HOT NEW REVIEWS
Mike
Thompson 'Out of my head' (Independent/USA Import)
Guitarist/singer/songwriter Mike Thompson is a
newcomer who released a stunning debut album titled Out of my head. There's a
list of guest musicians and other music business related people involved here,
but in the end it's Mike who shines on his own solo-debut record. Do not
confuse him with the legendary AOR guitarist Michael Thompson by the way. Mike
is coming out of Panama City, Florida and on his first CD most familiar names
are the legendary producer Michael Wagener (recorded Mark Slaughter playing
guitar leads and singing back ups on the first six tracks, except the female
accapella track, which was done by Amy and recorded by Calvin Gann at Studio
812), and guest vocalists Mark Slaughter (Slaughter, Vinnie Vincent Invasion,
Xcursion), Collin Raye (a superstar in the country world) and the talented Amy
Henderson (a rather well known Gospel singer, having charted on the gospel
charts with several songs of her own and with the Gann Family group at http://www.thegannfamily.com). All
the songs were recorded and mixed by JJ Crews at his Boogie Tracks Studio in
Panama City. You can be assured that this album has a huge major label ish
sound and musically speaking it is melting melodic rock, bluesy rock and
classic rock, guitar orientated and vocally speaking Mike reminds me of Phil
Vincent, Jeff Cannata, Aldo Nova, Jack Blades and even Paul McCartney comes to
mind, so he's singing in a slightly low key. What you basically get here
musically is high quality stuff, melodic rock with a classic rock touch and
some bluesy rock influences as well, which was already mentioned. If we have a
quick run through the tracklisting, we can find The River (midtempo, with also
some prog influences, Toto ish, but a tad heavier, lovely guitarwork!), Radio
Cosmos (catchy uptempo melodic rocker a la 1980s Aldo Nova), The One (dut-dut
keys, late 70s/early 80s influences, sorta Pomprock ish tune, Thrills meets
Aviary and especially Aerial a lot!!!, basically a very catchy chorus, with
somehow a Queen influence, Robby Valentine minus the high pitched vocals. Even
a bit retro-modern, so a definite radiohit!!!), Little Dreamer (also a special song,
Beatles influences all over the place, a semi melodic rockballad, reminds me of
Harem Scarem a bit!), Jaded (a song with only guest female singer Amy Henderson
singing accapella and she sings like an angel, a beautiful fantastic voice, so
an interesting lady to check out asap!), Baggage (midtempo melodic rocker like
Night Ranger), Homestead (strong semi ballad, melodic rock/aor ish), Hype and
Memories of You (2 slightly weaker tunes), Thunder Island (nice tune, a bit
poppy, again somehow Queenish) and Can't Be in Love (nice guitarsolo once
again). Without a doubt, this is an interesting release and highly recommended
to check out more asap at: http://mikethompsonmusic.com
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
Odi
’Mashlow's Songbook’ (2 Hoots Records/Hemifran)
Claire
Odlum is best known in Ireland as Odi. She is an Irish singer/songwriter and
like many music from Ireland, also Odi is something you ought to check out,
because her voice and accompanied music is simply beautiful. Her last album
Mashlow's Songbook was already released sometime ago (2009!), but it recently
won interest on the European mainland. She plays guitar, piano and percussion
herself, next to her beautiful singing, while a band is backing her up to make
it all sound a bit more like a band. It’s a mix of folk and pop melodies and
despite we have heard it all before, Odi has a fantastic voice that makes it
all worth listening to over and over again. Thankfully, she also delivers some
really great melodic tunes, such as Red Light, Something Beautiful and the
bluesy I’m Done’ and therefore I hope Odi is able to record a new album in the
future, because this is quality music that needs to be heard by many people out
there. More at: www.odimusic.co.uk
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Jeff The
Brotherhood 'Wasted on the dream' (Dine Alone Records/DGR Music)
The
Nashville based band Jeff The Brotherhood, a band formed around brothers Jake
and Jamin Orrall, they have worked so hard and can easily call themselves a
true rock and roll band in the old spirit, which means, play loud and fast,
sing a catchy tune, play countless shows and keep on working to become the
greatest rock and roll band in the world. That’s why bands like Kiss, Cheap
Trick, Rolling Stones, The Who, Motley Crue and many others made it so big.
This band is very diverse in its rock and roll roots, sometimes sounding
modern, then like a 60s or 70s band, while pure powerpop the early 80s way (The
Jam) is also hearable. Then not even talking about 1990s alternative college
rock (Teenage Fanclub). There’s something for everyone here and if we have a
listen to their latest album Wasted on the dream, a song like the strong
Mystified Minds is uptempo melodic alternative rock with fuzzy cool guitar
riffs, sorta like The Posies meets Teenage Fanclub meets The Melvins.
Completely different is Melting Place, which is a slow, almost doom metal ish
tune with Black Sabbath ish downtuned guitar riffs and stoner rock could be a
good description for this tune. The female vocals in the melodic In My Dreams
are really great and both Coat Check Girl and What's a Creep are deadly catchy
upempo powerpop tunes that remind one of Weezer and early 1980s radiofriendly
powerpop (even Huey Lewis and good old Rick Springfield come to mind here!),
although also Foo Fighters has such songs and do not miss the awesome
guitarwork here by the way. Interesting sidenote is the list of guest
musicians, which include Jack Lawrence (Dead Weather, The Raconteurs) on bass,
guest vocals by Bethany Cosentino (Best Coast) and Alicia Bognanno (Bully),
additional shredding by Evan Bird & Emmett Miller (Diarrhea Planet), and a
flute solo by Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson (!!!!!!) on the song Black Cherry Pie.
All together, this is a very diverse band that somehow also reminds me of Cheap
Trick. They started 15 years ago, already released a bunch of albums and who
knows after all these hard working years, the band finally reaches the pot of
gold with their new record Wasted on the dream! More at: www.daddario.com and https://www.facebook.com/daddario and and http://www.jeffthebrotherhood.com/
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
T Sisters
‘Kindred lines/Ready for love’ (Spruce and Maple Music/USA Import)
The
T Sisters are The Tietjan Sisters, consisting of Erika, Rachel and Chloe, a
singing trio from the Oakland area. On their full-length record Kindred Lines
from 2014, it’s like we stepped back in time when the Andrew Sisters were huge,
so you have a sorta 1930’s/1940’s kinda feeling when listening to their music.
Then you have to think about high pitched close harmonyvocals, an almost acapella
drive in a lot of songs and a big band kinda sound here and there (such as
during Seduction of Spring and But Not for You), but the trio also has songs
that mix Americana, country, blues, jazz and a whole lot more. When going for a
more country/folk/Americana direction, the sisters sound like The Corrs meets
Dixie Chicks (listen to the bluegrass-driven Train Wreck) and especially on
their new 2015 CD single Ready for love, this can be heard very clearly, as on
this 4-tracks counting record, the band sounds a little rockier, especially
during the fantastic opener Ready for love. The harmonyvocals of the 3 sisters
are beautiful and I’ll bet that live on stage, this family will impress even
more! I think the 3 sisters are of Dutch origin, with a name like Tietjen!
Anyway, with the help of experienced musicians like Todd Phillips (Ricky
Skaggs, Joan Baez, Alison Krauss), Linda Tillery (Buckwheat Zydeco, Bobby
McFerrin), and Mike Marshall (Edgar Meyer, Béla Fleck, Sam Bush), the T Sisters
are on their way to become bigger and like already mentioned, especially their
new 2015 CD single Ready for love is one you don’t want to miss out: www.tsisters.com
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Mark
Slaughter ‘’Reflections in a rear view mirror’ (Escape Music)
Mark
Slaughter is best known as bandleader/vocalist of Slaughter, a band he formed
with Dana Strum after they left Vinnie Vincent Invasion back in the late 1980s.
They hit it big for a short while and scored one of the last hair metal hits of
the 1990s decade (Real love) before grunge and alternative rock took over. Then
came a period the band had a real hard time, but they went on releasing music,
although eventually it became really quiet. I heard some live recordings over
the years and Mark lost his voice and actually I did not expect a comeback,
especially not with the release of his first solo-album. The album has been
surprisingly released on Escape Music and although it all sounds safe and well,
there is not a glimpse of the enthusiastic and catchy Slaughter sound from 25
years ago. Mark did everything himself, except the mixing and mastering
(Michael Wagener) and drums (Mark Goodin). Good to see Mark is still alive, but
the melodic hardrock on his new album is very much basic and by-the-numbers, so
only interesting for the die-hard fans I am afraid...
(Points: 7.3 out of 10)
Moxy ‘40
Years And Still Riding High’ (Escape Music)
Legendary
Canadian band Moxy had its highs and peaks in the 1970s, with even a young Mike
Reno behind the mic for a few years (in the late 1970s). He went on becoming
successful with Loverboy, while Moxy maintained a cult status all those years,
broke up in 1983 and actually thanks to this new release, I was made aware they
reformed in 1999 and released several albums during the 2000s. Their real
comeback is now in the shape of 40 Years And Still Riding High, a triple CD
boxset “jewel case”, featuring a new studio album and a live CD and live DVD
set. The reason not many people were aware they have been alive and well for a
while now is that they were primarily active in Canada, but now this new album
is released on Escape Music, so the European market is being approached easier
than the past 15 years. Moxy are indeed still alive, although the line-up is not
as original as you want it to be of course. The only original member from 1974
is guitarist Earl Johnson, because the rest of the band is made of newbees like
vocalist Nick Walsh, Alexis Von Kraven (Drums), Rob Robbins (Guitar) and Oscar
Anesetti (Bass). All the way back in 1974 the legendary guitarist Tommy Bolin
(Deep Purple) joined Moxy for a little while, even playing guitar solos on the
band’s debut album, which now 41 years later has reached a cult status for
Tommy Bolin fans. However, Moxy is best remembered as a typical Classic 1970s
Hardrock/Metal band, the Canadian equivalent of bands like Montrose, Saxon and
Riot. This album contains a great live DVD release (also on a CD version
available in this package) and a new studio-album, which features new and
classic re-recorded Moxy tunes. If we run through the tracklisting, remarkable
tracks are Moon Rider (classic 70s hardrock), Out of the darkness and Through
the storm (both Dio ish slowtempo metal tunes), Another time, another place,
Sail on sail away and Still I wonder (3 really great semi melodic rockers),
Fantasy (strong semi ballad) and Riding High (typical classic AC/DC hardrock).
Nick Walsh is a good singer, although after a while he starts to sound a little
boring, singing in the same key. There are also a bunch of tunes that sound
like the groovy hardrock/early 1990s hair metal Slaughter created, even though
some of these are actually classic 1970s Moxy tunes (Midnight Flight, Can't you
see I'm A star, Young Legs, Time to move on, Nothing comes easy and Rock baby).
Nevertheless, the guitarwork is very impressive and so is the production, while
the band sounds very tight, so make sure to check out this nice package of
Moxy! http://www.moxy.rocks/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Geyster
‘Knight games 2’ (Somekind Records/Hemifran)
French
multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer Gaël Benyamin is best known as
Geyster. He already released 6 albums between 1999 and 2014, but this is the
first time I get to hear and review his music. Knight games is a musical
trilogy and for some people, the 29 tracks on 3 different CD’s and with a total
playing time of 110 minutes, it might all be a little bit too much.
Nevertheless, the included material is of a very high level and is a mix of
westcoast, light southern rock and some electronic pop/rock. If we spin through
the 3 albums, Knight games 2 seems to be the strongest, with such great songs
like HEAL (excellent relaxing late 70s westcoast, catchy chorus/hooks with
lovely melodic harmonyvocals just perfect), It's There and Do It (slightly more
rockier, light southern rock a la Lynyrd Skynyrd). Gaël is definitely a high
quality musician, but next time it would be preferable to release just one CD
with 10-12 full-length tracks. Anyway, he’s a gifted multi-instrumentalist, who
can also sing very well, while the music is timeless clearly 1970s orientated
(very much like Steely Dan). Also the frontcovers of the albums are all clearly
1970s orientated, so let’s hope a future record will be released on vinyl.
Meanwhile check out more at:: https://geyster.bandcamp.com/album/knight-games-ii and www.geyster.com
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Whitehorse
'Leave no bridge unburned' (Six Shooter Records/Hemifran)
Leave
No Bridge Unburned is the 3rd record of the Canadian rock band Whitehorse, a
band mixing folk, Americana and a touch of garage rock, sounding like a cross
between the The White Stripes, Ryan Adams and Calexico. Although they are seen
as a band, this is actually a husband-and-wife duo, namely Luke Doucet and
Melissa McClelland. Both were very successful as solo singer-songwriters, but
in 2011 they joined forces as a duo-band, with Melissa playing bass, keyboards,
percussion and some guitar, while Luke is responsible for the guitar, drums and
some keys. The singing comes from both and that makes this a very pleasant
adventure to listen to. I have to admit that I prefer Melissa behind the mic,
because she has got a lovely voice, but combined with Luke’s singing, the two
of them together sound really nice as well. If we go through the tracklisting,
there are quite a few highlights, such as Sweet Disaster (fantastic song,
modern yet retro midtempo sounding tune a la The White Stripes), You Get Older
(lovely tune), the calmer Dear Irony and Evangelina (midtempo, beautiful female
vocals here). Slightly weaker is Baby What's Wrong? and for the fans of pure
bluegrass there is the shuffle The Walls Have Drunken Ears, so in the end this
turns out to be quite a diverse record actually. I also have to conclude that
it is one of those records you put on more than just a few times, because this
is high quality stuff and those of you whom are starting to become interested,
go to: www.whitehorsemusic.ca
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
Spuyten
Duyvil 'The social music hour volume 1' (Independent/Hemifran)
Spuyten
Duyvil has quite an original name, which will definitely make them standout
between the rest in the music business. The Hudson Valley, New York based band
releases their 3rd album with The social music hour volume 1. The band consists
of Mark Miller, Beth Jamie Kaufman, James Meigs, John Neidhart, Lou
Geser/Jagoda Rik Mercaldi, with Mark and Beth sharing the vocal duties.
Musically speaking they are making a mix of all kinds of traditional American
music, such as blues, folk, rock, bluegrass, Americana and such. The songs that
primarily feature the female vocals somehow feel the best, such as Keep Your
Skillet Good and Greasy and Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet?. The
album was engineered by Jim Keller (Willie Nelson, Nellie McKay) and without a
doubt, this Spuyten Duyvil is an interesting band you might want to check out.
Folkrock meets Americana with a dash of Blues, that is what mainly the picture
of this band is. More at: www.spuytenduyvilmusic.com
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
Good
Lovelies 'Burn the plan' (Six Shooter Records Hemifran)
The
Canadian all-female trio Good Lovelies consist of Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough
en Sue Passmore, whom formed this act in 2006 and Burn the plan is their 3rd
album so far. The beautiful looking girls are able to write, sing and record
lovely music that sounds like a cross between The Corrs and The Staves. There’s
pop melodies crossed with folk, westcoast and country, with just enough rock to
call it poprock here and there. What is most impressive here are those perfect
beautiful melodic harmonies of the 3 ladies and although the music itself is
sometimes bittersweet sounding, Good Lovelies is really a strong band that
could easily breakthrough. This is high quality music that will always stand
the test of time and will be enjoyed by many people out there. Highlights on
this new album are Waiting For You (The Corrs alike harmonyvocals), Old
Fashioned Love (uptempo pop/rock, radio ready), When The City Settles (lovely
calmer piece) and the semi-ballad Don’t Hold Back. Do not miss this trio at: www.goodlovelies.com
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
Rotterdam
Ska-Jazz Foundation ‘Knock turn all’ (Megalith Records/WTF Records)
The
Rotterdam Ska-Jazz Foundation (RSJF) is experimental and dangerous, sounding
like a progressive rockband in a jazzy disguise. Armed with drums, bass,
guitar, piano, organs and horns, the RSJF has been active for over 13 years now
and releases their latest album Knock turn all on the Rotterdam based label WTF
Records. This is the kind of jazzy melting-pot one is looking for when finding
something new in this overcrowded music business. I’ll bet that live on stage
these guys will make a huge impact, because already on record they show their
incredible diversity in material. Go check them out at: http://www.rsjf.nl/
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
Audoban
Savant ‘Bird herd/Poochman’ (Independent/USA Import)
The
American multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter was kind enough to send me 2
albums, released in the past few years. The latest record Poochman is clearly
stronger than Bird herd. The vocals of Audoban are uncomfortable at first, but
after a while you get used to his way of singing. He reminds me of David Bowie,
yet a little rawer, so nothing clean and melodic here. The music is pop/rock
with an experimental drift, some folk and quirky punk here and there for
example. Poochman opens with some nice uptempo quirky poprock, straight ahead
and sounding quite interesting actually (sorta early 80s UK inspired), both
Antiabortionists and Have yourselves, although as already mentioned vocally
there is a sort of weirdness. All together it reminds me of the early 80s
quirky pop/rock sound of artists like Moon Martin, Donnie Iris and Elvis Costello,
while a song like Irish spring is pure David Bowie strangeness. Another
interesting song is the somehow rather catchy Lament, but I really think this
is one of those acts you need to check out first before purchasing, as it is
kinda awkward, which on the other hand makes it interesting of course. More
info at: www.cdbaby.com/audobansavant
(Points: 7.4 out of 10)
Paul Kovac
and Jen Maurer Boy=Girl ‘Paul Kovac and Jen Maurer Boy=Girl’ (Independent/Hemifran)
Boy
= Girl is an American duo consisting of female singer/bassist Jen Maurer
(ex-The Rhondas and Mo’ Mojo) and male singer/guitarist/banjo player Paul Kovac
(leader of Hillbilly Idol), whom are making their debut with the same titled
album release. There’s a rootsy mix here of rockabilly, bluegrass, folk,
Americana, blues and lots more. Actually this is a diverse album that offers a
lot to enjoy if you’re into traditional American music. Highlights are Isn’t it
funny (beautiful song, calm and relaxing), countryrocker Back In Your Arms
Again and I did I do I will (folky bluegrass), but also the Amy Winehouse cover
Back to black, which is brought in a banjo version with Jen on vocals is quite
a pleasure to listen to. Check out all on this duo at: http://www.facebook.com/BoyEqualsGirl
(Points: 7.9 out of 10)
Zoo Pilot
'Broken/Up' (Engine Jive Music/US Import)
Out
of Austin, Texas comes the band Zoo Pilot, whom are exactly making the music as
described in their bio. They play 1960s influenced classic pop/rock a la
Beatles, Beach Boys and such, yet with a modern day indie approach. However,
there is much more to discuss here and more influences can be heard in their
sound. The band's main members are Brad Paxton (lead vocals and guitar) and
Josh Nichols (bass and drums) and together they formed the band back in 2011.
Now 4 years later they release their first full-length album, but in the
package they sent me I found 2 new CDs, so they actually released 2 albums as a
start! Anyway, let's first discuss the album Broken, which consists of 10
tracks. The album starts with a calmer singer songwriter titled When Love's
True / Get the Fuck Out of My Life, but except the songs Temporary and I'm
Gonna Change, the remaining of the album rocks. Don't Tell Me for example is a
nice midtempo semi rocker, which is sorta Britpop orientated and sounds like
Stereophonics. Farewell is a catchy uptempo poprocker in an early 80s style,
kinda British way of singing, pure Powerpop that also reminds me of The Posies.
When I'm Dreaming is a slowtempo, light psychedelic, Teenage Fanclub retro late
60s flower power orientated piece. Things get even rockier during Pointless
Taken, which is a midtempo and very strong Led Zeppelin riff orientated heavy
rocking tune, with some great guitarwork that even has a Black Sabbath riff. Up
Your Sleeve is more radio-ready power pop a la The Posies again and we dive
completely in the 1960s with Go Away (So I Don't Have to Say It) (hello Beach
Boys!!!) and All of the Time (late 60s Beatles). Definitely an interesting
album that deserves a rating of 8.2, especially due to its diversity and
maintaining the quality status from start to finish. The other album Up is a
completely different affair I am afraid, because this is a less rocking and
more experimental album that starts with a rootsy tune, which is followed by a
Ska tune a la Madness. Although not bad, it feels like this Up album is just a
left-over record, because Broken is a much better record that deserves to be
heard, as it offers quality material that takes the best of British pop music
from the 1960s all the way to the modern days. Go check out this band at: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/ZooPilot
(Points: 8.2 (Broken) / 6.8 (Up) out of 10)
Tripod
'Devil feeder' (Independent/Norway Import)
The
Norwegian band Tripod was founded in 2002 and they released 2 albums so far, of
which Four coins from 2012 was even released in China! They worked with the
legendary Beau Hill (Alice Cooper, Ratt, Warrant and more) for this new album,
which is their 3rd record. Now with new guitar player Jørgen Berg (ex-Torch) on
board, they recorded a strong new record titled Devil feeder in the Czech
Republic. The album features a massive sound that combines dark down-tuned
guitars with catchy melodies and exceptional strong vocalwork by singer Knut
Arne Lillestøl. It took them a few years to finish the album, but the result is
quite impressive and Tripod's new album could well have been an American
rockalbum. There are guitarsolo's and some lovely melodies here and there,
while as already mentioned, Tripod has got the luck to have a great singer in
their line-up, which makes their American orientated sound international and
recommendable to fans of especially bands like Shinedown, Soundgarden, Alice In
Chains and Alter Bridge. The song Possible really hits hard in a good way,
sounding melodic and catchy, while rocking out immensely, so definitely the best
song! Other highlights are Meant to Be (semi ballad), Inside My Head (semi
rocker), All for Granted (with female singer, a semi melodic rock/ballad) and
If I Die strong (semi ballad/rocker). This album sounds major label ish, so go
check out Tripod asap at: www.tripodrocks.com
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
Astrid
Young 'One night at giant rock' (Independent/Hemifran)
Now here we have a fantastic female singer from
Canada, who has a rock voice most definitely in the classic Canadian tradition
of black-haired female rock singers such as Lee Aaron, Ann Wilson (of Heart,
yes, she is actually semi-Canadian), Darby Mills, Chrissy Steele, Alannah
Myles, etc. etc., but the music is more calmer singer/songwriter orientated
with nevertheless very strong melodies. It sounds a bit like a laid back
version of Jaime Kyle and Heather Nova. Semi AORish, with amazing vocals and
also recommended if you like Kate Bush, Tori Amos and such, then this is for
you, although somehow this also feels like 80s hair metal stripped down
sometimes and then when reading the bio everything makes complete sense... She
was born in 1962 and her half-brother is the legendary Neil Young, who bought
Astrid her first amp in the 1970s. She sang back-up vocals on various Neil
Young records, Blackthorne, Nancy Wilson and a lot more, but the hair metal
clearly comes from the fact she was the vocalist for Sacred Child, a legendary
melodic metal band, which released one great album in 1986. We reviewed the CD
re-issues many moons ago and now in 2015 a new solo-album of the singer of that
band lands on my desk. It all explains the sorta hair metal feeling I got,
although the music itself on One night at giant rock is as mentioned calmer
singer/songwriter orientated, with also influences from the folk, blues and
bluegrass genres. Highlights are I Wish (a bit Heart ish), The Nerve (folky
bluegrass uptempo tune), Your New Drug (calm and bluesy), Why Run When You Can
Hide (SUPERB VOCALS!!!, Heart similarity again, a semi ballad just perfect!)
and Patchouli Boy (a lovely ballad!). It took Astrid 12 years to release a new
album, but now she's back and releases a great new record and for anyone
looking for this amazing vocalist, who sang on that Sacred Child classic, here
she is, alive and well at: https://www.youtube.com/user/AstridYoung
and http://www.astridyoung.net
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
The Wooden Sky 'Let's be ready' (Nevado/DGR Music)
Out of Toronto, Canada comes The Wooden Sky, a band
which already released 3 albums before this new record Let’s be ready. Their
singer (Gavin Gardiner) has got one of those voices you either love or hate,
because after a while it almost has a monotone Kurt Cobain or Jim Morrison
kinda whining, sorta complaining vibe. Musically speaking The Wooden Sky are
indie/alternative rock with roots elements and surprisingly uptempo and pretty
catchy most of the time, with as highlights the rockers Saturday Night and
Maybe It's No Secret, as well as Don't You Worry About a Thing, a cool midtempo
tune where the vocals really grab you. Same thing happens during Shake for me,
where Gavin also sounds very honest and true. This is one of those typical
northern American sounding records, pure Indie-Rock with alternative approach
and who knows one of the songs will be picked up somewhere for multi-airplay,
making the band go bigger, because they have something to offer on their new
album that will appeal to a lot of people. They have got an own sound, which
rarely happens these days. A rockier R.E.M. and a less happier Midnight Oil are
perhaps the closest things that come to mind while listening to the band’s
latest record Let’s be ready. Check
it out for yourself at: www.thewoodensky.com
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
Rachel Sermanni 'Tied to the moon'
(MON Records/DGR Music)
Rachel Sermanni
is a singer/songwriter from Scotland, a place in the Highlands called
Carrbridge. She already released a few EP and 2 full length records, making
this Tied to the moon her 3rd full-length
album release. Although the past work saw her clearly moving into the typical
singer-songwriter style we know from Eva Cassidy and Joni Mitchell for example,
this new album goes a little rockier. A good thing, because that makes it
sounds more diverse and therefore more attractive for people thinking outside
the box. The new album is very good actually, because not only does Rachel have
a beautiful voice, also the material is very strong. Sometimes this feels like
typical background singer songwriter folk music (highlight Ferryman), but
here and there also happy poppy rock passes by (Run, Wine Sweet Wine and
Tractor) and all together I would like to compare her with Amy McDonald.
Rachel’s voice makes this album a very fine listen and I can only highly
recommend it to anyone who likes beautiful music with cryatsl clear music.
Check it out at:http://www.rachelsermanni.net/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
The Maureens 'Bang the drum'
(Suburban/DGR Music)
2 years ago the
Utrecht, Holland based band The Maureens released their debut and now they
follow it up with Bang the drum. Without a doubt, this is one of those albums
that brings a smile to your face, as it is happy radiofriendly pop/rock with a
touch of indie, a clear 1960s approach and upbeat tunes from start to finish.
It does remind me of The Madd, although the band’s real influences come from
bands like Beach Boys, Byrds, Jayhawks, Johan, Teenage Fanclub, Wilco and such,
which can likewise also be heard on their upcoming 2nd album Bang the drum. So they will not
get the price for most innovative band, but instead they do offer a bunch of
really catchy tunes that can grow into festival hits if they are lucky. Don’t
miss those guys if you want to hear a possible breakthrough band for the
upcoming season 2015/2016. Then go to: http://www.themaureens.com
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
Bonefish 'Time to market'
(Independent/Hemifran)
Bonefish are a band from Stockholm, Sweden, consisting
of Bie Karlsson, guitar and lead vocals, Anders "Nylle" Thoor, bass
and lead vocals, Lasse Nilsen, guitar and lead vocals and Rasmus Rasmusson,
drums and backup vocals. In 2013 their debut was released and now follow-up
Time to market is available. The band is playing a mix of Americana, westcoast
and a little indie pop/rock, sounding quite melodic at times. Opener and
titletrack Time to market is a very strong relaxing melodic westcoast pop/rock
tune. In that same style we can find Bullet and Revolve, all 3 of them the
finest tunes on this album. It’s a pity, Time to market is actually a
mini-album that contains only 8 tracks, because Bonefish is one of those bands
you want to hear more from. On the other hand, this new record comes only 6
months after a full-length release, so 8 new songs within such a short time is
already quite a lot. Anyway, the other included songs are Still down at seven
(nice retro rootsy rocker a la Rolling Stones, with rawer vocals), We all gonna
go that road (bluesy rocker), White bird (calmer), As her soul (Neil Young ish
uptempo rocker) and My sweet lord (semi rocker). This is high quality stuff and
already in their homeland of Sweden they are starting to become more and more
popular. More info at: http://bonefishswe.com
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
Chris Cuddy 'Dear Elvis' (Independent/Hemifran)
Van Morrison
meets Elvis Costello is one of the descriptions made about Chris Cuddy, a
Canadian musician who releases a record that could have been huge back in the
1980s when rockabilly was popular for a while. His previous 3 records were more
acoustic based, so taking that in mind, Dear Elvis is a step forward to a more
upbeat, rock and band orientated sound, which is definitely needed to make a
bigger impact. Chris also adds influences from other genres, so it is a melting
pot of all kinds of styles, with as main ingredient, rockabilly! Highlights of
the pure rockabilly tunes are definitely Rock'n'roll History (feat. Albert Lee
& Gene Taylor), Starlene and Tell Me. The album’s diversity comes alive in
the songs All the Wild Things Come Out At Night (The Who and The Animals
influences), Tom Cat (feat. Gene Taylor) (singer/songwriter bluesy mix), Magic
Girl (singer songwriter piece, almost The Kinks), Dear Elvis (pure Van
Morrison) and the album’s highlights, which are the heartland/uptempo rockers
Here Comes Summer and Kissing the Night Away (the best song, sounds a bit like
Charlie Sexton). Chris also jumps heavily into slow blues during Take It Off,
I'm a Cadillac and Friday Night (feat. Roly Platt), while here and there we can
also trace rootsy rock, bluegrass and americana, so it is not a complete
rockabilly affair here. One way or the other, Dear Elvis is a highly
recommended album, it breathes quality music and I have a feeling that live on
stage with a full band Chris Cuddy might surprise us! Check him out at:www.criscuddy.com
(Pts: 8.2 out of 10)
RxGF 'Any Other Way' (Independent/Hemifran)
Out of Seattle,
USA comes the electro-industrial group RxGF, which is formed around producer
John Morgan Reilly, a sorta synth/keyboard/computer wizard, who already
released 2 experimental albums, and female lead singer Angeline Schaaf. She has
got a great voice and the urgently needed finishing touch to lift the material
on this record to higher places. The music is hi-tech orientated and despite
this sounds modern, like Florence and The Machine and such, it somehow has a
strong 1980s sci-fi soundtrack vibe, reminding me of Pat Benatar during her mid
80s Invincible period, The Terminator soundtrack, Device, Animotion and
Siouxsie and the Banshees, although a bit darker, less catchy and of course
with a refreshed 2010s sound (that has an electro-goth touch). Highlights are
How To Make It, We
Will Not Be Denied (almost 80s hi-tech uptempo poprocker in the style of the
aforementioned Device) and Antidote (midtempo strong vocalwork a la Pat
Benatar!). The second half of the album is a little less interesting, except
for the Tori Amos ish ballad Belladonna Dream (Verax Mix). Somehow I feel that
Angeline is a singer with a bright future, but I am unsure if this will be with
RXGF or not, because John sometimes wants to do his own thing and forgets the
fact he has a great singer on board. More can be found at: www.radioactivexgirlfriend.com and www.facebook.com/rxgf1 and http://www.rxgf.co.uk/
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
District
97 'In vaults' (Sensory Records/Laser's Edge/Hard Life Promotion)
In
vaults is the 3rd album from Chicago based female fronted progressive rockband
District 97. This band started back in 2006 as a powerhouse foursome
instrumental progrock adventure in the style of Liquid Tension Experiment, but
everything changed when 2007 American Idol Top 10 Female Finalist Leslie Hunt
joined the band. Her looks, stage performance and powerful voice made it
possible for the band to move on into a new direction, which is still pure
progressive rock, yet with a catchy melody in the vocal department most of the
time and a memorable chorus here and there. Taking influences from alternative
rock and melodic rock, District 97 blends everything perfectly together and
this could already be heard on their previous albums, which we also reviewed,
but now the new album In vaults is even a step further into the perfect sound.
Rich Mouser (producer of Spock’s Beard and Neal Morse) mixed the album and
without a doubt, the sound is huge and with 9 excellent songs included, this
new album of District 97 is the real deal for any progressive rockfan out there
who also likes a beautiful melody besides a lot of instrumental creativeness.
Songs like Death By A Thousand Cuts, All’s Well That Ends Well and Blinding
Vision are just a few examples of the great sound District 97 has created and
developed throughout in the 10 years they exist now. Everything seems to come
together here on this new record, so the future looks bright for this band.
More info available at: http://www.district97.net
and http://www.facebook.com/District97
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
Kingcrow 'Eidos' (Sensory Records/Laser's Edge/Hard Life
Promotion)
The
Italian band Kingcrow was formed almost 20 years ago, in Rome, by Diego Cafolla
(guitars) and Manuel Thundra Cafolla (drums). The first couple of years saw
them recording demos, changing the bandname and finding the right sound and
line-up, because despite a few official album releases, everything changed when
current lead singer Diego Marchesi joined the band in 2009. With him they found
a superb singer, who sings in the right key and has an own identity. During one
of their earlier albums, back in 2004, I compared the band to Fates Warning and
actually even on this new album Eidos, the band is still in the same
progressive rock/prog metal direction, yet the change of singer makes the
difference in the 11 years that have passed since then. The combination of
strong clean vocals and perfect sounding melodic progmetal makes songs like
Adrift and Eidos must-hear tunes for the progmetalheads among us, while Open
Sky and The Deeper Divide are lovely calmer semi epic prog ballads. Actually
most of the songs start really calm and develop into bursting prog metal
masterpieces, while closing track If Only is a real calm ballad piece to slow
things down until the last seconds of the album. Eidos is the band’s 6th album
so far and although I might have missed some of their releases in the 2010s, I
have followed their career since the late 1990s and I can easily say that this
new album Eidos is a highly recommended album to any fan of typical modern day
melodic progmetal in the style of Threshold, Dream Theater, Pagan’s Mind,
Enchant, Fates Warning… More at: http://www.kingcrow.it
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
Michael Cosyn Group featuring Paul Shortino
‘Burn the earth’ (Royal Hund Records/USA Import)
12 years ago I was on a train back from a holiday in
France, when me and my brother met an American guy who was for business travel
in Europe. He was sitting in front of us on the train when all of a sudden he
showed us on his laptop an album by the band Jag Panzer, which we already heard
out of the speakers playing during the journey. It appeared the guy, Michael
Cosyn, he was a musician himself and working on own material besides playing in
a Jimi Hendrix cover band. In fact, Michael is an amazing guitarist in the old
school style of Beck, Hendrix, Schenker and such, so this was an interesting
meeting. We became friends ever since and met each other several times. Michael
is a virtuoso guitar player, could play a riff or solo easily when asking him,
but releasing an album would take a while. It is 2015 and Michael formed a
band/project around him some time ago and now releases as The Michael Cosyn
Group, the first album titled Burn the earth. Musically speaking it is a
mixture of classic rock (the spot-on precise guitarsolos), heavy bluesrock (the
riffs and slow tempo of most songs, as well as the rhythm section) and melodic
rock (the hooks and choruses). In total 9 tracks are included and despite an
independent release and being a local San Francisco based band, Michael managed
to get 2 well-known musicians on board, namely Mike Vanderhule (Y&T) and
Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot). This of course contributes a lot in
making this a high quality release, because the guitarwork of Michael is phenomenal. Michael’s
major influences come from Jimi Hendrix, Robin Trower, Black
Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Rainbow, but we can trace more similarities
while listening to this album.
If we have a run through the
tracklisting, it starts with Burn the Earth, which is nice uptempo hardrock,
with a great blistering melodic guitarsolo where you start to scream ‘let it
sing baby!!!’, but the chorus is just so and so, although the song itself has a
touch of late 70s/early 80s Rainbow. Followed by Rivers Run Dry, this is a
great semi melodic rocker like Tyketto meets Free meets Thunder, with a very
strong hook and a cool wah-wah guitarsolo. Angel's Wings is a wonderful semi
melodic rockballad, with a lovely chorus and this is really a beautiful song
actually, Paul Shortino at his best and a great solo by Michael too. Paul’s
vocals are not as powerful as in the past, but on this song he truly shines! Up
next is the only non-Paul Shortino sung song, because here Michael himself
sings. Blind man is a rather standard classic rocker a la Ace Frehley (!). Next
track Rescue has a cool Jeff Scott Soto/Talisman ish funky groovy lick, but the
chorus lacks a bit, although the guitarsolo kicks major ass! Freedom cries is
up next and this is a great semi melodic rocker like Tyketto meets Free meets
Thunder meets Y&T, with a super catchy chorus a la Jeff Scott Soto and it
sounds a bit Whitesnake ish as well. Speaking of Whitesnake, the final 3 songs
are all very much going into that bluesy hardrock direction, Hearts On the Line
(slow heavy bluesrocker), Save Me (another slow heavy bluesrocker, really pure
Whitesnake) and Lying Eyes (lovely calm bluesy ballad like When a blind man
cries, with a Jimi Hendrix riff and a deadringer for fans of David Coverdale
ish vocals and also included here is a great epic guitarsolo, so basically a
definite classic rock tune!).
All together, Michael does a great job here and the
album shows he is an amazing undiscovered talent, who does have a bright future
as a guitarist and songwriter. Finding the right band vocalist is a hard job,
so until then he will probably need to hire guest singers, like he did with the
legendary Paul Shortino on this album. Do not miss this release if you are
starting to become interested. More at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michaelcosyngroupfeaturi
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
The Headlocks 'Most golden goose'
(Independent/Hemifran)
15 tracks are on the 2nd album
Most golden goose of the Staten Island, USA based band The Headlocks. This band
is formed around vocalist/songwriter Rob Carey and musically speaking they are
heading into a typical traditional American rootsy rock direction, although a
song like She’s Gonna Explode even reveals a sorta The Killers touch. Besides
that uptempo rocker, the band is at their best during other uptempo pieces as
well, such as the catchy opener Dream While You’re Awake and the bluesrocker
“(Why Don’t You) Get Right, but also the ballad Plenty ways to die and
especially the melodic and radio-ready Starting Over is worth listening.
Actually this is a very nice light classic rock ish album, which takes a few
different paths throughout the album, sometimes drifting into a catchy modern
poprock direction (Arcade Fire, The Killers), but most of the time rootsy rock
based (Georgia Satellites meets Jack White) and some blues and country ish
ballads here and there to slow things down. With so many songs on one record,
it is a good thing to show enough variation and in the case of The Headlocks,
it might lead to fans of various music genres. Check them out
at: http://www.theheadlocks.com/
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
Byron Fry ‘Explosive’ (Independent/Hemifran)
Explosive is the 2nd CD
from guitarist Byron Fry and actually it is quite an explosive album! Although
released sometime ago (2013), it is a highly recommended album to any fan of
instrumental shredding guitar based rock, although Byron digs in nearly every
other music genre (jazz, blues, metal, big-band, world music…), but of course
always plays the melodies on his guitar, so it rocks most of the time. He is a
phenomenal guitarist and besides a bunch of own compositions, there are also
covers of Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog and Herbie Hancock’s Actual Proof. Byron Fry
got a little help from Ronnie Ciago, Herman Mathews, David Anderson, Nick
Seiwert (drums), David Hughes, Chris Buck (bass), Vince Norman, Terry Landry
(sax), Bill Churchville (trumpet), Greg Vail (EWI), M.B. Gordy
(tablas/percussion) and Bill Fulton (piano). Byron is a typical guitarist from
the Bay Area, playing the guitar so easy you would swear that it must be a
healthy place to live there, because nearly all the legendary guitarists come
from that part of the world, Santana and Neal Schon being just 2 examples.
Byron is one to watch out for in the near future, so check him out asap at: http://www.byronfry.com
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Hack Monocut ‘The sum of my parts’
(Independent/USA Import)
In 2013 the Austrian multi-instrumentalist Hack
Monocut released his debut album In the land of basement hobby rooms, which is
now followed up by The sum of my parts. Hack is doing everything on his own
here and both vocally and musically speaking he reminds me of Tom Waits and
Nick Cave. 9 songs are included and if we have a look at some of the tunes, we
need to mention We Better Look Away (uptempo rocker, dark and raw, even
reminding of INXS), Now (slowtempo midtempo song, even a bit U2, altrock
touch), Used Love (raw punky rocker), Dead Born Sister (John Grant even comes
to mind here, calmer epic song) and The Ripper (gimme back my love) (The
Smiths/Morrisey style, indie laid-back midtempo tune, radio potential, best song
with female vocals at the back). Lyrically hack also has something to say, so
that combination, with him singing it all very well, this makes the album a
recommended one to check out at: www.hackmonocut.org
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
John Thayer 'Take it
back' (EON Records/USA Import)
Out of Portland, Oregon, USA comes singer/songwriter John Thayer, who is the brother of legendary guitarist Tommy Thayer (KISS, Black’n’Blue). Take it back is his 2nd release, mixed by Greg Collins (No Doubt, Matchbox Twenty, Rob Thomas), this is a very strong release that could easily be played on the radio, as it concerns here hit potential melodic poprock with a modern approach. Opener Can You Change Me is a really cool uptempo melodic synth driven poprocker with a very catchy chorus, which also has a Bryan Adams ish 80s touch somehow and fellow singer/songwriter Jamie Almorad comes to mind here and there. His influences may come from bands like Coldplay, Phoenix, The Cure, Keane, U2 and such, the music itself is typical modern day poprock with clean melodies and as mentioned before, with that 80s kinda catchy chorus driven approach and massive synths. John has a great voice, sings in a lower key, a little like Peter Gabriel and his songs sound very impressive, so who knows he will become as big as his brother in the future. Meanwhile check him out at: www.johnthayermusic.com
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Lawless Hearts
'Creatures of habit' (Independent/Pavement Entertainment/USA Import)
Now here we have an excellent female fronted melodic hardrockband from Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Although they remind us so much of Halestorm, there is somewhere clearly a classic melodic rock touch a la Vixen/Laos and even Saraya similarities are possible while listening to such great uptempo melodic rockers like Creatures Of Habit and Oblivion. There are sadly only 4 tracks on the band’s debut EP Creatures of habit, so after listening to the 15+ minutes of the album you are wanting more and more, but a full-length will hopefully follow in the future. The other songs by the way are If I Have To and Fallout, both a bit more modern Paramore/Halestorm style. The band consists of Alex Marie (Lead Vocals, Guitar, Piano), Mike Thomas (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals), Justus Sutherland (Rhythm guitar), Rob Joseph (Bass guitar,backing vox) and Corey Ahlquist (Drums). Alex has a fantastic rock goddess voice and the sound of their EP is major label ish, so it would not be a surprise if we are going to see them breakthrough someday soon. Meanwhile check them out at:
www.reverbnation.com/lawlesshearts and http://www.lawlesshearts.com/
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
Vitne 'Endless blue'
(Relectric Records/USA Import)
Multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Joseph Vitne has already received a review with the release of 2 albums of his former band Golden Palace somewhere else on this page, but he also released a new solo-album titled Endless blue. Musically this is slightly different, as the rock and roll and powerpop is nowhere to be found here. Instead we get to hear a mixture of AOR/Melodic Rock and 80s Gothic Rock, with a sorta English 80s new wave touch in the vocal department and touching a neo-progressive rock field here and there as well. The sound of the album is high quality and the performance and included 6 songs are a pleasure to listen to, with Joseph taking care of most instruments, while Julian Angel is playing guitar here. The Mission, Billy Idol and Bystander combined could be a good description here, especially during the catchy uptempo AOR/Melodic Rockers Endless Blue and Misery. Songs like Himitsu, Village of the Sea and Serenity are much calmer and follow a more neo-proggy direction, with even some ambient and new wave influences. Concluded, this is completely different than Golden Palace, but interesting nevertheless. Check out more at: www.vitne.com
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
Golden Palace 'Touch me
there/A little rock and roll' (Relectric Records/USA Import)
Out of the Charleston, USA area comes guitarist Joseph
Kimbrell, who has been playing music since the age of 10 and throughout the
years he played in several bands, with whom he released a dozen of records.
After immigrating to Norway, he worked with guitarist Julian Angel, continued
recording music and formed bands like SEKS and HART, while also recently he
started his own label Relectric Records, on which several releases of his music
past are being re-released and also his solo-releases under Vitne, because
Joseph decided to go solo in 2013 after all his bands split up. However, first
we go back in time, as Golden Palace was a band he considers as his finest band
and Joseph was kind enough to sent me 2 of their ‘new’ releases on his label,
recorded during the 2000s. The music is very diverse, but Cheap Trick and The
Tubes are 2 bands that come to mind while listening to the music of Golden
Palace. Touch me there was actually unreleased, so sorta this is a new album of
the band, although it was recorded in 2008/2009. 7 songs are included, with as
highlights the classic early 80s
uptempo powerpop rockers With or Without Your Love and Summer Heat (lovely,
even an AOR chorus included here!). The other songs are Let Us Be (shortish
accapella piece), Holy City Skank (even a bit ska here, yet rockier chorus),
From the Inside Out (punkier faster), Gregorian Scant (acapella, strong vocals,
African World Music influences, interesting vocals!!!) and closing track
Jessica Thompson (a comedy tune, bit awkward). So 2 sides to this story,
sometimes uptempo and melodically rocking like it’s 1981, but at other times
taking some really unusual paths, which nevertheless are interesting as well.
The other album of Golden Palace is A little rock and roll, a diver record,
which rocks more than the other Golden Palace album, digging deep into classic
70s and 80s hardrock, with punkpop and powerpop influences as well. Somehow
bands like Aerial, Mayday and 707 come to mind while listening to this album,
but if we go through the tracklisting, we can spot a whole lot more. Opener Is it a Crime? is classic early 80s uptempo powerpop,
a truly lovely catchy tune a la The Monroes (What Do all the People know),
20/20 (Nuclear Boy), Fotomaker, The Pop. etc. etc. More powerpop can be heard
in I Wanna be in Love and Saving
Sage, while a song like Paradise is basically a strong big anthem hooker hair metal
piece with a massive chorus, dangerously close to the late 80s wall of sound!
But there are also some punkpop tunes here, so basically a mixture of pure
classic rock and roll, powerpop and classic melodic hardrock, combining
elements of Thin Lizzy ish twin guitars here and there (The boys are back in
town) with even Huey Lewis in a song like Wild
Irish Rose. Summer Song, A Little Rock N' Roll, Right Now, Still Here are
slightly poppier, but Sheets of
Fire is then again heavier rock.
It is a melting pot of every classic rock and roll genre before grunge and
alternative took over in the 1990s. Definitely a great band, which hopefully
will reform one day and record new material, but in the meantime you can check
out their 2 releases on relectric records at: www.goldenpalaceband.com
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Fuzzbee Morse ' Dreams and other living things' (Independent/Hemifran)
Fuzzbee Morse is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, producer and film/TV composer, who releases his debut with Dreams and other living things. Fuzzbee has worked with many legendary musicians, such as Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Bono, Pink, Ric Ocasek (The Cars), Frank Zappa, Karla Bonoff, Axl Rose and countless others. On his solo debut album he gets help from Jerry Marotta (Orleans, Peter Gabriel / Indigo Girls) on drums, Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Yes) on bass and David Sancious (Sting, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen) on keys. Without a doubt, we have a high quality release here, with musically speaking an interesting hybrid of soul, jazz and rock, with some r&b and pure westcoast slipped right through. There’s a strong Gino Vanelli comparison during Oooh Baby, Brother Ray (superb vocalwork of Fuzzbee, very soulful) and Livin' in a Land of the Free (a bit westcoast meets soul, even slightly AORish) and also 80s Santana comes to mind sometimes. A song like Onward is basically close to progrock and the Jimi Hendrix cover Angel is a beautiful instrumental with lovely guitar melodies, while here and there we can also trace some blues and even room for one more Jimi Hendrix cover (Voodoo Child (Slight Return)). Definitely a superstrong album, sounding very diverse and accessible for every music fan out there! Already looking forward to a follow-up release, because Fuzzbee Morse is a name to watch out for! Check out all at: www.fuzzbeemorse.com
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Agent Fresco 'Destrier' (Long Branch Records/SPV/DGR Music)
Out of Iceland comes Agent Fresco and like most acts from that country, they are somewhat hard to categorize. The band is playing experimental art/post-progressive rock / math rock, sometimes reminding me of Porcupine Tree, but then again also going into an even more complex darker direction that makes them sound like a krautrockband sometimes and one can even trace jazz influences, with a rhythm section that is giving Agent Fresco a sound that is not easy to follow. The band consists of Arnór Dan Arnarson – vocals, Hrafnkell Örn Guðjónsson – drums, Vignir Rafn Hilmarsson – bass and Þórarinn Guðnason – guitar, piano. They were formed back in 2008 and Destrier is their 3rd album so far. Comparisons are impossible to make actually, because therefore songs like Dark Water, Wait For Me and Let Fall The Curtain are showing a clear own identity. Check it out for yourself at: www.agentfresco.is
(Points: 7.9 out of 10)
Marcel Harteveld 'Haat/Liefde’ (Independent/DGR Music)
Marcel Harteveld is a singer/songwriter from Amsterdam, who delivers his solo-debut album here. Haat/Liefde is a Dutch sung record, so the foreigners will absolutely not understand a single word, but despite I am not into Dutch sung music, this album sounds really strong and has all the ingredients to become successful. Marcel has a great voice and his songs are all beautiful melodic songs, mostly acoustically driven singer/songwriter music. The first couple of songs could easily become radio hit staples here in The Netherlands, as it’s just a matter of time, because Marcel can easily become huge if you listen to his highly recommended debut album Haat/Liefde. More at: http://www.marcelharteveld.nl
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
Lioncage 'Done at last'
(Escape Music)
Now this is nice to read, because the German band Lioncage was formed at the famous AOR/Classic Rock festival at the Loreley back in 2013, where bands like Toto, Europe and Whitesnake performed. Within 2 years they recorded an album and signed to Escape Music. Musically speaking the band digs in the classic 80s aor/melodic rock genre, not avoiding the multiple clichés, but end up sounding like a good deal of typical German style Euro AOR/Melodic Rock a la Roko, Craaft, Vice, Zeno, etc. etc. Vocally with an accent and not that impressive I am afraid, the material is still nice to listen to and especially opener Mission of love is a pretty good tune a la Lamorna, Frontline, Tokyo and such. There is a groovy rhythm sometimes and despite this ain’t no Fair Warning, Lioncage is a recommended new band for fans of mentioned acts. Nothing new here and far from sensational or must-have categories, it is nevertheless quality stuff that you can put on every now and then. More at: http://www.lioncage.de/
(Points: 7.9 out of 10)
Scott
Albert Johnson 'Going Somewhere' (Monkaroo Music/Hemifran)
Now here we have a very sensational musician from
Jackson, Mississippi. His name is Scott Albert Johnson and besides a beautiful
soulful voice, he can also play the harmonica very well. His latest album
'Going Somewhere' follows his 2007 release 'Umbrella Man'. Although musically
speaking most of the time we can hear pure Mississippi blues on the album,
Scott also rocks a bit more mainstream here and there, because he is influenced
by Peter Gabriel, Police, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Bruce
Hornsby, Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong, Daniel Lanois, John Scofield and Rush,
so actually this album is an excellent mixture of rock, jazz, blues, funk,
country, world music, etc. etc. One of the finest tunes is the Peter Gabriel
cover I Don’t Remember, which is a very strong aggressive midtempo rocker with
superb vocals by Scott. A song like A bigger gun dives into bluegrass, while
singer songwriter pieces are also included here and there, but bluesy rock a la
Van Morrison, with the harmonica sound a la Toots Thielemans, that is what this
record is all about. Just listen to beautiful songs like Going Somewhere, If I
Only Knew the Words and Jailbird and you will understand the nature of this
honestly recorded album. Without a doubt, Scott is someone to keep your eyes
open for in the future, as he has something unique to offer, so go check out
all at: www.scottalbertjohnson.com
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
Sun Soul
Orchestra 'What Matters Most' (Gumbo Child Productions/Hemifran)
When looking at the frontcover of the first record
by the duo Sun Soul Orchestra, one will probably think this is a 1970s record
and even musically it reminds me a lot of the good old days, but more about
that later on in this review. This duo consists of Stevo Théard (drums, keys,
percussion and vocals) and Ginger Murphy (vocals and cello). Stevo is from New
Orleans and worked with many legendary musicians, such as Terence Trent D'Arby,
Michael McDonald, James Ingram, Patti Austin, Peabo Bryson, Jeffrey Osborne,
Bobby Caldwell, etc. Ginger is from Chicago and she played in several symphonic
orchestra, while she can be heard on records of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop
Dog, Christina Aguilera, George Benson, Macy Gray and Kelly Clarkson. What
matters most has a clear 1970s funk/soul/r&b vibe in the style of Rick
James, Kool and the Gang, Prince and such, yet also with here and there a
single westcoast/singer-songwriter piece. Quite a few covers are included, such
as Mary Jane Girls (In My House), Rolling Stones (Waiting On A Friend), Bob
Marley’s Waiting In Vain, Commodores' Zoom and the old school soul cover Pillow
Talk besides a few originals. Concluded, a very surprising album that has a
good-feel vibe in the retro 1970s style of mentioned acts. More info at: www.sunsoulorchestra.com
(Points:
8.0 out of 10)
Yukon
Blonde 'On blonde' (Dine Alone/DGR Music)
Out of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada comes Yukon
Blonde, a band formed in 2005, with a debut full-length album release in 2010,
followed by Tiger talk in 2012. They gained a lot of popularity in their
homecountry of Canada the past 5 years and with this new album On blonde, they
might get their big worldwide break. The album was produced by Colin Stewart
(Black Mountain, Dan Mangan, Sleepy Sun) and mixed by Tony Hoffer (M83, Beck,
Foster The People Air, Depeche Mode) and it does sound quite sensational. It is
destined to become huge, judging only on a single track called Saturday night,
which makes you go bouncing all over the place. This is radio-ready melodic
poprock the way it needs to sound and although it sounds fresh and modern,
there is somehow also a clear 1980s Canadian touch. In fact, some of the
material even reminds me of bands like Boulevard, Haywire, 80s FM (Canadian
band), Bystander, Shy Talk, Platinum Blonde and such synth driven 80s aor/poprock
with catchy hooks and memorable choruses. Yukon Blonde is formed around Jeff
Innes – vocals, guitar, Brandon Scott – guitar, vocals, Graham Jones – drums,
vocals and James Younger – bass, vocals. Highlights on this strong new album
are the happy uptempo 80s synth driven poprockers Confused, Como, Saturday
Night (radiohit for sure, a la Arrows), Favourite People and Jezebel (pure
80s). A song like Starvation is a little less happy and also a bit more dark
hi-tech based, recalling Depeche Mode, while Hannah has great close
harmonyvocals and is the only track that goes for a more relaxing indie
pop/rock style a la Bear's Den/Fleet Foxes. Also need to mention the lovely I
Wanna Be Your Man, which is a heavy fuzzy guitar slowtempo psychedelic rocker
that sounds like Temples. Concluded, here and there quite diverse, but overall
a very 'cool' record that should get summer airplay quite easily. More info at:
www.yukonblonde.ca
(Points:
8.6 out of 10)
AGUSA '2'
(The Laser's Edge/Hard Life Promotion)
Agusa is a new band from Malmö, Sweden, consisting
of Tobias Pettersson (bass), guitarist Mikael Ödesjö, drummer Dag Strömkvist
and Jonas Berge on the organ. Some of the members also worked together in other
Swedish bands like Kommuner & Landsting, Kama Loka and Hoofoot, but joined
forces in early 2013. Already 1 year later a debut album was released and now
in 2015 the 2nd record is released. Although only 2 songs are included, both
have the length of one side of a vinyl record from the 1970s! Actually, when
listening to the music of Agusa, it sounds really as if it is 1973 or
something, because the instrumental progressive rock of the band sounds
dangerously close to such legendary acts like Amon Düül, Colosseum, Eloy, Camel,
with a Uriah Heep ish Hammond. It sounds really amazing and definitely live on
stage it will make you go in a trance, so when listening just close your eyes
and think it's 40 years back in time. Of course this should also be released on
vinyl, because that is where Agusa's music sounds at best. Highly recommended
to fans of lengthy instrumental 70s prog, not necessarily complex, because this
is actually melodic prog with a focus on clean melodies on the organ and
guitar. Check out more at: www.agusamusic.com
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
Maggie Szabo 'Tidal waves and hurricanes' (Independent/USA Import)
Maggie Szabo is a Canadian soul and pop
singer/songwriter who became known for her YouTube and Vevo appearances, reaching
over 13 million views worldwide! After recording her debut album in Los
Angeles, she settled over there and now recently released a new single and
accompanied video for her song Tidal waves and hurricanes. It is sadly only one
song I got to hear, because her amazing haunting soul voice in the typical
modern day female fronted style of Joss Stone, Adele and Amy Whinehouse, it
makes you long for much more and musically also more interesting and diverse
material (classic 60s R&B/Soul or bluesy rock and roll for example),
because the song on this single is a rather standard pop/rock tune. So it might
not be original at all, Maggie can sing very well, with a real soul in the tone
of her voice and she has got all it takes to make it huge!!! She sings like a
queen and with the right team and label behind her, she could easily become the
next big thing, but she must find an own style, which will make her voice come
out alive much more than it does now on a rather standard major label radio/tv
pop hit! We will closely monitor her whereabouts in the future, but meanwhile
check her out at: www.allaboutmaggie.com
(Points:
8.0 out of 10)
James
William Meador 3 'Circus of fools' (Blind Lemming Music/USA Import)
1998!!! That was the first shock when looking at the
back of this album, but music has no borders or time barrier, so we discuss
this 17-year old album of the American singer/songwriter James William Meador
3. I received it from this musician directly, who is trying now to gain some
attention and I must say that the included music sounds high class. What we
have here is a nice collection of high quality singer/songwriter music with a
strong folk and slight country touch, great vocalwork and somehow close to the
1970s style of Jim Groce and Bob Dylan, mostly acoustic driven and telling a
story like a real singer/songwriter. The only pity is perhaps that most of the
songs are in a same style, which makes it a bit hard to work your way through
the whole CD, because some diversity never hurts. On the other hand, fans of
Dylan and Groce, as well as for example Woody Guthrie, they will absolutely
love this record. Check it out for yourself at: www.jameswilliammeador.com
(Points: 8.1
out of 10)
Cut
Ribbons 'We want to watch something we love burn' (Kissability Records/DGR
Music)
Out of Wales comes Cut Ribbons, a band making their
debut with the release of We want to watch something we love burn. The band
consists of singer and guitarist Aled Rees, lead guitarist Christian Rees,
keyboardist and singer Lluan Bowen and drummer Ray Thomas. Their first record
was mixed by Jeremy Murphy (Goldfrapp, Sam Smith) and it sounds fresh and
modern, while still a clear touch of the past musically speaking. Although
Indie Pop is the name of their game, strong 80s references are also notable
most of the time. The songs Indigo and We Want to Watch Something We Loved Burn
are for example catchy uptempo poprockers with strong female vocals and a pure
1980s approach reminding me of Device and Animotion somehow. Quite impressive
what we get to hear actually, although as mentioned, it was done in similar
style 30 years ago by countless acts (the male/female shared vocal orientated
pop/rock with a hi-tech instrumental approach and loaded with catchy hooks and
memorable choruses), although it sounds quite fresh when we hear something
newly recorded in this style now. A song like Clouds is midtempo lush pop/rock,
very similar to Florence and the Machine. Truth in Numbers is a calmer piece,
while songs like In the Rain and Walking on Wires are even very close to The
Corrs and The Staves, so very smooth, catchy and radioready. Also the legendary
band Berlin comes to mind sometimes, that makes all together Cut Ribbons a very
interesting and recommended band to check out. A band destined to breakthrough
if they can make it live and if radio picks out a song to make it a late summer
hit! More info at: www.cutribbons.co.uk and
www.facebook.com/Cutribbons
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
Brother
And Bones 'Snow' (Last Step/DGR Music)
The Cornwall, UK based band Brother And Bones is the
latest rock discovery whom are destined to become a major stadium act in the
next couple of years. All the ingredients are present, including a superstrong
singer (Rich Thomas) and a tight mainstream rocksound. Of course we already
have Alter Bridge, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, Shinedown, Pearl Jam, etc. etc.,
but there's always room for another strong rockband. The band has already
released 2 EP's in the past 3 years and are now ready to release their very
first full-length record titled Snow. Although this album contains a few songs
that were already available in the past, everything was now produced, mixed and
engineered by Billy Bush at East West Studios in Los Angeles, California. 11
tracks are included in total, offering superb modern day rock exactly the way
you want it to sound, with also a bunch of calmer acoustic ballads included, so
a really great mixture here. The absolute highlight is To be alive, which is a
real crowd-pleaser, a sing-a-long commercial anthem rocker in the best classic
rock tradition and a definite huge radiohit! Some of the material is
dangerously close to Alter Bridge/Pearl Jam/Soundgarden (best song is
definitely Raining stone, which even contains progrock influences, biting
guitarwork can be heard here), while the calmer pieces breathe a lush melodic
rocksound that even will be appreciated by folk rock fans out there (For all we
know and Everything to lose are good examples). The beautiful melodic singing
during the folsky work and a ballad like Save Your Prayers is quite amazing and
this all combined makes Brother And Bones a highly recommended band. I am
convinced that this band will breakthrough someday soon, because this is high
quality rock from start to finish and their official first full-length record
will definitely become one of rock's highlights of 2015! Check them out at: www.brotherandbones.com
(Points:
8.8 out of 10)
Girl In
The Middle 'Magnolia street' (Independent/USA Import)
Out of San Diego, California comes the band Girl In
The Middle, formed around Carol Rider (Lead guitars and Vocals), Gregg Henning
(Drums and percussion), Dany Musser (Bass and Vocals) and Tim Edwards (Lead
guitars and Vocals). Together they create a mixture of classic American pop and
rock, sorta with one foot in the classic 80s aor/melodic rock genre (thanks to
the female vocals) and the other in the Americana/heartland/rootsy and slightly
alternative rock direction (when the male singer sings). Heart meets The
Grateful Dead meets Jefferson Airplane is a nice description of their sound,
but there's much more we can explore, especially when their material is
drifting into pure classic aor/melodic rock territory, which happens to be the
case quite a few times. Magnolia street is their 2nd album so far and the only
pity is that there are just 8 tracks included. The sound and production is
typical independent, so no huge major label sound, but that isn't a problem at
all, because this has its charm for sure! While listening, it is like we
stepped into a time machine back to the year 1983 when the US rockstations
offered countless similar sounding bands, all across the nation bands like Girl
In The Middle were active, in search for fame and fortune. Anyway, the album
starts with a nice uptempo 80s heavy rocker Girl in the Middle, but it becomes
really interesting during next track Only You Always. This is classic 1980s AOR
rock in the traditional female fronted style of bands like Laos, Heart,
Witness, Vixen, Saraya, etc., a lovely tune with beautiful melodies and strong
vocalwork. While pushing the repeat button over and over again, the song starts
to become an addiction, because it really is a superb tune reminding of the
good old days, like only the Americans could deliver back in the early 1980s,
basically an incredible tune that also has similarities to Martee LeBow and
Fiona. Shadow of Souls has male vocals and is sadly a bit weaker, a more
heartland oriented rocker. I Almost Love You is female fronted, a haunting
rocker a la Joan Jett and Toronto, while Some Doors is suddenly sounding like
The Pretenders, but a bit more rocking, a nice melodic poprocker that also has
similarities to Stevie Nicks and early Pat Benatar, a catchy tune and a
definite radiohit! Argentina Lady is tapping out of the 1970s classic us rock,
a Reo Speedwagon/Styx anthem semi ballad/rocker with ditto male vocals. Glad
You're Mine is a male/female duet,a nice rocker and closing track Bye Bye is a
good Pat Benatar ish early 80s catchy poprocker. Concluded, this is a very
impressive strong band with an early 1980s spirit, highly recommended to
especially the fans of female fronted melodic rock/aor/poprock, because the
band's singer Carol Rider has got a terrific rock voice which you don't want to
miss. Go check out all at: www.girlinthemiddle.com
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
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