This was first published earlier today by Blogcritics Magazine.
In the year 2000, the Smashing Pumpkins gave away what was then their final album before breaking up - the impressive 25-track Machina II - for free on the Internet as both a thank you to longtime fans and an F-bomb to the record label business. This was years before Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, and some lesser known artists would make it cool to give away their music for little to nothing.
Four years after reforming (with only one original member left), three years removed from its comeback album Zeitgeist (2007), and two years after releasing the little noticed and underrated American Gothic EP, Billy Corgan and co. are writing and recording a mega 44-song album entitled Teargarden By Kaleidyscope, its most ambitious project of new music since its classic 1995 2-CD masterpiece Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness.
Starting last December, the 44 tracks are being released as free downloads one song per month or so at a time via the band's website smashingpumpkins.com. But in the current year and who knows how long beyond that, there will also be 11 collectible four-song EPs packaged with extra/newer material for purchase.
So far, four cuts from the album have been recorded and released since December (with assistance from producer Kerry Brown), and they all appear together on TBK Volume 1: Songs For A Sailor, which came out May 25 on Martha's Music/Rocket Science Ventures as a box set with new, exclusive material on CD and vinyl. This review focuses on the main four songs on the EP.
Going back to first Pumpkins album Gish and even as recently as the Zeitgeist disc, Corgan has never shied away from showing off his 70s classic rock influences. On "Astral Planes" one can hear vintage psychedelic traces of Queen and Led Zeppelin in the flange-aided big-sounding guitars. The song's only issue is Corgan's vocals, which leaves some truly authentic emotion to be desired.
The Pumpkins are pushing radio to play the most radio-ready song on here, "Widow Wake My Mind." However, longtime SP fans may do a double-take on all the generic and frankly un-Pumpkins-like "oh-oh" vocals Corgan sings, and not really feel the generic "love will shine" lyrics. But the Hammond organ/piano entry late in the song does add a welcome and lasting impression to the ears.
Read the rest here
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Music Review: Band Of Horses - Infinite Arms
Lead singer and guitarist Ben Bridwell and his Seattle-born, now South Carolina-based, quintet Band of Horses has made a big transition in recent years.
Not too long ago, they were underground stars with two successful albums out on Sub Pop (2006’s debut Everything All The Time and 2007’s Cease To Begin). Now, the group is signed to Columbia Records (with smaller imprints Brown and Fat Possum also helping out) and has found itself attaining mainstream market exposure, thanks to popular songs like “The Funeral” being licensed to TV ads, rapper/singer Kid Cudi sampling that same tune for his own creation “The Prayer,” and its current gig as openers for fellow Seattle natives Pearl Jam.
But as they get more mainstream attention, will Band of Horses dramatically change its sound for a wider audience or otherwise lose some of its authenticity like so many rock bands in generations past have once they've gotten a taste of mass appeal? After listening to the group's largely self-produced third album Infinite Arms, that answer appears to be a resounding no.
The band is known for big, soaring, or jangly indie guitars and vocals on excellent jams like “First Song,” “Is There A Ghost,” “Wicked Gil,” and of course, “The Funeral.” But their first two albums also were more or less evenly split with softer, even folky/country-ish tracks, such as “Marry Song,” the My Morning Jacket-ish “St. Augustine” and bouncy, full band acoustic-led numbers like “The General Specific.”
With Infinite Arms’ 12 new tracks, the most they’ve ever put on record (after having recorded 30 for the project), for the first time, there is a definite majority of kinder, gentler tracks on a Band Of Horses album than soaring indie rockers. That's not a direction you go in if you want to appeal to a big-time mainstream audience.
That said, there are still about a handful of upbeat rock tunes present on the new CD, with the excellent “Compliments” and straight-ahead chugger “Northwest Apartment” representing two of them. On another, Bridwell takes the “crossroads” he’s at with himself on midtempo number “Laredo” and contrasts it with cheery, melodic guitar riffs.
This is an excerpt from a review first posted at Blogcritics Magazine yesterday, May 26. Read the full review here.
Not too long ago, they were underground stars with two successful albums out on Sub Pop (2006’s debut Everything All The Time and 2007’s Cease To Begin). Now, the group is signed to Columbia Records (with smaller imprints Brown and Fat Possum also helping out) and has found itself attaining mainstream market exposure, thanks to popular songs like “The Funeral” being licensed to TV ads, rapper/singer Kid Cudi sampling that same tune for his own creation “The Prayer,” and its current gig as openers for fellow Seattle natives Pearl Jam.
But as they get more mainstream attention, will Band of Horses dramatically change its sound for a wider audience or otherwise lose some of its authenticity like so many rock bands in generations past have once they've gotten a taste of mass appeal? After listening to the group's largely self-produced third album Infinite Arms, that answer appears to be a resounding no.
The band is known for big, soaring, or jangly indie guitars and vocals on excellent jams like “First Song,” “Is There A Ghost,” “Wicked Gil,” and of course, “The Funeral.” But their first two albums also were more or less evenly split with softer, even folky/country-ish tracks, such as “Marry Song,” the My Morning Jacket-ish “St. Augustine” and bouncy, full band acoustic-led numbers like “The General Specific.”
With Infinite Arms’ 12 new tracks, the most they’ve ever put on record (after having recorded 30 for the project), for the first time, there is a definite majority of kinder, gentler tracks on a Band Of Horses album than soaring indie rockers. That's not a direction you go in if you want to appeal to a big-time mainstream audience.
That said, there are still about a handful of upbeat rock tunes present on the new CD, with the excellent “Compliments” and straight-ahead chugger “Northwest Apartment” representing two of them. On another, Bridwell takes the “crossroads” he’s at with himself on midtempo number “Laredo” and contrasts it with cheery, melodic guitar riffs.
This is an excerpt from a review first posted at Blogcritics Magazine yesterday, May 26. Read the full review here.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Red Sox Get Hot At The Right TIme
Note: This excerpt is from my weekly Red Sox "Dead Red" column, first published May 24 at BC Magazine. It is a bit out of date, I know but it's a good read, nonetheless.
Red Sox record for the week of May 17-23: 5-2
It was a wild week of baseball for the BoSox, to say the least. With road trips to three different stadiums in New York, Minnesota, and Pennsylanvia in the previous seven days, Sox fans should feel relieved they got five wins out of it. At 24-21 through Sunday, the Sox are a season-high three games over .500.
Even better, after winning its last five out of six games (through Sunday), the Sox are suddenly 2 1/2 games back of the Yankees for a playoff spot, the AL Wild Card, as they start a new and big week on the road again versus AL East division-leading Tampa Bay for three starting tonight, then finally come home against Kansas City for four games.
Read the rest here
Red Sox record for the week of May 17-23: 5-2
It was a wild week of baseball for the BoSox, to say the least. With road trips to three different stadiums in New York, Minnesota, and Pennsylanvia in the previous seven days, Sox fans should feel relieved they got five wins out of it. At 24-21 through Sunday, the Sox are a season-high three games over .500.
Even better, after winning its last five out of six games (through Sunday), the Sox are suddenly 2 1/2 games back of the Yankees for a playoff spot, the AL Wild Card, as they start a new and big week on the road again versus AL East division-leading Tampa Bay for three starting tonight, then finally come home against Kansas City for four games.
Read the rest here
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Music DVD Review: Clutch - Live At The 9:30 (2-DVD)
This review was first published yesterday, May 22 at Blogcritics Magazine. This is just a short excerpt from it.
It’s become an increasingly popular trend over the past few years for veteran rock acts to give loyal fans the special live treat of playing a complete beloved album of theirs in its entirety live, and then some.
311, The Pixies, Judas Priest, Bruce Springsteen, the Lemonheads, and most recently Megadeth, among others have given their following a live take of classic albums, including respectively, Grassroots, Doolittle, British Steel, Born To Run, It’s A Shame About Ray, and Rust In Peace.
Last December, the mighty Maryland hard rockers Clutch gave fans in select cities the special holiday treat of performing its entire 13-track 1995 classic self-titled second album live, with some select new tunes from its 2009 studio release Strange Cousins From The West and a couple of other oldies rounding out most set lists. With concerts as rare as these, you bet some high-tech video cameras were rolling on select dates.
Released on May 11, well ahead of its latest world headlining tour which takes place in June and July, Live At The 9:30 is a 90-minute, 19-song concert double DVD that captures the quartet’s entire December 28, 2009, performance at the legendary 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. on one disc, with a nearly two-hour road movie called Fortune Tellers Make A Killing Nowadays on the second DVD.
Rest the whole review at this link
It’s become an increasingly popular trend over the past few years for veteran rock acts to give loyal fans the special live treat of playing a complete beloved album of theirs in its entirety live, and then some.
311, The Pixies, Judas Priest, Bruce Springsteen, the Lemonheads, and most recently Megadeth, among others have given their following a live take of classic albums, including respectively, Grassroots, Doolittle, British Steel, Born To Run, It’s A Shame About Ray, and Rust In Peace.
Last December, the mighty Maryland hard rockers Clutch gave fans in select cities the special holiday treat of performing its entire 13-track 1995 classic self-titled second album live, with some select new tunes from its 2009 studio release Strange Cousins From The West and a couple of other oldies rounding out most set lists. With concerts as rare as these, you bet some high-tech video cameras were rolling on select dates.
Released on May 11, well ahead of its latest world headlining tour which takes place in June and July, Live At The 9:30 is a 90-minute, 19-song concert double DVD that captures the quartet’s entire December 28, 2009, performance at the legendary 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. on one disc, with a nearly two-hour road movie called Fortune Tellers Make A Killing Nowadays on the second DVD.
Rest the whole review at this link
Mary Lynn Rajskub on 24: Jack Bauer’s Most Loyal Helper
This write-up was first published May 21 at Blogcritics Magazine. The following is an excerpt from it.
Mary Lynn Rajskub has been on a roll these last 15 years, appearing in such notable shows and movies as Mr. Show, Veronica’s Closet, The Larry Sanders Show, and Legally Blonde 2, among many others.
But no role has done more for her career and increased her popularity than her long tenure as CTU (counter-terrorism unit) computer expert Chloe O’Brian, whom she has played for the last six seasons – Days 3 through 8 - in the hit weekly real-time action thriller TV show 24, which airs Mondays on FOX from 9-10 pm ET.
Yesterday afternoon, Ms. Rajskub took part in a conference call run by FOX that ran for about a half hour. As is her norm when talking to the media, she was at different times hilarious and deadly serious when talking about her time on this successful TV series or answering questions on her personal life.
Here are some highlights from the Q & A session of the call with the print and online journalists who were lucky enough to pick her mind (this journalist included).
A journalist from Hearst Newspapers pointed out that the show’s main star Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) says to Chloe at the end of the series that he never dreamed how important she would be to him when she first joined CTU, and then asked Rajskub if she can relate that to what her own expectations were of her character when she initially joined the cast.
Her answer was that she too had no idea when she first started as Chloe that she would go from a “geeky,” “by-the-book” computer tech girl at first to this quirky, humorous, and vital character that became “Jack’s most loyal helper,” confidant, and friend.
When asked by another scribe what her favorite moment on 24 was, the actress responded that with all her extra responsibilities she had this season, there’s “a whole new set of cool moments” to remember, but still came up with a few, including proudly stating that holding a gun and being on the run (earlier this season) was fun. In a more somber tone, she stated that watching fellow computer tech Edgar die a few seasons ago was hard, and “kind of a turning point for my character.”
A certain journalist from Blogcritics - take a wild guess who that is – got in a few questions regarding her favorite actors she worked with over the years, her guitar playing “skills,” and whether or not she had to fight the show’s writers (like Carlos Bernard did for his Tony Almeida role) to save her character.
She responded by saying she was really close with the actors she shot scenes with in CTU over the years, especially this year, including Katie Sackhoff (Dana Walsh), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Cole Ortiz), and John Boyd (Arlo Glass), and actors in past seasons, including Carlos Bernard, whom she thought was “ballsy” for successfully getting his character saved, and James Morrison (Bill Buchanan). Mary Lynn also revealed that though she loves that somebody wrote she was a “skilled guitar player,” it is “so not true” since she can’t really play and sing at the same time, except when doing it with a more skilled “partner” as a comedy duo like she did in the past.
Read the rest here
Mary Lynn Rajskub has been on a roll these last 15 years, appearing in such notable shows and movies as Mr. Show, Veronica’s Closet, The Larry Sanders Show, and Legally Blonde 2, among many others.
But no role has done more for her career and increased her popularity than her long tenure as CTU (counter-terrorism unit) computer expert Chloe O’Brian, whom she has played for the last six seasons – Days 3 through 8 - in the hit weekly real-time action thriller TV show 24, which airs Mondays on FOX from 9-10 pm ET.
Yesterday afternoon, Ms. Rajskub took part in a conference call run by FOX that ran for about a half hour. As is her norm when talking to the media, she was at different times hilarious and deadly serious when talking about her time on this successful TV series or answering questions on her personal life.
Here are some highlights from the Q & A session of the call with the print and online journalists who were lucky enough to pick her mind (this journalist included).
A journalist from Hearst Newspapers pointed out that the show’s main star Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) says to Chloe at the end of the series that he never dreamed how important she would be to him when she first joined CTU, and then asked Rajskub if she can relate that to what her own expectations were of her character when she initially joined the cast.
Her answer was that she too had no idea when she first started as Chloe that she would go from a “geeky,” “by-the-book” computer tech girl at first to this quirky, humorous, and vital character that became “Jack’s most loyal helper,” confidant, and friend.
When asked by another scribe what her favorite moment on 24 was, the actress responded that with all her extra responsibilities she had this season, there’s “a whole new set of cool moments” to remember, but still came up with a few, including proudly stating that holding a gun and being on the run (earlier this season) was fun. In a more somber tone, she stated that watching fellow computer tech Edgar die a few seasons ago was hard, and “kind of a turning point for my character.”
A certain journalist from Blogcritics - take a wild guess who that is – got in a few questions regarding her favorite actors she worked with over the years, her guitar playing “skills,” and whether or not she had to fight the show’s writers (like Carlos Bernard did for his Tony Almeida role) to save her character.
She responded by saying she was really close with the actors she shot scenes with in CTU over the years, especially this year, including Katie Sackhoff (Dana Walsh), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Cole Ortiz), and John Boyd (Arlo Glass), and actors in past seasons, including Carlos Bernard, whom she thought was “ballsy” for successfully getting his character saved, and James Morrison (Bill Buchanan). Mary Lynn also revealed that though she loves that somebody wrote she was a “skilled guitar player,” it is “so not true” since she can’t really play and sing at the same time, except when doing it with a more skilled “partner” as a comedy duo like she did in the past.
Read the rest here
Monday, May 17, 2010
Big Papi Finally Gets Hot, But The Sox Are Not
Note: This article was first published late this afternoon, before tonight's Sox-Yankees game, at Blogcritics Magazine. The following is a short excerpt from it.
In this edition of "Dead Red," I take a quick look at the week that was in Red Sox Nation, note some highlights, lowlights and Sox rehab developments, and wrap it all up with my take on the current state of the Sox.
Last week the Boston Red Sox went 3-3, winning one series, and then losing the next. After closing out a mildly successful 7-3 home stand by beating Toronto twice out of three matches to start the week, the BoSox waltzed into Comerica Park to lose two of three in Detroit over the weekend.
They now head to the Bronx for the first time this season and with a 19-19 record, still in fourth place in the AL East and still well behind the Yankees (5.5 GB) and Tampa Bay (7.5) for playoff spots through Sunday's games.
In fact, tonight’s matchup with New York — who have beaten Boston 13 of the last 16 times — begins the toughest stretch of games of the season for Boston, as they face nothing but first-place teams from now until May 26, with current AL Central leaders Minnesota coming to Fenway for a couple of games (Wednesday and Thursday) after two with the Yankees, followed by road trips to the parks of current NL East leaders Philadelphia and AL East leaders Tampa Bay Rays after that.
Read more at this link.
In this edition of "Dead Red," I take a quick look at the week that was in Red Sox Nation, note some highlights, lowlights and Sox rehab developments, and wrap it all up with my take on the current state of the Sox.
Last week the Boston Red Sox went 3-3, winning one series, and then losing the next. After closing out a mildly successful 7-3 home stand by beating Toronto twice out of three matches to start the week, the BoSox waltzed into Comerica Park to lose two of three in Detroit over the weekend.
They now head to the Bronx for the first time this season and with a 19-19 record, still in fourth place in the AL East and still well behind the Yankees (5.5 GB) and Tampa Bay (7.5) for playoff spots through Sunday's games.
In fact, tonight’s matchup with New York — who have beaten Boston 13 of the last 16 times — begins the toughest stretch of games of the season for Boston, as they face nothing but first-place teams from now until May 26, with current AL Central leaders Minnesota coming to Fenway for a couple of games (Wednesday and Thursday) after two with the Yankees, followed by road trips to the parks of current NL East leaders Philadelphia and AL East leaders Tampa Bay Rays after that.
Read more at this link.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Nomar Comes Home To Boston & Other Sox News & Notes
The following post appeared at Blogcritics Magazine yesterday, May 10, 2010. It's title has been changed for this post The following is an excerpt.
The Return of Nomar Garciaparra
On Cinco de Mayo, the Red Sox brought forever Sox fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra (who is of Mexican descent) back to Fenway to throw out the ceremonial first pitch to former Sox and Georgia Tech teammate Jason Varitek before the third Sox-Angels game of the week. With wife and superstar athlete Mia Hamm on the field watching, along with good friends and ex-teammates Trot Nixon, Lou Merloni, Tim Wakefield and Brian Daubach, it was a pretty cool and nostalgic pregame celebration much like Pedro Martinez’s (surprise) pregame first pitch on Opening Night.
Good for the organization for doing that for Nomar. Now let me say this.
The Boston sports media types (Dan Shaughnessy, Steve Buckley) still think they know better than the rest of us fans, but the fact is that Nomar never wanted to stop playing baseball in Boston, no matter how frustrated and bitter at the organization he was (for trying to trade him for A-Rod and others after the 2003 season and other reasons). He was eventually traded to the Cubs in July 2004 because at the time, the Sox were playing .500 baseball and the infield needed a major makeover defensively to help out the pitching staff (enter: Orlando Cabrera, Dave Roberts and Doug Mientkiewicz). It’s as simple as that.
Though no Sox fans were comfortable seeing Nomar forced out of town at the time, they accepted the new faces that came via Sox general manager Theo Epstein’s mid-2004 trades, and watched as they helped the Sox win a historic and long overdue Red Sox championship that fall. From then on, Sox fans and the baseball world altogether saw Nomar become the Ken Griffey Jr. of the infield — in that he had Hall of Fame talent but was always getting hurt — right until the end of his career in 2009 in Oakland.
At least Griffey did enough (in the 1990s) before his string of injuries in the 2000s to get into Cooperstown. The shortstop-turned-corner-infielder, on the other hand, with his career .313 BA, 229 HR, 936 RBI and 1747 hits in not even nine relatively full seasons in 14 years of play will unfortunately not get there. But in the Red Sox Hall of Fame, he will. And that will be even more of a cause for celebration for him than throwing out a first pitch.
Recent Red Sox News
When the Red Sox, behind Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-1) beat the Angels Thursday 11-6, it was the first time since the “Impossible Dream” team of 1967 that the Sox achieved a four-game sweep against them at Fenway Park. Also a first: the whole Angels lineup taking the first 14 pitches Dice-K threw before scoring four runs in the first inning of the game.
Read more here
The Return of Nomar Garciaparra
On Cinco de Mayo, the Red Sox brought forever Sox fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra (who is of Mexican descent) back to Fenway to throw out the ceremonial first pitch to former Sox and Georgia Tech teammate Jason Varitek before the third Sox-Angels game of the week. With wife and superstar athlete Mia Hamm on the field watching, along with good friends and ex-teammates Trot Nixon, Lou Merloni, Tim Wakefield and Brian Daubach, it was a pretty cool and nostalgic pregame celebration much like Pedro Martinez’s (surprise) pregame first pitch on Opening Night.
Good for the organization for doing that for Nomar. Now let me say this.
The Boston sports media types (Dan Shaughnessy, Steve Buckley) still think they know better than the rest of us fans, but the fact is that Nomar never wanted to stop playing baseball in Boston, no matter how frustrated and bitter at the organization he was (for trying to trade him for A-Rod and others after the 2003 season and other reasons). He was eventually traded to the Cubs in July 2004 because at the time, the Sox were playing .500 baseball and the infield needed a major makeover defensively to help out the pitching staff (enter: Orlando Cabrera, Dave Roberts and Doug Mientkiewicz). It’s as simple as that.
Though no Sox fans were comfortable seeing Nomar forced out of town at the time, they accepted the new faces that came via Sox general manager Theo Epstein’s mid-2004 trades, and watched as they helped the Sox win a historic and long overdue Red Sox championship that fall. From then on, Sox fans and the baseball world altogether saw Nomar become the Ken Griffey Jr. of the infield — in that he had Hall of Fame talent but was always getting hurt — right until the end of his career in 2009 in Oakland.
At least Griffey did enough (in the 1990s) before his string of injuries in the 2000s to get into Cooperstown. The shortstop-turned-corner-infielder, on the other hand, with his career .313 BA, 229 HR, 936 RBI and 1747 hits in not even nine relatively full seasons in 14 years of play will unfortunately not get there. But in the Red Sox Hall of Fame, he will. And that will be even more of a cause for celebration for him than throwing out a first pitch.
Recent Red Sox News
When the Red Sox, behind Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-1) beat the Angels Thursday 11-6, it was the first time since the “Impossible Dream” team of 1967 that the Sox achieved a four-game sweep against them at Fenway Park. Also a first: the whole Angels lineup taking the first 14 pitches Dice-K threw before scoring four runs in the first inning of the game.
Read more here
Sox Get Back On Track, But What About Ortiz?
The following post was first posted yesterday as part of my weekly "Dead Red" Red Sox column at Blogcritics Magazine. The following is an excerpt.
Red Sox record for the Week of May 3-9: 5-2. Overall: 16-16, 4th place AL East
To start week five of the 2010 season and a 10-game homestand, the Boston Red Sox held a quick pregame team meeting led by manager Terry Francona that served to refocus as a group and start playing baseball at the high level expected of them. That was Monday (May 3). Next thing you knew, the Sox swept a surprisingly bad Los Angeles Angels squad in four games, outscoring them 36-16, and went into the weekend with a 15-14 record. All memories of a humiliating sweep by Baltimore were long gone.
Then the Yankees had to show up and do to the Sox what the Sox did to the Angels, for two games, anyway. Friday night, Josh Beckett (1-1) was bested by 4-0 youngster Phil Hughes. It was a relatively tight 3-1 game, with the Yankees on top by just two until the sixth inning, when Beckett quickly lost command of all of his pitches, letting up six runs on the board. Final score: 10-3.
Saturday night was a nightmare 14-3 loss, with Clay Buchholz (3-3) having his worst outing of 2010, letting up five ER in five innings, while the bullpen gave up the rest. Boston relief pitching was so spent by this point that young outfielder Jonathan Van Every became the fifth reliever of the game in the ninth and the first Sox position player to ever pitch against the Yankees. The icing on the cake: he served up a previously struggling Mark Teixeira's third homer of the game and fourth hit on the night overall.
Sunday, Mother’s Day night, the true ace of the Sox staff Jon Lester (3-2) came to the rescue to pitch seven quality innings, record 7 Ks and allowed two earned runs, outdueling veteran A.J. Burnett, who like Beckett before him, lost it quickly. Five of his eight earned runs came in the third inning, and was knocked out for good in the fifth when Jeremy Hermida hit his fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot. He had three RBI in the game and is tied for second on the Sox squad with 19 overall, a remarkable 15 of which have come with two outs.
Read more here
Red Sox record for the Week of May 3-9: 5-2. Overall: 16-16, 4th place AL East
To start week five of the 2010 season and a 10-game homestand, the Boston Red Sox held a quick pregame team meeting led by manager Terry Francona that served to refocus as a group and start playing baseball at the high level expected of them. That was Monday (May 3). Next thing you knew, the Sox swept a surprisingly bad Los Angeles Angels squad in four games, outscoring them 36-16, and went into the weekend with a 15-14 record. All memories of a humiliating sweep by Baltimore were long gone.
Then the Yankees had to show up and do to the Sox what the Sox did to the Angels, for two games, anyway. Friday night, Josh Beckett (1-1) was bested by 4-0 youngster Phil Hughes. It was a relatively tight 3-1 game, with the Yankees on top by just two until the sixth inning, when Beckett quickly lost command of all of his pitches, letting up six runs on the board. Final score: 10-3.
Saturday night was a nightmare 14-3 loss, with Clay Buchholz (3-3) having his worst outing of 2010, letting up five ER in five innings, while the bullpen gave up the rest. Boston relief pitching was so spent by this point that young outfielder Jonathan Van Every became the fifth reliever of the game in the ninth and the first Sox position player to ever pitch against the Yankees. The icing on the cake: he served up a previously struggling Mark Teixeira's third homer of the game and fourth hit on the night overall.
Sunday, Mother’s Day night, the true ace of the Sox staff Jon Lester (3-2) came to the rescue to pitch seven quality innings, record 7 Ks and allowed two earned runs, outdueling veteran A.J. Burnett, who like Beckett before him, lost it quickly. Five of his eight earned runs came in the third inning, and was knocked out for good in the fifth when Jeremy Hermida hit his fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot. He had three RBI in the game and is tied for second on the Sox squad with 19 overall, a remarkable 15 of which have come with two outs.
Read more here
Minus The Bear Comes To Boston
These still-underground Seattle superstars love Boston. They love it enough to celebrate the release of their fourth album OMNI not in their home state but here in the heart of Boston. First, they played an in-store acoustic band show (about three or so songs from the new album) at the famed Newbury Comics store on Newbury Street on Tuesday, May 4th. Afterwards, they stayed around to sign autographs for those who stayed (myself included).
Getting to meet the band and one of my guitar heroes in particular, finger tapper extraordinaire Dave Knudson was a really special moment for me, since I've been following him and his band for 9 years now. The best part was when I told singer/guitarist Jake Snider I couldn't believe it's been 9 years since I first started following "you guys," he said "Man, I can hardly believe myself, either," which cracked up the band. Great guys, all five of them.
Then on Cinco de Mayo, the experimental post-punk rockers played what in effect was their CD release party in front of a packed house at the Wilbur Theatre in the center of Boston's theatre district. Snider might have been playing to the crowd that night after over 75 minutes of a crowd-pleasing set when he stated this was the "best Boston show" they've ever done, but it certainly was the most lively and interactive one to date. The audience roared and got into all the old songs as soon as those first notes rang out of Knudson and Snider's guitars, whether it be "Pachuca Sunrise," "Knights," or their signature and closing number, "Absinthe Party."
Having seen Minus The Bear over 6, maybe 7 times now (I've lost count!) at the Somerville Theatre in early 2003, the Middle East a few times, Axis, and the Wilbur a couple of years back among other places, it's hard to tell which was the "best" show since the band always puts out top notch, highly energetic shows. But this one ranks among my favorites, no question.
Note: Young The Giant and Everest were Minus The Bear's opening bands at the Wilbur Theatre May 5, 2010
Getting to meet the band and one of my guitar heroes in particular, finger tapper extraordinaire Dave Knudson was a really special moment for me, since I've been following him and his band for 9 years now. The best part was when I told singer/guitarist Jake Snider I couldn't believe it's been 9 years since I first started following "you guys," he said "Man, I can hardly believe myself, either," which cracked up the band. Great guys, all five of them.
Then on Cinco de Mayo, the experimental post-punk rockers played what in effect was their CD release party in front of a packed house at the Wilbur Theatre in the center of Boston's theatre district. Snider might have been playing to the crowd that night after over 75 minutes of a crowd-pleasing set when he stated this was the "best Boston show" they've ever done, but it certainly was the most lively and interactive one to date. The audience roared and got into all the old songs as soon as those first notes rang out of Knudson and Snider's guitars, whether it be "Pachuca Sunrise," "Knights," or their signature and closing number, "Absinthe Party."
Having seen Minus The Bear over 6, maybe 7 times now (I've lost count!) at the Somerville Theatre in early 2003, the Middle East a few times, Axis, and the Wilbur a couple of years back among other places, it's hard to tell which was the "best" show since the band always puts out top notch, highly energetic shows. But this one ranks among my favorites, no question.
Note: Young The Giant and Everest were Minus The Bear's opening bands at the Wilbur Theatre May 5, 2010
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
BoSox, Week 4: Sox Slay Jays, Reach New Low Vs. The O's
The following is a short excerpt from my most recent weekly Boston Red Sox column, published at Blogcritics Magazine on May 3, 2010
Red Sox Record for the Week of April 26-May 2: 3-3
In my last column, I stated that the Boston Red Sox needed to go at least 4-2 to move up in the AL East standings. After starting their six-game road trip by sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays in three matchups to get back to .500 for the first time since the second game of 2010, the Boston bunch moved one game ahead of the Jays into third place April 28 and got within 5.5 games of the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays. So it looked good for the BoSox as they got ready to play Baltimore in Camden Yards. Then the unthinkable happened.
Read more here
Red Sox Record for the Week of April 26-May 2: 3-3
In my last column, I stated that the Boston Red Sox needed to go at least 4-2 to move up in the AL East standings. After starting their six-game road trip by sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays in three matchups to get back to .500 for the first time since the second game of 2010, the Boston bunch moved one game ahead of the Jays into third place April 28 and got within 5.5 games of the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays. So it looked good for the BoSox as they got ready to play Baltimore in Camden Yards. Then the unthinkable happened.
Read more here
Music Review: Jimi Hendrix - First Rays Of The New Rising Sun
The following is an excerpt from my most recent music review, which was posted at the site of Blogcritics Magazine on May 2, 2010
It’s been nearly 40 years since the most revolutionary guitarist of all time, Jimi Hendrix, passed away. With three landmark studio albums to his name, plus gems of unreleased material left behind, making a proper posthumous studio album with the latter has always been a tough and controversial task.
No one will ever know for sure how Hendrix himself would have sequenced, fine-tuned and what he would’ve named the follow-up to his third and final album in his lifetime, 1968’s seminal double LP Electric Ladyland. We do know however, it was meant to be a big project - a double or triple LP – that the guitarist had been working on for over two years before his death in September of 1970 at age 27.
The first few attempts at posthumous releases, The Cry of Love and Rainbow Bridge from 1971 and War Heroes from 1972 were revealing but felt incomplete. It wasn’t until 1997, when Hendrix’s trusted recording engineer Eddie Kramer and drummer Mitch Mitchell used his last handwritten notes and remastered/resequenced his last tracks on the 17-track-long First Rays of the New Rising Sun that one got a true and mostly satisfying picture of the guitarist’s ever changing musical vision at the time, which struck a more serious tone lyrically and incorporated newer sounds to his repertoire.
13 years later, the newest versions of First Rays, an mp3/digital edition available via online stores such as ScatterTunes, plus a CD+DVD edition out this spring do not exactly enhance the actual sound – not that it’s needed with all the previous remastering over the years. But the former is more convenient for the current digital music age, while the latter contains a viewing experience that does enhance and make you appreciate the audio portion a little more via a new companion 20-minute DVD documentary of the making of this “concept compilation.”
Read more here.
It’s been nearly 40 years since the most revolutionary guitarist of all time, Jimi Hendrix, passed away. With three landmark studio albums to his name, plus gems of unreleased material left behind, making a proper posthumous studio album with the latter has always been a tough and controversial task.
No one will ever know for sure how Hendrix himself would have sequenced, fine-tuned and what he would’ve named the follow-up to his third and final album in his lifetime, 1968’s seminal double LP Electric Ladyland. We do know however, it was meant to be a big project - a double or triple LP – that the guitarist had been working on for over two years before his death in September of 1970 at age 27.
The first few attempts at posthumous releases, The Cry of Love and Rainbow Bridge from 1971 and War Heroes from 1972 were revealing but felt incomplete. It wasn’t until 1997, when Hendrix’s trusted recording engineer Eddie Kramer and drummer Mitch Mitchell used his last handwritten notes and remastered/resequenced his last tracks on the 17-track-long First Rays of the New Rising Sun that one got a true and mostly satisfying picture of the guitarist’s ever changing musical vision at the time, which struck a more serious tone lyrically and incorporated newer sounds to his repertoire.
13 years later, the newest versions of First Rays, an mp3/digital edition available via online stores such as ScatterTunes, plus a CD+DVD edition out this spring do not exactly enhance the actual sound – not that it’s needed with all the previous remastering over the years. But the former is more convenient for the current digital music age, while the latter contains a viewing experience that does enhance and make you appreciate the audio portion a little more via a new companion 20-minute DVD documentary of the making of this “concept compilation.”
Read more here.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Red Sox, Week Three: Better? You Bet, But Not Good Enough
This edition of my "Dead Red" Boston Red Sox column was published first at Blogcritics 4/27/10
In The News
Last night (Monday), the Red Sox survived Josh Beckett’s worst start of the young season to win 13-12 in Toronto in a wild but exciting game. (More on that game in next week’s Dead Red.)
Elsewhere, the Sox called up LHP Fabio Castro from the PawSox to help the back of its beleaguered bullpen, which now has three lefties (including Hideki Okajima and Scott Schoeneweis). He has an ERA over 8.00 in Pawtucket in three starts in 2010 and is 0-1 with 13 Ks in 10 innings. His stuff includes a cut fastball in the high 80s, along with a decent changeup and curveball. Castro is 0-1 with a 3.30 ERA in 30 career games with the Phillies and Rangers.
Read the rest at the above link
In The News
Last night (Monday), the Red Sox survived Josh Beckett’s worst start of the young season to win 13-12 in Toronto in a wild but exciting game. (More on that game in next week’s Dead Red.)
Elsewhere, the Sox called up LHP Fabio Castro from the PawSox to help the back of its beleaguered bullpen, which now has three lefties (including Hideki Okajima and Scott Schoeneweis). He has an ERA over 8.00 in Pawtucket in three starts in 2010 and is 0-1 with 13 Ks in 10 innings. His stuff includes a cut fastball in the high 80s, along with a decent changeup and curveball. Castro is 0-1 with a 3.30 ERA in 30 career games with the Phillies and Rangers.
Read the rest at the above link
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Whigs - In The Dark
The Whigs, a trio hailing from the same hometown as R.E.M. (Athens, Georgia), has made lots of noise over the past couple of years, and not just from its loud guitars and thunderous skins.
Where debut album Give ‘Em All A Big Fat Lip (2005) introduced them to the world as a promising young band that Rolling Stone named one of “Ten Artists to Watch” in 2006, sophomore release Mission Control in early 2008 got them bigger audiences, complimentary comparisons to The Replacements/Paul Westerberg, festival gigs (Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo) and opening slots for the likes of The Killers, Drive-By Truckers and Kings of Leon over the ensuing couple of years.
So of course, it garnered (mostly) praise from mainstream critics and fans alike, and even earned them appearances on late night shows including The Late Show with David Letterman. Songs like “Right Hand On My Heart” and the straight ahead hard-charging “Like A Vibration” highlighted this era.
With the release this week of third full-length In The Dark (ATO Records), The Whigs are poised once again to take its sound and popularity to a new level.
“Hundred/Million,” the first of 11 tracks, gets bodies moving with its midtempo groove and dirty, distorted bass lines. “Black Lotus” starts and ends well with its jittery guitar parts and includes mildly catchy chorus vocals by singer/guitarist Parker Gispert, but in between suffers from unmemorable chord changes.
First single “Kill Me Carolyne” is where The Whigs take its sound to arena rock level, with its Kings of Leon-like drive. It’s not quite as infectious as KofL’s “Sex On Fire” but is a sturdy second cousin and definite album highlight.
A funky bass line propels “I Am For Real,” while the love-seeking rocker “Someone’s Daughter” is one of a few cuts – one other being the excellent “So Lonely” – that bring back the band’s trademark thick, loud guitars and amplifiers. For these guys, the higher the amp’s gain is turned up, the better.
The momentum gets slowed down with “Dying,” but picks back up quickly with “I Don’t Even Care About The One I Love,” whose warm, light and bright strings contrast with cold lyrics.
What comes next is the best song and sure-to-be future single from In The Dark, the sunny California guitar pop of “Automatic.” The depth of its background vocals is what gives this late-album highlight its radiance and one you’ll have on repeat on your iPod, as will the title track, which spouts the most hum-able chorus you’ll come across here.
With the exception of just a few songs, In The Dark is yet another step up for this Georgia power trio. The sound is bigger, the hooks are sharper, and some are even damn near anthemic. With The Whigs touring yet again this year, this band will continue to be a band to watch. And a fine third record to hit the road with should no doubt help its cause.
4 Stars
For a free download of lead single “Kill Me Carolyne,” go to the official website of The Whigs.
Published at Blogcritics Magazine's website March 15, 2010
Where debut album Give ‘Em All A Big Fat Lip (2005) introduced them to the world as a promising young band that Rolling Stone named one of “Ten Artists to Watch” in 2006, sophomore release Mission Control in early 2008 got them bigger audiences, complimentary comparisons to The Replacements/Paul Westerberg, festival gigs (Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo) and opening slots for the likes of The Killers, Drive-By Truckers and Kings of Leon over the ensuing couple of years.
So of course, it garnered (mostly) praise from mainstream critics and fans alike, and even earned them appearances on late night shows including The Late Show with David Letterman. Songs like “Right Hand On My Heart” and the straight ahead hard-charging “Like A Vibration” highlighted this era.
With the release this week of third full-length In The Dark (ATO Records), The Whigs are poised once again to take its sound and popularity to a new level.
“Hundred/Million,” the first of 11 tracks, gets bodies moving with its midtempo groove and dirty, distorted bass lines. “Black Lotus” starts and ends well with its jittery guitar parts and includes mildly catchy chorus vocals by singer/guitarist Parker Gispert, but in between suffers from unmemorable chord changes.
First single “Kill Me Carolyne” is where The Whigs take its sound to arena rock level, with its Kings of Leon-like drive. It’s not quite as infectious as KofL’s “Sex On Fire” but is a sturdy second cousin and definite album highlight.
A funky bass line propels “I Am For Real,” while the love-seeking rocker “Someone’s Daughter” is one of a few cuts – one other being the excellent “So Lonely” – that bring back the band’s trademark thick, loud guitars and amplifiers. For these guys, the higher the amp’s gain is turned up, the better.
The momentum gets slowed down with “Dying,” but picks back up quickly with “I Don’t Even Care About The One I Love,” whose warm, light and bright strings contrast with cold lyrics.
What comes next is the best song and sure-to-be future single from In The Dark, the sunny California guitar pop of “Automatic.” The depth of its background vocals is what gives this late-album highlight its radiance and one you’ll have on repeat on your iPod, as will the title track, which spouts the most hum-able chorus you’ll come across here.
With the exception of just a few songs, In The Dark is yet another step up for this Georgia power trio. The sound is bigger, the hooks are sharper, and some are even damn near anthemic. With The Whigs touring yet again this year, this band will continue to be a band to watch. And a fine third record to hit the road with should no doubt help its cause.
4 Stars
For a free download of lead single “Kill Me Carolyne,” go to the official website of The Whigs.
Published at Blogcritics Magazine's website March 15, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Music DVD Review: Gary Moore - The Definitive Montreux Collection (2-DVD/CD)
Published first March 10, 2010 via Blogcritics Magazine
Fans of the glory days of ‘70s hard rock may remember guitar maestro Gary Moore via his three stints with his childhood friend (the late) Phil Lynott’s beloved Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. There, he made his name as a guitar virtuoso before going on his own in the 1980s, when he continued to be a hit with the hard rock/metal community, while also writing occasional ballads (like many heavy ‘80s groups).
By 1990, Moore had returned to his first love, blues rock, and toured behind the electric blues album Still Got The Blues, released that same year. Over the next 11 years, starting in July of ‘90, he played five memorable shows at the annual Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
Moore’s monstrous Montreux shows from 1990, 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2001 were released as Essential Montreux in audio form as a 5-CD box set and mp3 download last year. But as powerful as hearing the Belfast bluesman is, the visual aspect is what does his music true justice.
And now, after previously only being available on film via import, for the first time, these shows have been released in America as a 2-DVD set with a bonus CD entitled The Definitive Montreux Collection (Eagle Rock Entertainment).
The two DVDs here highlight 39 different songs from the five concerts and have all the essential post-Thin Lizzy Gary Moore cuts. The sets are mostly blues-based, but Moore does bring back his hard rock and metal sides every now and then.
In his 1990 set, Moore, with long, messy hair ripped through 15 cuts, about half of which are captured on the first DVD. Highlights include the loud and wild slide guitar-propelled hard rockin’ blues of “Moving On,” the soulful blues of “Midnight Blues,” and Albert Collins’ guest lead vocals and guitar playing on “Cold, Cold Feeling.”
In the 1995 set, the beloved hit and strings-aided ballad “Still Got The Blues” is a highlight (but is oddly excluded from the 1990 portion of the first DVD), as is the intimate “All Your Love.” Interesting to note is the sound of Moore’s voice in this performance, which has a trace of Steve Winwood to these ears.
Moving on to DVD two, the 1997 show – a personal fave of the five - sees the ace guitarist wearing sunglasses and a bright yellow shirt, all casual wear for a man far removed from the leather jacket days of the past. Moore’s most straight-ahead rocker “One Fine Day” starts off the set, followed by “Cold Wind Blows,” a slowly building, mid-tempo bluesy metal piece. Like fellow guitar virtuoso Steve Vai, Moore isn’t afraid to try new, exotic sounds, but the sitar featured on this track feels like a natural element of the tune. Its only drawback is the repetitive chorus towards the end.
The blissful “Always There For You” contains another side of Gary Moore you wouldn’t have seen 10 years earlier, one that experiments with electronic beats (like latter day Jeff Beck), and drum ‘n’ bass in particular. Keep in mind that Moore was listening to the likes of Roni Size at the time, and electronic music – The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers - in general was at its pinnacle, at least commercially.
1997 set closer “Out In The Fields” is the true metal-ish masterpiece here. Written by Phil Lynott and Moore and released in 1985, it’s about religious turmoil in their native Ireland and was one of the last (if not the last) tune Lynott wrote before his untimely death in January 1986 at the age of 36. Here, Moore stretches it out with a The Police-ish breakdown, and a raucous crowd enjoyed every bit of it, handclaps and all.
In the 1999 set, the 12-bar blues of “Tore Down” is aced by Moore and a tight backing band which includes keyboardist Vic Martin, who shines and effortlessly keeps up with the guitar whiz as they trade one short solo after another on the hoppin’ blues of “Further On Up The Road.” The strings-aided ballad “Parisienne Walkways,” another Moore-Lynott hit (from 1979) and crowd favorite, ends that track list.
Highlights of the 2001 set include the one-two-three punch of “Walking By Myself,” a rip-roaring cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” where Moore fits every improvised guitar lick he can between verses/choruses, and the swingin’ bluesy hard rock of “How Many More Lies.”
Gary Moore’s face may be a bit bigger by 2001 but his long hair is long gone, and in its place a short hairstyle that makes him look like Paul Simon at times. But looks are pretty much irrelevant here, as he still sings and plays with the same passion and enthusiasm in his fifth appearance at the Fest as he did in his first. The boyish joy he displays on the rockers and the painful expressions on his face during the more somber blues numbers are all elegantly captured throughout these shows.
The CD in this package is merely an 11-song sample of the Moore Montreux experience (or the mammoth Essential Montreux CD set), but a damn enjoyable one. It is highlighted by the metallic Irish rock of his mid-‘80s hit “Over The Hills And Far Away” (not a Led Zeppelin cover). Speaking of which, the only real disappointment in this package is the omissions of “Over The Hills” from the 1997 portion of the second DVD and that set’s opener “One Good Reason” from either DVD or CD form.
That said, with 50 total songs (including the 11 on CD) that total over five hours, The Definitive Montreux Collection captures Gary Moore doing what he does best: playing his ass off. It also serves as a natural and largely satisfactory complement to the Essential Montreux set, which totals over six hours.
To put it simply, Gary Moore fans who've stuck with him over the years, and fans of loud and soft blues music in general can’t go wrong with this three-disc package. If seeing is believing, this marathon set will make you appreciate Moore’s talent and musical works more than ever before.
4 1/2 stars
Fans of the glory days of ‘70s hard rock may remember guitar maestro Gary Moore via his three stints with his childhood friend (the late) Phil Lynott’s beloved Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. There, he made his name as a guitar virtuoso before going on his own in the 1980s, when he continued to be a hit with the hard rock/metal community, while also writing occasional ballads (like many heavy ‘80s groups).
By 1990, Moore had returned to his first love, blues rock, and toured behind the electric blues album Still Got The Blues, released that same year. Over the next 11 years, starting in July of ‘90, he played five memorable shows at the annual Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
Moore’s monstrous Montreux shows from 1990, 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2001 were released as Essential Montreux in audio form as a 5-CD box set and mp3 download last year. But as powerful as hearing the Belfast bluesman is, the visual aspect is what does his music true justice.
And now, after previously only being available on film via import, for the first time, these shows have been released in America as a 2-DVD set with a bonus CD entitled The Definitive Montreux Collection (Eagle Rock Entertainment).
The two DVDs here highlight 39 different songs from the five concerts and have all the essential post-Thin Lizzy Gary Moore cuts. The sets are mostly blues-based, but Moore does bring back his hard rock and metal sides every now and then.
In his 1990 set, Moore, with long, messy hair ripped through 15 cuts, about half of which are captured on the first DVD. Highlights include the loud and wild slide guitar-propelled hard rockin’ blues of “Moving On,” the soulful blues of “Midnight Blues,” and Albert Collins’ guest lead vocals and guitar playing on “Cold, Cold Feeling.”
In the 1995 set, the beloved hit and strings-aided ballad “Still Got The Blues” is a highlight (but is oddly excluded from the 1990 portion of the first DVD), as is the intimate “All Your Love.” Interesting to note is the sound of Moore’s voice in this performance, which has a trace of Steve Winwood to these ears.
Moving on to DVD two, the 1997 show – a personal fave of the five - sees the ace guitarist wearing sunglasses and a bright yellow shirt, all casual wear for a man far removed from the leather jacket days of the past. Moore’s most straight-ahead rocker “One Fine Day” starts off the set, followed by “Cold Wind Blows,” a slowly building, mid-tempo bluesy metal piece. Like fellow guitar virtuoso Steve Vai, Moore isn’t afraid to try new, exotic sounds, but the sitar featured on this track feels like a natural element of the tune. Its only drawback is the repetitive chorus towards the end.
The blissful “Always There For You” contains another side of Gary Moore you wouldn’t have seen 10 years earlier, one that experiments with electronic beats (like latter day Jeff Beck), and drum ‘n’ bass in particular. Keep in mind that Moore was listening to the likes of Roni Size at the time, and electronic music – The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers - in general was at its pinnacle, at least commercially.
1997 set closer “Out In The Fields” is the true metal-ish masterpiece here. Written by Phil Lynott and Moore and released in 1985, it’s about religious turmoil in their native Ireland and was one of the last (if not the last) tune Lynott wrote before his untimely death in January 1986 at the age of 36. Here, Moore stretches it out with a The Police-ish breakdown, and a raucous crowd enjoyed every bit of it, handclaps and all.
In the 1999 set, the 12-bar blues of “Tore Down” is aced by Moore and a tight backing band which includes keyboardist Vic Martin, who shines and effortlessly keeps up with the guitar whiz as they trade one short solo after another on the hoppin’ blues of “Further On Up The Road.” The strings-aided ballad “Parisienne Walkways,” another Moore-Lynott hit (from 1979) and crowd favorite, ends that track list.
Highlights of the 2001 set include the one-two-three punch of “Walking By Myself,” a rip-roaring cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” where Moore fits every improvised guitar lick he can between verses/choruses, and the swingin’ bluesy hard rock of “How Many More Lies.”
Gary Moore’s face may be a bit bigger by 2001 but his long hair is long gone, and in its place a short hairstyle that makes him look like Paul Simon at times. But looks are pretty much irrelevant here, as he still sings and plays with the same passion and enthusiasm in his fifth appearance at the Fest as he did in his first. The boyish joy he displays on the rockers and the painful expressions on his face during the more somber blues numbers are all elegantly captured throughout these shows.
The CD in this package is merely an 11-song sample of the Moore Montreux experience (or the mammoth Essential Montreux CD set), but a damn enjoyable one. It is highlighted by the metallic Irish rock of his mid-‘80s hit “Over The Hills And Far Away” (not a Led Zeppelin cover). Speaking of which, the only real disappointment in this package is the omissions of “Over The Hills” from the 1997 portion of the second DVD and that set’s opener “One Good Reason” from either DVD or CD form.
That said, with 50 total songs (including the 11 on CD) that total over five hours, The Definitive Montreux Collection captures Gary Moore doing what he does best: playing his ass off. It also serves as a natural and largely satisfactory complement to the Essential Montreux set, which totals over six hours.
To put it simply, Gary Moore fans who've stuck with him over the years, and fans of loud and soft blues music in general can’t go wrong with this three-disc package. If seeing is believing, this marathon set will make you appreciate Moore’s talent and musical works more than ever before.
4 1/2 stars
Monday, February 15, 2010
Music Review: Motion Turns It On - Kaleidoscopic Equinox
Published earlier today first at Blogcritics Magazine
For over five years, progressive and jazz-minded psychedelic post-rockers Motion Turns It On (Chocolate Lab Records) have been developing a tight, yet free form sound they can call their own. In 2007 the then all-instrumental band released its impressive debut six-song Rima EP, and a live record, Live At The Southpaw, followed early the next year.
For its long-awaited debut full-length Kaleidoscopic Equinox, which hits stores Tuesday, February 16, the band recorded plenty of bass parts but went from a foursome to a “bass-free” trio (parting ways with Derek Sinquefield), which now consists of William Kenny (guitar), Steve Smith (drums) and Andres Londono (keyboards). They did however add one new wrinkle to its densely layered mix: vocals (courtesy of Londono and Kenny).
On Rima, MTIO already sounded like seasoned pros. If you had to draw comparisons, hints of fellow Texans Explosions In The Sky and Mars Volta, or even Chicago’s post-rock mainstays Tortoise could be found if you looked hard enough. With Equinox, you get an even more creative, intense and fucked-up beast of a sound. A kaleidoscope of sounds is more like it.
After a brief intro to the album, a heavy, five-minute long math rocker “Exchanging Souvenirs” gets the record off to an enjoyably noisy and forceful start.
Extraterrestrial sounds and feedback make up interlude “Teraform” before the one-two punch of jazz/rock tunes “Lo Pido Con Piedad” and “Occipitalized” blast through your speakers to show off the threesome’s incredibly tight arrangements and tremendous musicianship. The latter track would qualify as a frantic Mars Volta cover if you didn’t know better.
Elsewhere, the seven-minute-long “Moyedi,” despite its indecipherable distorted vocals, has a flair for the dramatic, musically speaking, but gets lost in itself for a bit too long around the halfway point, then without warning, heads into a strong, rockin’ steady finish.
“No Limbo” sounds like the musical equivalent of the Twilight Zone with its weird synths and airy guitars, while the psychedelic "Way Station" could be the soundtrack to a journey into outer space.
All is well that ends well, as they say, and a seamless transition from lead single “Give Up The Ghosts” to the dreamy, warm “Sinking Suns” is a welcomed bookend to Motion Turns It On’s first proper full-length. Here, as in other places on the record, the (heavily processed) vocals serve as another instrument, blended smoothly into its sea of sounds.
It will take a few spins of Kaleidoscopic Equinox to take in all of its crackling energy, intensity, and few moments of relative calmness. But aside from a few periods of over indulgence, it is an adventurous listen that aggressive prog rock fans will surely dig.
The band may be making a lot of noise on this disc, but with a few important gigs lined up at the annual SXSW Festival in March, Motion Turns It On is bound to turn some heads with their explosive live shows as well.
Further Listening:
Download ”Give Up The Ghosts” for free at the Chocolate Lab Records website.
Click on the following highlighted links to watch live Motion Turns It On performances of Rima track “Satelightening” and unreleased live song ”Backspinn.”
For over five years, progressive and jazz-minded psychedelic post-rockers Motion Turns It On (Chocolate Lab Records) have been developing a tight, yet free form sound they can call their own. In 2007 the then all-instrumental band released its impressive debut six-song Rima EP, and a live record, Live At The Southpaw, followed early the next year.
For its long-awaited debut full-length Kaleidoscopic Equinox, which hits stores Tuesday, February 16, the band recorded plenty of bass parts but went from a foursome to a “bass-free” trio (parting ways with Derek Sinquefield), which now consists of William Kenny (guitar), Steve Smith (drums) and Andres Londono (keyboards). They did however add one new wrinkle to its densely layered mix: vocals (courtesy of Londono and Kenny).
On Rima, MTIO already sounded like seasoned pros. If you had to draw comparisons, hints of fellow Texans Explosions In The Sky and Mars Volta, or even Chicago’s post-rock mainstays Tortoise could be found if you looked hard enough. With Equinox, you get an even more creative, intense and fucked-up beast of a sound. A kaleidoscope of sounds is more like it.
After a brief intro to the album, a heavy, five-minute long math rocker “Exchanging Souvenirs” gets the record off to an enjoyably noisy and forceful start.
Extraterrestrial sounds and feedback make up interlude “Teraform” before the one-two punch of jazz/rock tunes “Lo Pido Con Piedad” and “Occipitalized” blast through your speakers to show off the threesome’s incredibly tight arrangements and tremendous musicianship. The latter track would qualify as a frantic Mars Volta cover if you didn’t know better.
Elsewhere, the seven-minute-long “Moyedi,” despite its indecipherable distorted vocals, has a flair for the dramatic, musically speaking, but gets lost in itself for a bit too long around the halfway point, then without warning, heads into a strong, rockin’ steady finish.
“No Limbo” sounds like the musical equivalent of the Twilight Zone with its weird synths and airy guitars, while the psychedelic "Way Station" could be the soundtrack to a journey into outer space.
All is well that ends well, as they say, and a seamless transition from lead single “Give Up The Ghosts” to the dreamy, warm “Sinking Suns” is a welcomed bookend to Motion Turns It On’s first proper full-length. Here, as in other places on the record, the (heavily processed) vocals serve as another instrument, blended smoothly into its sea of sounds.
It will take a few spins of Kaleidoscopic Equinox to take in all of its crackling energy, intensity, and few moments of relative calmness. But aside from a few periods of over indulgence, it is an adventurous listen that aggressive prog rock fans will surely dig.
The band may be making a lot of noise on this disc, but with a few important gigs lined up at the annual SXSW Festival in March, Motion Turns It On is bound to turn some heads with their explosive live shows as well.
Further Listening:
Download ”Give Up The Ghosts” for free at the Chocolate Lab Records website.
Click on the following highlighted links to watch live Motion Turns It On performances of Rima track “Satelightening” and unreleased live song ”Backspinn.”
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