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Three CD Reviews- Serart, Jen Elliot And Domestic Godzilla

© Marianne Moro

Jen Elliot-The Secret's Out-City Canyon Records

Like many aspiring singers, Jen Elliot got her start performing in musicals and open mic nights. Unlike most of her peers, though, one of her open mic night performances caught the ear of a New York record exec, and the rest, as they say, is history. The Secret's Out, Elliot's debut CD (City Canyon Records) is a perfect balance of belt it out blues and Sheryl Crowe mid-tempo rock. The opening track Move, has a big band intro leading to a big bluesy voice. Elliot's singing packs a bigger punch than Vonda Shepard, and hints at what a grown up Christina Aguilera would sound like. The plaintive Empty Eyes could have fallen flat with a wimpier delivery, but here it's a statement of survival as opposed to a tale of woe. At times Elliot's music is reminiscent of a hip, bluesy cabaret act, too much for an MOR crowd but not edgy enough for dedicated rockers. Why Can't This Be A Love Song definitely rocks out, as Elliot's vocals accompany the band's radiant licks instead of outdistancing them. The tempo changes again with the mischievous rhythm of Paint It and the jungle beat of Curse On You. The CD's closer ,Pop Blues is a fantastic slice of Chicago barroom R&B that would fit in admirably at any South Side haunt on a Friday night.

2 Hold You Over-Domestic Godzilla-Urban Intellect

This four piece hardcore band from the Northwest side of Chicago specializes in straightforward, bash and throttle songs that have more in common with Pantera and Machine Head from the early/mid '90s than any of today's rapcore bands. On songs like Solidarity and Guerrilla, the band stomps through angst-ridden anthems like real men, not poseurs or whiny brats.

Website: http://www.domesticgodzilla.com

Serart-Arto Tunc Boyaciyan & Serj Tankian (Serjical Strike Records)

Any sort of experimental/ethnic/world/electronic release that is initiated by a rock star invites major scruntiny. Adjectives that come to mind are self-indulgent, boring, monotonous, and heavy-handed. Rarely does this deviate. It's the sort of project most casual listeners shut off after ten seconds. So it's a major whoop-de-do when an unschooled actually are interested in what happens next. Serart a CD/DVD combo is the first release on Tankian's Serjical Strike Records. Serart bears little resemblance to System Of A Down's music, so if you're looking for loud, aggressive hard rock, you won't find it here.

Arto Tunc Boyaciyan, an Armenian jazz musician known for his extensive credits in both Europe and the US, collaborated with Serj from System of a Down on this project 16 tracks of jazz/electronic/Arabic/Armenian jazz that has absolutely nothing to do with Tankian's day job.