One of the threads that bind us here in Twangville is love for a soaring vocal, screaming guitar, driving rhythm, rock and roll song. Â Not the over-produced kind you get in some arena show, but one that has roots in a dimly lit bar in Memphis or Austin or Muscle Shoals. Â My latest find along those lines is LA-based duo Roses And Cigarettes and their new record Echoes And Silence. Â Compromised of singer Jenny Pagliaro and guitarist Angela Petrilli, the band excels in straight ahead rock.
Fast As I Can exemplifies that with its inspiration in Jenny’s fight with breast cancer. Â The title track and Back To You both follow that style. Â Bones On the Ground injects a little more soul in the vocals and stomp in the drums to give it a little southern rock feel. Â Bye Bye Blackbird slows things down, and Petrilli’s guitar sears through a lo-fi intro.
There’s also some variety on the record. Â Love Song features piano and violin and vocals that somehow do warmth and angst at the same time in a tune where the title turns out to be ironic. Â Whispers In the Wind is an acoustic number with a sweet, subtle choir in the background. Â Stranded is a slower duet with Marc Broussard pitching in with Jenny on vocals.
Sadly, Pagliari’s cancer leaves the future of Roses And Cigarettes uncertain. Â However, to paraphrase the band themselves in Fast As I Can, you can “live life as fast as you can” and hear the record now. Â If you like some occasional, or more frequent, rock that leaves you looking for 11 on the amp, go listen to Echoes And Silence.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.