CD Review: The Morning Light – The Sounds of Love EP (Fearless Records)

The Morning Light’s new 6 song EP serves as a welcome stopgap between full-lengths. A five member band (Harrison Wargo - piano and vocals, Bobby Garver - vocals, Matt Colussy - guitar, Nick Baxter - drums, Andy McDonald - bass) which rose from the ashes of Pittsburgh’s much-missed Transition, The Morning Light is not your typical Fearless Records band.

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CD Review: Leopold and his Fiction – Self Titled (Self Released)

Ever since The White Stripes became the darlings of the music world, more and more acts have explored the interesting sparseness and power possibilities of the two-man musical band. Read more

Deep Grooves: Carla Olson - Detroit ‘85 Live and Unreleased and Carla Olson and Mick Taylor - Too Hot For Snakes (Collector’s Choice)

Roots rock fans rejoice! Another batch of Carla Olson albums have been re-released by the music fanatics at Collector’s Choice. For those who are unaware of Olson’s career and what her music is all about, think of her as a female Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen. Olson has a innate talent to writing songs based on the hopes, dreams, trials, travails, failures and successes of the everyday man and woman trying to survive in today’s world. Olson’s songs are not songs about limousine rides and the rich, these are songs about feelings and experiences everyone shares.That she manages to combine her proletariat poetry with fiery, Stones-like raunch and roll and create something completely her own despite her influences is a testament to her talent. What a shame it is Olson was never appreciated when she was at her recording peak. Thanks to Collector’s Choice reissuing most of Olson’s work (of which these two releases are some of her best) music fans once again get a chance to appreciate Olson’s talent and her knack for passionate rock and roll.

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Deep Grooves CD Review: Wattstax!! - Various Artists (Stax Records)

This 3 CD set (count ‘em) chronicles one of the most important concert events in the history of music and is a monster! But what a monster it is! Thanks to the people running the new, reinvigorated Stax label, music fans who weren’t able to attend or pick up the vinyl versions released on the original Stax label will finally be able to experience this great event in musical history. Stax truly was one of the most visionary labels in existence, and this expansive concert proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

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CD Review: Kaitlyn Anderson’s “A New Word For Over”

Kaitlyn Anderson is a new face in the music industry. She is just starting to make a name for herself and already, the industry is referring to her as “America’s Pop Rock Sweetheart. Although the industry refers to the young singer-songwriter as being “Pop Rock,” her sound falls more on the Rock side of the music industry than it does the Pop side.

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The Rebel Reviewer Checks Out Sin Dealer Live and Tries to Stay out of the Drowning Pool

They say to pick your battles. They say, just let it go. They say cut some slack cuz you don’t know the rest of the story. You don’t know what’s really going on behind the scenes. And then you see this. Saturday night, I was treated to a great time with some new good friends. In fact they took me out to a bar to see a band I never even heard of til they brought up the name. Sure I heard the tune “Bodies” but it didn’t register as it really sounded like a metal version of “Whoomp There It Is!”. Sure it’s hooky and it’ll get pretty well anyone jumping around but I couldn’t loosen my attitude strings and get into the whole package after a few things I heard that night.

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Record Review - Ben Jelen – ExSensitive (Custard Records)

Ben Jelen – ExSensitive
Custard Records www.custardrecords.com

Multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Ben Jelen is joined on this disc by producer/songwriter Linda Perry who also helps co-write most of the songs. Sheryl Crow producer Bill Bottrell is also on hand and helps mix a couple of the songs on the album. Jelen previously released an album of lush, orchestral pop on Moadonna’s Maverick Records which was quite decent as pop music goes but didn’t really do well sales wise.

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The Rebel Reviewer Checks Out Basia Lyjak

Last time I saw Basia Lyjak perform was back in November 2007 opening for the “Support the Troops” benefit concert. I was immediately impressed by her unique and beautiful voice. Her band was tight and experienced. What impressed me most was her fan appreciation. Even this early in the game, she had a crowd of supporters that the rest of the acts that night wished they had. As soon as she left the stage she came around front and walked through the crowd thanking people, including myself, for being there. It wasn’t a robotic, I gotta do this type act. It was for real. It was an eye contact thing. She said thank you to you, not at you, and she meant it.

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Demians - Building an Empire (InsideOut/SPV)

You would think from looking at the label releasing Demains’ debut CD that the music contained therein would be metal or, at the very least, hard rock. But you would be wrong in this case, surprisingly enough, as Demians’ new CD is more of a prog-rock album than anything else.

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Nerf Herder - Nerf Herder IV (Oglio Records)

Taking their name from an epithet hurled at Han Solo by Princess Leia in the Star Wars movie The Empire Strikes Back, this band of nerd rockers (made up of singer/guitarist Parry Gripp, drummer Steve “The Cougar” Sherlock, and bassist Charlie Dennis) is now entering it’s second decade with all members intact, no small feat in its’ own right considering popular bands today go through more members than your typical McDonald’s in a six-month timespan. Read more

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