Is it me, or are compilation reviews really hard to read (let alone write)? There's always this really long paragraph listing all the bands and what they sound like, blah blah blah. So as I sit here sipping a Beam and Cola (Pepsi, thank you) in the back yard, with my feet propped up on a Cleveland Browns lawn chair, I concocted this article in an effort to entertain you through the tedious bits.

First let me start the story by mentioning that The Gita (members of which happen to be the brain child of this here compilation) performed at a party that I attended a few years ago. I had approached Joran, their lead singer, and introduced myself – told him to send me a copy of their CD and I'd get it reviewed (only took him two years but hey, I'm not complaining!). That was back in the day when we Sirens actually asked bands for their CDs -- this still happens on rare occasions, but not being gluttons for punishment, we have taken up the habit of tucking our heads low and avoiding eye contact when the CDs are being passed out. Sure, sure, as in this instance, if you manage to cajole us into it (presents help), we'll do our best to get it reviewed, but trust me when I say, we're not hurting for CDs to review -- so the last thing we need is to actively solicit! But I digress – my original thought: The Gita proved to be every bit as impressive on record as they are live.

Another interesting factoid tying this compilation closely to Score! Music would be Barely Pink's "Sixteens Gone," which just so happens, can be found on our own compilation CD (Goes Down Smooth – for those of you not paying attention).

Beyond that, Southeast Music Alliance Volume One: Tampa went a long way to reminding me of home… sandy beaches, Cuban sandwiches and choice beers from Ybor Brewing Co. brought to you through twenty-one tracks of Tampa's latest and greatest. While I have yet to find a compilation where every single song appeals to me (which in my humble opinion means they did something right – a true mix of styles with a little something to appease everyone's appetite), I did come across quite a few standouts: The Saturn 5 who tip their respective hats to Mr. Roger's with "Neighborhood" immediately blew me away with moments of hip hop and super funk reminiscent of Red Hot Chili Peppers; Misfortune chimes in with a very slight Bare Naked Ladies comparison on their poplicious "We're The Same"; Cocktail Honeys' "Pay Attention" reminded me a bit of Soul Asylum mixed with The Used; D'Yea's classic sounding "All Around The World" struck a Velvet Underground and White Trash chord performing "Taking Care of Business"; The Semis' "Asian Girls" had a fun, almost Men at Work intro which drove into a heavier guitar riff and a Brit rock vocal along the lines of Smashing Pumpkins (their heavier stuff); The Hazies' "Hola Baby" has a nice bluesy vocal with a really cool groove and techno underscores; Four Star Riot's "This Can't Be All" is a fabu surf rock/Ska tune and Black Honkeys' "Let Me Into Your Party" is a heavy dose of funk. In the interim, for those who dig the female Lilithy vocal, we've got Anna O. with her strong Aimee Mann-meets-Sarah McLachlan, and if funk's your game, StarBaby's "My Own Sun" with it's nifty guitar riffs simply shines. Ghetto Love Sugar brings in an instrumental with retro-like guitar with a touch of ska with "Cracker Etiquette".

There I did it! The best of Southeast Music Alliance Volume One: Tampa. That wasn't too painful was it?

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