Fighting Smokey Joe

POSTED: 01/30/2014 06:00:00 PM PST

Fighting Smokey Joe

"Till the Morning"

This is an impressive debut EP from a Mill Valley-based reggae rock band formed in 2010 by singer Monica Thiede and guitarist Dave Powell.

At least four of the five original songs on "Till the Morning" are catchy pop tunes with an insistent reggae groove. The opening track, "All I Need Is You," has all the elements of a hit radio single — crisp playing by Powell, bassist Tim Baker and drummer Lu Rudriguez and a breezy melody that Thiede sings in her quirky, husky alto.

The EP was produced by Arne Frager, formerly of the Plant Studios in Sausalito. If there is any weakness, it's that all the songs bounce to a similar beat and tend to sound alike. The energy starts to flag by the closing song.

Nevertheless, this is an auspicious beginning. Thiede has an engaging vocal style, and a flair for hooks. If she and Powell can keep writing and improving, varying their tempos and bringing more variety to their sound, Fighting Smokey Joe could be a contender.

Buy it: "Till the Morning," Fighting Smokey Joe, independent CD Baby, $5 CD and download

— Paul Liberatore - Marin Independent Journal

Marin reggae band Fighting Smokey Joe releases its first full-length album with “Never Gonna Be the Same,” a collection of bouncy original tunes broken up by the title track, the record’s lone ballad.

Mill Valley-based lead singer Monica Thiede and guitarist Dave Powell, who formed Fighting Smokey Joe in 2010, stick to the same reggae pop formula that made last year’s EP, “Till the Morning,” such a promising beginning for the band.

Once again, Thiede and Powell show a flair for the catchy hook and a command of the off beat rhythms and upstroke guitar chords that make reggae so irresistible as dance music. The horn section of Chris Traynor and Adrian Olmos punch up the sound, adding much-needed variety.

Powell takes flight with some imaginative and impressive guitar work on “Let You Go” and has some fun with the spaghetti western intro to the tune “You Will Never Know.”

As a lead singer, Thiede’s powerful alto and emotional delivery cut a pioneering path in a genre dominated by men. Bassists Tim Baker and Lewis Richards team with drummer Scott Wittenberg to build a rock solid rhythm section. Lacey Johnson adds backing vocals.

The album was recorded at 17th Street Recording Studios in Southern California’s Costa Mesa with Richards producing. He also plays guitar and bass on the title track, the ballad that closes the album and breaks from the standard reggae groove of the first nine songs on the album. Thiede sings with passion and commitment on the song, which is reminiscent of some of the open tuning hits by the Rolling Stones. “Never Gonna Be the Same” shows that Fighting Smokey Joe doesn’t always have to be the same. - Marin Independent Journal