Jeff O'Kelley
Just Passing Through
In addition to his role as co-founder/primary cheerleader for the locally based Springboard Musicians' Association, Jeff O'Kelley is also a fine singer-songwriter. This crisp, well-produced disc is at its best when the tracks keep to the more overtly country-influenced end of things — "Highwayman," "Somewhere," "Talk to Me" and "Crucified" are highlights. The middle third of Just Passing Through occasionally steps too far out of this comfort zone (particularly "Never Gonna Live It Down" and "Save Me"), but those tracks aren't anywhere near bad; they just lack some of the more twangy stuff's immediately likeable nature. www.jeffokelley.com 
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Koncrete Kite
The Joy of Bee Stings
The four Bove siblings who make up local rock act Koncrete Kite have returned from somewhere beyond the radar's reach with a new album in tow. While the guys' instrumental chops have undeniably improved a bit, The Joy of Bee Stings is sorely lacking in songwriting skills. The CD careens from hackneyed heavy-rock stomp to ambitious but hopelessly disjointed lighter fare and back again, hardly managing to locate a hook or coherent, pleasurable song structure along the way. Only the next-to-last tune, the jarringly competent horn-assisted pop-rocker "Moody Two Shoes," puts all of the pieces together in an accomplished way. But by then, the mediocre vocal takes, noncommittal piecemeal arrangements and slightly out-of-tune guitar tracks have long since eroded the listener's enthusiasm. www.koncretekite.com
Various Artists
Freepoets.com Winter Sampler
Given the amount of consistently flawless music I've heard from this south-of-the-Skyway hip-hop collective, the new seven-song compilation from Freepoets.com is just the tiniest bit of a letdown. It's not unbelievable, it's just very, very good. My main semi-beef is with the new track from flagship crew Science-Non-Fiction, "Tiny Cities" — though the production and flow are up to the group's high standards, the performances, subject matter and overall vibe come off as just a little forced and overwrought; the other, older S-N-F contribution here, "Rain Check," puts it in the shade. Everything else here is stellar. Highlights include Provost's taut, coolly urgent "ID Crisis" and beat-builder Tourettes' evocative "Simplicity." Check this collection out, get intrigued, hit the website, and buy some other stuff. www.freepoets.com
Espiritus 3D
Six-Song Demo
This is a rock en espanol outfit whose members, while obviously gifted musicians, tend to stretch themselves thin in an effort to weigh in on every pop-rock style. Several of the six tunes stay fairly close to an upbeat, groovy and somewhat muscular Adult Alternative style, but the pervasive sense of trying to cover the bases can be pretty distracting. That said, however, my favorite cut is the aptly titled surprise punk-and-reggae blast "Adrenalina"; it's definitely an example of a calculated risk paying off. Less successful is the schizoid "Alejamiento," which doesn't know whether it wants to be an '80s hair-rock tune or a lightly classically flavored ballad. Overall, this one's hit and miss, though I can't speak to the quality of the Spanish lyrics. E3D@tampabay.rr.com 1/2
Freddy and the Freeloaderz
Feed the Monkey
Serviceable classic and bar-rock from a group of guys looking for nothing more than a chance to play the originals their various bands couldn't on the beach- and cover-circuit stages. Younger listeners certainly aren't going to be interested in the dated influences on stuff like "You're the One," "Angel" and practically everything else here. On the other hand, it's all played well, and older rock 'n' roll fans will appreciate the obvious sense of fun with which this disc was tracked. And they get an extra half-planet for "Browneye'd Sally," which gleefully references enough classic-rock lyrics and riffs to fill any self-respecting dive's jukebox. www.freeloaderzband.com 1/2
Odium
Four-Song Demo
These four young Sarasota guys ply a version of straightforward, balls-out melodic thrash-metal that does a pretty fair job of ignoring the fact that Korn ever happened. Fusing old-school influences like Kill 'Em All-era Metallica and Annihilator to just a few primal elements of early death metal, these tunes unearth a currently largely unused groove somewhere between classic, Priest-ly New Wave of British Heavy Metal stuff and today's more extreme sounds. It's dated — and the guitars sometimes fall out of sync during more frenzied passages — but it also sounds pretty honest, and pretty rad. Close your eyes, and you can actually see the tight jeans and oversized basketball hi-tops. www.odiumonline.com
Trip2Go
Trip2Go
Easily the most next-level-ready mainstream release I've heard in a while — though that distinction can be a dubious one. Veteran Manasota hard-rock quartet Trip2Go's style is aimed squarely at a modern-rock radio market already glutted with hooky, riffy fare. And while this long 14-track disc is front-loaded with some great tunes (particularly the Foo Fighters-esque "Say When" and extremely impressive "Halfway"), after longtime live staple "Dropdead Gorgeous," an FM-influenced sort of anonymity begins to creep in. There are some exceptions ("Understand," "I Found"), but the bulk of the album's downhill side relies a bit too heavily on familiar aural gimmickry and vocalist Lisa Larkin's top-notch vocals. Still, Trip2Go is a band with a plan and, a few unfortunate funk-metal tendencies aside, more than enough chops and focus to warrant notice. www.trip2go.net 1/2
Scholars Word
Tribal Roots
The latest full-length from this well-regarded Lithia-based roots-reggae foursome displays a galvanizing amount of energy. "General" Dave Philip's delivery can match the impassioned motivation of a preacher's, and occasionally incorporates a conspicuous dancehall influence. Musically, the band can ride an ocean-swell groove, but more often picks it up for the sort of bouncy reggae readily associated with Inner Circle. I seem to remember checking out an earlier Scholars Word release, and not really digging it — this one, while not exactly up there with the greats, is a more enjoyable listen, largely thanks to some of the tracks' party vibe, and the consistently tangible sense of manic commitment. www.humbleark.net
scott.harrell@weeklyplanet.com
This article appears in Nov 24-30, 2004.