|
WOODSTOCK TIMES These days, music is all-pervasive,churned out with an assembly-line mentality, a passing conversation piece that's soon to be forgotten. Fortunately, there are bands who are destined to become classic groups, whose music examines the human condition while honoring the roots of rock n' roll in the process. Johnny Society, Long Island (and now Catskill)-hailing prodigy Kenny Siegal's four-piece of sonic thrill-seekers, are already delivering, destined to find a reward in rock n' roll heaven some day for their honesty, style and amazing songwriting. To put it simply, without any exaggeration, Johnny Society can make even the most cynical listener love pop music. But Johnny Society is far from simple pop - in the fluffier lexicon usage - as audiences will find out when the band performs this Saturday, February 8 at the Hudson River Theater. I was lucky enough to have heard an advance copy of Johnny Society's new CD, Life Behind The 21st Century Wall, which will be released by Messenger Records on April 1. The disc is rich in sly, gritty soul and heavy blues drunk on funk and sexy shuffle, a potion that hits you in the heart and bones. The album glam-boogies like Bowie, allures like Lennon and McCartney and, for those in the know, could even make you dance like the Blues Explosion. It follows on the heels of Clairvoyance, a record that won the 2002 Independent Music Awards "Album Of The Year" distinction, from a panel of critics that included straight shooters and talents like Tom Waits. The band's merger of styles is executed seamlessly; the sound is traditional and earthy, yet there is also something cutting-edge and new about the songs' overall energy. When asked how his band so easily straddles a line between past and present where so many other groups flounder, front man and ringmaster Siegal is humble yet concise: "Our roots on just a musical level are based on a lot of these classic-sounding records that were made in the late '60s and early '70s that we were all listening to and loved so much. It obviously comes out in your playing if you're a good player. Some of the funky or swampy stuff that you're hearing is our reaction to listening to people like Bill Withers, Sly and the Family Stone and a guy like Leon Russel, on the bluesy side. Maybe some of the reasons it doesn't flounder is because of all the other influences - pop bands from the '60s like the Zombies or the Beatles. I think there's some sort of a marriage there and the reason it seems current is because we're young, I mean, we're not 15, but we're young. We're still creating in the year 2003, so on this record there's Casio keyboards and stuff that sounds like the computer age." Pausing in thought for a moment, Siegal goes on to add that, "When things are a little more blurred, it's the sign that something has the ability to be more timeless. My feeling always is, you want to not be able to put your finger on exactly what you're hearing." Songs like the opening "Charity," and the sixth cut "Dirty Water," contain a rough-around-the-edges humanism, dealing with artistic freedom, relationships and the search for satisfaction. On "Charity," in a powerfully confident croon, Seigal sings, "Get your money/ Get your money/ But no love from the offer." The next time, "offer" becomes "author." "The song isn't actually about charity," explains Siegal. "Those particular lines are written about the whole concept of somebody selling your songs or buying into you, and it's probably my reaction to the music industry and making deals... and charity being the idea of getting beyond it." "Dirty Water" is more of a "twisted love song" according to Siegal. The lines "Kick me if you mean it/ Kiss me if you can stomach it," could well become a seized motto for the schizophrenia of modern romance in the short-attention-span age. "It's a combination of complaints and hopefulness," says Siegal. "The message is positive - 'I still love you.' It's a song I wrote after listening to a bunch of Laura Nyro recordings that Gwen [former bassist of Johnny Society] turned me on to. I listened to her nonstop. It's a pretty aggressive song, pretty garage, but the singing is kind of ironically 1950s, very melodic and poppy." The band has pushed themselves to rock out at times, but to remain well-balanced, with the songwriting being the most important thing at the end of the day. "Get Off My Farm" was written "still drunk," according to Siegal, a New Orleans-inspired jam that sounds like a front porch session fueled by freedom, moonshine and speakeasy swagger. Do yourself a favor and don't miss the band when they roll into the Hudson River Theatre (521 Warren Street, Hudson) on February 8. Johnny Society's former bassist, Gwen Snyder, will also perform that night with her band, Blueberry, who's sure to put on a groovy show of sexy-soft funk featuring intricate instrumentation, unpredictable rhythms, a triumphant brass section, and beautiful, haunting piano ballads. |