CD reviews: Bang Camaro; Jim Hall and Bill Frisell

Bang Camaro, "Bang Camaro II" (Black Sword)

The theory is intriguing: Develop a band that's all about the big arena choruses -- none of those boring verses -- and then execute the songs with a cast of up to 20 "lead singers" without studio overdubs. For Boston's Bang Camaro, the plan at least has yielded video-game exposure. "Revolution," off "Bang Camaro II," will be featured in "The Sims 3" in February. That follows the inclusion of "Night Lies" on "Rock Band II." "Rock Rebellion," a track on the band's 2008 self-titled debut, was in the extreme skiing flick "Under the Influence."

As for the music, it's as cliched as the song titles. On the plus side, everything here is wildly exuberant, turn-it-up-to-11, old-school, fist-pumping, head-banging rock. "Thunderclap," right out of the Dokken playbook, is an intricate, finger-shredding instrumental. Twin guitars in the closing chorus howl almost operatically above the manic drum pounding. That kind of guitar work is abundant on "Can't Stop the Night," another instrumental track seemingly designed for some video-game high-speed chase. Alas, a big chorus isn't much help if it's dopey, and it's hard to imagine that the "can't stop the night" mantra would excite even the "Wayne's World" guys. There's at least some relief to the formula with the acoustic sing-along "The Hit."

JIM ABBOTT, ORLANDO SENTINEL

Jim Hall and Bill Frisell, "Hemispheres" (artistShare)

These guitarists seem like polar opposites. Hall, 78, slices through the chord changes like a slalom skier, while Frisell, 57, seems more into pure tones and snatches of odd American genres. Frisell, who studied with Hall, seems to borrow little beyond the master's questing nature. Yet the triumph of this session is that each makes the other sound different. This two-disc set allows listeners to finance the creative process in exchange for access. The first CD is just duets, ranging from Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" to a mysterious next-generation improvisation called "Migration." Many of these tunes are soundscapes that enable the two to explore handsome timbres. The second CD features the two in a quartet with drummer Joey Baron and bassist Scott Colley, anchoring their collaboration in a more traditional setting; it's powerful to hear such standards as "My Funny Valentine" sound novel again.