The New Jersey band The Grip Weeds may have formed in the late 80s but the talented group led by brothers Kurt and Rick Reil could have just as easily been playing music a decade or two earlier. This isn’t so much of a surprise because the band’s name is actually inspired by John Lennon’s…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
Rumbletone, Self-Titled
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Right away from the cover art, you are seeing a tropical setting complete with palm trees, water and rocks. On the back cover, you get a serene visual by way of the sun glaring down on the calm ocean waters. And here’s the kicker; Rumbletone is actually from the Hawaiian island of Kauai.…
Rick Shaffer, Necessary Illusion
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After a stint in the late 70s and early 80s, the bluesy duo The Reds faded into obscurity only to revive their garage rock/blues-laden career in 2007. A follow-up album came in 2009 and saw keyboardist Bruce Cohen release a solo album. Not to be outdone, Shaffer has released his own solo LP, Necessary Illusion–a…
Nadia Kay, Reloaded
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Emerging Pop princess Nadia Kay has released the follow-up to 2009’s “Music, Sex and Marshmallows” with her 10-track LP of electronica-laced, beat-heavy dance pop, Reloaded. Lyrically, the album is comprised of the relatively standard fare of clubs, DJs and “Bling” (Track 10, actually. See below.), although a few songs are thematically based: aviation, beauty salons…
Maria Jordan, Landslide
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Singer/Songwriters are a dime a dozen, but Maria Jordan proves that she is THE needle in the haystack. Her new album Landslide proves that Jordan is a genuine-to-the-core artist with definite star quality. You get real substance here with no filler and the new record will show you why Maria is a mainstay…
Gayle Cloud, Many Waters
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Just picture yourself sitting under the clouds daydreaming as you try to make out figures & shapes from each and every passing cloud. That is exactly the feeling you will get after experiencing Gayle Cloud’s Many Waters. Gayle has created a world full of peace, love & tranquility on this new album. …
Sab The Artist, Self-Titled
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Sab The Artist, not to be confused with Saab the car but definitely comparable in terms of quality, precision and high performance, is making his move. Sab The Artist, originally from Minnesota but now based in Vegas, attempts to spread love through his music. Sab gives off a positive energy that is absolutely…
Alive In Stereo, Self-Titled
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This rock trio out of Denver is alive & well with their self-titled debut EP Alive In Stereo. The band is made up of: frontman/guitarist Chris Evans, Toby Crisp on drums and Alex Browers on bass. These three members bring such an incredible amount of energy to the table that will impact listeners…
JOHN MELLENCAMP, NO BETTER THAN THIS
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At first the record companies wanted Bruce Springsteen to be the “New” Bob Dylan, a storyteller with a lot of words in his songs. When he hit it big with rock, they weren’t enthused about him going back to his roots, but he had earned it, and did. For John “Cougar” Mellencamp, they…
Bird Call, The Animals Know
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Not your ordinary, every day bird calls here as Chiara Angelicola proves to you that The Animals Know best. The Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter gives you a six-track EP full of fine musicianship & artistry. The Animals Know has some wonderful moments that will keep your mind engaged throughout the whole set. Originally from…
Bank, I Was Just Recording
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**Parental Advisory–Explicit Lyrics & Adult Content** I thought it would only be fair to express this review the way that it should be expressed; without censorship. I owe it to Bank, the fans and Skope readers to not deviate away from the language that is heavily associated with this album. I also owe…
Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Rocksteady
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The Colorado based Big Head Todd and the Monsters have always had a small but loyal fan base but those who don’t call themselves BHTM lovers know the band only for its mainstream rock ballad “Bittersweet” that ruled the Billboard charts back in 1993. Unfortunately, that is a shame because that particular song is really…
Feldiken, Common Splendor
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I had the opportunity to review Feldiken’s last album for Skope titled Small Songs About Us. He made a record for “EVERYONE” as I stated then and this still stands true for the new album Common Splendor. Feldiken’s love for people in general is quite evident here as he plays the role of humanitarian extremely…
Jita, The Power of One/Lean On
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This singer/songwriter from South Florida wants to prove to you that the power of faith can go a long way. Jita has one mission and that is to pump nothing but positivity into today’s society, which is much needed. She has one message and that is simply this: In the end, everything will…
Jeffrey James, Just Right
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While Nashville remains the epicenter of contemporary country music, the population of veteran and up-and-coming crooners has seen their numbers diversified, turning the one time country stronghold into more of a singer/songwriter town. Indiana native son Jeffrey James is one of the latest to relocate to Music City, bringing his pop/rock debut album Just Right…
Stomacher, Sentimental Education
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The Bay Area quintet formerly known as In Reverent Fear has remerged with a new name and a new album. I can’t say that the name “Stomacher” is a trade up from their old one, but their quasi-debut is definitely worth noticing. Sentimental Education is riddled with poignant ambience and heavy bass -driven riffs that…
Thee Nosebleeds, Self-Titled
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Thee Nosebleeds and their exhilarating debut album definitely get the Jimmy Rae WOW factor here. Hard to imagine that this BIG & LOUD sound comes from just three guys out of Philly. The three members in this group include: Kermit Hell Lyman on lead vocals & guitar, Rev. Kevin J. Cooper on bass…
The Roots, How I Got Over
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One of the more head scratching moments in music in the past couple of years was when it was announced that the hip-hop band the Roots were going to be the house band for Jimmy Fallon’s late night show. Once that was declared, nearly everyone thought one of two things: 1) ?uestlove and Black Thought…
Ric Zweig, Running Out Of Time
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I have to say that Ric Zweig is not Running Out Of Time by any means. Quite the contrary actually; this singer/songwriter/classic rock musician is just getting warmed up. With the release of this new record, the music world has a lot to get excited about. Zweig spent 20 years in the field…
The Gaslight Anthem, American Slang
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Being compared to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band can be a burden for any young band but The Gaslight Anthem is not just any band. The New Jersey quartet proved it was a force to be reckoned with when it released the fantastic album The ‘59 Sound two years ago. Yes, that release…
MARK OLSON, MANY COLORED KITE
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In the mid 80’s, Mark Olson founded the Twin City band Jayhawks, who have often been described as an alternative, country/rock band. I must admit, out of the tons (literally pounds anyway) of releases I receive, this is the first in years that made me draw comparisons at times to The Youngblood’s, Peter,…
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, AUGUST 2010
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Growing, Pumps (Vice Records) In the same way that it’s hard as a reviewer to report correctly on the actual artistry involved in creating such bizarre sounds as this, it’s difficult to tell what this Brooklyn technologist is genuinely hoping to accomplish. In layman’s terms, it immediately demands a reality check of the stereo…
The Bluesmasters, Featuring Mickey Thomas
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Like a lot of people, I’ve grown plain tired of rehashed old style blues songs. After not having heard a stack of such things recently, it really doesn’t feel too bad listening to a group of da old blues. This disc features Mickey Thomas on vocals, best known for his tenure with Jefferson…
Anna Madorsky, Talk Is Cheap
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I had the pleasure of reviewing Anna Madorsky’s last album Incantation. The previous record was more of a story-telling narrative with a full range of characters and the whole nine yards. I even went so far as to call Incantation “Modern Age Narrative Pop”. Completely switching directions now, Madorsky has created a…
ANNA ROSE, NOMAD
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When I reviewed the EP, I mentioned that I prefer female rockers that can also deliver a ballad. After many years of listening to just about every genre on the planet, I’m very picky when it comes to personally judging female singers. Anna held my interest as a storyteller,…
Blow Up Hollywood, Take Flight
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When you hear the title of this band Blow Up Hollywood, one might think for a second that this is a fast, punchy & violent rock, punk or metal band. BUH actually is none of the above and they are not blowing up anything literally but figuratively Blow Up Hollywood is making a statement.…
Kristina Westin, What A Night/Promo EP
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Kristina Westin is giving you a taste of what her upcoming album What A Night will sound like. On this five-track promo EP, you are getting just enough flavor to know that the new album will be special. What a day that will be when What A Night is officially released and after…
Ten Speed Taxi, Spinning
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With their ranks comprised of three teachers and a healthcare professional, it is only natural that Ten Speed Taxi injected a healthy dose of intelligence and clever tongue-in-cheek humor into their latest album. Couple that approach to songwriting with their multi-genre sound and their penchant for tight instrumentation and the result will leave you (with)…
Exile Kings, Shine
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Exile Kings is a New York City based Indie music project started by musician & singer/songwriter Manoo Halati. This is his debut CD entitled “Shine”. When the Exile Kings play live it consists of 3 other members: Hommy Rossa (Drums), Dan Austin (Guitar), Paul Merson (Bass) so it’s a 4 piece in that respect. …
Shade, Highway
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Of all the subjects that popular music has tackled over its long history, one of the most attractive is that of life on the open road. Sure, nearly every artist has an on-the-road song in their catalogue so it is hard for anything on that topic to sound new nowadays. (And let’s face it, the…
Me, Three, The Space Race
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Get ready for Alan Chesnutt’s second release, The Space Race, which is a mix of indie rock, alternative & electronica. The Alabama-based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist that calls himself Me, Three comes back strong with this solo project. That means Me, Three is the wizard behind all the music on this record, so in this case…
Gioia, Flawless
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If there’s one thing I can say about Frank Gioia, or simply Gioia (pronounced ‘joy-ah’, which means ‘joy’ in Italian), the man is truly persistent. Not in the bad way persistent, but the ‘I-know-what-I-want-and-do-what-it-takes-to-get-it’ persistent. Since New Year’s Eve, I’ve received e-mails from Gioia, and yes, sometimes a writer gets caught up in deadlines,…
David Altenor, The David Altenor Project
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The expression I swear to God comes to mind because David Altenor is doing just that in every sense of the word. This four-track demo is a true testament to Altenor’s strong faith to make music for the lord. But don’t assume that this is your typical Christian or Gospel record because if…
Don Puglisi, Goodbye New York
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Don Puglisi’s new album may be called Goodbye New York but you can rest assure that this singer/songwriter is not leaving the Big Apple any time soon. Puglisi’s playing days go back to the late 80s/early 90s when he was playing guitar at alt-rock and punk clubs all over Detroit. Since making the…
JONNY LANG, LIVE AT THE RYMAN
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Recorded at one of his shows at Nashville’s Historic Ryman Theatre, this release gives a good summary of Jonny’s career. Jonny is accompanied by Jim Anton on bass/vocals, Barry Alexander on drums, Jason Eskridge on vocals/percussion, Sonny Thompson on guitar/vocals, and Tommy Barbarella on keys. Always a master of hitting the licks in…
Greg Walsh, A Busy Street
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Are you ready for a big spoonful of rock/blues/soul mixed together in a bowl of well-polished music? I hope so because that is exactly what you are getting with Greg Walsh’s new record, A Busy Street. Besides the core sound of rock, soul & blues heard here, I also picked up on elements…
The Speaking Tongues, Wild Sound
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It’s a wild sound, indeed. Straight out of the hallows of Southern Ontario (Though at times, you’d swear this gnarly two-piece came straight from hell) comes The Speaking Tongues, whose fervent, rollicking approach to cut and dry blues rock takes no prisoners. This is hard music not for the faint of heart; this debut LP…
Mikingmihrab, Tres Tontos
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With a band name like Mikingmihrab, you already know right out of the gates that this group and this album will be very different. How different though is the real question; well that will be up for you to decide? I would call this new record adrenaline-rushed insanity on wax that is ridiculously…
Ria, Self-Titled
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Don’t foget these three letters RIA because they will absolutely stick in your head after experiencing this debut album. The Miami sensation born in Columbia calls herself Ria and fittingly enough she named the record the same. The audience is receiving a large dose of nothing but Ria here and the talented singer/songwriter…
ROB, Rise On Belief
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Rise On Belief (ROB) is ready to take the music world by storm with his hot debut album. This NYC artist mixes it up with some classic rock and hard rock grooves that will get you pumped up from start to finish. You will also hear elements of soul & funk that comes…
