From The In-Box

Two thirds of the year are over and when I look out of the window I feel like the autumn is close to us. Weather forecast tell us that it isn't this way and Indian summer is coming soon. But the bad weather makes me able to check the incoming music from last week. And something really good music arrived.

Black Eskimo is a NYC based band and published some downtempo electronic songs. Ingrid Chavez writes the lyrics to the songs composed and produced by Marco Valentine. Most songs rhythm is reduced to the minimum and Ingrid sings (or may I say talk?) her lyrics to. These songs do not let go you any more because they are familiar to you in a way at all. Listening several times to them I find some influences from early Prince and David Silvain - not a too bad choice I think.

Black Eskimo - Beautiful
Black Eskimo - My Love's A 45

Let me introduce the next band in their own words:

In an East London (England) gutter, something deep, primal and most definitely weird is stirring.

The Boy From The Crowd Cocktail: take a pinch of Delta blues, mix with some edgy surf rock, shake (don’t stir) with a hefty dose of punk attitude and some good old-fashioned rock n roll swagger. Infuse with tension, blend with menace and you're starting to get a flavour of the rich and potent firewater served up by The Boy From The Crowd. 

And indeed - it's an incredible mix: Taking some blues themes, adding some new sounds and a mean guitar. It's quiet the way The White Stripes has done before. Worth to listen to.

The Boy From The Crowd - Revilator

Newcastle upon Tyne gave us The Pete Rea Band playing classic rock. And what's bad in classic rock? Nothing if it's played in this way. Most of the songs based on a simple blues pattern but played with so much soul, style and verve. He plays a fantastic blues guitar and listening to it you know his inspirations. It sounds like this old British guitar heroes from the 60s like Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck or Peter Green. All the songs are heavy riffing with great vocal harmonies, guitar solos and sometimes with beautiful sax works.

The Pete Rea Band -  Gun To My Head

The Pete Rea Band -  I'm The Angel

The Pete Rea Band -  Line of Fools

Seems like Hippies never die - and it's good that someone keeps the tradition alive. The music is based in the tradition of Folk-Rock with heavy influence of the main leading bands of the psychedelic era. I like this song not only because it brings back some memories. No it's just a good song, well arranged, played and added with a fantastic horn part.

Jon Clark - Mr. Fix-It Man