There's no substitute for experience
and west suburban Red Monday use their
considerable chops as Chicago music vets
to their advantage on their self-titled
debut. Loosely formed at a Haymakers
nightclub reunion two years ago, Red
Monday's founder/songwriter/guitarist
Jim Miller and his band of brothers revisited songs Miller had written two decades
ago(!), yolking Robert Cray and Elvis
Costello on their single "Time (It's About
Time), The Call ("Sanctuary") and The
Smithereens and Graham Parker ("Broken
Promises'). Buoyed by 3-part harmonies
and vocalist Rick Harris' soulful vocals,
fans of WXRT's playlist will no doubt find
a home on Red Monday. (www. redmondaymusic.com)
-David Gedge
tend toward rock 'n' roll's more iconic
aspects. Simplicity is The Tales Of Cuatro
Negro's game, with so many riffs built on
two-note melodies you'll begin to question
if its eight tracks are parodies. They aren't.
An alternately boozing and crunching
blues-based hard-rock clamor, what Black
4 lacks in originality it more than makes
u