Some Relatively New Music Worth Checking Out

Rocky Votolato- True Devotion

Rocky Votolato seems like a cool dude. Haven't met him, but if his personality reflects his music, he'd be a pretty down-to-earth, understated, thoughtful guy who gets sad when he's angry.

In a nutshell, "understated" is what Rocky's music is all about.

Before Max Bemis, the crazed Say Anything headman, wrote shitty music, he sang, "And I am done with this/I want to taste the breeze of every great city/my car and my guitar." Though I really doubt Bemis held true to these words, I can certainly see Rocky doing it. He's just that kinda guy. And he could easily do a tour with nothing but a guitar and a car. That's all his music takes.

That being said, his latest work, True Devotion, which premiered Feb. 3 of this year, is a testament to Rocky's understated music. You'll here guitar, bass, drums, harmonica, and some string arrangements, but not much else. Rocky's music is built on a simple platform, but he uses it to show some incredible emotion.

Case-in-point: "Red River." Rocky's emotion comes through in a big way in this song. And it does so with the should-be-patented Rocky Votolato Yell. It's a simple concept. He just goes up a register and nearly yells to add emphasis. It's basic, and I'm sure it's been done before, but I love the way Rocky does it. He takes off right at, "That feeling you get when the wind is blowing..."

I've been listening to Rocky Votolato for a while, and he has some good stuff. But it's mostly straight up, basic poppy folk. In True Devotion, he shows some musicianship he hadn't before, especially in the album's opener, "Lucky Clover Coin."

Here it is below, made with my incredible iMovie skills.

In some ways, a song is like a story. At least some songs are. Some songs aren't. Some songs tell incredibly boring stories, like this. I like a story that ties up loose ends, and I like a song that does too. "Lucky Clover Coin," the album's opening track, starts off with a nice string harmony phrase, and it disappears for a good part of the song, but comes back with force right at the climax. The phrase adds a goosebump-inducing impact. Way to spin the yarn, Rocky.

But, like most of Votolato's work, this album is hit or miss. It is by no means an album that packs a punch with every song, it's more Rocky recording everything he could come up with, hit or miss. And there are some misses (why do you think I only featured two songs). But there's some quality work on this album. It's worth checking out.

The Soft Pack- The Soft Pack

This Los Angeles-based four piece in relatively new. Their self titled, released Febuary of this year, is the band's second full length.

If you want some good, upbeat driving music, this band is for you. But don't expect it to be much else.

They're certainly fun, and they would be a great live band, but so far as I can tell, there's not much substance. The songs all kinda bleed together. So do the lyrics. But it's fast-paced, it's fun.

With summer approaching, we have to be on the lookout for bands like this. I demand fun summer music, damnit. And this band comes through in that regard, if only that regard.

Check out my favorite from The Soft Pack, "Cmon" below.