After breaking onto the scene as a result of his inclusion on the soundtrack for the hugely successful and excellent independent movie "Garden State," Cary Brother has not turned back. He has released a slew of incredible albums and EPs and this newest effort is just as good as the rest. The album's lead single "Ghost Town" is a lyrical gem and proves why Zach Braff chose to include him on his film's soundtrack. Other standout songs are "Break Off The Bough," "Over & Out," and the album's title track. One of the coolest track on the album is the cover of obscure 80's song "Something About You," which fans of 80's music will instantly recognize and all Cary Brothers fans will mistake for one of his awesome originals. Truly and excellent collection of tunes, at only 10 tracks long, leaves fans satisfied and craving more all at the same time.
Operation Aloha is a bit of a supergroup, comprised of members from Gomez, Phantom Planet, and Maroon 5. The guys all got together, being that they are all friends, and decided to make sweet music while on the island of Hawaii together. The result is an outstanding album that combines original tunes with some of the band members' previously released music, all done in a traditional Hawaiian musical style. The best song on the album is "Failure" which previously appeared on Ian Ball's (of Gomez) solo release. The version featured here makes the song even better by adding the Hawaiian elements and the musicality of all of his friends. Overall, the album is a success, creating more of a feeling and an energy than a collection of music. Hopefully this won't be a one time thing, but who knows. At least we still get to bask in their sunshine.
Sleeperstar have returned with their best album to date. "Just Another Ghost" is the definition of what it is to make a great rock record. It won't be long before alternative rock radio station are picking up this album and adding its songs to their heavy rotation. And, despite the album's excellence, Sleeperstar remains unsigned and put the disc out all on their own. Recycling older songs like "Texas Rain" and "Disengage" (their best song period) and combing them with newer standouts like "We Go Tonight (Say It Again)" and "Only Human" is the perfect formula for making the album that is going to get you recognized by exponentially more fans than before, not to mention all the major labels. "We Go Tonight" and "Disengage" have the makings of superstar rock records and will hopefully find themselves atop airplay charts in the not-too-distant future. Sleeperstar have proven that they are the real deal and can rub shoulders with the best around, and this album is as good as anything that any alt-rock band has put out as of late.
Musket is a new side project from Eric Lyman of the band Slackstring, and featured a completely different sound that we are used to hearing from him. Musket is a band that is more on the indie side of things, stepping away from the usual SoCal acoustic laid back vibe that Lyman's other band is known for. Pro surfer Brad Gerlach is also a member of the band. The music is hard to describe, as it draws its elements from all different styles of rock music. It's got a hard edge at times and at other times is as mellow as it gets, but in each song it's the musical guitars and drums that shine. It's the kind of music you'd hear in action sports videos for things like skateboarding and surfing. Musket may not turn out to be the next great rock sensation, but their music is awesome and it's nice to hear a different side of southern California.
It's not often a promising young band releases as stellar a debut as Elmwood's. Poised to be part of the next generation of great live rock bands, Elmwood is beginning their journey following in the footsteps of bands like Dave Matthews Band, O.A.R., and Virginia Coalition. They have harnessed the musicality of each of the members of the band, combining their talents and efforts for a debut album that will have them selling out stadiums in the future. A music of shorter pop tunes and longer jams is the perfect combination, and songs like the title track and "Night Caper" are sure to make any listener an instant fan. There's only up from here, and Elmwood have found their springboard to catapult them to the next level.
Marc B. joins the mess of talented young performers coming out of southern California with his debut "The Yellow Jelly EP." He mixes his blend of acoustic folk, hip hop style, and laid back delivery for a refreshing take on this ever expanding sub genre of music. Not quite alternative, but not quite folk, each song fits somewhere between both on the spectrum, and draws comparisons to everyone from Jack Johnson to Sublime. "The River" is the hands down stand out track, and is also featured at the end of the EP as a live on-air radio performance. Marc B. is at the beginnings of his career, with a promising debut.