January Short Bits
…Dichotomy… 
Artist: Jean- Paul De Roover
©2008 Independent
Url: www.myspace.com/jeanpaulderoover
This little project is a precursor or taste of a fuller project yet to come. The bio made comparisons to King Crimson and the like. This is pushing it mildly. Jean-Paul De Roover is a fairly talented guitarist, but self-produced works run the risk of missing the nuances that come from a quality mixing engineer and producer. A lot of artists have labels that pay for the time to go into a quality studio with a reputable producer. Smaller studios and producers are trying to build their collective resumes to earn that respect. With that said, “…Dichotomy…” needs some tweaking around the edges. It is an alright “starter” disc, but needs a bigger budget with a deepr and better mix. (thecannyshark)

I Am Iconoclast… (EP)
Artist; Paris Oroborus
©2008 Independent
URL: www.myspace.com/parisoroborus
The only industrial band represented this past July at Cornerstone, this husband/wife duo has the goth look down cold. If techno/industrial music had a mainstream vein to it, Paris Oroborus would be a leader. I hear a cross of Deitiphobia and Circle Of Dust, but more of a dark goth rock with an industrial undercurrent. This is a good disc, but too short. I have a hard time with EP teasers. “Save Me” and “Iconoclast are cuts above the rest. All in all, this is a fine introduction. (thecannyshark)
 

Decent Beat
Artist: Quickflight 
©1983 StarSong
This Vancouver, B.C. band gave the 1980’s CCM scene a honest-to-goodness new wave band to dance to. Did I say dance? Oh yeah! This was my undergraduate Christian college that told me I couldn’t dance. Anyway, Quickflight was one of those bands lost in the shuffle with the poorly managed Tunesmith Records. The label had a shoestring budget for production and promotion. I was lucky to even get my hands on any of their catalog of albums. 
“Decent Beat” was a somewhat stylistic departure from their debut, “Breakaway.” This second album had much more of a Euro-pop, dream-synth approach. Favorite cuts are “Water Of Life”, “Metro Alien”, “Fantasy”, and “Safety In Numbers”. If you had a fascination with new wave music during its peak, you owe it to yourself to find a copy used on eBay or elsewhere.  In the words of Terry Taylor, in reacquainting myself with this, I took “…another trip down memory lane”.
(thecannyshark)

Empty Your Pockets/Give Us Your Souls
Artist: White Zebra
©2008 Independent
URL: www.myspace.com/whitezebra
Reminding me a little of Roadside Monument and Blenderhead, White Zebra punches holes through the rock and roll fabric bringing a punk-meets-Talking Heads element to the table. With song titles like “Yellow Flies Chocking On Red Cigarettes”, “Pollock And The Dinosaurs”, “Hip Hop/You Don’t Stop”, and “The Tiger’s Envious Grin”, these guys are not your average run-of-the-mill band. Creativity is best shaken, stirred, and served. This is the kind of band that will be local favorites in a city near you, especially if you live in Texas, playing the sweaty dives with the growing faithful sweating along. (thecannyshark)