Skatemaster Tate & The Concrete Crew - Do the Skate

Name: Skatemaster Tate & The Concrete Crew
Album: Do the Skate
Year: 1991
Style: Hip Hop, Jazz Fusion
Similar Bands: Urban Dance Squad, C+C Music Factory, Bent Fabric, Sublime, Arrested Development, Toejam & Earl
"One-Word" Review: Mellow Jazzy Beatnik Hip Hop Samples
Based Out Of: Los Angeles, CA
Label: 4th & B'Way, Island Records

Cover & Record

Back & Record

Do The Skate (1991)

1. Do The Skate 4:14
2. Get Dat Grove 2:37
3. Two Headed Love Child 3:20
4. Irv's 4:37
5. Willie Brown Live 3:51 (sample of "Pennsylvania 6-5000")
6. Justice (To The Bass) Nick & Scruff Version 3:14 /
7. Joe's Jam 6:27
8. Right Place 4:12 (samples: Hall & Oates "I Can't Go For That," "Could Be I'm Falling in Love," and "Right Place, Wrong Time")
9. More 3:25
10. Hey Wooley 4:52
11. Justice (To The Bass) Extended Boneless Mix 4:08

Album Rating (1-10): 5.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Willie McNeil - Producer
• D. Thomas
• Octavio - Sax (Arianna, Luis Miquel, Los Temerarios, LabA)
• Phil Nowlan - Guitar, Keys (Cool C, Three Times Dope, Tim Dog, Toshi Kubota, Jermaine Dupri)
• Skatemaster Tate (Gerry Hurtado) - Vox, Producer, Remixed (Porno for Pyros, Stone Cold Boners, Tate&Greg, Boo Yaa TRIBE, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist )
• Willie Brown - Vox, Samples, Drums
• Natas Kapus - Backing Vox
• Don Kingski - Samples, Vox, Keys (Circle of Soul)
• Chris Garcia - Bass (Sweet Daddy, Fred Pellichero, Clay Aiken, Thyne Scabbard, Eduardo Rios)
• Jammin' Jay Davidson - Sax (Towson St U/College Jazz Ensemble, Mirjam, Marco, OC Smith, Joe the Butcher Nicolo, Cash Money and Marvelous, 7A3, Myles Goodwyn, Magnetics, Chena, Robbie B & DJ Jazz, Something Special, Cinderella, Tim Dog, Bad Mutha Goose & Bros Grimm, Pop's Cool Love, Taj Mahal, The Goats, Spearhead, Big Cheif, Ben Arnold, The Philosopher Kings, G. Love & Special Sauce, Monty Alexander, Pepper's Ghost, TM Stevens, Bon Jovi, Bruce L Cohen, Blues Anatomy, Mike Pinto, Labelle, Stroke, Greg Davis, Holy Water, Ronnie Spector, Up The Chain, Chris Kasper, Gina Sicila, American Mafia, Angel Du$t, Young & Heartless, Brit Floyd, Cast In Bronze, Pete Donnelly, Turnover)
• Andy "Funky Drummer" Kravitz - Drums (Butcher Brothers, Electric Love Muffin, Neptune Darlings, Steady B, Billy price & Keystone Rhythm Band, Schoolly D, Boo-Yaa TRIBE, Taj Mahal, Cypress Hill, Goats, Kris Kross, Wailing Souls, Billy Joel, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Luther Vandross, Smashign Orange, Rolling Stones, Spearhead, Shawn Colvin, Joan Osborne, Big Cheif, Candy Butchers, Midge Ure, Imogen Heap, Hamell on Trial, Juliana Hatfield, Figgs, Amos Lee, Pete Donnelly  more)
• Tupelo Joe Altruda - Upright Bass, Vox, Guitar (Afterhours, Buru jazz Ensemble, Cocktail Crew, Jump with Joey, Sounds of Zodiac, Tupelo Chain Sex, Screamin' Sirens, Thelonious Monster, Joe Strummer, Shy Party, Levi Decter, Solsonics, DJ Bonebreak, Skip Heller, Ramblin' James & Billyboppers, Big Sandy & his Fly-Rite Boys, Dread Filmstone, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, Ernest Ranglin, Seu Jorge, Almaz, Western Standard Time, Bebel Gilberto)
• Cooper - Bass 
• Z Grutzman
• Zachary Terrell - Piano, Keys
• Brown (Tony, Unsel) Brothers - Backing Vox
• Kevin Williams - Backing Vox (Bonedaddys, Untouchables, Corporation of One, Matt Wood, Ben Harper, Solsonics, Guru, Jump With Joey, English Beat, Tupelo Joe, After Hours, Zakiya Hooker, Anthony Burger, John Lee Hooker, Hubbard's Cupboard, Lights Out)
• DJ E-Z - Turntables 
• Tim Kerr - Guitar (Bad Mutha Goose & the Brothers Grimm, Big Boys, Jack O'Fire, King Sound Quartet, Lord High Fixers, Poison 13, Monkeywrench, Now Time Delegation, Total Sound Group Direct Action Committee, Up Around the Sun, Dicks, Quintron, Sugar Shack,  more)
• Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo - Coproducer, Remixing
• Scruff & Nick - Additional Production & Mixing
• Matthew Hyde - Engineering
• Dennis Dragon - Producer, Engineer
• Chris Bellman - Mastering
• Bernie Grundman - Mastering
• John Switzer - Mgmt
• Gabriel Leconte - Mgmt
• Gary Wishik - Legal
• Kim Buie - A&R Coordination
• Lori Graves - A&R Coordination
• Rachell Stoud - Sampling Equipment Consulting
• Deborah Melian - Art Direction & Design
• Michael Miller - Photography

Unknown-ness: never heard of this band. But i imagine it's west coast slacker hip hop, perhaps a mix of rap & hardcore, as i'm thinking of what skaters were into in the early 90's. 

Album Review: This is a very interesting record. The mix of free flowing jazz, jazz influence like using a sample of  Pennsylvania 6-5000, and sections that sound like the Alley Cat thrown into thoughtful hip hop lyrics and samples make me think that the musicians have a Jazz background, but wanted to fuse it to what they had around them: samples, smooth rapping and youthful street-wise topics, It makes me really wonder where the inspiration came from and what they were going for. Paying respect to jazz history by introducing a younger crowd to the fusion of beatnik night clubs and scratch /sampling. Some of the songs do have a juvenile and embarrassing take (Two Headed Love Child) and it makes me wonder how it was promoted what kind of "street cred" they earned from this. Who was their fans base? Definitely positive vibes on the album, but it is genre scattered too much for the casual listener like me. Imagine Arrested Development playing with Sublime trying to update Bent Fabric and Benny Goodman big band songs while playing Toe Jam & Earl on Sega Genesis. On the other hand, this is a true mixing of race, style and lifestyle...the absolute melting pot and predicted positive face of music in the future from 1991's view. So Tate was a real skating aficionado, skating on the amateur circuit in the 70's and hosting the Nickelodeon SK8-TV show, which only lasted 13 episodes. Well before this album in 1983, he started gaining popularity amongst the skate rock audience, having songs in a variety of skate videos, even getting a song in the film What About Bob?. Apparently he was a very friendly guy that would help out anyone he could who needed it. Tate sadly passed away in 2015 from liver cancer.

Stand Out Track: Justice (To The Bass) Nick & Scruff Version

Links:

Spotify full album
Wiki

Discogs

Allmusic

thrasher obit 10.15.2015

what about bob imdb

wiki zero

Murray McLaughlin and the Silver Tractors - Hard Rock Town

Name: Murray McLaughlin and the Silver Tractors
Album: Hard Rock Town
Year: 1977
Style: Bluesy Pub Rock, Country
Similar Bands: Neil Young, Poco, Pure Prairie League
"One-Word" Review: Sleepy Country Pubs
Based Out Of: Toronto, Canada
Label: True North, Island Records

Cover & Back, Record

Gatefold & Record

Hard Rock Town (1977)

1. Love Comes and Goes 4:20 (single)
2. Poor Boys 3:46
3. The Man Who Can Sing the Blues 3:05
4. Love Can Make Ya 4:23
5. Well, Well, Well 4:14 (single B-side) /
6. Hard Rock Town 4:10
7. Immigrant 3:00
8. Sweet Song of Asia 3:10
9. When The Taxman Comes 3:12
10. Straight Outa Midnight 3:41 (single)

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Murray McLaughlin - Guitar, Piano, Harmonica, Vox, Writing, Producer (Lunch at Allen's, Northern Lights)
• Jorn Andersen - Drums, Percussion, Vox (Brian Plummer & the Suspects, First Fire, Fludd, Rough Trade, The Lincolns, Totonto Rhythm Section, Ian Thomas, Rob Piltch, Allanah Myles, Patricia Dahlquist, Joe Mendelson, Jackson Hawke, Crack of Dawn, Dan Hill, Bruce Cockburn, Tom Middleton, Bryan Way, Ronney Abramson, John Mills, Brent Titcomb, McLuskey, Sylvia Tyson, Jack Tobi, Anne Murray, Eddie Schwartz, Vezi, Joe Wood, Keith McKie, Garnett Ford, Harlow, Extras, Tim Ryan, Dr. Music, Doug Casmeron, Veronique Beliveau, Hugh Marsh, Tom Cochrane, Christopher Wand, Harlequin, John James, Terry Kelly, David Gogo, Virginia Storey, Philip Sayce, Aidan Mason, David Wilcox, Jack Semple, Michael Kaeshammer, Kevin Breit, Henrys, Don Rookie, Kevin Breit, Andrea Koziol, Carlos del Junco, Folkalarm, Justin Hines, Anjulie, Harry Manx, Fefe Dobson, Russell DeCarle)
• Dennis Pendrith - Bass, Vox (Bruce Cockburn, Dan Hill, 3s A Crowd, Rise and Shine Band, Bachelor Farmers, Raffi, Fred Penner, Simone Caine, Pierre Lalonde, Dee Higgins, Luke Gibson, Aarons & Ackley, Fraser & deBolt, Dave Essig, David Wiffen, Peter Donato, Willie P Bennett, Bryan Way, Len udow, Time Twins, Rosenshontz, Jerry Brodey, Dwayne Ford, Available Space, Mose Scarlett, Gordon Lightfoot, Leroy Sibbles, Brent Titcomb, Fred Penner, Ken Whiteley, Sylvia Tyson, Vance Gilbert, Tim harrison, Fred Eaglesmith, April Verch, Jim Layeux, Dan Whiteley, Ken Whiteley, Lunch at Allens, Kathy Reid Naiman, Lenore, Danny Michael, John P Allen, Cris Cuddy, Matt Andersen, Men Without Hairs)
• Ben Mink - Fiddle, Mandolin, Backing Vox, String Arrangement (Cano, FM, Stringband, k.d. lang, Geddy Lee, Rush, Heart, American Flyer, more) 
• Gene Martynec - Guitar, String Arrangement (Bobby Kris & The Imperials, Kensington Market, London Improvisers Orch, Bruce Cockburn, Luke Gibson, Edward Bear, Lou Reed, Gordon Lightfoot, Ray Materick, Paul Stoddart, Jeff White, Len Udow, John Mills-Cockell, BB Gator, Eric Robertson, Brian Plummer, Rob Clutton)
• Ronney Abramson - Vox (Bruce Cockburn)
• Kathryn Moses - Flute (Ted Moses Quintet, Syncona, Bruce Cockburn, Ann Mortifee, Ken Whiteley, Tommy Graham, Tom Rush, Joe Probst, Chuck Mangione, Hagood Hardy, Jose Munoz Coca, Leroy Sibbles, Raffi, Hugh Marsh, Ann Reed, Tony Guerrero, Ann Mortifee, Grit Laskin, Ricky Gianco, Fred Stone)
• Ken Friesen - Engineer
• Doug Neil - Asst Engineer
• Bart Schoales - Art Direction, Design, Photos
• Ray Simpson - Retouching & Special Photography
• Bernie Finkelstein - Producer

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but it looks and the name / album title sounds like a blue-collar Bruce Cougar Springsteen Mellencamp sorta act.

Album Review: Althogh this album is mostly southern bluesy pub rock, it definitely leans toward country, although  the song "Straight Outa Midnight" sounds a little like The Who. McLaughlin has won numerous Juno awards and is in the Canadian Country Music HoF. He has a commercial pilots license as well, and has been flying personal and commercial aircrafts for many years. And he is still performing as of 2020.

Stand Out Track: Straight Outa Midnight

Links:

Wiki

website

allmusic

discogs

Calgary Herald

times colonist

Invisible Man's Band - s/t

Name: Invisible Man's Band
Album: s/t
Year: 1980
Style: Disco, R&B, Funk
Similar Bands: Dr Buzzards Savannah Band, Parliament Funkadelic, Bobby McFerrin
"One-Word" Review: Island Funk Disco
Based Out Of: Chicago
Label: Mango Records, Island Records

Cover, Notes, Record

Back, Lyrics, Record

Invisible Man's Band (1980)

1. Full Moon 4:53
2. All Night Thing 6:20 (#9 R&B chart single)
3. X Country 6:19 /
4. 9 X's Out of Ten 5:52
5. Rent Strike 6:54
6. Love Can't Come / Love Has Come 8:03

Album Rating (1-10): 5.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Clarence Burke - Producer, Lead + Acoustic Guitar, Rhythm+Synth Arrangement (Five Stairsteps, Venus Dodson, Kwame, Keith Pol, Together as One, Dream Theater, herbie Mann, Touch of Class, Freddie Jackson)
• Alex Masucci - Producer, Backing Vox, Mgmt, Direction
• Chris Blackwell - Exec Producer
• Keni Burke - Bass (Five Stairsteps, Peabo Bryson, Ca$hflow, Andy Lewis, Smoove, Preston Glass, Billy Preston, DJ Rogers, Bill Withers, Gladys Knight & Pips, Stargard, Linda Clifford, Dusty Springfield, Spyder Turner, Leroy Hutson, Les McCann, Emotions, Narada Michael Walden, Eugen Record, Terry Callier, Sly & Family Stone, Undisputed Truth, Clifford Coulter, Ramsey Lewis, Curtis Mayfield, Chocolate Milk, Ahmad Jamal, Smokey Robinson, Thelma Houston, Brenda Holloway, Natalie Cole, Cameo, more  )
• Dennis Burke - Rhythm Guitar (Five Stairsteps, Trinidad Oil Company, Brenda Holloway)
• James Burke - Vibes (Five Stairsteps, Rob Galbraith)
• Dean Grant - Synths, Keys, Arrangement (Stargard, Linda Clifford, Spinners, Stephanie Mills, Larry Graham, Jones Girls, Madonna, Keni Burke, Anita Baker, Outkast, Peabo Bryson, Don Kinsey, Sunfire more)
• Steve Ferrone - Drums (Average White Band, BFD, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, Easy Pieces, Eric Clapton, Legacy, Spin 1ne 2wo, Superfriends, Domenic Troiano, SNL band, Tom Petty & Heartbreakers more)
• Ricardo Marrero - Latin Percussion (Buggers, Las Siete Potencias, Ruben Blades Y Seis Del Solar, Stairsteps, Franke Dante, Touch of Class, La Charanga 76, Special Request, Jellybean, Roman Sandals, Caco Senante Y Despues, Hector Lavoe, James Ingram, Roberto Roena Apollo Sound)
• John Weisenburg - Banjo
• Totico Sanchez - Latin+Vocal Percussion
• Carlos Sanchez - Latin+Vocal Percussion 
• Bob Byrant - Trumpet (Corcovado Trumpets, Gerald Wilson, James Bond & his Sextet, Oliver Nelson, Quincy Jones, South Central Avenue Municipal Blues Band, Buddy Collette, Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orch. more)
• Greg Fowler - Guitar 
• Lee Jaffe - Harmonica (Bob Marley & Wailers, Peace Choir, Kwame, Joe Higgs, Culture, Lenny Kravitz, Wingless Angels, Alpha Blondy, Tricky, Peter Tosh)
• Don Myrick - Sax, Flute (Sky, Phil Collins, Phenix Choir, Philip Cohran, Artistic Heritage Ensemble, Intentions, Pharaohs, Salty Peppers more)
• Rahm Lee - Trumpet, Flugal Horn, all solos (Phenix Choir/Horns, Piece of Peace, Ramsey Lewis, Grey and Hanks, Phil Collins, Beatchuggers, Imaginations, Smoke, Chanson, Emotions, Pockets, Kinsman Dazz, Eugene Record, Twennynine, Lenny White, Whispers, Earth Wind & Fire, Al Johnson, Edmund Sylvers, Kwame, Chuck Jackson, Chi-Lites, Randy Brown, Rodney Franklin, Dells, Gene Chandler, Stanley Turrentine, Patrick Cowley, Frida, Toshiki Kadomatsu, Superior Movement, Kaoru Hirose, Heaven 17, MCB, George Kranz, Philip Bailey, Shuybah, Kassav, Topanga Express, France Gall, Jocelyne Beroard, Pharaohs, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Anri, Bobby Lyle, Grainger)
• Louis "Vibes" Satterfield - Trombone (Phenix Choir/Horns, Philip Cochran, Artistic Heritage Ensemble, Sky, Inentions, Pharaohs, Salty Peppers, Phil Collins, BB King, Fontella Bass, more)
• Brenda Madison - Backing Vox (David Dancious & Tone, Andy Pratt, Kwame, Don Kinsey & Chosen Ones)
• Janice Burke - Backing Vox (Kwame)
• Yvonne Wright - Backing Vox (Minnie Riperton, Kwame)
• Vernon Stuart - Backing Vox 
• Pete Jackson  - Backing Vox (Al Raymond Big Band, Touch of Class, Moody Blues, T. Life, Michael Pedicin Jr, Meco, Buddy FeFranco, Maynard Ferguson)
• Gerald Jackson - Backing Vox  (Touch of Class, Bohannon, Ojeda Penn, Victor Vick, Sonny Emory, Meco, Issac Hayes, MC Breed)
• Ben Taylor - Backing Vox 
• Chris White - Rhythm Arrangement
• Steven Stanley - Mixing Engineer
• Jonathan Fearing - Editing
• Jim Douglas - Mixing Engineer
• Alfredo Li - Mixing Engineer
• Mark Ledzian - Photos, Design
• Jane Walsh-Ronayne - Art Direction, Design
• Eddie Kamali - Clothing
• Maggie Hahn - Model

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but it looks like a weird Robert Palmer-like (model's red outfit + red lipstick) new wave band.

Album Review: This is the Burke family's regrouping from the remnants of Five Stairsteps. The doo-wop sound is mostly dropped, and this is an interesting mix of genre-disco...imagine disco through the eyes of funk, soul, r&b, calypso, country, and soft ballad for each song. But it always carries the shuffle percussive beat. The first track features a lot of earthy tribal vocal beats, track 2 is straight up disco single, track three comically plays with country music at the intro, before trading it in for a stereotypical disco (Flaming/Hot/Fire/Burning) lyric content. Side B track one is a smooth & slow R&B love song. Rent Strike explores Funk (and comes off as very topical in the current pandemic), and the closing track explores island percussion and Love Boat wavering vocals with a solid support harmonic choir and smooth jazz.

Stand Out Track: Rent Strike

Links:
discogs
Five Stairsteps wiki
allmusic
Gant's Passing 4/25/20
Clarence Burke's Passing
Soulwalking
Who Sampled

Illusion - Out of the Mist

Name: Illusion
Album: Out of the Mist
Year: 1977
Style: Prog, New Age, Baroque Chamber
Similar Bands: Renaissance, Rush, Dream Theater, Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake & Palmer
"One-Word" Review: Enchanting Mystic Chamber Prog.
Based Out Of: London, England
Label: Island

Cover, Record

Record, Back

Out of the Mist (1977)

1. Isadora 6:58
2. Roads to Freedom 3:55
3. Beautiful Country 4:21
4. Solo Flight 4:20 /
5. Everywhere You Go 3:18
6. Face of Yesterday 5:43
7. Candles Are Burning 7:10

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Doug Bogie - Producer, Engineer
• John Hawken - Keys, Mellotron (Strawbs, Renaissance, Frankie Reid Band, Nashville Teens, Third World War, Trifle, Vinegar Joe, Luther Grosvenor, Claire Hamill, Sutherland Bros, Carl Perkins, Smithereens, Doughboys, Yardbirds, Spooky Tooth)
• Louis Cennamo - Bass (Renaissance, Armageddon, Chicago Line, Colosseum, Herd, Jimmy Powell & the 5 Dimensions, Stairway, Steamhammer, James Taylor, Jody Grind, Al Stewart, Linda Lewis, Beyond Sound, Chuck Berry)
• Jane Relf - Vox  (Renaissance, Holy Smoke, Stairway, Colin Scot, Yardbirds, The Fishermen)
• Jim McCarty - Vox, Guitar, Percussion (Yardbirds, Renaissance, Box of Frogs, Holy Smoke, Pilgrim, Pretty Things, Shoot, Stairway, Together, many)
• John Knightsbridge - Guitar (Third World War, Ruthless Blues, Hug, Yardbirds, Gnidrolog, Warm Dust, Mars, Limey, Box of Frogs )
• Eddie McNeil - Drums, Percussion (Strange Days, Paddy Kingsland)
• Dennis McKay - Mixing
• Goodwin Logie - Tape Operator
• Keith Morris - Photography
• Bloomfield / Travis - Sleeve Design

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of Illusion, assuming this is different than The Illusion. The pictures are all of them as a live band, so one has to wonder if it was hastily put together, or if the live setting was just their art choice. The pink and blue color scheme meshes well with the live photo lighting, creating a mystique that also supports the name Illusion. So i imagine it will be some sort of light new agey-prog.

Album Review: This group is a reshuffled line up of the band Renaissance, with the exception of Keith Reif (Ex-Yardbirds singer whom Jane is the younger sister to), who tragically died of electrical shock at the hands of a guitar amp. They are one of the many bands that succumbed to the capitalistic fan fare (ironically) toward punk rock, as Baroque Chamber Prog was waning in popularity. The songs are lofty, floating compositions, featuring heavy on piano and soothing, delicate vocals.

Stand Out Track: Solo Flight

Links:
youtube album
wiki
prog archives
discogs
rate your music
background mag
allmusic
old rock news
steve hoffman music forums
music street journal

Bourgeois Tagg - Yoyo

Name: Bourgeois Tagg
Album: Yoyo
Year: 1987
Style: Loungey New Wave
Similar Bands: Spandau Ballet, Crowded House, late 80's Squeeze, late 80's XTC
"One-Word" Review: Adult Contemporary New Wave
Based Out Of: Sacramento, CA
Label: Island

Cover, Record, Sleeve

Back, Record, Sleeve

Record b-side

Yoyo (1987)

1. Best of All Possible Worlds 3:58
2. Cry Like a Baby 3:25 (single)
3. Pencil & Paper 4:03
4. Out of My Mind 4:02
5. 15 Minutes in the Sun 3:46 /
6. Waiting for the Worm to Turn 4:02 (single)
7. I Don't Mind at All 2:33 (single)
8. What's Wrong With This Picture 4:23
9. Stress 4:13
10. Coma 4:14

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Todd Rundgren - Producer, Song Arrangement, Mixing, Engineer
• Brent Bourgeois - Producer, Key, Vox, String Arrangement (Uncle Rainbow, Convent Choir, Charlie Peacock, Todd Rundgren, Margaret Becker, Robert Palmer, Katey Sagal, Cheri Keaggy, Tony Vincent, Michael W Smith, At the Foot of the Cross, Joanna Carlson, Cindy morgan, Sarah Masen, Chris Rodriguez, Jonathan Rundman, Lisa Bevill )
• Larry Tagg - Producer Bass, Vox (Uncle Rainbow, Todd Rundgren, Eric Tagg, Margaret Becker, Eddie Money, Dirk Hamilton, Chris Rodriguez, Tonio K., Charlie Peacock, 7&7is)
• Lyle Workman - Guitar, String Arrangement (Todd Rundgren, Frank Black, Larry Tagg, Ilse Delange, Infant Sorrow, Sarah McLachlan, Charlie Peacock, Patty Larkin, John Gorka)
• Scott Moon - Keys (Ryo Antony, Internal Affairs, Todd Rundgren, Belle & Leslie)
• Mike Urbano - Drums, Percussion (Cracker, James Williamson & the Pink Hearts, John Hiatt, Look Park, Ryo Antony, Smashmouth, Spent Poets, Third Eye Blind, Torcher, Charlie Peacock, Fool Killers, Margaret Becker, Todd Rundgren, Vector, Brent Bourgeois, David Baerwald, Anton Barbeau, Paul Westerberg, Flax Sifter, Willy DeVille, Hannah Marcus, Chuck Prophet, Sheryl Crow, Black Lab, Buffalo Tom, Zucchero, Sunkist, Two Ball Loo, Poe, Red House Painters, Goapele, Lovemakers, Vonda Shepard,  Camper Van Beethoven, Ligablue)
• Jim Watts Vereecke - Asst. Engineer
• Mingo Lewis - Percussion (Medicine Drum, Santana, The Tong, the Tubes, Inner Circle, Tribe 3, Vortex tribe, Bill Summers, Buddy Miles, Billy Joel, Al Di Meola, Eno/Byrne, XTC, Todd Rundgren)
• John Tenney - Violin (Coast String Quartet, COLLAbSE, Van Morrison, Jesse Colin Young, Patti Labelle, Johnny Van Zant Band, Joe Strummer, Todd Rundgren, Art Pepper, Linda Ronstadt, XTC) 
• Joseph Edelberg - 2nd Violin (Coast String Quartet, Chanticleer Sinfonia, Rick Cerone, Corelli, Linda Rondtadt, Tim Gorman, Santana, Alan Silvestri, Marco Beltrami)
• Rebecca Sebring - Viola (Coast String Quartet, Skywalker Symphony Orch, Billy Burnette, Reg Lindsay, Aaron Neville, Linda Ronstadt, Danny Elfman, XTC)
• Teresa Adams - Cello (Coast String Quartet, mad River, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Caledonia Soul Orch. Nob Hill String Ensemble, Link Wray, Con Funk Shun, Patti Labelle, Hubert Laws, Herbie Hancock, Art Pepper, XTC, Danny Elfman)
• Bill Graham Mgmt - Direction
• Tony Wright - Cover
• Michael Jang - Photos
• Scott Harrison - Crew
• Bob Lebarre - Crew
• Larry Toomey - Crew

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. Looks like it will be smooth, overproduced, clinical new wave music, mostly just based on the name and year.

Album Review: This represents the era of new wave when technology was progressing to the point where albums chose this new shimmering one-dimensionally produced sound over real playing. Whether it was just so new and the future of music that it had to be used, or the old everyone else is making this sound- so we should to, or it was a company selling their product to studios like doctors force specific pharmaceutical brand to earn kick-backs. There is a little Oranges and Lemons XTC sound in these songs, but again, that is the sound of the era. Bourgeois became a born-again christian after bouts with drugs and alcohol, and after trying to force the rest of the band to his newfound cause, he broke up the band & left to pursue a christian rock lifestyle. The rest of the band supported Rundgren on his Nearly Human album & tour.

Stand Out Track: Waiting for the Worm to Turn

Links:
Youtube full album
Brent's Wiki
Discogs
Allmusic
Brent's website
Wolfgangs
Amazingly few discotheques provide jukeboxes
Rate your Music
Blue Desert - West Coast Music
Musician Bio

Automatic Man - s/t

Name: Automatic Man
Album: s/t
Year: 1976
Style: Funk, Prog, Jazz Fusion
Similar Bands: Asia, Yes, Santana, Brand X, Jimi Hendrix
"One-Word" Review: Funky Space Prog
Based Out Of: San Fran, CA
Label: Island Records

Cover Sleeve Art, Record

Back, Lyrics, Record

Automatic Man (1976)

1. Atlantis Rising Fanfare 1:37
2. Comin' Through 3:35
3. My Pearl 3:41 (single)
4. One and One 6:01
5. Newspapers 3:59
6. Geni-Geni 5:33 / 
7. Right Back Down 5:56
8. There's A Way 5:15
9. Interstellar Tracking Devices 5:14
10. Automatic Man 3:54
11. Atlantis Rising Theme (Turning Of the Axis) 3:17

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Lou Casabianca - Producer, Art Direction, Design
• Keith Harwood - Associate Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Chris Kimsey - Mix Engineer
• Jeremy Gee - Tape Operator
• Bari Sage - Tape Operator
• Guy Bidmead - Tape Operator
• Dave Jordan - Tape Operator
• Richard Coble - Euiptment Manager
• Michael Shrieve - Drums, Impakt Electronic Percussion (Santana, Go, Novo Combo, Pete Towshend, Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones, George Harrison, Steve Winwood, HSAS, )
• Bayette (Todd Cochran) - Keys, Synth, Vox (Julian Priester, Peter Gabriel, Aretha Franklin, Eminem, Maynard Ferguson, Grover Washington Jr, Stewart Copeland, Fuse One)
• Pat Thrall - Guitars, Vox (Go, Pat Travers Band, Narada Michael Walden, Alphonso Johnson, Little Steven Van Zandt, Asia, Meat Loaf, beyonce, Elton John, Tina Turner, Frank Ocean, Glenn Hughes)
• Doni Harvey - Bass, Vox (Go, Harvey, Clarence Clemons, Gong, Caribbean Allstars, Unemployed Blues Band, Regi Harvey's Example)
• Dwain Zerio - Cover & Inner Sleeve Painting
• Jim Lee - Photography

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but i assume from the cover and the back photo, it will be space funk.

Album Review: More than funk, the band definitely leads to a more prog genre for a majority of their songs. There are some funk and space elements that make it almost a concept album, but all of the drawn out guitars and synths create the progressive song structure. Automatic Man probably has the most funk to the album, so it stands out, and some great Hendrix-like guitar solos. There were a lot of comments on their youtube videos about how this is one of the greatest albums of all time, and way ahead of their time, etc.

Stand Out Track: Automatic Man

Links:
Full Album Youtube
wiki
discog
prog archive
allmusic
rate your music
Myspace

Joe "King" Carrasco & the Crowns - s/t

Name: Joe "King" Carrasco & the Crowns
Album: s/t
Year:1980
Style: Tex-Mex, New Wave, Oldies
Similar Bands: Quintron & Miss Pussycat, Werner Thomas, Buddy Holly, Fabulous Fondas, ? & the Mysterians, El Vez
"One-Word" Review: Chicken Dance New Wave
Based Out Of: Dumas/Austin TX
Label: Hannibal Records, Antilles Communications, Island Records

Cover, Record

Record, Back

Joe "King" Carrasco & the Crowns (1980)

1. Houston el Mover 2:00
2. One More Time 2:19
3. Caca de Vaca 2:45
4. Let's Get Pretty 3:03
5. Bad Bad Girls 2:13
6. Don't Bug Me Baby 3:12
7. Federales 2:43 /
8. Buena 3:12
9. Nervoused Out 2:36
10. Betty's World 3:20
11. I Get My Kicks on You 3:29
12. Party Doll 2:30
13. Gimme Sody, Judy 3:25

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:
Brad Kizer - Bass
Mike Navarro - Drums (Dino Lee, Hand of Glory)
Kris Cummings - Keys (Johnny Reno & Sax Maniacs, LeRoi Bros)
Joe 'King' Carrasco - Guitar, Vox (BP Fallon, Texas Tornados)
Eddie Solan - Engineer
John Wood - Engineer & Producer
Joe Nick Patoski - Executive Producer
Worthless Willy - Talent Co-Coordinator
Gretchen Barber - Talent Co-Coordinator
Huey P. Meaux - Talent Co-Coordinator
Karel Steiner - Cover Photo
Waring Abbot - Back Photos
John Morthland - Liner Notes
M&Co. NY - Design

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of this band. But between all the collaged advertisement artwork, i imagine this to be some wacky country-ish music.

Album Review: Although the "file under" note at the top right corner states Nuevo Wavo & Instrumental: Farfisa, the result is like a snotty Tex-Mex new wave playing their songs through a chicken dance effects pedal. There is the Farfisa organ, so there is a little Elvis Costello feel to some of the songs, but it is very light, and lacks any kind of punch most new wave acts possess. Labeled as new Wave Pop mixed with Latin Rhythms, the songs translate much better live with dance focused emphasis than on a record. They were one of the first american bands to be signed to the Stiff Records and guested on SNL on 1/24/81

Stand Out Track: Houston el Mover

Links:
Wiki
Discogs
Allmusic
Austin Chronicle
CD Baby
IMDB
Robert Christgau
website
Recovery Recordings

Salt - Auscultate

Name: Salt

Album: Auscultate

Year: 1996

Style: Alt Rock, Metal

Similar Bands: Jennifer Trynin, PJ Harvey, Garbage, Spinanes, Screaming Females

One-Word Review: Cascading Heartfelt Metal

Based Out Of: Sweden

Label: Island, PolyGram, MVG Records

 Ausculate - Cover & Back Liner

 Ausculate - Liner Lyrics 1-2

  Ausculate - Liner Lyrics 3-4

  Ausculate - Liner Lyrics 5-6, CD

  Ausculate - Liner Lyrics 7-8, Back

  Ausculate - Liner Lyrics 9-10, CD Tray

  Ausculate - Liner Lyrics 11-12

 Ausculate - Liner Notes

Ausculate (1996)

1. Impro 0:57
2. Honour Me 3:53
3. Beauty 2:06
4. God Damn Carneval 3:58
5. Obsession 2:54
6. Bluster 3:10
7. Lids 3:59
8. So 3:33
9. Witty 4:04
10. So I Aches 2:43
11. Flutter 3:11
12. Sense 2:12
13. Undressed 5:02

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:
Dag Lundquist - Producer, Mixing, Recording
Nina Ramsby - Vox, Guitars (Baxter, Ace Leaf, Grand Tone Music, Jimbob, Shredhead, Marin Hederos, )
Daniel Ewerman - Bass (Dewer)
Jim Tegman - Drims (Grand Tone Music)
Stefan Glaumann - Mixing
Jorgen Svensson - Additional Engineering
Bjorn Engelmann - Mastering
Lotta Johansson - Violin (Elvira, Staffan Hellstrand, Cinnamon, Lars Winnerback, Steffan Sunstrom,
Fredrik Black - Guitar (Staffan Hellstrand, Lolita Pop, Kajsa Grytt, Di Leva,
Leonida Simba - A&R
Per Kviman - A&R
Ricky - Cover
Bisse - Photo
Jeff Eyrich/GreenTeam - US Management

Unknown-ness: I'm not sure why I purchased this CD or when I picked it up. I must have heard a song or read a review about it back in the 90's and then bought it when I found it used at some point, because it does not have any of the original packaging with it, and I compulsively kept the advert stickers and the spine label stickers. I have no expectations to this record, except being a general, 90's sounding fuzzy indie alt band. Maybe it will have a childish tint, since the back uses letter magnets to spell out the album title, plus doll house miniatures.

Album Review: With Bluster being their biggest hit, and also the title of their first EP, they were poised and touted to be the next great thing (Nirvana 2.0?). But they didn’t capitalize, which might be blamed by the changing music scene in 1997. Their second album is just a footnote, “Delay Me Down and Make Me Wah Wah!.”
“Impro” fades in as if the song has been playing for 20 minutes. The female vocals are deep, and the guitars pound and thrash. But as if a tease, the whole song fades out before you can get a good grasp of the song.
“Honour Me” rings in with harmonized guitars promoting the alternative genre. The vocals are deep, but more delicate than the music. The chorus finds a happy medium with layered, harmonic vocals and power-rock guitars. It really reminds me of a heavier Jennifer Trynin.
“Beauty” features a muffled guitar playing a siren pattern, and then the song kicks in, with a stumbling tempo. The vocals are aggressively sung, and remain catchy. The instrumental powers through to a stop and start chorus, and the song ends abruptly following repetition of four progressive riffs.
“God Damn Carneval” begins similarly with a muted intro that crashes in with power guitars. The song slows town to a sluggish hobble that feels like it is just reserving and building power. The bridge lets out some of the power, and the Metal/prog chorus reminds me of Screaming Females. It shifts back and forth from silent to rocking.
“Obsession” starts with powerful female vocals. The guitars are driving and metal-like. The song only shifts gears, and never lets up, as if to mimic the continuing excitement of an obsession. About the 2 minute mark, things slow down, but threaten to restart with force. The song comes back for one more chorus, before sprinting to the finish with the vocals.
|“Bluster” was their single and most famous track. One note starts it off, and expands. The song tumbles forward, and settles on a chugging, marching tempo. Vocals are clearly sung over top, and are punctuated by bursts of energy in vocals and guitars. The melody of the chorus reminds me of Fuel’s Shimmer. This is not a complex song: it is two sections blended together. The punctuation bursts are strung together to finish out the song.
“Lids” begins so quietly that I had to turn the volume up to hear the “Lightning Crashes” like chords, and delicate vocals hum overtop. The song is a slowly, and barely building song of reflection. At 2:15, the drums count down and the song kicks in with chugging power chords and aggressive singing.

“So” was another single, and is the song I most remember of theirs. It has a bit of Mazzy Star’s Fade Into You sultriness and awareness built in, thanks to the vocals and acoustic guitar. The vocals are mixed right up front, like they are being sung quite personally. The chorus is the catchiest hook on the record, and slowly rolls along, despite the energy behind the guitars. It is a perfectly constructed song, not too long, and wraps up with the catchiest hook at the perfect time.
“Witty” fades up with a spacey echoing note, and continues with metal guitars over top a tinny drum beat and steady three tiered base line. The guitars kick in at the chorus, and the song furthers the alt-metal vibe. To finish out the song, the guitars play a cascading thrash of notes, and the title is sung repetitively.
“So I Aches” comes in with a barrage of bass and guitars. The deep vocals transition to emotional, Veruca Salt like vocals, back and forth. The Vocals toward the end are double layered, and sung in-the-round
“Flutter” begins with a standard alt-guitar riff, which gives pause for the bass-lead verse. The chorus seems like a predictable burst of afterthought. Like, “it’s about time we put some kind of chorus change here, so here we go.” There are some definite Nirvana-utilized chords, but it just comes out feeling like generic alt-grunge.
“Sense” begins quietly with a drum palpitation, and a need to turn up the volume to hear the hushed vocals. The short song never gets louder, if you were not paying attention, it might have seemed like 2 minutes of dead space on the album. It is very minimal and delicate, relying strictly on the vocal melody.
"Undressed” begins with a fun disjointed, somewhat bouncy hook. The song then takes off for the bridge. But rather than hit the chorus running, it returns to the fun hook. The second time offers the anticipated delivery into a chorus, which acts like a come-down from the bridge’s burst of energy. Then, for a second or two, the energy is ramped up, but quickly returns to the verse stanza. The sections of the song are rearranged and combined and separated, forming a naturally rolling song where any section could come next. The song is never dull, and can be seen as a summary of the album, as all parts are represented. Even the end of the song, reverts to the quiet, hushed vocals only that require a volume change to hear and appreciate. My best comparison would be a combo of Jennifer Trynin covering and playing with Screaming Females. It is good, but ultimately forgettable.

Stand Out Track: So

Links:
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If It's Too Loud
Blamonet

Fungo Mungo - Humungous

Name: Fungo Mungo
Album: Humungous
Year: 1992
Style: Alternative-Funk
Similar Bands: Aninmal Bag, Blind Melon, Ugly Kid Joe, Real Thing era Faith No More,
"One-Word" Review: nonmedicated-A.D.D.-funk-ternative.
Based Out Of: Oakland, CA
Label: Island

Humungous - CD, Cover
Humungous - Back, Liner Notes

Humungous (1992)

1. Time On My Hands 4:35
2. Do You Believe In God 3:43
3. Hype is Stupid 3:50
4. Brothers & Sisters 3:50
5. Homies 3:07
6. Downtown Oakland 2:51
7. Sold Your Soul (For Rock N' Roll) 3:30
8. Sex Sells 4:03
9. STFU 2:08
10. Death Song 2:32
11. Spontaneous Solo 0:30

Album Rating (1-10): 4.5

Members & Other Bands:

Damion Gallegos (Screamin Demon) - Vox, Harmonica

Jeff Gomes (Hype Minister Jeffy "G") - Drums, Percussion

Arion Salazar(Thumpy Z) - Bass (Third Eye Blind, Bullmark

Miguel Fimbriez Johnson (Funkmaster "J") - Guitar

Damon Ramirez (Mamin "D") - Keys (Oslo)

Ken Schick - Alto Sax

Chris Mondt - Bonaphone

Tony George - Trumpet

Reed Boy - Tenor Sax

Swampy Dave - Baritone Sax

Dino Airali (Big Daddy "D") - Director, Management

Robert Margouleff - Mixed, Co-Production

Brant Biles - Mixedm Engineered

Joe Blaney - Co-Production, Engineered

Matt Winegar - Co-Production

Paul Mandrl - Engineered

David Plank - Enginnered

Ron Riger - Engineered

Kevin Scott - Asst. Engineer

Bob Ross - Asst. Engineer

Richard Steinback - Asst. Engineer

Todd Orr - Asst. Engineer

Holly Ferguson - Island Production Coorinator

Jimmy Ramirez - Road Manager

Tony Wilson - Sound

Bernie Grundman - Mastering

Van Arno - Illustration

David Pascal (D Squared) - Art Direction & Design

Drew Cobb (D Squared) - Art Direction & Design

Rachel Raffael - Fimo Art

Baidra Prochnow - Photography

Harold-O - Photography

Mike Bloom - Photography

Janet Dematteis - Island Art Coordinator

Unknown-ness: This is one more of those CDs that mysteriously wound up on my CD shelves. Why did I get it, when did I get it? I don’t remember. Perhaps I bought it because I’d have heard of the name somewhere. Perhaps the CD cover appealed to my juvenile nature back in high school, and I found it cheap in a used bin. Perhaps the name reminded me of Oingo Boingo, whom I love. All I know is that I did get it used and cheap; probably at some flea market like Perk Sale or Rices. But the cover is cartoon zany, and it incorporates the Island Records logo in the artwork, which is a bit odd. I’m assuming, from the pictures on the back of the band, that they will be an alternative, jammy band, most likely not to my liking. But perhaps not.

Album Review: “Time On My Hands” has 30 seconds of a car starting and flipping through radio stations. Then the song proper starts. The music is a funky rock song. The vocals are like a less dynamic “Real Thing” Mike Patton, which was very popular for the time. There are some creative sections of music to the song; it is not just a straightforward jam. There is even some new wave style synths mixed into the grunge rock style. It ends with a dark, thick metal instrumental section. “Do You Believe In God” is another funky track, with a slap bass sound. But the vocals, like early Ugly Kid Joe, are some sung and some spoken like a TV evangelist. Part mocking religion, but also sounding honest in it praise to god. A shouting, death metal section follows up the preacher section. There is some record scratching too, and the genre is all over the place. The song ends with more new wave synth keys (partly Roddy Bottom-like from FNM, too), and a guitar wail to complete the track. “Hype is Stupid” is poorly covered Prince, slightly funky, with jangely guitars. The vocals are quiet, like a hushed Michael Hutchence. But they change too, from louder chanting to nasally sing-song, the song does not stay in one place. A short spoken word section echos over a tinkling piano. It is catchy only because it is so repetitive. “Brothers & Sisters” shows the band’s James Brown influence. It includes more evangelical sermoning, and quite the variety of vocal styles. Something for everyone: harmonica, Prince screeching, James Brown “Huh-Yeahs”, growling, and melodic singing, and sax. It too is very repetitive, but slightly catchier.

“Homies” starts with a quote sample, and scratches into a slow, funky beat. The singing is somewhat of a fast spoken-rap, even the chorus is mostly spoken, with a slight melody. “Downtown Oakland” starts with drums only, and metal guitar kicks in, followed by a warrant or Motley Crue like vocals for the chorus. The rap-talking verse flows quietly. The song sounds like something from Flight of the Conchords. “Sold Your Soul (For Rock N' Roll)” the religious tone for the entire record permeates here too, with the intro and southern style devil vocals and more rap-rock vocals. It’s kinda cute, especially when the vocals sneak in a high pitched “burn!” But the song is actually ridiculous, it almost screams for a cheesy 90’s video accompaniment. “Sex Sells” is a fast rap-rock song, similar to something you’d expect from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But the guitar and vocal style sounds a bit like a throwaway Mr. Bungle song. At the same time, I heard Mr Bungle’s “Love Is A Fist” and Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing.” “STFU” is a guitar and drums driven song. The lyrics are spoken, and sound like C&C Music Factory. And then you figure out what “STFU” means: “Shut The Fuck Up.” There are lots of samples in the song, including a police siren, and many dialogue samples. “Death Song” Is a fast paced, driving metal song. With dark, deep death metal vocals, sounding like the voice from Altered Beast: “Rise From Your Grave.” Different vocal sections are brought to the front and thrown away for new and different styles. The song kinda flows right into the ending “Spontaneous Solo” that fades out over a long 15 seconds or so to end the record.

Stand Out Track: Sex Sells

Links:

Myspace

Arion bio on 3eyeBlind site

Allmusic

Last FM

Mike's Myspace (from FM)