The Shimmers
The Way You Shine
2006
Transit Of Venus

OK, here’s the short version—Marah singer/songwriter Dave Bielanko and Philly-based chanteuse Eden Daniels started this project a few years back when they were involved in a torrid rock ‘n’ roll love affair. Things went haywire, the two split up, and the project was relegated to the back burner for the past several moons. Fast forward to 2005-6, the first blush is offa Dave’s band (I’m still waiting for the real follow up to Kids In Philly, boys), he and Eden are back on speaking terms, and producer Chris Unrath talks the pair, plus some special guests that just happen to include a few members of Dave’s band, into finishing the whole shebang.

So whattaya got at the end of the day? Just under a dozen tracks, some of which were written in a different time, place and heart-space, some of which were recorded earlier, and all of which feature the emotion-wracked vocal stylings of Ms. Daniels. Don’t worry: in this case, it’s a good thing. Granted, none of these cuts jump right out and smack your ears around like Marah’s “Catfisherman” or Lone Justice’s “Ways To Be Wicked” (Eden’s staunch, bluesy pipes recall a less rural Maria McKee at times), but after a few spins these melancholy, meandering anti-ballads start to worm their sugary little ways under your skin just as effectively.

Dave B.’s presence is most noticeable on the dreamy, easy pickin’ layering the majority of these tracks; there’s little of the barely-restrained youthful raunch so prevalent in his work with Marah on display here, and Unrath wisely lets the pair forge their own careless, love-weary ways through each number. Album opener “The Letter” takes a few listens to grow on you, then transforms into a cloudy-day anthem you’ll not soon forget, “Sun Goes Down” eases out on a broken wing and a moody sigh, Daniels nailing the gist of the album in one line: “... it took ten years to fade / The fear she shows / When she goes home, and the falling sound of it coming down / It pulls her inside so deep ...” This cut is a great showcase for the gorgeous harmonies, soul-stirring musical camaraderie and undeniable talent of the players here—a list which includes Marah drummer Ronnie Vance and (on other tracks) Dave’s brother/bandmate Serge on harmonica and beer—I’m not kidding—and top-notch sessioneers Bruce Langfeld on lap steel, violinist Jonathon Segel and multi-instrumentalist Mike Brenner.

Other stand-outs include the ringing, punch-drunk country nugget “My Whole Life,” the devastating, love-lorn chuff of “All My Days” (producer Unrath contributes a nifty axe solo here, as well as contributing six-string assistance on several other notable numbers), a half-serious reading of the traditional “Train, Train” (nope, not the Blackfoot song), and the holiday dazzler/album closer “Coal.”

All in all, a decent collection, and an aurally-pleasing—if rather belated and somewhat bittersweet —collaboration betwixt a pair of talented and interesting singer / songwriters with able assistance from a merry band of musical marauders. If you’re a Marah nut, you already know about this one; if ya just dig good old-fashioned singing, writin’, pickin’, an’ rockin’, give this one a whirl. Check it out at myspace.com/shimmersmusic.

Edison Glass
A Burn Or A Shiver
2006
Credential Recordings

Though their press kit doesn’t do them any favors (I refer specifically to this moronic quote: “[Edison Glass are] making rock music for the kids. Music for the kids with short attention spans as well as the vinyl and mix-tape graduates ...” and the ridiculous explanation of the band’s moniker: “The hypothetical collaboration of Thomas Alva Edison and composer Philip Glass ...”), and their sound doesn’t really break any ground that Sunny Day Real Estate, Echo And The Bunnymen or early U2 haven’t already, I still managed to find a few gems sprinkled across this 13-track collection.

True, scoring producer Brad Wood (Sunny Day Real Estate, Smashing Pumpkins) didn’t hurt this Long Island, New York, group’s already glistening, axe-heavy groove at all, but the energy, honest lyricism, and genuinely angst-y vocals here suggest an outfit that’s well on its way to having put in the requisite time on the road and on crappy, beer-soaked stages in dives from coast to coast. Helmed by singer/songwriter/guitarist Joshua Silverberg, the skittery quartet really does capture the nervous rattle of SDRE’s finer work, as well as tossing in their own inimitable, New York-inflected rawk yawp. A passable handful of layered, intense indie wamma-jamma from an up-and-coming outfit with the potential for future greatness. Check ‘em out at edisonglass.com.

Casualties To The Cause
3-Song EP
2006
Self-Released

When I caught this fiery, Kenai Peninsula-based indie/punk quartet live at an outdoor festival a few months back, I was immediately taken by their devil-may-care, full-force axe assault and their obvious love for live giggin’. Unlike the majority of maddeningly unplugged, guitar-wielding Dylan / John Denver-hybrid clones mucking up the stages, festivals and dives of Alaska’s few viable live venues, these high school kids (singer/ songwriter/ guitarist Ethan Martin, drummer Haven Multz-Matthews, bassist Dan McCallum and keyboardist/vocalist Miro Schaad) weren’t afraid to plug in, crank ‘er up to eleven, and rip off the knob.

Though this mini-disc (recorded, if I have my facts straight, in L.A. recently) kicks off with a rather hippie-fied introduction by way of album opener “Brothers And Sisters” (I’m assuming it’s either something in the water here or the readily-available herbal party favors that evokes this undying, rather irritating “peace-and-love” fixation so many of my fellow North-landers are possessed by, but the fact that it took four high school kids to blow the goddamned cobwebs outta my ears proves that too many old duffers up here have forgotten what it means to R-O-C-fuckin’-K, fer cryin’ out loud!), the double body-slam of the remaining cuts showcase each member’s particular talents as well as the band’s already-honed, palpable sense of unity.

“On Fire With Desire” beats, pounds, chunks and chokes on rock fury, Martin sounding like a cross between the modern-day soul-brother of a fully-punked up Tommy Bolin and a decidedly less nihilistic Darby Crash, while “New World Prophets” is a funky, needling blast of white-boy soul-punk that works equally well as a fist-pumpin’ anthem or a booty-bumpin’ dance floor attraction. On the basis of their live performance as well as their undeniable studio potential, I’d say these four stage-stompers from the Land Of The Midnight Sun are well worth watching out for.

That’s all we’ve got this time out, gang—tune in again next week, same time, same page, for more o’ the same. Until we meet again—make yer own damn news.

If you have local music news/gigs/CDs you’d like to see listed, drop me a line at Tmygunn77764@yahoo.com. ||