Album Notes

Monogroove: Note: See also "Rain Parade" available at C.D.Baby.
Playing Psychedelic Roadhouse with a little taste of every genre in existence, MONOGROOVE was dubbed The Good Time Band by the magazine Music Connection.

The five members of the band each bring a different influence to create a diverse and versatile show that puts a smile on everybody's face. They have played everywhere in Los Angeles, from "the Kibbitz" Room to "The Joint", from "El Rey" Theatre to "Molly Malone's".

Their first CD titled "Little America" was for fans only. The 2nd C.D. "Live To 12", released in 2000 received airplay on some college radio stations. This is "Monogroove's" third c.d. called "Sexy Never Knows" five songs with two bonus tracks. I hope you enjoy it. Here's our latest review M.C. The Players: Lady V., guitar, vocals; Rin Lennon, guitar, vocals; Hector Garcia, guitar, backing vocals; Scott Halper, bass; R.C., drums.

Material: Mixing its mojo with a little Southern and country flavor, Monogroove creates hard-charging rock with truckloads of pop melodies and vocal harmony. At times, utilizing all three of their guitars and vocalists at once, the band never stays in one place for long. This quintet jumps from tough Melissa Etheridge-esque rave-ups to Latin-tinged balladry and back again, with scarce mellow moments to catch some breathe. Musicianship: As indicated by their name, the five members play collectively with only one or two solos throughout. Undeniably at the forefront, however, are Lady V. and Lennon. Whether wailing together or individually, the duo's solid vocals shine on every song. Lending a hand is Garcia who adds further harmony and provides exceptional leads to Lennon's rhythm guitar. And though Halper stands in the dark for most of the show, his presence cannot be ignored as his cutting-edge bass lines inject heaps of attitude into the overall sound.

Performance: Following Lady V.'s lead, Monogroove comes out of the gates running and rarely lets up. Completely enveloping the small venue in sound, they perform with an efficient unpretentiousness that allows them to simply get up, play the hell out of their instruments and get off. Without any showboating, the combo incorporates tambourines, maracas, harmonicas and lead vocals on one song from everyone except R.C. They clearly seem to not only want to entertain the crowd, but themselves as well.

Summary: Serving as proof that a band can play aggressively and still retain sugary harmonies, this five-piece blurs the lines between modern country, pop and rock, with the emphasis on rock. They're capable of producing scorching numbers whose melodies never get lost in the shuffle. And, if one can get past the fact that these guys and gals don't play too rigidly along categorical lines, then Monogroove has some serious chops to dig into.

--Albert Vega