Diamonds & pearls

The Colonel, the Cautions, Mill City Rockers

by Bob Gulla

The Colonel and His Lucky Diamonds (CD, www.thecolonelandhisluckydiamonds.cjb.net)

With his new project, The Colonel and His Lucky Diamonds, Johnny "The Colonel" Maguire is a rather far cry from his previous stint as long-time guitarist for the Amazing Crowns. First of all, his new material is way easier on the ears than the Crowns decibel-wise. Instead of that band's greasy-punk, Maguire and the boys delve with both feet into the rockabilly and early rock and roll of the '50s. And instead barreling full-speed-ahead with a barrage of distorted punk-rock licks and riffs, the Colonel and second guitarist Jonny Safford specialize in cleanly picked lines and chunky rockabilly chords straight outta their dueling hollow bodies. When they're playing instrumentals like the old Crowns tune "Gretschy," spiced up here with mariachi-style horns, and the sizzling archetypal rocker "The Curse of the Colonel," the band is tight and focused, often mimicking the vintage licks of heroes like Elvis' Jordanaires, Bill Haley's Comets, or Buddy Holly's Crickets. When Safford sings, he enhances chestnuts like the Holly-inspired "The One That Got Away" and the sizzling opener "The Colonel's Havin' a Party," with a suave, dippity-do sort of manliness, as so many frontmen back in the '50s enjoyed.

The only concern on this recording is that Maguire, also joined by bassist Joe Principe and drummer Mike Safford, is so enamored by the sounds-of-before-he-was-born that he doesn't dare touch it with his own sensibility. When you're playing a style that's almost five decades old, you can't treat it like a valuable antique. It's best to bend it and stretch it a bit. It is, after all, rock and roll. It's lasted this long; it'll last another few years despite the rugged treatment.

The Cautions (CD, www.thecautions.com)

OK, so now that Weezer's on the huge side once again (I, for one, thought they were long, long gone), the sound of the Cautions, a band straddling the Providence-Boston axis, comes off like a fresh Krispy Kreme, with just enough sweetness and heft to feel like you're getting your money's worth. Comprised of lead singer and guitarist Eric Barao, lead guitarist Jeff Caglarcan, bassist Matthew Boynton, and drummer Chris Newbern, the Cautions straddle the power-pop line separating Weezer and the Cars, Gary Numan, and the Posies. The guitars feel sturdy, the songwriting solid, the performances passionate. Both Caglarcan and Barao met at the Berklee College of Music, so they have a little built-in cred, technically speaking. Their eponymous debut, recorded and mixed at Diamond Hill studios in Cumberland and engineered by Barry Martin, is a brief but potent trip through the wry and entertaining world of the Cautions. To wit, Barao sings on the crunching break-up tune, "Out of Print," "Now that you've said it's final/I want back my fucking vinyl!" (Remind you of Ben Folds?) "Game Show" cribs its guitar solo from "Jeopardy," while the heavy opening guitar salvo of "Groove Baby Groove" is almost certainly tongue-in-cheek. There's much to like on The Cautions, and little to criticize. That is, if you, like me, dig deeply the timeless power-pop melodies of bands like, oh, you know -- one of them ends with "Crush."

Mill City Rockers: Mission (Big Noise, www.bignoise.com/mcr.html)

Produced by Tony Ricci and Mill City Rockers, Mission is a dozen straight-ahead rock tunes propelled by the classic-rock guitars of Normand Barabe and John Anthony Florio and the rock-solid vocals of bassist Jim St. Pierre. The band is obviously inspired by southern, blues-based rockers like Molly Hatchet and mid-period Lynyrd Skynyrd ("Above the Law," "Ridin' Free," "In Your Face"), while also hinting at the guitar throttle of Hendrix ("Guitar Hero") and other '70s rockers on songs like AC/DC ("Another Way").

Though the band generally stays on the straight and narrow in the songwriting category, occasionally they veer off and throw in a surprise or two. On the ballad "Understand What I See," Barabe's pedal steel provides a nice counterpoint to St. Pierre's rhythm chords. His bottleneck also spices up "No Warning." In terms of improvements, the rhythm section of St. Pierre and powerhouse drummer John Desaulniers provide the band with strong support, but they need to swing a bit more. Too many of the tracks, including Florio's rhythm patterns, come off a little starchy. So too are the band's lyrics; they're relate-able but a little less than sophisticated. A bit of zip, maybe a little attitude, would cure these ailments no problem. Recorded, mixed, and mastered at Triad Recording Complex, the disc has ample breadth and fidelity, and good performances. A little attention to detail would take these guys a long distance.

Lon E: Marema (Lion Eye Productions, www.lioneye.com)

Lon E. Plynton, founder of the regionally renowned Mystic Jammers and the Equal Rites Band, is back, this time under his own name and a disc called Marema. Like his recent work with Equal Rites, his solo work combines R&B and soul with his native tongue, reggae, resulting in a colorful work of ambitious proportions. Like many reggae songwriters, Plynton keeps things positive lyrically and vibrant musically. Songs like the fusiony "The Novel," the Santana- inspired "Marema," and the gently bouncing "Strength" are as empowering as they are purely danceable. Plynton's vocals and guitar work sound stronger than ever while many of the songs here, all mastered at Dream Edit Studios with executive production by S. Ritchie, have solid production values. Where Plynton slips up is when he stretches his voice out of range. This arises on songs ("The Postcard," "The Door") that have more relation to the soul of Detroit than the reggae of Jamaica. Plynton excels when the material has a world music feel, which, fortunately, most of Marema possesses.

WANDERING EYE. Lots is happening on Saturday, June 23 beginning with a good rockin' time at the Safari Lounge with the Providence Riots. At the other end of the musical spectrum, you can head up to Woonsocket for a much more wholesome time. It's called the Family Safety Festival and it will take place at Dunn Park in Woonsocket. Set time's noon-ish, admission is free, and quality acoustic entertainment will be provided by Mary Ann Rossoni and her band, which also includes Dan Hann on drums, Betsy Dake on backing vocals, DJ Lauria on guitar, and Joe Potenza on bass. Information on the festival can be had by calling 762-3314. Rossoni will also be heading to Newport on the 25th to play the Sunset Music Festival at the Newport Yachting Center. Admission is $25 (it is Newport after all), but you also get to see Kay Hanley, ex of Letters to Cleo, and the witty, urbane folk darling Dar Williams. The music starts at 6 p.m.; the box office telly is 846-1600, ext. 221.

Bad luck hits Meat Depressed. While they were at the Living Room watching a show last week, some goons broke into their van and ripped off the following equipment: Bob's 1978 blue Les Paul custom, Pete's Black Guitar Center custom shop Fender Jaguar (with locking tuning pegs, humbucker in tail position, and a roller nut; there's a nick in the neck at the 5th fret); Vic's Blue Fender Jazz Bass (serial number: MN1101605), his Fender Bass Head 300R BXR (LO-212920), and a bunch of merch -- CDs, buttons, stickers, etc. If you come across it any of it, call (508) 698-0393.

Bob Gulla can be reached at b_gulla@yahoo.com.