Four play

A sharp quartet of new releases

by Bob Gulla

Here's another collection of local reviews. The scene continues to produce remarkably strong and diverse work -- and there seems to be a lot less grumbling about the health of the local music scene. Could it be that we're ratcheting up the irie vibes and feeling the, uh, winds of change a-blowin'?

The Time Is Now: The 1 of 52 Artist Hunger Network Compilation (CD, members.aol.com/hungerzero)

Roughly one in five children in America suffer from some type of hunger and/or poverty. So the folks over at the 1 of 52 Artist Hunger Network have decided to put their money where its collective mouth is by releasing a benefit CD featuring 16 local artists. Well, I'm pleased to report that not only is this a well-intentioned disc, it's also a fabulously entertaining one that is overwhelmingly worth every cent spent on it. Beginning with the Greg Brown soundalike Ed McGuirl ("White Shirts/Hungry Children"), it traverses through talent like the angelic voiced Lindsay Amore ("I Don't Mean to Be Rude"), the harmonic wonder of Nathanael's Creed ("A Fine Line"), the prototypical singer-songwriter Leo Tremblay ("The Line"), the Dylan-inspired Michael Troy ("Butterfly"), and Bill Pere's dramatic "The Wish." You'll also find great tracks by local heroes John Fuzek, Folks Together, Blackfoot Yankee, and John Cafferty. To top it all off, check out the Pete Seeger contribution, "A Little of This and That." This is an impeccably assembled collection, a vibrant mix of roots, folk, and rock, without a weak link in its track listing.

Powerhouse: Breakin' Out (CD, almontiblues.com)

As they state in the opening line of their press release that accompanies this album, "Powerhouse was formed with one goal in mind -- to groove." And so they do on their debut demo, Breakin Out. The band is made up of seasoned musicians who have over the years peppered the Rhode Island blues scene, including widely recorded frontman Gary Lait Cummings, James Montgomery alum Al Monti on guitar, Ken Lyon grad Bruce Thomas on bass, and up and coming blues drummer Chad Sousa. Together, Powerhouse gels in that SRV, Albert King sort of bag, bridging blues and rock in the way only Rhode Island-based musicians can. Throw in a passel of R&B spice, a little boogie and a lot of swing, and you have a pretty entertaining package. Lait's previous outfit, the doo-wopping Pink Tuxedos, add their vocal harmonies to "I Want You Back," while Roomful's Thom Enright joins on a few tracks, including the bluesy acoustic "If You Want Me." Elsewhere, songs like the sly, Willie Dixon inspired gem "No End In Sight," the sweet slow blues of "Best Since I Was Born," and the closing honky-tonker "Breakin' Out" serve to make Powerhouse an auspicious debut indeed.

Room W/A View: Tolerance (CD, www.rwavmusic.com)

A short, sweet and potent debut from Room W/A View, the four songs included here give a pretty solid indication that RWAV is a heartfelt, dedicated, cohesive and talented quintet. Led by Ian and Paul on guitars and Lenny on vocals, and supported by drummer Pat and bassist Shane (sorry, no last names), the nearby Massachusetts hard rockers' sound starts with Pearl Jam and Live, circles around Jeff Buckley (in Lenny's voice), and touches on heavier rock like Metallica and Mötorhead. The four songs -- "Tolerance," "1/2 Full," "Black Eye," and "Sound" -- all work equally well, each adhering to the same melodic contours and having the same melodic dynamics. At full-length, the band might have to reach out a bit more. But with a straight-ahead four- song effort -- it's almost like an extended single -- the result is powerful.

Dave Parent: Harking (CD)

Harking is an earnest work by a new young local musician named Dave Parent. Seemingly influenced by the likes of Syd Barrett on the acoustic side and early Buffalo Tom on the electric stuff, Parent is, of course, not as accomplished or as melodic as his antecedents. But he does make up what he lacks in melodic proficiency with adequate energy and a tireless dynamic. Recorded, mixed, and edited at Parent's home on a four-track and a Macintosh, Harking doesn't have the kind of fidelity you'd like to hear, (the guitar is poorly recorded). But Parent's playing is reasonably good, especially on songs like the title track, on which he sounds like a combination of J. Mascis and Bob Mould though without the over the top decibels and sublime distortion. Parent has some work to do as a lyricist -- his expressions are a little inscrutable at times -- but he occasionally hits the jackpot with lines like "Will someone want to walk again and again and stand by me when I'm not noticing?" from "Radio's Biggest Killjoy."

WANDERING EYE. The 3rd Annual Jazz and More Sunset Concert goes down Tuesday, July 24 at the Newport Regatta Club on Goat Island. The bill, which runs from 7 p.m. to midnight, is headlined by the lovely and talented Rebecca Parris, also features John Allmark, Johh Harrison, Richard Haddock, Clay Osborne, Mary and Bill Andrews, Tish Adams, Matthew Quinn, and more. The evening of free food/cash bar benefits the HOPE Center for Cancer Support and Rite of Passage Cancer Project. Tickets are $35; call 885-4655.

E-mail with music news at b_gulla@yahoo.com.