SULTRY HONKY FUNK

Tony Peyser
Mirror contributing writer

   Last summer, I wanted to donate some of my Dad’s old stage sets to Santa Monica College and it took a while to get someone out to the house to check them out. Doug Forsyth from the college’s theater department showed up one day and was clearly a very smart, nice guy.
   Before he left, Forsyth noticed all my CDs —- I have over 700 of them —- and asked why I had so many. When I explained that I wrote a music column, his body language changed and he quietly announced, “You know … I’m a drummer in a band.” I said to Forsyth, “Get me a copy of your CD. ” I said to myself, “I hope it’s good.” Truth be told, “really good” is more like it.
   Moe Jones rotates around the sultry singing of bassist Michelle Holmes who co-writes most of the songs with keyboard and guitar player David Coleman. The title track, “Cup Of Joe,” features Coleman’s terrific piano playing and jumps out at you with these enticing opening lines: “I want a cup of Joe/I crave a plate of Dave/Open a jar of John/Don’t put anything on.” This is the kind of song that bands get launched off of. It’s catchy, sexy and has the chutzpah to take its time. On “Quicksand,” the versatile Holmes sounds more than little like Grace Slick. On “Miss Hollywood,” she reminds me of Kate Pierson from The B-52’s and on “Don’t Do Nothin’,” she evokes the old-timey sound of Maria Muldaur.
   Moe Jones is a little hard to classify as they blend rock, pop and jazz but they’re sure easy to like. Bottom line, they’re as intoxicating as champagne —- which happens to be the name of their album’s effervescent second track. A lot of CDs I’ve been sent lately have been blonde women singers who don’t quite fit in to the traditional Nashville mold like Danni Leigh, Jann Browne and Kristie Stremel. I read about Jesse Dayton and assumed that she was another one of these gals. I was right about the not fitting in part. However, Jesse is a guy, so I was pretty far off on that part.
   Dayton’s from Texas and mixes up the alt-country with the traditional country. Whichever side of the country fence you pull your boots up on, there’s something here for you. Take your pick from the honky tonk romance of “I Dream Too” to the Tex-Mex “Heartbreak California” which features accordion king Flaco Jimenez. (When somebody of Jimenez’s stature shows up —- hell, The Dixie Chicks even sing back-up on another track —- you know what kind of respect Dayton commands.) The album closer, “Roses Ain’t Enough,” is a stunner, with great piano by veteran session man Floyd Domino and some sensational twangy guitar by Dayton, in addition to his rock-the-roof vocal.
   Finally, Scvilpus (pronounced “shpil-kuss” like the Yiddish word for antsy) is a quartet of young guys playing a mostly instrumental gumbo of r&b, electronica, hip hop and jazz and they’re from …   Nashville? Genrealization is produced by Chris Grainger, who’s worked with the airy-fairy Sixpence None The Richer and the down-and-dirty Wilco, which makes for another head-scratcher. This is Scvilpus’ second album and it’s an odd combination of elements that shouldn’t work but, boy, does it. The way-cool groove of “Sierra Del Yugo” has an urban and Latin feel, like a track from a blaxploitation film made in Brazil. The funky “Pleather” reminded me of music that plays when the movie gang is on their way to the big heist. So, it’s an ideal track to toss onto the soundtrack of the nearly inevitable “Ocean’s 11” sequel.
   You can get Cup Of Joe for $11.98 at www.cdbaby.com. Miles Of Music is selling Hey Nashvegas! for $15.50 and CDNow has Schfvilkus for $16.97.
   Michele Greene, whose album Ojo de Tiburon I’ve said plenty of nice things about, will be at The Mint on January 28.
   The Goofy Band Name Of The Week is … The Amazombies.