One dedicated father, Eric Christensen, pays tribute to his son David who was a talented singer/songwriter from Chicago. David Christensen tragically committed suicide on February 17, 2009 at the young age of 26. One life is lost, but one loving dad has decided to breathe new life into his son’s timeless music. This…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
Pheromones, Hotel Royal
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Hot on the heels of last years impressive debut EP, (You And The Digital Age), the Pheromones have returned- inviting you in for a stay at their lush, dark, and atmospheric Hotel Royal. The ghosts of former guests like Bowie, Morrissey, and Radiohead still roam the halls of Hotel, and can be heard creeping about-…
Brock Enright: Good Times Will Never Be the Same
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After garnering acclaim at SXSW, Hot Docs, and even winning a Special Jury Prize at the Sarasota Film Festival, director Jody Lee Lipe’s directorial debut, Brock Enright: Good Times Will Never Be the Same, will be released June 29th, on Factory 25. “Art is anything you can get away with.” -Marshall McLuhan Chronicling Brock…
I Need That Record, The Death (or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store
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Brendan Toller’s documentary, comprised of in-depth interviews with cultural pundits, public domain footage, wonderful animated collages by Matt Newman, and archival footage, chronicles the death of over 3000 record stores across America. “There’s a lot of bad isms floating around this world, but one of the worst is commercialism.” -George Seaton The doc…
Schleusolz, The Weinheim Experiment
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Coming off their 2009 debut Running Out Of Time, Schleusolz are back with another spaced-out record titled The Weinheim Experiment. Frankfurt, Germany natives Worsel Strauss and Schani Wolf are the magicians behind the special Schleusolz sound. Watch as they attempt to pull a rainbow of sounds/beats/styles out of their hats once again. …
Sandman Viper Command, Everybody See This
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The fresh and unadultered sounds of Sandman Viper Command may be a little tough to immediately classify, but the immediate exposure that the band will enjoy from Everybody See This, their debut, isn’t a bad start. It’s a largely harmless listen, but odds are the four young dudes that make up the band aren’t out…
The Bloodshot Gamblers, Pain & Other Simple Pleasures
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Are you ready to take a journey and listen to some stories about Pain & Other Simple Pleasures? If so, then prepare yourself and get ready to enter the world of The Bloodshot Gamblers. You will be engulfed by a world full of despair, addiction, pain, depression and heartbreak. Now wait a…
Schleusolz, 10 Movies
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Are you ready for some well-orchestrated, cinematic pieces that will keep your attention from beginning to end? If you answered yes, then get prepared for Schleusolz and their exciting set titled 10 Movies. This record definitely reads as a movie transcript with something for everyone out there. Just as you get lost…
Manuel Bruce, Manuel Is Back With Friends
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Manuel Bruce (pronounced Broo-say) is the man behind this new project that includes SO MUCH! The CD offers wonderful instrumentals, original material and covers that will leave you wanting more. Bottom line, this new record is just all about the music and that’s it! On this album, you are getting a wide range…
Darklight Corporation, Self-Titled
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Get ready for some hardcore metal for your eardrums. Darklight Corporation is going full steam ahead with their new record and they don’t seem to be letting up on the gas at all. DC is bringing you adrenaline-rushed music that you can bang your head to, so throw up those horns and get…
Frank Zappa, The Freak-Out List
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On the sleeve of his immortal debut album, Freak Out!, Frank Zappa listed 179 well-known and obscure artists and bands that acted as a roadmap to his signature style. The Freak-Out List chronicles some of the more obscure Jazz, Classical, and Doo Wop artists, through a series of interviews and found footage.…
Ron Contour & Factor, Saffron
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Is Ron Contour notorious Canadian rapper, and MC Moka Only’s cousin; or just Moka Only wearing a cheap costume shop moustache? Whatever the case, the moustachioed madman raps “rugged and raw like McGruff the Dog”. “It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key.” – Winston…
Swade G, Ghetto Life
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Get ready for Swade G as he pumps your ears with funky ‘n’ fresh flavor on the new album, Ghetto Life. Born Wade Kibby, Swade has decided to step out of the shadows to come hard with his debut record. His older brother is actually “Dirty Walt” Kibby, who is the co-founder of…
Blank Generation, Stars: Richard Hell, Carole Bouquet and Andy Warhol
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In 1980, an instantly forgettable film documenting a surreal relationship between Billy (Richard Hell) and Nada (Carole Bouquet) was released. Inspired by French New Wave cinema, it features odd transitions, several moments of cinema that leave you puzzled, and things that’ll have you laughing out loud. With its beautiful cinematography of a grimy…
Mac Leaphart, Line, Rope, Etc.
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I have got to come clean… I am warming up to country music. Albeit slowly… yes, warming up. Now as a disclaimer that doesn’t include all country. I still have no palate for kitschy twang or play on word, hokey lyrics. But the heartfelt, cut-me-I-bleed country that comes from some deep place within, I can…
No Second Troy, Colors
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The first time I heard No Second Troy with the shiny new mp3’s from the guys and gals at Green Light Go, I thought I wasn’t hearing the fire in the music. Soon I realized I had listened to the tracks out of order, and that the crackling was under a surface scratched. More importantly,…
Bob Pressner, Honor Among Thieves
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Inspired by the after effects of the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, Bob Pressner gives you his own dose of reality. This singer/songwriter now based in Florida tries to make sense of this crazy, unbalanced world. Honor Among Thieves is Pressner’s answer to it all as he hopes to smooth matters…
The Kissing Party, The Hate Album
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This isn’t your everyday Kissing Party; this is a group of Denver musicians that gives you their Hate Album. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, The Kissing Party will definitely get your attention. Coming off their previous release, Rediscover Lovers, from two years ago, this band is ready to set the bar high NOW.…
Deftones, Diamond Eyes
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It’s been awhile, Deftones. Four years since their last release, 2006’s Saturday Night Wrist, but more likely it’s been even longer for many. Visions of my late-90s flash through me when I hear this band, mainly because I don’t hear them any more. But that doesn’t comment on what kind of band the Deftones are…
I Am the Dot, Minimal Love
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Amidst a Young Coyotes’ hiatus, Zach Tipton donned the moniker I Am the Dot and has since been steady releasing a series of terse EPs. Both strange in arrangement and approach, the EPs are replete with multi-layered tracks that run the musical gamut from eerie to comforting. His latest outing, Minimal Love, stays true to…
The Jim Ivins Band, Self-Titled
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Get ready for this pop/rock band from Richmond, Virginia as they set the bar high with their new EP. The Jim Ivins Band is rich with sound and heavy on the acoustic side. Whether it’s rock you crave or pop goodness that you desire, this group will satisfy all of your musical needs.…
Martinez FX, Self-Titled
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Are you ready for a wild dance record for 2010 & beyond? If you answered yes, then Martinez FX is your guy. Techno & electro are displayed in flying colors on this new album. You’re also getting doses of alternative, electro-rock and shoegaze. Overall, Martinez FX has put together groupings of…
Christopher Hawley Rollers, Comes Around Again
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The Christopher Hawley Rollers are a band you find in a juke joint on the side of Route 62, letting the dust come in and coating bar top, boots and guitar fret boards; playin’ crowd-pleasers ‘til sunrise and going home with enough money in the pocket to come back next week. At least, that’s the…
Damon, Song of a Gypsy
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The summer of 1969 saw Woodstock, where hippies abounded, love was in the air and the brown acid was not recommended. That year also marked the release of Song of a Gypsy, the debut album from artist, Damon. The record reflected much of the sentiment and culture of the times, namely love, deep emotion and…
Lisa Bell, Dancing On The Moon
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Lisa Bell is ready to ring in the summer with her delightfully exquisite new record, Dancing On The Moon. This singer/songwriter from Colorado has an incredible vocal presence on this new album. Bell digs down deep to bring you spellbinding lyrics and an emotionally-drenched performance that will leave you wanting more. Full…
Carney, Mr. Green Volume 1
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Carney are parading their goods in all the right ways. They look like a rock band, they sound like a rock band, and they’re probably just as cool as your typical, young LA rockers. Laid back and carefree, despite some melancholic vocals delivered in the most tragic and withering way possible, watching these guys perform…
Remaindermen, Border States
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Formerly known as Trio in Stereo, Remaindermen is their new name and playing fresh music is their game. This five-man crew has come a long way from playing college parties while attending Indiana University in Bloomington. The band now resides in the Windy City as they bring to you Border States under their…
Trans Am, Thing
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What?! There’s no vocals in post-rock! —But Captain, these voices aren’t human, they’re… something else. Trans Am have trapped you in a Tron-like universe and Thing is the robot in a business suit sent to save you. On closer inspection, the real concept of the record isn’t quite what I imagined–humbug–but it’s just as spacey.…
Steve Poltz, Dreamhouse
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The comfortable, seemingly nonchalant sway of Steve Poltz’s latest, Dreamhouse may very well be a nod to East Coast singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett, long one of Canada’s undiscovered strumming charmers. After all, not only did Plaskett produce Dreamhouse, he played six different instruments and provided backing vocals. But maybe Plaskett simply adds fuel to Poltz’s fire.…
Robin Stone, Bad Girl
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Get ready for Robin Stone as she brings you her new album full of so much good flavor. Bad Girl proves that Stone is a gifted singer/songwriter and a force to be reckoned with in this business. If I had to use one phrase to describe this record’s overall sound I would call…
MaryBeth Maes, Just Like Me
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As one that holds classic blues-rock close to heart, it came as a great surprise just how difficult it was to listen through the entirety of MaryBeth Maes’ debut original album, Just Like Me. It’s perplexing as Maes succeeds in every fundamental aspect— a voice with great range and pitch, solid acoustic accompaniment, and great…
Lyrical Eye, Lyrical Eye
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I recently received this demo of four songs and was curious to find out just who this Lyrical Eye person was. Turns out his real name is Stefan Eliades and was born in the small island of Cyprus. This artist/songwriter has also lived in the United Kingdom where his music career really started…
Duc’n it Easy, October
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This six-song set from Duc’n it Easy will excite your senses and get you all fixed up with some feel-good tunes. October features a mellow rock approach with a jam band feel that also incorporates elements of country from time to time. The overall vibe is extremely cool with a laid-back demeanor and…
The Radio Dept., Clinging To A Scheme
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In today’s musical landscape, four years is basically an eternity for a band to follow up an album with another. This obviously doesn’t matter to the Swedish electronic pop band The Radio Dept. as their newly released album Clinging To A Scheme comes on the heels of the well-regarded Pet Grief record which dropped way…
Ayler Young, Back In The City
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For many musicians based out of New York City, it is easy to write about life in the Big Apple but it is much harder to make it sound fresh and compelling. Ayler Young, a 30-year-old songwriter influenced by both classical and rock music, doesn’t seem to have that problem though as his just released…
Italian Japanese, The Lush, Romantic Weirdness
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Sometimes, you can get a real feel for a certain group right off the bat. That is exactly the case here with Italian Japanese and The Lush, Romantic Weirdness. I can sense right away that this band has something special and that they will definitely be a smash hit within the music scene.…
The Royal Heist, Midnight In The Garden of Evil
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With the precision of a bullet in the chamber, The Royal Heist are corked in to deliver–and that’s just how they start their debut spin, Midnight In The Garden of Evil, released digitally April 20th. The record is produced by the band and Max Coane, the same man behind the sound of recent punk legends…
The Lions, New Rise of the FootSoldier
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Get ready for an incredibly loud roar from The Lions. Not real lions of course but a band of wild musicians from Calgary, Alberta Canda that call themselves The Lions. This group plays with ferocious intensity with pure rock at the core of everything. Give way to these new rock soldiers as…
Mongrel Mix, Self-Titled
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Mongrel Mix is an eclectic blend of unique styles where it seems music is coming from all directions. You’re not just getting chocolate or vanilla from this group; you have a wide variety of flavors to choose from. Everything from straight rock to classic rock to roots & folk; you’re getting a little…
Sonic Rebellion, Heads We Win…Tails You Lose
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Are you ready for a rebellion full of hard rock and jaw-dropping energy? If so, it’s time to get on board with Sonic Rebellion and their new record, Heads We Win…Tails You Lose. This NYC-based band brings to you a sound that is revved up, amped up and I would even say electrifying.…
