{"id":11841,"date":"2016-11-29T05:30:05","date_gmt":"2016-11-29T10:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=11841"},"modified":"2016-11-29T09:04:21","modified_gmt":"2016-11-29T14:04:21","slug":"hundred-word-reviews-for-nov-dec-2016-part-7-of-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2016\/11\/29\/hundred-word-reviews-for-nov-dec-2016-part-7-of-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundred-word Reviews for Nov.\/Dec. 2016, Part 7 of 10"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11847\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/farewell_milwaulee.jpg\" alt=\"farewell_milwaulee\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/farewell_milwaulee.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/farewell_milwaulee-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01N55OTO4&amp;asins=B01N55OTO4&amp;linkId=58fbb034ec15d23acac4bbefb919d73b&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Farewell Milwaukee \u2013 <\/b><i><b>FM<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nStyle: heartland jangle-rock<br \/>\nJangling guitars, good-timin&#8217; harmonica, well-worn chord changes \u2026 those are the key ingredients in the musical recipe for this album. Familar echoes of <b>John Mellencamp<\/b>, <b>R.E.M.<\/b>, <b>Gin Blossoms<\/b> are found throughout the thirteen tracks. But there&#8217;s more at work, too: \u201cFigure You out\u201d has a nice southern soul vibe. The question remains as to whether there&#8217;s a significant market for this kind of straightforward rock in today&#8217;s market, but there certainly ought to be. In further good news, the music is nowhere near as dreadful as the cover. What&#8217;s up with that guy: is he getting ready to sneeze? Ugh.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11846\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/focus_8pt5.jpg\" alt=\"focus_8pt5\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/focus_8pt5.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/focus_8pt5-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01FSHQ0GC&amp;asins=B01FSHQ0GC&amp;linkId=88edd2e38b10c5903448778f263940b1&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Focus and Friends \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Focus 8.5 \/ Beyond the Horizon<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nStyle: Brazilian jazz<br \/>\nI&#8217;ve long been a fan of Focus \u2013 I interviewed <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2013\/02\/01\/a-conversation-with-thijs-van-leer-of-focus\/\"><b>Thijs Van Leer<\/b><\/a> years ago \u2013 but I can&#8217;t help wonder about the slight \u201cretread\u201d nature of some of their recent releases. Not long ago they did an album in which they remade their best-loved tunes. That&#8217;s some kind of red flag. Now comes this, tapes from a session that took place in 2005. That said, it&#8217;s good stuff that leans more toward the jazz end of the Dutch group&#8217;s musical personality. How much you&#8217;ll appreciate the Brazilian element has everything to do with how much you like that style.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11845\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/colman_gota_tape.jpg\" alt=\"colman_gota_tape\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/colman_gota_tape.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/colman_gota_tape-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01EE9MG9K&amp;asins=B01EE9MG9K&amp;linkId=b99ac0cc5574690a4d7d5c3566856466&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Colman Gota \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Tape<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nStyle: Powerpop<br \/>\nBig guitars abound on this solo album from Colman Gota of <b>Insanity Wave<\/b>. Wonderful stacked vocal harmonies are another hallmark. Just telling you who else is involved should be enough to pique your interest: producer <b>Mitch Easter<\/b> (who famously did the same for early <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2013\/06\/20\/album-review-r-e-m-green-25th-anniversary-edition\/\"><b>R.E.M.<\/b><\/a> and his own <b>Let&#8217;s Active<\/b>) and current <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2009\/10\/01\/concert-review-charlotte-pop-fest-part-1\/\"><b>Spongetones<\/b><\/a> drummer <b>Chris Garges<\/b>. But Gota&#8217;s his own man, and the songs are the catchiest kind of ear candy. <i>Tapes<\/i> reminds me somewhat of early <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?s=tommy+keene\"><b>Tommy Keene<\/b><\/a>; the energy here is applied in all the right ways. The <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2010\/12\/17\/book-review-the-beatles-vs-the-rolling-stones\/\"><b>Rolling Stones<\/b><\/a>-y title track recalls <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2011\/10\/04\/dvd-review-the-ballad-of-mott-the-hoople\/\"><b>Ian Hunter<\/b><\/a>. A fine album.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11844\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/holon.jpg\" alt=\"holon\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/holon.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/holon-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01G22FU9A&amp;asins=B01G22FU9A&amp;linkId=f65f2bc6d242748c799f488ea59d1894&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Holon \u2013 <\/b><i><b>The Time is Always Now<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nStyle: progressive rock<br \/>\nThis one&#8217;s heavy on atmosphere; the opening track takes a minute and a half to get into its melodic section. And even then it unfolds slowly, in the manner <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2012\/10\/05\/album-review-pink-floyd-wish-you-were-here-experience-edition\/\"><b>Pink Floyd<\/b><\/a> used so well on <i>Wish You Were Here<\/i>. Sitar is all over that first track, and the guitars are growling and ominous. Scandinavian prog hero <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2015\/09\/02\/hundred-word-reviews-for-september-part-3-of-8\/\"><b>Rhys Marsh<\/b><\/a> is involved on vocals, assorted instruments and \u201call things bowable,\u201d and his participation is a reliable indicator that Holon is worth the attention of prog fans. The album really is a slow burn, but it richly rewards those who stick with it.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11843\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/honeydogs.jpg\" alt=\"honeydogs\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/honeydogs.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/honeydogs-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01DJHN9U8&amp;asins=B01DJHN9U8&amp;linkId=78ef5267bfd1d2b583c56c266d8005c0&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>The Honeydogs \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Love and Cannibalism<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nStyle: rock<br \/>\nI&#8217;m always at least a little suspect of groups that have loads of people. Take that awful band <b>Slipknot<\/b>: does it really take nine people to make such a shitty noise? So when I saw that the Honeydogs have seven, I thought, \u201cUh-oh.\u201d I needn&#8217;t have worried. They&#8217;re a capable outfit, and two of the guys play horns. The opening track \u201cVermillion Billows (Shouldn&#8217;t Take it so Hard)\u201d is reminiscent of <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2011\/04\/20\/camper-van-beethoven-and-cracker-bring-classic-albums-to-santa-cruz-with-banjos\/\"><b>Cracker<\/b><\/a> with a bit less quirk, a bit more mainstream sensibility. There&#8217;s a kind of &#8217;90s FM radio rock feel to their arrangements and production aesthetic, but that&#8217;s okay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Farewell Milwaukee \u2013 FM Style: heartland jangle-rock Jangling guitars, good-timin&#8217; harmonica, well-worn chord changes \u2026 those are the key ingredients in the musical recipe for this album. Familar echoes of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11844,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,51,55,56,62],"tags":[2904,2600,2903,845,2905,2906,1518,2198],"class_list":["post-11841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-release","category-pop","category-powerpop","category-prog","category-rawk","tag-colman-gota","tag-dwiki-dharmawan","tag-farewell-milwaukee","tag-focus","tag-holon","tag-honeydogs","tag-moonjune","tag-thijs-van-leer","cat-49-id","cat-51-id","cat-55-id","cat-56-id","cat-62-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11841"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11929,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11841\/revisions\/11929"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}