Virginia Coalition
'Rock and Roll Party'

Such & Such Records

Grade: A-

Alert! One of the fastest hurricanes ever recorded in the American college music scene has struck the Midwest and is now taking the East Coast by storm. It shows zero signs of slowing down, so brace yourself and prepare for the arrival of the Virginia Coalition.

This band has become so popular that people have affectionately abbreviated its name to VACO. Rumor has it that Brandeis is the next target for this wild tour band. This party of five is composed of: Steve Dawson (vocals/guitar), Jarrett Nicolay (bass/ banjo/ accordion), Paul Ottinger (piano/keyboard/percussion/bass), John Patrick (drums/ vocals) and Andy Wonder (vocals/guitars/congas). The band members are all from Alexandria, Va. Since their debut in 1998, they have released three studio albums, "Colors of the Sound" (1998), "Townburg" (2000) and their most recent, "Rock And Roll Party" (2003).

One can tell that with this newest album, the quintet is finally mastering the art of studio recording and becoming more than a good live band -- thanks to the support of producers Ted Comerford (Mile Post Nine, Long Stem Daisies, The Hollows) and Joe Zook (Counting Crows, Mick Jagger, Sheryl Crow).

It is hard to describe what VACO sounds like, but try this --put some funk, rock, country and go-go in the blender and hit "frappe." The first two songs on the album, "By and By" and "Come and Go," sound like your typical college pop-rock anthems. The melody and lyrics are really catchy, but the band is a little too eager to please. VACO's real talent lies in the more experimental tunes that are casually tossed into the album.

"Walk To Work" is a soulful number with lots of funk. It starts off with Andy's swingin' intro ("I walked to work 'cause my car broke down") and escalates into a mad jamming between the guitar and the congas. The next track, "Valentine Eraser," is a twangy country/folk song with pleasant banjo and violin accompaniments. Nine tracks later, an upbeat Western song called "Martha Lu" with lots of yee-hawing and fiddling reminds us once again that VACO practices music with a good sense of humor.

Most will agree that VACO's lyrics are far from profound, but they definitely know how to make a fine melody. "This Is Him" sounds like something off a John Mayer album but it has a nice beat and is quite simply a beautiful song. "Sink Slowly" is a transient a cappella-type song (only two minutes long) that catches you by surprise with its pretty harmony. And last but not least, "Your Least Favorite Song" is a very emotional piece with the piano as the main instrument. Then there are the VACO songs that have the trademark live feel, like "Referring Rosarita," "Jerry Jermaine" and "Stella."

The biggest weakness of this album is the title track. The song "Rock and Roll Party" appears smack in the middle of this album and completely disrupts its agreeable flow. The song is an awful imitation of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" and would be slightly more pardonable had it been at the beginning or the end of the album where it wouldn't interfere with the rest of the tracks. I would also recommend that you stop listening to the album after the 15th song, because the bonus track that follows is a bizarre concoction of drum percussion and Hindi chanting.

This album is unique in its use of two contrasting vocal styles. Steve Dawson has a bubbly, juvenile voice that brings innocence to the album, while Andy Wonder has a deep, blues-rock voice that sounds like what you'd get if you add Dave Matthews and Eric Clapton and divide by two.

In "Rock and Roll Party," Virginia Coalition comes in 15 different flavors. You might not like all of them, but you will definitely get hooked on at least one. This band is as energetic as ever and is still willing to take chances with its music. Be sure to catch them live at the Jurassic 5 concert on April 2, because these guys will most likely be in even higher demand in a couple of months.