tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-107253932010-01-27T12:57:22.346-05:00This is the home of reviews, articles, interviews and general thoughts about punk, indie, metal, alt country, alternative, no depression, hip-hop, hard rock, soul, etc, etc, etc. Really, it's just a bunch of rambling garbage about rock n roll that spills out of my head...bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.comBlogger864125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-71973959957581559412010-01-21T20:46:00.001-05:002010-01-21T20:47:11.878-05:00

Label: Hear MusicReleased: November 17, 2009In this decade, Paul McCartney has released as many live albums as he has studio albums. Even packaged with a DVD, Good Evening New York City, his third live release since 2002's Back in the US, begs the question, "Why another live album?" It doesn't take the album long to answer though.Despite McCartney's late-career studio renaissance, his live

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-6301453600896310852010-01-05T13:31:00.000-05:002010-01-05T14:21:48.116-05:00

Label: Eagle Rock EntertainmentReleased: November 10, 2009Are You Ready? finds the great Thin Lizzy in 1981, on tour for the less-than-great Renegade album. It also features guitarist Snowy White who, by his own admission, never felt suited to Thin Lizzy's hard rock sound and lifestyle. One would think this would add up to a disjointed and/or disenchanted performance, but nothing could be

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-44776640456671733052009-12-29T11:30:00.001-05:002009-12-29T20:47:30.117-05:00

1. Pomegranates - Everybody, Come Outside!From the first few seconds, it was clear that this was the album where Pomegranates went from promising to amazing.2. Grant Hart - Hot WaxKnowingly or not, Grant Hart went back and explored the influences that he poured into his work with Hüsker Dü. The results are astounding.3. Rachel Taylor Brown - Susan Storm's Ugly Sister and Other Saints and

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-53138841536656192272009-12-23T21:53:00.000-05:002009-12-23T21:53:07.431-05:00

Well, these are kinda, sorta in order. Well, after the top 20 or so, you can probably take the order with a grain of salt actually. The point, though, is that these are all albums from the last ten years that are worth hearing. 1. Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism (2003) 2. The Velvet Teen - Elysium (2004) 3. Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound (2008) 4. Bigelf - Cheat the Gallows (2008) 5.

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-89152114048437322822009-12-17T14:09:00.000-05:002009-12-17T14:10:48.845-05:00

Wow.

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-81322032646973151872009-12-09T06:24:00.001-05:002009-12-09T06:25:24.216-05:00

Label: Demolition RecordsReleased: October 13, 2009Are you sick of the 80s? I certainly am. Having the synthpop of my youth sold back to me as if it's a new thing is bad enough, but the more egregious offenders are the old hair metal dinosaurs who not only want to resell their corporate sound, but also the mindless, superficial party mentality of the Reagan years. While that stuff was a

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-40989219528091640772009-12-07T15:58:00.002-05:002009-12-07T16:00:17.289-05:00

Cool song. Quirky...yet accessible.Nico Vega - Gravity (Live @ The Roxy) from MySpace Records on Vimeo.

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-74657287273542223162009-12-01T16:11:00.001-05:002009-12-01T16:11:56.219-05:00

Label: Count Your Lucky Stars RecordsReleased: September 29, 2009Empire! Empire!'s previous release, last year's Year of the Rabbit 7", had some interesting musical moments that were drowned in a sea of emo drama. Their latest, What It Takes to Move Forward, still has its fair share of the dramatic and sometimes it still supersedes the adventurous nature of the music. However, unlike last

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-62940285774393686972009-11-13T12:55:00.000-05:002009-11-13T12:55:40.924-05:00

Label: I Scream RecordsReleased: October 20, 2009Considering they're fronted by Max Cavalera's stepson Richie, there's probably no way that Incite can avoid comparisons to Sepultura. That has to be a bit daunting for a young band on their debut album. After all, they're going to measured against one of metal's most intense and creative bands.Incite, however, doesn't seem to be all that

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-43650053840022295072009-11-13T12:50:00.000-05:002009-11-13T12:55:16.939-05:00

Label: KISS RecordsReleased: October 5, 2009Before even listening, Sonic Boom suffers from some degree of disingenuousness just because they dressed Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer up as Ace and Peter. C'mon guys, at least Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent got their own Kiss persona. And gee, the cover art looks a little familiar too.Sonic Boom does look back fondly on the band's classic years,

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-29919061314723993112009-11-08T10:04:00.000-05:002009-11-08T10:04:38.551-05:00

Label: Eagle Rock EntertainmentReleased: October 13, 2009When you combine Rick Wakeman with a celebration of the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's ascension to the throne of England, things are bound to be a bit over-the-top. Not to disappoint, Wakeman comes out in royal robes with six "wives" in period dress and the whole thing happens right in Henry's old home, Hampton Court Palace.Wakeman is

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-47828704940521408022009-11-04T01:28:00.004-05:002009-11-04T01:36:56.326-05:00

Sargent House will be releasing a split EP from Gold Old War and Cast Spells. The two bands will also be touring together on the East Coast in December, followed by a few California dates for Good Old War and Anthony Green.Good Old War / Cast Spells tour:12/03 Brooklyn, NY @ The Knitting Factory12/04 Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar12/05 Boston, MA @ The Middle East Upstairs12/06 Hamden, CT @

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-29347102304812498392009-11-03T09:08:00.004-05:002009-11-03T09:13:22.180-05:00

Considering that McCartney has done some of his best post-Beatles work over the last decade and a half, this new CD/DVD release is intriguing to say the least.Check it out: Get a free video and mp3:

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-62721391933645121812009-11-02T23:15:00.004-05:002009-11-02T23:29:05.558-05:00

Well, now that it's November, the holidays are looming. Get ready to be inundated with soulless advertising and hassled by over-zealous crowds. But it's not all bad. There's kids getting excited and the Salvation Army on the corner and Thanksgiving dinner and Midnight Mass...and this year's xo for the Holidays comp! Unlike most things this time of year, this one if free! Woo-hoo! Download

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-44662449671600561662009-11-02T21:33:00.003-05:002009-11-02T21:35:44.804-05:00

I was talking with a friend today and Sweet came up. While "Ballroom Blitz" and "Fox on the Run" are the best known tunes from their glam period, this has always been one of my favorites.

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-64874681709387977932009-11-02T15:36:00.002-05:002009-11-02T15:40:43.750-05:00

Label: Concord MusicReleased: November 3, 2009Of the 30 tracks that make up the two CDs of CCR's The Singles Collection, over half are songs we all know like the back of our hands. However, unlike a traditional greatest hits collection, this one includes all the b-sides as well. Sure, some had two sides that were popular enough to be more like a double a-side single, but there are still plenty

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-42784554627177958192009-10-22T21:29:00.001-04:002009-10-22T21:29:41.907-04:00

Label: self-releasedReleased: October 12, 2009True to the form they set with last year's full-length, In Drug City, Mighty High's new EP is nothing if not unabashedly fun. This 7" EP features two songs that waste nothing (except perhaps brain cells). "Cable TV Eye" is full-on stoner paranoia propelled by riffs they learned from hard rock leaning punk bands like Gang Green or the Circle Jerks in

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-71196515823474150042009-10-19T22:03:00.000-04:002009-10-19T22:04:25.550-04:00

Label: Suburban HomeReleased: October 23, 2009When I think of an album that tells a story, I tend to think of concept albums where the story often takes precedence over the music, resulting in weak, but often needed filler. Elin Palmer's Postcard has a very narrative nature to it, but in a far different way than a concept album or a rock opera. Instead of imposing narrative conventions on the

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-32622802117408987132009-10-19T00:44:00.001-04:002009-10-19T00:44:37.828-04:00

Label: Warrior RecordsReleased: September 15, 2009Fans of Chad Smith's other endeavors, the funk/punk of Red Hot Chili Peppers and the generic hard rock of Chickenfoot, will find his Bombastic Meatbats project to be a surprise to say the least. It owes more to 70s fusion artists John McLaughlin and Herbie Hancock and jazz-oriented prog than it does to any mainstream rock influence.At times, it

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-31166239506722259042009-10-18T13:18:00.001-04:002009-10-18T13:18:48.274-04:00

Label: Rainman RecordsReleased: June 26, 2009There's a handful of bands out there whose influence has been felt far and wide decades after they made their mark, yet they never enjoyed significant commercial success. The Velvet Underground comes to mind. So does Nick Drake. There are others, but in heavy rock circles, one of these bands rises above all others - Blue Cheer. Unlike most members

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-45527913684253116982009-10-17T22:40:00.000-04:002009-10-17T22:40:58.773-04:00

Label: Virgin/EMIReleased: October 20, 2009Jethro Tull live in 1978? Haven't we already heard that? The ill-timed Bursting Out was from European dates of the same tour and that immediately begs the question, of all the live Tull recordings sitting in the vaults, why release yet another form the Heavy Horses tour?Depending on your feelings about progressive rock, this concert could be seen as

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-49105132363703012172009-10-17T20:50:00.000-04:002009-10-17T20:50:28.736-04:00

Label: No Sleep RecordsReleased: August 11, 2009I love when a record is really busy, but doesn't get lost in the busyness. On the four song Only Boundaries, Balance and Composure fully live up to their name, balancing intricacies with listenable sensibility and remaining composed while the music swirls. "I Can't Do This Alone" combines a tribal rhythm with echoey guitar and yearning vocals into

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-29169978708186693982009-10-17T02:05:00.002-04:002009-10-17T02:30:46.130-04:00

Label: Friction RecordsReleased: October 20, 2009Albums that rely heavily on noisy dissonance and angular rhythms as a means of expression seldom even dabble in accessibility, but Person Place or Thing, the latest from Michigan's mathy post-punkers Victor! Fix the Sun, is clear evidence of what's missing from that narrow view.From the ringing guitar and wild, frantic drumming that opens the album

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-78853305020175211822009-10-16T11:05:00.000-04:002009-10-16T11:05:55.327-04:00

Label: Dancing Sasquatch RecordsReleased: April 2009So much stoner and doom rock tends to be an exercise in heaviness alone. While that certainly has its place, few people can take the steady bludgeoning that it offers even as it fills that need in all who really love heavy metal for the mind-numbing weight of slow, trudging riffs that take Tony Iommi to the extreme. Sometimes, however, a band

bob_vinylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08414008312753058491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725393.post-34756992493251649282009-10-15T15:55:00.001-04:002009-10-15T15:57:24.180-04:00

Here's the first single off of Prize Country's upcoming album, With Love:

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