Benevolence Benefit CD (Caley Music Group)

Featuring Spleen, The Levellers, Master Kush, Mondo A Go-Go, Big River Shiver, Tribus, The Khinutzins, Big Licks, No Escape, revival, Plan Be, Hypnogenic

Right, its six quid for 12 tracks and its all for charidee, so you should buy it anyway. But will you play it more than once.

Spleen start things off in fine fashion coming on like the bastard offspring of Gram Parsons and Al Kooper. We like. Then its The Levellers doing their Leveller thing. Nuff said. Master Kush turns in an extremely dark trip hop track that is both hypnotic and repelling. Worth checking out mp3.com for more examples. Mondo A Go-Go play straight ahead garage rock and roll straight out of 1969 and ? & The Mysterians.

Big River Shiver are more populist in their approach to rawk and are easily the most commercial band here. Kindred spirits with Edinburgh band Soundbite, this is extremely melodic and they would be well worth a majors attention. Tribus are busy experimenting with sound and dynamics, and their post rock trip hop is very promising, and reminiscent of my beloved Marxman. The Khinutzins head down that well trodden Scottish mid Atlantic route and do it very well. With eyes looking west they could also crack it, with a more pronounceable name:-) Big Licks win accolades for a tremendously awful name. How they managed to lure Vince Neil away from Motley Crue to front a reformed Gun is anyones guess, but I loved this. But then I loved Slide, Baby Stafford, Buddha Grass Harbour and King Hash. Go figure, but this is rock the way it used to be played. Smashing.

No Escape are that oddity, a ska/punk band who are firmly convinced the last 20 years never happened. Nothing wrong with that. They do it well, and its not every day you hear a flugel horn in a punk context. Revival content themselves with looking at the door marled "Travis", and thinking I'll have some of that. Add in a soupcon of Oasis sneer, and the kiddiewinks will love them. Plan Be manage to outdo Big Licks in the bloodyawfulnamegame, but manage to concoct a reasonable son of britpop sound. Vox need a bit of work, but nothing that can't be fixed. Hypnogenic round things up in traditional Scottish style, grandsons of Orange Juice and the myriad of jangly guitar based pop bands that have followed. They do it well, though and when the guitars get pushed to the fore, things motor on nicely.

50p a band, buy it now.

The Caley Music Group are based at The Caley Centre, 4 Station Road, Stevenston, Ayrshire, UK
ypdst@sol.co.uk
http://www.ayrshiremusic.co.uk/