CD REVIEW: Barefoot Truth "Carry Us On"

The jam band is slowly becoming a thing of the past. With the onset of the MP3 and festivals attracting acts from hip hop to indie pop to electronic music, the live show is a lost art form. Barefoot Truth keeps the feeling alive on their latest studio release, showcasing exactly what music should sound like on stage and in the studio. Taking from their catalogue, Barefoot Truth reinvents some of their fan favorite tunes, including their best reggae song "Eagle Front" and the single "Roll If You Fall." They also mix in some excellent new songs, including "Worth," which has some of the band's best lyrics and is incredibly catchy. Fans and critics alike took notice with the release of their last album, realizing finally that this indie band had the chops to not only make great music, but grow themselves beyond their grassroots following. Just as bands like Dispatch, Guster, and O.A.R. have done before them, Barefoot Truth is poised to be the next great success story from the indie and jam band circuit. This album is the jumping off point for a career that is sure to see great things. Barefoot Truth has made an album that is creative, complex, and catchy, and everyone should take a listen and enjoy!

CD REVIEW: Bag Of Toys "Access 10"

Bag Of Toys are one of those bands that grows on you. At first listen it seems like all of their music is on a level plane. Seemingly, there might not be anything that sounds like it's intricate or layered, but in fact, the simplicity of Bag Of Toys' music is as intricate and complex as the most innovative and experimental band. Sometimes it's harder to create something that is as straightforward and friendly as the music of this band than it is to break molds and push envelopes. Their music transports you straight to the beach, "That's The Girl" and "Tear Your Dress" are the highlights of the album, but each song is as good as the next. Fans of everyone from Jack Johnson to Sublime to Fleet Foxes will find something to sink their teeth into on this album. Bands who are daring enough to stick to what they know and make music they love and music their fans dig don't come around often, and Bag Of Toys don't disappoint in any way with their latest collection.