99 Moon

By Bruce Elliot

After a nearly three year eclipse, the band 99 Moon is once again on the rise in the skies over Worcester. In 2008, the precocious one year old band had just begun to walk, when original guitarist Mike Zebal moved to California, ending (or so they thought) their journey. But then original members Scott Percival and Joey Da Silva began jamming last spring. “We really had no intention of bringing back 99 Moon. But after a few practices and a hard push from our close friend… 99 Moon was back, and absolutely stronger than ever,” says Percival.

This high-energy four-piece features rugged lead vocalist Percival, guitarist Keith McLinden, bassist Joey Da Silva, and new drummer Joe Robillard. Whereas the band’s immediate goals include the completion of their recording, it’s in a live setting where this Moon shines brightest. Songs which may begin as polite, eco-friendly four chord progressions quickly morph into smoke-spewing, run-away locomotive jams, as combustible crowd energy feeds the band’s furnace. Percival’s bluesy hollow-body riffs and warm tone contrast McLinden’s piercing Gibson SG slide. It’s Pearl Jam meets The Allman Brothers, as 99 Moon spreads jams that are smoother than Smucker’s and twice as sweet.

Proving that they’re far more than a jam band, Percival’s emotional lyrics add depth on songs like “DiViDeD,” a track about about sexuality, suicide, and finding yourself:  “To see the air you breathe, was it worth your time or did you waste it all on tomorrow?” Other songs like “Hypocrisy” and “Monkey” explore militarism and the duplicity of organized religion. Percival explains, “If something moves me, good or bad, I’ll write about it. I have a stutter. I have spent 30 years not being able to say exactly what I want, when I want…Singing I don’t stutter. It feels so good to say what I feel.”

Percival has definitely found his voice. Check 99  Moon out @ facebook.com/99moon  or catch them live at the Lucky Dog on 1/13/11.

Ball ‘n’ Chain’s Sands of Time

By Jennifer Russo

I open the CD and look at the inside cover.  Inside I see a variety of photos displayed  in a classic collage style.  There are photos from the 80s, made obvious with their bigger than life hair, aviators and leather.  There are photos from today with more subdued blue jeans, tanks and a little less eyeliner.

My first thought is to admire the fact that these guys have been around that long and are still releasing new music.  I pop the disc into my computer and honestly have no idea what to expect.  Immediately I am taken back to my childhood, remembering the first time I ever heard Gene Simmons’ voice on the airwaves or saw Brett Michaels on MTV. Throughout the ten song album, I find myself searching for something I can’t quite pin-point.  It drives me crazy for a while. Then it dawns on me ~ I’m looking for an answer to the question of how these guys have managed to create an album so unmistakably throw-back and at the same time make it completely relevant. It’s blatantly reminiscent and yet not in any way dated.  How is that even possible?

Wailing vocals, catchy lead riffs, ethereal keys and a solid and uncomplicated beat ~ everything that made 80s rock what it was…Ball ‘n’ Chain has figured out how to take these elements and spotlight the timelessness of a sound that should never be forsaken.  I found the ballads soulful, with gorgeous harmonies and nice technicality on the guitar solos.  The heavier rock anthem tunes with beckoning lyrics and power chords make it impossible to stay still.  B ‘n’ C take authentic rock and make it current, bringing to the table years of experience and a desire to embellish the tried and true ~ which is exactly what they’ve done, with great results.

Visit  www.joeblack.com or listen to them on-line at www.reverbnation.com.ballnchainband.

Shane Hall

By Tine Roycroft

When we last left our hero Shane Hall, he was leaping over musical genres in a single bound, changing performance costumes in phone booths, and rescuing the world from boredom and malaise. Thankfully, in 2012, his magical journey will continue; Hall’s psychedelic folk rock band, The Ticklebomb Orchestra, is set to release its debut album in May.

“There’s going to be a lot of our songs that we’ve been playing live and some that people haven’t heard yet,” reveals Hall. “’Trickster,’ which is an audience favorite, is on there and also we’re going to have Keri Anderson from Sugar and the Cane Breakers singing with me.”

While mere mortals are planning their New Year’s resolutions, Hall is dusting off his cape and reflecting on 2011 with pride. Apart from working on Ticklebomb, he performed in many solo shows to hone his craft. He was part of the the hip hop tour “Break a Branch Off the Crazy Tree and Beat Your D*ck to Death With It” with local rapper HW and Jesse Dangerously from Canada, and that took him down to the amazing SXSW festival. At the festival, Hall played with acts like B.Dolan, Astronautalist, and Awol One.

Back on the East Coast, Hall recently played shows with MC Frontalot and Adam WarRock ~ two well-known “nerdcore” MCs. According to Hall, Nerdcore is a subgenre of music that has music with content geared towards nerds.

“While I’m not necessarily a ‘nerdcore’ artist, the folks I recorded the album with are. And I love ‘Star Trek’ a lot,” Hall admits.

And what will happen to our music hero in next year’s episode?

“I’ll be writing a ton of music,” he predicts without missing a beat. “Playing a ton with the Ticklebomb Orchestra when the album drops and continuing all of the rap shows that I’ve been doing. Hopefully put out a rap album.”

For more info, go to www.ticklebomborchestra.com.

Beneath the Sheets

By Katey Khaos

Proudly hailing from Central MA, Beneath the Sheets is Evan Gillis, Jeff Ferro, Austin Bryant, Albie Landry, Myke Valley, who, according to the guys, “…was just your average band of college rageaholics when a toxic spill made them grow at an unbelievable rate and gain special abilities…”  Oh boy.

Their sound fuses various genres of music including rock, hip-hop and dance to create what they like to call “soul punk.” Personally, I had never heard anything like it, and it’s next to impossible to describe it without having an MP3 player on hand.

Since the band formed in 2006, BTS’s music has been featured on MTV, VH1 and E! Entertainment reality shows ~ not too shabby!

BTS has also played some awesome venues, including the 1200 seat Wilbur Theater back in December. What are some quirky things BTS does before they hit the stage? “We start every show with a ritualistic huddle, consisting of praise to the hip-hop and rock n’ roll gods,” BTS said.  Yup, as you can tell, these guys have a great sense of humor and almost always a mischievous twinkle in their eyes.

Fans are a huge part of BTS and what they’ve become. “[We love] interacting with the fans. Whether it’s online or at shows, it’s great to talk with our fans and ask them what they like and don’t like about what we’re doing. Gives us amazing perspective for future BTS endeavors,” BTS shared on a more serious note.

What can we expect from BTS in the future? They’ll be releasing Welcome to the NorthBeast in early January 2012, then Heart Attacks & Hangovers in spring 2012.

www.reverbnation.com/beneaththesheets, www.facebook.com/beneaththesheets