Label: Small Stone Records Released: October 27, 2009 Over the course of just a few releases, Tia Carrera has proven not only to be among the best of the modern stoner psych bands, but also one that has paved its own path through the influences that permeate the genre. Their latest album (and first for stoner haven Small Stone Records),… Read more »
Label: Hear Music Released: November 17, 2009 In this decade, Paul McCartney has released as many live albums as he has studio albums. Even packaged with a DVD, Good Evening New York City, his third live release since 2002’s Back in the US, begs the question, “Why another live album?” It doesn’t take the album long to answer though. Despite… Read more »
Label: Eagle Rock Entertainment Released: November 10, 2009 Are You Ready? finds the great Thin Lizzy in 1981, on tour for the less-than-great Renegade album. It also features guitarist Snowy White who, by his own admission, never felt suited to Thin Lizzy’s hard rock sound and lifestyle. One would think this would add up to a disjointed and/or disenchanted performance,… Read more »
1. Pomegranates – Everybody, Come Outside! From the first few seconds, it was clear that this was the album where Pomegranates went from promising to amazing. 2. Grant Hart – Hot Wax Knowingly or not, Grant Hart went back and explored the influences that he poured into his work with Hüsker Dü. The results are astounding. 3. Rachel Taylor Brown… Read more »
Label: Demolition Records Released: October 13, 2009 Are you sick of the 80s? I certainly am. Having the synthpop of my youth sold back to me as if it’s a new thing is bad enough, but the more egregious offenders are the old hair metal dinosaurs who not only want to resell their corporate sound, but also the mindless, superficial… Read more »
Label: Count Your Lucky Stars Records Released: September 29, 2009 Empire! Empire!’s previous release, last year’s Year of the Rabbit 7″, had some interesting musical moments that were drowned in a sea of emo drama. Their latest, What It Takes to Move Forward, still has its fair share of the dramatic and sometimes it still supersedes the adventurous nature of… Read more »
Label: I Scream Records Released: October 20, 2009 Considering they’re fronted by Max Cavalera’s stepson Richie, there’s probably no way that Incite can avoid comparisons to Sepultura. That has to be a bit daunting for a young band on their debut album. After all, they’re going to measured against one of metal’s most intense and creative bands. Incite, however, doesn’t… Read more »
Label: KISS Records Released: October 5, 2009 Before even listening, Sonic Boom suffers from some degree of disingenuousness just because they dressed Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer up as Ace and Peter. C’mon guys, at least Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent got their own Kiss persona. And gee, the cover art looks a little familiar too. Sonic Boom does look… Read more »
Label: Eagle Rock Entertainment Released: October 13, 2009 When you combine Rick Wakeman with a celebration of the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s ascension to the throne of England, things are bound to be a bit over-the-top. Not to disappoint, Wakeman comes out in royal robes with six “wives” in period dress and the whole thing happens right in Henry’s… Read more »
Label: Concord Music Released: November 3, 2009 Of the 30 tracks that make up the two CDs of CCR’s The Singles Collection, over half are songs we all know like the back of our hands. However, unlike a traditional greatest hits collection, this one includes all the b-sides as well. Sure, some had two sides that were popular enough to… Read more »