Posted December 27, 2011 at 1:31 pm | One comment
South Carolina native Adam Cross makes waves with his debut album Sirens. The singer, guitarist and songwriter brings a high-level of intensity to his music, all while maintaining a strong pop sensibility that digs the hooks in deep right from the opening track. With a penchant for knowing just the right effect for each track, as well as when to use the electric guitar, acoustic guitar or a mixture of both, Cross keeps listener’s guessing as to what’s coming next, while engaging their musical curiosity at the same time. Sirensis a strong debut for Cross, one that is sure to set the stage for a bright career to come.
Posted in: Reviews, Rock Reviews
Posted December 14, 2011 at 10:27 am | No comments
Throughout the history of music, artists across the board have drawn upon personal experience to inspire their songwriting. Whether it be tales of love won and lost, dealing with personal demons or experiences growing up in an interesting family, songwriters will often dig into their personal past when looking for new inspiration. Singer and songwriter Jeremy Schonfeld is an artist with a personal story to tell and he does so with powerful emotional drive and first-rate musicianship on his latest work Iron and Coal.
Posted in: Reviews, Rock Reviews
Posted December 4, 2011 at 2:47 pm | No comments
It’s a bold and yet entirely appropriate move to offer listeners a taste of what they can expect to spend their money on, given the instant-gratification considerations of modern-day digital distribution. And so it’s a calculated risk very likely to pay off for Reznor not only in regards to sales but the critical acclaim he has become long-accustomed to as he enters a new age of artistic relevance.
Posted in: Reviews, Rock Reviews
Posted October 24, 2011 at 12:59 pm | 5 comments
Alice Cooper is back with his wicked rock unleashed again on his new release, Welcome 2 My Nightmare. Cooper vamps with producer, Bob Ezrin, who produced the original 1975 Welcome To My Nightmarealbum, and the coupling of spirits works its magic once more on the new Nightmare II. Alice also called on a fellow Michigan guitar legend, Dick Wagner, who collaborated on the original album, to work his six-string magic. And let’s not forget the monster axe master Steve “The Deacon” Hunter who, along with Wagner, still cranks out some of the best surly rock you’ll ever hear.
Posted in: Reviews, Rock Reviews
Posted September 21, 2011 at 10:12 am | No comments
The ‘70s saw Tommy Keene do a stint as drummer in Blue Steel, a band that also featured Nils Lofgren’s brother Michael. He changed to guitar for a convincing jaunt with The Razz. He’s been churning out quality solo albums since the early ‘80s, adding to an impressive discography of timeless rock and roll, heavy laden with guitar oriented chordal arrangements and tasteful melodies.
Posted in: Reviews, Rock Reviews
Posted August 3, 2011 at 12:45 pm | No comments
Meatloaf had to be “well done” while performing at Quick Chek Festival of Ballooning at Solberg Airport in NJ on one of the hottest summer days this past Sunday. Dress in black from head-to-toe, the 63 year old singer hit the stage at 4:00 pm with his 7 piece band, including guitarists Paul Crook and Randy Flowers. When most people were looking for shade or dousing themselves with water, Meat was cooking on the sun-drenched stage and rockin’ out.
Posted in: Concert Reviews, Reviews, Rock Reviews
Posted July 12, 2011 at 6:00 am | One comment
Milwaukee’s Summerfest is huge. So big it has 11 stages. So gigantic it runs for 11 days. So gargantuan that it is (and Guinness World Records confirms) the world’s largest music festival. Not America’s largest, the entire world. To cover such an event is a challenge, especially considering GI photographer Faraz Chaudry and I could only make two of the eleven festival days, but in those two days we caught a hell of a lot of kick-ass music. While some acts, like the Wildbirds and Me Talk Pretty, disappointed, plenty of others picked up their slack and gave great performances.
Posted in: Concert Reviews, Reviews, Rock Reviews
Posted June 15, 2011 at 6:29 am | No comments
Black Country Communion 2 was released on June 14, 2011, just nine months after the initial release by the band comprised of Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, Derek Sherinian, and Jason Bonham. It’s a positive step when a supergroup releases a sophomore record within a year after the debut, primarily because it shows that they’re still seriously motivated about the overall venture. It’s unusual, as statistics have shown that many of these bands lose interest quickly, and obstacles and personal issues get in the way. Obviously this band is keyed up, which means fans are keyed up too.
Posted in: Reviews, Rock Reviews
Posted June 7, 2011 at 5:44 am | No comments
Though the title of this prequel motion picture refers to the iconic mutants of the Marvel Comics®, when they were still budding youths just discovering their special gifted abilities and first finding their destined paths in the world, the title more than aptly describes this superb motion picture installment in the beloved film series.
Posted in: Reviews, Rock Reviews
Posted June 1, 2011 at 5:45 am | No comments
The members of Cloud Cult definitely brought their ‘A’ game to the Black Cat this past Saturday for a memorable, high-energy show. With a set list culled largely from their latest two releases, 2008’s Feel Good Ghosts and their most recent album, 2010’s Light Chasers, this is definitely a band that lives in the present.
Posted in: Reviews, Rock Reviews
