#Phoenix Drive

CD Review – “A Fool’s Melody” by Phoenix Drive

PhoenixDrive

First of all let me say that I was introduced to Phoenix Drive from their former manager through artist showcases they did around Nashville. Each time I saw the band I was very impressed not only with their very positive attitude but also their have amazing vocals, harmonies, songwriting and playing ability. This band is no joke in any shape of the word. This is probably my favorite country band I have ever seen that didn’t already have a major record deal.

The CD “A Fool’s Melody” is a tour de force of melodic hooks and strong songwriting. The band has two lead singers in Jon Scott and Felicity Combs that have a pure vocal ability and the vocal harmonies all blend superbly together. Every musician is very solid which you expect in Nashville, but live I feel this band executes better as a unit than any other and sonically their tones and EQ are always nearly perfect and that comes through on this effort as everything is crystal clear, full of energy and has “live” feel to it. The CD has nine incredible songs and none of them suffer from lack of attention in my opinion. This is a complete CD with no filler tracks like I hear from a lot of country artists. Each track is melodic and feels like everything is exactly where it is supposed to be. I don’t feel any typical “Nashville” sound emanating from this CD in either its songwriting or production, which separates it from so many other releases.

The bright spots on the CD are hard for me to pick out as all the songs are really that good, but that being said “High Time, Trouble Down, She Ain’t Coming Home and A Fool’s Melody” are the strongest singles in my estimation. This CD in no way feels like a debut CD to me. It’s mature, well thought out and knows exactly when to lay back or let it all hang out.

“High Time” is an upbeat ditty that opens with a catchy acoustic riff and then into big vocals that remind me of Alabama’s greatness. Jon Scott provides a soulful vocal quality and with Felicity providing delightful drop of singing and their harmonies shine through in a big way. The energy in this song is infectious and you will be tapping your toes all the way through.

“Trouble Down” is Felicity’s time to shine. She has a gorgeous voice that makes you want to melt. This song is a sultry tune that gives a back woods feel with the pacing and instrumentation. The impact this song has live especially when the chorus kicks in is magical and it comes through here as well. This is one of my favorite songs of 2012 by far.

“She Ain’t Coming Home” is a mid tempo song that features Jon’s lead vocals again and the verse beautifully sets up the chorus. I love how they layered Jon’s and Felicity’s vocals through out the verse sections. The chorus is a great hook that grabs you and won’t let go.

“A Fool’s Melody” features a cool guitar intro and let me tell you guitarist Chris Combs can play. Combs is definitely one of my favorite undiscovered guitar players in any genre. The drums are played with brushes with a laid back vocal from Jon and Felicity but yet the tempo is upbeat with a great guitar line underneath to separate the vocal sections.

The band rounds out with Brian Powers on bass and background vocals who is a very capable player and singer in his own right and recent addition David Rollins on drums with adds the backbone and pocket needed. David is a veteran player with great chops and presence.

This is what a modern country CD should be. It gives a nod to its classic country roots but is modern with a fresh feel and not a pop CD like Taylor Swift or what so many people have gone for to get radio success. There is no doubt this is a country band but with a strong cross over appeal. Any of the four tracks I mentioned could, should and would be radio hits if the funding was behind it. A well done musical effort that should be on every country fans iPod.

5 out of 5 stars.

You can find out more about Phoenix Drive here: www.phoenixdrive.net

Phoenix Drive CD Release Party Live Music Review – Hard Rock Café 8/7/12

I was really looking forward to this CD release party as I have seen Phoenix Drive twice before and have been very impressed both times. I have to say I was blown away this time. Phoenix Drive took the stage with an energy that I had not witnessed from them before. I am not sure if the was the excitement of the night or the chemistry with new drummer David Rollins but it was a welcome sight to behold. I am a big fan of high energy and bands that realize that part of their job is entertaining the crowd.

Phoenix Drive in my estimation has always had impeccable vocal harmonies and this night was no exception. The blend of both lead vocalist Jon Scott and Felicity Combs along with bass player and background vocalist Brian Powers are smooth, melodic and always sound just right. Jon and Felicity both have beautiful voices and compliment each other so well and they both share the stage without either one overshadowing the other. Jon Scott has a fresh voice that I feel separates Phoenix Drive from many other acts out there that all sound the same. Scott’s shining moment to me is his live performance of “She Ain’t Coming Home.”  Felicity Combs vocals are sweet and melodic with a rich tone that brings it all the voices together. You can really hear her on my favorite “live” Phoenix Drive song “Trouble Down,” a sexy, swampy slow groove tune where Felicity really shines.

Guitarist Chris Combs is very capable player with an incredible sense of melody and top notch chops. Chris was the most-welcome surprise last night as for the first time I saw him really energized on stage. Watching him rip into the songs was a delight and made me want to pick up my guitar and play, which very rarely happens to me at a live music event unless the player is simply amazing. New drummer David Rollins fits well into his new role and really solidified the night. Rollins is a very tight pocket player that added a nice intensity that really showed through during the performance. Bassist Brian Powers is the “entertainer” and brings the “show” to the stage. Powers is a well rounded bass player who locks up perfectly with drummer Rollins to drive the bus like no other. A solid vocalist in his own right, Powers is a crucial fixture in the band and brings a ton to the live performance.

The thing about a Phoenix Drive performance is you are always in the “moment” with them. Their music is so good that you aren’t distracted by anything else. Their songwriting is very strong, the vocals are amazing and their performances are flawless.

This “CD” Release Party was the best performance I have seen at any CD Release Party and I would give it a 9 out 10 stars with the only knock is it wasn’t long enough. It certainly left me wanting more and I can’t wait for the next Phoenix Drive performance.

Phoenix Drive is a must see band and dare I say, no matter what genre of music you like. You will love this band.

You can find out more about Phoenix Drive here:

www.phoenixdrive.net

www.facebook.com/phoenixdrive

www.twitter.com/phoenix_drive

www.reverbnation.com/phoenixdrive

Phoenix Drive CD Release Party Live Music Review – Hard Rock Café 8/7/12

I was really looking forward to this CD release party as I have seen Phoenix Drive twice before and have been very impressed both times. I have to say I was blown away this time. Phoenix Drive took the stage with an energy that I had not witnessed from them before. I am not sure if the was the excitement of the night or the chemistry with new drummer David Rollins but it was a welcome sight to behold. I am a big fan of high energy and bands that realize that part of their job is entertaining the crowd.

Phoenix Drive in my estimation has always had impeccable vocal harmonies and this night was no exception. The blend of both lead vocalist Jon Scott and Felicity Combs along with bass player and background vocalist Brian Powers are smooth, melodic and always sound just right. Jon and Felicity both have beautiful voices and compliment each other so well and they both share the stage without either one overshadowing the other. Jon Scott has a fresh voice that I feel separates Phoenix Drive from many other acts out there that all sound the same. Scott’s shining moment to me is his live performance of “She Ain’t Coming Home.”  Felicity Combs vocals are sweet and melodic with a rich tone that brings it all the voices together. You can really hear her on my favorite “live” Phoenix Drive song “Trouble Down,” a sexy, swampy slow groove tune where Felicity really shines.

Guitarist Chris Combs is very capable player with an incredible sense of melody and top notch chops. Chris was the most-welcome surprise last night as for the first time I saw him really energized on stage. Watching him rip into the songs was a delight and made me want to pick up my guitar and play, which very rarely happens to me at a live music event unless the player is simply amazing. New drummer David Rollins fits well into his new role and really solidified the night. Rollins is a very tight pocket player that added a nice intensity that really showed through during the performance. Bassist Brian Powers is the “entertainer” and brings the “show” to the stage. Powers is a well rounded bass player who locks up perfectly with drummer Rollins to drive the bus like no other. A solid vocalist in his own right, Powers is a crucial fixture in the band and brings a ton to the live performance.

The thing about a Phoenix Drive performance is you are always in the “moment” with them. Their music is so good that you aren’t distracted by anything else. Their songwriting is very strong, the vocals are amazing and their performances are flawless.

This “CD” Release Party was the best performance I have seen at any CD Release Party and I would give it a 9 out 10 stars with the only knock is it wasn’t long enough. It certainly left me wanting more and I can’t wait for the next Phoenix Drive performance.

Phoenix Drive is a must see band and dare I say, no matter what genre of music you like. You will love this band.

You can find out more about Phoenix Drive here:

www.phoenixdrive.net

www.facebook.com/phoenixdrive

www.twitter.com/phoenix_drive

www.reverbnation.com/phoenixdrive

Nashville Dinner Theatre CMA Fest Review

Nashville Dinner Theatre CMA Fest Review

A couple of weeks ago I became the talent buyer for the Nashville Dinner Theatre and I had the “opportunity” to throw together a CMA Fest showcase with about four days to make it happen before the biggest Country Music festival in the world kicked off. Four days full of music from 2 pm to 2 am Thursday through Sunday. It was a whirlwind for sure and I faced just about every adversity you could think of during that time but we came out of it clean and ready to make great things happen.

I want to highlight some of the artists that I got to see at our venue during those four days and maybe talk about a couple disappointments so that maybe some other musicians trying to make it can take something away from it.

The first artist that impressed me the most with the total overall package was Julianne Ankley (www.julianneankley.net.) She just goes by “Julianne” for her stage name. Julianne is chasing her dream and started only a short 5 years ago but is so far ahead of the game compared to most whom have been doing this for much longer. Not only is she talented with a rich voice, but has really good phrasing as well. Her songwriting is strong and her presence on stage is captivating and mature. She is very professional, and has a knack for telling great stories, which helps her relate with the audience and she is attractive. Her image is polished and she marketed herself very well at our venue, much better than anyone else actually. I have left all of her material out to this day so that people will find out about her because her marketing material is top notch.

The band Phoenix Drive (http://www.reverbnation.com/phoenixdrive) was very impressive. They had great harmonies, great talent and a very polished sound.  Working with them was a real pleasure as they were so nice and professional. Overall their tones were great, playing was top shelf and vocals were catchy and interesting.  I wish more bands were this nice and really worked as hard as they did. They were from showcase to showcase with never a complaint of how tired they were. I would have them back anytime.

A new comer with a bright future and a big voice was Brianna Tyson (http://www.reverbnation/brianatyson.) She has an energetic presence about her and a very mature phrasing quality that belies her years. Her ability to mix jazz and soul with her country music is refreshing and she stands out completely from the rest of the same ole same ole here in Nashville. With a year or two of constant gigging she will be a star.

Maybe the biggest surprise for me was Jessica Cayne  (www.jessicacayne.com.) This woman has a huge voice, a great sense of humor and best overall ability to interact with the audience. She wrote great songs and kept me entertained and laughing. If you knew me, you’d know how hard it is to impress and entertain me. Jessica just signed a new publishing deal, which will hopefully get her songs out there more, but it’s her voice and big personality that should send her over the top. Keep you eyes on this one as well.

Another artist that really surprised me with his songs was Clay Evans (www.clayevansmusic.com.) Clay is a little offbeat with his presence, which is also really good in this town of Kenny Chesney clones. His songwriting is very catchy and really takes you somewhere different. It was a real pleasure to listen to Clay twice. I expect if nothing else, hopefully he will have some real songwriting success in his future.

Honorable mentions are Brinn Black (http://www.brinnblackepk.webs.com/), Heath Forbes (http://www.heathforbesepk.webs.com/), Liz Moriondo (http://www.lizmoriondo.com/index.html), Shelly Williams ( www.myspace.com/shellywilliamsmusic), Scarlett (www.allthingsscarlett.com) and Heidi Raye (http://www.ourstage.com/profile/heidiraye) in no particular order. They all are good artists with just a few things to work on that will greatly improve their chances of success.

Only two things really disappointed me this weekend. One being that someone didn’t play at all because we were having power issues. If she had waited, she would have only been 5 minutes behind schedule. The other was a female duo that I was really looking forward to hearing. Granville Automatic (www.granvilleautomatic.com) decided that they didn’t like following a dance review that I threw in to fill up 30 minutes of dead space as they gave up their night on Friday so all these artists could perform.  Granville Automatic did end up playing but for only 20 minutes, which is sad, as truly, they may have had the most beautiful voices and deepest songs of all of them. It is my personal/professional opinion that no matter what, you act professional and perform. It is your job as the entertainer to win over any crowd and if you truly believe in yourself and your music, you probably will. We all went to a lot of trouble to get this event happening and went through absolute hell all weekend, the least you can do is perform your forty-five minutes in appreciation. I can’t tell you how many times I have had to perform in no where near ideal situations but you put on your professional hat and kick butt. Nothing should stop you from doing what you believe in. That being said, talent wise, these girls have it and have it in spades.

Overall I was very happy with how everything turned out and I was impressed with how hard many of the artists worked in the obscene heat and difficult conditions. CMA Fest is a very tough, long week and most of these people did an amazing job keeping their energy up and their attitude in high spirits.

Keep it up!

Side note: Kris Bell (www.krisbellmusic) is not reviewed in here as he is an artist of mine and I didn’t feel it was appropriate.