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…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
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…
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…
