In today’s convoluted rock scene, it seems that either artists attempt a throwback sound influenced by the classics (Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan) or they dive into the uncharted waters of music that will turn into the genres of tomorrow (Animal Collective.) In both cases, not many can pull it off (Black Lips) and even fewer can pull it off well (Black Keys.) The Deep Vibration is no exception to that rule; they’re a bluesy four-piece rock band searching for that elusive throwback sound. It’s obvious that these guys are influenced by the classics, however they seems to achieve their sound without coming across as trying too hard or simply imitating (Panic At The Disco) in their new release “Veracruz.”

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Rather than do the typical promotional rodeo, Daryl Hall and John Oates appeared on “The Daily Show” of all places, delivering a soulful tribute to liberal pundit/sock puppet Alan Colmes. Playfully dubbing the words to their hit “She’s Gone” for “He’s Gone” and gamely delivering it in person was a smooth bit of self-deprecation, right up there with Billy Idol crooning about the tax code on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”

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The Mothership has landed. The concert DVD of the Parliament Funkadelic’s Halloween 1976 performance at the Houston Summit is a stimulating, extravagant production. Working liberally with a mastered style of funk music specific to their burgeoning style - under the leadership of George Clinton, with horn sections and synthesizers alongside a marriage of jazz and rock n’ roll - Parliament Funkadelic set themselves apart from conventional middle-of-the-road genres, and ended up taking the party to the next level.

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Cash Cash’s EP channels everything poptastic - from the most recent products off of the Disney conveyor-belt, *NSYNC, and perhaps even High School Musical. The only thing keeping them off the Disney shelves is a lack of excessive promotion and squeaky-cleanness - and for most music fans these days, that can be a huge drawing-in factor.

If you were one of the many teeny-boppers circa 1998, listening to Cash Cash can be nostalgic and yet innovative. I have to give them credit for not laying it on too thick and becoming sticky-sweet. But it’s not as if they’d really have to: by sporting an approachable  ”look at me, I’m cute” style, they could have easily drawn in pre-teens by the thousands - but it’s a bonus in that what they offer doesn’t have a height limit.

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It was a dark and chilly night as the select few who won our Garden Party giveaway and friends of the band gathered together in Hollywood last Saturday, December 13th. EXITMUSIC (all one word) performed at a super secret locale, and no amount of money or strategically-worded Googling would get you an address to the where-and-when. The only way in to this uniquely intimate performance was through sheer assertiveness.

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The release of a compilation by The Smiths is nothing new, which most likely means that once again many fans will be fostering the idea of the band’s reunion. It would be advised that no one should hold their breath at the notion; still, The Smiths are a fine example at how hitting the figurative jackpot doesn’t equal to complete and outright commercial success. Who would have known that actually wielding talent at a receptive audience might have resulted in a lasting impression?

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When Danger Radio made it to the stage at The Knitting Factory to set up equipment, screaming girls elbowed and inched their way through the mosh pit to shout a name or stretch out an arm in hopes of touching the band. When singer Andrew De Torres made his entrance, the female throng went wild, and their first song, the classic pop “Party Foul” started the party.

Danger Radio is made up by: De Torres, Andy Brookins, Elan Wright, and Nico Hartikainen. Together they put on a well-polished and accomplished set. The band released their debut album, “Used and Abused,”  in July of this year and they’ve been on tour for much of the year.

Check out photos of the show below…

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For his first solo compilation, Limbs and Branches, Switchfoot front man Jon Foreman abandons his electric guitar in favor acoustic-driven ballads that you might hear at a Coldplay concert.

Limbs and Branches, released Oct. 28, features a selection of songs, plus two new tracks, from four EPs (Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer) that Foreman released earlier this fall.

Foreman’s lyrics are sincere on nostalgic songs like “Southbound Train” and “Broken From the Start,” but other songs seem cheaply constructed, pulling quotes directly from the Bible with one or two words altered. Foreman risks coming off as corny to the average listener in the opening song,”Your Love is Strong,” which is peppered with lines pulled from The Lord’s Prayer.

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Note: There is a photo gallery at the end of this post.

Last Saturday, December 6th, the newly re-opened Hollywood Palladium housed a sold out show for Slightly Stoopid, Bad Brains, and The Expendables. The show started around 8 with a performance by The Expendables, a surf rock band from Santa Cruz, California. Their set was relaxing but upbeat, as the smoke above the crowd suggested, but the guitar riffs and the strums of the bass kept everyone on their feet as they crowded around the stage to watch.

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