CROSSROADS
KEITH URBAN

INDUSTRY PROFILE
BLACKHEART RECORDS FOUNDER KENNY LAGUNA

ALBUM CAPSULES
5 indie and national artists CD Reviews

SPECIAL CONCERT COVERAGE
ANTHONY Z'SLER AT WOODSTOCK COFFEE HOUSE

SCOTT TURNER'S
SONG PUBLISHER'S PERSPECTIVE

SPECIAL - MUSIC MIDTOWN COVERAGE

Keith Urban - Be Here
EMI - 7243-5-77489-2-6
Keith Urban’s growth in musical and songwriting talents are obvious on “Be Here.” While maintaining a poppish quality coveted by fans of corporate country, what sets Keith apart is his soulful voice and prowess on lead guitar. Foot stomping rockers like “Better Life” and “I Could Fly” are spiced by Keith’s work in the six string, while his vocal passion burns brightly throughout the CD, particularly on ballads such as “Making Memories of Us.” The writing both lyrically and musically are more than a cut about your average radio country artists, underlining what should be the real reason he is one of country’s hottest stars.
URL: http://www.keithurban.net

Mark Paul Smith - Drivin’ All Night
Divebombers Records - MPS-12005
Fort Wayne, IN’s Mark Paul Smith stamps an exclamation point on his songwriting capabilities with this effort. Weaving classic country feelings with a touch of modern hooks, Mark Paul also injects a healthy dose of Americana and folk. The haunting “Still In Love With You” is a stand out ballad, while the title track and “Good And Tight” kick in more of a rock groove. The lyrics are a definite high point of the music; well-crafted words ranging from emotion driven passion to edgy humor. Mark Paul’s music has an intriguing albeit comforting quality that many can enjoy. URL: http://www.markpaulsmith.com

The Valles Brothers - The Valles Brothers II
Valtex Records - VTX0002
This trio of brothers from the Lone Star State cook up a thoroughly delectable stew, adding dashes of psychedelia, modern alt, and Texas folk into into some smoking rock and roll. They also do it bilingually, repeating most songs with Spanish lyrics. “Aeroplane/El Avion” is gritty but hooky rock with soaring vocals ala Yes. “My Life/La Vida” has a Los Lobos feel, while “See Our Children/Nuestros Hijos” has a Police like vibe. Killer guitar work and innovative songwriting add even more zest. URL: http://www.flyingmachinemusic.com E-mail: vsc6@juno.com

David Fiorenza - Fiology
The fourth full length CD from this Philly songsmith grabs your attention from the first strains of “Where I’m Goin’” with the obvious displaying of his prodigious lyric writing talents. The lyrics range from wickedly humorous, to heartfelt emotion and good ol’ introspective story telling. David is quite adept at immersing his listeners into his tales, augmenting them with excellent guitar work and a very solid and well crafted weaving of folk, country, rock and blues. It’s about time his talent receives more widespread notice. URL: http://www.davidfiorenza.com E-mail: dfiorenza@radnor.org

Liquid Blue - Supernova
The debut from this San Diego act is a very ear opening blend of pop diva styles with World embellishments ranging from far and Middle Eastern to Native American. Voiced by three highly talented ladies, the lyrical subject steers clear of typified pop subjects and instead deals poignantly with timely and important issues. Poppy enough to gain widespread notice, yet with high doses of musical intrigue, this group has developed a fresh vehicle for their impassioned messages. URL: http://www.liquid-blue.com E-mail: manager@liquid-blue.com