[atlantaprog] The Owl's Rogue Fest Faves
- From: Phil McKenna <theowlwatches@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ARIA List <atlantaprog@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 11:06:57 -0700 (PDT)
And the Owl chimes in with his favorites:
Wheatstone Bridge: Very impressive 3 piece (guit-guit synth/bass/drums w/ some
vocals)rocked real hard, got very dizzyingly complex and outright wacky by
turns, just the way I like it!
Lord Only: This band has really grown on me with its thick vocal harmonies,
change on a dime tempos, intricate arrangements and hard-rocking crunch! It was
cool to hear some new material as well!
Hazard Factor: Didn't really grab me at the outset (staying too long on the
same groove I guess, plus the male singer honestly was not very listenable),
but then about midway through, things got verrrrry interesting with some far
more varied arrangements, the female vocalist doing a mix of Sanskrit and
made-up language (got it from the source), and the guitarist adding some trippy
Soundscapes and loops. I hope they start going more in that direction as I saw
a ton of potential.
Man On Fire: Very tight, energetic and nicely crafted tunes with songcraft that
would've done the Beatles proud. The big surprise was a viciously tight cover
of UK's Alaska/Time to Kill! Just wish they played it all the way through
though but I tell ya, that turned some heads!
Cobweb Strange: An interesting mix of almost Goth and Symph that rocked real
hard. Very good! Holly Williams was just smoking on her Stratocaster!
Z-Axis: Definitely enjoyed these guys colorful brand of space rock, especially
Allen Welty Greene's colorful synth sounds, percolating grooves from the rhythm
section and the addition of an interpretive dancer for a couple pieces, good
call guys! Another highlght was the cover of Pink Floyd's "Careful With That
Axe Eugene" verrrry cool (good audience scream-along too! )!
Karma Lingo: Very tight and entertaining. Thick vocal harmonies and versatile
musicianship, especially from Matt Trautwein sawing away on a violin, pounding
at keys or soaring on guitar (in addition to singing) an Becky Cormier (darting
between vocals, flute, keys and guitar). Combining elements of symphoic, pop,
hard rock and even Broadway on one song ("Your Brain Makes My Body Rock" the
one tune I cringed at because of its extreme "Broadway-ness" yet still had to
admire the ease and flair with which they pulled it off),and it made for one
very entertaining hour or so. People loved their rendition of Queen's "Bohemian
Rhapsody" too.
Unbounded Sky: Call this a diamond in the rough, a three-piece (keyboards,
drums and guitar, no bassist though). It was somewhat Canterburyish with a bit
of a harder edge, particularly liked the keyboard sounds (even had a real
Rhodes!) and occasional lead vocals from a guest vocalist I'm assuming. very
tight playing, some pretty nice writing too. If I could offer any constructive
criticism, it would be:
1) Get a bass player
2) Dispense with vocals altoghether, they're not really necessary here.
Definitely would like to hear more from these guys as time goes on.
Hoo Hoooo Hoo Hoooooo
Phil
http://www.geocities.com/theowlwatches
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