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Sunday 09 March 2008

The Black Hollies * Bipolaroid * The Gold Sounds

The Black Hollies (New Jersey, NJ)- Led by songwriter, vocalist and bassist Justin Angelo Morey, this crew of NY/NJ natives and lifelong friends also includes Herb Wiley V and Jon Gonnelli on dueling interstellar guitars, and the freakbeat drumming of Scott Bolasci, whose final electrifying perfomances with the band are captured here. Bolasci has since retired from the band and his sizeable shoes have been filled by the seemingly eight-armed wonder Nick Ferrante. Together, the quartet meld soul touchstones with a disparate amount of influences and ideas -- Wiley is featured on sitar for a number of tracks, and the record also features the mesmerizing drones of a tambura throughout. From the opening ghostly blast of "Whispers Beneath The Willows," careening through the perfectly realized gem "Paisley Pattern Ground" and the mind twisting changes of "Bruised Tangerines," and finally settling into the soothing cool-down of "Patient Sparrow," Casting Shadows is an ALBUM in a time when folks have started to forget about the beauty of a cohesive record. Garnering massive accolades over their East Coast adventures and unforgettable performances at both SXSW and CMJ, as well as hometown freakouts alongside everyone from Ted Leo and The Spinto Band, to Blue Cheer and Joan Jett, to The Fleshtones and The Woggles, The Black Hollies continue to win over any crowd with a mix of straight skill and total sincerity. They'll be on the road throughout 2008 and you can rest assured that if you catch them once, you won't be able to shake it.

Bipolaroid (New Orleans, LA)- One thing that makes Bipolaroid distinct and special is that out of all the bands that try to stick to the roots of a certain era or decade, no band does so in such a precise and kosher style. Looking at Glover's album collection, I could understand why. You'd have to search really hard to find anything modern. Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd, Beach Boys, The Who, The Monkees, and The Zombies. Guided by Voices would be the closest thing to modern. - Live New Orleans

The Gold Sounds (Deer Park, TX) - The Gold Sounds are a three piece rock 'n roll band from Houston, Texas. Formed in mid 2005, the band plays a mixture of rock, psychedelia, 60's garage, noise and blues.

 

 

Last Update Wednesday 5 March, 2008