The long awaited new CD from Winnipeg blues rockers the Perpetrators is finally here. It is exactly what you'd expect — guitarist/ vocalist Jay Nowicki playing Hound Dog Taylor style blues rock with a rotating cast of players including original Perpetrators Ken McMahon and Ryan Menard on drums and bass on about half of the tracks, current touring bassist John Scoles on four tracks and Ryan Voth and David Landreth on drums and bass respectively for a couple more tracks.

Special guest Romi Mayes adds backup vocals on a couple of other tracks. But no matter the line up it still sounds like the Perpetrators, which is a good thing.
 Nowicki has a very distinctive guitar sound and a voice which doesn’t sound like anybody else.

 The CD starts with the countryish ‘Sweetgrass’ which sounds a lot like JOSCO, their ode to Times Changed owned John Scoles and they take off from there.
The catchy ‘Spend More Money’ stands out  and puts you in the mood to groove.

 They also revisit a few of the songs from Nowicki and McMahon’s side project K-Mac and Howik’s Punk Blues Explosion by adding a strong bottom end to ‘Smokes N’ Chicken,’ which is  the sequel to the popular Perps’ song ‘Six Pack’ about being mugged for beer,  ‘ but this time is about being mugged for smokes tracks and chicken. It adds a little humour as the underaged muggers can’t drive a stick shift.  ‘Shake It’ and ‘Bad Man’ also get more polished on the new Perpetrators’ CD.

 ‘Smokes N’ Chicken’ has been trimmed down to an almost six minute blues jam featuring some sinister slide guitar. I think the version on  K-MAc and Howik’s Punk blues Explosion lasted a about eight minutes.

The catchy ‘Trying To Keep My Cool,’ is another longer song which has an unstoppable, toe tapping groove and tasteful yet gritty guitar solo and chorus which will have you singing along.
 They slow things down on a couple of groovy tracks including  ‘You’ve Got to to Tell Me’ and  ‘I Must Be Crazy.’

‘Who’s It Gonna Be is another countryish song  that sounds similar  to Sweetgrass.’
‘Shake It’ benefits from Menard’s throbbing bass as does ‘Bad Man.’ .
They end on a high note with the menacing ‘Take You On.’

CD: Stick ’Em Up
Band: The Perpetrators
Genre: blues

People love Jesse and the Dandelions. Their second CD “Mutual Understanding” has been embraced by media across the country and is starting to make waves on the radio. People love the cheerful melodies and ambient guitars that a lot of Vancouver based bands like Said the Whale have made their own as of late.

 If you have seen Jesse Northey play, chances are you have heard these songs as many of them have made their way into Jesse and the Dandelions sets over the past year.

 The Cd starts with the cheery “Looking at the Sun.”
They continue on the upbeat note with “Only Just Be Friends.”
 Northey has an excellent, innocent, appealing tenor voice which has an ’80s pop Pet Shop Boys style feel.

Clean, catchy guitar hooks abound throughout this CD.
 There are touches of ’80s pop and elements of the Beatles.

All together it just makes you want to smile.
“Break Me” is an appealing, haunting song as is “Mistakes Often Haunted.”
 But even when Northey  is singing something sad and mournful, it still comes out sounding pretty happy.
 “ If you’ve got the Moves,” has a mellow psychedelic ’60s mood to it as s does ‘Sure Thing.”’
 They end the CD with the opposite of the opening track— “Looking at the Moon,” which is a slower, sadder number with a catchy, pop edged guitar riff and some harmonized vocal harmonies.

CD: A Mutual Understanding
Band: Jesse and the Dandelions
Genre: indie pop