By Mike Breen

Local Release Party Mania
We know you've been sitting on your couch when the weekend rolls around, huffin' paint out of paper bag and watching Boy Meets World and the rest of the TGIF lineup, and wondering, "Why, oh, why aren't there more CD release parties to go to at the end of the work week?" Well, take a deep breath, exhale those noxious fumes and be done with those sexual fantasies involving Sabrina that teen-age witch, because we've got four, count 'em four, big release shindigs this weekend. And, as a bonus, each of these records are pretty damn good.

· At their home-away-from-home, Lucille's in Latonia, local Blues group G. Miles and Soul Therapy will unveil a new CD, There's More Than One Way to Skin a Cat, playing both Friday and Saturday night. Besides being a great band, leader G. Miles offers well-written original songs (all but one on Cat are originals) that move from deep, emotional balladry to uplifting, celebratory and swingin' all-out jams. A solid, slinky rhythm section buoys the skillful, heartfelt guitar playing and soul-sucking harmonica, while Miles' vocals have the kind of soulful personality that makes for a genuine bluesman. With There's More Than One Way to Skin a Cat, Soul Therapy establishes itself as a major force on the local Blues front.

· The eight-piece Ska ensemble OB1 get the big room as they perform at Bogart's on Saturday to celebrate their second album, Smoke Break, along with their buddies The Magnets and Scallywagon.

Following in the footsteps of the band's debut, 1997's Out By Ten, the new record shows a lot of progress, as they tighten up as a performing unit and have come up with even catchier, punchier songs. Though only seven songs long, Smoke Break gets the job done with groove-intensive Ska songs that are laced with swingin' horns and dirty power chords. The diversity of the band is represented in how they can take the distance between a song like "Red," a poppy, fairly Two-Tone sounding number, and the chiming Punk song "Lights Go Out," and make it all sound unified and distinctly OB1. The uplifting energy of Smoke Break shows why OB1 are a local favorite and why they have everything it takes to stick around for awhile.

· After a slight delay, the debut live CD from fusion crew Ray's Music Exchange, Alivexchange, will be released with a show at Ripley's Alive (the home of the album's recording last summer) on Thursday.

With no overdubs and a lot of musical proficiency, Alivexchange showcases the band in their element, plying their Jazz/Funk/Rock wares in an intimate setting in front of a live audience. Clear influences like Herbie Hancock (Headhunters period) and later Miles Davis mingle with a funky underbelly and a refreshingly vital experimental edge (the breakdown on "Guava Girl" is a tense, swirling ball of psychedelia). The majority of the band's audience are younger fans of the Jam Rock bands (Phish, et. al.), which is great but also a bit of a shame because it means that people who dig hardcore Jazz or Fusion may miss a chance to see them. Do yourself a favor if you fancy yourself a Jazz aficionado: you'll be very surprised at the talent and creativity of this young group. Unique and smartly arranged, Alivexchange is one of the more vital Jazz releases from a local band in the past few years.

· If you've ever been in a band and done time in a recording studio, you know the most common words from the bass player lips are "turn up the bass" or "needs more low end." Bassist Mike Georgin gets sweet revenge on all of those guitar heroes and prima donna vocalists with the eclectic new instrumental release, The Line Between.

Not to say that Georgin, who has played with Plow On Boy and Over The Rhine, and is currently in the progressive Jazz trio Slant, has produced some sort of vanity project here, with endless solos and grooves. The bassist understands composition and arrangement as well as he knows how to masterfully get around the bass. On the album's nine tracks, Georgin creates vivid, soulful sonic images that are often spacious and atmospheric, while subtly infusing layers of intricate sounds. Georgin also teams with fellow Slant mates for some contemporary, airy Jazz, mining different ground than what was on that band's superb debut, Glossolalia. All in all, a surprising and refreshing entry into the local music discography circa 1999. Georgin's release party is Friday at York Street Cafe.

King's Record
Cassius King is a solid new band that features members living in both Dayton and Cincy, which means they split their gigs fairly evenly between the two fair cities. The band was formed by Ontario, Canada, natives Darcy Menard (singer/guitarist) and Eric Kuthy (drums), who toured North America with their previous group, Terra Cain. After relocating to Dayton, the group hooked up with Cincinnati-based bassist Jason Schuster and later with Dayton's Mike Payne who sings and plays cello and guitar on the band's disc recently released CD, A Smattering of Applause. (Percussionist Steve Waak plays with the band in concert).

While many bands can't seem to decide if they want to write great songs or just groove, Cassius King's debut offers acoustic-based tracks that are heavy on both groove and melody. The well-crafted, dynamic songs are fleshed out by the impressively tight rhythm section, shuffling guitars and excellent vocals that are both tuneful and soulful.

Highlights of the record include "Shelter," which has a Bowie-esque boogie to it, though it's more organically rooted than the Glam king's cabaret stylings. Another standout, "Above the Trees," kicks out a cool, laid-back groove that weaves in and out of the singers' slick harmonies.

All in all, there's no reason why this record couldn't be on a major. Keep an eye on these guys -- you can start by seeing them live this Friday at Village Tavern.

E-mail Mike Breen

Short Takes (February 18, 1999)
Short Takes (February 11, 1999)
Exploring Rock (January 28, 1999)
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