I’m gonna give something new a try. Instead of reviewing a whole album, sometimes I’ll pick a lesser known album track that maybe most people don’t know or haven’t heard in years and I’ll review just that song. I’ll probably kick this off late in the week with Ian Hunter’s “Standing in My Light.”
Label: Sire Released: October 15, 1990 Ride’s Nowhere is an album you can learn a lot about from the cover. Like the wave depicted, it may seem like a small ripple, but there is an underlying force behind it that can’t be measured on the surface. This is an album of contrasts between walls of jangley guitar, droning vocals and… Read more »
Label: Retro Grave Music Released: June 15, 2007 (stream is available at mp3.com now) Retro Grave is Trouble drummer Jeff Oly Olsen’s side-project. The five song EP, which should be followed by a full-length release sometime next year, is entirely written and performed by Olsen. Working alone may have some benefits, but likely more drawbacks. This isn’t a big departure… Read more »
Label: Hellcat Records Released: April 25, 2006 I know why Tim Armstong’s label signed Time Again: They love Rancid. The trouble is, I’m not a big fan of Rancid, so why would I want to listen to band with Rancid stamped all over them? Well, for one thing, I saw them live and their performance was inspired. For another thing,… Read more »
Hardcore is a genre in which it is really difficult for a band to distinguish itself. You have be heavy, you have to be fast, you have to be agressive. There aren’t that many ways to break that mold and stand out, musically or philosophically. Nonetheless, All Ships at Sea is a young hardcore band from Middletown, CT that is… Read more »
I’ve often thought about what current bands come closest to filling the roles that older bands filled in the past. For instance, I wonder who are the Beatles of today? Or the Led Zeppelin? Or the Pink Floyd? Etc, etc, etc. While it is important, I don’t think their superficial sound should be the primary consideration. I’d give more weight… Read more »
Label: Beyond Records Released: May 15, 2001 With very few exceptions, reunion albums are not essential listening. The best we can hope for is a solid album that at least isn’t an embarrassment. In 2001, the Go-Gos released their first studio album in 17 years. Considering such a long layoff and that their first go round was short and inconsistent… Read more »
I’m going to add something new here that is actually a bit of a revival of something I used to do the first time around with this blog. I thought it might be fun to have an occasional “participation” post like Metal Mark has. I’ll call it Best/Worst and the idea is that I’ll list some bands and you tell… Read more »
Label: Capitol Released: April 20, 1970 For his first proper solo effort, Paul McCartney chooses to curtail the elaborate arrangements he had indulged in with the Beatles in favor of a more grounded album full of country, folk, blues, boogie and soul. To expect a solo album to meet the standard set by the Beatles (and particularly their finale, Abbey… Read more »
Sometimes two people collaborate on a song and record it with their respective bands. Usually, one is far more successful than the other. These don’t qualify as covers since the songwriters are the performers in both cases. They’re just collaborations that were recorded apart rather than together. Off the top of my head, I can think of three: “China Girl”… Read more »