CD Review: Cast Iron Crow “First Edition”

The world of rock is in for a real treat on November 8th, as another debut album is due for release. Pardon me, I just used the word ‘another’ and this album is a far cry from that.

The album in question is First Edition by Cast Iron Crow. This stunning band is blasting its way out of Hayward in the San Francisco Bay area. The amalgamation of its four musicians has created a stunning grunge/alt rock band whose sound demands attention. Continue reading

The Dosadi Experiment

The Dosadi Experiment formed in March of this year. The band started with just two members: Merry and Paul.

“Hey, how about forming a rock band?” Paul asked. They had often talked of being in a band together.

“Sure”, came the reply, “but there are only two of us…” Paul showed a defiant look and shrugged.

“Well so what, we can kick it out, let’s just do it, and let’s play whatever the hell we want.”

And that was it, we began trying out styles, kicking out riffs and hammering some songs together. Once things had gotten rolling we started looking for a bassist. That’s when John sauntered onto the scene, from the first moment we realised we were onto a winner, and our music began to take depth and evolve. It didn’t take us long before we were playing our first gig.

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Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa offer free MP3 download

For a free download of the track ‘Well Well’ from the new album, click this link: http://www.hartandbonamassa.com/

NEWS RELEASE:

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Beth Hart, known for her raw and powerful blues-rock sound, wraps her expressive vocals around classic soul covers on Don’t Explain, an album that grew out of her friendship with the acclaimed Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa. The album will be released in the UK and Europe on Monday 26th September by Provogue Records.

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A sit-down with the always on the move Dre of (for right now) Mount Rushmore Safari

Most or even all you reading this will know that one of the great things about getting to follow a band or musician online is that you are able to follow their progress closely while also getting to know them a little. This applies more to independent and unsigned bands as they generally run their own pages online and working as a journo/reviewer/interviewer for various online sites has given me the opportunity to capitalize on this, which has created some excellent friendships.

Some while ago now I organized a charity event in the UK to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. This proved to be a brilliant experience, although mostly due to my enthusiasm and naivety it only managed to raise about £70 after costs. I have no regrets though, I am glad to have learned from this and have every intention of running a similar event some time in the future once I get the chance to do so. The point which I am getting to is that one of the bands whom I staged was Le Cul from Denmark. I got to know Andreas (Dre) from Le Cul in my early networking days and we soon built up a good rapport. Not long after becoming hooked on the style, ethos and attitude of Le Cul, I found that this band was just a rock ’n’ roll outlet for the band’s two founding members, Dre and Maxim. Continue reading

Strong Killings’ Nate on rotting mansions, dinosaur songs and why playing house parties is the best

We all know that Seattle has proved to be a hotbed and honey pot of music, being the hometown/birthplace of so many great bands. One such band, which is just now emerging from Seattle, is due to release a self-titled debut album on July 19th through Don’t Stop Believin’ Records.

Strong Killings is the band I am telling you about and I have to say that after giving their debut album a thorough testing, Strong Killings really is keeping the spirit of punk alive. This spirit is a truly refreshing beast as Strong Killings combines such a wide variety of the various punk genres without ever losing any energy or attitude. Yes, definitely loud and uncouth, and such a good album; Strong Killings lay down a message of social unease and nonconformity perfectly. Continue reading

Hugh Cornwell gets reviewed and talks You’re Covered, influences and industry changes

Hugh Cornwell, the original frontman of The Stranglers, is about to embark on a spring tour of the UK where, due to popular request, he will be performing his album Guilty in its entirety. Hugh will also be performing old favorites like ‘The Raven,’Schoolman,’ ’Down in the Sewer,’ ‘Toiler on the Sea,’ ‘Walk on By’ and ‘’Feel Like a XXX‘ each evening.

Hugh has recorded an exclusive ten-track album comprising of tunes which have stayed with him over the years and just pop into his head on occasion, just like good favorite tunes do. This album is called You’re Covered and only 250 copies are available. These will be given to VIP ticket holders, which will also be able to watch and interact with Hugh during the sound check, and each copy of You’re Covered will also be signed on the night by Hugh. Continue reading

De Staat ride the waves of Machinery and hit the road

Holland’s critically acclaimed alternative rock band, whose unique sound is as distinctive as The Dead Weather, Captain Beefheart, Nick Cave, Steve Reich, Queens of the Stone Age and Tom Waits is set to tour the UK in April 2011, riding the wave that their second album, Machinery, is making.

In less than a year, De Staat has become one of the biggest alt rock acts in its homeland of Holland. Now, what is the band expected to do next after topping 2010 end of the year lists and playing highly acclaimed sets at many festivals including Lowlands, Pinkpop and Glastonbury? Continue reading

Voodoo Johnson tick all of the boxes, while adding a few more, with their music and live shows

Back in late August of last year Voodoo Johnson released their debut album 10,000 Horses. I have been enjoying this album an awful lot ever since getting my sticky mitts on a copy a short while ago. The heavily rocking tunes that VJ has always produced have been an aural addiction of mine from the first time that I came across them on MySpace just over two years ago, so I had been looking forwards to hearing this for some time. At times like this, I often find that in the anticipation during the wait, your imagination can often lead to disappointment once you finally get to that elusive first listen.

This was not the case with 10,000 Horses. The opening track ‘Headstone’ detonates this cluster bomb of solidly rocking tunes and nails you down, demanding your attention. It takes no prisoners from the start, as it begins with a volley of guitar, bass and drums leading into the vocals. It has a true rebellious edge. ‘Sin’ is just as hard edged and leads onto ‘Feel Karma,’ which  just tops this opening trio of tracks, as it kicks out with an unstoppable vengeance. Continue reading

Antics with attitude in Aberdare: The Nukes and Clay Statues

Have you ever made a spur of the moment decision and gone off on a whim, chasing a gut feeling? And don’t you just love it when this pays off? Well, I recently trucked off up to Aberdare in the valleys of South Wales on one of these whims. This particular whim was to go and check out a couple of bands from Aberdare whom I had only just come across thanks to a good friend who lives there. The bands I went to see play were The Nukes and Clay Statues, and I was so pleased to find that the journey was well worth it, as both bands played blinding sets at The Glandover Arms.

The opening band of the night was Say When!, a young indie rock band. These guys played with great enthusiasm, but I have to say that they did not really do much for me. Their style of rock just blended into the vast collection of so many other similar bands who sadly fail to stand out from this bland majority of young and enthusiastic acts. Continue reading

Sandi Thom Announces Tour Dates & ‘Merchant and Thieves’ Deluxe Edition Release

*NEWS RELEASE*

At 17, Sandi Thom became the youngest ever student to be accepted to the prestigious Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts aka LIPA, dubbed ‘The Fame Academy’ due to the number of industry professionals teaching there and having Sir Paul McCartney as its patron.

It was here that she met her band and producers.

In 2003, Sandi Thom graduated from LIPA with a BA (Hons) in Performing Arts and is the first and only LIPA Graduate to have a number one music album in the charts.

Blues/Rock and roots singer songwriter Sandi Thom’s infamous debut single “I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker” topped the charts in 7 countries with the ensuing album shifting over a million copies worldwide, winning her an Ivor Novello award. She currently holds the record in Australia for 12 consecutive weeks at the top of the charts. Continue reading