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Another band you can add to the big ocean of modern pop in the lighter EMO/punk school. And 19 Wheels are doing fine in that ocean. They have good production and the songwriting is solid. Still, I must say Im quite fed up with these American bands without any own identity. Its perhaps unfair to 19 Wheels as it is not their fault. Cause theyre good on what theyre
doing. But this scene will soon be quite dead, and all these bands with t-shirts, shorts and vans-shoes will drop dead. It is still a quality release in the genre and if you love this sort of music that bands like Fountains Of Wayne, Lit and you know the rest delivers this is a good
buy, cuz its quality. That without one minute of nerve though. Plastic music is one good word to describe it. |
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Butch Walker is truly the king of cool and innovative modern rock. Ever since the Marvelous 3, I have been a big fan of him and my enthusiasm has not declined over the years. It is fanatically how he managed to change the shape from the more punk orientated and tougher power-pop, to the screw-down singer songwriter rock to even this more like U2 rock. Impressive! 1969 was a short-lived projects with Michael Chislett and Darren Dodd, guitarist and drummer of his solo band the Let´s-Go-Out-Tonite. They wrote and recorded "Maya" at only three days which is crazy impressive, given what we have managed to create on this album. Would not like to say that it is the best Butch has been involved in, but the 1969 debut is a stylish and solid experience. Think early U2 and Echo & The Bunnymen, but to a more modern approach ala Angels & Airwaves with great melodies and direct choruses. Not unique or own, but uncomplicated and good song material all the way! It did not happen a lot with this project and it is doubtful if we hear anything more from them. A little sad to say since I think that they had a lot more to give us. But if you Butch and what he has done before, so this is somewhat inaccessible albums really worth to get.
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| For the first time, 1994's album "Please Stand By" is now released on CD. 1994 was a band that was really hyped by Kerrang and other rock magazines, and the charismatic singer Karen Lawrence was compared with names like Pat Benatar and The Wilson sisters of Heart. After first been with the band LA Jets and released an album in 1976, Karen formed 1994 in 1977 and released their debut-album in 1978 and this follow-up album the year after. Musically, we end up roughly in the same genre as Heart. There are good songs on the album and the favorite is still after 30 years "Our Time Will Come" which is a great song with ambitious arrangements and a great chorus. "Stop This Heartache" is still also as good as I remember it, but there are also a lot of songs that seem pretty weak 31 years after the album was released. The production signed by Eddie Leonetti (Angel, Legs Diamond) and Jack Douglas, has not much to complain about. So to sum up the review a bit I can say that it's charming to hear the disc again (I have probably not listened to it in 25 years) and that there are good songs, Karen sings as good as I remembered, but there are also some sleepy songs. As usual, Rock Candy have done a fantastic job with a nice booklet and personal written texts from Karen. In addition, the disc contains four bonus tracks. |
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May 27 will mark the release of Nineteen Ninety Seven´s sophomore album One The Run, the follow up to Better View of the Rising Moon. With the ever so popular emo bands these days and with the female vocals exploding on the mainstream charts, I think 1997 will have no problem fitting in. The album is a perfect blend of emo fronted rock but with the addition of the female vocals accompanying the mix. The band makes some good music on this album especially on the opening track One Track Mind, Four Track Heart. The song opens up at the chorus leading in on the female vocals. A nice addition on the album adding some original flavor.
Overall the album is good. It doesn´t have many standout tracks but the album sound is pleasant. I think we were looking more for something more original but I think this band will do just fine. With the way things are going on the mainstream front with Paramore taking the spotlight and a lot of the emo/rock bands getting their name out. 1997 will have no problem selling records and appealing to the masses. Check them out on myspace for a more in depth look into their sophomore album, One The Run. For fans of Taking Back Sunday, Paramore, Jimmy Eat World. |
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9 Chambers is a new band featuring several hard rock veterans like Greg Hampton - Vocals/Guitar (Alice Cooper), Ed Mundell - Guitar (Monster Magnet), Vinnie Appice - Drums (Dio) and Jorgen Carlsson (Gov´t Mule). Ed Mundell left Monster Magnet after 18 years to focus on new musical adventures and it clicked with Greg Hampton with 20 songs written for the debut album with 9 Chambers. 13 tracks ended up on the album and the sound will appeal to fans of stoner rock with a touch southern rock and even grunge, the album opens with "Life moves on" that features twin guitars the Thin Lizzy style and this song is also one of the best on the album. Another highlight is the slow and bluesy "Cant turn your back" that feels like a great balance to the riff rock the band deliver on the rest of the album.
Songs like "All but done" and "Indeed the sun" feels rather mediocre and I will skip them the further on, I like the Mountain-like "One thing missing" and "Bury yourself" that are two of the heaviest tracks. Fans of Soundgarden will die to hear "Majick number" as well as the first single "Know your enemy", we´re talking grunge with a touch of psychedelica. Nice. |
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| Lead singer Travis Jones formed Nine Left Dead in the late 90´s but it wasn´t until 2008 when the current line up was completed, the Oklahoma city based hard rock act went into Hinder drummer Cody Hanson´s studio to record their debut single "Put your guns down". Cody also co-wrote the song and it´s the first taste from their upcoming debut album "The wrong things" that comes out on Sept 20. This is a powerful active rock song that will appeal to fans of Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin, I love the guitar driven verse but the chorus is really strong too. Beware of a new great rock band coming your way this fall! |
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Oklahoma City rockers 9 Left Dead offers on their debut debut a nice dose of well-produced modern hardrock. It is not entirely wrong to compare them a band Shinedown, but it is not as huge in its sound and the production isn’t as bombastic when they ahven’t had the same budget. But the band is signatory to Dirtbag / ILG / Warner Music Group and has worked with none other than Cody Hanson (Hinder) so it sounds good and the production is nothing you can complain about here.
Do, however, feel that the record never really lifts at some point even if it is well made and competent. Tracks like "Put Your Guns Down" and "Freak In Me" is good and likes that the band rocks from start to finish on the album. But there is something missing here so that I cannot really compare them with the heavyweights in this modern hard rock genre. However, it is ok and worth checking up if you like bands like Saving Abel, Stereoside and Burn Halo.
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AOR music is alive and kickin? in Spain and one of the groups that is living proof of that is 91 Suite. Yes, it?s the same band that released their debut album on Vinny Records in 2002 with some help from AOR hero Mark Mangold (Touch, Drive She Said).
The debut album was a nice ordinary AOR album that sounded very promising. So now 3 years after that they?re back with a new label and a fantastic AOR album. This is a band that has really taken a step forward in both sound and production because "Times They Change" is a great return from these Spanish AORsters.
I would compare this new album as a mix of Harem Scarem and House Of Shakira with lots of hooklines and damn catchy AOR-songs. The singer Jes?s Espin has really gone forward with his vocals and sings a lot better on this new album with a voice that lies somewhere between Harry Hess (Harem Scarem) and Andy Eklund (House Of Shakira).
On a couple of the songs he really shines out and shows what a strong singer he is, I dig his voice which sounds perfect to 91 Suite?s sound.
They have recorded 14 songs and you truly get value for your money. There are a couple of songs that could have been left out and instead done an album with 10-11 songs with stronger quality.
But I can assure you that there is plenty of candy on this album.
Just listen to the stunning "Seal With A Kiss" that from the first time reminded me of Harem Scarem?s debut with great axework and brilliant melodies.
"Tell Me Why" is one of those songs that hooks you up right away with a catchy chorus with great harmonies.
Anybody that owns the fantastic "3" album with House Of Shakira will just love "Far Away", what a song with lovely melodies.
"Hopes And Dreams" is an AOR-winner with a more laid back chorus with great hooks. The chorus of the album is on "Hard To Forget", this is a song filled with hooklines and a catchy chorus with even some dut-dut keyboards. Great stuff.
This album took me by surprise because I would never had thought that these guys would come back with a strong album like this after such a long time.
They have managed to come up with strong songs and the production is really good and like the title says "Times They Change" with 91 Suite changing for the better.
Check out these Spanish AOR-rockers if you?re into Harem Scarem and House Of Shakira because they won?t disappoint you. |
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California native Anna Nalick is a new talented artist who has managed to cross piano based pop with a laid back singer/songwriter feel and even a touch of modern rock on her debut album "Wreck of the day".
Think Norah Jones,Vanessa Carlton and Alanis Morissette - voila! you?ll get Anna Nalick,she has the gift of going right into the heart with her heartful lyrics and moving music.
I fell in love immediately with her hitsingle "Breathe (2 am) and soon discovered that she ain?t no one-hit wonder coz this album is filled delicate pop candy that will make any macho man melt.
Believe it or not,but this lovely girl started out singing in a RUSH cover band - that was however far from her true musical calling so when she decided on recording her own personal songs on a master demo,it only took 2 weeks to shop it around to labels until she was signed to Columbia records in 2003.
Two years later,the final result of a long recording process of finding the right musicians and producers is out in the stores!
I recommend you all to let Anna Nalick into your lives,she?s a bright hope for the future of female popmusic. |
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| I went through some cool cd´s a while back, and one of the cd´s I played was an Odds CD. And I must say that Odds is sure a damn cool band. So I thought I should check out what they where up to for the moment, so I surfed away to their homepage and found out that the leadvocalist Craig Northey had done a soloalbum. And here I am reviewing it a month later. Cool! Internet rules as always. Anyway, whats about it then. It´s lovely. It is as easy as that. Very own unique way of being modern pop with flirts of both this and that. Lovely. It´s like Francis Dunnery´s voice would have been mixed with Beck in his most melodic sense with a more melodic vibe. Well it´s damn hard to explain actually what it is. It´s just a very cool album. He´s producing himself except for track two "slow motion" which is produced by David Gamson (Scritti Politti). Naah, enough said. Check this album up now. It´s a little pearl. The track "After Walking In Space" is so cool. I start to think Kevin Gilbert when I hear it. Hmmm... weird re ew for sure. I know. But you´ll understand when you hear it. Which is a must! |
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Originally released independently in 2007, this EP by DANIEL NELSON is another one of many must-have items in the westcoast pop genre right now. Newly formed label Avenue Of Allies took Daniel under their wings and bought the stock of this gem in 2008, to make it more easily obtained.
What we´re looking at here is 5 songs of very high westcoast class. Opening up with the BOBBY CALDWELL meets MICHAEL McDONALD style "Madelynn" the CD immediately shows class. The beat of this tune is kind of the same as in "Yah mo b there" (Michael McDonald), It is followed by a truly neat cover version of the RIT song "Is it you?" - proving the musicians involved to be very talented indeed. Then there´s a lot of MICHAEL SEMBELLO and BOBBY CALDWELL in "Camarillo". Talking about Sembello - just hear the lead vocals by Daniel Nelson in "Here in L.A."! He is a deadringer of Sembello in a way that few artists could match. Phew! Finishing off by a fine semi-ballad entitled "Emily", this CD just makes me want more - a lot more. Why only 5 songs, Daniel? This is first class westcoast music. |
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| Here we have another radiofiendly record, but not in the same way as Bliss 66 or Neve. No ,this will suit perfect on American Modern rock radiostations that are player a little bit tougher music like Fuel or Creed. Ex guitarist from Janes addiction and Red hot chilli peppers(Only one record), Dave Navarro is playing modern rock with heavy guitars like Soundgarden and with industrial elements like Orgy with a singer songwriter touch all over. Quite heavy, but always very melodic and with a very good production. The album contains 10 song and just 1 or 2 are a little bit uninteresting. Best is the first one, "Rexall" which also is the first single of the album, and the second one "Hungry" which has a Soundgarden feeling with a great chorus. This is a album that takes a couple of listenings, but after a while its a bomb, I promise. One of the best this year ,so far. |
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| Extra ordinaire swedish midwest rock in a singer songwriter costume. Beautiful pop/rock songs in a very nice production. Eddie whos a gifted and often used studio musician (heve worked with Chris Bailey (Saints), Eric Bazilian (Hooters), Willie Nile among others) is here with what I believe is his first own soloalbum. And if you like guys like John Hiatt, Robbie Robertson goes Sonny Landreth with Matthew Ryan - vibes all over this is more than a check out. The title track is a very nice tune and so are plenty other tracks on the album like "Mother Mercy". Surf to his page a tak a look yourself. Very nice indeed. You can buy the CD via www.skivhugget.com. |
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Who is Faris?,where does he come from?,what does he want?,who do he think he is?,well you couldn?t care less but you should!
"King of Sweden" is Faris 3rd album and it sounds more like the first adorable album "I love Faris",the follow up "Problematico" felt like a big problematico with a much more thin production containing leftover sounding tunes from the first record.
Listening to Faris "Lennon-esque" music feels like watching a movie,he paints pictures with his music and I would like to make a comparison to Tal Bachman?s beautiful ballads!
Imagine a meeting between Bryan Ferry,David Byrne (Talking Heads) and Eric Stewart (10 cc) where they got together and wrote an album.......than we?re pretty close of how "King of Sweden" sounds like.
"I?m falling" sounds like the theme Jean Michel Jarre wrote for his concert on the moon.
Faris is the flower we need to smell and enjoy in the spring of 2005. |
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Do you like laid back romantic pop like 10cc,Tal Bachman?s 2nd album "Staring down the sun" and John Lennon? - don?t look any further coz this artist by the name of Faris Nourallah should be in your collection as well with his spellbinding music.
He?s got the same feeling in his voice as Tal Bachman with those special falsetto notes and the melodies echoes out Lennon all the way back to the early 70?s,Faris does it all by himself from writing,recording to producing and in April he will release his new album "King of Sweden" but while we?re waiting for that one - do yourself a favor and check out this 3 year old album coz you won?t be disappointed.
Faris Fender Rhodes based music is very poetic and is the perfect choice for relaxation after a day full of stress.
HIGHLIGHTS:Desire,Brogadiccio |
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Did you know that?
R.E.M. vocalist Michael Stipe drew the acronym randomly out of the dictionary. The term refers to the rapid eye movement phase of sleep.
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latest reviews
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