Features Indie Noise
Two bands put their own spin on over-done styles
Turn on the radio and you're bound to hear song after song, each one sounding the same. It's becoming rare these days to hear something different from someone new.
The Blackout
It's a blackout. Scratch that. It's The Blackout. The rock sextet is out on the road with the Sleep All Day, Party All 
Night Tour and we're sure there's a good deal of partying going on
They Are the Messer
The music you can wear on a USB flash-drive bracelet. Or you can pop it into your CD player. Or download it *free* and rock out anywhere you take your iPod.
Get Naked
We’re not sure what Naked Beggars are begging for exactly, but we know its not a desperate plea for fans. Their music simply drives fans to them with little effort. Take a stroll over to their Myspace page and prove it to yourself.
We’ve been listening to Naked Beggars since the middle of this last summer and we love them. We can’t exactly put a finger on what it is about Naked Beggars that makes them 
unique but we know they are. We’ve never heard anything like Naked Beggars’ tunes before and we’re wondering why their still hiding out in the land of independent labels. Sure, the folks at SMA Records (an independent label) has recognized the talent of this quartet, but we’re quite frankly shocked that none of the big league-ers have grabbed onto Naked Beggars. Allow us to break it down for you:
Kris Casamento plays all the guitars. Electric, acoustic, lead and rhyhtm. And yet its a big sound. He runs all over the tracks with perfect tone and great style. This is one guitarist who knows his fretboard and is not afraid to show it. But that doesn’t mean he breaks into a shredfest every chance he gets. No, no. Casamento manages to stand out while just being part of the mix. No easy task and yet heartily accomplished. Dig his solo on “Can’t Breathe.” It sounds as if it was just ripped from a classic rock radio station but I guarantee, you’ve never heard a song like a Naked Beggars’ song before.
Then add Eric Brittingham’s perfectly timed bass lines. Nothing flashy but wihout Eric’s groove we’re certain that Naked Beggars would be a little more naked. The songs are all tight and we credit that to the teamwork of Brittingham and his rhyhtm section counterpart, Lisa Rav who pulls it together with drums. Take a listen to “Get it On,” “Spit it Out,” and “Go Where You’re Wanted” and you’ll see how important the rhyhtm section is to this band. We’ve been wondering what would happen if either Rav or Brittingham were not part of the Naked Beggars lineup and we’ve decided that their songs would be far less driving and well, grooving. Yes, there is a groove to these songs like none we’ve heard in recent years.
We keep saying we’ve heard nothing like Naked Beggars before (or at least recently) and what really seals the deal on that assessment is the unique and powerful vocal work of lead singer Inga Brittingham. In an effort to describe just how incredible Inga’s vocals we’ve come up empty. The closest we can come is to ask that you think about the backing vocals from a Rolling Stones’ live show and put all those voices into one person. All we can say is WOW.
Give Us A Kiss
By Laura Robida
If you thought that only the East and West coasts were where the good music came from then think again. You know,
Nashville, Tenn isn’t just home to country music. This city where the music doesn’t stop is also home to alternative/pop rock band Kissing Robots.
We’ve been listening to the tracks from their EP “Misery” and it all sounds very familiar and retro-poprock in a way that we can’t quite put our finger on. Take a listen to their tracks “Misery” and “Little Miss Presley” and we’re sure you’ll understand what we mean.
Their songs are hook-laden and remind us a bit of The Pink Spiders. The guitar riffs are essential and subtle at once and create this interesting and mildly complex sounding progressions. Top that off with the lead vocals provided by Johnny K and you’ve got an interesting sound that just doesn’t want to quit.
There’s nothing about Kissing Robots that tips off the band’s Nashville roots and we have a feeling they like it that way. Being in the heart of country music is just part of a series of unfortunate events.
If you dig The Killers you’ll like Kissing Robots. If you like The Pink Spiders, you’re gonna like Kissing Robots. Pay attention to “Cowboy Killers” and “Surrender” and we promise you’ll be a fan.
Page 3 of 3
