FDF Volume 3 Issue 364 - Honcho Overload - Pour Another Drink

Album – Pour Another Drink

Artist – Honcho Overload
Key Players - Jeff Dimpsey -guitar, Kevin Driscoll - guitar, Bill Johnson - vocals, Mike Rader - drums Matt Talbot - bass

Produced By - Adam Schmitt

Release Date - 1994

Overview – Formed as sort of an “off shoot” of other bands this Illinois band wrote and recorded two records. It was largely a creative outlet for the guys and by 1995 it was over.

FDF Comments (aka the songs) – Nine tracks at just over 40 minutes long opens with “Molasses” and if you are a fan of the early 90's alternative guitar sound this is a great opener. The drums are simple, but tight and Johnson has a baritone voice that slowly begins to resonate and he really shines on this,and through out the record. One of the greatest songs ever comes in “Unicorns and Rainbows”. Honestly, just stream it..the whole thing. You'll see. The guitars, the vocals. Seriously, let it get ripping. What are you waiting for...go now!  “Formula One Headache” has the same urgency with rumbling of drums and chugging bass lines while “She Knows How To Turn off The Sound” seems to have almost a pop/punk feel (but still with those guitars!!) . “Two-Star” has a darker, slower tempo with spoken word and the guitars layered while Johnson sings in a style you'd think he had a hooded sweatshirt pulled up and singing towards the floor.  “Just In Time” is another track that is for guitar lovers, just the layers and layers. How they did this, and kept doing it is what keeps you coming back. The end of this track as Johnson really stretches vocally and the guitars compliment him for a soaring, chills down your spine run. Great track. “Stereoblaster” has a great bass line sort of snuggled under the guitar riffs and again Johnson finds his range and soars above it all. “Bug” is a slower track with Johnson having heavily distorted vocals and a slower drum line from Rader and even the bass feels plodding at times. “Everyone Smiles” is more a muffled solo by Johnson..almost sung in to an answering machine. It sounds more like an “idea” of a song than “a song”.

FDF Overall Take/Was it worth Dusting Off?

There are some really excellent moments here.  I first heard about this band when I called Parasol Mail Order out of Chicago.  The guy that answered the phone that day made this suggestion as I told him I liked the band "Hum" a lot.  Come to find out it was Bill Johnson.  We'd have conversations time and again when I ordered things.  Just a great capture of the time of what I was in to and honestly "Unicorns and Rainbows" is a song you all wish you wrote.

Links, find out more, follow em and buy!

Not a ton out there on these guys, but you can buy/stream the records (buy em!) on
their Bandcamp Page

Disclaimer – I am just a music fan. Feel free to comment about something that may be written incorrectly about the band/members etc. I strive to have a fun and enjoyable site. This site used to post mp3s but ran in to many issues. The audio clips provided are usually from YouTube. No copy write infringement is intended. Please alert me if something should be pulled. Finally, support the artist featured, or your favorite artist by purchasing their music, seeing their shows if possible and saying hi. They need your support.

FDF Volume 3 Issue 363 - Starsailor - Love Is Here

Album – Love is Here

Artist – Starsailor
Key Players – James Stelfox – bass. Ben Byrne - drums, Barry Westhead- keyboards/guitar. James Walsh – vocals and guitar

Produced By – Steve Osborne

Release Date – October 8, 2001

Overview – This is the debut album from the Warrington/Leigh, England based band “Starsailor”. Formed in 2000 at a local college the band didn't have many rolling members. Walsh, who was heavily influenced by singer Tim Buckley suggested the band be called “Starsailor” sharing the same title as an album from Buckley. They'd garner a great reputation as a live band and land a major label deal shortly after. The album was released to critical acclaim and would land at #2 on the UK album charts. Since this debut they've released three additional albums. In 2009 Walsh put the band on hold to focus on a solo effort, but the band reformed in 2014

FDF Comments (aka the songs) – The 11 song 57 minute album is a little deceiving (the final track ends at 3:07 then runs for a while before a hidden track is played). "Tie Up My Hands" opens the alubm up with quiet acoustic guitar playing and some quiet keyboard parts with Walsh singing. It sets the tone for the collection with its pretty and “clean” sound. “Poor Misguided Fool" showcases the work from Westhead as the piano is very much up in the mix. It has a bit more a drive to the track as the acoustic guitar has more of an “attack” but the piano really stands out. “Aloholic” is another showcase for Walsh and Westhead, but Byrne kicks it up a notch after the first verse. “Lullaby” has a bit more layerd guitars and Stelfox is brought up in the mix. Walsh teeters on some falsettos that are just within his range and the chorus has that wonderful 70's folk feel with Westhead going more with organ rather than piano. There is a longer “guitar solo” but what stands out on this track is if you are a fan of Jeff Buckley, how much a resemlence you'll hear in the vocals. After two “uptempo” tracks the band seems to go deep on "Way to Fall" which, per the norm, runs the piano and guitar as the main instruments. After a bit Stelfox seems to take it under his own and before you know it the band opens up with soaring levels on the chorus. “Fever” feels similar. "She Just Wept" is a pretty track that leads with the acoustic guitar and just Walsh singing and as the second verse gets underway more instruments come in giving it that fuller sound. Acoustic guitar and vocals right from the start open

"Talk Her Down" before the band comes in. Again the the mix is strong so nobody really steps on the other. Westhead uses the organ on this track in a dominant role giving the song all the more urgency.
"Love Is Here" is about as much as a ballad could be. The whole record feels like love songs and ballads, but this one in particular. The song that got me in to the band came in “Good Souls”. The vibe of the track with its simple bass line/guitar and Walsh is just fine form really pulls it all together and the chorus just is one of those “fun to sing” along choruses. A dozen years on, this is still the “go to” song off the record. The record ends with “Coming Down”. The song itself is just a bit over 3 minutes long and includes under a minute of humming from the band members. The humming is an alternate take of background accompaniment for the song "
You can listen to the whole record here.

Where are they now? - Since the reformation the band has a played a few live shows and one would only assume they are working on new studio material.

FDF Overall Take – Its been years since I've listened to this record and it is still what I remember it as being, a pretty solid debut. Around this time I was ravenous for “this type” of band. Coldplay, doves they too scratched this itch and Starsailor then came along. It's a nice listen, you could put it on and not offend anyone (dinner party, late evening cookout type setting). Might not be something you toss on to run a road race, but a rewarding listen for sure.

Links, find out more, follow em and buy!

Official Site

Facebook

Buy It!

Disclaimer – I am just a music fan. Feel free to comment about something that may be written incorrectly about the band/members etc. I strive to have a fun and enjoyable site. This site used to post mp3s but ran in to many issues. The audio clips provided are usually from YouTube. No copy write infringement is intended. Please alert me if something should be pulled. Finally, support the artist featured, or your favorite artist by purchasing their music, seeing their shows if possible and saying hi. They need your support.

FDF Volume 3 Issue 362 - One Day As A Lion

Album – One Day As A Lion

Artist – One Day As A Lion
Key Players – Zack de la Rocha – vocals, keyboards. Jon Theodore – drums, percussion. Joey Karam – keyboards, organ

Produced By - Mario C (mixed)

Release Date – July 22, 2008

Overview – This was a duo formed by Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine) and Jon Theodore (drummer for the Mars Volta at the time). The two basically just got together for some loose jam sessions that spawned the record. They later added Karam to the band to fill out the sound. They'd release this lone EP and play a few live shows.

FDF Comments (aka the songs) – The record is not very long at all. Just 5 songs running just over 20 minutes. It wastes no time setting the tone as “Wild International” kicks off the record. The driving tempo is almost a simple back beat, but it is the urgency in the delivery from de la Rocha. His style is hard to miss. The low keyboard drones set an haunting tone as they swirl with Theodore’s increasingly urgent drumming. “Ocean View” has a buzzy, almost industrial intro but the tom toms on the drum kit are hit. Both heavily and often. It remains heavy, but as de la Rocha hits the chorus it seems a bit lighter, but really it is not. “Last Letter” continues with the showcase of Theodore. "If You Fear Dying" seems to stand out above the other tracks. Granted it is still similar in its pace and overall feel, it just seems the duo is all the more “on fire”. The record concludes with the title track "One Day as a Lion" The keyboards seem to have more of an active role replicating both guitars and bass. A full sounding track and its hard to keep remembering its no more than three guys.

 

Where are they now?   For de la Rocha its been a long wait for the solo record he has been speaking of since the demise of Rage Against the Machine. He even got back with RATM for some live shows in recent years. I have reason to believe fans will wait, and snatch what they can when its ready. Karam continues to work as a session player. Theodore worked tirelessly in a series of bands and has since become a full time member of Queens of the Stone Age.

FDF Overall Take/Was it worth Dusting Off? - If you are a fan of RATM or The Mars Volta's early stuff sure. Its a fun quick and easy record to take in.

 

Links, find out more, follow em and buy!

Facebook

Buy it!

Disclaimer – I am just a music fan. Feel free to comment about something that may be written incorrectly about the band/members etc. I strive to have a fun and enjoyable site. This site used to post mp3s but ran in to many issues. The audio clips provided are usually from YouTube. No copy write infringement is intended. Please alert me if something should be pulled. Finally, support the artist featured, or your favorite artist by purchasing their music, seeing their shows if possible and saying hi. They need your support.