Saturday, January 14, 2012
So What
Closing the week off with some dirty ol UK Punk. You may recognize the band as being one of the many Metallica has covered over the years. That's right it's The Anti-Nowhere League. Putting up the expanded verison of 'We Are..The League' for your pleasure or simply something to play to scare off the neighbors. The band made a small splash in the punk scene. Most notably with the obscenity laced 'So What', which of course Metallica covered and recently played live with Animal during their 30th anniversary gigs. So if ya like the crusty ol punk, grab this one.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Acoustico
With the first snow of the year finally hitting us, today's album in a way seems fitting. Going with something a little more mellow and acoustic. 'In Parallel' is a live album from Anneke Van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering/Aqua De Annique) and Danny Cavanagh (Anathema). Recorded in Holland back in 2009, this CD features the duo covering material from their own bands. This is simply stripped down back to basics rock. Perfect for a change of pace or fans of The Gathering.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Peachy
Southern Classic Rock time. Going back for some influential southern rock blues. The Allman Brothers were one of the early classic rock groups I got into during my early days. The band has released some amazing records over the years and despite tragedy continues to tour in many off shoots of a band. Going with the best of 'Decade Of Hits' for the post. The title of the blog tonight refers to their classic 'Eat a Peach' record. Side note, there is a Space Ghost episode named after one of the tracks here. Which one? I'll leave that up to you to find out.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Standards
So for today's post I'm gonna take things in a Jazz direction. Well sort of. Today's offering is 'Goodbye To Romance: Standards For A New Generation' from The Alex Skolnick Trio. Now some of you may recognize the name, Alex of course currently shreds it up in Testament. He's also played with Trans-Siberian Orchestra, as well as Savatage. This showcases Alex's other side, Jazz. Simply a 3 piece that started out covering metal/rock songs and interpreting them into Jazz pieces. Sure you could throw this into a novelty category, but it's really not. Bands covered here include KISS, Aerosmith, The Scorpions, The Who, and the mighty Black Sabbath. Recommended for a change of pace and Jazz fans.
Monday, January 9, 2012
New Endings
New year and time for some new changes. I've decided to make this a dedicated music blog, not just one I randomly update. I'm going for the M-F feel of things. So from here on out, every Mon-Fri I'll post something up, maybe with a little backstory about the record or what not. Every year or so I rummage through my ever expanding music collection and go A-Z. I stumble across stuff I forgot about, lost classics and stuff I haven't even listened to yet. So I decided to take it a step further posting some stuff you may have heard and stuff you may not have, everything from Metal/Rock/Punk/Jazz/Blues and the occasional wtf. So we start with the A's. Might stretch it out over two weeks see how things fly.
First up is the band Age Of Silence. A sort of prog/avant garde supergroup. I really hate to use that word, but when it fits. The band hails from Norway and features Hellhammer (Mayhem/Winds/Dimmu Borgir/etc) and Andy Winter (Winds/Sculptured). It's not what you may expect from a Norwegian Metal band, but it definitely has it's moments. Releasing only a full length and an EP so far since 2004, safe to say everyone is busy with their other bands. I'm posting the debut 'Acceleration'. Production wise it's done really well. However the vocals and the keys are the standouts here. Recommended for the open minded metal head and for fans of prog.
First up is the band Age Of Silence. A sort of prog/avant garde supergroup. I really hate to use that word, but when it fits. The band hails from Norway and features Hellhammer (Mayhem/Winds/Dimmu Borgir/etc) and Andy Winter (Winds/Sculptured). It's not what you may expect from a Norwegian Metal band, but it definitely has it's moments. Releasing only a full length and an EP so far since 2004, safe to say everyone is busy with their other bands. I'm posting the debut 'Acceleration'. Production wise it's done really well. However the vocals and the keys are the standouts here. Recommended for the open minded metal head and for fans of prog.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Winter's Hush
The calender says December, yet somehow it doesn't feel like it. Perhaps it's the unseasonable warmth, the lack of snow, or something else. Xmas has come and gone. We now dread the week between holidays, cause we don't want to work. We want to play with all our new gadgets, spend money, stimulate and pleasure the economy. In any case Winter tends to depress the hell out of some as it tends to do with me. More so now probably since I've relocated back to the Midwest, I have to deal with the dreaded snow. Perhaps for some it's not bad, but growing up on the West Coast it seems to dampen my mood.
As the year draws to a close most of us tend to look back at the year in review. As always there's a mix of the good and the bad. Society as whole continues to make me wonder where the hell we went wrong at. Music continues to expand and evolve and devolve in some instances. It's been a fickle year for music. Maybe 2012 will change that and we will get a return to the good stuff.
As with the seasons I tend to listen to more melancholy stuff during the winter months. The album I'm posting sort of can fall into that category. Agalloch hails from the Pacific Northwest and is a delightful breath of fresh air. Releasing only a handful of material over the past decade and rarely playing live, the band somehow has made a name for itself in the metal world. First listen to any of the albums or EPs will let you know why. I got into the band shortly after 'The Mantle' came out. There was just something so awe inspiring about that record. It took you on a journey it seemed. While I considered posting that, I'm going with the 2nd EP if you will in a set. The lighter of the two, 'The White EP'. A more subdue acoustic neo folkish metal record. It's really hard to pigeonhole the band into any one genre. In any case this EP is good for a night by the fire with a nice heavy beer and a open mind.
As the year draws to a close most of us tend to look back at the year in review. As always there's a mix of the good and the bad. Society as whole continues to make me wonder where the hell we went wrong at. Music continues to expand and evolve and devolve in some instances. It's been a fickle year for music. Maybe 2012 will change that and we will get a return to the good stuff.
As with the seasons I tend to listen to more melancholy stuff during the winter months. The album I'm posting sort of can fall into that category. Agalloch hails from the Pacific Northwest and is a delightful breath of fresh air. Releasing only a handful of material over the past decade and rarely playing live, the band somehow has made a name for itself in the metal world. First listen to any of the albums or EPs will let you know why. I got into the band shortly after 'The Mantle' came out. There was just something so awe inspiring about that record. It took you on a journey it seemed. While I considered posting that, I'm going with the 2nd EP if you will in a set. The lighter of the two, 'The White EP'. A more subdue acoustic neo folkish metal record. It's really hard to pigeonhole the band into any one genre. In any case this EP is good for a night by the fire with a nice heavy beer and a open mind.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Waves
I recently came back from a week in California. It's always nice to go back home from time to time. The familiar faces, the familiar places. It clears my head from whatever noise is currently polluting it. The last few trips out home over the years haven't always been the smoothest or the most comforting. Time doesn't stop for anyone or anything, things have changed pretty drastically in the last five years. I went from being happily married to becoming a statistic and alone, I lost my father, my mother remarries, and my now once independent grandparents are in assisted living. While all this has sometimes been a tough and bitter pill to swallow, I'm reminded how good it feels to set foot once again in crazy Southern California.
Everytime I go back home I make it a point to go to certain places, see certain things, shove my face at certain greasy restaurants, shop at certain record stores. Each place in it's own weird way has a connection to a point in my life. I went to Laguna Beach for the first time in I'd say close to twenty years. As a kid I used to go down there and run around and swim in that dirty ocean. Oddly enough it was there my love for Nintendo started. I recall going into some deli shop and the had the arcade version of Mario Bros. there. I played it, and was hooked. Walking the shoreline there, I came across the old toy store I used to go to everytime I was down there. Twenty odd years later it's still there, and while I didn't go in, it did make that connection.
Southern California is a melting pot of cultures and musical styling. When I'm in town, I make it a habit not to bring along my CD collection, but to listen to the radio. I'll tune into the famous KLOS for my rock and The Wave for my smooth jazz fix. It's a strange mix I know. But when you grow up listening to both it makes sense. Now I know smooth jazz isn't always the most popular in the jazz genre, Most people tend to think of Kenny G or Michael Bolton. Both of which of late have poked fun at themselves, Kenny with the Audi commercials, and Bolton with The Lonely Island.
Somewhere along the lines, I got into Jazz. The smoother end used to put me asleep as a kid. Well played folks. I more recently got into the traditional forms of Jazz. Few years back my Dad had me track down a copy of 'A Day In The Life Of' from Wes Montgomery. I of course did, and played it. My Dad said this was hands down one of the best records ever, just not in Jazz but in a Rock sense as well. I have to agree this is just the cream of the crop from a well talented musician that was gone from us too soon.
Jazz is one of those genres where a lot of people just don't get it. Maybe the mind isn't open to new things, or they think they have to be strung out on smack to get it. This is one of those albums I think that everyone could get. Great guitar player, great bass lines, smooth yet with a little bite. So to all the people on the fence give this one a shot.
Everytime I go back home I make it a point to go to certain places, see certain things, shove my face at certain greasy restaurants, shop at certain record stores. Each place in it's own weird way has a connection to a point in my life. I went to Laguna Beach for the first time in I'd say close to twenty years. As a kid I used to go down there and run around and swim in that dirty ocean. Oddly enough it was there my love for Nintendo started. I recall going into some deli shop and the had the arcade version of Mario Bros. there. I played it, and was hooked. Walking the shoreline there, I came across the old toy store I used to go to everytime I was down there. Twenty odd years later it's still there, and while I didn't go in, it did make that connection.
Southern California is a melting pot of cultures and musical styling. When I'm in town, I make it a habit not to bring along my CD collection, but to listen to the radio. I'll tune into the famous KLOS for my rock and The Wave for my smooth jazz fix. It's a strange mix I know. But when you grow up listening to both it makes sense. Now I know smooth jazz isn't always the most popular in the jazz genre, Most people tend to think of Kenny G or Michael Bolton. Both of which of late have poked fun at themselves, Kenny with the Audi commercials, and Bolton with The Lonely Island.
Somewhere along the lines, I got into Jazz. The smoother end used to put me asleep as a kid. Well played folks. I more recently got into the traditional forms of Jazz. Few years back my Dad had me track down a copy of 'A Day In The Life Of' from Wes Montgomery. I of course did, and played it. My Dad said this was hands down one of the best records ever, just not in Jazz but in a Rock sense as well. I have to agree this is just the cream of the crop from a well talented musician that was gone from us too soon.
Jazz is one of those genres where a lot of people just don't get it. Maybe the mind isn't open to new things, or they think they have to be strung out on smack to get it. This is one of those albums I think that everyone could get. Great guitar player, great bass lines, smooth yet with a little bite. So to all the people on the fence give this one a shot.
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