Earl Greyhound Rocks

Don't believe everything you've read. But if you happened upon a recent copy of 'The New Yorker' that suggested that Earl Greyhound just might be the second coming of Led Zeppelin, you probably wouldn't believe it until you witnessed the trio live. The hype this band is generating isn't unfounded: this is rock n' roll in its truest form.

The multi-talented duo of Kamara Thomas and Matt Whyte are certainly easy on the eyes up there, and now that they've joined forces with drummer Ricc Sheridan, the Earl Greyhound unit now seems complete and ready to dominate the rock scene here in New York.

It speaks volumes about the drawing power of a band to say that on a recent night at Tonic, it was well past 1 a.m. and the band had yet to begin, but the room grew more packed as the night slipped away and people eagerly awaited the buzzed-about band. Despite the fact that the monstrous sound that these three produce would perhaps be more suited to arena-rock stages than this intimate room on the Lower East Side, the crowd happily lapped up every loud note.

They began the set with two new tunes, including the stellar "The Ghost and The Witness" where Thomas trades up her bass for a Fender Rhodes. Both new songs show potential for the album which will follow up their critically-acclaimed current release, Soft Targets. There are indeed moments onstage which channel mighty Zepp, like the face-melting solo in "Monkey" but Earl Greyhound has crafted their own gritty sound, with searing guitar riffs from Whyte and a thunderous energy from Sheridan. That's not to say it's all hard rock riffs, because the trio have their share of undeniably catchy tunes like "Like A Doggy".

A don't be deceived by the presence of a lady on the bass: while her vocals occasionally add a soothing touch (as they do to introduce "Yeah, I Love You", they will just as quickly turn into an unfathomably fierce banshee wail that will knock your socks off. And she was recently featured in Bass Player magazine, to boot.

Sample some highlights of Earl Greyhound's set at Tonic here:

Gigs are piling up fast and furiously for the trio, and you won't want to miss their free show at The Hook in Brooklyn this weekend. They play as part of the "Freedom Festival", a day of free music in festival format conceived by Kamara Thomas which showcases many incarnations of her incredible talented musical posse. The day kicks off at 2 p.m. with the Honky Tonk Happy Hour, where you can witness the folkier side of Thomas (who here sings and plays guitar) and Whyte (who mans the piano). The talent overflows at Honky Tonk, and it is a chance to catch some rising rock n' roll stars for free... I think Page and Plant would approve.