Brian Hartzog

The songs are a unique blend of classic rock (Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and David Bowie) mixed with funk (Prince, Parliament, and James Brown). Hartzog calls his sound "funk and roll". On first listen, you may think of the music as "alternative"--much like some strange mixture of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and early David Bowie. But after a few listens, you begin to realize that Hartzog has now truly developed his own sound. You'll notice how accomplished the lyrics are, and how the grooving Lenny Kravitz-style guitars now underpin some highly memorable melodies. There are not really too many weak spots on this record (personally, I could do without "In From the Metro")...and the real standout songs are "Christmas in July", which sounds like the kind of music Prince should be making; "Motha Funky", a P-funk influenced funk jam with a fine touch of "deep-fried" southern flavor; and "Fast Girl in a Pretty Car", a rockabilly punk car song.

Everyone I've played this disc for seems to find a lot to like. It really seems to connect in a way Hartzog's first disc shyed away from. In addition to the "funk and roll" that sets the course for this disc, I also hear traces of spoken word poetry (like at the end of "In From the Metro"), highly intelligent neo-punk rock ("Daily Grind"); folk-rock ("Amy's Run Away"), New Orleans drumline ("Make a Little Room for Me") and even a hint of P-funk ("Motha Funky").

Hartzog's goal with this disc is to sell 5,000 of them in hopes of upgrading his bedroom studio for his third release. If you're interested in his full "Manifesto" you can check it out on his website (http://www.brianhartzog.com). That's kinda cool that it only takes a few thousand discs for an indie artist to be happy--especially in these days where a major label artist can sell 200,000 CDs and end up bankrupt and contractless.

For me, this is the kind of independent artist I search through the used CD bins hoping to discover...and once I do, I always end up trapping my friends in the car with me so they'll be forced to hear it. Once you discover a quality artist like Brian Hartzog who's still making and releasing music on his own terms, it'll give you the energy to keep on digging through that bin--whether that means at the back of a mom and pop CD store or on some corner of the Internet. One-Way Ticket, indeed...Happy travels!

Band Members:
Doug Albritton--Drums Grease Spot Horns--Horns Brian Hartzog--The Rest

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