I've been a music fan since my parents gave me a record player for Christmas when I was still in grade school. The first record I remember owning was "Sesame Street Disco." I've been a professional writer since 2004, but writing long before that. My first published work was in a middle school literary magazine and was a story about a zoo in which the animals could talk.
June 13th, 2016 – Dunsmuir,the new project featuring CLUTCH singer Neil Fallon, former Black Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice, Fu Manchu bassist Brad Davis, and The Company Band guitarist Dave Bone are set to release their self-titled debut album July 22nd via Hall Of Records. Presales will begin July 8th and will be released digitally exclusively on iTunes. The LP will have a limited pressing of 1,000 copies and will include a signed lithograph poster of the album cover. The LP will be available exclusively at: http://www.indiemerch.com/Dunsmuir/. The first single at radio will be “Our Only Master”.
Dunsmuir has released three 7” vinyl singles to date. The fourth and final 7” is slated for release June 15th with a very limited run of only 500 pieces and WILL NOT be re-pressed. It will be available exclusively at http://www.indiemerch.com/Dunsmuir/.
When asked about the album, Appice explains “This album is pure simple heavy ROCK that ROCKS!”
“This record is an intense collaboration of four minds all set on “destroy”. says Bone. “It’s been a few years in the making and now ready to erupt. Raw and in your face, we hope you like it hot!”
“Dunsmuir has given us the opportunity to explore some of our favorite heavy metal influences” adds Davis. “We strove to create something I hope will inspire a lot of head banging all over the world.”
Fallon adds “We turned out some serious metal on this record and it shreds. The concept behind the lyrics is comprised of 10 tales from the survivors of a shipwreck. What had been intended as a scientific expedition, quickly deteriorates into a struggle to survive both the natural and supernatural world.”
Dunsmuir Track Listing
Hung On the Rocks
Our Only Master
The Bats (Are Hungry Tonight)
What Manner of Bliss?
Deceiver
…And Madness
Orb of Empire
Church of the Tooth
The Gate
Crawling Chaos!
DUNSMUIR:
Neil Fallon – Vocals/Guitar
Dave Bone – Guitar
Brad Davis – Bass
Vinny Appice – Drums
For more information, check out the band’s website:
I was lucky enough to see Algerian rockers Imarhan at the beginning of their first U.S. tour when they played at Levitation Austin, Texas last April. I’d heard a couple of their tracks on BBC 6 Music (the greatest radio station on Earth) and made sure to get my wife and I tickets to see them. They didn’t disappoint, and neither does their self-titled debut album.
“Tarha Tadagh” gets the album off to a lovely start with subdued vocals, handclaps, and peaceful acoustic guitars. “Tahabort” is the first single, and it sizzles with that crisp and bouncy guitar sound that only Tuareg players seem to be able to play as the hand percussion gets the floor jumping. “Ibas Ichikkou” is like a meditative chant you’d hear in a desert tent full of incense smoke and strings of bells hanging on the tent ropes. “Idarchan Net” is in the same vein and has more lovely acoustic guitar work throughout it.
If I ever get to Alergia and have a cup of tea in a little café within sight of the desert, I fully expect “Assossamagh” to be playing there while tough old men smoke cigarettes, kids play soccer in the street, and a mutt sits nearby waiting for me to drop a piece of bread. It’s a lovely song.
The title track, and the band’s name, translates as “The ones I care about.” The song has great backing vocals by the band as they put down a fierce beat and scorching guitar. It got the crowd cheering and dancing when we saw them in Austin.
“Addounia Azdjazzaqat” and “Id Islegh” get back to the mellow grooves (I especially like the raindrop-like percussion on “Id Islegh”). “Aroj N-inizdjam” grows in volume and funk as it winds along like a happy balloon drifting through the streets of Tamanrasset while a child chases after it. “Alwak” brings a blue vibe that is unexpected and mesmerizing. It’s something Lightning Hopkins would’ve played and sang if he’d been born in the Sahara instead of Texas.
Imarhan have stated in interviews that they wish to shake up the perception of Tuareg music in western audiences. They don’t wear traditional robes and scarves. They don’t dress much different than the Strokes. They play music rooted in traditional Tuareg sounds, but they also embrace blues, jazz, rock, and even funk. Get in on the ground floor with these guys now, because they’re going to be a big act on the world stage.
Keep your mind open.
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Sadly, I could find none of these lying around to snag while I was there.
I will see Clutch at any opportunity, so I wouldn’t pass up the chance to see them a little over an hour’s drive from my house and in my old punk rock stomping grounds of Fort Wayne, Indiana. We got to the Pierre’s entertainment complex in time to hear the last two songs of Valkyrie’s set. They reminded me a bit of Sleep – heavy stoner riffs and Black Sabbath-like vocals.
What? BOOOO!
Legendary metal rockers Corrosion of Conformity were up next. My wife asked, “This is going to be a blast of metal, isn’t it? With a name like Corrosion of Conformity, I imagine it’s going to be pretty loud.”
She was right, of course. They dropped more metal in the place than a crane at a scrapyard. “Who’s Got the Fire?”, “Broken Man,” “Albatross,” “Seven Days,” “My Grain,” and “The Door” were all big hits with the crowd. It was no surprise that the band played “Vote with a Bullet” in an election year show, and even less of a surprise that the crowd went nuts for it.
Corrosion of Conformity
A tall man in a trucker cap and sleeves shirt stood next to me with his right arm raised to throw devil horns for almost the entire COC set. He was the type of guy who’d worked all week at a truck parts factory in the summer heat knowing it would all be worth it because he was going to see Corrosion of Conformity that weekend. It was a metal set for a metal crowd, and that guy next to me was Midwest metal all the way. I’m sure he was pleased as punch when COC announced they’d have a new album in 2017.
Clutch, as is customary whenever I’ve seen them, opened with two fast rockers. “X-Ray Visions” and “Firebids,” both off Psychic Warfare. They had the crowd in their hands within the first verse of “X-Ray Visions.” I heard my first Jean-Paul Gaster drum solo that led into a powerful rendition of “Immortal.” “A Shogun Named Marcus” was an unexpected surprise from their first record before they jumped forward more than two decades to blast out “Sucker for the Witch” and then slow down for “Son of Virginia” off the new record.
“Pulaski Skyway” was another bit hit with the crowd thanks to its “Andy Warhol / CBGB’s” chant and jab at Donald Trump (“Chump Towers”). “Behold the Colossus” is a fine example of Clutch’s epic Dungeons and Dragons rock, and it was a fine combination that night with “Cypress Grove” and its lyrics about a cult of mysterious women. Where else but a Clutch show will you see hundreds of metalhead dudes pumping their fists and singing / chanting about women in wide brim hats? Plus, Tim Sult’s guitar solo on “Cypress Grove” was outstanding.
Clutch
“Your Love Is Like Incarceration” led into another surprise (for me, at least) – “Strange Cousins from the West.” I hadn’t heard that live since I first saw Clutch in 2009 at a street fair in Chicago when they were promoting that record.
A great part of the set was when Neil Fallon acknowledged Corrosion of Conformity’s influence on the band and brought out COC front man Pepper Keenan to jam with them on “Spacegrass.” The crowd went nuts to the point of chanting “C-O-C” like they did at the end of COC’s set.
Clutch with Pepper Keenan of Corrosion of Conformity
“Noble Savage” was a strong way to end their main set, with the crowd chanting “Unapologetic lifer for rock and roll.” Their encore included “The House that Peterbuilt,” “Electric Worry” (a favorite of my wife), and “One Eye Dollar.”
“We started this tour in Florida,” Neil Fallon said at one point during the show. “Then we went to Mississippi, then to Arizona, and this is by far the hottest show of the tour. No contest.”
The crowd cheered for this, and the band showed no signs of fatigue. Neil Fallon even made sure to ask us if we had a second wind at one point and that getting tired was “unacceptable.” It had been in the low 90’s with tropical rainforest-like humidity in Fort Wayne all day, and the inside of Pierre’s (with its minimal air conditioning) was like a sweat lodge – perfect for a show meant to melt your face, perfect for Midwest metal lovers like the guy with the Clutch logo tattoo across his throat I saw at a convenience store after the show, and a perfect end to the work week.
Keep your mind open.
[Thanks to Doug Weber for getting me a press pass to this show and for being an all-around cool cat.]
Released in the prime time of hip-hop, Don’t Sweat the Technique is a classic featuring one of the best hip-hop duos of all time – Eric B. and Rakim.
“What’s on Your Mind” is a slow jam with a club beat as Rakim puts down rhymes so good that ladies want to snuggle with him on the couch and guys want to take lessons from him. Plus, only he can get away with a rhyme like “I seen you in the subway on the way from Brooklyn / Hello, good lookin’, is this seat tooken?”
“Teach the Children” is a plea to leaders to fix the environment, the drug abuse epidemic, and economic inequality. Eric B.’s groove on it hits as hard as Rakim’s message. “Pass the Hand Grenade” has Rakim challenging other MC’s to take the mic from him before he blows it to smithereens.
“Casualties of War,” one of their biggest hits, is a salute to troops serving in Iraq in the early 1990’s and how many weren’t sure about their mission, what awaited them when they returned home, or if their sacrifices were worth it. “Rest Assured” has drums so crisp they belong in a Pringles can. “The Punisher” could very well be about the Marvel Comics character with its chorus of “Kill ‘em again,” but it’s actually about Rakim slaying inferior MC’s with his hand grenade microphone. After all, he’s one of a select few who could put down such smooth rhymes on a track like “Relax with Pep” while Eric B. spins an acid-lounge groove behind him.
“Keep the Beat” is an even sexier slow jam than “What’s on Your Mind,” especially with the nice touch of female backing vocals on the chorus. The horn and flute loops in “Know the Ledge” are sweet, but Eric B.’s scratching is even better. “Kick Along” closes the record with the fastest beats and rhyming from the influential duo. “Try to keep up,” Rakim says at one point. It’s nearly impossible as the two of them race along faster than a lit dynamite fuse.
The title track is a lesson on rhymes, beats, and cuts. It’s no surprise that it and this album are hip-hop classics. Eric B. and Rakim are highly regarded, but often forgotten in the discussion of hip-hop greats among the general public who only have a cursory knowledge of rap. School is in session when you hear them, so pay attention.
Keep your mind open.
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New Orleans’ annual Voodoo Music & Arts Festivalhas announced its 2016 lineup. Tool is a big catch, as they’re not playing as many live dates as they used to in the 00’s (and the same can be said for Arcade Fire) and Maynard Keenan’s side band, Puscifer, is also playing the festival.
Die Antwoord are nuts, as is Ghost. I’d love to see The Claypool Lennon Delirium and All Them Witches. The festival is Halloween weekend in New Orleans. You can’t miss, really. A three-day pass is only $140.00.
St. Louis’ LouFesthas announced the lineup for their September 10-11th festival this year. I don’t know how they scored LCD Soundsystem so early after Lollapalooza, but kudos to them.
The Kills, Buddy Guy, The Heavy, and Caveman are also fine additions. This is LouFest’s seventh year, so shame on me for not knowing about it sooner. A two-day pass in only $95.00!
The Duke Spirit (Oliver “Olly” Betts – drums, Toby Butler – guitar, Luke Ford – guitar, Rich Fownes – bass, Liela Moss – vocals) is among my favorite bands. I love their blend of rock, soul, and psychedelia. I expected their newest album, Kin, to be much like their previous releases and settled in to listen to a good rock album.
What I got was what could be the best shoegaze album of 2016.
I never expected the Duke Spirit to embrace shoegaze so deeply. There were shoegaze touches on previous records, of course, but the album’s opener, “Blue and Yellow Light,” announces right away that Kin will be a dreamy, fuzzy, reverbed goldmine. The guitars in “Blue and Yellow Light” open like a blooming rose and then Lelia Moss’ layered vocals swirl around you like a pair of honeybees. It’s a stunning opening, and “Sonar” continues the shoegaze trend. It sounds like something you might hear from Atlantis (wavy vocals and rolling drums). “Wounded Wing” is simple and lovely and a fine showcase of Lelia Moss’ vocal work. The band keeps it calm with crisp cymbal work, soothing piano chords, and guitars you’d hear playing in a Windsor McCay comic.
“Hands” brings the rock you’re used to with the Duke Spirit, but it still keeps the shoegaze edge, which is fine by me. The first single, “Here Comes the Vapour,” is psychedelic joy with echoed vocals in the chorus, spaced-out drums, vapor-like bass licks, and guitar that slides into the room like sunlight through Venetian blinds.
I’m fairly certain someone’s playing a saw throughout “Pacific.” If it’s not a saw, it’s a Theremin. Either way, it’s great. It’s a sweet song about finding love in the simplest moments. The groove of “Anola” is in your head within seconds and you find yourself nodding along to it throughout the whole track. Betts’ drums are like a march and Moss’ vocals glide around like a hawk watching a mouse in a field.
“Side by Side” is, for lack of a better term, “classic” Duke Spirit with chugging rock guitar by Butler and Ford while Moss rocks the mic and Betts beats his kit like it owes him money. “100 Horses Run” starts off like a John Carpenter movie score track, and Moss’ haunting vocals keep it on the edge of scary. “Follow” is another beautiful love song – the type that the Duke Spirit does so well. The guys create a gorgeous soundscape while Moss’ vocals hypnotize the listener.
This album is a great return for the Duke Spirit after a five-year hiatus. I hope the next one doesn’t take as long, but it will be worth the wait if it’s as good as Kin.
Keep your mind open.
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Power rock duo Deap Vally‘s new album is due out September 15th and is titled, I kid you not, Femejism. This is perhaps the greatest album title of all time.
Deep Vally’s full-length debut, Sistrionix, was my favorite album of 2013. Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards came out gunning with that record, and I played it for everyone I could find and bought it as a Christmas gift for my goddaughter.
The first single off Femejism, “Royal Jelly,” reminded us that these two ladies are high-level rockers and left us hungry for more. They’ve since released “Smile More,” and it’s a killer power anthem.
You can pre-order Femejism now, and ordering through Deap Vally’s website can get you cool gear like signed Polaroids, shirts, and even a glow-in-dark blue vinyl LP. Get it while you can.
[Rewind Reviews are reviews of albums that are over a year old by the time I hear them.]
Strange Lot’s debut EP, Walk of the Sun, is a portent of great things to come. Made when the band was a two-piece with Dominic Mena on bass, guitar, and vocals and Tim Lormor on drums, all four tracks are excellent psych-fuzz.
“Upside Dwners” starts like trippy mellow stuff you’d hum around a hippie campfire, but it soon bursts into glorious shimmering power pop (but with heavily reverbed vocals). “Stompr” is appropriately named because Lormor stomps out a killer beat on it while Mena gets weird and bluesy with his guitar licks. “Fiction” sounds a bit like early (as in Mongoloid Years) Devo cuts – sizzling rock drums backing distorted guitars and wild vocals. The title track is a full blast of psychedelia that needs blared from the speakers of your Vanagon.
I’m glad these guys released a full-length album (Another Mind) after this, because to not follow-up on such a good record would’ve been a travesty.
I discovered earlier this year that one of my favorite bands, The Duke Spirit, had a PledgeMusic campaign to support their new album, Kin (review coming soon). Apart from buying a digital download or physical copy of the record, they had other fun perks such as guitars, drums, one-of-a-kind notebooks handmade by lead singer Liela Moss, and lyric sheets hand-written by Ms. Moss. The notebooks were sold out, but I was happy to discover the lyric sheets were not and also at a stunningly affordable price.
This arrived in the mail yesterday.
I must admit that I hesitated to open it, because I knew the song I had chosen. It was the title track off the Duke Spirit’s first album – “Cuts Across the Land.”
You ask why I hesitated to open something I’d bought, had shipped from England, and eagerly awaited to frame and hang on my wall? It’s because “Cuts Across the Land” nearly made me weep when I first heard it. It’s not because the song is maudlin or reminds me of a past relationship or the loss of a loved one. It’s because the song isso damned good it almost made me cry.
I’m fairly certain I first heard “Cuts Across the Land” on the greatest radio station on Earth – BBC 6 Music. I remember that I stopped doing whatever I was doing at the moment and just listened. I was transfixed. It was perfect mindfulness. I realized after the first chorus that I was misty-eyed. I thought, “Where has this band been my whole life?”
So I got misty again when I opened this and read it. I will always treasure this because it is not only something made by one of my favorite bands, but it reminds me of how music can move us and take us out of the ordinary.
Keep your mind open.
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