A collection of soothing acoustic numbers for your palate, Demographix Vol. 2: Songs Without Hooks is the second disc available from Novick's website. While the title may be a wink to the buyer, in that hooks might be hard to find, this is not to say there is a lack of melodic music. Many artists are fairly aggressive on the acoustic guitar these days, but Novick surprisingly heads in the other direction. His pacing is more akin to a James Taylor number than, say, Dave Matthews. Oh sure, he gets a bit up-tempo on "Cleopatra," which has some quick strumming, but overall, the feel is laid back. If there is anything annoying on the disc it might be the doubling of his vocals with a touch of effects. Yes, it fattens up the sound, but it's not like his voice needs it. His biography provides evidence of a somewhat self-deprecating sense of humor, and he gets points for that. As for the disc, it's a nice collection of melodic numbers and while it may not crack the charts, it has some pretty stuff. www.michael-novick.com

Well, the first thing that hits you about this disc is the versatility of Karen Rush's vocals. There is a lot of mediocrity out there, a lot of nasally singers, but Rush has the depth and projection of a real vocalist. On "The One (angels)," she is soft and demure, yet still possesses a strength that rises above so many pop princesses. And on "Up For Air," a six-and-a-half-minute number (holy '70s Batman!), she shows a brashness, a toughness that would cut through any roadhouse and snap heads to attention. Another aspect worthy of mention is the smoking guitar work of Victor Munoz, who weaves in blues licks, Allman-like slides, and beefs up the disc in general. "Maybe" showcases both band members' talents. And that's not to say that bassist John Messenger or drummer Pete Rizzo are slouches; they keep time steady and solid. Though the first two numbers are rather dark, the rest of the disc travels down various roads, showing the band is adept in many ways. The end result is a well-balanced disc from a promising band. www.eystone.net

Though the lyrics may veer toward labeling the music Christian rock, Eric Price has brought forth a solid disc that rocks from start to finish. On the verge of packing it in and saying goodbye to the music business, Price hired some big guns to get his stuff on disc. Drummer B.J. Zampa played with Yngwie Malmsteen, guitarist Steve DeLacey did time with Journey and Kiss, and bassist Rob Esposito rounded up the band. The result is a collection of songs that kicks with all the guts and glory of '70s rock 'n' roll and '80s big-hair metal. Listen to "Alive in the 21st Century," and if your head doesn't start banging, then it's back to preschool for you. There's a heavy, throbbing beat, a wicked guitar riff that hooks you in, vocals that are gruff and almost angry, and some kick-ass drums. Things quiet down when "Half the Way" comes along, but think of it as the requisite ballad. The closer, "Walking Through Damascus," starts out like a Bond-movie theme song, big, almost like Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die" in spots, and by disc's end, you're glad Price didn't give up after all. www.ericpricevolumeone.com

I remember their last disc, and the wicked sense of humor it displayed. A quick check of this cd shows the first song is titled "I Wanna Fuck You, You Wanna Fuck Me," followed by "Tell Your Husband, See What I Care." Inside there's that stick figure with a stick hard on swigging a bottle of booze. Suffice it to say, the boys are maintaining the status quo. Now you may not like the sleazy lyrics, or the band's raunchy sound, but after watching another interminable Grammy Awards show, and seeing what little is exciting out there in musicland right now, I love these guys. I mean, no syrupy teen-angst lyrics, well, at least not on a song like "I'm a Pain In Your Ass." Anyway, no save-the-world anthems, just plain rock and roll. After all, how serious can you get over three chords? Don't worry about Janet showing some cleavage, because these are the guys your parents should be warning you about. You might have fun. You might take Dave's advice and drink tequila. You might want to pick up a guitar and learn to play it. You might be seduced by rock and roll. All I can say is thanks, Harpoontang, and keep it coming. www.tequiladave.com