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Top 10 regional CDs of 2007 marked by wide range of styles
BY TOM LOUNGES
Times Correspondent | Sunday, January 06, 2008
The end of each year brings with it the tough task of evaluating the parade of albums released by regional artists over the past year and picking a handful of personal favorites.
As in the past, the criteria to make this Top 10 list require that each CD was released by a Chicagoland artist no earlier than the last quarter of 2006; be commercially available; be professionally recorded, pressed and packaged; and contain a minimum of either eight songs or 30 minutes of music.
Starting with number 10 and working up, my picks as the cream of the 2007 crop are:
10) Scott DuBose and the 101 Ranch, "Scott DuBose & The 101 Ranch" (Niko Records)
A modern country mix of five originals and three outsourced songs, the best being a haunting treatment of Bob Seger's "Turn The Page," highlighted by Greg Rodrigues' fiddle.
A close second is "Full Tank Of Gas," a honky-tonkin' number written by keyboardist Brian James that sports a gospel groove. Vocalist Scott DuBose, a ball-of-fire live performer, seems a bit subdued working in a studio environment.
This self-produced debut CD would have benefitted from better engineering as the sound often is thin.
Highlights: "Turn The Page," "Better End of the Deal", and the gospel-tinged "Full Tank Of Gas" www.ScottDubose.com
9) Rusta Lilypad, "Formerly Known As Home" (Independent)
Recorded at Thunderclap Studio with John Carpenter and Greg Vaughn engineering results in this band's debut disc sounding pretty solid.
Performances come off rather well, but the songwriting needs a little work. About the half the 10 songs are excellent, while others come off as little more than filler.
Together just more than two years, this first CD is better than most first efforts. Lead singer Tommy Mayer's gravelly Rod Stewart/Stevie Marriott-style voice serves the band and the songs well. Should appeal to fans of Black Crowes, Faces and London Quireboys.
Highlights: "Runaway Child", "My Life is Great" and "Fly On The Wall." www.myspace.com/rustalilypad
8) M&R Rush, "Keep On Rockin' " (Eminar Music)
For its latest CD, this veteran Chicagoland group sticks to the formula that has served it well since 1980. M&R Rush members are masters at creating hook-laden rock with a distinctive '70s flair, akin to such groups as Styx, REO Speedwagon and Journey.
In fact, Journey's early hit, "On A Saturday Night," is impressively covered on this 11-song collection, along with the classic Free song,"Wishing Well." Having multiple lead singers and songwriters has always been a strong point for M&R Rush, as it keeps things fresh from track to track. Production by guitarists Jeff Luif and John McFarland at Star Trax Studio is stellar from start to finish.
Highlights: "Keep On Rockin'," "Time Waits For No One" and "Still in Love With You." www.mandrrush.com
7) Bernie Glim and The Country Roads Band, "Playin' To Win" (Independent)
A tasty collection of songs that are a mix of old-school and new-school country, with a splash of rock 'n' roll thrown in for good measure. Check out the rockin' shuffle of "Meet Me In The Kitchen." This long-standing group has the chops and the songs to make this 11-track collection an instant local classic.
Clocking in at just less than an hour, "Playin' To Win," is one of those rare albums that is enjoyable to listen to from start to finish. Well produced by Neil Holmquist at Dungeon Studios and sporting really nice artwork/photos.
Highlights: "Too Cool", "Marlene" and "Spring In Tennessee." www.bernieglimcountryroads.com
6) Tafoya's Lost Boyzz, "LIFE" (Rave Song Records)
Absolutely amazing musical ability spills forth from this debut CD from a band with an impressive pedigree. This trio has the sound of a full six-piece band as it works its way through a collection of 10 powerful, well-written rock songs that have a strong blues groove anchoring them.
Tafoya had been signed twice to Epic Records a lifetime ago as a member of The Boyzz From Illinoizz and B'zz, and his impressive playing from back then has only gotten better with age.
Rock-solid production and engineering come compliments of Dave Angel, another former member of The Boyzz From Illinoizz.
Highlights: "Outside My Window", "Drive By/Sturgis" and "Hammerhead." www.TafoyasLostBoyzz.com
5) Tristen, "The Lightest Kind" (Independent)
Lansing native Tristen has come a long way since she started popping up at open mic nights at the Muse Cafe back in the 1990s as a teenager. College, European travel, coffeehouse tours and relocating to Nashville are all experiences that have served this gifted young woman well.
Subtle piano and acoustic guitars frame Tristen's mature but lilting vocals and make this nine-song collection of originals the perfect album for life's mellow moments.
Tristen's music will appeal to fans of Jewel, Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez; though mellow and laid back, her music is full of substance and style.
Highlights: "Real To Me", "Beauty Is A Bird" and her duet with producer Carey Ott, "When It's Done." www.Tristen.com
4) Jef Sarver, "Nine" (Independent)
Another stellar collection that deserves attention comes to us from an artist who has been making music in the region for many years now: Quirky little numbers of varying styles and tempos that flow freely into one another as the disc takes the listener on a musical journey.
While taking nothing away from Sarver, of whom this writer has been a fan for many years, "Nine" owes much to the production of Rick Watson and guest performances by some amazingly talented regional artists like Chad Clifford (of The Crawpuppies), Ronn Barany, Ron Buffington, Jerry Short and John Derado.
Largely acoustic and with string instrumentation, "Nine," may be too left of center for some musical tastes, but there is no denying the talent here.
Highlights: "Pharmacy In The Dell," "Little Gypsy" and "Shakin' The Monkey." www.jefsarver.com
3) Shotgun Elvis, "The Vale Of Paradise" (Independent)
Outstanding, full-color, full-bleed, tri-fold eco-packaging modeled after a 1940s pulp fiction crime novel immediately grabs attention and reflects the great care and cost Shotgun Elvis put into the making of its stellar 13-song sophomore CD.
This powerhouse punk trio is old-school-rooted but contemporary, never coming off as dated. Shotgun Elvis is the bastard child of The Clash and Bad Brains brought kicking and screaming into the 21st century -- light years better than most so-called "punks" on the national scene today.
Wear your Converse high-tops when you spin this disc, because from start to finish (including bonus live tracks), this is adrenaline-packed fun that makes it impossible to stay still. Solid production by Marc Nelson at Bear Tracks Studio.
Highlights: "Loose Women And Booze," "We Are N.W.I. (Region Rat)" and "I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell." www.shotgunelvis.com
2) Forty-piece Choir, "The Profound Nature Of Life" (Cooked County Records)
This eclectic collection of quirky rock, folk-pop jams sadly serves as the swan song for one of Chicagoland's most promising young groups. The release party for this fine set of music also served as the last live performance by the sextet with the confusing name.
Complex and unique arrangements, top-shelf writing and performing, the creative use of a plethora of instrumentation (saxaphones, violins, mandolins, rhoades synths) beyond the basic guitar/bass/drums combine to make this one of the most interesting and overall enjoyable albums to cross my desk and enter my stereo all year.
The blending of country, folk, rock and jam-band flavors begs comparisons to The Band (of "The Last Waltz" fame), which was arguably one of the best musical groups ever. Hearing this excellent CD makes me regret having never caught Forty Piece Choir live.
Highlights: "Bankbooks and Alcohol," "100 Violins" and "Preaching From The Choir." www.fortypiecechoir.com
1) Robby Celestin, "Voice Prints" (Independent)
In possession of perhaps the finest, most soulful voice in Chicagoland, Robby Celestin is clearly ready to step out with his own original music and leave behind the cover-band years spent with regional club favorites TimePeace.
Celestin's self-penned songs (such as "The Way" and "The Break Up") are outstanding, and any top R&B artists would love tunes of this caliber to come their way. When Robby wraps his smooth vocals around killer selections like these, hearts melt.
Smooth, sexy, charismatic and slick, Celestin is a romantic in the Marvin Gaye/Luther Vandross tradition but with a contemporary flair not unlike Justin Timberlake. He has the potential to become a major star.
Highlights: "The Break Up (Already Gone)," "Funny Blue Drinks" and "The Way." www.robbycelestin.com
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