Rockin’ but not Ragin’

Music history is littered with specific sounds attributed to geographic regions. R&B;, for instance, laid claim to Motown and what came to be known as the Philly Sound.

In the 1960s and ’70s, Philadelphia produced names such as The O’Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and Teddy Pendergrass. More recent local artists like Pink, The Dead Milkmen, The Hooters and South Philly’s own hard-rock Marah didn’t play on The Sound of Philadelphia — an R&B; pop styling considered smoother than its Detroit predecessor.

Nonetheless, the continued perception of the city as an R&B; town is yet another hurdle that South Philly-based band Storm will have to overcome.

"It is intimidating," says bass player Vince Festa. "But it is important to remember that a lot of great rock bands have come out of the tri-state area. I think that pop music is starting to lean towards rock again. A lot of the newer bands I am hearing on the radio have an older sound."

That’s encouraging news — especially when you’re recording in what’s primarily an R&B;/hip-hop studio.

"It was nice to have a rock project," says Gordon Rice, the engineer who mixed eight of the 12 tracks on Storm’s recently released Counterclockwise LP at the famous Sigma Sound recording facilities on North 12th Street.

John Mattei, the band’s drummer and a 1985 graduate of St. John Neumann High, points to the typical problems all bands have to face before success strikes, if ever.

"Obviously finances, that’s in any band," says Mattei. "Time is another obstacle. With working to pay the bills, all of your time has to be reserved for booking, making contacts with the record stores, rehearsing, etc."

Festa, currently residing in Schwenksville, adds, "I think that schedules clash a lot. We all have families, activities and jobs to worry about."

Two things to add to that list: fighting obscurity, something that can afflict even the already established (look at what happened to the Spin Doctors); and serendipity — everything coming together at the right time. And the latter is just not happening for Storm these days.

With a gig to play in Ardmore tomorrow, the band finds itself in a predicament: Lead guitarist Jason Mento will play the show, but then will take a hiatus from music because of an illness in his family.

The timing, when combined with the locally released Counterclockwise on June 7, couldn’t be worse. Just when the band is trying to make a big push, Mento finds himself in the unenviable position of having to bow out, at least for the time being.

"This is one talented bunch of guys that I enjoyed jamming with and will miss performing with," laments Mento. "They have the drive and dedication to really make something of the band."

It’s certainly not a serendipitous occasion, but at least the remaining members are keeping a stiff upper lip.

"We are really starting to build up our fan base by playing a lot of gigs," Festa says. "Hopefully we can continue to have success in this. From there I think it would be great to get through to the radio stations. From there, the sky’s the limit."

The garage band — the members of which cite everything from The Beatles to Green Day and Kiss as influences — is a regular at Big Nick’s on Bustleton Avenue.

To "pay the bills," as Mattei puts it, he spends his days as a graphic designer, a profession shared by Storm vocalist and rhythm guitarist John Romeo, who joined the band last year.

"We’re promoting the heck out of Counterclockwise and gaining a fan base through live performances," says Romeo, a resident of West Deptford, N.J. "Ultimately we hope to put this album out on a major label and have success with it."

And that’s the conundrum of being in a band, any band that hasn’t yet gotten that big break and signed on the dotted line with a major label — which, relatively speaking, so rarely happens.

That doesn’t necessarily mean a band lacks talent, considering some of the major successes in the music industry. But what about the sound of Storm?

"They’re a good band, fairly motivated," says Rice, the sound engineer. "Sometimes that means quite a bit more than whether a band is good or not."

He points to a band’s ability to get its name out as being a key.

"I’ve done a lot of major label work, and their work ethic is pretty strong. That can take a band a long way," Rice says. "Unfortunately, I’ve seen more poor work ethics than good ones [overall]."

Whether or not the band’s sound is your cup of tea, there’s little doubt that the members work hard to peddle their goods. And, only a two-year-old band, Storm is a confident bunch — not threatened by any perceptions of the Philadelphia music scene, R&B; or otherwise (so we shouldn’t remind them of local boys The Roots).

"I have a lot of respect for many of those artists and the Philly Sound," says Romeo. "I think of us as a straight-up, good-time rock ‘n’ roll band. We’re Storm, and I like us to be seen for who we are and the music we play — not where we hail from."