I've
been a fan of Reno Nevada's 7 Seconds for more years than I can
remember. I always loved the bands sense on unity and staying true to
what they believe in. So going into Kevin Seconds new solo album, having
not heard any of his past solo material, I wasn't sure what to expect.
But I gotta tell ya, in all honesty, the new disc "Don't Let Me Lose
Ya" (Asian Man Records) is one hell of a ride. It's NOT a hardcore punk
album at all. It's an acoustic style singer/songwriter offering
showcasing Kev's guitar playing, smart lyrics and wonderful vocal
approach. But just so we're clear, this ISN'T your daddy's folk record,
I'll tell ya that much.
The album kicks off with "Forever Try", a song about youth and
innocence. Remembering our childhood where we used to "go out and get
our hands dirty" while finding a little bit of trouble...but on a much
smaller scale than by today's standards. It's a really great way to kick
off this album. And what also should be told is that Kev really has a
great voice for this style of music. All these years, I never knew he
could pull off such a great song and keep me wanting more.
"Only Drug" is a nice little tune. It seems that Kev is
confessing that even when times were tough he still found hope. But what
did he find hope in? His wife? His music? The music scene that he's so
much a part of? All the above? It doesn't matter! It can be about
anything and everything all at once. It's a song about all the good and
bad in our life. Sometimes the good outweighs the bad. Sometimes it's
the other way around. But to stay focused and true to yourself are what
will get you through til tomorrow.
This album also has an almost country feel to it in the form of
"What A Lie". Coupled with harmonica and beautiful playing, Kev really
shines vocally on this track. It's an all around masterpiece of a song.
This isn't something I was expecting, but am glad I was able to
discover. This truly is a wonderful record to sit back on a Sunday (or
ANY day for that matter) and relax to. It's a comforting album by a
truly gifted singer, songwriter and musician. It just goes to show even
the hardest of punks can show us another side of them. A side more
sensitive and mellow, but equally as powerful as anything on The Crew or Walk Together Rock Together. This is one of the best records to come out this year, in my opinion. Pick it up and check it out for yourself.
5 / 5 stars
What
can be said about Kurt Baker that hasn't already been said? This guy is
a modern day version of what was so great about late 70's early 80's
post punk and new wave mixed in with major amounts of power pop for
added effect. And you can hear this all over Kurt's latest 7" EP called
"Want You Around" (out now on Jolly Ronnie Records).
This amazing EP opens with the title track. This is another great
example of Kurt having fun and sharing it, via song, with all his fans. It's
well written and has all the tell tales that this was written by the
man himself. It's got a great beat, great harmonies and back-up vocals
supplied by the one and only Dan Schafer. The guitar solo has a killer
feel to it thanks to Geoff Useless. If you liked his last album "Rocking
For A Living", you'll LOVE this song. This tune has my stamp of
approval all over it. Great song.
The other 3 tunes are not originals, but instead are covers by bands and
artists that have left an obvious mark on Kurt and his style of
playing. The cover of The Vapors "News At 10" is a prime example of
taking an already great tune and making it CLASSIC! Kurt really takes this long
lost gem and makes it his own with excitement and great playing. The
same can be said about "Sleeping With The Television On", the deep cut
from Billy Joel's classic album Glass Houses. Kurt's cover is spot on.
If you blink you'll actually think it's Billy's version. Big props go to
Kris "Fingers" Rogers for his wonderfully charismatic piano work here.
The band really make this song pop as a stand out track for no other
reason than it's NOT something you would expect from a Kurt Baker
release. So, little surprises like this really make the record for me.
Great pick guys!
Anyone who knows Kurt Baker KNOWS this guy's a huge Thin Lizzy fan. So
why not cover a Lizzy tune? It's not an obvious choice like "Jailbreak"
or "Cowboy Song". Instead they whip out a straight up, meat and potatoes
ROCKIN version of "Hollywood (Down On Your Luck)". The band (Kurt
vocal/bass, "Fingers" keys, Geoff guitars and Adam Cargin drums) really
take control and it's full speed ahead tearing through this song like
there's no tomorrow. Phil Lynott would be proud if he heard this
version. I have a feeling he's looking down smiling right now!
As much as I love Kurt and his love for all things power pop and
straight ahead rock, I wanna hear more originals. But from what I've
heard, his up coming full length is gonna blow minds! So, this is a damn
good record to hold us over until the new album drops. I've said it
before, I'll say it again...Kurt Baker has a a lot to bring to the music
world. And I feel this guy's gonna be BIG at some point. He's a super
nice guy and I wish him and the band all the best with the new album.
4 / 5 stars
Val Ventura is on a
mission to bring quality DIY punk rock back to the masses. And to prove
that if you set your mind to it, you CAN make creative and special music
all on your own, with little help from others. And that message is
written all over her new 3 song 7" entitled "Sun Down California".
Val
is a rare breed in this day and age of punk rock. Not only does she
write and sing all the music on this record, but she also plays drums
and guitar. Oh yeah, she also produced it and released it on her own
label, Astro Girl Records. The record was recorded back in 2007 at Sonic Iguana Studios with a little help from Mass Giorgini (who plays bass on this release) mixing and Luke McNeill (Copyrights fame) engineering. Other than that, it's all about Val's sunny pop punk tunes. And what gems they are.
Photo by: Anastasia Accorsi
Side A kicks off with the title track, a real showstopper of a tune. Very reminiscent of 70's style Ramones.
4 chords, sing along chorus and lots of catchy hooks worthy of a spot
in any pop punk fans record collection. The song really has a
comfortable flow and feel. It doesn't come off forced or fake at all.
Even as the weather is starting to get cold and gloomy, this track
brings back the sunny summer days in the form of a song. Brilliant!
Side B starts with "Forgotten", a melodic and faster paced tune that sounds similar to It's A Shame About Ray era Lemonheads.
Short and to the point, but happy and enthusiastic in it's approach and
sound. This very well may be my favorite track on the album. It's a
short tune at only 1:40. But that just means you can have it on repeat
for 3 or 4 plays and not get bored with it. A fun tune showing you can
put alot of thought into a short track and still make an impact.
Photo by: Anastasia Accorsi
Closing
out this release is acoustic number "Just Me". This song is very simple
but at the same time it's effective. With lyrics about not being what
others may want you to be, but finding comfort in your own skin, it's a
wonderful song about inner beauty and self confidence. Songs like this
never get old in my book. In a world full of fakes and phonies, it's
nice to see a strong independent recording artist doing it HER way
without holding back. I don't know why it took 5 years for this amazing
piece of wax to finally hit the streets...but it was well worth the
wait.
4 ½ / 5 stars
Please help a great Chicago band play this years Riot Fest! Go to the link below and vote for Death And Memphis. The voting ends soon and you can vote once a day! To go vote and help these guys out click the link below!
Death And Memphis
Teenage
Bottlerocket have a system for making great albums. They never take
themselves too seriously and make fun albums full of fist in the air
sing-a-longs. So it's no surprise the bands latest album "Freak Out"
(out now on Fat Wreck Chords) is jam packed with some of the best punk
rock songs to come out this year. Like the Ramones before them, TBR have
carved out a sound all their own. Fast songs that cut right to the
chase and always leave you wanting more. I mean who else could write a
song about the 80's schlock film Top Gun ("Maverick") and pull it off?
Nobody, that's who!
Of the 14 tracks on the album fans may recognize 3. "Mutilate Me" (is
this song about S&M an ode to bassist Miguel Chen?) and "Punk House
Of Horror" both appeared on last years Mutilate Me 7". And "Headbanger"
appeared on the "Get Wrecked" album by Sack, which was a side project by
drummer Brandon Carlisle and singer/guitarist Kody Templeman. But all
the tracks are super catchy and infectious, sure to get a pit going when
played at an excessive volume.
While the album doesn't steer away from the sound and lyrical content
we're used to getting from Laramie, Wyoming's finest, there is one track
that's, shall we say, a little bit more mature as far as lyrics and
subject matter go. "Done With Love" was written by Kody after he and his
wife divorced. It's one of the best tracks on the album and very well
could be Kody's finest moment as a lyricist. He may have a "heart of
stone", but he's still got a knack for writing great songs. Just an
awesome track!
Kody's not the only one at the top of his game. Ray Carlisle also has a
couple monsters on the album in the forms of "Cruising For Chicks", with
it's simple lyrical approach and a heavy palm muted chugging guitar
riff, it really sets the mood for a Friday night out looking for that
special someone to spend a few short hours with. And "Go With The Flow"
is a great way to end an album full of high notes ON a high note. Ray's
vocals are so great when paired with Kody's backing vocals, and this
track really brings the most out of these two singers. This song is such
a gem that I can see it as a possible single.
Teenage Bottlerocket are at the top of their game on "Freak Out". And
the sky's the limit for this band who continue to put out quality punk
rock, album after album. If you haven't already seem them live, check em
out at this years Riot Fest in Chicago. They bring it every time! And
for Pete's sake, get the bands back catalog if you don't already have
it. You won't regret it.
5 / 5 stars.
Time has come for Critical Mass to close it's doors for a while. This was a hard decision to come to...but it's also been a long time coming. In the 15 months that CM was active I had the chance to hear some amazing bands, meet some great people and share my thoughts with so many wonderful folks all over the world. To the bands who have sent in music, contributed with an interview or a kind word, it's been a pleasure working with and helping each and every one of you! And especially to everyone who's read my blog, I say THANKS! This isn't goodbye for good....just for now.
Cheers!
Canadian
power trio Rush have been on the music scene for close to 40 years
releasing albums ranging from classic Zeppelin inspired rock (self
titled debut), to prog rock ("2112"), to arena rock (Moving Pictures) to
80's synth rock (Power Windows), to even dabbling in grunge
(Counterparts). But now the band is back with their first ever full
length concept album entitled Clockwork Angels. Not only is it a return
to form, but it very well may be the bands best album in years. Maybe
even their best EVER!
The album is 12 songs telling the story of a young man's journey through
his life and the people, places and things he encounters along the way.
From the "Caravan" that takes him from his home to start his journey to
working with the "Carnies" until his final days in "The Garden", this
is the Rush album die hard fans have been waiting for all these years.
When the band released the Caravan/BU2B single back in 2010 as a teaser
to coincide with a world tour, it was easy for fans of all generations
to get excited about the possibility of a full conceptual piece. We
wondered if the band could pull it off after many years of steering away
from long intricate pieces of music in favor of shorter more concise
songs. But after listening to CA it's easy to see the band hasn't lost
it's touch as far as story telling. And the playing is top notch as well. This
is Rush playing at their all time best.
"Clockwork Angels" is such a wonderful piece of ear candy from it's
powerful vocal approach that singer/bassist Geddy Lee brings to the mix
to the way guitarist Alex Lifeson bounces back and forth between big
power chords to gentle notes to drummer/lyricist Neil Peart's thunderous
back beat and rolling drum fills. It really gives you chills to hear
them playing at this level after so many years. Alex has a really cool
and back to basics guitar solo here as well. It brings back memories of
older albums from years past where the sky was the limit as far as
playing ability goes. The boy's are spot on here.
"Carnies" is another track that bounces back and forth musically. Some
folks may find this annoying at times. But I find it invigorating and
original in it's fusion of melody and crunch where neither form
outweighs the other. It's an equal balance that also never takes away
from the storyline. Neil's lyrics can really hit home at times. He has a
way of bringing you into the fold as a part of the story. Not just as a
listener. "How I prayed just to get away, to carry me anywhere.
Sometimes the angels punish us by answering our prayers." No truer lines
have even been sung in a Rush song before. It speaks volumes of how
this amazing band has grown as musicians and as story tellers.
"The Wreckers" is Rush playing the most melodic and poppy I think I have
ever heard them play. And it's pretty damn awesome! It's modern but yet
it would fit snug between any 2 tracks on Power Windows (one of my
personal favorite 80's Rush albums). This is a band taking chances and
coming out on top. This song very well could be my favorite here. I love
the lyrics, the way Geddy sings them, the way the guy's play and even
the strings! The strings bring it all home for me. It's the icing on the
cake to a truly beautiful song.
The albums brightest rocking moments are in the tunes "Headlong Flight"
with it's ode to "Bastille Day" to it's lyrics about looking back on the
past with no regrets. It's a real barn burner. "Wish Them Well" is the
other straight up rocker. Simple it it's approach but still powerful and
imaginative at the same time. You can tell the band is having fun here.
And when I hear them having this much fun, it brings a smile to my
face. This is a band nearly 40 years in, and they can still enjoy what
they do. And it really comes through in the music.
"The Garden" closes out this set with soft acoustic guitars and strings
mixed with Geddy's beautiful singing. It tugs at the heartstrings with
lyrics like "The treasure of a life is a measure of love and respect.
The way you live, the gifts that you give in the fullness of time. It's
the only return that you expect." True beauty in the form of song.
Clockwork Angels is a modern day masterpiece by these gifted musicians.
I'm glad I'm here to enjoy the band and their gift of music. "The future
disappears into memory with only a moment between. Forever dwells in
that moment. Hope is what remains to be seen" Amen.
5 / 5 stars
