Southern Mercy
Cleveland, Tennessee
“Alone”
There’s nothing unique about this southern-fried rocker, but the recording is lo-fi and vicious. Don Wade’s evil rhythm-guitar scratches sound as if they were recorded with a Bowie knife instead of a mic, and his tough, but melodic solos and riffs grab you right around the throat. Mercy, indeed!
myspace.com/southernmercy
Sourtongue
New York, New York
“Katrina”
Prog fans with ADD will adore the myriad movements, rhythmic punches, motifs, and guitar riffs running through this tune. Guitarist Nick Diaz is a musical chameleon who negotiates his cinematic shifts and twists with passion and purpose, and the band ensures there’s never a dull moment throughout your listening experience.
myspace.com/sourtongue
Test Tube Rhino
Buffalo, New York
“Nimicus Namicus”
Multitasking madman Joe Pinnavaia performs in a band with his sister (Cosmic Stepping Stones), as well as in a conventional rock-unit-with-hot-female-vocalist (Breakerbox), but TTR is his project for launching “selfish” guitar madness. Lucky us. His liquid tone, melodic lines, and tendency to break out savage note flurries are delightful.
myspace.com/testtuberhino
Fourin Funksion
Toronto, Ontario
“ANFSCD”
Luckily, GP doesn’t subtract points for “silly names best left in the Top-40 world of matching band suits,” or for songs that wear out their welcome three minutes before their 6:14 finish. If we did, you might miss the balls-out melodicism that propels this fun and very energetic track.
myspace.com/fourinfunksion
Curtis Fornadley
Playa Del Rey, California
“Rollercoaster”
What a dizzying ride! Fornadley barely lifts his foot off the gas throughout his onslaught of licks, riffs, bends, and Beck-isms—and the hyperkinetic vortex is further intensified by bubbling, gurgling loops pulsing under a relentless groove—but, like any good thrill, the adrenalin spike is well worth subjecting your ears to such a maelstrom.
myspace.com/curtisguitar
Krister Karlsson
Sweden
“The Little Italian”
How appropriate that a little Italian review “The Little Italian.” However, Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich beat GP to discovering Karlsson, and I agree with Aldrich’s review that this song has “very cool tones and textures.” It also boasts some very twisted lines, intense shredding, and a sitar melody.
myspace.com/kristerkarlsson
Kermheat Humanchico, France
“Humanchico”
Electronica often gets critically vilified when it’s mixed with guitars, but the relentless dance groove, synth and guitar noises, and burning, off-kilter licks on “Humanchico” kick ass in all kinds of ways. There’s weird stuff here, for sure, but Kermheat mixes the electronica bits with truly exciting melodic and tonal arrangements.
myspace.com/kermheat
Mark Cook
Woodstock, Georgia
“Blue Voodoo”
Although there are obvious Hendrix and SRV echoes in Cook’s work, his potpourri of other influences (Randy Rhoads, Al DiMeola, etc.) bring enough firepower to keep this otherwise standard rock-blues track surprising. In addition, his confidence, tone, phrasing, and wah moves produce many goosebump moments. Rock on!
myspace.com/markcookguitar