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HOT NEW REVIEWS
MUKDAD
ROTHENBERG LANKOW 'IN THE WAKE OF MEMORIES VINYL RECORD' (CLERMONT MUSIC/USA IMPORT)
Out of Syria comes WASSIM MUKDAD, who plays
the old instrument Oud (which has a sorta Middle Eastern guitarsound) and
together with clarinet player DAVID ROTHENBERG and percussion player VOLKER
LANKOW the trio recorded a wonderful album filled with beautiful melodies as
played on just these 3 instruments. Wassim left his home country Syria because
he realised it became too dangerous, especially since he is a musician. He's
also a doctor and after meeting Volker, who worked as a nurse and project
manager for medicine in such difficult warzones like in Syria, they found each
other musically speaking in Germany, and thanks to David the three of them
recorded in Berlin, Germany this wonderful album titled In the Wake of
Memories. The album has been released on black vinyl via the American label
CLERMONT MUSIC, which is situated in the small town of Germantown in the state
of New York. 8 songs are included and each of them takes you on a trip to different
places in the world, because the instrumental music takes it's influences from
everywhere, so this is music without borders and that's exactly what is
necessary to bring hope for all the people in places where it's not safe. These
3 musicians create melodies and rhythms that make you feel like you're
somewhere else in the world, but with no specific place, although the Arabic
and African influences are likewise very clear on most of the songs, with as
highlights Wait for me, Window to the rain and We cannot leave. Imagine STING
or PETER GABRIEL's World Music related songs without vocals or an open-minded
progband, because if you like such music, then you will love this record as
well. Give it a try and explore the world of these fantastic musicians. More
info and availability of the album through: https://www.clermontmusic.com/mrl-memories
and https://www.facebook.com/wassim.mukdad.music
MAMADOU
KELLY 'LES BATEAUX VINYL RECORD' (CLERMONT MUSIC/USA IMPORT)
SUMRRA
'6 MULLERES VINYL RECORD' (CLERMONT MUSIC/USA IMPORT)
SUMRRA is a Spanish trio consisting of
Xacobe Martínez Antelo (Double Bass), Luis Alberto Rodríguez (Drums) and Manuel
Gutiérrez (Piano), and they deliver their 6th album with this 6 Mullures.
Included on this wonderful 2018 released vinyl record are 6 songs (Frida Kahlo,
Malala Yousafsai, Rosa Parks, Qiu Jin, Nawal El Sadawi and Rosalía de Castro)
that all bring us beautiful relaxed instrumental melodic jazz/fusion. Quite a
surprising release and highly recommended to check out if you like for example
ESP! More info at: http://www.sumrra.com
and the vinyl record is available through https://www.clermontmusic.com
HAMA
SANKARE 'BALLEBE VINYL RECORD' (CLERMONT MUSIC/USA IMPORT)
Out of Mali, Africa comes the legendary
HAMA SANKARE, who has been in bands since the early 1970s and eventually became
one of the most important musicians in Mali. He helped to shape the Desert
Bluesrocksound as we know it today and it was back in 2018 when he finally
released his first solo-album. The vocalist/percussionist/calabash player performed
and recorded with many bands in the past, but it was about time to release a
solo record a few years ago, which happened when CLERMONT MUSIC released
Ballebe. In fact he delivered quite quickly another solo-album (Niafunke in
2019), which we will hopefully review soon, but tragic struck when Hama died in
a car accident in 2020. What he left behind is a lot of musical joy and
thankfully this solo-album is available on vinyl to check out, because it
easily reaches the high level of much-praised fellow countrymen of SONGHOY
BLUES. Although the album starts with a dance orientated piece titled Middo
Wara, the rest of the album is filled with classic DesertBluesRock in the best
Mali style, with some wonderful songs, such as Banda Lobourou, Ballebe, Goidi
Sitti, Hamady Kodda and Kenouna. On vinyl it sounds really impressive and
anyone who likes SONGHOY BLUES definitely need to check out this album as well.
Hama got help from Grammy-winning guitarist Cindy Cashdollar, young singer
Sekou Touré, guitarist Oumar Konaté, bassist Sekou Bah, drummer Mahalmadane
Traoré, and Brehima "Yoro" Cissé and Bouba Cissao on traditional
stringed instruments. The resulting album is a wonderful piece of Mali/African
World Music/Blues Rock that will one day be regarded a classic in this genre.
It's quite unbelievable that Hama is no longer with us, but thankfully the
music is his legacy and I would therefore recommend anyone to check out this
record first. The album is available through: https://www.clermontmusic.com
and for more info please go to: https://www.clermontmusic.com/hama-sankare
OUMAR
KONATE 'I LOVE YOU INNA' (CLERMONT MUSIC/USA IMPORT)
In recent years the Desert Blues Rock
scene in the Sahara region of Western and Northern Africa has been explosive
with countless acts breaking through in especially Europe. Bnads like
TINARIWEN, TAMIKREST, SONGHOY BLUES and a few others are becoming more and more
popular with this African style of groovy 70s Classic Rock/Hardrock. OUMAR
KONATE is another singer/songwriter/guitarist who should be possible to
breakthrough someday soon, because his album I love you Inna is a great and
very strong Desert Blues Rockalbum, with a lot of sensational songs among the
10 included. Besides Oumar on vocals and guitar, other involved musicians are Dramane
Touré (bass), Makan Camara (drums, percussion), Fallou Mbaye (sabard wolloof), Adama
Sidibé (violin) and John F Dilligent (keyboards). From start to finish we're
heading into the swinging African groovy rocksound as if JIMI HENDRIX started
jamming with local African musicians. Although it was recorded in Mali, the
mastering, mixing and production took place in New York. Each and every song is
a highlight, but songs like Houndia, Oumar Bakoi, I love you Inna, the superb
heavy guitar riff driven Ni Tchilla Sibara and Mariama are incredible songs
that belong to the top of Desert Blues Rock. More info at: https://soundcloud.com/clermontmusic/oumar-konate-i-love-you-inna-1
SEKOU
BAH 'SOUKABBE MALI' (CLERMONT MUSIC/USA IMPORT)
Out of Mali comes the talented SEKOU BAH,
a musician, arranger, author, composer and singer who formed his own band SEKOU
back in 2011. Soukabbe Mali is his latest album, and it is filled with very
cheerful African music that reveals all kinds of influences as well, such as
groovy Desert Rock (Dogon Oulon, the awesome Nge Mounkila, instrumental
proggy/jazzy swinging material (Planete and Wari Tigui), Modern Pop/Hip-Hop
(Kalan Ko), Melodic Caribbean/Reggae/Pop (Adamadenw and the lovely guitarsolo
driven Doke Doye) and beautiful Melodic Pop/Rock crossed with World Music that
has a lot of hit potential (Soukabbe Mali, Fifi and Nourou Chi Bory). The
diversity of the music in combination with the African singing is making this a
highly recommended album to check out. Without a doubt, this album is a
guarantee for a party evening, so go check out more at: https://www.clermontmusic.com/soukabbemali
AL
BILALI SOUDAN 'TOMBOUCTOU' (CLERMONT MUSIC/USA IMPORT)
Mali is definitely one of the most
productive countries in Africa, with many active artists and bands. A lot of
the music represents the so-called Desert Blues Rocksound, which is a mixture
of Western Classic Rock and traditional African music/vocals, and that is
basically what also happens when listening to the wonderful CD Tombouctou of
the Mali based band AL BILALI SOUDAN. Along with SONGHOY BLUES, this album is
probably offering some of the finest Desert Blues Rock available at the moment.
AL BILALI SOUDAN are slightly rougher, rawer and edgier than most others, which
makes them quite interesting, because when you listen to the first couple of
songs, such as Khadeidja, Khomeissa and Djaba, and you will be thrilled to
check out much more on them due to their raw edgy groovy hard-hitting rocking
sound. More info can be found at: https://www.clermontmusic.com/tombouctou
DEFINITION
OF INSANITY 'INTO THE ABYSS' (STF RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out of Bremerhaven, Germany comes
DEFINITION OF INSANITY, a band playing a mix of melodic heavy rock/metal and
metalcore, with a focus on song orientated material that sounds quite melodic
thanks to their female singer ANNA MARX, but also features cookie-monster screams
by DARIO MARCELINO. The rest of the line-up consists of vocalist/guitarist
FRERK SEIDE, drummer MAIK TACK, guitarist JAN GRUBE and bassist LUCIEN DITSCHE.
Into the abyss is their debut album and there is potential for sure, although I
think work needs to improve in the vocal department, because both Anna and
Dario are not the strongest singers around and also the production could
definitely be better. Nevertheless, you can check out this band if you like a
mix between PARAMORE and PARKWAY DRIVE. Check them out at: https://definitionofinsanity.de
SUN
KING RISING 'DELTA TALES' (PEACOCK SUNRISE RECORDS/USA IMPORT)
SUN KING RISING is the solo project by Texas,
USA based singer-songwriter JOHN BLANGERO, who is assisted by a list of guest
musicians on his solo debut album Delta tales. If not making music, he is a professor
in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Texas Rio Grande
Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine in Brownsville, Texas, and renowned as one of
the world’s top researchers! However, music is his passion and he wanted to do
a sorta Americana/Soulful Rockalbum all his life and now his dream has come
true in the shape of this impressive album Delta tales. Opener The snake is a
very catchy soulful midtempo pop/rocker in the style of THE IDES OF MARCH
crossed with 70s TOM JONES, while following Milkweed and thistle is a catchy
uptempo soul/rocker with a sorta BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN touch. Things slow down
during the almost country-ish crossover semi-ballad Down the delta road, and
the album continues this mixture of various typical American styles, with as
other highlights the lovely catchy midtempo AOR/rocker In a State of grace (a
la BENNY MARDONES), the beautiful bluesy melodic rockballad Take it down and
the Southern Rock semi-ballad Drive me to Nashville. John is a fantastic singer
with a raw typical American kinda voice, which fits the music perfectly.
Recommended to fans of the Americana/Rock/Roots genre of LEON RUSSELL, BRUCE
SPRINGSTEEN, TOM PETTY, JOHN COUGAR and such. More info at: https://sunkingrising.bandcamp.com/album/delta-tales
and https://sunkingrising.rocks
SOOTHSAYERS
'WE ARE MANY' (WAH WAH 45/UK IMPORT)
Out of South London comes SOOTHSAYERS, and
We are Many is already their 9th studio-album. The band was formed in 1998 by
sax player Idris Rahman and trumpeter Robin Hopcraft, and through the years
various line-ups of the band played in SOOTHSAYERS. The new album starts with
the summer friendly midtempo reggae ish tune Rat Race, which also has
influences of jazz and features lovely melodic harmonyvocals. Following Love
and Unity continues this high class lovely relaxing 70s Reggae sound that
likewise is not far removed from classic BOB MARLEY, and vocally SOOTHSAYERS
are just as good! We are Many is a great funky instrumental jazzy reggae piece,
while Move in Silence is back to classic reggae again, and then I mean of a
very high level, almost reaching the classic sounds of ASWAD, WAILERS, PETER
TOSH, BOB MARLEY, etc. Other highlights on the album are One Step Away, No
Sacrifice and Slave (both FANTASTIC!) and the instrumental jazzy reggae of
Rolling (Em Barra do Sahy). The song Light the Way introduce African influences
in the vocal department, which combined with jazz and reggae is sounding very
original. Basically this is one of the finest reggae-ish albums in ages,
sounding superstrong and diverse with its jazz/funk influences as well and they
are ready for today’s world to become a major band, so make sure to check out
SOOTHSAYERS a.s.a.p. at: https://soothsayers.bandcamp.com/album/we-are-many-2
LYLE
WORKMAN 'UNCOMMON MEASURES' (BLUE CANOE RECORDS/UK IMPORT)
Recorded at the Abbey Road studios with an
63-piece orchestra, the new album of LYLE WORKMAN is a wonderful piece of
instrumental music that sounds like a soundtrack to an adventurous movie due to
the big orchestral arrangements. Lyle is an American guitarist, composer,
session and touring musician, and music producer, who worked with some of the
world’s greatest musicians and singers, such as STING, ILSE DELANGE, MICHAEL
BUBLE, BRYAN ADAMS, JELLYFISH and countless others. He also composed music for
a lot of movies and every now and then a new solo CD is released, such as this
new album Uncommon measures, which will be released around mid-April 2021 on LP
and CD. Lyle is also an excellent guitarist and keyboard player, which you can
hear all throughout the album. Besides the cinematic sounds of most of the
songs (with opener North Star being one of the finest ones), some of the songs
could easily be classified as progrock as well, while some jazz/fusion
influences that can also be heard in a great song like Imaginary World. This is
high quality instrumental music that combines the sounds of a full orchestra
with some very strong guitarwork and a jazzy touch here and there with the sax,
trumpet, etc. If you’re into STEVE VAI, JEFF BECK, AL DIMEOLA, JERRY GOLDSMITH,
STEVE HACKETT and such musicians, then look no further than this new album of
LYLE WORKMAN! More info at: www.redsandpr.com
BYLA
ROSE 'HOW FAR' (INDEPENDENT/XO PUBLICITY/USA IMPORT)
The American BYLA ROSE is actually
singer/songwriter JULIA ROSE CUMMINGS, who is making her debut with the EP How
far, which also features David Immergluck on Guitar, Mandolin and Pedal Steel
(COUNTING CROWS, JOHN HIATT), Larry Taylor on Bass (CANNED HEAT, TOM WAITS),
Stephen Hodges on Drums & Percussion (MAVIS STAPLES, TOM WAITS), Kudisan
Kai on Backing vocals (ROGER WATERS, CHAKA KHAN). 5 songs are included, of
which opener What Water Does is a great midtempo rocker with strong melodies
and a sound that is somewhere between 70s PATTI SMITH and 80s BETTE MIDLER
(Beast of Burden), so it is quite original and slightly alternative. The other
5 songs follow the same direction more or less, which is poetic
singer/songwriter semi-rock orientated, with as other highlight the bluesy
closing track Last Call. More info at: https://www.bylarose.com
STORMHUNTER
'READY FOR BOARDING' (METAL FORCE 24/GERMAN IMPORT)
The German band STORMHUNTER was formed
back in 1998, released a demo tape in 2001, broke up for a short while, but
they became really active since 2007 with a few official album releases. Ready
for Boarding is their latest EP CD release, which consists of 4 songs that are
basically True Melodic Metal all the way! The band consists of Frank Urschler
(vocals), Andreas Kiechle (drums), Fritz (bass), Burkhard Ulrich (guitar) and
Stefan Müller (guitar) and if we have a listen to this new EP CD, opener Crown
Of Creation is a superb piece of classic True Metal. This is basically a
midtempo melodic anthem to sing-a-long to, along with fantastic guitarwork and
a big chorus. Following uptempo Two Beers (Or Not Two Beers) is pure 1980s
uptempo Teutonic Metal in the style of such bands like early HELLOWEEN,
NOISEHUNTER, ACCEPT, RESTLESS, RUNNING WILD and so on. This song is an earworm
the way all the fans of True Metal would like to hear it and the fantastic
twin-guitar work makes it a true winner. Next track Sharp Invaders is faster
than the speed of light classic melodic Power Metal like HAMMERFALL did in their
early days and closing track Antisocial is a great cover of the TRUST classic.
Check out this awesome band at: https://stormhunter.bandcamp.com/album/ready-for-boarding
WATERSHED
'VARIOUS ALBUMS' (ON STAGE/GERMAN IMPORT)
3 albums of the South African band
WATERSHED were sent to me and I am glad they did, because this Johannesburg
based band is quite good actually. They were formed back in 1998, scored a
massive hit called Indigo Girl in Germany back in 2002, and have meanwhile
released 7 studio-albums so far, of which the last 3 (Watch the Rain (2015),
Harbour (2018) and Elephant in the Room (2021)) reached our office. The band’s
line up changed several times in the past, but at the moment it features Craig
Hinds (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, Hammond, percussion), Howard Combrink
(drums, guitars, ukulele, vocals) and Gideon Botes (guitars, programming,
vocals). I have to say vocally Craig reminds me a bit of PETER GABRIEL meets
MICHAEL STIPE in a country-ish direction somehow, yet musically speaking it’s
radio friendly ‘safe’ traditional melodic pop/rock with some Irish/Celtic
influences and a tiny bit of KEANE meets MUMFORD AND SONS minus the Bluegrass
influences, but also Country-Poprock crossover material is included here and
there. WATERSHED also remind me a lot of a band I saw in Liverpool a few years
ago, the Irish band KEY WEST and even SUNRISE AVENUE, especially on their new
CD Elephant in the Room. The material on the 3 albums is a mix of uptempo
rockier pieces and calmer ballad/singer-songwriter/folk orientated songs. The
album Watch the Rain starts with a few cheerful country-melodic poprock
crossover songs, such as Magical Energy, Drive and The River Song, and overall
the record has a strong American orientated polished approach, with even a
great Heartland/AOR/Poprocker such as Turn all your pages (BRYAN ADAMS meets
THE EAGLES), the 80s influenced catchy melodic poprocker Waiting around and a
lot of calmer balladry such as the REMish Tell her and the radioready
countrypop ballad From the bottom of my Heart (a duet with BLACKBYRD). The
album Harbour is less American orientated and more going for the Irish/Celtic
kinda pop/rock direction, with as highlights cheerful uptempo pop/rockers like
Drowning, Shoulder to cry on and Mountainside. Out the window is a beautiful
calmer ballad with a sorta light prog touch and great additional female vocals
by LIRA.
THE
VEITH RICARDO PROJECT 'STORM WARNING' (PURE STEEL RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
THE VEITH RICARDO PROJECT was a
short-lived project between lead singer JUAN RICARDO (RITUAL, ATTAXE, WRETCH…)
and keyboardist VINCENT VEITH (GHOST SHIP, VELVET VOYAGE) in 2005 and despite
they recorded a demo for a full-album, the record was never finished until
covid hit the world in 2020. They got back together last year and finished the
album Storm Warning, which has now been released on PURE STEEL RECORDS. Other
involved musicians are NEIL ZAZA (guitar), JERRY BRIGHTMAN (pedal steel), DOUG
JOHNS (bass) and CHRIS CEJA (drums), and 11 songs are included on this first
album of THE VEITH RICARDO PROJECT. The music is high quality melodic
progressive rock/metal with a clear 1980s/early1990s touch, kinda like SHADOW
GALLERY meets RUSH with a touch of SAVATAGE, and as highlights I would like to
mention Running Away (excellent progrock with a cool 80s Pomprock ish
keyboardsolo), Eruption of Corruption (QUEENSRYCHE meets FATES WARNING
Progmetal, with groovy guitarwork and a real late 80s kinda feeling), the
uptempo 80s melodic hardrock influenced Anathema Maranatha (a la MARA/PHANTOM’S
OPERA if anyone remembers them, crossed with CRIMSON GLORY), the lovely calmer
epic melodic rockballads Longing for Home, Lighthouse, Always and I Still Love
You (AORish a la early ROBBY VALENTINE), and the epic prog rock/metal of the
fantastic Highest Mountain (PSYCHOTIC WALTZ meets SAVATAGE). Keyboards and high
pitched vocals were up front when the album started and towards the end during
the ballads), but it got heavier in-between, with also clear SAVATAGE
similarities during the theatrical The Green Tractor and titletrack Storm
Warning. All together this is a very impressive and diverse album that melts
progrock, progmetal, theatrical rock/metal and a touch of 80s melodic hardrock
quite nicely. If this had been released in 1989, it would have been a classic
by now! More info at: https://www.puresteel-records.com/releases/view/703/Storm_Warning
ATTIKA
'METAL LANDS' (PURE STEEL RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out of Florida comes ATTIKA, a band with a
long past, because they were active between the mid-1980 and mid-1990s and
managed to release 2 albums before calling it a day. Recently they reformed and
performed in Europe at the HEADBANGERS OPEN AIR festival, and eventually this
resulted in a new album titled Metal Lads. This album is filled with high
quality classic US Melodic Metal that reminds me a bit of ANVIL, JAG PANZER,
ASKA and such. The 4 guys (singer Robert Van War, drummer Jeff Patelski,
bassist Glenn Anthony and guitarist Bill Krajewski) are doing a great job here,
especially during the best song on the album, which is the excellent The Price.
Check them out if the classic US Metal is up your alley at: www.attikametal.com
ANGEL
MARTYR 'NOTHING LOUDER THAN SILENCE' (IRON SHIELD/PURE STEEL RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
MYRKVI
'REFLECTIONS' (INDEPENDENT/ICELAND IMPORT)
Out of Reykjavik, Iceland comes MYRKVI,
which is a band formed around singer/songwriter MAGNUS THORLACIUS (Vocals,
guitars, organ and keyboards) who is assisted by Kári Guðmundsson (Bass and
percussion) and drummer Arnór Sigurðarson. The debut album is titled
Reflections, and they have already booked some success with a few singles in
Iceland and Germany, which is not that strange, because the included material
is of a very high level. It’s beautiful calmer Indie-Pop/Folk with a focus on
lovely melodies, with close-harmony vocals a la SIMON & GARFUNKEL and that
Icelandic melancholic dark approach instrumentally speaking. Highlights are
Change of Scene (calmer song and really beautiful), Gamechanger (a midtempo
piece with its dut-dut keys giving it a happy summer friendly touch that sounds
even a bit like a calmer WEEZER), Overlooked (relaxing uptempo melodic
folk-indie a la FLEET FOXES/THE WAR ON DRUGS) and the 80s New Wave influenced
Ministry Of Love. Definitely a bright hope for the future to come this MYRKVI,
and once again showing there is a lot going on within the Icelandic music
scene! More info at: https://myrkvi.bandcamp.com/album/reflections
THE
MOTHER CROW 'MAGARA' (INDEPENDENT/SPAIN IMPORT)
Out of Barcelona, Spain comes the female
fronted band THE MOTHER CROW and their debut album Magara was released back in
2019. The band consists of Karen Asensio: Lead vocals / percussions, Claudia
González: Bass guitar/ background vocals/ flute/ sitar/ percussions, Max
Eriksson: Electric and acoustic guitars/background vocals/ percussions and Pep
Carabante: Drums, with as guest musician Alberto Pérez on Hammond organ. 9
songs are included in total, and opener Revolution is right from the start
making sure this is excellent 70s inspired classic hardrock. This song is an
uptempo piece that recalls the days of LED ZEPPELIN and DEEP PURPLE, and for a
Spanish band they are doing this really well, including strong vocals and
superb shredding guitarwork. Retro classic 70s Hardrock at its very best I
would say! Other highlights on Magara are the slowtempo Stone (even a bit BETH
HART ish), the uptempo classic rocker Swat It! (great tune a la URIAH HEEP) and
the epic Forevermore, while the melancholic melodic Spanish sung Gauan
(Lo-Kanto) should also be mentioned. Take a bit of BLUES PILLS, URIAH HEEP,
BETH HART and DEEP PURPLE, and then you have this strong Spanish band called
THE MOTHER CROW. More info at: https://themothercrow.bandcamp.com/album/magara
ROOF
BEAMS 'THIS LIFE MUST BE LONG VINYL RECORD' (INDEPENDENT/XO PUBLICITY/USA IMPORT)
ROOF BEAMS is a band from Washington, USA
and normally speaking they would record a new album together in the studio, but
due to the lockdown and covid restrictions, ROOF BEAMS' new album This Life
Must Be Long was tracked and mixed in individual homes in DC, Maryland, and
Pennsylvania during the Spring and Summer of 2020. Performers recorded their
own tracks and assembled them remotely, and bandleader Nathan did the final
mixing at his home. I believe the band is a 5-piece act, but this time around only
3 bandmembers joined these home made recordings, namely Nathan Robinson -
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Melodica, Keyboards, Percussion, Bill Smyth
- Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Pedal Steel, Bass, Keyboards, Percussion and Phillips
Saylor Wisor - Electric Guitars, Banjo, Mandolin, Vocals. The resulting album
is a true honest and clear authentic album that is of a high level. The
included music is a mix of singer/songwriter and melancholic Americana
pop/rock, sounding like a cross between BOB DYLAN and NEIL YOUNG, yet with also
a few songs going for a slight modern melodic melancholic poprocksound a la
R.E.M. crossed with some of the retro 80s synths of THE KILLERS (such as the
lovely 6 minutes closing track My Business). The 8 included songs are mostly
calm and besides the aforementioned My Business, other highlights are Carry On
(with massive synths upfront) and Witness Me (calm acoustic piece a la BOB
DYLAN crossed with BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN). I wonder what this band would sound like
full-blown with the powerful bass/drums added, because I'll bet they sound even
better then. It's nevertheless interesting to see a band doing a record like
this in these rare corona lockdown times. More info is available through https://roofbeams.bandcamp.com/album/this-life-must-be-long
BEN
GRANFELT 'TRUE COLOURS VINYL RECORD' (A1 RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
The Finnish guitarist/singer/songwriter
BEN GRANFELT has been around in the music business since the mid 80s, first
with the legendary Hardrockband GRINGOS LOCOS (remember them?) and from the
early 90s onwards solo, releasing his solo debut back in 1994, but he also
performed with major bands like WISHBONE ASH, LENINGRAD COWBOYS... Personally
speaking I was not familiar with his own material, so when I received his new
vinyl record and listened to it, I was overwhelmed by the incredible high
level. His guitarplaying is amazing and he should be up right there with JOE
BONAMASSA, KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD, WALTER TROUT and so on. True Colours is his
10th album so far, which also features drummer Jari Salminen, drummer Miri
Miettinen, bassist Matti Maijanen, keyboardplayer Magnus Axberg, keyboardplayer
Mika Aukio, storyteller Jonathan Hutchings, guest vocalist Bryn Jones, and
together they recorded 8 strong impressive diverse songs. Opener Victorious is
a superb massive sounding instrumental 80s influenced midtempo Melodic Rock/AOR
affair with the splendid melodic soaring guitarwork of Ben upfront. Following
song No Turning Back introduces Ben on lead vocals, but also his wife Jasmine
joins as backing singer, with as result that this is a pretty good midtempo
progressive melodic rocker like a cross between the proggy calmer sounds of
PINK FLOYD and the somewhat heavier bluesy melodic rock touch of FM, and it also
includes a lovely catchy melodic chorus. At times it reminds me a bit of TONY
CAREY, RUSS BALLARD and classic German Melodic Rock like TOKYO, especially
during the fantastic catchy 80s inspired melodic rocker Hey Stranger, which has
some TOTO similarities as well. Side-A of this excellent sounding vinyl record
closes with Arms Around An Angel, a beautiful melodic bluesy guitarsolo driven
semi-ballad with some GARY MOORE influences, although the chorus is very
melodic and AOR based (MARK SPIRO-ish). Ben surely knows how to play the
guitar, and in fact I would easily call him one of the finest guitarists I have
heard lately, because he basically makes the guitar sing and that gives me
goosebumps all over the place when listening!
BLUE
OYSTER CULT 'TYRANNY AND MUTATION VINYL RECORD' (SPEAKERS CORNER RECORDS/GERMAN
IMPORT)
Originally released all the way back in
1973, the 2nd album of BLUE OYSTER CULT saw the band in it's original line-up
of ERIC BLOOM (vocals, keyboards, guitar), ALLEN LANIER (keyboards, guitar),
DONALD 'BUCK DHARMA' ROESER (guitar, vocals), JOE BOUCHARD (bass, vocals,
keyboards) and ALBERT BOUCHARD (drums, vocals) moving to an own identity where
there was room for more than just plain straight-forward rock. 8 songs are on
this album, which has been carefully re-issued onto high quality vinyl by the
German label SPEAKERS CORNER RECORDS. Side-A starts with The Red & the
Black, an uptempo somewhat groovy/boogie heavy rocker with blues and prog
influences, sounding actually dangerously close to VAN HALEN, but of course
BLUE OYSTER CULT's song was way earlier than that, so it must have influenced
VAN HALEN to write their classics such as Hot For Teacher. The song also has
some nice twin-guitarwork here and there, which would become the trademark of
THIN LIZZY a few years later. All together, this opening cut would influence a
lot of fellow musicians. O.D.'d On Life Itself is at first sounding like a
sorta T-REX ish rocker, but there's some prog and ALICE COOPER influences
notable as well, so a melting pot, but on the other hand a clear 1970s classic
rocktune. Hot Rails To Hell is a full-blown strong uptempo melodic heavy rocker
that is close to biker metal, like a cross between very early JUDAS PRIEST and
STEPPENWOLF's Born To Be Wild, an interesting tune for sure, with also biting
guitarwork. Closing Side-A is 7 Screaming Diz-Busters, which is another uptempo
piece that touches the borders with classic proto metal, yet now with some epic
progrock influences as well, but especially the flashy shredding guitarwork
makes it a true winner.
OREGON
'ROOTS IN THE SKY VINYL RECORD' (SPEAKERS CORNER RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Founded all the way back in 1971, this
American band melted Jazz with all kinds of World Music genres through the
years and they managed to release a lot of records, including the popular Roots
in the Sky album from 1979, which has been re-issued on vinyl by SPEAKERS
CORNER RECORDS. Although the music is clearly 70s based and could be very much
described as a high class instrumental mixture of jazz, fusion and prog, it also
reveals Arabic, African and Asian traditional music influences in each and
every song of the album, and this sets them apart from the rest at the time and
also even now in 2021, because Roots in the Sky sounds crystal clear and
up-to-date. Sometimes a bit more experimental and groovy, while at other times
melodic and smooth, but all together these 9 songs take you into an enjoyable
journey and the album itself is now regarded a classic 40+ years later. The
band's line up consisted of bassist Glen Moore, clarinet/oboe/horn player Paul
McCandless, flugelhorn player/guitarist/pianist/percussionist Ralph Towner and
guitarist/percussionist Collin Walcott. Mastered by the legendary Bob Ludwig
(QUEEN, U2, JIMI HENDRIX, MOTLEY CRUE, GUNS'N'ROSES...), this fantastic album
sounds massive and has all the ingredients to make it attractive enough to
listen to from start to finish, with as absolute highlight the wonderful epic
Ogden Road. Even if you're not a jazz or progfan, then you would still be
impressed by this record that offers so much variety for an instrumental
record. The vinyl album is available through: https://www.jpc.de/?lang=en (Europe) and
http://www.acousticsounds.com
(USA).
VANGELIS
'HEAVEN AND HELL VINYL RECORD' (SPEAKERS CORNER RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
TOMMY
BOLIN 'PRIVATE EYES VINYL RECORD' SPEAKERS CORNER RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
THE J.
GEILS BAND 'THE J. GEILS BAND VINYL RECORD' SPEAKERS CORNER RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
YA
TSEEN 'INDIAN YARD' (SUBPOP RECORDS/KONKURRENT)
NICHOLAS GALANIN from Alaska, USA has
already released a number of records under different names, but this SUB POP
RECORDS release is his first by the name of YA TSEEN (“be alive,” and a
reference to his Tlingit name Yeil Ya Tseen). The included music is diverse and
very modern, with calmer and up-tempo pieces, and a somewhat melancholic
electro-indie approach, with sadly some songs featuring the auto tune-vocal,
which is not necessary, because Nicholas has a great natural voice. I’ll bet
this could be a record PRINCE could have made if he was still alive. The best
songs are the up-tempo Light the Torch, the soulful groovy midtempo get
yourself Together (like BLACK PUMAS meets LEON BRIDGES) and A Feeling Undefined
(feat. NICK HAKIM and ISKA DHAAF). The album features a lot of guests by the
way, because we can also welcome PORTUGAL THE MAN, QUACUNG and several others,
and you really have to appreciate the modern way of auto-tune
vocal/electronics/rap mixture to like this. More info at: https://www.subpop.com/artists/ya_tseen
FLOCK
OF DIMES 'HEAD OF ROSES' (SUB POP RECORDS/KONKURRENT)
FLOCK OF DIMES is the solo-project of JENN
WASNER, a musician from Baltimore, Maryland, USA who is best known for her
other band WYE OAK. She started this solo-project back in 2011, released the
debut album in 2016 and now returns with Head of Roses. Musically speaking it
is quite experimental, but also very melodic here and there, with Jenn playing
most of the instruments by herself as well as writing and singing all of the 10
included songs. The music is mostly a mixture of Alternative Pop/Rock, Dreampop
and Indie, and as mentioned, it is quite experimental sometimes, but when going
for a more melodic direction, we get to hear some great songs, such as the
midtempo rocking Price of Blue, Two and the emotional . Some similarities to
PATTI SMITH, TORI AMOS and such alternative female singers is possible, but on
the other hand FLOCK OF DIMES has an own identity. Check out more info at: https://flockofdimes.bandcamp.com/album/head-of-roses
CITIZEN
'LIFE IN YOUR GLASS WORLD' (RUN FOR COVER RECORDS/KONKURRENT)
The Toledo, Ohio, USA based band CITIZEN
(vocalist/drummer Mat Kerekes, guitarist Nick Hamm, guitarist Ryland Oehlers
and bassist Eric Hamm) started as a Hardcore band during the 2000s, but on
their 4th album Life in your Glass World not much is left from their aggressive
heavy past, because despite opener Death Dance Approximately starts a bit
noisy, it develops into a fantastic catchy uptempo modern rocker filled with
strong melodies and great clean vocal work. It might not be really original the
kinda music we get to hear, but the song itself is a radio-ready hit for sure.
If that isn’t enough, also the following I Want to Kill You is a catchy uptempo
rocker, and actually the whole album feels like a great modern rock record that
is focused in each and every song around catchy melodies all over the place,
with as other highlights Blue Sunday, Thin Air, Call your Bluff (excellent tune
a la THE KILLERS) and Black and Red (superb 80s-ish chorus). Although it’s a
short record, the included energetic dynamic songs are very strong and
therefore this album is highly recommended album for sure, especially if you
like THE KILLERS, KINGS OF LEON, PANIC AT THE DISCO, WHITE LIES and such! More
info can be found at: https://citizenmi.bandcamp.com/album/life-in-your-glass-world
MARINERO
'HELLA LOVE' (HARDLY ANT RECORDS/KONKURRENT)
RAY
VERNON 'ALWAYS LEADS TO ROCK - THE LINK WRAY CONNECTION' (BEAR FAMILY
RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
RAY VERNON WRAY was the brother of the
legendary rocker LINK WRAY and despite he never achieved the same success, his
recordings from the 1950s and 1960s are timesless pieces of music. Some of it
has now been released on this compilation CD, which also contains songs he
wrote for other unknown acts, including a few LINK RWAY sung songs. The result
is an impressive 34 songs counting CD, which musically speaking is a mix of all
the musicstyles from the 1960s and 1960s. Imagine a mixture of sweet sugarcandy
50s pop balladry to 50s rockabilly ELVISish rock and roll to raw LITTLE RICHARD
rock and roll, and everything in between, recorded by acts like BUNKER HILL,
THE WRAYMEN, THE BRITISH WALKERS, THE MOON MEN, THE WRAY BROTHERS, THE DIAL
TONES, THE AMERICAN TEENS and LINK WRAY and RAY VERNON solo or together. It's
quite diverse, although always in that ELVIS meets LITTLE RICHARD kinda
direction, so basically classic rock and roll! Done very well and along with
extensive liner notes in the CD booklet, this is quite an enjoyable piece of
music history. It's available through: www.bear-family.com
CLIFFIE
STONE 'BARRACUDA' (BEAR FAMILY RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Classic 50s Rockabilly rock and roll,
Country and some 1940s Bar-Room Jazzy Blues/New Orleans Big Band music (like
JOOLS HOLLAND) are melted together on the CD Barracuda of CLIFFIE STONE, which
is not so strange, because the included music on this CD is a compilation of
songs recorded in the 1940s and 1950s, so it is almost 70+ year old music! 31
tracks are included on the CD of singer/songwriter CLIFFORD G. SNYDER (aka
CLIFFIE STONE), who recorded the material with different musicians and
orchestra. It's a joy to go through the liner notes and listen to the timeless
music from the era after World War 2 when people discovered entertainment
again. It is also nice to hear the early development of rockmusic in here,
because the songs from 1947 were clearly going in the New Orleans Big Band Jazz
direction of the 1930s, while the late 1950s songs moved closer to the Rock and
Roll sound of the 1950s/1960s. On the other hand, most of the material is
basically Country orientated and that is also the direction where Cliffie found
fame and fortune when he helped to launch the career of classic Country singers
like HANK THOMPSON, TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD and even JOHNNY CASH. Anyone into
Country music should therefore check out this lovely compilation CD, which is
available through: www.bear-family.com
REVEREND
ROBERT BALLINGER FEAT. WILLIE DIXON 'THE KING'S HIGHWAY' (BEAR FAMILY
RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Although ROBERT BALLINGER only released a
couple of albums and singles 60 years ago, this compilation CD contains 2 full
CDs with in total 35 tracks that all feature the amazing rock and roll vocals
of this legendary vocalist/musician. He came out of the Gospel World and
despite the material he recorded is Gospel Music related, this is actually
excellent classic 60s rock and roll that would make LITTLE RICHARD jealous!
This man’s voice was amazing and it is such a pity he died way too young,
already back in 1965 at the age of 43! Anyway, thankfully his small catalogue
has been carefully looked after and therefore we can listen to his 1960s early
Gospel Rock material on this lovely double CD set which has been released by
BEAR FAMILY RECORDS. It’s available through www.bear-family.com
The band MAGNET
ANIMALS is formed around guitarist-composer-poet Todd Clouser (Minneapolis-born,
Mexico City-based), Mexican drummer Jorge Servin, Israeli-born American
guitarist, bandleader, solo performer and composer Eyal Maoz (guitar) (who
played with JOHN ZORN) and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (bass) (also a JOHN ZORN ABRAXAS
member). Together they recorded their debut in 2016 and now follow it up with
Fake Dudes. Musically speaking it is a great adventure that is mostly
instrumental based and combines elements of jazz, progressive rock, fusion,
avant-garde and other experimental music. There is a lot to explore here and
among the 10 included songs the absolute highlights are Believe, Burn the Whole
Thing Down, Freaks and Hell is an empty Place, but the whole album feels like a
great trip you don't want to escape. Check out more info at: https://www.rarenoiserecords.com/artists/magnet-animals/
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
THE
WALK-A-BOUT ‘AFTERGLOW’ (SHRED THE EVIDENCE MUSIC/USA IMPORT)
We reviewed the latest
album of the American band THE WALK-A-BOUT recently, and now they deliver a new
CD single titled Afterglow, which is a cover of the legendary INXS tribute song
to their singer MICHAEL HUTCHENCE. Done very well here, the single also
includes a song titled Hero, which is a live acoustic version of the band’s own
original song. More info at: https://www.walkaboutband.com/
(Points:
8.0 out of 10)
CHA WA
'MY PEOPLE' (SINGLE LOCK RECORDS/KONKURRENT)
Out of New Orleans comes the exciting
sensational band CHA WA, who combine Brass Music, Mardi Gras and all things
that make their hometown such a beautiful place to discover new music talents
in all possible genres, although blues, soul, rock, jazz and the aforementioned
brass and mardi grass being the main directions you will hear on the streets of
New Orleans. My People is the 4th album of the band, which is formed around Joe
Gelini - Drums & Percussion, Backing Vocals, Joseph Boudreaux Jr. - Lead
& Backing Vocals, Tambourine, J'wan Boudreaux - Lead & Backing Vocals,
Tambourine, Ari Teitel - Guitar, Backing Vocals, Bass, Percussion, Joseph Maize
Jr. - Trombone, Lead & Backing Vocals, Aurélien Barnes - Trumpet, Lead
& Backing Vocals, Percussion, Andriu Yanovski - Fender Rhodes, Piano,
Hammond Organ, Clavinet, Wurlitzer, Moog, Backing Vocals, Percussion and Isaac
Eady – Bass. When listening to this album, it’s like we are back in time to the
classic 1970s New Orleans Funk music sound, with also influences from jazz,
R&B, hip-hop, rock, soul, 70s EARTH, WIND & FIRE and some
African-inspired arrangements, such as can be heard during the BOB DYLAN cover
Masters Of War. Without a doubt, this is an album that makes you happy all over
during these corona times. Just put on songs like My People, Wildman,
Firewater, Love in your Heart (featuring Anjelika Jelly Joseph), and Masters of
War (featuring Alvin Youngblood Hart), then you will hear future classics in
the world of this beautiful authentic 70s mixture of funk, rock, soul and jazz.
More info at: www.chawaband.com and https://chawaband.bandcamp.com/album/my-people
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