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Oh boy, Clown Vomit, did you find the right music reviewer or what? You crazy cats either lucked out big time, or you did your homework and discovered my erstwhile fascination with acts such as Steamy Bohemians, Doctor Frog and Irritating Rainbow . Musical jokesters all, mining the precious gold of offbeat, avant-whatever comedy rock, embracing the self-evident truth that poop is funny. And I am such a sucker for this kind of thing. With a penchant for the howl of the theremin and a zealous food fixation, this four-piece band whips up a crazy ...

The King of the Toy Piano has done it again. You know, when Twink released his first CD, most level-headed thinkers said, “this collection of tunes done totally on toy piano is pretty cool, but only as a novelty record – he can’t do it again.” Except that he did. Then he did it again. And, if you can believe it, yet again. Ice Cream Truckin’ is Twink’s FOURTH release, and it’s every bit as delightful, sarcastic and invincible as Bugs Bunny on a bender. If the CD title didn’t clue you into its musical motif, ...

The band that made it cool to wear bolero ties and cowboy hats to Boston rock clubs has released another CD, and Lord have mercy, it just might be their best yet. Against the Grain (Hi-N-Dry) fortifies 3DT's distinctive amalgam of alt-country and Irish drinking songs, but turns up the heat on everything. The energy surging through every track is contagious and after one listen you’ll either want to get drunk or barbecue something. Maybe ride a mechanical bull. “Narrow it Down” is a great opener. It’s a barn dance, an up tempo boot-tappin’ sing-a-long that’s actually ...

Let's review the facts. Haloburn comprises ex-members of hard rockers 7th Rail Crew, Headshot and Indesit. Their debut record (Unspoken) was produced by Jim Foster (Nullset, White). The follow-up release, Ouroboros, boasts cover art by the guy who did the last Korn cover art. Oh yeah, and Haloburn is endorsed by the Pino Bros. Ink guys. So yeah, of course it rocks, that shouldn't be a big surprise. What IS a big surprise is how, through all the face-melting, hard-hitting aggression on Ouroboros, there's actually just as much brain as brawn on these eight tracks. Though it ...

It's impossible to have a discussion about New York-based Demander without bringing up the Yeah Yeah Yeah's, The Breeders or Sleater-Kinney. This female-fronted trio is high energy pop mania anchored by Karen Kanan Correa's velvety-smooth vocals and a kick-ass urgent groove powered by Sivan Harlap's drums. Jared Scott's guitar is relentless, lending an almost proggy dynamic that's surprising in a hard pop trio. Demander takes the best of indie rock attitude and weaves it into harmony, hooks and delectable well-crafted songs about the wicked world. Especially track 3, "Wicked World." Based purely on the instrumentation and vibe ...

“Take me for a ride on your UFO, let me blow your mind with my rock and roll,” sings Jonny Rebel on “Do You Feel In Love.” If it's been awhile since you’ve had your mind blown, then get a copy of White's The Size of Our Souls and crank the freakin’ headphones. What you have here is eleven tracks brilliantly fashioned into a cohesive, progressive hard rock opus. There's no need to deconstruct influences -- these guys lay it all right out there with unabashed tributes to Led Zep, Def Lep, AC/DC and Pink Floyd. Track ...

Mademoiselle's debut EP shines to the heavens with restless, emotional songs of such high gloss it's hard to believe that the entire release, from artwork to final mix, is the product of just one dude, Sam Cabral. The only other credit is New Alliance engineer Nick Zampiello. The stormy vocals are the focal point on these five tracks. Listening to Sam's soulful croon, it seems fitting that he spent a great deal of his childhood on The Azores, a remote island cluster off the Portuguese coast named for an old Portugese word, "azures." As in "the blues." ...

"Just one smile from you is all I need," sings Cat Sutherland (nee Puckett) on "Away," track 5 of Sutra's debut EP. "Away" is a genteel torch song anchored by an undertow of spacey synths and ghostly baritone samples. It's rhythmic and accessible, with a certain sophisticated, dark density that'll no doubt get Sutra compared to bands like Evanescence. It takes more than one listen to absorb all that's going on in these six tracks, especially on "Need" and "Sentinel Horizon," which boast a treasure of underlying studio wizardry. Headphones are Sutra's friends. If the haunting beauty of ...

Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys assert their musical motif right from the opening crash and jangle of track one, "The Negative Heart Society." On this track a tribal drum groove punctuates strangled breathing and an echo-effected throat-tearing vocal repeatedly accusing "You left my heart in pieces!" If the musical clang and boom fail to portend the proper dark angst of this debut CD, then the lyrics certainly leave no doubt -- this is an angry record. Taken as a whole, the 13 track CD is epic poetry exploring the black ...

Technicolor Radio is the debut release from Boston-based duo The Steamy Bohemians (I'm A Kitty Records). On these eleven tracks, Lainey and Niki, cheekily described in a recent press clip as "everyone's favorite dye jobs," employ massive comedic brawn to bring the listener on a raunchy and delightful joyride. File this one next to Steve Martin, Judy Tenuta and Bette Midler circa Mud Will Be Flung Tonight. Musically, the Steamies are purveyors of bouncey tunes sung in the clear high tones of choirgirls, something like twee pop or children's music -- except of ...