he wasn't going to be a member of INXS; there was no doubt he was already a rock star. Of course,
anyone who has seen Casey and his band Lovehammers perform over the last five years (or heard any of
their four self-released albums), already knew that. INXS knew it as well, and they invited Casey & the
Lovehammers to join them on their upcoming tour.
The Chicago-based group consists of: Marty Casey (lead vocalist), Billy Sawilchik (guitar), Dino Kourelis
(bass), and his brother Bobby Kourelis (drums). They have known each other since they were kids playing
T-ball in the southwest Chicago suburb of Hickory Hills. They started playing together in junior high, but
went through a number of guitarists before finalizing the lineup with Billy Sawilchik in 2002. They have
already opened for such diverse artists as Nickelback, Jerry Cantrell, Interpool, Puddle of Mud, and most
recently, Cake and Gomez on a 21- city tour. In 2004, their DVD Live/Raw debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard DVD chart.
Sometimes good things take a long time to be noticed. Casey calls this CD, "a greatest hits record." The
album was drawn from the Lovehammers existing repertoire, with the exception of "Casualty," which
was written after "Rock Star: INXS."
I must start by saying that I love every song on this CD. There is no bad track. Each song has a unique rock sound. It is extremely difficult to find such a CD in this day and time. Think Green Day meets Velvet Revolver and Hoobastank. The band treats us to dynamic vocals, soarng guitar riffs, and spine tingling melodies all driven by pounding drum beats. The CD begins with the song "Casualty," a sure bet to become number 1. This is one of my favorites. It makes you wanna get up and dance, jump up and down and lose control. "Hold On," "The Tunnel," "Eyes Can't See," "Straight as an Arrow," and "Call of Distress," give you the same effect. The songs "Clouds," and "Rain on the Brain," give you a slightly more mellow feel, but without all the whining of Emo.
"The Riddle," and "Trees," are both straight-on rock songs. The most noticeable song on the CD being "Trees," which became a hit over the summer. It was a No. 1 download on MSN.com. At least eight of these songs will be No.1 hits. They are that good.
Music should be set instrumentally in a way that suits the lyrical and musical matter. Marty Casey and Lovehammers have achieved this a thousand times over with this CD. "Rise and Fall/Climb the walls/ won't stop till I have it all/Persistance," from the group's song "Casualty," says it all.
Marty Casey may have initially gained notice on Rock Star:INXS, but now this band's career is destined to go far beyond these reality show beginnings. If you are someone who loves their rock : real, honest and from a bunch of hardworking, down to earth guys, then this CD is for you.
I can't wait to see what's coming next.