Artist: Album: Genre: SelectFolkCountryRockHard RockAlternative RockBluesJazzProgressive RockMetalProgressive MetalProgressive Rock-MetalBlues-RockInstrumentalExperimentalTechnoDanceJazz-Rock-FusionFusionSurf-InstrumentalElectronicaBluegrassRhythm and BluesMotownJazz-Vocals-LatinReggae-ElectronicaJazz-VocalsRock-Metal-PunkChristian Folk RockDance-Electronica-PopRock-Pop-AlternativeRock-PsychedelicCountry-RockRock-MetalRock-Blues-Jazz-FusionRock-PopAlternative-Rock-FolkInstrumental-JazzChristian-InstrumentalJazz-World-FusionR & B-PopInstrumental-World-FusionRock-Blues-FolkFlamenco-FolkPopBlues-GospelElectronica-Alternative PopJazz-Pop-RockSymphonic RockFolk-RockCountry-Female VocalistInstrumental-RockFemale Vocalist-Dance-ElectronicPop-Rock-JazzRock-PunkNew Age-Dance-PopInstrumental-Rock-Jazz-FusionJazz-Rock-World FusionAlt-CountryClassicalNew Age-InstrumentalSoulSoul-R & BHolidaySoul-Folk-PopRock-Fusion-Jazz-Blues-Techno-Jam BandClassic RockAdult ContemporaryAdult Contemporary-Rock-PopRock-Blues-JazzRock-Country-BluesAdult Contemporary-Pop-Jazz-RockJazz-Instrumental-FusionSmooth JazzSmooth Jazz-InstrumentalR & B-Jazz-PopGarage Rock-PsychedelicSmooth Jazz-ContemporaryAll InclusivePop-Rock-Country-R & BProgressive Rock-FusionProgressive Rock-Psychedelic-ExperimentalCountry-Rock-BluesRoots Rock-PopAlternative Rock-PopRock-Blues-ACRock-Pop-BluesRock-Psychedelic-PopInstrumental-Rock-FusionWorld-InstrumentalPop-Rock-Modern RockPop-RockRock-ElectronicaFunk-R&B-Jazz-Lounge-Soul-Groove-FusionFolk-Bluegrass-JazzRock-FolkWorld-Native AmericanAcoustic-Folk-RockInstrumental-Latin-JazzJazz-PopRock-Country-Americana-FolkElectronica-Rock-PopAcoustic-RockR & B-Jazz-BluesSouthern Rock-BluesMetal-RockJazz-BluesFolk-Americana-BluesHip Hop-Rock-BluesRock-FunkElectronica-Hip HopAlternative Rock-RapHip Hop-RapRenaissance-Folk-RockRock-BluesAdult Contemporary-PopAmericanaNu Jazz-ProgressiveRock-Pop-Power PopPop-Punk-Rock R & B-FusionRap-RockPop-FolkPop-PunkPunk-GarageAlternative-Punk-RockRock-Folk-AmericanaFunk-MetalDeath MetalJazz-ACRapFolk-CountryProgressive-JazzElectronic-PopCountry-AlternativeCountry-PopAcoustic-PopHoliday-Smooth JazzHoliday-GospelWorld-Latin-Folk-InstrumentalAlternative Rock-PsychedelicJazz-Funk-SoulAcoustic-Folk-InstrumentalHoliday-ChristianBlack MetalAcoustic-FolkChristian-Rock-FunkRock-Punk-New WaveMexican American-Roots-AlternativeRock-New Wave-AlternativeAlternative-Pop Swing-Jazz-VocalsAlternative-FolkAlternative-Electronic-PopJazz-AmbientReggae-R & B-Hip HopAlternative-BluesSmooth Jazz-New AgeDocumentaryRock-Blues-PsychedelicElectronic-Smooth JazzElectronic-Pop-Smooth JazzReggaeSoundtrack Soundtrack-Jazz-Swing Rock-Metal-ProgressiveElectronic-FunkAdult Contemporary-Jazz-PopProgressive-Psychedelic- Rock-PopHip Hop-RockPunkRock-Classical-AlternativeWorld-PopHip-HopJazz-Bossa NovaRap-SoulSwing-JazzFunk-Rock-Soul-GospelMetal-Rock-GothicRock-IndustrialFolk-Classical-Pop-RockRock-Country-R & BAlternative Rock-Jazz-BluegrassJazz-RockAlternative Rock-CountryWorldWorld-Brazilian-Latin-Jazz.Instrumental-World-Experimental Instrumental-World-CelticElectronic-Ambient-DanceDance-World-PopJazz-Progressive RockLatin-JazzAcoustic-Folk-Rock-BluesRock-Progressive-JamPop-Comedy-RockGospelFolk-Soul-R&BJazz-Latin-FusionAlternative-Latin RockSpoken WordSka-Alternative-Beach RockElectronic-RockClassical-New Age-ACPop-Teen RockBrazilian JazzRock-Progressive-Fusion Rock-Metal-ElectronicAlernative Rock-Proto PunkSolo PianoIndustrialHardcore-MetalNew AgeAmbientCalypso-JazzElectronicElectronic-ExperimentalGarage RockJazz-Urban/R&B-Neo-Soul RockabillyPunk-MetalNeo SoulSynth Pop-TranceJazz-Avant GardeNew WaveSkaAfro Cuban-JazzPunk-PopChristianMetal-HolidayJam RockFunk-RockDJ-DanceArt RockContemporary ChristianRock-RootsJazz-FunkCeltic-RockRock-Pop-CountryIndustrial-NoiseChristian-Progressive RockCeltic-New AgePower MetalNu-JazzElectronic-DanceSoul-PopJazz-FusionExperimental RockNew Age-WorldAcoustic InstrumentalPost-Hardcore Metal PunkCeltic-ProgressiveProgressive CelticCeltic ProgRock-AmericanaProgressive Rock-InstrumentalMeditation   View All Keyword: Release Year: Select20072006200520042001200920082003Bunn19891994196920102002201120122112199620132103   Ravens Ballroom Rain Dance Ravens Ballroom is the trendsetting New York based band that has been playing in local venues and electrifying fans with songs from their new EP.  The band is comprised of Matthew Ravens (songwriter, vocals, lyricist, producer, and guitar), Simi Ravens (bass, vocals, songwriter, and guitar)...   The Inner Road Ascension The Inner Road is a symphonic instrumental progressive rock band. Coalition member Steve Gresswell created The Inner Road as a way to write more a symphonic style of progressive rock that wasn’t right for Coalition. Although Gresswell does the majority of the writing for The Inner Road, he...   A Life Divided The Great Escape Germany is a country that is rich in tradition and culture. Its writers, artists, scientists, and philosophers are known all over the world. For all its brilliant poetry, technological achievements, and immortal symphonies, one thing that Germans know how to do is how to rock. And A...   Arek Religa Warrior In Memory Of the Greatest was the first Arek Religa release I covered back in 2007. He impressed me so much he was chosen as our Weekly Featured Artist. Now 6 years have flown by and once again we have the opportunity to listen to this guitar virtuoso hailing from Poland. His instrumental tribute...   Liquid Tension Experiment 2 (Ltd. Ed. 2 Colored Vinyl LPs) Liquid Tension Experiment was a short lived successful venture by four legendary performers. At the time Tony Levin (Chapman Stick & Bass) was the older veteran musician and the other members were becoming firmly established in another band. As history would unfold the other three would carve their...   Savages-PICK OF THE WEEK Silence Yourself After last year’s CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, all the talk was about a new band out of London called Savages. The first song I heard from this band was a crazy tune called “Husbands.” It is full of this frenetic energy and crashing cymbals and is reminiscent of Siouxsie...   Merrell Fankhauser Area 51 Suite It has been several years since Merrell Fankhauser released new studio recordings (he has released several compilations and DVDs over the years as well). Rockin and Surfin was a 2004 release that I recall enjoying immensely so it came as no surprise that I had a similar experience listening to the...   Daymoon Fabric Of Space Divine Hailing from Sintra, Portugal, Daymoon is a transgressive rock band that uses influences from any type of music from the past millennium. Daymoon is currently made up of members Fred Lessing (vocals, guitars, flute, recorders, keyboard), André Marques (acoustic & electric drums, vocals,...   Stephen DeRuby Awakening Stephen DeRuby began his musical career as a child in the 1950’s. A folk singer in New Mexico in the 1970’s, his fascination with Native American culture grew. He heard his first cedar flute and became infatuated with the sound. Ten years later, after an illness put a temporary hold on...   Nosound Afterthoughts Nosound is an Italian neo-prog band that has previously released 3 studio albums, Sol29 (2005), LightDark (2008) and A Sense Of Loss (2009), thus making Afterthoughts (released 21st May) studio album number four. After several reviews for artists that I was relatively unaware of, I can safely say that...   Sterling Koch Let It Slide With the weather warming up, there is not a better time for the rocking sound that comes from a lap steel guitar. Hailing from Pottsville, Pennsylvania in the state’s coal region, Sterling Koch is a veteran blues man. Let It Slide is his fifth solo effort and Koch (lap steel guitar,...   Palma Violets 180 For those of you that have read some of my past reviews you know that I love me some classic, dirty sounding, rock n’ roll. Earlier this year I heard the song “Best of Friends,” a great song that sounds like it could have been recorded 35 years ago. Well, it wasn’t, it was...   Vangelis Blade Runner OST (180gm Red Vinyl LP) Ridley Scott’s 1982 Sci-Fi classic Blade Runner had an equally memorable soundtrack provided by Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou, a Greek composer known worldwide as Vangelis. His electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock, and orchestral scores, are recognized as more than an addition to...   Lia Scallon The Luminous Pearl Lia Scallon is a woman of many talents. Best known for her work as an actress with greats like Liam Neeson and Cate Blanchett, she decided to simplify her life and move to Australia. There, she has undertaken a life of musical creativity. Her work is centered on the philosophy of The Sound of Sirius, a...   Atropos Project Equator Atropos, in Greek mythology, was one of the three goddesses of fate and destiny. The daughter of Zeus, she was the fate who cut the thread of life. From this mythology, the name Atropos Project is formed. Atropos Project is a one man instrumental musical project created by John Quarles in New York....   Voodoo Circle More Than One Way Home Voodoo Circle formed in 2008 as a side project for Alex Beydroft, the guitarist from power metal band, Silent Force. The band is made up of Beydroft (guitar), David Readman (vocals), Mat Siner (bass), Jimmy Kresic (keyboard), and Markus Kullman (drums). Since forming they have released three...   The Nonrefundables Nothing to Be Done The Nonrefundables are a quartet from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, but you would never guess it from their sound. One would assume they were from southern California, or some beach area based on their surf influenced pop/punk style. Hondo (vocals/guitar), Chris (guitar/vocals), Frank (bass), and...   ZED Desperation Blues ZED is the hard rock band hailing from San Jose, California. Taking influences from past greats such as AC/DC and Led Zeppelin to more recent acts like Queens Of The Stone Age and Rage Against The Machine, ZED are made up of members Pete Sattari (vocals, guitars), Greg Lopes (guitars), Mark Aceves...   Paul Anka Duets Paul Anka is a singer and songwriter of many talents. Beginning his career in the 1950’s, he has steadily climbed the charts due to dual efforts of persistence and ability. His voice is one that we have heard for many years. In his newest release Duets, Anka showcases duets over the course of...   Amplifier Echo Street Following up a critically acclaimed album can be nerve-racking for a band. The pressure to recapture the success of the previous work can be enormous. Few let it faze them and continue right along producing fine work. This seems to be the case with Amplifier. It took them four years...   Hans Theessink Wishing Well Hans Theessink is a real veteran of the music business. He’s been around for over forty years and has released more than twenty albums. After all that time, he still wants to create and record new music, as his latest album, Wishing Well, shows. Theessink’s new recordhas a laid-back,...   Vidunder Vidunder Formed in 2011, in Malmö, Sweden, Vidunder is a rock power trio consisting of Martin Prim (vocals and guitar), Linus Larsson (bass), and Jens Rasmussen (drums). Vidunder’s style of rock draws on influences from great classic and blues rock acts such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Cream....   Captain Beyond Frozen Over Texas (Live 1973) The latest CD to be reviewed, was by another of those unknown artists, well, certainly unknown to me. The album is Frozen Over Texas (Live 73) by Captain Beyond. First port of call was an internet search to find out a bit about Captain Beyond, and I was surprised at the information I found. Captain...   Danny Wright Full of Love Danny Wright, also known as the Healer of Hearts has been commissioned to compose over one hundred and fifty songs to commemorate living loved ones and those that have already passed over. His new album Full of Love holds twenty of these breathtaking melodies. Full of emotion that flows from each...   Dust Hard Attack/Dust (Remastered) Dust were a heavy metal band that came out of Brooklyn in the early seventies. They released just two albums before the band went their separate ways. Since splitting, each of the has gone on to have a great career in music. Lead singer and guitarist Richie Wise went on to produce records for the...   Kito Peters Black Birds New Mexico’s Kito Peters continues to put out quality albums at an astonishing pace. Black Birds is his twelfth release, following up 2012’s Capital Dreams. At about an album per year pace it’s impressive that Peters is able to create such interesting and diverse originals so...   Platypus Egg Little Street Of Happiness Platypus Egg is a progressive rock band formed in 2009 in San Diego, California with influences ranging from pop and classic rock to punk and folk. Platypus Egg, consisting of Michael Louden (vocals, flute), Mark Calabio (bass), Kris Calabio (guitar), Andre Beller (melodica, contrabass),...   Greg Lake Songs Of A Lifetime The album for review this week is the new release by Greg Lake, entitled Songs Of A Lifetime. Greg Lake is, of course, a household name in the progressive genre, as he was a founding member of King Crimson (along with Robert Fripp) and Emerson Lake and Palmer (ELP).   Songs Of A Lifetime is...   Clutch Earth Rocker If you are the kind of person who bemoans all the latest music that is promoted through the different media channels, or if you are the kind of person who is sick of hearing people complain about the state of modern music and want to shut them up, then Clutch’s Earth Rocker is just what you...   Nat "King" Cole Welcome To The Club (SACD) Nat “King” Cole had a voice as smooth as silk with deep rich intonations that could mesmerize a listener. As with many great artists of the past his music lives and continues to gain notoriety with new audiences. Audio Fidelity has reissued Cole’s Welcome to the Club for the first...   Landmarq Entertaining Angels Landmarq is a UK 5-piece band, formed in London in 1990. Prior to this new studio album being released, they have issued four studio albums, Solitary Witness (1992), Infinity Parade (1993), The Vision Pit (1995) and Science Of Coincidence (1998), and so there has been a 14 year wait for this, the fifth...   Linda Valori Days Like This   Linda Valori is a popular Italian singer, born in San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy, began her musical career in 1995 when she placed second in a contest called A New Italian Voice in Milan, Italy. Since then she has done well in Italy, winning top places for several contests and festivals in...   Willie Nelson and Family Let's Face the Music and Dance Willie Nelson and family have crafted a walk down memory lane with this eightieth birthday celebration wrapped up in a musical pop country performance. This album will be the first of a series of events and releases that celebrates this momentous occasion. Recorded at Pedernales Recording Studio in...   Various Sound City: Real to Reel Dave Grohl has done a pretty impressive job of staying involved in some cool rock n’ roll projects over the years. He’s always keeping tabs on rock history, helping his friends out, and finding time to jam with the legends. Sound City: Real to Reel is no exception, and it really hits...   Dan Kennedy Intuition Dan Kennedy has been working with New Age music since the 1980’s and has been classically trained in composition. Not to stop there, Kennedy is also proficient as a rock drummer and is a master at improvisation. He has over 70 compositions and can be found on the Spa channel on Sirius radio....   Lisa Hilton Getaway Lisa Hilton, otherwise known as “The Lioness of Jazz” has had a distinctive career as a composer and pianist. Her style is a unique and seamless blend of classical technique and improvisations that cast a warm glow throughout her work. Hilton can be found playing solo and with her band...   The Mike Eldred Trio Elvis Unleaded Covering the work of big bands and artists can be a daunting prospect. People know, and love, the originals so well that they often find it hard to accept a new take. The Mike Eldred Trio’s decision to record a whole album of Elvis covers is a pretty gutsy one. The track listing should...   AOMUSIC Hokulea AO (i-o) is an Ancient Polynesian word meaning pure light and all colors. I am not the type of listener that usually sits through and entire CD filled with a language I cannot translate. There is one thing I do understand though, the universal language of music and the powerful message it can send...   Half Past Four Good Things Half Past Four are a Canadian progressive rock band that initially started to evolve around 1999, when guitarist, Constantin Necrosov, joined forces with the bass player, Dmitry Lesov. Now, in 2013, we have the current up-to-date lineup of the band which includes Igor Kurtzman on keyboards (2002),...   Von Herzten Brothers Nine Lives Von Hertzen Brothers or VHB is a rock band from Finland that you should take noctice of. Based out of the country’s capital of Helsinki, Von Hertzen Brothers consist of Mikko Von Hertzen (vocals, guitar), Kie Von Hertzen (guitar, vocals), Jonne Von Hertzen (bass, vocals), Juha Kuoppala...   Matt Baxter & Jake Sampson Haunted The genre that people refer to as the “real” blues is known as country blues or delta blues. The style almost always consisted of the artist with only an acoustic guitar accompaniment, and was popular in the 1920’s and ‘30’s. After artists started using the electric...   Wavves Afraid of Heights I can’t think of many examples of bands that I like more later in their catalog then I did early on. Wavves is one such band though. There was a lot of buzz around the California surf-rock/punk band’s 2009 release, Wavvves, but I never really got into it. This was the bands second album,...   Hibernal The Machine Hibernal is a concept album which sets out to use the spoken word, as opposed to singing the narrative, within the context of progressive music. The concept relates to an employee (male) moving upwards in the company he works with, but loses part of himself every time he gains promotion. Hibernal is...   Al Conti The Blue Rose Al Conti is a Grammy Award nominated artist whose talents cover multiple fields. Actor, activist, composer and songwriter, Conti doesn’t sit still for anything. With his third album, The Blue Rose, he weaves a tale of love and longing that will stay with you even after the music stops. From the...   Jolly The Audio Guide To Happiness Part 1 & 2 Jolly is a progressive rock band from New York consisting of members Anadale (vocals, guitar), Joe Reilly (keyboard), Anthony Rondinone (bass), and Louis Abramson (drums). The band formed in 2008, and released their debut album, Forty-Six Minutes, Twelve Seconds Of Music, in 2009. After the release...   Steven Wilson The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) At the ripe age of 45, Steven Wilson is still going strong in his fourth decade making music. The English musician who is most known his role as founder, lead singer, and lead guitarist for progressive/psychedelic rock band Porcupine Tree, which is currently on hiatus, returns with his third...   Dynamo Bliss Poplar Music Dynamo Bliss is a crossover prog band from Sweden. They are made up of Mikael Sandström (vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, accordion, pedal steel), Stefan Olofsson (vocals, keyboards, zither, guitar, bass, percussion) and Peter Olofsson (drums).Their latest album, Poplar Music, is...   Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans Great Day in the Morning Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans is a blend of roots music with twists on Americana, blues, ragtime and hill country breakdowns. Either way you spin it, this group of artists has a pop and whirl of a time with each piece they perform, whether it is an original or cover. Full of quirks, humor and...   David Bowie The Next Day (Deluxe) From out of the blue, and after a ten year break (in which many thought he had retired), David Bowie is (finally) back with a new album. The legend let everyone know earlier this year, on his 66th birthday no less, that the new album was coming. A couple of months later it was here, Bowie’s...   Axel Rudi Pell Live On Fire Axel Rudi Pell is the hard rock guitar hero of Germany. Performing for over twenty years, Pell began his career with Steeler in the early 1980’s. Steeler released four albums during the ‘80’s until their breakup in 1988. That same year Pell formed his own band using his name. The Axel...   Various Fresh Fruit Volume Three Oak Apple Records is a Canadian record label out of Edmonton. This release is volume three of their Fresh Fruit series designed to showcase the up and coming artists that Oak Apple puts out. Volume Three will be the final volume in the Fresh Fruit series that debuted in December of 2010.   I...   Scorpions Virgin Killer (24 kt Gold) The Scorpions are bonafide heavy metal legends and in 1976 one of their more iconic releases came roaring out the gate. Virgin Killer is now remastered in Audio Fidelity’s 24kt Gold numbered and limited edition version and presented in their well know window slipcase cover with a CD booklet. In...   Quicksilver Messenger Service Live at the Fillmore: June 7, 1968 In the late sixties, San Francisco was a great place to be to discover new music. If you’d have been there at the time then one of the bands you would have probably encountered would’ve been psychedelic rockers, Quicksilver Messenger Service. They are still around now, playing shows and...   Elton John Rock of the Westies (24kt Gold) In 1975 Elton John was in the middle of a highpoint of his career releasing one hit single after another. The 70s was indeed the most successful decade for Sir Elton. Rock of the Westies had a hard act to follow as the previous album, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was a huge...   Red Line Chemistry Tug of War Red Line Chemistry is coming straight from the Midwest like a stampede with their new album Tug of War. Consisting of Andy Breit (guitar), Tom Brown (bass), Brett Ditgen (vocals), Dave Fyten (guitar), and Mike Mazzarese (drums), Red Line Chemistry has been together for almost a decade and has come...   Stickmen Deep First I will give you a little bit of background information before we get into the nitty-gritty of this particular review of the recent Stickmen release Deep. Tony Levin (one third of Stickmen) released a solo album in 2007, called Stick Man where he was showcasing the Chapman Stick and this then...   Andy Poxon Tomorrow Andy Poxon is an up and coming new artist in the blues world. With his bright red hair, he is not what people typically picture when they think of the blues, but Poxon has been proving himself as a well-talented artist with a long career ahead of him. He won first place in the Youth Arts Forum’s...   Grant Michael Allport Imagine This Grant Michael Allport is a musician and composer from down under. His blend of pop and New Age Instrumentals is one that will keep you guessing what tricks he is hiding up his sleeve. Never dull, this artist combines electronica, pop sequences and creative compositions that stimulate the mind....   The Stone Hill All-Stars The Stone Hill All Stars-Live The Stone Hill All Stars are a group of seasoned artists that have played for decades in various Baltimore centric bands. Named for the Baltimore neighborhood where John Shock lived for several years, the band is a mix of folk, rock and some pretty quirky sounds. The band is comprised of John Shock...   Big Bill Morganfield Blues With A Mood Blues With A Mood is the sixth album from bluesman William “Big Bill” Morganfield. Big Bill has a classic blues sound, which should not come as a surprise considering he is the son of the legendary Muddy Waters. Morganfield was raised by his grandmother and had little contact with his...   Zenit The Chandrasekhar Limit This review is on a release that I probably would not have unearthed on my own, so yet again I have to be thankful that I do a review slot. The album is The Chandrasekhar Limit and is release number three from the Italian speaking Swiss band, Zenit. Originally founded back in 1998, they released...   Nektar Journey To The Centre Of The Eye (Re-mastered w/Bonus disc) Most of the albums for review that have landed on my desk recently, have been a mixture of modern bands that I was well aware of, and modern bands that were on the fringes (or even further) of my aural horizons and so to get this one to review brought back memories from a time, long ago in the past....   Marshall Young Band November Marshall Young Band is a very talented young band from Fort Worth, Texas. The band is Marshall Young (guitar/ vocals), Caleb Anderson (guitar), Chuck Gasser (drums) and Clark Nowlan (bass). The bands boys grew up together in Fort Worth and were all friends however separated by being in rival bands when...   Clear Stone Supposed To Be If you are the type of music listener who is tired of the type of music that tops the charts these days and despair over the state of the industry, then Clear Stone’s Supposed To Be is what you need. Consisting of Dio Tadin, Dimitri Tadin, Tristan Tadin, Andrew Aldridge, and Scott Adept, these...   Mike McGuire Kentucky Morning Mike McGuire is a singer-songwriter that sings folk songs with a blues edge. His thoughtful, often witty, lyrics blend together with his music and put him a notch above a lot of his peers. After a couple of years away he is finally ready to release some new music; a six-song collection called...   Ten Ton Man Ten Ton Man Ten Ton Man is a roots rock trio consisting of Paul Livornese (vocals/guitar), Paul Triff (drums), and Paul Dugan (bass) from New York City. Formed in 2011, Ten Ton Man has been making a scene, playing the New York City venues with their bluesy roots rock sound. Born in Brooklyn, Paul Livornese is...   Mike Michalak Band Super Pig Mike Michalak Band is a Chicago based hard rock trio, though there sound dips into progressive rock as well. The band is comprised of Mike Michalek (guitar/vocals), Brian Gordon (bass), and Eric Sherpan (drums). Super Pig is the bands third full-length release, but is their first as a trio and a...   The Fox & The Hounds The Fox & The Hounds Billed as “Chicago’s only burlesque rock n’ roll band,” The Fox & The Hounds are a rock band that combines influences such as women-led rock acts like Heart and Garbage, jazz, and chamber pop with the risqué visuals of burlesque to create a unique...   Zerothehero Nowhere Once again I found myself immersed in an album released by someone I had not heard of, and once again, I am “blown away” by what I discovered. Reviewing albums is certainly an eye-opener, or should that be, ear-opener? The album in question is Nowhere and the band name attached to the album...   Yes Close to the Edge (SACD) Yes is a legendary progressive rock band that does not need an introduction. Their mark on music is well documented and with the release of Close to the Edge in 1972 their immortality was assured. The previous release Fragile was also a classic 5 star progressive rock masterpiece. Audio Fidelity is now...   Mad Season Above (Deluxe Edtition) Mad Season was a 90s supergroup that included members of Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees and Alice in Chains. All were influential bands that made the Seattle Grunge Scene into a worldwide phenomenon. Their album Above is now being reissued in a deluxe format that includes a live performance CD, bonus...   Masako Masako   Masako is a pianist and composer who first began her musical journey as a child of four years old. Singing and composing songs while playing in the trees of her native Tokyo, Japan helped her in her training with the renowned instructor Ms. Yamaoka, a judge for the International Tchaikovsky...   The Fuzztones Snake Oil The Fuzztones’ career has spanned four decades and has seen band members come and go. Throughout all the changes the band has maintained a great fan-base. Those loyal fans that have stuck with The Fuzztones will no doubt be delighted with the band’s new release. Lead singer and founding...   The Glutton Parts Of Animals The Glutton are a 4 piece band from Norway, Oslo to be exact, and have just released their debut full length album, Parts of Animals. The band is in the process of setting up their website and scouring the internet doesn’t glean a huge harvest of information about the band. The members of the...   Jude Johnstone Shatter Jude Johnstone began her musical career at the young age of eight and by sweet sixteen was playing in a band. Discovered by E Street saxophonist Clarence Clemmons, she has since blossomed into a fiery songwriter that has captured the attention of and been covered by greats such as Bonnie Raitt, Bette...   Pinnick-Gales-Pridgen Pinnick-Gales-Pridgen Supergroups are nothing new to the rock genre, going back the 60s and the formation of Cream. It is always exciting to watch world class artists come together to see what they can produce. This supergroup trio consists of dUg Pinnick ( bass, vocals) from King's X, Eric Gales (guitar,...   Rush Counterparts (SACD) Progressive rock in the early 90s was not the place to make it and pay the bills. There were a few bands that were able to flow with the times and record relevant music regardless of what the public taste was at the time. Rush was one of those brilliant bands that have fans that saw them through the...   Hellbranch Run Us Against the World Us Against the World is the debut release from the Columbus, Ohio foursome Hellbranch Run. Hellbranch Run has a familiar rock sound reminiscent of current artists like Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, or Staind. It’s fairly and is easily accessible to audiences of most...   Anne Davis Letters, Prayers and Journal Entries Anne Davis is a singer, composer and songwriter. Her musical career began as a child when she would perform for her pets and later, as she grew into her talents, played at coffee houses. Writing songs from journal entries and on the back of envelopes, it was only a matter of time before her...   Elevator Art Martian Diver Everybody has heard the term elevator music; the kind of background music you hear in shopping malls, airports, and of course elevators. Elevator Art is however, something completely different. Consisting of Mike Jonin, Daimon Santa Maria, Jen Mustachio, Joe La Scola, Maureen McGowan, and Liz Dayback,...   Big Papa and The TCB Six Pack Of Cool Big Papa and The TCB is a blues band that has been around for a few years now. They are probably best known for their song “Go Big Papa!” which has been used in a Papa John’s ad campaign. There is a lot more to this band though than providing the backing music for a pizza...   Thieves Kitchen One For Sorrow, Two For Joy From as far back as 1999, when they first got together, the band, Thieves Kitchen have been producing creative progressive music and to date, have produced 5 albums, starting in 2000 with Head and now in 2013 with the newest release, One For Sorrow, Two For Joy. In fact it has taken 5 years to...   Kelly Richey Sweet Spirit When you think you blues, the names of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and B.B. King come to mind. One thing you wouldn’t think of is an older white woman playing the blues, but that is exactly what Kelly Richey has been doing for over twenty five years now. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Richey has...   Catherine Marie Charlton River Flow: Sanctuary Catherine Marie Charlton is best known for her ability to create music with an emotional flair that stems from her classical training combined with strong improvisation. River Flow Sanctuary is the follow up album to the phenomenal River Dawn: Piano Meditations. This album is a sixty minute...   Riverside Shrine Of New Generation Slaves Shrine of New Generation Slaves is the eagerly awaited fifth album from the Polish band Riverside. It has been 4 years since the last full album release from the band, Anno Domini High Definition, and a couple of years since they issued the three track EP, Memories in My Head....   The Hitman Blues Band Blues Enough The music of The Hitman Blues Band will make you glad that music exists in the first place. Made up of Russell "Hitman" Alexander (guitar, vocals), Mike Porter (bass, vocals), Kevin Rymer (keyboards), Guy LaFountaine (drums), Eric Altarac (trumpet), Michael Snyder (saxophone), and Al...   Sam Grow Band Reveal After first hearing Sam Grow, you wouldn’t picture a guy that looks more like you’d expect to see him on an episode of Orange County Choppers than sitting behind a piano, but he is. Grow is skilled at several instruments, was raised on soul music, and spent several years in his church choir...   Sweet Honey In the Rock A Tribute - Live! Jazz At Lincoln Center Sweet Honey In the Rock was founded in 1973 at the Black Reparation Theater Company in Washington D.C. Since then, the group has become an international symbol of hope, faith and love. The group is comprised of Ysaye Maria Barnwell, Nitanju Bolade Casel, Aisha Kahlil, Carol Maillard, Louise...   Dean Allen Foyd Road To Atlas Dean Allen Foyd is a psychedelic rock band from Sweden. They are made up of Francis Rencoret (Vocals & Guitar), Fredrik Cronsten (Bass), Erik “Errka” Petersson (Organ) and Wille Alin (Drums). Road To Atlas is the follow-up to their well-received 2012 debut The Sounds Can Be So Cruel....   Frightened Rabbit Pedestrian Verse Scottish quintet Frightened Rabbit has been poised to become a BIG band prior to the release of their last couple of albums. Their second album¸ The Midnight Organ Fight (released in 2008), is still probably their best album. It lead to great anticipation for The Winter of Mixed Drinks in...   Morre Morphine In 2008, a band called Morre was started in Toronto, Canada which consisted of Adrain Tonceanu (vocals/guitars), Igor Lazebnik (vocals/guitars), and James Rose (drums/backup vocals). Having influences from classic rock greats such as Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin, the band started...   FM Down White Noise FM Down, once known as Formerly the Simeon, is a band based out of Wisconsin. Formed in 2010, this kick ass sound brigade is comprised of Will Wall (guitar, vocals), Andrew Liss (keyboard, vocals), Zack Morganroth (bass, vocals) and Bill Cooney (drums). White Noise is the band’s debut EP....   The Custodian Necessary Wasted Time I have often stated that one of the perks of being a reviewer is to come across a band that I have not heard of previously and to thoroughly enjoy their album. Todays’ reviewed band certainly come into this category, especially since they all seem to be a bit shy. The band are The Custodian and...   Cinema Sleep Make Your Way Forming out of the ashes of The Paramedic, Cinema Sleep is a rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. Made up of Brady Reis (lead vocals), Alex Asch (lead guitar), Ryan Meyers (bass), Robert McDonald (guitar, backing vocals), and Kevin Vincent (drums), Cinema Sleep’s heavy rock sound is backed by a...   Obsidian Kingdom Mantiis Started in Barcelona, Spain in 2005, Obsidian Kingdom is a progressive rock group that has a wide array of musical influences. Consisting of Rider G Omega (vocals and guitar), Prozoid Zeta JSI (guitar), Zer0 Æmeour Iggdrasil (keys and vocals), Fleast Race O’Uden (bass), and Ojete Mordaza II...   Glass Delirium Diamond Lullabies Glass Delirium are a progressive alternative rock band that list their influences as being jazz, classical, pop, metal and soundtracks. That’s quite the combination! They are lead by vocalist Michelle who is backed up by Scott (Guitar), Aeon (Bass), David( Keys) and Pat (Drums). Diamond...   Lis Addison Crown in the Sky Lis Addison is a composer, producer and songwriter with a style that blends contemporary, world music and electronic to craft songs that reach into the psyche. Beginning her musical journey as a child, she traveled the world and learned flavors of Celtic, Ragas, Western and Indian culture and all of...   Your Protected Your Protected One of the CDs for review this week is the self-titled debut release from Your Protected, a 4 piece band hailing from Newport in the UK. The four band members are James Tottle (guitar), Chris Tookey (guitar), James White (bass) and Michael Edwards (drums).   Your Protected is their self-titled...   Queen The Game (Deluxe 40th Anniversary Ed.) Next in our series of Queen re-issues is their eight album, 1980’s The Game. The Game is an interesting release for Freddie and crew as it was the only Queen album to reach number one in the United States. It was also the first album in which a synthesizer was used and really marked a turning...   Specimen 13 Echosphere On the desk this last week has been a CD by a band I have certainly not come across before. The band is Specimen 13 and the title of the CD is Echosystem. I always look forward to listening to these “unknown” bands as there is never any preconception of what to expect.   What is...   Shakra PowerPlay Shakra is a hard rock band from Switzerland. The band started out as Ruckus in the early 90’s before changing their name to Shakra. Their breakthrough came in 2001 with their third album Power Ride after which, lead singer, Pete Wiedmer, left the band due to health conditions. He was replaced...   Nico Vega Fury Oh Fury Nico Vega formed in 2005 in Los Angeles, California and consists of Aja Volkman (vocals), Rich Koehler (guitar), and Dan Epand (drums). They state that “Nico Vega represents a modern day saint. A warrior that has led us to a more fulfilling, lighter way of being. She represents people...   Alexandra Legouix & The Sunflowers This One's For You Listening to Alexandra Legouix & the Sunflowers, the first thing that pops into your mind is the sassy and sexy voice of vocalist Alexandra Legouix. If you look a little deeper, you will hear the inner workings of the lyrics and the hidden bite to most every song on the album. The band is...   Jimi Hendrix People, Hell and Angels People, Hell and Angels is the first Jimi Hendrix release of the year and fans will be delighted to know that there are 12 previously unreleased tracks on this recording. Eddie Kramer was once again called upon to tap into all the nuances of Jimi’s artistry and he does a superb job of...   Fleetwood Mac Rumours - Expanded Edition (3CDs) By the time Fleetwood Mac released Rumours in 1977 they already had quite a history of recorded music behind them. They were formed in 1967 by guitarist Peter Green. Their most prolific and successful lineup was Mick Fleetwood (drums, percussion), John McVie (bass), Lindsey Buckingham (guitars,...   MelancholicA Lamentation For A Deprived Desire MelancholicA are a doom metal band from Iran. That's not a sentence that you get to write everyday! The band started life in 2010 as a solo project for multi-instrumentalist, Afshin Effati and over the years has grown to include others like drummer, Farhad Zabolipour and singer, Corinna Martin. The...   Craig Urquhart First Light Craig Urquhart is a composer and social activist, devoted to love of nature and the artfulness of song and sound. Learning to play the piano as a young child in Michigan, Urquhart has come a long way in his musical journey. An award winning artist, his music can be found on film and over satellite...   Robert 'Top' Thomas The Town Crier Robert “Top” Thomas is a native of New Smyrna Beach, Florida and master practitioner of swamp blues. He is the founding member of the Florida swap blues band SmokeHouse, which rose to prominence in the 90s. With the release of The Town Crier, Thomas takes his act solo, though it...   Queen News of the World (Deluxe 40th Anniversary) We’re back with another round of Queen remastered re-issues, and this time it is the band’s sixth album, News of the World. News of the World is a very good album, but certainly not as good as such classics as A Night at the Opera or Sheer Heart Attack. What it certainly does have going for...   Pink Cream 69 Ceremonial Pink Cream 69 is a melodic heavy metal band hailing from Germany. The band formed in 1987 with members Andi Deris (vocals), Alfred Koffler (guitar), Dennis Ward (bass), and Kosta Zafiriou (drums). Andi Deris left the band in 1994, and was replaced by current lead singer, David Readman. Pink Cream...   Lisa Cee My Turn Lisa Cee has been singing for pretty much her whole life. She's a versatile singer with a voice capable of delivering almost any kind of vocals. Primarily though she relies on her power to sing blues and soul songs. During her career she has sung with the likes of Sting, John Legend and John Lee Hooker...   4 Jacks Deal With It If you are looking for a band that has a clean blues sound with talent that will scorch your speakers, then look no further than 4 Jacks. This group of guys makes it look easy. Smooth as a cream soda going down, this talented group of artists’ new album is smokin hot and full of spice. The band...   Arun Shenoy Rumbadoodle Arun Shenoy is a 2013 Grammy nominee for Best Pop Instrumental album. This album was recorded across the globe and has a fiery combination of gypsy rumba flamenco, traditional instrumental and a little bit of sunshine and spice. Contributing artists are: Jerry Chua, Roshni Mohapatra, Robert Capria and...   Flicker How Much Are You Willing To Forget Welcome to another of the initially “unknown” bands to be reviewed by The Ancient One. The band, Flicker, are from the UK and are about to release their debut album on CD and vinyl, although the album, How Much Are You Willing To Forget, has been available via the normal download sites...   Blue Food Engines The band, Blue Food, were formed back in 2008 and after over 2 years of performing live, in early 2011, headed into the recording studio to record their debut album. The album, Engines, was released in the latter part of 2012 and incorporates a range of genres. The band themselves, refer to their sound...   Royal Hunt 20th Anniversary 20th Anniversary is a look back at the first twenty years of the career of progressive metal band Royal Hunt. The 3CD and 1DVD package features songs from each of the band's eleven studio albums, as well as a new track, some newly recorded acoustic versions and a handful of rarities. The decision...   Azeem & The Chosen Ones WhenCulturePresent IntelligenceHasNoPrecedence Have you ever heard an artist, and wondered why they haven’t become as a big as some other acts? That’s what it’s like to listen to Azeem & The Chosen Ones. Azeem is one of the best artists you’ve probably never heard of. He started his career in 1975 with his debut See Up...   Local Natives Hummingbird I have been waiting quite a while for Local Natives to issue their follow-up to 20010’s Gorilla Manor. It was released in the US in February of that year (late 2009 in the UK), and had it not been released so early in the year I think it would have made more best of lists had it been fresher...   Garden Garden EP Another CD (Garden EP), arrived on my desk, from a band that wasn’t on my audio horizon in any direction. Imagine my surprise to find that they are a Scottish band, based between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Not sure if this means that we might not recognize the specific area or that they commute...   Danny Brymer Twist Resolution Danny Brymer is the type of artist who makes paying attention to the small or independent markets worth it, because he is a true talent. When it comes to artistic expression and musical capabilities, Brymer is a man to take a note from. This jazz fusion guitarist grew up in a musical...   David Arkenstone and Charlee Brooks Loveren   David Arkenstone is one of the best known contemporary instrumentalists in the industry. His style could best be described as a blend of Celtic, symphonic with New Age fusion with a flair for world beat. Charlee Brooks is the angelic singer and composer that brings a truly luminous quality to...   Patricia Barber Smash Patricia Barber is talented jazz singer and pianist. With her father, Floyd “Shim” Barber, being a former saxophonist of Glenn Miller’s Band, music comes natural to Patricia. As a result of her poetry-like lyrical style that often involves an unusual and complex vocabulary, and the...   Dave Kilminster Scarlet -The Director's Cut Scarlet-The Director’s Cut is the latest CD to land on my desk for review, by another artist that I was not aware of, one Dave Kilminster. I have previously commented that this is one of the perks of reviewing CDs is that some are by artists that wouldn’t normally feature on my radar....   Luke Potter One Day: The Bleu Session England’s Luke Potter is a young singer-songwriter with a pop/rock sensibility. His songs are reminiscent of artists like Keane, Jason Mraz, and Fountains of Wayne. Potter cites “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls as the song that made him want to be a songwriter. This seems like a pretty...   Eric Burdon 'Til Your River Runs Dry The legendary frontman of the English rock band The Animals and Californian funk band War, Eric Burdon continues his solo career with ‘Til Your Rivers Run Dry. With over fifty years making music, he is still going strong and producing top quality work. Born in Newcastle in 1941,...   Murder Bay Never Was an Angel Although many 80s hard rock giants such as Whitesnake and Motley Crue faded into relative obscurity in the 1990s due to the grunge invasion, these bands made a comeback and are now recording and touring the world once again. There was something magical about these bands, because the fans stuck with...   Scott August Hidden Journey Internationally known composer, keyboardist and award winning flute player Scott August is best known for his grasp on Native American flute and World Music. Hidden Journey is his newest album. A foray into the rugged Western United States, the album is textured with Native American flutes, percussion,...   Billy Joel She's Got A Way: Love Songs Billy Joel is an uber talented New York artist who continues to wow his audiences time after time. After a stellar performance at the 12.12.12 concert, and a release of his new romantic song collection, She’s Got A Way: Love Songs, Joel is still belting it out with the best of them after more...   Juliet and the Lonesome Romeos No Regrets   Boston is a town known for producing some great rock bands such as Aerosmith, Boston, and Dropkick Murphys, but Boston isn’t quite as famous for producing country musicians. That’s starting to change with a band called Juliet and the Lonesome Rangers. A roots-rock band with...   A Sound of Thunder Queen of Hell A Sound of Thunder came to my attention last year with the release of the stunning Out of the Darkness. I said that after listening to that album it would be hard not to become a fan, and their new EP Queen of Hell confirms that statement and solidifies the high opinion that I have of this band....   Kompendium Beneath The Waves Kompendium is the name of the “band” behind the concept album Beneath The Waves. This is the brainchild of Rob Reed, from the Welsh progressive rock band, Magenta, and it has taken 3 years to come to fruition. There are remarkable musicians involved in this project, such as Steve...   Shake City Shake City Upon being booted from hard rock band Warrant in 1985, Adam Shore (vocals) was looking for a new project. After meeting up with Don E. Sachs (Guitar/Vocals), the group eventually formed the band Shake City. Unfortunately, the excitement was short-lived. Even sharing the stage with big names such as...   KingBathmat Truth Button KingBathmat are an independent progressive rock band, hailing from Hastings in England. Initially started by singer/songwriter John Bassett, the band have now independently released five albums to date Son of a Nun (2003), Crowning Glory (2004), Fantastic Freak Show Carnival (2005), which was my...   Colin Edwin & Jon Durant Burnt Belief Colin Edwin, bassist of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree has teamed up with guitarist Jon Durant to produce Burnt Belief; a progressive rock instrumental album with influences from a vast array of genres such as classical, ambient, electronic, and jazz. This marks the pair’s second...   Nico Vega Nico Vega Nico Vega is a Los Angeles based trio comprised of singer Aja Volman, guitarist Rich Koehler, and drummer Dan Epand. The formed in 2005 and are known for a having a blues rock sound with added synths and Volman’s passionate vocals. This can be heard on the band’s self-titled debut album...   The Echo Wall Navigable Darkness Founded in 2009, this Washington D.C. centric band has been rocking it out with sounds that are a blend of Americana and folk rock. Elements of Radiohead can be heard between the lines and if you are a Mumford & Sons fan, you will love these guys. The band has grown over time and is now comprised...   Isadar Red If you are looking for a musician that has his feet firmly planted in just about every aspect of the entertainment industry, then Isadar is your man. Composer, Manager within a Major Label's department of Vault and Archives, music video director amongst others, he is continually honing his work to...   Jorn Symphonic On the face of things Symphonic is an interesting album. It's not quite a compilation and it's not quite a new record either, it's stuck somewhere between the two. Symphonic is a collection of songs, chosen by Jorn Lande himself, that have been remixed and then had orchestral arrangements added to...   The Slide Brothers Robert Randolph Presents: The Slide Brothers Robert Randolph Presents: The Slide Brothers is The Slide Brothers’ debut album. Practitioners of the sacred steel musical tradition that developed in the House of God Church in the 1930s, The Slide Brothers are Calvin Cooke, Chuck Campbell, Darick Campbell and Aubrey Ghent. These...   Deceit Nine There must be something in the vino these days, as it seems I am hearing more rock come out of Italy of late. Today’s culprits are alt-rockers Deceit. The quintet traces its roots back to a Seattle rock tribute project call The Rivers of Deceit (presumably after the Mad Season song of the same...   Various Artists Not Fade Away (Music From The Motion Picture) The creator of The Sopranos, David Chase, has released a new movie entitled Not Fade Away. The movie, set in 1960’s New Jersey, is about a group of friends who after hearing a Rolling Stones album decide to form a rock band, and try to make it big. Not Fade Away (Music From The Motion Picture)...   Multimorph End of the World Party There are moments during Multimorph’s End of the World Party where you may just think you’ve stumbled upon one of your grandparents’ ‘60s psychedelic records. Maureen Anderson sounds like she’s wandered up on stage while Jimi Hendrix is playing at Woodstock during the...   Marillion Sounds That Can't Be Made Marillion were formed originally in 1979 and released their first album, Script For A Jesters Tear in 1982 and the album up for review is their seventeenth studio release Sounds That Can’t Be Made, released at the end of 2012. The band has had two distinct phases, up to 1988 with Fish (Derek...   Artemis Sephyra   Artemis is the electro pop artist from Oakland, California primarily known for her down tempo grooves and sonic hypnotic trip hop. She is a glitter ball of sound infused with sensation and has worked with several members of the RTFM collective among others. Sephyra features original songs...   Cascade Anfractuosity Anfractuosity is defined as full of windings and intricate turnings, and that is what comes to mind when one looks at Cascade’s debut EP. The artwork on Anfractuosity is done by Saivan Hamama. With its intricate details of various images, it cannot be fully appreciated with just a glance. This...   Vitriol Into the Silence I Sink   Vitriol is a corrosive chemical element. It describes well the essence of this band. Boldly aggressive and thoughtfully introspective, Vitriol is a unique combination of metal, Progressive rock and hard rock that will leave you looking deep into their lyrics and melodies to find the hidden...   Focus X Focus are a Dutch progressive rock band founded away back in the depths of time, well 1969 to be precise, by Thijs Van Leer, a classically trained organist and flautist and Jan Akkerman, guitar virtuoso. (Well at least I think he is). They first released an album, In And Out Of Focus in 1970 and then...   Roel Van Helden RvH For the last thirteen years Roel Van Helden has spent his time playing drums in a variety of moderately successful metal and prog-rock bands including Sun Caged and Subsignal but now he has decided that it’s time for him to be in the limelight and he has released his first solo record. I know...   Unitopia Covered Mirror Vol. 1 (Smooth as Silk)   Unitopia are an Australian band, based in Adelaide, South Australia and currently comprises seven musicians. The band members are Mark Trueack (vocals), Sean Timms (Keyboards), Matt Williams (Elect/Ac/bass guitars), Tim Irrgang (Tuned/untuned percussion), Dan Burgess (Sax, Flute, Clarinet,...   Metz Metz   When I first heard about Metz, someone told me they sounded like Nirvana. We are told a lot of bands “sound like Nirvana” though, and while I do like Nirvana and many of them, this is often an unfair comparison. What was most intriguing about this comparison was that it was...   Aeon Zen Enigma The word “enigma” can be defined as a person, thing, or situation that is puzzling or mysterious, or something with a hidden meaning such as a riddle. As I look at the cover, with what looks like the forces of light and dark locked in battle in front of a cosmic background,...   Kamelot Silverthorn   Since forming 22 years ago, Kamelot have gone through a number of personnel changes, the only member of the band that has been there all the way through is lead guitarist Thomas Youngblood. Silverthorn sees the band make another change and it's a big one. This record is the groups first with...   Valence Sleepwalker The latest CD for review, Sleepwalker by Valence, is again a band that I had previously not heard of, and this is one of the “perks” of being a reviewer. Valence are a four piece band hailing from Westchester County NY and play instrumental progressive metal which the band themselves...   Blink 182 Dogs Eating Dogs Two months ago Blink-182 announced that they were splitting from Interscope after releasing just one album with the label. Now here they are celebrating that split with their first release as an independent band. Rather than signing with another label Blink-182 have decided to go down the...   Shadow Circus On A Dark And Stormy Night Shadow Circus were formed back in 2006 by John Fontana and David Bobick and this album On A Dark And Stormy Night is their third release following on from Welcome To The Freakroom (2007) and Whispers and Screams (2009). There are now 5 members to the band, John Fontana (guitar/orchestral and incidental...   Steve Lukather Transition Steve Lukather is most famous as the guitarist for the band Toto, although he has also made quite a name for himself as a studio musician, both before and after Toto by playing on Steely Dan albums and most notably Michael Jackson’s smash hit Thriller.   With Transition, Lukather takes on...   Laura Sullivan Love's River Laura Sullivan is a talented classical and New Age instrumental artist. Her music can be heard on radio and television worldwide and she has won multiple awards. Her latest album, Love’s River has several guest artists that include the talented Jeff Oster (flugelhorn, trumpet) Grammy Award...   Clay Green's Polysorbate Masquerade Band Chronicles of Bubbledroid Collector's Edition Recently a very unusual CD landed on my desk for review. This is a band that I can say with certainty that I have never heard of before, and the name of the band, Clay Green’s Polysorbate Masquerade Band. The CD comes in two versions, Chronicles of Bubbledroid and the Collector’s Edition of...   Various West of Memphis: Voices for Justice West of Memphis is a new documentary that was released on Christmas day in New York and Los Angeles and will be released to a wider audience at a later date. The film is about the West Memphis Three, three teenagers convicted of murdering three 8-year old children. They were released from prison...   Peter Kater & Snatam Kaur Heart of the Universe Peter Kater is a multi-Grammy Award nominated pianist and Snatam Kaur is a remarkable Sacred Chantress. These two artists have combined forces for an audible experience that will lead you through pathways to the soul with soaring chants and crystalline piano movements. Contributing artists to this...   Blood Dancer Blood Dancer Looking at the cover with its foreboding castle surrounded by a sea of blood, Blood Dancer’s self-titled debut is going to take listeners to a dark and forsaken world. Consisting of Cory Barclay (lead guitar), Christopher Barclay (vocals), Brian Rumsey (drums), Tony Montemarano (bass), and...   Paradiso & Rasamayi Attuning To Oneness Paradiso & Rasamayi are two artists dedicated to using sound to create therapy for the mind and the soul. Healer Paradiso Turturici combines the use of the didjeridoo, an Aboriginal wind instrument with the shamanic percussion, crystal singing bowls and chanting of the talented Rasamayi. Attuning...   Public Image Ltd ALiFE Brixton 2009 Public Image Ltd, or PiL for those of us that are more familiar, have always been John Lydon’s lesser known band. I guess this is what happens when your first band was the groundbreaking Sex Pistols. Still, PiL were much better than most people expected and who better to kickoff the post-punk...   Nine Stones Close One Eye On The Sunrise   Nine Stones Close was conceived in 2008 as a solo project by Adrian Jones. He independently released the first album, St Lo, to critical acclaim and this led to a follow up, released in 2010, Traces. This was an album made with a “proper” band comprising, Adrian Jones (guitars),...   Big Brother & The Holding Company Cheap Thrills (24kt Gold) 1968 was a pivotal year in many ways and Big Brother & The Holding Company burst onto the music scene with their fiery lead singer Janis Joplin. Cheap Thrills was a thrilling debut complete with striking comic strip artwork from Robert Crumb that attracted the eyes and imagination of...   Picture Me Broken Mannequins EP   Picture Me Broken is a band that embraces rock and roll and revels in the innovation of making music. The group takes its inspiration from rock greats and uses their unique artistic vision to pour over heavy and controversial topics with dark and brooding lyrics that resonate with the...   Joe Walsh "But Seriously, Folks..." (24kt Gold) Joe Walsh is one of those artists you can never forget. It may be from his work with The James Gang or The Eagles or simply for his sense of humor and the escapades he went on under the influence of alcohol earlier in his career. It could easily be all of the above. All of these elements are what make...   Eclipse Bleed and Scream   It has been four years since the release of Are You Ready to Rock and Eclipse is back with their best yet on Bleed and Scream. Based out of the Swedish capital of Stockholm, Eclipse consists of Erik Mårtensson (vocals, guitar), Magnus Henriksson (guitar), Robban Bäck (drums),...   Macklemore & Ryan Lewis The Heist (Deluxe Edition)   Seattle hip-hop artist Macklemore is proof positive that independent artists can make it on their own. Many of you may just be starting to hear about the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis due to the recent release of their debut full length The Heist. Don’t be fooled though, Macklemore has been...   David Bowie Ziggy Stardust 40th Anniversary (LP/DVD) I find it hard to believe it has been 10 years since I covered the first anniversary issue of Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. I am as thrilled now to cover this piece of rock history as I was then. This time the package includes a 180 gram vinyl gatefold...   Stealing Axion Moments   The band Stealing Axion offers up a curious musical fusion. On the one hand, with its sometimes rough lead vocals, it sounds like a modern heavy metal band. However, musically, this group’s instrumental approach is far more in line with a progressive rock band. In some cases, the vocals...   ELAN Lost & Found ELAN is the blockbuster band from a little town in Mexico. The band consists of Elán (vocals, keyboard), Juan Carlo DeFan (lead guitar), Carlos Padilla Maqueo (bass) and Michael “Cheech” Bitar DeFan (drums) and Muaricio “The Duck” Lopez. They are the first band of their...   The Enid Invicta   The Enid are one of those bands that fitted neatly into the box in my head, labeled as  “Have heard of the band, but never heard the band.” That summed up my contact with The Enid until the point that Invicta (the new album) dropped through my letterbox for me to review. My...   Elvis Presley The Classic Christmas Album For a few months before Christmas arrives I feel like Scrooge. This has been happening for a quite a few years now since retailers and media started advertising their goods before the kids come to your door for candy. I find it all very annoying. I do not enjoy shopping or wrapping either! I know I...   Foxglove Strawberry Lemonade Do you find yourself missing the warm rays of the summer sun? Winter has replaced the fall and the days have become shorter and colder. So, have some Strawberry Lemonade to keep that sunny and laid-back summer attitude alive through these snowy days.    Consisting of Chris...   Margo Rey This Holiday Night Margo Rey is a singer and songwriter originally known as Margarita Reymundo. Her sound is best described as adult contemporary with infusions of alternative pop. Laced with ambient guitar, vocals imbued with raw emotion, and a style all her own, this artist has crafted a sound that has taken her...   The Lotus Fire Come out Swinging It is not every day that I am introduced to a band that plays a mix of Flamenco and Gypsy Swing, among other things. Though I am unfamiliar with the genre, it is hard not to fall nose over tails for The Lotus Fire once they have been experienced. Their album Come out Swinging will leave you...   Led Zeppelin Celebration Day (2 CD/1 Blu-ray)   The mighty Led Zeppelin, is that a term that would apply to the legendary band on December 10, 2007? The long awaited one off show at the O2 Arena in London to honor Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Artegun, who had passed the year before in December, was preserved in film and became available...   Sarah Belitz Whatever You Believe Sarah Belitz sings folk music with an extremely serious and obviously trained singing voice. The songs on Whatever You Believe are highly personal and heartfelt, although not always compelling. She’s a little like that nun in the movie Airplane that sings to the sick child while accidently...   Jill Cagney Nerves of Steel Jill Cagney is a singer/songwriter from New Jersey and Nerves of Steel is her new EP made up if six original tunes. It follows Cagney’s two previous releases, 2009’s Sometimes I Tell the Truth, and 2011’s It’s All In How You See Things.   After a short listen...   Curved Air AirWaves (Live at the BBC/Live at the Paris Theatre)   Curved Air, the British prog rock band, were formed back in the depths of time, well, 1970 to be exact. The original members came from mixed musical backgrounds and their sound was a mixture of prog rock, folk rock and fusion with classical elements. They were one of the first bands to...   Slaves To Fashion Artistic Differences Slaves To Fashion is a progressive rock band from Norway. The only way you would know this, though, is because they have first names like Johannes, Torfinn and Vidar. (The bassist’s first name is John, by the way, which is not so much an obvious clue). The lyrics on Artistic Differences are...   Arja Kastinen The Last Gathering Arja Kastinen grew up in a small village in Finland near the Russian border. She shared a room with her grandmother, and together they would sing. At the age of six, she received her first kantele, a harp like instrument. Her interest in folk stories and traditions has heavily influenced her work....   Duke Otherwise Creepy Crawly Love Duke Otherwise, also known as Noah Reimer, has developed a signature style in children’s entertainment. His quirky stage performances and storytelling are loaded with humor and are filled with strange and off beat characters and scenarios. That is the gist of Reimer’s stage persona and...   Jared Weintraub Full Band EP The Full Band EP is the debut release from New York City’s Jared Weintraub. This young singer/songwriter was originally an acoustic artist, but this latest release is his first with a full band… hence Full Band EP. Weintraub is no rookie though. He began playing shows in NYC by the age...   Asia Resonance Since 1982, rock super group Asia has been steadily pumping out studio albums and live albums. A quick Google search reveals two bands under the name “Asia”, one fronted by John Wetton and one fronted by John Payne. After a legal dispute in 2006, an agreement was reached that John Payne...   Bailey Sutton Pass It On Growing up in a music loving family has surely paid off for Bailey Sutton. Pass It On is the debut album from this multi-talented Canadian artist. Sutton (vocals, guitar, piano, accordion, and harmonica) is accompanied by Dave Rollans (percussion) in her musical endeavors on Pass It...   Lorenzo Ignition If a two-time Juno-Winning and Grammy nominated producer considers you “the kind of artist every producer dreams of finding,” you’ve probably got something going for you. This is what producer Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Hinder, Shania Twain) said after hearing Lorenzo’s demos....   Timothy Crane Pianoforte Timothy Crane began playing the piano at age five. His music has been a constant throughout his life and his work as a solo pianist and composer has taken him to new heights. His third album Pianoforte is now being released and is a statement of just how talented this artist has become. A blend of pop,...   Jethro Tull Thick As A Brick (40th Anniversary Special Edition) Thick As A Brick, first released in 1971, is a classic progressive rock recording by Jethro Tull. As the years pass its relevance and legend continue to grow. The band’s founder and leader Ian Anderson has said, implied or interjected comments into conversations over the years pointing to the...   Rage Against the Machine XX (20th Anniversary Special Edition) Every once in a while a review can make me feel old. This twentieth anniversary release of Rage Against the Machine’s self-titled debut album is one such review. I can’t believe that it has been 20 years already since I bought this cassette. Sure, when I think about the things I was...   Killing Joke Live at Hammersmith Apollo It has been a long journey for Killing Joke since their formation as a band in the late 1970s. They have gone through many line-up changes during the decades with Jaz Coleman and Kevin “Goerdie” Walker the only constant members of the group. The sound which includes elements of...   Mechanical Organic This Global Hive (Pt 1) Mechanical Organic are an Australian progressive/experimental metal band and this album, This Global Hive (part 1) is their fifth release. As with all previous releases, the album is again a concept album. This time, the idea running through the album is “an exploration of the black awakening,...   Acoustic Ocean Chimes of the Spirit   Acoustic Ocean is made up of the talented musicians and recording artists Peggy Morgan and Bette Phelan. Both artists have backgrounds in music and yoga. The use of music as a healing medium and with their combined talents, have crafted a sound that is also reflective of their love for the...   Willie Nelson The Classic Christmas Album It seems like Christmas comes earlier and earlier every year, and here at MuzikReview.com it is no different. For my yearly Christmas album review I was fortunate enough to get Willie Nelson’s 2012 release, The Classic Christmas Album. I am not one to throw around the word “classic”...   Various A Whaling City Christmas Volume 1 A Whaling City Christmas Volume 1 is a collection of holiday music ranging from Americana to Spoken Word, all of which focus on the various emotions that are inspired by the holiday season. All proceeds from the album go toward benefiting the New Bedford Education Foundation (NBEF), a non-profit...   A Perfect Day A Perfect Day Andrea Cantarelli (guitars) wasn’t getting the creative freedom he yearned from the band he co-founded, Labyrinth. It was time for him spread his wings and evolve as a musician. Collaborating with his bandmate from Labyrinth, Roberto Tiranti (vocals, bass), the intensive writing and recording...   Kenny G. The Classic Christmas Album Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, otherwise known as Kenny G. is primarily known for his smooth jazz and adult contemporary sound. He is one of the largest selling instrumental musicians with his international sales rocketing at over seventy five million albums. The Classic Christmas Album is a collection of...   Black Country Communion Afterglow (Special Edition) Afterglow is the third Black Country Communion studio recording and possibly their last so enjoy it. There was a lot of unnecessary chatter coming from the article published by Classic Rock Magazine with Glenn Hughes spouting off about how he was the main writer for the new album and complaining...   John Denver The Classic Christmas Album   John Denver was one of the world’s most iconic award winning performers and songwriters. Timeless, his musical career spanned forty years and even after his death, still reflects his sheer generosity of spirit. Beginning his career in the early 1960’s, he developed his vocal...   Jakob Juhkam T This was indeed an interesting and surprising CD (Jakob Juhkam T) to land in front of me this week for review. Not only was I unaware of the artist, Jacob Juhkam, it was not easy to find out much about the man himself. What little I could discover was that Jakob is an Estonian composer based in Tallinn...   Colin Close Confidence Trickster Hailing from the northern regions of Canada, Colin Close grew up in a log home just outside of Whitehouse, Yukon. He picked up the guitar in his early teens and has been making music ever since. His debut album Confidence Trickster is an eight track look into the soul of this artist. It is hard to...   Shapeshifter Looking Glass Ties Shapeshifter is a psychedelic rock band that hails from Leicester, England. It was formed in 1992 by Maureen Anderson and after several change outs in membership the band consists of Maureen Anderson (vocals, flute, trumpet ), Alan Freeman (synthesizer, vocal effects), Dave Johnson (guitar), Willow...   Jake Nielsen Perspective   Solo artist and multi-talented Jake Nielsen has released a very entertaining compilation of his recorded works over the last ten years, fittingly titled Perspective.   Nielsen sights Dream Theater (the greatest band on this earth) and Billy Joel as major influences. And that synopsis...   Cynthia Chitko The Moon Goddess Cynthia Chitko is a singer, songwriter and musician who passionately loves music and all of the meaning it brings to her life. As a child, she would sing with her mother while they did housework and that love turned into guitar lessons and her own emerging style. The Moon Goddess was released in 1996...   Tommy Bolin The Definitive Teaser Collector's Deluxe Edition (5 CDs)     Tommy Bolin’s star will always shine brightly regarding rock guitar icons. Now I am talking about those that made their mark in a very short period of time such as the one and only Jimi Hendrix. Yes in the end they died without reason, squandering their existence, leaving us all...   Kix Live In Baltimore Although hard rock band Kix hasn’t made an album in 17 years, I occasionally see the name pop up on the bill for various hard rock festivals such as Rocklahoma. They seem to have a moderately active touring schedule running all throughout 2012, so for those who missed them in their heyday,...   Peter Kater Light Body Peter Kater has been nominated for six Grammy Awards. He is a multi-platinum composer, pianist and producer and has scored over one hundred television programs, films and plays. He has been recording music since 1983 and has been prolifically crafting his art ever since. The list of his accreditations...   Elika Mahony Glimmerings Elika Mahony hails from the shores of the United States but has spent much of her life traveling the world. Her love of music began when she was a child living in Africa. Her music reflects her exposure to all the diverse cultural experiences that have been a part of her life. Elika is a composer,...   Multimorph Meditation Chamber If you take a good look at Multimorph’s album cover for Meditation Chamber, you’ll probably be less than surprised to know this album is pretty far out there from what many of us are used to. Depending on whom you are, this can be a good thing, or a bad thing.     While this...   Mostly Autumn Still Beautiful Live 2011   Still Beautiful Live 2011 is the third live cd set from the band, Mostly Autumn, in three years, which could be taken as an indicator that followers of bands appreciate a historical record (no pun intended) of major tours. The significance of this live set, is that it is the first to feature...   Geoff Tate Kings & Thieves The legendary singer of Queensryche returns with his second solo effort Kings & Thieves.  From love and sex to politics and social commentary, Geoff Tate has a lot to say on this album. I am all for diverse content and themes on an album. The question is if the expression is done well or...   Brother Octopus Tentacle Trauma Sea creatures, aliens, and dinosaurs are just some of the things that make up the world of Tentacle Trauma, the newest release from the Canadian duo Brother Octopus. Consisting of Brother Octopus and Lady Friend, these two have created a sound so unique that you fall immediately in love with...   Trine Opsahl Somewhere In A Hidden Memory   Trine Opsahl draws her music from Nordic traditions and uses it as a balm for the soul. She began playing her first Celtic harp in the mid 1990’s and has become a force to be reckoned with in the New Age music community. Known as a composer and harpist in Europe, she had developed what...   HBC HBC-Scott Henderson, Jeff Berlin, Dennis Chambers HBC is an amazing trio made up of jazz-rock-fusion legends (amongst other things) Scott Henderson (guitar), Jeff Berlin (bass) and Dennis Chambers (drums). When I looked at the cover I had the stamp of instant recognition register in my mind. This was a no brainer; the album had to be something...   Tas Cru Tired of Bluesmen Cryin'   On his latest release, upstate New York’s Tas Cru is back with more of his signature blues sound on Tired of Bluesmen Cryin’. Known as “the master of the triple entendre,” Cru brings 11 new songs full of quirky lyrics and bluesy hooks in a blend of traditional and...   2002 Believe-A Spiritual Romance New Age music has two sides for this listener. One is the time when I am stressed out and I have a need to wind down and de-stress and the other is when I need to get pumped up and energized. New Age music is good for de-stressing and getting in touch with you inner self. The high energy music can...   Youngblood No Retreat The story of Youngblood is an interesting one. Formed by Bobby Sisk (Vocals), Jeff Diehl (Guitar/Vocals) and Danny Williams (Keyboards/Vocals), Sony/Epic Records quickly took interest in the young band and wrote up a contract. After recording over 40 tracks, the up-and-coming band from Indiana...   Isadar O Christmas     Isadar has been making music since he was a young child. His work with the piano and later woodwind instruments has given him a well-rounded musical repertoire and an experience in song writing. Working on piano and pop music, Isadar continues his voyage and improvisation to craft music...   Jim Hudak Embracing Winter Jim Hudak is a pianist and composer with a sturdy blend of jazz, classical, pop and country. He has been in all aspects of the music industry, from running a retail store to composing, recording, being an executive for ASCAP and Vice President for SESAC. Embracing Winter is Hudak’s sixth CD and...   Mostly Autumn Ghost Moon Orchestra Olivia Sparnenn has settled in quite well since the exit of longtime lead vocalist Heather Findlay for the great progressive rock band Mostly Autumn. Spamenn paid her dues singing back up for Findlay and now she elegantly steps into the spotlight helping Mostly Autumn to continue without missing a...   Blunt Force Charm The Life If you have not been paying much attention to the Canadian music scene, there is no time like the present to start. Hailing from the town of Leduc on outskirts of Edmonton, Blunt Force Charm is a rock duo consisting of Jon O’Dwyer (guitar, vocals) and Aaron Best (drums, vocals). The...   The Fusion Syndicate The Fusion Syndicate   This album dropped onto my PC and I must admit to finding myself filled with a little trepidation. The Fusion Syndicate is the latest offering from a Billy Sherwood project and having been very impressed with the superb Supertramp tribute album, I was then brought back down to earth with The...   Michael Burgin Some Heavy Hammer     I was expecting Some Heavy Hammer to be a hard rocking album by title, but Asheville, North Carolina’s Michael Burgin certainly does not disappoint despite my different expectations. On Burgin’s fourth solo album, he provides ten strong indie folk tunes that show that you...   Michael Brant DeMaria The Maiden of Stonehenge Michael Brant DeMaria has long been fascinated by sound and the relation it has to the health and well-being of the soul. A counselor to abused children, he has explored the healing process and the role creativity plays in moving beyond trauma. A multiple award winning composer and Grammy...   Third International Chemical Eyes Andrew Pearson has released albums in the past with the rest of the outfit, Third International, but on these two tracks, decides going solo is best for interpretation purposes. Both tracks are cloaked with social and political influences (heck, the name of the band itself is political in nature), and...   Dio The Very Beast of Dio Vol. 2     They say that heroes can be remembered, but legends never die. As a metal legend, Ronnie James Dio will live forever in his music. An iconic voice and presence in the metal world, he is credited with popularizing the familiar metal horns sign. He started his career with Elf,...   Under The Psycamore I   This band was a complete unknown to me when their debut cd  I landed on my laptop. A quick piece of searching for information turned into a much more detailed search than I had thought, but I did glean some information. Under The Psycamore are a neo-progressive rock band hailing...   The Brighton Beat The Brighton Beat LP I am always excited when someone sends me “something different” to review. This week’s submission from The Brighton Beat is one example of that. It is an Afrobeat jazz release by a large collection of musicians, double digits per the latest bio, along with a slew of others that...   Cynthia Chitko Knowing Love Is Near Cynthia Chitko’s medium is folk music and her palate is the vast emotions from the heart. Beginning her career in junior high in Wisconsin, she competed in vocal competitions and moved on to acoustic acts, both in a duo and single capacity. Her debut album was entitled The Moon Goddess....   Jim Carr The Space Below   I’ve always wondered how instrumental artists title their songs. Do the merging of sounds remind them of a certain memory from their life, or is it a random idea, for the listener to make of it what they will? While I don’t know, I did get to enjoy Jim Carr’s new album, The...   Mirabai Ceiba Between the Shores of Our Souls   Mirabai Ceiba is the joint effort of Angelika Baumbach (vocals, harp, keyboard) and Markus Sieber (guitar, vocals). The instruments blend with the lush vocals to create an audible landscape that can seduce the soul into an interlude of peace. One of the most interesting points about Mirabai...   Blackmore's Night A Knight In York (CD/DVD/Blu-ray) I saw Blackmore’s Night in May of 2011 perform live for the first time in Tarrytown, NY. It was everything and more than I could have possibly wished for in a live performance. Any music lover’s preference is the ability to attend a concert of one of their favorite acts and hear the music...   Tracer Spaces In Between   Australian Rockers, Tracer released their third album Spaces In Between on October 9, 2012 under the Cool Green Record Label. Tracer, made up of Andre Wise and brothers Michael and Leigh Brown is an Adelaide based Grunge Rock band who previously found success after the release of their 2...   Dokken Broken Bones   Although they have been standing on a shaky foundation for the past 20 years or so, 80s hard rock icons Dokken are back in 2012 to deliver their 11th studio album, Broken Bones. After a medley of break-ups and reformations, Don Dokken is back again to follow up 2008’s Lightning Strikes...   Marc Platt Blue Collar   Blue Collar is the latest release from Marc Platt of Marc and the Plattitudes. It is a six song acoustic EP that comes with an emotional impact that will leave a lingering impression. In less time it takes to watch a half an hour program, Blue Collar tackles issues such as age...   Toon Martens Project TMP TMP is the debut album by the Toon Martens Project, a 5 piece band hailing from Belgium. Toon Martens plays keyboards, Christophe Belien is the bass player, the drummer is Johan Van Den Berghe, vocals are handled by Guy Guisson and the guitarist is Filip Gijbels. Influences are acknowledged and include...   Pride of Lions Immortal   Pride of Lions is the brainchild of Jim Peterik. Peterik has a long track record in the music industry, dating all the way back to his band The Ides of March in the 70s. He made himself a big name in the 80s, co-writing Survivor’s hit “Eye of the Tiger” as the guitar...   Fire On Dawson 7 Billion And a Nameless Somebody You probably wouldn’t know this upon first listen, but Fire On Dawson is an Indo/German hard rock band. They are based out of Karlsruhe, Germany and currently consist of Martin Sonntag on bass, Markus Stricker on guitars, Ankur Batra on vocals, and Max Siegmund on drums. 7 Billion And a...   Margo Rey Habit Margo Rey’s style transcends many different musical genres and brings them all together as a beautiful amalgamation of sounds on her third album, Habit. Born in Mexico and working in the music biz since the age of 11 has helped her really fine tune her voice, and boy, does it show. Her...   Christopher Boscole Floating On A Melody Christopher Boscole has been making music for over twenty years. His work as a pianist and composer spans into jazz, New Age and improvisation that connects with many themes that include nature, sailing and photography. Floating On A Melody is his newest release. Unraveling the sounds in this...   Threshold March of Progress Progressive Metal fans have waited 5 years for a new Threshold album. March of Progress seems like a fitting title for such a tremendous effort (although the reference to that phrase means something entirely different). The band’s loss of long time vocalist Andrew 'Mac' McDermott in 2011...   Various Dirty Dancing The Deluxe Anniversary Edition Dirty Dancing is an iconic movie that never ages. The songs embrace the memories of days gone by and bring to life feelings of youth and vitality. I can still remember dancing to this movie as a teenager, madly in love with the imagery it represented. I tapped my feet and spun around to the...   Richie Sambora Aftermath of the Lowdown It’s been a long wait for Sambora fans, but Richie has finally released his third solo album – and with a very appropriate title. Aftermath of the Lowdown comes after 14 years filled with hardship and turmoil for the Bon Jovi guitarist. Sambora has been through a divorce, the death of...   Devin Townsend Project Epicloud Devin Townsend described the Devin Townsend Project’s Epicloud album as “Big, heavy, romantic kind of melodic stuff.” That’s as apt a summary as any. It’s heavy at times, and big and melodic throughout. In manufacturing such a big sound, we get...   Candlelight Red Demons After their debut release The Wreckage, Candlelight Red keeps on rocking with the four-track EP Demons. Made-up of Ryan Hoke (vocals), Jeremy Edge (guitar, vocals), Jamie Morral (bass, vocals) and Brian Dugan (drums), they instantly won me over as a fan last year and they solidified their...   Alt-J An Awesome Wave If you’re a music nut like me (which for your sake, I hope you’re not this bad), you may have been waiting several months for Alt-J’s debut full-length, An Awesome Wave, to be released stateside. It was released in the UK on May 25th, and has been receiving rave reviews. It is also a...   Scorpions Love At First Sting (24 Karat Gold) 1984 was a very good year for the legendary German band the Scorpions. Love At First Sting would become their most successful album peaking at #6 on the Billboard Charts and going triple platinum. The success of the recording also produced many of their signature tracks. Audio Fidelity was well aware...   Ten Years After Rock & Roll Music to the World (24kt Gold) In 1972 Ten Years After and their leader Alvin Lee where chugging right along with another classic blues boogie album titled Rock & Roll Music to the World. Now reissued in 24 karat gold in 2012. The Ten Years After original lineup was Alvin Lee (lead guitar, vocals), Ric Lee (drums), Chick...   Jill Haley Zion and Bryce Canyon Soundscapes   Jill Haley’s roots in classical, folk and jazz styles create a sound that is singular in its unique signature. Her work with the oboe and English horn are noteworthy and she has performed on several albums with multiple artists. Her band, One Alternative has made six albums and enjoys...   The Bopcats 25 Years of Rock 'n' Roll Perhaps the highest compliment that can be paid of The Bopcats is that when they're true to their can't-lose rockabilly formula, their originals equal the best of their covers. So it’s a good thing that on 25 Years of Rock ‘n’ Roll, we get 11 originals alongside the 6...   Andy Timmons Band Plays Sgt. Pepper Plays Sgt. Pepper by the Andy Timmons Band is splendid in so many ways it’s hard to know where to begin with a review. For one, this instrumental tribute to The Beatles isn’t one in which the listener has to be a Beatles’ fan (though I’m having trouble imagining such a...   Willie DE Egg Cracked, The Bird Went Wild While only 20 years old, Batesville, Virginia’s Willie DE seems very much a fan and student of a wide array of music artists and genres. His interests seem to go well beyond his years based on what we’ve come to expect of most artists in that age bracket. By the age of 12, DE had already...   The No Refund Band The No Refund Band It is always fun and interesting to receive a debut album because I never know how it is going to turn out. It could be a masterpiece or the band could still be working their sound out. You never know, but The No Refund Band might as well have been together for decades at this point....   Gavin Harrison and O5Ric The Man Who Sold Himself The Man Who Sold Himself   is the third album to be released by Gavin Harrison (drummer with Porcupine Tree), following on from Drop (2007) and Circles (2009). He has teamed up with multi-instrumentalist and vocalist O5Ric, who also appeared on the previous album releases. Initial...   Corey Lueck & The Smoke Wagon Blues Band It Ain't Easy A bluesman can coast by on just a few words, even if they’re repeated over and over, provided every word drips with authenticity. Authentic can be conveyed in one of two ways: (1) It’s rooted in image, i.e. some combination of the bluesman’s reputation/look/voice/musical...   Hans Theessink and Terry Evans Delta Time Hans Theessink and Terry Evans are a match made in blues heaven. These two international heavyweights are the perfect blend of guitar and bluesy soul. Theessink, the Dutch two time Amadeus winner with over forty years to perfect his roots rock and blues musical style has paired with Terry Evans, a...   Autumn Electric Make Me a Tree Autumn Electric is a Seattle-based band in The Decemberists vein that doesn't disappoint with its Make Me a Tree release. No exaggeration: Autumn Electric's musical song-writing is on par with a significant number of tracks from that other Pacific Northwest band (although I wouldn't confuse the two...   Ben Folds Five The Sounds of the Life of the Mind     It’s been 17 years since Ben Folds Five first album, and 14 since their last, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. The band broke up amicably in 2000 and went on to do other things, but now their back together with a new album, The Sounds of the Life of the Mind....   Steve Vai The Story of Light   The three-time Grammy winner Steve Vai, returns with his latest release, The Story of Light. Vai has accomplished a lot in his career that has spanned over 30 years. From being guitarist to a songwriter and a producer, Vai got started by playing with the legendary Frank Zappa and...   Osaru All the Way Osaru is a talented multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter whose musical style is a cross between jazz, R&B and a percussion that has roots in African, European and North American traditions. Compared to Seal and Kenny G, Osaru’s music is upbeat, yet laid back with smooth undertones...   Eric Val 3 Year Struggle Eric Val, the 26 year old Pennsylvania native, has released his first album, 3 Year Struggle. He discovered his passion for singing in high school after an injury kept him from sports. He dabbled in guitar playing and it was after being with a band before he realized he preferred singing and the...   The Aaron Clift Experiment Lonely Hills The Aaron Clift Experiment is a four piece band comprising Aaron Clift (Keyboards/Vocals), Jim Ragland (Guitars), Joe Green (Bass) and Joe Resnick (Drums). Aaron Clift himself started very early in music (at the age of 2) and was into formal musical education at 11. Although he did spend some years...   Heart Fanatic There has always been something about the music of Heart that pulls me in and owns every time. In 2010 the Wilson sisters, Ann and Nancy and their band, released the excellent Red Velvet Car. It may have come as a surprise to many that this long standing sister tandem could still rock and record...   Million Dollar Reload A Sinner's Saint If you are the type of person who is tired of what mainstream music is producing or some of the weak crap that you hear on the radio these days, then Million Dollar Reload is your saving grace. Made up of Phil Conalane (vocals), B.A.M (guitar), Andy Mack (guitar), Kie McMurray (bass), and Sean...   Big Walker Root Walking Derrick “Big Walker” Walker really has some impressive history. He was born in Oklahoma, moved to San Francisco in the 60’s, and now lives in Sweden. With that kind of life experience, it’s easy to see how a wide array of influence comes out in his music. In California, he met...   Dinosaur Jr. I Bet On Sky Most people thought that Dinosaur Jr. would be done by now. Literally done, not the still going but making music most fans don’t like anymore kind of done. Lou Barlow (bass and vocals) left, then Murph (drums), but J Mascis kept on strumming. Then the original lineup came back and they started...   Heidi Anne Breyer Beyond the Turning Heidi Anne Breyer became enraptured with music at the age of two on the stage of an English nursery school. Wearing a paper flower skirt, she began her journey into the wonder and transformational mystery of music that has defined her life. Following her passion, she attended university for drama and...   Matt Jameson Dirt Stomp Romeos The last time I heard from Matt Jameson was 2010 when he sent me his 5 song EP South Shore Girls... which I thoroughly enjoyed. So there should not be any reason why my experience would be different a few years down the road right? As it turns out I am glad to say that once again I have enjoyed the...   The xx Coexist In 2009, The xx’s self-titled debut album was released and found its way on to many “year’s best” lists. It was my favorite album of the year, so you can bet I was eagerly anticipating what would come next from the trio of Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, and Jamie Smith (aka...   Various The Prog Collective The Prog Collective (band), is apparently just that, an amazing array of musicians of the prog genre, amassed by Billy Sherwood (Yes). The bands graced by these artists include King Crimson, XTC, Asia, Gentle Giant, Yes, Mr. Mister, Squackett etc. Using modern technology, the individual artists would...   Art Garfunkel The Singer Art Garfunkel has been making music for over forty years. He is one of the most notable and recognizable vocalists in modern popular music. From the humble beginnings of playing in basements to the rise of Simon and Garfunkel in the 1960’s, and the numerous Grammy awards, film recordings (The...   Bristol to Memory Don't Hold Your Breath Based out of Orange County, California, Bristol to Memory formed in the mid-2000s. Consisting of Rory O’Connell (vocals, guitar), Kealan O’Connell (bass), Ken Aquino (guitar), and Alex Buster (bass), Bristol to Memory is the best alternative rock band that has been gaining some...   darXtar Aged To Perfection The Swedish band darXtar has quite a history behind them. Beginning as a one-man band in 1989, the group has continued to grow over the decades, with 3 members joining during different years of the 90’s, and one in 2003. Not knowing the history of the band, when I heard title track,...   Instant Drone Factory Ho Avuto Paura del Mare In the avant garde/ free improv world, there is a fine line between what is brilliant and what is just simply awful. Often times, free improvisation can be seen as a masturbatory art form, pinning its audience down to listen to someone perform completely unrehearsed, like a spokesman making up a topic...   Gandalf's Fist From a Point of Existence I always enjoy getting a chance to review a follow-up album by a band I reviewed previously. In this instance the band is British duo, Gandalf’s Fist, and the album is From a Point of Existence. Existence is the band’s follow-up to 2011’s Road to Darkness. Darkness was an epic,...   Hess Living in Yesterday Harry Hess is no stranger to the music business. With around 30 years under his belt, he is most known for his time as the frontman for the Canadian melodic rock band Harem Scarem which lasted from the late 80s until their disbandment in 2008.   Far from done with music, Hess continues to...   Michael Dulin These Are The Moments Michael Dulin began making music at the young age of two. His work with the piano has brought him awards and honors and he completed his musical education at Julliard. He has worked with musical greats Adele Marcus, toured as the keyboardist for The Temptations and he has gone international with his...   Karcius The First Day Karcius are a Canadian 4 piece band that seems to be stirring the waters of the progressive crossover genre. They embody into their music a combination of various genres to create the Karcius sound, and these include rock, pop, classical, jazz, ambient and African (I don’t think I missed any...   Judas Priest Screaming For Vengeance 30th Anniversary (CD/DVD) Judas Priest has many excellent albums in their catalog but there is one release that stands out amongst them all as the template for a heavy metal recording, Screaming For Vengeance. Originally released in 1982, remastered in 2001, and now repackaged and re-released with a DVD featuring a live...   ELAN London Express ELAN is a band that I have fallen head over heels for over the last few months. The band is one that up until recently has been relatively unknown in the States. Created in a little town in Mexico, ELAN is comprised of Elán (lead vocals, keyboard), Jan Carlo DeFan (lead guitar), Carlos Padilla...   Beardfish The Void If you were looking around the internet for news of this new release by the Swedish quartet Beardfish, then it was probably as disconcerting for Beardfish followers as it was for the followers of Opeth as the release of Heritage approached. News of musical direction changes were rife, but Beardfish...   Spiders Weekend Nights Coming to you on September 7th (a weekend night, in fact), is a fresh new track from Swedish rock band, Spiders, from their upcoming album Flash Point. Formed in early 2010, the band performs in and holds up to their image of a late 60’s/ early 70’s rock band. They have a “garage punk...   Producers Made in Basing Street Supergroups are always fun to watch. Famous and talented musicians coming together to form a band makes for an intriguing plot line, mainly to see if they can work together. Formed in 2006, Producers are Trevor Horn (bass, vocals), Steve Lipson (guitar), Lol Crème (guitar, vocals), and Ash Soan...   Kaipa Vittjar The band, Kaipa, are a little difficult to describe, and I have seen comments ranging from a prog folk rock fusion band to rock with undertones of the innermost depths of the ancient Swedish primeval forest. (The imagination of some people is immense!). This album, Vittjar, is the eleventh release from...   Blur Parklive   A few weeks ago I read a post while watching part of the opening ceremony from the Olympics where someone referred to Blur as the “British Sugar Ray.” Having long been a Blur fan, I immediately decided that this individual’s musical opinion no longer meant anything to me....   Saga 20/20   The Canadian Prog Rock band Saga has been around since 1977. They’ve had decent success through the years, despite disbanding, reuniting, continuing on under a different name and with two members, but came back for good in 1995. Since then they have kept going.   This album...   Digital Antique II Digital Antique is an instrumental rock band based out of Austin Texas. The core trio, all of whom met at South Plains College, merge their instrumental prog rock sound with the classical world, featuring a string quartet on the record (which they tour with as well). While this isn’t necessarily...   Passion Pit Gossamer   Michael Angelakos has certainly made the most of the Valentine’s Day gift EP he made for his girlfriend. 2008’s Chunk of Change became the commercial release of the album and now Angelakos’ band, Passion Pit, can be heard as background music in commercials and is releasing...   Jason Gerard You Set Me Free   Jason Gerard, an Austin, Texas native is known for his blend of punk and alternative music. Gerard was the co-founder of the punk band Egoteric and has played several venues in Texas. Specializing in keyboard and guitar, Gerard has a sound that is edgy and fierce. Most notably, his work is a...   Various Artists Songs Of The Century - An All Star Tribute To Supertramp   Songs Of The Century isan All Star Tribute to Supertramp featuring the All Star Prog Collective including members of Asia, Yes and XTC and others.   I will admit to approaching this review with a slight feeling of trepidation as my previous experiences of “tribute” albums...   Neal Morse Momentum Just when you think an artist like Neal Morse has released a career defining album he turns around and releases one that is even better. With Momentum Morse has done that, again.   The title is fitting because Neal felt very strongly that he had more momentum now than ever before during his...   The Procession You Are Now Leaving The Future The British band, The Procession, has released two EPs in the past, and now their full length album has arrived, You Are Now Leaving the Future. I had the pleasure of reviewing their very first EP, Sometimes, and was excited to see how they’ve progressed. Unfortunately, I was a tad...   The Quinn Hedges Band Step Outside Quinn Hedges has been making music since he was fifteen. After several years of school, he recorded his debut album in 2006. Since then, he has worked on many original songs with leanings toward jazz, folk and blues. The Quinn Hedges Band currently consists of Quinn Hedges (guitar, mandolin,...   Order Of Nine Seventh Year Of The Broken Mirror “Dark, Symphonic, Emotive, Progressive, and Shred…their own brand of metal, a perfect amalgam of thrash and accessible progressive metal with the dark voice of a seven foot Vampire.” This description from the record label’s website couldn’t be closer to the truth when...   Paul Bernard Sanne Dager Paul Bernard is a talented Norwegian producer and rapper (certainly more of the former), who will soon be dropping his first full-length solo album, Sånne Dager. According to his press kit, Paul Bernard describes his album as alternative hip-hop; and though the alternative side of that is...   ZZ Top La Futura ZZ Top is the Houston based rock group that was established in 1969. Known for their rhythm, humor and vocal style, the band consists of Billy Gibbons (guitar, vocals), Frank Beard (percussion) and Dusty Hill (bass, vocals). For the first time in nine years, the band is releasing a new album that many...   Druckfarben Druckfarben   Druckfarben are a Canadian band that are relatively new, doing their first gig in the first quarter of 2008. The five piece band comprises Phil Naro (vocals), Ed Bernard (guitars), William Hare (keyboards), Troy Feener (drums/percussion) and Peter Murray (bass/vocals). To clear up the...   Hermann Szobel Szobel I’ve always had a soft spot for “cult” classics. As a teenager, I was always looking for classic films, such as David Lynch’s Eraserhead and the quasi-gothic classic Donnie Darko. In music, I’ve been the same way. Underground music always tends to speak to me a little more...   Pat Travers Blues On Fire Pat Travers long and illustrious career continues with his latest release, Blues On Fire. He has been producing quality music since the 1970s and shows sign of letting up, if this album is any indication. Featuring covers of blues songs that go back 90 years, he brings the house down one...   Incubus Incubus HQ Live Special Edition  It’s amazing to think that Incubus has been making music for over 20 years already. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that I was cranking Morning View in my Discman, but then again I guess that puts things into perspective.   Of course there have been a couple of lineup...   Elf Project The Great Divide Elf Project originated from the greater New York area and have continued to push the boundaries of 70’s progressive rock within the confines of the “classic” hard rock power trio.The three members of the band, Carl Schultz (vocals,bass and keys), Mike Cappadozy (guitars) and Dave...   Joe Walsh Analog Man Much to the delight of his longtime fans, after two decades, Joe Walsh is finally back. Most widely known for his work with The Eagles, Walsh has also released solo albums and been with other bands such as the James Gang, Barnstorm, and Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band. With a career spanning...   Cailyn Four Pieces Cailyn (Lloyd), to give her full name although she only uses her first name,certainly entered the music arena early in life, learning to play piano at age 6 and violin at age 8. There are also not many teenagers who can claim to have played guitar at the famous Marquee Club in London, UK. Not content...   The Divergence No Words This takes me back. This EP has brought forth all the memories of being in college and hearing music exactly like this all over the place. Mind you, that’s not necessarily bad, since some of them weren’t half bad, even by my standards. Not all bands are created equal, but this one seems to...   Tron Syversen Sacred Dreams Tron Syversen is best known as a pioneer in the relaxation music community in Northern Europe. Syversen uses improvisational techniques to craft intricate pieces of mediational healing music that embrace his experience in jazz and Nordic folk music. A favorite in Scandinavia, Syversen and his musical...   La Coka Nostra Masters of the Dark Arts Some albums make you bob your head, some make you feel nothing, some take you on an epic journey where you feel that you’re not the same person after listening. Well, La Coka Nostra’s newest album Masters of the Dark Arts makes you feel like you just took a hard slap to the...   Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play The Blues: Live at Lincoln Center (CD/DVD) Strangely enough, my first experience of this record was in my car while on my way to a Sigur Ros concert. The ethereal moments of my experience hugely contrasted with the bustling party going on in my minivan, while I unfortunately sat still in traffic on the Brooklyn Belt. In a way, I think...   Elvis Presley I Am An Elvis Fan I was playing with my “Family Feud” app the other day, and the question was, “What is the first thing you think of when you hear the name Elvis Presley?” Within moments I entered “King” for the number one answer. Like his music or not, Elvis will always be “The...   Albert Cummings No Regrets No Regrets is Albert Cummings latest release that will be heading out to the world at the end of August. This blues album has just the right touch of rock and country among other influences to appeal to a wide range of music lovers. In the quest for an amazing musical sound, Albert Cummings...   Various Artists The Gathering The Gathering is an instrumental compilation produced by Will Ackerman of Imaginary Road Records, who also has an extensive solo career.   Twenty-two artists came together to make this project a reality, each bringing one work of theirs to the table. And what a table it is; there’s solo...   Steven Halpern Deep Alpha: Brainwave Synchronization For Meditation Steven Halpern is the award winning composer, producer and recording artist who has been using music as therapy since the mid 1970’s. Using instrumental music, Halpern uses global healing traditions with modern medicine and music to support meditation, yoga, sleep and relaxation. Deep Alpha...   Fiona Apple The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You more Than Ropes Will Ever Do If you have been following Fiona Apple’s career, you would know that she is not known to cater to the mainstream audience. Yet, each of her records have been in the limelight of popular culture, though out casted at the same time for notoriously alienating her fans. After more than a seven...   Erik Norlander -The Galactic Collective Live In Gettysburg (CD/DVD) Erik Norlander’s biography on his website starts by saying he is a progressive rock keyboardist, composer and producer from California that has written and produced over 30 albums since 1993 with his chanteuse spouse Lana Lane and his band Rocket Scientists. Is that enough to impress? I would...   Phavian Foreword Phavian are a Los Angeles band consisting of five members, Elizabeth Matson (vocals, keyboards), Pusan Hassani (acoustic, electric guitars), Rob Cubillos (acoustic,electric guitars), Jason Lobell (bass guitar) and Patrick Hassani (drums, keyboards). The debut album, Kiena, was released in 2009 and the...   Teodore Tuff Soliloquy Teodor Tuff is an established band from Norway that has opened for giant rock acts such as Whitesnake and Deep Purple. Their latest release, Soliloquy, is a very unique rock release; the band certainly has its own sound. However, not all things unique are necessarily good. When I first began...   Twin Shadow Confess   The 80’s always gets a bad rap. Sure there was some pretty lame stuff going on… okay lots of lame stuff, but there was also some pretty awesome stuff too. Yes, plenty of it sounds very dated and terrible today, but much of this is because the electronics were nowhere near as good...   Et Tu Bruce Suburban Sunshine Et Tu Brucé is the dynamic pop group that hails from Hanwell, a West London suburb. The band consists of four members: Jamie White (guitar, vocals), Matthew O'Toole (guitar, vocals), Darryn Bruce (bass) and Craig Bruce (drums). Suburban Sunshine is their debut album. Taking a spin around...   Steve Hillage Band The Steve Hillage Band Live Steve Hillage is an English guitarist who has done most of his work with experimental music, particularly relating to the guitar. He’s been in and around dozens of bands throughout his long career, and has released a decent number of solo records as well.   This album is his solo work...   Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats Live Meat and Potatoes Based out of Los Angeles, Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats is the side project of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith. Formed in 2008, Jeff Kollman (guitar), Kevin Chown (bass), and Ed Roth (keyboards) round out the rest of this funk rock fusion band. Recorded at the jazz club The...   Tohpati Bertiga Riot Tohpati begin playing classical guitar at the age of ten. By his twenties he was playing in an Indoneisan jazz band, simakDialog a band well known for their musical prowess and extended solos. He continues to expand his playing adding new tools to his already overcrowded toolbox. His new album Riot...   Hasse Froberg and the Musical Companion Powerplay Hasse Froberg has been a member of The Flower Kings Since 1997, as vocalist and guitarist. When The Flower Kings had a break, Hasse used the opportunity to form a band to provide a platform for his own songwriting material which didn’t fit in with material used by The Flower Kings. This is the...   Affector Harmageddon With Harmageddon, the progressive rock group Affector has really tried to push the boundaries of an album, creating more of an epic that attempts to take the listener through the end of times.  Often, the band succeeds in telling this tale, and what is most impressive is that they do it with...   Marion James Northside Soul Nashville, Tennessee’s Marion James has been dubbed the “Queen of the Blues” and sings like it. Her musical upbringing has strong ties to the church, but that is just one of her influences. They range from gospel to blues, rock to funk. On this album, each one is heard and...   ANTA The Tree That Bears the Equine Fruit I think that the progressive rock scene has always had an identity crisis. For instance, in the late 60’s and early 70’s, bands such as Pink Floyd and King Crimson were often noted as being the pioneers of prog rock, featuring sweepingly epic songs that bridged the gap between popular...   Jack White Blunderbuss It’s crazy to think that with all of the bands and projects that Jack White has been involved in over the years that Blunderbuss is his first actual solo release. Having just turned 37 he has built quite a résumé for himself in his time with The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The...   ELAN What Can Be Done At This Point Elan is a band you have probably never heard of, but after reading this review, hopefully you will venture out and listen. This is the third review I have done on them, and each time it just gets better and better. What Can Be Done At This Point is an older release from 2007, but that doesn’t...   The Mercury Tree Pterodactyls Progressive rock is a genre intended to lend greater creative expression and more diverse sounds to rock through non-traditional composition and unique instruments. The Mercury Tree is the epitome of a progressive rock band. Their latest album, Pterodactyls, shows off their eclectic sound by way of a...   Rush Clockwork Angels What words are there for a band like Rush? Calling them transcendent, virtuosic, mystical, majestic or esoteric won’t even cover the basics. They have proved time and again that they can consistently maintain a devout cult following unlike any group in history. For their latest release,...   Kellianna The Ancient Ones   Kellianna is an artist with roots in the pagan community. Her music is a blend of mythology, powerful vocals, chanting and primal drumming. She has toured all over the United States. The Ancient Ones is her fifth album. When I received this album, I was delighted. Kellianna's previous albums...   Jimi Hendrix Jimi Plays Berkeley (Blu-ray DVD) My admiration for Jimi Hendrix is well documented through several reviews, covering nearly his entire studio catalog and several live releases exhumed from the vast archives of the Experience Hendrix organization.  Headed up by Jimi’s sister Janie now (Jimi’s father Al is deceased),...   Asia XXX   Asia, the continent, has been around “forever.” Asia, the band, for not quite as long, but are celebrating their 30th anniversary. The four original band members, John Wetton (bass), Steve Howe (guitars), Geoff Downes (keyboards) and Carl Palmer (drums) reformed back in 2006 and...   Puzzle King Anna's Revolution Puzzle King is a French rock band led by François Puzenat, who does vocals, guitars, keyboards and programming on the album—not to mention he also wrote all of the songs.  Anna’s Revolution is a concept album about a young couple who are trying to survive through the...   Great White Elation If you are a longtime fan of Great White, you will probably notice the absence of Jack Russell on this album. If not then you probably think Jack Russell is a type of terrier. It doesn’t sound like Kendall and Russell will be getting back together anytime soon, so I would get used to the...   Willie McBlind Live Long Day     Based out of New York City, Willie McBlind consists of Jon Catler (64-tone just intonation, fretless guitars), Meredith ‘Babe’ Borden (vocals, autoharp), Mat Fieldes (bass), and Lorne Watson (drums). Live Long Day is their third album that is sure to impress. With...   Johnny Mastro & Mama's Boys Luke's Dream When many of us are younger we dread getting older, and definitely didn’t want to end up like our parents. I loved hair metal when I was a kid, and I certainly thought I would forever. Our tastes tend to change though, and while I am not listening to as much metal these days, my tastes...   Wig Wam Wall Street Since I’ve never really lived a “glamorous” lifestyle, I must say that my opinions may come off as a little biased when talking about this record. But after listening to Wig Wam’s new record Wall Street, I’m not totally opposed to giving it a try. This hard rocking...   On Wings Of Wax The Escape On Wings of Wax is the brainchild of Adam Kluga of Melbourne, Victoria. The only member in the band is Kluga himself and The Escape is On Wings Of Wax’s sophomore release. He has a sound full of ambient artistry and progressive rock melodies that inspire creative thought and introspection. I...   Squackett Life Within A Day   Unless you have been part of a cryogenics experiment or stuck in another dimension, the collaboration of two of prog rocks “elder statesmen” finally joining forces to form Squackett will not be surprising news. One of the most influential bass players, Chris Squire, a founder...   Blues Pills Bliss (10 Blues Pills are Elin Larsson (vocals), Cory Berry (guitar), Dorian Sorriaux (guitar), Zack Anderson (bass) and Jonas Moses Askerlund (drums) and they have learned very well from their predecessors such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and the traditional blues players that made it...   The Blasters Fun On A Saturday Night   The Blasters are a blues band with Americana running deeply in their veins. They formed in 1979 by two brothers, Phil and Dave Alvin. They’ve received positive critical acclaim yet moderate commercial success over the course of their career.   This is their first release since...   Jorn Bring Heavy Rock To The Land   The proclaimed “Norse God of Metal” is at it again after a three year hiatus, and his newest solo effort, Bring Heavy Rock To The Land (insert slight groan for the title here), brings just as much rockin’ and lyrical ability a fan would expect from Jorn Lande. With 30 years...   Japandroids Celebration Rock Celebration Rock was never supposed to happen for Japandroids, but I am sure they and their fans are glad it did. Originally the Vancouver duo was only planning on releasing their one full-length, the loud and fuzz-filled rocker Post-Nothing, because the band never really took off. I guess critical...   District 97 Trouble With Machines District 97 is a progressive rock band that features the first American Idol Top 10 Female Finalist. Formed in 2006, the band consists of Jonathan Schang (drums), Rob Clearfield (keyboard), Patrick Mulcahy (bass), Jim Tashjian (guitar) and Leslie Hunt (vocals). Trouble With Machines is their sophomore...   Joel Kent Perfect Khaos Joel Kent is an enigma of some sorts. Out of all the artists that I have reviewed, information on him has been the hardest to find. It could be that this is his debut release or maybe he just likes his privacy. Whatever it is, I think that his obscurity is a good thing because it means that nothing...   This Is She Nobody Is Ok   This Is She is an alternative rock band formed in 2011. Members include Alana Grace (vocals), Spencer Bastian (guitar), Christian Meadows (guitar) and Ryan Folden (drums). With soaring and emotive vocals, powerful yet distorted guitar work and textured percussion, this band’s sound got...   It Bites Map Of The Past It Bites was formed in 1982 in England, but never really took off at first. Over the next year, full of disbanding and reforming, rehearsing with inadequate equipment in tiny rooms, they had a demo to mark themselves with. Eventually they were picked up by Virgin Records.   Their last...   Paradise Lost Tragic Idol Paradise lost is a very solid metal band. Nick Holmes (vocals), Greg Mackintosh (lead guitar), Aaron Aedy (rhythm guitar), Steve Edmondson (bass), and Adrian Erlandsson (drums), make it clear that they have been around the genre for their entire lives. They have a good understanding of what forms the...   Project Grand Slam Spring Dance Project Grand Slam is an internationally known New York based Jazz group. Formed in 2007, the band consists of Robert Miller (composer, electric bass), Ron Thaler (drums, percussion) and Gilad Ronen (saxophone). Guest artists include Danny Lerman (saxophone), Mike Eckroth (keyboard) and Joye Hennessey...   Rodriguez Searching for Sugar Man (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) “Better late than never” is a phrase that seems rather apropos for Rodriguez. Born Sixto Diaz Rodriguez in Detroit, Michigan in 1942, Rodriguez’s socially conscious folk tunes never received much attention in the U.S. for some reason. He did receive some success overseas in South...   ELAN See Us Spin   ELAN are a brother and sister led quintet from the little town of Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, Mexico. The band is comprised of Elán (lead vocals, keyboard), Juan Carlo DeFan (lead guitar, co-producer), Carlos Padilla Maqueo (bass) and Michael “Cheech” Bitar DeFan (drums). If you...   Lita Ford Living Like A Runaway After achieving success with the rock band The Runaways, lead guitarist Lita Ford embarked on her solo career after the eventual breakup of her original band. Lita has now achieved success as a guitarist and singer.  Aided by Gary Hoey as an extra guitar player and Pete Peloquin as their drum...   Kenneith Perrin Life Adventure EP Kenneith Perrin’s Life Adventure EP is the follow up to his 2007 debut release It Took So Long. This six track EP features a healthy mix of rock, pop, and R&B with some soul added in for good measure. It is an interesting collection of songs with an emotional, spiritual, and...   The Glammers The Glammers The Glammers are quite a worldly band, indeed. The three members, shrouded in an air of online mystery behind the faces of animated characters (think Gorillaz), come from Scotland, Buenos Aires, and France, collectively. They know numerous languages apart from their mother tongues, and have interests...   Gazpacho March Of Ghosts   What a name. Gazpacho is more commonly known as a cold vegetable soup from Spain. It’s completely unrelated to a band from Norway making light, emotional music.   At least the album title reflects the music. March Of Ghosts really is what mental picture this album evokes. This...   Your Meteor The Retroscope It’s been a long time since I have come across an album that I fall in love with from the first listen. I like to browse bandcamp.com and listen to what people are doing. Some of it is really bad and some of it is really good. Every once in a while you come across something amazing. That was the...   Regina Spektor What We Saw From The Cheap Seats I’m going to have to admit that this review will be a little bit biased…  Regina Spektor is one of my absolute favorite artists; her music is unlike any other. Even when the songs feature only her and her piano, she finds ways to make them so dramatic and...   Jill Scott Crates Remix Fundamentals Volume 1: Jill Scott Spring Summer Feeling Jill Scott is the Grammy Award poet, singer, songwriter and actress. She hails from Philadelphia and began her career as an artist of the spoken word. Her big break came in 2000 when she released her debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1. Many releases later, Jill is still making...   Liz Mandeville Clarksdale Liz Mandeville got her first guitar when she was 16 and started playing professionally soon after. Through her parents she was exposed to many different types of art and music, galleries, gardens and museums. Mandeville has a BA in music and also writes a blues column and is a blues DJ for...   Black Wing Halo Welcome to the Show With so many different genres of music out there, it’s a wonder why there aren’t more bands like Black Wing Halo, who mix together multiple genres to create a diverse and unique tone. Their style sounds most explicitly like grunge, alternative rock, and soul music combined; however,...   Garbage Not Your Kind of People Garbage is the alternative rock band that came to life in 1994 in Madison, Wisconsin. Enigmatic and full of grit, the band consists of Shirley Manson (vocals, guitar), Butch Vig (percussion, drums), Steve Marker (keyboards, guitar) and Duke Erikson (bass, keyboards, guitar, percussion.) Not Your Kind...   The Flower Kings Banks Of Eden   The Flower Kings are back! After a five year absence they have reformed to record a stunning album titled Banks of Eden. Roine Stolt felt at the time when they decided to take a break that it was necessary so everyone could go do what they wanted and then come back refreshed. He is glad they...   David J. Caron Thru Ever Ending Black Beaming out to the universe by way of Ireland, David J. Caron’s Thru Ever Ending Black is a very impressive debut double album that combines a range of musical influences to make for a refreshing experience. With intelligent and inspiring lyrics and a unique sound that is sure to stay with...   Roxy King Arrival Many people already have an opinion on teenage pop stars before they’re even given a chance. Some people will love everything they do and give them more merit because of their age, while others will feel that they are just the product of someone trying to make money off the people that love them....   Headspace I Am Anonymous In 2007 Britain’s Headspace released their debut EP I Am…making the world take note of them. But it’s been five long years since then, and only now do we have another offering from them. Here’s to hoping that in those five year’s they’ve cooked up something...   Paul Simon Graceland 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition Box Set Paul Simon has had an amazing career with Simon & Garfunckel and as a solo artist. One would think his collaboration with Art Garfunckel would stand as his most prolific achievement however it has been as a solo artist where Simon has really made his mark and particularly with the...   Paisty Jenny Head in a Haze Paisty Jenny is a rock quartet from the Midwest, and they have been at it since 2002. They have released four albums during this decade, including their latest, Head in a Haze. Their style is a mix of modern and 80s style rock, and they tend to be compared to artists like Buckcherry, Hinder, and Puddle...   Fear Factory The Industrialist When it comes to naming a band that defines what is called the “industrial metal” sound, Fear Factory is atop the list. There music sounds very robotic sounding, and they use a plethora of different synth sounds. This style does not take away from the music though, and the...   Spineshank Anger Denial Acceptance Spineshank are back after a six-year hiatus. They’ve taken their sweet time writing this new record, Anger Denial Acceptance, and it’s been a long time coming.   Artistic differences are apparently to blame for the years of silence we’ve dealt with from them, but if a band...   Li'l Ronnie and the Grand Dukes Gotta Strange Feeling Gotta Strange Feeling is the latest release from the blues band Li’l Ronnie and the Grand Dukes. Fronted by Ronnie Owen, these guys sure know how to jam. They have been around for quite awhile and it shows in their musical skill. Gotta Strange Feeling has much to offer listeners,...   Distorted Harmony Utopia Albums like this one fascinate me. Like all progressive metal bands’ efforts, this one is packed with just about every musical nuance possible. There’s at least something for every listener, albeit more for some than others. But at least there’s something.    What’s...   Todd Boston Touched By The Sun Todd Boston is the San Francisco based guitarist, composer and multi-instrumentalist. His new sophomore release, Touched By The Sun was produced with Grammy Award winning Will Ackerman from Windham Hill Records and has a cast of guest musicians that include: Tony Levin (bass), Eugene Friesen (cello),...   Sweet New York Connection It’s hard to believe that the same city that brought us the “sweet” sounds of The Velvet Underground, The Ramones, Patti Smith, Blondie, Talking Heads and New York Dolls, is the same city that wants to put a ban on large sugary drinks. Well one sugary confection they won’t...   Rick Shaffer Idiot Flats Something about the name Rick Shaffer rang a bell when I received this weeks’ review. There are plenty people with this name of course, and then I recalled that I reviewed Shaffer’s previous release, Hidden Charms, early last year. Even better, I recalled that I quite liked it, and its...   ELAN Retrospective 2002-2012 ELAN hails from Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, Mexico. The band is made up of Elán (lead vocalist and keyboard player), Jan Carlo DeFan, (lead guitarist, co-producer), Carlos Padilla Maqueo (bass), Michel "Cheech" Bitar DeFan (drummer) and Muaricio "The Duck" Lopez. The band is the...   Hail the Titans Hymns of Mare Nostrum Hail the Titans is an instrumental band that relies on setting a mood of a song before they try to do anything technical or unique. There are bands out there that can make this approach work well, but Hail the Titans does not have the talent to do so.  The guitar work on the album is I think...   Oresund Space Collective West Space And Love I wonder what Claude Debussy would think of this. He was the king of French Impressionistic music, that is, music that paints a blurry mental picture of something, not a photographic one.   Øresund Space Collective plays music that sounds very spacey, otherworldly if you will, mostly...   bunny X Love Spy   Bunny X is a synthpop band based out of New York, New York. The band is comprised of Abigail Ferguson and Mary Handley. Influences range from the mid 1980’s, Madonna and Depeche Mode. Love Spy is the band’s premiere EP. “Former Life” is the first song on the EP...   Gumshen Everything What We Recorded Based out of Seattle, Washington, Gumshen is a band unlike any other. Their genre bending sound is on full display with their latest release, Everything What We Recorded. This compact album, at a run time of slightly over half an hour, shines like an exploding star amidst dull...   Rick Wakeman - The New English Rock Ensemble In The Nick Of Time-Live In 2003 For the first time In The Nick Of Time-Live In 2003 is now available on CD. Rick Wakeman and The New English Rock Ensemble recorded the album in the U.K on the Out There tour in 2003. The band featured Ashley Holt (vocals), Tony Fernandez (drums), Ant Glynne (guitar) and Lee Pomeroy (bass). Rick...   Tyketto Dig In Deep Hard rockers Tyketto have been at it for quite some time now. In fact, 2012 marks the bands 25th anniversary. With this milestone comes the band’s latest release, Dig In Deep.   The majority of Tyketto’s releases came in the 90’s, and despite some changes in the lineup...   The Murder Of My Sweet Bye Bye Lullaby Lacuna Coil. Nightwish. Arch Enemy. Otep. Evanescence and Epica. The list of female–fronted metal bands is a long one. If you like the sound those bands make, you have your veritable pick of the litter, so to speak. And that is one problem for The Murder Of My Sweet.   They play a kind of...   Arjen Anthony Lucassen Lost In The New Real (2 CD/LP Set) Arjen Anthony Lucassen has a reputation for producing massive rock operas with guest artists from all over the world that populate the progressive and metal arenas. He has always wanted to do his own solo album while handling all the lead vocals. He also plays nearly every instrument. The time...   Hardline Danger Zone In 1991 brothers Johnny and Joey Gioeli (who were already highly successful in their own bands) joined forces and created Hardline. Neal Schon, who originally was producing the band, enjoyed them so much he joined the band. Hardline did well, charting on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks...   Circus Maximus Nine Picking a good band name isn’t always easy. It should reflect the sound, grab one’s attention, and not be too ridiculous (unless everything about you is). Circus Maximus hits the mark, borrowing from the Roman Empire. Romans were metal people.   And the members are very metal as...   The Doors L.A. Woman (40th Anniversary Deluxe) The year started off right for Rhino Records with the release of the classic and last Doors recording L.A. Woman. This is the 40th Anniversary Deluxe edition which includes a second disc of alternate versions and rarities. The newly discovered track "She Smells So Nice” and eight...   Slash Apocalyptic Love (Deluxe Edition) There are certain names that go hand in hand with the word rock star. Bowie, Jagger, Springsteen - names like that are instantly recognizable. With the passing of time we add more to the list and one of those is Slash (Saul Hudson). He made his mark with Guns N' Roses, a much celebrated solo...   Touchstone Reissues Touchstone is a progressive rock band that hails from the UK. Rocking it out since 2001, with a few changes in its members, the current lineup is comprised of Rob Cottingham (lead and backing vocals), Adam Hodgson (guitars), Paul 'Moo' Moorghen (bass, backing vocals, keyboard, drum programming and...   2bers Dig   You know, as a critic I have to say it is much easier to review music that I don’t enjoy. The entire time I’m listening to the horrid tracks I’m justifying why I don’t like them. I’m saying things in my head like “ugh, why did they do that?”...   No End of Now Some Music We Made When a band’s sound is explained by fans with such descriptions as “psychedelic fusion” and "What the hell was that? That was cool,” it is hard not to get excited about these guys new album.  Fronted by Rex Shepherd and accompanied by John Tschirhart, and Jason...   Heart Strange Euphoria (Box Set) Heart is one of the longest lasting rock bands in the US. Composed of sisters Ann Wilson (lead singer) and Nancy Wilson (guitar), the band rose through the charts in the 1970’s and continue touring and playing in present day. Their style of folk, rock and heavy metal transcend the boundaries of...   Isadar Reconstructed Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Fabian Isadar Thibodeaux is an artist of many talents. Listening to piano as a young child, Isadar became transfixed with music. In his teens, he learned woodwinds and after a short break in his work with the piano, was revitalized and back on his life’s...   Royal Hunt Heart Of The City (Best Of 1992-1999) Royal Hunt has been around since 1989, and are based in Denmark. Throughout their career they’ve sold over one million records worldwide. Their greatest success was in the mid–1990’s with vocalist D.C. Cooper. Over the years the lineup has changed dramatically, with keyboardist...   Santana Shape Shifter Santana’s first album on his Starfaith Records makes an effort to bring back all the fans he lost while teaming up with pop stars after the huge success of Supernatural. He gained an entirely new audience with those releases but where does he go from there? The problem with that enormous success...   Sid Sound Lightspeed Hailing from Chicago, Sid Sound is a diverse rapper who tackles a many different types of beats, flows, and topics in his songs. His newest release, Lightspeed, showcases his diversity while also offering the notion that the rapper is far from reaching his potential. Most of the album has a cool...   Nektar Retrospektive 1969-1980 If you are a Nektar fan you more than likely have most of their albums already including all the remasters. If you are a huge progressive rock fan and have an interest in this band then this set is no brainer.   Retrospektive 1969-1980 (yes that is the correct spelling on the title) is a...   Trixter New Audio Machine Trixter begin in 1983 in a New Jersey basement in the city of Paramus. After a year of honing their skills, Brown and Loran added drummer Scott. The band took off like a kid when the end of school bell rings. They became regulars in the NJ/NY music scene. Farley joined the band as the new bassist...   Storm Corrosion Storm Corrosion Opeth is one of my top 5 most favorite bands. Porcupine Tree is not far behind. Imagine my reaction when I first learned of this project, a collaboration between the brains of the two aforementioned bands.   Mikael Åkerfeldt and Steven Wilson write music that is different from each...   Morglbl Brutal Romance Don’t let the God-awful album art fool you, Mörglbl is a VERY respectable group. In fact, I have no problem calling these guys the most talented three-piece I have ever heard. With other three-pieces, there’s always times when the song just doesn’t sound full enough;...   Grateful Dead Europe 72 Live (Bonus Tracks - Remastered) The Grateful Dead have been rocking it out since the mid 1960’s. Known for their mixture of bluegrass, rock, folk and country, the band also forayed into improvisational jazz, psychedelic and space rock. The band consisted of Jerry Garcia (guitar, vocals), Bob Weir (guitar, vocals), Ron...   Louis Armstrong Satchmo at the National Press Club: Red Beans and Rice-ly Yours Louis Armstrong is without a doubt an American musical legend and an icon of popular culture. It would a difficult thing to travel around America and find people who do not know the name “Louis Armstrong.” A jazz legend, probably his most widely known song today that can get...   The Mannish Boys Double Dynamite The Mannish Boys are a supercharged blues machine. The creation of Delta Groove centered on giving this amazing group a home base, and for seven years, The Mannish Boys and Delta Groove have been going strong and sharing blues with a whole new generation of listeners. Bringing a core band together with...   Grateful Dead Europe '72 Vol. 2 The Grateful Dead emerged in 1965 from the San Francisco Bay Area. The band consisted of Jerry Garcia (guitar, vocals), Bob Weir (guitar, vocals), Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (keyboards, harmonica, vocals), Phil Lesh (bass, vocals), and Bill Kreutzmann (drums). Made famous for their ability to...   R.J. Mischo Make It Good Singer/harmonica player R.J. Mischo has been at it for over 20 years now. He started working with Minneapolis area legends like Mojo Buford, Sonny Rogers, and Milwaukee Slim to name a few. Then it came time for Mischo to lead his own groups. Now on his eleventh album, Make It Good, he brings us more...   Unisonic Unisonic If you’re a fan of supergroups, that is, a group comprised of members from multiple bands, then Unisonic is one you should pay close attention to. If you aren’t a fan of supergroups, but you appreciate good musicianship, you too should pay close attention here.   This band features...   Serious Beak Huxwhukw A lot of people only appreciate catchy things in music. They turn on the radio just to escape from their thoughts, and they mindlessly bob their head to the beat of the bass drum. There is another group of people, however, who are true music enthusiasts and are interested in more in-depth...   Ian James Grand Delusions Visit his web site and you will find that Ian James is a prolific writer and producer. While his roots are in rock n roll, he isn’t afraid to branch out into other genres. He seems to cover the gamut between hip-hop, funk, blues, and also creates music for film. Everything you hear on Grand...   Brad Hatfield Up From Anywhere Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Brad Hatfield grew up around music, especially blues, so it is no wonder that he now plays the blues himself. After a construction accident left him paralyzed, his guitar playing days were over and he moved on to a new instrument to challenge his musical talents, the...   Atlanta Rhythm Section Sound & Vision Anthology Bands like Atlanta Rhythm Section are hard to forget if you were around in the 70s and listened to any radio station on the AM or FM dials. They had monster hits like “I’m Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight,” “So Into You” and “Imaginary Lover.” Since then...   Kaotik The Awakening The Awakening, for some time now. If you look at the timeline on his website it has been pushed back repeatedly, but is the New England hip hop artist’s third album worth the wait? The short answer would be, yes. In general I tend to have a love/hate relationship with hip-hop. I tend to prefer...   Tweed Funk Love Is If you loved Tweed Funk's debut album Bringin It then get ready for a treat.  Love Is is like Bringin It on steroids. You can get a good feel for the whole CD by listening to track 4, “Dancemaker.” Like before you have the powerful and soulful vocals of Smokey Holman and the...   Nelson Rudiak Winnipegosis Nelson Rudiak has been rocking it out in upstate New York and the Northeast for over thirty years. This artist plays everything from the saxophone, guitar, bass, keyboards, synth and even rhythmic programming. Rudiak has it all down pat. The only thing he doesn’t do is the drum sequences....   Rebecca Oswald Whereas Rebecca Oswald is a composer and pianist who currently resides in Oregon. She studied theory and composition at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey (summa cum laude) and at the University of Oregon. She excels at writing for solo instruments, chamber ensembles,...   Sons of the Radio Heartstrings & Heresies With all the controversy that is associated with Craigslist (murders, robberies and prostitution) it’s nice to see something positive come of it. In January of 2009 the three remaining members of power pop band Savage Mill put an ad in Craigslist looking for a vocalist. Matt Gomez responded....   Tangerine Dream Plays Edgar Froese Epsilon Journey Edgar Froese and his band Tangerine Dream are living legends of the ambient-electronic music scene. Even though the TD lineup has changed a zillion times since their maiden voyage in 1970 the one remaining constant has been Froese. He is a musical genius using whatever technology that has been...   Klaymore It's Alive Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Klaymore started playing old–school heavy metal in 2007. Since their inception, they have released two full–length albums, 2011’s Primed For Destruction and now this, It’s Alive.   Both albums are home recordings from a suburban basement,...   Every Time I Die Ex Lives Every Time I Die is unlike any other band out there. They combine Southern Rock, Metal, and quite a bit of experimentation into a sound they can call their own. In their latest release, Ex Lives, ETID has gotten more Southern Rock-ish, more heavy, and certainly more experimental.  The...   Blues Traveler Suzie Cracks The Whip It has been quite some time since Blues Traveler rose to the national prominence with their most successful album Four carried by hit songs “Run-Around” and “Hook.” Though they have not duplicated the success of the mid 90s, they are still going strong as they are in the...   Manuel Muzzu The Right Hand's Miracle Some people just can’t be stopped. They don’t let limitations get in their way. Manuel Muzzu is one of these people. Manual has a handicap on his right hand that prevents him from being able to move all of his fingers. He can only move his thumb and his index fingers a little, so he had...   The Strata-Tones Dressed Up To Fess Up If you like old-school blues then The Strata-Tones have put out a CD you should probably pick up. Dressed Up To Fess Up is a fun listen all the way through. The most distinctive thing going on has to be the vocals of Valerie Johnson. Be warned that at times she is almost over the top, but in...   Proto-Kaw Forth Before “Carry On Wayward Son,” before “Dust In The Wind,” before White Clover became Kansas, the group presently-known-as went through several incarnations, the common denominator for each being guitarist/composer Kerry Livgren. Proto-Kaw (literally: pre-Kansas), is the name...   Throttle Elevator Music Throttle Elevator Music These days it’s hard to get listeners’ attention. There are so many bands all vying for more fans that we, the listeners, get overwhelmed. Consequently, we don’t search for new groups as much as we used to, before the internet took over.   Throttle Elevator Music is one thing...   Various The Dark Box-The Ultimate Goth, Wave and Industrial Collection 1980-2011 Cleopatra Records got its start in the mid 1980’s.  The independent spirit of the Alternative movement ramped up in the mid 90’s with the second wave of Gothic Rock, or “Goth” as it is properly known. Cleopatra Records had music playing in Industrial clubs worldwide. The...   Santana The Early San Francisco Years-Anthology '68-'69 Carlos Santana is a name synonymous with rock, Latin and blues music. He is a hero to millions of Latinos and inspiring guitar players worldwide. Santana’s influence ranges far and wide and the music he has produced since the 60s continues to gain a seemingly endless fan base.   Santana...   Erik Brandt The Long Winter I appreciate the artistic endeavors of the small, starving artist. His work is typically not recognized to the caliber of his more famous peers. But it leaves him at a fork in the road, where he can make art to appease the masses or stay true to himself and make what he wants to and loves.   So...   Bunny Sigler From Bunny With Love Bunny Sigler is an already accomplished musician and producer that has been putting out records for literally the past 50 years. He has won four Grammy awards, was a major contributor and innovator to the “Philly Soul” sound, and has co-written many hit songs for a slew of different...   Quantum Sphere The Space Adventures of Pyjama Boy   Coming to us from London via the outskirts of the Milky Way, Quantum Sphere’s The Space Adventures of Pyjama Boy is one album that will grab your attention like the pull of a black hole. Consisting of Joe Pearson (guitars), Greg Knox (bass) and Mark Smith (drums), this trio is...   Of Monsters and Men My Heart Is an Animal I can’t name many musicians that come from Iceland, but the ones that we do get to hear always tend to be pretty good. The Sugarcubes, Bjork, and Sigur Ros are the first ones that come to mind. Of Monsters and Men will certainly join that list for all of you, if they haven’t already. There...   Steve Dunn Steve Dunn Steve Dunn's self-titled album (don't be fooled, this is not his debut) is pretty good new country music. If that's an unfamiliar genre to you think of it this way: the vocals are a little twangy, the lyrics are from the heart and focused on real life and the music is a little more pop and...   Tommy Bolin And Friends Great Gypsy Soul (Deluxe 2 CD Collector Ed.) Tommy Bolin was another one of those brilliant guitarists that ended up being a rock ‘n’ roll causality via an overdose. He was nothing short of brilliant during his short career. His fire burned brightly for a few short years and he did cover a lot of ground in that span of time,...   Electric Sister The Lost Art of Rock & Roll It is clear today that the golden days of rock and roll are far gone. Groovy, blues-based guitar riffs have been replaced by drop tunings and mass amounts of distortion. High and gravely rock voices like those of Axl Rose, Jeff Kieth (Tesla) and Sammy Hagar has been surpassed by monotonous...   Faal The Clouds Are Burning The Dutch group Faal, consisting of William Nijhof (vocals), Alex Koorengevel (guitars), Pascal Vervest (guitars), Yara Jumelet (synths), Geert van Mook (bass), and Sarban Grimminck (drums), return with The Clouds Are Burning. It is the second album for this doom metal band after the 2008 release...   Edison's Children In The Last Waking Moments Edison’s Children’s debut album, In The Last Waking Moments, is the product of the recent collaboration between Pete Trewavas of Aylesbury, England, and Eric Blackwood of Sugar Loaf, New York, U.S.A. Really though, it’s almost a Marillion side project, as members of the band make...   The Lumineers The Lumineers You don’t normally think of hand clappin’, foot stompin’ folk when you think New Jersey. Generally people think of either Springsteen or Bon Jovi first. Maybe that’s why Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz decided to head west to Denver. There they met multi-instrumentalist...   Crazy Lixx Riot Avenue Heavy metal, like Jazz, is a style of music with many sub styles within it. One can’t just say that a band plays heavy metal anymore; they must be more descriptive than that. Does the band in question play Glam Metal? Thrash? Black Metal? Death/Black Metal?...   Bill McBirnie Duo/Quartet Mercy From the first note of the opener “Baila Cinderella” of flute phenom Bill McBirnie's Mercy I felt like I was in a Latin-themed Pink Panther episode. Please understand I consider this high praise, as those old cartoons had some of the best jazz I can remember, of course by the great...   Blue Oyster Cult The Essential Blue Oyster Cult LEARN HOW YOU CAN WIN A PROMO COPY OF THIS CD! Blue Öyster Cult began in the late 1960’s in upstate New York. For over forty years the band has been rocking it with cutting edge sound and lyrics that will stick in your mind long after the song is over. The band itself has undergone...   Ben Knighten Keep The Sky Ben Knighten is an acoustic folk singer from Colorado Springs, Colorado. His style has been compared to greats like Dave Matthews and has been described as “addictive and upbeat.” I agree. From the moment I set the album to spin, Knighten’s vocals brought depth and a textured sound...   10,000 Maniacs Our Time In Eden (180 Gram Vinyl LP) 10,000 Maniacs is a great name for a band, a heavy metal band. I often wondered how they came up with that. Their sound is far from being maniacal but it worked anyway. In 1983 they released their debut and in 1992 their very best album Our Time In Eden, placed them into another category reserved for...   Effloresce Coma Ghosts Effloresce is a Progressive/Symphonic Metal band from Nuremburg, Germany. They are a five–piece with a female vocalist, and write music in the vein of Dream Theater, Epica, and 1970’s prog.   This band has been around since 2009, when they released an EP titled Shades of Fate. This,...   Soulfly Enslaved For the past 10 years, Soulfly has been one of the heaviest bands around. With their 2000 release called Primative, they instantly became heavy hitters in the nu-metal scene. Nowadays they still have the same energy, but have moved a lot more towards a Death Metal sound.  If you have...   Grant Michael Allport Romantic Dance Grant Michael Allport is native to Whyalla, South Australia. His burgeoning love of music began with his desire to create pop music, but ultimately ended up with him taking his talents into the New Age genre. Romantic Dance is the newest release and was produced in his home studio. Listening to this...   Dio Holy Diver (24kt Gold) Ronnie James Dio was a legend in the world of metal. He was in influential and successful bands such as Blackmore’s Rainbow and Black Sabbath. After spending time in both of those heavy weight lineups he went after a solo career and knew exactly what he wanted to do. Success followed him again...   The Shins Port of Morrow It’s hard to believe that The Shins haven’t had a new release since 2007’s Wincing the Night Away. This is probably because James Mercer never really left the airwaves after the success of his project with Danger Mouse, Broken Bells. And of course when Danger Mouse gets into...   Sauce Boss Live At The Green Parrot Bill "Sauce Boss" Wharton has been around playing the blues for quite some time, and it shows. This veteran of the scene struts his stuff without apology on Live At The Green Parrot.  This is the kind of electric blues that rock greats like Led Zeppelin pulled their inspiration...   Frames In Via Many bands like to try and balance heavy, aggressive music with soft, relaxing counterparts. It’s a great idea, but one has to be talented to do it well. The epitome of that kind of balance is Opeth; they are in a league of their own above anyone else who tries. But Frames are not a band to look...   Father Golem I/O One has to respect musicians who keep trying to make music even though the years haven’t gone according to plan. Father Golem appears to be one of those bands. They’ve existed since 1999 (under a different name then) and have kept making music and changing their sound, but have yet to...   Grant Michael Allport Sweet Nature Grant Michael Allport hails from Whyalla, South Australia. Growing up, he had a strong desire to work with pop music and perform. As he grew into his musical career, he ended up gravitating toward the New Age spectrum. Combining a moderate tempo, synthesized sound, vocal impressions, acoustic guitar...   Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real Wasted Lukas Nelson & The Promise of the Real is a progressive country band based out of Venice Beach, California. The band made its start in 2008 and has had several member changes. Now with their new 2012 release, Wasted, this free spirited band has an exciting line up and is better than ever. The...   The 44's Americana No one can possibly argue that blues is dead. Even though there may not be much to differentiate one blues song/artist from another, it is still very much alive and well. It’s also universal, in the sense that if you like blues, there will be hundreds of artists playing it you’re bound to...   Job For A Cowboy Demonocracy Since releasing their breakout album DOOM in 2005, Job For A Cowboy has stepped it up with every album they have put out.  Each time they drop something new, the rhythms become more technical and interesting, the guitarists delve into crazier harmonies and solos, and Jonny Davy’s screams get...   alchalant alchalant What is more punk rock than drinking all night and then getting into a major crash on your bicycle? That’s exactly what happened to Alex Matijow. Notwithstanding the blinding pain of a broken nose, five cracked teeth, and an upper lip split up to his nose, Matijow walked away from this...   Radio Drive This Is Our Time If you are looking for an alternative pop rock band that has an upbeat sound, look no further than Radio Drive. The man behind the magic is the very talented Kevin Gullickson. Starting his musical career with a four song EP, Gullickson has been contacted by several major record companies and Grammy...   Heartless Bastards Arrow   The Heartless Bastards have been consistently been putting out strong albums for Fat Possum since 2005. With their fourth full-length, Arrow, now available on Partisan, things have not changed for Erika Wennerstrom. Well actually, they have and they haven’t.   The quality of the...   Balloon Astronomy Balloon Astronomy When was the last time you heard a new progressive rock band release a debut CD that made you want to spin it over and over? Well I have just the tonic you desire. Balloon Astronomy takes all of their influences and combines them in a potent brew of classic prog rock on the self-titled debut. In fact,...   OHMphrey Posthaste OHMphrey's Posthaste is rockin'.  There can be no doubt!  I was pretty disappointed in my first exposure to Post Rock because that band generally failed to make the music interesting enough to compensate for not having a singer.  Well there's no such trouble here!  Jake Cinninger...   Against The Wall Things Are Not Like They Said   It is always a good feeling to come across a band that is not afraid to push the boundaries of their music. Against The Wall is that type of band. Consisting of Daniel Jakubovic (vocals, lead guitar), Jon Feirman (bass), Boris Pelekh (guitar), and Pavel Valdman (drums), Against The...   Bitter Resolve Bows And Arrows Against The Lightning Bitter Resolve calls Chapel Hill, North Carolina home. Their latest album Bows and Arrows Against the Lightning was released in 2011. It stands to reason that the inspiration for its name came from H.G. Wells’ novel War of the Worlds, describing the human race’s futile efforts to combat the...   Nektar Man In The Moon/Evolution Nektar is one of those important bands that found success during the classic progressive rock period of the 70’s then lost some ground once the decade ended. Roy Albrighton is the band’s longtime leader, vocalist, and lead guitar player. He has gone through various incarnations with the...   Legacy of Disorder Last Man Standing Currently on tour with Gwar, New Zealand’s Legacy of Disorder will be releasing their sophomore album Last Man Standing in late March/Early April 2012.  To be honest, a lot of the tracks on this album sound the same. Most of the riffs are structured similarly, the vocalist’s tone...   Blue Mammoth Blue Mammoth Fans of classic progressive rock will revel in the release of Blue Mammoth’s self-titled debut. From Brazil, Blue Mammoth plays a style of symphonic prog with orchestral instrumentation, similar to that of early era-Yes or Genesis. Maybe throw a little Jethro Tull in there too, for the vocals...   Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball Bruce Springsteen, known as “The Boss” began his musical career with an $18 dollar guitar and a dream of making it big. After more than forty years of making music, he has been ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the most influential musicians of his time. He has been the...   Fughu Absence Opera, metal, symphony, tango…when one hears of all these genres, they most likely think of completely different sounds, with audiences and fans very different from one another. However, Argentinean quintet Fughu manages to successfully fuse these sounds together, forming an interesting...   Pane Orsa Maggiore   Looking for something different? Something passionate? Something in Italian? Well, here you go. Pane's Orsa Maggiore is a very unique album.    Though they've managed to meld their various influences into a definite unified sound, those influences range from...   Yes In the Present - Live From Lyon The English Progressive Rock band Yes is in its fifth decade together with over 40 years of music making under its belt. Started in 1968 by Jon Anderson and Chris Squire, they have released 21 studio albums, and In the Present – Live From Lyon is their latest live one. The line-up...   Jack Blades Rock 'n Roll Ride In 1971-72 Jack Blades was senior class president at Indio High School. You would expect from a guy with the last name blades to be a pre-med student or to join a street gang. Jack chose to be a pre-med student at San Diego State University. I am sure his parents were pleased when he left college in...   Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson TAAB2 - Thick As A Brick 2 (Special Edition) My first reaction to Thick As A Brick 2 otherwise known as TAAB2, was where is Martin Barre? He has been playing with Ian and Jethro Tull forever! Well Martin is busy recording a two disc solo album. I do not think he has ever missed a Jethro Tull studio album because of a session he was involved in...   True Witness The Human Condition It seems these days that every band has an agenda for what they want to do and be. Black Sabbath wanted to be darker than anything that had existed before. Yngwie Malmsteen wanted to play metal that had classical and orchestral tendencies, at 320 beats per minute no less. Then there’s True...   Adrenaline Mob Omerta If you like metal, especially progressive metal, then you’ve no doubt heard of Adrenaline Mob. This band is former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy’s new musical home, but he’s not the only virtuoso in it. Adrenaline Mob also claims Symphony X singer Russell Allen, Sonic Stump...   Dean Allen Foyd The Sounds Can So Cruel (LP) Dean Allen Foyd is a psychedelic rock trio out of Stockholm, Sweden The band members are Francis Rencoret (Guitar/Vocals/Theramins), Fredrik Cronsten (Bass) and Wille Alin (Drums/Vocals). If you happen to like music that sounds like it came right out the 60s psych rock period then The Sounds Can Be So...   Jackson/Webber What It Is Will Jackson and Roy Webber are members of the British progressive rock band Wally. This band has been kicking up its heels since the 1970’s. Their newest recording is very melodic and has an acoustic feel that warms the soul. What It Is will be the first recording from Roy Webber in over...   Evenoire Vitriol With all of the terribly overdone and predictable music around nowadays, it is so refreshing to get to hear something like Evenoire’s debut album, Vitriol, which combines the widest range of influences into one unique and brilliant sound.  The stylistic range of this band is...   J.T. Coldfire Always And Never   Blues, like every style of music, has its own set of problems to deal with. One of them is repetition. Sure, people love the blues for its staple sound, but that can get old. Unless the players are like J.T. Coldfire, whose guitar playing represents the best of traditional versus new and...   Wally Montpellier Wally has added another great CD to the long and strong tradition of English Progressive Rock with their album Montpellier. Fans who remember the band from the early 70s will find that Wally has retained their classic feel, but with some tasty additions. The most important would be Frank...   Arvel Bird Titanic Centennial Arvel Bird has long been known as “The Lord of the Strings.” He is a violinist and flutist that has become an award winning international sensation for his blending of Native American and Celtic sound. Bird’s mastery of his music is transcendent, going beyond the obvious and using his...   RPWL Beyond Man And Time Beyond Man And Time, RPWL’s fifth studio release (their tenth overall), shows great potential from the beginning. It’s funky and psychedelic, simultaneously evoking elements of Pink Floyd and Genesis. RPWL formed in 1997 as a Pink Floyd cover band, so that should tell you something...   Lullacry Where Angels Fear Where Angels Fear is Lullacry’s first album since 2005. Seven years is a long time to wait for an album, but do not be hesitant. This one is worth it. The band consists of Tanja Lainio (vocals), Sami Leppikangas (guitar), Sauli Kivilahti (guitar), Heavy Hiltunen (bass), and Jukka...   Jeff Scott Soto Damage Control Don’t mess with Jeff Scott Soto. That’s what this album cover says to me at least. And why should you? The former Talisman front man has also had a long and prolific career as a solo artist and worked with artists like Journey, Yngwie Malmsteen, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He has been...   Merrell Fankhauser Merrell Fankhauser's Tiki Lounge Volume One Merrell Fankhauser is one of those timeless music people that are still carrying the torch for music that meant something when it was made and remains relevant today. He plays music that is pure, innocent and real. Whether it’s instrumental surf, vintage rock, blues or psychedelic, Merrell knows...   Meat Loaf Hell In A Handbasket In 1967 Marvin Lee Aday formed his first band, “Meat Loaf Soul” and after 45 years of performing in everything from bands to acting in over 35 movies, over 25 television shows (most recently “Celebrity Apprentice”), and doing over 20 concert tours,  the man who now goes...   OSI Fire Make Thunder It seems these days that metal musicians collaborate with players from other bands quite a bit. Personally, I have mixed feelings when these collaborations happen. Sure, they can make some great music, but for some reason I tend to prefer what said players do with their main bands as opposed to their...   Zulik Zulik Project   When I first opened up the file I received for this new release by Zulik, I saw the name and I read the track listing. I figured for sure this would be some eastern European rock that sounded rather 80’s and was sung in a foreign language. Wouldn’t be the first release I have...   Pretty Maids It Comes Alive For the past 30 years, Pretty Maids has proven that they have been able to adapt to popular trends without abandoning their signature sound. On March 27th, the group will launch their first CD/DVD release, called It Comes Alive.  This two-hour compilation showcases the impressive...   Bob Ardern Wires Rosewood & Roots   Bob Ardern moved from England to Canada when he was 13, but it was on a visit back to England for the holidays that Bob discovered the guitar. Santa brought him a guitar for Christmas and then came the practicing. Living in the country without a television made for minimal distractions. Bob...   Furyon Gravitas I’m not a good cook. If you ask me to make you dinner, you deserve what you’ll get. Combining ingredients to make something tasty simply isn’t a great skill of mine; I’ll either put not enough or too many different things together and it won’t work. Furyon seems to do the...   Lynn Yew Evers Dawn Of Peace Lynn Yew Evers' Dawn Of Peace is a collection of simply beautiful piano music. There are no sea gulls calling and there is no thunder or rain. Instead you have just her and her instrument. It works well because her music doesn't require fluff to be palatable (like most New Age...   Judas Priest The Complete Albums Collection Amazon.com WidgetsThe legend of Judas Priest is intact; their place in the world of music puts them at the top as one of the innovators of heavy metal. They are and should be mentioned in the same conversation as bands like Black Sabbath and other notables. The way Judas Priest...   Oceans of Night Domain Domain is the second release for the dynamic Oceans of Night. Started as a solo project by lead guitarist and keyboardist Scott Mosher, Oceans of Night is now a full-fledged band after adding Scott Oliva as the lead vocalist with the drums and percussion being handled by “the musical...   Sunstorm Emotional Fire   Sunstorm may not be a band that is familiar to you, but Joe Lynn Turner certainly should be. The New Jersey-born singer has had a long and illustrious career as a member such bands as Fandango, Deep Purple, and Rainbow. He has also worked with Yngvie Malmsteen, Billy Joel, and Cher to name a...   Peter Sterling Patterns of Reflection Peter Sterling began his love affair with harp music after a particularly intense vision while he was meditating in Sedona, Arizona. Being in the canyons puts your mind in a spiritual plane and it inspired Sterling to play his newly acquired harp and make strides in his musical knowledge that...   Walter Trout Blues For The Modern Daze 21 albums. That’s how many Walter Trout has released over his career. That’s impressive, to say the least. But what’s equally impressive is on this album, his 21st, decades of writing, recording, and performing doesn’t seem to have slowed Trout down in the slightest....   Ann Claire Honkytonk Princess   It’s good to be the king, but when you are Ann Claire it’s even better being the princess. Ann isn’t just the Honkytonk Princess; she is literally a real princess. She is the granddaughter of HH Princess Shams of Iran's Pahlavi Dynasty. Ann Claire is far from what you...   Dance Hall Pimps Beast For Love When I first was presented with the Dance Hall Pimps I had completely different expectations before I pushed play. I think you are more likely to get a better idea of what you are about to hear if you look at the bands track list on their debut LP, Beast of Love rather than by name alone. Titles like...   Truthseeker Weightless at Dawn Looking at the track listing for Weightless At Dawn, I had a feeling that I’d like Truthseeker’s debut EP a lot. Good things come in small packages, and at five tracks, just over twenty-three minutes, they don’t come much smaller. The project was originally conceived as a vehicle for...   Jennifer Cadence Mr. Universe Jennifer Cadence had a strong background in classical music, but six years into her training, she decided to leave the classical community to pursue her dream of being a rock star. After being told she would make a fine pop singer, she got mad and went to New York to see just what kind of musical...   Taylor Fredricks And Then The Hearts Suffered EP Taylor Fredricks began as a solo project out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Fredricks began playing local coffee shops by the age of thirteen and was signed by DMI Entertainment Group in February 2010. After many member changes and sounds, the solo gig has become a band with an exciting new lineup. Taylor...   Lillian Axe XI:The Days Before Tomorrow New Orleans rock band Lillian Axe is sure doing alright for itself. In 2010, Lillian Axe was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame becoming the first hard rock band to be a member. XI: The Days Before Tomorrow is there eleventh release if you were wondering what about the Roman...   Hemina Synthetic Progressive Metal, to me, is really an umbrella term for bands that write music that doesn’t quite fit any other label for it. It seems like any kind of weird metal gets labeled as progressive, whether or not it fits the true definition, if such a thing exists.     Hemina is one of...   Venrez Sell The Lie Sell The Lie opens with radio static fading in into the first song, with the words “Hollywood, L.A.” and then “Hollywood” clearly audible. It's a perfect introduction, because the music that follows echoes of some of L.A.'s finest bands (on the heavier side) such as...   X-Panda Flight Of Fancy Formed in 2009 as a one–off project to enter a song contest, X–Panda has stayed together as a band ever since; though winning the contest certainly helped make that decision.   X–Panda calls Estonia home and consists of members Kaarel Tamra (Keys), Tamar Nugis (Bass and...   Sonic Station Sonic Station Sonic Station is the vision of Swedish guitarist, composer and producer Alexander Kronbrink. He wanted to make an 80’s AOR style album that would have influences of Toto, Mr. Mister, Journey and some West Coast-sound of Airplay, Michael McDonald and Marc Jordan. There is a large cast of...   Peter Phippen and Arja Kastinen Lavender Calm Peter Phippen, a Grammy Award nominee, began his musical career in 1987 when a good friend gave him his first flute. Phippen hasn’t looked back since. Residing in Wisconsin, Phippen is always on the go, with concert performances and workshops all over the United States. He has been a featured...   A Sound of Thunder Out of the Darkness Hailing from Washington D.C., A Sound of Thunder describes themselves as a “classic heavy metal band with female vocals.” Nina Osegueda is responsible for those female vocals and you will be hard pressed to find better around, male or female. Rounding out the rest of A Sound of...   Mr. Big One Acoustic Night Live From the Living Room In January of 2011 Mr. Big recorded an acoustic album in front of a small audience at WOWWOW TV studios in Tokyo, Japan. The album is called Live from the Living Room because the band performed on a stage that was created to look like a living room. Mr. Big consists of Eric  Martin (vocals),...   Pat Mastelotto Recidivate I’m hesitant to call Pat Mastelotto’s latest release a ‘solo album.’ I read somewhere someone called it a ‘Retrospective’ and I liked that, so I’ll go with that, as the two disks of Recidivate showcase the highlights of a career spanning decades, encompassing...   Pan Post Rock Is Not Dead Pan's Post Rock Is Not Dead opens with a driving energy that continues on through all of the best moments of the album. Brandon Edwards on drums, Ian Flegas and Nate Stewart on guitar, Ryan Hutchens on bass and Eric Jones on keyboard, have come together to make a strong group.   The first...   Tokyo Raid The Fear of Sleeping EP Tokyo Raid is the Oakland based band that somehow manages to blend garage, post-punk and glam and make it sound fresh and full of teeth. Tokyo Raid's current band members include Ben Utah (vocals, bass), Mike Thompson (drums) and Ty Gerhardt (vocals, guitar). While the band has been around since...   Points North Road Less Traveled Points North hails from California and consists of members Erick Barnett (guitar), Uriah Duffy (bass) and Kevin Aiello (drums). From reading the musicians’ autobiographies on their website, I expected them to crank out some impressive music. I wasn’t disappointed. Not even...   The Golden Ghosts Gleam Usually when I get sent an album to review I get a nice little package, and there is plenty of info to be found via Google. I get to give you a little summary about the band to let you know more about them, where they’re from, favorite ice cream topping, etc. This time this is not the case...   Dead Smiling Pirates Harvest On Hype Dead Smiling Pirates began making music in 2006 in Copenhagen, Denmark. They say their influences are mostly pop rock and punk bands such as Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, and Paramore. It’s not hard to hear those influences amidst the driving rock sound and catchy guitar playing.   I have to...   Flying Colors Flying Colors So we have yet another super group and another band that Mike Portnoy is in? Well, yes that is a fact and those of you that enjoy great rock music of all sorts should be rejoicing right now because a classic album is waiting to hit those starved ear drums and to relieve you of all the garbage that is...   Yurt Archipelagog If there is one thing that you need to now about Yurt is that they are “slowly corroding.” Consisting of Andrew Bushe (drums), Steve Anderson (guitar, keyboards, vocals), and Boz Mugabe (bass, electronics, vocals, artwork), Archipelagog is their second album released exactly two...   Yoko Miwa Trio Live At Scullers Jazz Club   The Yoko Miwa Trio shines on Live At Scullers Jazz Club. All three (Greg Loughman on acoustic bass and Scott Goulding on drums) are good players who are obviously at home on the stage and mesh well together musically. It's Yoko Miwa, however, who's definately the star that takes...   Foghat Last Train Home (Ltd. Edition 2 LP Blue Vinyl) Foghat decided to release their latest release Last Train Home (2010)in a double blue vinyl LP set. Original members Roger Earl (drums) and Lonesome Dave Peverett (lead vocals, guitar) had a dream to one day record an album of all blues standards. That reached its fruition but in Dave’s absence....   Motorhead The World Is Ours Vol. I-Everything Further Than Everyplace How many bands have existed for 35 years? Obviously The Who and The Rolling Stones come to mind, but their classic rock sound lends their music more accessibility. Motorhead’s music is much more brash, in–your–face, and therefore less palatable to many listeners. They typically...   Girlschool Hit and Run- Revisited Girlschool is a timeless band that has been a cult classic since the 1980’s. Their members include Kim McAuliffe (Vocals/Guitar), Enid Williams (Vocals/Bass/), Jackie Chambers (Lead Guitar) and Denise Dufort (Drums). The band was originally formed as The Painted Ladies in 1975 and has had many...   F. E. D. Awakening F.E.D. is the intensely talented composer and pianist that hails from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Awakening is his much anticipated debut album. Contributing artists include James Racine (violinist), Maureen Manoly (violinist), and singer Annelise Collette.   F.E.D. or Frantz Eddy...   Morgan Agren, Henry Kaiser, Trey Gunn Invisible Rays Swedish drummer Morgan Ågren has been performing publicly since he was 7 years old. His band Zappesteetoot, a Frank Zappa tribute band, was noticed by The Man Himself and Ågren was invited to join Zappa on a few projects in the states, accompanied by such notable names as Steve Vai. This...   Montresor Daybreak Melbourne, Australia is where Montresor calls home. This four piece band consisting of Cameron Piko and Anthony Bergantino (guitars), Dan Nathanson (bass) and Nick Tarajanovski (drums), released their self–funded debut album, Daybreak in December of 2011.   Montresor say their influences...   Van Halen A Different Kind of Truth It seems like there are two types of Van Halen fans out there, the fans that prefer David Lee Roth as the front man and those that prefer Sammy Hagar. There might even be a couple that like the Gary Cherone Van Halen.  I was one of those in the David Lee Roth camp. The album 1984 brought...   Sade Diamond Life (180gm Vinyl LP) The Nigerian-born, British writer-singer Sade (born Helen Folasade Abu) had a big hit in 1984 with Diamond Life. I remember it very well and in fact it encouraged my love for jazz and all the sub genres in a very positive way.   Sade was smooth and silky and the music created had that same...   Scorpions Comeback The world of rock n’ roll was in shock the day rock Scorpions announced their final trek, accompanied by their “final” studio effort Sting In The Tail and massive supporting world tour. Apparently, the rock veterans weren’t satisfied with that as their final release, and...   Axel Rudi Pell Circle Of The Oath Axel Rudi Pell's Circle Of The Oath has it all for the metal fan. First off, the singer (still Johnny Gioeli as far as I can tell from the band website) while having his own sound, does share some qualities with other great vocalists of the genre. Think of the soaring range of Klaus Meine of...   Michael Thompson Band Future Past With an album cover like this, you better hear some rockin’ guitar once you press play. You’ve got your axe center stage on the cover complete with your giant rockin’ logo. There’s no denying it, it’s time for Michael Thompson to rock! Well maybe not exactly like...   Scale the Summit The Collective Scale The Summit’s latest release, The Collective, is eleven tracks of instrumental rock which pretty much dares you to try and fit it to a genre you’ve heard of. For the most part, each track delivers its own compact blend of metal and math rock, seasoned with a post-rock aesthetic....   Kito Peters Capital Dreams Kito Peters began his musical career writing songs in college and then took a break from music to become a therapist and teacher. His music was awakened again in 1998 and Peters felt the songwriting bug bite him hard. Peters’ music is a blend of rock, jazz, blues, folk, country, world and pop....   MoeTar From These Small Seeds MoeTar is the best band that you have never heard of until now. Consisting of Moorea Dickason (vocals), Tarik Ragab (bass), Matthew Charlea Heulitt (guitar), Matt Lebofsky (keyboards), and Dave Flores (drums), the awkward and cacophonic band name will help to serve as a...   A Liquid Landscape Nightingale Express A Liquid Landscape’s debut album, Nightingale Express, is a concept album. It’s about a journey, both outwards and inwards, and the ideas of finding oneself, a place to belong, and self-deception.   The band describes their sound as follows: “washed up, tired and staggering...   Buxton Nothing Here Seems Strange   Buxton is the five piece La Porte based band that has been rocking Houston, Texas and the surrounding environs since their inception in 2004. The band consists of Sergio Trevino (vocals/guitar), Jason Willis ( lead guitar/mandolin), Chris Wise (bass guitar), Justin Terrell (drums) and Austin...   Hummingbird Of Death/Titanarum Hummingbird Of Death/Titanarum The Split album release is one clever form of marketing. Bands get to release some of their new material, and if they work together with the right band, new fans will latch onto you. It’s a brilliant idea.   Hummingbird of Death is from Boise, Idaho. The project began in 2004 and has grown...   Opera Diabolicus +1614 On a desolate northern night in December after viewing a stage play of the acclaimed novel The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, Opera Diabolicus was conceived. The chance meeting of David Grimoire and Adrian de Crow is the stuff that spawns legends. Both were interested in the story and the...   Bryan Adams Waking Up The Neighbours (2 180gm Vinyl LPs) Bryan Adams did it all on Waking Up The Neighbours (1991). He served as the composer, guitar player, producer and vocalist. Audio Fidelity decided to remind us how talented Mr. Adams was. Even though he owned the 80s the next decade started off with a bang for the Canadian rocker turned superstar....   Hulon After Hours After Hours is an interesting mix of contemporary R&B with smooth jazz. The two vocal tracks are very much in the adult contemporary R&B genre, while the rest of the album straddles the two. Overall the music tends to be a little funkier than your average smooth jazz, and let me go...   KLogR Till You Decay   When I first read the name of this band my arteries started to harden in anticipation. They were relieved when I found that the band name wasn’t pronounced (clogger), but (kay-log-are). It’s based on the law of Weber-Fechner: S = K log R (the amount of stimulus that each of the...   Oresund Space Collective Sleeping With The Sunworm Sleeping With The Sunworm is the latest release from the sultans of space-rock, the Øresund Space Collective, and much like a worm is one organism, segmented, so too can this album be seen as one cohesive unit, broken into three nearly equal parts. It was recorded over the same two day...   Dark Forest Dawn Of Infinity When it comes to heavy metal, few countries have been as influential as the United Kingdom. Many would argue that metal started there, with Black Sabbath. In the debate of the five most pivotal, influential metal bands of all time, one would have to include Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron...   Vengeance Crystal Eye I don’t think many of you will be all that surprised with what you will hear on this one based on a look at the album cover and the track list for Vengeance’s twelfth album, Crystal Eye. I will say I probably expected it to be more of an aggressive sounding metal, maybe more inline with a...   Vinyl Floor Peninsula Vinyl Floor's Peninsula is a very interesting alternative progressive rock mix. T he intro (“Frames And Orchids”) begins in a style similar to the Cure's “Plain Song,” but then morphs into something crunchier. “Ghost of England” is a little reminiscent of...   Dan Blanchard Awakening Dan Blanchard has been studying Indian music since 2003. He is a yoga teacher and yoga therapist focusing on healing and transformation through Indian classical music with New Age influences. Contributing artists to Awakening include Sheela Bringi, Sangeet Mishra, Gabe Marihugh and Nisha...   Blue Moon Harem Finland   There are two different kinds of bands in the world: those who play for the love of music, and those who play to make money. There are two problems with this: 1. The latter bands tend to believe they’re the former even though they’re not, but musical output is a pretty big...   Atkins/May Project Serpents Kiss Serpents Kiss is the first product of the Atkins / May Project, which is made-up of Al Atkins, former Judas Priest front man and founder, and guitarist Paul May. The combination of these two talents, as one might expect, makes for some astounding metal music. For the opening rifts and to the...   Orange Goblin A Lullaby For The Damned Orange Goblin, the band said to be one of the best metal bands in Britain. has released yet another full length album. This four piece band has been around for 16 years, and from what I read is one of the best bands to party to. In more than one review these guys were said to have awesome performances...   Chickenfoot III With the release of the new Van Halen CD right around the corner, I thought I would check out the new Chickenfoot III. I must admit I was disappointed at the first Chickenfoot attempt, so it’s taken me this long to give it a listen. In case you don’t already know, Chickenfoot is:...   Nightwish Imaginaerum   If you are looking for a fresh sounding experience in symphonic rock, look no further than Nightwish. The band members include Annette Olzon (vocals), Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards), Marco Hietala (bass, vocals), Jukka Nevalainen (drums) and Emppu Vuorinen (guitars). This Finnish/Swedish band...   Shillaly Brothers Shillaly Brothers As one might imagine, Shillaly Brothers are a Celtic folk band. They aren’t from Boston, but rather Los Angeles, though I am sure plenty individuals with Boston roots attend their shows. Like many of their pub performing counterparts, Shillaly Brothers perform traditional Irish classics to sing...   Savoy Brown Voodoo Moon Very seldom does an art form stuck in a corner survive very long. The nature of art is to keep moving forward, keep changing, to not remain the same forever. Blues music seems to be the exception; so many blues bands like Savoy Brown keep putting out new records and keep the music frozen in time. And...   Billy Cox Old School Blue Blues Billy Cox, bassist and friend to Jimi Hendrix, is the only surviving member of both Band of Gypsys and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. In between his commitments with the Experience Hendrix tour where Cox continues to honor his friend and former band mate by keeping his legacy alive, he finds the time to...   Earth Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II With an ever-changing lineup and erratic schedule of releases, Earth is a hard band to keep locked in your sights. Their latest release, Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II, continues to explore the sound established on its predecessor (AoD,DoL I). If you heard last year’s release and enjoyed...   Anderson/Wakeman The Living Tree In Concert Part One Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman have been very busy since they teamed up to release Jon’s solo albums The Living Tree (2010) and Survival & Other Stories (2011). Anderson has made an amazing comeback from a debilitating health issue that took away his angelic vocals. Since fighting his way...   Leslie West Unusual Suspects Rock lives! I'm not talking about new rock, with its incredible angst (and distortion). I'm not talking about early rock either (Chubby Checker or Elvis). I'm talking about the rock that I feel safe calling the ultimate real thing... the bluesy, riff-based stuff from the likes...   Ann Sweeten In The Wake   Ann Sweeten is a pianist, composer, activist for animal and environmental rights, actress, singer, ballet dancer and she formerly fronted the band Fallout.  In the Wake is the ninth album release by Sweeten due out in February of 2012. From the first moment I began to listen to this...   Eric Sardinas and Big Motor Sticks and Stones I first heard of Eric Sardinas in 2006. He appeared on Steve Vai’s Live at the Astoria London DVD. I knew he was a great guitarist, but seeing him playing “The Attitude Song” was my only exposure to him. He was a talented guitarist. I filed him away in my head under...   Sandy Carroll Just As I Am Just As I Am is Sandy Carroll’s latest album and her first release with her new label. Produced by her Grammy-winning husband, Jim Gaines, Just As I Am features a range of musical influence with gospel, blues, and rock all making an appearance.  The subject matter is just as...   Slivovitz Bani Ahead According to Wikipedia, Slivovitz is also known as a type of Plum Brandy, and is also called Rakia in the Balkan regions. With a name like that–after a popular alcoholic beverage–one should expect to hear some very interesting music.   And one does. Napoli, Italy’s...   My Shadow and I Summer Cycle Brad Podray is a Philadelphia native who began his love affair with music at the young age of eight, when he drove his parent’s crazy demanding piano lessons. Aspiring to become a concert pianist, plans have a way of changing and as a teenager; Podray and his friend Daniel Dolan formed the...   Darlene Koldenhoven Solitary Treasures   Darlene Koldenhoven is the Grammy award winning artist who has been amazing fans of multiple music genres since her church debut at the young age of three. Brought up in a Calvinist household in Chicago, Koldenhoven honed her skills on religious music and began to learn classical piano at age...   Big Brother And The Holding Company Featuring Janis Joplin Live At The Carousel Ballroom 1968 Live At The Carousel Ballroom 1968 is a previously unavailable live recording of Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company at a venue that was to become Bill Graham’s Fillmore West after a short six month run.   Big Brother and the Holding Company in 1968 were Janis Joplin...   Lee-Leet Leave It Behind About a month ago we posted Lee-Leet’s video for “Leave It Behind” as our video of the week. Apparently the Polish independent singer/songwriter/composer was happy enough with being the video of the week that she asked us to review her third album, Leave It Behind as well. Her...   Johnny Got A Lighter JGAL EP How does a band make themselves known to the masses these days? Radio airplay? Music videos on MTV? How do you stand apart from everyone else? It seems that MTV exposure doesn’t do quite what it used to for bands, and radio stations are playing pop music more often than not. So that leaves...   Syven Aikaintaite If you’re lucky enough to find any press in English about Syven’s debut album, Aikaintaite, one word you might encounter repeatedly is ‘shamanistic.’ It’s not the most descriptive qualifier, but it’s certainly the most fun to employ…the chanting makes it seem...   BlancaWhite Resurgence of Rock Resurgance of Rock is the debut album from BlancaWhite. While the title song will make you get ready for the rock revolution, the focus on middle age and middle class issues may have you reaching for the Metamucil.   The band is the brainchild of lawyer turned songwriter Ken Savage, and the...   Danny John Trio Mr. Twister Yesterday I had never even heard of Daniel John and today he is one of my favorite guitarists ever.   Danny grew up in Canberra, Australia. He picked up the guitar at age eight and taught himself to play. After gaining an enthusiastic response in Australia he dropped everything and moved to...   Brandon McHose Late Night EP   Brandon McHose developed his passion for music as a child when his father shared his eclectic music collection and began to teach him on his 74 Les Paul guitar. As McHose grew in his musical talent, he spent a lot of time in the Austin music scene and then landed in Chicago. Late Night EP is...   Machine Mass Trio As Real as Thinking   Blending the sounds of jazz and progressive rock is a feat that is not often attempted, but that did not stop Machine Mass Trio from doing it. Consisting of Tony Bianco (drums, loops, percussion), Michel Delville (guitar, bouzouki, electronics), and Jordi Grognard (tenor sax, bass clarinet,...   Dan Wolff Old Fashioned Love Dan Wolff did not pick up a guitar until he was 18 years old. He then went off to college and immersed himself in music and continued to follow that path successfully.   Old Fashioned Love is his third studio effort and it certainly sounds like a polished veteran of the recording studio is...   Case In Theory Cinematic   Have you ever had a dream, but a lack of funds held you back? Case in Theory, an alternative rock band from California, was in just that predicament. They used their smarts and KickStarter to raise $4,000 through friends, family, and fans to get their album, Cinematic, underway. That’s...   The Autumn Electric If You're Home Michael Trew (guitars, vocals) met Naomi Smith (keys) at a coffee shop in Seattle. After their first tour they picked up drummer Dan Desrosiers off of Craigslist. They played as a three piece for a year and then hooked up guitarist/film maker Barton Macguire. The band has recently met their fund...   Skinny Puppy HanDover Skinny Puppy is Industrial Rock at its most symbolic. The brainchild of conceptualist and Frontman Ogre and electronics guru Cevin Key, the band has released its 14th album, HanDover. As with most of their prior work, symbolism and social issues are enacted with a blend of recognizable song...   Bebe Buell Hard Love I’m going to go out on a limb here and make this claim; in the world of rock n’ roll musicians, males outnumber females. This is not to say that women can’t do it too, it just seems that men are more apt to pick up a guitar and start trying. Bebe Buell’s life has revolved around...   Netherland Dwarf Moi Moi Netherland Dwarf's Moi Moi is in many ways a very impressive album. It is, for the most part, a one-man project by a Tokyo DJ and keyboard player (whose name, sadly, is not listed anywhere at the record label's website that I can tell). Considering that it is done by one person, I am in...   Corrosion of Conformity Corrosion of Conformity Raleigh, North Carolina legends, Corrosion of Conformity (or C.O.C. for those in the know) have been rockin’ for nearly 30 years now. It’s crazy to think that their first release, Eye for an Eye, was released back in 1984. They were already veterans when I started listening...   Christine Salazar On To Something Based out of the Puget Sound area in the state of Washington, Christine Salazar has been making her music for a few years now. On To Something is her first release and showcases her voice and songwriting abilities. With its blend of influences ranging from folk to jazz, Christine Salazar...   Crosby, Stills & Nash (24kt Gold) Crosby, Stills & Nash Let’s all give a collective thank you to Mama Cass, who assembled one of the greatest collaborations of all time, CSN. Crosby, Stills & Nash released their self-titled classic in 1969 and music was never the same. For a debut album this was a literal masterpiece beyond compare for the genre...   Christina LaRocca I Stand Tall With My Eyes Open Christina LaRocca is an award winning singer and songwriter with a unique blend of folk and R&B. Hearing her for the first time, it is easy to see the roots of her music coming from her time listening to greats like Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Natalie Cole. After trying out theater...   Coeus the Boxing Titan The Boxing Titan Spawns     Aron “Aro” Patterson of Grand Rapid Minnesota is the creator and sole member of the band Coeus the Boxing Titan. The Boxing Titan Spawns, a full length album that was released in October of 2011, left me feeling a mixture of emotions that were bad and good....   UFO Seven Deadly UFO has been together for 42 years. In that time they have released 20 studio albums. The lineup has changed a bit over the years, but the band today has three original members Phil Mogg ( vocals), Paul Raymond (keyboards, guitars), Andy Parker (drums) and guitar slinger, Vinnie Moore....   Astral Doors Jerusalem Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. That’s something that applies to music very well, and is very apparent. If one musician does something great and/or original, others imitate it. That’s how a musical legacy is made.   Sweden’s Astral Doors isn’t an original...   Gary Wright The Dream Weaver (24kt Gold) The last time I heard The Dream Weaver (1975) in its entirety was when I was driving my first car, an AMC Hornet, back in 1976. I had the 8-Track and listened to it frequently. I have difficulty remembering any other songs besides “The Dream Weaver” and the energy filled “Love Is...   Beyond the Bridge The Old Man and the Spirit “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” The mothers of the critics of the world must be severely disappointed – If all rock critics adhered to this age old adage, half of them would be out of a job, and half of those that remained employed...   Claire Ritter The Stream Of Pearls Project Claire Ritter began her study of piano at Queens University in Charlotte, NC. Her work has taken her to back to Charlotte, where she now resides in between her international performances. Her music has been compared with Duke Ellington with classical and jazz intertwining to create a sound that is...   Boy Wells Blue Skies Calling Ever wonder what the Allman Brothers, or possibly even Government Mule, would sound like if they had jazz chops too? Then let me introduce you to Boy Wells. Blue Skies Calling is kind of like Southern rock without borders. There are many moments that feel like home to me (I'm...   Patrick Hemer More Than Meets The Eye Patrick Hemer is a hell of a guitar player. This fact is as obvious as a brick to the head if you simply listen to the first song on More Than Meets The Eye. But, more importantly to me is that he is also a hell of a songwriter. Those two things don’t normally go together well and...   Almah Motion   Where does metal come from? What part of the world is generally accepted as the home of metal? Most would say Scandinavia, and other parts of Europe, though the United States has been no slouch in terms of its metal output. This is what makes Almah so interesting; they...   Claire Dickson Scattin' Doll I am not much of a jazz fan, so receiving a jazz album from a teenage artist did not get me jumping. This all changed when I started to listen to Scattin’ Doll, Claire Dickson’s debut release. Recorded over a two year period when the artist was becoming a teenager, this collection of...   Jeff Andrew Hobo Postcards   When he is not wandering the highways of North America and “writing hobo postcards on the highwayside at dawn,” Jeff Andrew finds the time to pick up his instruments and make some remarkable music. Based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Jeff’s main...   Broken Romeo Desperation Daze   Broken Romeo, a 4 piece Arizona based band has released their second full length album titled Desperation Daze. The 11 track album will keep you enthralled as you fluctuate through emotions. The band has not released anything since their...   Qwiet The Meridian of Rhyme     In true hip-hop form, L.A.’s Qwiet brings an improperly spelled pseudonym to the masses. I kid, but what really is interesting about the artist, who’s all about bringing beats, rhymes, and beautiful things, is his differences more than his similarities to...   Various The Blues An Evolution On December 13, 2011, Electro Glide Records released their first compilation CD. The artists included in this amazing collection are:  Marty “Big Dog” Mercer, Brandon Santini, Dan Baron and Tom Holland. While their style of blues is very similar, each brings their own signature feel...   The Inner Road Visions   When I received another album entitled Visions to review, at first I thought I was seeing things. Earlier in 2011, Haken released an album with the same name, so once I realized that it was not some type of error, I was excited to see how different approaches (with one large...   Dario Mollo /Tony Martin The Third Cage The album titled The Third Cage is comprised of Italian musician Dario Mollo, and previous singer of Black Sabbath, Tony Martin. Both have worked in a myriad of projects over the years, and have come together again to bring the third installation of their work together.    “As usual...   Red Orchid Blood Vessels & Marshmallows At first I was intrigued by the title, Blood Vessels & Marshmallows. I mean, everyone needs at least one of those things to live, right? Beyond that, I didn’t have much more to go on. You never know what to expect with a two-piece, but I’ve had good luck in the past. Out of Vienna,...   Cinque Catch A Corner My computer media player tagged Cinque's Catch A Corner as R&B when I loaded it. Imagine my surprise when I listened and heard instrumental jazz flowing from the speakers. I've now realized, however, that this CD is actually much more than just another example of any one genre. This...   Black Skies On The Wings Of Time One thing that’s unique about the metal scene is that there is more wiggle room for artistic freedom. Metal listeners like to think of themselves as being open minded regarding metal genres. The one style that I feel pushed what artistic expression was to be tolerated was Sludge Metal, which...   Late for Breakfast The Art of Falling   With the cold and the holidays upon us, many people are nearing a search for warm weather. What better way to accompany that weather with some light, jazzy, yacht rock from Late for Breakfast?   I have to say, I do have an occasional itch for some yacht rock. Break out...   Andrea Balestra Fine Arts Avenue Andrea Balestra's Fine Arts Avenue is a mixed bag. Some of the tunes are great and some leave something to be desired. The tracks “Dawn” and “Ocean” beautifully illustrate the point.   “Dawn” frankly comes across as a poor imitation of Pink...   Michael Brant DeMaria Bindu Bindu is the fourth album from the Grammy nominee, multiple award winning musician, Michael Brant DeMaria. His work as a therapist entwines with his musical talents to create a place of healing for the body and the mind. DeMaria began working with music as a child when he used it to heal from surgery....   Oscar Perez Nuevo Comienzo Afropean Affair Pianist Oscar Perez's group on the album Afropean Affair, which he calls NUEVO COMIENZO features some of the most outstanding jazz musicians on the New York scene: Greg Glassman on trumpet, Stacy Dillard on saxophones, Anthony Perez on bass, Emiliano Valerio on percussion, Jerome Jennings on...   The Weber Brothers Baddest Band In The Land   When I first listened to The Weber Brothers new CD Baddest Band in the Land, I pictured a bunch of guys in their late fifties who spent the last 30 years paying their dues playing in a Classic Rock cover band. Boy was I wrong.  Brothers Ryan Weber (vocals, guitar) and Sam Weber...   Voyager The Meaning Of I Which would you rather be–a jack of all trades, or a master of one? In music, to appeal to larger audiences, most bands become the former. They may not have to sacrifice their artistic vision and as a result will still end up making music they’re happy with, but this creates another...   The Revelations feat. Tre Williams It's That Time of Year With the Christmas season in full swing, the holiday themed albums are sure to come out. It’s That Time of Year is a four track EP that packs the punch of a full-length holiday album. The Revelations featuring Tre Williams have made a wonderful record that should be on everyone’s...   The Last Vegas The Other Side EP   In my experience there are a few golden rules in music that must be obeyed or else you’ll risk angering the Rock Gods. The most important of these is to never, under absolutely no circumstances should you ever, name your band after a City or a Country or use any part of...   Thin Lizzy Live at the BBC Thin Lizzy was founded in late 1969 when guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon went to see the band Orphanage, which featured vocalist Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey. They formed with Lynott taking on bass as well as singing. Eric Wrixon left shortly after. The band put out several...   Bill Leslie A Midnight Clear: Christmas in Mitford It’s that time of year once again, which means it’s time for my yearly Christmas album review!   It’s always pretty interesting to see what the year’s holiday season brings. In the past I have had some rather interesting takes on new songs and traditional classics,...   Emblema Keep Out From Me     Emblema is a band out of Italy composed of Stefano Massari (vocals), Andrea Piemonti (guitar), Massimo Baldini (bass) and Carlo Lastrucci (drums).   Their short (8 tracks) Keep Out From Me is a fun hard rock album, from the opening rising screech of “Break...   Bobby Kimball and Jimi Jamison Kimball Jamison   When I saw that Frontier Records was putting together an album with Bobby Kimball (Toto) and Jimi Jamison (Survivor) I was thrilled. The song “Rosanna” was the soundtrack for my Jr. High School days. Kimball’s moustache was in style back then too. Bobby Kimball played in...   Shade Out One Of One   There’s something to be said about musicians who create odd music specifically to be different and sound completely original. Without them, music would be stagnant forever, and nothing new would be created. Not everything new is worthy of being remembered as genius, but there are always...   Lance King A Moment In Chiros   If you look at that cover of Lance King’s A Moment In Chiros you see a muscular man, arms outstretched as the hands of a clock with blue clouds and stars around him, then a Battlestar–Gallactica–type font for the artist name. With that visual you know exactly how this album...   Neal Morse Testimony 2: Live in Los Angeles (3 CD/2 DVD Box Set) Neal Morse has had quite a year. If there was an awards event for progressive rock similar to the Grammy’s he would be nominated for Artist of the Year for all of the projects his has been involved in. His contributions to the growth of the genre and basically creating the sub-genre Christian...   Mickey Wynne Running On Empty   Based out of Brighton, England, Mickey Wynne is an accomplished musician who has been playing guitar since the age of six. His blend of rock, blues, and folk music makes for a dynamic listening experience. With Gabriel Piers-Mantell (keyboards), Laurie Harriot (bass), and...   Cornerstone Somewhere In America Throughout the known history of band names, Cornerstone has been used at least once by someone in every country in the known world except Austria; until now. Cornerstone, the Austria version, is a Hard Rock group with a sound that is like a flashback to the early 90’s or in some cases like...   Sixx: AM 7 Following the release of This Is Gonna Hurt, Sixx: A.M. has issued an EP consisting of stripped down versions of some of their finest tracks. “Pulled apart and reconstructed,” 7shows a whole new side of Sixx: A.M., and also gives...   Telergy The Exodus   Telergy is the first foray into the magical, mystical land of progressive rock for composer and multi-instrumentalist Robert McClung. Leaving behind the realm of pop music which had sustained him for nearly twenty years, McClung has assembled a talented cast of musicians and voice actors and...   The Revelations ft. Tre Williams Concrete Blues After making appearances on a number of albums with artists such as Petey Pablo and L.O.X. and a stint with Ill Will Records, Tre Williams began working with Brooklyn, New York based producer Bob Perry. Together they formed a band called The Revelations feat. Tre...   The Gondoliers On and On When most people think about the music that comes from Mississippi, they tend to think of all of the great blues artists it has produced. Well either that or Elvis (he’s kind of a big deal, right?). However, Mississippi has been rocking a bit more these days, which is where The...   Primal Fear Unbreakable It’s good to hear good metal again. Today it seems that every metal band’s sound is analyzed and categorized to death, all too often labeling the band in a way they never wanted/intended/cared to be.   Germany’s Primal Fear and their latest record Unbreakable don’t sound...   Evanescence Evanescence (Deluxe Version) Evanescence is the multi-platinum award winning Goth Rock band that has been cresting the airways since their inception in 2003. The band consists of Amy Lee (vocals, piano), Terry Balsamo (guitar), Troy McLawhorn (guitar), Tim McCord (bass) and Will Hunt (drums). Their third album, Evanescence was...   Fergie Frederiksen Happiness Is the Road When I was 15 years old my brother took me to see Toto. It was the Isolation tour and the singer just happened to be Fergie Frederiksen. I hadn’t stayed up on what happened to Frederiksen after his stint in Toto, but a few of the songs on that CD are still some of my favorites. I was curious as...   Neil Diamond The Very Best Of Neil Diamond Famed singer/songwriter Neil Diamond's charisma, which made him a star, is just as much in evidence here as it was years ago. Well, of course it is since these are the same studio recordings as before. The Very Best Of Neil Diamond is just that, and as you might expect you'll find all of...   Evergrey A Decade And A Half When I think of Sweden’s musical output, I think of Metal. When I think of Gothernburg, Sweden, I think of Progressive and Death Metal. That city has a firm hold on that subgenre’s market share and can prove it with the number of metal bands it’s produced.   Evergrey is one of...   Wishbone Ash Elegant Stealth I guess an Elegant Stealth would be a butterfly now wouldn’t it? Don’t be deceived by the mellow pastels and the image on the cover of the new Wishbone Ash album. Inside what you will find is 12 tracks packed with the classic rocking Wishbone Ash sound. What I have found uplifting...   Smirnov Ice EP Music is like the concept of time to me. A $15,000 dollar Rolex Men’s Champagne Dial Day Date Super President does the exact same thing as a $100.00 Casio. The Rolex just looks a hell of a lot better and has a style that will never fade unlike the allure of a Casio calculator watch...   Haken Visions Visions has already earned itself some serious praise on online forums and prog blogs, and seems to have cemented Haken’s status as a commanding presence within the progressive rock/metal community. They made a name for themselves with last year’s debut, Aquarius, and Visions has...   Totimoshi Avenger     Are u ready to rock? Then, Avenger is the album that you are looking for. There is no way around the brilliance of it. It is non-stop musical greatness from start to finish. Totimoshi has been doing their thing since the late 90s, Avenger is their sixth album, and it is...   Evan Cobb Falling Up     There is this old joke that goes like this: One musician asks another, “Do you read music?” The other replies, “Not enough to hurt my playing.”  With a master’s degree in Jazz studies Evan Cobb lays this old adage to rest. Not...   Ozric Tentacles Paper Monkeys   What is noise? If you asked me to do a review of the best relishes in the world I would have a problem. I can't stand relish. It may well be the best relish in the world, but I won't like it.   I have a similar problem with the Ozric Tentacles, and specifically the album...   The Magnificent The Magnificent Pair up an amazing guitarist (Torsti Spoof/Leverage) with an equally amazing singer (Michael Eriksen/Circus Maximus) and you have the potential for something really amazing. Call the band “The Magnificent” and you have really set your sites high. Rounding out the lineup is Rolf Pilve...   Redgy Blackout Redgy Blackout It’s always fun to pick something to review from the new stack of CDs that show up. It doesn’t get to happen often, but not knowing anything about most of these bands, what better way to decide then by the album cover! So behold Redgy Blackout, a couple of Vancouverites that look to have...   Kathryn Kaye Heavy As A Feather Kathryn Kaye is the majestic New Age instrumentalist that has been entertaining audiences from Germany to the United States since she was very young. Her first foray into the mysteries of the piano began when she was a mere four years old. An avid folk singer and soprano soloist, Kaye’s musical...   Mecca Undeniable The wait is over.  Mecca’s second album Undeniable is here.  It has been around nine years since the melodic rock band released their self-titled debut. Lead by the vocals of Joe Vana, Mecca is a super-group consisting of the talents of many musicians: Joey Vana, Rick Vitek, Wally...   Rob Mancini Rock N Roll Circus Rob Manicini's Rock N Roll Circus is yet another volume to be added to the shelf of albums on the theme, which has fired the imaginations of artists as varied as The Rolling Stones (Rock And Roll Circus), Emerson Lake and Palmer (Come And See The Show), Leon Russell (Carney), Motley...   Beggars & Thieves We Are The Broken Hearted   In 1989 Louie Merlino (vocals) called up his buddy Ronnie Mancuso (guitar) and convinced him to move from Los Angeles to New York where he was living at the time. They wrote half of their first album in a week. After about 6 gigs Beggars & Thieves landed a record deal...   The Rolling Stones 6 Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Rolling Stones (2 DVD Collector's Edition) The Rolling Stones, the name has been synonymous with classic rock ‘n’ roll since the 60s. The iconic band, led by Mick Jagger and the only other remaining original member Keith Richards, rambles on to this day. 6 Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Rolling Stones The Deluxe...   Cynic Carbon-Based Anatomy It has been some journey for the progressive rock band Cynic. They released their first album Focus in 1993 to critical acclaim and broke up the following year. Over a decade later, they reformed and released their second album Traced In Air in 2008. Carbon-Based Anatomy...   Oresund Space Collective Entering into the Space Country In 1969 the United States government, in cooperation with the USSR and the Republic of China, began work on a secret probe which, once launched into space, would begin broadcasting various sound bites and bits of information at an ultra-high frequency in the hopes that any sentient life...   The Beatles with Tony Sheridan The Beatles with Tony Sheridan: First Recordings 50th Anniversary Edition In 1960 the Beatles were playing in Hamburg, Germany where they met a young singer and guitarist named Tony Sheridan. They hit it off and by their second trip to Germany in 1961 they ended up playing with him quite often with either the Beatles backing Tony, or Tony sitting in with the Beatles....   Sojourn A Child Is Born   Sojourn is a band created from the Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Wanting a different kind of church, they set out with founding member Pastor Mike Cosper to create an environment rich in the arts, church fellowship and worship. Now with three campuses in...   Jethro Tull Aqualung 40th Anniversary Box Set   There are two albums that defined the Jethro Tull legacy, Aqualung and Thick As A Brick. There were claims that Aqualung was a concept album to witch Ian Anderson said poppycock! The album revolved around social issues that are still prevalent today. Ian and the band challenged the beliefs of...   Jumpin Jack Benny I'll Be Alright   Benny Cortez, aka Jumpin Jack Benny, is a high energy, classic blues rock front man and the leader of the Jumpin Jack Benny Blues Band. While JJB is the namesake of the group, all pieces of the Blues Band are critical to the sound found on I’ll Be Alright as well. Tony...   Royal Hunt Show Me How To Live Let the hunt begin! Cue horse sounds, bring in the timpani and medieval battle music, add some swords clanging, fade in the operatic voices then cresendo to a boil. Sounds like the makings of some great cinema and it is inside my head where I am picturing knights going out to battle...   Samantha Fish Runaway There are two things about the album Runaway that really sell it, and they're both all about Samantha Fish. She has a captivating voice and she can pick that guitar. The warmth of Fish's singing on the last song, “Feelin' Alright”, is comparable to that of lady...   Amy Hart Congratulations     Amy Hart hails from the Chicago area and got her start playing festival stages. Since then, she has been rocking everywhere from the Gulf Coast to Nashville. Landing a hit in the movie soundtrack for Girls Just Want To Have Fun, she has also worked with Tim Tobias and...   Abnormal Thought Patterns Abnormal Thought Patterns Abnormal Thought Patterns describe themselves as a Mathematical Instrumental Trio that fuses heavy riffs, intricate time signatures and shedding solos. I hate math but I'm a sucker for a shredding guitar solo as it always takes me back to my headbanging youth and Saturday nights spent...   Megadeth Thirteen Following Dave Mustaine’s departure from Metallica in 1983, Megadeth was formed and so began their rise to the top of the metal world in the 1980s, eventually becoming known as one of the “Big Four” of thrash metal. Through all the controversies, partying, and conversions to...   Roy Roberts Strange Love   Is it possible to call an album the blues when it makes me feel good? If this is what Strange Love feels like I could easily become and addict. Blues Legend Roy Roberts has one of those voices that feels like an old friend. I liked it from the first listen. It’s the perfect courier...   Riot Fire Down Under (Vinyl LP) Revered as their classic metal album, Riot scored big with Fire Down Under in 1981. Recently they released a new recording titled Immortal Soul, picking up where they left off with this masterpiece of metal and melodic rock sounds. Mark Reale (guitar/songwriter) started the band in New...   The Andy Poxon Band Red Roots If you have never heard of The Andy Poxon Band before, do not worry. The band has been playing together since only 2009 and Red Roots is their first release. Fronted by Andy Poxon (guitar, vocals), the band is rounded out by Russ Wasson (bass), and Michael O’Donnell (drums). Once...   Vangough Kingdom of Ruin   Kingdom of Ruin is an epic journey down the rabbit hole.   The opening track “Disloyal” begins with a music box and the haunting voice of Clay Withrow singing softly and a falsetto voice doubling it in the background. “Reach inside my open chest, feel...   Wolfpakk Wolfpakk Assembling an all-star cast of musicians including members past and present of groups like Iced Earth, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden (just to name a few), Mark Sweeny and Michael Voss have put together a modern metal super group to accompany them on Wolfpakk’s debut self-titled...   Chick Willis Let The Blues Speak For Itself   Chick Willis' Let The Blues Speak For Itself does indeed speak for itself. In terms of the lyrics and thematic material this is good, gritty blues. He puts his feelings right out there, as on “Picture On The Wall,” which could just as easily have been titled “Your...   Fang-I Liu Confessions Fang-I Liu hasn’t been in the U.S. very long, but she’s certainly has gotten herself noticed fairly quickly. Fang-I came to Los Angeles from Taiwan in 2009 to further her music career, and here we have the first release, a 5-track EP, Confessions.   Liu is a singer/songwriter...   Lunatic Soul Impressions Lunatic Soul is the brain child of Mariusz Duda of the progressive rock/metal band Riverside. In his series of progressive works (Lunatic Soul I and Lunatic Soul II), he explores the boundaries of life, death and all that lies between. In Impressions, Lunatic Soul’s third album there is a...   Riotgod Invisible Empire Coming out of New Jersey, the four-piece rock band Riotgod is Mark Sunshine (vocals), Jim Baglino (bass), Garrett Sweeny (guitar), and Bob Pantella (drums). Starting out as a side project of Monster Magnet’s Jim Baglino and Bob Pantella in 2007, Riotgod started to truly come...   Transatlantic More Never Is Enough If you thought Transatlantic - Whirld Tour 2010: Live in London was the ultimate TA experience for a live DVD, well you are going to find out different if you pick up this immense 3 CD/2 DVD set More Never Is Enough.  Neal Morse (keys, acoustic guitar, vocals), Roine Stolt (guitars,...   The Anabasis Back From Being Gone The Anabasis is a large collaboration project comprised of seven musicians along with several guest musicians contributing. Needless to say, there are a lot of people involved. The idea sprouted from the mind of Barry Thompson. He then recruited musicians from all over the world to take part in the...   Various Motown Gold From The Ed Sullivan Show (DVD) I wonder how many present day music enthusiasts have given thought to the fact that The Ed Sullivan Show in the 60s was critical to the Motown label’s success. Not only was it critical, it literally broke the race barrier and put people like The Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Diana...   Moraine Metamorphic Rock As a follow up to their debut album, avant musicians Moraine have released a live disc recorded at the NEARfest in Bethlehem, PA. The album, Metamorphic Rock, is an experimental, all instrumental, mix of songs with jazz infusions and an 8 stringed Bass guitar. Moraine’s lineup features Kevin...   Sista Monica Parker Living in the Danger Zone Living in the Danger Zone is the newest release from the R&B songstress Sista Monica Parker. The world traveled artist is in fine form on this album. From joyful love tunes to the tales of heartbreak and sorrow, Living in the Danger Zone is full of passion and...   Morkobot Morbo You don’t encounter an album like Morbo, or a band like Morkobot very often. The bass, bass, drum trio from Italy known solely as Lin, Lan and Len offer a unique brand of extremely technical and high concept industrial sludge. The best way I could think of to describe it is that...   Jon Anderson Open Known for his time as front man for the progressive rock band Yes, Jon Anderson has been at his solo career for decades. He has collaborated with artists such as Dream Theater, King Crimson, and Vangelis. Open is his latest solo release and it is sure to be a classic record: “Coupled...   The Miles Davis Quintet Live In Europe 1967 -The Bootleg Series (3 CD/DVD) The Miles Davis Quintet's Live In Europe 1967 is an invaluable last glimpse of the end of an era for Miles, just before his Bitches' Brew album helped kick off the jazz-rock fusion eruption of the 70's. This is The Quintet at its finest. It is a little surprising how hard the music 'bops,'...   Queensryche Dedicated To Chaos I am avid follower of Queensryche and have been for years now. I bought all the remasters and have seen them in concert twice. There was never nothing not to like for these ears. They played progressive-metal with great storylines. The band has additional talent on this release however the core members...   Johnny Unicorn Thinking Hard To Overcome Nervousness     Johnny Unicorn is the Seattle based progressive rock artist that uses many styles and different musical elements in his work. His fifth album, Thinking Hard To Overcome Nervousness is a blend of comedy, human foibles and some very odd sounding music. Joining him in...   Various Artists The Best of The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and Museum Live I never thought very much of the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame until I learned they had bypassed Rush. It was only then that I learned that this Hall was looking out for our best interests. This 3 disc box set The Best of The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and Museum Live put out by the hall has...   Cheap Trick In Color (Vinyl LP-Ltd. Ed.) Cheap Trick is one of those bands you may remember for their hit singles. There was a lot more to this band than just a few hits. They were and still are a vastly underrated rock-pop band. Bun E. Carlos (Drums), Robin Zander (Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Lead Vocals), Tom Petersson (Bass, Guitar (Bass),...   Pain of Salvation Road Salt Two Pain of Salvation has a long and impressive history as a band. Started by Daniel Gildenlöw in 1984 under the name Reality, the project got its name that it is known by today in 1991. They have gone through some line-up changes since their early days with the current one being Daniel...   Touchstone The City Sleeps Touchstone is the sweeping British Progressive Rock band that has been taking the world by storm. The band’s inception was in 2003 and consists of Rob Cottingham (keyboard, vocals), Adam Hodgeson (guitar), Paul Moorghen (bass), Henry Rogers (drums) and Kim Seviour (vocals). The City Sleeps is the...   Leningrad Cowboys Buena Vodka Social Club When I think of the Leningrad Cowboys, the first thing that immediately comes to mind is the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. The band got to close them even though virtually no one watching knew who they were. They went on to cover “Sweet Home Alabama,” and weren’t really...   Agents of Mercy The Black Forest   With Roine Stolt’s brainchild Agents of Mercy going back in the studio within a very short time after their second release Dramarama, I knew that he had those creative juices flowing and was itching to get back to work. This comes as no surprise as the man has been on a...   Riot Immortal Soul The release of Immortal Soul marks a triumphant return for New York City’s own Riot, picking up where they left off over two decades ago and giving fans new and old a chance to revel in some mighty riffs while revisiting the salad days of 80’s speed metal. Reforming with the lineup from the...   Lou Reed and Metallica LuLu Years ago Prince wrote the song When Doves Cry. Well folks, this is what it sounds like when doves get caught in the gears of 1975 Ford Thunderbird on its way to pick up Lou Reed at the seniors center to drop him off at Metallica’s AA meeting which just happens to be located in a music studio....   Paxton Norris Something's Gotta Give Fans of Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Allman Brothers, take notice. Paxton Norris' Something's Gotta Give is right up your alley. Not only is this music great blues-rock in the aforementioned traditions, but it is also very current. Norris is writing electric blues for the Great...   Spellbound Dazzle Unreal Fairy Tales On their website, Spellbound Dazzle says that they have produced, “A fairytale firework of magical sounds,” on their new album Unreal Fairytales. I think they may be right with that statement.   Spellbound Dazzle is European band from Italy. Luckily for those of us who are not...   Knight Area Nine Paths Knight Area’s fourth studio album, Nine Paths, is an affectionate throw back to the best of early 70s prog rock. That is not to say that the album feels dated. The smooth production and flawless mixing give the album a decidedly contemporary sound that is to be experienced as much...   Billy Joel Piano Man (2CD Legacy Edition) Billy Joel has been crafting his sound since he began playing piano in 1953. He joined his first band, The Echoes (The Lost Souls) in 1963 and the rest is history. His diverse playing style captures many flavors of music. He has won countless awards ranging from Grammys (eleven) to Platinum Albums and...   Rush Roll The Bones (24 KT Gold) Roll The Bones (1991) was a return to fine progressive rock form for Rush after releasing some rather unfavorably styled recordings that the faithful found disappointing, although they enjoyed success in spite of that. Guitar man Alex Lifeson found his groove as he did on the previous release...   Shirley Crabbe Home Home is a safe haven, a warm and comfortable place where one feels welcome, secure and at ease. Shirley Crabbe’s Home is a perfect example of how this feeling of home transfers to music with a rare quality of making that inner connection with a song ultimately going from vocalist to story teller...   The Tangent COMM The Tangent have a devoted following and have garnered themselves considerable praise in the prog community. A Place on the Shelf and Down and Out in Paris and London have both been called “masterpieces” on the internet (for what that’s worth). Their latest release, COMM, deals with...   Hotel Wrecking City Traders & Gary Arce Hotel Wrecking City Traders & Gary Arce Hotel Wrecking City Traders is a two-piece noise rock act out of Australia made up of brothers Ben (drums) and Toby (guitar). On this release, the brothers teamed up with guitarist Gary Arce. Arce is known for his desert rock style. Together the three put out a 12” made up of two tracks, about...   Edge of Paradise Mask    Based in Los Angeles, California, Edge of Paradise consists of Margarita Monet (vocals, keyboards), Dave Bates (guitar), Kevin Katich (drums), and Steven Cook (bass). They formed in 2011 from the remains of Bates’ previous band fronted by Robin McCauley, whose...   Hans Theessink Jedermann Remixed   Hans Theessink seems to be widely regarded as a blues guy. It's true that there's plenty of Dobro in the music to give it that acoustic blues sound, but on Jedermann Remixed at least, I have to differ with the prevailing opinion. The sparse style of the songs and...   Triumph Allied Forces (Vinyl LP) It has been 30 years since Triumph, Rik Emmett (guitarist/singer), Gil Moore (drums, vocals) and Mike Levine (bass, keyboards), released their classic and best album Allied Forces. I had the opportunity to review their entire catalog of remastered releases several years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the...   John Baumgardner & The Paper Doll Baptists Fruitcake With Nuts   If you are looking for a non-traditional Christmas album with some fairly familiar tunes and even a few new ones, then you have to check out John Baumgardner & the Paper Doll Baptists and their holiday album Fruitcake With Nuts. The band is comprised of John Baumgardner...   Boz Karma Knows Boz, former progressive rock band US front man, released a solo album entitled, Karma Knows, back in 2007. He also released a follow-up album earlier this year named Exit Strategy.   The title track, “Karma Knows,” is a mellow acoustic guitar song. The tempo of the...   Journey Greatest Hits Volume 2 Journey’s influence is undeniable. From commercials to video games, they can be found in nearly every facet of popular culture. To boot, they are still relevant in the music scene, proven by their success with new singer Arnel Pineda. 2011 saw the release of their most recent album Eclipse, and...   Shauna Burns A Winter Gathering   Artists who choose to do a Christmas album really have to bring something a little different to the table to make it worthwhile for the listener. Burns' brooding style on A Winter Gathering delivers just that with refreshingly intense treatments of some well-known...   Opeth Heritage (CD/DVD Deluxe Edition) Mikael Åkerfeldt (guitar, lead vocals), Martin Mendez (bass), Fredrik Åkesson (guitar), Martin Axenrot (drums) and Joakim Svalberg (keyboards) are Opeth. It has been a long time since I sat down and reviewed an Opeth album (Lamenations: Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire-2004). They have...   Phil Collins Hello, I Must Be Going! (24KT Gold) Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982) was the second solo album released by Phil Collins.  Now released in Audio Fidelity’s 24KT Gold CD and packaging, music lovers have a chance to revisit the classic album in a different way.   The recording was very successful and would garner the massive...   The Ritual Beyond The Fragile Horizon Coming out of Italy, The Ritual consists of Marco Obice (vocals, guitar), Marco Pastorino (guitar), Luca De Vito (drums), and Luca Negro (bass). This “heavy melodic core band” formed in 2002. After a few line-up changes and a redirection of musical perspectives,...   Just Married Waiting For The Changes Just Married is comprised of a husband and wife duo that are quite the musical match for one another. The pair has recently released a new album entitled, Waiting For The Changes.   The title track, “Waiting For The Changes,” has a very diverse, eclectic sound that...   Red Rose Live The Life You've Imagined Red Rose had its inception in Israel in 2010. A mixture of progressive, heavy metal and glam rock, the band consists of Leve Laiter (vocals), Elnur Aliev (guitars), Eli Reeve (bass) and Deion Kristen (keyboards). Live the Live You’ve Imagined is their debut album, due out in...   Jimi Hendrix The Dick Cavett Show Jimi Hendrix was not the type of artist that enjoyed the spotlight through the media. He was not real crazy about doing (as Billy Cox mentions in an interview on this DVD) in person appearances on network television either. People that were in his circle of influence obviously convinced him that being...   Everpresent Phoenix Everpresent is dark Pop meets Electronica with a Middle Eastern flair. Matthew Cahoon, organizer and architect of the band is back for the band’s fifth album. He brings with him some reoccurring favorites and some new musical talent and engineering wizards to spice up the mix. The band on the...   Acorn Falling Cabinet of Curiosities   Acorn Falling is the creation of Lars Kivig, co-composer and piano/synth player of My Beloved. The music is composed, performed, recorded, mixed and produced by Kivig. There are several guest musicians appearing on the album. The Cello by John Contreras on “Master...   Knitting By Twilight Weathering Weathering by Knitting By Twilight is engaging and enjoyable. As I am fond of saying, New Age music has an unfortunate tendency to be bland and nondescript. Well, this album most certainly is not. “Harold's Budds” opens with the musical equivalent of swarming bees and...   Bad Company Straight Shooter (24 KT Gold) Bad Company was a legitimate supergroup with Paul Rogers (vocals, Free), Boz Burrell (bass, King Crimson), Simon Kirke (drums, Free) and Mick Ralphs (guitar, Mott The Hoople). Frequently these supergroup alignments fell apart as quickly as they got together however in this case it was quite the...   Reaul Casino Heart Coming out of Indianapolis, Indiana, Reaul is a four piece rock band made up of Rick Connell (vocals), Nate Metzler (drums), Michael Neeley (bass), and Dave Kriebel (guitar).   Casino Heart is their newest release and it is pop-rock at its finest. This five track EP is...   Boom Kinetic Part Gray/Part Bright Light   Most people wouldn’t expect a strong electronic sounding pop/rock album to come out of Arkansas, but Boom Kinetic has done just that. The band formed in Fayetteville in 2006, and is comprised of Wiley Seeger, Zach Gump, Aaron, Schauer, Greg Guillot, and Miguel Gamboa....   Judas Priest The Chosen Few   Few bands can say that they have influenced the metal genre they way that Judas Priest can. It has been a long road since they first formed in Birmingham, England back in the late 1960s. For those of you out there who do not know already, Judas Priest are Ian Hill...   Lion's Ambition The Application Lion’s Ambition is a band with a very diverse, interesting sound that is hard to pin down to just one genre but is also hard to find fault with. This unique band has recently released their new album entitled, The Application.   One would not normally expect to hear acoustic rock and...   Bachman Turner Overdrive Not Fragile (24 KT Gold) BTO, short for Bachman-Turner Overdrive, had some huge hits in the 70s. Headed up by former Guess Who guitar player Randy Bachman, who played on such classics as “American Woman” and “No Sugar Tonight” and countless other hits, broke away to start his own thing and would add his...   3 The Ghost You Gave to Me   3 (Three), the band whose name’s a number, is a self-described American hybrid band from Woodstock, a small town/hamlet situated within the Catskill region of New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley. The name “Woodstock”...   Glyder Backroads to Byzantium   Dublin rockers Glyder are back with a modified line-up on their fourth album, Backroads to Byzantium. The original band formed in 2004 and released their self-titled full-length in 2006. Now 5 years later, Glyder have a new vocalist, Jackie Robinson, joining Bit Kinane...   Trillium Alloy Amanda Somerville is the front woman behind the amazing new metal meets rock project knows as Trillium.  Their new album, Alloy, is a blend of epic guitar, soulful lyrics and some pretty powerful musical composition. Somerville is an American singer and songwriter and voice coach that does lead,...   The Elves And Before Elf There Were Elves Elves, also known as Elf, was one of the early bands that featured the late great Ronnie James Dio in the lineup in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Despite the impossibility of an Elves reunion, a new album of previously unreleased material will be released, entitled, And Before Elf...   Zebrahead Get Nice!   With a band name that is sure to raise an eyebrow or two, Zebrahead are Ali Tabatabaee (vocals), Matty Lewis (vocals, guitar), Greg Bergdorf (guitar), Ben Osmundson (bass), and Ed Udhus (drums). Coming out of Southern California, Zebrahead have been playing their brand...   Catherine Marie Charlton Red Leaf, Grey Sky Catherine Marie Charlton is an award winning pianist, composer and improviser. She began her love affair with music at the young age of eight. Playing so much, her parents had to ask her to stop. That should tell you something about Charlton’s dedication to her craft. Red Leaf, Grey Sky...   Dream Theater A Dramatic Turn of Events (Box Set) It was unquestionably A Dramatic Turn of Events when the co-founder and drummer of Dream Theater, Mike Portnoy, decided to call it a day. I have no doubt the title of this album was inspired by that one life changing event for the band. James LaBrie (vocals), John Petrucci (guitars), John Myung...   The Stone Chiefs Drive On   The Stone Chiefs are a five piece rock band from Raleigh, North Carolina. With a sound that is self described as having “the timeless feel of a lazy Saturday afternoon flowing into a late night party” with all the “soul, power, charisma, blood, sweat,...   Uriah Heep Live in Armenia They always said it’s better to burn out than to fade away, but they never told you those weren’t your only options. Uriah Heep’s candle seems to still be burning bright; at least their latest release Live in Armenia offers little evidence to the contrary. It was recorded in 2010,...   Steve Hackett Beyond the Shrouded Horizon Steve Hackett showcases his skills as a guitar player side by side with his skills as a songwriter on his latest album Beyond the Shrouded Horizon, a hefty release which takes its time unfolding. It is an album that can be fully enjoyed while sitting down. The former Genesis guitarist and ever prolific...   Paul Simon Songwriter Paul Simon describes himself as a songwriter, first and foremost. His newest album, Songwriter, set to be released in October 2011, that he is a master of the songwriting craft there can be no doubt. This album is a journey from his Simon and Garfunkel days up to the present. This two CD set comprises...   Saxon Call To Arms Formed in 1976 and going into their fifth decade as a band, Call to Arms is Saxon’s nineteenth studio album. Hailing form the Yorkshire region of England, Saxon is an iconic name in the metal world.  Consisting of Biff Byford (vocals), Paul Quinn (guitar), Doug Scarratt...   Jeff Coffin Mu'tet Jeff Coffin & The Mu'tet - Live! Jeff Coffin & The Mu'tet's have released a mind-blowing set of in concert performances on their album Live!. I'm certain hearing it will be the most fun you've had listening to “space jazz” in a long time.   “What's That?” you say. A friend...   Sad Little Men I'll Be The Octopus Just when you thought you’ve heard all you could from Portland, along comes Sad Little Men. Sad Little Men sprung from the mind of former saxophonist turned vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Dusty York. After years of recording as a jazz musician and owning his own record label, York decided...   Ramsey Lewis And His Electric Band Taking Another Look Ramsey Lewis and His Electric Band are a talented group of musicians. The band consists of Henry Johnson (guitar), Tim Gant (keyboard), Joshua Ramos (bass), Charles Heath (drums) and of course, the man behind the magic, Ramsey Lewis. Each of these men has one thing in common: a musical beginning in...   Ten Years After A Space In Time (24kt Gold CD) If you are familiar at all with classic British blues-rock bands the name Ten Years After should be one of the first bands to come up in a discussion, along with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Cream and early Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green, to mention a few pioneers of the genre. Alvin Lee...   Redemption This Mortal Coil  Redemption is a hard hitting band musically speaking and will soon be releasing their new album entitled, This Mortal Coil. They even teamed up with producer Neil Kernon who has worked with Kansas and Nevermore to name a few.   The album starts off with a punch on the track, “Path...   Michael Stribling Safely In The Arms of Love Michael Stribling has been many things. Radio announcer, composer/arranger, engineer, musician, musical theater performer and family therapist are just some of his accomplishments. After a life transition, he decided it was time to focus on his own music, and Leela Music, or “divine play”...   Grateful Dead Shakedown Street (180 Gram Vinyl LP) Growing up in my teen years I wondered what the attraction was to a band like the Grateful Dead. I had a cousin that liked them and failed to see what was so appealing. I guess my cousin was more of an advanced listener than I ever knew and could see the forest through the trees. Today my viewpoint is...   Candlelight Red The Wreckage   Every once and a while one is exposed to a new band and instantly becomes a fan. This is the case for me with Candlelight Red’s debut album The Wreckage. Hailing from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a place known more for baseball than music, Candlelight Red began their...   Brute Forcz Kick Ass Heavy Metal   Brute Forcz is a heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. They consist of twins and former professional wrestlers Slammer (drums) and Jammer (bass/vocals) with Will Wallner (guitars) completing the trio. Kick Ass Heavy Metal is the band’s first release...   Ben Folds The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective (Deluxe Version) I remember being in college the first time I heard Ben Folds Five, an energetic young rock band that was centered around a non-other than Ben Folds. He played a mean piano and sang of subjects that were relatable to many a high school student that just so happened to listen to the indie styling’s...   Oresund Space Collective Dead Man in Space What began as informal jam sessions between members of Bland Bladen (Sweden) and Mantric Muse (Denmark), arranged by and featuring also Scott “Dr. Space” Heller (formerly of Gas Giant), has become a project featuring a rotating cast (this particular record happens to feature...   Big Pete Choice Cuts  Born Pieter van der Pluijm, Big Pete is a blues musician who hails from the Netherlands. Although blues music is more commonly connected with the American South than with Northern Europe, Big Pete sounds right at home in this genre. His up-coming release Choice Cuts features a variety...   Steve Gerard & The National Debonaires Voodoo Workin' Steve Gerard & The National Debonaires are the blues sensation that is currently rocking their way from Calgary on down to Arkansas. The band is comprised of James “Rock” Gray (singer, songwriter), Mike “Shinetop Jr.” Sedovic (piano, B-3 organ), Dwight Ross...   John Fluker Star Eyes John Fluker is a talented blend of vocalist, musician, composer, songwriter, producer, arranger, and teacher. He is active both on stage and in the studio. Starting out with the effervescent experiences of a Gospel choir, Fluker has performed with legends like Gladys Knight, Queen Latifah and Sinbad....   Skelp Volume     Skelp is a high energy indie rock band that doesn’t slow down for anything on their new album entitled, Volume. The band formed in the mid 1990’s and hails from Washington D.C.   The album starts out with, “Sophie’s Dance,” a fast...   Whiteboy James and the Blues Express Extreme Makeover   Extreme Makeoverby Whiteboy James and the Blues Express is a lot of fun to listen to. Most significantly, t he subject matter of the music is just highly entertaining. I, personally, put a high value on 'realness' in music. These songs seem about as real as blues...   Jesse Dee & Jaquie B Our Ghosts Will Fill These Walls Jesse Dee and Jaquie B are a Canadian Duo that has been releasing music and touring steadily for a few years now. This past summer, they released their new album, Our Ghosts Will Fill These Walls. This disc features an overall sound that is beyond interesting.   Some songs even feature a bit of...   Thin Lizzy Live In London “Whiskey In The Jar,” “Jailbreak,” and “The Boys Are Back In Town.” These familiar classic rock songs are what Thin Lizzy is mostly known for. This is unfortunate because they have produced so many other amazing songs of the 70s and early 80s when Phil...   The Jimi Hendrix Experience Winterland Box Set It was 1968 and The Jimi Hendrix Experience played six sold out shows at Bill Graham’s Winterland in San Francisco. This box set version has 4 discs and the “exclusive” Amazon version, of course not available for review purposes, features an additional disc with 5 tracks. I was...   Eban Schletter The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Eban Schletter is a masterful composer and multi-instrumentalist. He has been involved with numerous television shows, the Academy Awards and several feature films. What Schletter is most known for is his work with comedic shows (Spongebob Squarepants) and his spontaneity. Working with David Lee Fisher...   theendisthebeginning Tropics theendisthebeginning has recently parted ways with their vocalist but, before doing so, they were able to come together and make one more good album entitled Tropics. The band also released a smaller, digital album at the same time which was titled, So Long Shadow.   The title track,...   Arch/Matheos Sympathetic Resonance Arch/Matheos is a new progressive metal project from Jim Matheos and John Arch, hence Arch/Matheos. Matheos is a current guitarist for Fates of Warning and OSI, while Arch is Fates Warning’s former vocalist. Earlier this year they got together with Joey Vera (bass), Bobby Jarzombek (drums,...   Jerry Costanzo Can't We Be Friends?   Can't We Be Friends is a fine recording of some really classic vocal standards. In particular, the instrumentalists do a fantastic job on this CD. Their solo and ensemble work, and even just the overall sound, are...   Sebastian Bach Kicking & Screaming   Rising to fame in the late 80s and early 90s as the frontman for Skid Row, Sebastian Bach is still at it with his solo career. His newest release Kicking & Screaming is his fourth solo album and first in four years.    Kicking & Screaming gets off to a...   Candice Night Reflections   Candice Night was possessed by the love of music when she was just a girl. She moved into piano lessons with success and after a stint in modeling and an epiphany with journaling that she still has to this day, she went on to a job at a local radio station in New York. She met Ritchie...   Julius Pittman & The Revival Live Tonight! Julius Pittman & the Revival is the hip old school style rock band with a full helping of soul flavor from the Memphis Stax/Volt era. Formed in 2009, the band consists of Julius Pittman (founder, keyboard, and vocals), Randy Moss (guitar), Velpo Robertson (guitar), Audie Stanley (bass), Chris...   Galactic Cowboy Orchestra All Out of Peaches   The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra is an eclectic quartet classifying themselves as “Newgrass Art-Rock.” So if pedantry surrounding genre qualification is your bag, this album is already for you. If you couldn’t care less about names or titles, it’s likely there’s...   Alice Cooper Welcome 2 My Nightmare   Welcome To My Nightmare revisted?  Really? And Alice Cooper kicks off this new album using auto tune…it will happen when hell freezes over right? Guess again, only in Alice’s hell can this happen. Yes it’s all true and you have to wonder how this is all going to work...   USX The Valley Path Based in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, USX is a band that has been together for almost a decade playing their special brand of rock influenced by various genres. Their newest release is The Valley Path, a single song record, is quite the journey to take and an...   House Of Lords Big Money House Of Lords is a melodic rock band that has been releasing music since the late 1980’s and will soon release their new album, Big Money.   “Seven,” is probably the most rockin’ song on this disc and it brings back a bit of the eighties rock feel. It is about meeting a...   Baby Scream Secret Place Somewhere in the land of childhood dreams, raw points of view and artistic passion you will find Baby Scream and the mastermind behind the vision, Juan Pablo Mazzola. The band consists of Juan Pablo Mazzola (guitar, vocals), Raúl Marcos (bass), Claudio Salas (drums) and...   Renaissance of Fools Fear, Hope, and Frustration Renaissance of Fools is a Swedish prog-rock quartet consisting of Daniel Magdic, Magnus Karlsson, Bjorn Tauman, and Kjell Bergendahl. The members of the band are from Falun/Borange more specifically. Fear, Hope, and Frustration is their debut release and will come in North...   Hennie Bekker Spectrum - An Anthology Of Relaxing Instrumental Music From the opening keyboard theme of “Spring Rain” to the final atmospheric moments of “Silent Embrace”, Hennie Bekker's greatest hits CD Spectrum is just that... great!   What makes Bekker's music a little different from your usual New Age is best described with...   Pilot Touhill Paper Armour   Coming out of Southern California, Pilot Touhill’s newest release Paper Armour is their third album. With a mellow sound and fun and catchy tunes, it is obvious that their sunny location influences the music. The positive and up beat atmosphere is contagious...   Jimi Hendrix Live At The Isle of Wight-Blue Wild Angel The career of Jimi Hendrix is well documented and the story continues with another wave of remasters and videos for enthusiasts, collectors and music lovers alike. With Live At The Isle of Wight-Blue Wild Angel you get a DVD (182 minutes) with previously unreleased film culled from the vast archives of...   Steve Lieberman The Rabbi Is Dead Steve Lieberman, The Gangsta Rabbi, started his musical career in 1968. The instrument of choice was a clarinet. Less than two weeks later it was taken away from him for insufficient progress. That should give you a really big clue about his latest of nineteen albums. The Rabbi Is Dead is a scream fest...   Blondie Panic of Girls If you want a band that will leave you spinning in your shoes, then look no further than Blondie. At its inception in 1974, it was originally thought of as a new wave punk band, but the band defied attempts to lock it down into one genre. The band currently consists of Deborah Harry (vocals), Chris...   The Fletchers Heroes Of Gravity   The Fletchers are a band from New Jersey that recently released their third album, Heroes Of Gravity. I personally feel this is what rock music is at its best and almost has a 1960’s rock and roll feel to it.   The first song off this timeless album, “Get...   Jimi Hendrix Hendrix In The West “A bit more volume on this one, Charlie. He’s gonna need it…” The first thing you hear on this record and the stage is suddenly set. Hendrix In The West is a live compilation record gathering hits from various gigs in California circa spring 1969 – summer 1970,...   Convoy River of Sorrow   On Convoy’s page on CD Baby, they are described as a “marijuana-laden marriage of Pantera and Skynyrd”. This is one of the more accurate descriptions I have seen on these sites for this Chicago-based quartet.   Convoy formed in Fall of 2009 and are...   Quimera Music More Than Human EP (Remastered) Quimera Music is the enigmatic new symphonic rock band that has taken the New York music scene by storm and is working their way around the globe. The brain child of the band is Quimera herself, a vivacious vocalist with a unique alto with...   Noshir Mody Union of Hearts Haddaway's “What Is Love” may have been fun to dance to in the 80s, but it didn't touch on the actual question itself. Contrast that with Union of Hearts' opening track of the same title, which is instead c ool and moody......   Swingadelic The Other Duke If swing is your thing, then Swingadelic’s The Other Duke is surely one for your collection. The 11-piece “little big band” from Hoboken, NJ pays tribute to the famous American pianist and jazz composer Duke Pearson on this electric album.   Though they make...   Man On Fire Chrysalis Chrysalis is Man On Fire’s first release in about six years and it is great to have them back. When bands take extended breaks like this between albums, the expectations for an amazing album to be produced are huge. Man On Fire does not disappoint. Chrysalis is one of the those...   Radio Drive I Can See The World From Here     Radio Drive is the hot alternative pop rock band with international acclaim. The magic behind the scenes all centers on Kevin Gullickson, song writer, singer and multi-instrumentalist. I Can See the World From Here is Radio Drive’s third album to date released in...   The Mugshots In Disguise     The Mugshots are a Goth Rock band that has been making music for ten years now. Earlier this year they released a small collection of new songs on a disc called, In Disguise.   All four songs included on the album have quite the interesting sound. The band lists Alice Cooper as...   Ryan Shea Smith Stay Awhile   Ryan Shea Smith is the sharp new contemporary jazz talent from Seattle, Washington. Stay Awhile is his sophomore release. Contributing musicians for this album include Jeff Johnson, Eric Eagle, Hans Teuber, Roger Wood, Dan Tyak, Michael Eads, Stephanie Porter, Mycle Wastman, Arturo...   Pistol for Ringo Better Left Broken (EP) For the first time since 2003’s Solid State Neo-Hedonist, Pistol for Ringo is back with some new material. It isn’t a full length, but it is quality return for this Los Angeles-based quintet on this five-track EP, Better Left Broken.   The current line-up for Pistol for Ringo still...   Divine Ascension As the Truth Appears High energy, driving metal is what you'll get on Divine Ascension's debut album As the Truth Appears. The most striking aspect of the music is, of course, the singing of Jennifer Borg. While lady singers have become much more common in heavier music, it's still a tough...   Mars Red Sky Mars Red Sky The press on Mars Red Sky is nearly indecipherable. The band’s bio on their own website reads like a poor translation into English, and it’s difficult to tell where they come from and what they’re all about, just that they’re from Europe. The only thing that...   Philos Women On My Mind Philos is a California born Hip Hop artist who has already worked with some big names in music such as Paul Wall and Travis Barker. His album, Women On My Mind, is a well titled and well done disc.   “Body Wet,” wastes no time getting down to business and was...   Temple of the Smoke ...Against Human Race It’s not hard to tell that Temple of the Smoke enjoys the music they make (you can almost hear the smiles on their faces), and their latest release …Against Human Race is a journey through both sound and space. It is psychedelic in nature; that adjective describes both the sound and the...   Various The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams When great artists die, there is a certain desire in people to long for the remains of their work to be released. This is especially true when the artist dies young and at the height of their fame and creative process. Such is the case of music legend Hank Williams whose life was cut short as...   Myrath Tales Of The Sands   Myrath is a Mediterranean metal/progressive rock band from the country Tunis-Tunisia that formed in 2001.They are slated to release their latest album, Tales Of The Sands, this October.     It is only fitting that Myrath translates to legendary as the album starts off...   Lost Reflection Florida If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t know very much about Italian rock music. Let’s face it, there aren’t many big bands hailing from Italia. I even tried goggling it, but came up fairly dry and certainly did not recognize any of the names I did find. Alas, here we are...   Grupo Falso Baiano Simplicidade: Live At Yoshi's   Grupo Falso Baiano is the talented Brazilian style choro band from San Francisco. Offering a glimpse into the window of the past, Grupo Falso Baiano brings Brazil’s culture to American shores. This beautiful and melodic sound dates all the way back to the 1800’s and is a blend of...   Deep Blue Organ Trio Wonderful! Deep Blue Organ Trio's Wonderful! Is a pleasant and smooth listen. The players are accomplished and perform with great good taste. This is a CD that can help you wind down from a long day. Having said that, I'm afraid some of the music does fall into the trap that so many albums like...   Haven Denied Illusions (Between Truth and Lie) The Portuguese heavy metal band Haven Denied returns to the metal world with their third release, Illusions (Between Truth and Lie). They have been together for around a decade and produced their first album in 2006 after going through a few line-up changes. Five years later they bring us...   Guido Campiglio Rumble In The Jungle Guido Campiglio, otherwise known as The Exotic Shredder, is the solo artist from Bergamo, Italy. His newest release, Rumble In The Jungle will be released in September 2011.This is Campiglio’s third album. “C.D.T. Symphony” is...   The Quill Full Circle   It’s been five years since their last studio release, In Triumph, but Swedish rock quartet The Quill is back with a baker’s dozen of new tracks on Full Circle. For those less familiar, The Quill is comprised of Magnus Arnar (vocals), Christian Carlsson (guitars),...   Work Of Art In Progress Work of Art is an upbeat pop band that infuses a little bit of the classic 1980’s pop sound into their music which helps them stand out from other modern pop artists. Their new album, In Progress, may sound like something that is incomplete but in fact, it is a solid, well done pop disc....   Airrace Back To The Start It has been quite some time since Airrace has put out new material. Their first album Shaft Of Light was released some 26 years ago. After breaking up in the mid-1980s, the band reformed in 2009 with a few changes in the line-up. I hope you are ready for a feeling of nostalgia because you are...   Aaron Williams And The Hoodoo 10:49 Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo are the blues and rock sensation that has been sweeping the Midwest. Reaching number two on the Wisconsin Blues Charts, this trio has been making music together since they formed in 2008. The band consists of Aaron...   Brandy Lynn Confer Stress and The Rhythm of The Word Brandy Lynn Confer is the incredibly fragile sounding, but tough as nails force behind her new album Stress and the Rhythm of the Word set to be released in August 2011. The supporting band consists of Jason Butcher (drums), Dave Hadley (pedal steel, Dobro on track 5), and Roy Nash...   Black Country Communion 2 The future of Rock music may have seemed a little bleak lately. However, anyone thinking the end is near for true rock ‘n’ roll can rejoice for Black Country Communion and their recently second album, 2. Their first album, Black Country, was only released in September of...   Symphony X Iconoclast Like Vonnegut, Bradbury, Huxley and Orwell all holed up in a room with some Jäger and some Slayer, Symphony X has concocted a pseudo-sci-fi fantasy metal epic depicting the pending war between man and machine (a la Terminator, The Matrix, etc.), brought on by our overreliance on modern...   Anubis Gate Anubis Gate Anubis Gate’s self titled album is the fifth release for this Danish group. They have replaced their lead singer following the sudden departure of the original one and, also, this is their first record released with a new label. These transitions have been handled smoothly and it has...   Jorn Live in Black For those that are unfamiliar with Jorn, they are a Norwegian rock/metal band lead by Jorn Lande, formerly of Hydra, Vagabond, The Snakes, amongst others. Live in Black is an album and DVD of Jorn’s set at the Sweden Rock Festival on June 10, 2010 in Sölvesborg. This show also took place a...   Michael Williams Band Fire Red In a musical climate that has welcomed the White Stripes and the Black Keys, Michael Williams Band has nothing to fear in terms of gaining a strong fan base, especially after this album was produced by the legendary Eddie Kramer. “Hey Baby” is a jaunty jam with lethargic vocals and a...   Bruno Pitch Crystal Garden   Bruno Pitch, Pitch (Chapman Stick) and Guix Huré (Drums), is an experimental duo from France that has come up with a truly unique listening experience and put it into every song included on their new disc Crystal Garden. Listeners will feel as if they have been...   Consecration .avi Consecration is an experimental band from Serbia. This group of highly talented musicians has been together since 2000 and has gone through multiple line-up changes. .avi is their second album. Released last year, this album has brought them well deserved acclaim in the Balkans and...   Queen Queen 2 (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition-Original Recording Remastered) I was one of those people that jumped at the chance to get the Queen reissues the first time around back in the 90s. You know, the CDs that had all of those funky mixes of songs that were supposed to make the repurchase worthwhile and special? Yeah right. Well that did not work out very well. Now...   Toby Hitchcock Mercury's Down Mercury's Down is in some ways a bit of a trip into the past. Had Toby Hitchcock come of musical age during the late 80s he would have fit right in with other hard rockers of the era without anyone batting an eye. This is h ard, driving rock in the vein of later Iron Maiden, for just one...   Various 35 Years Stony Plain   Stony Plain is a record label with a long history of supporting artists with a timeless style of music that lasts through the ages. Starting the journey at a kitchen table in Edmonton, Canada in 1976, Holger Petersen’s label has released over 400 albums of jazz, blues, Irish, roots rock...   2002 Deep Still Blue   2002 is the multi-talented couple of Pamela and Randy Copus. Their goal at the outset of every production is to make music that will heal you from the inside out. They are very successful at conveying a definitive spiritual tone to their recordings. With the re-release...   XorigiN State Of The Art XorigiN consists of Johannes Stole and Daniel Palmqvist and are based out of their home countries of Norway and Sweden. These Scandinavian artists have been rocking out for over a decade releasing solo albums and working with other bands. XorigiN’s upcoming release, State Of The Art,...   Transit Method Spun Into The Fabric   Transit Method hails from Princeton, NJ and has recently released their debut album. The disc is titled Spun Into The Fabric and, for the most part, is made up of Progressive rock songs, however there are little bits of other genres, even a slight bit of funk at times, infused...   Voodoo Highway Broken Uncle's Inn Fans of classic rock and amped out metal bands, pay attention, because Italian “hard rock” group Voodoo Highway (not to be confused with the Binghamton-based jam band of the same name) is out to get you on their ride. The quintet’s first full-length album, Broken...   Daymoon All Tomorrows Hailing from Portugal, Daymoon has a sound that cannot be so easily geographically or stylistically pegged. Whether you want to call it progressive rock or symphonic rock, Daymoon’s music is full of musical inconsistencies, from unlikely harmonic changes to complex time...   Michael de Salem Something Getting Wrong     The Swiss born artist Michael de Salem’s album Something Getting Wrong definitely captures his world view, “Something Getting Wrong is a musical reflection on how I have come to perceive the world over the past 25 years. I intend for my music to make people...   Revenge of the Platypus Dreams Instrumentals     Let’s get it out of the way early… Revenge of the Platypus is a pretty interesting band name. Part of me thinks it’s pretty cool, while another part makes me wonder what happened to this poor platypus. Regardless, the silhouettes on the album cover...   Baby Scream Baby Scream Baby Scream is the international band centered around the unstoppable talent of Juan Pablo Mazzola. Since the band’s 2001 inception in Argentina, it has existed as a solo act, a duo and has had several visiting musicians. Through it all, Mazzola is the man behind the magic. He is lead singer,...   Robert Becker Evening Optimist Robert Becker’s sophomore album Evening Optimist is a grand success by a talented musician. Authentic, varied and well-produced, Evening Optimist is pleasantly surprising at each turn. Formerly of Austin-based band Sunflower, Becker brings an emotionally aware, gentle sound to his particular...   Andrew Taylor Mohribold Andrew Taylor's Mohribold is a neat addition to the New Age repertoire. The music is pleasant on the ears without ever being boring. Melody and harmony interweave in often minimalist fashion to the beat of varied world percussion instruments. He also adds in a little something that helps...   Ben Craven Great & Terrible Potions   Ben Craven’s latest release, Great & Terrible Potions, has been five years in the making. Taking his time in the land down under, this singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist has crafted a fine and formidable album that belongs in the library of anyone who fancies...   Queen Queen (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition-2011 Remaster) Queen is the monumental progressive rock band that originally consisted of Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), Brian May (guitar, vocals) and John Deacon (bass guitar, vocals). The band formed in 1971 and their debut album, Queen was released in 1973. With the 40th...   Vespero Liventure #21 Vespero is an experimental band that formed in 2003 and is located in Russia. Last year, they released the latest disc in the Liventure album series titled Liventure #21. The band defines the album’s genre as, “space,” which hints to quite the interesting, unique listening...   Johnny Engstrom Band Magnetic Force Maybe there is something in the water or in the atmosphere that makes Sweden the home to such amazing and talented bands, especially ones that play rock and metal. Whatever it is, the Johnny Engstrom Band is no exception.  The Swedish trio’s latest release Magnetic Force...   Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins (A King Crimson ProjeKct) A Scarcity of Miracles Those with a penchant for sweeping soundscapes and an ear for antiquated stringed instruments from the orient may do well to acquaint themselves with A Scarcity of Miracles. During the late 1990’s, King Crimson “fraKctalized” into several spin-off side projects, the seventh...   Seven Thorns Return To The Past   Seven Thorns is a Danish Metal group that hails from Denmark. The band originally formed in 1998 and has been through multiple lineup changes since then. It seems they have found a remarkable collection of musicians on their recently released album titled, Return To The...   Ana Popovic Unconditional Ana Popovic is the Serbian native gone rock and roll wonder woman. She has been dominating the guitar world with her passion for music and her fiery guitar style. Unconditional is her third album to date, and was written and produced with Grammy Award Winner John Porter. Guest musicians...   Queen A Day At The Races (Original Recording Remastered) Last week I detailed the third album, Sheer Heart Attack, in the first of Queen’s five disc re-release, remastered, deluxe set. This week we look at the fifth album in this set, A Day at the Races.   A Day at the Races is a pretty good album, but one of its biggest flaws is that...   Will Whamond The First of Many If you have eclectic taste, Will Whamond’s album, The First of Many might be for you. If you enjoy a cacophony of sounds that really provoke no feeling, you might like The First of Many. But for me, I err more on the side of hoping this is the last of any.   At times I felt...   Whitesnake Live at Donington 1990 On August 18, 1990, Whitesnake co-headlined the Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington for over 75,000 fans. With a legendary lineup including David Coverdale on vocals, Steve Vai and Adrian Vandenberg on guitars, Rudy Sarzo on bass, and Tommy Aldridge on drums, this live double CD/DVD set...   Tommy Peltier Love, Women, and Song   Tommy Peltier has a unique voice and sings out what is naturally flowing through him. He has been in the music community for many years and has experience in several areas from songwriting to playing multiple instruments and now adding singing to the list. The first solo album for...   Todd Sharpville Porchlight The British aristocrat Todd Sharpville returns with his latest release, Porchlight. This double album is an impressive display of talent for the blue blooded musician. It covers a wide range of emotions and topic, dealing with the common issues of love and relationships to...   J.T. Coldfire Crazy Sun Traditional Texas blues has a fresh voice in J.T. Coldfire. You'll get no mixed styles here. It's all real blues with no apologies. Throughout the entire album, the guitar work comes first and foremost.   The guitar solos on the title track feature some exemplary...   Either/Orchestra Mood Music For Time Travellers   There’s something to be said of a group of people that can stay friends for over twenty-five years, especially when they’re working together. The Either/Orchestra celebrated it’s 25th year together in 2010 with Mood Music For Time Travellers, an album that shows off their...   Queen A Night At the Opera (2011 Remaster) Queen is the British rock band that has amazed the world with the diversity and power of their music and lyrics since their inception in 1971. The band consisted of Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals) and John Deacon (bass guitar, vocals)....   Candye Kane Sister Vagabond Candye Kane is the jump blues phenomenon from East Los Angeles who has been rocking the blues scene since she was in her early twenties. She has been listed as one of Dan Akroyd’s 30 Essential Women of the Blues and has also won the National Blues Foundation Award for Best Blues...   2002 Damayanti   I don’t know about anyone else but I sure appreciate a daily reprieve from the madness of everyday life at work and at home. Performers like 2002 and their recording Damayanti make that special place in my mind and soul a reality.   Music like this puts normality...   Love Crushed Velvet Love Crushed Velvet   We live in a world in which technologically dependent music genres – electronica, electro-pop, chillwave - reign king in Indie Music Land. But old-fashioned rock ‘n roll, that pure, throaty, blood-pumping stuff that used to get the masses moving back in the day,...   Jimbo Mathus Confederate Buddha     First of all, I really want to know where the title of this album came from and the meaning behind it. Confederate Buddha sounds like an oxymoron to me, but who knows what Jimbo Mathus’s intentions are behind this title? I’m intrigued; there has got to be a...   Achenar Super Death Explosion Kittens   Scottish alternative rock group, Achenar, has recently released their new album entitled Super Death Explosion Kittens. Yes, Super Death Explosion Kittens.   This disc is quite deserving of the name Super Death Explosion however, I am not quite sure where and when...   Voodoo Circle Broken Heart Syndrome     Voodoo Circle is comprised of Alex Beyrodt (guitars), David Readman (vocals), Mat Sinner (bass), Markus Kullman (drums), and Jimmy Kresic (keyboards). Three of the five have long hair to complete their heavy rock/metal persona. They’ve been said to sound like Whitesnake, Rainbow,...   LoreWeaveR Imperviae Auditiones   I consider it a good thing when an album contains sounds that I have never heard before. This is just one of the many encouraging things about LoreWeaver’s Imperviae Auditiones. The Italian based group’s newest...   Uriah Heep Into the Wild Into the Wild is Uriah Heep’s twenty-third studio release, and it sounds like it; they have hard rock down to a science. In fact, these songs could almost have been worked out mathematically well before the players ever stepped into a studio or touched an instrument. I can almost visualize...   Crossfade We All Bleed     After a five-year hiatus and being dropped from Columbia Records, Crossfade has come out with a darker, richer album than ever before, We All Bleed. Lead singer Ed Sloan comes out of a self-declared slump to bring to his fans – and to new listeners – a work...   Leprous Bilateral Our Norwegian 20 something’s, Leprous, have proven they can create a genre of their own on Bilateral. The band uses their killer vocals to create the intensity in their music, as well as paint a picture of fantasy for the listener in songs such as “Restless” and “Painful...   Solstice Coil Natural Causes     Solstice Coil has just released their new album, Natural Causes, the long awaited follow-up to the progressive rocker band from Israel’s 2005 debut album. The well designed album cover is said to contain an image relating to each track on the disc. If this very...   Amikaeyla & Trelawny Rose To Eva With Love; A Celebration of Eva Cassidy Live!   As a former music director I can tell you that in a choral setting one of the things a director is most concerned with (and one of the things most challenging to achieve) is a beautiful blend of voices. Amikaeyla and Trelawny Rose have it, and clearly have been doing...   Cold Superfiction   It’s been six years since Cold’s last album release, A Different Kind of Pain, and it shows. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, although Last.fm’s “top listener” Pissedoffedness might find less to be pissed off about and more to be somber...   Queen Sheer Heart Attack (2011 Remaster) As most bands are not willing to do these days, Queen recently went through the “remastering” and bonus track edition on their original releases. Well technically they are remastering them again, since they went through this about 20 years ago as well. This time they have been...   7th Storey The Temple Is Dirty     Fort Lauderdale musician Daniel Rucerito lists classic alt-rock bands like Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode as inspiration for 7th Storey, the independent music project he created and also fronts, produces and manages. With pounding percussion and decidedly dark...   Ivan Appelrouth Blue & Instrumental Ivan Appelrouth has been making music for almost thirty years. His new album, Blues and Instrumental, is a tribute to artists who have influenced him as his career has developed. He is joined by Big Joe Maher and the Dynaflows. Appelrouth has done an excellent job with his first album as lead...   Yes Fly From Here The good news is: Fly From Here still sounds like Yes. The bad news is: well…it may not be so bad after all. Purists and die-hards may balk at the idea of Anderson being absent from the line up this time around, but even without him it’s as close to the original line up as you could...   Troubled Horse Bring My Horses Home/Shirleen   Go to Gothenberg, Sweden and you may find the School of Rock down one of the back alleys or pubs. This is courtesy of Crusher Records and their stable of old school rock/garage rock/punk artists that play for the love of doing so and the end result is always good music. Everything I have...   Sixx A.M. This Is Gonna Hurt   Sixx A.M. is the side project formed by Nikki Six of Motley Crue. Also in the group are DJ Ashba and James Michael. The trio has just released their second full length studio album This is Gonna Hurt.   The group seems to be able to do no wrong on this album, especially...   MonkeyJunk To Behold Ottawa is not a place that comes to the front of one’s mind when thinking about the blues, but Canada trio MonkeyJunk are about to change that. Taking their name from a remake by Son House, MonkeyJunk has already made a name for themselves in their native Canada by being...   The Mighty Mojo Prophets The Mighty Mojo Prophets The Mighty Mojo Prophets are guys that truly love the blues. They are: Big Son (blues shouter), Mitch “Da, Switch” Dow (guitars), Scott “Hot Rod” Lambert (standup and electric bass), Ronnie Johnson (harp) and guest artists Big Rockin Daddy (harmonica) and Smilin Jack Debuan...   Rebecca Hosking My Mother's Child    Rebecca Hosking is not only a talented songwriter and painter, she sure has some fantastc windpipes. The Nashville, Tennessee native is keeping herself well rounded by lending her talents to TV and movie splices, as well as various writing gigs at Examiner.com and most...   HeadWrench Die Another Day HeadWrench is a four-piece metal band from Connecticut with a name that gives your spellcheck fits. They have been a band since 2002 and consist of Scott Wilson (vocals), Steve Rose (guitar), Mike Tellier (bass) and Will Fitzgerald (drums). Die Another Day appears to be their first album....   The Dirty Coast The Vast Regressive State This psychedelic experiment is a brain melting experience. Chris Weary, better known as The Dirty Coast, puts you in a neurological coma without the benefit of any other substance except his music. The CD is appropriately called The Vast Regressive State. I’m still trying to make my way back to...   Philip Gibbs The Petroleum Age The Petroleum Age is a pleasantly simple, down to earth album, great for background summer evening listening. A past-meets-future venture blending sounds of Americana with rockabilly, Philip Gibbs’ fourth studio release will reach particularly close to the hearts of Texan listeners....   Tin Scribble Unlive From A Dead City The members of Tin Scribble are all very well versed in their instrument of choice as well as having well rounded music knowledge, some holding college degrees in the field. Each has a rich and diverse background and are all from Detroit. Tin Scribble’s talent is demonstrated well in...   Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne An Old Rock on a Roll   An Old Rock on a Roll is a perfectly paced mix of boogie woogie, jump blues, rock and roll, and just about anything spring boarding off the 12-bar standard beginning with “Searching For My Baby,” whose up-tempo and rockin’ guitar create a swing dance rhythm. The chorus is...   Roger Chong Love Me One More Time From the first notes of the opening track “Neo & Lego” you can hear that Love Me One More Time is going to make you smile. Roger Chong plays with a great deal of stylish good humor not typical for a guitarist only on his second album. His arrangements...   Impostor Syndrome Block Party Impostor Syndrome is a small-time band from New York City that has just put out a new album entitled Block Party.   The album features five tracks including one called “Cigarette Song.” The song has a nice, cool rock sound and smooth vocals from the band’s silky sounding...   Paulo Lara Estrela De Mil Pontas     Paulo Lara is an artist from Brazil that has been creating music since 1992. The CD Estrela De Mil Pontas (Star of a Thousand Points) is a top notch production with a soothing, relaxing feel. There are a few songs sung in English but the majority of it is in Portuguese....   Margie Baker and Friends Live at Rasselas Today Margie Baker is 74, but back in 2004 when Live at Rasselas was recorded, she was only 67. Either way, she’s a jazz vocalist so close to perfect that it’s not surprising that she’s been singing for the past forty years or so.   On Live at Rasselas, Baker gets together with...   John Wetton Raised In Captivity John Wetton has spent over four decades entertaining the world as part of such groups as King Crimson, Uriah Heep and the pop-prog super group Asia, and an almost equal amount of time releasing albums under his own name as well. On his latest solo studio release, Raised in Captivity, Wetton has...   Manooghi Hi Silence   Manooghi Hi return with their second album Silence. Their new album is something to behold with musical influences spanning the globe from India to Seattle. It blends sounds, rhythms, and languages to form a masterful musical experience. It is nothing short of...   Psychoteria I Think I'll Just Stay At Home Psychoteria is the work of MIT alum, Errol Antzis, who, along with the rest of the group, is preparing for the September release of the band’s new album titled I Think I’ll Just Stay Home.   This third album from the group features mostly songs with a nice classic feel that reminds...   Blue Panel Feedback     It is shocking how much great music is out there that is underrated and goes unheard. Blue Panel falls into the category of one of those bands that may have gone unnoticed, but is a refreshing surprise when you do find them. This six song EP grabs your attention right...   Barry Levenson The Late Show   Barry Levenson began his love affair with the blues when he was just fourteen. An older friend introduced him to Buddy Guy’s tunes and he was hooked. After playing in many hometown bands, Levenson went to study music in Boston and worked at The Sugar Shack, singing backup for numerous...   Mike Zito Greyhound Mike Zito is an artist that is going to haunt my playlist for a long time. His bluesy Gulf Coast blend of guitar and smoky big sky Texan style is addictive. Simply put, bring it on. Zito grew up admiring the likes of Van Halen and Hendrix among others. This led to a job at Tower Groove...   Rhythm of Mars Rhythm of Mars I never quite know how instrumental songs get their names. Does it conjure up a certain image in the creator’s mind prompting them to name it so? No matter the name or idea behind it, Rhythm of Mars does a stand up job on their instrumental compositions recently released. The...   Jackie Johnson Memphis Jewel Passionate, emotional, soulful and enticing - these are some of the many words that can be used to describe Jackie Johnson’s vocal talents. Already making a name for herself in Memphis, Tennessee, Jackie Johnson has made an impressive album as she makes her way onto the national stage...   Kito Peters Pyramid Already with nine albums under his belt, New Mexico’s own Kito Peters, recently released his tenth album, Pyramid. Pyramid is already Peters second release this year, the first being Tip My Hat. Now having released ten albums in eight years, it’s safe to say that Kito Peters has a knack...   The Procession The Sun Comes Around The Procession is a group from the United Kingdom that has just released their second EP, The Sun Comes Around, while working on a full length album to be released later this year. Their first EP, Sometimes, was released earlier this year.   This new EP is a short four song disc...   Frank Carlberg Uncivilized Ruminations Cultured, rich and varied, jazz pianist and composer Frank Carlberg’s Uncivilized Ruminations is interplay between melody and word. English translations of contemporary Finnish poetry are woven into intricately concocted jazz compositions, creating a tapestry of sound and meaning that is at...   Rick Stone Trio Fractals It’s no mystery why Rick Stone Trio chose to name this album after a fractal, a geometric shape like a snowflake wherein similar patterns recur at progressively smaller scales. Fractals is the aural companion to this figure, with “Stella By Starlight” setting up the delicate...   Bill Bourne & The Free Radio Band Bluesland Bill Bourne has a fair amount of experience under his belt. The release of Bluesland is one of ten plus albums for him. He has explored many genres and as the title might suggest, this album embraces the blues genre. The songs have a folk blues or electric blues vibe, but either way,...   Mike Di Lorenzo Bring It Back Like electronic piano bookends, the opening moments of the first track (“Keep That Same Old Feeling”) and the last on the CD (“It's Tough In Here”) nicely frame a great variety of really tasty jazz. There is something here for nearly every fan, from the fantastic keyboard...   Mindflow With Bare Hands   Mindflow is a hard rock band from Brazil that sings in fluent English and has recently released a new album entitled With Bare Hands.   The album is mostly very fast paced except for a few slower songs such as “Breakthrough.” The track is just hard enough to...   Michael Bolton GEMS:The Duet Collection   Michael Bolton is a multi-Grammy award winning singer, songwriter and activist. His latest release, GEMS: The Duet Collection is a masterpiece from an artist already at the top of his game. This album features collaborations by acclaimed musicians, songwriters and producers, such as Rudy...   Runaway Brother The Bull Moose Party/Mr. Saturn Runaway Brother has a lot of competition in their genre, and having just gotten started, they may have a tough time getting off the ground, if not purely from the sheer volume of similar artists. The group, hailing from Cleveland and formed just last year, has already released two EP...   Crashdiet Generation Wild Hailing from the icy region of Scandinavia, Swedish hard rockers Crashdiet is back with their third album Generation Wild. Their third album is also marked by the band’s third lead singer. The change in lead vocals every album might be a problem for most bands, but not for...   Gandalf's Fist Road to Darkness I was surprised to find out that Gandalf’s Fist, wasn’t a metal band. Those metal bands certainly do love their Tolkien. But alas, Gandalf’s Fist is a progressive rock band often reminiscent of Pink Floyd.   Gandalf’s Fist, comprised of Dean (Musics and Generic Warbling)...   Hamadryad Intrusion   Hamadryad is a progressive rock group from Montreal that released their third studio album, titled Intrusion, last year.   One decent song off this album is “Lost”. This 5 minute and some odd second is actually the shortest song on the album and features...   Sample The Martian Self-Made Loner   Sample the Martian, a rap “group” that is really just one guy, who also goes by the name eMpyre ramireX, is just as the name suggests. It’s a world away from current rap albums (or previous ones), and Self Made Loner might just be the perfect title for the...   Al Lover Distorted Reverberations (of Reverberating Distortion) Al Lover maxes out the psychedelic concept on his new album Distorted Reverberations (of Reverberating Distortion). The music is basically instrumental rock, with the occasional vocals (such as on “Moonhearts – I Can Wait”) serving as just another instrument rather than conveying...   Paul Simon There Goes Rhymin' Simon (Remastered) Paul Simon has had a notable career as a solo artist and as part of the duo, Simon and Garfunkel. He has won twelve Grammy Awards.  So Beautiful or So What is his 2011 release. There Goes Rhymin’ Simon is a previous release from 1973, but has been remastered with bonus tracks and an...   Chris West Surprise Trilogy 1   “Surprise 1 short” begins Surprise Trilogy (1) in a declarative statement, “This is going to be a good jazz album,” and the following song, “Kenny,” does just as much to inspire this confidence. The bass makes a sultry stride up and down the fret board...   Eli Cook Ace, Jack & King Blues lovers, get ready to have your socks knocked off. Blues rock guitarist Eli Cook has surpassed even the highest expectations on his latest album Ace, Jack and King. With all the cards on the table, Cook takes on acoustic bits, blues rock, and everything in between. The album is evenly split...   Phil Ranelin Perseverance   Master of trombone, Phil Ranelin, forms a solid gold union with stellar percussionist Big Black and phenomenal bassist Henry Franklin to create the makings for the fire-filled jazz sucker punch that is Perseverance. The album takes you straight to a low-lit New York...   Paul Simon Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin' (Deluxe Remastered)   Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin', originally recorded in 1974, and recently released as a remaster, includes many great songs by Paul Simon, but the presentation leaves just a little something to be desired. “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” kicks off the concert in a...   Night Ranger Somewhere in California Night Ranger has always been a mystery to me. Although I’ve seen the name pop up countless times when browsing through iTunes or FYE, I never gave them a listen. Somewhere in California is Night Ranger’s first release since 2007’s Hole in the Sun.  Original members Jack...   Warrant Rockaholic As exciting as it may be to see that Warrant has released a new album, possibly more exciting is the introduction of Robert Mason as the lead singer. After a brief reunion with Jani Lane, Mason has joined to fill in the shoes of his predecessors. Warrant purists have every right to be skeptical,...   Jon Anderson Survival & Other Stories Survival & Other Stories is the latest solo release from the legendary Jon Anderson, one of the most influential and recognizable voices in modern music. Even though it is technically a solo release (at least it’s billed that way), it is also in a way a vast collaborative effort; the...   Georgia Whiting Liberty   Although only eighteen years old at the release of her first solo album, Liberty, Georgia Whiting has years of experience under her belt. Growing up in a musical family and attending school for music she gained valuable hands-on experience while singing, songwriting and...   Jake Dreyer In The Shadows Of Madness   Jake Dreyer is a solo metal guitarist who has been in many bands, but is now branching out on his own. His recently released solo disc, In The Shadows Of Madness, contains three tracks that showcase exactly what he can do without creating a need for more songs, making the album...   Terry Hanck Look Out!   Terry Hanck, saxophonist, bandleader, singer and songwriter is one of the most influential and formidable voices in blues and soul today. Look Out! is his sixth album. His band is comprised of Johnny Cat Soubrand (guitar), Butch Cousins (drums) and Tim Wagner (bass). “Train Kept A...   Rod Piazza and The All Mighty Flyers Almighty Dollar Rod Piazza has been rocking the blues scene for over four decades. His core band, The All Mighty Flyers, consist of Honey Piazza (piano), Henry Carvajal (guitar), Dave Kida (drums), Norm Gonzales (bass) and Henry Van Sickle (bass). Piazza and his group of amazing musical talent have been together...   Proghma-C Bar-do Travel     I've never been a huge fan of progressive rock, but I have always been impressed by just how far bands in this genre will go to seem more progressive than the last. I guess Proghma-C didn't get the memo, because their latest release Bar-do Travel belongs in the genre sound-wise, but...   Fullforce One Formed in 2009, FULLFORCE is a  Swedish quintet comprised of metal veterans. Mike Andersson (of Cloudscape) is on vocals. On guitars you’ve got Stefan Elmgren (formerly of Hammerfall) and CJ Grimmark (formerly of Narnia). Anders Johansson (of Hammerfall) and Tommy Larsson (formerly of Heed)...   King Kobra King Kobra     It has been some time since King Kobra has released an album, but they are back with the original line-up of Carmine Appice (drums), Mick Sweda and David Michael-Philips on guitar, Johnny Rod on bass, and Paul Shortino as the new vocalist.  Their self-titled comeback record is an...   JP Soars More Bees With Honey John Paul Soars has put together one stellar album with More Bees With Honey. The Florida native has been playing guitar since age 11. He has been in numerous bands and signed with many labels throughout the years in the metal and rock genres, but has been more thoroughly developing his blues...   Ed Hale Ballad on Third Avenue   An activist, blogger and rock star, Ed Hale, also known as the Ambassador, is a talented solo artist and the lead singer in the Brit-pop/rock band Ed Hale and the Transcendence. Ballad on Third Avenue is his newest solo release. “Scene in San Francisco” is the...   Tied In 2 EP Who among us doesn’t like a good rock with a bit of pop group that has a fun youthful sound? Tied in 2 is a band from New Jersey that has just put out their debut album simply titled EP.   This short disc includes some well written, catchy songs including “Female.” The track is...   J.J. Crowne Songs of Innocence and Experience There's an exciting new voice in adult contemporary popular music. J.J. Crowne's debut CD, Songs of Innocence and Experience, is full of nicely written and well performed music. In this case the well performed is a bit bigger deal than usual, since he plays every instrument and sings every...   Mars Hollow World in Front of Me I was immediately prepared to like this album before I even had track one cued up for play. The title of Mars Hollow’s latest release, World in Front of Me, had the singular ability to take me back in time nearly a decade to when “The World In Front of You” (one of the better...   Jeff Allen Myers Gemini Jeff Allen Myers from Temecula, California, cites The Beatles as his number one influence and inspiration. This, coupled with the name of his album being my astrological sign (Gemini), already makes me think I will enjoy Jeff Allen Myers’s music. I am not mistaken. First track,...   Wyld Olde Souls Ensoulment   Folk rock-psychedelic band The Wyld Olde Souls have just released their second album, Ensoulment, after an eleven year hiatus following their debut release in 2000.   This band’s sound, reminiscent of sixties folk music, has produced folk majesties such as the...   The Poodles Performocracy The Poodles’ Performocracy is their fourth studio album since their formation in 2006. The Swedish rockers consist of Jakob Samuel on vocals, Christian Lindqvist on drums, Pontus Egberg on bass, and Henrik Bergqvist on guitar. Despite the less than fierce sounding band name, The Poodles...   Paul Simon Still Crazy After All These Years (Remastered) Paul Simon, half of the dynamic duo Simon and Garfunkel, has been iconic in the musical environment since the 70’s, when his solo career took off. His third solo album, Still Crazy After All These Years, just re-mastered and re-released by Sony Legacy – complete with bonus tracks – is...   Natalie Walker Spark   Natalie Walker’s debut album was entitled Urban Angel, hauntingly befitting as her voice truly is heavenly. On her newest electronica release, Spark, her voice manages to stand out while still meshing with the music...   Brother Lou The Devil in Me   The Devil in Me is a blend of different kinds of folk music; contemporary, alternative and can even fit nicely into the folk rock genre. Brother Lou does a great job as singer and songwriter. He is able to demonstrate emotion through his music and has a smooth voice that...   Mark Wingfield - Kevin Kastning I Walked Into The Silver Darkness Mark Wingfield and Kevin Kastning have launched a whole mess of sound with their album I Walked Into The Silver Darkness. It is a cacophony of strange guitars; an aural maze; an experiment in originality. From the first note, the album is a bit difficult to...   John McNeil and Bill McHenry Chill Morn He Climb Jenny John McNeil and Bill McHenry team up for a second round of classic jazz covers on Chill Morn He Climb Jenny, a jazz album that will make you dust off your copies of the originals and delight in comparing the two versions.   McNeil, who plays (or dominates, rather) the trumpet, and McHenry,...   Ben Prestage One Crow Murder   One man bands are usually thought of as something along the lines of a gimmick or novelty act, but there is none of that found with Ben Prestage. He has been around for awhile and his latest release, One Crow Murder, shows off what an incredible talent he is. Song...   The Go Go's Beauty and the Beat (30th Anniversary Edition Remastered)   The Go-Go’s have been a classic pop rock band for the last thirty years. The band is comprised of Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock and Kathy Valentine. The unique blend of California flavored pop with a dash of punk has kept listeners coming back again and...   Jonathan Edwards My Love Will Keep   Jonathan Edwards has taken a bit of a turn towards a country sound with his latest album My Love Will Keep. His signature style is certainly intact and solidly folk music, but the extensive use of steel guitar and vocal harmonies reminiscent of Alison Krauss and Union...   Riverside Memories In My Head Fans of Riverside residing in America will no longer have to travel to Europe to fetch themselves a copy of the latest release from one of Poland’s premier prog-rock outfits. Formerly available exclusively at concerts, it has been announced this month that the EP Memories In My Head will be...   Johnny Rock It EP Hailing from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, in 2007 Johnny Rock It was formed just to have fun and see what could come out of it. Years later and with much success, the original focus of the band to have fun still shines through in its music. While listening to these five songs, the...   Veronneau Joie De Vivre   Washington DC based jazz group Veronneau has just released their first album titled Joie De Vivre which translates to “Joy of Living.”   “Brazil” is a song that starts off nice and soothingly slow but halfway through quickly picks up the pace to...   Ocoai The Electric Hand Ocoai’s latest instrumental release, The Electric Hand, starts slow and pensive, builds to ominous levels then brings you back to a soothing rest, only to repeat the cycle again several times over. It is loud, heavy rock when it explodes, and a soft easy mix of rock and orchestral...   Paul Simon Paul Simon (Remastered) Sometimes I really wish artists released music the way they did 30-40 years ago. Rather than waiting for a 45 minutes worth of music every few years they used to release 30 minutes of music every year or two. Looking back on artists like the Beatles, Dylan, Bowie, and, in this case, Simon &...   David Bowie The Golden Years David Bowie VS KCRW The Golden Years David Bowie VS. KCRW is a tribute to the remastered release of Bowie’s Station to Station in 2010. KCRW, a progressive radio station in Los Angeles was asked by EMI to consider adding “The Golden Years” to their Soundclash series. KCRW Music Director and DJ Jason...   Wiser Time Beggars and Thieves   The newly released far-rambling collection of road songs under the umbrella Beggars and Thieves, is the third album from mellow New Jersey folk rockers Wiser Time. At the band’s creative helm is main man Carmen Scalfani, who intertwines sounds of seventies swamp rock...   Agogic Agogic Taking its name from a type of accent on a musical note, Agogic’s self-titled debut album is simply spectacular. The opening track “En Se Ne” is a great opener that has wonderful drums and a cool, funky sound. It is like the soundtrack to an unsettling dream about wandering...   Indelible Remnants in Red If you’re looking for a dramatic, dark album with an eclectic finish, you should check out Indelible’s sophomore release, Remnants in Red. The band from Norway, consistiting of Marius Sjøli, Robert Hunter, Jason Walton and Mona Sjøli, was formed in 2008 when Marius wanted to...   The Living Fields Running Out of Daylight Fans of old school metal, rejoice with me. Harken back to the days of Black Sabbath, and other founders of the genre. Running Out of Daylight is full of straight-forward bare-bones metal. There are no flashy guitar or drum solos because none are needed. Instead, the...   The Waterboys In a Special Place (The piano demos for This is The Sea)   The Waterboys are one of those bands that not many people know, or do and don’t realize it. For some of us, we know them for their great “Fisherman’s Blues” which we heard on Good Will Hunting’s great soundtrack. This song is not on this release, but In a Special...   Karmakanic In a Perfect World Karmakanic is the amazing progressive rock band hailing from Sweden’s frigid shores. With three prior albums under their belt, the band is about the release their fourth and best one yet. A Perfect World is their 2011 release and is a study in pop, fusion rock, and has a feeling of the 70’s...   Seven Witches Call Upon The Wicked Seven Witches is a metal band from New Jersey that has been releasing music for over twelve years now and has just released their new album Call Upon The Wicked.   This band of seasoned metal veterans features a lineup of James Rivera (vocals), Jack Frost (guitar), Michael Lepond (bass), and...   TyranGem Human Beings   A few summers ago, I was a nanny for two kids obsessed with the Disney Channel. Rather than playing commercials, Disney plays interviews with their stars, and one they constantly played then was a group of their young actors and actresses...   Kevin Minster Heart Beats Faster   Kevin Minster’s Heart Beats Faster is a great summer album. He channels the fun times of summer, while displaying a laid-back attitude similar to the styling of artists like Jason Mraz. The opening track “Call Me...   Boy Sykes The Dark Gift Larry “Boy Sykes” Sykes is an up and coming voice in the hip-hop genre. The Dark Gift is his first album and he produced and recorded it at Little House Studios in Baton Rouge Louisiana. In “King Me,” the first track on the album, I enjoyed the sound bite of The Vampire...   Fred Thrane Angels of the Sun The guitar is a versatile, creative instrument that transcends lines of genre, style and any other classification that the ordinary listener might try to impose upon it. One might even call it a palette, a blank canvas on which to paint whatever vision comes to mind, however unusual or eccentric it may...   TCP Fantastic Dreamer     I like when a band name describes itself. It makes forming a relationship a little easier to know what they’re about up front. The Temporal Chaos Project (or TCP for short) is a telling indicator of what the band seems to be shooting for, no matter how you choose...   Neal Morse Testimony Two Neal Morse continues on his spiritual journey and shares it with us again on a second installment of his recordings titled Testimony Two, a two disc set. He is joined by his usual stellar performers Mike Portnoy (drums) and Randy George (bass) amongst several other guests including his former band...   Inverta Thaeda & Anthemic   Anthemic and Thaeda may have been released as two albums for the LA based hard rock group, Inverta, but the sound the trio creates has a way of unifying each song into one complete work. There are no song titles; instead, Dutch numbers acts as placeholders. This fits...   Rebecca Hosking Love And Other Disasters   Many people think real country is hard to find these days or even non-existent. However small time musicians, such as Rebecca Hosking from Nashville, TN, are proof it is still around and far from extinction. She released her album Love And Other Disasters in 2008. The album...   Kephyan Sheppard Kephyan: Revealed     The new album Revealed by Kephyan Sheppard is an honorable contribution to smooth jazz. Sheppard’s debut combines soulful gospel and jazz-laced soul in a well executed musical collision. The man is an accomplished saxophonist, and his abilities are well...   Ozzy Osbourne Diary of a Madman (Remastered Legacy Edition) 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne’s Diary of a Madman, and with this milestone comes a special Legacy Edition of the heavy metal classic. This release was exciting for a variety of reasons. First, the original tracks of Bob Daisley (bass) and Lee Kerslake (drums) have been...   Franck Carducci Oddity A glance at the cover of Franck Carducci’s Oddity gives an accurate depiction of the adventure that is to come. From ancient battlefields to the depths of dreams, it is going to be a journey. The opening track “Achilles” sets the tone for the rest of the album and it does a...   Lucio Rebello - Virtual Jungle Cycles   Lucio Rebello is the Brazilian born multi-instrumentalist behind Virtual Jungle. Based out of New York, Rebello combines his rich heritage with electronica, jazz, pop and some great vocals to create a solid album of cinematic craft. Cycles is Rebello’s 2010...   Eric Hanke Factory Man   Austin, Texas nativeEric Hanke’s second offering, Factory Man, is an original mix of country and Americana songs with friendly lyrics, but lacks a strong vocal backbone.   Hanke shows a knack for writing...   Davina and the Vagabonds Black Cloud You might not expect some great blues and jazz to come from Minnesota’s Twin Cities, but based on Davina and the Vagabond’s latest release, they certainly can. Davina “Dottie” Sowers (vocals/piano), along with Connor “Chops” McRae (drums), Michael...   Roseanna Vitro The Music of Randy Newman   Roseanna Vitro's silky smooth mezzo voice shines in every song on The Music of Randy Newman. From her sultry low end to her belting high notes, her delivery is right on time. Even more impressive, her 'scat' vocalizing is as perfect as any instrumental solo on the...   Joe Hamgeri The Violet! EP   Joe Hamgeri is an up and coming new artist making his mark on the music industry. His newly released debut album, The Violet! EP, does a good job at showing the world what he and his music are all about.   Hamgeri is a young musician from Indiana that seemed to really...   Farpoint Kindred Kindred is a solid album with some spacy, heady jams and catchy vocal melodies. Even on the first listen, more than one song may have you singing along before the end. The overall tone of the album is joyous and the message is largely one of positivity. The titles are ambiguously...   Todd Grubbs Return of the Worm   Todd Grubbs has been rocking the streets of Tampa, Florida for 25 years. He has international acclaim as a fusion guitarist and has mastered the Avante-garde sound art. Return of the Worm is his 2011 release. Looking at the cover art,...   Big Joe & The Dynaflows You Can't Keep A Big Man Down   Not to be confused with Fat Joe, Big Joe Maher heads up the Dynamos, a jazz-y, blues-y band that will keep you swinging and dancing for the duration of their latest release, You Can't Keep a Big Man Down.   Big Joe wants you to know that he's an awesome drummer and vocalist (and he...   Pharaoh Ten Years Pharaoh, an American based metal band, are releasing a new EP called Ten Years. While it has no newly recorded original material, the album is still something new for those familiar with their music.   Pharaoh formed in 1997 and signed to the Rome based label, Cruz Del Sur, in 2003 to release...   Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard of Ozz (30th Anniversary Remastered Edition)   The legend of Ozzy Osbourne continues to grow with each passing year and now that it has been thirty years since the release of his first solo album, the classic metal recording Blizzard of Ozz, it is due time to celebrate.   At this point who has not heard “Crazy Train”...   Dana Fuchs Love to Beg   The first time I heard Dana Fuchs’ arresting voice, I was mesmerized. Powerful, passionate and honest, Fuchs’ music is a real refresher from the over-processed, artificial creations that are the musical norm now.   Fuchs boasts a history worthy of a true...   My Morning Jacket Circuital MMJ seems to be catching a bit of flak out there in internet land over their latest release, Circuital, scheduled to drop on May 31, proving once again that you can’t please all the people all the time. I am one of those that were pleased by this album however, I don’t want there to be...   Claudio Signorile A Song 4 Each Day Claudio Signorile is the supremely talented composer and bass player that hails from Italy’s shores. At the age of seventeen, Signorile taught himself bass and after soaking up knowledge all over Italy and taking numerous courses, he found himself performing internationally with...   Mongrel Mix Predatory Heat   When I first got the Mongrel Mix album, Predatory Heat, for review, I was thinking it might be a remix album or a DJ mix. That or that the band was named Predatory Heat (it kinda looks this way on the album cover). It’s definitely not. Mongrel Mix is a quartet out of...   Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots Lit Up Look out blues fans! There's a new CD on the shelf of your local music store, and if you really consider yourself a fan of the blues then it needs to be on your shelf too. Lit Up! by Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots will light you up for sure. Each song is well written and...   MINA Mina   MINA is hard hitting Goth rocker from Cumberland, Maryland. After years of hard work she is making her debut with her self-titled album Mina.   Mina has made great strides at establishing herself on the East Coast. She has twice been nominated for the Best Female Vocalist...   Lightnin' Malcolm Renegade Lightnin' Malcolm's debut album on Ruf Records; Renegade,is a combination of his hill country inspired guitar and Cameron Kimbrough's, son of Jr. Kimbrough, drumming. Together they have created a duo comparable to Matt and Kim, The Black Keys, or a less progressive Raratat.   One of the...   Brent Hinds Fiend Without a Face & West End Motel-Don't Shiver You're a Winner   Brent Hinds is best known as the extremely talented lead guitarist and vocalist for the group Mastadon. Hailing from Alabama, Hinds made his first big move to Atlanta, Georgia and joined the group Four Hour Fogger with Troy Sanders. The rest is history. Looking into the career of Brent Hinds...   Juanita Fleming Redeemed! Juanita Fleming is a multitalented performer, who shares her talents through teaching, performing, and writing. Juanita has performed on the Broadway stage, acted in movies, and sung for audiences all over the world. For just over a decade she has been dedicated to gospel music. Redeemed! is her most...   The Daniel Bennett Group Peace and Stability Among Bears   Apart from one of the best title's ever given to an album, Peace and Stability Among Bears is one of the coolest and most accessible jazz albums in years.   The third musical installment of the Bear Thompson trilogy, Peace and Stability Among Bears heavily features...   Pendragon Passion Say what you want about Pendragon, but they just won’t quit. Back with their 9th studio release, Passion (special edition includes DVD), the UK’s own Pendragon have proven that it is possible to grow old while remaining relevant after over three decades of activity in a tumultuous...   Harry Manx and Kevin Breit Strictly Whatever The electrifying blues journey that embodies Strictly Whatever gets its articulate soul from the nuclear union of Canadian guitar virtuosos Harry Manx and Kevin Breit. Strictly Whatever is the third album the duo has released and, strictly speaking, whatever they are doing, it’s...   Jared McCloud Painful Words of Loving Grace   If front man Wes Scantlin of Puddle of Mudd and Andrew McMahon of Something Corporate both had bad colds and merged their voices, it might produce the voice of Jared McCloud on Painful Words of Loving Grace. I’m not sure if the CD name is meant to be a play on words, but...   Owen Temple Mountain Home   Owen Temple’s sixth studio record Mountain Home might help dispel some of the mystery as to why album sales of most genres of music have declined since 2005, while country music listening across the US remains steady for nearly a decade. Mountain Home is an album of...   Thin Veil One One is the 2011 debut album of multi-instrumentalist Jim Oblon. Six years in the making, the album includes jazz pianist Craig Hartley and a rotating lineup of musicians to create the extraordinary band known as Thin Veil. Jim Oblon grew up in a house of spirits broken by alcohol and occultism....   Samantha Fish/Cassie Taylor/Dani Wilde Girls With Guitars Blues and rock are two wonderful genres that have been brought together brilliantly by Cassie Taylor, Samantha Fish, and Dani Wilde. The trio recently released their first album as a group titled Girls With Guitars.   These ladies are definitely not short on talent. Wilde, from England, has a...   Various Songs for Japan I assume most readers are somewhat familiar with the Songs for Japan album that was released recently. If not, it’s basically a two-disc charity release from Sony, with the proceeds going to help Japan recover from its recent tragedies.   This said, is the collection any good?...   Al Basile The Goods   Al Basile’s eighth and latest release, The Goods, is a collection of crafty blues tracks, mostly well done, but leave me wishing for something more. Basile, who holds a Master’s degree from Brown University in Creative Writing, penned all 14 songs in this collection, and...   Mat Shoare The Empty Spaces The Empty Spaces, a rich, multidimensional solo work by singer-songwriter Mat Shoare, completely belies its name. A cross-genre offering, The Empty Spaces is a textured and variegated work. Shoare stirs together instruments, sounds and sentiments smoothly, gliding from guitar riffs to piano melodies to...   Prolif Kochise Intellectual Property   Hip Hop tends to fall at one extreme or the other. On the negative hand you have songs that are nearly devoid of real musical value. That's to say that the music (meaning the beat and any other non-vocal elements) is repetitive and grating, and most importantly for...   Fortune 500 Flavor Of The Year   One of my favorite things about Weezer has always been Rivers Cuomo's ability to rhyme, whether the words really fit the song or not (he manages to get “bitch” and “kids” to sound exactly the same on “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived”)....   Terry Garland and Li'l Ronnie Live At The Canal Club Live albums are hard to do well, but that did not stop veteran blues artists Terry Garland and Li’l Ronnie from recording Live At The Canal Club and nailing it.   Garland (guitar, vocals, foot mic) and Ronnie (harmonica, vocals) have been playing together for two years now. Garland has...   Escoto & Simon Collage Escoto's & Simon's guitar work in Collage is a short exercise in beauty.   Collage features mainly three instruments: two acoustic guitars and the occasional violin. Together, the three instruments have amazing chemistry. Escoto's and Simon's guitar work, specifically, is so terrifically...   Billy Joel Live at Shea Stadium DVD Running Time: 221 Minutes + 3 bonus songs   If you’re looking for a fun way to spend an evening, you should check out Billy Joel’s Live at Shea Stadium and companion DVD, Last Play at Shea. And at just over 3 and a half hours long, with a big flat screen and surround sound...   Nasty Tendency Hello Suckers The album Hello Suckers by Nasty tendency Is one of the more promising metal albnums to come out in a while. The exquisite cover art of Hello Suckers shows how closley the band connects to the pulse of metal fans.   The overall feel of the album is that of classic heavy metal of...   From.UZ Quartus Artifactus Fans wondering how From.UZ has managed to put out such a powerful and protracted release so hot on the heels of 2010’s Seventh Story might do well to know beforehand that Quartus Artifactus is more like a best of collection, even though the title doesn’t specify as such it...   Aura Deliverance Aura is the very talented progressive rock band, hailing from Italy’s cultured shores. The band is comprised of members Giovanni Trotta (Vocals, drums), Giuseppe Bruno (Guitars), Angelo Cerquaglia (Bass) and Francesco Di Verniere (Keyboards). Aura was formed in 1996 and released...   Niki Barr Band Radar Radio   The Niki Barr Band, from Baltimore, MD, has a commanding presence and can stand their ground among other rock bands. Late last year their second full length album titled Radar Radio was released.   The Band started with Niki Barr as a solo artist until the band was...   Zac Reinke Today is the Day   At 17, I can only imagine that Zac Reinke grew up listening to the Foo Fighters because, if everything was just a bit louder, that's what it would be.    Of course, this isn't a bad thing. Zac Reinke seems to know exactly what Today is the Day is. It's catchy and...   Steven L. Smith Band Pieces On their new album Pieces, the Steven L. Smith Band sounds like the house band in a southern man’s barroom honky-tonk heaven, complete with shredding country solos, fire-laced giddy fiddles, and a layer of sawdust and peanut shells littering the floorboards.    All in all, these are...   Korn The Essential Korn I’ve checked out my fair share of “The Essential” collections over the years. There are some pretty great ones out there of course; Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Jackson to name a few. I have noticed that some of the more recent ones are making me feel a bit old (see...   Johnny Rawls Memphis Still Got Soul For over fifty years, Johnny Rawls has been playing the blues and hasn’t lost any of his soul. He proves this on his new album Memphis Still Got Soul.   Rawls has been playing blues professionally since he was in high school and has been nominated and won many awards since that time....   Dan Raphael / Rich Halley / Carson Halley Children of the Blue Supermarket On first encounter with the title, Children of a Blue Supermarket sounded like it was going to be a Frank Zappa album, typically progressive, atypically off-center. But any listener that goes in with that expectation is surely in for a somewhat jarring surprise. Poet Dan Raphael teams up with...   Boris Savoldelli Biocosmopolitan To be honest, when I first saw that I would be reviewing Biocosmopolitan, I wasn't too excited. The progressive jazz feel of Boris Savoldelli just doesn't click with the rest of my musical tastes. This album, however, is one of the more genius works I have heard in 2011.   The...   New Tricks Alternate Side Alternate Side, New Tricks second and latest release was recorded over two sessions, which seems not only economical but damn near impossible considering how tight the quartet sounds together. But then again it’s jazz, so how can you tell, right? I’m reminded of something one of my...   Marbin Breaking the Cycle   Marbin’s Breaking the Cycle is the newest collaboration between saxophonist Danny Markovitch and guitarist Dani Rabin. Formed in Israel in 2007, the band relocated to Chicago and launched their self-titled debut album in 2009. After the release of Marbin, the two artists began...   Elisabeth Lohninger Songs Of Love And Destruction Elisabeth Lohninger has a much deserved following in the jazz world, but even if you aren't big on the genre - you'll still enjoy her beautiful, soulful voice and wise words. Songs Of Love And Destruction isn't exactly a pick-me-up, but it is a stunning work of art that showcases...   Steven C. Anderson Spiritual Piano Prepare to let all the tensions of your day just slip away. Spiritual Piano by Steven C. Anderson is a serene, quiet album. You'll not hear a single red note, or blue note, or anything at all to bring you down as you listen. Even the few slightly more melancholy tracks, like “Space...   Matt Stevens Ghost   Matt Stevens is an acoustic, experimental guitarist from London and just recently released the instrumental experimental album Ghost.   The 2010 release is Stevens’ second album as a solo artist (he also plays in the band The Fierce and The Dead) and he plans to...   Ray Manzarek and Roy Rogers Translucent Blues Ray Manzarek has always been the better half of The Doors. Old Jim Morrison gets most of the credit, as front men often do, but at the end of the day he was just another kid with poetic pretensions who liked to get a little too fucked up. So I guess if The Doors were actual doors that would make...   Mike McGuire Beyond the Ark   Mike McGuire generates music with a bluegrass sound through a folk feel. The Kentucky native surely could tell a story through his impressive guitar playing skills alone, yet still includes some interesting lyrical stories on his 2010 release, Beyond the Ark. His style is a blend of the...   Jesse Canterbury Vertigo Clarinetist Jesse Canterbury has played with multiple experimental, avant-jazz groups over the years and released Vertigo, an experimental jazz album in 2010.   Vertigo features an ensemble of Canterbury himself on clarinet, Chris Strover (trombone), Joanne de Mars (cello), and Tom Baker...   Bob Dylan The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan Live at the Newport Folk Festival The Other Side of the Mirror Blu-Ray DVDis an exceptional film documenting Bob Dylan’s performances at The Newport Folk Festival from his early folk roots in 1963 to his legendary paradigm-shattering 1965 performance when he went electric with a full band, angering droves of folk fans and making...   Tommy Hinkley Rays Of Pale Light You wouldn’t know from first listen, but Tommy Hinkley comes from London. Like most British musicians, his accent disappears when he is performing, but I was able to determine this after researching his new release, Rays Of Pale Light, a little bit.   If Hinkley sounds familiar to...   From.UZ Seventh Story   From.UZ is a band from Uzbekistan delivering their 3rd album, Seventh Story. The band was originally formed in 2004 and consists of Vitaly Popeloff (guitars and vocals), Ali Izmailov (drums and percussion), Igor Elizov (keyboards and vocals), Albert Khalmurzaev (keyboards,...   Cheryl Hodge Indigo   Cheryl Hodge has been performing as a jazz artist on her own and with other artists for over twenty years. She released the powerful album Indigo in 2009.   In the year that the album was released, Hodge spent quite a bit of time on the Top Ten Jazz charts. Hodge also recently...   Coyote Poets of the Universe Pandora's Box   Coyote Poets of the Universe is the Denver, Colorado-based band that has been wowing fans with poetry, wildly emotional lyrics and artistic sound for over ten years. The band consists of Melissa Ingalls, Robert MacLean, John Rasmussen, Andy O’Leary, Patty Shaw, Josie Quick, Mark...   LoNero J.F.L. J.F.L.. by LoNero is a short, power-packed instrumental metal album that rocks from beginning to end. On each song the band (all accomplished players) succinctly introduces its musical ideas and then powers through them to a quick, and often smashing, conclusion.   Rock is full of examples...   Swenlo Generators of Evil Part I The creator of Generators of Evil Part 1, Vadim Sahakian, goes by a few names, including Midav, and his project name, Swenlo. He has been making music and playing classical piano and guitar for over a decade. He wanted to express himself in both simpler and more meaningful ways, though, and that was...   Strange Karma Volume 1   Volume 1 begins with "America," a high energy song filled with the patriotism that might serve as a national anthem with the current events happening in the U.S. This song seems unbefitting seeing as Strange Karma originates from Australia. But as the story goes,...   Base 3 Live From Earth Base 3, an experimental, avant-garde group from Philadelphia, PA just released a new album entitled Live From Earth.   Base 3 is comprised of Doug Hirlinger (drums), Tim Motzer (baritone guitar), and Barry Meehan (bass). This is the band’s second album. They released a disc called Dark...   Scar of the Sun A Series of Unfortunate Concurrencies When I first heard the name, Scar of the Sun, I thought immediately of System of a Down, without hearing even one song, just based on their name and a vague idea of what the music might be like. I went out on a pretty big limb with the “might be,” and this was admittedly...   The Movements Follow The Movements Get ready for a smorgasbord of stylistic variety with Follow The Movements, the latest LP by The Movements, a Swedish group whose music runs the gamut of rock from a more conventional style to garage to psychedelic.   Follow the Movements is a 10th anniversary offering, combining previously...   Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours Heroes Last Forever If you’re into the musical comedy genre, then get excited, because jokesters Antsy McClain and The Trailer Park Troubadours have released another solid collection of tongue-in-cheek folk-pop knee-slappers. Recorded at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis, their newest album Heroes Last...   The 44's Boogie Disease   The 44’s are a Los Angeles band that primarily plays Chicago-style blues blended with vibrant rock and roll. The band consists of Tex Nakamura (harmonica, formerly of War), Mike Turturro (upright bassist, formerly Lynnwood Slim/Candye Kane), Johnny Main (singer, guitarist) and J.R....   Various The Decline of Western Civilization Part II -The Metal Years The Decline of Western Civilization Part II – The Metal Years is the soundtrack album to the 1988 documentary on the Los Angeles metal scene (which I must admit I haven't seen), recently re-released as a CD after being out of print for years.   The album is comprised of live recordings of...   The Todd Wolfe Band Live If you were Sheryl Crow’s guitarist, and Sheryl Crow was Michael Jackson’s backup singer, then would you be able to say you were Michael Jackson’s guitarist? No, not really, but if you could, then Todd Wolfe would be able to say this. All kidding aside though,...   The Rods Vengeance   American metal band The Rods will release their new album Vengeance at the end of May. It is their first studio album since 1986.   The Rods have been recording and releasing music since 1980. Their lineup currently features David “Rock” Feinstein (Guitar,...   Wax Melted There's something about re-releases and remastered albums that just makes my stomach churn. But even I have to admit that Melted, a release of twelve remastered live tracks played by Wax in 1971 and apparently lost until a few years ago, is a great listen and an important homage.   If you don't...   Kwella Embrace Jens Christian Kwella lives and breathes music every day of his life. The jazz musician from Denmark is not only a player, but a teacher, leading many students to a higher learning of music through topics such as arrangement, guitar, and theory among others. Kwella teaches at multiple academies of...   Sojourn The Water and the Blood Good Lord, this is some good music! You won’t find “Amazing Grace” or “Go Tell it on the Mountain” in this collection. Rather, Sojourn Music has produced seven albums to date that include a mix of traditional hymns and their adaptations of such, but also a lot of...   Alberto Rigoni Rebirth From the bouncy opening track “Free” to the nearly classical/new age sounding ending tune “White Shine”, each song here gives the idea of rebirth and a fresh interpretation. Sometimes it sounds like an angry and violent emergence into new life, and at other times...   Tokyo Rosenthal Who Was That Man?   Tokyo Rosenthal, or “Toke,” has been creating music for three decades, each album gaining more popularity than the last. His gritty Americana style is very evident on his latest album, Who Was That Man? Earlier releases from Rosenthal include One Score and Ten...   Elusive Parallelograms Modern Splendor   Elusive Parallelograms is a quirky band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Modern Splendor is their recently released sophomore album. Spin Magazine has included them in their list of “Top 8 Unsigned Bands,” but after listening to Modern Splendor you might have to ask yourself, why are...   Don Moore Breathless Don Moore, born and raised in Darlington, Pennsylvania, is a virtuoso of guitar. Listening to the radio for hours on end as a child gave him an appreciation for music and the desire to learn the guitar in his 20’s. Self-taught, he began playing with only one string,...   Travis & Fripp Live at Coventry Cathedral It might be easy to forget you’re listening to this album. After setting the stage and creating the background, it does a good job of slipping right into it. The background, that is. Unless you’re actively listening to this album, it might be hard to hear. And if you are actively listening...   Gamma Ray Skeletons and Majesties German Metal band Gamma Ray has recently released a new EP entitled Skeletons and Majesties with new versions of their old favorites. The album even includes rare bonus tracks. Gamma Ray was founded by Kai Hansen (guitar/vocals) in the late 1980’s after he left metal group Helloween. After many...   Jimi Hendrix South Saturn Delta   Few artists have been able to achieve the level of immortality that Jimi Hendrix has. He was a legend in his own time and perhaps owing in part to his untimely, unfortunate death, that legend has only become stronger, as legends do when we are left to fill in the gaps ourselves. Even though...   All These Quiet Hours Tanager     Tanager, the second album by Keith Nyquist on Ubique Records, this time under the band name All These Quiet Hours, offers an earful of folk-laced pop songs. Fronted by a 12-string Rickenbacker, and given a sense of gravity by solid, but not showy drum lines, Tanager...   The Love Load The Human Resourceful The Love Load, a Rock trio that calls the New York City/Washington D.C. area home, released their debut album The Human Resourceful lastNovember. Band members Ben Azzara (drums), Ted Watts (singer), and Blaine Misner (Producer) have all been involved in many other projects and bring that experience...   Billy Squier The Essential Bill Squier   I may be showing my age here a little, but every time I think of Billy Squier, I think of Billy Madison. I don’t even recall when “The Stroke” appeared in the movie, but for me, Billy Squier always will make me think of the mischievous, juvenile, stuck in the 80s character...   Digney Fignus Last Planet on the Left   Digney Fignus is a Boston based singer and songwriter. He played guitar with the punk band called the Spikes and performed for underground loft shows. This eventually led Fignus to run “Streets,” one of the first punk nightclubs in Boston.   The big...   Wolverine Communication Lost Swedish progressive rock band, Wolverine, is releasing their first album since Still, almost half a decade later. Communication Lost, their fifth studio album in their 16 year existence, begins with the ambience filled “Downfall” which leads the listener “Into the Great...   Salon of Refuse Salon of Refuse Salon of Refuse is a three guitar band comprised of two lead singers, one male and one female, bass and drums. Matthew Lahm is singer, songwriter and producer on guitar and keyboard. Simona Martore is singer and songwriter on guitar and keyboard. Chris Pastena plays bass. Mark Pena is...   The Jimmy Bowskill Band Live Jimmy Bowskill is a talented musician, that's a fact. He's been compared to just about every blues guitarist you can name, and even tackles B.B. King on his band's latest release, Live, and does a pretty impressive job.   Live is a solid album, though I'm not sure how live it is. There's...   Ben Knighten All I Want An artist who simply pours out his or her heart can hardly fail to be compelling. Ben Knighten's All I Want is full of touching and meaningful music. Listening to this album is like sitting across the table from a dear friend in a smoky little coffee shop, late at night. That friend...   Will Pearsall Healing Bone   “Silent Storm,” the first track on Will Pearsall’s Healing Bone, starts off with a catchy hook that gets me really interested, until his vocals come in and put me off altogether. I keep listening, though, and I realize his slightly off-key vocals that fit a...   Brad Vickers And His Vestapolitans with Special Guest Bobby Radcliff Traveling Fool Brad Vickers is back with his Vestapolitans and they seem to have put their money where their mouth is, promoting their latest release Traveling Fool with a flurry of dates in the American southeast in late May/early June, playing to what I can only assume will be very receptive audiences. Though they...   Roxanne Potvin Play Roxanne Potvin is a singer and songwriter based out of Montreal. Her last three albums have been heavy into blues, soul and the R&B scene, but her newest album, set to be released in April 2011, is more like a fairy tale gone right. After many years centered in the blues, Roxanne was ready to...   Marcus Robinson All the Right Grooves Marcus Robinson grew up in a family of musicians and singers who sang praise and gospel, but around age ten, he delved into music a little deeper and realized he was interested in more of a rock sound. With his early influence being Carlos...   Jill Cagney It's All In How You See Things Say what you mean and mean what you say. This is only one of the many proverbs that this feisty and fearless singer/songwriter, Jill Cagney, undoubtedly swears by in her everyday life. With songs about friends who always ask for advice but never take it, the uncanny Facebook addiction,...   Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (40th Anniversary Edition (CD/DVD) I remember having a conversation several years ago with one of my roommates about who was more important to music, Bob Dylan or Paul Simon. I was (and will forever be) on the Dylan side, but I have certainly listened to plenty more of both artists since that time. This 40th Anniversary Edition of...   Mr. Isaac Allen Don't Smoke Mr. Isaac Benjamin Allen was born in the northern hills of Pennsylvania. His father moved the family to Dryden, New York where, in a region once known as the “burned-over district,” Allen lived there the first five years of his life. His early years included participation...   Etta James The Essential Modern Records Collection In her 57 year career, Etta James has won 4 Grammys, 17 Blues Music Awards and has been inducted into the Rock & Roll, Blues & Grammy Halls of Fame. To say that she has had an illustrious career would be an understatement. Recently, Virgin Records has released The Essential Modern Records...   R.E.M. And I Feel Fine...Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 R.E.M. is said to be a pioneer group for the alternative rock genre. In 1980, the group was formed in Athens, Georgia by band mates Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry. With Stipes’ distinctive vocals, constant touring, and the support of college radio, R.E.M was able to...   Leon Russell Best of Leon Russell   For many the legendary Leon Russell will need no introduction. This piano man/singer who inspired a young Elton John, just to name one fellow artist, can speak for himself, musically. That being the case, let's approach this The Best of Leon Russell CD from the point...   Tracy Nelson Victim of the Blues To list all of Tracy Nelson’s triumphs would most likely take up the majority of this page. Making it a little briefer, how’s this for starters: Victim of the Blues is Nelson’s 26th album, her work spanning over five decades. That in itself is impressive enough without even...   Herman Ze German Take It As It Comes   There's a lot to take in about Herman “Ze German” Rarebell's album Take It As It Comes before you even listen to it. There's the artwork for one, but deeper than that, there's the fact that the album was released outside the United States four years ago as I'm...   Great White The Eye Of The Beholder Chances are, you already know if you like Absolute Hits, the latest “best of” compilation from LA’s own Great White. Great White has released eleven studio albums, and Absolute Hits makes eleven best ofs they’ve released. Audiences today may remember the band more for the tragic...   Brian Willoughby Brian Willoughby Brian Willoughby grew up in a small town in North Carolina. His love of music was inspired by the oldies and southern country. According to a quote from The Indie Ezine, “When I was about 3 years old, I was given a kiddie guitar by my godfather. I ran around the house with it...   Various Artists Power Of Soul: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix Power Of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix is almost as much an event as it is an album, for there are so many big names on it that one doesn’t know where to begin. Artists of almost every conceivable genre, a multi-cultural mix of styles and musical elements all come together to pay tribute to...   Year Of The Goat Lucem Ferre When I first heard Lucem Ferre I was rather disappointed. Year Of The Goat struck me as a weak metal band struggling to survive in a played-out genre by replicating sounds of its forefathers, but as I listened more closely they began to rub off on me.   Rather than use the bland...   Wishbone Ash A Rockumentary-This Is Wishbone Ash Wishbone Ash has always been one of those bands that I have enjoyed listening to whether it’s their older material or more recent recordings. This is a band that has been strong for over 40 years and one member, Andy Powell (guitar, lead vocals) has been with them every step of the way. I think...   Brian Landrus Quartet Traverse   Reno, Nevada native, Brian Landrus has developed quite a reputation for himself within the Jazz community. He has recorded and performed with an array of artists; won awards, earned a Bachelor’s degree and two Master’s degrees in Music and now has his own record label, BlueLand...   Tweed Funk Bringin It Tweed Funk is a funky, bluesy quartet out of Wisconsin comprised of Joseph “Smoky” Holman (vocals), JD Optekar (guitar/vocals), Donnie Mac (bass, keys, vocals), and Marcus “MG” Gibbons (drums). They’re debut album, Bringin’ It, was released...   Kaye Bohler Like a Flower If you are in the mood for some first-rate rhythm and blues with a touch of soul, than you are going to fall in love with Kaye Bohler. Her 4th album Like a Flower is a sure hit! She has a very soulful voice with a great rhythm and blues sound that reminds me of some of the great R&B artists...   Copernicus Cipher and Decipher The most fitting way to describe Joseph Smalkowski (stage named Copernicus) is as a performance poet. Even though he plays keyboards, Copernicus refuses to be categorized as a musician. Despite often having inhabited the alternative New York rock and roll scene, his music also radiates...   Tal Maya The Eye Of The Beholder The members of Tal Maya might be the type to consider themselves global citizens, at least their music betrays that notion. Spanning multiple cultures and time periods, Tal Maya (or translated from Sanskrit, “Beat Illusion”) add an interesting international flavor to their primarily...   Larry Coryell With the Wide Hive Players Larry Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas in 1943. He attended the University of Washington and moved to New York City where he became a part of Chico Hamilton’s Quintet. He also recorded with Gary Burton, played with the Free Spirits and created his own group, The Eleventh House in 1973. Larry...   Jimi Hendrix-Band of Gypsies Live at the Fillmore East (2011) I just finished watching the Jimi Hendrix-Band of Gypsies- Live at the Fillmore East DVD and it made me realize how I have come to know the man and his music like never before. Between the bevy of reissues late last year and now this special release covering a different phase of Jimi’s career,...   Brian Carpenter's Ghost Train Orchestra Hothouse Stomp: The Music of 1920s Chicago and Harlem And now for something completely different-On Hothouse Stomp Brian Carpenter has taken the music of the 20’s and breathed a new life into it. Perhaps it's timely and appropriate for us today. After all, in the face of so many problems and horror stories in the media, why not adopt a...   Whitesnake Forevermore In the early 2000’s, David Coverdale returned with a new and improved rendition of Whitesnake to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary. Much to fans’ surprise, a new album was released in 2008. By mixing their early blues-rock with their hair-metal of the late 80’s,...   Magic Pie The Suffering Joy   I am continually impressed by Norwegian bands these days. Their English is better, and their lyrics more intelligible than most contemporary American music. Magic Pie is, of course, no exception.   The Suffering Joy offers vocal melodies and supporting harmonies that...   Keith Driskill A Time of Innocence     Now a family man with four kids, Keith Driskill has been playing guitar since he was just ten years old and his album A Time of Innocence shows it; he knows his stuff.  Born and raised in Kentucky, he later lived in Louisiana...   Steve Hackett Live Rails From the eerie “Intro” of Live Rails your ears are quickly being primed for an eclectic experience. This is the latest live album from Steve Hackett. The ambience from the crowd’s cheers delivers enough authenticity to make you believe that you’re there listening to Steve...   Sean Smith Quartet Trust If you are interested in jazz music with a contemporary twist than this album is right up your alley. When I first took a look at the songs before even taking a listen I was not expecting Jazz music. The Sean Smith Quartet is not your typical Jazz group. This group from New York City is able to...   Gazpacho Missa Atropos Gazpacho’s latest release, Missa Atropos, is the third in a series of conceptual epics, and in keeping with the trend, it is more like a symphony or a soundtrack than just a collection of tunes they’ve written. It tells the tale of one man who separates himself from society and isolates...   Cousin Harley It's A Sin Introducing Paul Pigat’s rockabilly alter-ego, Cousin Harley.   Cousin Harley is the rocking hillbilly facade of Paul Pigat, an extremely talented and exceptional guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter from Vancouver, Canada. Pigat began playing the guitar at the age of 11, and by age...   Howard Wiley & The Angola Project 12 Gates to the City 12 Gates to the City isn't just another jazz CD – it's a jazz CD with an intense message. Howard Wiley, a saxophonist and composer, has gathered together thirteen songs that express the lamentation of prisoners at Louisiana’s penitentiary, Angola.   It's up to your...   Marion James Essence Marion James has seen her day come and pass. When Marion was in her prime in the 1960’s, she was a heavyweight in the ring of up-and-coming blues singers. With legends such as Jimi Hendrix and Billy Cox in her touring band, it is easy to see the respect she deserves as a singer. But 1960 is...   Tubefreeks Complex Disorders     When I first picked up Tubefreeks latest album, Complex Disorders, there was something familiar about it. This was before I even put it on mind you. The album cover wasn’t so much familiar, but when I flipped the album over and saw a picture of the band and lower...   Finding Clyde Finding Clyde   Have you ever thought to yourself “I wish I had been around to catch my favorite band (fill in the blank) when they were on their way up, before they were all over the radio...” Well, if modern rock is your thing then here you have your...   Haunting Eden Deliverance   Haunting Eden could not have said it better themselves: “a great balance between beauty and darkness.” That is exactly what this band is all about. Not only are they hard rock but they have what a lot of bands don’t, and which brings something so great to the...   Jason Ayres Chasing Ghosts   There's something weird about the Adult Contemporary genre – you can picture your dad jamming out to and really identifying with the lyrics, but you can't help but love it yourself. It's a genre I like to call Dad-Rock, and it's this loveable charm that's made bands like...   Nektar Remember The Future (Deluxe Edition) Remember The Future is hands down my all-time favorite Nektar album. This is my second go round with this release (I reviewed this and several other releases from the band on the Eclectic Disc label in 2004) only this time there is an additional disc of bonus live material all packaged perfectly by...   In Bloom All My Potential   Taking their name (for all we know) from a Nirvana song, it’s clear that In Bloom has done their homework and are prepared to be taken at least a little seriously. There is nothing technically wrong with their latest release, All My Potential. It is an affirmation, in...   Fallon Cush Fallon Cush Fallon Cush’s self-titled album is a seamlessly polished sound that anyone with the ability to hear will likely dub as a great record. Recorded in Sydney, Australia and mastered at the infamous Abbey Road Studios, the group’s efforts culminated into the album within just seven...   Michael Stanley Just Another Night With over 4 decades of making music under his belt, it’s hard to fathom Michael Stanley stopping any time soon, and all signs indicate he won’t. Just Another Night, his 25th studio album, gives his listeners more of the rock and blues sound that they adore.   Stanley, from...   Pyewacket 1967 The term “Pyewacket” comes from the book Bell Book and Candle referring to the spirit of a witch. The group, which formed in 1967 in California, thought the name was hauntingly fitting and stood out more than a name with a “The” preceding it. Their multitude of songs...   Rory Block Shake 'Em On Down: A Tribute to Mississippi Fred McDowell The name Rory Block is synonymous with the word legend in the world of blues. It’s no secret that she has been a student of the art form since her teenage years. A passionate dedication drove her to go on the road where she began looking to absorb techniques and styles from the great blues...   The Last Dark Show True Love Maze To sum The Last Dark Show’s True Love Maze into a single genre would do this eclectic band’s sound an injustice. Drawing inspiration from the somber southern folk sound on “Someday Fossil,” which begins with a low humming...   Kat McGivern My Kamikaze Heart   Take the bubbly pop aspect of an early Britney Spears, the ‘lovey dovey’ messages of Mandy Moore, and the warbling of a young Avril Lavigne, put them in a blender and pour yourself a Kat McGivern smoothie. McGivern,...   Victoria Mierlak From The Inside Out   Victoria Mierlak, I believe, is going to be a household name. She began her musical adventure as a back-up singer for three groups (Everpresent, The Bossa Nova Beatniks and Leila Broussard). With the experience from this and her college degrees from NYU and Berklee College of Music in Boston,...   Nancy Tyler Let Go Nancy Tyler is a refreshing delight; her album Let Go is filled with smart lyrics, skillful guitar and mandolin picking, and her beautiful voice. Tyler is in her 50s and has been playing music since she was seven; her skills and wisdom are the lessons of a lifetime, and it...   7th Kind Sea Monster   I don’t often think of seahorses as monsters of the sea, but based on 7th Kind’s latest release, Sea Monster, they apparently do. Then again, 7th Kind and I don’t really seem to be on the same wavelength. Like most art-rock bands out there, they tend to think...   Mehran Angels of Persepolis   Angels of Persepolis is a highly entertaining album, which defies an easy categorization. Though songwriter and performer Mehran is a flamenco guitarist by trade, what you will find here are beautiful and exciting songs that tip a hat equally to New Age and World Music...   The Whitney Myer Band Dream Killer Now this is my kind of music; Inspirational, powerful and soul-stirring. My only question is where has The Whitney Myer Band been hiding?   The Whitney Myer Band is a family made up of 4 dazzling artists; the dynamic Whitney Myer backed...   Foldersnacks When We Arrive   Foldersnacks have a sound that is difficult to characterize and their debut album When We Arrive can be hard to keep up with. Its density is intimidating at first and there are competing musical themes throughout that make it hard for the listener to focus on one long enough...   Doug Howell Jimmy & Me   Even if you don't know Jimmy Webb by name, you've probably heard some of his beautiful ballads. Webb is a timeless musician, captured on Jimmy & Me in the form of twelve cover songs performed by Doug Howell.   You may be thinking, “Who does Doug Howell think he is?”...   Ant Bee Electronic Church Muzik I suspect there will be quite a few people who will not enjoy this album because they will not give it the time and attention that it asks for. The most recent endeavor by Ant-Bee (A.K.A. Billy James), Electronic Church Muzik, is an odd collage of musical puzzle pieces. This avant-garde...   Troy Vega Somebody Tell Me Who Troy Vega is an up and coming singer originally from North Carolina. He currently resides in New York City. He claims that the move was meant to stimulate his creativity as a singer. The reason for that might be because Troy feels sick of the bland state of today’s artists and feels he has...   Louis Landon Reality Not Fantasy   Fans of Bruce Hornsby, the lighter side of Journey, or just good old fashioned love and positivity may all find something to smile about with the release of Louis Landon’s tenth solo studio album, Reality Not Fantasy.   This is an album of love songs, there’s no getting...   Gregg Rolie Five Days The 60’s and 70’s were big decades for producing great music. Gregg Rolie was no stranger to that fact. Santana and Journey are two groups that everyone knows, but they might not have existed had it not been for Rolie. Rolie had a huge impact on Journey and Santana. Not only was he...   Clay McClinton Livin' Out Loud   Clay McClinton's Livin' Out Loud is just exactly what the album title says. This is McClinton's testimony on living life today. Each song addresses a concern of the songwriter, and I'm sure many of these concerns you'll find you share with him. After all, if you're not a...   fREEX Simple Good This far-from-mainstream music mixes dynamic rhythms, intense guitar, unconventional vocals and negative energy in a way that is unusual and slightly disturbing. But I guess that’s why they call themselves “fREEX,” right?   The artsy and unique band, fREEX, is made up of 3...   Poois Opera House   The six-man band from Nyack, NY, Poois, who originally played Sabbath covers, has definitely got a lot going on and even more to say. The explicit lyrics that I could make out over the blaring music were quite comical and unexpected.    While I enjoy alternative rock, I...   JukeHammer New Found Disease About 30 seconds on their website is all it takes to figure out JukeHammer has a pretty good sense of humor. A punk band who doesn’t take themselves too seriously these days can be a refreshing break from the monotony of the hyper-produced, dime-a-dozen, emotionally-afflicted pop-punk...   David Michael Low Bid On A Dream Despite the fact that David Michael’s debut, Low Bid on a Dream is listed under the pop/rock genre, the album essentially breaks the barriers of a specific label by venturing out into other fields of music. According to producer, John Kappler, this diverse group of unique records by Michael...   Beau The Way It Was Sitting around a campfire to the sound of cracking and popping logs as a voice pierces the chilly nighttime air are the vivid images that Beau’s album The Way It Was will invoke. His voice echoes throughout the star-filled night sky singing tales of politics, triumph, tragedy, freedom, and...   De Lion Ego Maniacs Trash, Birds, Rats, Idea is how De Lion identifies themselves, and consequently is also the opening track on their album Ego Maniacs. The idea of the group is to recreate a New York-style rock that was popular in the 70’s and 90’s when progressive, punk, metal and rock & roll...   Sangeet Millennium Ensemble Sangeet Safar (Musical Journey) If World Fusion is your type of music, then this is the perfect CD for you. Although the founder of the Sangeet Millennium Ensemble Amelia Maciszewski is a sitar player from Austin, Texas, you get the feeling that you are deep in India. The album certainly does give you a taste of another...   Aeklypsis Mirror of Darkness EP “Winter,” the lead song on Aeklypsis’ first EP, Mirror of Darkness, sets an ethereal mood before lead singer; Kerveros assaults the track with a howl that serves as a warning, preparing listeners for a high-energy experience. Backed by stampeding drums courtesy of Kratos, the...   Radiophonic I Could Have Been A Rocket Scientist     I Could Have Been A Rocket Scientist, the latest effort by Dallas natives Radiophonic, is a work of eloquent design. The album superbly achieves exactly what it aims for: a conglomeration of alternative pop and progressive modern rock. With melodies that are consistently...   Blackmore's Night Autumn Sky With their eighth studio album Autumn Sky Blackmore’s Night proves once again why they stand alone atop the mountain with their own brand of Celtic/Medieval influenced folk-rock music now suddenly defined as New Age because of the difficulty of placing them into one particular box as it were,...   Avishay Mizrav Forgotten Melodies   When I first saw the genre “rock/metal/progressive,” knowing it was solely instrumental, I was unsure of the journey that I was about to embark upon. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Avishay Mizrav of Rishon LeZion, Israel who truly knows how to put this all together and...   The Corners Believe Our Lies (EP) I wish I could tell you more about The Corners, but information on them seems to be quite elusive so far. What I can tell you is that The Corners appear to be just one guy (as you can see in the album cover) and that one guy goes by the name Arne S.L. Arne is credited with writing all of the songs...   Bob Dylan Bob Dylan In Concert - Brandeis University 1963 Amazon.com Widgets Bob Dylan is the well-renowned artist of the rock and roll era and a paramount singer/songwriter of modern times. Without fail, Dylan has always demonstrated the rare ability to reach and affect listeners with his creative, sophisticated lyrics. Whether singing a contemporary...   Deena Chappell The Continuing Story of Roses in Crazyland From the chirping crickets of the first seconds of “Give the Girl a Break”, to the final round of Celtic fifes, drums and singing on the last track “Young Troubadour”, The Continuing Story of Roses in Crazyland is a musical adventure. Chappell's music is all over the...   Robert Linton Throughout The Autumn Light   If you close your eyes while listening to Robert Linton’s Throughout the Autumn Light, you might imagine yourself in a spa-like setting, or even in a Yoga studio meditating in the Child’s Pose.    Linton grew up surrounded by music of both his father and...   Di Evantile Transformations Di Evantile has done a brave thing with Transformations – an instrumental album broken down into “episodes”, all of which is done with electronic instruments or classical instruments that have been put through some sort of electronic treatment, and not a spoken word through...   Skeletal Damage ...A Headshot Is The Only Way If you're a fan of the darkest kind of black metal, then you'll enjoy Skeletal Damage. They make pretty standard heavy rock, with vocals that are mostly noises, and drums that are a little too loud, but it fits the genre, and if it's something you seek, you'll like Skeletal Damage just as much as...   Kirby Howarth My Life   When you hear the term ‘acoustic’ you hope the artist has a good enough voice to keep up with the usually sparse musical elements. Don’t worry, because Kirby Howarth certainly does. The singer/songwriter from York, England has been writing songs since his...   Beleza Brasil Cookin' With Flavour Cookin’ With Flavour doesn’t even begin to describe what’s going on in this Brazilian kitchen. Beleza Brasil has somehow managed to pack in more flavor into this album it makes you think that even their ingredients have ingredients. Guitarist Humberto Oliveira Sales and...   Los Fabulocos Dos   When you go east of Los Angeles, you eventually come to East Los Angeles (as one would expect). And if you go a little further to the east, you come to Whittier, CA, home of Los Fabulocos, a Latin blues/rock quartet comprised of Kid Ramos (guitar), Jesus Cuevas (vocals/accordion), James...   The Technicolors Who Are You   The Technicolors are a new, self-proclaimed rock band, although I’d personally prefer the label alternative rock/folk rock at best, made up of five friends based out of Phoenix, Arizona. With musical inspirations such as Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd, my...   Paul Pigat Boxcar Campfire Born with a sophisticated jazz talent, a rockabilly heart and sleek hobo vibes, Paul Pigat brings introspective country blues with a slight touch of cabaret that will dig deep into your soul.   Meet Cousin Harley: the rocking hillbilly façade of Paul Pigat, an accomplished and extremely...   Thieving Birds Architect Of Hailing from London, Canada, Thieving Birds bring us their debut album, Architect Of. The band describes themselves as “pop music with an Indie sensibility,” but personally I’d describe this CD as more of an alternative album, with flavors of pop thrown in.   At first...   Shuteye Unison Our Future Selves   San Francisco’s Shuteye Unison is a post-punk powerhouse of eclectic sound. Their astonishing sophomore effort Our Future Selves is like waking up from one dream into another. They toss you gently down the rabbit hole and out into the ether, leaving you drifting pleasantly...   Louis Colaiannia A Moment Between Eternities Simplicity of writing and style rules on Louis Colaiannia's A Moment Between Eternities. Indeed, itmight at first listen seem to be just another run-of-the-mill New Age CD. There is something more to it than that, though. Mainly, it's the prevalent use of acoustic instruments in...   Marc Beziat Gloria, The Star of Peace (2 Track EP) Marc Béziat of France was working in IT, when he realized he wanted to be able to express himself through a creative outlet: music. At age 28, he taught himself for a year, then went to school to learn musical composition for 2 years. His creative expression was then put into play in...   Project Autumn Project Autumn   Project Autumn’s first, self-titled studio album should rewrite the saying to “Jack of all trades, master of all.” For listeners who appreciate a wide array of genres, Project Autumn dabbles in quite a few. From rock, to jazz, to folk, and back again, this CD...   A Chance Of Fireballs A Chance Of Fireballs   There's something about A Chance of Fireballs. Perhaps it's their college-aged vibe and the Hellogoodbye-esque cutesy graphics splashed on their album cover and website, or maybe it's their endearing YouTube videos obviously taped by a friend that still somehow manage to capture their...   Raftree The Long Way Raftree is a rock band headed up by vocalist Ken Raftree. In 12 tracks on their debut album The Long Way they have no problem maintaining a strong momentum from start to finish. Every good rock album needs to kick off with an eye brow raising track and “What I Say” is a perfect...   Epigene A Wall Street Odyssey Husband and wife duo Sean Bigler and Bonnie Lykes comprise Epigene, a musical group that has been together for more than a decade, beginning in Seattle and now making music from upstate New York.   Their third album, A Wall Street Odyssey, is a 25-track rock opera that took three years to...   Darlene Love The Sound Of Love: The Very Best Of Darlene Love The Sound of Love is all about just that, her sound! Darlene Love's powerful voice dominates every track, just the way a diva's singing should. These are all well-crafted songs by a small but impressive array of songwriters and producers. They come complete with excellent horn...   David Davenport Nine I love people like David Davenport. He makes music that sounds great and has depth much like an ocean. His new album will not be embraced by MTV. David isn’t going to have a show on VH1 in which he stars with a bulldog and has camera’s track their every movement. He is...   Bill Bachmann Folk 'n' Roller Bill Bachmann would be hard-pressed to find a more fitting title for his sophomore release. Folk 'n' Roller perfectly describes the extraordinarily clever way Bachmann tells stories while playing complicated and interesting music at the same time.   I'm torn between making a list of all the...   Tony Adamo What Is Hip? Tony Adamo has a voice that sounds like what you would get if you put Dr. John, Lou Rawls, and Mark Murphy into a bomb shelter with Dr. Joesph Mengele and presented him the challenge of harmonizing their voices into one. After a few experiments in blending I believe the final version would sound...   Rick Shaffer Hidden Charms On his second solo album, Hidden Charms, Rick Shaffer is searching for a sound that is both old and new. Hidden Charms is a strong follow-up to Shaffer’s first solo release, 2010’s Necessary Illusion. When he isn’t putting out his solo stuff, Shaffer is one half of...   Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny Ebbets Field 1974 I personally love the band names that came to us in the 1960’s. It’s clear that the mindset of people in the 60’s was as different then as the music business is today. If a group of youngsters approached a major label and said, “Hi, we are Fairport Convention! We are a folk...   Terry Mills Man Behind The Curtain On his DVD Live at the Beacon Theatre the great James Taylor makes reference to the “folk music scare” of his early career, when “a few of us thought that popular music would sound this way forever”. I'm pretty sure that he was poking fun at himself then, but guess...   The Procession Sometimes Sometimes is the first release from the UK-based band, The Procession. The group has been performing at local shows for years, and now they are ready to gain more notoriety.   Album opener and title track, “Sometimes,” has an intro that starts slowly and builds up to...   Michael Dulin Timeless II   Some people have talents that are recognized at a very early age. In the case of Michael Dulin he was noticed for having a talent for music at the age of two.   Dulin released an album called Timeless in 2004 and due to its immense popularity he decided to go ahead and satisfy the...   Hairspray Blues Lost Negatives (EP) It’s hard to avoid comparisons to the White Stripes when you are a husband/wife duo and also play the guitar and drums respectfully. Then again, there is an opening in this department, and Kyle and Leslie Stabile certainly rock hard enough to throw their hats in the ring.   Together...   TesseracT One For an extremely intense metal album, One is incredibly transcendent and melodic. The album, the debut effort from British progressive rockersTesseracT, succeeds admirably in deviating from the norm of contemporary metal music while remaining pleasing enough to the ear to appeal to a large...   Beardfish Mammoth It’s amazing to me that Sweden hasn’t been invaded, taken over, and then had every piece of recording equipment bashed to bits. Though they have made such amazing contributions to life such as the Swiss made watch, the Swiss bank account, and the Swiss Miss, they have also been giving...   Ugly Lion Roots of Revolution “Hear the lions roar!” singer Brandon Chustz quite literally roars on “Burn One,” the second song of Ugly Lion’s sophomore album, Roots of Revolution. The band from Texas formed in 2009 and is here to share their self-proclaimed “music with a...   Forgotten Door Unlocked I knew from the first note of Forgotten Door's debut album, Unlocked, exactly what kind of music it was – straight to the point classic rock. The album's opener, “Masquerade” sounds like Zeppelin if the original members of Skynyrd were alive to cover a song or two. I mean that as...   Octoberbabies Octoberbabies There was a glorious time in music history, almost twenty years ago, when bands like Weezer were popular with the underground, college-aged kids – before the terms “emo” and “pop-rock” existed. But then Pavement broke up and Weezer stopped really trying and Fall...   Double Handsome Dragons Double Handsome Dragons EP Straight outta Peterborough, East, United Kingdom doesn’t have the same mysticism as Straight Outta Compton but the power is there all the same. Double Handsome Dragons, which sounds like it should be the name of a narcissistic karate dojo, is a semi-instrumental, as described on their...   Nektar A Tab In The Ocean Drugs and Rock music go hand and hand like…well like drugs and Rock music. Nektar, the progressive rock band from the early 70’s, with their album A Tab In The Ocean is a fine example. The story of the album name, as it’s told around progressive rock camp fires in the woods around...   Apeyga Ring   John Peloian (bass), Pete Pace (drums), and Justin Peloian (guitar) are Apeya an all instrumental rock band formed in 2003. Their third album Ring was released last year. While the album offers only six tracks they make a loud statement within those compositions. Even though this is a...   Sideways Reign A Stand For All Stages At first listen Sideways Reign’s sophomore album, A Stand For All Stages, as a whole, risks blending into the background. But at a closer listen, there are some elements that certainly grab the listeners’ attention and keep them wanting more.   Opening track...   The Melloncollies Goodbye Cruel World You probably haven’t actually heard of The Melloncollies, but they certainly sound familiar; don’t they? This is something they definitely have going for them. Their name and sound are very familiar, but Goodbye Cruel World is only the band’s first release.    The...   Koi In Tomorrow Hid Yesterday In Tomorrow Hid Yesterday is the debut album from Swedish quintet Koi, and shows the band as having definite potential for future albums.   The album is a meshing of sounds that comes together in a way refreshing from much of what is on the market today.   Where some bands make heavy...   Quinn Hedges Without You Let's just get it out of the way, because you'll notice it soon enough. Even though the musical ideas and melodies are highly original, stylistic comparisons to John Mayer are, I'm afraid, inevitable for any listener hearing Quinn Hedges' Without You for the first time. More than anything...   Jim Byrnes Everywhere West I didn’t have to invent the door in order to know how to walk through it and Jim Byrnes didn’t have to invent the blues to know how to play it. On his latest album Everywhere West he unleashes a voice that sounds like a heavenly mixture of Gregg Allman and an easy going Joe Cocker....   New Average Waiting Time EP New Average is a musical pop duo formed in 2009 by John New and Emma Average . The couple dreamed of making great music like they did in the 60’s and 70’s. With their 4 song EP Waiting Time it looks as though they may have accomplished their goal. This is simple music about people, not a...   Matthew Schoening Elements If you grew up in a concert band environment, even in middle or high school, you probably appreciate the talent it takes to participate in classical music, while you might not enjoy listening to it (or, perhaps, playing it yourself). Imagine an album that took that talent to the next level and made...   Patrick Cornell Wrecking Ball Patrick Cornell’s resume says, among other things, he spent time touring with Microsoft co-founder Paul “Billionaire” Allen’s rock band. That seems like it would be fun. I imagine they had a pretty sweet van and always got the best rooms at the local Motel...   Brian Thompson Storybook Pre Release Tracks Brian Thompson and his brother Scott are collaborating on a recording called Storybook that started in January this year with two tracks at a time released every month until May. The brothers are living in two different countries so the process is more difficult. Scott, who has been in the music...   Null Paradox The Onion and The Ants: Gertrude and Grace Null Paradox is a progressive rock band launching into a full scale project that consists of a trilogy of music albums and accompanying books, the first being The Onion and the Ants: Gertrude and Grace. The book is authored by Tom Libertiny, who also plays guitar, keyboards and bass on the...   Kito Peters Tip My Hat Kito Peters has something to say, and the quiet and introspective music of Tip My Hat is his latest eloquent statement. In every song there is a message, and some of them just might touch you. If you've ever felt that your “family is a battleground” then there is something here...   Miles Davis Bitches Brew Live Miles Davis and his electricera is a lot like Starbucks coffee; you either love it or you hate it. To some people, like me, Starbucks tastes like coffee that has about 14 cigarette butts floating in it and perhaps the thumb of Rasputin just to add that priceless instant gag reflex. Miles’...   Matt Scheuber Old Men Are Young Again Old Men Are Young Again is the perfect album for relaxing on a lazy day when nothing pertinent needs to be done. The music is very laid back and poppy enough to make you forget about your worries, even if only for a little while. The tracks sound familiar of folk legends such as Bob Dylan,...   George Michael Faith (2CD Remaster) There's a reason that John C. Reilly's character bursts into a room in his recent movie, Cyrus, screaming, “This is the greatest song ever recorded!” while George Michael's “Faith” plays in the background. George Michael may have originally released the song in 1987, but...   Alexander Gilblom Self-Titled When you spend 2 years working on one album you anticipate good results. I think Alexander Gilblom has no reason not to be completely satisfied with his new self-titled release. Gilblom did a lion’s share of the work on this recording, playing all the instruments and handling the...   Bangtower Casting Shadows The tracks on Casting Shadows are very intense, well-produced and very diverse. You may not know each of these legendary musicians as household names, but their resumes are quite extensive and formidable. Bangtower is a progressive musical alliance featuring legendary bassist Percy Jones, who is...   Ron Campbell & the Blues Busters Bust Out! Ron Campbell writes good blues music. Every song on Bust Out! demonstrates that he's a songsmith with some blues in his blood. It's easy to imagine some of these tunes showing up on the albums of other artists as 'classics' down the road. In particular when he tells a story,...   Aaron Alexander and Julian Priester Conversational Music   Conversational Music is a collaborative effort between established jazz artists Aaron Alexander and Julian Priester, both highly regarded for their talent with their respective instruments (drums and trombone).   The title of the album, Conversational Music, is aptly titled, since the...   Sasha And The Indulgents Love In A Box   Sasha Papernik is conservatory-trained pianist, singer, and songwriter. In 2008 she started a band, adding fellow musicians, Justin Poindexter, Kyle Saulnier, and Ryan Ramirez. Together they became Sasha And the Indulgents.   Late last year marked the release of Sasha And The...   Barry Goldberg It's All My Vault When Barry Goldberg Touches a keyboard magical things happen. This guy just has something in his fingers that makes the keys light up like a thunderstorm lights up the sky at midnight. His sound is identifiable with just a few notes played but a few notes is never enough to satisfy your soul when...   Eugene Marlow's Heritage Ensemble Celebrations Eugene Marlow’s Heritage Ensemble has made its name with its jazz renditions of pieces from the Hebraic songbook, as well as Israeli folksongs.   Now, being unfamiliar with both those categories of song, I can’t really give input as to how well the songs on Celebrations are...   Marcus Shelby Orchestra Soul of the Movement: Meditations on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Marcus Shelby’s career is about education, social consciousness, great cultural heroes, American history and the Civil Rights movement…oh yes, and jazz arranging, composition and playing acoustic bass. If that is not the exact order of importance that would be ascribed by Shelby himself,...   Eleanor Fye Love Stays On Music websites across the internet recommend Eleanor Fye for the listener who likes Sara Barellies or Norah Jones, but both singer/songwriters could take a page out of Fye's book and make better albums in the future. Fye has a beautiful voice, a smart, witty way of writing, and has created an album...   Escape Key None of Them are You   The sound of New York’s underground rock scene is always amazing and None of Them Are You by Escape Key is no exception. With a sound that is raw and very much alive the trio, made up of Matt Hannah (guitars and vocals), Crystal Yakacki (Bass and vocals), and Bryan Greene (Drums),...   Dino Valenti Get Together:The Lost Recordings Pre 1970 Dino Valenti had more aliases than Leonardo Dicaprio in the movie Catch Me If You Can. The problem with having so many lives is that you are bound to leave something behind like the way Dino did. Some kind people in Northern California found the music on this album in a storage unit. This...   ParAdiso & Rasamayi 3rd Eye Rising ParAdiso & Rasamayi are partners in the art of mystic healing. With their new release on Paradiso’s own 5th Element Music label, 3rd Eye Rising, the duo combine their skills to formulate eleven tracks designed for relaxation, meditation and healing. They like to call it a “Journey...   Joe Lewis Walker Live on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise I learned a very important lesson years ago when I got into an argument over a property line with a neighbor named Joe Louis Clementine. That lesson is: anyone who has the name Joe Louis in their name is a badass at something. My neighbor Joe Louis Clementine turned out to be a badass negotiator...   Negar Bouban and Salim Ghazi Saeedi When There is More Beauty in the Contrary (Single) I normally do not like to review a single track but for some reason I had to say yes this time as I was intrigued with this worldly collaboration and curiosity got the best of me, I just had to hear this song. What you get here is classical Persian musician Negar Bouban melding her talents with rock...   Jude Johnstone Quiet Girl Jude Johnstone is one of those great vocalists that will become an immediate revelation when you first hear her. For this listener she is an artist I always look forward to hearing after enjoying her first four releases. I can feel myself welling up with emotion as the first track starts. Her music...   22nd Century Where's Howie?!! After decades of 21st Century references, I suppose it was only a matter of time before a band looked further ahead to the 22nd, and here they are, 22nd Century. Where’s Howie?!! is the Vancouver based trios debut full length. They also have an EP, The Twenty Second Century, that came out a...   Soft Machine Legacy Live Adventures This British psychedelic/jazz fusion act has been playing in some form since the late 1960s. The member changes have been numerous and vast throughout the years and Soft Machine Legacy contains no original members from the original Soft Machine lineup. Live Adventures was recorded on two successive...   Robert Hurst Bob Ya Head   When I saw that Robert Hurst's newest album was called Bob Ya Head, I assumed it would be a hip-hop album that would make me shake my head in a disgruntled way. I was wrong, however, because I spent my time listening to the album bobbing my head, tapping my feet and thoroughly enjoying...   Marc Black Pictures of the Highway Mainstream music today has, as it has before, developed into genres and sub-genres that somewhat restrict what the buying public gets to hear. For example, Rock has to be either Classic or Heavy. Pop pretty much has to be R&B and Hip Hop, or Pop/Rock (think Matchbox Twenty). If...   Long Distance Calling Long Distance Calling Germany and sounds of destruction go together rather well. I think it’s due to their consumption of warm beer as that could make even the calmest man in a German Buddhist Temple throw a punch at his meditative brother in the middle of Morning Prayer.   I’m not saying Long Distance...   Dakrya Crime Scene First and foremost, if you are unaware of the avant-garde style of this band and do not know what it is that is about to hit you, it should be noted to not listen to this album right before going to sleep, otherwise, it will haunt your dreams – unless you’re in to that sort of thing. Crime...   Matt Millecchia Silhouette of a Season   Matt Millecchia has been playing guitar since he was fourteen years of age. In his musical journey, Millecchia began as a hardcore punker, transitioned to psych-metal, traveled over to progressive rock and finally settled into an acoustic folk-rock vibe as seen on Silhouette of a Season. The...   Spiders Spiders Spiders are like a bomb ready to explode from start to finish on their newly self-titled vinyl 10” EP from Crusher Records. Formed in Gothenburg in February 2010, they appeared at one of Sweden’s most successful music festivals Way Out West. Shortly thereafter they went into the studio to...   Bruce Kaphan Hybrid While Bruce Kaphan isn’t one of those names that everyone knows, he certainly falls in the category of musicians that you have likely heard without really realizing it. Over the years he has been a composer, producer, recording engineer, and plays just about any instrument you can think of....   Brother Ape A Rare Moment of Insight   The most amazing thing about Swedish based act Brother Ape is that the remarkable and intricate talents come from a three piece. A Rare Moment of Insight is just that – a very progressive album with strong elements of jazz rock and a chock-full sound indicative of a five or six piece...   Fingerprints Dream Life Dream Life by Fingerprints may be one of the smoothest of smooth jazz albums. No matter how many times you pop this CD in the player (for those of you that are old-school that way), it's going to be over before you know it. Why? Is it because the tunes are too brief? Is it...   Spyn Reset Objects in the Abstract Who says you can’t judge a book by its cover or in this case, its inner CD jacket design. When you find cool artwork on an inner CD jacket it’s a good indication that some great music will soon be massaging your ears. Northern Seattle’s Spyn Reset’s CD, Objects in the...   Tall Grass Captains In The Resistance Chicago natives, The Tall Grass Captains add exotic instrumentation to their mix of folk, post-punk, and 70s A.M. radio melodies on their latest album In The Resistance. Their last effort, She Moved Through provided the platform for such exploration where every track is seen as a journey or as...   Evergrey Glorious Collision Sometimes you have to start all over again to actually continue going forward. When Tom Englund cleaned house in his band he was left with keyboardist Rikard Zander and the giant question of could they pull off doing a new Evergrey album. Considering that the new album Glorious Collision drops...   Kathryn Kaye Dreaming Still Kathryn Kaye is an instrumental New Age artist that offers varying tempos on 14 tracks of piano based compositions on her new release Dreaming Still. The title implies to me that if you listen to the music and relax and just look at the picture of the tree, a still life photo if you will, you can find...   Goldbug The Seven Dreams The Seven Dreams is the debut album from the band Goldbug, and it’s an interesting one…in the best way possible.   There is a consistent prog-rock feel throughout the album, but Goldbug keeps The Seven Dreams feeling fresh by playing with each track’s individual sound....   Chris Bramble For Those With Eyes To See There are some people in this world that always seem to just love the simpler things about life and want everyone to enjoy it just the same along with them. In reading up on Chris Bramble and listening to his latest release, For Those With Eyes To See¸ I certainly get the impression that he is...   Ken Thomson and Slow/Fast It Would Be Easier If In late 2010 saxophonist and composer Ken Thomson with his quintet Slow/Fast, released their first CD, It Would Be Easier If. Original jazz of the early 21st Century is sometimes referred to as “New Music,” especially when it incorporates jazz, rock and traditional composition...   Jeff Cochell Between the Lines There's something comforting about a musician as talented as Jeff Cochell. It's almost as if his obvious gift at playing the guitar makes listening to his debut album, Between the Lines, all the more pleasurable. The only downfall is that the lyrics and vocals aren't quite up to par with the...   Randy Burns Hobos And Kings   Randy Burns has a voice that stops everything swirling around you. The gorgeous vibrato that he uses to flood his words with emotion acts as a drill that bores right into your soul putting the song into you. Some artists have a way with making you be in the moment and experience...   Clover Seeds The Opening The wall of sound constructed throughout The Opening, the newest release from French Prog-Rockers Clover Seeds, is incredibly fresh and original. Unlike some progressive artists which can be long-winded, over indulgent and difficult for the casual listener to appreciate due to overuse of intricate...   Core Zero Doxology     Denver based Core Zero are like a blender of great metal music styles. They use a huge bowl with an industrial strength mixer to blend balls to the walls music with melody not normally found in this genre. The melodies remind me of the great 80’s and 90’s metal bands...   Flint Westrock Heaven n Earth   Flint Westrock is a self-made character that puts out an album on occasion that catches the ear of an audience that always seems ready to embrace whatever he decides to give them. His first album came out in 2006. Wake Me Up With Kissin was a cult classic of sorts that got attention from Los...   3 Kisses Lethal Love Addiction (Batteries not included)   Lethal Love Addiction (Batteries not included), the new album from Three Kisses continues the band’s party fueled punk which they’ve stated is their brand of "Texas Party Punk meets Pop." Their style has already been compared to greats like Joan Jett and Bif Naked. The...   Hugh Morrison Robert Burns Rocks Robert Burns Rocks might not be exactly what you would expect, going just by the title. True, all of the lyrics are the poetry of Robert Burns. But if by 'rock' you mean music along the lines of, say, the Dropkick Murphys, or some of Morrison's own wilder music, you might be a little...   Tyler Blanton Botanic Great vibe players have a sound all their own. People like Bobby Hutcherson, Cal Tjader, Gary Burton, Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, and Ray Alexander had a sound that would identify them from the rest of the pack. Tyler Blanton will be among those vibe stars if he keeps releasing albums...   Chris Dahlgren & Lexicon Mystic Maze Chris Dalhgren and his band of merry men have created a wonderful album that is on the cutting edge of innovation and yet will remain an outsider that few will try to match do to the challenges he presents.    This album contains inserts of the critical writings that were directed at Bele...   Inna Zhelannaya Cocoon Admittedly, I don’t know much about Russian Folk music, and chances are, you don’t know much either. However, if more of it is like Inna Zhelannaya’s latest release, Cocoon, I will certainly be making myself more and more familiar. Inna is labeled as the “first world music star...   The Dave Liebman Big Band Live As Always   Live As Always by the Dave Liebman Big Band is the heavy stuff. Aficionados of modern jazz will enjoy many hours of pondering the sounds of this musically complex recording. Fans of the lighter side of music who don't want their ears challenged, on the other hand, might as well...   JP Blues Band I Will Not Go Quietly   At twenty one years of age, blues-rock guitarist JP Blues already has two albums under his belt. Following on the heels of his prior release, Die Happy his latest offering I Will Not Go Quietly continues his musical endeavor with a slew of new material created and performed with his band....   Jimi Hendrix Live At Woodstock (2 CD Deluxe Edition) By now if you have not heard of Woodstock you cannot consider yourself part of the human race. It is where legends were made for three days on a farm in upstate New York. Jimi Hendrix was already a household name at this point but his iconic status would be immortalized in granite after his...   The Maharajas Sucked into the Seventies (7" Vinyl EP) Swedish label Crusher Records (est. 2004) specializes in psychedelic and garage rock sounds and they prefer to release on vinyl. This coincides with the format and time that the original garage rock music became popular back in the 60’s.   The Maharajas are one of those bands that like...   Korea The Delirium Suite   If you’re looking for a very well balanced, radio ready album to blow up the charts, look no further than the The Delirium Suite from Swedish melodic hard rockers Korea. Unlike some of the popular music out there, The Delirium Suite is in no way maudlin or watered down. This album just...   Healing Sixes Bluejay I just want to take a second and tell Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa thank you for helping the Healing Sixes do the song, “Fine Time”. The other eight tracks on this album are above average for the normal blues rock album but the addition of “Fine Time” pushes it over the...   Koldasee I Believe (DVD) Along with Koldasee’s remastered album Messiah comes the DVD I Believe.   The DVD contains nothing more than the music video for the track “I Believe” (found on Messiah), but is delightful in its 3 minutes and 47 seconds.   The song is all about the joy of Christmas and...   Black River Black 'n Roll Polish supergroup Black River might call themselves death metal, but there's a definite punk edge to their music that makes them catchy enough to head-bang along with them, and which ultimately makes their album, Black n' Roll, a great listen.   Lead singer Maciej Taff sings in English,...   Astral Doors Testament of Rock: The Best of Astral Doors If you have trouble waking up in the morning, I suggest setting the opening track, “Cloudbreaker,” as your alarm. The high octane panning guitar tracks in the intro will be just the trick for getting you into gear. Generally, I have a problem with “Best Of” albums, it seems like...   Darynyck The Chaotic LP When picking up Darynyck’s The Chaotic LP, I expected to be moments from hearing something more 80’s dancy or ska-influenced based on the cover art. This is not the case however. Instead you will be treated to a dozen folky/pop tunes on behalf of Daryn and Nyck. Together they are, of...   Koldasee I See a Land (DVD) Coupled with Koldasee’s remastered album Messiah comes the DVD I See a Land. Now, calling it a DVD is a little misleading.   Yes, I See a Land is in DVD format, but it’s not a DVD like you would think, with a menu and options and several things to watch on it. Instead, I See a Land...   Jesse J. Smith Organic Rock   Jesse J. Smith is quite a promising guitarist. He writes songs that are fun to listen to, and he fairly drips hard rock style while playing the guitar throughout Organic Rock. From high-energy tracks like “Mako” or “Wah Wah Wild” to the other-worldly...   Fran King My Sweet Elixir I’m going to put forth a bold suggestion that Fran King’s new album My Sweet Elixir should be used to settle arguments. I suggest this because the album is so relaxing and beautiful that no one could possibly remain angry and harbor feelings of resentment while it’s...   Die Krupps Als Waren Wir Fur Immer Als Wären Wir Für Immer (in English translates to “As if we were forever),” is the first Die Krupps album with exclusively new material since 1997. Their brand of dark, gloomy industrial metal was quite predominant in the late 90s, but has faded quite substantially from the...   The Jimi Hendrix Experience BBC Sessions (Deluxe 2 CD/1 DVD)     The Jimi Hendrix Experience BBC Sessions is now available as a two CD and DVD set. This package puts together all of the tracks from the BBC Hendrix archives, along with a fascinating account of the sessions in a booklet laden with pictures. In addition to that you get a DVD that...   Chuck Cape In the Spirit of Christmas In the Spirit of Christmas is Chuck Cape’s debut album of piano solos released for the holidays. As a Christmas CD the album resonates the joy and excitement of the season with seventeen songs, six of which are original compositions. Arranged in a contemporary style that pays homage to...   Koldasee Messiah: Cradle That Rocked the World Christian group Koldasee is back with their second remastering of their album Messiah: Cradle That Rocked the World.   Koldasee originally released Messiah in 2008 as 9-track album. In 2009, they released a remastered version of the record, with five new tracks added to it. This time around,...   Lunatic Soul Lunatic Soul II   Lunatic Soul II is less an album of music but a series of paintings that use music and words as the colors to paint a story. This, The White Album, being the second and final album in the series that started with 2008’s Black Album, is described by lead singer Mariusz Duda as “a...   The Dead Weather Sea of Cowards Jack White is a music machine. All he seems to do is form bands and release earth shaking, landscape changing music. He is seemingly incapable of being unoriginal. You always know when you’re listening to Jack White and The Dead Weather’s new Album Sea of Cowards is no...   Mark Clarke Moving To The Moon Mark Clarke’s new album Moving to the Moon scared the hell out of me when I played the first track. I wasn’t ready for the straight forward balls to the wall rock that starts off like its shot out of a cannon. Do you remember Mark Clarke? Sure you do! He was the bass player for...   Andrea Nardello My Aeroplane Andrea Nardello sings and plays rhythm guitar on her album Aeroplane. At times it is very good and in other instances mediocre. What I found interesting and light hearted was how she took the title of the album and incorporated it into the CD case. The CD is housed in a paper fold out case that you...   John Gilliat Winter Strings Holiday music is a tough sell for me. The cheese flows freely like mulled wine this time of year. Not today, though. John Gilliat's seasonal album Winter Strings is a wonderful alternative to the uber-commercial mediocrity that fills the airwaves every December. Even more than that,...   Space Opera Safe At Home This album isn’t just an album. It’s an adventure split into 15 parts that takes you into the world of Space Opera. Having said that, I have to be clear and say this is not a concept album unless of course you consider assembling a brilliant album from odds and ends found languishing...   Natural Gas Natural Gas There is something wonderful about finding an album that has remained hidden from view for years and years. It’s like that moment in The Christmas Story when Ralphie’s dad noticed that Santa left something behind the desk rather than under the tree. Well guess what Santa left...   Halford Crucible (Remixed and Remastered) The way Crucible opens still sends adrenalin through my body. It is a full-on punch in the mouth from a metal fist. From the nuclear explosion of drums to the blast wind of guitars that come at you at a thousand miles an hour and will blow your hair off so you officially become a member...   Saint Mad Waiting to Start Saint Mad is all about the music. They didn’t get into music for the fashion or the commissary backstage at the big shows. Looking at the picture on the front of their album Waiting To Start, you can get the feeling that you’re not going to be hearing a lot of Kiss...   Doug McCurry Seven Songs About Leaving Doug McCurry, an acoustic singer songwriter from North Carolina releases his debut album Seven Songs About Leaving after his days as part of the band Big Brick Building, which released two albums that drew attention from both industry insiders and music aficionados alike. Seven Songs About...   Chop Suzy Made For Lovers Chop Suzy is a rock power trio from the Southern California area. The band is made up of Beau Girardeau (vocals, guitars, and keys), Tony Turbo (drums, percussion) and Manual Automatic (bass). You gotta love the names! A perfect fit for the positions in the band. One look at the cover of their...   Dio Dio at Donnington UK (1983 &1987)   In the history of Rock music there has never been another voice like Ronnie James Dio. No one has ever come close to the sound and power that came out of his mouth. He had voice that, when live in concert, could make it seem possible that the end of days was near and the only way to...   Eric Johnson Up Close   Eric Johnson has something that few other guitarists have. If you guess that he has a third nipple or that he has discovered the secret to stopping a charging rhino, sadly you’d be wrong and perhaps in need of some medication to quiet the voices in your head. No, my pill...   Jimi Hendrix Blues (CD/DVD Deluxe Edition) When people think of Hendrix psychedelic rock is one of the many things that come to mind. And thinking along those lines of what a great rock guitarist he was can steer you away from the fact that everything Jimi did was rooted in the blues. He took everything to another level, especially the...   Ted Piltzecker & Company Steppe Forward Ted Piltzecker knows jazz. His bio shows that music education has been an important part of his life, and that teaching knowledge serves him well. This CD, though, shows that he's more than a teacher. For this album he's chosen a generally mellow tone, with songs that are always thick...   Tim Motzer & Markus Reuter Descending With only six tracks on it, Tim Motzer and Markus Reuter’s Descending deceptively looks like an EP, but with 3 songs clocking in at over 7 minutes (one of which breaks 12) this release is much more than it appears to be in its nearly 43 minutes.   Motzer is a guitarist from Philadelphia...   IAM Artists It's About Christmas, Volume II Everyone has their favorite Christmas album and song, which makes putting out a new album of holiday music difficult – you certainly won't please everyone. It's About Christmas, Volume II will come close, however.   The artists of ItsAboutMusic.com have spent the past five years...   Suzy Skarulis EP   Suzy Skarulis is a do it all kind of person. She is a surfer, actress, filmmaker, and a singer/songwriter. She proves on this 3 track EP that there is an open road to stardom lying right ahead of her. “Bang Bang” is a rock-pop tune that is loaded with energy and angst from a...   Azalea Coffee & Kisses EP Benjamin Hackett and Mia Cioffi are a pop duo that offer up honey sweet pop tunes on their seven track EP. The seventh track is an instrumental which interestingly enough is not listed on the back cover of their CD however it is at CD Baby. This was either an oversight in the production of the CD...   Halford Live In Anaheim They don’t make metal gods like Rob Halford anymore. The last factory that did produce those closed 10 years ago, laying off all its blacksmiths and selling the machinery to a Chinese company that now produces cheap knock off metal gods that contain 75% toxic lead and a new metal alloy...   Shawna Virago Objectified I guess the reason Shawna Virago wants to be Objectified so badly is because she was born a man and had transgender surgery in the 1990's. She now sees herself as an activist of some sort, and I suppose her album is supposed to be really striking or shocking.   Unfortunately, I can't judge an...   Agents of Mercy Dramarama   Roine Stolt spends a lot of time writing music and playing guitar. If he is not trotting around the globe with his beloved Flower Kings he is either performing solo work, cranking out solos for supergroup Transatlantic or even jamming in a jazz fusion band called 3RD World Electric (check out...   Circle of Sanity EP Circle of Sanity came together in 2008 and developed to the point where they could get in the recording studio and put together five songs for this self-titled EP. Josh Sapna (lead vocals and lead guitar), Dan “Shag” Molkenthin (lead and rhythm guitar), Josh “Reds” Austin...   Jason Robinson The Two Faces of Janus The title of saxophonist Jason Robinson’s 2010 CD, The Two Faces of Janus, is taken from Roman mythology and is rich with significance not only for this recording but for Robinson’s overall approach to music. In Roman mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings, endings, doorways and...   King's X Live Love in London King’s X is like that old girlfriend that you simply lost track of even though you really liked her and thought she was amazingly talented. Then, one day, years later, as you’re putting a full set of fingerprints on some melons at the local grocery store looking for the freshest one,...   Zak Smith EP Zak Smith has three full albums out prior to this EP release.  As Rome Burned (2007), Deep Water (2008) and An Endless Doubt (2008) are all available but I have not had the pleasure to hear them yet. I must say after hearing this new EP that I am intrigued by what Smith has to offer. With...   Milky Whites and the Bluesmen One Direction Milky Whites is a prolific Canadian Blues artist who, after working in the industry for years has released his debut Album One Direction and his single Give Me Your Love in June of 2010. The artist asserts that the album title is a reference to the direction of his current and future projects,...   Jimi Hendrix Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Who has a beard that’s long and white? Jimi’s got a beard that’s long and white. Who comes around on a special night? Jimi comes around on a special night. Beard that’s white, special night. Must be Hendrix, Must be Hendrix, Jimi Hendrix Claus.    For those...   Halford Made of Metal Rob Halford is not a man of mystery. When he steps into the studio to record a new album like Made of Metal the producer Rob Z doesn’t ask if Rob would like the band to bring their flutes and banjo’s. He knows that Rob Halford defines metal like Webster’s dictionary...   Goodbye Picasso The Book Of Aylene   Country music has a way of sounding sad and fun at the same time. Goodbye Picasso recently relocated from Nashville to Brooklyn and they brought that country mix of moods with them. Their full-length debut The Book Of Aylene blends styles as well as moods: folk music, country, rock,...   Healing Sixes Blue Jay Blue Jay, the fourth album from Indianapolis band Healing Sixes, is a bit of a hit and miss album. From the first track to the last, Blue Jay, just isn’t the most consistent thing you’ll ever hear.   When I bring up consistency in this case, I’m not talking about sticking...   Katie McMahon Christmas Angels Fans of what I'll call the 'Celtic Revival', as exemplified by acts like Riverdance and Celtic Woman, will enjoy this latest recording from the original vocalist of Riverdance herself, Katie McMahon. Much has been made of her voice, and by many writers. I have no choice but to join in the...   Galia Arad Ooh La Baby If you like such female artists as Colbie Caillat, Ingrid Michaelson and Sarah Bareilles, I guarantee you will enjoy listening to Galia Arad.   Galia Arad’s sophomore album, Ooh La Baby, is a delightful blend of pop and folk (she describes herself as “Bob Dylan meets Britney...   Radio Drive Life Today There's no denying that an album is successful when almost every song makes you literally dance ridiculously around your house. Life Today, the newest release by Radio Drive, made me do just that, while clearly reaching me with its message to enjoy life.   “Let's Get Started” in...   Leslie Pintchik We're Here To Listen On this, her third studio recording, Leslie Pintchik continues to exhibit prodigious talents for composing and performing tasteful, well-crafted jazz sambas and ballads. Six of the ten tracks are Pintchik originals.  Again the quartet (Pintchik, piano; Scott Hardy, bass; Satoshi Takeishi,...   Robin Rogers Back in the Fire   This album is good. No, let me correct myself. This album is damn good! Robin Rogers’ new album Back in the Fire is as complete as blues albums come. From vocals that speak from the heart of a women whose biography speaks of a million reasons to have the blues, to...   Neil Kelly Quartet Rivers Converge The Neil Kelly Quartet, lead of course by guitarist Neil Kelly, has put together some very pleasant easy-on-the-ears instrumental jazz on Rivers Converge. Kelly has written and arranged music that falls stylistically somewhere between current smooth jazz and Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. In...   Clemence Mosley Consort MacGuffin Pat Clemence & Pete Mosley go back a long way. MacGuffin reveals two accomplished musicians who have gleaned jazz and world influences on their collaborative journey. One trap that many Electronica-productions fall into is a tendency toward a robotic, quantized precision of the sequencer and...   Volary Out of Shadows   Volary explains her album Out of Shadows as being compared to a sculpture of delicate flowers made out of barbed wire. The ten tracks are the meeting of two opposite ends of the spectrum in an explosion of music and moving lyrics. Volary provides the vocals, lyrics, and guitars on her...   Kate Bush Sensual World (Limited Edition LP) My introduction to the world of Kate Bush was a few months back listening to her landmark LP Hounds of Love; Even though I was unfamiliar with her sound at the time I knew that the title was her big breakthrough. What I found listening to Ms. Bush was an artist flourishing in a world of her own...   Irene Nachreiner With Her Latin Jazz Band A Hot And Spicy Christmas It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again already, but alas Christmas season is upon us, which of course means it’s time for some new holiday collections. Once again, there are plenty of artists trying to put their stamp on the holiday collections, and this year is no...   Alexander McCabe Quiz   Saxophonist Alexander McCabe's new release Quiz is a breath of fresh air. It's not a new sound, but McCabe and his group play intense post-bop with a welcome focus on expression and creativity. Jazz, in all its complex splendor, can be cold and impenetrable. All the superb,...   Transatlantic (DVD) Transatlantic Whirld Tour 2010-Live From Shepherd's Bush Empire, London The term supergroup makes people shudder but there is a band out there that defines that meaning and puts all of the preconceived notions to rest in one fell swoop, Transatlantic. Mike Portnoy’s brain child is a brilliant lineup of prog rock royalty. Including Mike (drums, percussion,...   Steven C On Christmas Night Steven C is an instrumental-classical pianist set to release his first Christmas album On Christmas Night. Having recently covered his Heart Strings album, I was pleased to see another release come my way. The timing is perfect for this release with Thanksgiving coming up tomorrow. God knows retailers...   11 Acorn Lane Happy Holy Days My Family isn’t like other families. I imagine other families liking each other and gathering close together by a fire and sharing good thoughts and laughter while sipping cocoa with marshmallows from big mugs with Thomas Kinkade paintings on them. That is not my family. One of my...   The Steve Miller Band Bingo! I’m going to put forth a bold statement. One that just may cause a loud cheer of pure celebration for all of us who have ever entertained the idea of going back in time and changing a few things about our lives. Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that Steve Miller, yes “The...   Gina Holsopple From The Earth   Anyone who really listens to Bob Dylan will admit that about half of his albums are absolutely terrible – not because the material is bad, but because it just doesn't fit Dylan, and when he tries too hard, it's disastrous. That's how I feel about From The Earth, the newest release by...   Piano Red The Lost Atlanta Tapes   “I used to live the blues years ago and that's where I learned to play them” says Willie Perryman (aka Piano Red, aka Doctor Feelgood), while introducing “My Baby's Gone”. That really says it all about this album. The music industry today is full of musicians...   Milky Whites and the Bluesmen Give Me Your Love Milky Whites is a prolific Canadian Blues artist who, after working in the industry for years has released his debut Album One Direction and his single Give Me Your Love in June of 2010.   The artist describes the single as outside his normal style of music as he wanted to express his love for...   Jethro Tull Stand Up (2CD/DVD Edition)   With the departure of Mick Abrahams (who would go on to form Bloodwyn Pig) Jethro Tull would usher in a new guitarist named Martin Barre for their second studio release.   Stand Up would find the group heading more to their soon to be realized progressive rock sound that started to take...   2cents Dress To Kill “HOLY f$%k ” is all you can say when an album opens with a song like “Dressed to Kill”. It’s the equivalent of musical freight train barreling towards you as you realize you’re stuck in quicksand and your only tool to get out is a small children’s...   Billy Joel The Hits 2011 is going to a big year for Billy Joel enthusiasts as Columbia/Legacy Recordings is going to embark on a big reissue project. As has been the recent trend, all of Billy Joel’s catalog will be re-released with expanded and restored versions. This way you can run out and get all of the...   Chancius Wabi-Sabi Chancius Drzewucki or Chancius offers up some pop reminiscent of the summery feel of the Beach Boys on Wabi-Sabi. I found it a bit frustrating for the lack of information on this artist, even on his website. I think what is really freaking me though out is his voice. Here I am trying to find out...   Crystal City Crystal City In the easy going world of singer/songwriters who rest easy with deep contemplative thoughts echoing through their heads, Crystal City stands out. They have a simple clean sound that sounds like something you should be listening to; as if somehow you have fallen over the bleeding edge of new...   Harper Stand Together Ok, everyone say it with me, Didgeridoo. Very good class, now can anyone tell me what a didgeridoo is? Yes, a musical instrument. And does anyone know where this instrument from? Correct! It’s from Australia. Now for bonus points can anyone tell me who plays a didgeridoo like...   Kristian Hoffman FOP Kristian Hoffman, a fixture on the New York art and music scene has created several cult favorites before FOP, his new 17 song solo CD. With a musical resume traced back to the Mumps and a set of collaborations including Rufus Wainwright, Klaus Nomi, Paul Reubens, and Van Dyke Parks to name a few,...   Aradia The Oddyssey   If you look up Aradia you find that it refers to the Gospel of Witches. Interesting however that this Aradia is an artist with a nine track recording called The Oddyssey. Notice the “odd” spelling? This lady has all kinds of messages and meanings on the cover of her CD. Or is it...   Mono Stereo Me and My Machine Mono Stereo's “Me and My Machine” is a well-crafted piece of music. The pun on the band’s name, with the music starting only on the left channel, and then adding in on the right channel after the first few seconds, is fun! The slow build of the music into the first verse is...   Lynwood Slim and the Igor Prado Band Brazilian Kicks Sometimes when you add one great thing to another great thing the result is one awful thing. For example, if you add 100 dollar bills to fire you get burnt money which, of course, is useless. If you add diamonds to chocolate chip cookies you get to go to the dentist and you better pray the...   Jimi Hendrix West Coast Seattle Boy Those of you that have been chomping at the bit for more unreleased Hendrix material will be happy to know a new 5 disc set, 4 CD’s and 1 DVD, is now available titled West Coast Seattle Boy. This comprehensive anthology covers the period of 1964-1970. You learn through listening and watching the...   Hogz in Dandyland Across A Miracle Hogz in Dandyland certainly isn’t the best band name I have ever heard, and for some reason I have always been irked by bands that have songs with the same title as their band, still there are some interesting things going on, on Across a Miracle.   Over 12 tracks and clocking in at...   Gabriel the Marine Your Friends and Loved Ones It’s been a few months since I’ve fallen in love with an album as much as Your Friends and Loved Ones, by Long Island’s Gabriel the Marine.   It may be due to the fact that there are only five songs on the album, but there are zero misses on Your Friends and Loved...   Bird Mancini Tuning In/Tuning Out I can honestly tell you without a trace of shame that I had to look up who Brian Epstein was. His name, being the subject matter of the new Bird Mancini song “(I Want My Own) Brian Epstein”, was vaguely familiar but something inside wasn’t clicking. So, while listening...   Tohpati Ethnomission Save the Planet Gather round boys and girls, your old Uncle Doug is going to pass along some words of wisdom that were passed along to him by a gypsy that discovered them at a Scottish flea market hanging underneath a sign for haggis. Those words are, “Always judge an album by its cover.” Loosely...   Joe Cassady and the West End Sound The Chymical Vegas Wedding There is a quality that folk artists must have to be believable that have made legends of Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead; it's a nameless something somewhere between having enough wisdom to lecture an audience and having just enough cool to not sound full of your own intelligence. Joe Cassady's...   Logan The Great Unknown   The Great Unknown is like a beautiful blue sky in the early morning because it has endless potential. This quite possibly could be the album that breaks these Glasgow, Scotland boys into the US market of great rock music. Breaking into the US rock market nowadays is like breaking...   California Guitar Trio Andromeda Do you enjoy New Age or ambient instrumental music, but find most of it to be boring, bland and way too repetitive? If so, the California Guitar Trio has what you really want! CGT is Paul Richards of Salt Lake City, Utah; Bert Lams of Affligem, Belgium; and Hideyo Moriya of Chiba, Japan.   To...   Wits End Play It By Ear Four piece group Wits End hails from Ventura County, California. The band is heavily influenced by 1960s’ punk pop outfits like The Kinks and The Small Faces and meld in a signature Californian flavor to their second album Play It By Ear.   The 12 track record is filled with guitar...   Craig Urquhart Within Memory I’ll admit it: I’m a bit of a sucker for good piano music. And Craig Urquhart’s album Within Memory definitely hits the spot as far as piano music goes.   First off, Within Memory is an album of completely pure piano. There’s no distraction from the presence of other...   Bob Dylan The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 (The Bootleg Series Vol. 9) I think it’s safe to say that Bob Dylan requires no introduction. He’s easily one of the greatest singer/songwriters ever, and some would certainly argue that he is the greatest. And because of the reputation and career that Mr. Dylan has achieved over what is now nearly 50 years, this...   Trisha O'Brien Out Of A Dream   If you want a satisfying taste of vocal jazz standards, there's already a plethora of recordings out there. If you want a fresh dose however, Trisha O'Brien out of Cleveland has whipped up another good one titled Out Of A Dream. She's a very proficient singer with a soft croon and...   Evan Wish Forget-Me-Not, Blue On his second studio release Forget-Me-Not, Blue Evan Wish puts together ten tracks of contemporary instrumental new age delight.   Wish is an accomplished concert pianist and obviously well versed in the studio. This is a fine effort punctuated by using quotes from Nobel Prize winners such...   Eight Feet Deep Eight Feet Deep I'm not a huge Led Zeppelin fan, but I didn't need to read Eight Feet Deep's bio to know that they are, probably because they sound like a cover band that made up their own lyrics.   Calling Eight Feet Deep a Zeppelin knock-off is both a compliment and a complaint. They are extremely...   David Bowie Station To Station (5 CD/1 DVD/3 LP) April 21, 1976 in Springfield, MA I saw David Bowie on his Isolar tour and two days later he played in Nassau, NY. Little did I know then I would be sitting here 34 years later listening to that performance in Nassau on CD and 180 gram audiophile vinyl. I was fortunate to get home in one piece after...   Rich Halley Quartet Live At The Penofin Jazz Festival Recorded live at the 15th annual Penofin Jazz Festival in Potter Valley, California, Rich Halley and his Quartet release their latest album Live At The Penofin Jazz Festival as a straight-from-the-stage recording.   The record combines both composed and improvised sets in an interesting manner....   Lis Addison The Grace of the Green Leaf Lis Addison is one of those multitalented indie artists that does much more than play music and sing. What Ms. Addison offers the listener seeking enlightenment through music, tones and dance comes in the form of Chanting, Ecstatic Dance and her technique KiVo: The Kinetic...   Kellylee Evans Nina Right now, from somewhere high above our heads, the legendary Nina Simone is nodding her head and smiling at the work Kellylee Evans has released. The album, Nina, is a tribute to the one and the only Nina Simone. Covering Nina Simone can be like covering a blimp with a beach towel as it...   Ravi Shankar/George Harrison Collaborations (CD/DVD Box Ltd. Edition) A little over a week ago I was asked if I wanted to review the recently released Ravi Shankar/George Harrison boxed set, Collaborations. It didn’t take me very long to decide as I have always been interesting in listening to some Ravi Shankar, but never really knew where to begin. Putting...   John Nemeth Name The Day! Sometimes a retro act is just what the doctor ordered. If you're in the mood for that soulful R&B sound of yesteryear, instead of putting on Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, or Wilson Pickett, try John Németh's recent release Name The Day. It's a fully vintage experience: from the...   Steven C Heart Strings Pianist Steven C(a.k.a. Steven C. Anderson) released Heart Strings in 2007 with soon to follow worldwide acclaim. His music has been used for TV programs such as NBC’s The Today Show, QVC, PBS, Oprah, Music Choice, and the Discovery Channel. Steven has sold over 2 million records and...   Billy Lavender Memphis Livin   Billy Lavender’s album Memphis Livin is blues at its finest. It’s gritty and jazzy, with an equal balance of funk and fun.   On Memphis Livin, Lavender, who was born and raised in Memphis, clearly demonstrates the influence growing up in the heart of the blues scene had on...   Michael Brant DeMaria GAIA GAIA is a hypothesis that the earth is a living being. If you stop and think about that for a moment it does not sound all that farfetched. Michael Brant DeMaria was intrigued by this concept so much he decided to record a meditation CD around those thoughts and vibrations. Michael has released three...   Darrell Katz & The Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra A Wallflower In The Amazon   If you know anything at all about jazz, (enough that the name Duke Ellington means anything to you), and you enjoy what you do know, then you'll enjoy A Wallflower in the Sun, the newest release from Darrell Katz and the Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra. If you don't, it won't impress you...   Kenny Neal Hooked On Your Love When your first instrument arrives in your hands at age three; it’s a sign. When your first instrument, a harp, is handed to you by the legendary Slim Harpo; Blues is your destiny. Somewhere in the very early 1960’s Kenny Neal’s destiny was carved in stone and he has...   Shambhu Sacred Love Feel The Journey   Shambhu (Sanskrit name meaning “source of happiness”) takes his spiritual journey and sets it to music on Sacred Love Feel The Journey. There is not only music here; the artist has provided a guide through each song to bring the listener to a hopefully blissful ending once the CD...   Ms. Jo Thompson & the JC Heard Orchestra Jo Thompson:Forever Fabulous!!! The gorgeous woman smiling back from the cover of Jo Thompson:Forever Fabulous!!! is 82 years old. That’s right, 82. Performing since the 1950s, the songstress was coaxed out of a thirty-year hiatus in the 90's by Jazz great Lionel Hampton. Consequently, Jo Thompson released her debut album,...   Woody Russell Up Against it If I had to describe Woody Russell’s new album Up Against It in 2 words it would be “GOD DAMN!” This record is like air and blood: necessary for life. I’m actually at a loss for words, which normally is the leading cause for the firing of many writers. This album...   Alice Cooper Theater of Death-Live At Hammersmith 2009 With Halloween right around the corner what better time to release an Alice Cooper CD/DVD set?  If it wasn’t for Alice there would have never been a Kiss Army or any other rock band that decided to put make up on then consider shock effects as a feature of their act.I don’t think there...   Bobby Avey A New Face The ascendant jazz pianist, Bobby Avey, released his debut CD, appropriately entitled A New Face, August 1, 2010 on jayDell Records. While he may be a new face to many, Avey is, like most talented artists, not entirely an “overnight” success story. He graduated from Purchase...   Jarrett Fenlon Sprung Singer/Songwriter Jarrett Fenlon is a fairly well-rounded individual. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Political Science, walked on to their football team, and obviously is musically talented as well. He is trained in the saxophone, clarinet, piano, drums, as well as the guitar....   Klezwoods Oy Yeah! There's something about the cover art of Klezwood's Oy Yeah! that speaks volumes about the music. Most jazz albums have a dark image on the front of one person playing a piano or saxophone, and they're almost never inviting. But here we have a circus-like group parading with instruments, and on...   Heidi Ann Bryer Another Place and Time... Heidi Ann Bryer finds inspiration in everyday things that we take for granted as life passes us by like an impatient driver. Heidi also hears music in the artwork of artist Alexander Volkov. On Another Place and Time… her new age instrumentals and occasional vocal musings do take you elsewhere....   Adam Schroeder A Handful Of Stars   Baritone saxophonist Adam Schroeder makes a terrific debut as a band leader with A Handful Of Stars. He's recorded extensively already but this is his first project as musical captain. On it, Schroeder, guitarist Graham Dechter, bassist John Clayton, and Drummer Jeff Hamilton let...   Michael Bladt Kirkland I love when I get a new album that is like a grocery of great music. I am currently considering Michael Bladt’s new album Kirkland to be the Whole Foods of Jazz. This album has it all from beautiful songs that weave themselves into the background of your life and then you find yourself...   Conference Call What About.....? Free jazz took root over 50 years ago in rebellion against the confines of traditional jazz formats. Now, as then, free jazz practitioners seek new forms of expression outside of common modalities. While recent popular music has undergone several insurgencies such as rock, rap and hip-hop, and has...   Brian Linne Man on The Moon The last album from Brian Linne was the excellent Uniqueness In Me in 2004. Six years later we have another exceptional recording titled Man on The Moon. The CD comes housed in a DVD style case with a large booklet including all the lyrics and artwork relating to each track. The main theme of the new...   Bud Summers Eons     It’s a pretty obvious statement to say that people have a variety of tastes when it comes to music. What sounds positively heavenly to one listener may have the same effect as nails on a chalkboard to another listener. Every once in a while, though, an artist comes along who can...   Ric Zweig Running Out of Time Singer songwriter Ric Zweig releases his fourth album of original material in Running Out of Time. Due to personal reasons Zweig also donates five dollars from each album purchased to The American Cancer Society.   Running Out Of Time is filled with well composed songs that are entrenched in...   TagYerit Shimmer TagYerit is playful band that grew from the minds of husband and wife Flora Lee and Richard Newman. The couple has been writing songs for years, and with the invention of the internet in the early 90s decided it was time to start recording some of their songs so they could share them from their own...   Elvis Presley Viva Elvis I still remember the first time I met Elvis. It was 1997 and I was passing through Macon, Georgia on my way to Pittsburgh, Pa. I pulled into a small diner called Lillie’s Southern Fried to get a bite when I noticed my shoe was untied. I bent down to remedy the situation and I heard...   Ann Licater Doorway To A Dream   Ann Licater provides “Flute for the Soul” on her new release Doorway To A Dream. What ends up happening while listening to this recording is that it becomes a doorway to your soul. Any good meditation music can provide that type of relaxation and focus but the key is can it offer...   Lillian Axe Deep Red Shadows Oh heavy metal, where would I be without you? Probably finishing my doctorate at Harvard or perhaps cracking the atom in order to develop a better everlasting gobstopper. I’m not blaming metal music for the way my life turned out. Oh wait, yes I am. Who can help it...   David Mauk Ground Swell   I'm always skeptical of music labeled 'ambient.' It can be extremely boring. After all, if music is ambient then it's meant to be heard in the background and not actually listened to. David Mauk's new disc Ground Swell could be used that way, like musical wallpaper, but it...   Kirsten Thien Delicious There is an often ignored golden rule in life that, if used, would vastly improve all of our lives. The rule is simple. It is “Everything is better with horns”. I’m not talking about the bull horns on the front of a rich Texans Cadillac but instead the musical horns...   Angelina Bentley and The Cosmic Party Kings & Butterflies   Angelina Bentley and The Cosmic Party starts off their new CD Kings & Butterflies with a catchy and warm tune called “The Farther I Fell (Lullaby)”. This music is considered to be a combination of pop and new age. It gives you a lot of hope for an opening track; in fact it is...   Peter Jennison Longing For Home (Songs From War) It would be easy for an Iraqi War veteran to be bitter, and it would be expected for a musician trapped in the war to make an angry album full of explosive opinions on politics. But on Longing For Home (Songs From War), Peter Jennison goes the opposite direction; he doesn't state a side or stand on...   Rivera In the Annex In the rock and alternative world, it's pretty popular to talk shit about pop music. The most ridiculous part of that, to me, is that most bands that hate on that title are nothing but--they label themselves something like rock/pop/alternative. Sandwiching the word between two other genres...   My My My Leather Silk Chicago natives My My My immediately sound like a band with a plan. Their last album, 2008’s Little Cat Plays the Alpha Rave was praised as containing no filler and powerful lyrics. Leather Silk seems to have picked up from that thread and holds on to that title than mantle for ten tracks. The...   D.B. Rielly Love Potions and Snake Oil   I’d like to take a moment and thank God for creating David Hasselhoff. Not only because he has provided us with quality televisions shows like Knight Rider and Baywatch, but he also is listed as a tongue in cheek influence on D.B. Rielly. The quote from Rielly’s press...   The Soft Hills Noruz As a new resident of Seattle, I was very pleased to find out that The Soft Hills reside in my new home. The quintet is comprised of Drew Dresman, Garrett Hobba, Brett Massa, Brittan Drake, and Caleb Heinrich…or at least this is what their debut full-length, Noruz,lists. Their MySpace...   The Britton Brothers Band Uncertain Living Listening to Uncertain Living, the debut album from The Britton Brothers Band, the first thought that came to mind was, “Wow. This music is classy.” It’s the type of jazz one would expect to be playing at a fancy restaurant, or an elegant event of some sort.   What the...   Star One Victims of the Modern Age After a short respite into a different side project called Guilt Machine, Arjen Lucassen returns to the familiar ground of Star One. This time out it’s called Victims of the Modern Age. It has been seven years since the Live On Earth album was released. It was worth the wait, no surprise...   Abyssal Creatures Abyssal Creatures After listening to Ian Fellerman's Abyssal Creatures, the newest album by his solo project with the same name, I was literally dumbfounded. It's pretty clear to me that the only abyssal thing here is Fellerman.   This album is not only poor in musicianship, it's gratingly obvious that Fellerman...   Lynette Washington Kaleidoscope   Like most seasoned vocalists, Lynette Washington’s brassy, confident vocals shine through onKaleidoscope, the singer’sthird jazz album.  Listing a string of accomplishments and collaborations with artists like Aretha Franklin, Peter Gabriel, Celia Cruz, and Clifford Jordan,...   Lisa Downing Christmas For Two As soon as I got the CD Christmas For Two from Lisa Downing I thought…it’s a month before Halloween and I am supposed to get in the Holiday spirit? I don’t think so. Well it did not get me in the Holiday spirit but what this recording was able to do is change my mood significantly...   Shin Kawasaki Shin Kawasaki I'm totally bowled over by Shin Kawasaki's new self-titled disc. It's the most fun, intelligent, and eclectic album I've heard in oh-so-long. Kawasaki's electro-fusion experiments grabbed me from the get-go and held on until the very last tune ended. You can cut a rug to it or absorb...   Julie Slick Julie Slick   For those unfamiliar, Julie Slick is a renowned bassist and composer from the Philadelphia area. While you may not know her by name, Slick has an extensive resume that includes time recording with artists such as Eddie Vedder, Stewart Copeland, Alice Cooper, and Adrian Belew to name a few....   Dean Shoultz Suite Emotions After listening to Dean Shoultz’s new album Suite Emotions, I am left with only one thing to say. I hate Dean Shoultz. He is just a repulsive individual that makes me, yes I’ll admit it, insanely jealous.  I mean come on, no one should be this freaking good in all areas. I...   Michael Franti and Spearhead The Sound of Sunshine Michael Franti has let his bare feet lead him around the world gathering inspiration for his music. He has walked through war torn countries and written albums dedicated to the struggle of mankind suffering under political and social strife. For this outing he brings positive vibrations and...   Jean-Paul & Things To Hear Zonk When you go to a band’s website and right off the bat it says “A weird band,” it raises questions as to what that band’s music is really going to be like.   This is the case with Jean-Paul & Things to Hear. On their website, they call themselves “A weird...   Maddam Ink Inklination   In 1982 Billy Joel wrote the song “Allentown”. I was going to go further with that but the curse of Billy Joel’s soft rock radio friendly music has turned my brain to the kind of mush that normally only happens when you listen to too much trance drumming...   Nick Gill Nick Gill -EP   Standing against a desolate industrial backdrop, Nick Gill, an 18 year-old pop rock singer songwriter from Fairhope, Alabama stands with his guitar ready to divulge the innermost feelings that an 18 year old would have.   After the release of his second album Through the Straight and...   The Mark Lomax Trio The State of Black America Mark Lomax is a glorious animal that in one moment is attacking the drums as if his very survival depended on it and then seamlessly switches to the softest touch I have ever heard. This album, The State of Black America ,is absolutely beautiful to me with its crazed beauty of controlled chaos...   The Loveless Estate Electric Candlelight   Of all people, I should really know not to judge an album by it’s cover. When I got my last stack of CDs to review I put The Loveless Estate’s Electric Candlelight near the bottom because I assumed from the album cover and the title that this was going to be an album of piano...   Dwight Twilley Green Blimp I didn't know Dwight Twilley at all before I heard Green Blimp, although I had heard a couple of his songs and never knew who wrote them. After I checked out this latest album, set for release on October 5, I hopped online and listened to some of the older tunes Twilley is already known for,...   Shota Osabe and Margie Barker A Bit Of Jazz And More... An unlikely jazz duo, Margie Barker and Shota Osabe, have been making music together live for years, and they bring their chemistry and fluidity to life on their first studio release together, A Bit of Jazz And More...   Osabe first coaxed Barker into singing almost forty years ago. He made...   Kristina Pupo Things I Never Say Kristina Pupo stares back earnestly enough on the cover of her debut album, Things I Never Say  leading listeners to believe shes got a secret. A Florida native, she graduated from Columbia College Hollywood and writes her own music, lyrics, and plays a host of instruments. Described as...   Elli Fordyce Songs Spun of Gold Women never tell their age or weight, but I sir am no woman, so therefore I am not bound to the rules of shadowy secrecy that surround women’s secret facts like age and weight. I will not pretend to know Elli Fordyce’s weight and nor will I guess. I will tell you though that...   The Midnight Kites The Color of Light Based in Denver, Colorado, The Midnight Kites are a trio comprised of Jill DeFehr McDougall (vocals), Bruce McDougall (guitar), and Connor DeFehr (bass). The rest of the pieces are filled in by various guest musicians. They formed in late 2008 when husband and wife, Jill and Bruce, converted their...   Copernicus Nothing Exists Nothing Exists, the new (yet old) LP from Copernicus is easily one of the coolest albums I have ever heard.   Originally released in 1985, Nothing Exists was Copernicus’s first album, paving the way for the eleven albums that would follow. After releasing a new album in 2009, Copernicus...   George Cotsirilos Past Present To listen to Past Present without a modicum of background knowledge on San Francisco guitarist George Cotsirilos, while unquestionably enjoyable, would be like starting the first chapter of an important book without first reading the forward which can provide the reader with information to...   Scott Dameron & Jay Ladd V Walker 904A If you are in the mood for some good folk songs with touching lyrics I have the right medicine for you, Scott Dameron & Jay Ladd V. The duo came together by a stroke of fate as roommates in college and they ended up writing songs together and remained friends and here we are today with a superb...   The Blue Shadows On The Floor Of Heaven Deluxe Edition I have to admit that up until a little while ago (3 hours) I was blissfully unaware that Canada had a country music scene. Call it ignorance if you wish but my love of music has never extended north. It may be due to my exposure to Canadian music is limited to my adolescent years spent...   Mr. D.O.G. Streets of tha Tac Mr. D.O.G., a former recipient of the Seattle's Mayor's Award for musical excellence and business acumen is also the current winner of the WA rapper of the year award. If that’s any indication of what to expect from the rappers fourth album, Streets of tha Tac, the anticipation is only...   Davol Good Sign Davol (pronounced duh-VALL) is a solo new age artist out of Colorado. He began a path in music with classical piano, and as a teen moved into more electronic styles as well as jazz and classical harpsichord. Ever since getting a Moog synthesizer Davol had been passionate about the music of artists...   Wide Hive Players Players   Although it rarely receives the same attention as other, more mainstream genres of music, the jazz scene today remains alive and well. California natives Wide Hive Players are proof of this.   Given when it was that jazz was in its hey-day, the genre tends to have an inherent older...   Norman Johnson If Time Stood Still When Norman Johnson was a freshman in high school a friend lent him the George Benson album “The Other Side of Abbey Road” and it changed Norman’s life forever. Like the saying goes, a butterfly flaps its wings and Norman Johnson finds his path in life and then a tornado...   Christopher Boscole Inner Voyages I recently finished reading all of the Harry Potter books in order, and afterward, I picked up the next book in my pile of things to read, which happened to be a silly chick book my mom sent me. And while there's nothing wrong with it, and it's not poorly written, I'm having a hard time making...   Panic Room Satellite   Panic Room is a fearsome quintet of highly skilled musicians, cutting loose on melodic pop and rock songs. These talented pros explore the musical cosmos on this year's release Satellite. Led by singer and lyricist Anne-Marie Helder, Panic Room blissfully draws on a galaxy of...   Oliver Miguel Aire This is Oliver Miguel’s second recording as a leader and the first since the 2003 Esperanza. Miguel is still a very young man however his maturity from a musical standpoint is above and beyond anything I would expect after looking at the cover of his new CD Aire. He still looks very young and...   Jessica Johnson A League of My Own One thing Jessica Johnson isn’t, is shy. In fact, confidence exudes from the cover of her latest album, A League Of My Own is an album filled with bold beats and Johnson’s confident vocals.   Cutting her teeth by performing for major sporting events and local venues in the...   James LaBrie Static Impulse After plenty of touring and a few Dream Theater albums, James LaBrie has emerged with his fourth solo effort, Static Impulse. When listening to his other albums, I felt as if each subsequent album was better than the previous one, and Static Impulse holds true to that theory. Static Impulse feels like...   Lisa Hilton Nuance   Solo Piano music draws in a unique crowd. These fine folks who regularly listen to just a piano generally aren’t the kind you find talking part in demolition derbies on Saturday evenings in some far off barely on the map town with a petting zoo that contains a dog. Most of the...   The Town Pants Coming Home Rarely do I find any enjoyment in releases that incorporate the didgeridoo in any way shape or form, but on The Town Pants fourth release, Coming Home, the Vancouver-based band has found a way. The opening track “New South Wales” just kicks off this live release signaling the beginning...   Heart Red Velvet Car It’s hard to believe it has been six years since the release of the fantastic Jupiter’s Darling album. Heart and the sisters Wilson have been very busy with live performances, DVDs, solo albums and various side projects. So are they still relevant as Heart after a six year absence from...   Bray Amphibian   Bray is the kind of talent that reminds you of hit radio when it was good and there was actual talent coming over the airwaves, not processed sounds and girls that just know how to shake their booty around. He has that golden throat that sounds so pleasing and inviting. On top of that his...   There Is No Sin in My Body There Is No Sin in My Body There Is No Sin In My Body is a band fronted by Troy Keiper situated in Portland, Maine. The new CD is the arduous result of a year holed up in nightly tapings from basements, empty offices and spare rooms which is compiled into a single self titled album reaching just under thirty-five minutes....   Kle K-L-E About half-way through the first song on K-L-E, I had to stop and think about what makes a good R&B album. Because while some of the lyrics on K-L-E are absolutely ridiculous, no one ever said they were supposed to be anything else. R&B is entertainment in its most instantly gratifying way...   Miles Davis Bitches Brew Legacy Edition (2 CD/1 DVD) So where do you start with a recording that created a genre? Bitches Brew and its legendary and iconic status has not waned one iota since the celebrated release of the set in 1970. Miles Davis changed jazz forever more than once from the 50s all the way up to this marvelous concoction of jazz-rock...   Blue Cut We Walk In Temperatures   When I first saw the Partridge Family on TV I was fascinated at the thought of starting a band within my family. As it turns out, the wolf pack that raised me were only good at howling at each other and no music can make that sound good. Thankfully, the Latham Family is nothing like...   One Step Away For The Broken Adam Carrington (vocals), Terrence Healy (guitar), Ben Trudeau (drums) and Michael Nuzzolo (bass) are the Boston based One Step Away. The rock pop outfit recently released their self released debut For The Broken.   My first impression of this band was “Oh no, another Disney band clone...   Nic Stevens Willow Run EP I found it hard to write about singer-songwriter Nic Stevens' Willow Run EP. His music isn't bad; in fact I think a lot of people are going to enjoy it. It was hard for me to form an opinion because his sound is so middle of the road and generic I wasn't sure what to say about...   David Wahler A Star Danced On his sophomore album, A Star Danced, David Wahler takes us away from everyday life without ever saying a word. Wahler uses electronic keyboards to create an atmosphere that is simultaneously whimsical and mysterious, and instantly brings to mind images of floating through space....   District 97 Hybrid Child Progressive rock is a curious beast. Rising from the psychedelia of Britain's late 60s, its heyday was some forty years ago. Of its reputation, album side-long suites, extensive soloing and cosmic album covers remain their legacy, one that is both revered by some, and dubious to others. It wasn't a...   VJ Kapur Proto EP VJ Kapur provides the vocals, guitar, bass, keys, and does all the writing and arranging on the three songs for the Proto EP. He gives you a chance to listen for free, which has become the way to get your music heard before you sign on with a label and actually try and sell your product.   This...   The Echo Wall These Shipwrecked Words The Echo Wall is an Americana (more specifically alt country and folk) band consisting of Shannon Bailey (vocals & guitar), Nina Goodman (keyboards), Hallsi Killian (glockenspiel & vocals), Mike Shumann (bass) and Audrey Thomas-Googins (violin & vocals). Their EP These Shipwrecked...   Ben Woolman Many Moods   Minnesota based finger-style guitarist, Ben Woolman lends his abilities to his latest album, Many Moods, a vast arrangement of musical genres ranging from the 1920s to the present century. The musician plays homage to the history of finger-style guitar as well as various samples of...   Aoeria Waterwheel   There are a lot of genres of music that rose to popularity in the 1990s; nearly everyone can reminisce, whether they were fans of boy bands, alternative Train-esque bands, nerd rock, or “hard rock”, which is what Aoeria calls itself. If you spent the '90s in Tool t-shirts and...   Jeff Antoniuk and The Jazz Update Brotherhood On their second album Brotherhood, Jeff Antoniuk and The Jazz Update have proven themselves to be a quartet to be reckoned with. They unleash their mastery over 10 songs that will leave you searching for their first album, Here Today, in an effort to buy everything they have on the...   Eleventhe Hour Making It Real Out of Augusta, GA comes the quartet the Eleventhe Hour. They’re very sneaky; they spell eleventh with an “e” on their end, and their album cover shows three people in the band even though they list four of them in the liner notes. The four consist of Ilhwa Gallo (vocals), Michael Ray...   Happy Clinic Memory Mound Happy Clinic - Memory Mound - Stefan Sullivan Happy Clinic is an independent collaborative recording from pianist/philosopher Stefan Sullivan and Tiger Lillies sound designer Claus Buehler. The end result is a strange and (at times) wonderful amalgam of darkness and sound. This does not come as a...   Cheap Trick Setlist: The Very Best Of Cheap Trick Live Cheap Trick has been around for what seems like forever. I swear they were the band that was onstage when Lincoln was assassinated. In reality, it was 1977 when their first album, Cheap Trick, came out. As the story goes, no one in the States paid any attention to them but when the boys went to Japan...   Ross Riskin Keep Moving Keep Moving - Ross Riskin Ross Riskin has a surprisingly mature voice for a 19-year old. His ability to meld some pretty personal lyrics with a soft and yearning vocal ability lends itself well to Keep Moving, the singer songwriter’s first album.   The singer/songwriter from Orange,...   Kito Peters High Road High Road - Kito Peters  Kito Peters' music springs from 60's rebellion, but it's modern enough for boomers and hipsters alike. His songs are mind-expanded folk rock epics in the vain of Leonard Cohen, Cat Stevens, and Bob Dylan, with all the usual modern folk themes. He sings plaintively about...   Lisa Brigantino Wonder Wheel Wonder Wheel - Lisa Brigantino It's hard to place Lisa Brigantino in a genre. Maybe it's her rock background (she used to play in an all female Zeppelin cover band), or her phenomenal talent to play an array of instruments ranging from guitar to accordion, or her full, twangy voice, but something...   Mitch Kashmar & The Pontiax 100 Miles To Go ECARD Good Blues music has a lot in common with good BBQ. No matter where you go in this country someone is cooking it and the way they do it is to their own taste and style. Mitch Kashmar & the Pontiax version of the Blues is like a tour of the country. Somehow he manages to pack each song...   Bob Corritore and Friends Harmonica Blues ECARD Buying a good harmonica Blues album is like buying a cow that provides you with fresh sweet milk every morning. Buying a great harmonica blues album like Bob Corritore and Friends, Harmonica Blues, is like buying a cow that not only provides you with fresh sweet milk but also comes with a...   Hunters & Runners Of Classic Renown Of Classic Renown - Hunters & Runners There are some albums that are good without knocking your socks off. There isn’t anything wrong with them; they’re just missing that extra oomph that would push them from a good album to a great album.   This is the case with Of Classic...   Foghat Last Train Home Last Train Home - Foghat It was no surprise to me when I heard the legendary Foghat were putting together an all Blues album. They have, after all, been cranking out some well influenced Blues Rock for the better part of 38 years and 20 albums. Let us also not forget that the song that put Foghat on...   Magic Slim and The Teardrops Raising The Bar Raising The Bar - Magic Slim & The Teardrops  Magic Slim (born Morris Holt) is a blues musician through and through. Hailing from Mississippi, the recently turned 73 year old blues singer and guitarist began as a pianist, but switched to the guitar after losing his little finger in a...   Beware Fashionable Women Beware Fashionable Women Beware Fashionable Women - Beware Fashionable Women  If playing indie rock means making music you like regardless of how well it's received, then Beware Fashionable Women (or BFW) are surely indie rockers. They do what they like, even if a few musical quirks, like jump jazz guitar chords and...   Laguna Volcano Volcano - Laguna Laguna, a jazz outfit helmed by by Shane Peck who has collaborated with several Seattle musicians in the inception of Volcano, the group’s latest release. The group blends in several different influences that range from psychedelic rock to classical jazz.  While most...   Ran Blake/ Christine Correa Out of the Shadows   Christine Correa has one of those voices that seem destined to sing jazz from an early age. It’s not your classic voice like Ella Fitzgerald. It’s a voice that has been lived in and can easy identify with the struggles of life and love. It’s a voice for a...   Dane Drewis Rock & Soul Dane Drewis brings a slew of different guitar work that are throwbacks to the greats like Santana and Stevie Ray Vaughan while his vocals serve as homage to the Motown Era. A veteran in performing covers of rock and soul classics, the musician has released his third album of original work, aptly...   Spinn She Was Heartache The first thing I noticed about She Was Heartache, the debut recording by rock group Spinn, is the raw acoustic sound. That unprocessed, live sound is used for most of the thirty minute album. It's a refreshing approach and it suits the candid emotions in these nine, heart-on-the-sleeve...   Koshari Reappear Koshari is a three-piece noise-rock band based out of the Arlington, VA/Washington, DC area. Their sound is often described as “shoegaze”, but unless you like that style, chances are you don’t really know what that sounds like. Referring to a band as “noise” usually...   Kim Divine Square One If, when I die and go to that magical place called heaven, the angels don’t sing like Kim Divine I’m switching to Hinduism so I can be reborn and have a chance to hear her voice again. When you listen to Ms. Divine’s new album Square One, Irecommend wearing headphones as to...   Tribal Machine The Orwellian Night   Chances are, if you were born past 1980 and you hear the words “concept album”, your mind automatically jumps to Green Day and their most recent two albums. However, they're not the only band making such albums today (and they were hardly the first), and other than a political...   Nnenna Freelon Homefree When you think back to some of the “greats” in jazz history, several of the superstars are women. Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Etta Jones—these women were, and still are, considered among the elite of the jazz world.   With her latest album, Homefree, Nnenna...   Mercury Falls Quadrangle Mercury Falls is a quartet lead by guitarist Ryan Francesconi and baritone saxophonist Patrick Cress. The group utilizes anorganic combination of ambient beats and textures with the free form influences of jazz on their debut effort titled Quadrangle.   The groups’ approach to melody is...   Avantasia Angel of Babylon   Angel of Babylon is the third and final chapter of Avantasia’s Scarecrow Trilogy. I can only imagine the pressure on mastermind Tobias Sammet as he tried to effectively wrap up this project. After how impressive The Wicked Symphony was, I couldn’t wait to hear more Avantasia....   Frank Carlberg Tivoli Trio I’m not really sure if I would get along with pianist and composer Frank Carlberg. In the liner notes of his latest release, Carlberg reminisces about his youthful fascination with amusement parks, carnivals, parades, magic shows, etc.; basically several places full of creepy clowns. However,...   Masterplan Time To Be King Masterplan make their grand return with Time To Be King this year. Jorn Lande, who has been busy providing vocals for likes of Ayreon, Avantasia and others, brings his trademark vocals to the front of the powerful lineup that is Masterplan. Former Helloween member Roland Grapow (guitars) leads...   Jamie Begian Big Band Big Fat Grin   Seventeen seasoned jazz musicians are a powerful force to wield and control, but control (and flaunt) he does as Jamie Begian leads his big band through nine engaging tracks on his new CD, Big Fat Grin. This is the band’s second release, the first being Trance in 2003. Begian,...   Handful of Luvin' Life In Between Handful of Luvin’ is happy feet music. The diverse four piece from the Seattle area offers up energy filled roots rock Celtic influenced tracks on their new release Life In Between. Did you every listen to an album several times, loved it, and then were left feeling perplexed as...   Various Prog Around the World Magna Carta has been a home to many of the world’s greatest prog bands for a long time. Modern prog is a genre, however, that spawns from no single nation. It’s fitting that Magna Carta would take some of its premier international talent to form the compilation disc Prog Around the...   Stevie Wonder Talking Book (24 Karat Gold) When one speaks the word legend in music how many times does it really fit? In the case of Stevie Wonder, he defines the true meaning of the word. He stands tall amongst his peers such as Elton John, The Beatles, and all the other hit makers of his time.   Talking Book is a career defining album...   Smirnov Privet Earth   The first time I listened “Privet Earth!” by Smirnov I thought to myself, “What is this? 1989? This Rock style went out 20 years ago.” I promptly set the disc down and moved on with my life. About four or five hours later I put the cd back on and tried again, I am...   Devin Rice & Erin Aas Arrival Arrival is the aptly-named new recording from first-time collaborators Erin Aas and Devin Rice. The 15 tracks are brand new compositions and the music is New Age. It's all very fresh, but Aas and Rice aren't wet behind the ears. They've each been bustling in the music biz for some...   Matt Farr Matt Farr   Matt Farr isn’t like every other musician we hear about every day. He isn’t about being a “rockstar” or altering his recordings on computers, this native of South Florida is all about bringing the spirit of 60s/70s rock and making music with that vintage sound....   Skip-Dawg Trust Me, I'm A Rapper Don't judge an album by it's cover, or it's ridiculous name, because while Skip-Dawg is less of a rapper and more of an R&B artist, Trust Me, I'm A Rapper isn't half bad.   Consider that the number one song in America is Usher's “Oh My Gosh”, in which Usher literally sings,...   The Primary Days Among Giants   When it comes to musical development, there’s a stage in the game where mixing up one’s style is a worthwhile risk, and stage where it’s not. If you are an established artist/band with a steady fan following, then a bit of change can be refreshing. If you’re just...   Metaform The Electric Mist   At fourteen tracks, The Electric Mist is a fully developed album with a strong underlying use of industrial beats and processed but sincere vocals. Metaform’s years helming the audio controls are displayed in full effect on the record with each track flowing with layers and layers of...   SNEW We Do What We Want SNEW is, almost too fittingly, a hard rock outfit coming out of Hollywood, CA. From the moment you pick up their second album, We Do What We Want, you can pretty much guess where this thing is going to go. You’ve got this AC/DC, Kiss, Motorhead vibe going on, and that certainly doesn’t...   Freak Owls Taxidermy From the opening call of “Whooo Ah” that comes accompanied by a beautiful acoustic guitar, Freak Owls have you trapped into listening to Taxidermy until the end. Luckily, Taxidermy is a wonderfully dreamy sequence of nine songs that only get better with each listen. Considering the...   Brandy Lynn Confer In the Dust When an artist creates an album, there’s an important goal he or she has to achieve right off the bat: grabbing the listener’s attention.   With her album In the Dust, Brandy Lynn Confer accomplishes this, but not really through any effort of her own. What catches the listener...   Willie Nelson Setlist: Best of Willie Nelson Live What can you really say about an American legend who still makes worthwhile music? Plenty of Willie Nelson's musical brothers are churning out poor albums and starring in Victoria's Secret commercials, but Nelson continues to make good music, and even a greatest hits CD is worth your...   Sonya Kahn New Beginning It’s not often that I find myself at a loss for words, but when it comes to defining Sonya Kahn’s album New Beginning that seems to be the case.   There is plenty to be said about New Beginning, but as far as easily categorizing it? Almost impossible.   This album...   Jeconte Sweet Northern California   Cue “Colorado,” an all out celebration of funk and rock, and more importantly, the first track on Jeconte’s 2009 album, Sweet Northern California. The perfect showcasing of the band’s rock/funk style, “Colorado” is the most upbeat song on the album. But...   Judas Priest Setlist: The Very Best of Judas Priest Judas Priest are one of the best metal bands of all time, they did help invent it after all.   The band has a back catalogue that any band on the planet would be envious of. The CD consists of early material such as the legendary “Breaking the Law” from the classic British Steel...   Shakura S'Aida Brown Sugar Shakura S'Aida is an adept and powerful Blues, Jazz, and R&B singer. Her best asset, though, might be her skill as a performer. The 12 tracks on her sophomore recording Brown Sugar sound spontaneous, enthusiastic, and unaffected. She's comfortable with all the broad stylistic ground...   The Actomatics 10 Stories The Actomatics are a quintet out of Longwood, FL fronted by vocalist/keyboardist Shadow Pearson. The instruments are covered by four gentlemen; Rick Thomas (drums), Rich Hewitt (bass), Jamie Wright (rhythm guitar), and John Lathrop (lead guitar).   Whether or not you like the Actomatics will...   Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble Couldn't Stand the Weather: Legacy Edition The blues is not something that can be learned. Great bluesmen are born, not raised. There is something that needs to be present in their very souls from birth that makes them have a deeper connection to the music that seems to flow from them like breath flows from you and I. Stevie Ray...   Jim Guttmann Bessarabian Breakdown Jim Guttmann is having an extraordinary career. His love of music is unbound to a specific genre; from rock in the 60s to jazz and bluegrass in the 70s to klezmer in the 80s to an unabashed mix of genres with the aptly named Mimi Rabson’s Really Eclectic String Quartet (RESQ) in the 90s and...   Traveling in Stereo Traveling in Stereo EP  Making your EP freely downloadable is a great marketing strategy for getting music out there. However, it seems like Traveling in Stereo’s main objective in doing so is to share their voice and message with a larger audience rather than a self serving agenda.   The New Jersey band...   Percy Howard's Meridiem A Pleasant Fiction Before I look at any information about an artist or the album I'm reviewing, I listen to the entire thing first. I did this with A Pleasant Fiction, the 2004 release from Percy Howard, and then I looked him up on his website and on Google expecting to find people like me who didn't quite...   Man the Mighty Beneath the Skin   For crowds that yearn for a taste of both metal and alternative-rock tunes, Illinois-based band, Man the Mighty, may be just what those music fans are searching for. With a consistency of palm-muting, metal riffs, and even potential guitar sweeps, the harder rock scene is in for a treat with...   Jessy Tomsko The Light You Make   The way we experience life, how we think and feel, is up to us. That's the pervasive theme of Jessy Tomsko's debut album The Light You Make.  The disc's ten appealing songs let us in on her philosophy and her gift for effortless warmth. From the cover art to her breezy,...   Jefferson Airplane Setlist: The Very Best Of Jefferson Airplane Live Being one of the unfortunate bastards that missed out on Jefferson Airplane because I was not born yet, my knowledge of Grace Slick was sadly derived from my early childhood exposure to Starship. It was a shock to me when I found out that a few people in this band Starship used to be cool and were...   Heathen The Evolution of Chaos   If you're not a metal fan, then you probably haven't heard of Heathen, but you probably have heard music just like their newest album The Evolution of Chaos.   The lyrics on the album are sometimes smart and sometimes overdone to the point of inducing eye-rolling. A lot of...   Gloria Miller Let Go   Confidence exudes from Gloria Miller’s latest album, Let Go. An experienced artist in both life and music, she puts several layers of genres to work on the record with interesting results. Citing inspirations such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holliday, Sarah Vaughn, and Natalie Cole, the...   Delain Lucidity Delain is a Dutch rock/metal band, though they are often labeled as “symphonic rock”. They are founded by ex- Within Temptation keyboardist Martijn Wetsterholt and vocalist Charlotte Wessels. This release of Lucidity is a re-release of their debut album from 2006 with five bonus tracks....   The Blood of Heroes The Blood of Heroes The Blood of Heroes’ self-titled release is the veritable soundtrack of the post-apocalypse; a post-modern meltdown of genre and form where chaotic soundscapes reign. The album sounds like the evil twin of Prodigy, if he were to light himself on fire and run around the set of Terminator...   Sun Domingo Live in Montreal, Marillion Weekend 09 When it comes to live albums, artists need to be very, very careful in the execution of both the concert being recorded for the album, and the final product of the album itself.   From the sound quality being off—too loud, too soft, too harsh-- to the artist not realizing that the amount...   Various Artists Thalamus III A thalamus is a small structure deep in the brain that helps coordinate sensations and consciousness. If you want to make yours rattle and hum, listen to Thalamus III, a two-disc set of intense ambient music recorded live in 2005. The performance took place in St. Petersburg and the artists...   The Sunset Curse Artificial Heart The Sunset Curse calls their music electronic-thrash-rock. I can agree with that description for the most part. The thrash element is apparent however it’s not one that stands out too much.  Their new album Artificial Heart is primarily electronic-rock and because of that this recording is...   Downchild I Need A Hat   Downchild's current lineup has been together for over 15 years, and I Need A Hat shows their experience and talent. Don Walsh leads the group, followed by Chuck Jackson, Pat Carey, Michael Fonfara, Gary Kendall, and Mike Fitzpatrick, with others scattered in on random instruments.   I...   Alyse Black Hold Onto This Alyse Black has a voice that stops you in your tracks. It’s a natural voice that someone is simply born with rather than worked on over years. She is a natural born singer who thankfully gave up her career in international business to return to her true love, music. Hold Onto...   Phil Sargent A New Day Progressive jazz guitarist Phil Sargent’s second CD, A New Day, is his first release as leader since his debut, For Carl, in 2002. During the intervening years Sargent has been very busy as a sideman working with a variety of well-known band leaders such as Jerry Bergonzi, John Lockwood,...   Acidic Getting Lucky LA band Acidic has a solid release in Getting Lucky.  The 12-track sophomore album brings me back to the summer post high school graduation - Just old enough to have real angst, but not really any other cares besides having fun. It would be a surprise if teenagers everywhere couldn't relate to...   Jameson South Shore Girls... Matthew Jameson is a solo artist on mission to win you over in more ways than one. Let me start by saying that the CD EP South Shore Girls... came in the most interesting package. In fact, I would say I have never received anything so clever in my twelve years writing reviews. He sent the CD in a...   Johnny Cash Setlist -The Very Best of Johnny Cash Live It’s not often I get to review an artist that I don’t have to give some background on, so I am excited to review a new release entitled Setlist – The Very Best of Johnny Cash Live by the legendary “Man in Black” himself.   As the title implies, this is a compilation...   Christian Fabian Keys In Ascension For many years I have maintained a strict boycott on any music that is made by or performed by anyone from Sweden. This ban is in retaliation for the likes of ABBA, Ace of Bass, and Yngwie Malmsteen. I’m glad to say that my boycott has apparently finally been recognized as Sweden is...   Iron Kim Style Iron Kim Style Iron Kim Style. The name is just about as nonsensical as the music produced by the band members who represent it. I am all about “fusion” but this is just ridiculous. Iron Kim Style even has trouble defining what they are on their Myspace page. Apparently jazz/rock//metal fusion is just a...   Sora Heartwood   I put on Heartwood, the most recent album by Canadian singer/songwriter Sora, for a friend of mine and he said “I feel like I'm in Lord Of The Rings.” With Sora's courtly style, Celtic influences, and operatic voice, she'd perfectly fit the soundtrack of a Fantasy...   Blisted Pearl Blisted Pearl EP For three twenty one year olds living in Essex and going through with writing, arranging, and mostly producing their own music, Blisted Pearl conceived and released their first EP earlier this year. Over Easter the band recorded their first 4 track EP at Stagg Studios in Whitam, Essex. Within...   Bill Price With the Eye of a Skeptic and a Few Other Likely Stories You might be skeptical about Bill Price before you hear his music, but With the Eye of a Skeptic and a Few Other Likely Stories will leave you sure about his talent, not only with music but with songwriting, timing, and vocals.   It's easy to compare a folk album to a Bob Dylan one, but even...   Red Directors Wave It In   We start on Sunday and within the span of 10 tracks end on Tuesday. The Red Directors sure do like the days of the week on their album, Wave it In. With a distinctly west coast sounding guitar sound with New York, East Village vocals they are non pretentious indie rock. It’s accessible,...   Elvin Bishop Red Dog Speaks Ecard These days, true blues-men are in short supply. The music that was so influential in spawning rock and roll has left the limelight, but Elvin Bishop’s latest release Red Dog Speaks proves that the blues is alive. After his critically acclaimed 2008 album, The Blues Roles On, Bishop and...   Downtown Mystic Standing Still Music serves many purposes but mainly it is a good mood changer or suitable for creating a specific atmosphere. With all of that considered, when was the last time you threw a CD into the stereo and knew right from the start that the music you were hearing was going to make you smile and be a...   Christian Scott Yesterday You Said Tomorrow When Christian Scott’s mother and grandmother gave him his first trumpet at the age of 12 they gave a gift to the world. He would take that trumpet and learn to blow it as naturally as the wind blows through the trees on a crisp fall day. His new album Yesterday You Said Tomorrow, makes...   Lisa Downing A Delicate Balance Lisa Downing is a solo pianist that resides in Denver where she has been composing and performing since 1982. On her latest release, A Delicate Balance, Lisa offers up a dozen new tracks inspired by personal moments in her life. Her music is often compared to artists like George Winston, Jon...   MGMT Congratulations My first exposure to MGMT was three years ago when they opened for Of Montreal at a show in St. Louis. Oracular Spectacular had been released about a month earlier, but there were still only murmurings about this band that was bringing a 60s, psychedelic feel back to music. Having seen Of Montreal...   Donna Loren Love It Away Donna Loren is a sixties girl that made appearances on all kinds of TV shows and movies. That work carried her a long way and now so many years later, her voice still resonates and touches those within earshot. Now in her early sixties living in Hawaii, she has embraced new technologies and decided to...   AlukarD One Shot The Rap/Rock scene isn’t what it used to be due to the deluge of bands a few years back that got signed and quickly flooded the scene with more music than anyone every wanted. The scene built it self up high but due to the lack of strong bands it collapsed under its own weight. This...   The Audition Great Danger     I would be lying if I said I don’t like the pop-punk genre. It may not be my favorite type of music to see live, but it’s definitely catchy, and there’s something to be said for that. However, I do find pop-punk to be a fairly stagnant genre- there’s just not a...   Dreyelands Rooms Of Revelation This just in: slammin' virtuoso metal band arrives from Budapest! If you've got a hankering for superior progressive metal, heavy on the chops, then Dreyelands is what you crave. This Hungarian quartet thunders high-energy meticulous rock with a touch of gothic flavor. Each member...   The Goodbye Radio The Year We Didn't Have Every now and then, in a pile of indie albums full of irony and sarcasm, you find one band that screams sincerity. That's exactly what The Goodbye Radio's newest release, The Year We Didn't Have, does, and the summery, almost dreamy songs do the opposite of what most indie music does these days...   Coheed and Cambria Year of the Black Rainbow If you’re a fan of Coheed and Cambria, you were no doubt anxiously awaiting the release of their fifth album, Year of the Black Rainbow. On April 13, the highly anticipated album finally dropped in stores and hit iTunes.   Year of the Black Rainbow is an interesting album, particularly...   Wuthering Heights Salt You’ve got to hand it to Europe, they really put lots of effort into keeping that classic metal sound alive. In this case the metal hails from Denmark in the form of Wuthering Heights.   Wuthering Heights are by no means a new act. They originally formed in the early nineties, but did not...   Paul Curreri California Paul Curreri’s new album California has a dress code. It consists of old comfortable jeans and a worn cowboy style shirt which may or may not contain stripes or plaid. His album is also best heard when driving in an old dodge, circa 1970’s, across the plains of the Midwest....   Tempest Another Dawn Tempest is a musical melting pot, fusing together disparate styles to create a potent sonic signature. Their latest release, Another Dawn, continues their tradition of blending Celtic music with various folk and rock genres. The overall effect, however, is much different than groups like Dropkick...   Beth McKee I'm That Way Recording a cover song is like riding a horse. Treat it with respect and you’ll make it home alive, but give it just one too many kicks and you end up on your head. Recording an entire album of cover songs is like trying to ride 10 horses. If you’re good and lucky you will make it...   Roky Erickson True Love Cast Out All Evil Roky Erickson has many stories to tell, and that may be the understatement of the century. The former leader of psychedelic rock legends (and some consider the founders of the genre) 13th Floor Elevators, has released his first set of recordings in fourteen years titled True Love Cast Out All Evil....   Dream Travelers Little Red Bus Oh Little Red Bus, where do I even begin talking about you? This album is really a musical hodge-podge. There are a lot of different styles and feelings all thrown in with each other, which can work just fine, but in Joel Straup’s case there’s no fusion between those different...   Ellen Rowe Quartet Wishing Well Wishing Well, the Ellen Rowe Quartet’s second release, is, among other things, a concise study in modern jazz composition for small ensembles. The only piece not composed by Ms. Rowe is the Dietz and Schwartz standard, “Alone Together.” Ms. Rowe’s music is highly structured yet...   Sandro Dominelli The Alvo Sessions   I watched a PBS special once about child musicians and one of the kids involved was a ten year old from the Bronx who played drums. He was talking to the camera about why he loved the drums so much, and he mentioned the noise of the city and how easily it turned into a beat. I remember...   Jeff Turmes Five Horses Four Riders One of the most important things that you must do before you die is pick out the song that they will play at your funeral. Mine originally was going to be “Its Raining Men” by The Weather Girls but after hearing “Turn Your Heart in My Direction” from Jeff Turmes new...   The Steel Wheels Red Wing Out of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virgina comes a fine album of good Americana by The Steel Wheels. The Steel Wheels are a four-piece comprised of Trent Wagler (vocals, guitar, banjo), Jay Lapp (mandolin, guitar, vocals), Brian Dickel (bass, vocals), and Eric Brubaker (fiddle, vocals)....   Tunsi Inner-Cept No matter how you find Tunsi's music, you have to admit he's the real deal. A step beyond indie, he's a true do-it-yourself artist. His newest album Inner-Cept is a display of his unique hip-hop style built from the ground up, totally solo. Tunsi writes and produces everything...   Kate Cosco Soul Eyes When I received Kate Cosco’s CD I was surprised to find that the entire recording was all instrumental. You paint a picture of what the music might be by looking at the cover of an album and this time I was totally off base. Soul Eyes demonstrates Kate’s abilities as a pianist and...   Fools for Rowan Twisted. Tied Up. Tangled Combine a plethora of power chords and a belter voice and add a splash of angst and you have got yourself a recipe for a rock band. Fools for Rowan followed the recipe to make their frosh album Twisted. Tied up. Tangled. a treat for those with female, rock inclined ears.   Lead singer Erin...   Various Sev Seveer Presents: T-Roy's Deli Mix tapes are always a great way to sample a lot of different talented artists.   Sev Seveer presents T-Roy’s Deli is no exception. This brilliant showcase of talent really does bring some talented individuals to light.   B!G J of Heroes for Hire’s track “Wrapper of the...   The Britton Brothers Band Uncertain Living The Britton Brothers Band debut CD, Uncertain Living (Record Craft), makes a good first impression for brothers, Ben and John Britton. Although still working on their formal music education (Eastman School of Music and Manhattan School of Music) at the time of the recording, the Brittons had played...   Barry Cleveland Hologramatron Barry Cleveland’s new album Hologramatron starts of with the inspired lyrics of Amy X Nueburg whose voice goes from calm and seductive to angry as hell in .05 seconds flat.    “Lake of Fire” lets Ms. Nueburg rant and rave about the hell of society in which we live...   Evan Spade Evan Spade “I'm hypersensitive, a wallflower,” Evan Spade sings on “Joyride”, the second track on his eponymous first album. Unfortunately, while being a wallflower is about the hip-est thing to be these days, Spade should have just stayed in the background.   It's not that Spade's...   Bumblefoot Abnormal   I don’t know exactly when it happened. I think it was sometime in the early 1980’s when some nameless wizard of the guitar (possibly Steve Vai) ran afoul of an evil witch. I’m not sure exactly what happened to cause the witch to cast an evil spell on every wizard of...   Melissa Bel Brave Melissa Bel proves age means nothing. At 20 she is throwing down soulful melodies that could put even the most experienced singer to shame. She’s got that girl power thing emanating from her lyrics. It’s not that lip gloss wearing, gum smacking, and platform shoe donning girl power....   Justin and Tomek I Need To EP Justin and Tomek describe their music as “knowing no rule, no form, no law; they create them all themselves. They remain an inexplicable phenomenon, a compound of such heterogeneous, strangely mixed materials, that an analysis would inevitably destroy what lends the highest charm, the...   Whiskey Six Whiskey Six The proverbial “they” have been known to make the claim that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. While that may be true in some areas of life, I’m not sure if it’s true for music.   Of course, all bands have their inspirations what they strive to be like, and...   Isaac Shepard The Renewing I have a confession to make. When I received Isaac Shepard’s CD of solo piano entitled The Renewing, I opened it up and saw a bible verse on the inlay cover and let out a deflated, “Oh God…(no pun intended).” I’m not against religion nor am I against religious...   Disaster March Dire Days As the music industry and summer rock festivals are flooded with talent from bands that all seemingly sound the same, it is comforting to find artists that maintain an original sound that can also fit in with a certain subgenre. In Disaster March’s Dire Days EP, the unification of punk,...   Old Man Luedecke My Hands are on Fire and other Love Songs   When I think of love, my hands being on fire is not one of the first feelings that come to mind. After listening to My Hands are on Fire and other Love Songs by Old Man Luedecke, I may have changed my mind.   After winning a Juno Award for Best Roots Album of 2009 for Proof of Love,...   Smash Corps Premeditated Smash Corps slam out of the gate on Premeditated, no holds barred, no prisoners taken. Their style of modern murderous metal with a dash of punk attitude assaults and charms equally. The Chicago-based quintet is aggressive and booming without forgetting the tasty blues-metal riffs and...   Rare Blend Sessions   Let me start by saying that Rare Blend’s Sessions album has grooves on it that are so tasty they should be marketed by Duncan Hines. Hailing from Cleveland Ohio, Rare Blend is a Progressive music band that, though only containing four members, has more elements in it than a high school...   Evangenitals Evangenitals EP I’ll be honest with you. I’ve never ever been into country whatsoever. It must be because I am from Britain and here we are raised on a staple diet of The Smiths, The Beatles and Queen.   I do however respect the greats of the genre, Dolly Parton and Faith Hill to name a few....   Canvas Solaris Irradiance Canvas Solaris is a 5-piece group hailing from Statesboro, Georgia. Formerly a technical death metal band, Canvas Solaris now focuses on instrumental progressive metal. Their forthcoming release, Irradiance, is a full-on abstract metal assault. The album is reminiscent of Liquid Tension Experiment,...   Toulouse Engelhardt Perpendicular Worlds   Toulouse Engelhardt could be one of those legends you never heard of before. The guitar player is distinguished in many circles and particularly well known for his association with the “Takoma Seven”. The magnificent seven were known for being innovators of the finger-style guitar...   Glenton Davis Are You Ready I always think it’s interesting when an artist decides to mesh two different music styles together. What’s even more interesting is when an artist combines two styles that you wouldn’t expect to work with each other.   This is exactly what Glenton Davis does, though. Davis...   Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors Jhoom I’m running through the woods with “Jhoom”, the third song off of Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors CD named Jhoom, pounding in my ears. The tribal drum beat pushing further and further up the trail. There is no one else around and I don’t think I’ve ever gone...   Judas Priest British Steel (30th Anniversary CD/DVD) Judas Priest is enjoying their success and with that there are a lot of the past victories to take note of as well. Take their British Steel album released in 1980 that launched the metal genre. To celebrate the groundbreaking album the band has released their 30th anniversary edition with a DVD...   Field Mouse You Are Here  I have never actually thought it possible to “hear” feng shui but after listening to Field Mouse’s debut album You Are Here, I now know what feng shui sounds like and it’s something everyone needs to hear.    Vocalist Rachel Browne has a voice that seems to...   The DeVillebillies The DeVillebillies The DeVillebillies are “the hottest thing to come out of the trailer park since your mother”, or so their website says. They were also “conceived after an all night Old Milwaukee party on the redwood deck of a dilapidated Airstream trailer”. I highly recommend you go check...   Joseph Patrick Moore To Africa With Love   Clearly, putting a bass guitar in the hands of Joseph Patrick Moore is like putting water in the hands of Jesus because the things he does with it are equally miraculous.   On his new studio album To Africa with Love, Joseph opens your eyes and proves that he has much more depth...   Various New World Man - A Tribute to Rush   Magna Carta Records has a very simple slogan: “quality. musicianship.” Their recently released Rush Tribute, New World Man, features an all star cast of performers including “Chris Pennie (Dillinger Escape Plan, Coheed and Cambria), Juan Alderete (Mars Volta), Shane Gibson...   Cancer Killing Gemini It only hurts when we breathe The debut album from Cancer Killing Gemini is equal parts industrial wall of sound with the trade make bass guitar driven beat and melodic ease that could be the soundtrack for a hurricane out at sea.  First though we need to get the comparisons to NIN out of the way. Like Trent...   Shadowplay Shadowplay Shadowplay's self-titled CD took a couple of listens, but definitely continues to grow on you (those lacking in patience avert your ears).  The ten tracks are a tri-brid of Lacuna Coil, Evanescence, and the Kidney Thieves.  With tunes as disarming as they are charming, 70% of the album...   blld Materia Prima Progressive rock aces Blld play with so much intensity on Materia Prima you might need an intermission to collect your wits. It's like experimental rock concentrate, hours of artistry boiled down to just 20 minutes of potent fusion syrup. This album is not easy listening. In fact,...   Taddy Porter Taddy Porter The warm summer air whips through your hair as you drive away from the city lights to a location even you are not aware of yet. You’re on an adventure with an unknown destination. With your car stereo at full volume, you are feeling alive and ready for anything. This is exactly the picture I had...   Gerry Gibbs and the Electric Thrasher Orchestra The Music of Miles Davis 1967-1975 In covering Miles Davis, Gerry Gibbs and the Electric Thrasher Orchestra takes a great risk with the album The Music of Miles Davis 1967-1975. Risk exists in the fact that critics will be more critical, musicians will examine your chops under a microscope, and Wynton Marsalis will automatically hate...   Triumph Greatest Hits Remixed (CD/DVD) Triumph is one of those bands you never forget. If you happened to be around in the mid-seventies and remember how they came out of nowhere (actually they are from Canada) then you know what I am talking about. Their rapid rise to the top helped them become an arena rock favorite selling millions...   Duce Distant Land EP Hip Hop and Rap sounds a lot different today than it did back in the early days. Today the over-processed beats mask a lack of talent or substance.   Duce has a style that is very laid back. It feels like you are listening to him freestyle at an open mic night. It’s raw and can only get...   The Twees Unfair Affair & Hepburn Shades I can’t imagine waking up before 11 A.M. being anyone’s ideal- but when your get-up-and-go seems to have already gotten up and went, pumping The Twees’ new tracks more than encourages a little pre-morning retro-rock out sesh.      The quartet comprised of Jason...   Emrah Kento Culture Shock EP With a significant piece of the music industry relying on singer/songwriters to bust out pop hits to be played in the background of coffee shops, malls, and restaurants, it is to no surprise that the competition between such musicians is so cutthroat. As artists like Jason Mraz, Gavin DeGraw, John...   Tayisha Busay Shock-Woo Within seconds of beginning "Wtf You Doin In My Mouth", the third track on Tayisha Busay’s debut EP entitled Shock-Woo, I found myself unconsciously tapping my foot to the interesting electronic beat this trio out of Brooklyn, New York is bringing to the music world. Tayisha Busay...   The Big Motif The Big Motif (EP) Out of Colorado comes a young band by the name of The Big Motif. They are a “jammy”, funky, bluesy rock band. They are composed of Tony Pacello (guitar/vocals), Hunter Roberts (bass), Jeff Jani (Drums/Percussion), and Sam Crowe (sax/flute). Most surprising is that the quartet ranges...   The Julien Kasper Band Trance Groove   When I was a college freshman, I was introduced to a friend of a friend's band and told that the guitarist was one of the best in the city. I watched the band play, confused, as I had, at the time, only heard my brother, a classic rock enthusiast, talk about guitar playing extensively, and...   Dropkick Murphys Live on Lansdowne (CD/DVD) Sometimes bands come around that must be experienced to be fully appreciated. Often, this happens in the punk genres. The Sex Pistols, The Ramones are a few examples. Now we have the Dropkick Murphys If you’ve never heard Dropkick Murphys before, they are like an Irish pub band, (complete with...   Cling Live Versions   Live Versions is the second album from Cling after the 2006 debut, Sonic Spells.   This release is a collection of the live arrangements of the songs that they have played live over the past year which have been re-recorded in the studio. Don’t be fooled, this isn’t...   Jhameel Jhameel   Don’t be fooled by the Arabic text on the cover of Jhameel’s debut album. The Bay Area transplant is actually a Asian artist who has brought in stark comparisons to the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Imogen Heap and Andrew Bird. On the verge of signing with the Army after graduating...   Harold Nono/ Hidekazu Wakabayashi Harold Nono/ Hidekazu Wakabayashi In listening to Harold Nono’s music, one thing is made clear immediately: unbridled artist expression is paramount in his compositions. His collaboration with Hidekazu Wakabayashi, simply titled Harold Nono/Hidekazu Wakabayashi, is a successful minimalist sonic experiment. Simple textures,...   Ramzi Color Four years ago Ramzi left his workaday life in California and settled in NYC to try his luck as a singer-songwriter. Fueled by dreams of a life less ordinary (“living life from the heart,” as he puts it in the song “Breaking Free”) he sewed his heart on his sleeve and...   Steve Swell's Slammin' The Infinite 5000 Poems Trombonist Steve Swell’s latest release, 5000 Poems (Not Two Records), is the fourth from his quartet turned quintet, Slammin’ The Infinite in its seven year history. Swell has been performing for over 35 years and has performed with the big bands of Lionel Hampton, Buddy Rich and...   Jess Ray and the Rag Tag Army Jess Ray and the Rag Tag Army In case you’ve never noticed, when you rip a CD onto your computer, iTunes will list a genre for that album. With Jess Ray and the Rag Tag Army, iTunes decided that the album fell under the label of “pop.” This could not be more misleading.   When you think of pop,...   Marionette Facing You Richmond’s own Marionette may not be familiar yet, but they certainly seem to be going in the right direction. The quintet comprised of Kevin Cornell, Marshall O’Leary, Adam Rose, Kerri Helsley, and Tom Brickman self-released their debut album, Facing You, late last year. Based on its...   John Mayer Battle Studies I’m going to say this right off the bat. I am unabashedly biased towards John Mayer. He holds a special place in my heart. When I exited the most significant personal relationship of my life to date, John Mayer was there with help me pry open my chest and hold that wounded heart in my...   Devon Sproule Don't Hurry For Heaven! Even Jenny Lewis isn't this Jenny Lewis. You'll turn on Don't Hurry For Heaven!, the newest release from Devon Sproule, and you'll swear it's an old Rilo Kiley demo, re-released in a flowery new package.   But it's not, and Sproule isn't an imposter (for some reason, the indie market is full of...   The Knights Tiempos Malos Tiempos Malos or Bad Times is the title of the most recent effort by the Albuquerque four piece instrumental rock band The Knights. The idea of this collection of 10 tunes is to soften the blow of recent hard economical times and give you music to help you relax and produce a positive vibe that will...   Wordsmith Vintage Experience “Hip hop’s moving on, going beyond,” Wordsmith is bringing the decadence of old school hip hop back. To put in context, Lupe Fiasco and LL Cool J’s sound had a child and what we got was Wordsmith. It goes back to the words rather than the beat. While both are good, you find...   The Reasoning Dark Angel   The problem with The Reasoning is that there's no real reason for them to be as unremarkable as they are. Everyone in the band is obviously talented, but they just don't leave an impression.   Maybe it's the silly lyrics that bog down the otherwise beautiful vocals (“Cast into...   Juergen Reiter Dead On Arrival   Since his start at the age of seventeen as a local musician in Munich, Juergen Reiter has opened for Jazz greats like Ray Charles. A consummate musician, Reiter has studied at Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, under John Cage in Paris and at SUNY Purchase New York where he graduated with a...   Marier Marier's Variety Pack Marier’s story is one you probably heard before, a 10 year old kid gets a Sears Silverton guitar and the rest is history, well it’s actually true. Marier has released a CD with 16 tracks of pure pop-rock-psychedelic gems titled Marier’s Variety Pack. A solo artist extraordinaire,...   Luther Allison Songs From The Road Luther Allison died four days after playing the concert that is Songs From The Road. I guess he's gone a little Tupac since then, since this is his fifth or sixth release since his death in 1997, but it could easily be called the most appreciated posthumous album release in music...   Silk Tongue Gamblers We're In Business The Silk Tongue Gamblers are a fairly new act that met up while in college in London in 2009. They consist of Varun Atrey (Vocals), Felipe Neves (Guitars), Equival Junior (Bass), and Ollie Hipkin (Drums).   The band mates of STG have influences that are just as diverse as the members themselves....   Jack Gaffney Nothing To Be Afraid Of   Jack Gaffney is a young singer/songwriter from Boulder, Colorado. His new independently-released album is called Nothing To Be Afraid Of. It's five original songs are mediocre mainstream fare, ably produced. Sound like thousands of other unsigned recording artists working hard...   Capelle Money Now, Money How, Money When I don’t think anyone will argue with me if I make the claim that there’s a lot of very good music out there. Every day, new artists break onto the scene, hopefully bringing something fresh to the music world. However, while a lot of the new music we’re graced with is good,...   Jimi Hendrix First Rays Of The New Rising Sun Well here it is the last review in the set of reissues from the Hendrix catalog. I am sure there will be more opportunities in the future with the wealth of music that is continually getting uncovered from the Hendrix estate. First Rays Of The New Rising Sun is making its debut fully re-mastered from...   White Apple Tree Velvet Mustache White Apple Tree is the kind of music that you know has a gimmick (it's about as realistically unique as Juno), but it's so catchy; you can't help liking it anyway.   They've recently been touring with acts that have the same appeal (Asteroids Galaxy Tour and Shiny Toy Guns) – I guess...   Majdanek Waltz Ophelia Ophelia marks the second installment in the trilogy of albums released by industrial folk group Majdanek Waltz. The album was released by the joint efforts of Moscow label Wroth Emitter and St. Petersburg label kultFRONT. The album is comprised completely of the fusing together of spoken word extracted...   Styx Grand Illusion (24kt Gold) As the lead singer of Styx Dennis De Young opens up their classic album Grand Illusion singing “Welcome to the grand illusion, come on in and see what’s happening, pay the price, get your tickets for the show”, you instantly know you will be entertained. Styx was beyond that...   Mitch Burger Reactive I was sitting on my porch when I turned on Reactive, the debut album from Mitch Burger. And from the first note of the first song, I continuously looked around me, hoping none of my neighbors could see (or hear, I guess), me listening to what might be the only embarrassing album I've ever listened...   Scattered Like Birds Trifecta of Love (EP) Scattered Like Birds sounds like a band that’d have a bunch of people involved (a flock even!), but actually, the Oakland, CA based band is really just one fellow, who (so far as I can tell) goes by the name of Paco.   On Trifecta of Love, a four track EP, you get a nice taste of what...   Steve Palmer Band Apparition At some point while listening to the Steve Palmer's Band's debut album, Apparition, you'll think you're listening to all the classics – Skynyrd, Springsteen, Dylan, and Tom Petty will all come to mind, if not more.   However, Apparition doesn't sound like a cover album or one band...   King Crimson In The Court of The Crimson King (40th Anniversary Edition CD/DVD) The first incarnation of the legendary King Crimson was Robert Fripp (guitar), Ian McDonald (reed, woodwind, vibes, keyboards, mellotron, vocals), Greg Lake (bass, lead vocals), Michael Giles (drums, percussion, vocals) and Peter Sinfield (words and illumination).   With a prolific cover and...   The Sojourners The Sojourners   Do you ever find yourself just needing to listen to some straight-up feel good music? You know, the kind that puts a smile on your face and makes you want to bebop along with it as you listen? If so, The Sojourners self-titled album is a must-listen.   The Sojourners is a brilliant...   Brian Lindsay Esperanza   I 'm not entirely sure why Brian Lindsay's sophomore album is supposed to be the epitome of Americana but has the Spanish name Esperanza. Lindsay isn't the first artist to name an album this, but most of the others who have had at least a touch of Spanish in their heritage and...   The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland How was the Jimi Hendrix Experience going to top the previous release Axis: Bold As Love? Two albums had been released, Hendrix was already a legend, and everything he and his band did was groundbreaking and mind blowing. We all know now that the ride was not over yet - enter the incredibly...   John Micah Rapp February Themes To attempt to write a song every day for a year is no mean feat. With February Themes, John Micah Rapp has not only completed a month’s quota, but he has also provided enough sounds to keep each song interesting.   Describing his music as ‘stoner rock’, some may consider Rapp...   The Nighthawks Last Train to Bluesville Okay, the title Last Train to Bluesivlle may be a bit corny as far as titles go, but The Nighthawks certainly seem like a group of guys that I’d want to jam with in the yard on a hot summer day.   The Nighthawks are a D.C. based blues band currently comprised of Mark Wenner...   Gato Libre featuring Natsuki Tamura Shiro Shiro is the fourth CD release from jazz improv quartet Gato Libre. Natsuki Tamura, the group’s leader and trumpeter, is a native of Japan who first came to the United States in 1986 to study at Berklee College of Music and later at the nearby New England Conservatory of Music. Both he and his...   Avantasia The Wicked Symphony Avantasia’s The Scarecrow was a confusing album, drifting between the power metal of The Metal Operas and a pop-rock sound previously unheard of from Avantasia. It wasn’t a huge disappointment, but The Scarecrow didn’t live up to the standard set by previous efforts. Fortunately,...   Chris Cagle Best Of Chris Cagle I always feel kind of squirmy when a label announces that they're going to release a greatest hits album. I can't help but imagine the artist standing behind a business man at a press conference, rolling their eyes and sighing. It always feels like a shove out the door (Hilary Duff?) or a quick way...   Jeff Callahan Empty Swings Jeff Callahan is a talented poet. That fact cannot be denied. However, based on what his audience gets with Empty Swings, I’m not sure the same can be said of Callahan’s musicality.   Empty Swings is a spoken word album, so rather than hearing Callahan sing his poems as lyrics,...   Deena Chappell Smith Voices Of The Archetypes Voices Of The Archetypes is a smart, eclectic blast of psychedelic folk music. You could call it a concept album, the concept being the quirky subconscious of charismatic singer/songwriter Deena Chappell Smith. It's loaded with stories told in clever poetry and a wonderful palette of...   Bill Wren One Day In A Life   Bill Wren calls himself a songbird from Texas – and that's exactly what he is. It's not clear if his name is just that ironic, or if he changed it somewhere down the line, but for novelty's sake, let's assume it's the irony.   I assumed, when I read that Wren thought he was a...   Timothy Crane Dragonfly In 2004 pianist/composer Timothy Crane released his first album, The Other Life I Dream, a collection of soothing instrumental piano pieces. Now, six years later, the Denver native has released his follow-up album Dragonfly, an assortment of 11 piano-drive originals with some backup orchestration....   Winger Karma Winger wasn’t your typical hard rock act of the 80s. The music they wrote was technically complex, but still held on to mass appeal, as proven by hits “Seventeen”, “Headed for a Heartbreak,” and “Miles Away.” After releasing three successful albums,...   Abnormal and The Mafioso of Murderapolis The Suffix-Cide The Suffix-Cide is most likely nothing like anything you have ever heard before. This can be a good or a bad thing, and for most of you, this is probably a good thing.   As you might imagine, when reviewing an album, it’s hard not to think about offending the vision of the artist....   Neal Morse So Many Roads (3 CD Live Set) Neal Morse is a prolific musician with a long and successful career. With So Many Roads, a three disc live set recorded in Europe, he gives the listener a glimpse of his career. The discs span his lead role in progressive rock band Spock’s Beard to his more recent solo career creating his...   Oto Spooky Oto Spooky   The biggest criticism of Oto Spooky is that this isn’t an easy listen. In fact it is quite the opposite.  Whilst appreciating the unique, progressive sound Oto Spooky are aiming to achieve, the opening to the album, particularly “Gypsy God” suggests they have gone one...   The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced How many debut albums had such an impact as Are You Experienced? Long after the release of this cornerstone for psychedelic rock came onto the scene it still has the ability to get inside your head and turn you inside out. This music has the power to mesmerize and tantalize the senses with unbelievable...   Sister Loolomie Signals When the classic horror film The Blob hit theaters back in 1958, one of the taglines for the movie was “Run, don’t walk, from The Blob!” Now, within the context of The Blob, this line was referring to a globular alien that was eating everything in its path, but the advice applies here...   The Mannish Boys Shake For Me   The Mannish Boys are less of a band and more of a royal jam session. Every big name around today in blues is (or has been) involved with the band, and their latest release, Shake For Me, shows their combined talents off even more impressively than their previous four albums...   Kirk Fletcher My Turn It certainly is Kirk Fletcher's turn. On his third solo album, the guitarist is stepping into the spotlight after touring and guest starring for years. And he handles the spotlight with technical and vocal skill that makes you sure he's ready for it.   The lyrics on My Turn are good, as are...   Morre ...Out There I really can’t tell you how to say the name of this band. Is it “more”, “morey”, “moray”, I haven’t a clue. When I loaded it into my iTunes it came up as “& More”, so that didn’t really help either. This seems to sum up my...   Brian Landrus Forward A debut album like Forward, from saxophonist Brian Landrus, is often difficult to classify without an existing body of work as reference. But, in Landrus’ case we can base a foundation for critical analysis on the compelling testimony of unquestionable authorities, his teachers and...   Stephen Soul Wingless Not Hopeless At some point in your college or high school career, you probably went to a house party where an artist like Stephen Soul was set up in the corner, playing music and selling CDs. You probably didn't like it then, and you probably won't like it now.   The problem with artists like Stephen Soul is...   Quakers on Probation Every Living Thing The Quakers on Probation are an interesting blend of musicians including a veteran session man that played with everyone from Elvis to the Beach Boys and a father and son team. There is Daniel Craig senior and junior and Larry Knechtel, who passed away during the sessions, and Graig Markel. Every...   Jenny Whiteley Forgive Or Forget How would you answer the question “What kind of music do you like?” Maybe a list of favorites, or a single genre label that mostly describes your taste? One common answer is “I like anything but country.” Jenny Whiteley's recent release Forgive Or Forget is a...   Kirsten DeHaan Thorns On A Crown   I wasn't impressed with Kirsten DeHaan's Thorns on a Crown after the first few songs, but the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. The problem with that is that the five song album is hailed as containing five different genres of music. But you can't please everyone, and DeHaan should...   Ann Sweeten Just This Side of Spring Were I allowed to use only one word to describe pianist Ann Sweeten’s new album, Just This Side of Spring, it would be, plain and simple, “lovely.” But, since I’m not restricted to using this lone word, I’ll elaborate.   Instrumental—particularly...   Poostosh Herbarium   Poostosh's Herbarium is the kind of album you need to listen to while watching the visualizer available on whatever media player you're using. (What our parents did with records and cassettes, without visualizers to stare at, I have no idea.)   Watching a visualizer highlight the beats...   The Jimi Hendrix Experience Axis: Bold As Love One of my fantasies as a hard core music fan was that Jimi Hendrix never died and he continued to make amazing music and produced some of the most phenomenal artist we would ever hear. While all of that is nothing but a series of “what could have been” scenarios it sure would have been an...   Olenka Rhythms of Another Life Olenka was born in communist Poland and escaped with her family when she was nine. After spending time in a refugee camp in Italy her family finally settled down in New York City. While in the city, she was exposed to the cultures of Latinos, Irish, and Asians. All this reached its fruition on her...   deVries Death to God With a sound that brings to mind bands from across the pond like The Stone Roses and Suede, DeVries has brought British pop sensibilities to his latest release, Death to God. The release, laced with 60s style guitar melodies showcases Travis DeVries newest incarnation on the indie-rock scene....   Deep Purple Machine Head (24kt Gold) The Deep Purple classic rock-metal album Machine Head (1972) is another one of those “must have” titles regardless of how many copies or versions you have now (I have the re-mastered 2CD anniversary edition from Rhino). If you do not have this recording in your collection, you have no right...   Light In August Places It's unclear if Light In August's name has anything to do with the Faulkner novel of the same name, but since it's a band consisting of three guys with beards, one of which plays the flute, it probably does.   In any case, their new album, Places, is basically an indie dream –...   Stereo Reform The Whitestone Session In a mini follow-up to their first album Robots of Evolution, Stereo Reform came back with a four-track EP recorded at Whitestone Studios.   The album features three brand new tracks, plus a re-recording of Robots of Evolution’s “There’s No Time.”   With The...   Cow Pals Eskimo Kisses So I’ll be honest, when my new stack of CDs for review showed up, I picked this one first since it had the oddest album cover of the bunch. I mean look at it, what’s really going on there? And shouldn’t the guy on the right think about doing a little shaving or put on a shirt? It...   Simon and Garfunkel Parsley, Sage, Rosemary &Thyme (24kt Gold) Simon and Garfunkel were a rare duo that left an indelible impression on us when they first hit the music scene in the sixties. In 1966 Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme came out the Columbia label and it was a marvel considering that it was two men and primarily acoustic guitars. The beauty of this...   Jesse Payne Nesting   Coming into a genre full of such established artists as Bright Eyes, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and Andrew Bird, Jesse Payne certainly had his work cut out for him to make his mark.   And with his album Nesting, Payne definitely delivered. From start to finish, it’s is a solid...   VW Brothers Muziek Muziek is Paul and Marc van Wageningen’s first release as band leaders, but the ubiquitous brothers have performed and recorded extensively since moving from Amsterdam to San Francisco 30 years ago.  Perhaps unaware of him by name, you may have heard (and seen) Marc on bass in the...   Elliott Murphy Notes From The Underground Elliott Murphy's first album came out in 1973, and he's released 29 more since then. His most recent is Notes From The Underground, a classic Americana/Folk album that recalls every folk star you can think of, from Dylan to Guthrie. The fact that Murphy is sixty years old doesn't seem to inhibit him...   Stereo Reform Robots of Evolution Ladies and gentlemen, funk is back, and the guys in Stereo Reform are the ones bringing it to the forefront.   The band’s debut album Robots of Evolution feels like a throwback to the funk scene of the 60s, but with a fresh, modern spin to it.   Despite that, the album is...   Craig Maher Propel   Craig Maher is a New York-based singer/songwriter/guitarist that has been gathering some momentum with a strong grassroots following emerging from the New York metro area. He has been at it for over twenty years now and with a new album titled Propel, he may have tapped the mainline of rock...   Arise The Reckoning At the end of 2005, and three albums in, Swedish thrash/death band Arise were forced to make a lineup changed due to musical differences within the band. With The Reckoning, Arise makes their return to the scene, debuting Patrik Johansson on vocals, Sternberg on guitar and Kaj on bass. One can only...   Santana Supernatural-Legacy Edition As Hal Miller indicates in the liner notes of the Legacy Edition of Santana’s blockbuster album Supernatural, it is hard to believe it has been ten years since this musical work of genius came to our attention. With over 25 million copies sold worldwide we now have the opportunity to hear the...   Gamma Ray To the Metal! You may be more familiar with bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, but metal veterans Gamma Ray rock just as hard on their latest release To the Metal!   Gamma Ray is a German metal band formed by Kai Hansen after he left Helloween in the late 80’s. They have gone through some...   Uriah Heep Celebration-40 Years of Rock 40 years of rock, that adds up to a sizable amount of music, shows and hotel rooms. Uriah Heep still carries on after all these years and they can dig in, give their fans a great show, and produce great studio albums. In 2008, Wake The Sleeper was an excellent return to form. Now we have Celebration-40...   The Black Noodle Project Eleonore A concept album by a French progressive rock band that sings in English: is it ambitious or are they writing their own death certificates? The Black Noodle Project really hasn't done either on Eleonore; mostly, they've just recorded some prog rock songs and put it to a story you can't really...   Zdenko Ivanusic Quartet Free Fall In late 2009 Zdenko Ivanusic, Zagreb jazz saxophonist (tenor, alto, soprano and flute) and composer, released Free Fall, his fourth album for Zivaldo Records. While not well-known in the U.S., Ivanusic has garnered well-deserved respect in Eastern Europe and praise for previous recordings such as...   Transatlantic Whirlwind (2 CD/DVD Box)   With several years between studio albums Transatlantic felt it was time to meet again and record some more new tracks. Mike Portnoy (drums, Dream Theater), Neal Morse (keys, vocals, Spocks Beard & Solo), Pete Trewavas (bass, Marillion) and Roine Stolt (guitar, vocals, The Flower Kings)...   Pete Lockett's Network of Sparks One   Pete Lockett's name might not be familiar to you, but at least half of the impressive list of people he's played with will be. Lockett is a percussionist who has played with the likes of Robert Plant, Damien Rice, Bjork, and Peter Gabriel. On One, he teams up with Bill Bruford for an all...   45th Parallel Take 2   It's called Take 2, but it's the first release from Washington-based hard rock trio 45th Parallel. At first I was struck by how similar their sound is to overplayed mainstream 1990's radio staples like Staind and Creed. Any song on Take 2 could be slipped, unnoticed, onto a mix CD...   Donna Sammarco Here I Am, Lord Donna Sammarco’s second solo piano album Here I Am, Lord is a triumph in many ways. Her strong faith and talented hands come shining through again on an all instrumental inspirational set of songs. Donna overcame some physical hurdles to make the release complete and it stands as a testament to...   Jimi Hendrix Valleys of Neptune Even in death, Jimi Hendrix continues to amaze and impress listeners everywhere. An innovator of his own generation, he manages to inspire and influence the musicians of every new generation. With his most recent posthumous release “Valleys of Neptune,” his legacy through music continues,...   Subcon Antitoxin I've always been impressed with the confidence of rappers. Something about the hip-hop genre demands an ultra, almost absurd arrogance, and when the artist is as good as he or she says, it works, and it somehow makes the music more sincere. But when the artist isn't as good as they think they are, it's...   Jason & The Scorchers Halcyon Times They may be nearly 30 years old as a band, hell, they may have even already won a Lifetime Achievement Award at 2008’s Americana Music Conference, but you wouldn’t guess it by the freshness of the latest release from the Nashville Americana legends Jason & The Scorchers. Halcyon Times...   Lucerne Jazz Orchestra Don't Walk Too Far Don’t Walk Too Far is the culmination of two years of developing, and intensively rehearsing a group of nineteen soloists to create what is now known as the Lucerne Jazz Orchestra. Directed by David Grottschreiber, this cohort of individuals, each armed with a specific talent as an...   Jordyn Jackson September in the Garden Although September in the Garden (so-named for the Garden District of New Orleans where she lived and recorded the album during September 2009)is her 5th recording project, 25 year old Jordyn Jackson is a relative newcomer, especially to the jazz vocal genre. Ms. Jackson has paid her dues over the...   Steve Lieberman The Gangsta Rabbi DikTatoR 17 Have you ever heard a song on the radio and wondered how that artist managed to get a record contract? That’s the feeli