Archive for the 'New Releases' Category
JEFF the Brotherhood Beat on the Brat
Author: Kerri O'Malley
JEFF the Brotherhood may awkwardly love your momma’s milk and cookies a bit too much, but their new album is short on the comforting nourishment. Contrary to the AP’s review of the Brotherhood’s latest release, “We Have Heard the Future and It is JEFF” and despite abundant laser sound effects, We Are the Champions is yet another study in retro revivalism. While tracks like “Hey Friend,” “Bummer,” and “Health and Strength” are truly unique and hold great promise, the boys delve into the popular punk sounds of the 70s for most of the rest of the album, ultimately shrouding their potential in the (way too familiar) guise of the past.
Who are they emulating? If I gave you two guesses, you probably wouldn’t need them: it’s the ever-present spectre of The Ramones haunting these two Nashville brothers. Read the rest of this entry »
read comments (0)Ty Segall Says Goodbye Bread, Hello Sweet Tunes
Author: Kerri O'Malley
Whether Ty Segall suffers from some sad-puppy lovesick syndrome or just the carb-depleted depression of the Atkins diet, the beginning of Goodbye Bread is miles from the San Francisco fuzz rocker’s high-energy 2008 self-titled debut. Segall’s latest album, his first for Drag City, opens up with the slow title track, composed mostly of laconic strumming and a barely-there downer daydream falsetto.
Of course, Segall doesn’t let sleeping dogs lie. The rest of the record is a mixed bag of hard-hitting rock tracks, like the punk-rock mini-song “California Commercial,” and more semi-ballads, like the slow-clap support group feel of “I Can’t Feel It.” But unlike Segall’s previous releases, the distortion is (usually) turned down a notch, and Segall’s formerly hidden voice bleeds through his chords more clearly. Read the rest of this entry »
Gorillaz – The Fall
Author: Andre Veloux
Damon Albarn is on a creative high right now (notwithstanding a Blur reunion album!). Anyone who saw the Gorillaz at Madison Square Garden last year could see he was having the time of his life, and probably has to pinch himself that he managed to put together the multi talented supergroup that he did for that tour, and that even Lou Reed came out to play that night. As has been well publicised already, Albarn had a mini studio set up backstage and with the aid of his new toy iPad was able to record each night as and when the mood took him.
Preview The Black Lips’ Arabia Mountain
Author: Kerri O'Malley
You may have to wait until June 7th to get your hands on the new Black Lips album, Arabia Mountain, but at least your ears don’t have to be patient. The album is currently streaming on Grooveshark as a special preview for die-hard Lips fans and curious newcomers.
The Black Lips have a good bad (not evil) reputation as modern punk rockers, but with their frequent hand clapping and 70s-tinged vocals, the Lips cross over to fans of vintage sounds as well. On Arabia Mountain, the boys’ production is possibly the cleanest it has ever been, thanks in part to a first-time collaboration with producer Mark Ronson, who’s also worked with definitely not punk (yet similarly throw-back) acts like Adele and Amy Winehouse. Read the rest of this entry »
Those Darlins Bring the Beach Without the Bummer on Screws Get Loose
Author: Kerri O'Malley
Editor’s note: We are very pleased to welcome our newest blogger Kerri O’Malley. She has submitted some excellent sample posts and we are eager to see what she brings to the table. So, without further ado, here’s her first…
Not since “Lithium” has insanity been this celebratory. Screws Get Loose, Those Darlin’s sophomore album, opens with a jangling cascade of guitar wails, piano keys and bells, creating a carnival at the edge of reason, temporarily assaulting the ears before ripping into the album’s title track. Although Those Darlins — a vintage rock foursome that’s 3/4 female and grew up in Tennessee — are a far cry from Nirvana, the quartet echoes a similar unwashed-hair garage band vibe, breathing life and true ‘tude into the new vintage rock revivalism.
Taking a page out of The Ramones’ book, the girls of Those Darlins have all adopted the last name “Darlin.” There’s lead singer Jessi Darlin, who sings with a nasally edge reminiscent of The Shangri-Las’ Mary Weiss, bassist Kelley Darlin, and lead guitarist Nikki Darlin. Their new member, and the first to possess a Y chromosome, drummer Linwood Regensburg, has so far kept his not-so-cute last name, but his addition to the band marks a new stage in Those Darlins’ music. Read the rest of this entry »
Blackfield – Welcome to my DNA
Author: Andre Veloux
Blackfield – Welcome to my DNA
Steven Wilson is a very busy man, with his solo records, producing, mixing, a ton of surround sound work, side projects like No-Man and Blackfield, and even a regular job with that exceptional band of his, Porcupine Tree. Blackfield is the duo of Wilson and Israeli singer Aviv Geffen. Aviv Geffen in many ways seems pretty similar to Steven Wilson, in that he is a singer, a guitarist and a producer in his own right. Makes you wonder if a combination like this can work. Well let me tell you, it certainly does.
Scott Bluebond (L) and Jon Anderson pose with the signed guitar in the green room of The 10! Show.
13TH Annual Evening in the Yard Being Held on Friday, May 20 at the Navy Yard.
(PHILADELPHIA, PA) Scott Bluebond is the marketing and communications director at the Cancer Support Community of Philadelphia (CSCP). But he is also one huge Yes fan. He was able to combine his love for helping people with cancer and the group Yes this week. CSCP is having their annual gala on May 20 and this year, there will be an auction for the first time. Scott called his friend Rich Chodak, owner of Bluebond Guitars and Music School (www.bluebondguitars.com/Bluebond/Home.html), for help. Rich purchased the store from his childhood friend and neighbor, Dale Bluebond, who was killed in an auto accident in 1994. Dale was Scott’s cousin.
Say YES to acoustic versions from your favorite progressive band's lead singer. Photo courtesy of Glass Onyon.
4/5/2011 – Asheville, NC - Much to the excitement of fans across the country, Music icon Jon Anderson, best known for his work with Yes, Vangelis, Kitaro and other notable music artists, as well as his innovative solo efforts, is preparing to tour the US in support of his forthcoming CD release ‘Survival and Other Stories‘. Jon recently completed a successful European tour with former Yes member and keyboard virtuoso Rick Wakeman on the heels of their critically acclaimed debut album ‘The Living Tree‘. The upcoming Spring tour “An Acoustic Evening With Jon Anderson” touts an exciting mixture of material from Jon Anderson’s prolific solo career, collaborations with Vangelis and classic Yes songs, along with new compositions from his pending CD, and promises a magical and memorable evening of enchanting music for all who attend!
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE RETURN TRIUMPHANT TO TERMINAL 5 IN NYC, 3-25-11
Author: Jeff Boule
The new and improved Queens Of The Stone Age seminal first album. The re-release has garnered such interest that the band embarked on a tour shortly after a near-death experience by frontman Josh Homme.
It was no surprise that the Queens Of The Stone Age (QOTSA) sold out its first tour in many years. They left fans wanting more after their Era Vulgaris tour, and Josh Homme teased us with his super-group Them Crooked Vultures, which was also economically viable to the point where his cohorts in the band (Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Led Zepplin bassist/keyboardist/arranger John Paul Jones) want to keep the band productive.
But perhaps it was (according to Rolling Stone) Homme’s recent death scare that made people sell out this tour AND FAST! You see, if you follow QOTSA, you know that Homme has had trouble with his knee and an emphysema-like illness since the Over The Years and Through The Woods era. For those of you not familiar with this incident, please read on…
Unearthed recordings of Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny surface on CD.
3/16/2011 – Philadelphia, PA – Much to the excitement of Fairport Convention and Sandy Denny fans around the globe, Philadelphia’s ItsAboutMusic.com will release ultra rare recordings of the famed UK group recorded live at Ebbets Field in Denver, Colorado May 23/24, 1974. Produced and digitally remastered by Fairport Convention’s Jerry Donahue for ItsAboutMusic.com, the 1974 line-up of Fairport Convention on these recordings feature Sandy Denny (Vocals, Piano), Dave Mattacks (Drums), Jerry Donahue (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Dave Pegg (Bass,Vocals), Trevor Lucas (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar) and Dave Swarbrick (Vocals, Violin). This historical audio documentation catches the band at the height of their career performing to an ecstatic audience.
Fairport Convention was formed around 1967, and originally played a ”harmony-and guitar-based folk-rock style” strongly influenced by Californian groups of the day like the Byrds. The line-up that recorded their self-titled debut album in 1968 featured Richard Thompson, Ian Matthews, and Simon Nicol on guitars; Ashley Hutchings on bass; Judy Dyble on vocals; and Martin Lamble on drums. Fairport Convention didn’t reach their peak until Dyble was replaced after the first album in 1968 by Sandy Denny, who had previously recorded both as a solo act and with the Strawbs. Denny has been touted as the best British folk-rock singer of all time. This incarnation of the band would record two well-received albums. When Ian Matthews left the band in early 1969, and Martin Lamble (still in his teens) died in an accident involving the group’s equipment van in mid-1969, Fairport regrouped, replacing Lamble with Dave Mattacks, and adding Dave Swarbrick on fiddle. Their repertoire became much more traditional, and electrified traditional folk numbers would dominate their next album, Liege and Lief (1969).
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The Roots, How I Got Over (2010 Def Jam)
Author: Gabriel Barrio
Vinyl soothing sounds lamenting over troubled times and rhythmic reminiscing, an exploration, a question; is something really missing, from one end of the vinyl groove to the other, a soulful examination of how they got over.
The Roots newest album How I Got Over is a worthy album for exploration. Although not necessarily an independent rock band they make a smooth transition further underground from mainstream hip-hop with its foray into experimental collaborations including Monsters of Folk and Joanna Newsom. With a full band including mc, live drums, bass, 2 keyboard players, percussion, guitar, and sousaphone. The Roots are not only pioneers of this awakening genre but the masters of it as well. With little to no competition in the hip-hop world in terms of groups that have a full band, and almost no large hip hop artist making collaborations with independent musicians such as The Monsters of Folk and Joanna Newsom. The Roots are in a world of their own creation. Read the rest of this entry »
Band of Horses, Infinite Arms (Columbia, 2010)
Author: Gabriel Barrio
Dreary eyed, and melancholy muses, getting used to bad news, and exaggerated critical acclaims, another hour of rhythms and string strums, light drums and vocal hums. The world is turning slowly, madness ensures on every corner of the globe, forest fires, recalled food products, natural disasters, wars, discord, sorrow, famine and failure, it is all around us. Some look to the sky, some run to their holy books, their holy places, some run straight into the belly of hedonism, others excess and vice. However, on this starry night I look no further than the notes and melodies divine, in each devotional note I find, peace and solitude. Read the rest of this entry »
ISN’T IT TIME YOU HAD SOME FUNKY KNIGHTS?
Author: Jeff Boule
Every once in a while you gotta take a leap of faith. Just give something a listen to that may not be up your alley. For me, that leap of faith was The Funky Knights. I have some R&B appreciation in my background. One of the slickest produced artists I remember (and just plain old liked) was the late Luther Vandross. His albums were always clean, tight and had that smooth sheen.
I have to say, The Funky Knights come awfully close. At least when it comes to the instrument production.
An important album from an important artist. Cover reprinted with permission of Nonesuch records.
You’re reading a review.
About someone you’ve never heard of.
But…
You should know her.
You should know her work.
You should know her work is.
You should know her work is for… YOU!
She is a performance artist, music, dance, theater, comedy, drama, love, hate, technology… She is a political activist. But I don’t go near politics and I don’t go near music artists when they sit between their wives and ex-wives.
Blue is the new red for THIS year's energy dome. Let's hope there will be more NEW Devo albums like Something For Everybody! Cover reprinted with permission.
De-evolution is real! De-evolution is the condition under which a society returns to its roots. When individuals devolve, the basic human instinct kicks in and makes us want to drag our knuckles on the ground, carry a thigh bone of some sun bleached carcass, and appear disgruntled in Geico commercials.
When music devolves, its top performers appear in their underwear flipping the bird at a major league baseball game. (To Lady “MessMess”, I am a Mets fan, I hope every Mets fan that sees you in concert, on the street, with your parents, flips YOU the bird. The Mets will be around long after your 15 minutes of nudity are over!)
It’s time for common sense, it’s time for transparency in the music business, we are long overdue for some good music, and it is most definitely time, once again, for Devo…
Tony Dancy (l), Craig Fairchild (c) and Lanny Hale (r) are the Tygers in human form.
In my course of searching for that ever-elusive new music, sometimes you come across something unique, different, and if you’re lucky, sometimes you come across something with a gimmick to latch onto.
Never mind two!
DANGER DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! BOULE REVIEWS BELEW’S “e”! DANGER, DANGER!!!
Author: Jeff Boule
Sorry, my copy of Belew's e was written all over... BY THE BAND!! (Reprinted with permission from Adrian Belew Presents)
Hi! Remember me? I’m the guy who broke the story that King Crimson was rumored to be over because a player in the scenario affixed situations to realities and created a rumored scheduling rift between when Fripp had wanted to do Crimson dates and the subject of this review, the Adrian Belew Power Trio had dates scheduled during that time. When Fripp became aware of the scheduling rift, he took it as Belew not being as committed to KC as Fripp would have wanted.
Or so it is alleged. I am not sticking my neck onto that chopping block again…
BOSCH ARE MORE THAN GERMAN CAR PART MANUFACTURERS. MUCH MORE!
Author: Jeff Boule
BOSCH are (from l to r) Christopher Brown, Charles Greenleaf, and Kevin Sims. I dig `em daddy-o!
I find it hard to find new music I LIKE. Yeah, yeah, there are satellite channels, pay-radio, web-radio, TV “music” channels, friends, etc. But just because there are multiple sources of input does not necessarily yield categorical output.
I like BOSCH.
MASK SETS A MATURE ROMANTIC MOOD FOR GOTHIC ROMANCE, ADULTS ONLY, PLEASE!
Author: Jeff Boule
For those of you not aware of this, I have the unique fortune of having two very good friends in some influential situations. The first person I met, then had the great fortune to re-connect with, is author, musician, promoter, and more, Billy James. The second of these unique folks is Doug Ford of RundgrenRadio.com.
But this blog isn’t about Rundgren (I’ll wait for the cheers to subside).
Rundgren meets Robert Johnson and takes it to the bank! Photo courtesy RundgrenRadio.com / Doug Ford
I keep telling you people, and you just don’t listen to me. Well maybe now, you brave blogites are forging new paths, lighting out for new territories, peering into crevices where few have crept before. Rundgren has returned to his blues-oriented roots and revived 12 of Blues legend Robert Johnson’s (now royalty-free) songs, 3 of them in a downloadable EP, live and hopefully an album!
And according to Amazon Blues charts, Todd Rundgren is finally getting his due.