I despise long-winded reviewers who try to show off by littering a review with useless, unrelated, obscure pop culture references.  I’ll keep this short.

I’ve started hanging out at The Horseshoe on "New Music Tuesdays" lately in hopes that I might stumble on some new indie bands that I like.  Who knows, maybe I’ll even find another one that I’d like to work with.

Anyways, if you ever get a chance to see a London, Ontario band named TROLE perform live, you should not pass up the opportunity.  You can, however save your $20 and not blow it on their mediocre CD that they’re selling at the show.  Here’s my point-form assessment:

• Musicianship: 8/10 (they obviously practice together a lot.  tighter than a tightrope.)
• Songwriting: 7/10 (they play rootsy, bluesy, rock so there’s not a ton of room for creativity, but they have some good riffs and entertaining lyrics)
• Energy: 10/10 (off the charts.  this made the show.)
• Creativity: 8/10 (whenever one of the band members, in this case the lead guitarist, leaves the stage to play while walking through the crowd, it’s an automatic 8/10.)
• Cheese factor: 8/10 (ease off the fake Southern accent, and don’t be in such a hurry to take your shirts off gents.)
• Album: 4/10 (the recording they sell for $20 has all the same songs, but none of the energy.  they need a real producer and engineer.)
• Website: 2/10 (in this day and age, if you can’t afford a good website you shouldn’t have one at all.)

Overall, I give these guys a 7/10.  Better marketing and recording would bring the score up.  They should definitely be doing the Canadian university/college tour circuit this fall!