JEFFREY MORGAN’S MEDIA BLACKOUT #559.193!

Ghost Bees – Tasseomancy (Youth Club) :: Any time I hear an album with violas and violins on it, I know I’m in for a rough emotional ride. But nothing prepared me for this eerie evocation of everything that lies dormant deep in the back of my consciousness. Frankly, it scares me.

Cinderpop – {Fig.13} a lesson in science (Popoganda) :: They’ve certainly got the “pop” part down cold so if I’m a tad disappointed that the sound isn’t nearly as “cinder” as I’d like, fella. I guess that’s my fault for listening to so much Freddie Mercury during my wonder years.

Freddie Mercury – Mr. Bad Guy (Columbia) :: “My, that’s a big one.”

The Shake – Well, Oh Well (self-released) :: These guys shake some traction by renaming a song by “Peter” Townshend into “This Is My Generation” and then reworking it as radically as Bowie revamped “I Can’t Explain” on Pinups. They’re loud and they rock—that is, when they’re not busy playing songs that aren’t loud and don’t rock. Next time, lay off the ballads, boys.

SIZZLING ACOUSTIC PLATTER OF THE WEEK: Diana – The Great Catastrophe Of The Sixth Sign (self-released) :: Diana DiGiovanni sure knows how to write a song that’s full of drama and passion—and on this excellent EP she slings together five of her best. Then, armed with only her acoustic guitar, she opens up her heart full of soul and sings them with a voice that’ll validate your very being. So check her out and learn something important about yourself.

SIZZLING ELECTRIC PLATTER OF THE WEEK: The Virginia City Revival – A Bandin’ The Herd (Dawn Of The White Light) :: These hard rock hellions have manufractured (sic) a masterful libel-thumpin’ travelin’ snake oil salesman road show that just oozes out the best preverted (really sic) social commentary since the early Mothers Of Invention. If the late great John Carradine had formed a rock ’n’ roll band way back when, he would’ve formed the Virginia City Revival. This way to the egress!

Be seeing you!