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| Here are a few quick lines about a disc that you can check up on you like a mix of John Hiatt, Tom Waits and Van Morrison. Ron LaSalle's album "When Hell Hounds Meet Angels" is a beautiful album of the same genre that I almost can recommend. Calm "Just Remind You" is a beautifully told story, "The Devils sneaks In" sounds like a great John Hiatt song from his 80th-century era and the beautiful "Touch Of Blues" with a cool trumpet as a companion Rons raspy voice is wonderful. |
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| T.N.T guitarist Ronni Le Tekro recorded and released this solo album already in 2000 but only in Japan. Escape now releases it in Europe for a cheaper cost than the expensive Japanese import. Ronni has his friends from T.N.T playing on the record,Morty Black on Bass,Dag Stokke on Keyboards and Frode Lamoy on drums. The only one missing is singer Tony Harnell but Ronnie does the lead part himself. He doesn?t have the greatest voice in universe but it works out OK on this odd style of hard rock,take some funk and some jazz and mix it up with some progressive stuff and then you?ll have "Extra strong string". It feels like listening to a hard rock version of Frank Zappa and at some moments Ronni?s other band Vagabond that he did 2 albums with. "Dig it" sounds like the Swedish funkster Paolo Mendonca and the cover version of Alice Coopers "Welcome to my nightmare" is outrageous funky,a little bit like hearing "Getting tighter" from Deep Purple?s Come taste the band. "Tracks in the snow" could?ve been taken from th first album with Vagabond,a true fave of mine! Also the song "Half of the time" has some Vagabond vibes where Ronni sound like Jorn Lande when he sings,quite remarkable. The music is a bit up and down and the rating stays at just good but I have to give a bonus to the lyrics to "Nobody loves an Iceberg".....fantastic cool song that I?ll go humming for a long time to come. And if you just settle for his guitarplaying,it?s nothing to think about.......get it right away ?coz his string work is fabolous. |
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| Geez, this is a very odd CD by TNT string bender Ronni Le Tekro, I´m telling you. It´s not easy to summarize this piece of plastic in a few sentences, since it offers so many different music styles. While listening to this CD, I think of early DAVID BOWIE (that´s cool), ELO, BEATLES, variety music (yep, I am not kidding), funk, psychedelic pop/rock as well as blues rock of la Club Fasching in Stockholm. So, from out of this hoopla I can recommend the happy and somewhat hard rocking "Kissing Disease" and the power pop tune "She Stole My Magic" with its unexpected fat keyboards. Yeah, that one is the only song for true AOR:sters on this album. Unfortunately, there is a lot more on the downside here. Boring instrumental songs that feel very improvised, almost like they were written in a rush to right there in the studio. Ronni´s lead vocal is OK in some songs, while it´s actually a bit worse in a few songs. It´s obvious that Le Tekro is not a lead vocalist. Some of his guitar melodies are also rather "out there", i.e. weird. I would have expected a lot more feeling on an album like this. On the other hand, his good playing in TNT has never been about feeling, but mainly speed. This CD is actually a major disappointment to me. |
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| You can?t write a review about this album without mentioning Ben Folds. And I?m quite sure that Ryan is quite fed up with being compared to Ben. But what the hell can you do when music is so close to each other. The Canadian guy Ryan is perhaps a little tougher and more electrified than Ben, and the style goes into a more sort of Owsley/Jason Mraz being. The best songs on the album are third out ?You?re A Psycho? and the last one out ?Take My Time Away? which is a real fine tune. The album is nice without getting revolutionary, and if you like piano-based powerpop I suggest you?ll give him a listen. |
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We up here in the north part of Europe have always got our own touch of melodic rock and pop. And I?m aware that there are a lot of people around the world who enjoy the "typical Swedish melodic poprock-sound".
Stefan Leoson who has been a part of the Swedish AOR-prog band Ariel is now solo and have put out an album with material somewhere between the "typical" sound I just mentioned mixed with AOR flirts, modern singer songwriter pop (a?la Brian Vander Ark) and a touch of bands like Keane, Travis, Jars Of Clay, The Ark and Coldplay.
So I know that a lot of you guys who are frequent visitors here at the melodic net will love this album. I know that because it?s done with a huge professionalism in a genre we love. And what makes it even more impressive is that it is Stefan who?ve written, performed and produced the album all by himself. Stefan sits on a great voice quite close to Stefan Andersson (musically he?s close as well) if you remember his albums.
First out "I Don?t Know Where To Start" is a killer opener and the following three songs are real damn fine melodic minutes of perfection. The tempo goes down in the middle of the album and there are a few tracks that aren?t so interesting, but they?re few, so I have to give this debutalbum an impressive 4 star review. I salute the man with a big bravo and I highly recommend to check him out right away at myspace.com/stefanleoson
It?s a ticket to the melodic heaven. |
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| SVEN LARSSON is a very common name in Sweden, but there’s nothing common about the guitar playing of THIS Sven Larsson – known from STREET TALK and XINEMA. “Tube” is an 11-track demo CD which underlines the extreme talent of Sven as a songwriter and a musician. He’s also helped out by some other fine musicians here; among others some of the STREET TALK guys like the founder Fredrik Bergh. Lead vocals are shared by Sven and Tomas Eriksson. One very positive thing is the use of real drums, played by Christian Johansson (STREET TALK). Starting out with “Sunlight and shadow”, we get a song that could have been on any STREET TALK album. It’s that typical upbeat JOURNEY vibe, and a great song. And this is only the beginning; but Sven is exploring several music styles here. I really like it, since it travels from pure AOR through AOR/westcoast ballads in TOTO style, all the way to rock/fusion with folk vibes. The latter is heard in the awesome “Candy”, which is easily one of the best tracks of this demo CD. In a way I think of the JOHANSSON BROTHERS in this tune; it’s semi-crazy but also filled with melodies and great harmonies. There’s also some FLOWER KINGS and GREG MATHIESON’S BAKED POTATO SUPER LIVE about this song. I mentioned TOTO, and they sure pop up as an obvious source of inspiration here and there, especially if you imagine the semi-ballads of the “Fahrenheit” era. Try “It’s Over” and “This is Not The Right Time” and you’ll see. Lovely songs, both of them. On the groovy side there’s for example “I’ll Turn My Back”, with some HENDRIX or heavier STEVE LUKATHER solo adventure ingredients.Finally, I’d like to mention “Daydreamer” which made me really happy. It sounds quite a lot like good old PM! The end of the songs has a slightly fusion driven part as well, and LOS LOBOTOMYS or GUITAR WORKSHOP IN LA fans will love it. Sven’s aim is to release this as a real album, and there should be labels interested enough to pick him up. The material is strong enough, and the only thing I’d like to improve would be the lyrics in one or two songs. Some record labels might want to get Sven focused on less various music styles, but to me this is a great blend. |
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The former Street Talk guitarist Sven Larsson is back with his second solo album. In 2010 he released his debut Sunlight And Shadows. In Bad Mad Man, he continues to deliver varied album ranging from melodic rock to Westcoast with fusion influences and even some light touches of AOR. Sven sings himself on four songs and do it fine. But it´s when his former partner in crime of Street Talk, Goran Edman sings on two tracks and he shows what a amazing singer he is, great vocals. There are also two other singers in Thomas Eriksson (reminds a lot of ex-Tommy Nilsson Easy Action) that also sang on the debut and Anders Ahlund who both sing really well. Highlights on the album is Sin City (closest to the Street Talk sound), Forever You & Me (ballad that flirts with Toto) and Dance The Night Away. Sven has produced the album with Per Rydberg with a tight sound. This is a album for fans of Westcoast for sure that I recommend with lots of melodies and great arrangments.
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San Francisco-based The Last Nova is a band to keep your eyes on if you like tougher side of Modern Rock. The band has worked with Brett Hestla (Dark New Day, Framing Hanley, Tantric) on their latest Ep that contains three tracks of the highest class. The band is stylistically not unlike Cavo, Deepfield and Framing Hanley with a relatively tough sound but with very melodic tunes. Like this type of Modern Rock that feels like a new way of playing hardrock with elements of the 80’s rock. Really think that The Last Nova shows the way for how it should sound and the band should break in 2013 for sure.
The band just finished recording its full-length album and really looking forward to it after hearing these three songs! Check out definitely!
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I have probably 2000 records in my CD-collection that I can put under this genre. A genre with men and their guitar and a backup-band telling stories. There are a few ingredients that makes the difference between CD?s you?ll forget after one listen and CD?s you?ll remember and still listen to years after the releasedate. The ingredients are
1. The Voice
2. The Songwriting
3. The Production
4. The Vibe
And this man sits on all of those four. His voice is great. Like a mixture of Neal Casal, Jude Cole and Justin Currie from Del Amitri. The songwriting is solid as a rock and so is the production and vibe. The opener ?Skin For Skin? sets the tone and the Del Amitri-smelling ?Flood Waters? could have been on their masterpiece ?Change Everything? from 1992. The whole album is very good so it is quite unnecessary to sit here and write titles for you but I must also mention his version of Daniel Lanois masterpiece ?Still Learning How To Crawl?. Phew. This is a really good album and I want to make that clear for all you midwestrock-lovers that you all have to buy this album, because you will have a new dear friend in this man and his music. This is a highly impressive piece of work. |
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When I read that this ex Motley Crue member should release an album I became quite curious. Should it sound like the old days or like his other project Methods of Mayhem that ended in 1999. The answer is that it doesnt sound like none of them cause this feels a lot more mature than before. He seems to have grown and delivers more straight a head modern rock with both some faster and some softer ones. Add an experimental touch all over and we have a quite cool album. When I listen to this debut I see a lot of similarities to the Dave Navarro album from last year. Both of them have had a "quite" rough time behind them and musically theyre also very close to each other. The only difference is that Dave is a guitarist and has fatter guitars sound, but except from that they feels like brothers. The first half of record is a little bit softer and has also the best tunes. Second out "Hold me down" is a great acoustic based one with potential and sounds like a new version of Navarros "Rexall". "Ashamed" is another great one that probably is a single track and will surely get some airspace "overthere".
The end of the album lacks of quality a little bit even if we got some Tommy Henriksen vibes a couple of tunes. If you likes the Navarro album Im sure that you will like this, even if Daves album is a little bit better. If youre a true Motley Crue fan dont listen to this cause on this solo album his miles from away from his early years! |
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When most people think of Tommy Lee, I guess that words like sex, drugs and rock?n roll comes up, which was the life for this rocker like 15 years ago. But when you listen to this second solo effort from the Motley Crue drummer those words feels very far away I can tell you. ?Tommyland: The Ride? that he has chosen to release on his own like Collective Soul, isn?t like the old days and really smell carrot juice and bubblegum with a very poppy approach. But even if it?s nice and soft like a part of ?The OC? - the album is a positive surprise with a number of cool and successful collaborations.
The opener ?Good Times? with the hero Butch Walker is a gem such as the first single ?Trying To Be Me? feat Chad Kroeger of Nickelback. Other more or less odd guests on the album are, Carl bell (Fuel), Joel Madden (Good Charlotte), Nick Carter ( Backstreet Boys ) och Andrew McMahon ( Something Corporate, Jacks Mannequin). Not that expected, huh???
Most Motley fans will of course hate this commercial sounding album, but for us that are more open for tasty melodies and sweet choruses, ?Tommyland: The Ride? is an enjoyable record in the same vein as Butch. Cool release! |
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V.K Lynne is a new and nice discovery for me. With one foot in the traditional rock and the other one in the country scene ,she isnt far away from the semi legend Melissa Etheridge musically.
Her style will also appeal to fans of Sheryl Crow and Chantal with a good and consistent quality on this debut called ?Black Halo?. Songs like ?Become Again?, ?Are You Still Here? and ?Trading On 15? is very touching and emotional - not any weaker than her precursor. She also has a rockier side like on the title track, but I prefer the softer ones here with more emotions and sensitivity. Maybe is it because that I?m dreaming away when listening to them. It doesn?t take many seconds til I?m riding on the highway in my Ford Mustang and look how the day turns to night and just feel a nice and warm breeze in my face.
I?m just riding and riding with no real goal, just enjoying life and watching the sun going down in the west. Wanna join me? No problem at all, check out this chick and get yourself a nice dose of pure rock and we?ll be driving against the horizon maybe today, maybe tomorrow. |
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| A few years ago, our webmaster Johan Wippsson did a review of VK Lynne´s 2nd album "Black halo" which he liked and now it´s my turn to soak in Lynne´s heartfelt compositions. From what I recall, her previous album leaned more towards country while her latest record is blues oriented but still grounded in rock. The song "He rolls" bring thoughts to Meredith Brooks while the opener "Find me" is a nice Sheryl Crow-like song perfect for radio. Another mighty fine blues/country/rock song is "Mess like you" but my fave is the Dalbello smelling "Dust between the dirt". Great groove and what a suggestive soundscape, yeah me likey! |
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Did you know that?
Guitarist Ryan Roxie (Alice Cooper) is playing on Tal Bachman´s successful debut album even though he´s not credited for it.
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latest reviews
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