“ Introducing the Night Crew” is a good introduction to the  London/ Ontario  ’60s/’70s inspired rock trio featuring frontman Tommy “Solo” Carriere.
The eight song CD is reminiscent of bands like CCR and the Doobie Brothers on songs like “ Baby Turns Me On.”

They come by their ’70s influence naturally as Tommy Solo was a familiar face in  the ’70s playing with numerous bands all over Ontario.

. Solo evened turned down the lead guitar spot in a band that was to become Honeymoon Suite.

 But they begin with a more of a roots rock feel on  “We Were Young” which they revisit  the catchy “ When I Call.” which reminds me of British rockers Sweet. “ Without You” combines the riffs along with touches of blues and soul, especially on  the big guitar solo, which really does step right out of the ’70s.
“Turn on the Light”  is a big riffed’70s style rocker but Carriere also shows some prodigious acoustic  guitar chops on “Lisa’s Song,” which is reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.”
They also have a Can con ’70s feel along the lines of a more groovy Trooper.
To add to the ’70s feel they cover the BJ Thomas/ Blue Swede’s  hit  “Hooked on a Feeling.”
 So the eight songs really do provide an introduction to what the band can do and the different styles they can play.

 CD: Introducing the Night Crew
Band: the Night Crew
Genre: rock/ blues

Popular Calgary blues rock trio the Y Brothers, formerly known as Bluesmyth, are “rising” with their new CD “Rise.”
The Y Brothers aka bassist/ vocalist Jason Yaholkoski, guitarist/ lead vocalist Chris Yaholkoski and drummer/ vocalsit Celene Yohemas bring out a little bit of funk and a whole lot of groove on their new CD “Rise.”

 It is chock full of big, loud, chunky riffs beginning with the the title track and they get lost in a massive groove on“Crashing Down.”  They are immediately reminiscent of bands like Govt Mule and David Gogo with just a touch of Clutch and quite a bit of ZZ Top thanks to that blues rock groove and thick, Texas style guitar sound and gravelly voice of guitarist/ lead vocalist Chris Yaholkoski.

 They have a more  laid back groove in the middle of the CD on a couple of tracks including the very soulful  “Not the Way the World is.”

They show a more groovy and jazz tinged, more funk powered “Rise (Revisited)” featuring a gorgeous guitar solo. The slower feel continues on“ Til The End” and “ Nothings Going To Change Us.”
 But they pick things up and add some more solid groove on one of the more David Gogo style blues rockers  “Back To You” which features a hot solo as well as a beautiful chordal bass groove.
 They end the CD on a couple of higher notes with another rocker “Blink of an Eye” and another groovy rocker “Puppet on a String” which sounds like a more bluesy Pearl Jam.

CD: Rise
Band: The Y Brothers
Genre: Blues rock

For me , a new record from St. Louis are based  roots rock/ alt country band the Bottle Rockets is a cause for celebration.
 They must have crowd funded for it as the liner notes are dominated by a huge list of “executive producers,” which goes to show I’m not the only one who loves the Festus, St. Louis roots rockers who were there at the beginning of the alt-country/ roots rock /No Depression movement of the ’90s which spawned the likes of Whiskeytown later Ryan Adams, Wilco, Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo, the Old ’97s and many more. But the Bottle Rockets are still going as strong as ever with this new CD.

 They have long been the champion of the working poor in the mid-west. They can weave a gritty tale of rural, white trash discontent that will raise the hair on your arms.
 But South Broadway Athletic Club is the picture of contentment. It is the story of a man, presumably frontman Brian Henneman who wrote most of these 11 songs on his own, who takes pleasure in the simple things of life like a good dog, a good woman, simple blissful ignorance,  a happy weekend or just spending the day lazing around the house.
In addition to loving the simple things in life, Henneman also loves his electric 12 string guitar which takes centre stage on the CD as much as his whiskey soaked croak does.

That jangling 12 string grabs the listener by the earlobes from the first track “ Monday Morning (Every time I Turn Around.)”
 “Big Fat Nothing” is about the joys of doing absolutely nothing after a hard week’s work. But “Dog” cuts the meaning of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to it’s essence.
“I love my dog, if you don’t love my dog, that’s okay, I wouldn’t want you to, He’s my dog. Sometimes life is simple, sometimes life really is that simple,“ Henneman croons.

Ain’t that the truth. It’s why the CD has barely left my CD player since I got it. It even has a gorgeous, straight to the point, perfect guitar solo. All in just over two minutes.
 The new, happier Henneman might be a little disconcerting for fans used to the more serious, gritty Bottle Rockets who brought us harrowing, blood curdling tales like “Kerosene, “ Wave that Flag” “Dead Dog Memories” and “Indianapolis,” so to remind listeners of their glorious past, they redo an earlier song “Building Chryslers,” by turning it into a louder, darker, more grungy number which is an anomaly on a CD of bright, cheerful, jangling rockers. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
To quote another band, the polar opposite of the Bottle Rockets “ It ain’t a crime to be good To yourself.”
 Long live the Bottle Rockets.

CD: South Broadway athletic Club
Band: The Bottle Rockets
Genre: rock/ roots rock