Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The Rescues- Everything is Wrong Without You

In some ways, this review has been writing itself for over ten years. There is a series of events that have been layering themselves:

A friend of mine wanders into one of Kyler England’s acoustic performances at a coffeehouse in Boston in 1998; she calls me excitedly to come over and hear a CD called “If the World Would Just End” which, ironically, is the album which makes the world of music begin for me. A few years later, a different friend ran into some trouble which forced her to grow up faster than a girl should have to. After comforting words did what they’re supposed to, I decided to create a compilation CD, hoping that its lyrics and melodies would continue to soothe her as she learned to trust herself and the world again.

The disc, which offered carefully chosen tracks by Eva Cassidy, Bonnie Rait, Ellis Paul, Patty Griffin, Etta James, and a few other industry legends, could never have been complete unless Kyler’s music was a part of it. So, I added two of her most healing songs and, when satisfied with the grouping of tracks, I wrote- across the front of the CD- the only words that seemed to justify the wisdom inside it: “SONGS THAT WILL RESCUE YOU.”

The story continues in Los Angeles, where, a decade and four albums later, Kyler has joined forces with two of the nation’s top emerging singer-songwriters to create a group that is nothing short of compelling. Although this trio was almost called “The Whirly-Birds,” history makes it both ironic and brilliantly appropriate that they are now known as “The Rescues.” For, although many thousands of songs have passed through my mind since I created the album designed to save a drowning friend, I know that there could be no better follow-up compilation than The Rescues’ self-titled first album, whose 12 songs are capable of accomplishing as much as any variety of music I could try to collect.

One of the most significant aspects of The Rescues is that each of its components (Kyler England, Gabriel Mann and Adrianne) are individual forces, each working towards their own version of success. Gabe Mann is the type of artist who is passionate enough to always make his presence known, and humble enough to create an environment in which his voice lets others come through fiercely. With a singing career that began in a Philly-based a cappella group, led to work on movie soundtracks, and grew into a performance at the Oscars, Mann has proved versatility throughout the many faces of music-making. An accomplished songwriter and dynamic pianist, Gabe has just released his fourth album “Tall Buildings.”

The third member of the group to receive international acclaim, Adrianne is her own breed of distinctive. With a voice that is unimaginably strong and vulnerable at the same time, she can fortify you and make you weep before you have even applauded her first song. Adrianne seems like an artist who likes very much to challenge expectations; with the appearance of an unapologetic rockstar, she is, at the heart, a compassionate poet who fuses the acoustic and indie genres seamlessly throughout her five albums. After the recent completion of a solo tour throughout Europe, Adrianne is back in LA to pursue success with The Rescues, as well as to promote “Burn Me Up,” which will be officially unveiled at Hotel Café on May 29th.

Separately, these artists have shown a range of talents. Together, their voices have such a potent symbiotic harmony that they could exist as the whole band and still shake the room. Yet, the ever-adaptable Adam Marcello (drums), Carson Cohen (bass), and Steve Mazur (electric guitar) manage to support the trio’s sound in a way that compliments it and fills sound spaces without overwhelming.

This past Thursday marked the Los Angeles release of the group’s first album, a combination of songs that were either written by the trio or borrowed from one of the artists and reinvented to integrate the most significant aspects of each musician’s ability. The result is an exquisite balance that continues to astonish and gain support from LA’s top music industry contributors. Still waiting for a label to see what so many others have discovered and celebrated, the band is doing well on their mission to inspire listeners, raise the bar for LA’s acoustic category, and “rescue” those lucky enough to cross the path.

Learn more and hear music samples at www.myspace.com/therescues

Review by Bre Goldsmith ( www.bregoldsmith.com )

Ain’t No Love in LA without Ernie Halter

On Monday night at Hotel Café, the ever-amusing and soulful Ernie Halter gave a memorable love-themed performance to commence a nationwide tour with genre-sharing Josh Hoge.

Opening with “Count the Days,” Halter sang about missing someone “like California misses rain... like children miss summer” with guitarist Aaron Bishop and percussionist Mark Chipello. In “Different Lives,” a sincere Nashville-influenced song, Halter sang about empty sounds, unignorable differences, locked doors, and parting with a loved one to pursue independence.

More love-oriented lyrics prove that “love is not lost,” even when it appears that love has forgotten about you, even in the lonely city of Los Angeles. Additionally, the song “Lighthouse,” to be featured on the new album, discusses the type of love that is shown through unconditional friendship. Only post-shit-storm can one tell who the people are that are most dedicated to being the “your anchor, guide [for] your hand...your shelter.” Built from powerfully tender vocals, moving beats and harmonious instrumentation, these are love songs that are fitting for any state of heart: whether it is bursting, being torn from another, feeling invisible or starving.

An unfailingly charismatic man, Ernie glows even brighter when on stage; he has the type of charm that makes everyone around him feel as though they are a part of something truly special. Ernie can also coin phrases (ie: Fawesome), resurrect the slap-bracelet trend and show that the nightmare of standing in front of a crowd in one’s underwear can be survived with the help of the right fan base (contact for further explanation). His pricelessly unique stage comments/stories, which can sometimes occur mid-song as a verse-extensions, discuss everything from Vegas and the Gideon bible to crotchless panties, red-headed sluts and soldering irons. Ernie is, in addition to an incredible voice, a true entertainer.

Although local fans wish Ernie the greatest success as he presents his talent throughout the country, the LA music scene will surely miss his presence over the next two months and have a packed-house waiting for him upon return.

Learn more about Ernie and hear music samples at www.myspace.com/erniehalter

Review by Bre Goldsmith ( www.bregoldsmith.com )

Josh Hoge Creates a New Kind of Southern Charm

After a 2,000+ mile drive from Nashville this past weekend, Josh Hoge (vocals) and Jordan Jameson (guitar) rocked the Hotel Café stage on Monday to kickoff their 7-week nationwide tour with LA-native Ernie Halter.

Hoge was also celebrating his new record agreement with Blackledge, a new division of Atlanta for which he is the first artist. If you hear Hoge live, you will understand why he is an appropriate artist to define a label’s new branch; he is unapologetically unique and unforgettable. Stylistically, I attempt to describe Hoge’s music as Southern rock crashed into groove-worthy R&B and sensual whiskey-sipping soul. One of his defining philosophies is that apologizing for your experiences or the person they have created is wasted time that could have been better used to create great music.

Starting the set with “Take It or Leave It,” which Hoge wrote with Ryan Tedder of One Republic, Hoge sang “I don’t pretend to be pretty- Sometimes I tend to talk dirty- I can be country or city” to an excited toe-tapping and hip-shaking crowd. With “360,” the theme song for relationships gone wrong (and also karma), Hoge showed the range and strength of his vocal abilities. He has incredible control over every sound that comes out of his mouth and how it will hook the listener (also, to the crowd’s enjoyment, little control over the profanity of his story-telling.)

Later in the set, Ernie Halter (co-writer) joined Hoge on stage to perform Try,” a song about being on the road away from someone you love. Eric Robinson and Caitlin Crosby also joined to debut “Space,” a song about needing time with one’s own silence. A cover of “Aint No Sunshine” let Hoge mix his modern style and personality into a classic to brilliantly reinvent it. As with many of his songs, listeners needed to close their eyes to really appreciate the quality of his voice, which, even at its highest notes, is potent.

With an unpolished appeal and daringly forward humor, Hoge makes friends and creates fans wherever he goes. Even before the start of his tour (and a full four months before the release of his first album), he had the LA music community buzzing; add this type of support to Hoge’s exciting collaborations with musicians of many genres and you have an artist with versatility and staying power. Hoge is the type of artist who needs to be behind the mic for the rest of his life- he comes alive there. Still, he is also the type of artist who would never be deterred by the absence of a mic; it would simply give him a reason to sing a little louder, stand on something taller and let a little more of himself out.

Learn more about Josh and hear music samples at www.myspace.com/joshhoge

Review written by Bre Goldsmith ( www.bregoldsmith.com )

Friday, May 2, 2008

Amber Rubarth is Back in CA to Celebrate Her New Album!

Amber Rubarth is the artist whose wisdom you want to have within an earshot when life carves you jagged edges and you need smoothing.

She is also the disarmingly optimistic girl known for following her number-one-passion through hundreds of tour dates a year, being described by fellow artists as someone whose home is “on the stage” rather than in a particular region of the world. Celebrating the release of her soon-to-be-released album “New Green Lines” at Hotel Café last night, Amber presented herself (barefoot) as a performer poised for growth.

When I spoke to audience members during and after the show, the concept that was repeatedly expressed was “dichotomy.” With a genuine and, at times, child-like voice, Amber tells stories whose insight is associated with several full lifetimes. Most striking is the amount and multiple shapes of love that are memorialized by her songs. There is the type love which exists and fulfills in a way that is more complete than a whole world’s worth of exploring; the type of secret love that lives in the creases of the mind that never sleep; the type that lights a heart for sixty seconds and colors a lifetime’s worth of images; the love that carries with the hope of a washed canvas; the love that is stronger than a drug and as pure as a smile.

Aside from inviting Eric Robinson, Jenni Alpert and Chet Dixon for two songs, Amber managed to create a dazzling impact with just the sounds from her own mouth and guitar / piano. There is a daring rhythm about her voice, which can present a heart-breaking steadiness and then leap octaves like vocal chords on a trampoline. There is comfort in a talent that can be extraordinary in its simplest format, delivering a similarly striking impact with the technology of a sidewalk or that of a New York music hall.

If there is one message to be taken away from time with Amber, whether via album or venue, it is that much of what you need to know about life can be learned from wood-sculpting. From this metaphor, you see that the changes you think are cutting into you (as if to destroy) are actually “carving” you. To this effect, one should not be discontented with who they are at any given point; each person is always relatively “an unfinished art,” needing to be shaped until the day when they can stand looking back at how they used to exist and realize that each alteration was purposeful.

Find more about Amber at http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm15c3BhY2UuY29tL2FtYmVycnViYXJ0aA== and buy "New Green Lines" when it arives on May 6!

Review by Bre Goldsmith ( http://www.bregoldsmith.com/ )

I Say Tedman!

On Sunday night at Hotel Café, Kristin Toedtman carried listeners passionately through eight distinctive moods, courtesy of a vibrant eight-song set.

Opening with sassy/jazzy “Bad News,” leading into a Salsa-inspired “Chasing the Dance” and then through bluesey burlesque “Just Trust,” Kristen proved an appreciation for and mastery of multiple genres. While artists and songs are often described by stylistic allusions or emulations, Kristen’s music seems to step beyond this. When she plays a song that is rooted in tango, the temperature of the room is heated a few degrees; when she follows with free-spirited and island-inspired “Day I fell,” you can feel an ocean breeze and visualize birds flapping by.

Although Kristen’s voice has a formally-trained operatic quality to it, it never borders on pretentious or over-worked; she does “effortless” in the way that a true professional should. It is a real gift to make people in the audience feel like “anyone can do what I’m doing”, because when people believe this sense of ease, they are empowered to sing along, tap their feet, and experience the music by giving back to it.

Kristen classifies herself as an Acoustic/Soul/Pop artist, yet this is a bit of a pigeon-hole description for someone who successfully conducts herself, 2 other vocalists, a dancer, guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, Wurlitzer, tambourine and maraca for her first solo show at Hotel Café. As if these talents are not enough, Kristen is also a storyteller. In “Too Soon,” a tender track with chilling guest vocals by Katie Cole, Kristen shows how life can give you all the right answers but at the wrong time. As one moves gradually or swiftly towards a new home, there is much to be missed and found: the pieces of life and of yourself that you have to leave behind, and also the identity that the future needs you to belong to.

The set’s final song “Wrong Time of Year” coupled sensual guitar components with gospel-driven piano and vocalized audience sentiments with lyrics “when can I see you again?” To answer this question, check www.myspace.com/kristentoedtman for upcoming shows. In the mean time, purchase Kristen’s first EP “I Say Tedman” due out this summer.

Review by Bre Goldsmith ( www.bregoldsmith.com )