Relish Spins

Janus 4-14

To/From

Label: Charlotte Court Records

If you like: The Magnetic Fields, The Walker Brothers

Song to download: “Unsure Hands”



A stream of music continues to flow from the hills of Surry County, a place hospitable to both the fiddle and the Fender. Janus 4-14, a Mount Airy band, has emerged from this friendly clime with the debut EP To/From.

Chad Barnard, Shane Mauck, Ben Swanson and Derick Mauck champion the pop formula. They have crafted five short songs comprised of simple themes, pleasant melodies and memorable hooks. Rich vocal harmonies add to the texture.

Each composition features custom-built instrumentation. Nothing seems out of place. No single player dominates. Although the interaction between rhythm and lead guitars is seamless, each little performance can be discerned and enjoyed. Similarly, the percussion that keeps these songs in time can be appreciated for its subtle quality.

Smooth vocals, like those on “Just Like a Movie Screen,” complete the sound.

Lyrically, the songs are introspective — up to a point. “Unsure Hands,” “Said It Now” and “Would You Be Home?” look at the uncertainty of romance. “It’s Too Late” examines a failed relationship. But these songs, though sincerely rendered, aim to charm. They leave no bitter aftertaste. Those searching for expressions of deep angst or indignation might do well to look elsewhere.

To/From is at times playful — even quirky. There’s no need to take it too seriously. As one track puts it: “Slow down, take a breath.”

Janus 4-14 and Minor Conspiracy will play at Elliott’s Revue, 701 Trade St., beginning at 10 p.m. Friday. For more information, visit www.janus414.com.

— Craig Rhyne

relish writer

Lady Saw

My Way

Label: Toasting Music/Diva Records

If you like: Eve

Song to download: “He Is At My House”



Manicure, check. Makeup, check. Diva attitude, check. It’s all about being on point for Lady Saw, who spits with a sharp tongue on her latest album.

The Grammy-winning reggae singer merges all the emotional distresses of womanhood into an uplifting dance mix on her CD My Way.

The lead track, “Party Till December,” is a shout out to single ladies ready to step out and have hot boys turning their heads.

The Queen of Dancehall pretty much checks anyone who may be under the impression that women can’t run game like men do. “Me Hold Yuh,” with its explicit sexual content, counters Gyptian’s “Hold Yuh,” in which Lady Saw stays true to her sexual empowerment theme.

Though My Way includes great collaborations with such reggae artists as Camar and Ding Dong, the best appearance is from Philly native Eve. She and Lady Saw trade rhymes on “He Is At My House,” a jam reminiscent of Monica and Brandy’s “The Boy Is Mine.”

— Carmen Castro

The Associated Press

Sara Bareilles

Kaleidoscope Heart

Label: Epic

If you like: Edgy pop

Song to download: “Gonna Get Over You”



With the 2007 success of her debut album, Little Voice, Sara Bareilles has reason to feel confident in her own vision: After all, her self-penned piano groove “Love Song” was not only a major hit, it earned her two Grammy nominations.

So Bareilles’ sophomore release, Kaleidoscope Heart, is a musical “take that” to anyone who wants to tell her what to do or how to be.

Bareilles sticks to her specialty of clever, snappy lyrics and soulful songs on the album. The first single, “King of Anything,” is about the frustration of receiving unsolicited advice: “You’ve got opinions man/ We’re all entitled to ’em/ But I never asked/ So let me thank you for your time/ And try not to waste any more of mine/ Get out of here fast.”

“Machine Gun” is a sharp-tongued retort to critics who use cruel words. “Maybe nobody loved you when you were young/ Maybe, boy, when you cry, nobody ever comes/ Will you try it once?/ Give up the machine gun.”

— Alicia Rancilio

The Associated Press

Stone Sour

Audio Secrecy

Label: Roadrunner

If you like: Slipknot, Warrant

Song to download: “Digital”



Stone Sour, a spin-off of the Des Moines metal kings Slipknot, delivers a nice blend of fast, aggressive rock on the group’s third album, Audio Secrecy.

The quintet is fronted by Slipknot lead singer Corey Taylor. He approaches nearly every lyric with a sense of urgent pathos, demanding the listener’s attention with a stranglehold that’s hard to deny. It’s an approach that can verge on corny in the wrong hands, but Taylor has this delivery down cold and works it to great effect.

Most of these are love songs, played so loud and fast and breathlessly paced that you’ll sometimes forget there’s a heart at stake.

Whatever music store shelf Stone Sour lands on, metal or hard rock, they’ve proven one thing on Audio Secrecy. They can do extremely well in both and have delivered some anthem-worthy material with this release.

— Ron Harris

The Associated Press