Regular Columnists

Artist: Band: Code Green
Album: S/T Demo
CD Review: Probably the first (and last) band ever to come out of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Code Green are Jack (guitar, vocals), Trey (bass) and Mark (drums), three guys who classify their musical union as a punk, reggae, funk band, complete with obvious hip-hop and ska influences. The trio, according to their colourful little bio, is determined to make it past the shadows of their influences and idols (including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Long Beach Dub All-Stars and G. Love and the Special Sauce), and become significant artists, spreading their messages of love and peace. And according to my collective of boyfriends in the Stone Roses, Love Spreads. Although only three tracks long, Code Green’s demo is an energetic, high-powered, tight-and-together little package, musically ideal for sharing their vision.

Unfortunately, the ideal gets a little hazy around the edges, where the lyrical content revolves a little too much about the same old, same old. The world would be a better place if we all calmed down and lit up. To be honest with you, I’m sure it would, but when a band like Code Green is trying to make it in the big bad world, they need to take a stab at subject matter that’s a little deeper. Not tortured artist “woe is me” deeper, but a little bit more effective and thought provoking.

Now that the hiss of negativity is out of the way, I can look a little more towards the positives of the record. The few words from Rob Blackwater, brainchild of Motpourri and Code Green’s current producer, that were sent to me pointed out two of the best, and most important, things about Code Green: Mood and Chemistry. This kind of chemistry and musicianship within a young band is fairly rare. Code Green seem to work off of each other, keeping every song musically tight and strong. They sound like they’re having a lot of fun and have good grasps of one another’s abilities. Undoubtedly, the boys are out for a good time, plain and simple, and manage to bring it through to their music. Upbeat, energetic and enigmatic, they could be singing about flying goats and car wrecks and you’d still find yourself smiling by the end of it all. I have to give them credit for being able to set a positive, lively mood in just three tracks, and not letting it slip, or grow incredibly cheesy, which is something that bands in their genres are often held back by. The production of the record also can’t go without mention. Recorded at Soundscape Studios and Innertube Studios, Code Green’s demo is self-produced. I’ve heard very few demos sound this good. Each instrument is clear, no matter how distorted, and everything is perfectly layered. Nothing gets lost in the mix, at least not to my ears.

Code Green have a solid sound, and have a lot of potential. With some work on their lyrics, they’ll be set to take their (more effectively worded) message and move on to bigger and better things.

Contacts:
email: code_green@hotmail.com

good ol' written contact:
Jack McNally
1315 Sunset Ave.
Aliquippa, PA 15001
U.S.A.