Blog Archives
AUTOMAN.CA – Pocket Change
Automan.ca – Pocket Change (2008, uNKLEDUNk Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Back In The Sun” … 3:37
2. “Dig In Deep” … 3:41
3. “Cinnamon Rain” … 4:00
4. “One Half Hard” … 4:26
5. “Milldog Blues”… 3:54
6. “Give An Inch, Take A Mile” … 3:28
7. “Chasin’ My Tail” … 4:58
8. “Drivin’, Rockin’, Lovin’” … 3:20
Band:
Darrell “DWaRf” Millar – Vocals
Carleton Lockhart – Guitar
John Fenton – Bass
Adrian Cavan – Drums
Produced by: Darrell “DWaRf” Millar
Co-Produced by: Greg Looper
Automan.ca is about as pure a good time rock ‘n’ roll band as you can find these days. They sound like a band you might hear playing in bar somewhere on a Saturday night (this is a compliment). The band’s official bio states they sound similar to Aerosmith, AC/DC and The Rolling Stones and that’s about right: Automan.ca has been influenced strongly by 70s/80s blues rock & Southern rock and I would even add they sound similar to Ted Nugent (especially Darrell “Dwarf” Millar’s vocals).
I don’t drink, but if I did, I imagine this in album I would do it to while sitting on a porch somewhere with my dog at my side and my woman on my lap. Just like the best women, Pocket Change is fun, fast, and loose.
BTW – If Darrell Millar’s name sounds familiar, it should– he’s also the drummer for Killer Dwarfs.
Highlights: “Back In The Sun”, “Dig In Deep”, “One Half Hard”, “Give An Inch, Take A Mile”, Chasin’ My Tail”, “Drivin’, Rockin’, Lovin’”
SALIVA – Cinco Diablo
Saliva – Cinco Diablo (2008, Island Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Family Reunion” … 3:39
2. “My Own Worst Enemy” … 3:07
3. “Best of Me” … 3:48
4. “How Could You” … 3:23
5. “Hunt You Down” … 3:36
6. “Judgment Day” … 4:34
7. “Forever and a Day” … 3:28
8. “I’m Coming Back ” … 3:50
9. “Southern Girls” … 3:31
10. “So Long” … 4:46
Band:
Josey Scott – Vocals
Wayne Swinny – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jonathan Montoya – Guitar
Dave Novotny – Bass
Paul Crosby – Drums
Produced by: Bob Marlette
Well, Saliva finally did it. After 7 years of delivering decent singles, but no albums to back them up, Saliva puts out their best effort yet. Funny thing is, this album has been a complete bomb, not even breaking the Billboard Top 100 in the first week of release. Ouch. And to think, their last album (release in 2007) debuted at #20. The public can be so fickle.
The band branches out a bit on this album, if only by trying to sound similar to other bands (and themselves): “Forever and a Day” is a modern day power ballad, “So Long” reminds me a lot of Coldplay’s “Clocks” and “Judgment Day” kicks off sounding like their very own “Ladies and Gentlemen” and “I’m Coming Back” reminds me a of mix of P.O.D. and Breaking Benjamin. “Southern Girls” is my favorite song off this album, it’s a great southern rock tune and should be played in strip clubs all across the South.
“Hunt You Down” is obviously a WWE-intended song. The band has licensed so many of their songs to World Wrestling Entertainment over the years, reading the lyrics of this song it seems obvious they just went ahead and wrote something specifically for them. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear this as the theme song to one of their many pay-per-views.
Maybe it was lowered expectations, or even the lowered price (I bought it at one of the closing Circuit City stores) that has allowed me to appreciate this album, but nah…. It’s a really strong release and much like Hinder’s Take It to the Limit this probably would have been a Top 10 release for me had I actually heard it in 2008. I think Saliva has won my respect once again.
Highlights: “My Own Worst Enemy”, “Best of Me”, “How Could You?”, “Hunt You Down”, “Forever and a Day”, “Southern Girls”, “So Long”
www.saliva.com
www.myspace.com/saliva
JACKYL – Jackyl
Jackyl - Jackyl (1992, Geffen Records)
Track Listing:
1. “I Stand Alone” … 3:57
2. “Dirty Little Mind” … 3:30
3. “Down on Me” … 4:03
4. “When Will It Rain” … 4:34
5. “Redneck Punk” … 3:37
6. “The Lumberjack” … 3:32
7. “Reach for Me” … 3:34
8. “Back Off Brother” … 3:25
9. “Brain Drain” … 4:58
10. “Just Like a Devil” … 3:34
11. “She Loves My Cock” … 3:51
Band:
Jesse James Dupree – Vocals, Chainsaw
Jeff Worley – Guitar
Jimmy Stiff – Guitar
Tom Bettini – Bass
Chris Worley – Drums
Produced by: Brendan O’Brien
Take AC/DC, hair metal, southern rock, put it all in a blender and what you get is Jackyl and a fine debut album. This isn’t a CD I could listen to over and over, but I do pull it out every few years.
Highlights: “I Stand Alone”, “Down on Me”, “When Will It Rain”, “The Lumberjack”, “She Loves My Cock”
www.jackyl.com
www.myspace.com/jackyl
