Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy "You Are Everything"

For the first time in the 3 1/2 years of this blog, I get to directly reference one of my favorite all-time bands.  Most of you think of them as a one-hit wonder while I have twenty-four total albums by the band, their solo projects and direct collaborations (not including guest contributions).  Believe me, that's not as large a number as it sounds in light of the approximately ninety projects out there!

It was early 1982 when I was in Pompano Beach, Florida, living two blocks inland from the beach in an efficiency apartment with a rent that took two jobs to pay.  Needless to say, disposable income was damned near non-existent (thank goodness for a part-time job at a resort on said beach that comped my dining...and an adult beverage or two), but when I had some to spare it went towards weed and vinyl.  One rainy evening, I drove to the record store with nothing particular in mind to buy, just wanted to kill an hour or two.  The clerk kept trying to sell me on a new band that he declared would be a hit...something like "A Swarm of Waterfowl" doing a song called "Iraq" (NOW let's talk one-hit wonders).  Well, he was right about the hit, but I settled on an Australian band with this album cover:

 

No sampling back then, bought it unheard.  Got back to the apt., smoked up a smidge and dropped the needle.  Wasn't enthralled with the first track or two and then click, click, click, click...damn thing was scratched.  Tried returning it for a different selection but nope, had to get another copy.  This one played through and before I realized it, I was hooked!  By God, I had an Australian R.E.M.!  It was five albums later before America found "Under The Milky Way," but I had another favorite band from Down Under.  Saw them live twice, first in the 80's at The Cannery in Nashville (backstage passes, met the band) and then a few years ago here at HOB when they were on an acoustic tour.  I can't say that everything they've done as a group or individually has worked but most of it has.  

 

Kilbey is the bassist, lead vocalist and primary songwriter for The Church.  The band was inducted into the Aussie Hall of Fame in 2010 and he was added to the Songwriters HOF a year later.  I hadn't the slightest idea who Martin Kennedy was, much less his band All India Radio, which I've learned has nine albums of ambient pop music, so on paper it had potential.  I guess it works for them since "You Are Everything" is their third recording together and I've read that a fourth album of commissioned songs was scheduled for release about three weeks ago.  That's right, commissioned songs.  My supposition is they've specialized in music for TV/Films/Commercials and apparently signed a North American deal this past September.  Now that I've done some research, even YOU, dear reader, can have these guys write YOUR song with YOUR directives for $1000 Australian!  Well, why not?  For the music biz model as it currently exists (or doesn't, as some old farts will tell you) that's quite genius. 

 

So coming into this record (which had been available for five months before I stumbled across it) with the brief history I've given you, I was hopeful...yea, though, it falls one track short of a full-fledged keeper.  This was the first single/opening song and definitely most Church-like tune...

 

 

The next two tracks were good, too, including this one, which must reflect Kennedy's background...

 

Unfortunately, even after indulging a party favour for the third trip through the album, the next seven tracks yielded just one keeper until the finale, called "Finale," put a smile across my face. 

I admit to not paying much attention to The Church and its members since that acoustic tour some six or so years ago.  It struck me as "cashing in."  I didn't even attempt to find their last album in 2009,  but now I am curious again after learning of these collaborations and I see from the band's Facebook page that a new album is in the offing, but apparently, long-time guitarist Marty Willson-Piper has opted out of the proceedings and has been replaced by the guitarist from the recently retired Powderfinger.

Hmmmmm, that may just work...

Aynsley Lister "Home"

Discovered this guy a couple of years ago and was impressed enough to add him to my vault's roster.  If you don't want to click this link to the post, I basically said I was reminded most of the late, great SRV.  Not so on this album.  My notes this time mention it "sounds like" Colin James, which means it's closer to smooth-blues than fiery blues, but not necessarily so on the album's title track opener...



Yep, that's from April last year, so the song had to be in its infancy.  The album came out at the end of this past July.  Domestically?  I don't think so but these days it doesn't really matter.  Download it for $9 or you can get a physical version for $15 that ships from somewhere in the U.S., but most outlets for it say "import."  Here are two more tracks for you to digest...



The record isn't sans soft spots as there are a couple of real turkeys early in the second half, but it won me over with each spin as several tracks grew roots that tapped my "pop" lobe.  Couldn't find much in the way of info or other reviews, but what I did locate was wildly positive.  One of the reviewers on Amazon suggested two other successful overseas artists with little or no domestic support, and this, my friends, is an example of how I discover some of these hidden musical gems. 

Eight good tracks, two average, two turds = keeper #2 by Mister Lister.

Gov't Mule "Shout!"

I handed over the "Guests" CD to a friend at one of my favorite adult beverage retail establishments and he said, "Damn, you do like some Gov't Mule."  Yes, yes I do.  The Mule and/or Warren Haynes occupies the biggest file on my portable device.  BKP has provided several officially sanctioned concert boots which also monopolize a majority portion of the desktop's music file.  You never know what they will cover and they certainly don't reproduce a track note-for-note like The Killers.  Let's go back to that "Guests" part.  By now, most of you know this is a Mule CD with a second disc of specially selected artists assisting/interpreting an appropriate track.  The first guest I heard about was Dave Matthews...and I wasn't thrilled.  Not a fan.  What the hell could he do that would top the original (nothing, as I assumed...)?  I believe that was the reason I sat on this for a couple of months...well, that plus it's 138 minutes of music (times 3) to play before attempting a post.  So here we go.......

The Mule disc is a 9 on a 10 scale, the only demerit being the reggae-tinged track.  Didn't work on either disc, for that matter.  The album's opener, "World Boss," is such a hot track that even I could sing it and it would be good (that may be a stretch).  Ben Harper does the honors on the alternative take and performs admirably, but there was no chance of besting the original.  As far as "besting the original," only two artists qualify for the honor.  One is a song that Haynes spoke about in an interview saying it was unlike anything he'd written for Mule before, that it harkened back to the late 70's and a band called The Attractions.  So guess who does the guest spot?  Correct, you old farts...



Bizarre little video but the song sounds as if it could have been a bonus track on any of My Aim/Model/Armed/Happy.  The other topper that sounded like it was written for him belongs to Dr. John, ten indulgent minutes which Haynes said was actually written with Sly & the Family Stone's "Fresh" album in mind.  The other guests who earned keeper status with their interpretations are Jim James, Glenn Hughes (though it took him a second to warm into it), and Steve Winwood.  I expected Grace Potter to make the fold but no matter how much I love this woman (and would love to love this woman...I'm old, not dead), it did not work.  I found a snippet of a live version that has more smoke in it than the entire studio cut...



Damn, is that girl a white-woman-Tina Turner with those legs and voice or what?  I'm going to wrap up with Haynes doing a solo take of the track that Winwood does for the second CD. 



The man is easily one of the greatest talents in rock music over the past two decades...

Nine Inch Nails "Hesitation Marks"

With an album title questioning suicide, I thought Mr. Reznor was going back to being the angry little fucker of twenty years ago.  He's still lyrically skeptical here but musically this album is damn near danceable!  Hell, one track sounded like a cross of Underworld and Yello!  That ought to really disappoint the stubborn, narrow-minded fans (who haven't grown up yet) of the early NIN days.  Me?  Yeah, I was one of the earliest fans, too, having been all over Pretty Hate Machine from its 4th Q, 1989 release.  When the initial Lollapalooza tour announced a stop for Orlando in August, 1991, I knew where my butt would be planted.  Got there early and squatted a spot some thirty feet back and slightly left of center stage.  Henry Rollins killed it, the Butthole Surfers lit it up (yes to what you are thinking), Ice-T & Body Count hit the rap/metal button, then Fishbone put the party back on ground zero.  Next up was NIN, who had announced that the Orlando stop would be their last on the tour, and Trent and the boys proceeded to absolutely mangle the stage, literally.  I nearly blew a fuse when they covered Queen's "Get Down, Make Love," and by the time they got to the closer of "Head Like A Hole," several of the previous acts joined in and they destroyed every piece of musical equipment within twenty feet of the stage.  Awesome! 

I bought this new record the week it was released, but it stayed in the pile until the week before Halloween, which was the night of their local tour stop.  I halfheartedly imagined that if the album was a monster I'd go to the show, even though there wasn't the remotest possibility of it topping '91. 

Didn't go to the concert.  Not keeping the album as a whole.

Definitely keeping the opening salvo...and apparently the live show's initial blast, too...



There is plenty to like after this...beeps, boops, loops, Skinny Puppy-ish programming, but it took twenty-five more minutes before I found two more tracks worth retaining.  No wonder Adrian Belew bowed out of touring.  I knew he was on the record but I'll be damned if I would have realized it had I not known.  Same goes for a Lindsey Buckingham guitar contribution.  Really?  Where?

I purchased the deluxe edition (it was the same price as the single disc...duh!) and the three reworked tracks were not among my keepers, however, two of the three remixes were superior to their originals.  Each spin through the disc I kept noting the second remix was outstanding, so I finally picked up the info sheet and...well, I'll be damned..."All Time Low (Todd Rundgren Remix)."  Touched by the genius of The Runt. 

If you're keeping score, that's 28 worthy minutes out of seventy-nine, which is twenty-eight more than the project Reznor did with his wife, How To Destroy Angels.  Talk about the "Yoko Factor"...yeesh...but I digress.  "Hesitation Marks" debuted in the Top 10 in at least a dozen markets (I found two #1's), but it's average chart run was less than a month everywhere except in the U. S., and it dropped off here at the end of October. 

I'll let you tie the ends...

The Winery Dogs

 

If you are one of the ten people out there who have been waiting for a Mr. Big Vol. 2 reunion, then this is as good as it gets.  Ah, that's not fair, really, because this is more a "supergroup" now and Richie Kotzen was only with Mr. Big after Paul Gilbert bowed out.  Bassist extraordinaire Billy Sheehan is still one of the best out there in rock land and he and RK are joined here by drummer Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater fame.  Correct are you to guess this is a stereotypical classic rock ripper.  Kotzen sings like Chris Cornell at times (and there are plenty of comparisons of this album to Soundgarden all over the blogosphere) and then comes off like David Coverdale on others.  BKP opined that it sounded like a matured Van Halen (makes sense as Sheehan played with DL Roth) but it struck me more as a Van Hagar brand.  I remembered seeing the lead video months ago and liked it...



...but from this point on, I labeled it "too serious," whatever that means.  Probably because I had noted Chickenfoot as a contemporary, a band that always seem to be having fun.  I only found one more track to keep after the requisite three spins, so I searched for it to add here and found this Chicago radio station's segment containing an acoustic version (cool!) with a short interview at the outset...



The album landed high on all the various Rock charts and inside the Top 30 of the overall big boy.  Saw several live videos from their tour in Brazil.  That proves these guys are veterans as that market is sure to love what they do.  The record is five months old (I know, I'm soooooooooooo behind), but if you've got an old metalhead on your Christmas gift list, this would be perfect.

Editors "The Weight Of Your Love"

 

I bought this about six weeks after its release in July and then waited nearly three months to pop it into rotation.  I so adored their last record in 2010 so why the hesitation?  I believe it was rooted in a call to WPRK around Labor Day when I heard the distinctive vocals of Tom Smith emanating from the auto's radio.  I asked the female DJ if the track was from the new Editors album and my phone suddenly turned very cold as she replied, "No, it's from their first album.  They've gone downhill since."  BRRRRR!!!!  Well, she was partially correct as this album falls very short of my personal standard for the band.

First listen, track one.....ummm, maybe that will grow on me.  Track two.....five-star song...



And that, my friends, was the single highlight of the entire record.  There were a couple of marginal tracks (I'll actually keep just one more), some interesting lyrics and Smith's cool voice.  However, I'm going to say this album suffers from Simple Minds Syndrome.  You know what that is, right?  The disease that affects front man vocalists which alters their view of reality, causing them to believe they can carry a band by themselves.  Happened to Icehouse, too.  There are a couple of songs on here that wouldn't have made the cut on a Comsat Angels album and one that would have ended up on the editing room floor of a Fields Of The Nephilim session.  Thank goodness for the acoustic versions of two said marginal tracks included at the end of my purchase, both far superior to the originals, which were bathed in bad New Wave.  Here is one from a German morning show...



My notes all had a theme in common, "What's happened to them?"  Now I know.  The guitarist left the band and there are two new members in his stead...hardly ever a good sign.  And why on earth would you take this band to Nashville to record?  Bad, bad, bad idea...  They've never had much success here in America with only one of their records cracking the Top 200...and it ain't this one.  Signs of disenchantment from their British base, too, as this one peaked at #6 when the previous two were #1.  They've had their best chart runs in Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands. 

Dude, just go solo if you want to do another album like this...

The Paper Kites "States"

Not exactly sure if I discovered this through one of my forays onto the Australian charts but I'm glad I did.  This band has developed by the proverbial grassroots approach and apparently wins over an audience when they play.  Even our local indie-weekly music critic said, "It comes in gentle but deceptively large waves.  And it may steal over slowly and quietly, but it ultimately winds up around you in total envelopment and embrace.  By the time you realize it, you're already swimming in its richly crafted beauty."  And this guy strikes me as a metalhead!   I wish I'd known they were playing.  Hate that I missed my shot.  Anyway, this is full-length uno after a couple of EPs and it's a keeper...



I think it's filling the void for the many Aussie fans of Angus & Julia Stone now that they've gone solo routes.  This fan-produced video is for one song off the album that's a dead ringer for the Stone siblings...



The young lady's voice reminds me at times of the lovely Julianne Regan and her time in All About Eve.  I've read other comparisons most of you will be familiar with, such as Dylan, Bon Iver, Simon & Garfunkel (one track is scary similar), late-era Beatles and Radiohead. 

Out domestically about two months, it has yet to crack a chart.  They recently wrapped up their six-week swing through the US and Canada that I missed and I've yet to see the first negative review.  Every one of you who purchased the last Civil Wars album needs to consider "States."  And while you're at it, try the solos from Angus and Julia Stone, too. 

Thank you... 

Primal Scream "More Light" (Deluxe)

 

I really dug this band's breakthrough album from the early 90's, "Screamadelica," and was really into that whole UK-based alternative/indie/pop/dance scene.  The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, The Farm, Black Grape, etc., etc., etc..  Maybe you remember this song from 1991...



...and maybe not.  Rolling Stones comparisons flew wildly then and there are still echoes of them on this new record.  That song is the final track on the main album which really bodes well if you can sequence that kind of quality LAST!  Just for comparisons, let's visit the opener and its official video...



That sax line made me look to see if was the little cutie from The Zutons playing it.  In between and including these two bookends is one of this year's most solid psychedelic rock albums.  The Deluxe edition I purchased was a Japanese release with two bonus tracks (both worthy) and what's dubbed the Extra Light disc with six more (just two are filler).  One of the extras is a Troggs cover. 

I wish I could tell you what prompted me to give this album a try but I can't.  I'm just glad I did.  May very well end up on my Best Of list for 2013.

The Civil Wars

 

This is a gorgeously dark masterpiece that deserved its #1 debut.  It would be a crying shame if it's the band's final recording.  There is obviously a spiritual/mental/emotional connection between these two people so where is the surprise that physical would follow......allegedly.  Stir in the band's manager is Joy Williams' husband and what a soap opera that European tour must have been.

Here we are a full quarter after the record's release and it's still hanging on the charts somewhere around a buck fifty, quite the testament to the quality of the recording because it's had zero support.  There won't be any more videos or appearances to push sales through the holiday selling season.  Hell, John Paul White has disappeared into the Alabama backwoods and hasn't been heard from in nearly a year.  "Irreconcilable difference of ambition" my ass.  Maybe the boy is pissed that he seemed to take a back seat to Williams on this record, I don't know.  Even Charlie Peacock, Nashville-based Christian music songwriter/producer extraordinaire hasn't been able to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

This is a powerful album that is best absorbed.  Envelope yourself in a quiet room sans distractions or slip between a set of nice headphones and prepare to be won over.  If you want sing-alongs, this isn't for you.  Always fond of interpreting other's music, this one is buried deep in the queue...



That's far superior to the Smashed Pimples version.   
                  
I'll relate this to another successful duo's breakup decades ago and predict that Williams becomes the Simon and White ends up the Garfunkel. 

Walter Trout & His Band "Luther's Blues - A Tribute to Luther Allison"

I sat on this a while since I wasn't a major follower of Mr. Allison (I'm just not that deep a blues purist) and tribute records are hit or miss...mostly miss.  I did not know a single one of his compositions covered here.  Walter Trout is probably the most prolific guitarist out there that most of YOU don't know.  He's been releasing an album practically every year since 1990 and I only retained my first one (studio) last year with "Blues For Modern Daze."  So the math of the two together...in tribute format, no less.......eeesshh, did not bode well and therefore the procrastination.

Well, five of the eleven covers were definitely worthy and the cow that tipped the scale was the one Trout composition deposited as the album's closer... http://grooveshark.com/s/When+Luther+Played+The+Blues/5bMmLa?src=5
Here is a video post from his label group announcing the record...



Yes, I know, it's been out for five months...shoot me.  The guy's got a great voice to pair nicely with his blues licks, and he ain't a young buck, either.  His label's stable includes The Rides and Leslie West, both with albums in queue, and previous records by Robert Cray and Steve Lukather. 

So, I now own two Walter Trout studio CDs...

Portugal. The Man "Evil Friends"

 

I was genuinely surprised when I received this in a care package from BKP.  Didn't think it was quite his cup o' tea but knew I was a fan.  Turned out he'd heard a couple of tracks on satellite radio and found it worthy.  If that's not proof this is the band's best record to date, nothing is. 

Can't really add much to the two previous posts on earlier albums, "American Ghetto" and "In the Mountain in the Cloud," except that this one is in collaboration with Danger Mouse, nominated for five Grammys for Producer of the Year with one win.  I'm not a fan of the bands he's in or worked with, but it doesn't take a genius to hear the change/improvement from previous Port.Man albums.  My point is this:  Here it is five months after the album released with four featured tracks so far and the tunes I note as favorites are not among those four.  That's some serious, quality shit...



That's one of my choices for a hit (Thom Yorke's, too), f-ing lyric notwithstanding.  There are a couple other album tracks featured in this Bonnaroo backstage session, if you are interested.  Good stuff.  Found one of the featured four in a KROQ  session...



If the drummer is out of his teens, I'm shocked.  Cute young background singer with Mork's Mindy-look.  Normally, I'm not a fan of an upper-register-Barry-Gibb-like male vocal but I can live with this because the music surrounding it is phenomenal.  I've had this in the player for over a month.  Love it.

Not sure I'd want to see them live, though...

Ours "Ballet the Boxer 1"

In my mind, one of the most underrated bands of the 21st century.  Not that they've been prolific, mind you.  This is album #4, five years removed from album #3 (referenced in this blog's initial post), which came six years after the first two albums went bang-bang in '01 and '02.  This was their very first radio "hit"...



...and their last.  This isn't anywhere close to being one of their better "radio ready" songs.  And did I mention that the first three albums were all major label releases?  With all that major label budget money?  Hell, the last one had Rick Rubin spinning knobs!  That year alone Rubin also produced albums by Weezer, Metallica, Linkin Park, Slipknot and Neil Diamond (!).  The Ours album barely sniffed the Heatseekers chart while three of the others mentioned went #1.  I'd be frustrated, too, if I was band leader Jimmy Gnecco.  He put out a solo record three years ago that sounded like a beaten man to me even though I eventually kept it. There is a hint in that post (if you are one of the few who actually clicked the link and read it, sorry for the repetition) that will serve well for this new album......multiple plays.

When you possess the vocal instrument that Gnecco has, you have a valid reason to mix it prominently, unlike Donna Buffalo.  There are all the past comparisons, both vocally and guitar-wise, to U2 and the current ones to Muse singer Matthew Bellamy.  Both guys are wiry fellows whose vocal power must originate somewhere around their ankles.  Yet, on this Boxing Ballet album, I was slightly unsettled at the production value during the initial spin.  It was slightly thin, the drums were more commanding and the voice was less overt.  Replays, however, quashed my concerns and this album will join the other two Ours records in the "Feature 500" in my office. 

It was only after spin #3 that I begin to search for info.  I found a brilliant Canadian interview that answered all my questions.  This was a PledgeMusic-funded record with a really small goal, so no major label cash...and no major label oversight.  It's the album they wanted to make, the way they wanted to make it.  Gnecco played drums on 90% of it (a-ha!) instead of guitar.  He stated that he always felt stuck behind his guitar in a live setting and he wanted to be free of that feeling for this album.  His final statement brings it home..."Well, we’re going to do everything our way from here on out. I think that’s the only way that you can accomplish anything great. For too long we’ve been forced to pull our punches and hedge our bets. I don’t think that helps at all. So this is just the beginning of us being bold and not apologizing about it. If I sound like a firecracker right now, sorry, but I’m not [laughs]. I’m sorry that I’m not sorry. I’m tired of having to hear what everybody else thinks or wants. Go start your own band and make your own records then." 

I love this guy...

Not the way I normally do this, but I'm going to close with one of my favorite tracks from the album.  This is live (and you really have to put yourself in front of this band at some point in your life...you will definitely "get it" then) and it varies slightly from the studio, which opens with a hint of old Climax Blues Band harmonies and develops into what could eventually pass for a track from the next U2 record...

The Hoax "Big City Blues"

 

Just before heading to bed is when I usually read up on music news.  Trolling a British classic rock site about six weeks ago, I run across a story headline that reads, "They're back:  the new single from The Hoax."  I know I blurted out loud, "WHAT!?!?!?"  Ladies and gentlemen, one of the greatest blues albums of the 90's was their debut album, "Sounds Like This." 



The band lasted less than a decade and produced just two more studio albums and a live record.  Teenagers when the debut dropped.  Not a chance in hell did I believe it, but true it was.  The next time I heard of any connection whatsoever, the year was 2003 and the Davey brothers, founders of The Hoax, were listed as producers on the major label debut by Indigenous.  They also had co-writing credits and contributed some guitars and vocals.  The younger of the brothers, Robin, has had the most work since with a couple other bands and as a music video producer.  Little did I know that The Hoax had reformed four years ago for a European tour.  Guess the fires were stoked at that time for the new record, which was funded by another of the pledge drives that have become popular recently.  Hell, if I had known I'd have thrown a few bucks their way to have my name read off on the closing composition of the album, too (since I didn't, the final five minutes of the track's seven are tedious).  My guess is the next to last song, sung in French, is also a nod to a large donation.  So throw out those two as gratuitous...of the remaining ten, six are class A material, and the opening three rank A+. 

I'm going to pass on showing the official video for the lead track because I think the mix is different from the album's and not nearly as good.  Found a decent live version, though...



If SRV was still alive today, that's what he & Double Trouble would probably sound like.  Two smokin' guitars.  The title track is next and my note said, "this is what The Fabulous Thunderbirds would have sounded like had they decided to ever evolve."



And now, I give you Cream...



The note on this one referred to Paul Rodgers, maybe Free, and possibly Jack White with the lead riff. 

I posted live versions because I want you to BUY THE DAMN RECORD!  Well, I guess you have to download it.  I got mine through Amazon for $9, but if you don't have the budget or desire to do so, at least get these first three tracks @ 99 cents each.  I can think of so many ways you spend more than $13.50 an hour (equivalent) which aren't remotely rewarding as this will be.  Since liking the band's Facebook page, a recent post states, "We entered the Triple A radio song chart at #153 and moved to #103 in the Triple A Public Album Charts in the USA this week."  Beats the hell outta me what they are referencing but I hope it's true.  Would make ye olde Mad Rocker mighty happy to know he's not alone over here across the pond.  I find myself increasingly bummed, however, that the chances of them ever playing live in the U.S. are infinitesimal.  After viewing these live performances, I decided to look for any DVDs they might have.  Sure enough, there are a couple, but are they still country coded (all the youngsters started laughing at that, I'm sure)?  Guess I'll have to find out...

Donna The Buffalo "Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday"

 

Hard to forget a name like this.  The first time for me was 1998 when they were picked up by Sugar Hill Records.  We didn't have a Folk or Americana section and I swear we filed them in Country based on Sugar Hill being known for bluegrass music.  If I heard any, it didn't impress me.  We may have had one or two more of their records pass through the store before I left the business in 2003.  So I was very surprised at seeing this new album arrive in a BKP care package, wow...nearly four months ago.  As I've mentioned, it's been such a good year for interesting releases (still sitting on eleven I haven't even committed to disc yet) that I pushed this one to the back of the pack since I didn't have any history with them.  I was curious, though, at how/why there was a new album from a band that I don't believe we ever sold a single copy of years ago and haven't heard of since. 

The proverbial "duh" moment struck when conducting a bit of research.  Festivals.  More and more each year, it seems.  D the B's alternative folk/Americana/zydeco/jam band persona allows them to play just about any of them.  Alas, I don't think any amount of  'shine or skunk weed would make me sit through a set...or any more of this record. 

I don't mean for a second that it's a complete dud, it's just that most of it falls outside of my musical comfort zone.  It's hard to put into words what makes me uneasy listening to this because normally I would be accepting of all the various pieces of this puzzle, except one...the male vocals.  My God, are they bad, and they are front and center in the mix, loud and proud.  Eesshh.  The woman, however, is less grating and occasionally they run her voice through some studio effects to positive results.  There ain't enough knobs on the board to help the guys...

Oddly enough, one of the three songs I'm keeping features a male lead vocal.  Here is a live version that finds him actually improving on the studio take...



The strength of the song itself makes it worthy.  The organ was key, and damn, was that thing beat up or what?!  The other two keepers feature Tara Nevins' vocals, one her composition and the other a zydeco cover. 

I looked for some chart success and found none...for any of their releases.  The road is where artists make money these days and they must do OK. 

Won't find me at one of their shows.....even if I'm comped.

Queens Of The Stone Age "...Like Clockwork"

 

It's their first #1 album and 4 out of 5 people say it's their best yet.  Count me in the minority as this will be the one that breaks the 21st century run of keepers within the Mad Rocker QOTSA catalog page.

I listened to it sober; I listened to it after a party favour; I listened to it first thing in the morning; I listened to it late at night.  As I repeated spins, I found myself liking songs less.  It's not supposed to work that way.  Plenty of times I raised an eyebrow at a sonic passage but little raised the hair on my arms like previous albums.  You can talk all you want about the famous contributors but I dare you to listen and point them out without cheating and scanning the credits.  Going to keep three songs, first one came four tracks deep...



Still love what the guy does with his voice.  Always make me think of Adrian Belew.  My favorite track came four more songs down the queue...



This sounds like it was borne from Homme's time spent with John Paul Jones in Them Crooked Vultures.  One of the comments from a woman read "and just like that, every piece of underwear in that place fell immediately to the floor," and another said, "I think I just got pregnant."  Dammit, that's funny...

Sure wish I had a better grasp on why this didn't work for me as a whole like the rest of their body of work.  Certainly not going to write them off, though...

56 Years Between Albums!

Well, not from just one band, but two.  The first one I'll tackle has a twenty-seven year stretch between records, and about twenty years ago I gave up hope of it every coming to fruition, even though the band would regroup to play live on occasion. 

 

The best band from Minneapolis you've probably never heard of.  Let's set the time frame to 1975-85 and revisit some of the names you'll know that hailed from the Twin Cities area:  The Replacements; Husker Dü; Soul Asylum; on a smaller scale, Information Society; and, oh yeah, Prince and The Time.  I didn't hear of The Suburbs in small-town Tennessee until they were signed to a major label in 1984 and the promo vinyl arrived at the shop. 

 

Hey, it's 30 years ago, don't bitch about the video quality...it's the energy of the music that sparkles.  Still have two of their CDs in my Featured 500 display in the office.  So take that new wave/dance pop, horn-fueled, off-beat lyrical collection and wizen it up three decades and you have "Si Sauvage."
No, I have no clue what it means, unless it means "brilliant!"  Thank goodness for these Kickstarter, PledgeMusic, fan-driven funding projects.  I certainly hope this isn't a one-off project because it's one of the best albums of the year, by far.  I'll give it a 9 of 10 score, only demerit because it's short (37 minutes) and contains one less-than-excellent track.



Three original members, including lead vocalist/keyboardist Chan Poling (who I noted sounded like Doc Neeson from The Angels on one track, Chris Thompson wrapped in the Manfred Mann Earth Band days on another, and even The Boss on one more) and guitarist/vocalist Beej Chaney.  The bands that immediately popped into mind as I played the record included Madness, Huey Lewis & The News and The Flaming Lips!  This is not an easy album to find and it's a damn shame because it could appeal to the college radio demo, not just us old farts.  The MP3 on Amazon is $9 and if you give it three spins I'll guarantee you'll be satisfied with your investment.

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The incredible mathematicians among you have discerned that the next album has a 29-year(!) span between records. 

 

Early in my junior year and squarely in the explosive development of my Mad Rocker persona, punk music was everywhere and I JUST HATED IT.  One fateful day, and probably with a major buzz-on, I heard this breath of fresh...

  

My pre-teen, science-fiction-loving self bought the original 45 (still have it somewhere) and the stoned, twenty-year-old me was blown away.  The scene was dubbed New Romantic, a very fashion-oriented movement which considered David Bowie and Roxy Music to be gods.  Visage was essentially the brainchild of a couple of club owners with clout, hiring some talented musicians from other bands (became a Midge Ure/Ultravox fan because of this...never got into Magazine, though).  It pioneered the New Wave movement of the 80's for me, which resulted in some of my favorite music of that decade. 



Visage was short-lived, just three albums.  Front man, fashionista (and heroin addict) Steve Strange turned out to be too much of a freak to work with and the hired guns folded back into their previous bands.  Beats the hell out of me how/why this new record developed, but I admit to being surprised at how viable it actually is in 2013.  You heard snippets of several tracks in the above video.  It's not just keys and electronics, there's some appropriate guitar placement and the addition of the female vocalist is a major plus.  Strange was never a good singer on his own but he wrote some catchy tunes.  This one has embedded itself in my brain...



Those live pieces are culled from a show in London a few months back and the old queen was having to read the lyrics to some of his songs.  The ravages of drug abuse...  I also wondered if he might have been lip-synching and after watching the above video and how perfectly the studio audio track synched up with the live edit, I may be right. 

This is certainly better than the last OMD album and if you were ever into The Human League, Soft Cell, Depeche Mode, Heaven 17, etc., you'll love this record.

The Wild Feathers

 

Went to a Paul Simon concert 12/4/11 and walked in while the opening act was playing.  Five guys in jeans and tennis shoes playing a country/rock-ish set with some catchy tunes and fine harmonies.  I had to ask who the band was since there was no mention of an opening act.  I was impressed enough to be curious.  Marched out to the merch table with the full intent of buying a CD but only found a couple of EPs, no full-length.  Hmmm...and they were opening for a legend...  The next day I tried to find them on the 'net and was basically stymied.  The most informative source I could locate was a blog by the sister of one of the band's members.  All the guys were Texans and a couple of them had moved to Nashville, but they would meet up to do shows like the one I witnessed.  Damned odd, don't you know.  Not satisfied, I kept digging, and sure enough, I discovered that Warner Brothers was courting them.  "That explains that," thought I and closed the book. 

A year and a half goes by without another thought of them, but browsing amongst the August new releases I see the name, so I finally get to follow through on my intention from 619 days earlier.  And I'm not disappointed..............but I'm not blown away, either. 

The harmonies are wonderful (all the guys were lead singers in previous bands) with immediate comparisons to The Eagles.  I hear a little LRB, too.  One of the fellows is a dead ringer for Chris Robinson, hence the many references to The Black Crowes I spotted while researching.  I also noted Tom Petty, who was also bandied about within many of the reviews.  Additional repeated terminology included; The Band, Neil Young, bluesy, gritty, road trip, Mellencamp, engaging, wistful, The Wallflowers, freewheeling, earthy, and on and on. 

The album's opener has been featured in the "Nashville" television series but it wasn't until track #5 before I heard a true keeper...
 


It was the next song that made my ear's perk up and my mind to say, "there it is..."



That wrapped up everything from the concert I enjoyed about them...good song and great vocals, though this is a subdued radio performance.  They've been out on the road supporting ZZ Ward and will also open shows for others, like Needtobreathe, but they get to headline every now and then (i.e.. Halloween night in Little Rock, AR), and I'd recommend seeing them live in one of these smaller venue settings while you can. 

I'm glad this band has had some early success.  Several of my Mad Rockin' devotees found them without any assistance on my part, and that's a good sign.  I'll keep twenty minutes.  The remaining 31 are just fine, somewhat recycled, but fine, nonetheless. 

But if given the choice, I'm playing the Dawes record.

Ana Popovic "Can You Stand the Heat"

"...it's really not all that bad.................................for a girl."

 

That was the closing line from my post on her previous record a couple of years ago.  If you didn't bother to click the link to read it (I'm not looking for page views or $...it just saves me time providing the background so I don't have to rehash it), I touched on the trilogy of playing, singing and writing.  For "...Heat," I found the guitar work more solid and the writing vastly improved, and I discovered the cause as I researched the record.  Instead of flying in from Europe to record in Memphis, this time she relocated the family to the iconic area.  No more dipping the toe in the water and getting out.  In a recent interview, she mentions the family-oriented vibe and was shocked by the quality of the local music scene, and not just on Beale Street, either.  She debuted a nine-piece band for the album (pedigrees include BB King, Al Green & Rufus Thomas), which is the first on her own label, also a wise career adjustment. 

 

F#&K ME RUNNIN'!  If that doesn't make you bounce, you're dead!  There is a sexy, sassy vibe throughout the album which is an ensemble showcase, not just Ms. P. on display.  She says by being European, she doesn't have to stay within a certain genre like most American blues artists seem to do, and this album is proof.  She mentions being influenced by Ronnie Earl and Albert Collins (one of my favorites) and on one of the record's instrumentals you can certainly hear her channeling Mr. C.  There is a guitar break in a track way on the back end of the album that would make Tommy Bolin grin.  Also included is a cool cover of Robert Palmer's "Every Kind of People" for those of you who need something familiar.  Oh, and she can still play the blues...  



I started spinning this CD a month ago and immediately checked her tour schedule, and dammit, she was playing a show in Tampa on the following Friday night that was too busy for me to break away to see.  Crap!  Sitting down yesterday to start this post, I go back to her website and sure enough, she's back in driving distance three times over the next eight months.  Planning on two road trips in early '14. 

This album's been available for six months and had a decent showing on Billboard's Blues and Heatseekers charts, but that doesn't do justice to this album.  This is a career-defining record in the category of Raitt's "Nick of Time" and Tedeschi's "Wait For Me."  I've got twenty-something new albums in my queue, but "Can You Stand The Heat" has earned an extended stay in the rotation. 

It's that good...
 

Indigenous featuring Mato Nanji "Vanishing Americans"

 

When BKP sent this over he thought it was a collection of sorts (can't truly say "hits"), which would have made sense since it was hot on the heels (one year to the day!) of the previous album, but it was all new material.  Help me out here and click this link back to that post for the history. 

 

Thank you!  So without further ado...

 

I'm finding that most reviews are exceptionally positive, yet I'm afraid I'm going to have to pee on the corn flakes.  The album opens on a serious high note...

 



...and there you have the only Grade A track of the record's thirteen.  Hmmm, let's stick with that scoring system.  There are five "B"/good songs, three average/"C", three more at a D (these are the ones of the elementary-level lyrics which had me screaming at my recorder that I'd be happy to help upgrade to at least a teenager's ability), and one F (fart/turd/etc.) that was so consistently flat it amazes me that it escaped edit/re-record/delete.  Had the seven average-and-under tracks been instrumental, they would have been keepers.  Nothing wrong with the music/playing.  Wifey is listed as a co-writer on every track, and I am begging you, young man, to grow a pair and keep the pen out of her hand!  Let her turn a knob or something (great, now I've gone and pissed off producer extraordinaire Mike Varney).

So on a 4.0 grading level, this gets a 2.15.  That won't grant you entry into the Mad Rocker University of Music...

Monster Truck "Furiosity"

 

I heard this Canadian rock band through a British music magazine's website and deemed it worthy of a purchase.  Others outside of Canada may have experienced them opening for Slash, ZZ Top, Kid Rock or Deep Purple.  This is old-school, kick ass R&R!



Man, that vocalist is the star!  I pegged him at times sounding like Ian Astbury of The Cult or Angry Anderson and possessing the power of Chris Cornell but not the depth or finesse. 



Saw several reviews suggesting keg party/bonfire in the woods by the lake.  Yeah, I can see that. 

As far as keeping the entire record?  I think I'd find myself reaching for a Moxy disc or even The Sheepdogs before slapping this into the player, so I'll stick to retaining about a third of it this time with hopes for a more diverse follow-up next year. 

Lance Lopez "Handmade Music"

BKP sent me a couple of this guy's releases two years ago and I added several tracks onto my portable device.  Every time one of them pops up in the shuffle, I stop what I'm doing and think, "I need to get the latest release."  And here it is........some eighteen months after it dropped.  That's right, dear readers, release date was 03/2012 and I just bought it...at full price, no less (it's been close to ten years since I paid $16 for an audio CD or file).  That fact tells all my friends and former colleagues from the biz that Lopez must be the real deal, which he is, and it's a crying shame that he's not more known domestically.  Born in Louisiana and now based in Texas, Lopez has the history to be a star.  At age ten, he heard Hendrix for the first time and at twelve saw Stevie Ray (legend has it that SRV's mom cried when she heard Lopez play at a benefit concert, saying she knew her boy was still living through Lopez).  A couple of years later, he's moved to New Orleans with his dad and begins to play in clubs and bars with him.  At 17, he gigs in Johnnie Taylor's band and soon after he's in Europe playing with Lucky Peterson.  "Handmade Music" is his sixth studio album (plus one more live) in the past ten years.  Have you heard of him? 



They know him in Germany.  The big boy can play and sing!  That's this record's lead-in track.  It's more rock than the other two records BKP submitted, which were certainly blues-based.  Recorded at the famous Ardent Studio in Memphis with Jim Gaines manning the boards (SRV & DT, Santana, Steve Miller Band, Huey Lewis, Jimmy Barnes, etc.), this record will appeal to fans of Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa, Indigenous, ZZ Top and Point Blank (gotcha on that one, huh?).  Now for the album's closing song...



Lopez composed half the tracks solo (including these two), co-wrote three more, and covers "Traveling Riverside Blues," "Black Cat Moan" and one song credited to Dan Hartman that I've never heard of.  This is one of those albums that you keep increasing the volume and hitting "repeat" on the player.

Do yourself a monumental favor and add this man to your collection.

OMD "English Electric"

I was completely surprised and pleased with their comeback album in 2010 and bought this fresh from the box.  The opening electronic voice warned, "the future you anticipated has been cancelled."  How right it was...

 

This record harks back to the groundbreaking "Dazzle Ships" in many ways, notably the loops and layers, one using voice mail systems, another a counting lesson, and one that declares "I want a house and a car and a robot wife."  This worked thirty years ago but not today.  And there isn't one song that isn't culled from another in their catalog.  For instance, "Helen Of Troy" is a reworking of "Joan Of Arc."  This is an edited version of the first single...

 

 

Album version is twice the length and it doesn't get old.  Should be on dance floors everywhere.  The electronics are crisp and clean, the vocals as strong as ever, but many of the tracks just don't stir the passion like HOM. 

 

They got this one right as it has just been officially released as the third single...

 

Oh well...I'll keep 15 of the 42 minutes.



Black Star Riders "All Hell Breaks Loose"

 

I really wanted to like this. 

 

I had just turned eighteen (the legal drinking age at the time) and "The Boys Are Back In Town" had begun its run across radio through the summer of '76.  I ordered the cassette configuration of "Jailbreak," so I had to wait a few days to get it.  John at Custom Sound asked, "Do you know this is their sixth album?"  Wha wha WHAT?!  The tape arrives and "Boys..." isn't even the best track on it.  The title song and album's opener smokes and the final two tracks, "Cowboy Song" and "Emerald," left me wanting more.  Decided to order the previous album but it was only in 8-track (never owned the first one) and vinyl, so with my impending move to Florida to begin college, I opted to wait.  Three months later I began my career at WPRK over the long Thanksgiving weekend and had plenty of time to myself as I was the only student available to run the station (somewhere on this blog I've told that story...I think).  I touched every album in that basement and previewed anything that looked interesting.  I reached the "T" section on Saturday and there they were, three of the previous Thin Lizzy albums.  I still say "Fighting" is one of the great rock albums of the 70's.  Another three months pass and on February 21, 1977, I get to see them open for Queen at the Lakeland Civic Center.  I need not elaborate...

 

I followed the band to its end in '83 and purchased spin-offs and solos.  No one was shocked when Lynott died in '86 since the band was known for its drug & alcohol abuse and Irish anger.  They were the first hard rock band to use twin lead guitars, influencing rock/metal artists for decades to come.  Scott Gorham was/is the main constant to the Thin Lizzy name though it was guitarist John Sykes (final TL album, Whitesnake, Blue Murder) who kept the Thin Lizzy name alive with reformations.  That's when they caught flack for using the name without Lynott around.  Fast forward fifteen years...

 

Gorham gets some of the old band members together again and new material starts to emerge.  The decision is made not to use the Thin Lizzy name for it, hence Black Star Riders.  I understand that Lynott's widow is still alive, and for her, this was the proper call.  But what we have here in this new record is a Thin Lizzy album.  There are a couple of blatant rip-offs of old TL songs (one is "Southbound" on speed and steroids) and the vocalist (previously in New Model Army and The Almighty) reproduces the Phil Lynott-style as well as the kid in Journey does for Steve Perry.  So color me confused.  If you're not going to call it Thin Lizzy, then don't give me Thin Lizzy in another wrapper thirty years later! 

 

And that's a Thin Lizzy song if I ever heard one.  But I wanted something new and different if you call yourselves Black Star Riders.  It's one thing to toe the line with the past sound, but to employ it for 85% of the record?  Call me a musical snob (Ms. Rocker does all the time), but I'm not as bad as an old colleague of mine who damns a band to the trashcan if they change a drummer (KG, you there?).

This is one of the keeper tracks.  Audio quality is suspect but the visual is up-close...



Gorham may not be able to rock the long blonde locks anymore at age 62 but he can still play!  The rest of the band (including credited gigs with Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Y&T to name some more) can play as well. 

The first clue to all the confusion came from my computer's music program which labeled this album "Various Artists."  As such, I'll keep four tracks.  If it had been a Thin Lizzy album, I'd have kept it all. 

The Boxer Rebellion "Promises"

 

I couldn't remember why I knew this band's name but I sampled and purchased anyway.  It sat in my music file until I saw a quick interview with them from the Hyde Park Summer Festival this past July.  They touched on their history, which revealed the source of my cognizance.  They released their second album exclusively through digital formats in 2009 and the British charts couldn't recognize it without physical sales, a big deal at the time.  It later became the first digital-only release to chart on Billboard.  They also had a couple of songs in a movie where the music/soundtrack was better than the film, "Going The Distance" (I was stunned that the Cake song wasn't included).   

 

 
Jay promotes the band as "London-based" but doesn't expand on the fact that one guy is from Tennessee and another from Australia.  There is much to like in this album, such as the chiming U2-ish guitars and the 80's New Wave-ish keyboards.  I noted a little dredg and some Killers during the latter songs on the record.  This is one of the two tracks I will keep...

Looks like all their fans in the UK and the States bought the record in its first week of release.  They are having their best chart success in the Netherlands and are currently touring there in support.

 

Lots of potential and worth a future listen.   

Bernard Fanning "Departures"

Powderfinger was one of my favorite Australian discoveries of the past fifteen years.  Been a sucker for a pop song since I was five and the Aussies as a country have provided me with a substantial number of my beloved bands of all time, one of which was INXS.  I'm not saying that Powderfinger, or its vocalist, Mr. Fanning, sounded like INXS and Michael Hutchence, but they fit into that unique sensibility which was, and is, Aussie pop/rock music.  Little did I know that their last album from late 2009 would actually be the last. Two months after that post the band announced a final tour and closed the door.

This is not Fanning's first solo project, however.  The band took a short break in '03 and he put out an album that I didn't discover until 2007 when the band's next project after their hiatus was released.  I sought it out for a sample spin and discovered what was basically a country album.  Too radical a shift for me at the time, but Fanning earned accolades such as "Australia's Steven Stills."  I did not hesitate, though, when I spotted this new post-band-breakup record a few months ago.  Thankfully, he went back to the power-pop/radio rock roots of his band.  Unfortunately, it didn't gel for me after repeated spins.



That's single one.  Good video and hook. 



This is a clip of the title track and one he's financed, apparently.  After reading about the timing of the album as a whole (his dad had passed away and there were historic floods in his hometown), I knew there would be a song like this.  Too mournful for my tastes, and I can handle sad quite well. 



There's that INXS-styled sound I mentioned.  Newest single.  Some of it works, too.  Therein lies the problem.  A good chorus here, a great riff there, fine lyrics in that one, hot sax solo (though I kept thinking it was a direct rip of the SNL opening theme).......they all come together on only one track for me and it's none of the three above.  If I could break these songs into pieces of a musical puzzle I would be able to put together a few fine tunes.  Now maybe I'm too harsh on it coming from the States (and I can't find an imminent release date for it domestically) but the album has sold well Down Under, debuting at #1 and still charting today. 

I'm holding out for a Powderfinger reunion...

Streetwalkers "Rip It Up At The Rainbow"

This is one of the bands from back in the original Mad Rocker days of late 1976-77 that I played the bejesus out of.  Their album was called "Red Card" and I had never heard of them whilst residing in southern, middle Tennessee.  No surprise there.  I was hooked from the very first song...



Christ, what a voice!  I had no idea who Roger Chapman was.  Neither did I recognize the guy on slide in the video above, John "Charlie" Whitney.  My eighteen-year-old mind was blown and I HAD  to learn more about these guys.  Discovered an earlier debut album by them and also their previous band called Family. 



Nope, Streetwalkers was more to my liking.  Taped (cassette...I was way ahead on that curve) a copy of the first album and admired the credited performers.  Where do I start?  Well, let's just go alphabetical so nobody gets offended.  Boz Burrell:  Bassist/singer in King Crimson before, started some band called Bad Company right after; Michael Giles:  Also King Crimson and had just played drums on a Roger Glover solo project; Ric Grech:  Was in Family (again, didn't know that) but more known as the bassist in Blind Faith and Traffic; Tim Hinkley:  Had tinkled keys on a few records before and went on to do so with Al Stewart, Humble Pie, the aforementioned Bad Co., Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy (I'll tie those in shortly); Neil Hubbard:  One of his first bands included a guy who later became Elton John, was also in the core bands on Jesus Christ Superstar OC and Joseph's Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and later spent many years with Brian Ferry/Roxy Music;  Linda Lewis:  Vocalist who worked on Cat Stevens' Teaser & the Firecat and Catch Bull At Four as well as Bowie's Aladdin Sane;  Max Middleton:  Jeff Beck Group; and John Wetton:  Also in Family, Rare Bird, and was a recent addition to Crimson for Lark's Tongues in Aspic.  Whew!  Needless to say, the first album was excellent with all the guest contributions.  For "Red Card," the band added Bobby Tench as a permanent member (that made me laugh knowing there was only one more studio album done before the band split up), who played guitar and sang with the Jeff Beck Group and another hot band at the time, Widowmaker.  The drummer on the record was Nicko McBrain, lasting only the one album before doing two with Pat Travers and then making a name for himself with Iron Maiden.  For the last album and tour (horrible live album...sound quality terrible and performances reeked of obligation knowing they were finished due to the rise of punk in the UK), the drummer was David Dowle and bassist was Mickey Feate.  Dowle later became a member of Whitesnake in its bluesy, pre hair-metal incarnation and Feate and Tench became part of Van Morrison's band for his masterpiece, "Wavelength."  Chapman had a respectable solo career in Germany and the UK and Whitney essentially disappeared from the music scene. 

Now that the history lesson is done, you can see there was a large amount of talent in the band...yet zero success in the States.  One reviewer of the "Live" double album said it would "only appeal to the band's half-dozen fans in the US."  Well, I was one of the six and I didn't like it, either.  A news blurb several months ago heralded (bemoaned) the discovery of two live shows from the same tour that produced the lousy original.  Somebody dug them out of the trash, cleaned up the recordings and declared them superior.  Riiiggghhhttt...  Still, I checked the set lists and found them the same except for the track "Dice Man," which spoke to me because I loved dice games and craps and one of the lyrics was "makin' me loose, drinkin' Tennessee juice."   Hence the purchase of Rainbow and not Demontfort.  The twelve-plus minute version is the record's highlight among highlights.  There may be some slight flaws in the masters which couldn't be corrected, but they do not dull the performance.  As I listened, I heard Chapman's voice grow eerily similar in places to the power and warble of another great rock singer who would debut with his band the following year.  Any guesses?  What about Jimmy Barnes of Cold Chisel.  Let's hear one more...



It's very difficult to believe that this album and these videos were culled from the same tour which produced the crappy one from 36 years ago.  Their label had tried to catch the same wave that was carrying along fellow roster member, Thin Lizzy (there it is...finally!), in spite of the punk movement, and it didn't pan out.  I now believe that Mercury Records spent as little money as possible on the original live recordings and the band knew it and tanked the shows.  There is way too much evidence here to support my belief.