THE STOKENS
Birthyear
Shallow End Records
www.thestokens.com
 

This is spectacularly fun music. It's poppy with melody. It's funky enough to be sexy. It's hard enough to get you jumping or to just plain rock out. The Stokens hit off the sound that any rock fan would love to hear at a show. With a surprisingly crystal-clear recording, this semi-local band is on the verge of making something huge. After going four weeks straight as champions of 92.1 MAD's Tuesday Night Fight, the Stokens have been gigging the area fairly steadily. It's highly recommended that you catch these guys live. One listen to 'Birthyear' and you'll know why. This is a highly energetic disc that will appeal to any fan of decent musicianship and creativity, and I can only dream of what their music is like in person. Alas, I still live without my Stoken fix.
Jon Ferris