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areuonsomething.com
MySpace
Discovery Zone
featuring Jeff Elbel + PING, Zomotta and Potent
by Scott "Dr. Music"
Itter
It
is always important for us, as music connoisseurs, to keep up with the
current trends in music. So, here at Are You On Something.com, we decided
to get on board with the current MySpace explosion and start opening our
eyes and ears to all that has been made available through this convenient
networking source. We will be scanning the pages of MySpace.com for anything
musical that seems worthy of a few words. This is a source that gives
us a chance to see an artist, as well as hear their music, by just clicking
a few times. If you are an "old dog" and you want to learn the
newest "trick," you can go to www.MySpace.com and see what all
the rage is about. Or, better yet, you can just drop your eyes down below
and we'll bring a few pages to you. Enjoy.
Jeff
Elbel + PING
Jeff Elbel is a real original. You might not like it …you might love
it, but one thing is definite – Jeff Elbel and his pop outfit PING
are true originals. Taking acoustic-based pop melodies with hooks bigger
than Ali and Spinks, and wrapping them tightly around coy and playful
lyrics, Elbel + PING create a disc of nursery rhymes for adults.
If you're a parent, you might be familiar with melodic artists such as
Ralph Covert and Laurie Berkner that are writing catchy pop songs for
children. Elbel crafts his songs in a similar fashion, but instead of
gearing his songs to the kids, he uses metaphoric craftiness and adult
themes to motor his tunes into your heart. And, make no mistake; it is
the heart that takes the full frontal blow here. These songs that are
included on PING's "The Eleventh Hour Storybook" are a slice
of "Americana," if you will. Elbel is a storyteller that almost
anybody can relate with. In "Bark Along With Cody," he tells
us of the headaches that come with his neighbor's barking dog. The song
has a large dollop of humor and realism, and has been featured on the
classic "Dr. Demento Show." He also covers the realism of pregnancy
in the same humorous and creative manner by way of "Muffin In The
Oven," another song that has made its way to Dr. Demento. These are
very real issues that Elbel toys with, and his songs are a real comfort
to the ear. Let me share one of my favorite lyrical passages, which comes
from a song called "Goodnight, Rabbit" - it goes something like
this: "This is how I mix my metaphors / Stop me if I used this one
before / Any nimble tongue can stumble / That's the way the cliché
crumbles." This is beautifully written stuff that's a pleasure to
listen to.
Besides featuring Elbel's writing skills, "The Eleventh Hour Storybook"
has some wonderful musicians and studio people involved in the project
as well. Hammond B3 player Phil Madeira (Emmylou Harris) plays on three
tracks, and the mastering is done by Dan Stout of Wilco fame. Everyone
involved with this disc seems to be on board with Elbel's style, which
makes for a very solid recording. Do yourself a favor, come home to the
sounds of Jeff Elbel + PING, and most of all ….have some fun.
MySpace
URL : www.myspace.com/jeff_elbel
Official website: www.marathonrecords.com/ping
Zomotta
"This is how to do it."
That is the meaning of Zomotta, and this band can show you exactly how
to craft a dirty, back alley, "trash pop" album. Taking The
Sex Pistols and The Strokes, and sprinkling them with The Pixies rhythmic
dust, The Netherlands' Zomotta has a formula that's perfect for those
that crave a retro, garage pop sound.
It was their song "Disco" that stapled my ear to their MySpace
profile. The spacey keyboards, the galloping bass line, and the raw raunch
of singer/guitarist BJ Antens voice were enough to stop me dead in my
tracks. After I clicked on another tune, "Notorious," I realized
that the style had changed a little, but the same important elements that
make this band shine were still in place. Bassist Jacqueline van Haren
was nailing down another rock solid foundation, while her bandmates built
a stone fortress of catchy melodies around her. I was anxious to hear
the rest of what this band had to offer, and I was pleased to hear that
their "Call 4 Glory" CD was filled with the same intriguing
sounds. The band has been active since 1998 and has garnered local, as
well as international, media acclaim. They have also been a support act
for bands such as Danko Jones and Magnapop, among others. Any fans of
Sonic Youth, The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, or even White Stripes, will
find Zomotta's "Call 4 Glory" CD to be a welcome addition to
their collection.
Heaven
& Earth: www.myspace.com/zomotta
Official website: www.zomotta.com
Potent
Oh man. I am maliciously rubbing my hands together, looking like the
cat that ate the canary right at this moment. I've finally found something
to fill the emptiness that the Rage Against The Machine breakup left me
with. This band not only brings that deep and heavy groove to the table,
but they can write excellent melodies in which to hold it as well. Singer
Jordan Harris has a knack for joining smooth urban rap with classic rock
harmonies. Not too many can join these two styles and still sound believable.
Potent is the real thing. Over the five songs that are available from
the band, Harris displays vocal similarities to Corey Glover, Dr. Dre,
Ike Willis, Zach de la Rocha, and maybe even a few others. He adjusts
to the mood, melody and attitude of the song perfectly. These five songs
that they have recorded are nearly flawless. The production quality is
superb, the flow from song to song is steady and interesting, and the
instrumentation and attitude is right on target. From the Living Colour-inspired
vocals and the Rage Against The Machine rhythm section groove of "Run
And Hide" to the tender balladry of "Footsteps," Potent
has something for just about everyone.
The band is from Hollywood, California and has been tearing up the area
quite a bit. With gigs at such legendary venues as The Viper Room, Whiskey
A Go-Go, and The Roxy, the band is starting to get the respect that they
deserve. Having had their songs featured in the film, "National Lampoon's
Adam & Eve," and getting the drummer from Incubus to play on
one of their songs, the band continues to gain exposure every day. So,
do yourself a favor - if you like the rap-rock sounds of Rage Against
The Machine, get familiar with the sounds of Potent.
Potent: www.myspace.com/potentmusic
Official website: www.potenthome.com
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