As you can probably tell from my sporadic posting the past few months, I've kind of hit the wall. It began with my family all being off for the summer and not having much time to post. Then we had our basement backup right after I had hernia surgery. Shortly after that, I had begun writing on my Sound Mind book. Naturally, our computer hard drive decided to crash at that point and I lost everything I had written. It was only the introduction and part of the first chapter, but it was still demoralizing. Since then, I haven't been very motivated to write. So, when faced with this problem I always turn to my favorite motivational writer. No, it's not Tony Robbins or Norman Vincent Peale or Deepak Chopra...it's Neil Peart. Wait, let me explain. I know Neil's lyrics are often dismissed as pretentious, dogmatic, fascist and humorless. This is mainly due to his unfortunate past association with the writings of Ayn Rand. However, that was almost 40 years ago and critics should just let it go already. I think the real takeaway from Neil's lyrics is that we all have control of our own lives. On a personal level, that means if my dream is to write about music I have to "just do it". That's always been difficult for me, because I have the Mother of All Inner Critics living in my head. In fact, I scrapped a post yesterday because of that negative voice. So here are some of the lyrics that give me a kick in the ass when I think about giving up. Peace.
* Those who wish to be must put aside the alienation, get on with the fascination, the real relation, the underlying theme.
* Leave out the fiction- the fact is this friction will only be worn by persistence.
* He knows changes aren't permanent- but change is.
* Attack the day like birds of prey.
* I turn my back to the wind to catch my breath before I start off again.
* From the point of ignition to the final drive the point of the journey is not to arrive. Anything can happen.
* A spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission.
* I'm not giving up on implausible dreams.
* Dreams flow across the heartland feeding on the fires. Dreams transport desires drive you when you're down. Dreams transport the ones who need to get out of town.
*And the things that he fears are a weapon to be held against him.
* Some are born to move the world- to live their fantasies. But most of us just dream about the things we'd like to be.
* You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill. I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose free will.
* All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers learn to steer by the stars. All of us do time in the gutters, dreamers turn to look at the cars.
* When we are young wandering the face of the Earth, wondering what our dreams might be worth. Learning that we are only immortal for a limited time.
* Why are we here? Because we're here. Roll the bones.
* I'm in a groove now, or is it a rut?
* The greatest act can be one little victory.
* Celebrate the moment as it turns into one more.
A Living Will For My Music Collection
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Bill Janovitz
Sometimes it's great living in Cleveland, even when it's cold and rainy and snow is in the forecast. This week, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is celebrating the Rolling Stones at 50 with special events. The exhibit has been up for a few months already. I've been to see it once, so far, and the highlight for me was a beautiful brown Fender Telecaster that was donated by Keith Richards. I'm sure it was custom made for Keith and it's exquisite. Anyhow, readers of Sound Mind know I made a resolution this year to set aside my anti-Stones bias and listen to them with an open mind. To that end, last night I attended an author event with Bill Janovitz. Bill is the author of the new book, "Rocks Off: 50 Tracks That Tell The Story Of The Rolling Stones". He has also written a 33 1/3 book about Exile On Main Street and is a founding member of the band Buffalo Tom.
I picked up "Rocks Off" last week when I decided to attend and I'm enjoying it so far. He explained, last night, that he was approached late in 2011 to write a book on the Stones to be released in conjunction with their 50th anniversary. Rather than write about their 50 best songs or his 50 favorite songs, he wrote about the 50 songs that he feels track the arc of their history as a band. I had never heard some of these songs and found myself listening to the tracks as I read. His essays are part band history and part musical breakdown by a fellow musician. During his talk, he lamented that there are very few books about the Stones music. Most focus on their personal lives and scandals. I'm up to song # 30, Tumbling Dice, and I've learned quite a bit about the Stones. I had no idea that Mick came up with the Brown Sugar riff. Janovitz tells a funny story about Mick playing Brown Sugar for Ike Turner. I'll spoil the story by saying Ike didn't attack him:) At his event, Bill read from the essay on Gimme Shelter. He talked at length about Merry Clayton's vocal performance. He played a track of just her vocals during the "rape / murder" part and it was amazing. One of my favorite passages from "Rocks Off" is in the Jumpin' Jack Flash essay. He writes about how they returned to a more intuitive and uninhibited style. "What the hell is a 'jumpin' jack flash' or a 'crossfire hurricane'? We don't know for sure, but then, what precisely is 'smokestack lightning,' a 'mojo filter,' or 'streetwalking cheetah with a heart full of napalm'? Who the hell cares?" Exactly. Who the hell cares...it's only rock and roll.
The event was really cool and I even bought his 33 1/ 3 book. I had him sign both books and told him that Sleepy Eyed was one of my favorite albums. Most of the attendees were Stones fans, so I think he was pleasantly surprised that someone there had heard a Buffalo Tom album. I had considered asking him to sign my favorite line from "Tangerine", "Just a little haiku to say how much I like you", but decided it would be obnoxious. If you're not familiar with Buffalo Tom, they are one of the best unsung bands of the 90's. He admitted that he and co-songwriter Chris Colbourn were huge Stones fans, but there wasn't much Stones in Buffalo Tom. Their influences were Dinosaur Jr. and the Replacements. He even gave a shout out to The Replacements for being nominated for Rock Hall induction. Anyhow, Bill was great and I recommend anything he has done. Maybe sometime I'll do a proper post on Buffalo Tom. Peace.
I picked up "Rocks Off" last week when I decided to attend and I'm enjoying it so far. He explained, last night, that he was approached late in 2011 to write a book on the Stones to be released in conjunction with their 50th anniversary. Rather than write about their 50 best songs or his 50 favorite songs, he wrote about the 50 songs that he feels track the arc of their history as a band. I had never heard some of these songs and found myself listening to the tracks as I read. His essays are part band history and part musical breakdown by a fellow musician. During his talk, he lamented that there are very few books about the Stones music. Most focus on their personal lives and scandals. I'm up to song # 30, Tumbling Dice, and I've learned quite a bit about the Stones. I had no idea that Mick came up with the Brown Sugar riff. Janovitz tells a funny story about Mick playing Brown Sugar for Ike Turner. I'll spoil the story by saying Ike didn't attack him:) At his event, Bill read from the essay on Gimme Shelter. He talked at length about Merry Clayton's vocal performance. He played a track of just her vocals during the "rape / murder" part and it was amazing. One of my favorite passages from "Rocks Off" is in the Jumpin' Jack Flash essay. He writes about how they returned to a more intuitive and uninhibited style. "What the hell is a 'jumpin' jack flash' or a 'crossfire hurricane'? We don't know for sure, but then, what precisely is 'smokestack lightning,' a 'mojo filter,' or 'streetwalking cheetah with a heart full of napalm'? Who the hell cares?" Exactly. Who the hell cares...it's only rock and roll.
The event was really cool and I even bought his 33 1/ 3 book. I had him sign both books and told him that Sleepy Eyed was one of my favorite albums. Most of the attendees were Stones fans, so I think he was pleasantly surprised that someone there had heard a Buffalo Tom album. I had considered asking him to sign my favorite line from "Tangerine", "Just a little haiku to say how much I like you", but decided it would be obnoxious. If you're not familiar with Buffalo Tom, they are one of the best unsung bands of the 90's. He admitted that he and co-songwriter Chris Colbourn were huge Stones fans, but there wasn't much Stones in Buffalo Tom. Their influences were Dinosaur Jr. and the Replacements. He even gave a shout out to The Replacements for being nominated for Rock Hall induction. Anyhow, Bill was great and I recommend anything he has done. Maybe sometime I'll do a proper post on Buffalo Tom. Peace.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Paul McCartney: New
A friend of mine asked me if I was going to get the new McCartney album. Then he asked me something I hadn't considered before, "Did you get any of his other albums when they came out?" Oddly, the answer was "no". Until yesterday, the most recent McCartney album I had was 1982's Tug of War and it was a gift last year from my kids. No Kisses on the Bottom. No Memory Almost Full. No Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. No Driving Rain. No Flaming Pie. No nothing. So, why did I get New? Maybe subconsciously, David Bowie's last album restored my faith in old musical heroes. I had written off Bowie, McCartney, Elton John and Neil Young, to name a few. Now I have hope that these guys are still capable of releasing an album that's relevant and vital. And New is relevant and vital.
I've been anticipating this album for awhile. Back before Kisses on the Bottom came out, I read an interview with McCartney. He talked about how he had become friends with Dave Grohl and was inspired to make a rock album. I was cautiously optimistic. Then all the talk about New centered around Paul using four different producers. Then they put out the title track in advance of the album's release and I wasn't to excited by it. I guess I was expecting something along the line of the song he did with the surviving Nirvana guys. Then last week, the reviews started coming out and they were all 4 1/2 and 5 stars. So yesterday I pulled the trigger and got it.
New is a fantastic mix of classic McCartney and contemporary production. I don't want to turn this post into an examination of the different producers, but I really like the songs that Paul Epworth produced; "Save Us", "Queenie Eye" and "Road". I also enjoyed most of the Giles Martin songs, especially "Appreciate". "Appreciate" reminded me of the sound on Kasabian's first album, which I love. "Everybody Out There" evokes Wings, particularly "Mrs Vandebilt" from Band on the Run. "I Can Bet" is another standout track that features some very clever lyrics on McCartney's part. Even the title track has grown on me since the first time I heard it. And this is a great hand clap album. There are really only a couple songs that drag the album down, somewhat; "Hosanna" and "Early Days". "Early Days" was probably the most jarring, because it's five songs in. I was enjoying a revitalized McCartney, then he starts singing a dirge about the Beatles' days. We all know he was a Beatle. Their history has been told ad nauseum, even by Paul himself. I can sort of see why Ringo has a song about being a Beatle on every album, but Paul doesn't need to. "Early days" does have a poignant line, however.
Now everybody seems to have their own opinion.
Who did this and who did that.
But as for me, I don't see how they can remember
When they weren't where it was at.
Fair point, but the Beatles have single-handedly defined popular music for half a century, so we're going to have opinions about who did this and who did that. You don't have to have played sports to have opinions about sports. One of the fun things about music is having opinions on things like Beatles vs. Stones or Lennon vs. McCartney. Maybe that's not what he meant by that, but that's how I take it.
Anyhow, New is a terrific album and I highly recommend it. No one knows how many more of these McCartney has left in him, so enjoy it. Peace.
I've been anticipating this album for awhile. Back before Kisses on the Bottom came out, I read an interview with McCartney. He talked about how he had become friends with Dave Grohl and was inspired to make a rock album. I was cautiously optimistic. Then all the talk about New centered around Paul using four different producers. Then they put out the title track in advance of the album's release and I wasn't to excited by it. I guess I was expecting something along the line of the song he did with the surviving Nirvana guys. Then last week, the reviews started coming out and they were all 4 1/2 and 5 stars. So yesterday I pulled the trigger and got it.
New is a fantastic mix of classic McCartney and contemporary production. I don't want to turn this post into an examination of the different producers, but I really like the songs that Paul Epworth produced; "Save Us", "Queenie Eye" and "Road". I also enjoyed most of the Giles Martin songs, especially "Appreciate". "Appreciate" reminded me of the sound on Kasabian's first album, which I love. "Everybody Out There" evokes Wings, particularly "Mrs Vandebilt" from Band on the Run. "I Can Bet" is another standout track that features some very clever lyrics on McCartney's part. Even the title track has grown on me since the first time I heard it. And this is a great hand clap album. There are really only a couple songs that drag the album down, somewhat; "Hosanna" and "Early Days". "Early Days" was probably the most jarring, because it's five songs in. I was enjoying a revitalized McCartney, then he starts singing a dirge about the Beatles' days. We all know he was a Beatle. Their history has been told ad nauseum, even by Paul himself. I can sort of see why Ringo has a song about being a Beatle on every album, but Paul doesn't need to. "Early days" does have a poignant line, however.
Now everybody seems to have their own opinion.
Who did this and who did that.
But as for me, I don't see how they can remember
When they weren't where it was at.
Fair point, but the Beatles have single-handedly defined popular music for half a century, so we're going to have opinions about who did this and who did that. You don't have to have played sports to have opinions about sports. One of the fun things about music is having opinions on things like Beatles vs. Stones or Lennon vs. McCartney. Maybe that's not what he meant by that, but that's how I take it.
Anyhow, New is a terrific album and I highly recommend it. No one knows how many more of these McCartney has left in him, so enjoy it. Peace.
Rock Hall Nominees: 2014
The nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2014 were just announced. Much to my surprise, when I clicked the link to the fan voting at Rolling Stone, I had a difficult time only voting for five nominees. If you are a regular reader of Sound Mind my ballot won't come as much of a shock. So, here's who I voted for, the nominees I would have liked to vote for and the ones that I feel don't belong in the Rock Hall. Speaking of the Rock Hall, later this morning I'll be posting about Paul McCartney's new album, New. Peace.
1) Peter Gabriel- He's already in with Genesis, but definitely deserves induction on his own merits. Solsbury Hill, I Don't Remember, Games Without Frontiers, Shock The Monkey, I Have The Touch, Sledgehammer, Red Rain, Big Time. Open the door, let him in.
2) KISS- They are this years Rush. Stop being dicks and put them in already. I know Gene Simmons is a horrible, horrible person, but enough.
3) Nirvana- It's their first year of eligibility and they are a no-brainer.
4) Yes- I know the voters don't like prog rock, but Yes have an amazing catalog. I did a post on them entitled "The Answer Is...Yes" if you're interested in a longer justification of their merits.
5) The Zombies- I've mentioned before that I was stunned to discover The Zombies weren't already in the Rock Hall. They should be in just on the strength of "Time of the Season", "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No".
Nominees I Would Have Voted For If You Could Vote For More Than Five
1) The Replacements- I was pleasantly surprised to see them on the list. They were a highly influential band and also helped bring attention to Alex Chilton and Big Star. Hopefully, they will be nominated again next year.
2) Hall and Oates- Don't be a hater, you know they belong in the Rock Hall. I just couldn't knock anybody out of my top five to vote for them.
3) Link Wray- I was also stunned that he's not already in the Rock Hall.
And Not Receiving Consideration: Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic, Deep Purple, LL Cool J, The Meters, NWA, Linda Ronstadt, Cat Stevens (go take a ride on the Hate Train, Yusef).
1) Peter Gabriel- He's already in with Genesis, but definitely deserves induction on his own merits. Solsbury Hill, I Don't Remember, Games Without Frontiers, Shock The Monkey, I Have The Touch, Sledgehammer, Red Rain, Big Time. Open the door, let him in.
2) KISS- They are this years Rush. Stop being dicks and put them in already. I know Gene Simmons is a horrible, horrible person, but enough.
3) Nirvana- It's their first year of eligibility and they are a no-brainer.
4) Yes- I know the voters don't like prog rock, but Yes have an amazing catalog. I did a post on them entitled "The Answer Is...Yes" if you're interested in a longer justification of their merits.
5) The Zombies- I've mentioned before that I was stunned to discover The Zombies weren't already in the Rock Hall. They should be in just on the strength of "Time of the Season", "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No".
Nominees I Would Have Voted For If You Could Vote For More Than Five
1) The Replacements- I was pleasantly surprised to see them on the list. They were a highly influential band and also helped bring attention to Alex Chilton and Big Star. Hopefully, they will be nominated again next year.
2) Hall and Oates- Don't be a hater, you know they belong in the Rock Hall. I just couldn't knock anybody out of my top five to vote for them.
3) Link Wray- I was also stunned that he's not already in the Rock Hall.
And Not Receiving Consideration: Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic, Deep Purple, LL Cool J, The Meters, NWA, Linda Ronstadt, Cat Stevens (go take a ride on the Hate Train, Yusef).
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Ronnie James Dio
It's official. I'm on a Dio jag. After my heavy metal post, I broke out Heaven and Hell, which I've had since 1980. Then I went out and got Live Evil, a compilation called Black Sabbath: The Dio Years and I replaced Holy Diver. There are many iconic singers in hard rock and heavy metal. Robert Plant. Rob Halford. Bruce Dickinson. Ozzy. Geoff Tate. Geddy Lee. For me, Dio was the quintessential heavy metal front man. Granted, he couldn't scream like Halford and Dickinson, nor was he a golden god like Plant, but he really personified metal. His vocals were deep and powerful and had the requisite gravitas to sing about rainbows and demons without sounding preposterous. His trademark was writing fantasy lyrics, but he always managed to make the themes relevant to modern times. And he actually looked like a dark elf or a gnome.
What he did with Black Sabbath was truly remarkable. First, he replaced the legendary Ozzy Osbourne, who went on to record two brilliant solo albums, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. It may be hard for some of you to believe, but that doddering, mumbling old man from reality TV used to be The Prince Of Darkness. He sang songs like "Iron Man", "Paranoid", "War Pigs" and "Children of the Grave". Dio waltzed in with his fantasy lyrics and that amazing voice and transformed Sabbath. The rhythm section of Geezer Butler and Bill Ward became a runaway locomotive. Ward, in particular, abandoned his jazz drumming style for a more straight forward rock style. And Tony Iommi continued to be a wizard on lead guitar. His solo on the title track to Heaven and Hell is one of the best solos of all time. I think it could be argued that Heaven and Hell is Black Sabbath's best album. It came out when I was in high school and had my whole life ahead of me. So, it's strange that I was drawn to it, because one of the central themes was carpe diem, or seize the day. Everything is messed up and everyone is a liar, so just live for today because you may not have a tomorrow. I internalized the part about the world being a hopeless mess, but instead of seizing the day I just became cynical and depressed. "Heaven and Hell" has two of my favorite Dio lines:
* The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.
* The closer you get to the meaning, the sooner you know that you're dreaming.
During the tour that produced Live Evil, Dio had had it with Sabbath and decided to go solo. The result was Holy Diver. I wore that tape out. My favorite song was "Rainbow In The Dark". I think Dio used the word "rainbow" on every album he recorded:) Anyhow, it begins with the lines: "When there's lightning, you know it always brings me down. "Cause it's free and I see that it's me who's lost and never found". That was pretty deep stuff to a teenager from the sticks. I also loved the title track. It is funny, though, when he sings "Ride the tiger. You can see his stripes, but you know he's clean. Oh don't you see what I mean?" No...no I don't know what you mean Ronnie James. I'm still trying to figure out "You've got to bleed for the dancer" from Heaven and Hell:) Peace.
What he did with Black Sabbath was truly remarkable. First, he replaced the legendary Ozzy Osbourne, who went on to record two brilliant solo albums, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. It may be hard for some of you to believe, but that doddering, mumbling old man from reality TV used to be The Prince Of Darkness. He sang songs like "Iron Man", "Paranoid", "War Pigs" and "Children of the Grave". Dio waltzed in with his fantasy lyrics and that amazing voice and transformed Sabbath. The rhythm section of Geezer Butler and Bill Ward became a runaway locomotive. Ward, in particular, abandoned his jazz drumming style for a more straight forward rock style. And Tony Iommi continued to be a wizard on lead guitar. His solo on the title track to Heaven and Hell is one of the best solos of all time. I think it could be argued that Heaven and Hell is Black Sabbath's best album. It came out when I was in high school and had my whole life ahead of me. So, it's strange that I was drawn to it, because one of the central themes was carpe diem, or seize the day. Everything is messed up and everyone is a liar, so just live for today because you may not have a tomorrow. I internalized the part about the world being a hopeless mess, but instead of seizing the day I just became cynical and depressed. "Heaven and Hell" has two of my favorite Dio lines:
* The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.
* The closer you get to the meaning, the sooner you know that you're dreaming.
During the tour that produced Live Evil, Dio had had it with Sabbath and decided to go solo. The result was Holy Diver. I wore that tape out. My favorite song was "Rainbow In The Dark". I think Dio used the word "rainbow" on every album he recorded:) Anyhow, it begins with the lines: "When there's lightning, you know it always brings me down. "Cause it's free and I see that it's me who's lost and never found". That was pretty deep stuff to a teenager from the sticks. I also loved the title track. It is funny, though, when he sings "Ride the tiger. You can see his stripes, but you know he's clean. Oh don't you see what I mean?" No...no I don't know what you mean Ronnie James. I'm still trying to figure out "You've got to bleed for the dancer" from Heaven and Hell:) Peace.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Yuck: Glow & Behold
Little did I know when I was using the urinal next to Max Bloom at the Grog Shop that I was taking a whiz next to the future lead singer of Yuck. And as much as I'd like this post to not be all about Yuck changing lead singers, it probably will be. It's not like bands changing lead singers is unprecedented. Phil Collins replaced Peter Gabriel. Dio replaced Ozzy. The Red Rocker replaced DLR. Shit happens. However, Yuck only had one album under their belt and Daniel Blumberg's departure came out of nowhere. I was pleasantly surprised when I read that the remaining members of the band were going to carry on as Yuck and were working on a new album. That album, Glow & Behold, came out last week. Naturally, I rushed out and bought the CD, as well as a limited edition (# 352/500) vinyl copy. I've only been able to listen to it three times, so far, but I have some early impressions.
The first time I listened to Yuck's debut album it was obvious they were informed by 90's indie rock. That's the Dinosuar Jr. track. That's the Teenage Fanclub track. That's the Pavement track. That's the Yo La Tengo track. Yet they managed to internalize their influences and create songs that weren't derivative. On the new album, they seem to be working toward developing their own sound. Other than the title track sounding like "the Teenage Fanclub track", their influences weren't as up front this time around. Well, my favorite track, "Middle Sea", does have a Superchunk vibe, but it's not blatant.
Yuck's debut album made a powerful statement right off the bat with the track "Get Away". It was a loud, catchy guitar rocker. In contrast, the new album begins with a cinematic instrumental, "Sunrise In Maple Shade", that sounds like the soundtrack to Blumberg packing up his gear and walking away from the band. They follow that up with a nice, breezy track "Out Of Time". The one thing I like so far is Mariko Doi's backing vocals. She is quite Bilinda Butcher-y.
Sound Mind readers know I love Yuck's debut album and the subsequent singles like "Milkshake" that ended up on the deluxe edition. I honestly don't have the same love for Glow & Behold. That's not to say I don't like it, it's just not as strong as their debut. The guitars aren't as fuzzed out and I'll have to get used to Max on vocals. He's good when they're playing loud, but kind of bland when the vocal is carrying the song. I hope as they tour he gains confidence as a lead singer and develops some vocal chops. It will help that they recently added a new guitarist, Ed Hayes, to allow Max to concentrate on singing. And they claim Ed's better than Jimi Hendrix, so no pressure:) I am looking forward to their forthcoming US tour announcement and will be going to see them if they come anywhere near Cleveland.
Finally, here's a heads up on some upcoming releases that I'm anxiously awaiting. Peace.
* Martha's Ferry Vineyards- Mass. Grave: They have a song, "Ramon & Sage" that's awesome. Comes out Oct 15th.
* Popstrangers- "Rats In The Palm Trees" 7": comes out Nov. 5th.
* Ghost Wave- Ages: It's out but I haven't found it yet. May have to order it because they're on Flying Nun.
* Connections- Body Language: It's already out, but I'll have to order it. They are from Columbus, Ohio and sound like GbV. They really do, I'm not just saying that because they're from Ohio.
The first time I listened to Yuck's debut album it was obvious they were informed by 90's indie rock. That's the Dinosuar Jr. track. That's the Teenage Fanclub track. That's the Pavement track. That's the Yo La Tengo track. Yet they managed to internalize their influences and create songs that weren't derivative. On the new album, they seem to be working toward developing their own sound. Other than the title track sounding like "the Teenage Fanclub track", their influences weren't as up front this time around. Well, my favorite track, "Middle Sea", does have a Superchunk vibe, but it's not blatant.
Yuck's debut album made a powerful statement right off the bat with the track "Get Away". It was a loud, catchy guitar rocker. In contrast, the new album begins with a cinematic instrumental, "Sunrise In Maple Shade", that sounds like the soundtrack to Blumberg packing up his gear and walking away from the band. They follow that up with a nice, breezy track "Out Of Time". The one thing I like so far is Mariko Doi's backing vocals. She is quite Bilinda Butcher-y.
Sound Mind readers know I love Yuck's debut album and the subsequent singles like "Milkshake" that ended up on the deluxe edition. I honestly don't have the same love for Glow & Behold. That's not to say I don't like it, it's just not as strong as their debut. The guitars aren't as fuzzed out and I'll have to get used to Max on vocals. He's good when they're playing loud, but kind of bland when the vocal is carrying the song. I hope as they tour he gains confidence as a lead singer and develops some vocal chops. It will help that they recently added a new guitarist, Ed Hayes, to allow Max to concentrate on singing. And they claim Ed's better than Jimi Hendrix, so no pressure:) I am looking forward to their forthcoming US tour announcement and will be going to see them if they come anywhere near Cleveland.
Finally, here's a heads up on some upcoming releases that I'm anxiously awaiting. Peace.
* Martha's Ferry Vineyards- Mass. Grave: They have a song, "Ramon & Sage" that's awesome. Comes out Oct 15th.
* Popstrangers- "Rats In The Palm Trees" 7": comes out Nov. 5th.
* Ghost Wave- Ages: It's out but I haven't found it yet. May have to order it because they're on Flying Nun.
* Connections- Body Language: It's already out, but I'll have to order it. They are from Columbus, Ohio and sound like GbV. They really do, I'm not just saying that because they're from Ohio.
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