Slacks! Slacks! Infernal Racket Records By Kevin J. Hosey I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting to receive a relatively rootsy rock CD from a band that was half or so instrumental, but that is what this Bethlehem, Penn., band has delivered, and there is some fun inside, especially when there are some vocals. “No Goodbyes,” with a guest vocal performance by Maria Christopher, starts off with acoustic guitar, then elegiac electric guitar as Christopher wonders if she and her ex slid apart or if the lies of a jealous woman drove him away? Randy Garvine plays a good, tough electric guitar solo. “When I Was Your Man” is angry, rugged rock sounding much like a rougher country version of “Ohio” at first, then Garvine’s banjo takes the lead before a voice painfully sings “When I was your man” a few times; it ends up the voice was a found vocal on a tape the band acquired when it bought a tape machine. Beth Miller sings on “Vision,” an imagistic song with almost chiming electric guitar; she dreams of a man being back with her but knows it is only a dream and this vision of him is all she has left. As for the instrumentals, “Shintown” starts slow and echoey, then goes to mid-tempo jangly country pop rock before gaining intensity while allowing some banjo to come through the mix. “Al Lindner’s Hat” is slower, very countrified rock, and “Shitkicker” is pretty good, hard rock in a new wave/The Knack sort of manner at first, then becomes a rapid rock instrumental with keening lead guitar and choppy rhythm guitar. “Nails,” a slower, distorted rocker, refers to the injuries caused by the nails driven through Christ’s hands to attach him to the cross, but there isn’t too much of a comparison between singer Christian McKenna and Christ. Slacks! can be contacted at www.slacksmusic.com or through Infernal Racket Records, PO Box 4641, Bethlehem, PA 18018.	Greg Hobbs Threats and Promises Puddle Thief Music By Kevin J. Hosey A new performer to me on this CD, Canadian Greg Hobbs has released a really good storyteller folk rock and country CD; if you are a fan of Slaid Cleaves or Steve Owen, you should give this a listen. “Storm” opens things up with a slower, bluesy, ominous sound, particularly Chris Staig’s dobro and organ from Dave Engel; Hobbs sings of a relationship reaching the point of where extreme truth is necessary but painful and the lovers hope they can get through this stage. “Me and This Girl” is an upbeat take of a guy falling for a friendly bar waitress, then wondering if he is making too much of her demeanor, eventually singing that he is married and knows he shouldn’t be doing this but can’t help himself; Burke Carroll supplies some fine pedal steel. Hobbs is losing direction on “Leave This Town,” noting he has used lovers and lovers have used him; over guitar, bass and brushed drums, he acknowledges it is time to go away before there is nothing good left. “Gospel Barroom” is another upbeat tale where Hobbs testifies to the truth according to booze, people and life, with some smart mandolin from Ayron Mortley. On “Threats and Promises,” Hobbs uses voice and acoustic guitar as he tries not to admit his attempts to drink one lover’s memory away isn’t working; “Came Along” is another voice and acoustic guitar song on which he tries to figure out how to tell a woman who starts out as a one-night stand that he wants this to be much more. The CD ends with the live, funny “Beautiful Girls,” where Hobbs tries to figure out why attractive women always seem to choose “assholes and losers and dicks,” getting the audience to sing along and even invoking Bob Dylan. Hobbs can be contacted at www.greghobbs.com or through Americana Media Promotions, www.AmericanaMediaPro.com or 1-800-469-3780.