innovation and tone

legitimate manner. Matle is, simply, a guitarist’s
guitarist. He specializes in a seven-string
guitar and is, primarily, a finger style player.
Eschewing a plectrum, he is able to have full
use of his hands for odd chord substitutions,
bass line accompaniment and greater speed.
Pangborn is more than up to the task of
supporting their diverse song list, with just the
right amount of subtlety, swing and groove.
SHEILA LANDIS & RICK MATLE
GIZZMOS BISTRO & BAR Wyandotte, MI
Contact: Sheila Landis, slandis9@juno.com;
Rick Matle, fretrick1@gmail.com
Web: http://sheilalandis.com
The Players: Sheila Landis, vocals,
percussion, kazoo; Rick Matle, guitar, bass
loops; Ron Pangborn, drums.
Username: slandis9@juno.com
Material: Expect the unexpected when you
take in this group. Their originals are jazz and
blues based, with an equally strong suit being
their eclectic mix of rock, R&B, country, classic
standards and pop. Within the duration of three
sets the audience is treated to re-harmonized
and reworked versions of everything from Carole
King and Carlos Santana to Hank Williams Jr.,
Van Morrison, Nancy Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix and
Steely Dan. They even dig back into the Great
American Songbook grab-bag for Rodgers &
Hart’s “My Funny Valentine” and Sammy Cahn’s
“Teach Me Tonight.”
Musicianship: Landis and Matle are unquestionable
masters at their craft, and the
addition of veteran drummer Pangborn locks the
grooves in tight. Landis’ gift is her ability to shift
in an effortless fashion from wordless vocalese
to multi-octave filigree and back again. She is
also quite adept at hand percussion and can
mimic woodwind and various horn sounds in a
ERIC HARABADIAN
Performance: Landis was like a force of nature.
She would be crooning a lush and cool love
ballad one minute and then jump into some
feverish rock or up-tempo funk the next. Her
integration of tambourine, cowbell, guiro and
shakers also added denseness and weight to
the overall rhythmic foundation. Matle’s strong
suit was pulling harmonic nuances, percussion
sounds and assorted effects out of his guitar.
His ample skill set especially came into play
on extended jams like Grover Washington’s
“Mr. Magic” and Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady.” For a
seemingly paired down three-piece they packed
a large and mighty punch.
Summary: It is obvious that Landis and Matle
have been working together a considerable
amount of time and have their presentation
down to a science. But it was far from pedestrian
or boring. They are a well-oiled and seasoned
machine that knows what the crowd wants and
how to tailor sets to give it to them. However,
what makes this group special is their sense of
experimentation and devil-may-care. You will
find yourself on the edge of your seat and loving
every minute of it. –Eric A. Harabadian
THE ROXY THEATRE West Hollywood, CA
Contact: Jason Mezilis, BBKofficial@gmail.com
Web: https://facebook.com/
BLaCkBeLtKARATE
The Players: Ryan Hanifl, lead vocalist; Ryan
Brown, drums; Harry Ostrem, bass; Jason
Achilles Mezilis, guitarist.
Username: phatelvis
Material: A John Williams Superman/Indiana
Jones medley played over the house speakers
as the lights glowed a Kryptonian Council neon
blue just before the curtains parted to reveal
Black Belt KARATE. The band were certainly
undersold as the night’s opening act, packing the
house at a surprisingly early hour for a weekday
show, with the audience staying locked in for the
duration. While several of the songs in the live set
are still in development the composition is tight.
For example, the tentatively titled “Rigamortis” is
the standout single of the show. The emphasis
on the “r” and “l” sounds in the lyrics creates a
catchy syncopation, “Sets me on fire, she’s got
this body, fuels my desire. She makes my blood
run, my temperature boil, some days I love her,
some days I recoil.” The chorus catchphrase
typically indicative of song title, “You’re A Natural,”
has something of an Allman Brothers, “Whipping
Post” feel about it.
Musicianship: Double Marshalls for both guitar
and bass makes for a nice, meaty sound, just
heart throbbing enough. The drums tend to be
overpowering, most likely due to the microphone
placement on the bass drum. The vocals seem
low under this foundation. Despite this the band
make up for it through the dynamics of
BLACK BELT KARATE
their song compositions. Some of the fantastic
guitar riffs and drum patterns on “Rigamortis” are
reminiscent of Soundgarden and Living Colour.
Performance: Hanifl could add a little more
aggression to his vocal, being just on the cusp of
Chris Robinson and Mick Jagger. While all band
members supported by singing backup, the Keith
Richard style guitar riffs on some of the songs
did lend themselves to the feeling this band
would benefit from the oomph of their own Tina
Turner styled backup vocals.
Summary: Black Belt KARATE have great potential,
as Hanifl and Mezilis are the lead writers
with experience in production and engineering.
There is a new sound here that wants to gel.
Maybe voodoo rock is the best description; tribal
world metal meets psychedelic southern rock or
as the band claims, “desert rock” with “Clint Eastwood
grit.” As the band develops more material
they may hone a more synthesized style, but as it
stands Black Belt KARATE put on a good show,
pulling all the standard punches.
–Brooke Trout
STEPHANIE PICK
April 2013 www.musicconnection.com 57