Marty Casey & Lovehammers - Marty Casey & Lovehammers (2006)

marty casey“Marty Casey & Lovehammers” is the self-titled, major label debut album for Rock Star: INXS runner-up Marty Casey’s band, Lovehammers.

 The Lovehammers really are a straight-ahead rock band that came of age during the great alt-rock boom of the ’90s and never caught a break while the music was a success. Now that they have that break, they’ve made a record that sounds like it’s about ten years old, but in a pleasant way, since it has glistening hooks and some strong riffs, and Casey is an ingratiating frontman, never sounding quite muscular enough for the music but somehow more appealing because of it. The album consists primarily of songs from the Lovehammers’ previous three independent albums, remixed and remastered: “Hold On”, “Rain on the Brain”, “The Tunnel”, “Eyes Can’t See”, “Call of Distress”, and “Clouds”. A few new songs are included, though some of these – “Clinic”, “Straight As An Arrow” and the single, “Trees”. “The Riddle” (aka “Yes It Do”) had been a B-side to an earlier single and also been featured over the navigation menu on the band’s DVD, Live/Raw. “Casualty” was the only completely new track on the album. Casey had debuted the track, “Trees” on Rock Star: INXS – and the song became a fan favorite on the show.

Track listing

01.  Casualty  (Mitch Allan)  - 3:20
02.  Hold On  (Dino Kourelis)  - 3:21
03.  Trees  (Dino Kourelis)  - 3:35
04.  Rain On The Brain  (Ben Kelly, Dino Kourelis)  - 3:29
05.  The Tunnel  (Dino Kourelis)  - 3:37
06.  Eyes Can’t See  (Dino Kourelis)  - 3:26
07.  The Riddle  (Dino Kourelis)  - 2:43
08.  Clinic  (Dino Kourelis)  - 3:37
09.  Call Of Distress  (Dino Kourelis)  - 3:00
10.  Straight As An Arrow  (Ben Kelly, Dino Kourelis)  - 3:25
11.  Clouds  (Dino Kourelis)  - 4:59

Credits
Marty Casey – lead vocals, guitar
Dino Kourelis – bass
Bob Kourelis – drums
Billy Sawilchik – lead guitar, backing vocals

Notes
Released: January 24, 2006
Genre: Alternative rock, Post-grunge
Length: 38:32
Producer(s): Steve Albini, Marti Frederiksen, Lovehammers
Audio Mixers: Marti Frederiksen; Chris Lord-Alge; David Thoener; Brian Paturalski.
Recording information: CRC, Chicago, IL; Electrical Audio, Chicago, IL; Full Kilt Studios, North Hollywood, CA; Groovemaster Studios, Chicago, IL; Mitch's Bedroom, North Hollywood, CA; NRG, North Hollywood, CA; Peer Studios, Hollywood, CA; Smart Studios, Madison, WI; The Attic, Monrovia, CA. Photographers: Mike Seabaugh; Chapman Baehler.

© 2006 Burnett Records/Epic Records