By Michael Swanger
scenescribe@mchsi.com

Rosie Burgess Band

"Leap"

Payne Street Records

Australian singer-songwriter-guitarist Rosie Burgess blends urban folk, gypsy-rock and light pop on her latest independent album for Payne Street Records, "Leap," a consistently pleasing collection of 12 original songs that showcase her catchy harmonies, sparse instrumentation, comforting voice and good-natured humor. With help from Sam Lohs on stomp box and Tim Bennett on bass, Burgess demonstrates a keen ability to deliver meaningful tales of relationships ("It's Written," "From the Moment," "Sleeping in Cars"), heartbreak ("Break My Heart," "Into Space") and life ("These Leaves") with a sincerity and musicality that likely appeals to a broad range of music fans — especially those who appreciate honest-to-goodness storytelling music that doesn't easily fit into one category or age group. CV

(The Rosie Burgess Trio from Australia will perform Friday, Aug. 26 at 9 p.m. at the Ritual Cafe. Admission TBD.)

Marinaro Sauce

"Marinaro Sauce"

Independent release

Some of the songs on Des Moines-based Marinaro Sauce's debut independent album "Marinaro Sauce" have been marinating for nearly a decade according to lead singer, songwriter and acoustic guitarist Rob Marinaro and you can almost tell as these local musicians play them as though they have been bottled up inside of them. The new album's 11 original songs are best characterized as acoustic rock with zest judging by the percolating rhythms that propel it from start to finish. The band, which also includes lead guitarist-father Tom Marinaro, bassist Martin Watson and drummer Isander Santiago, gathers steam on the second track, "Alive Again" and starts to cook with "Free" and "Outer Space" before reaching a boil on "Freedom's Choice" and "Louie Lamar." Sounds like a recipe for fun. CV

(Marinaro Sauce will perform Saturday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Down Under Bar & Grill in Urbandale. Admission is free.)