2002 Year-in-Review

New England Music Scrapbook




Barry and the Remains
Movin' On (CD, Rock-A-Lot, 2002)




Best of 2002 Toad (Nightclub) by Maria McLaughlin
RadioBoston.com by JoEllen
Boston Groupie News by Miss Lyn
SkyPaint by Maria McLaughlin
Compilations
Demos
Reissues



THE YEARS 2001 AND 2002 HAVE BEEN AMONG THE BEST in popular music that I remember on the regional, national, and international levels. Interestingly, though, this has happened at a time when the major record labels have not been doing particularly well financially. I also was just reminded of Steve Morse's front-page article in the November 8 Boston Globe about the decline in attendance at Boston-area nightclubs. Yet in his December 29 year-end review, he reported that attendance at bigger concerts had gone through the roof. Here's how Morse led off:

Ticket sales way up, record sales way down. That was the story of pop music this year. Record labels sang the blues and kept complaining about the effects of CD burning, but also released some pretty bad music, which helped explain a 10 percent drop in record sales.
Evidently 2002 has been a complex year for the music business. I wonder, though, in what spirit to take that 10% drop in record sales. Scott Alarik's 2002 Top 10, published in the December 8 issue of the Boston Globe, includes two records released by the giant Columbia Records and eight issued by smaller labels such as Alligator, Compass, Rounder, and Shanachie. I didn't even know about Winifred Horan's Just One Wish; but her band Solas turned out the typically stellar The Edge of Silence, on which we would be heaping high praise if we were to step outside our regional focus. And Natalie MacMasters' live set on Rounder, as Sgt. Pepper would say, is guaranteed to raise a smile.

I don't hear and read everything, of course; and I can only write up what I know. So, I asked my closest New England Music Scrapbook colleagues for their thoughts on the notable events in music of the year twenty-oh-two. Radio historian Donna Halper of Emerson College is a wonderful friend to this site. This is her contribution:

Actually, I was thinking about some of the people we lost this past year--like music critic and Billboard editor Timothy White and the Who's John Entwistle and jazz great Lionel Hampton and vocalists Rosemary Clooney and Peggy Lee... and outside of music, we lost former WBZ-TV meteorologist Norm McDonald, and Ted Williams, and Ruth Handler (who invented the Barbie doll) and TV comic legend Milton Berle... just to name a few...

-- Donna L. Halper, E-Mail Message, October 22, 2002


Brian Sinclair, who, as Ol' Sinc, co-hosted "Hillbilly at Harvard" along with Cousin Lynn Joiner for thirty-six years, died late in the year. Also in late December came word of the passing of Armand Zildjian, who headed the famed cymbal manufacturing firm in Norwell, Massachusetts. Mai Cramer's Boston blues broadcasts will be greatly missed. He was not a musician, but Ned Martin's Red Sox broadcasts had a musical flow. Possibly forever best known for his radio partnership with Jim Woods, Martin's passing was sudden and unexpected. And though Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell) wasn't a New Englander, his work on the Aerosmith/Run-DMC record, "Walk This Way," helped revive Aerosmith's career in the view of many, including the Boston Globe's Renée Graham. This was a year after Done with Mirrors and before Permanent Vacation, a point at which the members of Aerosmith must have appreciated all the help they could get. A few other notable passings that come quickly to mind, on a national and international level, include Derek Bell, Lonnie Donegan, Waylon Jennings, Alan Lomax, Dee Dee Ramone, Joe Strummer, Dave Van Ronk, and Zal Yanovsky. Brilliant singer-songwriter Dave Carter and Jim Drown of the Blend are discussed below.

From this site's point of view, the loss of Timothy White was particularly great. At Billboard, White tipped the balance significantly away from coverage of the industry & what was selling fastest and toward interesting and talented musicians who were trying to get a break. Many New England popular music acts got serious career boosts during White's stewardship of Billboard. Solo artist Kay Hanley, formerly of Letters to Cleo, told Steve Morse of the Boston Globe, "Timothy loved to discover new things. He was like a 19-year-old at college radio. He was such a maverick." Ted Drozdowski of the Boston Phoenix added, "Led by his soul and his instincts, Timothy bucked the trend toward downsizing and simplified writing that over the past decade has turned almost every major American music publication into a purveyor of glib emptiness and fluffy personality journalism."

Our newest connection is Nancy Neon. When asked about the year's highlights, she wrote:

New Remains album--first in 36 years, Remains live show--the Paradise, The Varmints first full length and first CD, Mr. Airplane Man and Downbeat 5 signing to Sympathy for the Record Industry, (NOT HAPPENED YET--New Year's Eve in NYC--Lyres, DMZ, Downbeat 5, Real Kids, Purple Wizard), Return of Varmints, return of Billy Borgioli to the Classic Ruins December 13, Midway, radio shows: Dinos at WHRB, Nancy at WMBR, Alex at WMFO, DJ Vinny, Wednesdays at Common Ground

PS Last certainly not least the Real Kids' "Just Like Darts" from the first album (Red Star, 1977, reissued Norton 1991) included on MOJO magazine compilation, turning on new generations to the "Solid Gold" rock 'n' roll of the KIds! PPS Billy Borgioli's art show at the Zeitgeist attended by a virtual who's who of Boston rock 'n' roll--Real Kids' John Felice and Billy Cole as well as Kenne Highland, Rachel Lee (Vatican Sex Kitten), Matt Burns (of Classic Ruins and Vatican Sex Kittens), Scott Ferguson (Vatican Sex Kittens), Miss Ruby Starr (Kenne Highland Clan), and Cheryl Eagan-Donovan, director of upcoming Real Kids film, ALL KINDSA GIRLS. (check out the review at www.bostongroupienews.com) [NN's best-of-2002 picks appear below.]

-- Nancy Neon, E-Mail Messages, November 12, 2002

Later Update: Last minute, Mojo decided not to use the Real Kids cut. Miriam Linna of Norton Records theorizes that the cut was too long. Lyres record on DUI should be out any day. The address is PO Box 46073, Mt Clemens, MI 48046. They also have a Real Kids 45 recorded live at Paychecks in Detroit in November of 1999. The cuts are both Felice originals--"I Can't Kick" and "Who Needs You". Label mogul, Doug Giovanni announced a Real Kids full length (13 cuts) is on its way. There's also an Unnatural Axe 45 available on DUI, 1000 copies only of white vinyl. The tracks are "Brain Damage" and "Bombing & Burying" recorded in November 1998 at Larville Studio in Royal Oak, MI.


Ah, Barry and the Remains ... In the early '60s, jazz and folk were huge on college campuses and, thus, huge in Boston. But a new crowd of high school graduates, who had grown up with rock 'n' roll, somehow managed to get past college admissions officers. Old seedy bars were giving way to new seedy bars, along with a few nicer and larger rooms. New England's rock scene was coming together and looking for an identity. And at this pivotal moment, the Remains--Barry Tashian, Vern Miller, Bill Briggs, and Chip Damiani--were everything we could ask for. The group was rambunctious, thoroughly rehearsed, totally professional, mercilessly loud, and very, very good.

Maria McLaughlin publishes a weekly e-mail newsletter "which focuses mostly on roots music shows in the Cambridge/Somerville/Boston area." Maria is a very fine writer; and when I asked if she could contribute to this page, she sent a short profile of the Boston-area club, Toad.

Toad is a gem of a live music venue nestled in Porter Square (1912 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, MA, across from the Porter Sq. T Station). Its small size is actually one of its many charms. Toad features live, original music 7 nights a week--including local, national and international talent--and excellent bar service. There’s never a cover charge. One week’s line-up might include R&B, bluegrass, country, folk, pop, rock, screaming guitar and instrumental acts. With residencies ranging from 1 month to 7 years, and music nightly from 10pm-1am (2am on Thurs-Fri-Sat) plus the addition of early 7pm-9pm shows, Toad gives musicians opportunities to try out solo material and new collaborations, appear with special guests, and build their own shows against the backdrop of a low-key atmosphere. Toad is a great place to hang out and an even better place to be heard.

-- Maria McLaughlin, E-Mail Message, December 9, 2002


Please notice that there's a link above for those who would like to sign up for Maria's excellent newsletter.

Near the start of the year, Mission of Burma, a controversial early-'80s band, broke a promise (fans hoped those guys would) by giving reunion concerts in Boston, New York, and the UK. This caused a considerable stir, at least in New England.

The New England Music Scrapbook, itself, hardly ever goes back any earlier than the late 1950s. But we have another site dedicated to the Hutchinson Family singers, a popular vocal group whose career peaked in the 1840s. The Hutchinson Family was famous for singing in remarkably close harmony and infamous for doing so on behalf of unpopular causes, especially the abolition of slavery. The second week in March, we were notified that the Fields of Knowledge Infography now lists our Hutchinson Family site among its six superlative information sources on that subject. The other five entries are all books--really good books.

On Friday, March 29, 2002, at Symphony Hall in Boston, the Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame of America inducted these new members: the Five Keys, the G-Clefs, the Harptones, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, the Moonglows, and Shirley Alston Reeves of the Shirelles.

In March, visits to our Robin Lane page shot way up. (See "Reissues" link in navigation box near top of page) In April, I noticed the same for our Kris Delmhorst profile; and the following month, visits went through the roof. Next, it was Lui Collins. Finally, it became apparent that nearly every one of our profiles of women artists was benefitting from some general fresh interest. There seems to have been no one orchestrating any of this--no "women in rock" fad, no Lilith Fair tour. So while I'm glad it happened, I can't explain why it did. The heavy traffic to the Kris Delmhorst page is especially intriguing because it started all at once and lasted right through the summer and beyond.

The difference between Delmhorst's debut album and the followup, Five Stories (CD, Catalyst, 2001), is remarkable, making her last year's candidate for the act that showed the most impressive growth. Rachel Bissex made a similar transformation this year with her Between the Broken Lines CD. The production has a lot more pop to it, in more ways than one, and her voice is propelled by a new-found rhythm. "Drive All Night" and the sultry "Hurricane" are personal favorites. Her newsletter said that sales of the new album have been strong and sales of her earlier albums picked up, too. Since then, she told us she's getting better bookings and more of them. It's easy to see why.

The band, the Gentlemen, was this year's winner in Boston's WBCN Rock and Roll Rumble. Oedipus, the station's program director, told Steve Morse of the Boston Globe, "The Gentlemen played a perfectly paced set. They peaked at just the right time--and still left you wanting more." Morse added, "The Gentlemen dropped their manners and simply chewed up the competition. . . . " Other finalists included Mr. Airplane Man and Quitter.

We received this, from station manager Benjy Kantor of RadioBoston.com, on July 15th: "For five days I've been thinking hard about what I wanted to write in this newsletter. You see, I have sad news to share. Monday, July 15th, is the last day that RadioBoston will be broadcasting. We are heartbroken. Three years of love and dedication to the music scene will not end on Monday, but our broadcasts will."

Our friend and former RB host, JoEllen, contributed this.

In July, 2002, RadioBoston.com ceased broadcasting. An internet-only station that brought the best of the Boston music scene to the world, RadioBoston.com was a pioneer in internet broadcasting.

The station started in 1999 as a solution that founders Rob Swalley, Jerry Potts and John Hsu came up with for getting great local music on the air so people can listen for themselves. No commercials, no major label dollars. Listeners could purchase the music that they heard through an online store. They could chat with the EJ (electronic jocks) via email and Instant Messenger. And they could chat with other listeners through a chat board that ran alongside the live image of the EJ spinning in the booth. Quite an experience if you’re used to just passively listening in your car.

The site boasted links to live almost nightly performances from T.T. the Bears, Club Passim, and The Kendall Café plus a Special Events channel where host Zsid would broadcast live from any number of clubs around New England. There were live EJs all day and night--overnight coverage was handled by re-broadcasts. And the music came from the many artists from New England. "From New England" was a pretty loose term--as long as an artist could draw a pretty definite line to New England, they counted. So the Allstonians? Yes--they live in Allston, MA and play all around town. They Might Be Giants? Yes--they count, because the Johns both grew up in Lincoln, MA. So what if they moved away. To New York, no less!

RadioBoston.com took its mission to bring the music of Boston and New England to the world very seriously. In the end, there just wasn't enough support from the local music community, and the looming CARP ruling helped turn the tables. The final broadcast brought many dear friends and fans to the station--both online and in person. RadioBoston.com lives on through Zsid's local show on WXRV The River on Sunday Nights called RadioBoston.

-- RB Host JoEllen, E-Mail Message, December 11, 2002


Dave Carter (1952-2002) was not a New Englander, but we mourn his loss, in July, if we mourn anyone's. Simply put, Carter was brilliant. He would play or listen to cowboy music, and then new songs would come to him in his dreams. He'd wake up and take notes. In this way, Carter would create delightful mythopoetic gems that he performed and recorded beautifully with Tracy Grammer. Did he invent a new song-form or tap into something very ancient? It could be an interesting discussion. Either way, Dave Carter was bound for glory, and his death in Western Massachusetts was a tremendous loss for us all. Since Mike Boehm's 1999 Los Angeles Times feature about Grammer and Carter ("a major lyrical talent"), the buzz about this group was loud and clear, particularly along the Internet; and it quickly became common to refer to the duo as folk music's "Next Big Thing." May the charismatic, literate, musically-gifted Carter rest in peace; and may instrumentally-skilled and clear-voiced Grammer enjoy much deserved success as she takes Carter's songs to audiences, old and new alike, across the country.

Somerville's 608 club--much better known by the old name, Lilli's--closed in July, having never answered, to the satisfaction of the public, the question, "Are you a restaurant or a music club." Confusion over the establishment's identity led to financial difficulties which led, in turn, to the closing. "We've had some really great nights," manager Susan Scotti told Steve Morse of the Boston Globe, "when the club has been sold out, but also some nights with only 20 paying customers." Still, many Bostonians thought highly of the restaurant and of bookings by veteran Skeggy Kendall.

The Peter Parcek Band won the 2002 Battle of the Blues Bands at Harpers Ferry. A tie vote for the wildcard entry brought the number of finalists up to six: Erin Harpe, Sam Hooper, Rockin' George Leh, the Peter Parcek Band, the J. J. Sadler Blues Band, and Sweet Willie D and the Continental Walk.

August led off with a non-event of monumental proportions. If you were looking for one of the great social scenes of the season, then you just had to witness Bob Dylan's return to the Newport Folk Festival--his first appearance there since 1965. If, on the other hand, you were looking for a wonderful musical experience, it's lucky the program was loaded with enough talent to save the day. Fern, a disk jockey on the great Western Mass. radio station, WRSI-FM ("The River"), said on-air that it was like listening to someone doing a really bad Bob Dylan imitation. On the bill, we noticed Louise Taylor, a gifted and rising singer-songwriter who resides within blocks of the New England Music Scrapbook compound. With any luck, the bright light focused on Dylan's appearance reflected on the vital musicians, such as Taylor, who shared the stage with that night's star.

Sometime around the first week in August, Boston Groupie News Online made its World Wide Web debut. As fate would have it, we wrote the good BGN folks right after Blowfish set up the site's e-mail account; so, we got there first. We asked Miss Lyn for a few words about the renewed enterprise, and here's what she sent:

The BGN seems to have a life of its own... It arose out of nowhere back in 1975 and in 2002 it is coming to life yet again! The power of the web caused a stirring we could not deny ... combined with the tremendous interest in early garage/punk, not only by those who lived through it then but by kids born during those years as well, we felt it was time to push open the coffin lid and rise again!

To us this is like déjà vu, just like back in ’75. We started with a single page and we're gonna go where ever it takes us! Join us for some fun at www.bostongroupienews.com!!

-- Miss Lyn, E-Mail Message, November 24, 2002


chelseaonfire, a long-running band that we followed and profiled, broke up in September.

Aerosmith and Bleu had tracks on the Spiderman soundtrack. Subsequently, Boston's Flynn and former Pioneer Valley & Boston local hero, Amy Fairchild, contributed songs to Spiderman Live! We've never heard Flynn, or Bleu for that matter (other than the Spiderman number); but being based in Western New England, we're quite familiar with the career of Fairchild. Her latest album, Mr. Heart, is quite fine and highly accessible. We consider "Beautiful Secret," in particular, to be one of the finest New England-connected album tracks of 2002.

Maria McLaughlin kindly contributed the following account of Russell Chudnofsky's rock opera, SkyPaint:

SkyPaint: A PopOpera debuted at Lizard Lounge on November 9, 2002 to a sold-out audience. Russell Chudnofsky is the man behind the story and the music of this modern-day rock show. It revolves around one man's alienation in a rapidly changing world where humanity is merging with technology--a sci-fi, love story, and dark comedy all in one. The music is multi-dimensional and it definitely rocks. The live show features Chudnofsky (Jake Brennan and the Confidence Men, Amelia White, Jason Hatfield) and Sarah Borges (Kipper Tin) on lead vocals and guitars, Phil Magnifico (Lucky 57) on bass, and Rob Dulaney (Jake Brennan and the Confidence Men) on drums. The cast of characters includes Tom Sturm as Dr. Riley J. Jones (aka the Sci-Fi Pimp), Eric Schmider as Riley Jr., and Binky Rice as Hank.

The next performance of SkyPaint: A PopOpera will be on Saturday, February 22, 2003 at Lizard Lounge. Jennifer Matthews will open the show. Updates and CD information can be found at www.skypaintmusic.com.

-- Maria McLaughlin, E-Mail Message, December 16, 2002


Early in December, Jim Drown of the '70s Maine/New Hampshire rock band, the Blend, died. It is, unfortunately, one of the few well-known Maine rock groups of that era that I personally missed. But numerous e-mail responses to our Blend page show quite clearly that the band's music touched the lives of many New Englanders, and J. D. Drown will be sadly missed.

Fans of the Lonesome Brothers binged on music at Harry's Music Club in Northampton, Massachusetts, on December 20th. Bills for this marathon event announced that the Lonesomes--Jim Armenti, Doug Beaumier, Ray Mason, Tom Shea, and Jim Weeks--would be "Performing in Their Entirety All 4 CDs!" And that was after doing their regular show. We checked with Mason as to whether all the Lonesome Brothers came through alive. On December 31 we received his reply. "5 sets--70 songs and we're still here!!" And by the way, the lead-off track on the band's latest album, Pony Tales (CD, Captivating Music CM-9156, 2002)--the sparkling "Crossing with the Cuckoo"--is getting serious airplay over here in Western New England.

We have just learned that a local (Brattleboro, Vermont) group, the Relative Strangers, is about to break up.

New acts: Consonant, Maybe Baby, One (Project Eno, as in Brian Eno), Twinemen.

Reunions/Anniversary Shows: Cavedogs, Duke and the Drivers (30th anniversary), Mission of Burma, O Positive, Phish (returning from sabbatical), the Stompers (25th anniversary), 360s (Is this Audrey Clark band still together?). Members of the Drivers have been quoted in the press as making some noise about staying together (Web site, maybe some recording), though less official word has it Duke won't sign unless he gets more money.

-- Alan Lewis



Best of 2002


Should I let Nancy Neon go first or give her the last word? Ah, let's put her on first. Here are NN's best-of-2002 picks:


Nancy Neon

I'd definitely consider MOVIN' ON as one of the top recordings of 2002 and Barry and the Remains' live show was my favorite of 2002. MOVIN' ON, I personally dig though it may not be for sixties garage purists. Though I'd rank "Don't Tell Me The Truth" with all their greats on the Epic album from 1966, overall the album digs a little deeper than pure sixties punk incorporating Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and even a bit of country cantina feel. Live the band keeps the garage feel, but are all accomplished musicians. Barry's soulful voice really tears me up and it was a thrill to hear/see him live. Live, Billy Briggs plays a Yamaha, but on the album he plays a wide range of cool keyboards including Vox, Wurlizer, and Hammond which color each song in a painterly way.

HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES from The Cry Babies on Dinos Records is on my Top Three of 2002. I first saw the Crybabies in February of 2001 on the dream bill of Downbeat 5 and Lyres. At that time, I described them as Gram Parsons meets the Flamin' Groovies. Close to two years later, I feel that description holds up. You will recognize Artie Sneiderman from the Belmondos whose impeccably R&B flavored vocals are matched only by his fine songwriting and his skill at picking the coolest covers. (Hearing Belmondos do Dutchbeat fave, Q65's "It's Your Problem" knocked me out!!!) Songwriting duties are shared with Steve Aquino, former guitarist of Lyres, whose six string stylings color the Crybabies songs much like Billy Briggs' keyboards color songs of Barry And The Remains. Their originals are top notch, but I get a thrill out of hearing covers that match my own musical sensibilities so perfectly: The Gants' "I Wonder", Rolling Stones' "Blue Turns To Grey", and Flamin' Groovies' "I'll Cry Alone".

The Downbeat 5 have signed to Sympathy For The Record Industry and will have a full length recording out by February of 2003. In the meantime, their 4 song demo, THREE BULLETS FOR ALICE continues to receive massive airplay. From girl group chestnut, "Dum Dum Ditty" to Tommy James And The Shondells' "Mirage"--which receives a punk transfusion--to their wellcrafted, catchy originals like the titletrack and one of my personal faves "Cryin' In The Night", the DB5 excel at many genres. They play girl group, bubblegum, punk, and moody, R&B tinged numbers with equal skill and conviction.

Tear You Up/Lyres(DUI Records) The longawaited, much heralded new single has the patented SLOW BURN that I dig about Lyres. The rhythm section of bass player, Rick Coraccio (Check out his side project, The Last Ones, another fave of mine) and drummer, Paul Murphy are the best in the business, no hyperbole. Coraccio and Murphy create a rock solid foundation for Jeff Conolly's white soul vocals and the beloved Vox which creates a Pavlovian response in garage fans. Lyres are an integral part of my top rock 'n' roll memories. In September 2001, Dave Aguilar of the Chocolate Watch Band joined Lyres onstage for two songs "Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love-In)" and "Don't Need Your Lovin'". Aguilar out Jaggered Jagger. Moreover the image of Conolly as garage Orpheus with women screaming and covering his organ in flowers was positively iconic!!

Blast From The Past: THE POLARIS STORY (Arf!Arf! Records/Bacchus Archives) This is a must for all New England garage fans especially those who dig NEW ENGLAND TEEN SCENE series. Here's 27 cuts from Joe Belino's Cambridge based label from the 60's released in 1991. I recognize "Slide" by The Bugs from the BACK FROM THE GRAVE series and The New Breed's "Wasting My Time" as a Lyres' cover.

-- Nancy Neon, E-Mail Messages, December 7 and 13, 2002



Alan Lewis

John Coster
The World Has Changed (CD, Sakkara, 2002)

John Coster has made three albums that I absolutely love--Jacob's Reunion with his old band by that name, Dangerous Kingdom of the Heart with Susannah Keith, and this solo effort. The World Has Changed rounds up many of the usual instrumental suspects, notably including guitar ace Jeff Pevar (David Crosby's CPR, Jazz Is Dead), who I believe was backing up Coster when he (Pevar) was first heard on record. The songwriting here is classic Coster, the production fits the music nicely, the performances are fresh, "Old Stones, Broken Bones" is brought back in a straight-ahead rock version that closes with an extended jam, and one new song, "Rodeo," is a major addition to the John Coster canon. On that number, he sank his roots deep and wide into American soil. It's a highly visual song, painting a vivid Western scene. But at the heart is the restless, uncertain longing of the refrain which goes, "Sometimes I just want to fly away/And ride till the break of dawn/Nobody knows where that highway goes/Until they've really gone."


Amy Fox
From the Underbelly (CD, Affectagious, 2001)

In January, Amy Fox moved from Austin, Texas, to my own native state of Maine. She writes often misty, dream-like lyrics, has a gift for composing catchy pop melodies, and performs with a consistent, engaging focus. She sings with a versatile and very attractive voice. To use a sports analogy, Amy Fox has a complete game. Her biggest attention-getter so far, "(I Dig What You're Doing) Do It Again," is direct, classic rock; but many of her other numbers, such as "Keeping Time with the Moon" and the dynamic "Love Day," are drawn along more mysterious lines. Fox threatens to explode on "Undertow," and her delivery is priceless on the line, "If you're young and pretty you might be worthy..." From the Underbelly (CD, Affectagious, 2001) is the most accessible and satisfying rock-oriented singer-songwriter album I've heard in years.


Ellis Paul
The Speed of Trees (CD, Philo, 2002)

Ellis Paul has always been a folk-rock band without the other musicians. So his trend toward recordings with fuller arrangements, such as album-opener "Maria's Beautiful Mess," is to be loudly applauded. I was won over by Paul's live release a couple years back and consider the new disc to be even better--his best to date. And talk about consistent! I asked several professionals which tracks were drawing the most attention, and all I heard back was "God's Promise"--featuring once-unknown song lyrics by Woody Guthrie. Yet personal favorites include "Beautiful Mess" in the lead-off spot, "Sweet Mistakes" in the middle, and each of the last three numbers. There's not a weak track in between, either. Duke Levine did a terrific job of producing The Speed of Trees; and he won points with this listener by putting my very favorite performance, "The Speed of Trees"--which ranges from a velvet whisper to a melodic shout--at the very end.


Flora Reed
Settle Down (CD, Soft Alarm, 2002)

It's hard to believe that Settle Down by Flora Reed is a debut album; and there's little on her demo, which was circulated a couple years back, to prepare us for this work. We all know Flora--she's the publicist for one fine record label, Signature Sounds of Western Mass. And now we learn that she is a gifted songwriter with a lovely voice--slightly breathy, slightly nasal, always attractive. Flora writes in a unique, fresh voice; and the title track contains the best line I've heard all year. This is an uncommon debut that makes an important contribution to the coffeehouse/singer-songwriter field. Flora deserves to reach a broad audience right from the start. For my full review of her album, please visit www.oocities.org/nemsnewz/news/0015.htm#fr


Remains
Movin' On (CD, Rock-A-Lot, 2002)

Thirty-six years after the debut album, Barry and the Remains have given us an excellent followup disc. The first couple of tracks on the new record--"Don't Tell Me the Truth" & "The Power of Love"--and the closer--"Time Keeps Movin' On"--sound a whole lot like the Remains of old. In fact, it's hard to imagine how these guys could have started and ended this album any better. Sandwiched in between are nine original songs that draw inspiration from the early styles that formed the foundation of rock--heavy on country, a definite garage-band edge, and a Bo Diddley beat on "A Man's Best Friend Is His Automobile." The first time through, those nine songs sounded as though they were performed by a different group. Repeated playing changed all that. Vintage Remains touches are sprinkled through the album, and I added "You Never Told Me Why" to my favorites list. Barry Tashian's voice has changed. It seems ... younger! So what if it took the Remains thirty-six years to put out a followup. These guys just didn't want to rush into things the way Tom Scholz always does. Meanwhile, Movin' On is absolutely worth the wait.


Cassandra Yvette [Reeves]
Woman
Bromasis

An easy pick. Boston native Cassandra Reeves told me she knew, going into the recording studio, just what sound she wanted to achieve. She came out with an exceptionally well-produced album--clear, simple, and beautiful. There is no real doubt in my mind that, if this disc came out on a major label, "I Know We Can Make It" would be a Top 20 hit; but the promotional budget for Bromasis Records--Brother Mother Sister--must have been a tiny fraction of what the majors spend. Call the themes old-fashioned or timeless--love, family, and faith. These were dominant subjects of popular songs on New England stages a century and a half ago. Stephen Reeves, Cassandra's brother, was a big help with this project; and simultaneously, he released an album of his own--Jus' Stephen (CD, Bromasis, 2002)--which, too, is well-produced and includes radio-ready performances. For those who don't recognize Cassandra Reeves' name--she sang in a number of Boston "girl groups," notably including an early lineup of the Maurice Starr-connected Lady Soul.


Stone Coyotes
Ride Away from the World (CD, Red Cat, 2002)

Last year's Born To Howl drew Rock Album and Rock Anthem of the Year citations from us. This year's entry has different charms. But first, a word about the one-and-only Barbara Keith. She goes back to the New York rock band, Kangaroo, with John Hall (Orleans) and N. D. Smart (Barry and the Remains). A couple years later, Delaney and Bonnie (with Eric Clapton, I think) had a hit of Keith's "Free the People." Barbra Steisand, in a significant career move, covered the same song for an album intended to attract a younger audience. Suffice it to say, Barbara Keith has had some success. The other Stone Coyotes, Doug Tibbles and John Tibbles, are her family. If that doesn't sound like the makings of a solid band, wait until you hear the steam-engine beat the Tibbles lay down while Keith spits fire. Mercy! The Tibbles are a big part of the story on Ride Away from the World. Keith's music ranges from singer-songwriter folk to country to punk, but the heart is classic hard rock with more than a little heavy metal. Personal favorites include a new wave rip through Rick Nelson's "It's Late" and the unusual "Face on the Train." This band demands to be heard.


Jess Tardy
Waiting for You
www.jesstardy.com

I literally had my Top 10 partly written when Jess Tardy's debut album arrived, but this is an obvious choice for my best-of-2002 list. Maine-native Jessica Tardy is an accomplished and highly confident vocalist. Until now, much of her reputation seems to have been built on her acclaimed work as a student with the Harvard University Jazz Band. Yet it was my 83-year-old mother who told me about Tardy and gave me her e-mail address--a hot tip from an unlikely source. Tardy has a strong, flexible, expressive voice. Comparisons to Susan Tedeschi, Melissa Etheridge (sometimes), and especially Bonnie Raitt are unlikely to go away anytime soon. Tardy and co-producer Noam Weinstein (pronounced NO-om) contributed consistently fine material, with Tardy's "Waiting for You" and Weinstein's "Ships Crashing" being standouts. The Jess Tardy band is set to do a one-month stand, six nights a week, out of the country. It'll be interesting to hear what the experience does to the group's sound.


Twinemen
Twinemen (CD, Hi-n-Dry, 2002)

The band, the Twinemen, is made up of former members of Morphine and Face to Face (the '80s Boston group). Though not quite a blending of those outfits' styles, this music does have much of the instrumental sound of Morphine, while it is Laurie Sargent's most promising vehicle. "Spinner" leads off with a hypnotic groove that never stops until the album does. Billy Conway's percussion keeps the band on track, perhaps like a conductor in front of an orchestra. All three members contribute heavily to the writing; and I notice Dana Colley's name in the songwriter credits for much of the material, including my own personal favorite, "Learn To Fly." Around the time of this album's release, the Twinemen started on an impressive tour, suggesting that the band's reputation had already spread far beyone its Boston base.


Various artists
The Cream of Vermont
Vermont Arts Council

The Cream of Vermont is a fund-raiser for the Vermont Arts Council. It's also one of the most consistently high-quality compilations I've ever heard. At a generous 21 tracks, space doesn't allow me to bring in even all of the high points. Unlike many "Vermont" compilations, this one is not focused narrowly on Burlington and nearby parts of the state. Louise Taylor, for instance, who sparkles on the roots-rocker, "Gunny Hole," is based in Southern Vermont. The second track--easily one of the best on the disc--features rising star Gregory Douglass sounding more than a little like a member of the Jefferson Airplane. The splendid Tammy Fletcher and the Disciples do smooth gospel-spiced R&B on "Count on Me." Gordon Stone plays one of the most unusual banjo lines you're ever likely to hear, a couple minutes into "Close Enough." It's great! Todd Thibaud was originally from Vermont. He shines on "Uninvited, Overdue" from his best album, Squash, which was reissued on Tone-Cool Records in October. If you know the names of most of these artists, you'll see that there's serious variety here, which continues with the cool-fusion instrumental, "Stern Duo" by the Jazz Mandolin Project. The most-recent disc by Rachel Bissex, Between the Broken Lines, gave her career a real shot in the arm and marks a major departure, production-wise. Broken Lines is highly accessible, and the track that appears here, "Drive All Night," with its Greetings from Asbury Park organ, may be the most radio-friendly item on her excellent album. This only brings us up to track 9 out of a total of 21, but it's past time to close. Excellent album, good cause, well worth the money.

-- Alan Lewis









Copyright © 2002 by Ethan Covey, Donna L. Halper, JoEllen [just JoEllen], Alan Lewis,
Maria McLaughlin, Nancy Neon.
All rights reserved.




New England Music Scrapbook:
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with a New England twist.


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