Ryan Bingham has enjoyed one hell of a ride of late. The singer-songwriter can boast of winning numerous awards for his writing and performing “The Weary Kind,” the theme song to the Jeff Bridges’ film Crazy Heart, the biggest of which being the granddaddy of them all–an Oscar for Best Original Song. Also, the…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
Shapes and Sizes, Candle To Your Eyes
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After two scattered and at times, unlistenable previous releases, Montreal’s (By way of Victoria) Shapes and Sizes have finally managed to find their groove as a cohesive and timely act. It’s no small feat for this four-piece to nail that cohesive groove, seeing as how it’s damn near impossible to classify this eclectic release. It…
Nathan Sexton, Grave
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Nathan Sexton is a special kind of artist when it comes to songwriting and performing. Sexton puts everything he has into each song as he hopes to connect with the audience on a highly personal level. Nathan searches high and low on Grave as he digs deep to find out what we’re all…
PS I Love You, Meet Me At The Muster Station
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OK. Let’s get over the obvious: this fuzzed-out duo out of Kingston, Ontario have the worst possible for their band. Even if Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler hadn’t teamed up to melt hearts on film, it’d still be a wretched name. There’s no doubt that the band has faced pressure to change their name. Yet…
The Dandy Warhols, The Capitol Years 1995-2007
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The Portland, Oregon band The Dandy Warhols sure have enjoyed a rather schizophrenic career in its nearly two decades length. Originally formed in 1992, the group first steadily built up a well-regarded reputation as an intriguing psychedelic pop outfit that could write songs that were arty like Velvet Underground and commercial like Brit rockers Pulp…
STORMKING, STORMKING
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There is a storm coming and his name is Duke Adkisson. Adkisson is the lead singer and guitarist as well being the man behind all of the music & lyrics on the new record. But don’t be mistaken as this is not a one-man show; Stormking comes complete with a load of great…
Baby Eagle, Dog Weather
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If Neil Young were born a nerd, then Dog Weather would have most certainly been his crowning achievement. The loose, ragged feel that permeates the record is so reminiscent of ol’ grandpa Neil not just is sonic texture alone, but within the rural , no-nonsense attitude that seems to serve each song with all kinds…
The Rolling Stones 1969-1974 :The Mick Taylor Years
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The Rolling Stones 1969-1974 : The Mick Taylor Years tells the story behind what is often considered The Rolling Stone’s greatest period. Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St. and Goats Head Soup were all released during guitarist Mick Taylor‘s five year stint with the group. This DVD…
The Dirty Sample, Joshua’s Dreamixes
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The Dirty Sample, AKA Planit, is a Calgary-based emcee and producer with a plethora of vocal, instrumental and collaboration albums under his belt. His recently released Joshua’s Dreamixes ,a companion piece to Beauty and Poison, is a collection of remixed hip-hop songs from artists in Canada, the US, Japan…
DEVON ALLMAN’S HONEYTRIBE, SPACE AGE BLUES
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Singer/guitarist Devon Allman continues to get acclaim, while carrying on the family’s blues roots with his interpretation of the blues. His current Honeytribe lineup features George Potsos on bass, and Gabriel Strange on drums. On this release, he’s also recruited Huey Lewis, Ron Holloway on sax, Bobby Yang on violin, Rick Steff on…
Ian Dury, Rare and Unseen
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Oi! Oi! There’s a new Ian Dury DVD produced by Wienerworld out. Ian Dury- Rare and Unseen chronicles Ian Dury’s time in Kilburn and the High Roads (including footage of him on the London Weekend Show), to his untimely death from liver cancer in 2000. Essentially, this DVD is Ian Dury telling…
Sacred 13, Jagged Regrets
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Two words: HELL YEAH!!!!!! From beginning to end, this new record by Sacred 13 will draw you in and grab your attention. There should be absolutely no regrets for Sacred 13 as they give you an album worthy of greatness & success. Jagged Regrets gets ultimate respect from me, as a music…
Stacie Rose, The Alter-Ego EPs: Means To An End and Raw Sugar
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Following the critical acclaim of 2008’s Shotgun Daisy, Jersey songbird Stacie Rose has released a bang-for-your-buck double record under the guise, The Alter-Ego EPs. The blanket title of the album is fitting in that Rose offers up two very different approaches to song making. Means To An End is a throwback homage to her 80s…
David Gray, Foundling
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For a while there, British singer David Gray looked like he was in the middle of a creative chasm. It took the talented songwriter four years to follow up 2005’s Life In Slow Motion album with last year’s fine Draw the Line. Interestingly, the sessions that produced that record turned out to be extremely productive…
Ra Ra Riot, The Orchard
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If you haven’t heard of Ra Ra Riot, don’t fret: it won’t be long now before this band is the biggest thing in the indie universe. Possessing the flair for dramatic brilliance of The Hidden Cameras and the genuine, soft songwriting skills of Bright Eyes finer work, Ra Ra Riot seem to have everything going…
Limes, Rhinestone River
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In yet another decent, if slightly sluggish release from underground garage legends Goner Records, Limes prove that you don’t need to assemble air-tight, immediate songs to make the kind of garage rock and roll that sticks with you. Yet the title of “Garage rock and roll” is a little misleading: there is very little “Rocking”…
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD, LIVE! IN CHICAGO
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On this CD, Kenny goes back to his blues roots. This release was recorded at the Chicago House of Blues with his current lineup of Noah Hunt on vocals, Chris Layton on drums, Scott Nelson on bass, and Riley Osbourn on keys. Some R&B luminaries showed up including Hubert Sumlin, Willie “Big Eyes”…
SEVENDUST, COLD DAY MEMORY
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Long regarded as one of the best live heavy touring bands, the guys have grown an impressive following. The Atlanta group has released its eighth album, with some great initial results. The release features their trademark double guitar punch by Clint Lowery and John Connolly, which singer Lajon Witherspoon effectively weaves in and…
The Grip Weeds, Strange Change Machine
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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…
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…
