Metro Pulse/Music/Eye on the Scene

Local CD Review I

The Cheeksters
Skating on the Cusp

The Cheeksters aren't exactly a local band anymore, what with living in Nashville and all, but we'll always be glad to claim them. After all, they're the best English pop band East Tennessee ever produced. (Sorry, Elaine...)

As on their first CD, 1994's Hey, What's Your Style?, the Cheeksters are husband and wife Mark Casson and Shannon Hines Casson, plus whoever happens to be in the studio with them (most prominently, producer/drummer/guitarist/sitar player Brent Little). The new album shares its predecessor's strengths—crisp melodic hooks, shimmery guitars, and especially Mark Casson's bright British wail (he comes by it honestly, don't worry)—but is more textured and artfully produced. The influences are obvious (mid-period Beatles, mostly) but unforced. Unlike, say, Noel Gallagher, Casson knows the difference between emulation and highway robbery. His songs have a signature soulfulness that suits his rich tenor; you get the feeling he'd be as comfortable singing "Let's Get It On" as anything off Rubber Soul.

The arrangements are tastefully varied, with horns, banjos, e-bows, and other accouterments coloring in where needed. You could wish (and I do) for a few more doses of the brash pop that highlighted the first album, and maybe a lead vocal from Shannon too, but it's hard to complain about what's here. My personal faves: the moody "Step Into the Light," the folk-pop shimmy of "Hilary Cheesecake," and the jouncy sneer of "Beautiful Lie."

If we're lucky, the Cheeky buggers will show up in town sometime soon. In the meantime, you can get Skating on the Cusp in all the usual places. Cheers.

Local CD Review II

Jodie Manross
Still

I'm always skeptical when those acoustic-folksy types start digging deep for blues-inflected gut emotion. Folk pixie Jodie Manross manages to pull something pretty convincing out of that barrel on "Hard Way," the fourth track on her CD Still. It's not really the blues, but Manross' strong, fluid voice pushes the song way past Joan Osborne territory, and Laith Keilany's acoustic slide has an unexpected sting. But the best moments on Still are the quiet ones, the muted, understated songs like the eight-minute "Pennsylvania" and the moody, reflective title track. Manross's voice is strong, but it's not gritty; it's rarefied and, to risk hyperbole, maybe even angelic. It's best when it's soaring, as it does on "Still," stretching out beyond the normal human capacity for oxygen deprivation. And the melancholy melodies here are a perfect vehicle for the tinge of world-weariness in that voice.

The band's work behind Manross is minimalist, letting her voice carry the songs. But Keilany's guitars—from strummed, Dave Matthews-ish acoustic chords to clean, bluesy leads—and Nathan Barrett's exotic percussion (congos, something called a djembe) add a quiet, solid base for Manross's stratospheric vocals (and add significantly to Manross's live performances).

Still is a more-than-solid debut. Manross announces her presence with conviction, and leaves us hoping that there's more to come soon.

See? Someone Reads Me

To Whom It May Concern:
Thanks for mentioning God Country Family in your article this week ["Eye on the Scene," May 18]. We are honored, and somewhat confused, that Knoxville still remembers us.
Some of us left Knoxville because of bad blood, but we love that town for creating some of our greatest friendships and an incredible network of creative people that we still tap into to this day.
Hopefully in the next week or so, you will be receiving a copy of The Known World (our first CD on the Morristown-based S and L Records). We hope you enjoy it.
The band would also love to come down and play, but that's all up in the air right now since we live in four separate cities.
Thanks again.
Rob Matthews

If I Were You...

Thursday: Dreve with ZED and Kid Snack at Moose's Music Hall. Bang your heads, kids. This might be the last time Dreve comes through K-town before they hit the big time.

Friday: Louise Mosrie at Riverside Tavern. We love Mosrie's simple, plaintive guitar and fetching voice.

Saturday: Mic Harrison at Patrick Sullivan's. Three-quarters of the 'roys will be there. Will you?

Sunday: CC String Band at Barley's. Catch 'em while you can. And check out the new addition...

Monday: DJ Special K at Lava Lounge. Chase those Monday blues away with K's blend of house, goth, and whatever else tickles the K.

Tuesday: Einstein Simplified at Manhattan's. In July, ES will celebrate its fifth anniversary as a staple of Knoxville's improv. comedy scene. Isn't it about time you saw them?

Wednesday: Have a happy hump day.

—Zippy "Every day is Hump Day" McDuff