Listen Up
September 2007

Cosmo Takes to the Skies

I occasionally think about creating a site called Supersingers.com and paying homage to all my favorite vocalists. Fran Cosmo would definitely be clocking into the top ten.

Having lent his high-octane vocals to Boston alumnus Barry Goudreau on various projects before doing a stint with Michael Schenker and eventually stepping up to the mic as a Boston frontman, Cosmo is a voice to be reckoned with. With his self-titled band and latest disc, Alien, Cosmo leads his pack of musicians on a heavy-handed, melodic romp through rock and roll territory confidently and concisely.

Check out the super-melodic title track or the groove-heavy "Communication" to get a full blast of Cosmo's range and inventive lyrical sense. This is melodic rock with a swampy edge, giving it just the right contemporary touch to showcase Fran's mega-vocals without sacrificing songs. So quit watching whatever useless bandwidth Hillary is chewing up on YouTube and click to cosmomusic.com to let the music roll. It's a great ride.

Crystina Maez Croons From Afar

Right in the middle of Myspace, in between Gay Bigfoot and a guy named Discouragement Kitten, who sends hilarious messages with the cutest photos of newborn kittens (My little black kitten had a message that says "It's okay to quit, no one expected you to succeed."), I came across a beautiful singer from Spain named Crystina Maez.

With great songs and a lush, warm vocal style, Maez creates huge, beautiful tracks on the electronica-tinged "Lejos de Ti" and the subtly propulsive "A Mi Lado." Superb production brings elements of jazz, ambient and world sounds to her pop constructions, perfectly showcasing her shining vocals, which go from small-and-sweet to big-and-operatic before you know what's happened to you.

This is music that feels like starry nights or the better works of an Andrew Lloyd Webber production. Big and invigorating, this is pop for the discerning listener.

Michael Pickett divides his time between music and graphic arts. Check out the single, "Beautiful One," from Michael's new album at www.soundclick.com/michaelpickett.

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The North Columbia Monthly provides news, views, humor and a calendar of events for an area that stretches from Nelson in British Columbia south to Spokane in Washington State and covers all points in between. A free (and free-thinking, progressive) magazine, The Monthly is available at several hundred spots throughout the region and now is also available on-line at www.ncmonthly.com. Published once a month since 1994, The Monthly is an independent magazine that often challenges contemporary wisdom by encouraging critical thinking about issues and attitudes in the region and beyond.

Featuring our one-of-a-kind "What's Happening" department, The Monthly provides the region's only all-inclusive, free listing of community events and is the first place many people check to find out about area arts, crafts, music, fairs, services and events of all kinds. Our free listing policy for the "What's Happening" department promotes diversity, cultural interaction, and the exchange of ideas and free expression. Also featured in the magazine are people, food, health, humor, and feature articles that keep readers coming back for more each month.

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©2006. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the contents or use in whole or part without written permission from the publishers is strictly prohibited. Views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publishers.