Issue
#56s
Nov./Dec.
'03
When I first opened the package and saw that
the
spine of the CD
read “The Saucers – Eternal
Intermission,” I immediately
thought those punk-popsters of the 70s, Saucers,
had released a follow-up
to their retrospective CD - WhatWeDid
(released spring of ’03 and
the IndepenDisc Apr.
’03 Feature). Sliding
out the CD revealed it to be a new band The Saucers
(using the article)
from Stamford, CT. With my hopes a bit dashed, I slipped it into the
player and was
promptly knocked dead!
The trio of Meredith
“Mere”
DiMenna (vocals,
guitar, bass), Touch (bass, guitars, drum
programming), and Mr.
Sala (drums) open the CD with a sexy, funky, groove of
music that allows the
smooth, sultry vocals of Mere to slide
into our brains as our body feels
the flow…
“Maybe
You’re Waiting” gives us
the tale of a
romantic break up and the lengths that our female narrator is willing
to go to in trying
to convince the man that leaving isn’t his best option. Her
sexuality beckons him
(and us) to her way of doing things; she leads, dangles, and drags it
all back using her
vocals as her sex, proclaiming “Give me one more
chance to change your mind / do
you want to do it your way / or would you like to try mine / give you
one more chance to
see beyond / maybe you’re waiting for me to turn you on.”
And guess what.
It works, we’re turned on, we’re hooked; the music
and vocals have seduced us,
making it hard to refuse. The Saucers
entice us, intrigue us, and make us
want to stick around for this intermission. We don’t know
about the boyfriend, but
we’re hopping in bed with this disc…
“Late
Bloomer”
(for which a cd-rom music video is included) is a hip-swaying,
soul-rhythm, groove track.
It simmers along with Mere’s
striking vocal usage that just ups the
ante on the influences and incantation of her powerful pipes. The girl
can croon, soar,
and lilt with Diva quality. The Saucers
lay down a thick, heavy syrup of
funk progression that’ll have your body gliding right into
the Latin rhythms that
perfectly backlight “Left Over.”
This is an intriguing
tale of a woman that comes to the realization that the mere touch of
his hands upon her
skin repulses her to the point that she cannot explain her addiction to
him. All this is
accomplished by using a down and dirty, Ella Fitzgerald style, Scat
vocal set to the pick
and slide work of the acoustic guitar which reduces us to pity and
desire.
“Prophet”
takes the soaring vocal prowess of Mere
and drops it into hip hop wrapped in a jazzy funk style. It blends and
bleeds the sexual
heights that today’s modern R&B reaches for (with all
their choreographed madness
that declares that the intense soul of Berry Gordy’s Motown
sound with Brill Building
era style vocal exploits can be married to interpretive modern dance)
to present a dual
artistic view of these art forms. Had any of the current
“Hot” R&B/Hip
Hop/Soul Diva’s actually recorded this song, it would have
instantly charted by
selling millions. Hey everybody listen up, listen to this song, The
Saucers
will show you how to write a crossover smash hit that lends itself to
top notch
interpretations of modern dance choreographed to modern music.
From modern to classic: Quick, name a Doors
song
to cover. Chances are you said “Light
My Fire,” or “Hello,
I Love You,”
but how about “Soft Parade?”
Soft Parade?
Why not? The shifts of lyrical and musical canter, progression,
incorporation, and
expansion are a perfect representation of who The Saucers
are. Mere
gives a vocal tour de force that not only lives up to the legend and
legacy of Jim
Morrison, but also offers the highest of compliments and praise to the
Shaman that showed
us the best part of the trip. When the vox f/x kick in, Mere’s
spot
on Grace Slick vocals bring Jim and the 60s to the forefront, embracing
the entire spirit
that the flower power generation possessed and represented through
their music, poetry,
and interpretation of art through their presentation of it. Not only is
The
Saucers cover of Soft Parade
an experience in vocal and
musical art – I suggest headphones – but it alone
is worth the price of
admission. (side note: This cover sent me to the store for a CD copy of
that Doors classic
LP [I gave up my vinyl copy years ago]).
The buried (and probably overlooked) gem
here is,
“Something
Stop Me.”
It drops us down inside an ultra funk cabaret club where everyone is
dressed to the nines.
We’re seated at round tables draped in white linen, while on
stage a lone spotlight
focuses on the torch singer whose voice illuminates the room. Here Mere’s
versatile vocals give an incantation of a way cool, smooth Ricky Lee
Jones R&B scat
that drips of Joni Mitchell sincerity and melts like butter off the
gleaming edge of a hot
knife. The instrumentation nods and smiles its way through the smoky
haze of the vocals to
acknowledge Isaac Hayes classic “Theme
from Shaft”
vibes, and brings to a close one of the hottest, coolest, sexual music
encounters this
side of early 70s funk.
The Saucers
seduced
us into sticking around for intermission, knowing
full well that their blend of sensual rhythms, alluring vocals, and
erotic production
(which spotlights and acknowledges its history and roots as well as
flaunts the present
and points to the future) will have us lying in ecstasy wishing it
would last an eternity.
Take an eternal intermission,
And let The Saucers turn you on.
The Saucers -
Eternal Intermission
is available now for: $7.98 +s/h*
*CD
BONUS: includes music video for "late bloomer"
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