Flora Reed is a busy publicist who may be best known for her work with the Signature Sounds label. A while back, she circulated her own five-song demo; and late last year, she released a full-length disc, Settle Down. Between recordings, Reed's art has matured considerably; and she has taken a renewed interest in rock.

On the album's first cut, "Flowers At My Feet," the keyboard use  -  reminiscent of Beatles-era George Harrison  -  creates a mood that is at once Victorian and psychedelic. Reed's voice is slightly nasal, a little breathy, and her singing has become more intimate. At times, the melodies are film-noir-ish and Leonard Cohen shadings may tint the lyrics. The wonderful title track has a great passage that begins with the revealing sentiment, "I look simple enough, but you know the truth." Boston's Rose Polenzani, herself a serious alt-folk talent, adds sensitive harmony to the mysterious "Mutter."

"Happiness Is," the most broadcast-friendly number, is a romantic folk-pop standout, though it isn't sugary  -  not with the opening lines,

Reed wanted her debut's production "to be straightforward with enough atmospheric touches to keep it interesting." She and producer Dave Chalfant, then, can count this disc to be an impressive success.

Flora Reed shares the stage with Jen Johnson and Stacy Baker at Emily's, 48 Winter Street, Boston, on Tuesday, June 3rd.

Nate Schrock, after playing in the major label bands Paleface and the Lost,* returned to Maine and formed The Coming Grass, a roots-influenced outfit with a garage-band edge. The well-received debut, The Coming Grass (CD, Velvet Ed Music, 1999), along with tracks on the Area Code 207 compilations and an EP by TCG's Sara Cox, established the Coming Grass as among the foremost bands on Maine's rock scene.

"Dealmaker" leads off the latest disc with a hard-to-place yet classic-sounding roots riff and lyrics such as

This group's press makes comparisons to the usual alt-country, indie, and roots-rock artists, though the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street should be added. "Fix Me Up, Doctor" is gritty country-rock, while Cox's nifty "Fix Your Own Cup of Tea" is an old-fashioned double-entendre song of the "get lost" type. "Stowaway" is powered by the chugging drums of Ken Coomer (Uncle Tupelo, Wilco); and background vocals from Sara Cox give this cut echoes of TCG's eponymous debut. "Guard Down" is a subtle gem, as is Cox's '70s-style folk-rocking "4th Child."

Transient presents a smoother sound and benefits from Coomer's excellent drumming. It's a big step forward for this talented crew.

The Coming Grass is at The Theatre at Monmouth, Monmouth, Maine, on Saturday, June 14, with Darien Brahms and Her Calico Chaps.

Rani Arbo fiddled in the popular '90s roots band, Salamander Crossing. After forming daisy mayhem, she released Cocktail Swing (CD, Signature Sounds SS1267, 2001), a solid collection that led off with "Limo to Memphis"  -  one of the best album tracks of the year. The new disc is just what a folk recording ought to be, ranging from pretty to brassy, from sweet to sassy.

Gambling Eden, which features accomplished male and female lead vocals, opens with a beat cover of Lead Belly's "Stewball." A fine in-studio radio performance of "Finland" has received extensive airplay in Western New England, though the lovely official version here is better still. Arbo gives a spirited rendering of the Bessie Jones-associated "Turtle Dove," and her delivery is particularly snappy on the line, "Sa sa la do"  -  "the first notes the angels sang when the devil was cast out of heaven."   "Closer" is a gentle song of spiritual mystery. "Big Black Bird" has some of the character of an early Peter Paul and Mary performance. One verse goes,

A beautiful, lingering interpretation of the great Dave Carter's "Farewell to Saint Dolores," which closes this album, features the slowest yodel I've ever heard. Roots influences abound, both upfront and in the background, running the gamut from Appalacian country to zydeco. Gambling Eden is Rani Arbo's best recording to date.

The band, Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem, will be at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, on Sunday, May 25.

Northampton, Mass. It took a global village to shape Louise Taylor's Velvet Town.

Southern Vermont's favorite songstress found influence and assistance from a wide spectrum of artists from near and far to fashion her most adventurous collection to date.

On her previous effort, 2000's Written In Red, Taylor explored the blues/folk roots of Ireland and Appalachia. This new collection takes the listener on a musical exploration of a number of exotic locales.

"The melodies and music were inspired by listening to African, Portuguese, Brazilian, and French influences this time around," explained the Brattleboro native in an email exchange. "I listened to a lot of female singers from around the globe over the last few years. One of my lifelong favorites, Nina Simone (who just passed away), was a very big staple and inspiration to me. Bjork, Lhasa, Gloria Bosman, Betty Carter, and Cassandra Wilson are all on regular rotation as I drive around the country."

Taylor was particularly drawn to African jazz vocalist Bosman. "I was given a tape of Gloria by a fan and took it on tour with me. I must have listened to that tape 100 times," said Taylor. "For a long time I thought it was several different singers and finally I read the liner notes and realized it was all her, she used her voice so dynamically different from song to song."

The songwriting approach that Taylor took for Velvet Town is purposefully spare, allowing the musicians  -  especially percussionist Dean Sharp  -  to pursue a variety of pulsing, jazz/world grooves, while leaving ample space for Taylor's smokey voice to stretch out. The 45 year-old singer acknowledged an unusual "editing and suggestion" process with eight close nit peers, including co-producer Annie Gallup. "Over the years I have become close friends with some amazing songwriters. We often set up phone dates to inspire us to write a song by a set date. That date comes around and we play whatever we have, no matter how horrible. We discuss what works, what doesn't and how to get out of whatever near-sighted box we are in. Sometimes when you write you don't know what you've got, sometimes it's great and you just need someone to say ... 'that's amazing.'"

That collective editing is particularly fruitful on the sparse and melodic title track, which features some gorgeous piano work by Eugene Uman of The Brattleboro Jazz Center. "The song 'Velvet Town' was inspired by several things. Love and longing. . . .  but the images I've used to get that feel across were inspired by the surreal velvet indigo/emerald skyline I've so often seen walking the streets of Brattleboro on languid summer nights."

As it turns out, the record's centerpiece morphed in the studio, a happy accident of sorts. "I was having an intonation problem with my electric guitar, we were there to record, so I had to put the guitar down and just sang. Not my original idea for the approach to the song but I think it worked well."

Taylor also visits Italy ("Maps of Venice"), sings some in French ("Simplify") and pays homage to Clif Taylor, her 80 year-old father, on the breezy and hopeful "If I Had My Dream". "He is an amazing person who was obsessed with teaching the world to ski," said Taylor. "He has been a great inspiration for me, a positive thinker, he always encouraged me to follow my dream."

That dream has taken Louise Taylor to many a diverse geographical and musical locale  -  none more challenging and alluring than Velvet Town.

Movin' On is the first Remains album in 35 years. The band delves deeper than sixties' garage rock, exploring their fifties' roots including Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. Yet, "Don't Tell Me the Truth" rates right up there with any of The Remains Epic gems from 1966. "The Power of Love" is a downbeat number, comparing passion to stormy weather, bringing to mind the lyrics of The Lost's "Violet Gown." A Bo Diddley inspired cut, "A Man's Best Friend Is His Automobile" nails a slow, sensual groove. "You Never Told Me Why" has a Tex Mex feel that brings Los Lobos via Richie Valens to mind. Suddenly I envision myself being spun around by a quiffed teen at a South of the Border sock hop. "Hard To Find (So Easy To Lose)" is a gorgeous country cantina tearjerker. True, these 50's style numbers and country influenced toons will make some garage maniacs flip their Prince Valiant wigs. Yet, Barry is so great as a singer, guitarist, and writer that he transcends genre!!! "Trust in Me" wouldn't sound outta place on a Dwight Yoakum or Alan Jackson album. "Listen To Me" has a ringing Rickenbacker that will make 60's fans swoon. "Big Ol' Dynaflow" chronicles a guy's love affair with his car complete with Chuck Berry licks and handclaps. On "You," as throughout, Tashian's painterly guitar playing evokes subtle mood changes with his use of nuance. "Over You" is a gorgeous lament reestablishing Miller and Damiani as the rhythm section. The call and response singing at the end adds punch to the song's musical dynamics. With its Jerry Lee Lewis style piano, "Ramona" takes me back to my pomaded saturnine prom king. "Time Keeps Movin' On" stands with "Don't Tell Me The Truth" as the Remains we know and love from their 1966 album. The Remains are the best of both worlds, combining wild, raw garage spirit with a technical profiency that eludes most of their peers.

Nancy Neon

By 1965, when many New England nightclubs were turning from jazz and folk to rock, a Boston University band, Barry and the Remains, was the driving force. The Remains recorded an album for Epic and opened the last regular Beatles concerts but then, astonishingly, broke up. Ever since, the band's legend has rested on word of its live performances, which were as thoroughly rehearsed as they were wildly performed and mercilessly loud. Now the original Remains are back, and they have a followup album of new tunes. It's hard to imagine how these guys could have started and ended this disc any better. The smooth closer, "Time Keeps Movin' On," is a Remains classic, with great propulsion and accents from Miller's bass and Damiani's drums. Much of the album, though, is turned over to roots music  -  a lot of country, but with a garage-band edge and a sprinkling of familiar Remains touches. Tashian plays roots styles with an exceptionally rich texture akin to the original masters, such as on the Bo Diddley rhythm of "A Man's Best Friend Is His Automobile." "You Never Told Me Why" is a quiet gem of love gone wrong, though it's musically perky, with Briggs on keys playing a little dip-dip part. "Don't Tell Me the Truth," a dynamic harmony-powered kicker, is among a handful of the Remains all-time best recordings.

The Remains headline the Boston Rock Legends show at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Massachusetts, on Saturday, May 17.

Alan Lewis

www.geocities.com/nemsbook/r/remains.htm

Robin Lane got her start in Los Angeles, but her career was nurtured by the exploding late '70s Boston new wave scene. The band's eponynmous major label debut was great; but no consensus emerged on how best to promote the group, leading eventually to its breakup. Following a recent reunion show, the Chartbusters decided to record the album they'd always wanted to make. The main difference with Piece of Mind, the new disc, is a striking variety of material, from the quiet, folky "Little Bird" to the Beatle-esque "Last One To Know" and the discordant "Psychotic Disorders." The new disc is opened by a sparkling "All Fall Down," with vintage Chartbusters sound that would not be far out of place on the 1981 LP, Imitation Life. "She Wants You Back" is in a mainstream radio-play tradition. "Caught in the Act," uncredited in the booklet, is unusual Robin Lane fare. It begins,

The ancient tale, Sir Gawain and the Loathely Lady, starts the same way but takes a decidedly different turn. "Idiot," with echoes of Buddy Holly's guitar, is the band's take on a gem from Lane's mid-'90s solo disc. Piece of Mind, with ample reminders of drummer Tim Jackson's importance to the Chartbusters, should open the way for many more releases.

Robin Lane and the Chartbusters will play on a rock cruise leaving Pickering Wharf in Salem on Thursday, June 12.

The 1980 eponymous debut album on Warner Bros. is the most focused full-length recording by Robin Lane and the Chartbusters. Only "Kathy Lee" sounds as though it may have come from a different place or time. Instrumentally, this band was known for its ringing, often jangly guitars. But as Steve Morse pointed out in his original review, the recording is surprisingly percussive. Perhaps it was the producer's idea to punch up the sound. No such effect was needed.

This is the classic Robin Lane and the Chartbusters release, with absolutely no filler and containing such favorites as "Be Mine Tonite," "When Things Go Wrong," "Why Do You Tell Lies," and "Without You." The band plays quite well; and Lane's voice sounds gruff but strong  -  being, thus, well fitted to the material.

When in the future this organization suggests a basic library of New England rock recordings, count on Robin Lane and the Chartbusters being high on the list.

The Boston band, The Charms, plays simple, melodic rock 'n' roll that's based on a complex mix of mostly '60s styles. These musicians combine classic pop-rock, '90s new wave, garage-punk of a type featured on the original Nuggets various artists compilation, and  -  if we may judge from the sound  -  a hefty Paul Revere and the Raiders influence. The lyrics, too, owe a debt to '60s pop, such as on the Charmed, I'm Sure opener, "Top Down, Radio On," and "Saturday" which expresses the familiar but cheery sentiment, "it's when I get to see you, baby."   "Saturday" also makes excellent use of a time-tested voice-guitar-voice-guitar arrangement. But Kat Kina's growling Farfisa organ  -  the main basis for those all-too-frequent garage-band comparisons  -  dominates the sound instrumentally, nicely playing off Ellie Vee's fine girl-group voice. Joe Wizda's guitar fills, at times, sound more than a little like mid-to-late-'60s George Harrison.

The pumping "Dragonfly" is the best new rocker I've heard so far this year. Its straight-ahead spirit is reflected in the lyrics,

Charmed, I'm Sure is a leading candidate for my 2003 Top 10. [And, as you may judge by the note at the top of this item, Charmed, I'm Sure was ultimately a successful candidate for my list of 2003 Top 10 albums.]

Our review of the region's published local popular music news is, in my opinion, our single most important regular feature. For the very next issue of our newsletter (Issue 13, May 17, 2003), we picked up a Charms story out of Connecticut. Here it is.

Thomas Pizzola's "Local Motion" column in the current Hartford Advocate has this to say about the Boston band, The Charms:

I found emphasis on 1970s influences, in Pizzola's column and in another notice from around the same time, to be quite interesting, since I had picked up mostly '60s sounds from listening to Charms recordings.

The Information is a very new band  -  last night was the third show  -  and this group is great. With a little more experience, the Information will become even greater, and I'm very excited to watch these musicians mature.

Six people in a rock band is a lot  -  I'm not sure I've ever seen it. The Information has six people and every one of them plays with that familiar rock and roll conviction. Then you have to remember that they haven't been playing together very long  -  and I'm impressed even more.

Finding a band comparison is hard  -  someone said the Information sounded like Joy Division  -  which I can agree with, but this music isn't depressing. Band members are straight-ahead rock with plenty of energy.

Though the set was only half an hour, I felt fulfilled and very happy that I schleped out on a Sunday night. The Information's EP hasn't been released yet, but the band does have MP3s available for download from the web site, www.theinformation.net.  You do need Flash to access all the good bits, so be prepared.

JoEllen

The Irish-American folk band, Solas, is often called a supergroup, and its recordings nicely bear out that description. Through a number of personnel changes, this outfit's music has remained much the same  -  until now. On the latest disc, pieces such as the rapidly meandering "Beck Street" and "Who's in the What Now" sound a lot like vintage Solas. Otherwise, the band is going on something of a folk-rock spin, though still with a Celtic edge. Lead singer Deirdre Scanlan found things in "Dignity" that its writer, Bob Dylan, apparently never imagined. Solas' cover of Jesse Colin Young's "Darkness Darkness," which displays some great accordion effects, received serious airplay here in Western New England. "The Poisonjester's Mask" is an extended piece which features prominent electric bass (Chico Huff) and electric guitar (Duke Levine), with Deirdre Scanlan's lovely, unadorned, narrative-like vocal set against lyrics such as

The marvelous "Charmy Chaplin," a kind of jam-band Celtic rag, is a gem and an excellent example of the jazz/roots fusion that has been quite popular for maybe as much as a couple decades. Here and throughout The Edge of Silence, Ben Wittman's contributions on percussion are not to be denied.

Solas is Donal Clancy, Seamus Egan, Winifred Horan, Mick McAuley, Deirdre Scanlan.

Winifred Horan's solo CD made Scott Alarik's Boston Globe 2002 Top 10. It was the first I heard of her even having an album. Horan is the fiddler and a founding member of the Irish-American folk band, Solas  -  hardly a low-profile gig. This solo disc, like its hushed release, is quiet when compared to the volume and density of the group's recordings. Yet the musicians are pretty much the same here as on Solas' latest. Between that and the more traditional/acoustic approach of Horan as leader, many veteran Solas fans may prefer this disc. (Some performances recall the early Boys of the Lough, a wonderful mixed-ethnic outfit.) Just One Wish leads off with "The Princess and the Frog," a set of light-hearted, lively dance tunes. The second track really floors me. About twenty seconds in, the keyboards sound pretty much like Ray Manzarek of the Doors. Way off at the other end of the album, "Albatross" has the peaceful feel of a coastal low-tide calm, with a neat effect from distant-sounding percussion. Horan's fiddling is lovely, though she occasionally throws in rhythmic scratches and scrapes for another great effect. "Sean at the Wheel," half of a medley of reels, is the best and most driven performance. It is paired with "Life on the Road," which features, here and there, an amusing little musical backskip. By all means, this a Top 10-quality recording.

This is the demo that The Remains made for Capitol Records. It was recorded live in the studio and comes much closer to capturing the frenzy of their live shows than their nevertheless amazing Epic album. It is hard to fathom why the combo does so many covers (the first eight songs) when Tashian, Miller, Briggs, and Damiani are all brilliant composers. Yet, I told myself to listen to each number as if I were hearing it for the first time, not as if these were songs made famous by The McCoys, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, etc. The Remains take the Hatfields role and slaughter the McCoys' version of "Hang On Sloopy". The McCoys may have had the hit, but The Remains hit harder. Moreover, Barry's voice is seduction personified.

Much like the Chocolate Watch Band do on "I'm Not Like Everybody Else", The Remains transcend the Kinks' original of "All Day and All of the Night" by the sheer force of their dirty, gritty sexuality. It says something about the utter superiority of The Remains when they can make a Dylan maniac like yours truly cry with their version of "Like A Rolling Stone". Barry's voice is overwhelming. The naked emotion of his vocals deliver empathetic heartwrench so palpable that it makes Dylan sound smug and self-righteous in contrast.

To hang the British Invasion or Beatlesque tag on The Remains truly does them a disservice. The Remains outclassed the competition then and continue to outclass them now. It's no hyperbole to call Barry "the white James Brown," although Otis Redding would be a more apt comparson. Barry is the white soul wonder. Moreover the band has the garage spirit without the untrained hands that are usually part and parcel of that field.

The Remains have both the Apollonian and Dionysian facets covered. That is, their sound is both more elegant and sophisticated but also downright ballsier than their peers. Musically, The Remains are flawless with vocals that range from a punk sneer to totally soulful, solid bass, guitar that is pure rave up, and when Damiani cracks the snare with those aluminum sticks . . . Wow!!! The Remains didn't invent rock 'n' roll, they perfected it!!

A Session with the Remains contains five originals including two versions of "Why Do I Cry" (Tashian) which is hypnotic and pulsating. "Ain't That Her" (Tashian) is more downbeat and moody. "When I Want To Know" (Tashian) is gently stunning with a bridge so perfect it ended up in "Me Right Now" (Tashian) on the Epic album. "Say You're Sorry" (Briggs) is supercharged and the musical equivalent of a double shot of espresso. The closer, "All Good Things" (Miller) with Damiani's patented energetic and perfectly timed drumming is an optimistic anthem which has proven to be prophetic for Boston's living legends. Indeed," All good things don't have to end!"

For information about an upcoming Barry and the Remains show at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Massachusetts, visit

Paul Giacomin is directing a friend, Daryl Silver, in a play. Now, back when Daryl was a young girl, her mother, Emily Gordon, was shot during a bank holdup; and though there were eyewitnesses, security camera photos, and a subsequent letter of responsibility from a radical group, the Dread Scott Brigade, it is still unknown, twenty-eight years later, who killed Emily Gordon . . . which brings her daughter to Spenser.

Daryl's account of her own story does not check out; and a possibly key piece of the crime investigation, an FBI intelligence report, is missing. All this confusion is as delicious as it is characteristic of this series. Then men claiming to represent the government try to scare Spenser off a case that once seemed cold, while representatives of organized crime make a credible attempt to kill him. For an action story such as this, Spenser's age has to be an issue. His experiences in the Korean War imply that he's at least in his late sixties. This problem is easily overcome  -  the new book avoids direct reference to Spenser's longevity. A fictional detective is as young as he or she feels.

Back Story, easily one of the best and funniest books in this great series, is an old-fashioned Spenser novel (minus the recipes), with tight storytelling, crisp dialogue, emphasis on Spenser's investigation as well as the action that accompanies it, and just enough of his personal relationships to add spice but not distract. In some recent books, Spenser's conversations with Susan Silverman, his partner in romance, often have been stiff and formal  -  but not this time.

Spenser has a remarkable ability to remain true to a strict personal ethics code, while collaborating with known and dangerous felons such as gunman Vinnie Morris and self-styled criminal genius Hawk, both of whom are featured in Back Story. Cameo appearances include WBCN-FM's Oedipus and former Boston Globe columnist Mike Barnicle, while Parker fans will be delighted that some scenes take place in the coastal community of Paradise. Then there's the debut of Pearl the Wonder Dog II . . .