Over the years we’ve seen rock & hard rock slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows providing music that is extremely sing songy, predictable, popish & highly corporate. I hereby call this new breed of music “Poser Rock” & I want to personally thank all the corporate giants for successfully transforming “Sex Drugs & Rock…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
Kotadama, Dichotomy
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If you haven’t heard of the group Kotadama then prepare to be blown away! Two brothers Chris & Evan Brown are Kotadama and they now have a debut album called ‘Dichotomy’. At just 22 & 24 the Brown brothers hail from Australia but they have traveled to many parts of the world already.…
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, AUGUST 2011
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Razer, Dark Devotion [expanded] (Blind Monkey Records) Expanded version of of the Sony-propelled release from the melodic-nu-metal crew, who’ve opened for Judas Priest and whatnot in their native Phoenix. Like so many Metal Blade-level non-thrashers, there are tales of brushes with near-fame along their journey, in this case one of the guys touring as…
Kyle Alden, Hello Again Kind Stranger
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Over the years we’ve seen rock & hard rock slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows providing music that is extremely sing songy, predictable, popish & highly corporate. I hereby call this new breed of music “Poser Rock” & I want to personally thank all the corporate giants for successfully transforming “Sex Drugs & Rock…
Kaotik, The Awakening
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Get ready for a rapper who goes outside-the-box on the his new album ‘The Awakening’. Kaotik is his name and he lays down 16 tracks that are original & very inventive to say the least. Kaotik isn’t your ordinary rap artist of TODAY by no means so prepare yourself for something fresh &…
Low-Fi, After All This Time
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Get ready for Boise, Idaho’s own Low-Fi as they come out with their second release ‘After All This Time’. This band calls themselves Low-Fi but they play with a hi-fi sound that will excite your senses all the way! The group is made up of three members: Todd Sloan on guitar & vocals,…
J.J. Crowne, Songs Of Innocence And Experience
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Get ready for South Florida’s own J.J. Crowne as he blows your mind with his debut album ‘Songs Of Innocence And Experience’. This record is not your ordinary, average debut release by any means due to many factors. First, Crowne has been involved with music professionally since the age of 16 so he’s…
Ben Fagan and The Holy City Hooligans, The Freestyle Sessions 1
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It is pretty safe to say that Ben Fagan is a consummate performer. From his starring (and subsequently winning) the CBS reality game show, Pirate Master to the years he spent as frontman for Charleston’s own The Plainfield Project; Fagan has never been one to eschew the limelight. Earlier this year, Fagan set out on…
THE REAL TUESDAY WELD, THE LAST WEREWOLF (SOUNDTRACK)
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This is about as strange a compilation on a release as you will find, fitting for a Glen Duncan novel about a strange but interesting folklore subject. Everyone loves Werewolves don’t they? The project led by Stephen Coates touches on various genres of old time music. The project takes on an old…
ERIC SARDINAS & BIG MOTOR, STICKS & STONES
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Eric’s interpretation of the blues is delivered via resonator/slide guitar and gritty vocals. The Florida road veteran with a six-album catalog has put this one together with Levell Price on bass and Chris Frazier on drums. The songs are basically traditional format, the storytelling of blues. The uniqueness is in the delivery. The disc ranges…
7 Months Later, Time To Decide
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So it’s ‘Time To Decide’ now or perhaps 7 Months Later whether or not this Orlando-based rock band has what it takes. 7 Months Later is made up of four members: Chris Ganoudis on vocals & guitar, Adam Sliger on guitar, vocals & keys, David Whitmore on bass & vocals and Nick Davila on…
March Into Paris, Beautiful Chaos
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Get ready for the Indie rockers March Into Paris as they unleash ‘Beautiful Chaos’ onto you. This band hails from Sacramento and is made up of five members: lead singer Jennifer Valdez, guitarists & founding members Eric Davis & Randy Medeiros, bassist Kevin McCarty and drummer Kris Ayala. The energy that these five…
DanseWolf, Smoke N Mirrors
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DanseWolf is an electro-rock ‘n’ pop trio from LA that brings a highly infectious sound to the table on their debut release. ‘Smoke N Mirrors’ centers around the highs & lows of living in Los Angeles, California and DanseWolf truly captures that. The group is made up of: lead singer Juls D, fellow…
Heather O’Neill, A Feminist Manifesto
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**CALLING ALL WOMEN**–Heather O’Neill has the answer for you and it’s ‘A Feminist Manifesto’. The Chicago-based singer/songwriter is the voice of reason & understanding when it comes to being a strong independent woman of today. Touching on the subject of misogyny, O’Neill obviously realizes that females have come a long, long way over…
Dead City Radio, Post Traumatic Tales
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Of indie mind and metal body, Dead City Radio brings the stuff to satisfy both musical cravings on their debut album, Post Traumatic Tales–10-tracks of heavy hitting, guitar-driven anthems in a collision between say… Fountains of Wayne and early Metallica. The album is rife with musical facets taken from a myriad of genres and the…
Brooklyn Blues, Big Apple Blues
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Brooklyn Blues are as you would assume from Brooklyn. The album was recorded in 2010 but I’m not sure how long they have been a band or if this is their first release. They are a four piece outfit adding extra musicians for the recording. The album is a healthy 50 minutes long…..not too long…
David Silva, Moorpark Oasis
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David has been musically active for pretty much 40 years — a child of the 60’s you can hear influences from Simon & Garfunkel and Leonard Cohen although David cites John Prine as his biggest musical influence. This CD features a backing band which compliments the music very well but David is mostly a…
Adolfo Lazo, Flowers On Gooey Sand Dunes
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Adolfo Lazo is back with his brand new release titled ‘Flowers on Gooey Sand Dunes’. I had the chance to review Adolfo’s last album ‘On Tape’ back in ’08 (http://skopemag.com/index.php?s=Adolfo+Lazo) and I knew then that Adolfo Lazo was a serious artist that would be around for quite awhile. The title of the new…
Olga, Whatever You Want
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With her dark and sultry voice leading the way, Olga Wilhelmine Munding is continuing her journey through music on her fourth album, Whatever You Want. Written with North Mississippi Allstars drummer Cody Dickinson, the album is far-removed from her trademark blues offerings, instead laid in pop rock fashion with nuanced blues lurking just beneath the…
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, JULY 2011
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Farewell Drifters, Echo Boom (Crash Avenue Records) With the help of a against-the-Nashville-grain producer Neilson Hubbard, this Kentucky fivesome are, as advertised, new-and-improved relative to their first LP Yellow Tag Mondays. Obvious clean-teens, the record purports to be an homage to their parents’ generation of 60s/70s music, but this sort of uppity bluegrass is…
My Silent Bravery, Can’t Quit
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I think I knew I had heard this voice before the first track was even over. A bit of disc investigation revealed I was right… the creative persona behind My Silent Bravery is in fact, singer/songwriter Matthew Wade. The unmistakable voice that is one part Elvis Costello, another part Lenny Kravitz was the subject of…
Chuck Eaton, Lights
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It would seem there is a time and place for everything within the world of music. That being said, if feel-good love songs and easy listening are your thing, Sao Paulo singer/songwriter Chuck Eaton delivers with his sophomore effort, Lights–14-tracks of emotive lyrical matter over a myriad of clever instrumentation. Going into the album, try…
The Next Phase, Out There
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Love ’em or hate ’em, The Next Phase is coming with a style of sound that is ridiculously original on ‘Out There’. The Next Phase is one man known as Patrick Cannell who is one very unique singer/songwriter. The title of this new record is summed up perfectly because it is definitely way…
Dashdown, Rock n Roll Vacation
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Over the years we’ve seen rock & hard rock slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows providing music that is extremely sing songy, predictable, popish & highly corporate. I hereby call this new breed of music “Poser Rock” & I want to personally thank all the corporate giants for successfully transforming “Sex Drugs & Rock…
The Third International, Beautiful Accident
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After a long hiatus from music, Andrew Pearson has exploded back on the scene with the release of Beautiful Accident–seven hypnotic tracks of atmospheric soundscapes, vast musicality and underlying stories. The album is touted as “blues for the modern man” but with so many genres being tapped simultaneously, this one is tough to hang a…
Rose Of Jericho, Out of the Maze
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The creative duo of Andrea Russie and Matt Rasmussen has returned with their sophomore full-length effort, Out of the Maze. The 13-track album is laden with radio-friendly pop rock tracks as well as emotive ballads and leans heavily on their guitar and vocal tandem. Russie supplies a vocal delivery that comes through with a definitive…
Opensight, Voice Of Nothing
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Columbian prog metal outfit Opensight showcase their technical prowess and range of versatility on their new five-track EP, Voice Of Nothing. Despite their commitment to metal, styles and moods abound in lieu of the brevity of the album. Leaning heavily on guitar and deft drum work, it’s the musicality that shines on this one. The…
Theory of Tides, Preview for Swept Away
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Mirana & Rick Comstock are known as Theory of Tides and they are offering listeners a special 3-song teaser. These three tracks are designed to get you ready for the EP release of ‘Swept Away’. Now we shall see if the Tides come crashing in and sweep you away; all in Theory of…
TERRY QUIETT BAND, JUST MY LUCK
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The Kansas singer/songwriter guitarist has come out with a 13-track release of originals, accompanied by his touring trio partners, Aaron Underwood on bass, and Rodney Baker on drums. Added keyboards feature Rick Steff, and Beau Jarvis. On this release, you can definitely feel his influences like Clapton, SRV, BB, The Allman Bros, etc.…
JIMBO MATHUS, CONFEDERATE BUDDHA
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Best known for his efforts in the blues/swing band the Squirrel Nut Zippers and working with Buddy Guy, Jimbo has taken his roots on the road with a new band, The Tri-State Coalition, while composing a discs worth of tunes. Jimbo’s take on the blues is hard to describe. The late legendary producer…
Mark Lenover, Dead The Beast, Dead The Poison
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Mark Lenover is the sole performer responsible for ‘Dead The Beast, Dead The Poison’ as he also composed & recorded the new album. Lenover obviously knows what he wants and how he wants it done so how will this record play out? Answer: The 11-track recording comes across as one very complex piece…
Richard Anthony, Connected
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High school physics teacher by day and musician by night, Richard Anthony invites us all to get ‘Connected’ on his debut album. Accepting one another and coming together as ONE are just a couple of the many heartfelt themes displayed on this record. Richard will open your eyes, mind and heart to a…
Revel 9, The Razorblade Diaries
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Formerly known as Gee Davey, Revel 9 is locked, loaded and ready to give you ‘The Razorblade Diaries’. This is the band’s debut EP under the name Revel 9 and they are excited to get these songs out to the masses. The group hails from Long Island, NY and is made up of:…
Ben Kopec, Epic Orchestral & Cinematic Rock for Film Trailers
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Ben Kopec is a solo artist, an American, and the six selections on this instrumental EP log in at just under 13 minutes. Though the information is not listed on the EP, it is safe to assume that this is Ben’s debut release. Kopec can be contacted on the net at BK@BenKopec.com, at www.BenKopec.com From…
L’illon, Warrior Angel Instrumental Special Release
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The “Lucid Pop” queen is back with a very Special Release of ‘Warrior Angel Instrumental’. I had the pleasure of reviewing L’illon’s debut album ‘Warrior Angel’ back in December of ’09 for Skope (http://skopemag.com/2009/12/08/l%E2%80%99illon-warrior-angel ). I was hooked then and I am hooked now even more so after hearing this new record. …
JOHN OATES, MISSISSIPPI MILE
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Mississippi Mile is John’s third solo album, and a follow up to his 2008 release, 1,000 Miles Of Life CD (which I really liked). It’s always a concern for members of a successful act to change material on a solo effort, but John has the chops the drive, and the backing musicians to make…
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, JUNE 2011
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Miracle Parade, Hark and Other Lost Transmissions (Little Record Company) It could be said that this surf-Americana-rock solo project from Everyday Visuals frontman Christopher Pappas mimics the effect of putting CDs from Bright Eyes, Glasvegas and Snow Patrol in the stereo and hitting Randomize. Owing to the predominance of it, I get the feeling…
Jake Allen, Etherica
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When quality & precision clash head on you get ‘Etherica’. Jake Allen is his name and making dark times sound so wonderful is his game. The idea behind the new record was originally supposed to be based on dreams but instead Jake is left with a harsh reality. This singer/songwriter from Michigan started…
DJ Dylan C, Glitch Hop
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Dylan John Cameron aka DJ Dylan C offers up nine blazing tracks on his new EP ‘Glitch Hop’. This guy has been involved with the DJ scene since ’98 and he was only 13 years old at the time! That’s ALL LOVE for the turntables as DJ Dylan C is ready to put…
Face Candy, Waste Age Teen Land
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Man o man, where to begin on this one! First off I’d like to pay my respects to Michael “Eyedea” Larsen who tragically passed away in October of last year. Eyedea was the vocalist & frontman along with being the mastermind behind the creation of the four-man group. Face Candy is his…
