Category: REVIEWS

CD and DVD reviews

Patti Smith, Live at Montreux

Patti Smith proves her legendary status as she walks out on the stage at the world renowned Montreux Jazz Festival. She owns the stage and commands your attention as the audience is mesmerized by the performance of a lifetime. This is Patti Smith’s first time ever live video release filmed in 2005 at Montreux, Switzerland.…

Dan Kern, 1977

Influences run the gamut from nuanced subtlety to worn-on-the-sleeve emulation. For SoCal by way of NOLA singer/songwriter Dan Kern, he is unabashed about his early exposure to mainstream radio and the affectation it had on his personal musical tastes. As evidenced on his new full-length, 1977, the 10-tracks contain facets of radio Pop sentimentality, Southern…

Rick Hornyak, Marigold

For the forefathers of Country Music, getting their music to fans meant long road trips usually packed in some old sedan along with gear from one dive bar to the next honky tonk. Point is… it was a labor of love that often involved sacrifice. And though afforded many more creature comforts, the story of…

Loose Hinges, Nothing’s Permanent

Yes, Nashville is still the epicenter of Country Music. However, in recent years if the city has taught me anything it’s that Nashville has morphed into a “singer/songwriter” town. The diversity of acts and music coming out of it is perhaps more varied than ever. For example, take the duo of Eliot Houser and Kris…

DWEN, Get This Money

Get ready for Dwen which is short for “Dwennimenn” and stands for “strength and humility”.   His new single “Get This Money” is definitely strong with a real toughness layered over the track.   Dwen hails from South Florida where the temperatures are hot and now this rapper is tryin’ to “Get This Money” with…

CONCERT REVIEW: HALL & OATES @ AKRON CIVIC THEATRE, 1-22-2013

The smaller hall venue sold out in a flash.   As hoped, the guys did the Greatest Hits list, which in the time allotted they still couldn’t cover everything.   A major statement of the group’s accomplishments.   Both guys stay busy with their solo work, John recently promoting his CD Mississippi Mile, and Daryl…

The Lotus Fire, Come Out Swinging

Drawing on exotic and sophisticated influences, The Lotus Fire lives up to their new album Come Out Swinging. That the musicians are classically trained is no surprise; The Lotus Fire provides a continuous stream of supreme sonic craftsmanship. They have performed across the western world at festivals, resorts, and casinos. Personally, I would say that…

BOOK REVIEW: DICK WAGNER, NOT ONLY WOMEN BLEED

Dick Wagner is a rock and roll guitar legend, for both his playing and songwriting.   The work with Alice Cooper (producer Bob Ezrin, and songwriter Bernie Taupin) and Lou Reed are at the top of his resume that also includes Aerosmith, Kiss, Peter Gabriel, Meat Loaf, Frank Sinatra, Ringo, Air Supply, Guns N Roses,…

Sarah Kervin, Passing Through

About the Artist: New York Singer/Songwriter Sarah Kervin just released her latest CD entitled “Passing through” in 2012. Label — Independent Artist URL: http://www.sarahkervin.com/   Review: In this overly saturated genera/market with a plethora of artists coming out of the woodwork, armed with nothing more than a PC, Microphone, a guitar and a crappy sounding…

RIP, Theory of Rap

The reputed lyrical undertaker known as RIP has carved up his Midwest block since 1990. Having rapped with Wikit Kimistry and Eargasm Entertainment, he now fronts Soultaker Records, the label behind his recent solo release Theory of Rap. With “Intro,” there’s this scientific lecture, and I wonder “what the hell,” until it dawns on me:…

Never A Hero, Bleed Between the Lies

If the Manson family were to rob armored trucks, they might look like Never a Hero, a quintet of masked bandits who dare to mix the devil’s metal with classical and dubstep. Hailing from Suffolk in the UK, Never a Hero released their debut EP Socially Awkward in 2010. And a few months ago saw…

E.G. Holmes and David Vanden Enden, Wonderful You

About the Artists: This is Holmes’ latest release. Researching his bio these 2 have managed to   Incorporate elements of Traditional Pop, Jazz, Blues, and Classical Rock in a thoughtful new Adult Contemporary album, E.G. Holmes – Wonderful You is a sexy and edgy compilation with alternating light heart-ed and intense subject matters coupled with…

Erisa Rei, Black Ball

Like many a musician, Illinois native Erisa Rei began in the church choir.   What ensued is the “torrid” romance that has dominated her for over two decades. Her recent release, Black Ball, has already secured itself a spot on the AMA charts. “Sojourn Band” starts all hypnotic, and when Erisa begins to sing, the…

The Cat Lady, Rise Up

The Cat Lady has a mystifying sound with her new release, “Rise Up”. She has a subtle, soothing vibration that slithers around in one’s head like a snake. It tickles your senses with enticing intrigue.   It opens with a burst of horns and a smooth bass line. Then lays the ground work for an…

Gilbert Neal, Dirty Red Pagan

As a “very poor and directionless” youth, Gilbert Neal drifted whichever way the wind blew. As it happened, Fate took him to the musical vocation. Bass guitar was his specialty, and he plied his craft at various venues in his native Buffalo. Now a resident of North Carolina, he has branched out to the six-string,…

Sterling Witt, Sterling Loves You

Review: “Sterling Loves You” is his third release and the result though far from a self-indulgent ego trip, rather a moving and elegiac artistic statement from start to finish. This is not your overly predictable Ramon Noodle “Sing-Songy” Nikelback-esque Rock artist. Instead Witt   who hails from the midwest could even be classed as a…

All of One, The Writings on the Wall

Ontario native Paul Grenier a.k.a. “All of One” is a veteran of the Canadian music scene, having sold thousands of albums with his previous band Kottmeier. He now has a promising trajectory as a current member of The Makshftr. And yet he needs more. So we have his second solo offering The Writings on the…

Sonarpilot, Radar

Sonarpilot is back with a blast of sound that is titled ‘Radar’.   I had the pleasure of reviewing Sonarpilot’s last album ‘Mothership’ back in 2010 (http://www.skopemag.com/2010/04/09/sonarpilot-mothership) and I knew then that we had something unique in our hands.   The new release comes in a Limited Edition Double CD and Extended Digital Bundle that…

CONCERT REVIEW: GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals are a hard-touring, prolific act with no shortage of diverse material for their live show.   This is a band who has collaborated with Willie Nelson, Daryl Hall, Gov’t Mule, Heart, Kenny Chesney and Dan Auerbach on one level or another.   After experiencing them in the 1,700 person capacity…

A.S., Exile

When Pop Rock duo, A.S. penned the tracks on their debut EP, they seemingly stumbled onto a songwriting formula that combines the demure approachability of Keane; the textural multilayered ethos of Radiohead’s The Bends and the emotive, yet ethereal matter of Coldplay. That formula is again the foundation for their new full-length, Exile. The 10-tracks…

Desmond Jones, Marketplace

Desmond Jones is exactly what the music industry has been needing for quite some time. This 6 piece funky, jam band released their debut CD, “Marketplace”, in January and hit the ground running. It is a unique blend of funk, blues, ska and a few other genres mixed in; to create a vibe unlike anything…

Stages of Sleep, Carousel

About the Artist: San Francisco 7 piece band Stages of Sleep just released their latest CD entitled Carousel in 2012. Review: In this overly saturated genera/market with a plethora of artists coming out of the woodwork, armed with nothing more than a PC, Microphone, a guitar and a crappy sounding CD — it’s nice to…

Big Lo, Magnum Opiates

  It’s a provocative title — Magnum Opiates — the fourth studio album from rapper James Lopez a.k.a. “Big Lo,” who has opened for such acts as Lil’ Kim, and has performed in major southeast cities, even creeping up to NYC on at least one occasion.   The well-produced album’s opening track, “Salome Den of…

Andrea Desmond, Milk and Rain

Andrea Desmond is a singer-songwriter who often takes a seat at the piano. Having belonged to a succession of bands in the past, she’s now gone solo — with the help of her trusty backing outfit The White Lights — for her 4-song EP Milk and Rain. Desmond has ridden frequencies at radio stations from…

DK & The Joy Machine, Love Harder

Like I have mentioned on other ocassions, words aren’t really necessary in order to make a song or band awesome. In fact, many of the music made before was all pretty much about rhythm with no words, just dancing and some dudes maybe “aahhh”-ing or “oeh-oeh-oeh”-ing. One proof of this is DK & The Joy…

Curious Quail, Instant Gratification

One thing that’s for sure in music is that it not always leads to the same path. Over time, styles have led to other genres that eventually inspire other musicians to create their own sounds. Some of this can be seen in the latest album of Curious Quail, Instant Gratification. “Once In A While” and…

Imiuswi Aborigine, Uprising

Uprising is the breakout offering from Imiuswi (pronounced – I, Me, Us, We), a genre-splicing outfit rapping many-a-lyric. However, these rhymes are no odes to bling and booty. They instead address those grand concepts of injustice and revolution, while eschewing the utterance of uncouth words (ex: motherfucker, punk-ass-bitch). The vocalist is a young lady from…

Piqued Jack, Just A Machine

If power is what you need and adrenaline is what you want, here’s a perfect band to help you spend it and get it in seconds. Just A Machine by the Italians Piqued Jacks is an album that crosses border to border. It is heavy and catchy, violent but quiet at the same time. “Welcome…

Surefire, Another Take On The Same Difference 2.0

We have been talking about five, four, three and even two-piece bands that manage to create something to remember. Something that will stick in our brains and will stay there for a while. However, with technology and everything, one individual is able to create what normally all these people work their asses off to come…

Wooden Hez, Children’s Parade

Band Members: Dave Pitone – Vocals, Guitar, and Alan Lee – Bass. Other Co-conspirators: Sam Shemin — Drums, Aviv Roziner — Drums, Chris Welty — Drums, Mark Pilli – Guitar. Meet Wooden Hez — https://www.facebook.com/WoodenHEZ I always listen to the opening track extremely carefully. It’s the opening track the band or artists has selected to…

Dr. Wippit, An Anthology of Sorts

In this overly saturated genera/market with a plethora of artists coming out of the woodwork, armed with nothing more than a PC, Microphone, a guitar and a crappy sounding CD — it’s nice to know there are a few bands and artist out there that can still deliver what I call good music. These new…

Prize, Surprize Box!

Had Sophia Santulli a.k.a. “Prize” lived 500 years ago, she would have been a treasured singer of the Medici court, performing while surrounded by a troupe of adoring castrati. But ours is a far different age. Prize circa 2013 is a purveyor of electronic music, more specifically her self-described niche: “Electro Primadonna DIY Dance Music.”…

The Outer Vibe, Hoka Hey

  The Outer Vibe is a band that comes to us from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Reading from their Bio: This is a road tested band with rare business acumen that plays more than 100 shows a year, sharing stages along the way with the likes of REO Speedwagon, The Tubes, Mayday Parade, We The Kings,…

T-360, “The Future”

Philadelphia’s T-360 has maintained a lifelong fascination with and longtime involvement in the entertainment industry. Running a nightclub while in college, he later worked with Island Def Jam, before managing a rap artist. Then along came an individual known as “The Coach,” who altered T-360’s path from behind-the-scenes roles to actual performing. Taking his act…

Newsflash: THE BETTER DEATH – Day of the Death (EP)

Introduction: Have you listed to the Radio lately? Is it me or is something horribly wrong with today’s music. Do you remember when music actually had really instruments in them with real people playing them? No kidding. How about good songwriting performed by artists that not only wrote the music but poured their heat and…

Matthew Patrick, Blue Sun

Hayseed Reggae? For Country Rocker (usually) Matthew Patrick, all it took was some “nocturnal inspiration” and the project was born. When Patrick woke from a dream about a high school bandmate, he Googled his old friend and found he was living not even an hour away and was operating his own studio. He also found…

Holly Gentry, So Much More

Perhaps it is the early exposure or rampant participation through developmental years; but when the musical bug bites certain people, they just can’t shake it. This rings true for singer/songwriter Holly Gentry. Having sung in church and school during her younger years, the music-making urge took her to undergrad, haunted her through law school and…

Paul Kloschinsky, Like Your Hero

Multidimensional is a word epitomized by Vancouver resident Paul Kloschinsky. With a background in medicine and computer science, he has since ventured into poetry, photography, and, of course, musical composition — a pursuit which has garnered him several awards. The new year sees release of a new album, Like Your Hero. On the opening track,…

The Serenaders, Don’t Ever Tell Her No

When genre borrowing is done well, the results tend to be transformative. The melding of sounds generates a “not quite this; not quite that, but both” effect for the listener and typically the songs have a breadth beyond a single-dimensional approach to music. With that in mind, I give you The Serenaders–an Atlanta-based quartet dealing…

Jeremy Dion, Golden Someday (2012)

Intro: Jeremy Dion is a singer/songwriter who hails from the Boulder Colorado area. He has been making quite a name for himself regionally and nationally. He has received critical acclaim from many music critics thus far in his musical career and has developed a strong reputation for his impressive songwriting touch and strong singer/songwriter persona.…