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Karon Kate has the kind of voice that reaches out and hits you over the head - it's just that strong. You can picture her in Las Vegas, belting out her anthems to lovers old and new as she struts the front of a room in a shimmering evening gown, pausing periodically to caress the man accompanying her on the piano.

But sometimes, a strong voice and enthusiastic delivery just aren't enough to carry an album, and Kate's latest, the self-produced "Mississippi Stardust," is proof that even in a world used to pre-fab pop stars repeating one line ten times in a hit single, lyrics still matter.

Unfortunately, Kate's lyrics push her into the category of the Vegas camp act. Take, for example, the line "Do I say 'God Bless You,' when you sneeze?", offered as proof of her undying love in the ballad "All of the Above"; and the groan inducing forced rhymes appearing in nearly every track: "But the straw that broke the camel's back is when you cheated on me / Thank God I'm well adjusted - don't need your insanity". The problem with camp acts: they don't sell many records. It may be good fun over dinner, but you really had to be there.

Of course, a good songwriter wouldn't solve all of Kate's problems. Her arrangement of Van Morrison's "Have I Told You Lately" slows the classic to a crawl and robs it of it's simply elegance, adding a confused mix of orchestral strings and steady percussion.

Overall, "Mississippi Stardust" screams for continuity - the only organizing principle seems to be alternating fast and slow tempos. In the hodgepodge of love, hate and prayer, it's near impossible to keep straight who's the love of her life, who's done her wrong, and who's just along for the ride, but it only took one track to know I wanted off.

Just Music
John Zipperer and friends take songs back to basics
By Nancy Dunham

Now that the political season is in full swing and musicians are everywhere hawking their preferred candidates, it's a pleasure to hear a group just kick back and enjoy. No apparent agendas, hang ups, crusades.

That's John Zipperer and Friends, a collection of Los Angeles area musicians dedicated to what they say is "sharing the joy of music." This group should know how to do that. With credits that range from Jethro Tull and Vanilla Fudge (Zipperer) to Frank Zappa and the Wallflowers (Eric Brown), this band has clearly earned its musical chops and is content to let them speak for themselves.

Consider the song "The Spoon Man," something of a cross between folk/acoustic/jam that brings to mind lazy summer afternoons lazing back on green grass and sipping a cool beverage. While the vocals and musicianship (including, of course, a hearty dose of spoon percussion by Ed "The Spoon Man" Terry, age 79) are first rate, what really sets the song apart is the ease with which the

musicians play it.

Equally charming is the group's take on Moondance, the classic Van Morrison tune that takes on a bit of a different twist in this rendition. Whether that's due to the subtle voice of Tara Sitser, who also handles piano and percussion for the band, or the easy acoustic musicianship is an arguable point. Suffice to say it's true to the original but adds enough extra punch to make it stand out on its own.

Also interesting, is the band's version of Sea Cruise, which features vocals by Sitser and presumably Zipperer (no vocal credits were given). The stripped down version, again heavy on the acoustic guitar, is pleasant and enjoyable staying true to the "JZ" sound.

Press materials for the band note that the members believe that music has "no age or chronological barriers." What's heartening is that they prove that belief via the band's music which is a mix or rock, blues, standards, bossa nova, and jazz.

"No facade, no pretense of cool. Just music" is how Zipperer describes the sound on his MySpace page.

How refreshing, we add.

Rocky Mountain Indie Rock
By Mona Loring

Fiancé's music is somewhat of a marriage of opposites. Their theme seems to wrap around characters in despair while their music has an addictively catchy sound. When listening, you can almost sense the grey area where the indie rock wants to cross over to the pop genre, but sits back and decides it likes exactly where it stands… somewhere in the middle.

When recording an EP, many bands may have ambition in their minds as something to aspire to- however, Denver, Colorado's Fiancé, has successfully achieved recording an album that far surpasses ambitions. Their sophomore EP, "Please, Ambitious, Please" brilliantly showcases their backgrounds and influences in British pop, indie rock, and classical composition.

This new album exposes a great musical range for Fiancé. With its eclectic mix of upbeat piano-driven melodies, and songs that seem to creep over melancholy notes, the music keeps you hanging on every harmony. Although it is difficult for a band to try and have an EP of five tracks with different types of sounds, these differences are ultimately a plus for them. The EP remains cohesive as each song ties together with the main theme of characters in despair and sad stories. The lyrics are a poetic glimpse of indie rock at its finest.

"Please, Ambitious, Please" opens with the perfectly upbeat song "Super-Soft Knife" saying, "cause you've got a knife a super-soft knife in the middle of your back from Tuesday's fight - guess your daddy was right all the boys are nice when they want you." This song is by far the hit on the EP, and their catchiest. In "Pretty Model's Hands" the soft guitar leads into a gloomy and pensive tune, saying "pretty model cries all day she's got such a pretty life but she still things that she's just a plain Jane." The EP picks up speed again in "I Don't Want You Anymore" which travels along the same path of heartache, destruction and loneliness. The all-too-honest chorus states "whoa I don't love you, whoa I don't need you, whoa and I don't want you anymore."

The foursome's blend of exceptional and ambitious musical performances and earnest, emotional, passionate lyrics leave listeners wanting more and wondering what this band will do next. This album is refreshing in the sea of hundreds of generic indie rock albums in the music industry today, and puts Fiancé on the map for in 2008.