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: Select20072006200520042001200920082003Bunn1989199419692010200220112012   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-PICK OF THE WEEK 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 TheLost 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