Review: Sepultura - A-Lex

Label: Steamhammer/SPV

Released: January 27, 2009

There's a fine line between grand and grandiose. Most concept albums are so much the latter that they never even get close to the line. Sepultura, veterans of the concept album, aren't close to that line either, but they're on the good side. Their new album, A-Lex, is based on Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange and decidedly not Stanley Kubrick's somewhat more famous film based on that novel. Why split hairs? Because the book contains a chapter omitted from the film that deals with free will and choices and that's important to what the band wants to convey here.

A-Lex is the most thrash-oriented material we've heard from Sepultura since perhaps Arise. The album has a different kind of intensity than they've been cultivating over the last decade or so. It doesn't have the density of an album like Roots, but it has more flat-out speed than they've shown in some time and in the end it's a fair trade. As raw as it is though, it is never sloppy or rough. They've managed to make an album that has the intricacies of careful planning along with the energy of spontaneous creation.

In the past, Sepultura has been able to integrate non-metal elements into their sound seamlessly, much as they did with indigenous Brazilian music on Roots. Obviously, there would be no way to avoid the inclusion of the "glorious Ludwig Van" on this project, but it does present a problem. Despite seeming like a match made in heaven, classical and metal have struggled in most past collisions and, at least at times, that's true on A-Lex also. "Ludwig Van" feels more like the technically proficient, but meaningless narcissism of classical/rock ego-fests like Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It stands out like a sore thumb on the otherwise engaging album. How could they have done better though? They clearly couldn't leave out a nod to Beethoven's Ninth. Well, check out the final "chapter intro," "A-Lex IV." It not only tips its hat to classical as any treatment of A Clockwork Orange must, but also taps into Walter Carlos' strange take on it from the film's soundtrack and fits perfectly into Sepultura's work. Had they done that on the previous track, the album might have achieved the unthinkable. As it stands though, that one misstep is huge at a crucial point. Does it hurt the album? Yes. Does it kill it? Not by a long shot. A-Lex is far from a glaring weakness even in Sepultura's strong catalog.

There aren't many bands as musically ambitious and intense as Sepultura and A-Lex lives up to their already formidable legacy. Now entirely Cavalera-free, Sepultura still has no problem staying true to the vision that made them one of metal's best and most interesting bands. It's not perfect, but there is a youthfulness to A-Lex escapes other bands of their generation and also fits the concept perfectly.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Rod Stewart - The Definitive Rod Stewart

Label: Warner Brothers

Released: November 18, 2008

Rod Stewart may have the perfect rock voice. It's raw and honest and warm and he expresses emotion with ease. Its rough edges are its primary strength. The first handful of tracks on this collection, rock songs tied tightly to their folk, boogie and blues roots, are ideal vehicles for Stewart's perfect imperfection. The heartfelt "Maggie May," the earthy "Mandolin Wind," the rollicking "Stay With Me" all draw the best out of Stewart and he in turn elevates them in a way that few if any singers could.

The trouble is that as Stewart cleans up his sound and adapts to the changing world of pop music, he tempers his strength. Sure, it doesn't all go south with the disco stylings in "The Killing of Georgie," but he has started down the slippery slope. Stewart still brings his best on "You're in My Heart" and makes it easy to forget that without him, "The First Cut is the Deepest" would be an average rock song at best. Even "I Was Only Joking" has its moments. But by "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy," Stewart had clearly crossed the line. Stewart is a great rock singer, but he wasn't able to re-invent himself to turn down each new pop avenue.

To be fair, Stewart doesn't kill his later material so much as it kills him. The synth pop of "Tonight I'm Yours" is the polar opposite of everything Stewart had done right earlier in his career. Even a rocker like "Infatuation" is so inundated with bad 80s production that it sucks out anything Stewart brings. Where the late 60s and early 70s were the perfect time for Rod Stewart, the 80s were anything but. "The Motown Song" has some charm and "Reason to Believe" from Unplugged is at least somewhat of a reminder of Rod Stewart the rock singer rather than Rod Stewart the pop star. The previously unreleased "Two Shades of Blue" sat in on the shelf for ten years and frankly, it could have stayed there. Nice try with the classical stuff, but Rod needed more rock, not more phony sophistication.

Also included in this set is a DVD of Stewart's music videos. It's not a bad bonus, but it'd still be a better idea to skip this and just buy the early albums individually. Videos are never a good substitute for better music and his early album tracks hold up better now than does his mid to late period output.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 5/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Buffalo Killers - Let It Ride

Label: Alive Naturalsound

Released: July 8, 2008

It would be easy to get tired of hearing the 70s rehashed over and over if there weren't a few bands really doing something special with it. Buffalo Killers is just one of those bands. Though not quite as raw as their debut, Let It Ride turns up the soul, an ingredient not only missing from many of today's retro bands, but also from many of the originals. They have a fair bit in common with the Black Crowes (with whom they recently toured), but they're grittier with a dirtier sense of the blues. They master both power and mellowness whether taking on the understated "Give and Give" or the driving boogie of "On the Prowl." Let It Ride has more breadth than most of its peers and it keeps me from getting too tired of the 70s just yet.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Best Albums of 2008

1. Baseball Project - Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
   Just on the surface, this great album about baseball is worth hearing, but what it tells us on a deeper level is its (and baseball's) case for greatness.
2. Bigelf - Cheat the Gallows
   All that's grand gets both celebrated and criticized on this amazingly present retro album.
3. De Novo Dahl - Move Every Muscle, Make Every Move
   The year's most fun record. "Shout" is is pure joy.
4. Tippy Canoe and the Paddlemen - Parasols and Pekingese
   Yeah, she's playing a ukulele and it's amazing.
5. Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
   Why didn't anyone ever realize how well punk and Springsteen went together before this?
6. The Clash - Live at Shea Stadium
   The only band that matters show that even fame couldn't ruin them.
7. Tanya Tagaq - Auk ~ Blood
   This is an album worthy of Mike Patton's contributions, yet strong (and weird) enough not to be overshadowed by them.
8. They and the Children - Home
   The limits of intensity get pushed by this album. Incendiary would be an understatement.
9. Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath
   Once again, the Mars Volta give us all that's cool about prog and nothing that sucks. Crazy talent mixes with crazy minds.
10. Sharks and Sailors - Builds Brand New
    The influence of 90s alt rock on this album goes in unexpected directions.
11. Spitfire - Cult Fiction
    Anger can be based on love just as easily as hate.
12. The Drift - Memory Drawings
    The Drift once again makes an indie rock record whose principal influence is Ornette Coleman.
13. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
    Is this the future of rock music? TV on the Radio get more accessible without compromising on innovation.
14. Mad Tea Party - Found a Reason
    Yes, another album which prominently features the ukulele made the list. These are great rootsy tunes with soul and a great sense of quirky fun.
15. Strangers Die Every Day - Aperture for Departure
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor is the best melding of classical and rock. This band is the next best.
16. Thursday/Envy - Split LP
    Thursday is a band that has progressed tremendously and Envy is the perfect compliment.
17. Hours and Hours: A Tribute to Seaweed
    The tribute album concept is old and tired, or so I thought until I heard this. No one, probably even Seaweed themselves, had any idea that their influence spread this widely. This is the way a tribute should be created.
18. The Devil and the Sea - Heart vs Spine
    The Devil and the Sea is another fantastic heir to Black Flag's free jazz approach to punk and metal.
19. Twilight Hotel - Highway PrayerThese Americana (or is it Canadiana) songs tell great human stories.
20. Gypsy Pistoleros - Para Siempre
    Yeah, I know it's essentially a re-release of last year's album, but a big step forward in production and a fine cover of "La Vida Loca" push this one into the top albums of 2008 whereas they just missed the year before.
21. Lady Lovelace and the Calculator Death Machine - Music for Two Musicians
    This has My Bloody Valentine, chamber music and everything in between...and it works.
22. Thao - We Brave Bee Stings and All
    Twee pop can be dangerous ground, but Thao navigates it successfully, making an album of strange, catchy tunes.
23. Buffalo Killers - Let It Ride
    Many of those treading the paths of 70s hard rock forget the soul. Buffalo Killers do not.

I saw a number of fine DVD releases in 2008, but three stand out:

About a Son was simply a series of Kurt Cobain interviews, but it was amazingly well-filmed in his old stomping grounds and rather than fill it with Nirvana's music, Death Cab for Cutie's Bed Gibbard supplies some great tracks that allow the focus to be on Cobain's words rather than the hype of Nirvana.

If All Goes Wrong is both a concert and documentary about Smashing Pumpkins two "residencies" in Asheville, NC and San Francisco. Rather than being a rehash of their hits, it is a bold artistic statement and the documentary is an interesting insight into it.

The very best DVD of the year though was The Who's Kilburn 1977, featuring both the Kilburn show as well as a rougher recording from 1969. Both shows demonstrate exactly why the Who was great.

With all this about the best, I should also include at least something about the bad albums. While there were a few real stinkers this year, they all pale in comparison to Judas Priest's Nostradamus. This album of ego-driven nonsense has all of the filler that is often a necessary evil on concept album, yet not a single track that makes the filler worth siting through. It's crap on all levels. Shame on Priest. They should have known better.

For some alternate views of what was great in 2008, check out these sites:
Heavy Metal Addiction
Hard Rock Hideout
Heavy Metal Time Machine
Bring Back Glam
All Metal Resource
Imagine Echoes
Metal Excess
The Ripple Effect
Rock Of Ages
Layla's Classic Rock
Hair Metal Mansion
The Metal Minute

DVD: The Who - Kilburn 1977

Label: Image Entertainment

Released: November 18, 2008

I've always known that the Beatles are rock's greatest band. There's no denying it. But I do have to wonder why I question that every time I listen to the Who. I think it's because the Beatles made rock music what it is, but the Who actually embodied it like no one else. (The Clash is probably the only band that I think of in the same way). The two shows on this DVD are a lot like hearing that stutter in "My Generation" or the huge guitar of "Baba O'Reilly" for the first time. It's just great rock n roll in its purest, most deliberate form.

By the time of the Kilburn show, the Who had an incredible catalog with which to build a great show. By the time they've amassed this kind of material, most bands have been at it too long and lost too much of their hunger to deliver on their own greatness, but nothing could be further from the truth about the Who. They come off a year-long hiatus and yet, other than the recording quality, they sound like they'd spent that year pounding out these songs in a garage, not relaxing on the fruits of their labors. "My Generation" gets reworked, but everything here feels as fresh and new just on the electricity alone. Interestingly enough, this came the same year punk exploded and I can't help thinking that punk may not have been necessary had other bands been playing it like the Who, with wild, reckless abandon and the heart of kids. I know, that's two bold statements in one review, but I don't make them lightly.

You'll watch the Kilburn show and think, "Man, this is one of rock's greatest bands at the peak of their power!" Then, throw in disc two and wonder, "How could they have been at their peak in 1969 also?" The answer is simple though. The Who never lost their sense of what their music was about and who it was for. They just stayed that good. Neither the video nor the audio for the earlier show is as good as it was eight years later for the Kilburn show, but somehow it gives an even better sense of how loud the world's loudest band was. You could turn the volume down to a whisper and there's still a very tangible sense that it's just LOUD.

Who is rock's greatest band? It might be almost unfair to answer right after watching this one.

Rating: 10/10 (only because I can't give it 11!)

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

DVD: Smashing Pumpkins - If All Goes Wrong

Label: Coming Home Media

Released: November 11, 2008

In June of 2007, the reunited Smashing Pumpkins (or Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlain and some new members) decided to forgo a US tour and instead do two residencies, one in Asheville, NC and the other at the vaunted Fillmore in San Francisco. This was, as Jimmy Chamberlain said in the documentary portion of If All Goes Wrong, "art for art's sake," finding the band putting the present ahead of their celebrated past.

The live portion of the DVD is captured from the Fillmore shows. A full third of the songs are previously unreleased and includes none of their big hits from their commercial prime. The performance is a successful meeting between studio perfection and live connection. It is clean, yet intense and emotional. Most importantly, it is not capitalizing (and cashing in) on the past. This is what they're doing right now, not an attempt to pick up where they left off.

The documentary gives an unusually deep look into what went into these shows. Corgan is at times as pretentious as expected, but more often, he's down to earth and even amusing, so this is a look into a side of him that his music hadn't really revealed before. There is a certain disparate nature to these shows that becomes more apparent in the documentary. On one hand, there is a sense of serendipity, embodied by a Corgan associate's comment that "Billy is about chance" when discussing the selection of the Asheville location. The shows were clearly not intended to be a money-making venture (at least not directly) and they do find the band taking chances. On the other hand, the cost of the production, rather than its artistic value, is at times used as justification for Corgan's high expectations. Just as it successfully walks the line between sound quality and live emotion, it also seems to find success navigating the waters between its artistic and business faces.

Oddly enough, this set is better fitted to someone who enjoys artistic exploration regardless of their feelings about Smashing Pumpkins than it is to "fans." Those who remember enjoying their slacker anthems back in the mid-90s will be as sorely disappointed with this DVD as I suspect Corgan and company would be with such nostalgia. The material here may not be their very best work (nor their worst), but it definitely shows that Smashing Pumpkins are not willing to rest on their laurels and be satisfied cashing in on something they did at a different time. As Chamberlain says, "What's comfortable about art? It's not supposed to be comfortable." Perhaps those words best sum up this set. It ended up being something I respected more than I enjoyed.

Rating: 8/10

Video: Christmas Classics

The Kinks' "Father Christmas" is still my favorite song for the season. It's fun, it rocks and it has an important message to boot.


This is one of the saddest, but there's hope in there too.


Blues Traveler added this ??????????????????????. (Sorry it's not really a video)


U2's version of "I Believe in Father Christmas" is easier to take than Greg Lake's original.


But, so as not to offend the many Greg Lake fans, here's his version.


No one knows the spirit of giving better than Slade after they gave Quiet Riot a career. But here's their rock n roll Christmas classic.


Sadly, this one still rings true.


On one hand, Run DMC's "Christmas in Hollis" is a holiday novelty, but that groove can't be beat.


This one is for my wife. (She hates the Boss. Ha, ha.)


Merry Christmas everyone!

Review: Amadan - Pacifica

Label: Afan Music

Released: December 9, 2008

Amadan incorporate bits of the Clash, Billy Bragg, John Fogerty and the Mighty, Mighty Bosstones, but what I suspect they're really going for is the Pogues mix of traditional Irish folk and biting punk rock swagger. They don't nail the latter, but their success in other areas makes them a worthwhile listen.

There's no doubt that Amadan is a rock band, not a folk band. Their boisterous guitars and barroom swagger make that quite clear. At their core, there is straightforward rock n roll as it's always been played in garages around the world. What they attempt is to incorporate elements of the Irish tradition into their tunes. It's been done successfully before by the likes of Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys as well as the kings of the subgenre, the Pogues. However, these bands all create a chemical reaction between their two influences, making a single inseparable sound. Amadan, on the other hand, seems to simply try to interject a tin whistle here and a folk passage there and not only is it not seamless, but it is also very flat. Where the other bands use traditional elements to really take off, Amadan instead is clean and measured and safe...and dull.

That aside though, Pacifica has some fine tunes and the performance is rough and gritty and in many ways all that it should be. Luckily, the Irish bits come and go quick enough that the rest of the album can still be enjoyed.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 4/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

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Review: Thursday/Envy - Split

Label: Temporary Residence Limited

Released: November 4, 2008

Few albums start off with the level of frantic energy of Thursday's "As He Climbed the Dark Mountain." There are songs with fireworks and there are songs that are like the fireworks factory exploding and this is clearly the latter. Thursday's dense layering walks the fine line between noisy and melodic, without tempering either. On one hand it seems like one lumbering mass of guitar, yet at the same time, the music is intricate, interesting and downright riveting.

Envy makes an interesting pairing for Thursday. On one hand, their ambient textures walk the line between austere beauty and haunting fear in sharp contrast to Thursday's more heavy-handed approach. On the other, they blast out noisecore along the lines of a more musically mature Septic Death. In a sense they've taken the roads to both sides of Thursday's work, giving this split release not only intensity but depth as well.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

DVD: Vans Warped Tour '07

Label: Image Entertainment

Released: December 2, 2008

For years, the Warped Tour has managed to find a healthy balance between DIY punk ethics and corporate involvement. Granted, the corporate presence has increased quite a bit over the last decade, but Kevin Lyman and company still put on a great show while keeping tickets and merchandise cheap and leaving at least some of the barriers down between bands and fans.

This DVD from the 2007 tour also finds a happy medium between punk and professional. The sound quality and editing is anything but amateur. On the other hand, the camera angles have more of a by-the-seat-of-the-pants quality, with many shots from the crowd perspective and of the crowd itself. With everything from the old school punk of Bad Religion and Pennywise to the emo/screamo of Chiodos to the funk and reggae of Fishbone, the DVD contains performances that capture both the energy and eclecticism of the Warped Tour. The one big fault here is the absence of one of the coolest things about the Warped Tour, the smaller, little known bands. The interview portion is mildly insightful at best, but may be worth sifting through for a few words from some favorites.

For the most part, this is as good a representation of the Warped Tour as you can get without going. However, just a song from each band (and no summer sun) isn't enough to get the real feel. The Vans Warped Tour '07 DVD isn't for anyone who wouldn't typically attend the tour (obviously), but it's a decent artifact if the Warped Tour is up your alley.

Rating: 6/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Coheed and Cambria to release 9-Disc Box Set

COHEED AND CAMBRIA TO RELEASE 9-DISC BOX SET ON MARCH 17, 2009 TO COMMEMORATE THEIR HISTORIC NEVERENDER SHOWS IN NEW YORK CITY

Columbia Records is excited to announce that on March 17, 2009, Coheed and Cambria will release Neverender, The Children of the Fence boxset, a release that is possibly as ambitious as the event itself.

Neverender marked the triumphant culmination of the band's four-album album cycle. The historic four-night event featured the band performing each of their four albums in their entirety on four consecutive nights, October 22-25 2008 at New York’s Terminal 5 and was the first time that Coheed had performed the saga that connects the albums in order. The band performed in front of nearly 11,000 of their most passionate fans, who flew in from all over the world, organized for months in advance to carpool and share hotel rooms, lined up all day in the rain to get the best spots on the floor. Selling out in three hours, Neverender’s New York dates prompted a tide of demand that spawned three other sold-out Neverender stands, in LA, Chicago, and London.

The box set documents the New York stand (as well as clips from all 3 other cities) in one massive package that will include four live DVDs, four live audio CDs, one documentary DVD, a 10x10 hardcover 48-page photo book and a 7-1/2” custom metal dragonfly. A condensed two-disc DVD will also be made available. Pre-sales for the box began on Friday, Dec 12. Fans who pre-order it will get their names included on a “Children of the Fence” page inside the book. The first 3,000 copies will be signed by the band.

Coheed and Cambria begin a tour with Slipknot on Jan, 23rd. Full tour dates are below.

01/23/09- Xcel Energy Center - St. Paul, MN
01/24/09- Sprint Center - Kansas City, MO
01/25/09- Mid America Center - Council Bluffs, IA
01/27/09- Alliant Energy Center Memorial Coliseum - Madison, WI
01/28/09- Wells Fargo Arena - Des Moines, IA
01/30/09- Allstate Arena - Rosemont, IL
01/31/09- The Palace of Auburn Hills - Auburn Hills, MI
02/02/09- Peoria Civic Center - Peoria, IL
02/03/09- Pepsi Coliseum - Indianapolis, IN
02/05/09- Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
02/06/09- Tsongas Arena - Lowell, MA
02/07/09- Susquehanna Bank Center - Camden, NJ
02/09/09- Greensboro Coliseum Complex - Greensboro, NC
02/10/09- Cricket Arena - Charlotte, NC
02/11/09- Bi-Lo Center - Greenville, SC
02/13/09- 1st Mariner Arena - Baltimore, MD
02/14/09- Rupp Arena - Lexington, KY
02/15/09- Sommet Center - Nashville, TN
02/17/09- Gwinnett Center - Duluth, GA
02/18/09- UCF Arena - Orlando, FL
02/19/09- Pensacola Civic Center - Pensacola, FL
02/21/09- Concrete Street Amphitheater - Corpus Christi, TX
02/22/09- Nokia Theatre - Grand Prairie, TX
02/23/09- BOK Center - Tulsa, OK
02/26/09- Verizon Wireless Theater - Houston, TX
02/28/09- El Paso County Coliseum - El Paso, TX
03/01/09- Freeman Coliseum - San Antonio, TX
03/03/09- Denver Coliseum - Denver, CO
03/04/09- Tingley Coliseum - Albuquerque, NM
03/05/09- Jobing.com Arena - Glendale, AZ
03/07/09- The Forum - Inglewood, CA
03/08/09- Cox Arena - San Diego, CA
03/10/09- Citizens Business Bank Arena - Ontario, CA
03/11/09- ARCO Arena - Sacramento, CA

The War On Drugs to tour with The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady's Craig Finn has not been quiet about his love for The War On Drugs, saying " I still haven't seen this band live... but they made an amazing record that I was obsessed with for most of the year". Well, Craig and his bandmates will finally get their chance; twelve of them actually, as The War On Drugs will be opening a string of dates starting March 31 for The Hold Steady.

This will mark the most extensive U.S. tour The War On Drugs have taken since the release of their critically acclaimed debut "Wagonwheel Blues", as the band spent the bulk of 2008 across the pond playing what Uncut's Allan Jones described as "a frantic 30 minutes or so, packed from floor to ceiling with moments of startling rapture and abandoned mayhem, is as good as anything I've seen all year. As such, The War On Drugs will return to Europe in February.


The War On Drugs/ The Hold Steady Tour:

3/31 Albany, NY @ Valentine's
4/1 Buffalo, NY @ Traif Music Hall
4/3 Urbana, IL @ Illini Courtyard Cafe
4/4 Bloomington, IN @ Jake's Nightclub
4/6 St. Louis, MO @ The Gargoyle
4/7 Iowa City, IA @ Picador
4/8 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
4/10 Boulder, CO @ Fox Theater
4/11 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
4/13 Reno, NV @ The Underground
4/14 Austin, TX @ Harrah's Tahoe South Shore
4/15 Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's

The War On Drugs European Dates:

2/19 Oostende, Belgium - Manuscript
2/19 Oostende, Belgium - Manuscript
2/20 Lille, France - L'Aeronef
2/21 Clermont Ferrand, France - Nuits de Alligator @ La Cooperative Club
2/22 Bordeaux, France - Le St X
2/24 Paris, France - Maroquinerie
2/25 Evreux, France - Nuits de Alligator @ L'Abordage
2/26 Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso
2/27 Groningen, NL - Vera
2/28 Den Bosch, NL - W2
3/01 Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
3/02 Brussel, Belgium - Botanique
3/04 Munchen, Germany - Orange House
3/05 Leipzig, Germany - NATO
3/06 Hannover, Germany - Cafe Glocksee


MEDIA:
MP3: "Taking The Farm"
VIDEO: "Needle In Your Eye #16"
Myspace

Review: Women - s/t

Label: Jagjaguwar Records

Released: October 7, 2008

Some albums kick off with the strongest or most accessible song as a means of sucking the listener in. Others, ease their way into the real meat of the album so as not to scare the listener with their boldest material. But very few jump in with their most grating and difficult content. Women's self-titled album is, however, just one of those anomalies.

The album begins and ends with noise-fests that are not only difficult to enjoy, but difficult to discern the true value of outside the context of the album as a whole. However, between these near structureless bookends, there are songs that alternate between Women's dark, angular take on the Velvet Underground and their looser, more open nods to 60s psychedelia. Their travels between these seemingly divergent approaches is remarkably cohesive artistically. More remarkable still is how the more accessible middle of the album not only makes a case for the difficult start, but also sets up the manic ending.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

For Today on tour!

Facedown Records is pleased to announce the dates for the latest For Today tour with My Children My Bride. For Today will be touring in support of their 2008 release Ekklesia.

Feb 15 – Plano, TX @ The Plano Centre
Feb 16 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Jr
Feb 17 – Corpus Christi, TX @ House of Rock
Feb 18 – Waco, TX @ Art Ambush
Feb 19 – Longview, TX @ The Kids Station
Feb 20 – Lubbock, TX @ The Foundation
Feb 22 – Oklahoma City. OK @ Bricktown Live
Feb 23 – Belton, MO @ Cactus Jacks
Feb 24 – Springfield, MO @ Sparrows
Feb 25 – Poplar Bluff, MO @ The Well
Feb 26 – Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theatre
Feb 27 – Stockbridge, GA @ The Rock Show
Feb 28 – Huntsville, AL @ TBA
Mar 1 – Montgomery, AL @ Off the Wagon


Myspace

The Murder City Devils announce West Coast Tour, new website and LIMITED EDITION COLORED VINYL

FEBRUARY 2009 TOUR DATES
11th - Seattle, WA - Showbox
12th - Seattle, WA - Showbox
13th - Vancouver, WA - Commodore
14th - Portland, OR - Roseland
15th - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
16th - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
17th - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda

Los Angeles, CA - A preacher's mouth and a rock 'n' roll heart - sometimesthat's all it takes to make you move. The Murder City Devils never fail tostir these emotions in their audience; for the fans that need to feel itagain, and for the fans that never have, the Devils are hitting the road fora week in February to deliver their powerful brand of sonic assault.

Starting February 11, 2009, the Devils embark on a seven-date West Coasttour with stops in Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, San Francisco, Pomona, andLos Angeles. Tickets go on sale December 12, 2008. More information can befound at the all-new website http://www.themurdercitydevils.com.

Sub Pop Records, celebrating 20 years of business this year, will re-issuelimited editions of all three MCD full-lengths (The Murder City Devils,Empty Bottles, Broken Hearts, and In Name and Blood) as well as the ThelemaEP on high quality color vinyl February 17, 2009.

What makes the Devils rise above is that they understand rock 'n' roll isabout much more than a simple formula - it's a lifestyle you naturally knowor don't. The music, the lyrics, the look, and the vibe all have to be insync. You either have it or you don't, and the Devils have a combination sofew other bands in the genre possess - a gripping sound, a distinct message,a touch of the mysterious, and the know-how to give the fans exactly whatthey want.

After three full-length records and five years of relentless touring, theMurder City Devils called it quits on Halloween, 2001 at Seattle's Showbox.Yet the same force that powered their manic tour schedule never quitesubsided, and the band celebrated its ten-year anniversary by playing at the2006 Capitol Hill Block Party and in 2007 at the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin,TX.

Review: Fall Horsie - Devil (e) Danger

Label: Youth Club Records

Released: October 28, 2008

There is a lot of music out there that isn't rock music in any way, shape or form...and yet it thoroughly rocks. None of this is headed for mainstream success, but it is often some of the most interesting music in even the broadest sense of the rock sphere. Fall Horsie is one of these bands. While the music itself ranges from chamber music to cabaret (having moments reminiscent of the Decemberists) and uses the very un-rock violin and viola, yet in its wildness and boldness it is very much a rock record. Fall Horsie's style will make them difficult for the average rock fan, but rock fans (albeit not average ones) must make up the core of their audience. That may not turn into a big cash in, but it has turned out a fine album.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Myspace

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Flogging Molly's annual Green 17 Tour 2009 starts Feb.15, 2009 in New York!

December 5, 2008 - Los Angeles, CA - St. Patrick's Day is traditionally celebrated March 17th each year, but for FLOGGING MOLLY the festivities start February 15th when the band embarks on their annual GREEN 17 TOUR. Now in its fifth year, The GREEN 17 TOUR was created to spread the revelry of St. Patrick's Day to cities across North America. Clearly it's a touring recipe that's been well received, as it's now a celebration that's anticipated by fans from coast to coast.

2008 has been a whirlwind year for Flogging Molly, a band whose rabid fan base was formed almost solely as a result of the incessant touring and DIY aesthetic. Their 2008 release Float hit via SideOneDummy Records on March 4, 2008 and captured the band a No. 4 slot on the Billboard Top 200, a No.1 spot on the Billboard Independent Albums Chart and No. 2 on Billboard's Alternative Album Chart. Following on the heels of the release, Flogging Molly embarked on a sold-out spring North American Tour, followed by tours in Japan, Australia and Europe (where they've toured four times in 2008). The band has also made high profile appearances at the Coachella and Lollapalooza Festivals, as well as a performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The 2009 Green 17 Tour will be supported by the release of a third radio single, "Lightning Storm." The tour will be making 22 stops nationwide from February through March, including two festivals, Langerado in Miami and the Shamrock Festival in Washington D.C.

Tickets go on sale for the 2009 Green 17 Tour on Saturday, December 13th through all of the normal ticket outlets. For more detailed ticket info and updates on the 2009 Green 17 Tour, visit...

www.floggingmolly.com

Review: Sammy Hagar - Cosmic Universal Fashion

Label: Roadrunner Records

Released: November 18, 2008

There are artists who push the boundaries, who set new standards, who break rules. Sammy Hagar isn't one of them. Anyone acquainted with his career knows this and anyone expecting him to do any of these things is surely setting himself up for disappointment. Sammy Hagar has a formula and he sticks to it with only superficial changes over the years. That being said though, Hagar is one of the best hard rock voices out there and he simply exudes fun. Actually, in a sense, he's one of rock's most honest artists. No pretenses, he is what he is, so to speak.

Cosmic Universal Fashion's title track, a collaboration between Hagar and an Iraqi band, isn't the best start, as it stumbles around in funk-laden hard rock, but the ship soon rights itself with the kind of generic rock songs that have been the staple of both Hagar's solo career and his days in Van Halen. Lyrically, Sammy Hagar, even at his well-meaning best, is just plain stupid. Frankly, a guy his age should be able to come up with something better than keggers to write about. Of course, if you're listening to Hagar's music for enlightenment, you're probably dumber than he is. A cover of the Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)" cashes in on neither the original's novelty appeal nor its unabashed fun, but it is the album's only complete miscue. Everything else plays out just as expected, for better or worse.

Sammy Hagar's same old, same old won't win over any new fans, nor will it change the face of rock n roll. However, Hagar is among the best at what he does and he isn't hesitant about the album he wants to make and people have come to expect. It's true that there are probably few artists less creative than Sammy Hagar, but at least he wears that on his sleeve and puts a lot of energy into delivering his dummied-down (and somewhat fun) rock n roll.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 5/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Heavy Water Experiments - s/t

Label: Intrepid Sound Recordings (or at CD Baby)

Released: July 8, 2008

Prog is a genre not particularly known for being understated. Restraint is a quality seldom found among its purveyors. Heavy Water Experiments is not quite a traditional prog band, but clearly wear their prog influences for all to see. However, they manage to do it without the esoteric musical exercises and unabashed bombast that seem to be the norm.

Heavy Water Experiments feel heavy without being heavy. They deal more in ambient soundscapes than big guitar and keyboard flourishes, making for psychedelic trips that get well inside your gray matter before you can be consciously aware of what's happening. If the album has a weakness, it may be that it is, at time sat least, too understated. "Dementia" even seems a bit light. However, they more that make up for these moments where they've held back a bit too much with the maddening pyschedelic energy of "Otherland" and the wild, trippy, early Floyd-esque textures of "Book Colored Blue."

For an album that never gets really heavy, this album sure is heavy. It's not typical space rock, but wild psychedelic soundscapes hidden in loosely structured songs. And it taps into some of the best qualities of progressive rock. When it's on, it's quite a trip.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

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ONE SMALL STEP FOR
LANDMINES - Free Digital EP Out Now
-------------------------------------------------------
* Download If You Could Get Over Me
* Shows with Jim Ward
* Appearing at Invisible Children Benefit
-------------------------------------------------------


One Small Step For
Landmines (Tallahassee, F.L.) is now offering its new acoustic EP,
If You Could Get Over
Me, for free digital download.
Snag your copy here.

The download includes six brand-new songs, plus an eight-page booklet with art and design by the incomparable Jerrod Landon Porter. JLP also redesigned the band's myspace page...which normally I wouldn't mention (because myspace sucks it) but it's worth checking out for the animated graphic of Kevin riding his bike around the city.

In other news, One Small Step For Landmines is playing five shows in Australia with Jim Ward (Sleepercar / Sparta) beginning tomorrow. For everyone else - or at least those of you on the West Coast - the band will also be playing the Invisible Children Benefit Concert in Hollywood, C.A. on December 19th. The show will feature acoustic performances from Dustin Kensrue (Thrice), Chris Conley (Saves The Day), Jon Foreman (Switchfoot) and Jim Ward.

Shows
-------------------------------------------------------
DEC 06 - Melbourne, Australia @ Bang! w/ Jim Ward
DEC 09 - Sydney, Australia @ Annandale Hotel w/ Jim Ward
DEC 11 - Cornulla, Australia @ Brass Monkey w/ Jim Ward
DEC 12 - Bulli, Australia @ Heritage w/ Jim Ward
DEC 13 - Brisbane, Australia @ Thriller w/ Jim Ward
DEC 19 - Hollywood, CA @ The Troubadour / Invisible Children Benefit

One Small Step For Landmines released the digital single Good Men Die Young And I'm Not Feeling Well in July of this year while its debut Self-titled full-length came out in September of 07. The band is currently writing and recording songs for a new long-player due out in 2009.

- One Small Step For Landmines have done something very, very right. - For The Sound
- A prime example of how to promote joy and quality in pop music, two essential qualities often forgotten. - New-Noise
- Landmines churns out fun, straight ahead rock, but there is a deeper significance to their work that makes this so compelling. - Jersey Beat
- An astonishingly energetic and fresh piece of work that makes the overwrought whining of the haircut bands look irrelevant and tired. - Subba-Cultcha
- Boasting pleasantly unexpected complexities - off-kilter drumbeats, bittersweet melodies and a certain battered charm - watch out for this trio. - Rock Sound

Review: Mighty High - In Drug City

Label: self-released (available at amazon, CD Baby and Interpunk)

Released: March 11, 2008

My copy of In Drug City came with an interesting promo item - a combination lighter/bottle opener emblazoned with the Mighty High logo. There was a note from guitarist Woody High saying, "I know you're straightedge, but the bottle opener works for soda and the lighter for fireworks." That same sentiment applies to Mighty High's music.

Too punk for metal and too metal for punk, Mighty High revives the other late 80s punk/metal crossover scene than spawned the likes of Gang Green and SNFU and they also draw on the wild, inebriated humor of Adrenalin OD. Abandoning precision for raucousness and cleverness for insobriety, the band has a broader appeal than expected, because they're high on one drug everyone likes - fun. Not ones to be bogged down by politics or philosophy, Mighty High exudes a sense of good times that is easy to relate to even if their particular brand of fun isn't up your alley (and it is anything but up mine). Oddly enough, they spend a lot of time focusing on pot, but aside from a few more stoner rock-oriented tracks, their music more closely approximates what I suspect speed is like. It's frenetic and relentless and never stops to think.

I guess In Drug City just shows how music crosses barriers. The album is up to its ears in drug-addled silliness, yet drugs aren't needed to appreciate what makes it such a good time. Remember though kids, don't try this at home!

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

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If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Trio of Doom

Label: Legacy Recordings

Released: September 30, 2008

The term "supergroup" may be popular music's greatest misnomer. Sure, supergroups are typically made up of musicians who have done some super things, but more often than not, the meeting of their superness is just not all that, well, super. So, as legendary as the meeting of Jaco Pastorius, John McLaughlin and Tony Williams may have become over the years, there's always room for skepticism.

Trio of Doom, as Pastorius called the two-time meeting of these three great musicians, is not the typical supergroup though. They formed to play a live set at the 1979 Havana Jam festival in Cuba, so it wasn't a commercial endeavor. However, they brought such great stuff to that stage that they reconvened in New York a week later and put the songs down in the studio. For whatever reason, those tapes (both from the live ad studio sets) sat around until Trio of Doom was released on CD last year. Now, they arrive in the format they were intended for in 1979.

The songs here may not be among any of the artists' top work (though likely not too far off either), but the performance is what makes this greater than the songs themselves. Pastorius brings the fierce intensity that made him such a dominant force on an instrument often kept in the background. McLaughlin's otherworldly playing is as good as perhaps it ever was. But, it is Williams' drumming that forms the common ground between these two planes and a lesser talent would let the whole set fall to pieces. The studio tracks are no more refined, expressing fusion in its truest sense with all the power and agility of a rock power trio.

So often, supergroups lose focus and power in the virtuosity of their component players, making music that limps and struggles and ultimately fizzles. Trio of Doom, on the other hand, burned brightly, intensely and quickly for a few weeks in 1979. Years later, we finally know what a supergroup really should be.

Last year, music fans received a gift that had been withheld from them for nearly 30 years with the release of Trio of Doom on CD. This year, Legacy Recordings makes that gift even sweeter with this beautiful 180 gram vinyl issue.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Various Artists - A Blackheart Christmas

Label: Blackheart Records

Released: November 18, 2008

Every year at Christmastime we're treated (or subjected) to another collection of rock artists' takes on our favorite holiday songs. These albums tend to be a mixed bag made up of songs that will appeal to fans of the particular artists at least as novelties and others that are real bombs. The best case scenario might even include one or two renditions that are truly special.

A Blackheart Christmas does not have any real misses, but most of the tracks don't really transcend happy novelties for fans of the bands appearing. The Vacancies take on "Father Christmas," perhaps the best rock Christmas tune ever, is a fine listen, but doesn't go anywhere special. The drunken swagger of the Cute Lepers' "Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You" is a fun option for a non-traditional holiday. The rough edges on Thommy Price and Nefertiti Jones' "Winter Wonderland" give it punk appeal without losing its "happy holiday" sentiment.

Unlike most holiday comps though, A Blackheart Christmas has a pair of really special tracks that, in a (less-than-perfect) perfect world, might become Christmas classics. The Dollyrots give "Santa Baby" a snotty punk treatment, in lieu of its traditional sexy swing, as if it was meant to be about a down-and-out misfit rather than a well-to-do diva. Better still, Girl in a Coma turn "I'll Be Home for Christmas" into something dark and foreboding rather than hopeful. These are the Christmas carols for the "other half" in a sense.

Will this album replace Bing's "Little Drummer Boy" or Nat's "O Holy Night?" Probably not, but there's always room for a few more Christmas classics, especially when the might reach out to listeners whose world may not be so idyllic.

Rating: 7/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Paper the Operator - Solemn Boyz EP

Label: Viper Bite Records

Released: May 19, 2008

Nice melodies, good hooks and the edges of its punk rock roots smoothed out, Paper the Operator's sound seems like any of a thousand pop punk bands on paper. But there's a little something else here. The title track has a punchy undercurrent that could sneak its way into the heart of a punk purist. "Divorce Court" mixes its pop-punk melody with some very un-punk jangle, thus separating it from the masses without losing its potential for mass appeal. A wall of guitar that builds from crunch to noise on "Words You Never Learned" takes a trip that seems longer and more profound that its four and half minutes, perhaps getting to the crux of why Solemn Boyz is more interesting than its peers. Throughout, the EP never feels limited by its sound. This is undeniably pop-punk and yet it's so much more in ways that are subtle and crafty. In a genre that seems increasingly spent, Paper the Operator finds new avenues and new life.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Master Slash Slave - Scandal

Label: Free News Projects

Released: November 18, 2008

Having grown up in the 80s, the current indie pop obsession with Casiotone pop is more annoying than charming. Of course, some bands pull it off and some don't. Master Slash Slave is, overall, the former, but not without keeping at least a foot in the latter. The 80s pop-tronics of the opening track get off on the wrong foot and Scandal suffers a bit each time the band returns to those tricks. However, its quirky twists and turns and its ability to layer shallow pop with both crunchy and ambient passages makes it easy to get past the nods to the lesser qualities of the music of my own youth. The hipster snobbishness of Matt Jones' voice finds its perfect hipper-than-thou vehicle. At his best (particularly on "Nastasya") he manages to pull off dramatic storytelling approaching the likes of the Decemberists, but at other times he devolves into Conor Obesrt's not-so-believable lo-fi whine. Drug references in "High Heels" are too affected to take seriously, but on the aforementioned "Nastasya" and the album's closer, "Wouldn't Hafta," the lyrics have as much pull as the music. Scandal is erratic, but the annoyances are minor next to times when everything comes together. It's not a perfect album, but in some ways it is on the right road.

The album art is pretty cool, making this a great one to pick up on vinyl.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 6/10

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Sing with the King!

This one sounds kinda fun. Go to www.SingWithTheKing.com and record your own duet of "Blue Christmas" with Elvis. And I always thought all those Elvis sightings were just crazy talk...

Review: Wilderness - (k)no(w)here

Label: Jagjaguwar

Released: November 4, 2008

Over the years, the term art rock hasn't had a real solid definition, but it has consistently included bands that push creative limits even if some sacrifice the raw ability to rock in the process. To not call Wilderness an art rock band would be a mistake, but to limit them to the trappings of any single era of that shifting genre would be just as incorrect.

If (k)no(w)here has a fault, it's that it tends to be art for art's sake, abandoning the structure of pop music for more esoteric designs. That makes the album a difficult listen, but the challenge has its rewards. Taking everything from Velvet Underground to PiL in varying doses, Wilderness runs through the spectrum of the "high art" of rock music without settling in any one spot. Aside from "Strand the Test of Time," which might as well be a lost Joy Division song, the album never gets into a rut of borrowing heavily from this or that. The result is an album both steeped in the art rock tradition and breaking out on its own, it's challenge well worth accepting. Besides, arty or not, it rocks on its own terms.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Website

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Found in the Shuffle: Eric Dolphy - Gazzelloni

Song: Gazzelloni
Artist: Eric Dolphy
Album: Out to Lunch

It is a testiment to both the Beastie Boys' greatness and my stupidity (not to mention my short-term memory loss) that when this song began, I thought it was one of the Beastie's instrumental tracks. Eric Dolphy was an incredible musician, and if you think flute is lame, just listen to what he does on this song.

Review: Lanterns - Apocalypse Youth

Label: self-released

Released: July 19, 2008

What would happen if the unabashed rock of the Who and the spunky power-pop of Cheap Trick took a drive down the twisting sharp turns of post-punk? Lanterns. If there is one quality that persists their Apocaplypse Youth EP, it would loud. Loud in the way mastered by big rock bands like the aforementioned Who and Cheap Trick. Their layers of guitar can crank up the volume no matter how quietly you may try to listen. But these aren't just loud, arena-sized riffs. They have the quirky, twisty, turny (and almost danceable) sense that post-punk drew from disco while remaining a safe distance from actual dance music. The wall of sound, sometimes paper thin and others thick and dense, dominates the sound without taking over, leaving plenty of space for the pop sensibility that makes the album's ear-crushing volume such a pleasant experience. Lanterns sound as if they could take on the arena, but the arena would be left in rubble (and all to a sweet, sweet melody).

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Hopeless Records announces 2009 Take Action! Tour

HOPELESS RECORDS NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION SUB CITY ANNOUNCES THE 2009 TAKE ACTION! TOUR- WITH HEADLINER CUTE IS WHAT WE AIM FOR- ALONG WITH MEG & DIA, BREATHE CAROLINA, EVERY AVENUE, AND ANARBOR

THE ANNUAL CHARITY TOUR ENCOURAGES YOUNG PEOPLE TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE WORLD AND WILL AGAIN BENEFIT NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DOSOMETHING.ORG

TOUR DATES, TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE FEBRUARY & MARCH '09 TOUR TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON



DECEMBER 1, 2008- Hopeless Records, through their non profit organization Sub City is pleased to once again organize and present the Take Action! Tour. The 2009 lineup will feature headliner CUTE IS WHAT WE AIM FOR, along with MEG & DIA, BREATHE CAROLINA, EVERY AVENUE, and ANARBOR. The annual nationwide charity tour, now in its eighth year, raises funds and awareness for youth involvement in charitable action, and for the second straight year Take Action has chosen not-for-profit organization DoSomething.org to benefit from the funds raised and to help spread the message of action to young people across the country.

DoSomething.org is a national not-for-profit that believes that young people have the power to make a difference. They inspire, empower and celebrate a generation of doers: young people who recognize the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action.

DoSomething.org CEO Nancy Lublin says of the not-for-profit teaming up with Take Action! Tour: "Music has always moved generations. We're psyched to partner with Take Action! We believe that there is a lot of creativity and passion in generation Z (kids under age 25). Their idea of getting involved isn't writing a big check or attending a charity dinner--they actually do stuff."

Each Take Action tour stop is a unique experience where fans are exposed to a great show along with encouragement and information from the bands, charity partners, and sponsors about how they can get involved with causes that are important to them. In addition to the good time and inspiration, 10% of the ticket price from each ticket sold is donated to DoSomething.org, which makes each fan in attendance an active participant in financially supporting non profit action. To date Sub City, with the help of hundreds of thousands of young people, has raised over $550,000 through the Take Action initiative. The tour has previously featured many future stars including: The Plain White T's, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Paramore, Every Time I Die, Jimmy Eat World, Avenged Sevenfold, Hawthorne Heights, Chiodos, Thrice, Anti-Flag, Silverstein, Dillinger Escape Plan, and many more.

This year's headliner CUTE IS WHAT WE AIM FOR, touring in support of its second full-length release Rotation, is one of the brightest bands in the current music scene. Hailing from Buffalo, lead singer Shaant Hacikyan says of being on the Take Action! Tour: "It's an awe inspiring opportunity to be a part of such an empathetic tour and cause. It has endured the years and has remained a staple based on its brilliant fuel: consideration. Knowing that we are able to do what we love and simultaneously lend a helping hand is a beautiful thing. We are beyond thrilled to be a part Take Action!"

A band on the brink of mass crossover appeal, Utah's MEG & DIA is thrilled to be onboard as part of the Take Action! Tour. "All five of us in Meg & Dia are very excited to be part of a tour that supports making ones community a better and more beautiful place," Dia Frampton declares. "Many non-profit organizations get buried and do not receive the attention they deserve. We hope we can help point out the many places people can go, and hopefully will go, to donate time and money for good causes." Meg Frampton adds: "We are so excited to be part of a tour promoting not just one particular organization or charity, but the single notion of how important it is to get out there and "do something" to help out with any part of the world that you feel passionately about and you feel is in need of a helping hand."

Denver's BREATHE CAROLINA, a two-piece band fusing elements of electronica and punk/post hardcore, touring in support of its latest release It's Classy, Not Classic on Rise Records, is also quite aware of the impact the Take Action! Tour has. "I'm very excited to be a part of the Take Action! Tour because it promotes a positive message," notes David Schmitt of Breathe Carolina. "I'm also pumped to make new friends and Cute Is What We Aim For has been a long time favorite of mine and to be able to share the stage with them will be amazing."

Marysville, Michigan natives EVERY AVENUE have taken 2008 by storm with the release of their debut, full length record Shh, Just Go With It, endless touring, and the release of their new music video for, "Think Of You Later (Empty Room)." They are excited to look ahead into 2009 and kick off the year on the Take Action! Tour. "Using music to promote a good cause is something we are honored to be a part of. Take Action! highlights the importance of how little things can make huge impacts," says vocalist Dave Strauchman. "We can't explain how much it means to us to be involved with DoSomething.org. They are a great non-profit organization and the Take Action! Tour is a unique opportunity for bands and fans to come together and move forward to make changes in their community. It goes to show the significance that even one person can have."

Hopeless Records’ ANARBOR hail from Phoenix, Arizona and the early buzz on the band’s recent digital release, The Natural Way, indicates that big things are in store for the pop-rock four-piece. Speaking of their involvement, front man Slade Echeverria explains, "When we first heard that we were going on Take Action tour, we were all so excited to be a part of the amazing line up. The best part of Take Action is the charity aspect. We're so proud to be supporting Sub City and DoSomething.org by playing our music and are honored to be chosen to represent the Hopeless/Sub City family on this tour."

About Hopeless Records and Sub City: Founded in 1993, Hopeless Records is a Southern California independent record label home to breakout artists All Time Low, There For Tomorrow, Anarbor, The Human Abstract, and many more. Throughout the 15 year history of Hopeless Records the label has released over 100 albums and launched the careers of Avenged Sevenfold, Thrice, and Melee. In 1999 Hopeless Records formally started supporting non-profit organizations under the Sub City name with charitable albums, tours, and events. Now itself a registered 501c3 non profit organization, Sub City continues this mission of raising funds and awareness for worthy causes and to date has raised over $1.5 million dollars for over 50 non-profit organizations.

Tour dates and ticket information for the 2009 Take Action! Tour will be announced shortly along with information about the annual Take Action! compilation

takeactiontour.com
dosomething.org
cuteiswhatweaimfor.com
meganddia.com
myspace.com/breathecarolina
myspace.com/everyavenue
anarbor.net

Review: Brandi Carlile - Live From Boston (aka iTunes EP - Boston)

Label: Columbia

Released: 9/16/2008

A cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" is on Live From Boston, so I figured I'd skip right to that track and see whether Carlile and her band managed to do right by Johnny's spirit.

They did.

What more do you want me to write? If that doesn't make you go listen, nothing will.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.