"Publisher's Corner"
by Geoff Wilbur
Sponsored In Part By
Richard X. Heyman - Cornerstone
Permanent Press Recordings
Based on this material, a follow-up to 1990's Cypress release Living Room!! and 1991's
Sire release Hey Man!, multi-instrumentalist Richard X. Heyman's music would've
fit well on the same stage as the Beatles or Simon & Garfunkel. Heyman's
often-strumming, catchy guitar pop with rich harmonies falls somewhere
between the two sounds. Of course, as is often the case with song-driven
music, these songs would play well in just about any style.
From Good Homes - From Good Homes
RCA Records
This New Jersey band's third CD, which just hit the streets on June 2nd, utilizes a
broad range of instruments (violin, sax, and mandolin all make appearances) to
give the music an Irish/Scottish pop feel. The tunes soar across the room leaving
good feeling and, sometimes, a little melancholy.
Silence - Sound of the Rain
CEG Records
Silence has just a hint of an edge to its slick, catchy axework. This is
melodic hard rock at its strongest, especially on catchy "Walk Away." On
the softer end of the scale, "All the Tears" has a full, orchestral feel,
while "Chance of a Lifetime" has a softer touch. Want the heavy stuff?
Give "Mistreated" a listen.
The Bee Zoo - Boobalah
Dingo Records, 178 Miami Ave., Newington, CT 06111
Great, crisp, nineties harmonies lace engaging album-opener "I Want You Here With Me,"
whose catchy hooks have you thinking you've heard this on the radio from the first note.
(You'll also get the same feeling from "Silent Scream." Really catchy.) Also of note is
The Bee Zoo's cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Wish." This is tuneful hard alternative. Or
maybe slightly rough-edged straight-ahead rock. Tough to tell. But it's worth checking
out. So far only available in stores in the Northeast, you can get this CD online at
http://www.cdbaby.com.
[Editor's Note: CDBaby is a great resource for independent music not
distributed widely enough to be available at the larger online CD stores -- and
they have an 800 number, so you don't have to give your credit card number online,
if that makes you as uncomfortable as it makes me.].
Cubic Feet - Inside Rail
Meteor Records
Cubic Feet delivers a harder rocking version of song-driven guitar-based
alternative than usually encountered. If done acoustically, these tunes
could have been folk. I guess coming out of a rock city like Baltimore,
it'd be hard not to produce music with a bit of crunch. Lucky for us.
The CD is catchy and familiar but new and original.