Artist: SØNDAG Album: Søndag EP Country: Italy Date Of Release: February 5, 2016 Recorded and mixed by RIccardo Demarosi, and mastered by Giovanni Versari.
Track List:
1. No
2. Keychain
3. Lies
SØNDAG were born in Italy from the ashes of the band Edema in 2015. The Band started as a duo with Riccardo Lovotti at drums and Marcello Lega at 8-strings and vocals, later Marco Benedetti (guitars) and Riccardo Demarosi (bass guitar and vocals) joined the band. SØNDAG’s musical concept is about promoting heavy “low-tuned” rock music with influences from all over the rock music scene.
The EP gives us brilliant drone melodies throughout, with powerful, well paced music to attract the listener. A great combination between the vocals and the driven low keys keep us attracted to the music.
You can definitely hear the ‘Nine Inch Nails’, ‘Alter bridge’ influences throughout, however with the second track ‘Keychain’ there are masses of Nickleback (not necessarily a bad thing when done well). The mix is perfect, and you couldn’t expect much better.
I thoroughly enjoyed this short introduction to SØNDAG, worth keeping an eye open for. Between the harmonies and pace this really gives us a great introduction to a band driven on delivery, and giving us a new take on the Rock/Metal scene.
Rating: 7/10
Members:
Marcello Lega – Guitars
Riccardo Lovotti – Drums
Marco Benedetti – Guitars
Riccardo Demarosi – Bass Guitar
Artist: BILLY GIBBONS AND THE BFG’S Album: “Perfectamundo” Label: Concord Records Release Date: November 6, 2015
Tracklist:
01. Got Love If You Want It
02. Treat Her Right
03. You’re What’s Happenin’, Baby
04. Sal Y Pimiento
05. Pickin’ Up Chicks on Dowling Street
06. Hombre Sin Nombre
07. Quiero Mas Dinero
08. Baby Please Don’t Go
09. Piedras Negras
10. Perfectamundo
11. Q-Vo
If the road you’re on gets you from Point A to Point B just fine, it seems logical to live by the adage of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. But there’s no challenge in that, is there? Life’s journey, metaphorically or musically, gives us limitless opportunities to get out of a familiar comfort zone and explore, expand, and grow.
Having firmly cemented his status as a guitar legend over the last 46 years in a band with its original lineup still intact, Billy Gibbons has certainly earned his place in music history. Infusing the sounds of his heroes with his own signature sound as one-third of the band ZZ TOP, he lit the fire under countless numbers of us to want to follow suit and to rediscover for ourselves all those who influenced him. And behind the trademark beard and sunglasses, there has always been much more to Billy’s love affair with music than playing the three-chord electrified blues for which we know him best.
Growing up in Houston, Texas in the ’50s and ’60s, he couldn’t help but be wowed by Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, and Lightnin’ Hopkins, but his exposure to music wasn’t limited to rock and blues. A great variety of musical genres, including gospel, country-western, and West African styles made quite an impression as well, and his affinity for percussion led to an opportunity to study with mambo king Tito Puente. No doubt all of that helped shape Billy’s style. The music that delighted him in his youth has evidently stayed with him, waiting to be further explored and expressed.
In 2014, Gibbons was invited to perform at the Havana Jazz Festival. He was unable to attend the event, but nonetheless inspired: the idea of going off on a bit of a tangent must have seemed irresistibly fun. He hand-picked a group of fellow musicians who came to be the BFG’s (his initials) and, combining some of his favorite genres, predominantly those with an Afro-Cuban flair, they put together the music for “Perfectamundo”.
Co-produced with Joe Hardy, they recorded the album in the cities of Houston and Austin, Texas; Los Angeles, California; and Pontevedra, Spain.
Says Billy: “The real challenge, of course, was working with sounds that haven’t shown up on a ZZ TOP record before: timbales, bongo, maracas, conga. Early on in these sessions that started unfolding in the studios…Joe Hardy, G-Mane Moon and I decided, ‘How can we Cubanize what feels natural?’ And that, of course, invited the consideration of covering some songs that are quite familiar…”
On “Perfectamundo”, the blues are liberally seasoned with sounds and nuances from the Caribbean, Central America, and beyond. Opening the album with a wonderful down-and-dirty tone, Gibbons covers ‘Got Love If You Want It’, an old Slim Harpo tune, then eases back as the percussion takes a front seat for most of the remainder. The feel reminds me so much of Muddy Waters’ 1955 hit ‘She’s Into Something’ that I like it right away.
Gibbons and the BFG’s make ‘Treat Her Right’ (a tune that Roy Head made popular back in 1965) sound like their own. The fuzz-box bass and the salsa beat gets things moving and certainly give it more polish and modernization, and the piano really adds to the richness of the music.
An acoustic slide intro with a delta flair on ‘You’re What’s Happenin’ Baby’ fools me at first. The bass kicks in and it’s a 180, joined by a B3 and more cowbell, baby! Fluid and sensual, this tune has me—even with Billy using auto-tune on the vocals—up until the techno and the rapping comes in. A little spice, used selectively, adds emphasis to the spoken word, but it’s overused here, and cheapens what could have been a sexy, classy song.
The idea for ‘Sal & Pimiento’ came from a business card from a new Cuban restaurant with the same name (meaning “salt and pepper”). This one showcases how well the Latin and Afro beats combine with Billy’s trademark blues licks and sound.
‘Picking Up Chicks on Dowling Street’ features the maracas and mucho cencerro y timbales, with Billy’s guitar taking more of an accompaniment role as the B3 is in for the solo. ‘Hombre sin Nombre’ (“Man Without A Name”) reminds me a little of ZZ TOP’s ‘Sleeping Bag’ from “Afterburner”, but less synth-y. ‘Quiero Mas Dinero’ (“I want more money”) would be great without the rapping, in my opinion, but again, back to that earlier comment about die-hards having open minds…and anyway, Billy Gibbons was never one to shy away from trying something new and out-there. This song is more like several little songs in one, switching styles within, and the last few measures are my favorites.
Billy’s take on the old Lightnin’ Hopkins song ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’ stays more true to what we’re familiar with, both on the original song and with Billy’s usual style, but it’s busy with exotic percussion that gives it a nice modern feel. ‘Piedras Negras’ (“black stones”) would be great in a soundtrack to a movie, right at the end as the credits roll. I think of outlaws on the run, stopping long enough on the dusty ride for a ladle or two of water and a quick check of the knapsacks to make sure the loot is all still there, sharing a hearty laugh, and hopping back up on their sweaty horses and riding off into the sunset.
I never tire of hearing Billy play…but the title track, ‘Perfectamundo’, didn’t do much for me. It sounded very contrived rather than inspired.
Considering the lyrical content, I’d imagine it would go over well with a video on VH1, though. The album closes out with ‘Q’Vo’, laid-back and heavy on the B3. I like this one: no frills, just a nice, smooth Chicago blues groove.
When an artist whom we’ve come to know as having mastered a particular genre decides he or she wants to venture out musically on a path less traveled, deviating from the norm is often a Catch-22: it’ll bring in new fans, but not all the die-hards are gonna dig it. As much as it can be risky to dabble (or swim) in another genre, it’s also sometimes hard for fans to wrap their minds around it. You have to sort of stand back and hear the music for what it is—the integrity of the music itself, the musicianship, the strength of the songs—and let that be the main focus, rather than dwelling on the issue of an artist doing something different. Fact is, most of us are in a very comfortable rut and come to expect the same old song and dance from an artist we like; isn’t that why we like them? But many artists have pulled it off well. I do admire Billy Gibbons’ decision to go in a slightly different direction with the BFG’s. He’s endured a bit of criticism before for going way modern with ZZ TOP’s sound at times, but it’s never daunted him. And that’s cool.
It sounds like Billy and the guys had a real good time putting this album together. That’s what it’s all about: making music and having fun. I personally could have done without the rapping and some of the techno enhancements, as I think they took away from the wonderfully pure and passionate feel that the percussion gave to the music. It seemed more emphasis was on modernization than in celebrating the musical genre itself, and at times this somewhat clouded that distinction. They could have gone old-school with it, and I think I’d have liked it a lot more. But If you’ve been one to shake a tail feather to Billy’s magic with ZZ TOP and you like a modern twist, you’ll enjoy “Perfectamundo”.
Rating: 7.5/10
Band Members:
Billy Gibbons: guitar, bass, B3, piano, vocals
Alx “Guitarzza” Garza: vocals, bass guitar
Mike Flanigin: B3
Martine “G.G.” GuiGui: piano, B3
Greg Morrow: drums
Additional Musicians:
Joe Hardy: guitar, keys, bass guitar, vocals
It was that time of year again, Winter Wonderland hit Southern California as the city of Anaheim hosted the annual National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) event, January 21 – 24th.
“Believe in Music” was this year’s theme as exhibitors from around the world gathered into the convention center, eager to showcase their new products and there is no doubt, the NAMM show is the platform for such a task. Innovation, creativity and sheer genius in capability was on full display as stated by NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond, “As we look at the record number of exhibiting brands, influx of new entrepreneurial spirit and attendance from 125 countries, the industry seems poised for vital growth and breakthroughs. The NAMM Show is a reflection of our industry, not only where it is now, but even more importantly where it is heading next.”
The 31st annual NAMM TEC awards was held on January 23rd, which honored individuals, companies and technical innovations that represent the music community as a whole. The events most prestigious award, the “Les Paul Award” recipient was artist and executive Don Was. Founding member of Was; the band had a unique blend of soul, funk and R&B. Don has also made a staple in the music industry as a producer, with such artists as Bonnie Raitt, The Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Ziggy Marley and currently the President of Blue Note Records since 2011.
As we explored the endless isles of musical splendor, we were able to speak with several representatives of such products as Samson, showcasing their new light weight yet heavy hitter bass amplifier as well as their wireless video/audio system. ESP guitars are excited about their dedication to Bass guitarists and prove it by redesigning their Bass line. ESP also takes us through some of their artist signature series guitars. Sonor Drums are proud to have back in their fold; Nicko Mcbrain of Iron Maiden, and who better than Nicko himself to tell us about it. Nicko talks about the Sonor reunion and a couple of other gems as well, you can view our interview at this location. Check out the above mentioned product interviews, also including a chat with musician Mike Campese, below:
Now, what would NAMM be without the abundance of celebrations that carry on each night during the event? It seems that every club known throughout Southern California hosted a NAMM party. Zakk Wylde paid tribute to Black Sabbath with his show Zakk Sabbath. Graham Bonnet of Rainbow, MSG and Alcatrazz fame rolled into town to Rock a NAMM evening along with Kill Ritual. Hometown rockers L.A. Guns also hit the town to offer up their services. Other Star studded events included several remembrance concerts as well, such as the BONZO BASH honoring John Bohnam. Participants gracing the stage included Brad Whiteford (Aerosmith), Dave Lombardo(Slayer), Chad Smith(Red Hot Chili peppers), Simon Wright(Dio, AC/DC, Operation Mindcrime) to name a few. Another event was the Randy Rhoads Remembered; featuring such artists as Doug Aldrich(Whitesnake), Michael Angelo Batio, Roy Z(Tribe of Gypsies, Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford), Chris Broderick(Megadeth) and Ronnie Montrose Remembered seen the likes of Steve Stevens(Billy Idol), David Ellefson(Megadeth), Legendary drummer Carmine Appice, and Brad Gillis(Night Ranger).
There was a second and very important theme that I witnessed throughout the event; a very prominent educational presence that seemed to have covered every aspect of the Music Industry. Workshops were set up throughout the day; both business and talent were center stage. Teachers and students alike showcased not only their musicianship, but the importance of music. I, for one, truly appreciated the two themes as they intertwined to create a natural surge of positive energy, especially in such a somber time in musical history; as the legends of music leave us on an almost weekly basis. One can’t help but wonder what the future holds. The urgency…, the necessity of rising stars to carry on the torch has never been greater.
Thanks to events such as The NAMM Show, music is resounding….and may it reach into every fabric of society and every fiber of being…..“Believe in Music”.
Rich’s Rapidfire Recommendations – bite-sized metal morsels to let you know about albums that have grabbed Rich Davenport by the ears, that we hope you’ll enjoy too! ROCK ON!
Artist: TASTE Album: “What’s Going On” DVD – Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival Label: Eagle Rock Entertainment Released: 18th September 2015
CONCERT TRACKLISTING
1. What s Going On
2. Sugar Mama
3. Morning Sun
4. Gambling Blues
5. Sinner Boy
6. Same Old Story
7. Catfish Blues
8. I Feel So Good
Bonus tracks
Beat Club: (1) If The Day Was Any Longer (2) It s Happened Before, It ll Happen Again (3) Morning Sun
Three conceptual music videos: (1) I ll Remember (2) What s Going On (3) Born On The Wrong Side Of Time
Taste – What’s Going On DVD – Live At The Isle Of Wight Rory Gallagher’s musical legacy, carefully curated by his brother and manager Donal Gallagher, has been given exemplary treatment in recent years, with a high quality series of album reissues and penetrating documentaries like “Ghost Blues”. Now, it’s time to revisit Rory’s explosive arrival on the music scene in the late 60s, at the helm of Taste, a power trio not usually given equal billing with the legendary likes of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, or the Townshend / Entwistle /Moon engine room of The Who, but without any hype, “What’s Going On – Live At The Isle Of Wight” is proof positive that Taste could not only hold their own on a bill with Hendrix and The Who, they deserve to be held in equally high regard.
The band’s lack of subsequent impact can be largely put down to the fact that management shenanigans and skulduggery saw Rory and his bandmates, Charlie McCracken (bass) and John Wilson (drums) pitted against each other with regard to the band’s future, so much so that they decided to split immediately prior to taking the stage at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. You may imagine that such a conflict might lead to a lacklustre performance, with the three musicians scowling at each other if they made eye contact at all, but what’s clear from the first note is that whatever business disagreements the trio had, they still shared an incredible sense of musical empathy, and didn’t let anything tamper with that.
As they rip through seven songs, the energy and dynamics are really something to behold, the three of them walking a musical tightrope as the tracks launch out into improvised sections where bass, drums and guitar play off each other and drive the music on, with a thrilling sense that it could all fall apart with a single slip, but they’re too sharply focused to allow that to happen. In a recent interview, Donal Gallagher observed that while watching this footage, he was struck by the fact that this could be a present day performance from a contemporary act, and Taste’s lack of pretention and Rory’s refusal to take on any of the gimmicky trappings of Psychedelia, certainly support that view.
The band’s refusal to jump on the Psychedelic late 60s bandwagon (or should that be magic bus?) is also evident in the three promo clips included as bonus features, which see the trio again looking as though they could share a bill with Rival Sons today and not look or sound dated, while all around them, some kind of art film unfolds, involving well-to-do gentry stuffing themselves at a feast, and a random old geezer shooting people for no apparent reason. Against this groovy vision of sticking it to The Man, Taste simply carry on delivering the goods, and this rare tv time capsule makes for fun viewing. Further treasures can be found in the other bonus materials, with three live-in-the studio clips of Taste performing on Germany’s seminal “Beat Club” show.
Preceding all the live footage of the band in action is a first-rate documentary about the formation and history of Taste, which makes a fine job of setting the scene for their Isle of Wight performance. Bob Geldof, having attended the festival, gives an enthusiastic account of their set, noting that they woke up the audience and were, in his view, among the top three highlights of the whole event. One of the most striking points made by the documentary and the live footage that follows, is that a mere couple of years earlier, Rory Gallagher had paid his dues in the buttoned-down, restrictive world of the Irish Showband; seeing him set free to begin expressing all the influences he’d absorbed in his own music is a thrilling experience, and this captures the explosive impact he made as he blazed his way on to the music scene.
Rich’s Rapidfire Recommendations – bite-sized metal morsels to let you know about albums that have grabbed Rich Davenport by the ears and eyes, that we hope you’ll enjoy too! ROCK ON!
Artist: JOE STRUMMER Album: “I Need A Dodge! Joe Stummer On The Run” DVD Label: Cadiz Music Released: 24 August, 2015
“I Need A Dodge! Joe Stummer On The Run” – DVD
In living up to their own rebellion against the way in which some of the Rock elite preceding Punk had become detached and pompous in both sound and behaviour, the majority of Punk’s stars made themselves totally accessible to their fans, warts and all. Speak to many of the class of ’76 punks who were at the first wave of gigs, and you may be surprised at the stories of close encounters with street-level geezers who are now regarded as icons and legends. Nick Hall’s “I Need A Dodge! Joe Strummer On The Run” is a case in point, and is more resounding evidence to add to the countless stories that have been shared over the years by fans, musicians, crew members, journalists and on this dvd, a huge section of the mid-80s Spanish Punk scene, all of which attest to the basic fact that Joe Strummer was a bloody good bloke.
Having previously done a runner, literally, by disappearing on the eve of a Clash tour in 1982 and running the Paris marathon whilst on the lam, Joe repeats his disappearing act again in 1985, following the latter-day Clash line-up’s disastrous “Cut The Crap” album, which saw the group hijacked by manager Bernie Rhodes, who, according to the former band members interviewed here (Pete Howard and Nick Sheppard), saw himself as the perfect candidate to fill the creative void left by the departure of Mick Jones. The scathing response which met the album on its release hit Strummer hard, although Sheppard and Howard reveal that the lyric of “This Is England” contained a reference to the fact that Joe already knew the band was finished. At the same time, he was dealing with the additional blow of the death of his father, and fled to Spain “to feel the pain of the wound”.
Anyone familiar with the “London Calling” album will know of Joe’s affection for Spain, and its literary hero Lorca, namechecked in the lyrics to “Spanish Bombs”, and whilst hiding in plain sight in the bars of Madrid, he’s recognised. As word spreads through the local Punk scene, he becomes involved with producing local band 091, and spends time with national Punk heroes Radio Futura. During his stay, in a nod to another track on “London Calling”, Strummer’s love of classic American cars rears its head, but as the film’s title says, in this case it’s not a “Brand New Cadillac,” but a Dodge. There’s a fascinating time capsule moment in the documentary, as Nick Hall tracks down vintage TV ads which show that under the oppressive Franco regime, a Spanish car manufacturer partnered with America’s Dodge motor company, to give Spain its own home-grown muscle car, the Dodge Dart.
Hall got the initial seed for this documentary on hearing a radio interview Strummer gave to a Spanish radio station at Glastonbury in 1997, in which he called on the people of Spain to track down his Dodge, which he’d abandoned in a Madrid parking garage while making a frenzied attempt to get back to London in time to witness the birth of his first daughter, and couldn’t find again on returning to Spain to resume production duties on 091’s album.
Nick Hall himself takes up the mantle of the Great Lost Dodge Quest during the making of the documentary, turning up more engaging snapshots of Strummer and life in Spain during the time Joe was there. Without giving the game away, there are loose ends hanging at the conclusion of “I Need A Dodge!”, but this doesn’t detract from the documentary one bit, because it succeeds in revealing a wealth of insight into the character of Joe Strummer that will delight fans, as the people he spent time with during his Spanish sojourn come forward to talk about the impact he made on them, simply by taking time out during a dark period of his life to show an interest in how the Punk scene he helped spearhead had spread to their country.
Essential viewing for Clash fans, “I Need A Dodge!” stands out among the growing library of documentaries about the band and Joe himself, in that it shows him in action away from the usual settings of Punk-era London and American tours. The cast of interviewees includes Joe’s then-partner Gaby Salter, and members of both 091 and Radio Futura, along with other compadres and eyewitnesses. And the bonus feature interviews with Nick Sheppard and Pete Howard are alone worth the price of admission, providing a good humoured insight into the decline of the Clash.
Rich’s Rapidfire Recommendations – bite-sized metal morsels to let you know about albums that have grabbed Rich Davenport by the ears, that we hope you’ll enjoy too! ROCK ON!
Artist: Martin Turner Album: “Written In The Stars” Label: Dirty Dog Discs Released: 4th September 2015
Tracklisting:
1. THE BIG BANG (OVERTURE)
2. THE BEAUTY OF CHAOS
3. WRITTEN IN THE STARS
4. LOVERS
5. VAPOUR TRAIL
6. THE LONELY STAR
7. FOR MY LADY
8. PRETTY LITTLE GIRLS
9. FALLING SANDS
10. MYSTIFY ME
11. INTERSTELLAR ROCKSTAR
Martin Turner – Written In The Stars. Founding original member of Wishbone Ash returns with his first studio album in way too many years. Martin’s contributions to the hallmark sound of Wishbone Ash’s classic Mark I and Mark II line-ups were many; his vocals, his songwriting, those resounding bass lines, and, equally important, his input into the way the band’s signature harmonies were written and orchestrated. No-one would doubt the wealth of talent found among the three key Ash guitar heroes back in their halcyon era, Ted Turner, Andy Powell and Laurie Wisefield, all of whom are worthy of inclusion in any list of their more lauded peers, but those twin guitar lines also sprang regularly from the musical imagination of Mr Turner, who would channel his classical influences into the melodies and harmonic structures that rang out across that run of much loved albums from the self-titled debut in 1970, to “Just Testing” in 1980.
“Written in the Stars” shows that Martin Turner is still more than capable of delivering the goods as a songwriter and performer, and gives an insight into how those key musical aspects he brought to Wishbone Ash sound in a contemporary setting, with a modern production and a new band of stellar musical compatriots. It flows well when listened to in one sitting, the material is memorable and enjoyable throughout, and I’ve found myself hitting “repeat” to listen through again on more than one occasion. And although it’s not a retro album, “Written in the Stars” is about as close as you’ll get to the classic sound of Wishbone Ash.
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Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Artist: SØNDAG
Artist: BILLY GIBBONS AND THE BFG’S
It was that time of year again, Winter Wonderland hit Southern California as the city of Anaheim hosted the annual National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) event, January 21 – 24th.
Now, what would NAMM be without the abundance of celebrations that carry on each night during the event? It seems that every club known throughout Southern California hosted a NAMM party. Zakk Wylde paid tribute to Black Sabbath with his show Zakk Sabbath. Graham Bonnet of Rainbow, MSG and Alcatrazz fame rolled into town to Rock a NAMM evening along with Kill Ritual. Hometown rockers L.A. Guns also hit the town to offer up their services. Other Star studded events included several remembrance concerts as well, such as the BONZO BASH honoring John Bohnam. Participants gracing the stage included Brad Whiteford (Aerosmith), Dave Lombardo(Slayer), Chad Smith(Red Hot Chili peppers), Simon Wright(Dio, AC/DC, Operation Mindcrime) to name a few. Another event was the Randy Rhoads Remembered; featuring such artists as Doug Aldrich(Whitesnake), Michael Angelo Batio, Roy Z(Tribe of Gypsies, Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford), Chris Broderick(Megadeth) and Ronnie Montrose Remembered seen the likes of Steve Stevens(Billy Idol), David Ellefson(Megadeth), Legendary drummer Carmine Appice, and Brad Gillis(Night Ranger).
There was a second and very important theme that I witnessed throughout the event; a very prominent educational presence that seemed to have covered every aspect of the Music Industry. Workshops were set up throughout the day; both business and talent were center stage. Teachers and students alike showcased not only their musicianship, but the importance of music. I, for one, truly appreciated the two themes as they intertwined to create a natural surge of positive energy, especially in such a somber time in musical history; as the legends of music leave us on an almost weekly basis. One can’t help but wonder what the future holds. The urgency…, the necessity of rising stars to carry on the torch has never been greater.
Artist: TASTE
Artist: Martin Turner
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 