Teresa Storch Band: “Open Your Heart” (2024) CD Review

Teresa Storch is a singer and songwriter who was based in Boston for a while, and released a couple of solo albums, including Stream Of Concrete. She teamed up with Peter Lacis, who comes from the jam band scenes of New Jersey and Colorado, and the two have toured as a duo. Now based in Longmont, Colorado, they have a full band, and have released their first band album. Titled Open Your Heart, it features mostly original material, written either by Teresa Storch or Storch and Peter Lacis together. Teresa Storch plays acoustic and electric guitars, and Peter Lacis is on lead electric guitar and backing vocals. Chad E. Mathis is on bass, and Travis Moberg is on drums. Both Mathis and Moberg also provide backing vocals. Tony Dickinson joins them on guitar, keyboards and backing vocals. There are also some other musicians joining the band on various tracks.

The album opens with a song titled “Things Will Get Better.” There are all sorts of things that might go through your head when you hear a title like that, so many things that need to get better. The first verse is about improving as a musician, but the chorus applies to whatever it is that you are working on or thinking of: “‘Cause things will get better/All that it takes is believing/It’s the first step to seeing it all the way/Things will get better/The more that you bet that things will get better/The better it gets.” The verse that stands out to me is the one that refers to the pandemic: “Now we’re coming out of the darkest years yet/Full of sickness and sadness and violence/Looking back through time we see how far we’ve progressed/Humankind can overcome the worst of itself.” I appreciate the optimistic bent of those lines, particularly as I don’t always share that outlook, but wish I did. We are still in the grip of some heavy weirdness in this country. But in general I do believe things will get better. They have to, don’t they? Robbie Benson plays piano on this track, Jordan Skomal is on trumpet, and Chris Ruiz is on saxophone, and these musicians add to the song’s positive sound. There are even hand claps toward the end. I do hope we soon emerge from the darkness this country has been enveloped in since 2016. And I do believe music can play an important role in letting in the light.

Then things get a bit funky with “Open Your Heart,” the album’s title track, which contains a strong bass line. Here there is still optimism, still a positive outlook, but the song is also more fixed in the current reality. The song opens with these lines, “Everything’s a mess/But who knows what could happen next/I will be here, I will be free, you cannot touch me/There’s people are out there stoking the flames/I won’t play a part, I won’t play their game.” It is true that there are people who make their livings keeping others angry, even inventing ridiculous things for them to fear and then promising to take care of those things. The trick is to remain unaffected by that. Don’t let their manufactured anger touch you. And this song offers this advice and reminder: “The way to truth would never prey upon your fear/Open your heart so you can hear.” There is a good jam toward the end, featuring strong work on guitar. Kevin Lufkin plays organ and piano on this track. “Open Your Heart” was written by Teresa Storch and Peter Lacis.

“Feels So Good” has a solid rock sound right out of the gate, that rhythm and guitar work reminding me of some of the music I grew up on. This one is about looking back at a relationship that she now knows should have ended sooner than it did. “Now that you’re gone, I know it went on way too long/Oh and I admit you’re the best I had, but still I’m glad/It feels so good to feel so bad.” Her voice shows a delicious attitude. This is a totally enjoyable song. There is something empowering about it, and it contains another great guitar lead. That’s followed by “Best Of Both Words,” an unusual and true love song about finding that person that helps you pursue your dreams as well as giving you a place to settle down. It has a sweeter vibe. “All that came before I was/Here with you, living the best of both worlds/Of where I can go and travel alone, or stay with our family here at home.” Both “Feels So Good” and “Best Of Both Worlds” were written by Teresa Storch and Peter Lacis.

“This Is The Time” deals with our strange political reality, and has a good rock edge that works well with its subject. “A worried young mother soothing her child, elected officials are spewing out lies/The media outlets are toeing their lines, assuring us all, yet this is the time/This is the time for turning around now/This is the time for holding our ground/This is the time, but don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid/This is the time when history’s made.” Another line that stands out to me is this: “There comes a time to wake from illusion.” That time is nigh. But I am not always optimistic that folks will be able to do it. Will it happen before November? That they might not is a frightening proposition. I love Teresa Storch’s vocal performance here. There is some anger, understandably, but more than that it contains encouragement and hope. “This Is The Time” was written by Teresa Storch and Peter Lacis. There is the ticking of a stopwatch at the end of the song.

“Would I Burn” leads us to question which causes are important to us, important enough to take action. And, more importantly, it leads us to question just what we would do to right some injustice. It does this by having Teresa ask herself those very questions: “Could I have Mandela’s heart, forgive my captors for their part/Call them my equals while from their prison I am released?/What would I burn for? Would I die for my beliefs?/Could I be a burning light to point us towards our own release?/Would I give my life, just to do what’s right?/Would I give my life?” Difficult questions, and it’s understandable that many people wish to go through their lives without asking them. The next song, “Ballad Of St. Francis,” then questions what might be the results of our actions. “Would hatred disappear/If I planted the seed/And gave my love to those who made me bleed?” Here there is a sadness, a weariness to the delivery, which makes it all the more honest and effective. The song asks if we can do it, and if it would be worth it if we did. It’s a striking song. This track features some beautiful work on strings by Eli Bishop, and a moving instrumental section in the second half.

It is interesting to me that in the world of song, lyrics about going home and lyrics about leaving seem equally appealing. In “Time To Go,” Teresa Storch knows she needs to go, but wants to enjoy her home once more before departing, singing “Enjoy this old back porch one last time.” Toward the end of the track, there is a powerful build, a great swell, a burst of energy that seems like a wave pushing us on, taking us to the future, to something new, to that destination. The song then relaxes just before the end, as Teresa leaves us with this thought: “There’s nothing to be scared of.” She repeats the line, which might add to the line’s resolve, to its certainty, or it might make us think she is uncertain and needs the confirmation. That’s followed by the album’s sole cover, “We Belong,” a song written by Dan Navarro and Eric Lowen. It was a hit for Pat Benatar in 1984. I’ve heard the song many times since then, sometimes the Pat Benatar version and sometimes Dan Navarro’s own rendition, and it’s always held up for me. This version by Teresa Storch Band is wonderful, with a strong vocal performance. These guys dig into it and deliver a powerful version.

“It’s Not Okay” is a song about gender inequality and the excuses people make for behavior and unwanted comments. And it’s about not accepting those excuses. “I hear you think it’s just what people say/I hear you meant nothing by it/I heard you claim it’s just how you were raised/Still I say, it’s not okay,” Teresa Storch sings at the beginning of this one. It’s crazy that a song like is still needed, but we find ourselves in a time when a man heard on tape bragging about sexual assault was still able to become the president of the country and is threatening to do so again (this time even after a jury found him guilty of sexual abuse). What is wrong with us as a people? Do we not have mothers, sisters, daughters, female friends? Christopher Wright plays drums on this track. “It’s Not Okay” is followed by “Independence Reign,” which has a pretty and uplifting folk sound, featuring Eli Bishop on mandolin, and builds from there to include some good work on electric guitar. “This is a solitary life/Still, I wonder if we might share the ride/Well, you’ve got dreams to find, while I’m out here living mine/But I miss security sometimes.” Approximately halfway through the track, this song bursts up to another level. The disc then concludes with a reprise of “Things Will Get Better” (which is not listed on the CD case), leaving us where we started, though perhaps now sharing that hope, the optimism of the song. “Things will get better/Believing is the first step.”

CD Track List

1. Things Will Get Better
2. Open Your Heart
3. Feels So Good
4. Best Of Both Worlds
5. This Is The Time
6. Would I Burn
7. Ballad Of St. Francis
8. Time To Go
9. We Belong
10. It’s Not Okay
11. Independence Reign
12. Things Will Get Better (Reprise)

Open Your Heart was released on April 26, 2024.

The Staple Singers: “Africa 80” (2024) CD Review

A few years ago, Omnivore Recordings re-issued some of the work of The Staple Singers, including Let’s Do It Again, Pass It On, Family Tree and Unlock Your Mind, albums that were all originally released in the 1970s. Now the label is taking us into the 1980s with Africa 80, a live album of music recorded during the group’s first tour of Africa in 1980. The music here shows some of the range of the group, with a few of their hits along with some traditional songs. There is one composition by Roebuck “Pops” Staples. This release includes liner notes by music historian Tim Dillinger-Curenton.

The album opens with someone introducing the band: “The sensational and unique Staple Singers!” The band develops a good, funky groove, and the audience claps along. There is a bit of vocal riffing toward the end of this short track. It’s a cool way of starting the show. They then go into “Ease On Down The Road,” a song written by Charles Small for The Wiz. This is a fun, bouncy rendition, with some funk in the music. The energy is high, as are the spirits, as we can tell from their vocal performances. This track is an early highlight for me.  The group then slows things down with “Let’s Do It Again,” delivering a soulful, smooth and sexy rendition. This song was written by Curtis Mayfield and was the title track to the group’s 1975 release, which was the soundtrack to the Sidney Poitier film. This one picks up in energy approximately halfway through, the vocals leading the way. “Do it again and again and again and again and again.” Oh yes!

They then give us “Respect Yourself,” the (sort of) title track to the 1972 LP Be Altitude: Respect Yourself. I dig that great work on bass on this song. What a wonderful groove and also a positive message. “If you’re walking ‘round thinking that the world owes you something ‘cause you're here, oh yes/You’re goin’ out the world backwards like you did when you first come here, yeah.” This song was released as a single and was a hit for The Staple Singers. Then from the group’s 1973 album Be What You Are, they do “If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me),” here titled simply “Come Go With Me.” This one feels like a party as it begins, with that delicious bass line and that great rhythm. “If you’re ready, well, if you’re ready now, yeah, if you’re ready.” Oh yes, we’re ready. Here they tell us, “No hatred will be tolerated” and “Love is the only transportation/To where there’s total communication.” We still need to hear those words today. This song was another big hit for the group, and its appeal is as strong as ever. It was written by Homer Banks, Raymond Jackson and Carl Hampton.

“Why Am I Treated So Bad” is the song written by Pops Staples. It eases in with a cool blues vibe, and features some absolutely fantastic vocal work. This is one of the highlights of the album, no question. In the middle there is a spoken word section: “You know, down in Mississippi, where we came from I used to go to church... And we didn’t have electric lights like we have here tonight. We didn’t have the piano and the guitars and the organ. We just clapped our hands.” This is great. These guys could raise us up even by just singing “Oooh.” The crowd is enthusiastic in the applause at the end. That’s followed by “A House Is Not A Home.” This is a song that Mavis Staples included on her self-titled debut solo album. And here she delivers an excellent, passionate rendition. “A House Is Not A Home” was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the 1964 film of the same name.

Then the group gets into the traditional material with a couple of numbers, starting with “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.” As they start this one, the crowd claps along. And while there is a strong groove, this one is really all about the vocal work, their voices blending beautifully. This is a delicious, uplifting rendition, and is another highlight of the album, even though it’s a bit short. It’s only approximately two minutes. It feels like it’s just taking off when it comes to an end. The crowd claps immediately as the group begins “He’s Alright.” “You can clap, that’s all right, we like that,” the audience is encouraged. This is another glorious number, a strong vocal force. I’ve said it before, but if songs like this had been sung in my church when I was a child, I might still be a believer. This is so good, and in addition to that fantastic vocal work, this track features some really good stuff on guitar.

“Touch A Hand, Make A Friend” is a song from the band’s 1973 record Be What You Are. “Can’t you feel it in your bones, y’all/A change is coming on/From every walk of life/People are seeing the light/Can’t you feel it in your hearts now/Yeah, a new thing’s taking shape/Reach out, touch a hand, yes/Make a friend if you can.” Yes, another positive message. And it can still be done. Sure, there is a lot of division in this country right now, but reaching out is never a bad idea. Approximately four minutes into the track, it feels like it’s reaching its climax. But they are only halfway through at that point. Things are getting interesting, with Mavis cutting loose. “I wonder if everybody would just make a friend tonight,” she says to the crowd. “Just look around you, and wherever you see somebody, put a smile on your face and reach out and touch that person.” The disc concludes with a reprise of “Touch A Hand, Make A Friend,” the band continuing and the crowd clapping along. The band is introduced on this track, and then Mavis digs back into the song vocally. A really nice way of wrapping things up.

CD Track List

1. Introduction
2. Ease On Down The Road
3. Let’s Do It Again
4. Respect Yourself
5. Come Go With Me
6. Why Am I Treated So Bad
7. A House Is Not A Home
8. Will The Circle Be Unbroken
9. He’s Alright
10. Touch A Hand, Make A Friend
11. Touch A Hand, Make A Friend (Reprise)

Africa 80 is scheduled to be released on May 10, 2024 through Omnivore Recordings.

Dogs Run Free Episode 1: Kyle Spleiss Interview

Hey, friends! I’ve started a new podcast, “Dogs Run Free,” where I will be interviewing singers and musicians that I admire. This first episode is an interview with Kyle Spleiss. You might have read my review of his Cutty album, which was released on vinyl. He is a singer and songwriter and guitarist based in Los Angeles. In this interview, we talk about Cutty and Ghost In The Valley, as well as his new project. And as a treat, he gets out his guitar and gives us a little sneak peek of a new song he’s working on. His cat is also fairly vocal at times during the interview.

Uncovering Dylan Volume 4 (2024) CD Review

Bob Dylan has written an incredible amount of excellent songs over the years, and so it comes as no surprise that he’s been covered by a wide range of artists, from Bad Religion to The Band, from the Grateful Dead to Green Day, from Jimi Hendrix to Robyn Hitchcock, from Nina Simone to Emma Swift. In 2006, Paradiddle Records released a collection titled Bob Dylan Uncovered, which featured different artists performing some of their favorite Bob Dylan numbers, and a decade later released Bob Dylan Uncovered Vol. 2. In 2022, the third volume was released. That one was a bit different, as it featured some of the same musicians playing on multiple tracks. Now we are getting the fourth volume in the series, though the title has changed a bit for this new release. Rather than Bob Dylan Uncovered, this one is called Uncovering Dylan. This release goes back to the format of the first two volumes, in that there are different artists performing on each of the tracks, including groups like The Belle Curves and The Lucky Ones.

This disc opens with Mike Nugent & The Blue Moon Band covering “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere,” and putting their own spin on it, with that good rhythm which starts their rendition. This is a song that was first recorded by The Byrds, with Roger McGuinn famously mixing up a couple of words. Bob Dylan then referred to that mistake in his own version, and it’s that version that inspired this cover by Mike Nugent & The Blue Moon Band. They do a wonderful job with it. I particularly like the work on mandolin in the second half. Plus, it features both male and female vocalists, each taking different verses and delivering the chorus together. Toward the end they join forces for an extended section, delivering a verse together and then riffing on the chorus, and everything sounds great. This is a song that Michael Kessler also covers on his new album, Gravel Road. Things then get bluesy with Kerry Kearney & The Kings Of Psychedelta’s rendition of “Meet Me In The Morning,” a song from what is arguably Bob Dylan’s best album, Blood On The Tracks. This rendition is electric and features some strong work on guitar and some really nice stuff on organ, the band getting to jam a bit. I like how the guitar gets a chance to cut loose, particularly toward the end.

The Other Shoe covers “Sweetheart Like You,” a song from Dylan’s Infidels, an album that I still don’t own. It was also released as a single. Its main line is “What’s a sweetheart like you doing in a dump like this?” It has a rather sweet vibe, but there is a lot going on here lyrically, leading to several different interpretations as to the song’s meaning over the years. This rendition features a passionate vocal performance and some good work on keys. There is also good stuff on electric guitar, particularly as the song approaches its conclusion. Then Ray Lambiase delivers a thoughtful, slow, pretty rendition of “It Ain’t Me, Babe.” Kate Corrigan joins him on vocals, making it a duet. The pace and the way this song is presented really invite us to pay attention to the lyrics, to take a fresh look at them. Some of the lines are more striking in this rendition, such as these: “Go lightly on the ground/I’m not the one you want, babe/I’ll only let you down.” I love this rendition.

“Nobody ‘Cept You” is a song that I first heard when I got The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991 set.  Tom Moran delivers an excellent rendition, delivered mainly on acoustic guitar, along with bass and keys. He plays all the instruments on this track. But it’s his heartfelt vocal delivery that makes this rendition so good. That’s followed by “One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later),” which comes from another of Dylan’s most beloved albums, Blonde On Blonde. This version by The Belle Curves begins in a sweet and pretty place, and builds from there until it suddenly bursts up to a different level, a wonderful moment. Singer Delaney Hafener gives a good and varied vocal performance here, making this track another of the disc’s highlights. Then from Nashville Skyline, Revolver chooses “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You,” the record’s closing number. These guys do a nice job with it. I especially like Eric Hammond’s work on piano.

“Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” is a song from Highway 61 Revisited, one of the first Dylan albums I ever bought. It’s a song that I saw the Grateful Dead perform a few times, always a treat for those folks in the Phil Zone. The Lucky Ones deliver a wonderful rendition, featuring strong work on accordion and a great raw edge to the vocal performance. I like how they bring it down a bit for these lines: “Well, I started out on burgundy, but soon hit the harder stuff/Everybody said they’d stand behind me when the game got rough/The joke was on me, there was no one there to call my bluff.” This track also features some nice work on pedal steel. That’s followed by “Maggie’s Farm,” another song that the Grateful Dead used to cover. This song comes from Bringing It All Back Home, another of my early Dylan album purchases. Ken “The Rocket” Karb puts his own spin on this one. There is a rawness to this vocal performance too, and an interesting combination of instruments and sounds backing him. There are some bluegrass elements, such as fiddle and banjo and mandolin, and also a heavier edge in the guitar and bass work. The combination is very cool, and the track also features some really nice stuff on harmonica. On Bringing It All Back Home, Maggie’s Ma is “sixty-eight, but she says she’s fifty-four.” In this version, she says she’s twenty-four. Not sure she can pull that one off, but maybe. Dylan has delivered the twenty-four number in concert. This is another of the disc’s highlights.

The Locksmiths deliver a seriously enjoyable rendition of “Positively 4th Street” that includes horns, along with some good work on keys. This is a song that was released as a single by Bob Dylan, and included on Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits. The Locksmiths jam a bit at the end. Then we get a second song from Nashville Skyline, “Tell Me That It Isn’t True,” here done by The Lone Pine Radio boys. This track features a good vocal performance. When Frank SanPietro sings, “What I’d like you to do is tell me that it isn’t true,” I believe him. There is an honesty to this performance, and there is both hope and ache in his delivery, as he seems to be living the song. That’s followed by a second song from Highway 61 Revisited, “Ballad Of A Thin Man.” The version here has something of a different sound, with Dee Harris accompanying his own vocals on acoustic and electric guitars, a solo effort. There is a delicious raw power to this rendition which works perfectly. The album concludes with the most recent Bob Dylan song chosen for this release, “Things Have Changed,” which was featured in the movie Wonder Boys. A great song from a great movie. Ray Lambiase’s rendition might not have the same attitude as the original, but it’s still really good and features some strong work on guitar. This song is not included in the online version, only on the CD.  “People are crazy, times are strange/I’m locked in tight, I’m out of range/I used to care, but things have changed.”

CD Track List

1. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere – Mike Nugent & The Blue Moon Band
2. Meet Me In The Morning – Kerry Kearney & The Kings Of Psychedelta
3. Sweetheart Like You – The Other Shoe
4. It Ain’t Me, Babe – Ray Lambiase
5. Nobody ‘Cept You – Tom Moran
6. One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later) – The Belle Curves
7. Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You – Revolver
8. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues – The Lucky Ones
9. Maggie’s Farm – Ken “The Rocket” Korb
10. Positively 4th Street – The Locksmiths
11. Tell Me That It Isn’t True – The Lone Pine Radio Boys
12. Ballad Of A Thin Man – Dee Harris
13. Things Have Changed – Ray Lambiase

Uncovering Dylan Volume 4 is scheduled to be released on May 24, 2024 on Paradiddle Records.