Modern blues with a twist

How's That Sound?
The Blue Stones
7-out-of-10

How's That Sound? is the sophomore release from Windsor, ON based blues outfit The Blue Stones. In response to the criticism of sounding too pop-fresh on their previous release, the band decided to turn up the amps to eleven and wail out some hard rocking gritty blues tracks.

The structure and sound of this 7-track album is the perfect crash of blues and rock (with a heavier emphasis on rock). The songs are full of delicious licks and hooks, keeping my ears keen to hear every detail. Each track takes on its own character, and each presses the envelope in terms of how much rock you can jam into a blues song. Rich, crisp guitar tones scream out the solos with perfect aggression and the drums are doing far more than boring, steady beats. The overall sound is very gritty, even placing the lead vocal under a slightly distorted filter. This just completes the package and throws the listener into a chair at the local rock bar.

The Blue Stones hold a very intense interpretation of modern blues, and they own every chord. The record is full of awesome riffs and convincing lyrics. It's obvious that these guys love what they do, and do it very well. They portray the attitude and talent that every band needs to push their way through to the next stage.

-SEAN CRAIB-PETKAU

Nobody Dances in This Town
He's My Brother She's My Sister
8-out-of-10

Hailing from beautiful Los Angeles, He's My Brother She's My Sister pump out a pleasing mixture of blues, country, and glam rock. Their sound is wild and rowdy with punchy beats and great chorus vocals. Nobody Dances in This Town is marked by the sweet slide guitar melodies that are pinched out underneath the percussion driven tracks. Drawing on the popularity of the hippy-rock revival, HMBSMS brings a fun, loose, and refreshing take to the genre. The tunes are extremely danceable and encourage the act of "letting ones hair down". Slick and appealing guitar riffs and drum beats are the base for some really great lyrics, and the vocals are torn right from the sounds of the 60's.

HMBSHS wouldn't have been out of place at Woodstock, but also suit modern alt standards. It's hard to pinpoint and put a label on an act like this, but I feel that anyone who enjoys a little fun and shuffling their feet could really get into this band. Highlight tracks "Let's Go", "The Same Old Ground", "Tough The Lightning" and "Can't See The Stars" really make this album worth listening to front to back.

-SEAN CRAIB-PETKAU