Rock
Sugar High By Todd Leibowitz
I first want to personally
thank the guys in Rock Sugar for sending me a copy of their CD
“Reimaginator”.
This band takes 2 or 3
well known hits and mashes them up into one song. The first single/video
for a song title “Don’t Stop the Sandman” mashes up “Don’t Stop
Believing” and Enter Sandman”.
My favorite track right
now is “We Will Kickstart Your Rhapsody” which combines, as you can
guess, the Queen classics with the Motley Crue explosive “Kickstart my
Heart”.
But I am going to stop
now by giving away all the songs behind the songs. Even the liner notes
reads: “Do not read this page until you have listened to the whole
record. We’re serious. This thing is supposed to be a surprise and why
the hell would you want to be one of those frickin people who knows when
their own surprise party is coming? So knock it off and put this down
now. If not, hey, it’s not like we didn’t warn you.”
With a statement like
that you know that you are in for something special.
Lead singer Jess Harnell
is actor and a an accomplished voice actor. He can be heard on Animanacs
and Captain Hero of Drawn Together. His voice can also be heard on one
of my sons favorite movies, Finding Nemo! Harnell can extend his singing
voice to sound exactly like the original artists that Rock Sugar is
portraying. I would not say “covering”, since Rock Sugar is far from a
cover band.
While you are singing
along with one song, they immediately make a 180 degree turn and start
jamming away on a totally different tune, and then back again to the
first song. Hey, it takes a lot of talent for what these guys are doing.
How you ask? Well, think about it. Everyone knows “Enter Sandman” from
Metallica. After the first minute and a half into to the song, you are
ready to sing “Say your prayers little one, don't forget my son” BUT
with Rock Sugar, Harnell starts with “just a small town girl, living in a
lonely world” Harnell has to get himself mentally prepared to start
singing the Journey lyrics, rather than the Metallica lyrics. This is
the case through-out the album and for that I give kudos to a job well
done.
The band lineup is:
Jess Harnell - Lead Vocals
Chuck Duran - Guitars & Vocals
Alex Track - Drums & Vocals
Johnny Five - Bass & Vocals
I hope these guys come to
the NY/LI area so that I can write an great review on what would be an
awesome performance. They are far from done with what they already
recorded. They are currently asking fans on Facebook for recommendations
on other songs they would like to hear mashed up.
So, pick up this
record and find out for yourself the songs behind the songs. Here is
the track listing.
DON’T STOP THE
SANDMAN
WE WILL
KICKSTART YOUR RHAPSODY
CRAZY
GIRL
VOICES IN
THE JUNGLE
HERE
COMES THE FOOL YOU WANTED
SHOOK
ME LIKE A PRAYER
STRAIGHT
TO ROCK CITY
PRAYIN’
FOR A SWEET WEEKEND
HEAVEN
AND HEAVEN
BREAKIN’
THE LOVE
I LOVE
SUGAR ON ME
ROUND
AND SEPARATED
DREAMING
OF A WHOLE LOTTA BREAKFAST
VISIT THE BAND
AT http://www.ROCKSUGARBAND.com
|