From garage rock to country twang, local bands make good on new CDs
Attention often goes to the big-name CDs that flood the spring/summer market, but some of Boston's best club bands are also pumping out the fruit of their labors. An impressive number of local CDs are deserving of praise:
Lost City Angels, ''Broken World," Universal Records. Boston has some hard-edged bands -- think Scissorfight and Cracktorch -- but it's rare to see a high-decibel band put together a better album than this. Raging riff rock drives the song ''Pretty War" (with singer Ron Ragona bellowing, ''I put aside my hopes and dreams so I can survive"), while punky acceleration dominates ''Final Wish," and a blast of hard-core lifts ''Tonight's the Night." Enhanced by gang-shouted choruses, this album is a ferocious statement that still finds hope in the apocalypse.
The Downbeat 5, ''Victory Motel," Hi-N-Dry. This is in the running for local garage-rock album of the year. Singer Jennifer D'Angora is like a primal Joan Jett with a punky touch of Patti Smith and the Ramones. Guitarist JJ Rassler is known for his heyday with punkers DMZ, but this band represents a tremendous revival of spirit for him. The original songs are strong, but so are the cover tunes as the band dives into the Animals's ''Outcast" and two Barry/Greenwich songs, ''Out in the Streets" and a juiced-up ''Dum Dum Ditty." Sheer adrenaline drives this CD.
Sticky, ''All Kindsa Worry," Stickymusic.net. All three members of Sticky -- Jeremy Curtis, Michael Press, and Jonas Kahn -- switch off on multiple instruments and forge an ever-shifting sound that never fails to engage. They move from pulsating garage-rock with big, barking guitar chords to artful, Neil Young-ish folk-rock. There's plenty of romantic angst in songs such as ''He Got You" and ''Lupita," but the core of this album is just plain and simple rock 'n' roll.
The Heygoods, ''Fleetwood Skynyrd," Hi-N-Dry. The title of this album carries a change-of-pace cool -- and so does the music. Fronted by David Champagne (formerly of Treat Her Right) and his wife, Katie, the Heygoods dish lovable country twang and sound like a sassy, meat-eating version of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. And you've got to appreciate lines like ''wish I was at the movies eating popcorn," ''all I want is a good night's sleep," and ''I miss my dog, I miss him bad." Light, upbeat, and deliciously intoxicating.
Ronnie Earl and Duke Robillard, ''The Duke Meets the Earl," Stony Plain. These blues-guitar heroes should need no introduction. They both played in Roomful of Blues and have gigged with fellow axmen for years (most notably a collaboration last year between Robillard and Jay Geils). This new disc features alternately smooth and stinging guitar duels, with Earl leaning to the more passionate side and Robillard ever the blues-jazz scholar. It feels like a friendly jam between old friends and is buttressed by guest singer Sam McClain and organist Jimmy McGriff.
Coots, ''Pray for Rain," Hi-N-Dry. The evolution of Coots singer Jimmy Fitting has been a joy to watch. He once played in Treat Her Right and was a beloved harmonica player who even drew raves from Bonnie Raitt. He can still belt the blues, but he expands nicely on this new disc into the Stonesy boogie of ''Black Crow," the irreverent ''Modern Genius Techno Girl," and the hypnotic, Grateful Dead-like ''Spacewalkin,' " with its line, ''I got no obligation, I'm free as air." The playing of keyboardist Evan Harriman and drummer Jerome Deupree is also sublime.
Tom West, ''Mixology," tomwestmusic.com. West has been one of Boston's top keyboardists for years. He tries out a Bruce Hornsby-like style on this record, singing over a jazz-pop framework, though his vocals are somewhat tentative and undermiked. He comes to life on the instrumental passages, laying down some hot jazz swing with sax bursts added by popular horn man Gordon Beadle. But the most lasting tune is ''Kilimanjaro," a stately New Age-y number with lap steel affixed beautifully by Kevin Barry.
Club snapshots:
Blanche at T.T. the Bear's: This Detroit group has been praised as medicine-show revivalists, but the fun was at a minimum at T.T.'s. Stiff and underwhelming, Blanche cleared half the room out. Singer Dan Miller has potential, but the band's often yawning mix of country-rock has been done better by countless other acts.
EJ Ouellette & Crazy Maggy at the Plough & Stars: Ouellette is a Celtic fiddle master, but he has also pushed this group in exciting new directions. Dips into Jean Luc Ponty-style jazz and Celtic/world-beat fusion are some of the offshoots of this powerful instrumental band, which plays with precision and passion.
Bits and pieces: The Plough & Stars has regained its 1 a.m. entertainment license. . . . Eels are at Somerville Theatre June 29. . . . Frank Black, the frontman for the Pixies, releases a solo album, ''Honeycomb," July 19. . . . Tonight: Rose Polenzani is at the Lizard Lounge, Monster Mike Welch at the Sea Note in Hull, Lynyrd Skynyrd rocks the Cape Cod Melody Tent, Lori McKenna brings her class to the Bull Run in Shirley. . . . Tomorrow: The Friends of Harmony concert features gospel stars Israel Houghton and Freda Battle at the 
