Releases Uprooted
Dave Purcell and Jeff Roberson, instigators of the Uprooted Music collective which promotes local Roots music shows, are both hosting CD release parties for their respective bands, Pike 27 and Len's Lounge, this weekend.
On Saturday, Roberson and Len's Lounge host the party for their new release, Road Dog and More Train Songs, at The Comet in Northside. Road Dog had been previously available on a limited basis from the band, but the new version -- put out by the local Northern Aggression Records -- features new artwork, a new running order and a few newer cuts, including a haunting cover of Guy Clark's "Dublin Blues" and the original "Rivers No More." The band will perform two shows on Saturday. They'll do an acoustic set at 7:30 p.m. with guest Newky Stapleton (of The Stapletons) on banjo. An electric set follows at 10 p.m., likely with local Roots/Bluegrass hero Ed Cunningham on mandolin. For more on the Lounge, check lenslounge.com or www.northern-aggression.com.
Pike 27's release show for their debut album, Falling Down Hard, is at the York Street Café in Newport on Sunday at 7 p.m. The show promises to be a night of spontaneity and surprises, as the group has invited a slew of their musically inclined friends to participate. Many of the guest artists will perform one of their own songs with the band and then join the hosts for a Pike 27 original. Slated to appear: Messerly & Ewing, Clabbergirl, Swarthy and Harold Kennedy, while Chuck Cleaver of the Ass Ponys and David Rhodes Brown of the Warsaw Falcons will also play with the band and open the show with individual acoustic sets.
Falling Down Hard is a masterful stab at impassioned Roots Rock, showing that they whole-heartedly set out to emphasize the "Rock" part of that equation as much as the "Roots" part. "Baltimore," for example, is a down-and-dirty stomper that flies with a near-rabid energy, while "Devil's Radio" rumbles with a Stones-ish swagger. But the band also shows flashes of grace on Falling, especially on the moving, elegant "5/17," one of the best local songs of the year. If you consider yourself a fan of Roots Rock and you don't pick up Falling Down Hard immediately, you might as well start looking into that Electronica music the kids seem to be crazy about these days.
For more on Pike 27, dial up www.pike27.net. The Uprooted Web site is at www.uprootedmusic.com.
Stonewater Debut
Locals Stonewater release their self-titled debut album on Saturday at the York Street Café. The group began with the partnership of Mike Liggett and Jeff Kessen, who were performing locally as an acoustic duo. The band enlisted drummer Chris Mueller and Marc Broering in 1999, cementing the group's current lineup.
The band's debut was helmed by ex-Over the Rhine guitarist/current Monk frontman Ric Hordinski, who gives the band's passionate, melodic Rock sound his trademark production clarity. On the CDs eight tracks, Stonewater's variety of influences are welded together for a fairly unique sound that draws from both Classic Rock and modern sources. "Let It Out," for example, has a Led Zeppelin twinkle and glaze, but "Speechless" and "One Red Cent" possess the catchy feel of the Gin Blossoms or Matchbox 20. The group is refreshingly hard to pigeonhole -- instead of looking for a certain overall sound, the band seems to simply pour their hearts into the songs to see what comes out. Good stuff.
For more on Stonewater, check www.stonewatermusic.com.
Denial on the Road
Local Modern Rock act Denial have been selected to participate as one of the artists on the Pepsi Amp Concert Circuit. The band is the only act on the circuit without a record deal. The selection will put the band on the road, with dates in New Jersey, Louisville, Wisconsin and, locally, at Jillian's in Covington on Dec. 14.
On Thursday, the group will celebrate the release of their second CD, Sinus, at the Blue Note in Price Hill (the band has been playing Thursdays at the club for the past five years). Sinus is impressive in its professional sound, and the band members are clearly strong songwriters and musicians. The music on Sinus is highly accessible Pop/Rock, mixing in many contemporary influences, ranging from Blink 182 to Fuel. The band does a more-than-convincing job handling the radio-friendly album's diversity, slipping from poppish Punk to slicked-up, Grunge-inspired Rock with ease. While perhaps not completely original, there's no denying the group's ability and talent. There's no reason these guys couldn't go far in the biz commercially.
For more on Denial, check their Web site at denialmusic.com.
