What can I say? The band SWEETKISS MOMMA are the torch bearers of that southern rock sound that was created by the likes of THE ALLMAN BROTHERS AND LYNYRD SKYNYRD. The groove is undeniable and the  soulful delivery of lead singer JEFF HAMEL can't be denied but the thing is this southern-fried approach to rock n roll is actually brought to you by way of the Northwest. Yes, SWEETKISS MOMMA hails from the very state that is responsible for the  grunge sound but these guys do southern rock better than most southern acts that I can think of.  On their album 'REVIVAL ROCK' not only does the band show a fondess for that moment in musical history where rock n roll was all about grit but the band's gospel influence is also highlighted on the some of the gentler tracks. People may scratch their heads with regard to the geography of the band and the images that their sound may generate, but folks can be assured that the bands embrace of a rootsier, southern sound are completely genuine.
With his latest album 'TOKEN'. BRANDON MCHOSE successfully balances his role as a singer-songwriter with his dexterity on guitar. It's the same sort fo goal that JOHN MAYER set for himself in the making of his 2007 album CONTINUUM but what sets MCHOSE apart from MAYER are grittier songs and less phlegm in the vocal delivery. So far, the role of the male solo rock artist is to pattern songs after the whimsical yet anemic stylings that MAYER set the trend for a decade earlier, but with MCHOSE we get something more substantial - blues and roots-styled rock that intelligently analyzes the high and lows of relationships without all of the sentiment and sugarcoating.
Once again, ROCKWIRED has found itself under the spell of a genre film icon who just so hapens to have some songwriting chops and a vocal delivery that can send chills down your spine. The first performer of this caliber to impress us with her musical range was sci-fi icon JANE BADLER of V-fame. Now LE KAT (better known as KAT LESTER and her portrayal of the 'LADY IN LAVENDER' from the 1978 horror film classic PHANTASM), is ready to stun audiences and listeners with her album 'BOUDOIR ROUGE' - a slinky, sexy musical experience four years in the making. "Paris in the 1930's" may be the reference point visually and musically but LE KAT's songwriting gives the vintage sound an all too contemporary sensibility with songs such as 'TALK TO ME'  and the haunting and surprisingly political 'RIVER'. As if seeking to make the modern day sexual politics of the album clear, LE KAT takes such girls night out anthems as EURYTHMICS' 'I NEED A MAN ',MADONNA's 'HANKY PANKY' and ESTHERO's 'WIKKID LIL' GRRRLS' and turns them into slinky, speakeasy numbers that sound as if they could've been the ditties  that your grandparents partied to.
With all of the slick packaging that goes into rock n roll these days from its power chords to endorsement deals, it's easy to forget that the fundamentals of the genre were built on irreverence and attitude. Hailing from Seattle, THE JESUS REHAB eschew the overwrought seriousness and flannel shirts that have come to be symbolic of the city's sound and reputation and instead serve up a knockout rock n roll punch with wit, personality and most importantly melody on the album THE HIGHEST HIGHS AND THE LOWEST LOWS. Yes sir, this band is more on the order of THE FLAMING LIPS and PAVEMENT than PEARL JAM or ALICE IN CHAINS and their quirky melodic arrangements couldn't be more refreshing given the dearth of rock bands these days that have anything worth skipping back to on the ol' i-pod shuffle.
5. THE MATT BURKE BAND - 'PRETTY CLOSE TO VERY GOOD'
I picked an interesting time to start listening to THE MATT BURKE BAND's new album 'PRETTY CLOSE TO VERY GOOD'. The country is currently moving in a different direction politically (for better or worse), the weather is getting colder and we're still in a recession. I say that it's strange because 'PRETTY CLOSE TO VERY GOOD' boasts an easy-going, laid-back acoustic sound that brings to mind a never ending beach party with such pleasantly grooving tunes as THE WEEKEND WAR, SUPERSTAR, and FADING FACES. Singer-songwriters with a laid back appraoch are a dime a dozen but MATT BURKE's bright melodies and sunny outlook was hard won after having shaken off the shackles of his cyncal, nu-metal past. With "PRETTY CLOSE..." BURKE and the band have found their footing and it's a hell of a lot better than pretty good.
6. KELLYLEE EVANS - 'NiNA'
I always find it curious when a performer with serviceable songwriting chops decides to break with what they do best in order to do a cover album. Canadian chanteuse KELLYLEE EVANS is a formidable talent whose story was one I was a witness to from the very beginning. In 2006 she released her self-penned debut CD FIGHT OR FLIGHT and the process of making it was truly a baptism by fire. EVANS learned the craft of songwriting as she went and  financed the entire project with a line of credit that she  hopes to pay back one day. EVANS is now three years into a career marked by exceptional live performance and critical acclaim. For her third release, she puts the pen down and focuses her attention on a most fascinating subject - the High Priestess of Soul NINA SIMONE. Avoiding the trap of note-for-note reinterpretation, EVANS sets SIMONE's catalog on fire with spirited rearrangements that pay homage to that oh-so misunderstood legend while reminding listeners that KELLYLEE EVANS is just as genuine in voice as she is in craft.
7. 49 STONES - 'TURN iT ON'
Over the years, I've developed a fondness for Kansas City. While the town is renowned for its legendary blues scene, I've come to know it as a domicile with a rather fine rock scene through our coverage of acts such as PROJECT DNA, GLENN PATRIK and JILLIAN RISCOE. Now I can add 49 STONES to that list for their blistering debut CD 'TURN IT ON'. Fronted by lead singer and rhythm guitarist EMMA JO, 49 STONES boast a pulsating rock sound complete with distorted guitar sounds, slick power chords and enough oomph to make their debut album a listen worth coming back to again and again.