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State Line Empire is the new cool band from San Mateo, California, USA. The band won the Guitar Center's Your Next Record with Slash and have this Ep got help from producer Mike Clink (Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Megadeth) with Slash performing on the lead single" Drive Me. "
Overall a cool EP filled with modern hard rock like Sixx: AM, Charm City Devils and Puddle Of Mudd. The band is not much weaker than these and has all the elements to go really far.
This was released in 2011, but the band is doing a new Ep, which I hope keeps the same great class.
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There is no band like Everything Everything. Their debut Man Alive was nothing short of a masterpiece with its experimental and playful pop. Oh, sure, there are hints of Rupert Hine and Queen, but this band makes pop in a completely unique and personal way.
Arc follows the same track, although it contains a slightly smaller dose of New Wave elements. However, it as a very exciting album like the debut with quirky and somewhat “strange” melodies. But it feels right, and tracks like "Cough Cough" and "Kemosabe" are nothing else to pure pop magic. They have also made this year and one of this decade's best song in the 'Torso Of The Week ", that for some odd reason is not released as a single yet.
A must to check out if you like alternative pop!
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Liked Charm City Devils debut Let's Rock-N-Roll which was filled with sleaze with a modern twist. The new album sounds slightly different and like The Last Vegas they have moved towards a more hard rock influenced sound. Also like TLV it is for the better as "Sins" is a very nice album if you like bands like Shinedown, Saving Abel, and of course The Last Vegas.
A Track that stand out is the traditional song "Man of Constant Sorrow" which is also released as a single. Other recommend sis opening tracks "Spite" and "Unstoppable," but you will find more cool tunes on this nice hard rock album. |
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Westcoast rock has really made a remarkable revival the past decade. Many bands and artists are from Scandinavia within the genre today, and Swedish STATE COWS (Stefan Olofsson and Daniel Andersson) is one of the most interesting acts. Alongside with OLE BÖRUD and JaR (Jay Graydon and Randy Goodrum) they're the very best ones, as well. This is the second album (the debut was out in 2010) by these frightfully talented songwriters and musicians, and once again they prove they're in the premier division of westcoast.
Just like last time we get some great guest appearances here. MICHAEL LANDAU adds a lengthy guitar solo in the opener "This time". It offers an obvious MAXUS vibe with very Robbie Buchanan influenced rhythm keyboard, however with a rather unstructured solo by Landau. Solo-wise I prefer "In the city" where JAY GRAYDON once again shares his six string knowledge and brings a completely awesome solo. It's a quite AIRPLAY sounding tune with lots of cool chords to choose from, great horns and a chorus that adds more soul and makes me think of early BILL CHAMPLIN albums. While at the subject of Champlin: he's singing in "Finally fair and balanced". It's a typical soul/westcoast song and it fits The Champ perfectly.
Among the best songs here (and I can assure you, there are many great ones!) we get "Mister White". Lots of PAGES grooves here, and those who like STEELY DAN have to check out "Center of the sun". Plinky keys, anyone? I just love the slightly AOR:ish westcoast song "I got myself together" with its dut-dut keys in the chorus part. I actually think of AVALON here, and a touch of TUBES – added by some AIRPLAY moves in the end!. Not to mention a very good and tasteful guitar solo by none other than IAN BAIRNSON (ALAN PARSONS, PILOT, KEATS). Well, nothing to complain about here. This second album is ALMOST as good as the debut, and that says a lot.
Finally a general question, just to put things in perspective: How often do you get new album releases with obvious influences of MAXUS, PAGES and STEELY DAN? Add to this a very good singer in Andersson and top class arrangements all the way through. We should all be extremely happy that the new generation of musicians delivers like this. All musicians deserve a warm round of applause. In short: BUY, BUY, BUY! |
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Fall Out Boy is not the band that will save the Rock And Roll. However, they have with their now five studio albums showed that they are a very good pop / rock act I think they have received undeservedly much negative criticism. If you take out the band's ten best songs, there are few bands in this genre that strikes them, perhaps only Third Eye Blind.
First single "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" on this new album Save Rock and Roll is nothing more than a brilliant pop tune with super cool chorus that shows the band's greatness. The opening track "The Phoenix" in the same class with a sassy and edgy melody that must released as a single. However, the album drops halfway and gets a little too tame. Thought they would have a bit more attitude, especially considering that they have worked with the hero Butch Walker. But like many other bands, they have added some more electronic elements, which makes Save Rock and Roll a bit too well produced and non organic.
Still a stable release, worth to check out if you like their previous albums.
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Canadian pop masters Marianas Trench has just announced Cherrytree Records as their new label home for all countries outside of Canada. Perhaps it is now taking the big step and breaks outside their homeland. Masterpiece Theater and recent Ever After have both gone platinum so it's a band with great success in his luggage.
This is the first test and is an Ep with four tracks. We get the two album tracks in "Desperate Measures" and "Have not Had Enough" but also two acoustic versions of "Have not Had Enough" and "Fallout". So nothing new if you got Ever After, but it’s nice to see that the band also manages the more stripped-down style.
With the right promotion and some luck, great things should start happening with the band now. Personally feel that they are really, really cool when they show off their more progressive side like a young and modern Queen and hope they continue in this direction.
Great band with a great future!
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For me, Thirty Seconds To Mars is one of the biggest bands in the Modern Rock genre, all time. Seems that they managed to consolidate this more for each release, especially after the last masterpiece This Is War frpm 2009.
They are now back with their fourth album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams and all I can say is that no fan will be disappointed as the band once again delivers on the highest level. This time, they have chosen to move towards a more direct format compared the experimental and progressive This Is War. However, they have done so with finesse and Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams has like previously much room for fancy electronic melodies. Tracks like "City Of Angels" and "Up In The Air" is among the best the band has made with their bombastic and huge choruses.
Do not think this is their best album since I prefer when they are less predictable. But it is a very well done and consistent album that I’m for sure will have my top list of 2013.
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The French electro duo Daft Punk is back with their fourth album. This time it's a little more interesting when inspired by the American west-coast pop and bands like Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers. It feels almost unreal when you listen to tracks like "Fragments Of Time" and "Beyond" with the knowledge that it's 2013.
However, Random Access Memories is more disco than west-coast it's very sad that the band has used autotune on almost all tracks. Ok, I know it's their style, but personally think it is a disgusting manipulation of music that most shows that you cannot sing "for real".
Random Access Memories have become very hyped in the press and can partly understand it. They've experimented a lot and done it well, but just because it's so odd, does not mean it's good. However, as I said, it's a very interesting project and hopefully we can get a west-coast renaissance where young people can discover treasures like Robbie Dupree, Marc Jordan and Bobby Caldwell.
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Liked Kansas City, Missouri-based Red Line Chemistry's last album "Dying for a Living". With a cool mix between post-grunge and hard rock there was both room for fancy riffs and emotional melodies.
On their new album Tug Of War, they have stepped and have been working with my favorite producer Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains). I really love his sound that always is clean and classic; without any technical disturbing stuff.
This is not exception and Tug Of War sounds like a major label record with good weight and well-written melodies. Tracks like "Paralyzed" and "Unspoken" is really good where they are close to bands like 10 Years, Submursed and Against All Will. So if you like this type of hard rock as the Red Line Chemistry a band to check out for sure! |
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Oleander from Sacramento, California belongs to the first generation of Modern Rock. The band had around 2000 relatively great successes and released two albums on Universal. Many people loved, including me their mix of grunge and hard rock like Fuel, which at that time felt innovative and fresh.
The band is back with their fourth full-length album, Something Beautiful after ten years of silence. And when you listen to this album, it feels sad that they have not been more active than they have been.
The album is of high class and sounds just as I had hoped. They have not become soft during this time and offers once again classic arena rock with traces of hard rock. Sure there are a couple of nice quieter tracks like "Until It's Over" and "Where Do We Go From Here", but it only creates a great balance on this very well-made albums.
Welcome back Oleander, but don’t wait ten years until next album since I want more!
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Carpark North last album Grateful was nothing else a masterpiece, perhaps the best modern pop record released in Europe. So the expectations are very high on their upcoming album of course. The first sample we receive is the single "Army of Open Arms" which was released on the 22nd of April. If it gives you an idea how the album will be sound, it will be more electronic and danceable than before. Like many bands, they have taken on their dancing shoes and delivers pop with some house elements. Is not a big fan of this style, but Carpark North is a band out of the ordinary and shows it really here. The song is extremely catchy with a sleek and bombastic chorus that instantly stuck in your head.
Not their best song, but still a great song that gives me high hopes about their upcoming album.
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Did you know that?
The Swedish vocalist Tommy Nilsson (Easy Action) was offered to join ToTo in the mid 80´s but he turned it down and instead, Joseph Williams got the job.
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latest reviews
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