The Best Albums You Probably Haven't Heard

Ilsabe O’Connell

Little Lost Cause

Independent

Little Lost Cause came to my attention back in 2005 when a lot of indie music was crossing my desk. With its run down carnival cover it quickly caught my attention, but it was the raw, soft-spoken blend of traditional country, blues, and folk that has kept me coming back time after time. In fact, this is an album that has never been far from my ears for much of the last decade.

Most of this album is musically sparse in a folk way. It hones in on the gentle touch of Ilsabe’s acoustic guitar and keeps her voice front and center, always nudging the album forward. In that way, it certainly reminds of Christine Kane and early Jen Chapin. There are a number of highlights here (or, duh, it wouldn’t be included on this list, right?), but I’ll just mention a few.

The haunting “Old Konstanz,” with it’s perfectly mixed background vocals and Ilsabe’s slightly bluesy vocal delivery. It’s a little to soft-spoken to be truly bluesy but her cadence certainly gives it that feel. Meanwhile, “Carnival” ties into to the art layout and has more of a traditional country flare. At its heart it’s a wonderful love song and reminds me of the fond teenage memories I have of puppy love at the county fair where I grew up in rural Pennsylvania. The title track is another obvious highlight and moves at a slightly faster clip than much of the album. The instruments are more pronounced and the guitars are exceptional on this song in particular.

To date, this is the only album Ilsabe O’Connell has made. Like many of us (and many of the artists featured on this blog series), life has apparently taken her in other directions. I truly hope that one day she’ll release something new, but for now, Little Lost Cause is still a breath of fresh air in an overcrowded world of music. This is the sound of regular people pouring their heart into a dream and that ALWAYS makes for a memorable album. 

The Best Albums You Probably Haven't Heard

The Mustard Seeds

The Mustard Seeds

Entourage Records

Reviewed by Jeff Holton

The Mustard Seeds may be one band you have never heard before but you probably recognize some of the members of the band.  Matt and Gregg Bissonette are the ultimate brother rhythm section who founded the band back 1993.  Having played with greats like David Lee Roth and Joe Satriani the brothers put together a band and a CD that I believe is one of the most underrated CDs of all time.  I first heard about these guys from Jerry Gaskill from King’s X.  I figured if they are good enough for him then certainly they are worth checking out. 

The self titled CD was released in 1996 on Entourage Records.  The CD caught the attention of Doc McGhee (manager for Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Kiss, Guns N Roses and a bunch of others) and he signed on to be the bands manager as well.  Unfortunately the band and the CD never really took off.  This CD barely made a dent in the music industry and it virtually went unheard of except by a very small minority of music enthusiasts who appreciate great music. The CD is a dark, poppy and melodic hard rock record with catchy riffs, amazing vocal harmonies and hooks galore. Starting off the CD is “Mr. Green” and it is one of those songs it gets stuck in your head and you’ll be singing it all day.  “Bulldozer” is another highlight and is reminiscent of early King’s X.  “Quicksand” is one of the darker songs but in my opinion one of the strongest songs on the CD.  Honestly there isn’t a bad song on this CD.

Shortly after the release of this CD Drummer Gregg Bissonette left the band but the band found a replacement and went on to record a second album entitled RED (I would consider it the second most underrated CD).  I believe anyone who truly appreciates good hard rock and appreciates the music of  King’s X, The Beatles, and the Galactic Cowboys would totally dig this band.  You can still pick up this CD on Amazon for under $5 used or you can listen to samples at this link http://www.themustardseeds.com/index-2.html.    

The Best Albums You Probably Haven't Heard

Jerome Wincek & the Old Hats

The Revelator – EP 1

Independent

Jerome Wincek is one of my favorite artists. Created from acoustic guitars, primitive electronics, banjos, and gut buckets, his music is as raw as it is powerful. For me, it’s his voice that brings everything together though. It’s a voice that has truly lived life, a wise observer and a masterful storyteller that isn’t afraid to let his voice crack or go off key to convey his message. It’s the voice of the working class, the people struggling to get by and find happiness. While my favorite songs are on his album So Low (“Love is a Martyr” may be my favorite song ever in fact), it’s The Revelator EP’s that I feel are his most overwhelming works. Particularly EP 1, which sets the stage for the last man and woman on Earth and their journey together.

The Revelator is a series of three individual EP’s that tell the story of a man and a woman who meet after the “apocalypse/second coming/Jesus’ return/end of the world” or whatever other title you may choose to bestow upon it. This EP, the first in the series, tells the story of the man and woman meeting, their struggle to determine why they were left behind, whether or not they can trust each other, and what might be next.

To call this EP musically and lyrically intense would be a big understatement. For example, I might cite the haunting piano and kind of traditional Western meets Surf Rock style guitar work of “When Trouble Comes” or the mesmerizing drum loops and melodies in songs like “Another Sun” (my personal favorite track) and the absolutely brilliant “So The Lady” as ample evidence of what I’m talking about but it’s best if you just hear it for yourself and bask in its intensity. The EP’s final moment is the only arguable misstep. Entitled  “The Evil Hootenanny” it tries its damndest to blend Western Swing, Electronica, and Bluegrass but falls just shy of the mark as it never really comes together as a complete sounding piece. Despite that slight detour (and the fact that it was a valiant effort), the rest of this EP is flawless. Everything sounds new, fresh, and different yet strikingly traditional and familiar at the same time.

Jerome Wincek is probably one of the most honest sounding musicians you will ever hear. The rawness of his music and his keen ear for melodies are unlike any other artist I have ever heard (and as a music journalist for the last 18 years, I have literally heard thousands of artists). Don’t take my word for it though; go download it for free!

The Revelator EP 1 at: http://jeromewincek.bandcamp.com/album/the-revelator-part-1

Also check out his album So Low for free at: http://jeromewincek.bandcamp.com/album/so-low

Reviewed by Mark Fisher

The Best Albums You've Probably Never Heard

Warrant ‘96

Belly to Belly, Vol. 1

CMC Records

After the coup grunge created in the early nineties, many million-selling bands were left disillusioned and without record deals. No longer the flavor of the month, hard rock and glam bands let the hair down, cut the excess fat and got down to business for labels like CMC and Sanctuary. 

One such band was Warrant, known for their over-the-top Cherry Pie single and a string of hit power ballads to the tune of 10 million copies. So, why are they included here? Well, it’s because after 1992’s gold-selling Dog Eat Dog you probably stopped paying attention.

After a brief breakup/hiatus/disagreement that lasted about a year, vocalist Jani Lane returned to the band, while guitarist Joey Allen and drummer Steven Sweet did not. The band would go through a series of guitarists and drummers starting with 1995’s “comeback” album Ultraphobic. It was guitarist Rick Steier and drummer Bobby Borg coming in though that helped Warrant fully embrace a more raw sound that some would see as them embracing grunge but that I have always believed was what they sounded like when they came to eye level with their fans. Steier has been quoted as saying that this album is built around the concept of what happens when you have everything and then it’s gone.

Aside from Lane’s distinctive voice, Belly to Belly, Vol. 1 bears little resemblance to any other Warrant album (hence the “Warrant ‘96” moniker). “In the End (There’s Nothing)” kicks the album off with dark tones and grungy guitars, culminating in a buried, but obvious Beatles-esque melody. “Feels Good” follows it and you are crazy if you aren’t hooked, following the same format with the grungy verses and a surprisingly hard rock, bright-sounding chorus contrasting the verses. Rounding out the trio of awesomeness is the moving “Letter  to a Friend.” This is, in my opinion, Jani Lane’s finest moment lyrically. Driven by its bass line, Lane offers some deep insights like “This is not a fairy tale, this is life and sometimes life fails” and “There’s a place in the sun for everyone, you just gotta find it.”

After it’s initial trio of tunes, the album continues to ebb and flow. The slightly cheesy “A.Y.M.” (Angry Young Man), embraces the grunge sound wholeheartedly, all the while smirking just underneath the surface as if mocking the mindset. Meanwhile, the mostly acoustic “Room With a View” lyrically is the anti-thesis of “Letter to a Friend,” exploring the darker side of loneliness and let down.

For my money, this is hands down, the best Warrant album. None of their other albums touch it’s intimate feel, especially lyrically. The production is raw and Lane sounds like he is exorcising his personal demons throughout it’s entirety. It’s a great moment in music history, and certainly Warrant’s history, that has been almost entirely ignored. Unfortunately, it also serves as the final album Warrant would record with Lane, who passed away in 2011.