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…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
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…
Various Artists, Daddy Rockin’ Strong: A Tribute To Nolan Strong and the Diablos
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Lou Reed was definitely onto something when he proclaimed “If I could really sing, I’d be Nolan Strong.” While Daddy Rockin’ Strong doesn’t feature any of Strong’s original doo-wop and Detroit-based R&B, what it does contain is a slew of talented artists doing justice to Strong’s classics. Strong has always remained something of an enigma…
Laura Roppe, I’m Still Here
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Laura is an artist who is not holding back and letting it all hang out (not literally of course–lol) on her new release. What I mean is that Roppe is offering up an invigorating style & presence that will be hard to ignore. With infectious rhythms, wonderful harmony and an overall sound that…
Dana & Lauren, Self-Titled EP
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You may have heard of these ladies already possibly under The Shankman Twins or Malibu Storm. The single “Photograph” by Def Leppard off of Malibu Storm’s debut album actually reached #2 on the Billboard country single sales chart and the music video hit the Top 20 Countdown on CMT and GAC. These identical…
Corinne Bailey Rae, The Love E.P.
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To me, when a musician does an ‘artist tribute’ and does a re-make of an original song, the outcome results only one of two ways. It’s either a heartbreaking turn-in-your-grave piece where the artist murders the essence of the track — or the piece is “something like a phenomenon” (yeah, I bit off LL Cool…
Accidental Tribe, Resolution
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Make no mistakes because Accidental Tribe has a Resolution for you; simply listen up and listen close. You will be attracted right away toward the infectious hooks & rhythms coming from this NYC band. Accidental Tribe has an alternative punk rock thing goin’ for them and it’s really working in their favor. The…
Steve Steele, The Expat
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Whether you like alternative, progressive, experimental or art rock, you’ll hear all of this and much more on Steve Steele’s debut album The Expat. Steele’s record literally plays out like a well-written story that has three sections. The first part focuses on Steele’s character living a secluded life and feeling alone in a…
The Sunrise, Spread The Word
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Husband and wife duo James and Rebecca Mileti are bringing Jesus to the forefront on their debut release titled Spread The Word. The Sunrise is taking a trip back to the 70s, but don’t be mistaken because these two musicians are not performing to the tune of peace & love hippies. They are…
SHOUSE, ALONE ON THE SUN
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Over the years we’ve seen music slowly shift its emphasis away from solid musicianship to other more marketable skill sets. Fact is most of the biggest hit’s in 2010 were nothing more that creative sampling, via a BOLD IN YOUR FACE MIX with an artist that possessed many cosmetic heavy attributes. Kind of like Ramon…
PepperDome, Chaos Point
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I remember when I reviewed PepperDome’s last album Let’s Try The Other Side back in 2009 and I was left thinking what the hell did I just hear? PepperDome is back with a brand new EP titled Chaos Point. Get ready to fasten your seatbelt once again because PepperDome is taking you on…
Katey Laurel, From Here
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Katey Laurel is a singer/songwriter from Denver who hopes to impress you with her new EP From Here. This latest release is a follow-up to her debut solo record titled Upstairs, Downstairs. Katey proved it then and she proved it once again on this eight-track set that she is one committed artist. …
Daniel Park, Search and Rescue
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Mr. Park does it again! Coming off his last release These Illusions, Daniel Park proves that he did not lose a beat. On the new EP Search and Rescue, Park continues to impress listeners everywhere with a sound and voice that makes you listen. There are a number of talented musicians on this…
Giorgio, Party of the Century
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Italy’s own Giorgio Onorato Aquilani or Giorgio for short recently released his latest CD entitled Party of the Centur in 2010. During my preliminary investigation of the production I quickly realized the sheer magnitude of this project with its impressive line up of players & various production folk. (Simon Phillips, Bobby Kimball, David Paitch, Greg…
Carmen Tosca, Time Only
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I had the pleasure of reviewing Carmen Tosca’s last album titled Wind (http://skopemag.com/2010/03/05/carmen-tosca-wind), which was a breath of fresh air for the most part. Her new record Time Only stays in the realm of a new-age, electronic and ambient setting. There are, however, some nice surprises that Tosca throws in like some hot…
Surf City, Kudos
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Sometimes a band just gets it. Sometimes a band comes from the far reaches of the planet (New Zealand, in this case) and make all their contemporaries look rather foolish and do so with relative ease. Sometimes a band culls from oft-plagiarized inspirations (Jesus and Mary Chain, Velvet Underground, the Spacemen) and instead writes and…
