Tom Woll Photography

Straight out of Worcester, MA is Ghost Ocean, a rock band that blends a modern rock sound with a hardcore/punk vibe.   Their EP "Transparent Lines" starts off with Catalyst and it sets the tone for the rest of the 7 songs on the disk.  This is just the kind of hard hitting in your face rock that kept me listening to the EP over and over the past few days. The band does a great job of keeping things simple when they need to be, yet is able to branch out with a more complex arrangement when the time is right.  They never seem to get lost in the black hole of going too far from the groove of the songs when venturing into the complexity of progressive rock.  Just when it sounds like they could turn into an experimental metal band they bring the hook back.  To me this makes for a fun, interesting and heavy listen.  Well done in my opinion. The vocals have a gravely rough sound without being a scream.  Sounding edgy, intensely in your face they sound as if any minute they could fal

Like most people I am ready for spring.   Click for a larger size

A friend of mine turned me on to a band from the Pacific Northwest, Scott Pemberton Trio.  This is a jazz band that seems to be able to improvise with the best while still holding a killer coherent groove.  They have released their self titled debut on their own.  I have been listening to this for a few weeks now and I cannot get enough. The track that made me stop and listen to it a 2nd time right away was a cover of Nirvana's Love Buzz.  This is not a 2nd rate cover but a nod to a band from the area that obviously had a huge impact a few years ago.  It stays true to the original yet works as a jazz-rock-grunge-fusion tune. This is the perfect music to listen to while you sit back and enjoy with a nice tall glass of lemonade on a summer evening.  The playing is top rate and you can just feel the excitement build in each song.  The guitar work by Mr. Pemberton is top notch and he has a band of fantastic musicians on the stage with him.  The band is tight, and very talented with e

From Milford, MA comes the band Born Without Bones.  This indie rock band has a little of a punk feel at times that mixes well with the pop/rock/alt sound they wave with well deserved pride. When I first heard a couple tracks I thought this was good catchy rock with enough of a pop feel to keep me entertained.  This proved true, and the more I listen the more of the rock/alt/punk vibe I seem to get from this four piece band.  This is the kind of band that seems to reach out to rock fans of generations.  I dig the hell out of them and the track "Out of Step" from their disk "Say Hello" has become a favorite song of my son, his friends and myself. The disk seems echos influences of Green Day, Jimmy Eat World & the Ink Spots among others.  Paying homage to those who came before them but yet blazing a new take on what has already been done. The band members are Scott Ayotte on guitar & vocals, Ian Van Opijnen playing guitar, James Creighton on bass & Patrick

Recently I was browsing for music and came across the name of a band from North Carolina; Sugar Glyder. The name was enough to make me see if I could find a musical sample. Sure enough I found their YouTube channel and upon watching their video for Poor Baby Zebra I was hooked.  I did a quick web search and found their myspace page and their biography. Here is what it says: “A bearded lady and a whimsical boy who was never actually born began a musical journey. Along the way they met a gothic, Asian chick and a not-so-angry quarter-phillipino guy who wanted nothing more than to hit things with sticks. The members of this new covenant all agreed that they liked glitter, tiny animals, and climbing mountains. And so, they began making magical noises together." Sugar Glyder has released three albums.  2008's "We Cracked The Sky", 2009's Poor Baby Zebra" & "Lovers At Lightspeed" that was just released in February of this year.  It seems these fol

Click for a larger view This is on the front of an old chest style coke cooler/machine.

Tomorrow is the first Friday of March so what does that mean?  Downtown Sioux Falls will be celebrating First Friday. First Friday is an all-day event for shopping, art and entertainment. On March 4,  Sticks and Steel will be participating in the First Friday and has graciously opened a space in the store to allow me to display a sampling of my photography.  I got the call from the Sioux Falls Art council on Tuesday saying they had an opportunity for me to display some of my work if I was interested.  Well of course I was.  It was a happy sort of a shock to get the call and I still feel kind of giddy.  I will be setting things up tomorrow afternoon and will be present from 6 - 9pm.  Sticks and Steel is located in the 8th & Railroad building.    There will be artist at various locations downtown Friday evening.  If you have a chance come downtown for the evening.  If you do stop by Sticks and Steel and say hello.