by Mark E. Waterbury

Patti Witten - Sycamore Tryst
I Town Records
     Ithaca, New York's singer/songwriter Patti Witten has created a musical gem with her second full CD "Sycamore Tryst." Her voice catches your ear right from the first strains of "What I Don't Tell You" with its sweet timbre and subtly powerful emotion. Luscious soul-tugging ballads like "I Guess She Left You" are interspersed with the tempered rock grittiness on "I Think About You" and the sultry country-edged "Goin' Back to Moline". Backing instrumentation ranging from slightly Eagles-tinged rock to rootsy folk with more ambient takes on the sounds of Nashville and east Texas convey the vocals to great effect, and augments the passionate lyrics which no doubt emanated from deep in Patti's heart and soul. Definitely a lady that singer/songwriter fans from all ends of the spectrum should check out. URL: www.pattiwitten.com E-mail: info@pattiwitten.com

Tread - Hiding From the Sun
Hapi Skratch Records - HS75043
     Denver is not a town you normally think of when you think of heavy metal, but Tread are working hard to change that. The first track "Delusional Fornication" starts with some interesting riffage and then crushes your bones with tornadic thunder and growling vocals bordering on death metal, but there are intricacies...yes, intricacies in the writing that give the music a fairly fresh approach. Perhaps the drumming maelstrom of Doug Whitney has something to do with that, as his beats actually lead the charge sometimes. Very very heavy stuff here, maybe like a cross between Cathedral and Pantera, but they do add a twisted touch of uniqueness to break from your average loud metal pounders. URL: www.treadmusic.com E-mail: tread@treadmusic.com

Soul Angel - Self Titled
     This fivesome from North Carolina produces an entertaining blend of classic and modern rock styles. The lead track "Longshot" makes you think of the keyboard heavy melodies of Angel and the power bombast of B.O.C., but there is an edge to the music, particularly in the gruff but emotive vocals of McGowen Avent that keeps it from being 100 percent retro. "The Mountain" has a Pink-Floyd meets early Queensryche quality, while "If I Could" is a passionate alterna-ballad. A healthy dose of prog-rock experimentation in the instrumental passages adds spice to the fairly straightforward classic rock vibe, making it enjoyable music for a wider range of rockers. URL: www.soulangel.net E-mail: info@soulangel.net

BE - Thistupidream
BE1713593
     The lead track "On The Last Day I was Happy" from the second album by Louisiana's BE has a sort of ambient Robyn Hitchcock flavor to it. As you delve in further, you can hear influences from other Brit Pop artists as well as a healthy dose of Radiohead. "Confession" is a slightly punkish rocker with crunchy guitar riffs and killer harmony vocals. That is followed by the atmospheric acoustic ditty "Goodnight Goodnight" and the powerfully gritty "The Night You Faked Your Own Death." Switching personalities like Sybil but keeping a background grove that sounds as if it would be more comfortable on the banks of the Thames rather than the Mississippi makes for an edgy alt rock mosaic of solid songs. URL: www.besongs.com E-mail: BE@besongs.com

David London - To My Love
Real Music - RM9800
     This debut CD by composer pianist David London is a luscious piece that gives your soul a soothing massage while holding your attention as you notice David's obvious talents. Steering in sort of a mid-ground between new age and classical, the music has that feel that could work well as background music in TV and film, particularly noticeable in the comforting familiarity on the lead track "Horizons". In spite of the overall mellow vibe, David also has a flair for subtle dramatics, such as in the passionate "Blueprints Of the Heart". Augmented with appropriate splashes of instrumentation, this is true kick back and enjoy life music, but the music is enjoyable in its own right as well. URL: www.realmusic.com

Nicky Skopelitis & Raoul Bjorkenheim - Revelator
Innerhythmic - INR009
     The four song EP by these two guitarists/instrumentalists/composers begins with atmospheric keyboard passages that is decidedly new-age, before luscious guitar licks with Middle Eastern flavorings kicks in on the lead track "Sacrament". "Epiphany" goes through similar personality switches from the almost eerie opus to the ensuing guitar plucking that transports you to a market in Bombay. The unique song structures successfully weave the more ambient nuances of new age with guitar prowess that harkens to modern players like Pierre Bensusan, making you hope that Nicky and Raoul will do a full fledge collaboration in the future. URL: www.innerhythmic.com

Gonervill - Will Werk For Beats
Innerhythmic - INR007
      The first track "Voodoo" from this San Francisco area group really makes you feel you are being chased by a voodoo priestess through some foggy bayou and it also shows that this is not your everyday hip-hop effort. With heavy doses of electronica, drum & bass and even a new age feel, the music has a lively but bizarre pulse, with hypnotic beats interspersed with wild sounds and flourishes. The music is primarily "instrumental" with some twisted vocal work used more as augmentation, although it is refreshing not to hear the same rap/hip-hop subjects rehashed again. A serious post millennium trip that may be a glimpse of the future for hip-hop and modern music in general. URL: www.gonervill.com

Freezepop - Forever
Archenemy Records - arch015
      Lilting, pop-ish dance music that is on the refreshing side because in some ways, it parodies itself. The collective effort of Bostonians Liz Enthusiasm, the Duke of Apples and Sean T. Drinkwater kicks things off with "Harebrained Scheme" which has a circus pop feel laced with tongue-in-cheek lyrics. "Plastic Stars" is like the Eurythmics on electronica, with vocals ala Kate Pierson and more slyly twisted lyrics. "Get Ready to Rokk" also has a slight B-52's vibe with a more synth heavy pulse. A CD that is edgy because it takes some chances and fun because it pokes fun at some of its own inner subgenres. URL: www.freezepop.net
e-mail: freezepop@freezepop.net