The Northstar Session- Little Lies

I’ve got one thing to say first off before we start this review. Gavin DeGraw……eat your heart out. Who says San Diego don’t got soul? The Northstar Session, composed of Lead Matt Szlachetka (really gotta ask him again how he pronounce his last name again) on guitar and the mic, drummer Greg Robers, bassist Ivan Hurtado and keyboardist Todd Newman. This quartet has an amazing full body sound that really gives you warm fuzzy feeling. It’s the kinda makes you wanna jump up and grab your girl and just dance the night away.

Matt, whose last name we’d rather not type to avoid carpool tunnel, was previously a solo act under the same name with his 2003 debut album, Music Under a Flight Path, than forming his group and releasing 2004 album One Shot has carved a definite niche in the San Diego music scene with their unique soulful bluesy popish sound. In September of 2005 they released their latest, a five track EP called Little Lies. Produced by non other than Jon Beard, who’s produced for such bands like Blink 182 and Lucy’s Fur Coat, the album is nothing less than incredible. An emotional ride with a powerful driving sound just sweeps you off your feel and makes you feel good, it’s one of those if your down on a rainy day play it and the sky clears up albums.

Picking up airplay all across the country the band has toured on both sides of the island already and has picked up airplay on satellite radio and local radio. And now their our “This time around” featured artist, which we think should be on their greatest accomplishments list.

Bang Sugar Bang- Thwak Thwak Go Crazy

Holy fucking shite, who the hell are these guys? Once again our neighbors to the north in smoggy L.A. have produced some sort of musical monster known as Bang Sugar Bang. This boy on girl on boy trio consisting of Matt Southwell, Cooper and Pawley Filth, have been around for a lil while, releasing their second full length album last year but recently being picked up by indie label, S.O.S. Records effectively “re-releasing” their 2004 album, Thwak Thwak Go Crazy.

The band is insane. The album is crazy. Listening to them is like listening to some monster mixture of Frankenstein proportions. Pretty much it’s like taking every underground punk band in L.A. and smashing them together adding a lil Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a lil Social D, a lil old school brit rock, sprinkled with a bit of well….everything else.

They get a lot of play in LA., and we’ve found a few people that have heard of them down here. There basically at the breaking point of national knownism, having already played such hyped events as the X games, but that’s cool. Least it’s not the warped tour, hehe. When you boil it down they are a pretty kick-ass band. They could use a lil work fine tuning their sound, since their literary all over the map in their album, but sometimes that’s what really makes a band. We’re sure their only get better with the years to come.

They will be in town at The Palace on the 8th of November and we’ll make every effort to get someone out there to cover it. So check em out kids!

Red Lighting- L.A. Crash Landing

So The Smiths become Morrissey, and now from Morrissey we get Red Lighting. Alain Whyte, former Morrissey guitarist/co-writer (not the Smiths) has put together a trio of greatness known as Red Lighting, which just debuted their first full length album L.A. Crash Lighting.

Now when you listen to the album you have to wonder one thing. Did Morrissey’s sound spill onto Alain, or vise versa? Either way you could describe them as a happier form of Morrissey, least there’s a hint of the influence or originality, depends, maybe if we get an interview with them we’ll find out, *wink wink.* Moving on…The Band. Alain Whyte, of course, on the gee-tar and the microphone, John DiMambro, aka Johnny Anger on the four string gee-tar, and Milo Todesco on the skins. Both John and Milo have cool credits under their belt, John having recorded with the likes of Down by Law & Gentleman Jack Grisham of T.S.O.L as well as psychobilly madmen The Rocketz on Double Bass, and played live with bands like Pearl Harbour, Jane Wiedlin of The Go Go’s and Agent Orange. Milo on the other hand has recorded and played with Down By Law, Armond Chakmakian of Shadow Fax, Jim Cherry of Strung Out, Pully, Zero Down, and played Timpani with UCLA Choir conductor Roger Wagner.

Again going back to the music. Simply put, it’s an amazing album full of rhythmic, soulful guitar chords with a hint of old school honest indie/alternative sounds. Smooth driving bass lines accompanied by a nostalgic drum beat and sound kinda gives you that warm fuzzy feeling. With Alain sounding just a bit like Morrissey himself, but yet off the downers. Course when you boil it down, it’s nostalgic Brit indie rock at its core. Either way it’s a great album and if you can find it we highly suggest that you buy it and go play it in front of your girlfriend’s window through your ghetto blaster. And where exactly can you find these guys hiding at? Well they are on kind of a Southwest Tour. You can catch them at Cane’s Bar and Grill on December 18th. We’re definitely going to make it out to their show one way or the other.

Johnnie Burton

Ok. Johnnie Burton. Let’s see. The best why to describe this girl would go something like this. If Johnnie Burton and Ashlee Simpson met in a dark ally Johnnie would kick Ashlee’s ass. Johnnie Burton is everything Ashlee Simpson wants to be and more. But we digress. The music. Pop rock at its best. Not afraid to use potty words Johnnie weaves a tapestry for pissed off girlfriends who are on their time of the month and it’s great. Driving lyrics matched with steady guitar rifts, a raspy sexy voice at the microphones makes you wanna jump up and throw something across the room.

The band is relatively young, comprising of a stew musicians from different groups. The main girl Johnnie on the mic and guitar, yes that’s right, she plays as well as writes her own music, Dave Philips on the guitar, Paul Engel on the four string, and Ralf Balzer on the skins. All of them coming together to make a power packed quartet. They play gigs from here and their and we’re looking forward to their next visit to San Diego, whenever that’ll be, we may have to drag em down here.