Ghetto Cowgirl
“Running with Scissors,” the new single from Ghetto Cowgirl, is straight-up rock with a side of delicious vocals. Reminiscent of the California sound Van Halen made famous, the riffs on the track are smooth and Marc Norman’s vocal performance is terribly catchy (dang you, Marc), which blends seamlessly into the mix. The one thing that disappointed me was that this was the only track. Giddy-up Ghetto Cowgirl. Listen here.
Carol Pacey & the Honey Shakers
“Fool,” the first single from Carol & the Honey Shakers’ first full length album is rip roarin’ Americana track with a healthy dose of Alt-Country thrown in for good measure. Pacey tells a very good girl-power story and the musicianship is terrific. If the rest of the album is as good as this track, I am sure all of our honey will be shakin’. Look for the album late 2013 or early 2014. Listen here.
Battered Suitcases
With their single “Normal,” Battered Suitcases announce to the world that they’re rockers and know how to use a fuzz box. This quartet featuring one guy and three girls gives a raucous, garage band performance and I really dug the backing vocals by the girls. They have a real Runaways feel about them and that passion transfers well onto stage. Listen here.
Black Mountain Moonshine
Arizona Punkgrass is the elixir Black Mountain Moonshine is serving up on their new single “Downfall”. I like this song very much. These boys have definitely got their own sound – Punkgrass is a very narrow niche, and if it’s not perfected, it gets to be repetitive and boring. The fact that they have lengthened the songs to include some very nice lead guitar work is ceratinly a plus. The guys will be raising a fist September 29th at The Big Fish Pub. Until then, listen here.
Carlos Arzate (with Keli Carpenter)
On “From Here,” Carols Arzate paints a delicate and beautiful picture of love almost lost. Accompanied by Keli Carpenter on vocals, this indie- folk ballad had me listening to it over and over because of the wonderful melody and words. The solo guitar work is solid, not too overly complicated and stays well out of the way of these two talented singers. Listen here.
