At first, I thought I’d write about some of my favorite tracks from the 2006 release, “Reign of the Sloth Charmer,” from Madera-based rock band “Everything All the Time.” However, the more I listen to the CD, the more difficult it is to choose a favorite song because each song goes through so many phases, each very good in its own way. The variations in the tracks also make it difficult to catch when one song ends and another begins, giving the listener a strong sense of continuity that’s rare in a post-modern culture of choppy sound bites and three-minute songs. Another thing I like about the CD is that much of it feels like motion to me - Track 2 cycles through stages of dreaminess and franticness. Track 4 starts off tip-toeing, then like floating on the ocean, being lifted and forgotten by the waves. The whole CD is profoundly enjoyable, yet somewhat difficult to describe.

One thing is certain: “Everything All the Time” should be nominated for an award for most intriguing/unique song titles for the eight tracks on the CD: “You bring the children, I’ll bring the wolves (tongue in tons),” “Postpone the dawn,” “The People vs. Lux,” “So Ritchie’s is bigger than Tommy’s? (sub tracks Lakes, Itself, and Mothers),” “Oh he’s Goth Now,” “Dear Slothcharmer,” “Sincerely Snake face,” “Angelita (our friend, our sister).”

The beginning of the first track weirds me out a bit; I can’t decide if I think they’re playing their singing backwards or speaking some sloth language. The song quickly moves into the guitar-driven rock that dominates the rest of the cd.

The changeability within and duration of the songs (track 4 is 17 minutes long) give the group a definite progressive rock (AKA “prog rock”) feel. That said, Everything All the Time, whose name was inspired by lyrics of a Radiohead song, did not begin as a prog group. As their music developed from their initial, simpler punk/alternative rock, listeners began associating the sound with prog. The band members, more interested in blues or jazz, don’t listen to much prog themselves.

Band Member Jesus Pelayo describes prog rock as having “the ability to go anywhere… It is similar to the way jazz is composed… Usually there [are] many parts and lots of improvisation. In prog, you start in one place and you end in another.”

The description is a good characterization of this band, which has been playing together about a year and includes Jesus Pelayo (guitar), Freddy Ochoa (drums), Gabriel Flores (vocals), and Gilbert Flores (bass). Jesus, Freddy, and Gabriel have been playing together for over 3 _ years. The band has a full, well-developed sound, especially for coming from just four people.

Everything All the Time has no upcoming shows confirmed for Fresno, though they may play on August 3. For more information on their shows, see their myspace page: www.myspace.com/everythingallthetime. Their CD is also available for purchase for $6 on their page.