Chuck Ragan: Los Feliz
Twangy is the new punk and hey, it works. Rock singers are starting to take a turn for the acoustic. People like Eddie Vedder, Dustin Kensrue, and Tim Barry are going solo with a new feel of an old familiar voice. A former front man of the power punk band, Hot Water Music, is back and unplugged. Chuck Ragan released his first album entitled “Los Feliz” which was recorded live at a semi-impromptu performance in Los Feliz, California.

Ragan finds his roots in Gold Country, California. His music, however, is not that of a traditional California musician. Listening to this album puts images in my head of a smoky pub like those seen in movies like “Desperado.” Maybe his voice doesn’t help the imaginary portrait, as he sounds like a smoker of twenty years. The image is fitting and leaves a dingy aftertaste that keeps you coming back for more.

The 2007 show features acoustic guitar and harmonica and of course that unmistakable voice. This album proves that raspy voice is not produced through the recording process, but it is indeed the product of Ragan. His sound reflects that of an edgier Dave Mathews Band with a voice similar to Matt Skiba. No wonder Hot Water Music did split albums with Alkaline.

A hard-hitting guitar riff of “Open up and Wail” ironically enough opens up the album. His aggression pours out into his guitar and his soul pours out into his lyrics in each song. He is accompanied by two friends in the song “Do You Pray” which could be best described as the epitome of a toe-tapping song. Round-a-bout lyrics and rhythms make it hard not to get up and dance in a circle.

He slows it down in the love ballad, “Symmetry.” In the opening, he announces that it is for his “sweet wife, Jill.” His voice softens slightly and his guitar is joined by violin and harmonica. But his edge is still not lost.

From there he keeps it steady until he shakes it back up again for “California Burritos,” a song performed by his acoustic duo named Rumbleseat. Ragan keeps his audience tuned in by constantly shifting gears until the very end. His combination adds up to a very entertaining album with hopes of more in the near future.