Dig These Discs :: Madonna, Macy Gray, Amy Dalley, Screaming Females, Flying Colors
"Coming Out of the Pain" (Amy Dalley)
In what may be the best break-up song since Alanis Morissette’s "You Oughta Know," Dalley drops "Peace Sign," a song that starts out, "I wouldn’t call it a break-up, I hate to say it out loud but I was just dumped." The twang in Dalley’s voice and her pacing even sounds a bit like Morissette, and the chorus runs, "I’m not trying to fight, I’m not wasting my time/ I’m just saying goodbye, one finger shy of a peace sign." This country singer and songwriter got her start entertaining at Dollywood, and relocated to Nashville in 1994 to form the Hillbilly Gypsies. She went on to gain notoriety when her song "Dream Too Small" was played on an episode of "Dawson’s Creek," and in 2003, signed with Curb Records and found her singles peaking on the country charts. Her title song captures the optimism of getting over a bad break-up and starting to see the positive again. Her song, "Breakin It Down" is a slow weeper, and "Somebody Said It Rained" is a tune about new love, with the lyrics, "We stayed wrapped up in a blanket for three days/ turned into two young lovers as we hungered for each other." "Saturday Night Situation" is a classic, shit-kicking, female country rock song, beginning "It was supposed to be a martini kind of night, but here come crazy Katie with her skirt jacked up real high/ and she said, ’Let’s get outta here and really do this thing right’, I’d rather be in a honky-tonk tonight." As weekends tend to go, someone starts riding the mechanical bull, things get ugly around midnight, and... well, you know the rest. "Damage is Done" is a song about paying the price for loving. "I May Love You Now" is a song about trying to avoid love, and "Civil War" is a dark song about broken promises. In "Round and Round," Dalley sings about finding a way to make a relationship work, singing, "It’s a sure thing, baby, we can’t lose." "Bottle It Up" is another tune about a sure thing, with Dalley wanting to bottle up their innocence and love. Things aren’t as secure later, when Dalley sings, "Too late to right the wrongs, ’I’m already gone’." "Some Goodbye" is another weeper about a crushing breakup, with Dalley singing, "What a way to break me, walk away without warning." Although Dalley is married to her engineer/writing partner Jack Sizemore, her music has a real Melissa Etheridge grit to it, and will resonate with acoustic-loving lesbians, who are always ready to sing out their woeful tales of love gone wrong. (Rockridge Music)
"Ugly" (Screaming Females)
This indie punk rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey is set to release their fifth album on Don Giovanni Records, after having dropped their single, "It All Means Nothing" on February 11 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, in Brooklyn. True to form, the track features shredding guitar licks, and the quirky, canned vocals that feel as though they are more UK than NJ. The band -- comprised of Marissa Paternoster on guitar and vocals, Jarrett Dougherty on drums, and King Mike on bass -- has always prided themselves on playing at DIY underground venues that permit access to the under-21 crowd. Their music has started to get some traction since they appeared on "Last Call with Carson Daly" in February 2011, and Paternoster has been compared to the "femme-shredder legacy" of Sleater-Kinney. The "Screamales," as they are known to fans, are known for their solid blend of punk urgency and ’70s-era guitar shredding. Their new album "Ugly" also blends in elements of dubstep and chillwave, and hearkens back to their first record, recorded more than seven years ago. "Extinction" is catchy, despite it’s fast-paced snarl, and "Red Hand" has a sweet bass intro peppered with struts from Paternoster’s electric guitar. "High" has a speeded-up Jim Morrison vibe, with a nice edge, that erupts into a shredding guitar riff. Paternoster’s bad-ass vocals dominate "Expire" and "Crow’s Nest". "Leave It All Up to Me" resonates with an Asian-music feel, and "Doom 84" has a stark, barbarian feel to it, channeling classic rock. Paternoster sings, "You can help me help myself," in "Help Me," a radio-ready hit. The final track on the album, "It’s Nice," breaks the mold with its acoustic guitar intro, and slowly unfolds with Paternoster’s quirky vocals building up gradually. Despite the sweet sound, its not all nice; the Screamales stay true to form with their lyrics, "Put me in your hand, drown the rat that gnaws at me/ your blood is on the bed, and I’m crushed under your memory." Not nice, but pretty sweet as punk rock goes. (Don Giovanni Records)
"Flying Colors" (Flying Colors)
Fans of Journey will dig this debut release from Flying Colors, a lovingly hand-picked team of accomplished musicians Mike Portnoy on vocals and drums, Dave LaRue on bass, Neal Morse on keyboards and vocals, Casey McPherson on lead vocals, and Steve Morse on guitar. The brainchild of executive producer Bill Evans, Flying Colors has found music chemistry and a strong mix of progressive, contemporary rock and vintage craftsmanship. Their seven-plus minute opener, "Blue Ocean" is a contagious exhibition of shredding electric guitar and spot-on drums, with vocal breaks that remind one of the hair bands of the ’80s. "Shoulda Coulda Woulda" has a harder feel, with choppy vocals, and "Forever in a Daze" opens with electric guitar, and chronicles a one-sided attraction. "The Storm" is a more modern rock song, with the hopeful chorus, "Don’t cry or be afraid/ some things only can be made in the storm." "Kayla" is a rock ballad with a tinny lute opening by way of Camelot, and moves into a passionate, guitar-driven love song to the titular woman, with a ripping guitar solo at the end. "Better Than Walking Away" is a sad ballad about the end of a relationship. "Love Is What I’m Waiting For" is a middling song about compromise in relationships, and "Everything Changes" is an rock ballad that is reminiscent in places of the Christopher Cross theme song to the hit ’80s movie, "Arthur," but with a lot more electric guitar. "All Falls Down" is a rapid-paced guitar-shredding song that evokes the Grim Reaper or neoclassical guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. "Fool In My Heart" is a made-for-radio rock song with the lyrics, "There is a fool in my heart that won’t let go/ but there’s something that I really want you to know. I always will love you forever, I will/ I know it’s been years since you left me; this fool loves you still." The album ends with an epic, 12-minute song, "Infinite Fire," that really shows off the skills of the band. Flying Colors is a bunch of very talented, experienced musicians making the most of their skills to tread over some fresh ground while capturing the feel of the rock bands of the ’80s. (Mascot Label Group)
