Recent Releases

Here are capsule reviews of the latest CDs released by bands that frequently play in and around the Valley:

Blue by Nature, “Hard Daze.” Hostel Records

Karen Lawrence sings up a storm on this collection of bluesy rockers, and “potent” isn’t a strong enough adjective to describe her speaker-intensity vocals. If she were a Civil War artillery piece, she would be spewing double canisters at 10 yards.

Also, her band is first-rate as guitar solos snake in and out of Lawrence’s vocal theatrics, making this way better than that of Robert Cray and the handful of other blues players who actually sell more than four or five albums.

If more blues bands sounded like Blue by Nature, there would be more blues fans. GRADE: A. Next gig: Aug. 21 at Cozy’s in Sherman Oaks.

Don Haney Band, “Won’t Take Me Long . . . Again”

These days Haney, from Deadwood, S.D., is a Long Beach-based blues man with a life, a day job and all that stuff. In his night job, he’s a meat-and-potatoes blues man with lots of sturdy originals. He’s not going to set the joint on fire, but he’s not going to incite a mass exodus, either.

The funked-out version of “It’s All Over Now” doesn’t work for me because I always thought that when you finally got rid of her, that was supposed to be a moment of exuberance. GRADE: B. Next gig: Saturday at Season Ticket in Simi Valley.

Teddy Morgan and the Crawl, “The Road.” Black Top

Once “Kid” Morgan but now a seasoned twentysomething veteran, Morgan has reclaimed his own persona as front man for this touring blues band. The title cut is a low-down and dirty look at that place most blues men come to know best, “The Road.”

A couple of the others such as “Born to Boogie” and “No Money Down” are roadhouse classics, but the others tend toward the generic. GRADE: B minus. Next gig: Tuesday at Cozy’s in Sherman Oaks.

Shakeh, “Shakeh.” Bobara Music

Shakeh is a rock ‘n’ roll gal who does music that is part classic rock and part folk rock. Unfortunately, the lyrics are a veritable cliche festival and the songs themselves are pedestrian and generic. Back to Songwriting 101. GRADE: C-. Next gig: Aug. 16 at Borders in Thousand Oaks.

Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, “Tough and Tender.” Tone-Cool

The coolest Piazza in SoCal since that catcher the Dodgers used to have, Rod is a harmonica-playing madman who fronts this tight, national touring blues band. And this Piazza has it all--a Chrysler-size harmonica, no New York address, the gorgeous Miss Honey who plays piano and wife, and also guitar god Rick “L.A. Holmes” Holmstrom. It’s rockin’ blues as good as it gets. GRADE: A. Next gig: Saturday at B.B. King’s in Universal City.

Acadiana, “Can’t Not Dance.” Feedback Productions

This is a zydeco/Cajun dance band made up mostly of a bunch of Realtors, whom, when not plotting to pave and/or resell the entire universe, have been recreating a Louisiana soundtrack for the last five years.

About a year ago, they added some serious pros in the shape of singer-guitarist Teresa Russell, bass player Rick Borella and world-class fiddle player Phil Salazar. Thus, Acadiana is getting better every gig, plus it always has a large turnout of dancers.

This CD came out a few months ago and has some cool dance songs sung in English or French, but the band is way better live. GRADE: B+. Next gig: Sunday at the Agoura Hills Concert in the Park.

Doug MacLeod, “Unmarked Road.” Audioquest Music

MacLeod is a blues man out of L.A. who travels light--just a guy, a guitar and a bunch of original tunes about women he can’t have, doesn’t want or can’t get rid of.

MacLeod squeals and squirms, moans and groans, howls and pouts, all the while offering convincing proof that he earned that gray hair. GRADE: A-. Next gig: Aug. 14 at B.B. King’s in Universal City.