Donnie Moorhouse picks the best locally produced albums of the past 12 months.
It is an interesting mix of veteran Valley musicians and newcomers to the scene that make up the 2011 edition of the LiveWire Awards. It was record year for submissions and the music represented a wide array of genres, subgenres, and sounds inventive enough to defy any categorization.
The following recordings were done by local artists on local budgets, in local studios, and released last year.
LuxDeluxe, “Hollow Ground” – A group of friends, some in high school, some just out, get together and form a band. It’s a great story and in this case it resulted in some great songs. Recorded at Spirithouse Studios by Danny Bernini, father of band keyboard player Gabriel Bernini, “Hollow Ground” places LuxDeluxe at the forefront of a new Northampton rock scene. The band earned its street-cred by backing Frank Manzi in Boss tribute called Loose Springsteen and shows off tremendous writing and performing chops on this 12-song disc. Available through luxdeluxemusic.com
Jim Armenti, “The Herd” – Armenti’s legacy as one of the Valley’s most consistently solid songwriters (his decades of work with the Lonesome Brothers is proof enough) is only enhanced by this 11-song release. The artistry is in the simplicity and tales like “Johnny Rock” and “16 Roses’ will stick with you for a while. Like Ray Mason, who he works with in Lonesome Brothers, Armenti continues to represent the scene as one of its most cherished icons.
Sweet Daddy Cool Breeze, “Live in Germany” – Wally Greaney has been touring Germany with Sweet Daddy Cool Breeze for almost 20 years now. With a rabid and growing fan base overseas, Greaney decided to put the live experience literally and figuratively “on the record.” Recorded live at Wodan Hall in Freiburg, the CD showcases SDCB’s electric blues output. Greaney is a harp master and he is joined here by Thomas Lipps (bass), Peter Perfido (drums), and guitarist Uwe Herr. More information available at sweetdaddylive.com
Black Sheep, “The Gooseberry Bush” – A collection of reels, jigs, and Irish / Celtic songs by this relatively new (2008) band of individually acclaimed musicians. Black Sheep includes Ellen Redman, a classically trained flutist with the Springfield Symphony, renowned composer Jerry Noble, and premiere banjo player Kevin Fontaine. As a group, the trio excels on this debut mixing traditional songs with an occasional modern edge. Available through blacksheepirishmusic.com
Meghan Beaudry “Make Me Happy, Make Me Blue” – Beginning with her cover of Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend,” through to the last note of this 11-song offering, Beaudry captivates with her near-perfect voice. Recorded and mixed by Mark Thayer at Signature Sounds Studios it is by far the most polished and well-packaged entry in this year’s group. More information at meghanbeaudry.com
Lomma and the Fix “The EP” – The first song on this five-song EP jumps out of the speakers and screams “hit.” The song, “Along the Way” has a wow factor rarely heard on local CDs. The band is made up of the remnants of a decade old high school band called Carpe Diem and its follow up Fendline. The other songs on the disc fall short of the opener, but that is hardly a real criticism based on how the high the bar was set. The EP was recorded and mixed by Warren Amerman at Rotary Records. More info at lommaandthefix.com ¥
Susan Angeletti, “Wisdom” – Angeletti possesses one of the more powerful voices on the local blues scene and her blues / rock fusion shops are all over this latest release by the Valley veteran. She kicks things off with “Rock Me Right,” a song penned by Nashville producer Tom Hambridge that was a modest hit for Susan Tedeschi. From there, Angeletti showcases a strong collection of originals written with Bruce Korona. She also has help from some of the area’s finest like guitarists Chris Piquette and Tommy Filiault. Available at susanangeletti.net
The Stone Coyotes, “I Couldn’t Find You” – Prolific is just one way to describe the output of this Western Mass rock band over the last decade or so. Other words would be loud (perhaps their favorite), chaotic, unrelenting, poetic, poignant, and real. This 10-song disc finds them in familiar territory, treading along truly American musical landscapes like rock, country (when it was called Country & Western), rock and more rock. Available through stonecoyotes.com
Henning Ohlenbusch, “Henning Goes to the Movies” – The talented Ohlenbusch from local outfit School for the Dead takes nine familiar films and recreates the personal impact of each in a song. So we get “Joe v the Volcano,” “Poltergeist,” and “Superbad.” Yes, it’s a concept album but don’t feel you need to over-invest in the theme to enjoy. Henning’s writing and gift for melody really carry the day here. The disc is available at rubwrongways.com