JEFFREY MORGAN’S MEDIA BLACKOUT #627.267!

Brainkiller – The Infiltration (Rare Noise) :: I got this one because the title reminded me of that old Andrew Dice Clay movie Brainsmasher—you know, the one directed by Albert “The Hawaiian” Pyun with a soundtrack featuring the Forbidden Pigs and Madelynn von Ritz—so I figured I was in for some kinda hellacious hellspew of sound that’d send me staggering into the middle of next week. Instead, I got this unexpected session of destorto jazzbo noir noodling that fuses trumpet and keys into a suitably squirrely hypothetical score for the second Mike Hammer movie that writer Mickey Spillane, regrettably, never got to star in.

Roy Rowland – The Girl Hunters (Colorama) :: And as we all know, Mickey Spillane is Mike Hammer. Happy 100th birthday, Mick!

Andrea Ramolo – The Shadows And The Cracks (Thorniac) :: Y’gotta love a woman who’s got the temerity to start off an album by audaciously rhyming “Greece” with “philosophies” as Andrea does on “O Brother.” The only problem being that, as equally adept as the rest of the album is, it never quite kinetically lives up to that initial harp-wailin’ opening track. Granted, that’s probably more my problem than it is hers; however it’s obvious that Andrea’s able to rock out any time she likes yet inexplicably deigns to say nay—and that’s problematical.

Revis – “Save Our Souls” (NRG Artists) :: Classic guitar-wailin’ power rock with a emblematic chorus that veers a little too close into generic angst rock territory for my liking. Still, it’s anthemic enough to make the grade as a Class A fist-pumpin’ BIC-flickin’ concert staple.

The Postelles – The Postelles (+1) :: Pleasing power pop with an anchoring dash of de islands, mon—and that’s just the first track. Delve deeper and you’ll find a eleven more witnesses who’re willing to testify to the wittiness these Postelles’ deliver within.

CINEMATIC PLATTER OF THE WEEK: Daniel Jamison’s Danjam Orchestra – Sudden Appearance (OA2) :: From Clint Eastwood’s Sudden Impact to JCVD’s Sudden Death, it’s long been a proven scientific fact that anything with the word “Sudden” in its title is bound to be a bona fide hit—and this album is guaranteed to be no exception to that beholdin’ rule even though this ain’t no moving picture by a long shot. But it is a soundtrack of sorts in that your brain will be conjuring up an endless array of cinematic images nonetheless, thanks to the evocative assortment of selections that saxman Danjam’s swingin’ jazz band essays. From the frantic ten minute rain-soaked noir bop of “Alone Together” to the hepper than hip twelve minute title track to the sensitive and sensuously smooth take given the Charlie Chaplin standard “Smile” this is one album that’ll be in heavy rotation on your turntable for weeks. Bonus points for admitting in your liner notes that you had the good taste to be inspired by Rob McConnell’s legendary Boss Brass—because that’s what this excellent album is in a word: Boss.

Be seeing you!