antiReviews

---

Caught In The Act: Lita Ford Live Rob Grabowski caught Lita Ford In The Act during show at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, IL. on Friday Nov. 9, 2018. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full Lita Ford Live review

Holiday Gift Guide: Box Sets Part 3 This holiday season offers a real bonanza for fans of box sets and other special collections, and here we give you the scoop on sets from R.E.M. and Kalapana Read the full Box Sets Part 3 review

Santa's Jukebox: Nutcracker, Thor, Mitch Ryder, Engelbert Humperdinck, Reuel Santa has a big bag full of new holiday releases; here we preview a classic title on vinyl and a handful of CD releases for you. Read the full Nutcracker, Thor, Mitch Ryder, Engelbert Humperdinck, Reuel review

Holiday Gift Guide: Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction Super Deluxe Edition 4-CDs + Blu-ray Guns N Roses fans will be headed straight to Paradise City with this big Appetite for Destruction box set Read the full Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction Super Deluxe Edition 4-CDs + Blu-ray review

Caught In The Act: Imagine Dragons Live Rob Grabowski caught Imagine Dragons In The Act at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on Friday, July 13, 2018, in Tinley Park, IL stop of their Evolve World Tour Read the full Imagine Dragons Live review

Live from Celebrity Theatre: Star-Studded Winter Line-Up Phoenixs favorite concert venue has a star-studded line-up on the way! Here are some of the upcoming shows coming to the Celebrity Theatre, Arizonas legendary theater in-the-round. Read the full Star-Studded Winter Line-Up review

Caught In The Act: The Struts Live Rob Grabowski caught The StrutsIn The Act during show at the House of Blues on Friday, Nov. 23, 2018, in Chicago., IL. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full The Struts Live review

Caught In The Act: Steel Panther Live Rob Grabowski caught Steel Panther In The Act during show at the House of Blues on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018, in Chicago, IL.. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full Steel Panther Live review



Root 66: Rick Monroe - Smoke Out the Window Sporting a beard, dark glasses and a cowboy hat in the cover photo of Smoke Out the Window, Monroe looks a little Waylon-ish Read the full Rick Monroe - Smoke Out the Window review

Holiday Gift Guide: Box Sets, Part 1 - Hendrix, ELO, Angel The holiday season is always overflowing with new box set releases and other special collections, and here are a few of our favorite recent releases from Angel, ELO and Jimi Hendrix. Read the full Box Sets, Part 1 - Hendrix, ELO, Angel review

Bastian Baker - Bastian Baker Baker is a multi-platinum selling artist outside of the U.S. and hes released three albums prior to this self-titled effort, his debut in the States. Read the full Bastian Baker - Bastian Baker review

Root 66: Mark Wayne Glasmire - Can't Be Denied The singer, songwriter and acoustic guitarist has a penchant for the mellow country rock sound as popularized by the Eagles Read the full Mark Wayne Glasmire - Can't Be Denied review

Caught In The Act: Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein Live Rob Grabowski caught Misfits star Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein of the band Doyle In The Act during show at BaseCamp in Lisle, IL. on Thursday Nov 2, 2018. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein Live review

One in the Chamber - I've Got Something to Say... Fresh, tight and always rocking, fans of heavy rock will enjoy these straight shooters. Read the full One in the Chamber - I've Got Something to Say... review

Caught In The Act: John 5 Live Rob Grabowski caught John 5 In The Act during show at The Forge in Joliet, IL. on Thursday Nov 1, 2018. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full John 5 Live review

Ghost Live In Chicago There is no other band in the world quite like Ghost. Over the last decade and four albums, theyve maintained an aura of mystery behind them Read the full Ghost Live In Chicago review

Monster Truck - True Rockers Monster Truck must be burning nitro this time out as they come out careening down the rock and roll highway with True Rocker Read the full Monster Truck - True Rockers review

Pure Fire: The Ultimate KISS Tribute This homage to KISS begins with Detroit Rock City featuring Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) on lead vocals and Doug Aldrich (Dio, Whitesnake) on guitar Read the full Pure Fire: The Ultimate KISS Tribute review

Caught In The Act: Twenty One Pilots Live Rob Grabowski caught Twenty One Pilots In The Act during the Chicago stop of the The Bandito Tour at the United Center on Oct 17, 2018. Read the full Twenty One Pilots Live review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Turks & Caicos Travelers headed to the Turks & Caicos Islands in November will find plenty of delights for the palate awaiting as two festivals are on tap Read the full Turks & Caicos review



Caught In The Act: Alice Cooper Live Rob Grabowski caught Alice Cooper In The Act during in Rockford, IL stop of the A Paranormal Evening with Alice Cooper tour at the Coronado Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, Oct 24, 2018. Read the full Alice Cooper Live review

Box Sets: Stax '68: A Memphis Story In retrospect 50 years on, and proof is found in the music within this 5-CD box set, it can be said that 1968 was a very good year for Stax Records Read the full Stax '68: A Memphis Story review

Caught In The Act: Florence + The Machine Live In Chicago Rob Grabowski caught Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine In The Act during The High As Hope Tour stop at the United Center on Friday, Oct 19, 2018, in Chicago. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full Florence + The Machine Live In Chicago review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Halloween Edition If youd like to mix some Halloween fun in with a journey out of town, weve got some ideas here that you might like. Happy Halloween! Read the full Halloween Edition review

Haunted Hits and Terrifying Treats Halloween has rolled around once again and its time for the slasher book and new albums by bands with scary names were about to tell you about are more fun than they are frightful. Read the full Haunted Hits and Terrifying Treats review

Pearl Jam's vs 25 Years Later This week marks the 25th anniversary of the release of Pearl Jams sophomore album vs. and today Tony K takes a looks back at the record Read the full Pearl Jam's vs 25 Years Later review

Caught In The Act: L.A. Guns Live Rob Grabowski caught L.A. Guns In The Act during show at The Forge in Joliet, IL. on Thursday Oct 11, 2018. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full L.A. Guns Live review

On The Record: The Tomicks If youve ever been low on funds and forced to get as much as you can on the cuff then you can relate to Im Good for It, this albums opening track Read the full The Tomicks review

MorleyView: K.K. Downing (Judas Priest) Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing spoke to Morley about his excellent new autobiography Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest and a number of other topics. Read the full KK Downing (Judas Priest) MorleyView

Leader Of Down (Motorhead) - Cascade Into Chaos Leader of Down was formed by late Motörhead guitarist Würzel (real name Michael Burston) and bass player Tim Atkinson a decade ago Read the full Leader Of Down (Motorhead) - Cascade Into Chaos review

Caught In The Act: Tremonti Live Rob Grabowski caught Tremonti In The Act during a show at Rochaus in Dundee, IL. on Thursday Oct 4, 2018. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full Tremonti Live review

Sites and Sounds: Trailing Of The Sheep Festival Many things may claim to be wild and wooly, but were going to tell you about a festival taking place in Idaho that really lives up to the description! Read the full Trailing Of The Sheep Festival review

Remembering Geoff Emerick The world lost a giant in music Geoff Emerick. His may not have been a household name but almost everyone has heard his work Read the full Remembering Geoff Emerick review

Sean Ardoin - Kreole Rock and Soul Sean Ardoin steps out here for a solo album that reflects not only his deep connection to Creole music but also his affection for rock and R&B Read the full Sean Ardoin - Kreole Rock and Soul review

Caught In The Act: Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band Live In Chicago Rob Grabowski caught Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band 2018 In The Act during show at the Chicago Theatre on September 22. Check out Robs great photos and review! Read the full Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band Live In Chicago review



Root 66 Week: Grand Old Grizzly - Pure Country Pyrite Showing that they have a sense of humor, this four piece band takes a poke at themselves with the album title Pure Country Pyrite Read the full Grand Old Grizzly - Pure Country Pyrite review

Root 66 Week: The Mountain Home Family - Come See About Me Heres a various artists compilation that not only offers songs by beloved groups like the Lonesome River Band and the Grascals Read the full The Mountain Home Family - Come See About Me review

Root 66 Week: Dennis K. Duff - Songs from Lyon County This nine-song set features original songs from Duff that were inspired by his life, the lives of his ancestors, and the general history of the titular Lyon County Read the full Dennis K. Duff - Songs from Lyon County review

Root 66 Week: Banjo Nickaru & Western Scooches - Get Us Out Of Fearland Banjo Nickaru & Western Scooches is essentially a duo comprised of guitarist and banjo player Nick Russo and singer Betina Hershey Read the full Banjo Nickaru & Western Scooches - Get Us Out Of Fearland review

The Public Image Is Rotten The Public Image is Rotten is a thoughtful and thorough look at the band PiL and the brainchild behind it, John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten. Read the full The Public Image Is Rotten review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: September 2018 Heres news on a few things that just might make the next trip you take the best one youve ever experienced! Read the full September 2018 review

Alien Country - Like My Life Depends on It Those that love acts like The Fall and Captain Beefheart will discover a kindred spirit with Alien Country. Read the full Alien Country - Like My Life Depends on It review

Mettle - 27 Ghosts The appeal of 27 Ghosts can be boiled down to the three most important ingredients: great songs, strong vocals and competent instrumentation. Read the full Mettle - 27 Ghosts review

Caught In The Act: Judas Priest and Deep Purple Live Rob Grabowski caught Judas Priest and Deep Purple In The Act during show at he Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on Wednesday, Aug 22, 2018, in Tinley Park, IL. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full Judas Priest and Deep Purple Live review

Journey and Def Leppard Rock Talking Stick Arena in Phoenix Fans were treated to an evening of non-stop hits as two groups who have plenty of them, Journey and Def Leppard, teamed up for a September 7 show at the Talking Stick Arena in downtown Phoenix Read the full Journey and Def Leppard Rock Talking Stick Arena in Phoenix review

Fall Out Boy: The Road To Wrigley Its been sixty-seven months since the Subterranean show where the capacity was 400 and at Wrigley Field, theyll add two zeroes to that number for the largest headline show of their career. Read the full Fall Out Boy: The Road To Wrigley review

Amaris - Aquamarine Amaris Wenceslas, who goes by the singular name of Amaris, is a multihyphenated Dutch-Swiss-New Guinean singer songwriter Read the full Amaris - Aquamarine review

Sites and Sounds: September's Most Enticing Festivals Temperatures are cooling as we head into autumn but the music festival scene remains red hot! Here are our picks for some of Septembers most enticing festivals. Read the full September's Most Enticing Festivals review

Maxwell James - Self-Titled Maxwell James recorded this EP at Farmland Studios, a house converted into a studio. Let it be known, Nashvilles got soul, and Maxwell James is living proof. Read the full Maxwell James - Self-Titled review

RockPile: Saxon Edition Wow, what a bonanza for fans of Saxon! Each release is loaded up with rare bonus recordings that include demos, live material and remixes. Read the full Saxon Edition review



Novagolde - Self-Titled Novagolde creates progressive rock, which includes rocking guitars, spacey keyboards and vocals that hide a little bit toward the back of the mix. Read the full Novagolde - Self-Titled review

Clutch - Book of Bad Decisions Book of Bad Decisions begins on an ominous note as vocalist Neil Fallon sings about getting out of Dodge on Gimme the Keys Read the full Clutch - Book of Bad Decisions review

MorleyView: Adrian Galysh Adrian Galysh has been a part of major projects involving Uli Jon Roth, Yngwie Malmsteen, George Lynch and many more as well as a solo artist. Read the full Adrian Galysh MorleyView

On The Record: Spotlight On Pirates Press Records Part 1 In Part 1 of our Pirates Press Records spotlight we look at some of the imprints recent releases on vinyl. Read the full Spotlight On Pirates Press Records Part 1 review

Sites and Sounds: Late Summer and Early Autumn Music Festival Weve got info on a few upcoming late summer/early autumn music festivals that have exciting line-ups Read the full Late Summer and Early Autumn Music Festival review

Caught In The Act: Lollapalooza 2018 Rob Grabowski caught a lot of stars In The Act during Lollapalooza 2018. Check out Robs great photos including Greta Van Fleet, LL Cool J and more! Read the full Lollapalooza 2018 review

Get To Know... Jennie Johnson Soulful pop singer/songwriter Jennie Johnsons new EP is called Note to Self, but the songs within actually have a lot to say to and about humanity at large. Read the full Jennie Johnson review

Jay Z and Beyonce 'On the Run II' Concert Review The lights dimmed at 9:13pm inside Soldier Field and on the massive screen, encompassing the entire end of the field, a series of words appeared one-by-one Read the full Jay Z and Beyonce 'On the Run II' Concert Review review

Allman Goldflies Band - Second Chance This band is named after singer and keys man Gary Allman and bassist David Goldflies. The latest entry from the extended Allman Brothers family Read the full Allman Goldflies Band - Second Chance review

Alone With Chrissie Hynde DVD This up close and personal look weaves in live material along with day-to-day of the Pretenders leader in her life offstage. Read the full Alone With Chrissie Hynde DVD review

Lollapalooza 2018 Day Four Report Over the course of the last decade, Lollapalooza has evolved from a alternative rock presence to one that has a little bit of everything for everyone Read the full Lollapalooza 2018 Day Four Report review

Road Trip: Temecula: Southern California's Wine (and Music) Country, Part 2 Our second stop finds us at Wiens Family Cellars where, between sips of wine, we learned about the owner's substantial background in the music business. Read the full Temecula: Southern California's Wine (and Music) Country, Part 2 Road Trip

Lollapalooza 2018 Day Three Report Lollapaloozas third day, Saturday August 4th, had the greatest competition for the headline slot with Vampire Weekend, The Weekend and Zedd Read the full Lollapalooza 2018 Day Three Report review

Live from Celebrity Theatre: Ted Nugent As a recording of the Rolling Stones Street Fighting Man gave way to a live cyclone of guitar riffs, Ted Nugent strolled on stage at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix Aug. 8. Read the full Ted Nugent review

Lollapalooza 2018 Day Two Report The fans came out and by 2:30 the park was near capacity while an eclectic set of musicians serenaded 100,000 fans for ten hours. EDM, rock n roll, hip-hop and pop ruled Friday. Read the full Lollapalooza 2018 Day Two Report review

Lollapalooza 2018 - Day One Report I can't quit Lollapalooza even if I wanted to try. With the addition of a fourth day to the festival in 2016, the festival has turned into an endurance test for those who secure weekend passes. Read the full Lollapalooza 2018 - Day One Report review

Get To Know... Fishtank Led by singer Talitha Giusti, Fishtank is a British alt rock band and their recently-released Why Am I Swimming Around Like This? is a very impressive debut Read the full Fishtank review



It's been all over the universe (well, Seattle and Denver and other earthly places, at least) and now the traveling exhibit "Star Wars" and the Power of Costume http://www.rocknworld.com/roadtrip/18/dsw/index.shtml Panic! at the Disco: Sinful Salvation Live In Chicago Panic! at the Disco rode into Chicagos United Center for a storming show high on musical ecstasy. Read the full Panic! at the Disco: Sinful Salvation Live In Chicago review

Quick Flicks: The Beatles - Yellow Submarine The yellow submarine has been floating around Pepperland for half a century now so its understandable that she recently went into dry dock for a bit of fixing up. Read the full The Beatles - Yellow Submarine review

Good Field - Surface Tension Good Field comes with great credentials, as Jim Eno (of Spoon) and James Petralli (of White Denim) helped produce Surface Tension. Read the full Good Field - Surface Tension review

Festival d'ete de Quebec 2018 Part 2: Fans Treated to Free Concerts The biggest stars play on the main stage. But there are two stages where the music is always free! Read the full Festival dete de Quebec 2018 Part 2: Fans Treated to Free Concerts review

Festival d'ete de Quebec 2018 Part 1: Stars Come Out To Play More than 250 shows took place on multiple stages throughout historic old Quebec where ancient walls and ramparts of the once completely fortified city still stand Read the full Festival d'ete de Quebec 2018 Part 1: Stars Come Out To Play review

On The Record: Craft Recordings: Buddy Guy- Tom Fogerty And More Here we listen to two vintage solo albums from former members of Creedence Clearwater Revival and two blues classics that have hit the half century mark Read the full Craft Recordings: Buddy Guy- Tom Fogerty And More review

Ali McManus - Unbreakable OK, lets get the obvious out of the way. Ali McManus is a 20 year old singer-songwriter that has experienced a pile of health problems in her short life Read the full Ali McManus - Unbreakable review

Road Trip: Temecula: Southern California's Wine (and Music) Country, Part 1 Wine and music have long gone hand in hand; the right combination of the two can be the perfect mood enhancer whether excitement, relaxation or something in between is the goal Read the full Temecula: Southern California's Wine (and Music) Country, Part 1 Road Trip

Kicklighter - Paper Planes, Vol. 1 There is much to love about Kicklighter, which is the name Everett Young has given his project. Read the full Kicklighter - Paper Planes, Vol. 1 review

The Blues: Ladies Special Edition Summer Kevin Wierzbicki checks in with his look at four rockin new releases from some the leading ladies of the blues. Read the full Ladies Special Edition Summer review

On The Record: Twilight 22 and Lunden Reign Our focus on newly-released vinyl listens to brand new music from Lunden Reign and a reissue from Twilight 22. Read the full Twilight 22 and Lunden Reign review

Sites and Sounds: Sounds of the South Edition If you live in the South or are planning a road trip there this summer youll have plenty of opportunities to spend some time enjoying live music Read the full Sounds of the South Edition review

Ray Davies - Our Country: Americana Act II (5 Stars) Kinks frontman and solo artist Davies has lately turned his attention to the Colonies and is writing about American life. Read the full Ray Davies - Our Country: Americana Act II (5 Stars) review

Sites and Sounds: FEQ 2018 - 11 Days Of Music Do you think you can handle a music festival that lasts for 11-days? If youd like to give it a try, head to picturesque Quebec City for FEQ 2018 Read the full FEQ 2018 - 11 Days Of Music review



Agency - Exponents Our current music world allows new artists are likely exposed to a lot of different sounds . This has resulted in indescribably cool music -- like Agency. Read the full Agency - Exponents review

Marty Thompson - Romantic Stories This musician, raised in West Texas, was also a long way from home when he created these works. Romantic Stories is a strong rock album Read the full Marty Thompson - Romantic Stories review

Caught In The Act: Dokken Live Rob Grabowski caught Dokken In The Act during his show at Arcada Theatre on Friday, May 25, 2018, in St. Charles. IL Read the full Dokken Live review

Passport: The Motorhead Of Folk And More This musical trip around the world features Sikh Kirtan music, Celtic rock and a delightful mash-up of Welsh and Senegalese sounds. Happy travels! Read the full The Motorhead Of Folk And More review

Caught In The Act: Poison's Nothin' But A Good Time Tour Rob Grabowski caught Poison In The Act during the Nothin But a Good Time Tour at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Read the full Poison's Nothin' But A Good Time Tour review

Road Trip: The Detroit Music Weekend The Detroit Music Weekend took place June 14-17 in the city's sports and entertainment district, a thoroughly revitalized part of the city Read the full The Detroit Music Weekend Road Trip

In the Light of Led Zeppelin - Pompeii Sessions With Pompeii Sessions, In the Light of Led Zeppelin gives us an evolved Led Zeppelin, if you will. Read the full In the Light of Led Zeppelin - Pompeii Sessions review

Ashley J - Satisfied Ashley J is in the process of establishing herself as a rising star and shes wasting no time doing it. Trapped, the lead track on this five-song EP, recently spent four consecutive weeks lodged at #1 on the European Independent Music Charts. Read the full Ashley J - Satisfied review

Caught In The Act: Tom Keifer Live Rob Grabowski caught Tom Keifer In The Act during his show at Arcada Theatre on Friday, May 25, 2018, in St. Charles. IL. Read the full Tom Keifer Live review

Jonathan Davis - Black Labyrinth While there are some new wrinkles in the cloth Jonathan has created with Black Labyrinth, the album is mostly more of the same kinds of songs weve come to expect from this Korn frontman Read the full Jonathan Davis - Black Labyrinth review

Daryl Hall and John Oates & Train Live In Chicago At Chicagos United Center in late May, Daryl Hall, John Oates and Train performed pitch perfect sets totaling more than three-hours to a sold-out crowd. Read the full Daryl Hall and John Oates & Train Live In Chicago review

Caught In The Act: Depeche Mode the Global Spirit Tour Part II Rob Grabowski caught Depeche Mode In The Act during the Chicago stop of their Global Spirit Tour at the United Center on Friday, June 1 Read the full Depeche Mode the Global Spirit Tour Part II review

Jann Arden - These Are The Days These Are The Days is the kind of record that will compel you to throw your radio in the trash. Read the full Jann Arden - These Are The Days review

The Alan Parsons Live Project In Phoenix The Alan Parsons Live Project performed before a packed house in Phoenix on June 8, playing two dozen songs including the I Robot album in its entirety Read the full The Alan Parsons Live Project In Phoenix review

Caught In The Act: Depeche Mode the Global Spirit Tour Part I Rob Grabowski caught Depeche Mode In The Act during the Chicago stop of their Global Spirit Tour at the United Center on Friday, June 1 Read the full Depeche Mode the Global Spirit Tour Part I review

Ghostly Beard - Inward Ghostly Beard from Montreal, QC, is an eclectic act that touches upon pop and rock, all with a jazzy touch. Patrick Talbot is the driving force behind the slightly spooky moniker, providing all the instrumentation and singing. Read the full Ghostly Beard - Inward review

Root 66: Bob Rea, The County Well and Joe Goldmark For this brand new installment of Root 66, Kevin Wierzbicki spotlights the best of recent Americana releases with a look at new albums from Bob Rea, The County Well and Joe Goldmark. Read the full Bob Rea, The County Well and Joe Goldmark review

Caught In The Act: Shania Twain Live In Chicago Rob Grabowski caught Shania Twain In The Act during her NOW tour show at the United Center on Saturday, May 19, 2018, in Chicago. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full Shania Twain Live In Chicago review

Box Sets: The Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky 35th Anniversary Edition This is a really good time for fans of the Alan Parsons Project and especially for fans whose favorite album is Eye in the Sky. Legacy Records has released a special 35th anniversary edition of the album Read the full The Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky 35th Anniversary Edition review

Jethro Tull 50th Anniversary Tour Kick Off The Jethro Tull 50th Anniversary tour kicked off at Comerica Theatre in downtown Phoenix, and even though it was the first show of the tour, Tull frontman Ian Anderson and his band displayed consummate musicianship from first note to last Read the full Jethro Tull 50th Anniversary Tour Kick Off review

Strange Culprits Strange Culprits lead singer Jason Buckingham sounds a little like Pearl Jams Eddie Vedder, only Buckingham isnt nearly as smooth as the Seattle grunge legend. This Bay Area trio also plays loud, folk-ish rock, not grunge. Read the full Strange Culprits review

Get To Know... Marmalakes Chase Weinacht and Josh Halpern are the front men of Marmalakes, an Austin-based band that released their debut full-length recording Please Dont Stop on May 11. Read the full Marmalakes review

Caught In The Act: U2's THE eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour Rob Grabowski caught U2 In The Act during their THE eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE tour stop at the United Center in Chicago on Wednesday, May 23, 2018. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full U2's THE eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour review

Southern Halo - Just Like in the Movies The ladies of Southern Halo, sisters Natalia, Christina and Hannah Morris, are tuned in to two distinctly different musical worlds Southern Halo are definitely ready for their close-up, Just Like in the Movies. Read the full Southern Halo - Just Like in the Movies review

Sites and Sounds: On the Blue Cruise The line-up for the On the Blue Cruise is nothing short of spectacular for fans of classic rock. Joining Hayward will be 60s hit makers the Zombies, Dave Mason (Traffic, Fleetwood Mac), Steve Hackett (Genesis), Alan Parsons and more Read the full On the Blue Cruise review

On The Record: Mike Ness Our spotlight on vinyl listens to two early solo albums from Social Distortion front man Mike Ness, reissued on the Craft Recordings label, including his 1999 solo debut and his Under The Influences album. Read the full Mike Ness review

Sites and Sounds: Cruise to the Edge Widely regarded as the fathers of progressive rock, English rock band Yes have also become big daddies when it comes to music cruises. The prog kings are once again set to take to the high seas with the sixth annual Cruise to the Edge Read the full Cruise to the Edge review

Caught In The Act: Sons Of Apollo Live In Chicago Rob Grabowski caught the supergroup Sons Of Apollo In The Act during their show at the Arcada Theatre on Saturday, May 12, 2018, in St. Charles. Check out Robs great photos and his recap of the explosive performance Read the full Sons Of Apollo Live In Chicago review

Sites and Sounds: Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks Its going to be a summer full of music in Missouris Lake of the Ozarks region as the Shawnee Bluff Vineyard has announced a rockin concert line-up that runs through mid-October. Read the full Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks review

The Blues: Myles Goodwyn - Myles Goodwyn and Friends of the Blues Its not unusual for rockers to return to their roots in the golden years of their career and here guitarist Goodwyn, a founder of Canadian rock band April Wine, presents a set comprised mostly of blues songs he wrote over his rock years Read the full Myles Goodwyn - Myles Goodwyn and Friends of the Blues review

The Blues: Ally Venable Band - Puppet Show Venables new album begins with a scorching blues rocker called Devils Son, on which she plays electric guitar and trades riffs with guest player Gary Hoey who lends his talents on Dobro Read the full Ally Venable Band - Puppet Show review

Caught In The Act: Gene Simmons Live Rob Grabowski caught Gene Simmons In The Act during the KISS legends show at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, IL. on Thursday May 3, 2018 and event got to join him on stage. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full Gene Simmons Live review

The Blues: Arkansas Dave - Self Titled Singer and multi-instrumentalist Arkansas Dave currently resides in Austin but the blues rocker went to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to record this debut effort at the vaunted FAME Studios, and the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section Read the full Arkansas Dave - Self Titled review

MorleyView: Journey's Jonathan Cain An integral part of three major bands, The Babys, Bad English and, of course, Journey. Jonathan has written countless songs and none more important than the most downloaded song in rock music history, "Don't Stop Believin'". Read the full Journey's Jonathan Cain MorleyView

Love - Forever Changes: 50th Anniversary Edition (Box set with LP, 4-CDs and DVD) Overshadowed by fellow psychedelic rockers like the Doors, Love never got the recognition that they deserved. Still the band took on a cult-like following based on the strength of recordings like their 1967 release, Forever Changes Read the full Love - Forever Changes: 50th Anniversary Edition (Box set with LP, 4-CDs and DVD) review

Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses: New Shoes Edition - (Parlophone/Rhino) This year is the 50th anniversary of Jethro Tull and Parlophone and Rhino Records have been releasing expanded box set editions of classic Tull albums in the lead-up to the milestone, all of which feature as their centerpiece a Steven Wilson remix Read the full Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses: New Shoes Edition - (Parlophone/Rhino) review

Chicago - VI Decades Live (This is What We Do) Box Set Heres a real jackpot for Chicago fans as this 4CD + DVD set contains hours and hours of live performance, all of it previously-unreleased. As the album title indicates, the performances span six decades Read the full Chicago - VI Decades Live (This is What We Do) Box Set review

Caught In The Act: 2018 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Rob Grabowski caught Bon Jovi, The Moody Blues, The Cars and more In The Act during this years Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony last month. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full 2018 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction review

RockPile: Thor, Tara Lynch and more Weve got all kinds of goodies in the Rock Pile this time out, including a newly-released, 40-year-old album from heavy metal hammer swinger Thor and some more rockin new releases Read the full Thor, Tara Lynch and more review

Nescora - Some Place Some Where Its difficult to precisely pinpoint Nescoras style. One moment he sounds like a man raised on Sam Cooke music, the next it appears hes been delightfully indoctrinated in the Sun Records catalog. Read the full Nescora - Some Place Some Where review

Rock Reads: Why Vinyl Matters There are few back from the dead stories that are as impressive as the tale of the resurgence of vinyl records. While the formats Baby Boomer-powered heyday will likely never be matched, today the resurgence is in full swing Read the full Why Vinyl Matters review



TBT: Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory For this edition of TBT we go way back almost two decades to revisit antiGuys look at the debut album from an a then up-and-coming band called Linkin Park Read the full TBT: Link Park - Hybrid Theory review

Vegas Goes Country For ACM Weekend Las Vegas loves a show and even more so...Las Vegas LOVES country music. So, it seems a natural fit to bring the brightest stars to a city where everything shines brighter every day. Read the full Vegas Goes Country For ACM Weekend review

Jennifer Lyn & the Groove Revival - Badlands You would not want to feel the wrath of the woman scorned that Lyn portrays in the lead-off track, Burned it Down. Yep, after catching her man being unfaithful, she torches his place, quite possibly with the offending lothario still inside. Read the full Jennifer Lyn & the Groove Revival - Badlands review

MorleyView: Desmond Child Most people know Desmond from his role as superstar songwriter/producer with KISS, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Meatloaf, Katy Perry and more. Morley caught up with him before his NYC solo shows to talk about why now was the time to get back in touch with the early part of his career. Read the full Desmond Child MorleyView

Road Trip: Go Nuts for Florence, South Carolina Everybody goes a little nuts once in a while, and some folks actually mark their calendar with a reminder that when April rolls around, it's time to get nutty. April is National Pecan Month and there's no better place to celebrate than Florence, SC Read the full Go Nuts for Florence, South Carolina Road Trip

Caught In The Act: Richie Kotzen In Naperville Rob Grabowski caught Richie Kotzen In The Act during show at North Central College in Naperville, IL. on Friday April 6, 2018. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full Richie Kotzen In Naperville review

On The Record: Record Store Day Edition For this special Record Store Day edition of On the Record Kevin listens to some vintage music from Corky Laing and friends, and wait until you find out who those friends are! Read the full Record Store Day Edition review

Caught In The Act: Ann Wilson Of Heart Rob Grabowski caught Ann Wilson of Heart In The Act during her show at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, IL. on Sunday April 8, 2018. Check out Robs great photos! Read the full Ann Wilson Of Heart review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: 420 Edition The number 420 has long had a connection with cannabis usage which these days does not carry the social stigma that it once did. With that in mind, lots of special events are taking place on April 20 (4/20) and adjacent dates. Read the full 420 Edition review

On The Record: Rock 'N' Rolla's UFO Turntable Instead of reviewing new music released on vinyl, this time out for On the Record Kevin Wierzbicki tells us all about Rock N Rollas new UFO turntable. Yes, its out of this world! Read the full Rock 'N' Rolla's UFO Turntable review

Caught In The Act: John Corabi Live In Illinois John Corabi performed at the RocHaus in Dundee, IL. on Sunday, March 18, 2018 and Rob Grabowski was on hand to capture The Dead Daisies and former Motley Crue frontman in the act. Read the full John Corabi Live In Illinois review

Lorde Melodrama World Tour Concert Review Lordes Melodrama World Tour has the power to change your life. Maybe thats hyperbole, but I would be lying if I didnt feel something come over me while I watched her share something deep with 12,000 fans during her recent Chicago stop. Read the full Lorde Melodrama World Tour Concert Review review

John Kay And Steppenwolf - Steppenwolf at 50 This 3 CD compilation brings together 41 cuts from throughout the bands career, giving fans a chance to rediscover cuts they havent heard for a couple decades along with deep album tracks that theyve maybe never heard. Read the full John Kay And Steppenwolf - Steppenwolf at 50 review

Hot In The City: Wishbone Ash Normally we spotlight Arizona musicians and music made in Arizona. This time though were excited about news from the British classic rock band Wishbone Ash. They have a massive box set on the way and theyre coming to Phoenix for a show. Read the full Wishbone Ash review



Sites and Sounds: Beau Rivage Theatre Biloxi Located on Mississippis Gulf Coast, the main attractions in Biloxi during the day are the citys fabulous stretches of white sand beach and the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The fun doesnt stop when the sun goes down though Read the full Beau Rivage Theatre Biloxi review

Root 66: John McCutcheon- Caroline Cotter- Raven and Red For this installment of Root 66 Kevin Wierzbicki tells us about the new releases: John McCutcheons Ghost Light, Caroline Cotters Home on the River and Raven and Reds We Rise Up Read the full John McCutcheon- Caroline Cotter- Raven and Red review

Johnny Chops & the Razors - (Self-titled) Chops proves here to be adept not only at spinning tales but also at writing them. he wrote or co-wrote everything in this fine set with the exception of a cover of Willie Dixons I Just Want to Make Love to You. Read the full Johnny Chops & the Razors - (Self-titled) review

Savannah Stopover Music Festival Not many music festivals take place in such a cool setting as the Savannah Stopover Music Festival. The event, which took place March 8-10 this year, happens in the unique setting of historic downtown Savannah, Georgia Read the full Savannah Stopover Music Festival review

Midnight Crisis - Heart Beatings Midnight Crisis are a post-punk rock band from New York City, a trio featuring singer Marty E, guitarist LASE and drummer Michael Maenza, and they have a sound that is dark but melodic. Read the full Midnight Crisis - Heart Beatings review

Passport: St. Patrick's Day Edition This time out our spotlight on international music focuses on music from Ireland, both modern and traditional with a look at releases from Le Galaxie, Celtic Thunder and John Duhan. Read the full St. Patrick's Day Edition review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: St. Patrick's Day Special Edition Its the time of year when everyone is Irish! Heres information on a grand tour of Ireland as well as news of St. Patricks Day fun to be had right here at home in the States. Read the full St. Patrick's Day Special Edition review

Road Trip: St. Patrick's Day Edition - 8 Things To Do In Dublin, Ireland It can be tough to figure out what to do during a visit to Ireland; the country offers so many intriguing attractions and unique experiences. Since many explorations of Ireland begin in Dublin Read the full St. Patrick's Day Edition - 8 Things To Do In Dublin, Ireland Road Trip

Root 66: John McCutcheon- Caroline Cotter- Raven and Red For this installment of Root 66 Kevin Wierzbicki tells us about the new releases: John McCutcheons Ghost Light, Caroline Cotters Home on the River and Raven and Reds We Rise Up Read the full John McCutcheon- Caroline Cotter- Raven and Red review

The Blues: Savoy Brown-Albert Castiglia- Peter Parcek Are ready for some blues? Kevin Wierzbicki checks in with a look at Savoy Browns Witchy Feelin, Albert Castiglias Up All Night and Peter Parceks Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven Read the full Savoy Brown-Albert Castiglia- Peter Parcek review

The Best Films of 2017: A Different Point of View Every possible genre moved me this year and in the end, we are left with an abundance of great films that could make up a third of a best-of-decade list, let alone one year. Read the full The Best Films of 2017: A Different Point of View review

Road Trip: Las Vegas- The Mob Museum Also known as the National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement, the Mob Museum is located in a historic building that was once home to a federal courthouse where some of the famed mob-investigating Kefauver hearings took place Read the full Las Vegas- The Mob Museum Road Trip

Downes Braide Association - Skyscraper Souls This is the third outing for the Downes Braide Association, commonly referred to as DBA and featuring Geoffrey Downes of Yes, Asia and the Buggles fame and singer/songwriter/producer Chris Braide Read the full Downes Braide Association - Skyscraper Souls review



Root 66: Patrick Coman - Tree of Life In opening cut Heartbeat singer Coman portrays a doomed man with lyrics like Cant you hear the heartbeat of a desperate man/When he knows his time has come to an end, appropriately performed as an eerie dirge Read the full Patrick Coman - Tree of Life review

Afrika Mamas - Iphupho This six woman acapella group from South Africa has won a nonstop parade of accolades since their inception nearly 20-years ago and theyre going to earn a lot more of them for Iphupho Read the full Afrika Mamas - Iphupho review

Dinola - Up High Dinola is a four-piece rock band out of New Orleans thats fronted by singer Sue Ford who has a voice that is sweet yet full of ominous overtones, a quality that perfectly accents the dark nature of cuts like Late Night and Shut Up. Read the full Dinola - Up High review

Hot In The City: Pistoleros - Silver Our spotlight on music made in Arizona listens to the latest from Pistoleros. Although theyve taken a break or two along the way, one of Arizonas most beloved bands has just celebrated their 25th anniversary. Read the full Pistoleros - Silver review

The Blues: Ladies Play the Blues This time out our Get the Blues column spotlights some of the best new releases by women working in the blues genre including Sue Foleys The Ice Queen, Erin Harpe and the Delta Swingers Big Road and Miss Freddyes Lady of the Blues Read the full Ladies Play the Blues review

RockPile: Vexes, Jay Katana and Perfect Defect Heres Kevin Wierzbicki quick look at some great recent rock releases including Vexes Ancient Geometry, Jay Katanas Brighter Than Your Future and Perfect Defects self-titled. Read the full Vexes, Jay Katana and Perfect Defect review

Billion Dollar Babies - First Ever Live Show - Flint 1977 When the Alice Cooper band broke up in the mid-1970s, band members Michael Bruce, Neal Smith and Dennis Dunaway formed Billion Dollar Babies and managed to put out one album called Battle Axe before the project fizzled. Read the full Billion Dollar Babies - First Ever Live Show - Flint 1977 review

TBT: Phil Vassar The New Piano Man Today we venture back to 2001 for a look at Linda Spielmans feature on then up and coming country music star Phil Vassars performance at the Dollar Bank Jamboree in Pittsburgh. Read the full TBT: Phil Vassar The New Piano Man review

Dolly Spartans - Time Sides With No One There are moments - good moments - during Dolly Spartans Time Sides With No One where this self-described Brooklyn band sounds like one fine power-pop outfit out of the eighties Read the full Dolly Spartans - Time Sides With No One review

Saxon - Thunderbolt Saxon celebrated their 40th anniversary last year and fans have long taken it for granted that the band produces fun and quality music every time out, and Thunderbolt is no exception. Read the full Saxon - Thunderbolt review

Channel Dark - El Wire Pacifier Channel Darks Jonathan Maxwell is said to have developed an interest in electronic music while battling insomnia. But what may have kept Maxwell up at night, is conversely a blessing to music listeners Read the full Channel Dark - El Wire Pacifier review

Junkyardfieldtrip - Self-titled Listening to the lovely acoustic elements supporting Lucky One, off Junkyardfieldtrips self-titled release, its a little difficult to believe its coming from a band out of Rochester, New York. Read the full Junkyardfieldtrip - Self-titled review

Straw Family - Family Matters Consisting of parents Carsten and Henriette Fabricius and daughters Denise and Sally Fabricius, Straw Family is a Danish band that plays a refreshing blend of rock, pop and country. Read the full Straw Family - Family Matters review

Joe Perry - Sweetzerland Manifesto While he can sing, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is not known for his vocal abilities, and here he has picked the perfect singers to help him out on this set of mostly self-penned and co-written tunes Read the full Joe Perry - Sweetzerland Manifesto review



Ten Ton Man - Dangerous Women & A Desperate Man These are the songs of an honest man, rather than somebody attempting to follow the pop music sweetness and light stereotype. The EP may not always come off pretty, but it always rings true. Read the full Ten Ton Man - Dangerous Women & A Desperate Man review

Cindy Wilson - Change Wilson is a member of the long-running and still active quirky Athens, Georgia band the B-52s, but fans should not expect a B-52s-ish album here. Wilson is in a much more relaxed mood here on her first solo album. Read the full Cindy Wilson - Change review

Luca Bash - Keys of Mine Keys of Mine is an album of pop songs. Some rock a bit, like Paradise Café, while others follow more of a jazzy groove. Bash has obviously been inspired by a few modern-day jam bands Read the full Luca Bash - Keys of Mine review

Terror Universal - Make Them Bleed The ghoulish masks worn by members of Terror Universal add to the darkness found in their music but its relatively common knowledge they are indeed former members of Soulfly, Ill Nino, Machine Head and Upon a Burning Body. Read the full Terror Universal - Make Them Bleed review

Road Trip: Springfield, MO's Route 66 Car Museum If you happen to be on the street in Springfield, Missouri and the Batmobile drives by, you're not seeing things. It won't be Batman behind the wheel though, and the car won't be headed to the Batcave. Read the full Springfield, MO's Route 66 Car Museum Road Trip

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Spotlight on Branson, MO Our focus on whats new in Branson, Missouri includes exciting news for country music fans and information about something that has roller coaster fans salivating and counting the days! Read the full Spotlight on Branson, MO review

Duran Duran - Girls on Film 1979 Demo Unless you are a scholarly fan of Duran Duran you probably are not aware that the band had a singer (a couple, actually) before Simon LeBon came along and crooned the band to worldwide fame. Read the full Duran Duran - Girls on Film 1979 Demo review

Arthur Fowler - Here I Am Again This music can best be described as jazz-influenced, as opposed to strictly jazz. It can also be described as extremely good. Fowler is a guitarist with a wide range of tools. Read the full Arthur Fowler - Here I Am Again review

MorleyView: Micki Free Micki Free has had a long and celebrated career, beginning with his band Smokehouse which opened for heavyweights such as KISS. Morley had the great opportunity to speak with Micki recently about new two new records and as always, it's a fun conversation. Read the full Micki Free MorleyView

Psychocide - Alcohol & Bad Decisions One of this hard-rocking bands inspirations is Guns N Roses, and Guns N Roses success story can also be traced back to an era when many music fans began to express nostalgia for rock musics rowdier days Read the full Psychocide - Alcohol & Bad Decisions review

John 5 and the Creatures - It's Alive! Besides being proof that the axe man is quite prolific, what all this adds up to is its about time for a live record, and here J5 presents more than a dozen favorites recorded live at the Sellersville Theatre in Sellersville, Pennsylvania Read the full John 5 and the Creatures - It's Alive! review

Seth Kibel - Songs of Snark and Despair Having been on the scene for a couple of decades now, what could have caused the multi-instrumentalist (sax, clarinet and flute) to suddenly find that he has something to say? Read the full Seth Kibel - Songs of Snark and Despair review

Root 66: Hymn River Suite - Hundred Proof Hymn River Suite is brother and sister duo Justin Mathenia and Amy Snyder and their music is informed by their upbringing along the Mississippi River in Illinois across the river from St. Louis, where the heartland butts up against the South. Read the full Hymn River Suite - Hundred Proof review

Root 66: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver - Life is a Story Lawson and company kick off with Kids These Days, a reflective cut about how life was simpler not so long ago. With yearning lead vocals and sweet harmonies, the song does indeed make the bygone era sound like it was something very special Read the full Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver - Life is a Story review

Root 66: Lost Bayou Ramblers - Kalenda Lots of traditional Louisiana sounds here, but the Ramblers row their musical pirogue to some unexplored parts of the bayou too, waxing a little psychedelic may have something to do with their recent work with Jack White. Read the full Lost Bayou Ramblers - Kalenda review




previous reviews

 

---