CD: Say Hi To Your Mom, Impeccable Blahs (July 2006)

On the surface, headmaster Eric Elbogen appears to be singing about the bat-winged bloodsuckers, but when he sings “Most days these fangs are inside someone, so you can’t see them when I smile at you / And I don’t mind if you want to hide your fangs too.” on “These Fangs,” it’s impossible to ignore the metaphore that is swimming around underneath the surface. It’s true that there are bands out there that really do sing about monsters and ghosts and the like–the Groovie Ghoulies is the perfect example–but it feels completely different with Say Hi To Your Mom, so much more than just silly vampire references. The longing and fear Elbogen expresses when he bellows out the single word “sleep” in “Snowcones and Puppies” is enough to prove how much emotion and meaning he is trying to get across in the music.

Although Impeccable Blahs is a cleanly recorded CD, it has a very DIY feel and the indie-pop-synthesizer-rock gives a “local band” impression. And though the lyrics point to a kind of weird, goofy attitude there’s also a very serious underlying vibe that comes through in the music. In a way it’s almost as if these guys don’t want you to know just how important their music is to them, so they act kind of flip, but really they would just die if the music was messed with or went unappreciated.

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CD: Mardo, The New Gun (House of Restitution Records, 2006)

I’ve always argued that when a band does what they do well they should be given props, even if their has been beaten to death over the past, 10, 15, 20 years. They will always find fans somewhere, to each their own and no harm done. But, Mardo’s The New Gun, pushes my argument to a breaking point. I mean really, how much like Def Leppard should any band want to sound?

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CD: Margot & the nuclear so and so’s, The Dust of Retreat (Artemis, March 2006)

Margot & the nuclear so and so’s. The name alone points to a kind of explosive blase, and that’s exactly what the music is, too. There’s so much going on with instruments: trumpet, cello, lap steel and banjo, just to name a few, as well as genre: rock, pop and some experimental. It’s explosive in its adventerousness. The blase aspect comes from frontman Richard Edwards’ somewhat down outlook on the usual issues, relationships (whether familial or romantic) and all those issues that weigh heavily on the minds of sensitive souls.

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Pitch Perfect Reviews has been invited to attend the second annual Vegoose Festival here in Sin City! We are very excited about the two-day event and will be sure to bring you some great reviews after we recuperate … but for now, here’s all the info. you should know, including who will be performing, how to get tickets and how much cash you should expect to shell out during your time at the festival.

VEGOOSE 2006

What is Vegoose? It’s a Halloween extravaganza that celebrates Las Vegas and the spooktacular holiday! The event includes many live music performances, interactive attractions, performance artists, art installations and costumes are encouraged!

Dates and times: Saturday, Oct. 28 and Sunday, Oct. 29, Main festival site will be open 11 am-11 pm, parking areas will be open 8 am-midnight

Location: Sam Boyd Stadium, 7000 East Russell Road, Las Vegas

Tickets: $146.50-includes entrance to the festival both days–one-day tickets are not available; Children under 5 will not need tickets to enter the fairgrounds; Tickets are available at www.vegoose.com

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CD: Cole Mitchell, Invictus (Wasteland Records, 2006)

Country rocker Cole Mitchell has been on the local Albuquerque music scene for years with bands like the Saddlesores, and he and his many co-musicians (on any and all of his projects) embody the essence of what is referred to as Americana. With songs that paint pictures of life at its most simple, emotions at their most befuddled and relationships at their most unstable, Mitchell has a strong sense of self-expression and has never wastes time beating around the bush by using confusing metaphores or silly innuendos.

Mitchell find himself back in the saddle, musically speaking, with the release of Invictus, an album that is a bit less wild than some of the singer/songwriter’s music in the past. And though many of these new tunes have slower, waltz-like speeds doesn’t mean they are in the least bit tired–on the contrary. Mitchell has once again managed to capture his passion through voice and melody in a way that puts other songwriters to shame. He’s got more soul than one man has a right to, and this soul has infused every song on this, his second solo endeavor.

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CD Titles: The City Series: Paris, Istanbul, Berlin, Shanghai, Las Vegas, St. Tropez, Mexico City, Moscow, Barcelona and more (Petrol Records, 2006)

Petrol Records has began a huge undertaking in its City Series, creating 10 abums that focus on the dance music of select regions of the world and compiling them into 12-song discs. Each contains both original recordings and remixes of some of the most popular hits in cities such as Moscow, Berlin, Barcelona, and Mexico City. It’s a lot of music, and it’s all designed to get people dancing while dishing up hot helpings of soul and sexuality.

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By Michael Henningsen

CD Title: Various Artists Why the Hell Not … The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Sustain Records, 2006)

During his nearly 35-year public career, Kinky Friedman has been many things to many people: singer/songwriter, sage, spiritual advisor, author of 20 mystery novels starring himself as “The Kinkster,” author of several other books including an autobiography, a guide to Texas etiquette and a cookbook, columnist for the Texas Monthly, New York Times contributor and, most recently, Texas Gubernatorial candidate. And while Friedman is better known as an author and smart ass talk-show guest than he is for the handful of albums he recorded in the 70s, there are more than just a few gems strewn about his discography, or, as Friedman himself might put it, some pearls in the snow.

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CD: Blood Meridian, Kick Up the Dust (V2 Records, August 2006)

Best case scenario, country music is sarcacstic, sad, witty and shows a bitter disdain for life. Alt.country, when done properly, is even more sarcastic, sad, witty and bitter than your “basic” country. Add a saddlebag of angst and a moldy trough full of twang and you’ve got yourself a hoedown for the books.

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