Stackmagic – Stackmagic (2004)

To say the very least, there is a deep and buoyant sigh of relief when the avid music junky finds himself at the mercy of an unprocessed, to-the-point, authoritative rock band. To clarify, this does not include the polished and sometimes tarnished carbon copies sporting the latest suggested fashions, regenerating the previously recycled "alt," resonance. In a more accurate description, this points to a band grown more organically with roots planted firmly in the essentials of rock and roll. And if you can't remember the last time you saw a live band that seized your attention within the first 5 minutes of their set, then you haven't seen Stack Magic.

Well equipped with blatantly gritty guitar hooks and contagious grooves, Stack Magic is the perfect antidote for entertainment rigormortis. Nathan Spears leads with unaffected ease delivering ripe vocal quality, meat-and-potatoes guitar playing, and lyrical unpretentiousness. Rhythm guitarist, Mario Canido entangles fluently with the solid backbone style of bassist Royal Reed. Trigger wraps it up with solid "in the pocket" backbeats, which is, after all, the rock badge-of-honor.

When delving into their audio collection the "balls to the walls" type seeker might want to start with "Passion City Blues" or "Sage Brush," while the more relaxed listener may want to go with the mellow command of "Method Actor." Angsty patrons will most definitely find comfortable refuge in "Who I Am," and "No Face To My Faith," well, we'll just let that song speak for itself.

With a live show that derives from the arena rock era, ala Aerosmith, Zepplin, and the Stones, to the energy of U2, The Clash and Nirvana to the grit of Alice in Chains, STP, and Soundgarden they are a must see live act.