s my go-to for adventuring.

Look, just do yourself a favor and get this CD.

Steve Carlson– Different Town

Been a fan of Steve’s for the better part of a decade now and you better believe I snag all new music. In fact he put out two albums in the fall of 2012- this is the second. I LOVE the first, Sharing The Covers- a collection of covers performed by Steve and his friends. However, I want to focus on this album instead as it was fully Steve and shows his personal growth as a musician.

The first thing to know is that this album differs from Steve’s previous albums in two key ways. First, a twist on all the traveling etc that Steve does- the songs were written/recorded in different cities. I’m not 100% clear if both or just written or just recorded in the different places. Still, it’s a pretty unique set-up. Secondly, this is a much more mellow album then I’m used to from Steve. Usually, the albums are full of rocking tunes, with a couple of softer songs to balance out. This CD is the opposite. And that’s not a bad thing.

I wish I had the ability to talk about the musical influences that color this album- but I’m horrible at knowing that stuff. Seriously, I ask my musician friends to play me specific songs by remembering one teeny thing, i.e. “the butterfly song”. I just don’t have a head for music. And this CD makes me wish I did. While the previous CD’s from Steve rotate through my players, this one had been set on my laptop since I got it- in constant rotation at work. It has just the right amount of energy to keep me going throughout the day and doesn’t go to any extremes that might be inappropriate in the work place. Actually, that’s kind of a tough mix to find these days.

I vote for picking up all of Steve’s CDs… but this one is currently top of my list.

 Marian Call– Something Fierce

Fell madly in love with Marian’s music at W00tstock SDCC 2010 when I heard her singing a love song for zombies. And her nerd anthom… LOVED it! So of course, I became a fan and supporter of her kickstarter. Finally had the chance to meet her at SDCC last year- which was noted in my epic write-up. Anywho…

Marian’s music is more folk than rock, which I guess means I shouldn’t have titled this post the way I did- but I don’t care. This album- her most recent (though I await her live album from her recent European tour)- is a double album of beautiful and melodic tunes. A tale is told throughout the music… and to truly follow it, you really do need to listen repeatedly. And pay close attention to the lyrics. For me, the songs on an earlier album (“Vanilla“) stuck in my head more, however, this album solidly brings the listener into Marian’s world, sits her (him) down, and offers a nice cuppa.

My favorite song is “Highway 5” because I’ve done that drive (not all the way up to Alaska, mind) and I can picture every little detail as I listen. Grab the album, add it to your playlist- you’ll thank me when you do.

Tags: Do I Hear a Waltz?, Geekery, Hard Six, Marian Call, Music, Musicians, Personal, Reviews, Steve Carlson