Tim Blane
More than the Same

Tim Blane (pictured, right), once a child prodigy on piano and violin, is now a mature singer-songwriter with a very mainstream sound. 

A close inspection of Blane's In the Meantime disc unearths a deeply talented musician and honest lyricist.  His refreshing approach has won some notable fans and Blane has opened up for national standouts The Verve Pipe and The Push Stars.  Chris Keup (Jason Mraz, Josh Kelley, Rachel Yamagata) served as producer and the disc was engineered by Stewart Myers (Shawn Colvin, Jason Mraz, Lifehouse, Agents of Good Roots.)

“That Way” is the CD’s standout.  It’s a mid-tempo radio ready love song with a groove that sticks in your head.  On this song and most others, Blane may have a somewhat familiar sound, but he is no less a great songwriter than any mainstream popular artist today. 

If you are a fan a great lyrics and a groove that will get your money maker shaking, you’ve got to get down with Tim Blane! For more info, please go to www.timblane.com

Ben Miller and Low Anthem
Down on the Mainstream

“I don’t know these people.  I don’t know if they take themselves seriously.  But, often, they turn my stomach.”  - Ben Miller on popular music. 

On stage and off, it’s clear Ben Miller of Ben Miller and Low Anthem isn’t afraid to make a bold statement.  The above quote illustrates a passion for creativity and exploration.  His band is fusing an unthinkable mix: the singer-songwriter tradition with classical instrumentation. 

Make no mistake, the Low Anthem front man isn’t high on himself.  Everyone knows I am a fan of Boston music, but not the pretense and pomp that sometimes seems a prerequisite to a Berklee education.  Of course, I love the music school and most of its students, but a few still have yet to learn that smoking on Comm. Ave doesn’t qualify you to be the next John Petrucci. 

Ben Miller of Low Anthem is a band that I’m not certain even Berklee could have spawned.  Brown University, a school with few equals, has a music department where one can fly largely under the radar.  That unique atmosphere of intellectual excellence and artistic freedom has been a great match for Ben Miller, a twenty-one year old bent on breaking the rules in command of what is currently considered popular music.  According to Miller, “Nobody [in the band] is stuck on one stuck on one style over another.” 

The group’s daring approach is garnering some much-deserved respect throughout New England.  They recently scored a record contract of sorts.  Brown University’s Creative Arts Council, recognizing the new ground Miller and company are striving to cover, provided funding for a new recording.  They were tapped by Mixfest battle of the band’s winner Chris Canty to open up a Hurricane Katrina benefit show. 

The band’s bassist, Jeff Prystowski, missed the show to attend the funeral of his grandfather who was killed by the hurricane.  Ben Miller and Low Anthem soldiered on and left the crowd at the Attic in Newton no less than stunned. 

See Ben and the Boys on Tuesday, November 1 at All Asia at 334 Massachusetts Avenue in  Cambridge. For more info go to www.benmiller.net

Juliet Lloyd
The New Look of Blue Eyed Soul

I no longer watch TV and or listen to radio.   I have to think the only person making worse decisions than media executives is anyone riding shotgun with Billy Joel.  I’m not saying the Pussycat Dolls don’t have talent; it’s just that their talent isn’t singing!

Case in point, Juliet Lloyd.  Lloyd should be on every dial you can imagine.  With writing, trumpet, and keyboard credits on the disc All Dressed Up, the songstress proves she is more than just a pretty voice.  Her tunes are original and, yet, very much a throwback to 70's Motown. 

The obvious comparison is to Norah Jones.  The obvious answer doesn't often pan out and I have the SAT scores to prove it.  Lots of white artists try to sound black, that is nothing new.  With Lloyd, it's no act.  This girl has soul.  Now, that is coming from a honky from Wellesley, but still, you have to trust me.  She has played the Apollo Theater and got a warm response.  I’m not saying she is P. Ditty, I’m just assuring you she isn’t the next Vanilla Ice. 

See Juliet on Sundays in November at Kennedy's Midtown at 42 Province St. in Boston. For more info go to www.julietlloyd.com