Harvest fest

The Nakeds, Kal El, Overfiend, and more

by Bob Gulla

Steve Smith & the Nakeds

I bet local music writers in towns like, say, Charlotte or Denver or Sacramento don't have the privilege I do of writing about great R&B. Providence has such a formidable tradition, such rich musical heritage in its blood, that it's nearly impossible to shake, like a virus for which there is no cure. We may not be a "hotbed" of anything. We may not sign bands to major labels like Seattle or LA. Bands here may not even be that inspired to work their way out of the area and onto a national scene. But that's OK, because we're maintaining the kind of musical infrastructure in the area that's almost impossible to rival, and impossible to deny. In this case, the R&B tradition pulsates like a healthy heart in the music and live shows in Providence and its environs of bands like Steve Smith and the Nakeds, whose record I am more than pleased to review.

Steve Smith and the Nakeds: Never Say Never (Still Huge)

Down in New Orleans, they had the Meters. In Memphis, they had Booker T and the MGs. In Mobile, they had the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. So in Providence, we've got the Nakeds. OK, maybe the comparison is really a stretch, but if you had to appoint a local parallel to those excellent R&B rhythm sections, the Nakeds would be an obvious choice. In the happy tradition of Roomful, Duke, and everyone else around here who found the glorious sounds of Stax and early Atlantic recordings exciting, come Steve Smith and the Nakeds, with a brand new and appropriately titled Never Say Never.

Twenty-seven years ago, Smith was asked to front the Nakeds after a show he'd performed, and he's not stopped singing since. His voice on the new album still sizzles, the band -- with its five-piece horn section and absolutely killer rhythm section of bassist Mike Marra and drummer/percussionist George Correia -- is as good as it's ever sounded. The steadfast groove on Clarence Clemons's "Don't Walk Away" (which, I believe, has a Clemons sax solo in it) and the guitar-romp "Face the Music," written by Smith buddy Nils Lofgren are formidable examples of great R&B, local or otherwise. The super-funky horn workout of Ken Lyon's "Daytona Blonde" simply wreaks of sweaty excitement. This is tough, tested stuff with loads of excitement built right in. In fact, now that I sink this disc into my stereo for the umpteenth time, it has just got my vote for the year's very best R&B disc. Never Say Never indeed. Always say "Steve Smith and the Nakeds."

Kal El (Red Sun Music, www.kalelmusic.com)

Providence's Kal El knows what's going on in the extreme music world. Like fellow metal extremists, Rage Against the Machine, Godsmack and Pantera, Kal El serves up relentless gusts of metallic riffs and visceral throat action. Their self-titled debut, propelled by Sean O'Hearne's Ibanez and Mike Longworth's Schecter, growls with intensity from the opening blast of "Disconnected" to the closing "Chrysalis." The six-song EP, clocking in at under a half-hour, is a short and sharp shock of contemporary noise bolstered by rhythmic thunder of drummers Dave Rogers and Bill Sutherland. Produced and recorded by Joe Moody over at Danger, and mixed by Moody and the band, Kal El does a good job in establishing the band's aggressive dynamics. Formed a little over three years ago but only recently solidifying their line-up, the band has come along way in a short time, writing and recording some quality stuff. A brief listen to the driving rocker "Stand Off" and the bludgeoning "Chrysalis" make it apparent that Kal El means business. Having hung and played with boys like 'Smack, Staind, Tree, and Kilgore, well, you know where they're headed. The great thing is they take you there in style.

Immortal Alice: Armageddon A Go-Go (Tank Records, www.immortalalice.com)

Since the early '90s, Immortal Alice has started and stalled their careers like a car with bad gas, interrupted by a variety of factors, mostly personal. The skanky North Dartmouth rock trio has for some time seemed on the verge of a creative epiphany or two, though the stars weren't aligned and they never got it done. They were always a powerhouse experience live; it was simply a matter of capturing that excitement on a disc. Armageddon A Go-Go the band's new nine-track disc, nearly does just that.

Featuring a combination of grungy, Nirvana-esque rock, Rancid-style ska-punk (remember Boston's Moving Targets? A lot like that), the record showcases a focused band with considerable songcraft skills. There's good dynamics at work on "Swahili Death Chant," a little Greg Dulli action on the R&B-ish "Exile of Bob (In Three Acts)," and some chugging punk rock chord changes on "Ape."

The recording, done at Black and Blue Project Studios down in New Bedford where it was helmed by Lone Soldier and Scott Demelo, does a good job of bringing out principal writer James Reilly's guitar sound. Unfortunately, it's at the expense of his vocals, which seem to drown in the mix. Melodically, though, the band is right on, with hummable, accessible, and intelligent songs that feel right and sound promising.

Ursula George: Basic Blues (Tommy Tiger, www.ursulageorge.com)

Basic Blues is the recording debut album from Ursula George, an acoustic blues duet outta Westerly featuring Lori Urso and George "Fisher Price Slim" Reithoffer. (He earned his nickname, "Fisher Price Slim," because he's often seen playing with a child's toy amplifier hanging around his neck.) It's a charming collection of well-chosen covers, ranging from Big Bill Broonzy's lilting "Key to the Highway" and Sonny Boy Williamson's dark "Help Me" to Brownie McGhee's rustic "Living with the Blues" and, more recently, Chris Smither's excellent "Love Me Like a Man."

The arrangements on Basic Blues are, like the title says, basic, with Urso's sweet acoustic strumming, Reithoffer's aching harp, and cameos by Worcester blues dog Marc Barnicle on slide and lead acoustic, a player voted "Best Blues Guitarist" by sister pub the Worcester Phoenix. Both Urso and Reithoffer contribute sufficiently soulful vocal tracks as well. In the end, Basic Blues is not only material well-chosen and well-played, it's still another strong entry in the very deep and respectful blues tradition rooted in southern New England and Westerly, in particular. Anybody remember Roomful?

Overfiend (self-released). In the style of some dark and black metal, along with a hint of Metallica and some more experimental noise and feedback, Overfiend debuts with a self-titled eight-song disc. It's a barrage of death vocals, squealing, thrashy riffs, and corrosive lyrics. Recorded at Danger Studio by Joe Moody, the record actually sounds pretty good, despite its perilous overtones and dense arrangements. There's some cool melodic guitar work, courtesy of Tony and his seven string, on the Korn-ish "Q&NA" (sic) and a considerable crunch on "Sorrow." Vocalist Sam is far and away a better screamer/growler ("Subjected to Life") than singer; when he overextends himself and tries to sing his voice wavers uncomfortably and the band is left without an emotional focal point.

Overfiend could also benefit by hitting a groove more often. If they're trying to experiment, searching for dark and powerful alleys of obscure expression, fine. But if they wanna lean into some true and heavy rock and roll, latching onto a groove might just be the thing that'll take them where they wanna go.

WANDERING EYE. Next Thursday, October 12, there's a benefit for the Newport Peace Festival at AS220. The Providence Wholebellies, featuring Chris Turner, Rachel Maloney, Phil Edmonds, Steve Dubois, Steve Jobe, and Rick Massimo will take the stage at 9 p.m. The cover is AS220 cheap-style at $5.

Bob Gulla can be reached at b_gulla@yahoo.com.

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