Over the years we’ve seen pop slowly evolve into what I like to call synth-pop or power pop. The music is rather synthetic, however clean, highly polished musical tidbits that are melody & catchy, with solid low end beats, & tasteful ear candy. Lady Ga Ga, is by far the reigning queen. But this…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
C.S. Yeh, In The Blink of an Eye b/w Condo Stress
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Though already having made “seemingly hundreds of recordings”, In the Blink of an Eye b/w Condo Stress is Brooklyn based C.S. Yeh’s first recordings to demonstrate his abilities at songwriting, and its a shame these two unfortuantely short tracks are all we have to hear. “In the Blink of an Eye” is an undeniably infectious…
Rob Carlton, Seven Thunders
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2011 looks to be a great year for guitarist Rob Carlton as he was recently engaged, has a hot new album out and many exciting shows booked up! Not to mention, Carlton has also signed a new distribution deal with Musik and Film Inc/Full Entertain Music Inc (MAFFEM). And now following up his…
Kelly Pettit, These Days
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Kelly Pettit is a guitarist/singer/songwriter originally from Canada but has spent recent years traveling abroad touring around Japan. Like many new artists Pettit relies primarily on a ballad to rock format & other heart throb skill sets to get his point across. Music will remind you of Train, Plain White T’s, Maroon among others. To…
Red Weather, Every Alleyway
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Over the years we’ve seen punk, hard rock & even alternative rock bands slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows. Talking to many music fans out there, the response is overwhelming. Give me something new, something fresh & fun. Something that doesn’t sound like — well Nikelback. Give me band that dishes out good old…
Dan and Faith, Dreaming of Another Path
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Dan and Faith Senie are a husband & wife duo who have come full circle to create this debut album. 20 years in the making, ‘Dreaming of Another Path’ represents all the hard work that Dan & Faith contributed to this project. One amazing aspect is that although Faith has played piano in…
Tools of Creation, Adventures in Chaos
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Tools of Creations is a rock-nasty trio from Ottawa that offers adrenalin-rushed music. Their debut album is titled ‘Adventures in Chaos and you will get just that. After hearing this record in full you will know that T.O.C. is not messing around one bit! Tools of Creation is made up of: Ben Dimaria…
Fred McKinney, High Water
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Over the years we’ve seen American & Country Music slowly erode itself into over overly polished, popish nothingness. Artist after artist presenting themselves as superstars in the making with nothing more than a pretty face, pushed in front of a microphone with an acoustic guitar by the corporate giants. This is done in the hopes…
BILLY PRESTON, 16-YEAR-OLD SOUL
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Billy Preston traveled a long winding, extremely successful, musical road from Gospel through rock, full of personal and health related bumps. He was THE phenom B3/piano player in demand from the 60’s to present time. His session work encompassed dozens of music legends. In addition to a great solo career (and sporting the…
The Hobliminal Ibloid, Action At A Distance
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Forget what you’ve forgotten about the genre “electronica.” It is a broad and sweeping genre and the label itself rarely tells a listener anything about the nature of an album, save that at least some of the music will be generated “electronically.” On it’s face, electronica is as representative of the mysterious “clicks and clanks”…
ARI HEST, SUNSET OVER HOPE STREET
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Ari is a solo guitarist/writer that relies on the ballad to rock format, and also worked in a side project, The Open Sea with Rosi Golan. On this release, he worked in other instruments like piano and strings to take the lead away from strictly guitar. He had his release of The Break-In…
Eva Aine, My Way To Happiness
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First thing I notice from this young lady is how powerful her voice is. Eva Aine’s singing ability is absolutely superb and ‘My Way To Happiness’ shows off her flawless vocals brilliantly. This woman can SING with the best of them out there and hold her own quite well. Eva Aine is…
Simon Fagan, Outside Looking In
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All I have to say after hearing ‘Outside Looking In’ is that Simon Fagan is one hell of a singer/songwriter. The buck doesn’t stop there though because musically this album also shines. Fagan proved to me and hopefully proves to everyone out there just how a solid record should be made. Simon…
Nothing Sacred, Hollywood Striphounds
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LA Based 4 piece Nothing Sacred releases their debut EP Hollywood Striphounds earlier this year. The music has everything you would expect from a production of this flavor, including music that is explosive, loud & fearless. You’ll find catchy melodies layered everywhere, & of course guitars that bite & solos that will make your head…
Stripper, A Woman Under The Influence
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Right away the name of the band gets your attention not to mention the eye-catching album title. And I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t end there once you dive into the record. Ridiculously original and utterly outrageous are words that can best describe Stripper and their new release. Stripper is…
The Last Act, Still Standing
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Get ready for the hard rock/metal act from Calgary that call themselves The Last Act. These hard-rockin’ Canadians will prove to you that they are no joke. The new record is titled ‘Still Standing’ and this band is standing mighty tall after it is all said and done. The group is made…
Young Galaxy, Shapeshifting
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A band’s previous record can often dictate their upcoming release with pinpointed accuracy. While Young Galaxy’s previous full length, Invisible Republic, contained some synth-laden and at times, symphonic masterpieces, (“Long Live The Fallen World”) the band’s overall aesthetic was most prominent on the equally synth-heavy but much more atmospheric numbers. The band managed to…
Ellen Tipper, The Juggler
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Pianist/singer/songwriter Ellen Tipper releases her latest CD “The Juggler” in 2010. Tipper is an accomplished player & composer from Maine. She has a string of releases to her credit, & had notably worked with many folks over the years. The recordings themselves provide a very folksy, earthy approach putting the piano & Tippers amazing voice…
Jon Wirtz, Sea Level
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Solo pianist Jon Wirtz releases his latest CD “Sea Level” in 2010. Wirtz is an accomplished player & composer from Colorado. He has a string of releases to his credit, & had notably worked with many folks over the years. The recordings themselves provide a very conservative, gentile approach putting the piano front & center.…
Steve Warner & the Rolling Coyotes, Train of Life
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Over the years we’ve seen American & Country Music slowly erode itself into over popish nothingness. Artist after artist presenting themselves as superstars in the making with nothing more than a pretty face, pushed in front of a microphone with an acoustic guitar by the corporate giants in the hopes of making a quick superficial…
Young Livers, Of Misery And Toil
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This is one that will most certainly kick your ass ten times until Sunday. Of Misery And Toil, the second full-length from Young Livers, a fervent and dedicated four-piece that only adds to the already strong reputation that No Idea Records has built for itself. If you get a chance to come up for air…
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, MARCH 2011
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Ben Kono, Crossing (Nineteen Eight Records) Nu-jazz, purportedly Asian influenced owing to multi-instrumentalist Kono’s (Japanese, I believe) heritage, however my immediate overall impression was of a fairly straightforward Western blend. “Castles and Daffodils” opens the record to rambling effect; originally a paean to a downcast Stanley Kunitz poem, the originally effect was scrapped and…
The Rural Alberta Advantage, Departing
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Not long after the intense and equally cerebral and visceral shock of Hometowns, the debut from The Rural Alberta Advantage, wore off many were left wondering: how would the band fare under the weight of expectations from their sophomore release? It was a fair question, considering how immediate Hometowns was. It was a record that…
The Krista Parrish Trio, Playing With Pendulums
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The Krista Parrish Trio is: Krista Parrish on vocals, mandolin & piano, Steven Murphy on bass and Michael Fazekas on drums & percussion. There were also guest musicians on two tracks: “When” & “Easier Said Than Done”. Krista was responsible for writing all the songs with the exception of one, “Eye To Eye”,…
Akron/Family, S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT
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It’s impossible to know what to expect from Akron/Family. Their cosmic brand of experimental rock has been delighting fans for close to ten years, and part of their allure is how well they keep those fans on their toes. S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT, their latest, only confirms this. The…
SIR IVAN, I am Peaceman
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For an accomplished banker, leaving an established & respected full-time gig to pursue a career in music seems like a no brainier. The transition no doubt would of course be a seamless one given the Financial independence where things like Promotion, Music Videos, Impressive Session players, & of course a Grand Ole’ Production would no…
The Wolfe Gang, Read The Fine Print
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Right away I’m intrigued by the title of this band and album; The Wolfe Gang, ‘Read The Fine Print’–hmm…wonder what this will be about? Definitely a good start just for the fact that I’m highly interested in this group and their new record before I’ve even heard anything. Wondering if there will be…
Sounding Rick, Dinosaur Bones
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Over the years we’ve seen music slowly erode into something quite disturbing. Morph back to a happier time when you will find a more carefree musical expression — embodiment of a carefree society. Music these day, though very technically savvy is missing something. What you get is artists that act in a very overcompensating way…
The Memorials, The Memorials
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For any accomplished musician, leaving your established and respected full-time gig can be a tough decision. The transition becomes that much easier when there is a new project waiting in the wings. For Thomas Fridgen, former drummer for The Mars Volta, it’s clear that his new project, The Memorials isn’t just a project to occupy…
James Evans, ZepOcean
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If you like group-oriented instrumentals that focus on the almighty guitar then you should love this album. The artist’s name is James Evans and his new project is called ZepOcean. Hmmm…wonder if the title has anything to do with the legendary band Led Zeppelin and they’re song “The Ocean” off of ‘Houses of the Holy’???…
Seven Against Thebes, Equilibrium EP
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Seattle 4 piece Alternative Metal band Seven Against Thebes (7AT) www.7at.net just released their long awaited debut 5 song EP sampler entitled Equilibrium in January 2011. Seven Against Thebes or 7AT consists of Cyrus Rhodes (guitars) Bruce Burgess (Drums) Dave Black (Bass) & Rusty Hoyle (vocals). Here we go another grunge spin off right? Nope…
Phil DaRosa, Away
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Wait till you get a load of Phil DaRosa and his new EP ‘Away’. Even though there are just four songs on this recording you get a very good feel for DaRosa and what type of artist he is. What you find out is that Phil does not have any tricks under his…
The Establishment, The Consumer
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Some people say booze and soft drugs don’t mix. The Establishment would probably disagree. The Consumer, their latest, is as much an exercise in highly-charged riffs that could fuel a night of liquored-up madness as it is one in thought-provoking and socially aware lyrics. Throw some deeply penetrating riffs into the mix and you’ve got…
Doug McCurry, Seven Songs About Leaving
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First thing I noticed when checking out this album was the front cover. Right away I’m seeing a bright sun just shining away like there is no tomorrow. Of course, this gave me a good feeling as it would anybody I would imagine. Nothing more positive than seeing that magnificent light of…
Dale Turner, Mannerisms Magnified
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Get ready to hear something so unique & original on Dale Turner’s latest project titled Mannerisms Magnified. Turner wrote all 12 songs on the new album along with being the sole producer, recorder, arranger and performer. This singer/songwriter & multi-instrumentalist and his one-man-show-band included the likes of: voices & vocal/mouth effects, electric &…
ROB ZOMBIE, ICON 2
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Rob Zombie has become the poster boy for “Shock Till You Drop” cinematic and musical mayhem. This release is touted as “The First Ever 2CD Collection Of Rob Zombie’s Metal Mayhem”. Who can argue with that? A devout follower of Alice Cooper, Rob teamed up with the master for this year’s double-whammy…
GARY HOEY, UTOPIA
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Gary earned his industry guitar credits becoming the leading voice of surf music, even collaborating with surf guru/mentor Dick Dale. He then went on to gain recognition with a string of phenomenal instrumental Christmas albums, which he incorporated into a great “Ho, Ho, Hoey” Christmas tour. Gary’s playing can be better described as…
Jeff Cochell, Between the Lines
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Over the years we’ve seen music slowly erode itself into popish nothingness. Artist after artist presenting themselves as superstars in the making with nothing more than a pretty face, pushed in front of a microphone by the corporate giants in the hopes of making a quick superficial buck off of fans who don’t realize how…
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, FEBRUARY 2011
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Scott Holt, Kudzu (Gracetone Entertainment) I can allow for vanity releases (the press blurb is that this is the record company’s first release), and I can deal with someone wanting to take some of John Cougar’s pie (if there is any — know anyone who bought the latest John Cougar, I mean Mellencamp, album?). …
Pantera, Cowboys From Hell—20th Anniversary Set
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Hard to believe that 20 years ago Cowboys From Hell made its debut changing metal music forever. Now you can enjoy this 3-disc Deluxe Edition with rare and unreleased demos and live tracks. I actually never heard the original Cowboys From Hell in full, so I knew I was going to really enjoy…
