Eclectic and versatile rock and roll.

28 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Progressive Rock, POP: Quirky



Details:
If you havenât heard of them yet, itâs just a matter of time before some big print magazine names them âThe Best Band Youâve Never Heardâ. But Iâm going to beat them to the punch. Itâs Athens, Georgiaâs Commander Chameleon, a band that could very well reserve a spot amongst the other Athens luminaries REM and The B-52âs. With a very ambitious 28 tracks on their self titled disc, thereâs bound to be a song for everyone.

Mastered by John Keane, whose previous clients have included The Cowboy Junkies, The Indigo Girls and hometown boys REM, itâs a very slick sounding album, rife with political, religious, environmental and social commentary, as well as pop culture references, set against elaborate arrangements. If Primus with a jamband twist, a surfer vibe, and a hint of early Barenaked Ladies sounds appealing, youâll probably like Commander Chameleon.

âPink Telephoneâ is a particularly catchy track, with dark lyrics against an airy, near-psychedelic music bed. You wonât be able to stop yourself from moving along to âGravediggersâ and âFreedom Ticklerâ. The acoustic tracks âFigure of Speechâ and âRubberholeâ are a nice contrast to the more electronic sound of the other songs on the album. Lyrically, the album indicates this is a well-read band, very much aware of what is going on in the world around them, and theyâre prepared to make their voice heard in an accessible format. Theyâre opinionated, but their tongue-in-cheek approach makes you listen to what they have to say.

My best suggestion is to sit down with your favourite beverage and listen to this album from beginning to end at least once. If anything, itâs an experience. And some of you may even go back and listen to at least a few of the tracks again.

4 out of 5-Mellisa Girimante