Album Notes

Power and Love and Marshall amplifiers! BUY IT AND CRANK IT!!!

South Of Sane is a female fronted guitar oriented with a punch and drive in three dimensions and ’JAPAN’ is their second full CD offering. The production is second to none and the performance is just amazing.

South Of Sane has sold thousands of recordings over their 5 years. First, as an independent act, then with Weasel Records and now as part of the new Crescent Music and Media Group. Their live performances that number in the hundreds are of legend. Opening for and sharing the stage with world wide artists such as Mothers Finest, RATT, LA Guns, David Alan Coe, Black and Blue, Charity Case and Peralta brought them national exposure. Their sellout live shows proved they could blaze their own trail as well.

This Charlotte based band was formed by veteran Guitarist and songwriter David Koons. The idea to have a dynamic female fronted, musically strong ROCK band was being formed but finally bonded after David caught the ‘Off Broadway’ play “Love, Janis’ (Janis Joplin, biographical) at a small theater in Greenwich Village while visiting Manhattan in January of 2002. Four years later ‘South Of Sane’ played the famous ‘Kenny’s Castaways’ on that very same street in New York City.

Anyway, South Of Sane went on to recording and performing and creating the album collection “Japan”. This title and the song ‘Japan’ is in tribute to Tokyo native Kazz Beppu, the bassist and his circle of friends from Japan (of course) that supported the band. South Of Sane had it’s first group interview and song played on Japanese radio. Japanese sales have been strong for the initial South Of Sane release ‘East Of Deranged‘.

The band went through a change in the drummer and lead vocalist just prior to the recording of the ‘Japan‘ sessions. Jessica Lamkin came in on vocals and the ever tight Tony Purrezzella took over the drum duties and the 'Japan' was finally underway. The very fabulous Jamie Hoover (REM, Hootie and the Blowfish, The Smithereens, Graham Parker and The Spongetones) took over as producer and the CD is as complete of a major CD release as has been offered in quite some time and as a label owner I have heard a lot of music.

The song “:The Show Must Go On” is a tribute to musicians and band members and to anyone who has ever loved a band member-- everywhere. The second version of The Show Must Go On is performed by Christie Hancock who David wrote the song to. The bonus track is a live performance of the song ‘Squeeze’. All of the songs came from a twisted heart and a few stormy nights.

From band founder David Koons;. “Despite the fact Christie had to leave the band just before these Japan sessions started and we were very lucky to get Jess, she was a part of it. Even though it is a rougher mix, and Jessica just nailed the main version-- Christie lived it. Besides Brian Little is also on it and these two will always have something to do with this band. This track had to be added. it’s biographical, It is our life. It’s simply magic. Everyone on this recording were something special and at their best at a very interesting time in all of our lives. This piece of work gets more interesting even to me the more I hear it. It’s all power and love“.

Not to mention extreme musical talent.

-Tim Easler, Weasel Records