Original approach powers King Cartel to band title

      A.J. Gross remembers the early 1990s as a tough time for the local music scene. Gross ran the old Fremont Street Reggae and Blues Club, and it was often a challenge to lure crowds downtown to hear the best of the young sounds.
      But something has changed in recent years. Whether it's better bands or more aggressive concertgoers, Gross is convinced the local music scene is on the upswing.
      "I think it's pretty good, and it's getting better all the time," the Las Vegas concert promoter says. "Now there's a dozen local bands that can draw a good crowd. The bands have put more into it, become better. There just seems to be more people going out to listen to live music."
      From the aggressive rock sounds of Phatter Than Albert to the mature rock 'n' roll harmonies of Conni Emerson and the Shindogs, Las Vegas club owners say they pack their 200- to 400-person-capacity clubs with the best of the local talent.
      "There's always a scale of professionalism between them," notes Dave Penczek, co-owner of Winchester Tap, 2327 S. Eastern Ave. "You can tell the ones that like to play loud and the ones that realize quality is better than quantity."
      Those qualities are best exemplified by King Cartel, our distinguished panel's No. 1 selection for Best Local Band in the Publisher's Picks of the Best of Las Vegas.
      With a stand-up bass, drums, guitars and a sax player, the group possesses a rock style that mixes jazz and funk sounds. Frontman Chris King is the son of longtime Las Vegas lounge musician Sonny King and the godson of Rat Packer Dean Martin.
      "They're very original. Very hard to describe," says Rudy Jalio, owner of Legends Lounge, 865 N. Lamb Blvd.
      To hear Jalio tell it, Las Vegas is the land of the isolated music scene. Young musicians attempt to develop their own sound, but without a cutting-edge college station there are few opportunities to truly evolve.
      "The problem really boils down to radio," Jalio says. "They hear nothing but what's on the radio so they imitate that, but they don't have that college radio station to expose them to another kind of music. ... And the young people have two choices: extreme male-dominated rock or Liz Phair rock. There's no in-between."
      Don't get Jalio wrong. King Cartel's a winner with its own sound, as are Mama Zeus (think Led Zeppelin meets the Black Crowes) and Native Tongue, an instrumental band that offers Latin fusion.
      "But the problem I see happening is most of the bands that play here locally develop maybe an hour's worth of music," Jalio says. "They're more of a straight-ahead pop sound and people get tired of them."
      Jalio's least favorite groups use a three-chord progression that lends itself to lyrics that are shouted and screamed in no particular order.
      "I've gotten to the point," Jalio says, "where I don't book that anymore."
      The yin to Jalio's music yang is Chris Funk, owner of Fat Daddy's, 3015 Fremont St. The downtown club is packed when longtime locals' favorite Home Cookin' plays. The group has a reputation for powerful horns and a danceable sound, Funk says.
      "I opened the place because I noticed if you build it they will come," Funk says. "There's so much talent in this town, but the casinos take away things to do. Why should a band invest in a lot of effort when they play in the back of the bar someplace?"
      As music director for KXTE-FM 107.5, Chris Ripley has heard all of the big-name local groups. The 32-year-old has watched the city's burgeoning music scene grow from the realm of Strip lounge acts to the world of the 12 Volts and Big Bads.
      "The rate the city's growing and the caliber of talent the city's producing with people coming from all over the place has contributed to the change," Ripley says. "I think the Vegas sound is the culmination of all sounds. This used to be a place you came to die if you were a musician. Now, it's almost a birthing place."
      Here's a brief summary of the panel's favorite bands:
      -- King Cartel -- possesses a rock style that mixes jazz and funk sounds.
      -- Native Tongue -- is strictly an instrumental band that is known for a Latin Fusion sound. It has won local radio contests.
      -- Mama Zeus -- appeals to the thirtysomething crowd with its mix of blues and rock.
      -- Soul Festival -- doesn't play enough clubs, according to one Las Vegas music promoter.
      -- Big Bad Zero -- is a four-piece rock band with a pop sound that's seeking its first radio-friendly hit.
      -- 12 Volt Sex -- offers power pop and has signed with RCA Records. One club owner says the band always puts on a good show.
      -- Phatter Than Albert -- has an aggressive rock sound with an energetic and charismatic frontman.
      -- Copperpot -- knows how to perform onstage and how to use lighting. The band recognizes the difference between loud and quality.
      -- Conni Emerson and the Shindogs -- offer more of a mature rock 'n' roll sound with bluesy harmonies reminiscent of Melissa Etheridge.
      -- 10. Inside Scarlet -- features female vocalists with beautiful voices and a dynamic lead guitarist. The band also has a lot of stage presence.
      -- Home Cookin' -- is a longtime locals' favorite known for a Tower of Power sound with four or five horn players.