“ZODIAC”

Storm (Tin Idol Productions)

Sandy “Storm” Essman is the alpha female in Gerard K. Gonsalves’ hard-rocking Tin Idol Productions ohana. This is one of her solo projects with instrumental backing by Gonsalves (drums, keyboards), Darren Soliven (bass) and Brian Spalding (guitars). It’s inspired by the signs of the Western zodiac.

The program opens with a brief narrative that introduces the concept and the origins of astrology in ancient Egypt and Babylon. From there the quartet lives up to the high standards of previous Tin Idol projects with songs that describe the general personality traits generally associated with each sign. Expect to wait until she gets to your sign — does it fit or not?

Guitarist Jimmy Caterine brings a moment of calm with an acoustic interlude between Sagittarius and Capricorn.

Visit reverbnation.com/label/tinidolproductions.

“ROCK ISLAND”

Motley Uke (Motley Uke)

Motley Uke — spelled with a Germanic umlaut over the “o” in “Motley and the “u” in “Uke” — was founded by Jeff Clark on the proposition that the modern ukulele is as suitable for playing acoustic heavy metal as it is for any other type of contemporary music. With “Rock Island” the quartet goes deeper and creates what sounds like a new genre of hapa-haole music. Three members of the group — Clark (ukulele), Burl Burlingame (lead vocals, tenor ukulele) and Nancy Christenson (drums, vocals) — are former Honolulu Star-Advertiser staffers. Jensen Aguinaldo (bass ukulele) is the fourth member of the group.

Clark, the resident songwriter, comes up with some unusual ideas. “Caldera Conspiracy” describes a volcanic eruption, references in passing an incident in 1790 when a group of Hawaiian warriors was killed by a sudden eruption of hot ash and gas, and contains a spoken-word chorus where he shares geological facts about Hawaii’s volcanoes.

Hawaii residents and others familiar will recognize the lyrics of “That’s Not Thunder” as describing in English and Hawaiian two battles that occurred during Kamehameha’s wars of conquest. The group’s biggest musical experiment comes with “Can’t Fathom It,” a song that protests the slaughter of a Hawaiian monk seal and includes both a guest playing tuba and the sounds of a healthy seal.

Visit motleyukeband.com.