Stacks of tracks

The Jim James Band, Vic Foley, and more

by Bob Gulla

Vic Foley

As promised, I've begun to chip away at the cornucopia of local releases. If the abundance is any indication, it seems that lots of you guys are beavering away, maybe a little quietly, at establishing careers in music for yourselves. Realize there's no rush; all that endless groundwork you're doing is helping to build a stable infrastructure. Remember, it's not just about writing great tunes. It's about building, building, building. Once you get the structure erected, good tunes help, but first you need a haven for your audience.

The Jim James Band: Silent Film (Your Crazy Mother Records)

Rock Hunt finalist the Jim James Band surprised everybody with their amazing finish. But then, if you'd heard their Silent Film disc, you may not have been too surprised. The disc itself starts out on the methodical side, with the ironically titled "Rip Roarin' " not quite meeting its promise. The spare, swingin' "Billy's Song" feels a little like jam-band-lite, a la Phish and company, as does the equally quirky, reggae-flecked "Spider Carcass." It heats up a touch with the funky "Debris," then really kicks in with the stuttering "Actress/Waitress," the first Jim James tune that belies a distinct fondness for Led Zeppelin. Beyond that, the disc motors home with "OK, Charlie" melding Zep with the Butthole Surfers and the feedback potency of "Too Much To Drink" demonstrating the band's tendency to stray. In fact, what makes the Jim James Band so damned intriguing is the way they blend their instrumental simplicity with their willingness to look into dark corners. It's as if they took the ideas of bands like Blues Traveler and the Spin Doctors and turned up their seamy sides, where chipper instrumentation intersects with a Pearl Jam-style murkiness. They may not like being grouped in that category, and I'm actually not saying they belong with those bands at all. But like those bands, they do stress simplicity and enjoy the springboard that simplicity allows. Yet when they dive in, they veer left, while the others plunge straight in.

Fat Buddha (demo)

It's as if Joe Bartone and company never heard -- and certainly never cared for -- the guitar rock of the '90s. On their excellent and accomplished new demo, the band careens through a mosaic of music reminiscent of, but not mimeographed from, Bartone's '80s-and-earlier heroes, including Pink Floyd ("Glide"), the Police ("Poison Apples"), Gary Numan ("In a Trillion Volts of Sun"), Kraftwerk ("Deaf"), and Talking Heads ("When Pigs Fly"). The fidelity and production are sharp, as is Bartone's keen social criticism. "I lost my virginity in cyberspace," he sings on "When Pigs Fly." And on the super-creepy noirish "Make Me" he intones, "You wanna know what makes me crave? You're a little girl I wanna see misbehave."

At times, Fat Buddha is guilty of following its influences a little too closely. But that's more of a compliment than anything; they have an exhilarating composite of inspirations that they're able to use and reuse like a rugged wash cloth. And, more often than not, what Fat Buddha comes up with is more than the sum of its parts. It may not be along the grain of what's happening in the world of today's pop rock, but who said that was the way to go?

Fat Buddha will play at the Trinity Brewhouse on Friday the 13th. Admission is free.

Vic Foley: Wide Open (Liquid Blue)

Better late than never to pay tribute to guitarist-songwriter Vic Foley's awe-inspiring new disc, Wide Open. Recorded, mixed, and mastered at Portsmouth's Stable Sound Studio, the album is beautiful sounding, gorgeously performed post-blues and blues-rock peppered with pop and Foley's instrumental versatility. The sublime opener, "Goin' Blind" (nothing to do with Kiss's version), is the disc's best track, which makes it difficult for the rest of the disc to measure up. Fortunately, Foley comes through most of the way, with the pleasantly chugging "Day Dream," the intricate and exploratory "Vic's Lament," and the bluesy "Get On the Bus." At the heart of Wide Open is Foley's entrancing and (insert SRV comparison here) guitar work. He even visits Hendrix's turf on a cover of "Voodoo Chile," which is pretty competently played by Foley's rhythm section, drummer John Paul Benitez and bassist Mike Vieira. Ironically, though, it's the soulful, relatively guitar-less "Goin' Blind" that serves to separate Foley from the blues-rock pack. Further exploration in that direction could bear fruit.

Vic Foley will perform on Saturday, April 14 at the 305 Club in East Providence.

Roger Chartier: Sailor Songs: Sea Songs and Shanties of a Bygone Era

Lest we forget, a great part of Rhode Island's earliest music history had to do with the ocean and the sea and all those water-type things. Roger Chartier of New Bedford, the original whaling city, didn't forget. And to commemorate those days, he issued this collection of 21 shanties and sea songs. Included are a couple of familiar tunes ("Blow the Man Down" and "Drunken Sailor"), but most, like the breezy instrumental "Fisherman's Hornpipe" and the droll "All For Me Grog," are from more obscure origins. The recording and artistic direction of the disc come up a little short, but it's Chartier's enthusiasm and capable execution that makes it all work.

RIP, DOUG CARON. Jonathan Carney over at Dauntless Productions wrote in to inform us of the recent passing of Doug Caron. If you were around Providence in the '80s and had a taste for punk rock, you probably knew Doug. As Carney writes: "Originally from Fall River, Doug was the guy that many of us regarded as the heart and soul of the '80s Providence punk scene. As a promoter and founder of Pied Piper Productions, Doug was instrumental in bringing many punk and hardcore acts through, such as Murphy's Law, the Circle Jerks, Dead Kennedys, the Bad Brains, and the Adolescents, to name a few. He staged many great punk rock shows at clubs such as the original Lupo's, the Rocket, and the original AS220, as well as organized loft party events in various spaces such as the legendary Skull Manor at the long-gone Riverside Mill in Olneyville. It's been nearly a decade since Doug left our area and the music biz for a career in the Air Force, but many people I've talked to in recent days recall him selling flowers in a downtown cart and talking up his latest punk extravaganza. Doug had the incredible ability to bring together all of the Rhode Island/ southeastern Massachusetts music scene's factions."

We at the Phoenix hope everyone who remembers Doug will acknowledge his contribution to the music scene here and will help him find his place in the history of Rhode Island rock 'n' roll.

THE INSTITUTE FOR SONIC EVOLUTION. The ISE is a series of high school competitions featuring local rock bands designed to foster and promote the performance of music among the most important of audiences: tomorrow's musician and music fan. Six Rhode Island high schools will host the travelling Institute this spring, and the winners from each competition will appear in a Final Exam to be held in Providence. The band that goes the distance will get $500 for their efforts. In addition, audio from each of the performances will be broadcast on DownCitySignal (www.downcitysignal.com), Rattlehead Records' Web radio station, and be made available in mp3 format for download the next day on our homesite. The following high schools will be participating this spring: Pilgrim (4/12), Woonsocket (4/30), North Kingstown (5/25), East Greenwich (5/10), Cranston West, and Cranston East (5/3). A special open competition will be held in Providence to accommodate high school bands from all of the other schools in the state who elected not to participate. Another important part of the Institute is its Dean, Eric Marzocchi, aka Erik Narwhal of Erik Narwhal and the Manatees. The latest information on the Institute can be found at www.rattleheadrecords.com/ise, or call 738-8647.

WANDERING EYE. Blueblood is busy again this weekend with a show on Friday (the 13th) at the Call with Young Neal & the Vipers. On Saturday, they hit Finally Richard's on Crandall Road in Tiverton. Go to www.bluebloodband.com for more details.

Gordon Bok, a real Maine mariner-type folk singer headlines Stone Soup this weekend. He's a deep-voiced salt of a guy with a flair for storytelling and a grand approach to seafaring folk music. Check it out. Mad Clover opens. Tix are $10.

The Amazing Crowns are looking for a new drummer. Inquiries should be directed to vocalist Jason Kendall at alli@monolyth.com.

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