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Tony Sly – 12 Song Program – CD Review

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After 20 years of fronting well known punk rock act No Use For A Name (NUFAN), Tony Sly continues his passion for music with a different approach by releasing his first full-length solo album.  Last month 12 Song Program dropped thanks to Fat Wreck Chords who have been associated with Sly for most of his career.

Having teamed up with Joey Cape on the 2004 split release Acoustic this is not a new territory for the seasoned punk rocker but is something that he has wanted to do for a couple of years now.  Writing songs in the past that did not fit the NUFAN slot, Sly took recent down time from his band and started recording original material that ranges from folk to pop all with help from his trusty acoustic guitar.

Not going at it all alone on the album Sly received some help from other Fat Wreck musicians/friends including Fat Wreck owner himself Fat Mike as well as Dance Hall Crashers’ Karina Denike who lent her vocals to many of the tracks.  The more mature approach was stripped down and not over produced full of many songs that would be perfect for an unplugged show at a local bar.  With sing along qualities and in depth lyricism this album has a repeat playability written all over it.

Opening track “Capo, 4th Fret” brought back memories of my obsession I had when I first heard the split album with Sly on his acoustic guitar.  The track emulates that of a NUFAN song but of course slowed down and more personable with Sly almost giving reason why he is doing what he does.  “I would live for the sake of others so they could do the same” finished the very lonesome track.

The more upbeat “Via Munich” carried along happy tune about feel good  relationship while away.  Quick and to the point, the track featured Swingin’ Utters‘ Darius Koski on violin.  “The Shortest Pier” jumped back to a miserable feeling of hopelessness.  “AM”, featuring Fat Mike, was one of the songs that stuck in my mind after hearing it.  The song strayed away from sounding like the other tracks on the album with Sly singing at perhaps his most sincere.

“Expired” was an acoustic plucking jam that easily could aid in a drinking problem.  Denike’s beautiful voice matched up with Sly’s towards the end followed by a sample taking from Taking Arizona all surrounded with piano.  This was one of those tracks that deserved another listen immediately.

“Keira” was a likable whisper of a lullaby written by Sly for his daughter.  “Toaster In The Bathtub” was full of witty comparisons to assist in cheering up a certain someone.  This is one of those songs that is best sung with friends loudly whether Sly himself plays it or if it pops up on the jukebox.

“Love, Sick Love” was another choice track of mine on the album even if it was about going different ways.  I could not tell if it was a flute or an organ but whatever instrument was used in the background just kept a certain chill throughout the song with Sly and Denike’s singing.  The lyric in the song “putting out a fire with a flamethrower is strange” might be one analogy I should reference to more often.

Joey Cape helps Sly with vocals on “Amends” and as good as it sounded I was so disappointed with how quick the track was.  At just over 2 minutes I was kind of hoping for a more extended cut of this track as I love hearing the two sing together.  Honestly thinking about it, that would be my only complaint with the entire album; it was too short.

Closing song “Fireball” showcased Sly singing his loudest and perhaps most heartfelt over the other tracks.  The sad song reflected hardship on someone who clearing was without home and had a void in their heart.  The singing matched with the heavy strummed acoustic guitar playing made for one powerful song.  If only there were more tracks on the album to keep that momentum going.

If you were a fan of the Sly/Cape split Acoustic, you will be a fan of 12 Song Program but if you are looking for an extension of NUFAN chances are you will not appreciate this album one bit. It is a punk rocker making music but to a different caliber.

Sometimes punk rockers who grow up trade in their beat up electric guitars and mellow out for a good reason.  It’s not because they are giving up, it’s because they refuse to quit on all the talent they are capable of even if it means slowing down a bit.  Case and point with Tony Sly who dropped a really great release start to finish.  One needs to remind themselves that this is a personal Sly project full of his likable melodies and will rub off a little more unique than when he is with his band that finds a name not that important.

Download This! – Tony Sly ‘Via Munich”
Download This! – Tony Sly “The Shortest Pier”

Look for Tony Sly to be touring throughout the spring with other Fat Wreck Chords alumni including Teenage Bottlerocket and NOFX.

03/20/10 Austin, TX – SXSW Music Festival w/ Riverboat Gamblers, Teenage Bottlerocket, Cokie The Clown, Dead To Me, Smoke Or Fire, Banner Pilot, Cobra Skulls
04/21/10 Eugene, OR – McDonald Theater w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
04/22/10 Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
04/23/10 Billings, MT – Shrine Auditorium w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
04/25/10 Saskatoon, SK Canada – Odeon Events Center w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket ****SOLD OUT****
04/26/10 Winnipeg, MB Canada – Burton Cummings Theater w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket ****SOLD OUT****
04/27/10 Fargo, ND – The Venue w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
04/29/10 Milwaukee, WI – The Riverside Theater w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
04/30/10 Covington, KY – Madison Theater w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
05/01/10 Sauget , IL – Pop’s w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
05/02/10 Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
05/04/10 Fort Collins, CO – The Aggie w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
05/05/10 Albuquerque, NM – The Sunshine Theater w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
05/06/10 Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
05/07/10 Las Vegas, NV – Sunset Station Amphitheatre – PUNK ROCK BOWLING w/ NOFX Teenage Bottlerocket, Fucked Up, Youth Brigade, Guilty By Association
05/19/10 Perth, Australia – Amplifier w/ Joey Cape
05/20/10 Adelaide, Australia – Fowlers Live w/ Joey Cape
05/21/10 Hobart, Australia – The Brisbane Hotel w/ Joey Cape
05/22/10 Melbourne, Australia – Corner Hotel w/ Joey Cape
05/23/10 Wollongong, Australia – Uni Bar w/ Joey Cape
05/26/10 Sydney, Australia – Annandale Hotel w/ Joey Cape
05/27/10 New Castle, Australia – Cambridge Hotel w/ Joey Cape
05/28/10 Caloundra, Australia – Kings Beach Tavern w/ Joey Cape
05/29/10 Brisbane, Australia – The Zoo w/ Joey Cape
06/02/10 Wellington, New Zealand – Bar Bodega w/ Joey Cape
06/03/10 Auckland, New Zealand – Thirsty Dog w/ Joey Cape

00's, 90's, Alt Rock, Live Shows, Music, New Release, Review, Rock

Mike Doughty – Sad Man, Happy Man – CD Review

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(*Editor’s Note – Thanks to my reliable laptop crashing this was postponed for quite sometime.)

Before I even start I would like to publicly kick myself in the ass for not attending last night’s Mike Doughty concert at the Beachland Ballroom (Oct. 10th).  I know I missed a good time and I am the one to blame for missing it.  I just had too much going on and not enough green paper in the wallet so I decided to sit it out and today am regretting it.  I also had the flu of sorts so it just was not happening.

Luckily I got my hands on his new album so at least I have something to listen to and talk about.

I always admire the musicians out there in the world that have overcome hardship and feed off the fan reaction rather than make music for pure financial purposes. One performer in particular that comes to mind when I think about a hard working true music maker is Mike Doughty.  Doughty, as many know, was the lead man of the 90’s alt rock act Soul Coughing.  Sadly the band called it quits thanks to constant battles with drugs and also financial hardship but Doughty kept going on doing his own thing.

He started recording solo material and soon had a cult following who worshiped his every word and sang along with to every song.  I was one of those folk who took a huge liken to him.  I loved seeing Doughty on stage alone with guitar in hand singing folky and rocky songs to an ever loving crowd.

Doughty took his fan’s reaction to his 2008 solo release Golden Delicious and used it to mold his next release titled Sad Man, Happy Man.  Some of the fans loved the rock pop heavy Golden Delicious while others hated it.  Perhaps the dis-likening came from the more upbeat fun styles that were bursting from the tunes over former albums.

Having such a huge step up from his widely known solo material was credited with Doughty’s “dude theory”, an idea of recording music that sounds like a bunch of dudes playing music for the fun of it. The result of his dude music won new fans and also caused some of the more so diehard fans to go so far as calling him a sellout for doing what he did. Not taking the negative reactions personal he used it to his benefit and began a different approach when creating new material.

In fact he used the responses as a fuel of sorts to making something better in his current release and admitted that his previous album sparked an array of feelings by saying:

“…some hated it, some loved it better than Soul Coughing.  I tend to take sharp left turns. Every time I put out a record, the audience seems to like what I did two years ago better. You’d think I could shrug it off because that’s what always happens, but it always gets to me.”

As a fan of everything Doughty has done since the days of Soul Coughing I have to admit that I was one of the fans who liked Golden Delicious. It was a change in his style but still catchy to my ears.  Just check out my review I did on it.  I was happy from start to finish and the album is still played here and there when I am looking for something fun to jam out to.

When I heard that Doughty was going back to his roots when recording Sad Man,Happy Man I was eager for the release.  After hearing listening to it (over and over I might add), it is clear that Doughty reached back to his solo roots as well as the days when he was in the popular 90’s act and pushed aside that poppy feel Golden Delicious had going on.  This time around there is more of a Soul Coughing vibe and less of the more pop rock he achieved previously.

“Nectarine (Part II)” sequel to song on Golden Delicious was acoustic with a brief add of Irresistible Bliss horns. “(I Keep On) Rising Up” continued with Doughty’s signature raspy hypnotizing voice moving through a more personal jam (he wrote it during hardship in a relationship).  Just after a couple of tracks and it was perfectly clear he was stripped down and focused on the acoustic.

“(You Should Be) Doubly (Gratified)” was a nice smooth rock song with long time touring pal Andrew “Scrap” Livingston taking bass duties.  I should add that this album is just Doughty and Livingston with Doughty providing not just the singing and guitars but also the drum programming and keyboards as well.

“(I Want To) Burn You (Down)” was a poignant acoustic jam reminiscent to the days when Doughty would play shows and would sell CDs himself from the stage after wards when he was trying to get back on his feet. “Pleasure On Credit” clearly reached back to his witty Soul Coughing days. I don’t think it was possible for me to enjoy this song more so than I did the first time I heard it.

Ending the CD with a Daniel Johnston cover completed this album for me. Hearing Doughty’s take on “Casper The Friendly Ghost” had me smiling.  The version was not nearly as depressing as the original schizophrenic take but still held on to Daniel Johnston’s eerie original.

It’s great to see that Mike Doughty keeps on going and Sad Man, Happy Man shows no form of slowing down.  It sounded throughout the album as if he was just having fun without getting too serious and to me that is what I admire him most for.  With all the hell the man has been though he never seemed to stop having fun doing what he loved – play music, and loving it while doing so.

Not just a musician but also an outspoken blogger.  Check out Mike Doughty’s blog site.  He’s not just a clever song writer you know…


Looks like I missed out on a little Q&A at the Beachland…  The tour was called the Question Jar Tour.  Looks like they took it very literally.  Damn me for getting sick!

Download This!, Folk, Indie, Music, Music Video, New Release, Review, Rock

Frank Turner – Poetry Of The Deed – CD Review

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Folk/punk/rock has never sounded so good thanks to former UK post-hardcore singer Frank Turner who took elements of the genres and self-formed it into something simply wonderful on his latest release.  Not to be considered a solo attempt this round, it is clear throughout the album that he has an amazing backing band that helped him and perhaps even added a little of their own style to it.

Having been in multiple bands over the years and working non-stop while doing so, Frank Turner continues his desire to be an amazing musician.  After what seemingly felt like an eternity since I first heard word of the release, the hardworking Frank Turner has finally dropped Poetry Of The Deed in the US thanks to Epitaph Records.  How hardworking you ask?  This will be his third release in three years.

“Live Fast Die Old” starts of the album full forced with more so of an indie rock that immediately captured my attention.  As if his singing was not an attraction enough, the supporting music from the full band including keyboard and back up harmonies just seemingly invited me into his world and I must say I felt welcomed.  It’s the type of song you tap you foot to and bop your head as well.

“Try This At Home” had a slight upbeat feel that exploded with great, well thought out lyrics about the real DIY musicians in the world who care and work for what they believe in and called out the superficial money hungry performers.  One line in particular that stood out over the rest to me declared that there is “no such thing as rock stars, they’re just people who play music, and some of them are just like us, and some of them are dicks.”  Well said Mr. Turner.

“Dan’s Song” is the type of song I could only wish was written about me.  The reminiscent jam goes from past history to future with sick harmonica playing. “Poetry Of The Deed” to me sounded like a heavy Avett Brothers song with Frank Turner repeatedly bolting out “life is too short, to live without poetry, if you’ve got soul darling, now come on and show it me” at the end of the track.

“The Road” was a sing along favorite of mine on the album.  Heavy on the folk and added country twang made for a catchy and happy listen.  I especially enjoyed the end of the song that almost sounded like and excited Frank Turner was not done recording the track when everyone else was.

“Our Lady Of The Campfire” had some fun percussion backed with strings reminding me of the folk that helped Frank Turner make this album what it is. The song is well thought out lyrically and musically and there was just so much going on but it fit so well.

Some of the songs seemed to slow up towards the conclusion of the CD as compared to the first half but they were still great listens.  The soothing keyboard playing and acoustic strumming were enjoyable especially during “Sunday Nights” and the album ending “Journey Of The Magi”.

I’m serious when I tell you I got a good feeling throughout when hearing this release, the kind of feeling that keeps me going back for more.  I remember the first time I heard bands like the Avett Brothers, Gaslight Anthem, Ben Folds, Joe Strummer, and Wilco (just to name a couple) who I knew instantly I would love and cherish for the rest of my music listening years on this planet because of what they created and how they executed it.  I can now add Frank Turner to that list because his music just had such an amazing effect on me.

I admit, I had never heard of Frank Turner until just before this album was released.  When I started hearing about the hype about him from various musicians and music fans, my curiosity led me to a YouTube video (see below) of him playing an after-party in someone’s house.  Just by seeing that one acoustic jam he played surrounded by singing and screaming fans I understood why so many have been talking him up.  He is that talented and with help from an amazing backing band Poetry Of The Deed was worth all the hype.

I expect big things from Frank Turner in the following months even years to come.  Slated to be touring with the Gaslight Anthem this fall as well as just finished a tour with The Offspring I think it is pretty clear he is starting to make a bigger name for himself here in the US and very quickly at that.

This is one act fans of music need to at least extend an ear out to even if punk or folk is not your thing.  It is that damn good.

DOWNLOAD THIS! – Frank Turner – “The Road”