Audio Files: A Guide to the hottest in new recordings

By GINA VIVINETTO and SAMANTHA PUCKETT

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 3, 2000

IN OUR OWN BACK YARD

An occasional roundup of compact discs by local musicians.

SOUL SYSTEM: DISGUISED IN SOUND -- Tampa's Soul System plays a funky and, well, yes, a soulful brand of rock with roots in Prince and Sly and the Family Stone.

The smooth R&B groove of Heaven is followed by the reggae-inflected Confusion, with guitar licks hot and spicy throughout. Singer Steve Alex sounds a lot like the Purple One on the R&B ballad (Baby, We Belong) Together. But don't get too weepy; upbeat jams like The Soul of You will make you want to shake your tambourine.

ON QUE PLAYERS: MIRACLES FROM US TO YOU -- Interspersed with interviews focusing on the band's uplifting message, Miracles From Us to You is a celebration of feeling good. From the smooth jazz opener Miracles, with its Barry White soulfulness, to the crisp Old School Thang with those tinkly synths and sax, the disc stays upbeat and positive.

The sassy background vocals on Highway to the Skyway are reminiscent of Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band.

THE FLAPCATS: SHORTCUT TO FREEDOM -- The Flapcats knows its punk rock roots. Shortcut to Freedom is Stooges-inspired three-chord rock with manic drums, brooding bass and guitarist Michael Burger's moody Iggy Pop-style singing.

Burger's got the street cred: he lived in New York in the late 1970s punk heyday, hanging out at CBGB's and Max's Kansas City, bumping elbows with idol Lou Reed. After moving to Tampa to lead a respectable family life, he met drummer Joe Larson, formerly of Gainesville act Whoreculture, bassist John Henson of Lords of Babylon and guitarist Ron "Sonic" Bales (hey, MC5, anyone?) and continued making gruff pop with a nasty chip on its shoulder.

Not that it sounds ancient. Sleeping on the Edge could be lifted from Polvo's catalog. Besides, cuts like Payback and Feet to the Fire, with their Funhouse-era punk sensibilities, prove the sound is not dated, it's timeless.

THE WATERBABIES: THE WATERBABIES -- The Waterbabies' four-song demo hints of the accessible power pop of Matchbox 20 and Blink 182.

The Largo trio, whose members met at St. Petersburg Junior College, is young -- ages 19 to 23 -- and fun. Check out the dorky keyboard on The Jerk.

Following a long line of singing drummers including Don Henley and, um, Mickey Dolenz, Waterbaby skinpounder Jason Fletcher yelps with a cavalier flair.

On Cincinatti (their spelling), Fletcher tackles the woes of long distance love with youthful gusto: "If I had a ticket for a place to go/I sure hope that it's for Ohio/if I had a ticket for a place to be/I sure hope it's for Cin-cin-at-ti."

MICHE & THE DISTRACTIONS: COME & GET IT -- Somewhere between the early '80s femme fetale band Scandal and the earthy blues bands you're likely to find at the Ringside Cafe in St. Petersburg is Miche & the Distractions. Lead singer Michelle DeLorme offers moody, sexy vocals that are at times reminiscent of a Black Velvet-y Alannah Myles.

With an impressive range -- from saucy, bluesy guitars on Quicksand to jangly Celtic riffs on Thieves -- the Distractions are a crowd pleaser for any adult audience. Note the noirish slide guitar on Fooling Around and the sassy hand-claps in If I.

BABYLON: BABYLON -- Break out those old Yes and King Crimson albums -- or for something with local significance, put on Babylon. Formed in 1976, the band's one and only studio album (recorded in 1978) has finally been released on disc, and it's a gem. Keeping up with the best '70s progressive-rock bands, Babylon is spacey, spooky, symphonic fun.

In the tradition of their influences, Babylon's freaky songs are super-long with changes galore and kooky rhythms abounding. And look at those nutty gig photos inside!

PAUL MILLER: LIFE, LOVE & OTHER HUMAN INSECURITIES -- Someone has a lot of David Bowie vinyl in his collection, and we think his name is Paul Miller.

On Life, Love & Other Human Insecurities, Miller runs the Bowie gamut from the super catchy Ziggy Stardust sound of Have You Ever Known Someone Like That? to the Tonight-ish opener Getting Over You. (Later we get a bit of the danceable Never Let Me Down stuff on Hard To Impress.)

But Miller is more than a Bowie copy cat; his lyrics are sharp, his tunes are catchy, incorporating everything from gothy gloom to Broadway pizazz. Besides, it's not all Bowie, Bowie, Bowie: Just Keep On is wonderfully Beatlesque.

DUMBWAITERS: TITLES -- After "several shifts in direction/tastes/personnel," Dumbwaiters offers its second release, Titles, much to the delight of the band's many local fans. One of Tampa's most creative talents (we might go so far as to say Tampa's own Brian Eno -- what the heck, we will), Brian Repetto writes incredibly textured, creative songs worthy of the most respectable indie rock label.

With crazy keyboards, ambient guitars and rollicking bass, Dumbwaiters exhibits with fine flair just how much it has evolved. Each song on Titles is unique, spoinky pop and provides barrelsful of thoughtful lyrics.

Sounds like after all those roster changes, the band finally found the right mix. Aaron Lepley and Damon Dougherty from November Foxtrot Whiskey guest star on percussion.

NINE2LIFE: NOTHING IS MOST -- In the fine tradition of Seattle's hard rock icons Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, Nine2Life sounds ready for the HORDE tour. Chris Wilson's coarse, heavy and sometimes explicit lyrics are as dark and angst-ridden as any good grunge singer's should be. (Speaking of the whole Seattle/grunge thing, three of the four members of Nine2Life sport goatees. Coincidence?)

The band's thick, thrusting guitars and tight, heavy drums provide headbanging rhythms that should please even the most hard-core metal fans, especially on I'm Found, with its spooky, effects-laden riffs. Recorded with precision at Tampa's Panda Studios, Nothing is Most holds its own against today's Korns and Creeds.

HANKSHAW: HANKSHAW -- Take the Sundays and weld them into Superchunk and you'd get a sound like that of Tampa's Hankshaw. The quartet writes sweet pop with a bit of a bounce, using lyrics deeper than your usual Top 40 fodder, sung splendidly and delicately by Harold. (Band members go by first names only on this disc.)

Now, Harold may sound like Jeff Buckley with all his pretty trills and almost falsetto delivery, but listen up: "I can't be the robot that meets all your demands," on Silk Noose proves he's got backbone and bite. Freedom for a Wage is a fine anti-employment anthem. But -- oh! -- what's this on the heartbreaker Kutz? "Had a bout against the world/wishing death upon all girls." Ouch!

SHANA BANANA: GO BANANAS: MUSIC & FUN FOR KIDS -- An absolute delight. Seventeen clever, kooky original songs written by Shana Banana for kids to sing along to, all with a purpose.

Savor the goofiness of I Want to be a Dinosaur, the dental hygiene anthem Toothbrush Rock -- to the tune of Jailhouse Rock -- and the educational Mervyn the Manatee, a tune about Florida's favorite native inhabitant, done calypso-style.

Trash Rap is a hip-hop ode to picking up garbage. Don't get sad about the Achoo Blues, because the Hugmonster is right around the corner. There's even a song celebrating the color green -- and why not? What kid could resist this stuff? It's way better than Barney, a good thing for parents who won't be able to shake these tunes from their heads.

If you would like your local act's CD considered for In Our Own Back Yard, send it to Gina Vivinetto, St. Petersburg Times, P.O Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.