PIGSHIT: The small machine that could

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For all intents and purposes, Lindsey Adams Buckingham has lived a charmed life.

Raised in the comfy Bay Area opulence of 1950′s Atherton, California, a handsome, athletic golden boy suddenly and forever sidetracked by his elder brother’s Elvis and Buddy Holly 45s. He quit the school water polo team, moved with his guitar into a local hotshot band called Fritz, left for L.A. with their singer Stevie, produced with her the magnificently understated Buckingham Nicks album, was soonafter asked to join Fleetwood Mac with whom he helped craft a 40-million-plus-selling album called Rumours and, by 1978 at the age of twenty-nine finally found himself at the very tip-top of his game.

For all intents and purposes, that is.  Continue reading →

Rock and Roll Report Radio Celebrates Mock Rock On December 19th!

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If Christmas has got you down this should put a smile on your face! The next edition of Rock and Roll Report Radio on the Drastick Plastic Program celebrates Mock Rock and I guarantee that you will both smile and rock out in good measure.

What is Mock Rock you ask? Tune in December 19th at 10:00 PM EST either online at www.ckut.ca or in the Montreal area on 90.3 FM and you will find out!

Cheers!

CD Review: Bill Toms “Memphis”

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During his time as a musician, Bill Toms experienced a lot, including working with the one and only Bruce Springsteen. It was “The Boss” who helped produce an album for Toms’ former band, The Houserockers. As a solo artist, Bill Toms has been making a name for himself, thanks in part to his 2010 album, Live at Moondogs: Another Moonlight Mystery.

Bill Toms recently travelled from his home in Pittsburgh to Nashville to put the finishing touches on a new release. That album, 2011’s Memphis, is a solid effort and is varied enough to keep the listener anticipating the next track thanks to the creative energy that flows through the tracks that make up the album. Continue reading →

CD Review: The Jezabels “Prisoner”

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Coasting on a wave of recent success and with an EP trilogy under their belt, The Jezabels have continued carving their path in good fashion and, in this case, it’s with their debut album titled Prisoner.

On the heels of receiving a swagger of award nominations, cracking the US charts with their single ‘Hurt Me’ off of their third EP release entitled Dark Storm, which in itself reached number one on the iTunes charts, The Jezabels have certainly set the bar high for themselves. Continue reading →

CD Review: Ben Wilkins S/T

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Ontario-born Ben Wilkins was already a well-rounded musician, having studied classical music at Montreal’s McGill University and spent his post grad studies in Shanghai, China, when he began working with musical producers Pascal Shefteshy and Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan, Rufus Wainwright) to put together his debut album.

The warm classical pop sound permeates most of this album, but the disjointed “Opening” has a mix of indie jazz percussive effects, piano and classical strings contrasting Ben’s clean vocals. It sounds like he has thrown everything but the kitchen sink into the mix to let us know he’s avant garde. Continue reading →

From a Rolling Stone cover to a gold album, can The Sheepdogs keep it up?

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I can’t say I remember the last time I saw a handful of fans begging to get into a sold out show in a medium-sized Montreal venue. Nor can I remember a time when I saw fans willing to pay anyone to get into said show. But, apparently, there is a first time for everything and this is exactly the scene that awaited me when Saskatoon, Saskatchewan’s The Sheepdogs rolled into town.

Yes, the same Sheepdogs who graced the August 18 cover of Rolling Stone after beating out 15 other bands in the magazine’s Choose the Cover competition, making them the first unsigned act to accomplish such a feat. Continue reading →

CD Review: Son of the Sun “Almost Not There”

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Having just listened to the newest CD from the band Son of the Sun
entitled Almost Not There, I cannot believe that I’ve never heard of
this band earlier. As it stands, I have become a fan of both the band and their
music. With how strong this release is, I just wish that the Almost Not There CD had more than just six songs.

Son of the Sun is a band that contains five talented musicians, each of which
help to create the band’s original and creative garage rock music. The band
consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Zak Ward, guitarist/keyboardist Joseph
Stocker, guitarist Jeremy Franklin, Steve Matthews on bass and drummer Brandon
Delmont. It is this group of musicians that make Almost Not There sound
as good as it does.

Continue reading →

PIGSHIT: High Tide and Fazed Cookies

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The jury – to say nothing of the legal teams – appear to still be out on precisely how much of a bigger bang the Rolling Stones are planning next year to mark their fiftieth (!) year together as a band. Will they in fact, even for a concert or two, be able to regain the best bass player they ever had? Can even long-lost Mick Taylor again be convinced to try to fill Brian’s musical shoes for maybe a solo or two?? Anything to prevent, or at least delay, the next Jagger so-low album, I can already hear all of you thinking out there!  Continue reading →

CD Review: The Duke Spirit “Neptune”

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The Duke Spirit is an alternate rock band that formed in 2003.Their sound is very reminiscent of alternative rock bands of the 80’s I grew up with. The Duke Spirit consists of Liela Moss on vocals; Luke Ford, guitar/various instruments; Toby Butler, guitar/various instruments; Olly “The Kid” Betts on drums; and Marc Sallis on bass guitar. I recently found this gem of a band by chance and had to write a review. The Duke Spirit’s 2008 album, Neptune, really spoke to me in a huge way. It evoked some great emotions in me; that is a sign of an excellent album. Continue reading →

PIGSHIT: They Ain’t Heavy…

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Never as naughty as the Rolling Stones, nor as pin-up perfect as Herman’s Hermits; seldom as musically adventurous as the Yardbirds, nitty-gritty as the Animals, or full-on bombastic as The Who. Of course, as truly no-one was, they just weren’t as precociously talented as those Beatles either.

In fact, throughout the entire artistic marathon which was 1960′s pop, perhaps their only true competition – in the vocal department at least – would be the all-American Beach Boys. And, like them, it seems the only true “crime” The Hollies ever committed during their illustrious decades-long career was that they solely concentrated on, well, just making good records.  Continue reading →