Review: Spirits of the Dead

Label: White Elephant Records

Released: September 29, 2008

Even those who love prog rock often understand that its shortcoming stems from putting the head before the heart. While no genre in rock can compete with prog's technical prowess, it's still often dismissed as self-indulgent and lite where the true spirit of rock n roll is the exception, not the rule. That leaves any band that takes the prog road with quite an uphill haul.

Enter Spirits of the Dead and their self-titled debut with its own flavor of prog that endeavors to remedy some of these musical ills. They open up the prog sound with psychedelic meanderings and then ground it with 70s hard rock fuzz, giving it a spaciness to freak out to as well as a grittiness to hold on to. When they drift away from that hard rock basis, the music can wander a bit as on "The Waves of Our Ocean," but a dose of stoner rock on "Red" and the super-sludge of "Spirits of the Dead" make for a wild album that can be both light and agile as well as crushingly heavy.

Most importantly, Spirits of the Dead don't get overburdened by their own technical abilities. They show off their chops when needed, but they're just as given to slow, plodding rumblings as they are to elaborate, precise passages. They can be jarring or lulling and that fuller sound is simply the result of a willingness to get outside of the accepted boundaries of their chosen genre. While their influences lie in the past, their vision looks to the future, setting them apart from so many of their peers.

The album will apparently be re-issued on vinyl (in Europe at least). The silver foil stamped image has beautiful, intricate detail that deserves 12 inches square at least to adequately enjoy.

Ratings
Satriani: 9/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Buried in Leather - We Are Gone

Label: Teenage Heart Records

Released: August 11, 2008

Perhaps nowhere did the earliest marriages of punk and metal produce better material than in Boston. The early 80s found the likes of Gang Green and the FUs infusing their street punk with more than just a hint of metal. A lot of this was forgotten later in the decade as thrash became the principal vehicle for the punk/metal crossover, but it's nice to see that the same spirit that produced these bands is still alive in Boston. Buried in Leather pour on an intense, yet fun attack of thrashy punk rock with just a little metal riffage for good measure. Even on mid-tempo tracks like the somewhat hard rock-influenced "More Dirty Places," they manage to amp things up to the max. On others, like the album closing "No Ninjas," they move from a lumbering start right into the breakneck energy for which punk has long been known. While We Are Gone may not exactly be a bold new future, it injects fantastic energy into a genre whose day was way too short the first time around. It feels just as fresh as This Is Boston Not LA did 25 years ago.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Benard/Worn in Red - Split 7"

Label: Alaska Records/No Breaks

Released: July 2008

If one word could describe this 7", it would be visceral. Nothing seems calculated or planned. Benard blasts through two songs of dissonance, frantic rhythms and pure passion in just under five and a half minutes. In that short time, they leave everything out there, their hearts on their post-hardcore sleeves.

Saying that Worn in Red is less intense than Benard is kind of like saying the Hiroshima blast was less intense than the Bravo explosion. Both will obliterate you. Still, Worn in Red reins it in ever so slightly, resulting in something a bit more fluid, ebbing and flowing (and then hitting you over the head).

The result is a great split with two bands that are on the same page, but perhaps a different paragraph. Both have full-throttle energy with Benard hitting a bit harder and Worn in Red a bit more dynamically.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Benard:
Myspace

Worn In Red:
Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Sunday at Devil Dirt

Label: Fontana International

Released: November 11, 2008

There aren't many albums as low-key as Sunday at Devil Dirt. Every movement of the album is so subtle that it's difficult to discern. The first two tracks, "Seafaring Song and "The Raven," seem more like movie soundtrack material than the road into a dynamic album, but they set the sparse scene for the album's first stand-alone song, "Salvation," which makes it clear that this album searches and journeys. Throughout though, it does maintain the feel of a soundtrack (albeit of a very good movie), with songs like the jazzy, cabaret "Back Burner" providing segues in the story. None of these are filler in the traditional sense though. They're very strong tracks taken in context and enhance the songs they act as a bridge between as well as the album as a whole.

It's easy to think that Sunday at Devil Dirt is dominated by Lanegan's deep, rough echoes of Johnny Cash, Jim Morrison and Iggy Pop (and some would say Tom Waits, but Lanegan has a true quality that escapes the novelty of Waits' work). That gritty earthiness is the album's grounding. However, countering that is Campbell's thin, ethereal, almost angelic, yet sexy voice. The two together set the tone for the turmoil that exists between heavenly salvation and earthly struggle. These two contrasting voices find their way through the sparse musical scenes that range from subtle strings to folk to dirty jazz and blues. As carefully constructed as the album is, Campbell has written, and performed with Lanegan, a work that is intensely human in both disillusionment and hope. I wish someone would make the movie to go with this, because there's something greater than even this album in there.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 9/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Rod Stewart - The Definitive Rod Stewart

Label: Warner Brothers

Released: November 18, 2008

Rod Stewart may have the perfect rock voice. It's raw and honest and warm and he expresses emotion with ease. Its rough edges are its primary strength. The first handful of tracks on this collection, rock songs tied tightly to their folk, boogie and blues roots, are ideal vehicles for Stewart's perfect imperfection. The heartfelt "Maggie May," the earthy "Mandolin Wind," the rollicking "Stay With Me" all draw the best out of Stewart and he in turn elevates them in a way that few if any singers could.

The trouble is that as Stewart cleans up his sound and adapts to the changing world of pop music, he tempers his strength. Sure, it doesn't all go south with the disco stylings in "The Killing of Georgie," but he has started down the slippery slope. Stewart still brings his best on "You're in My Heart" and makes it easy to forget that without him, "The First Cut is the Deepest" would be an average rock song at best. Even "I Was Only Joking" has its moments. But by "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy," Stewart had clearly crossed the line. Stewart is a great rock singer, but he wasn't able to re-invent himself to turn down each new pop avenue.

To be fair, Stewart doesn't kill his later material so much as it kills him. The synth pop of "Tonight I'm Yours" is the polar opposite of everything Stewart had done right earlier in his career. Even a rocker like "Infatuation" is so inundated with bad 80s production that it sucks out anything Stewart brings. Where the late 60s and early 70s were the perfect time for Rod Stewart, the 80s were anything but. "The Motown Song" has some charm and "Reason to Believe" from Unplugged is at least somewhat of a reminder of Rod Stewart the rock singer rather than Rod Stewart the pop star. The previously unreleased "Two Shades of Blue" sat in on the shelf for ten years and frankly, it could have stayed there. Nice try with the classical stuff, but Rod needed more rock, not more phony sophistication.

Also included in this set is a DVD of Stewart's music videos. It's not a bad bonus, but it'd still be a better idea to skip this and just buy the early albums individually. Videos are never a good substitute for better music and his early album tracks hold up better now than does his mid to late period output.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 5/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Buffalo Killers - Let It Ride

Label: Alive Naturalsound

Released: July 8, 2008

It would be easy to get tired of hearing the 70s rehashed over and over if there weren't a few bands really doing something special with it. Buffalo Killers is just one of those bands. Though not quite as raw as their debut, Let It Ride turns up the soul, an ingredient not only missing from many of today's retro bands, but also from many of the originals. They have a fair bit in common with the Black Crowes (with whom they recently toured), but they're grittier with a dirtier sense of the blues. They master both power and mellowness whether taking on the understated "Give and Give" or the driving boogie of "On the Prowl." Let It Ride has more breadth than most of its peers and it keeps me from getting too tired of the 70s just yet.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Best Albums of 2008

1. Baseball Project - Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
   Just on the surface, this great album about baseball is worth hearing, but what it tells us on a deeper level is its (and baseball's) case for greatness.
2. Bigelf - Cheat the Gallows
   All that's grand gets both celebrated and criticized on this amazingly present retro album.
3. De Novo Dahl - Move Every Muscle, Make Every Move
   The year's most fun record. "Shout" is is pure joy.
4. Tippy Canoe and the Paddlemen - Parasols and Pekingese
   Yeah, she's playing a ukulele and it's amazing.
5. Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
   Why didn't anyone ever realize how well punk and Springsteen went together before this?
6. The Clash - Live at Shea Stadium
   The only band that matters show that even fame couldn't ruin them.
7. Tanya Tagaq - Auk ~ Blood
   This is an album worthy of Mike Patton's contributions, yet strong (and weird) enough not to be overshadowed by them.
8. They and the Children - Home
   The limits of intensity get pushed by this album. Incendiary would be an understatement.
9. Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath
   Once again, the Mars Volta give us all that's cool about prog and nothing that sucks. Crazy talent mixes with crazy minds.
10. Sharks and Sailors - Builds Brand New
    The influence of 90s alt rock on this album goes in unexpected directions.
11. Spitfire - Cult Fiction
    Anger can be based on love just as easily as hate.
12. The Drift - Memory Drawings
    The Drift once again makes an indie rock record whose principal influence is Ornette Coleman.
13. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
    Is this the future of rock music? TV on the Radio get more accessible without compromising on innovation.
14. Mad Tea Party - Found a Reason
    Yes, another album which prominently features the ukulele made the list. These are great rootsy tunes with soul and a great sense of quirky fun.
15. Strangers Die Every Day - Aperture for Departure
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor is the best melding of classical and rock. This band is the next best.
16. Thursday/Envy - Split LP
    Thursday is a band that has progressed tremendously and Envy is the perfect compliment.
17. Hours and Hours: A Tribute to Seaweed
    The tribute album concept is old and tired, or so I thought until I heard this. No one, probably even Seaweed themselves, had any idea that their influence spread this widely. This is the way a tribute should be created.
18. The Devil and the Sea - Heart vs Spine
    The Devil and the Sea is another fantastic heir to Black Flag's free jazz approach to punk and metal.
19. Twilight Hotel - Highway PrayerThese Americana (or is it Canadiana) songs tell great human stories.
20. Gypsy Pistoleros - Para Siempre
    Yeah, I know it's essentially a re-release of last year's album, but a big step forward in production and a fine cover of "La Vida Loca" push this one into the top albums of 2008 whereas they just missed the year before.
21. Lady Lovelace and the Calculator Death Machine - Music for Two Musicians
    This has My Bloody Valentine, chamber music and everything in between...and it works.
22. Thao - We Brave Bee Stings and All
    Twee pop can be dangerous ground, but Thao navigates it successfully, making an album of strange, catchy tunes.
23. Buffalo Killers - Let It Ride
    Many of those treading the paths of 70s hard rock forget the soul. Buffalo Killers do not.

I saw a number of fine DVD releases in 2008, but three stand out:

About a Son was simply a series of Kurt Cobain interviews, but it was amazingly well-filmed in his old stomping grounds and rather than fill it with Nirvana's music, Death Cab for Cutie's Bed Gibbard supplies some great tracks that allow the focus to be on Cobain's words rather than the hype of Nirvana.

If All Goes Wrong is both a concert and documentary about Smashing Pumpkins two "residencies" in Asheville, NC and San Francisco. Rather than being a rehash of their hits, it is a bold artistic statement and the documentary is an interesting insight into it.

The very best DVD of the year though was The Who's Kilburn 1977, featuring both the Kilburn show as well as a rougher recording from 1969. Both shows demonstrate exactly why the Who was great.

With all this about the best, I should also include at least something about the bad albums. While there were a few real stinkers this year, they all pale in comparison to Judas Priest's Nostradamus. This album of ego-driven nonsense has all of the filler that is often a necessary evil on concept album, yet not a single track that makes the filler worth siting through. It's crap on all levels. Shame on Priest. They should have known better.

For some alternate views of what was great in 2008, check out these sites:
Heavy Metal Addiction
Hard Rock Hideout
Heavy Metal Time Machine
Bring Back Glam
All Metal Resource
Imagine Echoes
Metal Excess
The Ripple Effect
Rock Of Ages
Layla's Classic Rock
Hair Metal Mansion
The Metal Minute

DVD: The Who - Kilburn 1977

Label: Image Entertainment

Released: November 18, 2008

I've always known that the Beatles are rock's greatest band. There's no denying it. But I do have to wonder why I question that every time I listen to the Who. I think it's because the Beatles made rock music what it is, but the Who actually embodied it like no one else. (The Clash is probably the only band that I think of in the same way). The two shows on this DVD are a lot like hearing that stutter in "My Generation" or the huge guitar of "Baba O'Reilly" for the first time. It's just great rock n roll in its purest, most deliberate form.

By the time of the Kilburn show, the Who had an incredible catalog with which to build a great show. By the time they've amassed this kind of material, most bands have been at it too long and lost too much of their hunger to deliver on their own greatness, but nothing could be further from the truth about the Who. They come off a year-long hiatus and yet, other than the recording quality, they sound like they'd spent that year pounding out these songs in a garage, not relaxing on the fruits of their labors. "My Generation" gets reworked, but everything here feels as fresh and new just on the electricity alone. Interestingly enough, this came the same year punk exploded and I can't help thinking that punk may not have been necessary had other bands been playing it like the Who, with wild, reckless abandon and the heart of kids. I know, that's two bold statements in one review, but I don't make them lightly.

You'll watch the Kilburn show and think, "Man, this is one of rock's greatest bands at the peak of their power!" Then, throw in disc two and wonder, "How could they have been at their peak in 1969 also?" The answer is simple though. The Who never lost their sense of what their music was about and who it was for. They just stayed that good. Neither the video nor the audio for the earlier show is as good as it was eight years later for the Kilburn show, but somehow it gives an even better sense of how loud the world's loudest band was. You could turn the volume down to a whisper and there's still a very tangible sense that it's just LOUD.

Who is rock's greatest band? It might be almost unfair to answer right after watching this one.

Rating: 10/10 (only because I can't give it 11!)

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

DVD: Smashing Pumpkins - If All Goes Wrong

Label: Coming Home Media

Released: November 11, 2008

In June of 2007, the reunited Smashing Pumpkins (or Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlain and some new members) decided to forgo a US tour and instead do two residencies, one in Asheville, NC and the other at the vaunted Fillmore in San Francisco. This was, as Jimmy Chamberlain said in the documentary portion of If All Goes Wrong, "art for art's sake," finding the band putting the present ahead of their celebrated past.

The live portion of the DVD is captured from the Fillmore shows. A full third of the songs are previously unreleased and includes none of their big hits from their commercial prime. The performance is a successful meeting between studio perfection and live connection. It is clean, yet intense and emotional. Most importantly, it is not capitalizing (and cashing in) on the past. This is what they're doing right now, not an attempt to pick up where they left off.

The documentary gives an unusually deep look into what went into these shows. Corgan is at times as pretentious as expected, but more often, he's down to earth and even amusing, so this is a look into a side of him that his music hadn't really revealed before. There is a certain disparate nature to these shows that becomes more apparent in the documentary. On one hand, there is a sense of serendipity, embodied by a Corgan associate's comment that "Billy is about chance" when discussing the selection of the Asheville location. The shows were clearly not intended to be a money-making venture (at least not directly) and they do find the band taking chances. On the other hand, the cost of the production, rather than its artistic value, is at times used as justification for Corgan's high expectations. Just as it successfully walks the line between sound quality and live emotion, it also seems to find success navigating the waters between its artistic and business faces.

Oddly enough, this set is better fitted to someone who enjoys artistic exploration regardless of their feelings about Smashing Pumpkins than it is to "fans." Those who remember enjoying their slacker anthems back in the mid-90s will be as sorely disappointed with this DVD as I suspect Corgan and company would be with such nostalgia. The material here may not be their very best work (nor their worst), but it definitely shows that Smashing Pumpkins are not willing to rest on their laurels and be satisfied cashing in on something they did at a different time. As Chamberlain says, "What's comfortable about art? It's not supposed to be comfortable." Perhaps those words best sum up this set. It ended up being something I respected more than I enjoyed.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Amadan - Pacifica

Label: Afan Music

Released: December 9, 2008

Amadan incorporate bits of the Clash, Billy Bragg, John Fogerty and the Mighty, Mighty Bosstones, but what I suspect they're really going for is the Pogues mix of traditional Irish folk and biting punk rock swagger. They don't nail the latter, but their success in other areas makes them a worthwhile listen.

There's no doubt that Amadan is a rock band, not a folk band. Their boisterous guitars and barroom swagger make that quite clear. At their core, there is straightforward rock n roll as it's always been played in garages around the world. What they attempt is to incorporate elements of the Irish tradition into their tunes. It's been done successfully before by the likes of Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys as well as the kings of the subgenre, the Pogues. However, these bands all create a chemical reaction between their two influences, making a single inseparable sound. Amadan, on the other hand, seems to simply try to interject a tin whistle here and a folk passage there and not only is it not seamless, but it is also very flat. Where the other bands use traditional elements to really take off, Amadan instead is clean and measured and safe...and dull.

That aside though, Pacifica has some fine tunes and the performance is rough and gritty and in many ways all that it should be. Luckily, the Irish bits come and go quick enough that the rest of the album can still be enjoyed.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 4/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Thursday/Envy - Split

Label: Temporary Residence Limited

Released: November 4, 2008

Few albums start off with the level of frantic energy of Thursday's "As He Climbed the Dark Mountain." There are songs with fireworks and there are songs that are like the fireworks factory exploding and this is clearly the latter. Thursday's dense layering walks the fine line between noisy and melodic, without tempering either. On one hand it seems like one lumbering mass of guitar, yet at the same time, the music is intricate, interesting and downright riveting.

Envy makes an interesting pairing for Thursday. On one hand, their ambient textures walk the line between austere beauty and haunting fear in sharp contrast to Thursday's more heavy-handed approach. On the other, they blast out noisecore along the lines of a more musically mature Septic Death. In a sense they've taken the roads to both sides of Thursday's work, giving this split release not only intensity but depth as well.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

DVD: Vans Warped Tour '07

Label: Image Entertainment

Released: December 2, 2008

For years, the Warped Tour has managed to find a healthy balance between DIY punk ethics and corporate involvement. Granted, the corporate presence has increased quite a bit over the last decade, but Kevin Lyman and company still put on a great show while keeping tickets and merchandise cheap and leaving at least some of the barriers down between bands and fans.

This DVD from the 2007 tour also finds a happy medium between punk and professional. The sound quality and editing is anything but amateur. On the other hand, the camera angles have more of a by-the-seat-of-the-pants quality, with many shots from the crowd perspective and of the crowd itself. With everything from the old school punk of Bad Religion and Pennywise to the emo/screamo of Chiodos to the funk and reggae of Fishbone, the DVD contains performances that capture both the energy and eclecticism of the Warped Tour. The one big fault here is the absence of one of the coolest things about the Warped Tour, the smaller, little known bands. The interview portion is mildly insightful at best, but may be worth sifting through for a few words from some favorites.

For the most part, this is as good a representation of the Warped Tour as you can get without going. However, just a song from each band (and no summer sun) isn't enough to get the real feel. The Vans Warped Tour '07 DVD isn't for anyone who wouldn't typically attend the tour (obviously), but it's a decent artifact if the Warped Tour is up your alley.

Rating: 6/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Women - s/t

Label: Jagjaguwar Records

Released: October 7, 2008

Some albums kick off with the strongest or most accessible song as a means of sucking the listener in. Others, ease their way into the real meat of the album so as not to scare the listener with their boldest material. But very few jump in with their most grating and difficult content. Women's self-titled album is, however, just one of those anomalies.

The album begins and ends with noise-fests that are not only difficult to enjoy, but difficult to discern the true value of outside the context of the album as a whole. However, between these near structureless bookends, there are songs that alternate between Women's dark, angular take on the Velvet Underground and their looser, more open nods to 60s psychedelia. Their travels between these seemingly divergent approaches is remarkably cohesive artistically. More remarkable still is how the more accessible middle of the album not only makes a case for the difficult start, but also sets up the manic ending.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Fall Horsie - Devil (e) Danger

Label: Youth Club Records

Released: October 28, 2008

There is a lot of music out there that isn't rock music in any way, shape or form...and yet it thoroughly rocks. None of this is headed for mainstream success, but it is often some of the most interesting music in even the broadest sense of the rock sphere. Fall Horsie is one of these bands. While the music itself ranges from chamber music to cabaret (having moments reminiscent of the Decemberists) and uses the very un-rock violin and viola, yet in its wildness and boldness it is very much a rock record. Fall Horsie's style will make them difficult for the average rock fan, but rock fans (albeit not average ones) must make up the core of their audience. That may not turn into a big cash in, but it has turned out a fine album.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Sammy Hagar - Cosmic Universal Fashion

Label: Roadrunner Records

Released: November 18, 2008

There are artists who push the boundaries, who set new standards, who break rules. Sammy Hagar isn't one of them. Anyone acquainted with his career knows this and anyone expecting him to do any of these things is surely setting himself up for disappointment. Sammy Hagar has a formula and he sticks to it with only superficial changes over the years. That being said though, Hagar is one of the best hard rock voices out there and he simply exudes fun. Actually, in a sense, he's one of rock's most honest artists. No pretenses, he is what he is, so to speak.

Cosmic Universal Fashion's title track, a collaboration between Hagar and an Iraqi band, isn't the best start, as it stumbles around in funk-laden hard rock, but the ship soon rights itself with the kind of generic rock songs that have been the staple of both Hagar's solo career and his days in Van Halen. Lyrically, Sammy Hagar, even at his well-meaning best, is just plain stupid. Frankly, a guy his age should be able to come up with something better than keggers to write about. Of course, if you're listening to Hagar's music for enlightenment, you're probably dumber than he is. A cover of the Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)" cashes in on neither the original's novelty appeal nor its unabashed fun, but it is the album's only complete miscue. Everything else plays out just as expected, for better or worse.

Sammy Hagar's same old, same old won't win over any new fans, nor will it change the face of rock n roll. However, Hagar is among the best at what he does and he isn't hesitant about the album he wants to make and people have come to expect. It's true that there are probably few artists less creative than Sammy Hagar, but at least he wears that on his sleeve and puts a lot of energy into delivering his dummied-down (and somewhat fun) rock n roll.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Heavy Water Experiments - s/t

Label: Intrepid Sound Recordings (or at CD Baby)

Released: July 8, 2008

Prog is a genre not particularly known for being understated. Restraint is a quality seldom found among its purveyors. Heavy Water Experiments is not quite a traditional prog band, but clearly wear their prog influences for all to see. However, they manage to do it without the esoteric musical exercises and unabashed bombast that seem to be the norm.

Heavy Water Experiments feel heavy without being heavy. They deal more in ambient soundscapes than big guitar and keyboard flourishes, making for psychedelic trips that get well inside your gray matter before you can be consciously aware of what's happening. If the album has a weakness, it may be that it is, at time sat least, too understated. "Dementia" even seems a bit light. However, they more that make up for these moments where they've held back a bit too much with the maddening pyschedelic energy of "Otherland" and the wild, trippy, early Floyd-esque textures of "Book Colored Blue."

For an album that never gets really heavy, this album sure is heavy. It's not typical space rock, but wild psychedelic soundscapes hidden in loosely structured songs. And it taps into some of the best qualities of progressive rock. When it's on, it's quite a trip.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Mighty High - In Drug City

Label: self-released (available at amazon, CD Baby and Interpunk)

Released: March 11, 2008

My copy of In Drug City came with an interesting promo item - a combination lighter/bottle opener emblazoned with the Mighty High logo. There was a note from guitarist Woody High saying, "I know you're straightedge, but the bottle opener works for soda and the lighter for fireworks." That same sentiment applies to Mighty High's music.

Too punk for metal and too metal for punk, Mighty High revives the other late 80s punk/metal crossover scene than spawned the likes of Gang Green and SNFU and they also draw on the wild, inebriated humor of Adrenalin OD. Abandoning precision for raucousness and cleverness for insobriety, the band has a broader appeal than expected, because they're high on one drug everyone likes - fun. Not ones to be bogged down by politics or philosophy, Mighty High exudes a sense of good times that is easy to relate to even if their particular brand of fun isn't up your alley (and it is anything but up mine). Oddly enough, they spend a lot of time focusing on pot, but aside from a few more stoner rock-oriented tracks, their music more closely approximates what I suspect speed is like. It's frenetic and relentless and never stops to think.

I guess In Drug City just shows how music crosses barriers. The album is up to its ears in drug-addled silliness, yet drugs aren't needed to appreciate what makes it such a good time. Remember though kids, don't try this at home!

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Trio of Doom

Label: Legacy Recordings

Released: September 30, 2008

The term "supergroup" may be popular music's greatest misnomer. Sure, supergroups are typically made up of musicians who have done some super things, but more often than not, the meeting of their superness is just not all that, well, super. So, as legendary as the meeting of Jaco Pastorius, John McLaughlin and Tony Williams may have become over the years, there's always room for skepticism.

Trio of Doom, as Pastorius called the two-time meeting of these three great musicians, is not the typical supergroup though. They formed to play a live set at the 1979 Havana Jam festival in Cuba, so it wasn't a commercial endeavor. However, they brought such great stuff to that stage that they reconvened in New York a week later and put the songs down in the studio. For whatever reason, those tapes (both from the live ad studio sets) sat around until Trio of Doom was released on CD last year. Now, they arrive in the format they were intended for in 1979.

The songs here may not be among any of the artists' top work (though likely not too far off either), but the performance is what makes this greater than the songs themselves. Pastorius brings the fierce intensity that made him such a dominant force on an instrument often kept in the background. McLaughlin's otherworldly playing is as good as perhaps it ever was. But, it is Williams' drumming that forms the common ground between these two planes and a lesser talent would let the whole set fall to pieces. The studio tracks are no more refined, expressing fusion in its truest sense with all the power and agility of a rock power trio.

So often, supergroups lose focus and power in the virtuosity of their component players, making music that limps and struggles and ultimately fizzles. Trio of Doom, on the other hand, burned brightly, intensely and quickly for a few weeks in 1979. Years later, we finally know what a supergroup really should be.

Last year, music fans received a gift that had been withheld from them for nearly 30 years with the release of Trio of Doom on CD. This year, Legacy Recordings makes that gift even sweeter with this beautiful 180 gram vinyl issue.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Various Artists - A Blackheart Christmas

Label: Blackheart Records

Released: November 18, 2008

Every year at Christmastime we're treated (or subjected) to another collection of rock artists' takes on our favorite holiday songs. These albums tend to be a mixed bag made up of songs that will appeal to fans of the particular artists at least as novelties and others that are real bombs. The best case scenario might even include one or two renditions that are truly special.

A Blackheart Christmas does not have any real misses, but most of the tracks don't really transcend happy novelties for fans of the bands appearing. The Vacancies take on "Father Christmas," perhaps the best rock Christmas tune ever, is a fine listen, but doesn't go anywhere special. The drunken swagger of the Cute Lepers' "Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You" is a fun option for a non-traditional holiday. The rough edges on Thommy Price and Nefertiti Jones' "Winter Wonderland" give it punk appeal without losing its "happy holiday" sentiment.

Unlike most holiday comps though, A Blackheart Christmas has a pair of really special tracks that, in a (less-than-perfect) perfect world, might become Christmas classics. The Dollyrots give "Santa Baby" a snotty punk treatment, in lieu of its traditional sexy swing, as if it was meant to be about a down-and-out misfit rather than a well-to-do diva. Better still, Girl in a Coma turn "I'll Be Home for Christmas" into something dark and foreboding rather than hopeful. These are the Christmas carols for the "other half" in a sense.

Will this album replace Bing's "Little Drummer Boy" or Nat's "O Holy Night?" Probably not, but there's always room for a few more Christmas classics, especially when the might reach out to listeners whose world may not be so idyllic.

Rating: 7/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Paper the Operator - Solemn Boyz EP

Label: Viper Bite Records

Released: May 19, 2008

Nice melodies, good hooks and the edges of its punk rock roots smoothed out, Paper the Operator's sound seems like any of a thousand pop punk bands on paper. But there's a little something else here. The title track has a punchy undercurrent that could sneak its way into the heart of a punk purist. "Divorce Court" mixes its pop-punk melody with some very un-punk jangle, thus separating it from the masses without losing its potential for mass appeal. A wall of guitar that builds from crunch to noise on "Words You Never Learned" takes a trip that seems longer and more profound that its four and half minutes, perhaps getting to the crux of why Solemn Boyz is more interesting than its peers. Throughout, the EP never feels limited by its sound. This is undeniably pop-punk and yet it's so much more in ways that are subtle and crafty. In a genre that seems increasingly spent, Paper the Operator finds new avenues and new life.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Master Slash Slave - Scandal

Label: Free News Projects

Released: November 18, 2008

Having grown up in the 80s, the current indie pop obsession with Casiotone pop is more annoying than charming. Of course, some bands pull it off and some don't. Master Slash Slave is, overall, the former, but not without keeping at least a foot in the latter. The 80s pop-tronics of the opening track get off on the wrong foot and Scandal suffers a bit each time the band returns to those tricks. However, its quirky twists and turns and its ability to layer shallow pop with both crunchy and ambient passages makes it easy to get past the nods to the lesser qualities of the music of my own youth. The hipster snobbishness of Matt Jones' voice finds its perfect hipper-than-thou vehicle. At his best (particularly on "Nastasya") he manages to pull off dramatic storytelling approaching the likes of the Decemberists, but at other times he devolves into Conor Obesrt's not-so-believable lo-fi whine. Drug references in "High Heels" are too affected to take seriously, but on the aforementioned "Nastasya" and the album's closer, "Wouldn't Hafta," the lyrics have as much pull as the music. Scandal is erratic, but the annoyances are minor next to times when everything comes together. It's not a perfect album, but in some ways it is on the right road.

The album art is pretty cool, making this a great one to pick up on vinyl.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Wilderness - (k)no(w)here

Label: Jagjaguwar

Released: November 4, 2008

Over the years, the term art rock hasn't had a real solid definition, but it has consistently included bands that push creative limits even if some sacrifice the raw ability to rock in the process. To not call Wilderness an art rock band would be a mistake, but to limit them to the trappings of any single era of that shifting genre would be just as incorrect.

If (k)no(w)here has a fault, it's that it tends to be art for art's sake, abandoning the structure of pop music for more esoteric designs. That makes the album a difficult listen, but the challenge has its rewards. Taking everything from Velvet Underground to PiL in varying doses, Wilderness runs through the spectrum of the "high art" of rock music without settling in any one spot. Aside from "Strand the Test of Time," which might as well be a lost Joy Division song, the album never gets into a rut of borrowing heavily from this or that. The result is an album both steeped in the art rock tradition and breaking out on its own, it's challenge well worth accepting. Besides, arty or not, it rocks on its own terms.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Lanterns - Apocalypse Youth

Label: self-released

Released: July 19, 2008

What would happen if the unabashed rock of the Who and the spunky power-pop of Cheap Trick took a drive down the twisting sharp turns of post-punk? Lanterns. If there is one quality that persists their Apocaplypse Youth EP, it would loud. Loud in the way mastered by big rock bands like the aforementioned Who and Cheap Trick. Their layers of guitar can crank up the volume no matter how quietly you may try to listen. But these aren't just loud, arena-sized riffs. They have the quirky, twisty, turny (and almost danceable) sense that post-punk drew from disco while remaining a safe distance from actual dance music. The wall of sound, sometimes paper thin and others thick and dense, dominates the sound without taking over, leaving plenty of space for the pop sensibility that makes the album's ear-crushing volume such a pleasant experience. Lanterns sound as if they could take on the arena, but the arena would be left in rubble (and all to a sweet, sweet melody).

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Brandi Carlile - Live From Boston (aka iTunes EP - Boston)

Label: Columbia

Released: 9/16/2008

A cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" is on Live From Boston, so I figured I'd skip right to that track and see whether Carlile and her band managed to do right by Johnny's spirit.

They did.

What more do you want me to write? If that doesn't make you go listen, nothing will.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

The nice folks over at xo publicity have put together a holiday comp of their artists. If you're tired of the same old renditions of the same old songs every year, check it out. It's free!

Download it here.

1. Service Group - "Merry Xmas Everybody"
2. Master Slash Slave- "All I Want For Christmas"
3. Romeo Spike - "Christmas Diablo"
4. The Winter Sounds - "Ragtime Manifesto"
5. Super Awesome Villains Forever - "Secret Santa A Christmas Song For Josef K. Boehm"
6. Paris Luna with James Taylor, Jr and Wes Ables - "Back Home for the Holidays"
7. Benjamin Bear - "Traveling Disciples"
8. Blue Skies For Black Hearts - "It Never Snows On Christmas"
9. THe BAcksliders - "That's How We Do Christmas"
10. Here Comes Everybody - "Snow"
11. Bumtech - "Maoz Tsur (Rock of Ages) / O Holy Night"
12. Blue Skies For Black Hearts - "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" written by: Barry, Greenwich, and Spector
13. Play> - "Happy Christmas War Is Over"

Review: Nikka Costa - Pebble to a Pearl

Label: Stax

Released: October 14, 2008

Soul has become a genre dominated by artists that have a real shortage of, well, soul. Sure, there's Jill Scott and a renaissance for Sharon Jones and Bettye Levette. That first Joss Stone album a few years back was even pretty good. But for each of these artists, there seems to be bazillions of good voices over bad beats and samples that are completely devoid of anything that could even be mistaken for soul.

Into this scene steps Nikka Costa on her new album, Pebble to a Pearl. The first thing that's striking is how retro her sound is. She draws largely from 60s soul and 70s funk, but what really ties her to those days, even more than the arrangements, is that her music is so warm and organic. Costa's voice has the ability to be pristine one moment and sultry the next. She can put enough power into a song to make it undeniably moving. The backing band doesn't have that stiff studio musician sound either. Costa and her band move together in the music, something generally absent from the genre today.

Costa doesn't nail every song on Pebble to a Pearl. She's at her best when she draws on the raw emotion of her 60s predecessors than she is reliving the tighter funkiness of the 70s, but her voice alone is a pleasure even on the worst of the tracks. On the songs that really cut her loose though, she a powerful confidence that demands she be taken more seriously than most of her peers.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy

Label: Geffen

Released: November 23, 2008

Chinese Democracy is an album almost a decade and a half in the making. For this album alone, Axl Rose and his revolving door of musicians that make up what he still calls Guns N Roses have been at it longer than most bands take for an entire career. The Beatles changed the face of rock music in (considerably) less time. The cost of recording the album approaches the GNP of a small country. Throw in the promise of a free Dr Pepper for everyone in America (minus Buckethead and Slash, of course) and perhaps no album in history has had more hype. Frankly, I really thought democracy would come to China before Chinese Democracy would come to stores and it seemed like Axl had let it become so much larger than a rock album that he couldn't win by releasing it. It had become a joke.

As it turns out though, the album is not a joke at all. Unlike so may recent hard rock albums that have come out after long layoffs, this one actually shows that he's been up to something all this time. The album takes some chances and incorporates new sounds without losing sight of what GnR really is. That was particularly surprising, because most of GnR is in Velvet Revolver now. Nonetheless, Axl has stayed true to GnR's core without becoming stagnant. He wears a lot of his influences on his sleeve of course. His love for Elton John's over-the-top piano rock is no secret and it's in fine form here. The addition (at least at times) of NIN touring guitarist Robin Finck shows prevalently. Not every chance he takes works of course and after over a decade, the missteps should have been resolved. However, take the time and money out of the equation and Chinese Democracy is a very good record when compared to something recorded for a normal price and in a normal timeframe.

I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed in Chinese Democracy though. I was hoping that the joke it had become would play out nicely in a train wreck and provide at least a few more weeks of laughing at Axl's expense. But the joke's over. The album is solid, interesting and a bit adventurous and I guess that's better than the joke anyway.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Clutch - Full Fathom Five (Audio Field Recordings 2007-2008)

Label: Weathermaker Music (distributed by MVD)

Released: September 15, 2008

As a studio band, Clutch has released several of my all-time favorite albums, but those came out a decade or more ago. As a live band, Clutch has never satisfied me. Their dynamic heavy groove that sets them apart from the field of Sabbath and space rock devotees that have popped up over the last 20 years has never been there when I see them in person and that, coupled with how much I've loved some of their albums, has been a tremendous letdown. But Clutch is a weird, wild band that builds on the craziest parts of heavy music, conspiracy theory, history and mysticism, so anything is possible at any time.

The opener, "The Dragonfly," led me to believe the worst about the album. It's hard to imagine that they could turn such a song flat and dull. The rhythms are plodding, the riffs quiet and the vocals out-of-sync. This is just what my live experience had been with the band and I was disappointed that I wasn't wrong. However, things pick up as the album moves along. By the time they get to "Cypress Grove," they've loosened up and the sense that Clutch is just a little bit off their rockers starts to come out in the song's maniacal groove. A few songs later, they tear through a version of "The Yeti" that makes a case to stand beside the studio version of perhaps the best song they ever wrote. The three final tracks, "Mr Shiny Cadillackness," "Electric Worry" and "One Eye Dollar," finish the album in a whirlwind that is one part Baptist minister, one part old blues musician on the street corner al with a heavy presence of their own unique psychedelic monster.

The albums tracks are gathered from four separate shows and the fades between tracks sadly emphasize this. However, it does gather steam as the band loosens up over the course of the album and, unlike just about any other live album compiled from multiple shows, has a real sense of what a show is like, rather than just a bunch of songs played live.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 10/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um (Legacy Vinyl Re-Issue)

Label: Sony Legacy

Released: September 16, 2008 (originally released in 1959)

"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity."
 - Charles Mingus

These aren't just words from Charles Mingus. He didn't always manage to make things simple, but one of the many amazing things about Mingus Ah Um is that he took this incredibly challenging jazz, in perhaps its creative heyday, and made it as easy as pop music. That's not to say that he dummied it down. He didn't. He did exactly what he said, made the the complicated awesomely simple. What that means is that it's as easy as a pop record, but the ride is as fascinating and wild as Mingus' later more "difficult" albums. Pop stars of the day, like Sinatra or Nat King Cole, were pleasant, easy to digest artists while guys like Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane were pushing the limits of music as it was known at the time. Mingus Ah Um doesn't split the difference between those two schools, but rather fully accomplishes the goals of both, something that may not have happened again in popular music until Revolver and Sgt. Pepper almost a decade later. It set a standard for pop music to explore, to be avant-garde, and rock music in particular owes a tremendous debt to that spirit.

As great as Mingus Ah Um is, I've only ever heard it on CD until now. Legacy Recordings has re-issued this classic on 180 gram vinyl and it's like hearing the album for the first time. Its already abundant warmth is warmer and the sound more natural. If you own the CD, this is the perfect time to pick up the vinyl and really hear it the way it was meant to be heard.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 10/10
Dylan: 10/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Cheap Trick - Budokan 30th Anniversary Edition

Label: Epic/Legacy

Released: November 11, 2008

I always had a tough time understanding why Cheap Trick was so popular. Sure, "Surrender" is among rock's greatest songs and they had their share of other decent tunes, but why would they stand out like they did? The answer I was told is contained in their live show and this 30th Anniversary Edition of their Budokan set, re-packaging the original At Budokan shows into one DVD and three CDs, is the best thing short of being there.

The DVD features original concert footage from Cheap Trick's two nights at Budokan in 1978 that only aired once and only on Japanese television. If nothing else, the wild flamboyance of Rick Nielsen adds to the band's already electric live presence in a way that cannot be conveyed in the audio (at least not completely). The filming does have the quality of a TV special, but that shortcoming does little to compromise the entertainment value of a great live band in their element, especially at that very moment that will catapult them into the upper echelon of popular music.

Two of the three CDs recreate the the 1998 20th anniversary issue of At Budokan, remastered for 2008, but the real gem is disc 2, the April 28th show in its entirety. Most live albums really suffer from being culled from multiple shows, because they lose the real picture of the band live, the flow, the energy, the bumps and bruises even. This package however, gives the best of both worlds and the opportunity to really get a feel for why these shows shot the band into super-stardom.

For what it's worth, I saw Cheap Trick at the Virgin Festival in Baltimore in the summer of 2007, over 19 years after the legendary recordings contained in this set, and they were still amazing. The Budokan 30th Annivesary Edition is a great way to understand what the big deal was about Cheap Trick, but, as good as it is, it's still not a substitute for seeing the real thing and three decades later, while their peers are fat, old and boring, Cheap Trick can still deliver. See them if you ever get the chance.

Rating: 9/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws

Label: Reprise Records

Released: September 16, 2008

A few years back, a friend and I made our list of the top 20 rock guitarists. At the time, I thought it was as close to perfect as such a list could be. It was however, deeply flawed and Gift of Screws reminds me why: Lindsey Buckingham wasn't on it. I'm not even sure how he was forgotten. Perhaps it's because, as good as he is, he plays for the song and not his own ego. Perhaps it was just that the songwriting often outshone his fretwork. Anyway you look at it though, we screwed up.

Buckingham's guitar work is nothing short of amazing on Gift of Screws. From the opening track, his ability to play like he's more than one person is astounding. The trouble with the album is primarily songwriting. Some of the songs are very good, nothing like the stuff he wrote 30 years ago with Fleetwood Mac, but good nonetheless. However, just as many feel like under-developed ideas. Strangely, these are the songs where his playing really stands out, because it alone saves them. It certainly doesn't seem like Buckingham's tank is dry, even as a writer. It just seems as though he should have taken a little more time fleshing out his musical ideas. It might have hidden his skill as a player a bit, but in a sense, that has been one of his best traits over the years.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Punchline - Just Say Yes

Label: Velvet Ear Records

Released: September 16, 2008

I saw Punchline a couple years ago and they really stood out. Maybe it was just that they were on a bill full of horribly sappy emo or maybe they were just better live than in the studio, but their albums never lived up to that show. Until now.

Just Say Yes doesn't make big changes to Punchline's sound so much as expands it. They still play pop-punk that has a tendency to err on the side whiny emo and they still nail their hooks. The difference now is bigger riffs and more dynamic songs. Instead of only drawing from within their narrow scope, they soak in Foo Fighter-ish pop rock ("Punish or Privilege" is undeniably close to "Big Me"), rock-ified cabaret ("Somewhere in the Dark") and angular neo-new wave ("Just Say Yes"). "Maybe I'm Wrong" crosses over that line that separates good ballads from bad, but redeems itself in a feedback-laden, chaotic end. The two closing tracks mark Punchline's increased musical breadth. "The Other Piano Man" finds them big, bold and more than a little flamboyant while "Castaway" is masterful mellow pop. Overall, the broader palette is fueled by increased confidence and more muscular, arena-sized riffs that will serve Punchline well at the next level even if it doesn't make them entirely memorable over the long haul.

At its worst, Just Say Yes is better than its predecessors. At its best, it is knocking at the door of the best commercial rock out there. Punchline's game is still pretty much the AOR of today, but they're now near the top of that game. The music is pleasant and easy, but in the best way that it can be. If you need a record to challenge you, just say no, but if you enjoy a smooth, easy ride from time to time, Just Say Yes is as good an answer as any.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Grayceon - This Grand Show

Label: Vendlus Records

Released: November 11, 2008

Symphonic metal seemed like a good idea, but every time someone gives it a try, we either get Metallica's S&M, where classical is merely superimposed onto metal, or Dragonforce, where we get all the soul (or lack thereof rather) of classical dummied down for the average rock fan. It should work, but it never does.

Now, Grayceon isn't symphonic metal...but they do some of the things symphonic metal should. Sure, there's a cello, but their classical leanings go much further than just a bit of anti-rock instrumentation. Their arrangements, particularly in the 20+ minute "Sleep," draw from everything from the sacred compositions of Bach to modern power metal. What really sets Grayceon apart though is that they don't noodle for the sake of noodling nor do they play for the sake of merely displaying their skills. Their focus is on the music itself. While Jackie Perez Gratz's cello is immediately striking, it is Zack Farwell's drumming that plays the biggest part in the management of This Grand Show's energy. When the music is at its most dirge-like, the drums still go off. When the rest of the band catch up with Farwell, the tension is released and the energy explodes, then everything else tones itself back down and the tension and potential energy build again.

This Grand Show's madness isn't as immediately striking as it was with Grayceon's self-titled album last year, but don't be fooled. They've just gotten a little bit better at it. While you wait to be smacked in the face, they're knocking your feet out from under you and then setting you back up before you even know you've fallen. It's much more subtle, but don't think that means it won't move you.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Scream Hello - Everything is Always Still Happening

Label: Red Leader

Released: September 9, 2008

So, what do you expect from a band called Scream Hello? I mean if it was Say Hello or Scream I Hate You, it'd be easy to form some preconception, but Scream Hello? Who knows. As it turns out, the name fits the band perfectly. There's plenty of screaming to be sure, but Everything is Always Still Happening is just as full of a warm welcome into its world. At its most fervent (on songs like “Bullets”), it reminds me of early Dag Nasty, sharing that same inclusive outrage, that anger based in love.

On the other hand, tunes like “Cocoon,” even with a punchy 2/4 undercurrent, have as much in common with Death Cab for Cutie (including an ability to get away at times with lyrics that should be cheesy but somehow aren't) as they do with anything hardcore. Scream Hello's multi-faceted approach allows songs like “We Don't Exist” to explore existentialism with both offbeat, dissonant quirkiness and straightforward, unbridled tenacity. It all goes into the mix with the gritty punk rock of Hot Water Music or Avail.

Everything is Always Still Happening has passion and movement, yet never loses sight of itself. It's the kind of album that can draw from the periphery without alienating its core audience, because it has so much to offer on every level.

Ratings:
Satriani – 6/10
Zappa – 7/10
Dylan – 7/10
Aretha – 8/10
Overall – 8/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: The Baseball Project - Vol. 1 Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails

Label: Yep Roc Records

Released: July 8, 2008

Baseball is a slow game with a level of intensity and athleticism that is generally below that of many other sports. Yet there's nothing quite like sitting in the bleachers on a warm summer evening. There's nothing like the 7th inning stretch, nothing like a double play. Even in the days when a roid-ridden bum wears a crown that many years ago belonged to the storied Babe Ruth, baseball still draws us in. The story of baseball, America's pastime, is as beautiful and checkered as the story of America itself with an up for every down and vice versa. Its stories aren't just statistics for the record books. They tell us something about ourselves.

The Baseball Project, made up of Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate/Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3), Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows/Minus 5), Linda Pitmon (Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3) and Peter Buck (REM), is not simply a group of accomplished musicians who happen to like baseball, but rather a group as well-versed in baseball's deep human history as they are in America's musical tradition. This thoroughly American collection of songs about baseball, like the sport itself, is about so much more, because the band sees beyond the superficial.

They tackle the thankless good fight in "Gratitude (for Curt Flood)" (Flood sacrificed his career to fight against baseball's reserve clause) and life's tragic unfairness in "Harvey Haddix" (Haddix took a perfect game 12 innings and gave up a run in the 13th that kept him off a list of pitchers who only threw 9 perfect innings). "Fernando" shows the disparity between the displacement of Mexican-Americans at Chavez Ravine to build Dodgers Stadium and the LA fans' later embracing of Fernando Valenzuela. "Satchel Paige Said" is a tale of achievement in the face of adversity and "The Closer" is an analogy for moments of stress.

For music fans, the songs here are simply great and memorable. For baseball fans, the stories are a reminder of what still makes baseball important. For everyone, there is real humanity to which we can all relate. From start to finish, Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails uses baseball and song to tell us about life and few records ring as pure and true.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 10/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk

Label: Sony

Released: September 16, 2008

I had a few preconceptions coming into this one: David Gilmour is easily in my top 20 guitarists of all time. He clearly did great work in Pink Floyd and his diminished role on the Waters-dominated albums of the late 70s and early 80s show just how vital he (and Rick Wright) were to the band's sound and emotional quality. That being said, Gilmour's post-Waters work is a mixed bag. His eponymous solo album has some good moments and Division Bell is Floyd's best work since at least Animals (Shut up Wall fans, you've been deceived). The Bob Ezrin-dominated Momentary Lapse of Reason is, a few tracks aside, pretty near unlistenable, About Face is terrible and 2006's On an Island is only slightly better. Gilmour has his moments, they're just not all good.

To top that off, I saw Gilmour's Floyd on their 1994 tour. It was pretty easy to be taken in by the light show. Playing "Astronomy Domine" didn't hurt either. But it didn't take long for the smoke to clear and I saw it for what it was: old men going through the motions. They might as well have just played the records. Looking back, it might be the worst concert I ever saw.

So, I brought my baggage along, good and bad, for the Live in Gdansk ride. And here we go, David Gilmour, a favorite guitarist who hasn't done much that is notable in 30 years, is performing in the Gdansk Shipyards, famed birthplace of the Polish Solidarity movement that ultimately changed the face of Europe. Oh yeah, the Baltic Philharmonic showed up too. This has the making or either greatness or disaster!

Unlike my previous live experience with Gilmour, Live in Gdansk is not a sterile, note-for-note regurgitation of the material (mostly Floyd tunes, by the way). Gilmour's sound is so clean and yet here, he manages to make it warm and rich and natural. It doesn't always work perfectly. He changes the pace of "Astonomy Domine" and the result seems rushed, stealing some of its psychedelic thunder. However, that is the exception. For the most part, Gilmour breathes unique life into these old songs. None replace the originals, but many stand in their own light. Perhaps no challenge was more formidable than "Echoes" and it's there that he really shines. After being taken aback initially, this version's very different energy had a manic sense all its own, making it quite clear that Glimour, despite many recent stumbles, has a lot left to give.

This is not Gilmour's and certainly not the Gdansk shipyard's top moment, but both have a rich history that would be hard to eclipse. Gilmour's set is, however, worthy of this place and time, providing some fine new takes on old classics.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: DOA - Northern Avenger

Label: Sudden Death

Released: October 7, 2008

DOA is DOA and will likely always be, God bless them, DOA. If you're expecting something other than aggressive politico-punk from these guys, guess again. They still wrap up left-wing politics into simple, heartfelt songs whose anger and outrage never overarch their equal doses of life and fun. DOA has always managed to find that place where politics aren't simply preachy and fun isn't synonymous with ignorance and that's as true as ever on Northern Avenger. Joe Keithley and company have been at this game for three decades now, yet they have the exuberance of teenagers who are first finding something they can call their own and that's why they can continue to resonate with kids in a world that's changed more than just a little since 1978.

What's different about Northern Avenger is the production. DOA calls in their old friend Bob Rock (yeah, that Bob Rock) and frankly, that worried me. I mean, this is the guy who gave us Dr Feelgood and Metallica, not Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables or Damaged. Could Bob Rock's mainstream rock approach take its toll on DOA's honesty and credibility? The answer is no. In fact, Rock's production makes this a standout record for DOA. He doesn't temper their passions, but actually puts more punch into them. It makes me realize that Bob Rock's most famous work has helped bands be what they wanted to be. He didn't make Mötley Crüe commercial. They were already commercial, he merely helped them better achieve that end. And here, he doesn't make DOA passionate, but his help behind the board helps them convey their passion in a way they really haven't been able to previously.

This is largely the same ol' DOA. Sure, a few tracks like the ska-tinged soul of "Poor Poor Boy" might step outside their comfort zone, but the essence is the same as it was 30 years ago. The difference now is just that you can hear it better.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 8/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Avett Brothers - The Second Gleam

Label: Ramseur Records

Released: July 22, 2008

The Avett Brothers' breakthrough album, last year's Emotionalism, was a work whose broad influences were felt throughout and whose quiet ambition made it both huge and intimate at the same time. The Second Gleam, while keeping to the Avett's signature sound, doesn't share its predecessor's breadth. Instead, it focuses on intimacy and gentle folkiness. Not a single track could be described as rousing, yet it manages to rouse the soul with its simple honesty. As ever, the Avetts prove to be deceptively fine musicians who aren't afraid to put themselves into their music in a way that reaches heights both technical and emotional. The album focuses on personal themes (the past, family, love), yet manages to express them in ways that they can be personal for each listener in his own way.

Ratings:
Satriani - 8/10
Zappa - 7/10
Dylan - 9/10
Aretha - 10/10
Overall - 9/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Jonas Reinhardt - s/t

Label: Kranky

Released: November 10, 2008

This CD took me back to a sunny spring afternoon in high school, when the promise of summer vacation filled the air with excitement. I was driving down a little side street in Albuquerque when my friend Dave put on Poland by Tangerine Dream. I immediately made fun of Dave and his pretentious music, but even as I laughed, I got sucked into the hypnotic sounds. The music was uneventful on the surface, but if I paid close attention, I could hear every facet of the sound continually evolve into something completely new yet completely the same.

That Tangerine Dream CD opened a musical door I've never closed. I fell out of love with electronic music as it evolved into the vapid new age of the late '80s, but as club culture blossomed from the ashes of disco and the roots of house, I discovered the same layers of subtle excitement in virtually every stripe of electronic dance music.

It's neat to hear Jonas Reinhardt and be taken back to some of the deepest parts of my musical roots. Reinhardt understands what made the electronic music of the '70s and early '80s special. His compositions are subtle enough to fade into the background, but interesting enough to hold your focus if you choose to pay attention. Best of all, he knows the value of letting sound constantly evolve.

Unfortunately, he's not doing anything new. After hearing his debut, I went back and listened to Tangerine Dream's Phaedra and Klaus Schulze's Mirage; Reinhardt fits so seamlessly among them that it's difficult to tell where they end and he begins. Rather than using the past as a launching point for something new, Reinhardt merely imitates his musical forefathers.

There's nothing wrong with imitation, but unless it's combined with innovation, it's nothing more than nostalgia. When you consider how many great contributions have been made to electronic and/or experimental music over the past few decades by artists as diverse as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Paul Oakenfold, Einsturzende Neubauten, and Tim Hecker, it's hard to find time for someone who simply recreates the past. Even if he recreates it incredibly well.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 4/10
Overall: 6/10

Myspace

Website

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: The Clash - Live at Shea Stadium

Label: Epic

Released:October 7, 2008

What should we expect from a live recording of a band within a year of its own demise, a band who had recently dismissed its heroin addicted drummer and was already splitting apart at the seams in the wake of its own internal turmoil? Will it show the band burning out or fading away? With Live at Shea, we get neither. Instead it finds the Clash in their prime, a prime that lasted their entire career from its earliest rumblings out of the ashes of the 101ers to the near bitter end preserved here.

Many of the songs find new interpretations in the live setting, particularly those drawn from London Calling and later. “Guns of Brixton” is faster, finding a new groove, while “London Calling” is rawer and even more urgent. Perhaps none of the songs finds itself better live than “Rock the Casbah” where the band disposes of the song's novelty elements and instead rip it up with the ferocity it deserves. The transition from funk to reggae and back as they move from “Magnificent Seven” to “Armigideon Time” and then return is one of the most powerful messages of the unity of struggle throughout the world perhaps ever recorded. The fact that earlier material like “Tommy Gun” and “Career Opportunities” fall into place more easily doesn't diminish their impact though. The Clash find the heart of all their songs and bring their own class war to a crowd that was probably not even on the same side. Still, they resonated, because a band like the Clash is almost impossible to dismiss.

It seems hard to believe that a performance like this came so near the end of the road. It may seem like an early curtain call for one of rock's greatest bands, but Strummer and Simonen would prove it to be perfect timing when they formed their own farcical version of the Clash for 1985's Cut the Crap. But here, three years earlier, it was a different story. The Clash not only show that they were the only band that mattered, but more importantly that they mattered right up to the end.

Ratings:
Satriani - 7/10
Zappa - 8/10
Dylan - 10/10
Aretha - 10/10
Overall - 10/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Christina Carter - Original Darkness

Label: Kranky

Released: October 27, 2008

The first time I listened to Original Darkness, I wondered what in the world I'd write about it.

Now that I've listened to the CD a half-dozen times, I wonder how I can possibly say everything I want to say within the confines of a record review. My notes alone are nearly 600 words, and they don't possess any of the flowery adjectives and thrilling verbs with which I mask my mediocre writing.

So I'll try to keep it basic. This is tough music even for me, and I like tough music. Original Darkness is full of very simple musical passages -- folky guitar chords, angular melodies, troubled vocals -- that aren't very interesting on their own, but Carter layers them together in counter-intuitive and unnatural ways. Mildly pretty components meld to become an ominous and anxious whole.

The end result sounds how depression feels.

No, it doesn't sound like The Smiths, or Belle & Sebastian, or whatever stupid emo band is hip this week. Those groups sound like confusion or sadness or anger. Original Darkness sounds like clinical depression, a state where everything -- the good and the bad, the soothing and the stressful, the light and the dark -- is inseparably mixed together. You can listen to Carter's music and intellectually say, "Wow, the vocal melody and guitar chords are kind of simple and pretty," but you cannot pull the prettiness from the pain that surrounds it. It's like being able to see the beauty of a sunrise or feel the tenderness of a lover's kiss, but lacking the ability to separate it from the destructive thoughts that cycle through your mind.

The CD is far from perfect. By the end of the disc, it sounds as if Carter is running short of ideas. Although her voice is reminiscent of Beth Gibbons or Jesse Sykes, at times she sings with an in-your-face earnestness that conjures the most overwrought and downright awful folksingers from the late '60s and early '70s. The title track reminds me of the way Nina Simone tried to convey dramatic emotion at the end of "Four Women," but instead just sounded kind of silly. There are more than a few moments on Original Darkness where Carter's emotion just sounds kind of silly. To her credit, though, she never resorts to Yoko Ono-esque wailing, a cliché that would make the record unbearable.

Lots of musicians can do simple feelings: Carter's greatest artistic accomplishment might be that her music embodies a mental disorder. If you're not afraid of rough edges and dark corners, this is a CD that I'd highly recommend. It likely won't become a part of your daily listening, but it will hang around the dark places of your mind for a very long time.

Ratings
Satriani: 4/10
Zappa: 9/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Website

Website

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Carrie Rodriguez - She Ain't Me

Label: Manhattan Records

Released: August 5, 2008

Carrie Rodriguez's voice is beautiful. It's dynamic and full and she can be sultry, powerful and breathy at will. It is, as it should be, the centerpiece and strength of this album. She has the kind of voice that could lead her down any musical road she might choose and it seems more often than not, the technically talented stick to refined, methodical styles. Rodriguez doesn't though. She Ain't Me is a rootsy, country-tinged affair that allows her to exercise her voice in a very natural way. Rodriguez shares vocals with Lucinda Williams on "Mask of Moses" and they sound great together. Likewise, her songs aren't the silly fluff that runs through so much popular music. She's written songs that deal with humanity and faith and discontent and yearning.

The trouble that She Ain't Me runs into is that it never quite seems to break out. The overall feel is just too much like the studio and the band is very good, but, with few exceptions, uneventful. Without the innate sense that comes from a band really being together, the performance becomes a cage that prevents anyone, most notably Rodriguez, from really breaking free and taking flight. Throughout, I waited to hear her let go and it just never quite happened.

All in all, Rodriguez is way too good to be dismissed. Her voice, even restrained, has so much to offer and that strength makes the restraint even more pronounced. She Ain't Me is a rewarding listen that nonetheless leaves you feeling a little bit short of full, but hungry for the next album.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Polysics - We Ate the Machine

Label: Myspace Records

Released: September 30, 2008

Polysics make no secret of their love for Devo. The jumpsuits, the scientist-rock image, it all points to one thing. Their music however, goes further. Devo is clearly in the mix on this collection of synth-heavy, agitated new wave tunes and the result is fun, energetic...and entirely contrived. But they mix that 80s electronic pop with punk energy and more than just a small dose of old Japanese noisecore and that healthy dose of crazy keeps them from being trapped by their own hipness (a dangerous snare that many rehashers of the 80s have failed to avoid).

The vinyl comes as a double album that includes Polysics' previous album, Karate House, which was unavailable in the US. While things have been polished up a bit on their US debut, Polysics seems more in their element on Karate House. Their love of Devo was evident then too, but the album achieves a greater sense of craziness by being more fully under the spell of noisecore. The album is less accessible by far and still struggles a bit with its own identity, but the fun factor increases proportionately with their wonderful sense of nuttiness.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Street Dogs - State of Grace

Label: Hellcat Records

Released: July 8, 2008

State of Grace is an album of roots: family roots, community roots, ethnic roots...and musical roots. Don't confuse that with being about the past though. The album doesn't break out on any new musical paths, but it is every bit about the present and future as it is about the past. That's quite simply because it's alive.

Steet Dogs' musical roots are the likes of Stiff Little Fingers' rough, melodic honesty and Cocksparrer's angry, yet refined hooks. They don't nail every song on the album, with a couple or three that, for all their passion, just fall a bit flat (but only in comparison to their own highs, not against the field in general). But when they're on, they write the kind of punk anthems that thousands of kids would be willing to walk through fire behind. Street Dogs tap into why punk rock still means something to kids generations after it started. At their best, they are the soundtrack to the good fight and anger based on love. They are the songs I can play when I need the spark to be a better person.

History books are about the past, but roots are the basis for today. You can't stand steady to face the future without them. Street Dogs know their roots, but they live right here in the present and connect.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Eli "Paperboy" Reed and The True Loves - Roll With You

Label: Q Division

Released: April 29, 2008

Last month, I drove to a funeral in another state. Funerals, especially funerals for a man who sort of became my surrogate father when my own dad was 2,000 miles away, aren't usually enjoyable experiences, so I made sure to pack the car full of fun music. I threw a couple of classic soul albums into the pile, because few people understand life the way good soul artists do.

Eli "Paperboy" Reed and The True Loves went on that trip with me, and I've got to tell you, they helped to keep my perspective focused on the parts of life that matter.

Like most classic soul songs, the tracks on Roll With You focus almost entirely on love, lost love, lost love due to cheating, rediscovering lost love, redisovering cheating, and so on. And like most classic soul songs, the mood is buoyant despite the heartbreak that drives all the songs.

Now, you might argue that, being as Roll With You came out in 2008, the album doesn't qualify as classic soul. But you'd be wrong. Eli and his band cherry pick the finest elements of 1960's R&B, and they put it together in an album that is solid from start to finish. There's absolutely nothing ground-breaking here, but it's great to hear new songs in this style. The excitement of hearing Roll With You must be similar to how people felt in the '60s when they heard a new Wilson Pickett or Aretha Franklin or Otis Redding or Sam Cooke record.

If this had come out in 1968, it would've been rightly dismissed as derivative and redundant. If it had come out in 1978, it would've been ignored for being old-people music. But in 2008, the act of writing 11 new songs -- nearly all of which are on par with the greatest Motown and Atlantic tunes -- and recording them is bold in its own way. It's a statement that the past is never dead, and we can't ever lose sight of our history, no matter how far into the future we move.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Matthew Sweet - Sunshine Lies

Label: Shout! Factory

Released: August 26, 2008

Matthew Sweet had a good run in the early to mid 90s, releasing three very good albums in a row. Since that time, he's been erratic at best, including the appropriate but lackluster covers collaboration with Susanna Hoffs. Granted, Sweet's music has been lite, but his best efforts manage to meld sweet pop with a confidence in his own pleasantly bizarre perspective.

Sunshine Lies starts off with a series of 60s-drenched psych pop tunes that are among his best. The jangle is there, the hooks are abundant and the music, even when melancholy, feels awfully good. Heading into the second half though, Sweet stumbles into the Carpenters-esque saccharine pop of "Pleasure is Mine." But two songs later, Sweet is on track again with fuzzy garage rocker "Sunrise Eyes" and he puts together a strong finish with catchy songs that have Sweet's peculiar identity.

Sweet may never make another album on par with Girlfriend or 100% Fun, but that doesn't he won't make albums worth hearing. Sunshine Lies isn't without its sketchy spots to be sure, but in its best moments he at least knocks on the door of his past success.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: The Dark Romantics - Heartbreaker

Label: Lujo Records

Released: September 9, 2008

In the early 80s, Wall of Voodoo made some dark, moody and strangely captivating music out of a peculiar meeting of post-punk, synth pop and the roots of rock n roll. On Heartbreaker, the Dark Romantics find themselves at the same point where these influences flow together and they make music that is deliberately at odds with itself, nervous, pleading vocals and trebly guitar or stark piano poking through smooth synth textures.

It is an album that comes together only to pull itself apart into an unsettled restlessness. "The Death of You" is part synth pop and part "Ghostriders in the Sky," like a post-Armageddon cowboy song. "Never Been Loved" is reminiscent of "Careless Whispers" (yeah, the Wham song) only with a tangible madness and even the slick disco of the chorus doesn't diminish its humanity. The album's darkness grows into the coldness of the title track which knocks on Nick Cave door to insanity.

These songs believe that joy exists, but only in someone else's world. They are love songs for the unloved, breakup songs for those with no one to break with. Heartbreaker is for the broken heart that never had the opportunity to fully love. The discord yearns for beauty in a way that is, as the band name itself explains, quite romantic and entirely dark.

"Hush Your Mouth" mp3

"Let's Ride" mp3

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Elvis Presley - The Complete '68 Comeback Special 40th Anniversary Edition

Label: RCA

Released: August 5, 2008

The story of Elvis' 1968 comeback special is well known. By that time, the music that Elvis, not begot, but certainly laid the groundwork for, had passed him by. While Elvis was busy making silly movies like Blue Hawaii and Harem Scarum, rock and roll was broadening its horizons and beginning to take itself a bit more seriously in light of the self-empowerment of a generation involved in the civil rights and anti-war movements. Naive teen sentiments embodied in songs like "Hound Dog" or "Heartbreak Hotel" seemed ridiculous in light of the turbulent times. Quite simply, rock and roll was evolving into rock while the King was off following someone else's lame muse.

In this environment, Elvis returns to perform four sets on two dates in front a small audience at NBC's Burbank studios. There was absolutely no chance for him to recover the raw edginess he had on "That's Alright Mama," even with the return of Scotty Moore and DJ Fontana. Times had changed and so had Elvis. Nonetheless, his performance is loose and free. Elvis is light and agile and lacks the self-consciousness that he would have had if he really was a has-been. Oddly enough, he was nervous about performing live after a seven year lay-off, but he told executive producer Bob Finkel, "I want everyone to know what I can really do." And that is exactly what he did. Against the odds, Elvis was on fire. Perhaps that adversity is just what he needed.

In addition to the original album with which most everyone is well-acquainted, this package includes the full shows from which the TV special was culled and the rehearsals. It's really the rehearsals that make this set. You can hear that the King is hungry again. You can hear how confident and loose he is. This isn't the same guy who was forced in embarrassing roles in bad movies, this is just an older version of the guy who took a love of C&W, R&B and gospel and mixed it with his raw, though somewhat naive, sexuality and changed the face of popular music. It's evident on the original album. It's evident in the full shows. But nowhere is it more clear than in the free-wheeling rehearsals. Elvis and his band stumble through "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and despite the stuttering performance, they just sound great. Rock n roll was never about perfection and that's demonstrated here as well as anywhere.

This is not the Elvis that made young girls scream (although he surely made plenty of middle-aged women scream), but it's a farther cry from the Elvis that died with so much bacon fat and prescription drugs in his system that he couldn't even sustain a bowel movement. In 1968, even if only briefly, he was the King.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Omni - Ghosts

Label: Faux Pas Records (buy it at the band's site)

Released: May 2008

If you have any doubt that Radiohead has been tremendously influential on today's rock scene, take a look at all the bands that have inherited Thom, Johnny and company's particular take on Brian Eno. It's everywhere from indie rock to post-metal and Omni is no exception.

While the Radiohead influence is easy to put your finger on, to Omni's credit, their overall sound is not. They take ambient rock in many directions. Rhythmic change-ups give them a mathiness that runs throughout. They also mix in alt rock and emo tendencies and the experimental boldness of prog rock. Dabblings in funk and electronica also work within the context of Ghosts. Occasionally devolving into lite jazz doesn't undermine the record, but it does point out its biggest weakness: there too much head and too little heart here. Omni really only seems to hit their emotional stride once and that's on the minute and a half long "A Ghost." Otherwise, if they're feeling what they're doing, it just never quite comes across.

Omni certainly has creativity on their side. They've taken an increasingly overused influence and managed to do some very interesting things musically. Now the only trick is fill out that creative spirit with a sense of wildness to match, something that makes their music fly in fact rather than just theory.

Ratings
Satriani: 9/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Play - s/t

Label: self-released

Released: November 18, 2008

Anyone who thinks the head is more important than the heart in rock n roll pretty much misses the point. It's the reason that the MC5 were better than Emerson, Lake and Palmer, the Ramones were better than Steely Dan and the Replacements were better than Def Leppard. Sure, there are bands that give us the best of both worlds, but forced to choose, heart always counts more than head, because we feel the music, we don't reason through it.

On their self-titled debut, Play clearly understands this. This isn't the next big thing, but the thing that's always been. Twenty-five years ago, the American rock underground overflowed with this kind of band: the Replacements, the Del Fuegos, the Smithereens, the Long Ryders and others made a buyers' market for raw melodies and simple hooks. Today, most raw rock n roll falls into one of several niches, but bands putting soul into basic bar band rock are few and far between. Play goes some way toward filling that void. They aren't refined, they aren't brilliant and they aren't (thank God) perfect, but their pulse is that back beat you can't lose.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

DVD: Punk's Not Dead

Label: MVD

Released: July 8, 2008

Most documentaries are just visual histories of a band or a scene. The trouble is that they take a scientific approach with a hypothesis that they attempt to prove over the course of the film. But punk is a human story and one that, at its best, has dictated its own future. Punk's Not Dead lets the story tell itself, no judgments, no science.

It follows punk from the Ramones through the Pistols and Clash, on to Black Flag and Minor Threat. It picks up the punk revival of the late 80s and early 90s and its subsequent commercial breakthrough via Green Day up through the corporate-sponsored Warped Tour. The interviews include a few big names like Rollins, MacKaye, Biafra and Armstrong, but dig deeper as well into the Charlie Harpers and Jimmie Purseys, right down to the kids who make their own scenes happen (with whole sequences on little sub-scenes like Drunk Tank House as well as bits sent in from kids around the world).

Punk's Not Dead succeeds largely because it gets it. It doesn't take an outsider's view or have that old "back in the day" condescension, but instead focuses on the ever-changing and evolving state of the punk scene and how it has managed to be an alternative for thousands of kids even after it was co-opted by mainstream culture.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Cephas and Wiggins - Richmond Blues

Label: Smithsonian Folkways

Released: July 29, 2008

I was scared when I was first asked to review Richmond Blues. Most of what I've heard from Smithsonian Folkways has been extraordinary, but most of the music I've discovered on their label is classic stuff that's passed the test of time. It's hard to go wrong with Lead Belly or Paul Robeson or Woody Guthrie. But a new blues recording by a couple of guys I've never even heard of? I don't know...

In fairness, I have to put my bias on the table. I don't much like the blues. I went to a cut-rate music school in the late '80s whose mission statement might as well have been, "We'll teach you to play fast." And what's the easiest thing to play when you're learning how to play fast? Yep. The blues. You haven't lived until you've sat in a room full of long-haired Norwegian men pick-sweeping their way through a Muddy Waters song.

Needless to say, it soured me on the blues. And on long-haired Norwegian men, but that's a story for another day.

So after months of ignoring emails from the label asking me if I liked the CD, I finally accepted the fact that I had. To. Listen.

And hot dog! Listening is actually pretty fun!

First of all, this is pretty simple stuff, at least by Norwegian long-hair standards. It's an acoustic guitar/harmonica duo, with vocals. No drums, no bass, no amplifiers, no keys, and certainly no 32nd notes or whammy bars or any of that crap. The harmonica is much closer to Sonny Terry than it is Blues Traveller, and the guitar and voice remind me of Lead Belly. Not that Cephas & Wiggins sound like Lead Belly, but that's a much closer comparison than anyone like BB King or Muddy Waters or Stevie Ray Vaughn.

For more than 30 years, Cephas & Wiggins have kind of been the international diplomats of a style called Piedmont blues, because they've traveled all over the world playing their music and introducing the traditional sound to new audiences. I wouldn't know Piedmont blues if it came up and bit me on the leg, but I can't imagine anybody doing the music more justice than these two men. The interplay between the harmonica and the voice is awesome. There's a great deal of call and response happening, and it's just a lot of fun hearing what I can only describe as a conversation between Cephas' voice and Wiggins' harmonica.

I'm a bit surprised by the fact that most of the songs are slow or mid-tempo pieces. From what I read in the liner notes (which alone are worth the price of the CD), Piedmont blues was popular at black house parties and social gatherings in the South and Mid-Atlantic. This isn't music I can really imagine dancing to, though, which means either Cephas & Wiggins have spent too much time playing folk festivals and universities instead of Saturday night house parties, or my days as a glowstick-waving raver have irreversably corrupted my idea of dance music. Most of these songs make me imagine sitting on the porch with a jug of hooch while I listen intently to the music. (For what it's worth, I have never drank 'hooch' in my life, be it in a jug or a glass or a paper cup. But I bet some hooch would taste mighty fine with Richmond Blues.)

This is a good CD that is very different from what most people, especially those of us who were born and raised on rock, think of as the blues. One additional appeal of this CD is that, as a rock fan, I can hear this music's influence on groups like White Stripes. Richmond Blues is definitely worth a listen, even if you don't like the blues.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Video: Grayceon - Song For You

This one is a little gruesome. It's sad that some people live their lives this way.

Video - Bigelf - Money, It's Pure Evil

Crazy video, crazy song, crazy band. Bigelf's latest is one of the best albums to come out this year.

Review: Mad Tea Party - Found a Reason

Label: Nine Mile Records

Released: July 15, 2008

There is an interesting revival of old-time music afoot. Tapping into vaudeville, string bands and vocal groups of the 30s and 40s, these bands' strengths can also be their limitations, making many strictly revivalists rather a modern look at the past. A few, however, manage to break the bounds of revivalism to make music that is as thoroughly modern as it is old-time.

Mad Tea Party is just one of those bands. Like their peers, both vaudeville and string band music runs throughout, but they aren't satisfied to have Found a Reason limited to just that. Like few of their peers, Mad Tea Party is part of the uke-billy scene, a small but perhaps growing subgenre where the ukulele rocks like never before. Ami Worthen's voice brings the charming, quirky beauty of the days before dull, cookie-cutter perfection to an album that has roots in the past but also stands firmly in more modern times with both social commentary and pop culture (was that a Pac Man reference?). They can follow-up a fun look at adolescent awkwardness in "I Never Was a Cool One" with the quiet sadness of "Waltz of Despair" and no one will blink. They just have that unique ability to move around like that and yet retain their purity in a way that only bands like the Dead and the Violent Femmes can.

Jason Krekel's licks are at times worthy of Chuck Berry as Mad Tea Party rips through some great rock n roll. Yet, they don't even stop there, moving into early 60s AM pop and surf at times as well. Mad Tea Party still manages to package this up into a distinctive homogeneous sound, taking detours that enhance the trip but don't change the destination. Their multi-faceted soul moves in ways that are both serious and fun, sometimes at the same time.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

"Every Way" video

Mad Tea Party - "Every Way" (2008) from Skizz Cyzyk on Vimeo.

Website

Myspace

YouTube

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues

Label: Secretly Canadian

Released: June 17, 2008

Just because an artist has done all that can be expected of him and has earned the right to rest on his laurels, doesn't mean the work he started is done. So it is with Bob Dylan and The War on Drugs has picked up the cause and put their own spin on it with Wagonwheel Blues.

The album doesn't always sound just like Dylan (though the vocals always stick to Dylan's crazy, can't-sing-but-I-can-still-pull-it-off-better-than-anybody style). At times the band sounds like the meeting of the Jayhawks and the Velvet Underground. At others, they lean toward the Smiths (fronted by Dylan and not so mopey) or space rock (also fronted by Dylan). They get big and bombastic like Springsteen (if he had Dylan's voice) at one point. They even deal in noisy guitar pop at times. But whether they're being laid-back and folky or echoey and noisy, the Dylan in them rings true.

It's tempting to assume that it's just Adam Granduciel's voice that draws those comparisons, but the reality is that goes beyond that. The cadence of his voice with the music is off-kilter and the words forced to break the meter and rhyme which really serves to emphasize the lyrics that are rich with imagery and clear pictures of places I've never been, but feel like I now know. Of course, Dylan did that too. Around each corner, the album offers some subtle or not-so-subtle angle, staying both interesting and true to itself. Again, that's Dylan.

It's interesting, because a Dylan rip-off would just be annoying, but that's not what we have here. Wagonwheel Blues is just picking up the unfinished work of a great artist and forging ahead in its own direction with that artist's spirit and with a good bit of his creativity as well.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 9/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Zebrahead - Phoenix

Label: Icon Records

Released: August 5, 2008

There are great albums that are definitive in their genre, essential to their scene or even influential across the full spectrum of rock music. Then, there are (possibly) great albums cultivated on ground made fertile by their more innovative predecessors. Can they really be called great? Who's to say for sure, but there are some at least that knock so heartily on the door of greatness, that it seems unimaginable that they would not be let in. Phoenix is one of those albums.

Zebrahead doesn't do much that hasn't been done before. At their worst moments, their energetic pop punk gets a little bit too close to the Offspring...but in their prime. In their better moments, Zebrahead infuses pop-punk, an increasingly dull and placid genre, with passion and excitement and better hooks to boot (check out "Death By Disco" if you doubt it). Drawing at times on hip-hop and electro-punk, neither of which is a new idea, they incorporate the sounds much more seamlessly than the genre-cut-and-paste games played by many of their peers.

Phoenix is not an album about brave new musical horizons and perhaps that will lead to diminishing critical returns over time. But right now, it's a must hear record for anyone who ever even had an inclination to like pop punk. It's towering energy might just make you forget that it's all been done before, but forgetting might not matter, because new or not, it's seldom been done better.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Sharks and Sailors - Builds Brand New

Label: self-released

Released: August 1, 2008

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so the physicists say. You cannot effectively defend your position without understanding the opposition, so the orators say. You cannot know up without down, dark without light, good without evil, so the philosophers say. Ours is in many ways a world defined and understood in terms of opposing forces.

Sharks and Sailors understands this. The very fiber of Builds Brand New is built around this concept. It is these opposites, contrasts if you will, that are the texture of the music: sweet melodies versus grating noise, ambient fluidity versus sharp angles, technical skill versus emotional release. While this is a fine technique, it is hardly unique in and of itself. But there is another wrinkle to Sharks and Sailors: They don't use these opposing forces against each other as a means of creating tension. Instead, they are more like yin and yang, forces spinning around the Taoist center of the overall album.

They have clearly taken a few lessons from the Smashing Pumpkins in their prime, but these songs voice something more cerebral than Gen X brattiness. "Metes and Bounds" stretches out so far that it feels epic as it alternates between sharp art-punk angles and airy prog spaceiness. It manages to compress time almost, concentrating what should be a 20 minute opus into six minutes. It is like the ocean dripping into the dew drop. And that's how this album goes, wide and expansive, yet it would nearly fit onto one side of a 90 minute tape (for those of us who remember those days).

Without getting into the realm of the nearly unlistenable, Builds Brand New manages to find an unturned patch of ground in rock music. What they've sown there is both musically and philosophically compelling.

Ratings:
Satriani 7/10
Zappa 9/10
Dylan 8/10
Aretha 8/10
Overall 8/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Russel Hornbeek of Music Saves Lives

Providing yet another way to do some good while you're catching a Warped Tour stop, Music Saves Lives addresses the dire need for blood and marrow donors. Not only do you get to save a life, but you get to go backstage in the process. Russel Hornbeek took some time to tell me a little bit about the organization's goals and accomplishments.

RnRnMN: What inspired the founding of Music Saves Lives?

RH: It's didn't seem right that in the summer the blood supply dropped so low. I wanted to find the students that normally donated during the school year and get them to donate in the summer.


RnRnMN: In the three years since Music Saves Lives was formed, how many life-saving donations have you accounted for?

RH: With this year almost finished we will hit almost 90,000 blood donations and that does not count the blood drives at all the colleges and high schools in spring between February and May. We have also reached over 12,000 marrow registrations.


RnRnMN: Why do you see rock fans as such a fertile ground for your work?

RH: It's all good ground. You can find anyone to care some, be it at country, rock or rap. I just love Warped bands and what better place then the Warped Tour. (laughs)


RnRnMN: Why do you think it's a demographic that hasn't been tapped until now?

RH: It's the way we go after the donor. I could not see a Red Cross employee running around Warped Tour, could you?


RnRnMN: How has being on the Warped Tour helped?

RH: That's who we reach. It helps that Kevin Lyman lets donors backstage too.


RnRnMN: Have you had a chance to catch any of the music? Who have you enjoyed the most?

RH: Shwayze is great and Gym Class has been off the hook. Love the live show. I have even found a few parking lot bands that I liked.


RnRnMN: How can music fans get involved?

RH: The best way is to donate or run blood drives in your city. We would be glad to help you even start a club at your school.


RnRnMN: Tell me a little bit about the Gibson Guitar Project.

RH: We'll we get young great artists, give them a Gibson with nothing on it and have them create. It's really great to see what they come up with. This year's Gibsons are amazing. We have had signings by Katy Perry, Jack's Mannequin, Bouncing Souls and Reel Big Fish. We then auction them with Unite the United to support our efforts at saving lives.


RnRnMN: How do you see Music Saves Lives growing over the next few years?

RH: If we keep getting the same support, I see us saving thousands more in Canada, and other countries soon. This is a global program and everyone bleeds red.



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Johnny Rioux of Street Dogs

This year's Warped Tour may have been a little short on punk quantity, but not quality and Street Dogs were among the best. I caught up with bassist Johnny Rioux to find out how the tour's been going, the reaction to the new album, State of Grace, and what's coming next for the band.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

JR: Warped has been treating us really well. We've made a ton of new friends out here. We've also been able to play for people that generally wouldn't know us, which was the goal, I guess. That isn't to say that it hasn't been hard, long hours, long drives, portapotties, and lack of sleep, but it's been a blast.


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Has it lived up to your expectations?

JR: The simple fact that we are putting out a record on a new label that knows how to promote bands on Warped. We were also offered main stage which was a first for us. We've been able to make new fans and set up for our fall tour and a 90 minute set (as opposed to the 30 minute warped set) nicely. A lot of our fans are older and work 9-5 so (they) can't come to Warped Tour. It created a great opportunity to spread the message to new fans. I think it's exceeded expectations.


RnRnMN: That gap between the stage and the barrier on the main stages inhibited a lot of fan/band interaction. You were one of the few bands to breach that gap and really connect. Do you find it difficult that the fans are a good ten feet back from the stage?

JR: You could put Mike on a skyscraper and he'd find a way to connect with fans on the ground. We are a "peoples band", so we will always bring it to the people.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has been known as "punk rock summer camp," but there aren't as many punk bands this year. As one of the few punk bands on the bill, do you think the diversity is good or bad?

JR: I didn't know 90% of the bands before Warped Tour. I've discovered a couple bands that I could listen to, but yeah very few. That said, we've had a posse of people we've been hanging out with every day: Aggrolites, Briggs, Bouncing Souls, Rise Against, Horrorpops, Broadway Calls, Pennywise, GBH and Against Me! (to name a few). We are out here! Kids are into different music nowadays, and Warped tour doesn't have to have bands like us anymore to sell tickets, but the fact that we write real life lyrics with real melody, and the kids have responded so well to it makes the diversity worth while and interesting. I have discovered Ipods and noise cancelling headphones too!


RnRnMN: In the past, there has been tension between punk bands and others (NOFX versus Underoath a few years ago, for instance). Is that true this year or is there a good sense of community?

JR: No direct tension. If we see someone acting like rock stars or assholes we are the type of guys that will confront them ourselves. It's in bad taste to air that stuff to music fans on a stage in front of thousands. No offense to Fat Mike of course! That was pretty funny.


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

JR: Hands down, no competition, The Aggrolites are the best and most talented band on Warped Tour.


RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

JR: Real songs. Every note and lyric at every performance in front of 5 or 5,000 is from the gut and soul and done with 100% conviction.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

JR: I trust Kevin Lyman and Warped that the corporate sponsors they choose are not part of an evil empire and are fair and just companies. Warped Tour is the longest running festival tour in history and has helped give many of my friends a career and made punk rock a house hold name, for better or worse. I honestly hope Kevin Lyman has the biggest house on his block. He deserves it.


RnRnMN: How has the reaction been to your newly released State of Grace album?

JR: So far so good! We have the best fans on the planet. So long as we are sincere they support us and vice versa.


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

JR: Headlining tour starting 9/11 in Houston with Time Again and Flatfoot 56. Then its off to Europe with Flogging Molly on the Eastpack tour. Its gonna be a busy year!



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Chris Youngblood of To Write Love On Her Arms

One of the many organizations that joined the Warped Tour to spread their message, To Write Love on Her Arms simply reaches out to people in trouble, whether it be addiction, depression, suicide or any other trouble faced in today's world. Chris Youngblood, TWLOHA's representative at their Warped Tour tent, gave me some more info on their goals and achievements.

RnRnMN: Is the focus of your work suicide and addiction or any difficulty that young people face?

CY: The work we do focuses on difficulty any person, young or old, can face. We believe these issues of suicide, addiction, self-injury, or depression can affect anyone. We don't focus on just the issues of suicide and addiction either. One of the most common issues that we get questioned about, that isn't something we address in our "mission statement," is eating disorders. So we're definitely looking into how to address those things in our find help section and educate ourselves on as well, so we can give people somewhere to go when they ask about them.


RnRnMN: In such a plentiful time and place, why do you think it is that so many kids in America suffer?

CY: I think no matter how many advantages a person can have in their life, or how many materials they can be given, it doesn't mean they're immune to feeling alone. We realize it's hard for a lot of people to communicate and trust and have a strong community around themselves. We want to be a voice that encourages those things. To tell your story...to have people you can turn to and trust in.


RnRnMN: Obviously, things have gotten pretty serious by the time you get involved, but what can someone do to help themselves before things get to that point? What can friends do?

CY: It goes back to my previous answer. One of the biggest things we do is communicate and encourage the people that turn to us. We want to encourage and challenge people to have someone they can turn to and trust in. It's an amazing feeling to know you have that in your life. Friends can be a catalyst for this. Be genuine to their friends when they ask, "How are you?" Let them share what's going on in their life and in their head. Paying attention can mean the absolute world to someone who needs their story to be heard.


RnRnMN: You're a Christian organization, but you're very explicit that your services are open to everyone because "Christian" can alienate people. Why do you think that is? Do you see dispelling that notion as part of your mission or is it incidental to your work?

CY: We actually wouldn't even consider ourselves to be a Christian organization. We, as people and staff, have our own beliefs and we think that's where labels should stay. You're right, labeling an organization "Christian" can alienate people. There are many people out there who feel like there's a judgmental stigma that goes along with the word and the people who call themselves Christian will guilt them with everything thing they have done wrong, or tell them the only way to be better is through the lord. We want people to know they have a place to come to and trust, where they won't be judge and they won't get the words from a bible waved in front of their face. We're here for everyone and we feel good about who we've been able to reach by putting ourselves out there like we have.


RnRnMN: Both religion and rock and roll seem to play an important part in how you reach people. Many people on both sides feel the two are at odds with each other. How do you see them working together? Does one lead people to the other?

CY: We saw them work together great at a week-long event we took part in this past July called, Cornerstone. It is known to be a Christian music festival and we were able to connect with many passionate people who felt these issues were important. We heard some great stories from people about how certain band's music and lyrics pulled them through a rough night. I'm sure there are stories out there from people who had no beliefs and heard a band they loved and took a listen to their lyrics and then found out the beliefs of the people in the band, and then from there they were lead to a religious view. And that's a beautiful thing. For someone to find themselves through something like that, and it gives them that light in a room of darkness, then let it be and be encouraging to that person.


RnRnMN: You get a lot of support from bands. Do you approach them or have you found that they come to you? How important is that support and why?

CY: Bands are definitely a huge reason why we are where we are. The response from them coming to us and sharing a little of their story, or how much they appreciate our voice in these issues is something we're very thankful for. I'm currently out on the Vans Warped Tour and the bands out on this tour have been amazing to us. Music can give a voice and words to people who can't figure out what exactly to say. It can make them feel. Bands can make this happen. The fact that the bands out here wear our shirts on stage and that can possibly have a few people in their audience raise their eyebrows and wonder what "To Write Love On Her Arms." is, and then they can find our tent and ask us questions or flip through our information book, is honestly a privilege.


RnRnMN: Two of the organizations you support fight human slavery. How does that tie in to your work fighting depression, addiction and suicide?

CY: In early 2007, Jamie and his sister Emily took a trip to India in an amazing experience where they saw there was a need. There are people there who deal with these issues. That are broken. It's something that makes you realize these issues aren't just something that Americans deal with. People all over the world deal with these issues. Human slavery is a very big issue in that area of the world and that can lead to those people seeing their only outlet being suicide. If they don't turn to that than abuse and depression can be something they will deal with for the rest of their life. We have mentioned how much we like the idea of being a global organization and we're taking the first step in addressing the fact that these are issues that are dealt with not just in our corner of the world.

RnRnMN: If you could give kids a message in a single sentence, what would it be?

CY: Your story is important and we are here to listen.



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: Street Dogs

Not that it comes as any surprise, but the Street Dogs put on one the day's best performances at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.



See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

DVD: James Brown - I Got the Feeling: James Brown in the 60s

Label: Shout Factory

Released: August 5, 2008

There is little doubt that James Brown is an iconic figure in American music. From "Please, Please, Please" to "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)," Brown has found a way to resonate not only within the Black community, but also in a broader America. As Al Sharpton says in The Night James Brown Saved Boston, the first of three DVDs in this set, "James Brown made mainstream cross over to Black." Like James Brown, so too did the Civil Rights movement crossover so that today we all reap its benefits.

When you watch The Night James Brown Saved Boston, you will see how one man in one moment made all the difference. There is nothing I can write to prepare you for the power of that moment. The whole documentary, over an hour long, focuses on that moment, but also puts it into the context of the America that led up to it, what happened in other cities that didn't have such a moment or such a man and what followed. It shows how a man changed a moment, how that moment changed the man and how the man went on to change people.

As if the documentary isn't enough, the entire concert is included on the Live at the Boston Garden, April 5, 1968 disc. Unlike the documentary, this shows in detail just why James Brown could make a difference: not because he was a profound thinker or a gifted speaker, but because he connected with people on an emotional level. When he asked "Can't I get respect from my own people?" they listened, because they were his people, not because of race, but because of what they shared in his music.

If you still haven't had enough of Soul Brother No. 1, Brown's March 1968 appearance at the Apollo (which also found its way to television as James Brown: Man to Man) is also part of package. While it lacks the historical urgency of the Boston Garden show, it does demonstrate that James Brown didn't need to be in the midst of one of the 20th Century's most poignant moments to raise his intensity to a fever pitch. While it doesn't quite measure up to the Boston Garden show, it's better recorded and better filmed. Among its best moments, one wasn't even musical. When James Brown discusses his vision for Black America, it's clear why he held such sway over the crowd in Boston only a month later and therefore ties the entire package together.

Does anyone question that James Brown was the most intense performer of all-time? If so, they haven't seen these shows. Call him what you want, Mr. Please Please Please, Soul Brother No. 1, Godfather of Soul, but the bottom line is the man performed with an energy, urgency and intensity that puts everyone else to shame.

Rating: 10/10

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Audelio Flores of Set Your Goals

Following their first full-length, Mutiny!, in 2006, Set Your Goals have toured with the likes of Anti-Flag, Alexisonfire and Big D and the Kids Table. They also made an appearance at the Bamboozle earlier this year. Now on the Warped Tour, I had the chance to find out how things are going and what's up next from guitarist Audelio Flores.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

AF: Warped tour has been great, just a really long summer camp with good friends. Kids have been awesome. Can't complain. I got used to showering with my solar bag. (laughs)


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Has it lived up to your expectations?

AF: Well we did 2 weeks in '07 and wished we could have done the whole thing. So when we got offered '08, we couldn't say no. It has lived up to its expectations. We've been able to hang out and party everyday.


RnRnMN: Are these the biggest crowds you've played for? How does it compare to playing smaller shows?

AF: They are some of the bigger crowds we've played. Like Boston was insanely huge for us. It always is. It’s like playing at home. Nothing compares to playing the smaller shows. They are more personal and intimate. But the upside of playing the Warped crowds is that we get to play to new audiences.


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

AF: It's hard to real say who's the BEST band. There are so many great bands like Beat Union, Four Year Strong, Farewell, Ludo. There's so many good ones. I really liked Bedouin Soundclash. Also, watching 3OH3 is always fun. The Smart Punk Stage has a lot of great bands.


RnRnMN: There are a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

AF: Because we are here to have a good time and we have nothing to prove. We are just here to do what we love and that's music.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

AF: What does "sell out" mean? If Warped Tour didn't have the "corporate sponsors," Warped Tour will no longer keep going. You need their money to be able to fund bands' guarantees. We need to be able to make some kind of money, at least enough to eat and get to the next date.


RnRnMN: Your brand of hardcore is on the melodic side. Do you find that expands your fan base? Does it help get your message out?

AF: I didn't know we were a specific brand of hardcore. I think our fan base has expanded a lot because we are not scared to tour with different styles of bands. We try to get our music out to every kid possible. What helps you get your message out is touring, touring and touring. That's all we do and we love it and we thank all our fans for all the support you have given us. If it wasn't for you guys coming to our shows we would not be a band. Much LOVE!


RnRnMN: If you could give the kids at the Warped Tour one piece of advice, what would it be?

AF: Do what you love on your own terms and don't let anyone tell you different.


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

AF: Work on some new material and get a new record out. But also get back to our families. We are all a bit burned out right now and being able to go home to reality will be good for all of us.



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Review: Billy Joel - The Stranger (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

Label: Sony Legacy

Released: July 8, 2008

Billy Joel is a top-notch songwriter, but there's always been something that I just didn't like. Maybe it's the showtune quality of many of his songs, maybe it's that many are geared toward adults, maybe it's because he often tells the stories of characters I just can't bring myself to care about. Anyway I look at it, I can appreciate him, but I can't get into him.

That being said, I don't think I need to go into the details of The Stranger. If you don't know these songs, you must have spent the last 30 years in a fallout shelter or something. They're practically anthems of the post-60s Baby Boomers who had cut their hair, forgotten their protests and were gearing up to vote for Reagan in a few years. The Stranger is, as it always has been, a great album...if you like that kind of thing.

So, the question with this Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition is, "Does this re-packaging make it worth buying again?" Well, if you have a thing for nice vinyl, this is your opportunity to get The Stranger in all of its 180 gram glory. The LP only includes the original tracks, but it does come with a download code for the album as well as the bonus disc, a show recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1977. It is always nice to get a live recording that comprises a single show, but it's also nice to get one that shows an artist freed from the studio and firing on all cylinders. While the Carnegie Hall show does occasionally find Joel in fine form, it is largely no more spontaneous that his studio records. None of the banter gives any insight into Joel himself or the songs. It's a good bonus for serious Billy Joel fans, but non-essential for the rest of us. The CD version also comes with a live DVD of Joel's 1978 appearance on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test. Because I have the LP, I can't comment on the DVD, but I suspect the high-quality vinyl is a bigger attraction than his BBC appearance. Either way, Billy Joel fans get something good, but most of us can probably live with our old copy of The Stranger.

Original Album:
Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 7/10

Carnegie Hall Bonus Material:
Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 3/10
Overall: 6/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Leader of Oreskaband

There are only a few bands with a trombone player on the Warped Tour this year (unlike the ska heyday a few years back), but only one is from Japan! I got a chance to catch up with Leader of Oreskaband to find out how the tour is going, what's up with their movie, Lock and Roll Forever, and what they have in store for the future.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

L: Great! I feel like time is passing in a flash since the tour started and it’s been a blast! Every single day there are lots of bands playing energetic shows all over the place. Each day is filled with new encounters with good music, good pals and different audience in different cities. We’ve been getting so much inspirations from playing the show, watching other bands playing and just being on tour in general. Unexpected things happen sometimes but we’re just enjoying each day to the fullest!


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Is it all you expected?

L: We played in seven cities at last year’s Warped Tour. Kevin Lyman saw us perform and offered us to play the whole dates this year, after last year’s tour. We were saying to each other that we’d want to play the full tour the next year, so it was a big surprise when we actually got the offer. The tour is a great opportunity for us to get our music out there, so it’s a big honor to be able to participate again this year. Hopefully there will be more people coming to see our own show because of the Warped Tour.


RnRnMN: When you formed Oreskaband back in 2003, you were barely teenagers. Did you think you would be touring the US before you even turned 20?

L: Not at all! We made Oreskaband just because we wanted to play music in a band and had no idea where it was going, but by 2004 when we started playing at local clubs, the band has became our life and started wishing strongly for the band to last as long as possible. We then got signed to Sony Music Japan, but even then we had no idea that we would ever have a chance to tour in America. We get flustered by unpredictable turn of events at times but have fun with whatever that happens...and that’s us.


RnRnMN: What bands got you into ska?

L: The reason we formed a ska band is simply because I wanted to do a band but could only play trombone. I thought a band with horn players is supposed to play ska music...I was ignorant about ska music that much. So that’s how we decided on doing ska, but once we started going to see other ska bands’ shows, we kept being intrigued into the upbeat rhythm of ska music that makes you feel good. Even if you don’t know a song, ska makes you happy and dance. We feel fortunate to have found such music!


RnRnMN: Are these the biggest crowds you've played for? How does it compare to playing smaller shows?

L: I think so. It is definitely a big-scale event with many bands and various stages and it is our first experience to do a show every day like this. And knowing the number of people who look forward to this festival coming to their cities, I can see how big of a deal this tour is to many music fans. I think the main difference between this tour and club shows is that, with this tour, there is more opportunity for your band to be seen by many people. Also, since this is an outside festival, shows get affected by weather and accidents like storm can happen, but I guess that’s one of the things that makes the festival exciting!


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

L: There are so many good bands and it’s hard to find time to check out their shows. To name a few, Reel Big Fish is the band that we’ve been listening to since we started our band and Beat Union is also a super cool band that brings the UK flavor to the Warped Tour. I also love Aggrolites, TAT and Bedouin Sound...their music gives me goose bumps!


RnRnMN: There are a lot of bands to choose from. Why should someone see Oreskaband?

L: Because our music makes you happy. Warped Tour would certainly make your day happy but we make it even happier and more fun. If you’re happy, we’ll make you happier and if you’re feeling down, let’s dance and have a blast together!


RnRnMN: Tell me about the movie, Lock and Roll Forever.

L: We are the lead character and play ourselves, Oreskaband. It was filmed in U.S. and Japan and although it’s based on our experience, the story is a fiction. It’s a story about Oreskaband, a Japanese local band that has no one to believe in them but got a chance to go to America, trying to make it big against all odds with our love of music and through encounter with many people. We also recorded soundtrack to the movie so please look forward to it, too.


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

L: We’ll go back to Japan and play some shows and release a new album. We haven’t released an album in 18 months so we want to bring our Japanese fans what we’ve felt and experienced in the past 18 months through the new record. We also got signed by an American label so hopefully the new record will be released in America, too. And of course, we’ll be back to the States to do a tour so please come see us then!



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: Broadway Calls

I missed Bedouin Soundclash to see these guys! Here's Broadway Calls at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.



See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Review: Ride the Boogie - s/t

Label: Longhair Illuminati

Released: June 17, 2008

Ride the Boogie's self-titled debut is a dark, trippy album. It dabbles in stoner elements, but often avoids that genre's heaviness, giving the music a core, but also the freedom to move around that core and not get stuck in the usual ruts.

From the Baroque pop psych of the opening track, it's clear that Ride the Boogie have a few unexpected tricks up their sleeve. Whether it's the butchered and re-assembled pop of "All Night" or the psychobilly leanings of "Mexico," Ride the Boogie don't settle on a single approach to conveying the central feel of the album. Even on the more stoner-oriented tracks, like their loose, dark bluesiness on "Big Ass Bass" or their nod to Fu Manchu's appreciation for Nugent over Sabbath on "Flat Out First Gear," they manage to be dynamic. The album finds a fitting ending with the dark cabaret of "Catch Phrase" followed by the ambling collision of indie rock and Americana on "Skipped Through a Towne."

The album is enriched by a live sound that furthers its living, breathing experience. That life is really what gets to the point of the album's strength. Ride the Boogie approached the music without any fear of missing expectations. It's alive with the life that the band gave it freely, under no duress to impress. It isn't always on, but even when it misses, it still feels good.

Ratings
Satriani: 5/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Bigelf - Cheat the Gallows

Label: Custard Records

Released: August 12, 2008

Make a list of all the grandiose artists and albums in rock n roll history and you probably have a map of the influences on Cheat the Gallows. Bigelf manages to seamlessly move from one of rock's big ideas to the next, making an impressive sound for themselves in the process. It's scary territory and in a sense, it's the train wreck that didn't actually wreck.

Take a song like "The Evils of Rock n Roll." Over the course of six and half minutes, it goes from Sabbath to Budgie to the MC5 to Deep Purple to Sweet, not in a haphazard manner, but so smoothly that you'll miss it if you aren't paying attention. The whole album works this way. "Counting Sheep," the album's finalé, is Dark Side-era Pink Floyd and then before you know what happens, it's dabbling in the dark, heavy riffs of Black Sabbath only to finish up like an old vaudeville show. They borrow from several Pink Floyd eras actually, hitting up Syd Barrett on "No Parachute" and then borrowing the grand theatrics of the trial from The Wall on "Blackball." At other times, they help themselves to Aerosmith's early swing, Bowie's outrageous flamboyance and Queen's bombastic showmanship. In short, they aren't shy. In fact, other than a few of the bands they incorporate into their sound, almost no one has been able to go this far over the top and survive. Instead, they thrive on a sense of theatrics and an underlying soul that keeps Cheat the Gallows, with its ironic skepticism about fame and fortune, from being a regurgitation.

Nothing is entirely original. Nothing appears out of thin air. Everything has influences, but there is a popular misconception that if those influences are discernible, the band is not as original as if they're hidden deep under the covers. Bigelf proves that a band can wear its influences on its sleeve and be on its own trip nonetheless. Cheat the Gallows has liberal helpings of everything big and bombastic about rock n roll in its pot, but the stew it cooks up is fresh and new and downright exhilarating.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

For another take on the album, check out the Heavy Metal Time Machine

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Travis of From First to Last

From First to Last is following up the Spring release of their self-titled album on Suretone Records with a summer-long stint on the Warped Tour. On the verge of breaking through to the next level, vocalist/guitarist Travis Richter took a few minutes to tell me what's going on with the band and what's in store for the future.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

T: Greeeeat!


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Has it lived up to your expectations?

T: It was a chance to play with a bunch of great bands and hang with good people. It has definitely lived up to my expectations and beyond!


RnRnMN: How does the Warped Tour compare to playing smaller shows?

T: It’s outdoors and you can easily get a bunch of new fans from the people just happening to walk by while you play.


RnRnMN: You seem to finally have yur line-up solidified. How does being on grueling schedule like the Warped Tour affect the dynamics within the band?

T: It makes us come together more and it makes us more on our ‘A’ game since we never know what time we are playing each day.


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

T: Four Year Strong.


RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

T: Because of my short shorts.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

T: Well due to my current status, ending my long term relationship with Craig Beasley, I don’t mind the AT&T sponsorship. I wouldn’t mind it less if they gave us free phones. (laughs)


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

T: Taking a vacation to Costa Rica, aka my home in Orlando, FL.




Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: The Color Fred

I was able to catch some of the Color Fred's set at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.



See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Mike Ruocco of Cinder Road

The Warped Tour, having expanded beyond its punk rock base, brought along hard rock band Cinder Road. The tour stop in Columbia, MD was a bit of a homecoming for the Baltimore band. I got the chance to see how things are going on the tour and what they have coming up.


RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

MR: Warped tour has been a very different experience for us coming from the rock world. It is a great look into the true DIY scene.


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Has it lived up to your expectations?

MR: We were given the opp to join Warped from Kevin Lyman. We gladly accepted and looked at his opp as a new challenge for us to conquer. So far is has been a good experience.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has clearly gotten away form being a primarily punk festival this year. As one of the hard rock bands that joined the tour this year, do you feel like it's given you the opportunity to reach a new audience?

MR: Yes definitely. We have had the opp t reach a whole new audience unfamiliar with our music. This is a big goal for us anytime we tour.


RnRnMN: Are these the biggest crowds you've played for? How does it compare to playing smaller shows?

MR: No we recently spent 2 months on the road with KISS playing stadiums and arenas so it is not the biggest crowds we have played to. However your crowd is soley dependent on your advertising abilities and who is competing for a crowd during your time slot.


RnRnMN: How was it coming home to play the Warped Tour stop in Maryland?

MR: It was great to visit home and see some familiar faces. We can't wait to go back!


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

MR: Anberlin or Story of the Year are personal favs for me.


RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

MR: We bring a different musical style and sound to warped. Hopefully the fans are open to new experiences.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

MR: I know that I'd like to have a corp sponsor if that answers your question.


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

MR: We are scheduled to go out with Alice Cooped for some shows and then its down to writing a new record!



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Review: Annabel - Now That We're Alive

Label: self-released

Released: Summer 2008

My wife is a great cook. When she makes something, it tastes great, but it also looks great. She tells me that the appearance is important, that the appearance shows that she cares about what she's prepared for us to eat. I may never have thought of that had she not brought it to my attention. I'm too busy stuffing myself with Hippy Burritos to notice, so she doesn't do it to entice me to eat, she does it because she cares about what she's doing.

What does this have to do with record reviews, you ask? Everything if the record is Annabel's Now That We're Alive. You see, before even playing the album, it's clear that they care about what they've done. The CD and card come in a handmade cloth pouch. When was the last time you got a CD in something like that? Probably never, because you just don't come across that many bands who care that deeply for what they've produced and choose to honor their work in a similar fashion. So, before even listening, I'm already impressed.

Of course, the album (like the burritos) has to have more than just a nice exterior or the appearance, no matter how much care went into it, is meaningless. So the question still remains: How is the music?

Annabel play a low-key indie rock that combines hints of both noise and twee pop. The jangley guitars and throbbing bass line of the opening track are instantly engaging, but that does nothing to prepare your ears for "Castles in the Air," a more understated twee-oriented song whose sublime pop sense would make Brian Wilson jealous. They push the pop envelope even further on "Bouquet Mines" whose Woo-ooo's layer pre-Bealtes AM pop over angular rhythms. It says a lot about those two tracks that the Casiotone pop of "...And Elsewhere," which is nearly on par with the Postal Service, is actually a bit of a let down. While the album finishes, as it began, on an edgier note, it's the pair of songs in the middle that make it.

So, like one of my wife's meals, Annabel not only shows that they care enough about their music to wrap it up in a unique and personal package, but that the music itself is worthy of that honor. Better yet, it's great in a way that's almost impossible to pinpoint, so don't bother thinking, just let the pop wash over you.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.


Contact me if you want the recipe. They're seriously good.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Kristina Grossmann of Rock for Health

One of the great things about the Warped Tour is its desire to showcase activist and charitable organizations. Rock for Health is one such organization whose goals center around health care and advice for musicians who are frequently without any resources. Kristina Grossmann, president of Rock for Health, answered a few questions about the organization and its presence on the tour.

RnRnMN: You are a relatively new organization, formed in October of last year. How much have you been able to accomplish in the last 10 months?

KG: ROCK FOR HEALTH has accomplished a great amount in the last 10 months. By December of last year, when we were two months old, we already had Warped Tour confirmed. We received an invitation to SXSW this year, have done numerous press such as FUSE TV and Radio&Records Magazine, locked down a few tours, and have helped countless artists! The organization is growing very quickly - I'm very pleased!


RnRnMN: With the election this year and health care being an increasingly big issue at the state and federal levels, do you do (or hope to do) any advocacy work?

KG: Part of RFH's mission statement is advocating health and preventative care for artists. The biggest misconception about my organization is that we are an insurance provider -which we are not. We partner up with health insurance and health benefit agencies to help artists get affordable care. In advocating preventative care, we work with nutritional companies and other health companies to educate and offer artists healthy alternatives. I created a tour manual for artists that contains locations of free clinics, hospitals, ambulance services, pharmacies, ear/nose/throat doctors, chiropractors - you get the gist - in every major touring city. It also has information on how to stay healthy on the road, such as tour exercises and what to eat when at a gas station. RFH is an organization that makes people thing - "Why didn't I think of that?"


RnRnMN: Is your goal strictly health advice for musicians or do you hope to ultimately provide a means for musicians to obtain health insurance?

KG: One of the companies that we work with is a health benefit agency called MEDILINQ. We have a plan with MEDILINQ that for $39.95 a month, a whole entire band up to 15 members receives 40-60% off on prescription drugs, doctor visits, dental, urgent care, chiropractors, etc. We have already signed a few bands up for this service and they absolutely love it. I had a client save over $600 on a root canal! I have since been dubbed "The Healthcare Angel."

RnRnMN: How has your presence with the Warped Tour helped?

KG: Warped Tour has helped RFH immensely! With over 130 bands on the tour and an average venue size of 15,000 kids, Warped has been great. The best part is seeing how fast the company grows everyday while on the tour. I get more and more people coming up to me on the tour telling me how they heard about us or how they saw a certain artist on the tour wearing one of our shirts. More and more kids buy shirts everyday, more and more artists wear the shirts everyday, and we are helping so many more people in such a short period of time that we ever would have been able to. It's very humbling meeting people that are so genuinely thankful for an organization like this, and seeing the happiness of bands when they find out that someone is
tackling an issue like this. We are the only non-profit on this tour that is for the musicians themselves. With so many bands on the tour and so many people within the scene with connections to other artists, this tour is a no-brainer.


RnRnMN: Have you been able to enjoy the music or has it been all work on the tour?

KG: With me, it's always all work! But I love it. I absolutely get to watch bands on the tour - especially the bands that I am working with. Some of them are so hard to find that sometimes finding them at their set is the only option! I show them support for their support of ROCK FOR HEALTH.


RnRnMN: How do you envision Rock for Health growing over the next few years?

KG: In the future, I would like to have the funds to sponsor research on musician related illnesses, such as an ear/nose/throat doctor studying a singers vocal chords. I'm going to be having ROCK FOR HEALTH sponsored tours, benefit shows, etc, as well as being able to donate money to artists who are in some sort of health bind.


RnRnMN: Other than donations, how can fans help?

KG: To make a donation, you can visit our webpage or myspace. Donations are tax-deductible! Buying tee-shirts also helps, as that money goes into helping the artists. Fans can help by adding me on myspace and volunteering at shows and tours that we participate in. Everything from handing out fliers, posting our banner on your site, wearing tee shirts, to telling people about the organization helps us out so much!



Website

Myspace

Facebook

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: We the Kings

Here's some shots from We the Kings' set at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.



See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Brian Fallon of the Gaslight Anthem

When you go to a fest like the Warped Tour, there's so many bands that you have to make choices, but the Gaslight Anthem made it easy, because there wasn't anything that could trump catching their set. After a listen to their upcoming album, The '59 Sound, I had high expectations and the band met them. I had a chance to catch up with singer Brian Fallon to find out how the Warped Tour was (this was their last date) and what's up next for them (and a little talk about Springsteen).



RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

BF: The Warped Tour was pretty fun for us. It was hot, but of course it was hot, it's July! We were in a van and trailer, but hey, we make due. We had a good time.


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Has it lived up to your expectations?

BF: We did it to see the Bronx for free. We just wanted to do it. It's all about gaining experiences when you're a touring band and the warped tour is definitely an experience. It's really a pretty good time if you don't sit around and complain all day about the heat.


RnRnMN: Are these the biggest crowds you've played for? How does it compare to playing smaller shows?

BF: Actually we were on one of the smallest stages. We get much bigger crowds on our own tours. We really had to fight to get seen, so we just turned the live show up a notch and it worked. By the last day, there were a lot of kids watching us.


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

BF: The Bronx, the Bronx, the Bronx. Amazing!


RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

BF: You won't see any other band doing what we do live. I'm not saying we're the best, I'm just saying we're making a noise you don't hear so often nowadays. We've got our hands in the Motown pot. That's where we're drawing from.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

BF: I don't know man. I don't think everything can be mom and pop, but truthfully, I'm not into all that. That's jive to me. To me, it's about treating people right. I haven't gotten that perfect yet myself. When I do, then I'll start pointing fingers. For now, I'm busy trying to sort my own shortcomings out. Everything's sponsored, baseball, everything, but I'm not into all that though. I don't know AT&T from IPods. It's all out of my peripheral right now.


RnRnMN: Your new album, The 59 Sound, is like punk rock Springsteen. Do you guys like Springsteen a lot or is it just something that happens when you grow up in New Jersey?

BF: The Boss is the Boss applesauce.


RnRnMN: Springsteen is clearly not playing punk rock. How do you see the connection between Springsteen and punk? It seems like something that should have been done before. Why do you think that boat's been missed up until now?

BF: You watch live at Hammersmith Odean 1975 DVD and then you see punk rock. I don't think half the kids waving springsteen flags sound like Springsteen, I think there's a bit of a band wagon, tell 'em come down to Asbury Park and spend a few minutes here, then we can talk Bruce.


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

BF: We're going to Australia tomorrow and then Redding and Leeds, then the US from fall to winter. We're road tested, mother approved. Plus, we can't get no real jobs.



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: Gaslight Anthem

Here's some shots from Gaslight Anthem's set at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.



See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Review: New Found Glory - Tip of the Iceberg / International Superheroes of Hardcore - Takin' It Ova

Label: Bridge Nine

Released: April 29, 2008

This release finds the latest EP from pop-punks New Found Glory and a full-length from NFG side-project International Superheroes of Hardcore. Without a doubt, NFG are a band that could use a fresh start and a return to writing meaningful songs rather than the sap that made up their major label years. ISHC had a limited release that preceded this, but this is their first exposure to a broader world. So, both bands have something to prove.

NFG's Tip of the Iceberg EP certainly shows more heart than the band has exhibited since 1999's Nothing Gold Can Stay and for the first time, it's more punk than pop. While NFG members have been in these waters before, the band has never been here on record. Most of the songs still have a heavy dose of pop, but it doesn't drown the punk element like NFG have done for years.

The six songs on Tip of the Iceberg include three covers. NFG lighten up Gorilla Biscuits' "No Reason Why" to something akin to early 7 Seconds, but they're even more at home taking on one of Shelter's more melodic moments on "Here We Go Again." But every track, covers and originals alike, certainly has more substance than the band has had in quite some time.

ISHC waste no time separating themselves from NFG's lighter legacy. With a blistering pace and aggressive vocals, they lay down some serious East Coast hardcore grooves along the lines of Madball. It's not the most original work in the genre, but they could hold their own with all but perhaps the top handful of hardcore bands. It's full of heart-on-the-sleeve songs about the scene and the meaning of hardcore and what it means to really live the life. Still, they also exhibit a sense of humor on songs like "Screamo Gotta Go" and that's always refreshing in the all-too-serious world of hardcore.

Tip of the Iceberg/Takin' It Ova is an interesting packaging with pop-punk that hardcore fans can stomach and hardcore that won't scare the pop out of anyone. Both discs show bands at the top of their game and, for NFG anyway, that's somewhere they haven't been in a long time.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

NFG:
Website

Myspace

ISHC:
Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Dillan Wheeler of A Cursive Memory

Barely out of high school, A Cursive Memory is one of several young bands on the Warped Tour. Don't be fooled by their age though, because these guys are already making waves with their debut full-length, Changes, and the fabulous success of their video for the single "Everything." Here's drummer Dillan Wheeler's take on the band's Warped Tour experience.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

DW: A Cursive Memory and the Warped Tour go together better than cheese and crackers. If I had one criticism, it would be the heat on the east coast is too intense, to which I suggest Kevin Lyman turn the sun down a little bit next time.


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Has it lived up to your expectations?

DW: We had never done it before and the fact that we were able to play this year made it a done deal. We are just happy to be here. It has definitely exceeded my expectations.


RnRnMN: Are these the biggest crowds you've played for? How does it compare to playing smaller shows?

DW: We have been lucky enough to play to pretty big crowds. The Bamboozle Road Show treated us really nicely in that department. The only difference is with those shows we were a small, new band and got to play for a lot of people who had not heard us before. The cool thing about this tour is that we have had plenty of people stop by, just to see us, when there are other bands playing at the same time. It is encouraging to know that people want to come watch us and it really makes our day.


RnRnMN: You guys are among the tours youngest bands. What benefit do you think there has been for you in touring with bands who have been around longer and have more experience?

DW: Playing with older more experienced bands really makes you check yourself. We got to see how they prepare for a show, the way they transition between songs, how they organize among themselves on stage, and the business aspect of it all. It allows us to constantly reevaluate how we play personally and together as a band.


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

DW: It is way too hard for me to choose one band that is the “best”, but here have been my favorites to watch: Say Anything, Jack’s Mannequin, Set Your Goals, Every Time I Die, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Dr. Manhattan. I love watching Dr. Manhattan. They are absolutely nuts and I love it.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has been called "punk rock summer camp" in the past. Not really being a punk band, do you think that's still an accurate description of the tour? Does it create any tension with so many different kinds of artists? Are there any cliques?

DW: There definitely are cliques, but none of these groups are completely closed off. I haven’t noticed much tension between groups either. It just doesn’t seem like the kind of issue it was in the past where one band was talking trash about another band playing right next to them (i.e. NOFX vs. Underoath). Maybe I just have not been around it if it is happening. Naturally, bands of the same genre know of each other and tend to hang out the most together. I would still say it is like “punk rock summer camp.” No, we are not a “punk band,” although we do incorporate some aspects of the genre into our songs. The truth of the matter is that if there is a band that you think is not “punk” enough to be on the Warped tour, the REAL punk thing to do is not care.


RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

DW: People should come see us because if they don’t, they are not invited to my birthday party.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

DW: It is necessary I guess. For all I know the AT&T sponsorship is funding the stage that my favorite band is playing on, so it would be very bold of anyone to yell "sellout."


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

DW: Since we hop off warped tour on the east coast, we are hitting shows on the way back home from 7/29-8/9 and we are getting our fall shows lined up. More soon!



Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: Bouncing Souls

No strangers to the Warped Tour, the Bouncing Souls' set didn't disappoint. Here they are at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.



See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Review: Protest the Hero - Fortress

Label: Vagrant Records

Released: February 11, 2008

There is a musical gray area that exists between good bands that live within their limitations and great bands that have no limitations. Bands in that gray area are clearly very, very good and deserve credit for their willingness to push the envelope of their sound. At the same time, they get dinged for lacking the self-knowledge to know when to stop pushing and to start concentrating on songwriting rather than theory. These bands avoid the perfection that can be achieved on either side of them and the degree to which they avoid it determines whether their album flirts with greatness or disaster.

Protest the Hero's second full-length album, Fortress, certainly falls into that gray area. These guys' chops far exceed most of their peers'. The rhythms are tight and dynamic, their dual guitar attack can be both lightning fast and beautifully melodic and Rody Walker's vocals are as effective when smooth as when brutal. They incorporate hardcore's brutality and thrash's speed with moments of symphonic metal that actually aren't all that gratuitous. In their best moments they knock on the door of the Mars Volta, but unlike Volta, their songs often lack the cohesiveness that turns experimentation into song. That and perhaps the thinness of the production are the limiting factors of the soaring potential of Fortress.

All members of Protest the Hero are under the legal drinking age (here in the US, but not in their Canadian home), yet they've been playing together for nine years. That may account for both their incredible ability to play together as well as their struggle to write focused songs. For such a young band, they are incredibly literate, writing lyrics that sensible enough to get a feel for the song, yet cryptic enough to keep you guessing. If they could translate that same ability into the music, they would get out of that gray area and do more than just flirt with greatness.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 4/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Shwayze

One of several hip-hop acts on the tour this year, Shwayze's laid back jams and good-time vibe stood out amongst punk, hardcore and emo...and the ladies loved 'em.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

S: Warped has been really cool.. I think over the years its become more diverse, which is great for a group like us. We'll play in between two hardcore bands and still have our fan base in full effect, also we get to touch fans that may not normally be exposed to our music.


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Has it lived up to your expectations?

S: When we got the call to do Warped Tour we were stoked to do it. It's been a lot of fun.


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

S: I have to say my boys in 3OH!3, these rappers out of Denver Colorado. Check them out!

RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

S: Because we're the dopest! And all the girls come to our stage!


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

S: A necessary evil. I mean the tour has been going on for 15 years. They must be doing somthing right! Right?


RnRnMN: When you guys played, girls went crazy. It was like you guys were the Beatles. What's up with that?

S: Ha ha. I dont know. Girls were the inspiration while making the record so I would only hope they come to the show.


RnRnMN: I'm a happily married guy. I don't drink or smoke pot. What does Shwayze have to offer me?

S: You don't have to drink or smoke pot to have a good time. Our DJ Skeet Skeet is straight edge, so if you come hang he'll be sober with you and as far as the wife goes...you gotta resist your own temptation playa! Ha ha!


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

S: Another tour! We have some shows lined up with Tyga and Sean Kingston. Also, our TV Show premiers on MTV July 23rd and our record comes out August 19th. Keep an eye out for Shwayze!



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: Shwayze

Shwayze put on a good show at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.



See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Review: The Devil and the Sea - Heart vs Spine

Label: Acerbic Noise Development

Released: January 29, 2008

When an album runs wild, there's not usually a whole lot of middle ground. It's either on the verge of brilliance or on the verge of disaster. The Devil and the Sea are certainly wild. Like Black Flag before them, they take the spirit of free jazz (call it free punk, if you will) and apply it within the sphere of their own genre. Into this mix, they throw early thrash elements, doom and post-metal drone and the vocal stylings of a soul in turmoil.

While the album does rein in its wild abandon for a few tracks, it's at its best when it pushes. The drums are wild, the bass fuzzy and the overall character is manic.
At times, the band seems on the verge of disintegration, but always manages to hold it together by the sheer force of will that pushed the music to its limit in the first place. Heart vs Spine is not a melodic record so much so that the little bit of melody that sneaks in on "My Soul Is My Abacus" is shocking. Instead, it has the slow, lumbering energy of a very large beast that plods deliberately along and then suddenly breaks into a stampede.

Growling has become such a common convention in heavy music that it's almost an instant turn-off, but the Devil and the Sea is one instance where anything less would be inappropriate and, unlike other bands who are simply following the formula, this growl conveys real emotion and the manic fragility of being on the very edge. It goes beyond inarticulate anger and, most importantly, it works. It thrives on being harsh, not smooth.

Plenty of bands go for crazy, but so few succeed. I guess it's just one of those things that's hard to fake. The Devil and the Sea are either really good actors...or they're just nuts. Listen and decide for yourself.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Donovan Welsh of Animo

Animo is one of the Warped Tour's younger bands, but this isn't their first time out. A few years ago, they lobbied Kevin Lyman directly for a shot at playing and they've been out each year since. Here's what bassist Donovan Welsh had to say about this year's tour and what the band is up to otherwise.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

DW: Its been pretty rad. The shows have been great and we have had a limited amount of rain out here. The days are long but its so much fun.


RnRnMN: You had to track down Kevin Lyman to get your first Warped Tour gig. How crucial was that to you as a band?

DW: It was one of the most if not the most crucial part of us keeping the band going. The Warped Tour is the perfect place for a band like ours. The audience knows that there will be new bands to check out, and they are geared towards our type of music. Kevin Lyman allows that to happen.


RnRnMN: How have things on the tour changed since those days?

DW: The bands change but the enviroment has always been cool. The biggest difference I think would be gas prices as they affect evrything to do with touring.


RnRnMN: How does paying to the big Warped Tour crowds compare to playing smaller shows?

DW: Playing Warped Tour is totally different as you have to "win over" the crowd. The competiton out here is thick, and you have a bunch of different stuff happening.


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

DW: Against Me! is the best sounding band out here, they are nearly perfect everyday.


RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

DW: Our show rules! Well, you are going to have fun at our show, thats for sure. We give it our all everyday out here and it shows.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

DW: I feel fine about it as it helps keep the ticket prices low and that means kids who don't normally go to shows to see new bands will be at Warped. Where else can you see that many bands for a low price?


RnRnMN: Blood in the Water has been out a few weeks. How has the reaction been?

DW: The reaction has been awesome. The record is selling well and kids are really into the new songs live. The record has been getting really great reviews so thats good.


RnRnMN: Tell me one good story from this year's tour.

DW: They have a sumo wrestling tournament once a week out here with those big suits. Brian, our guitar, player entered the other night and destroyed everyone. The matches are 2 out of 3 and Brian didn't lose once, it was so funny.


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

DW: We are up for a few tours and waiting to hear whats happening with that. But look for us to be on the road in the fall!



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: Relient K

Here's a few from Relient K's set early in the day at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.



See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Review: War of Ages - Arise & Conquer

Label: Facedown Records

Released: July 22, 2008

Over the past decade or so, the old notion that Christian rock was just a watered-down attempt to infiltrate youth culture has been dispelled by a new breed of Christian band. Not one that's trying to evangelize by tapping into the latest thing, but one who's intensity is the very expression of their own religious experience. Unlike the Petras and Strypers of the old days, these new bands can reach out to Christians and non-Christians alike, because you can get into the details of the message or just the vibe of their righteous anger and love.

Among this new breed, War of Ages has upped the ante in both aggression and skill, making them a conversion experience unto themselves. That conversion can be anything the listener needs it to be. While their themes are largely religious, they speak in musical terms that anyone can understand. There is a war, between right and wrong, good and evil, truth and lies, and Arise & Conquer brings that war to your stereo. This isn't about out of control anger either. While the whole album just boils over, it is also incredibly tight and uses melody well. The aggression is controlled, but not tempered.

Don't be fooled by the album art either. While it may bring to mind World of Warcraft, this album is not a game. It's the real thing.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: John Mellencamp - Life Death Love and Freedom

Label: Hear Music

Released: July 15, 2008

By many, John Mellencamp has long been thought of as kind of a heartland Springsteen and Life Death Love and Freedom won't do much to dispel that notion. However, Mellencamp exercises a grittiness that has long been absent from Springsteen's work. Where the Boss has more than once attempted to recreated the raw honesty of Nebraska and failed, Mellencamp actually succeeds, in his poor man's Springsteen way at least.

Life Death Love and Freedom has the human connections that Mellencamp's best work has thrived on. This time, however, it seems more personal. At 56, he seems too young to be contemplating his own death, but much of the album seems that way. Recurring themes of religion, the afterlife and the passage of time permeate this rootsy, bluesy album. Only "My Sweet Love" is upbeat. The rest of the album ranges from dark rock dirges to melancholy folk.

While Mellencamp isn't as good at introspection as he is at observation, Life Death Love and Freedom is still among his better albums. He doesn't shake his principal influence, but embraces it, so this record doesn't make a case for greatness. But it is honest and easy to connect with.

Here's the video for "My Sweet Love":


My Sweet Love (official) from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Static Radio NJ - An Evening of Bad Decisions

Label: Black Numbers

Released: September 9, 2008

Back in the early 80s, Minor Threat discovered something about hardcore: Melody and intensity aren't mutually exclusive. As seminal as MacKaye and company were, that's still a lesson that's been lost on a lot of bands. But not Static Radio NJ.

An Evening of Bad Decisions finds Static Radio NJ progressing from solid, but common hardcore to the top of the game. They haven't jumped on the metal-core, post-hardcore or (thank God) emo bandwagons. This is hardcore the way it's meant to be played, just a bit more on the melodic side. Sure, songs like "Places" back away from the edge a bit, but even there the emotional level of the record stays high. Unlike so many hardcore albums, this one sings to you, not at you.

The bottom line is the sound is crunchy, the tempo fast and the vocals passionate. All that and you can sing along as well. It's not the next big thing, but it is just about the best thing going.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Aaron Barrett of Reel Big Fish

Reel Big Fish were right in the thick of that third wave of ska ten or so years back, but they're one of the few bands to not only stick around, but to still be vital and their Warped Tour performance on Columbia, MD on July 16th was evidence of that. Singer Aaron Barrett gave me some feedback on why they're still going strong and how the tour has been thus far.


RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

AB: We are having an amazing time on the warped tour! Awesome crowds, lots of great bands and lots of stuff to keep us busy every day!


RnRnMN: How many times have you played the Warped Tour and how has it changed over the years? How does this year compare?

AB: I don't know if it’s just been so long that I don't remember or what but it just seems that the whole thing runs a whole lot more smoothly than ever! The catering is a thousand times better than ever too!


RnRnMN: Ten years ago, ska bands were everywhere, but not so much now. What do you have that's kept you around when so many of your peers have fallen by the wayside?

AB: I think the important thing that has kept us around and going strong is that we never listened to the record company, we listened to the fans! The record labels would cluelessly ask for "modern rock singles" and mixes of songs with "the horns turned off," but we always stuck to what WE wanted to do and we knew that the fans were there supporting us and loving what we did too!


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

AB: Against me, Oreskaband, Gil Mantera's Part Dream


RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

AB: Well, luckily for us, a lot of people know about our band and have heard the name, so that might draw them over to our stage while we're playing. Also, our reputation of being fun and entertaining helps bring people over too!


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

AB: Well it has always had corporate sponsors like Vans and such, it's just a way to get more money so that the production is better and everybody can enjoy the experience that much more. It does get kind of annoying to be constantly aurally and visually assaulted by ads everywhere, but that's just the world we live in right now, I guess.
___________________________________________________________

Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: Reel Big Fish

Reel Big Fish have been at it awhile, but they haven't lost a step (or their sense of humor). Here they are at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.


See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Jason LaRocca of the Briggs

I was able to catch up with Briggs' guitarist Jason LaRocca to find out how the tour was going, what the reaction has been to their new album, Come All You Madmen, and what's up next.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

JL: Been good, we have our crew of bands that we are having a great time with; The Aggrolites, Against Me!, The Bouncing Souls, Reel Big Fish. It's going very well.


RnRnMN: Have you played Warped Tours in the past? If so, how does this year compare?

JL: We have done bits and pieces of the tour since 2002. I would say that so far this one has been the toughest as far as the punk scene goes. There aren't that many of us out on the tour this year. So far I would say that 2007 was the best line up in my opinion. The tour this year is by no means however bumming me out. It's great. It isn't the same however without a band like Bad Religion on the tour.


RnRnMN: Are these the biggest crowds you've played for?

JL: Some yes, some no. Sometimes we play very early and a lot of our fans miss our set. Sometimes you play right in the middle of the day and play for a thousand people or more.


RnRnMN: How does it compare to playing smaller shows?

JL: The smaller shows are great. They are intimate and always are a great time. It is fun though to be able to see so much music in the course of a single day. It's a different animal.


RnRnMN: How has the reaction been to the songs off the new album, Come All You Madmen?

JL: A lot better than I was expecting. Even before the record came out when we started the tour there were tons of kids singing along to the new songs. That is a great feeling!!


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

JL: Dillinger Escape Plan


RnRnMN: There are a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

JL: Well, in the first place someone who is coming to see a punk show only has about four bands to choose from this year. It actually makes the decision process nice and easy.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

JL: All I know is that I show up and there is a stage and a bunch of kids and we go completely fucking nuts and that's that. It doesn't really affect my world any different than any other "non-sponsored" show would. Maybe it's nicer to someone else's pocket? But not mine.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour used to be called "punk rock summer camp." It sounds like that's no longer an accurate description. Do you think this is the year that changed?

JL: Yes. We are the odd band out on this tour. It feels very strange. The Bouncing Souls are out for a few days though and that's cool. Other than that it's just us, The Aggrolites and Pennywise.


RnRnMN: Has it created hard feelings or dissension within the tour?

JL: Well I don't think that we are very well liked by most of the bands. We call out some of the bands we hate on tour while we are on stage. That hasn't gone over very well with some of the other bands on tour. Oh well!


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

JL: Leeds and Reading Fest in the UK with Rage Against The Machine!



Check out the Briggs' latest video for "Charge At The Sun".

Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: Angels and Airwaves

This set is from Angels and Airwaves' set on the Highway 1 stage.



See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Cory Brandan of Norma Jean

Norma Jean is no stranger to touring festivals. They're one of the few bands that have played both Ozzfest and the Warped Tour. I caught their set at the tour stop in Columbia, MD on July 16th and they tore it up. I got a chance to check in with vocalist Cory Brandan to see how the tour has been going and what else is going on with the band.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

CB: She has been really good to us. She makes us pancakes every morning and showers us with gifts… it’s been a good time needless to say.


RnRnMN: You've also played Ozzfest. How do the two tours compare? Do you have a preference?

CB: They don’t really, two totally different vibes. The age difference alone will make you explode… or at least think really hard about how different the ages are. I honestly prefer Warped though. We have had such a good response on this tour.


RnRnMN: What did you expect from the Warped Tour going in? Has it lived up to your expectations?

CB: We played five dates last year and loved it. We had no real expectations but whatever they were I am sure that they were surpassed. This tour rules. How much more do I need to pump up this tour really??


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

CB: I would definitely say Every Time I Die, they are some of our best friends in the world and it just so happens that they have one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen.


RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get there and look at the schedule. Theres no way to see everyone. Why should someone see you?

CB: If you come see Norma Jean it will rain million dollar bills and ice cream. You won’t be hot at all and your God will suddenly know English. I don’t know… it’s a freakin party though.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

CB: I have no problem with that at all. They are supporting this tour and these bands ultimately, including Norma Jean, so we have no complaints. I think it’s actually really great they are supporting music.


RnRnMN: For years, Christian rock meant things like Stryper and Petra as well as a host of Christian pop artists that just never seemed all that inspiring or intense. Over the last decade or so though, there seems to be an increasing number of Christian bands playing very heavy and intense music like Demon Hunter, Spitfire, you and others. What do you think accounts for that? Is there any conflict between rock and roll and Christianity?

CB: Not at all… something I always tell people is that a sound can’t hold a belief. Whether its whistling, clapping, humming or a riff. A sound can’t be Christian or non-Christian, good or evil. It’s music. The content behind the music is a different story, but even then we are no different from our peers… we sing about what we believe in as most bands do.


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

CB: Our new record The Anti Mother comes out on August 5th in stores and online everywhere. We will be playing this years Revelation Generation festival in New Jersey, after that we be headlining the US on the Solid State Records tour this fall. Heck yeah!!

__________________________________________________________

Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: Every Time I Die

Here's a few from Every Time I Die's blistering set at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.

Review: Cinematic Sunrise - A Coloring Storybook and Long Playing Record

Label: Equal Vision

Released: May 13, 2008

The presense of Chiodos' Craig Owens and Bradley Bell will likely lead listeners to expect that band's bold and expansive offshoot from hardcore, but nothing could be further from Cinematic Sunrise. This project replaces punch with pop and challenges with safety. While that might not make every Chiodos fan happy, it at least gives this side-project a purpose and life of its own.

Cinematic Sunrise leans heavily on 80s pop style and production values and mixes it up with more recent emo crunchiness without creating a harder sound. Whether they're drawing on 80s piano-pop or folk-pop along the lines of the Church, it all taps into that long tradition of teenage drama songs.

These songs are all well-played, but lite and that begs the question: Is the material believable? The hooks make me want to believe, yet they're just so slick that there's that nagging feeling that there isn't much under the surface. Perhaps the answer comes on the EP's final track, "You Told Me You Loved Me." It rings about as true as "Sister Christian" and makes me think more of those K-Tel collections from the 80s that compiled "rock's sensitive side."

While the songs are well-crafted and the packaging (see below) shows a great sense of childlike fun, in the end they are, like the band's name implies, ultimately just an image even when they seem beautiful.



All that being said, I did catch their set on the Warped Tour and the music has some teeth live. Don't get me wrong, it's still nothing like Chiodos, but some of the slickness is tempered by hints of edginess and a lot of good-natured fun.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 4/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 4/10
Overall: 5/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Chap Stique of Family Force 5

Family Force 5 have played all but a few dates on the Warped Tour since it began last month. Their brand of Voltron-inspired electro-punk certainly makes them one of the more unique bands on the tour. I got the chance to catch up with guitarist Chap Stique to see how things have been going.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

CS: It's been incredible! Warped has seen the debut of the Family Force 5000, a 6 foot-tall, 760-pound drum machine that inhales electricity and exhales lightning. It looks like a giant NASA experiment that illuminates when you punch it. So the question isn't, how as the Warped Tour treated us..." it's really, "How has the Family Force 5000 treated Warped Tour?"


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Has it lived up to your expectations?

CS: The catering rules, the crowds are insane, and the water comes in a can, so it was a no-brainer decision for us. Warped has certainly lived up to our expectations, but the distinct detail in our tank-top tans has been the most awe-inspiring part thus far.


RnRnMN: Are these the biggest crowds you've played for? How does it compare to playing smaller shows?

CS: No, our crowds were a bit bigger on the Van Halen, U2, Devo, Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Rolling Stones, and Family Force 5 tour. We headlined.

We have a blast playing anywhere. Three years ago, our band played a show in Pittsburgh for two people. We bought a bunch of He-man action figures and threw them around the club while we danced on tables and sprinted in circles. It was one of the most amazing shows we've ever done!


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

CS: Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. Those guys kill it every day. They throw a football with the crowd and smash cans on one another's faces throughout the show. Soul Glow sang with them sans shirt last night because Dallas (their lead vocalist) was sick. Crouton and I played air-guitar and stage-dove during the last song.

I also like Norma Jean, Cobra Starship, Story of the Year, and Katy Perry.


RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

CS: Because we dress up in Voltron-esque spacesuits! We also have the biggest drum machine in the universe, and our lead singer wears silver hulk fists that glow in the dark. We have a professional dancer named Xanadu...nobody else has that.

Somebody once said, "Watching Family Force 5 is like watching 5 A-D-D kids who forgot to take their Ritalin and broke into the Red Bull truck." That's a pretty accurate description, except now it's progressed to being like 5 A-D-D kids in the future that forgot to take their electrons, and their shocking the system!


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

CS: Although a lot of Warped Tour kids don't think it's "punk" to create a partnership with a company (I respect and understand this stance), they don't realize that without the help of companies like AT&T, Hurley, and Monster, their favorite bands aren't able to eat. It's definitely crappy when bands or tours become overly corporate and lose their identities or compromise their beliefs, but partnering with other companies is essential in an era in which record labels are dying and album sales are plummeting. Sponsors are the new labels, and without them, artists won't be able to tour or record.


RnRnMN: You're considered a Christian band, but your songs contain little overt Christian lyrics. Is that by design or just the way you write? Do feel like you can reach more people by keeping the direct religious references to a minimum?

CS: Christian music has pigeon-holed itself into a predictable formula, and we strive to break out of that mold. God is much bigger than JPM (Jesus' per minute)'s and watered-down, cuss-word-free versions of mainstream pop music. We try to convey that in our message. Jesus didn't simply give answers: he spoke in enigmatic parables that made people think. We feel that Christianity and Christian music should do the same.

Family Force 5 tries to be real and to be relevant. We have written a lot of songs about faith and spiritual experiences ("Luv Addict," "Replace Me," "Radiator," "Face Down," "Never Let Me Go," etc.), but plenty of our tunes are about break-dancing and ex-girlfriends! Our hearts don't desire to have big alter-calls. We'd rather hug a kid who might not normally get a hug than beat him or her over the head with a Bible. We don't believe that statistics reach people the way relationships do, so we spend a lot of time writing our fans, hanging out with them, and giving them high-5's. We find a lot of significance in these interactions.


RnRnMN: Christian bands have made serious inroads into both the punk and metal scenes. What bands do you think have done the most to accomplish that? How do you see your role in that scene?

CS: Stryper, DC Talk, and Jars of Clay were some of the first Christian rockers to gain acceptance from the mainstream audience. They paved the way for the next stream of bands like MXPX, Blindside, and Zao. Now, it's becoming more and more common for spiritual bands to appear on tours like Warped, Ozzfest, etc. Underoath, Norma Jean, The Devil Wears Prada, Anberlin, and countless others are continuing to accomplish similar feats, but each in their own unique way.

Throughout this gradual growth, we have watched the purpose of Christian music change. It used to serve as a safe alternative that allowed kids to listen to music without foul language or explicit material. Now, we hope that it goes much deeper and follows an inclusive approach that allows people to connect on deep, personal levels. We want Family Force 5 to resonate with anybody, and to be relevant to people of any faith, race, gender, or galaxy. We don't want to sound melodramatic, but we're a part of a movement, and we hope that the movement will tear away the box that has been put around "Christian" culture and music. Family Force 5 would rather see the word “Christian” be used as a noun than an adjective.


RnRnMN: What should we expect from the new album, Dance or Die? When will it be available?

CS: Bombs, lasers, explosions, aliens, robots, and love. It's available August 19 in Hot Topic, Best Buy, Wal Mart, iTunes, and hopefully many other locations.


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

CS: We start our headlining club tour (called Dance Rawr Dance II) on October 6. It will feature Play Radio Play, Ultraviolet Sound, and Danger Radio. We just had a production meeting for the tour last night, and it's going to be crazier than a Kiss show!

___________________________________________________________

Website

See all of my coverage from Warped Tour date in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Review: Billy Idol - Idolize Yourself: The Very Best of Billy Idol

Label: Capitol Records

Released: June 24, 2008

Billy Idol's early career in Generation X is of questionable importance, even in the UK where they had a handful of charting singles. If you like early British punk, Generation X put out a couple records worth hearing, but neither is a definitive album in any way. It was as a solo artist however, that Idol found his niche by melding his punk roots with two burgeoning sounds of the early 80s: guitar-driven hard rock and danceable synth pop.

The best material on Idolize Yourself is really in the first seven tracks, culled from his self-titled album and Rebel Yell. Whiplash Smile gives old rock n roll an 80s production treatment which in retrospect does it no favors. It's listenable, but also forgettable. Things things go downhill from there until Idol sinks to his lowest with his butchering of "LA Woman" and the title track to the Speed soundtrack. However, "World Comin' Down," from 2005's quickly forgotten Devil's Playground and two new tracks are pleasant surprises (at least relatively speaking) to close the album.

One thing that often gets lost in the overly commercial legacy of Billy Idol is that he had a pretty good guitarist with him through it all. Someone once said to me that Steve Stevens was doing for electronic effects what Hendrix did for distortion. That's an overstatement, but not an overly dramatic one. Stevens was more than just another flashy guitarist from a period that churned them out as fast as their ridiculous runs up and down the fretboard. He did a lot with effects to give himself a distinctive sound and his playing is perhaps the music's most valuable element.

To really put Idol's career into perspective, Idolize Yourself comes with a DVD collection of his music videos. From the low-budget charm of "Dancing with Myself" to the high-end production of "Cradle of Love" an "LA Woman," the DVD shows both why Idol was such a big hit in the early days of music videos as well as the quick progression of those videos from inexpensive promotional material to big-budget mini-movies. He simply wasn't timid about making silly videos with not just a straight face, but a believable commitment that prouder artists would have balked at. "White Wedding" for instance is pleasantly goofy now, but 25 years ago (when I was 12 mind you), it was cool and it remains a classic of the golden age of music video. Billy Idol was one of the first rock artists to fully embrace the video age and he's continued to reap the benefits of that early foresight. In fact, Idol's image was so ubiquitous at the time, that we all forgot he stole that sneering lip from Elvis. Without the DVD, this hits retrospective would only give a small, very limited picture of Billy Idol. With it, however, the package is really all the Billy Idol you need (and then some).

Whether Billy Idol was a commercial visionary or just a major label tool, he remains an icon of 80s rock. Not one of his albums is essential, but his continued presence in my generation's collective conscience makes a collection like this convenient and worthwhile, particularly with the DVD.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 4/10
Overall: 6/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: David Bowie - Live Santa Monica '72

Label: Virgin

Released: July 22, 2008

This set has long been known to Bowie fans, because of its quality and accessibility (it was broadcast on LA's now-defunct KMET after all). But there's more to it than just that. The show finds Bowie on his first US tour, completely immersed in his new Ziggy Stardust persona and at the first of his several artistic peaks. As far as his live performances go, his later, more refined periods probably couldn't match this for theatrics and raw power.

The great thing about Live Santa Monica '72 is that it captures Bowie's flamboyance, but also reveals the substance beneath. Without the benefit of a visual, the album still shows just how over-the-top the Spiders from Mars were. In the middle of the set, three acoustic tracks scale things back and make the set more intimate without losing its drama. Bowie's fearless improvisation of the things he couldn't bring from the studio to the live setting show tremendous trust for his music.

Something else of interest on Live Santa Monica '72 is that it makes two things even more clear than they are on his studio albums. First, he was heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground. His cover of "Waiting for the Man" is far from the only evidence of the connection as Bowie dips into Lou Reed's arty minimalism over the full course of the concert. Second, Bowie was a huge influence on punk. The raw energy and disregard for perfection on this album had to be an injection into the already bloated world of rock music. Even the extended jam of "The Width of a Circle" maintains an intensity that doesn't let up over its 10 minutes.

This had to be a pretty incredible time to see David Bowie and even though I'm sure the recording pales in comparison to being there, it manages to convey an amazing breadth of what he was doing. It's raw, yet theatrical. It's flamboyant, but never grandiose.

Check out that ticket on the album cover. Wouldn't you love to see Bowie for $5.50 today?!?!?

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Vans Warped Tour 2008!

I spent all day yesterday enjoying plenty of sunshine and rock and roll at the Baltimore/Washington stop of the Vans Warped Tour. Coverage and pictures are on the way, but here's a quick shot of the huge circle pit that the Street Dogs had going around the sound tent.



See all of my Warped Tour coverage here.