JACKPOT

Ever notice how the lead singers for music groups seem to get all the attention and most of the credit? Well, there is a reason for that. If there is one thing that can make or break a band, it's the singer. The music can be mediocre but still tolerable enough to allow some play time. But as soon as the singer opens his or her yap, everything gets decided for sure. Rusty Miller is a fella who sings lead vocals for a tidy, radio-friendly band called Jackpot. Rusty has that all-around nasal, in-tune-but-out-of-tune, sing-song voice. The same kind you hear on many of today's most marketable records. Rusty keeps a tune just fine. That is, until it becomes "neat" for his voice to break or tremble just a bit. One of the most notable things about this band is that you can actually tell what it is that Rusty is singing. Normally, I would be quite thrilled with this, but not here. Rusty's lyrics are trite, at best, and generic enough that the public masses will have no problem identifying with Rusty's troubled soul. Let me give you an example from a Jackpot tune entitled, "When You Leave". It goes something like this: "When you're gone, sophistication goes out the door / Pizza and beer cans on the floor." Damn, Rusty! That's some quality lyricism! Now, I know it may seem like I'm giving ol' Rusty a hard time, so let me quickly focus on the band as a whole. They’re all over the place. Each song could find its way onto other bands’ records. One track is completely country twang, while another is contemporary radio rock, and still another sounds like a rockabilly wannabe tune. It's all so very sad. Still not convinced? Go to jackpotweb.net. But don't say I didn't warn you.