Stuart Rosh and the Geniuses Accept No Imitations Winged Flight Records By Kevin J. Hosey These apparent Californians have lots going on in their songs, led by singer Stuart Rosh, including some humor and smart observations to go along with the blues, rock, country, acoustic, folk and a few other styles of music. “Love Comes Ashore,” a weepy fiddle and steel guitar-led (from Sue Draheim and Scott Appleton, respectively) slow country song, leads off the CD; Rosh sings of a friend hurt romantically in the past, telling him not to build a wall preventing the right woman from reaching him. “Route 666,” with swinging fiddle from Draheim and electric guitar from Appleton and more swing from drummer Noah Appleton, is a fun tune on Bosh resisting temptation (because he’s married and God fearing) from a woman/demon trying to get into his pants, with sexual innuendoes thrown around. “Sweet and Loving Bride” has a new divorcee trying to figure out why she fell out of love with her husband, kissed another man and got divorced, as well as wondering what is next for her; the band plays mid-tempo country with some nice fiddle from Draheim. “California 99” has a better ending, with a guy coming back to the woman he loved after being absent (he was apparently in prison, possibly to Jack Daniels); he was now sober and she is waiting for him; some nice fiddle and pedal steel help the song. “When the Words Don’t Come” tells the intriguing story of Phil Ochs playing a Wisconsin college in the early-mid 1970s, and with no Vietnam of other rallying point, Ochs’ alleged lack of interest in much more than the bottle led to disappointment in the show and possibly the times. Stuart Rosh and the Geniuses can be contacted through Winged Flight Records at Box 19302, Stanford, CA, 94109 or through Americana Media at 117 South 6th St., First Floor, Emmaus, PA 18049-3744.	Jonathan Rundman Public Library Salt Lady Records By Kevin J. Hosey Some people may go “ho, hum” when they read me describe this very good CD, produced by the Silos’ Walter Salas-Humara, as quirky pop rock, but the song quality by singer/songwriter/guitarist Jonathan Rundman and the lack of affectation should erase any doubt. With a voice that frequently sounds like John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants, Rundman scores high with the CD opener, “Smart Girls,” pop rock with a good guitar line from Jason Victor, on which Rundman sings of just that, advising people to “look for intellect” in their women and sings these intellectual women’s praises without putting others down. “Second Language” is a beautiful stunner, softer pop in a strong, sad song in which Rundman sings from the point of view of an immigrant single mother who works all day, goes to school and takes care of her child at night, all while her boyfriend/husband is in and out of jail, and there is no certainty to their relationship; while she handles all of these responsibilities in an honest manner and in her adopted tongue, she dreams at night in her native language. Returning to Rundman’s apparent admiration of smart people, “Librarian” is a first-person pop rock ode to people who keeps the books and other reference materials working for us. Elsewhere, “The Serious Kind,” a fun, mostly acoustic shuffle in which he sings that things have always been and will always be “serious.” The song is lifted by some good pedal steel guitar from Drew Glackin and Rundman’s harmonica. “Falling Down” is quieter, mid-tempo pop where a woman seems depressed and afraid that their relationship won’t work; he reassures her that he will always be there and work through problems; “747s” is upbeat rock as Rundman compares planes taking off to his love for a woman; Glackin provides a fast, strong pedal steel solo. Salt Lady Records can be contacted at PO Box 11777, Minneapolis, MN, 55411, and Rundman can be contacted through www.jonathanrundman.com.