VEGAS DEMILO
Motel California (Pinch Hit)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Foster Calhoun writes pop songs that stick. His band, Vegas DeMilo, turns it into power pop and makes it sting. It's a great combination. Calhoun sings his songs with such conviction that you can't help but fall in line, and even if you're listening from a distance you can't miss his unique way of saying things that have been said a zillion times in pop music. On the death throes of a relationship he observes the sudden meaninglessness of the good times they've had, and all that is left to say is "yesterday has gone to hell - by tomorrow you'll be gone as well." I've felt it but never heard it stated so simply and clearly. Calhoun's brother, Alec Johnson (Calhoun is Foster's middle name), holds down the bass end and also adds the secret ingredient that makes Vegas DeMilo different from the other power pop bands on the block: keyboards. Not swirly Hammond B3, mind you, but electronica-influenced synths that never overwhelm the music or even become the focus. No, this is guitar driven with subtle synth coloration on the edges, and it works to perfection. With writing this good and Calhoun's voice, they should be "there" already. They have several potential hits here, with the impossibly catchy "Chemical Girl" leading the pack and "Radio" hot on its heels. The band has been kicking around for at least three albums now, with Calhoun and Johnson the constants and a revolving door of drummers and guitarists coming and going along the way, and yet it always sounds gelled. Tight as Jack Benny's wallet. This just has to be Vegas DeMilo's time.

© 2001 - DJ Johnson