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Jesse Wagner – Happy Wags

June 23, 2014

Jesse Wagner - Happy WagsFans of the Aggrolites over the years have come to adore the band and their live performances, mixing their unique Dirty Reggae sound with versions of timeless Jamaican classics.

But one song always stood out at live shows, the E.K. Bunch sing- along “Banana”. With the real meaning of the song Banana still drawing a few chuckles years later, it still remains a wildly popular song to sing to live. Adapted for the bands 2007 appearance on the hit television show ‘Yo Gabba Gabba!’the classic- turned kids song, has no doubt help parents years later in teaching their children the importance and fun in eating healthy fruits.

Taking it one step beyond,talented front man Jesse Wagner has brought his guitar with him and written “Happy Wags”a whimsical journey through key childhood life lessons. As some parents, new and old, have come to find out, the library for children’ s music is painfully mundane,and all too annoying. And heavens help you if your child finds him or herself among The Wiggles faithful. Enter Happy Wags,a wonderfully crafted 9-track album that destroys all previous notions of what children’s album should or could be.

Harnessing his own roots and influences, Happy Wags touches on several different musical styles from your Ska/ Reggae infused tracks like ‘Use Your Words’and ‘Pee- Pee In The Potty’to 80’s R&B and country folk style songs. Parents and children will no doubt enjoy Jesse Wagner and his powerfully soothing vocal style, as he stresses the importance of the little things children must learn and some adults have seem to have forgotten over the years, like Pee-Peeing in the Potty (instead of around it) as made painfully clear by venuebathrooms across the U.S.

‘Happy Wags’ offers a wide array to the developing child mind,from a innocent yet catchy animal sound sing-a-long in “The Lion The Snake & the Monkey”leaving Old McDonald and his wimpy barn, showing kids the fun and wonder of the jungle as they hiss and roar to the Harry Belafonte style tune.Even incorporating a Ramones style punk tune kids will jump and spin to as they learn to play with one another, even provoking the punker turned parents out there to throw on some old leathers and join them.With old friend and fellow Aggrolite, Jeff Rofredo, jumping in on the fun, there is even a bass happy rock-a-Billy style song about chewing, and taking your baths.

Aside from the valuable learning lessons for children that Happy Wags offers, the clear upside to this album is the replay value for the parents! Its precisely crafted and engineered to satiate the parents musical palate as well, your little bundle of energy may not yet be familiar with Traditional Ska, Reggae, Rock-A-Billy or Soul but you are,and that goes along way as you will find yourself singing along with your pride and joy, and only further deepening the pivotal parent child bond.

Jesse Wagner knocks it out of the park with this album and may prove a key-learning tool in your child’s progression and devolvement.And most likely will end up in your music library as well. The album is slated for release on June 10t h through Asian Man and Fun Fun Records. Do yourself and your kids a favor and be sure to snag a copy.

 

-Gio Van Dam-
Big Wheel Contributor
 

 

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Roger Rivas – Autumn Breeze

October 14, 2013

Roger Rivas - Autumn Breeze"Autumn Breeze" is the sophomore release from Rivas Records following up the intensely popular ‘Sabor A Mi/First Attack’ 45rpm release which has found its way into heavy rotation amongst Dancehall Dj’s near and far. And by all indications this 7 track gem will be siting in the “Choice” crates along side it very soon, Roger Rivas known for his sheer mastery of the organ keys displays much more of the same on Autumn Breeze along with wonderful composition and song progression.

Autumn Breeze is caked from beginning to end with Melodica making this Album a true favorite for Roots aficionado. The album flows as its name implies: Cool and refreshing yet stiff enough to keep you on your toes ‘Autumn Breeze’ ‘Cold Damage’ & ‘Lazy Lover’ provide a wonderful balance to the organ fury seen on other tracks: ‘Brown Star Line’ ‘Heavier Rock’ and my favorite ‘The Hawk’. Featuring original Roots Radics Drummer and Noe Santana from Los Bullets combine to make refreshingly new breeze to brush against the reggae lover’s ears.

“The inspiration comes from the 70’s Jackie Mittoo Sound. I love many eras of Jamaican music so I am just drawing in from my influences. In this case Jackie, Augustus Pablo, Winston Wright and also Roots Radics. In a world where everyone is putting out Rocksteady right now I wanted to touch on a time period that is not really getting touched on right now. Jackie Mittoo was a genius all the way through his career, from ‘Evening Time to ‘Macka Fat’, there is pure Jackie flavor and progression. From Rocksteady to Roots Reggae, Jackie knows what to play. I think I am just kind of naturally following in my hero’s footsteps. I get it! I see where Senor Mittoo is coming from. No one will ever be as great as the originals. Its fun to try” –Roger Rivas

 

 

-Gio Van Dam-
Big Wheel Contributor
 

 

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Dirty Kid Discount – A life Amongst The Ruins

August 21, 2013

Dirty Kid Discount - A life Amongst The RuinsI had heard the name Dirty Kid Discount a number of times over the past year or so but I was first exposed to their music at Punk Rock Bowling a few months ago in Las Vegas where they not only played a packed out show but played on the street for hours at a time and gathered quite a lot of attention from me and other passer byes.

 

Their sound is Punk enough for Punkers and folky enough for folkers with elements of crust and a lot of melody. There are quite a few members in Portland Oregon's Dirty Kid Discount and they all come equipped with many instruments including a washboard, accordion, banjo and my favorite a saw. That's right, A saw, and not only that there's lots of gang vocals and even more catchy dark singalongs that will leave you wishing you started a camp fire and brought your spoons.

After seeing them in Las Vegas, I got in touch with Jay Crash (Screamer, Bass) through a mutual friend and asked him when the record was due out, to my surprise and luck I got the pleasure of hearing it early and had to write a review.

The album is called “A Life Amongst The Ruins” and it's coming out in september through Smelvis Records, Smelvis Records if you haven't heard of it is a label ran by the awesome and talented Elvis Cortez who is responsible for one of Hellcat Record's finest bands Left Alone and who now plays guitar for Transplants. He's a super rad dude and it's no surprise he saw something special in this group because I know I do, and I'm sure you will once you hear this super awesome album.

“A Life Amongst Ruins” is super rad from start to finish, it clocks in at around a half an hour and once it's done you'll want to press play again. The songs are deep and dark and very well written. I really like the collection of voices and sounds and the way these guys incorporate accordions through just about all their songs, every member is really good and every song is very memorable.

I struggled for a few days trying to capture the sound of this record in words, it's difficult because I honestly haven't heard anything quite like it, some tracks remind me of Leftover Crack, while others remind me of Mischief Brew, some parts are slow and drawn out while other parts are fast and sing along, it's like being on a Punk rock haunted hayride, creepy but good creepy, if that makes any sense. The song titles and lyrics are dark and intelligent, and their artwork is awesome, I can't wait to have this record in my collection and see this band get bigger.

Dirty Kid Discount are touring September 12th-October 21st and October 30th-November 1st, so make sure to hit their facebook page and check their dates out, they also have a site on Reverb Nation and a bandcamp.

 

 

-Brian McCann Jr-
Big Wheel Contributor
 

 

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Dave Hillyard – Dave Hillyard Presents California

July 7, 2013

Dave Hillyard - Dave Hillyard Presents California"Dave Hillyard Presents: California" is simply brilliant in every sense of the word. It cant be overstated the amount of sheer quality and mastery dripping from this album from beginning to end. 

From start to finish this twelve-track gem offers so much, touching on the many styles and influences fans of Dave Hillyard have come to love. From the first song “Wont Back Down” we are introduced to just a few of the stellar cameo’s “California” has to offer with Jesse Wagner (Aggrolites) Greg Narvas (Hepcat) Chiquis Lazoya (Expanders) and Vic Ruggiero (The Slackers) to only name a few.

Quickly followed by “Guilty” and the twin vocal dominance of Greg Lee & Alex Desert (Hepcat) I found myself resisting all urges to get up and start dancing, it was that overpowering. The same could be said for the entire album from a wonderfully soothing jazz style “interlude #2” to “Tenderly” featuring the stunning Violin work of Regina Sadowski. Dave Hillyard’s hard work and fingerprints are all over “California” at times up front and center and at other times laying back, but his infectious saxophone mastery and song writing is always present. Even amongst some of the finest artists the ear cant help but seek out Dave doing what he does best.

This album must be listened to in its entirety to grasp the scope of its perfection and representation of what some of the best from the west coast to the east have offered for years. Please do yourself a favor and purchase this masterpiece and count tracks like “Fortunate One” featuring Devin Morrison and Chiquis Lazoya (The Expanders) and the haunting yet beautiful tune “Baby Smile” amongst your personal prized collection, featuring Sean Wheeler and Regina Sadowski.

The replay value of “California” is off the charts, and any serious music lover with an ear for quality musicianship can clearly see this is more than a collection of amazing artists, it’s a culmination of years of passion and dedication masterfully conceived and executed to the highest degree. Find this gem at DaveHillyard.com and follow him on Twitter @Daveslackers1.

The album can be bought via download HERE

 

 

-Gio Van Dam-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter
 

 

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The Pullmen – The Western Score

June 16, 2013

When I was first handed The Pullmen’s EP “The Western Score” to review I was skeptical at best about how a band could successfully convey a western thrash musical vibe to someone listening to their band.

And what I found when first listening to the band took my misguided skepticism and threw out a metaphorical window of a thirty story building never to be seen or heard from again.

This album is a must have for anyone that is into Thrash, and Western music. The fourth track of the EP entitled “Mourning Song” lyrically speaks of man that has learned a lesson about how in life hind sight is truly 20/20; conveying that message with a musical delivery reminiscent of “Against Me!” with a dash of “Johnny Cash” thrown in for a melodic kick, all the while, taking that aforementioned sound to a whole new level.

The Pullmen are currently working on a new EP that is being released later this year. Until then catch out on their musical history and check out “The Western Score.” The EP can be found HERE

 

-Ryan R.-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter
 

 

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Lenny Lashley’s Gang of One – Illuminator

June 12, 2013

Lenny Lashley's Gang of One - IlluminatorIn some ways, reviewing a great album is much easier than reviewing an average or, god forbid, a bad one. You just spill out all the things you like about it, and that's that. But sometimes an album is so good it grabs you, holds you spellbound and immobile until it is finished with you. And then you hit the play button again. You want to tell everyone about this album, so that you can talk about it with them, so you can see that experience play over their faces, but you are trapped.
 

Lenny Lashley's new album, Illuminator, is one of these. 

Ten new songs from the former Darkbuster frontman are scheduled for release June 25th, though the album is also streaming online and available for pre-order already. Illuminator kicks off riotously energetic, as a good Punk album should, with the defiant "Kingston", and the snarlingly nostalgic "Hooligans". The album runs a gamut of styles, however, transitioning into an acoustic stretch before closing out with the furious "Re-Covering". 

The honesty in this album is at times almost painful, like the reflections of a broken relationship in "Happily", but the songs evoke sadness with understanding and courage instead of wallowing in self pity, and the pace of the album brings you through the sad parts and back to energy and hope. Musically and lyrically this is a very eloquent album, sure to reveal a new little sneaky twist even on the hundredth listen.

 

You can hear the album yourself HERE

Then when you're ready to buy a copy, hurry HERE to Pirates Press, as the two color vinyls are already sold out, and you'd hate to miss this

 

-Jo Problems-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter
 

 

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