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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



Root 66: Lynn Drury - Rise of the Fall Drury is a veteran player who has released eight albums in total but mostly regionally- Rise of the Fall represents the singer and guitarists first effort to be released nationally. Read the full Lynn Drury - Rise of the Fall review

Root 66: Ryan Koenig - Two Different Worlds A member of fellow St. Louisan Pokey LaFarges band, singer and guitarist Koenig steps out here with his first solo album. The albums title gives a hint as to Koenigs mindset as his country music does indeed live in a different world Read the full Ryan Koenig - Two Different Worlds review

The Blues: R.D. Olson - Keep Walking Woman While many blues songs have lyrics that reference hard times, that is not always the case, and Olsons joyous Sheila is a perfect example- the song bounces along to lyrics that affirm an appreciation for a desirable woman Read the full R.D. Olson - Keep Walking Woman review

Jangling Sparrows - 140 Nickels Jangling Sparrows are a rocking, Americana-leaning band led by singer, guitarist and songwriter Paul Edelman. The head Sparrow likes to tell tales of everyman as he does with the blue collar rock (think John Mellencamp) Read the full Jangling Sparrows - 140 Nickels review

iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour 2017 The Chicago iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour 2017 was the ninth stop on the nationwide tour. Setting up shop at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, the performance stretched more than three-hours with more than thirty different songs Read the full iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour 2017 review

Holiday Gift Guide: Jesus Rocked The Jukebox Subtitled Small Group Black Gospel (1951-1965), this two-disc set contains 40 tracks from acts like The Soul Stirrers, the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Silver Quintets, the Staple Singers, the Detroiters and many others Read the full Jesus Rocked The Jukebox review

Dave Koz And Friends Bring Christmas Show To Arizona's Mesa Arts Center Dave Koz has been playing Santa with a saxophone for two decades now, bringing good cheer to the nation with his annual Christmas tours, and this year marks the tours 20th anniversary Read the full Dave Koz And Friends Bring Christmas Show To Arizona's Mesa Arts Center review

Black Sabbath - The End (5 Stars) Its not quite up there with the moon walk by Neil Armstrong or the assassination of JFK but in terms of musical or world-wide cultural events, the final concert of Black Sabbath ranks right up at the top in significance. Read the full Black Sabbath - The End (5 Stars) review

Holiday Gift Guide: Travel Edition antiMusics travel and senior reviewer Kevin Wierzbicki checks in with this special travel focused edition of his Holiday Gift Guide where he tells us about some of perfect gifts this Christmas season for your traveling friends and family! Read the full Travel Edition review

Santa's Jukebox: Balsam Range, Sha Na Na and Jennifer Saran Tis the season and if you need a little help getting into a festive mood, Santa (a.k.a. antiMusics Kevin Wierzbicki) has some recommendations for new holiday releases to help put you in good Christmas cheer. Read the full Balsam Range, Sha Na Na and Jennifer Saran review

Holiday Gift Guide: Jethro Tull - Songs from the Wood: The Country Set Remix master Steven Wilson continues his march through the Jethro Tull catalog with this 40th anniversary collection celebrating the album that members of Tull consider to be one of their very best. Read the full Jethro Tull - Songs from the Wood: The Country Set review

Holiday Gift Guide: Queen - News of the World: 40th Anniversary Edition This 3-CD + DVD box set contains those songs and the rest of the album in its original form, but hang on to your hats, Queen fans; you wont believe what other treasures are to be found within! Read the full Queen - News of the World: 40th Anniversary Edition review

Holiday Gift Guide: George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1/MTV Unplugged This is the time of year when some of the most desirable CD box sets, artist retrospectives and special compilations are released and we star our special look at these releases this week with a very special new set from the late George Michael. Read the full George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1/MTV Unplugged review

Rock Reads: Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers: The Rise of Motorhead Billed as the first book to celebrate Motorheads classic line-up of Lemmy Kilmister, Fast Eddie Clarke and Phil Philthy Animal Taylor, author Popoff focuses on the era Read the full Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers: The Rise of Motorhead review



Rock Reads: Holiday Gift Guide Edition Does the music lover on your gift list already have all the new music he or she wants? Then get them a book! Our picks for some of the best new music-related books Read the full Holiday Gift Guide Edition review

Timothy B. Schmit - Leap of Faith Longtime fans of Schmit will remember that before he joined the Eagles he was a member of Poco, and Leap of Faiths opening track My Hat sounds very much of that era Read the full Timothy B. Schmit - Leap of Faith review

Bob Seger - I Knew You When (5 Star) After a three-year wait between new albums and a recent health scare that caused him to interrupt his Runaway Train Tour, Seger returns with a very strong set in I Knew You When. Read the full Bob Seger - I Knew You When (5 Star) review

Root 66: Professor Louie and the Crowmatix - The Lost Band Tracks Professor Louie, whose real name is Aaron Hurwitz, is a member of the extended family of The Band, having worked with them for more than 15-years in various capacities including acting as producer of several of their albums. Read the full Professor Louie and the Crowmatix - The Lost Band Tracks review

Santa's Jukebox: Tav Falco - A Tav Falco Christmas Christmas comes early for Falco fans as this 12 mini LP on red vinyl arrives at indie records stores on Nov. 24 as part of the Record Store Day Black Friday event. Read the full Tav Falco - A Tav Falco Christmas review

Guns N' Roses Week: Chinese Democracy Due to the anticipation and wait there was no way fans expectations could be met, which is most unfortunate, because it features some of the most soul-baring work of Axl Roses career. Read the full Guns N' Roses Week: Chinese Democracy review

Guns N' Roses Week: Our Greatest Arena Band (Live Nov 2017) Shortly before midnight in Chicago on the stage of the United Center, Guns N Roses are taking their bows moments after the pyrotechnic aftershock of Paradise City. Read the full Guns N' Roses Week: Our Greatest Arena Band (Live Nov 2017) review

Guns N' Roses Week: Use Your Illusion I and II Appetite For Destruction may be a near perfect album, but the Illusion albums are more challenging and rewarding on repeat listens. Join Tony as he takes a ride rediscovering these poetic and powerful masterpieces. Read the full Guns N' Roses Week: Use Your Illusion I and II review

Guns N' Roses Week: Defiant and Deconstructed The band has been on a reunion tour for nearly two years and it doesnt appear that their legacy will be waning anytime soon. Appetite is where it all started for Guns N Roses and it will kick start our Guns N Roses week. Read the full Gun N' Roses Week: Defiant and Deconstructed review

Paul Maged - Light Years Away Although Paul Maged may claim both Green Day and Billy Joel as influences, except for the fact that each of these artists has a flair for the dramatic, they have little in common Read the full Paul Maged - Light Years Away review

Sites and Sounds: Phoenix Concert Calendar For November November is usually a bountiful time for concerts in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and with all the other hubbub of the impending holidays we thought that you could use a little help in figuring out which shows you want to see. Read the full Phoenix Concert Calendar For November review

San Francisco String Trio - May I Introduce to You San Francisco String Trio have a rather striking way of introducing themselves as a band, offering up a fun interpretation of the Beatles masterpiece Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band Read the full San Francisco String Trio - May I Introduce to You review

Noise Ratio - Songs on Fire Based in West Virginia, Valput has been influenced by a lot of major downer acts, such as Depeche Mode and Pink Floyd. His songs are philosophical, as titles like Left Alone with My Beliefs and Seeking the Truth suggest. Read the full Noise Ratio - Songs on Fire review

Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre - 5 Minutes to Live: A Tribute to Johnny Cash The last time we heard from Joecephus (aka Joey Killingsworth) he was masterminding the jim dandy tribute to Black Oak Arkansas, Mutants of the Monster. Read the full Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre - 5 Minutes to Live: A Tribute to Johnny Cash review

Coral the Merknight vs. SEARANTULA - It Weaves a Web of Metal Coral the Merknight vs SEARANTULA is described as a one-man parody metal act, and its album It Weaves a Web of Metal features musical heavyweights, like Travis Orbin of Darkest Hour and Adon Fanion of Ghost Ship Octavius. Read the full Coral the Merknight vs. SEARANTULA - It Weaves a Web of Metal review



Michael Jackson - Scream Scream is not a Halloween album in the traditional sense. The compilation of hits and favorites is rather, as the CD liner notes indicate, A celebration of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and his love for the Halloween season. Read the full Michael Jackson - Scream review

Sites and Sounds: Monster of Rock Cruise 2018 Set to take place aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise liner Navigator of the Seas Feb. 11-16, the massive floating rock festival will feature acts like Lita Ford, Tesla, Queensryche, Thunder, LA Guns, Winger and many others. Read the full Monster of Rock Cruise 2018 review

Powerman 5000 - New Wave Powerman 5000 has been around for more than two decades now, releasing a new record approximately every other year, and New Wave marks their 11th effort overall. Read the full Powerman 5000 - New Wave review

Sites and Sounds: We Got Your Back Brian Benefit Concert The bluegrass community of Denver and surrounding area has come together to help out a fellow musician in need. Percussionist Brian Jung was injured in a diving accident at Cherry Creek Reservoir this summer Read the full We Got Your Back Brian Benefit Concert review

Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul Live In Chicago For an entire generation of music fans, Steven Van Zandt, was the bandana loving guitar player from the E Street Band highlighted in Bruce Springsteens Glory Days video. Read the full Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul Live In Chicago review

Rock Reads: We Were Going to Change the World: Interviews with Women from the 1970s & 1980s Southern California Punk Rock Scene Russo has wisely excised her questions here so each subjects contribution is presented instead in essay form, and that keeps the readers attention fully focused on what the women reminiscing about their punk era experiences have to say. Read the full We Were Going to Change the World: Interviews with Women from the 1970s & 1980s Southern California Punk Rock Scene review

Chris Barron - Angels and One-Armed Jugglers Dont worry Spin Doctors fans; guitarist and singer Chris Barron has not left the band. Hes merely stepping out with this solo album to, as he puts it, Express the broadness of my musicality. Read the full Chris Barron - Angels and One-Armed Jugglers review

Kylie Odetta - Undertow Kylie Odetta is only 19-years-old, which may surprise you the moment you hear her smoky singing voice. On one called Stress off Undertow, she sings like a woman with a lifetime of experience. Read the full Kylie Odetta - Undertow review

Road Trip: Dublin By Bicycle: It's Electric! Beautiful churches and countless buildings showing off their Victorian and Georgian architecture. Historic spots: The Vikings landed here, James Joyce hung out over here and rock stars U2 roamed right over there Read the full Dublin By Bicycle: It's Electric! Road Trip

Road Trip: Explore Ancient Ireland at the Kerry Bog Village There wasn't much that was pretty about life in an 18th century Irish bog village. As the day's toil came to a close, many exhausted villagers no doubt still managed a bit of a sly grin as they envisioned an afterhours trip to the village shebeen. Read the full Explore Ancient Ireland at the Kerry Bog Village Road Trip

Steve Miller Band - Ultimate Hits (5 Star) 40 cuts in all, Ultimate Hits really lives up to its title while also bringing fans a nice selection of rarities. Vinyl fans can purchase this one on wax in a 2-LP version or in a deluxe 4-LP version. Read the full Steve Miller Band - Ultimate Hits (5 Star) review

Remembering Tom Petty Rock legend Tom Petty passed away on October 2nd. As a tribute we look back at Tony Ks 2010 review of the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performance at Summerfest in Milwaukee. Read the full Remembering Tom Petty review



Remembering Charles Bradley The sad news broke this past weekend that Charles Bradley had passed away. As a tribute we look back at Tony Ks Best of 2013 review of a live performance from Bradley in Chicago. Read the full Remembering Charles Bradley review

Jesse Colin Young and the Martin Barre Band Live Two legendary figures took to the stage at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix on Friday, Sept. 22- beloved folk rocker Jesse Colin Young and revered guitarist Martin Barre of Jethro Tull fame. Read the full Jesse Colin Young and the Martin Barre Band Live review

Quick Flicks: California Typewriter For generations that have grown up using a computer and printer to generate physical documents, the typewriter must seem like some sort of device once favored by cavemen- for most practical purposes it is that far gone. Read the full California Typewriter review

Kinlin - The Last Stand Kinlin has been around for a while but longtime fans neednt be concerned with this albums title- this is not a farewell effort. In fact its just the opposite as the set is very tight and filled with hooks and likely to expand the bands fan base greatly. Read the full Kinlin - The Last Stand review

UFO - The Salentino Cuts UFO is now only about a year and a half away from celebrating their 50th anniversary, and The Salentino Cuts illuminates a side of the group thats never been shown before. Read the full UFO - The Salentino Cuts review

On The Record: Walk the Line (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) The 2005 biographical drama Walk the Line tells the life story of the late country music legend Johnny Cash and this soundtrack to the film presents 16 songs, performed mostly by the films stars Read the full Walk the Line (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) review

Neil Young - Hitchhiker Recorded between the Zuma and American Stars and Bars albums, all the material on Hitchhiker is previously unheard until now in the versions presented here, even though most of the songs have been released over the years in other forms. Read the full Neil Young - Hitchhiker review

Depeche Mode: Rock N' Roll's Revolutionaries Depeche Mode is the worlds biggest electronic band. They have sold north of 100-million records, a few million fans see their tours and their singles are ubiquitous with generations of alternative-new wave-dance fans Read the full Depeche Mode: Rock N' Roll's Revolutionaries review

Heather Kenney - Waltz Its been said the best things come in small packages, and at just three tracks, Waltz is about as small as you can get. Nevertheless, its also likely ten of the best minutes of acoustic music youll hear in a long, long time. Read the full Heather Kenney - Waltz review

Shawna Virago - Last Night's Sugar Listening to Shawna Virago can be a lot like hearing Against Me! for the first time after Laura Jane Grace fully embraced her femininity. She looks like a girl, but she still sings like a man Read the full Shawna Virago - Last Night's Sugar review

Here's the Riot - Tonight We're Alive EP Heres the Riot, with Paris Tompkins angry, and sometimes scratchy vocals, is a sonic reminder of the influence Linkin Park and its late singer Chester Beninngton have had on rock music Read the full Here's the Riot - Tonight We're Alive EP review

Staring Into Nothing - Power Listening to Steve Rogers sing the songs that comprise Power, immediately brings Roger Waters to mind. Much like that former Pink Floyd front man, Rogerss music is a terminal downer. Read the full Staring Into Nothing - Power review

Revolushn - Further!! Revolushn music is the glorious sound of talented and experienced musicians creating (mostly) garage rock. What began as a duo comprised of No (guitar) and Dekay (drums) has evolved into a full-blown band Read the full Revolushn - Further!! review

Blind Lemon Pledge - Backwards Glance Blind Lemon Pledge is a wonderful name for a musical act. Although it suggests a snarky artist with a smart sense of humor, the music Bay Area bluesman James Byfield creates is not the sort of jokey mix such a moniker might suggest Read the full Blind Lemon Pledge - Backwards Glance review

Kris Heaton Band - World Gone Mad Listening to World Gone Mad wont provide any new revelations about life. But in the right circumstances, when all the evils of our fake news world have become too much, these basic sounds have a way to sooth. Read the full Kris Heaton Band - World Gone Mad review

Coffins/Isla Split This is a little split between Coffins and Isla. Both bands have a bit of doom in their loins, although Isla implements some crust influences that are absent in the doom/death metal assault of Coffins. Read the full Coffins/Isla Split review

Freddie Nelson - Shake The Cage A recent Forbes article told us rock no longer the most popular genre. Its the first time this has happened since Nielsen Music began measuring stylistic popularity back in 1991 Read the full Freddie Nelson - Shake The Cage review

Rock Reads: Food on Foot: A History of Eating on Trails and in the Wild Here author Guzey, an Istanbul-based writer with a passion for food, especially when its consumed in unlikely places like a mountaintop, presents a fun read Read the full Food on Foot: A History of Eating on Trails and in the Wild review

Rainbow - Live In Birmingham 2016 Finally, the moment all Ritchie Blackmore fans have been yearning for, a return to the hard rock arena for the Man in Black. Last year, Blackmore felt a need to revisit part of his legacy Read the full Rainbow - Live In Birmingham 2016 review



Rabid Flesh Eaters - Reign of Terror A name like Rabid Flesh Eaters suggests Reign of Terror is no cupcake. The Texan thrash squad had a close affiliation, both sonically and personally, with the deceased Rigor Mortis, the most anti-cupcake band on the planet. Read the full Rabid Flesh Eaters - Reign of Terror review

Valdur - Pathetic Scum Valdur delivers a nice package of blasphemous havoc cooked up just the way it sounds. Their riffs are enticing, appearing foul and flagrant over blasts which seldom halt the constant blitzkrieg. Read the full Valdur - Pathetic Scum review

The Blues: The Nighthawks- Paradise Kings- Delta Wires In this latest Get the Blues edition Kevin Wierzbicki tells us about the following new releases: The Nighthawks All You Gotta Do, Paradise Kings Controlled Burn and Delta Wires Born in Oakland Read the full The Nighthawks- Paradise Kings- Delta Wires review

Dennis DeYoung Plays The Music Of Styx at Mesa Arts Center Phoenix area fans of Styx began last weekend with a Fri. Aug. 11 show by former Styx lead singer Dennis DeYoung who was in town not Rockin the Paradise, but rocking the Ikeda Theater at the Mesa Arts Center. Read the full Dennis DeYoung Plays The Music Of Styx at Mesa Arts Center review

Prong's X - No Absolutes Prong, once caught in a creative vacuum that led to Victor hitting the restart button, sees itself lumbering down a familiar path from which its identity becomes nebulous and dormant. Read the full Prong's X - No Absolutes review

Yestival Tour Preview With Yes, Todd Rundgren and Carl Palmer Yestival tour with Yes, Todd Rundgren and Carl Palmer includes Phoenix stop at Celebrity Theatre. Yestival presents a trio of the eras most influential acts Read the full Yestival Tour Preview With Yes, Todd Rundgren and Carl Palmer review

On The Record: NOMADS- All-Seeing Eyes- Birdseed Kevin Wierzbicki checks in with his latest On the Record installment to share reviews of some exciting new vinyl releases from NOMADS, All-Seeing Eyes and Birdseed Read the full NOMADS- All-Seeing Eyes- Birdseed review

Root 66: Lara Hope and the Ark-Tones - Love You To Life Hope and her rockabilly crew have been racking up tons of accolades in their home stomping ground of the Hudson Valley area of New York and they also garnered national attention by winning a major award. Read the full Lara Hope and the Ark-Tones - Love You To Life review

ZZ Ward - The Storm Wards sultry voice and her knack for catchy vocal phrasing makes The Storm an enjoyable listen all the way through for all comers, and those who happen to be recently heartbroken will find a hefty cathartic here too. Read the full ZZ Ward - The Storm review

Lollapalooza 2017 - Day Four Report The fourth and final day of the 2017 edition of Lollapalooza was near flawless with anticipated showers never coming to light and a series of performances by women, who reflected brave beauty, fierce concentration and road map to a better tomorrow. Read the full Lollapalooza 2017 - Day Four Report review

Lollapalooza 2017 - Day Three Report The third day of Lollapalooza was welcoming with the sun covering Grant Park and the temperature in the high seventies, a solid twenty degrees warmer than the day before. The weather was perfect for a summer festival. Read the full Lollapalooza 2017 - Day Three Report review

Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie Considering that Buckingham and McVie are joined here by their Fleetwood Mac cohorts John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, it would not be wrong to think of this album as a Fleetwood Mac album without Stevie Nicks. Read the full Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie review

Lollapalooza 2017 - Day Two Report The main streets of Grant Park was less crowded Friday morning at Lollapalooza day two. The cancelled headliner slots hung over the festival and the gloomy skies above made many wonder if we were in for a repeat performance. Read the full Lollapalooza 2017 - Day Two Report review

Lollapalooza 2017 - Day One Report The 2017 version of Lollapalooza got off to a stirring and wet start this year on the first of four days. It was one of the more eventful days since it has become a destination festival with Chicago at its home in 2005. Read the full Lollapalooza 2017 - Day One Report review

Haken - Affinity Haken strength is writing detailed tracks which feature multiple musical webs and ideas intertwining to create a singular, complex entity. Half the numbers on Affinity perceptively drift away from this texture Read the full Haken - Affinity review

Road Trip: The Cincinnati Music Festival With 10 well-known artists appearing over the course of the festival, including headliners Mary J. Blige and Usher, festival-goers may have walked into the stadium but they were dancing on their way out. Read the full The Cincinnati Music Festival Road Trip



Sites and Sounds: Ubersoca Cruise 2017 If youre a fan of soca music and you also love to play in the warm Caribbean sun, heres just the ticket for you: The Ubersoca Cruise 2017 that sets sail from Miami, Florida Nov. 16 aboard the Carnival Cruise Line ship Sensation. Read the full Ubersoca Cruise 2017 review

The Isley Brothers & Santana - Power of Peace (5 Stars) The thought of Santana collaborating with The Isley Brothers for a full album is mouth-watering, and fans will no longer have to dream about such an event as it has come to fruition with the new album Power of Peace. Read the full The Isley Brothers & Santana - Power of Peace review

Be'lakor - Vessels Rather than continue milking the formula applied on its predecessor, Vessels ventures beyond the set musical perimeter by exploring its inherited musical philosophies. Read the full Be'lakor - Vessels review

Don Barnes - Ride the Storm Its double your pleasure time for fans of 38 Special as Ride the Storm presents this 2-CD set, a previously-unreleased solo album from the bands front man Don Barnes Read the full Don Barnes - Ride the Storm review

On The Record: Raiders Of The Lost Ark Soundtrack Definitely a gem for collectors, film buffs will love all the graphics on the gatefold jacket while audiophiles will appreciate that the sound has been remixed and upgraded and that no expense has been spared in pressing this double record set. Read the full Raiders Of The Lost Ark Soundtrack review

Lollapalooza TBT Month: 2013 Day Two As Lollapalooza 2017 approaches Tony K is taking a look back at some his favorite days from years past. We continue with Day 2 from 2013 featuring Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers, Ellie Goulding, The National and more. Read the full Lollapalooza TBT Month: 2013 Day Two review

Sites and Sounds: Cincinnati Music Festival One of the nations biggest urban music festivals, the Cincinnati Music Festival Presented by P&G offers three days of fun with some of todays biggest stars of R&B, rap and soul music along with a hefty dose of blast-from-the-past. Read the full Cincinnati Music Festival review

Queen + Adam Lambert Live In Chicago This incarnation of the band toured America for the first time in 2014 and they have returned to American shores for a blistering 2-hour show that covers their entire career showcasing their catalog in a different light. Read the full Queen + Adam Lambert Live In Chicago review

Road Trip: Festival d'ete de Quebec The festival took place in and adjacent to the city's historic and scenic old town July 6-16, and fittingly for its milestone 50th anniversary, festival organizers really outdid themselves with the musical line-up. Read the full Festival d'ete de Quebec Road Trip

Junkyard - High Water After enjoying some successful reunion shows, the guys, led by singer and founding member David Roach, hit the studio with new material and came out with this impressive set. Read the full Junkyard - High Water review

Lollapalooza TBT Month: 2015 - Metallica, Brand New And More As Lollapalooza 2017 approaches Tony K is taking a look back at some his favorite days from the festival from years past. We kick things off with his review of Day 2 from 2015 featuring Metallica, Brand New and more. Read the full Lollapalooza TBT Month: 2015 - Metallica, Brand New And More review

Sailing to Nowhere - To The Unknown This is a flawed record, but has glimmers of potential shining through the stormy skies like a lighthouses beam on an unseen island. Addressing the issues firsthand may find Sailing to Nowhere reaching somewhere. Read the full Sailing to Nowhere - To The Unknown review

Mark Slaughter - Halfway There For those of us who manage to live to be middle aged, loosely defined as from 40-years-old to 60-years-old, there comes a time of reflection about the years gone by and thoughts about the limited number of days yet to come. Read the full Mark Slaughter - Halfway There review

Die Choking - III Die Choking isnt content to simply rehash itself. III expands upon and further ramifies the metal, punk, and hardcore roots which together create the grindcore weed Die Choking is fond of picking Read the full Die Choking - III review

American High - Bones in the Attic, Flowers in the Basement American Highs music hearkens back to the 60s music heyday, as well as a touch of early 70s sounds. These songs all sound like they were influenced by recordings that came along well before punk rock broke. Read the full American High - Bones in the Attic, Flowers in the Basement review

Root 66: Cary Morin - Cradle to the Grave Cary Morin is a singer and guitarist specializing in finger picking and Cradle to the Grave, where he works without accompaniment, is a chance to really hear the eloquence of his picking Read the full Cary Morin - Cradle to the Grave review



On The Record: Melvin Van Peebles and Earth, Wind & Fire - Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song Soundtrack theres a significance to the soundtrack that will be especially interesting to fans of Earth, Wind & Fire: the band was unknown at the time that they hooked up with Van Peebles (on vocals) to record this album. Read the full Melvin Van Peebles and Earth, Wind & Fire - Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song Soundtrack review

Root 66: MandolinMan - Unfolding the Roots MandolinMan is four Belgian guys playing traditional Flemish music on mandolin (and mandocello) but American fans can be forgiven for listening to cuts like Schottische Eppegem and Elewijt Read the full MandolinMan - Unfolding the Roots review

Messa - Belfry Messa lurks on a forlorn edge of haunting doom metal capped off by drone and ambient influences used as means to traverse the instrumental journeys of Belfry. Read the full Messa - Belfry review

Root 66: Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos Fans of the Fabulous Thunderbirds will find the funky, harmonica driven 20 Days to their liking, and theyll also probably dig the Stevie Ray Vaughan-recalling Give Me Strength. Read the full Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos review

Road Trip Missouri: Get Your Sips on Route 66 While an ice cold pop appeals to just about everybody, sometimes mom and dad crave a beverage that's a bit stronger. Their oasis awaits just off Route 66 in St. James, Missouri. Read the full Missouri- Get Your Sips on Route 66 Road Trip

Rock Reads: 45 RPM (Recollections Per Minute) The Morrell Archives Volume 3 Morrell enjoyed a lengthy career as a record company promotion man: those are the guys whose job it is to get songs on the radio, or to paraphrase Joni Mitchell, to stoke the star maker machinery. Read the full 45 RPM (Recollections Per Minute) The Morrell Archives Volume 3 review

The Fatal Pursuit - Sinful The Fatal Pursuit, from Alberta, Canada, are comprised of a core of boyhood friends. Knowing each other well is likely one of the reasons these five musicians sound so tight together on Sinful. Read the full The Fatal Pursuit - Sinful review

Root 66: Evan Michaels - Ain't No Stopping This Michaels is a native of Stillwater, Oklahoma who after a stint in Nashville realized that hed be more comfortable back home in Red Dirt country, so today he is one of the preeminent artists representing the Stillwater scene. Read the full Evan Michaels - Ain't No Stopping This review

TBT: Van Halen For this weeks TBT we go back in time almost forty years and revisit Zane Ewtons favorites review of Van Halens blockbuster multi-platinum self-titled debut album. Read the full TBT Van Halen review

Root 66: Jeffrey Halford and the Healers - Lo-fi Dreams Mostly Halford doles out alt country with liberal doses of soul and the occasional tender ballad or sweet remembrance. Halford is an exceptional storyteller and he penned everything here, and his guitar work is hot but not overly showy Read the full Jeffrey Halford and the Healers - Lo-fi Dreams review

MesAlfie - Hey, Super MesAlfies Hey Super album is as pretty, as it is sad. These songs would probably, sadly, sound way out of place on pop radio because they many times have a timeless quality about them. Read the full MesAlfie - Hey, Super review

On The Record: Five Alarm Funk - Sweat The music is so powerful here that its easy to think of Sweat as an instrumental album but most songs have short bursts of vocals, with the anthemic Power of Funk being the most fun to sing along to. Read the full Five Alarm Funk - Sweat review

Remembering Gregg Allman - TBT 2007 Live Review For this weeks TBT we pay special tribute to Gregg Allman with a look back at Tony Ks review of the Allman Brothers Bands August 29, 2007 concert at the Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, IL: Read the full Remembering Gregg Allman - TBT 2007 Live Review review

MorleyView: Kelley Ryan A self-described studio rat, Kelley Ryan is an individual who truly loves the songwriting process. Morley spoke with Kelley recently to find out more about her brand new release Telescope. Read the full Kelley Ryan MorleyView

Saint Motel - Arrival Saint Motel is one of those difficult to describe collectives. There are obvious soul elements on its Arrival album, yes. But theres so much more. The album Arrival is so much more than mere lovers music. Read the full Saint Motel - Arrival review

Edge of Free's Self-Titled Debut There are lots of ways to make music sound dramatic- big drum flourishes, synthesizer swooshes and screeching guitars will all do the trick. But sometimes less is more, and the members of Edge of Free are well aware of this. Read the full Edge of Free's Self-Titled Debut review

Little Steven - Soulfire Soulfire serves as a reintroduction to the artist of Little Steven. This is Van Zandts way of taking ownership of these songs some of which date back more than four decades. Read the full Little Steven - Soulfire review



BJ Wilbanks - Self-Titled BJ Wilbanks music has been referred to as back porch soul, and theres just an obvious happy feeling to the music this man makes. This is not dreadfully down in the dumps music like - say - Nick Cave. Read the full BJ Wilbanks - Self-Titled review

TBT - Black Sabbath Rock Lollapalooza 2012 For this weeks TBT we venture back to the summer of 2012 with Tony Ks review of Black Sabbaths performance at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago on August 3rd of that year Read the full TBT - Black Sabbath Rock Lollapalooza 2012 review

Wild Iris - Wild Iris Wild Iris is what happens when Bryan Shelton and Kate Mullikin make music together. Their self-titled album is a mixture of various Americana forms, including folk, blues and even a touch of the Celtic. Read the full Wild Iris - Wild Iris review

Quick Flicks: Bang! The Bert Berns Story Unless you are a student of pop and soul music or a big music trivia buff, chances are you have not heard of the late Bert Berns. Just as surely though, youre familiar with his work as a songwriter and producer. Read the full Bang! The Bert Berns Story review

Remembering Chris Cornell Tony K remembers Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell with a look back to a jaw dropping moment that he witnessed during the PJ20 Festival back in 2011. Read the full Remembering Chris Cornell review

Hot In The City: Lane Change - Rise Rise is a four-song EP from Arizona rockers Lane Change that opens with the big Southern rock sound of The Rich Get Richer, a cut that fans of the Black Crowes will be very comfortable with. Read the full Lane Change - Rise review

Carly Van Skaik - Carly Van Shaik EP Carly Van Skaik is described as an LA chanteuse, and because the first single from her mini record, Blue Diamond Eyes, has been used in the Showtime series Shameless, shes truly creating LA music. Read the full Carly Van Skaik - Carly Van Shaik EP review

On The Record: The Bill Evans Trio - On a Monday Evening It has been more than 35-years since jazz pianist Bill Evans passed away, but because of his status as one of the geniuses of the genre, interest in the man and his music has not waned over the decades Read the full The Bill Evans Trio - On a Monday Evening review

Through Fire - Breathe This Nebraska-based foursome probably never dreamed that their single Stronger would find success the way it did, as the song has found placement during the Stanley Cup finals Read the full Through Fire - Breathe review

TBT: Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life And Death We had so much fun with our Iron Maiden TBT month that we decided to share a bonus look back this week of Matt Henschs look at the bands acclaimed 2006 album A Matter Of Life And Death. Read the full Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life And Death review

Passport: Orchestra Baobab- Amine & Hamza- Las Cafeteras For this edition of Passport Kevin Wierzbicki tells about new releases from the Senegalese band Orchestra Baobab, Tunisia via Switzerlands Amine & Hamza and the Band Beyond Borders and East LAs Las Cafeteras. Read the full Orchestra Baobab- Amine & Hamza- Las Cafeteras review

Sami Wolf - See You On the Moon Sami Wolfs album See You on the Moon is packed with wonderful, melodic pop music. Even something like Driving 90, which features a rapped vocal, still has a sweetness about it. Read the full Sami Wolf - See You On the Moon review

Passport: Tamkrest - Ian Faquini and Paula Santoro- More For this edition of Passport Kevin Wierzbicki tells about new releases from Tamkrest (from Mali), Ian Faquini + Paula Santoro (from Brazil), Hanitra (from Madagascar) and compilation called Vintage Italia. Read the full Tamkrest - Ian Faquini and Paula Santoro- More review

My Silent Bravery - Face to Face This acoustic collection finds Matthew Wade vocalizing a little like a (happier) emo folksinger. The standout track is Drunk Off the Sun, which is a love song to the beach during summer Read the full My Silent Bravery - Face to Face review

Rock Reads: Hey Joe: The Unauthorized Biography of the Rock Classic The extent of the average fans knowledge of the 60s song Hey Joe probably consists only of familiarity with the version performed by Jimi Hendrix, which is still a mainstay on classic rock radio Read the full Hey Joe: The Unauthorized Biography of the Rock Classic review

Justin Allen and the Well Shots - White Oak & Kerosene Justin Allen doesnt just point to John Mellencamp as an influence, he also sounds a whole lot like the Indiana man. White Oak & Kerosene is fine release that marks Justin Allen as one to keep a keen eye on. Read the full Justin Allen and the Well Shots - White Oak & Kerosene review

Jennifer Paige - Starflower Its been almost 20-years since Paige had her big hit Crush which went to no 3 in 1998. A decade later, after the passing of her mom and dad and a cancer diagnosis, Paige left the music business to grieve and fight the disease Read the full Jennifer Paige - Starflower review



On The Record: Jean Jacques Perrey's Moog Indigo The Moog synthesizer was only a few years old when this album released in 1970 and it had not yet become a favorite instrument for prog rockers and others who were into experimental music Read the full Jean Jacques Perrey's Moog Indigo review

Iron Maiden TBT Month- The Golden Years We conclude our special Iron Maiden TBT month with a look back at Tony Ks live review of the bands July 5th, 2012 concert at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, IL. Read the full Iron Maiden TBT Month- The Golden Years review

Ray Goren - Free Until now Goren has been primarily known for his bluesy guitar playing prowess and while that talent is still on display throughout Free, the six song EP shows that Goren, still only a teenager, should not be pigeonholed as a blues rocker. Read the full Ray Goren - Free review

The Psyatics - Famous Monsters The Psyatics may be a garage band, but their album Famous Monsters certainly doesnt sound like it was tracked in a messy old garage. Granted, this is guitar rock, in its most basic and best form. Read the full The Psyatics - Famous Monsters review

On The Record: Jen Gloeckner - Vine Having trouble getting that daydream started? Gloeckner solves your problem here with Vine, a collection of trippy and otherwise ethereal cuts guaranteed to help you slip off into the ether. Read the full Jen Gloeckner - Vine review

Iron Maiden TBT Month- Flight 666 We continue our Iron Maiden TBT month with a look back at Kevin Wierzbickis 5 Star review of the Flight 666 film which documented the first leg of the bands legendary Somewhere Back in Time World Tour Read the full Iron Maiden TBT Month- Flight 666 review

RockPile: Hollywood Monsters- The Dahmers In this installment of Rock Pile, Kevin Wierzbicki tells about new releases from Hollywood Monsters (featuring members of Black Sabbath, Dio, Whitesnake, and Paul DiAnno Band) and The Dahmers. Read the full Hollywood Monsters- The Dahmers review

On The Record: Strange Karma - Cold Blooded Martin Strange, the lead singer for Australian power trio Strange Karma, has a voice that often recalls a young Robert Plant. In a throwback to the heyday of classic hard rock, Cold Blooded is available on vinyl only. Read the full Strange Karma - Cold Blooded review

Bernie Torme - Dublin Cowboy Torme is best known as lead guitarist in Gillan and he also had the unenviable task of taking over guitar chores for Ozzy Osbournes Diary of a Madman tour after the death of Randy Rhoads Read the full Bernie Torme - Dublin Cowboy review

Iron Maiden TBT Month- Live After Death DVD We continue our month long Iron Maiden TBT special today with a look back at Matt Henschs review of the long awaited DVD release of the bands epic concert film Live After Death Read the full Iron Maiden TBT Month- Live After Death DVD review

Al Atkins - Reloaded Metal fans who are up on their trivia will recognize Atkins as the singer who left Judas Priest when they were struggling to find a record deal, thus opening the vocalist position that would be filled by metal god in waiting Rob Halford. Read the full Al Atkins - Reloaded review

The Psyatics - Famous Monsters The Psyatics may be a garage band, but their album Famous Monsters certainly doesnt sound like it was tracked in a messy old garage. Granted, this is guitar rock, in its most basic and best form. Read the full The Psyatics - Famous Monsters review

Road Trip: Travel News, Trips and Tips April 2017 Now that spring is upon us, the weather will soon be ideal for road trips. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for things to do when you hit the road, and some products that will help you out along the way. Read the full Travel News, Trips and Tips April 2017 Road Trip

Iron Maiden TBT Month: Number of the Beast We are kicking off our special Iron Maiden TBT month by revisiting DeadSuns classics review of the bands landmark Number of the Beast album which celebrated its 35th anniversary last month. Read the full Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast review

Electric Ray and the Shockers - California Torpedo Songs like T.R.O.U.B.L.E might lull you into thinking Electric Ray and the Shockers California Torpedo is little more than a rockabilly-tinged rave- up. Later, with Tempt Me though, the band charges into unbridled rock & roll fever. Read the full Electric Ray and the Shockers - California Torpedo review

Beauty In The Breakdown - NEON Beauty in the Breakdown, the LA-centered four-piece, sprung from percussionist Chastity Ashleys desire to create original music of her own. Shes already gained respect in the music community, having added percussion to Duran Duran shows. Read the full Beauty In The Breakdown - NEON review

Road Trip: Boise, Idaho's Treefort Music Fest The 2017 Treefort Music Fest took place in downtown Boise, Idaho and it was a resounding success by any measure. Only in its sixth year, Treefort presented shows by hundreds of bands while also offering plenty to do Read the full Boise, Idaho's Treefort Music Fest Road Trip



Mastodon - Emperor of Sand Having previously tackled the subjects of fire, earth, water, air and the natural cycles of nature in their previous albums, this time out Mastodon delves into a subject that is not so easily defined: the mysterious concept of time. Read the full Mastodon - Emperor of Sand review

TBT: Ministry - The Last Sucker For this weeks TBT we revisit Robert VerBruggens 2007 5 Star review of Ministrys The Last Sucker where he found with every track, Ministry sticks a finger in the eye of the basic, sloppy, improvisational rock n roll ethic. Read the full Ministry - The Last Sucker review

Ships Have Sailed - Whispers EP The name Ships Have Sailed speaks to regret. That ship has already sailed, some might say when an opportunity has passed them by. Whispers is an EP of quiet regret and just a little bit of romantic hope. Read the full Ships Have Sailed - Whispers EP review

RockPile Prog Edition: Steve Hillage- Van Der Graaf Generator- Richard Barbieri Our salute to prog rock this time out samples a mammoth box set from one of the genres most-revered guitarists, a stunning new album from some elder statesmen of prog and a solo effort from one of todays most popular prog bands. Read the full Prog Edition: Steve Hillage- Van Der Graaf Generator- Richard Barbieri review

On The Record: The Dollyrots - Whiplash Splash Theres a new baby in their Dollyrots family too in the form of new album Whiplash Splash and it has the perfect release date; with warm weather just around the corner Whiplash Splash is ready to party the summer away. Read the full The Dollyrots - Whiplash Splash review

TBT: Down III Over the Under For this weeks TBT we take a look back at Travis Beckers review of metal supergroup Downs third studio album, Down III, which he found to be the bands most cohesive, and quite simply, their most coherent album to date. Read the full Down III Over the Under review

Les Bohem - Moved to Duarte Bohem is better known for his work in film. He won an Emmy for his work on Taken, a Steven Spielberg mini-series. Chances are good the songs on Moved to Duarte wont receive the same kind of mass exposure as Taken Read the full Les Bohem - Moved to Duarte review

In Tribute: Chuck Berry Live In Chicago Chuck Berry died this past weekend at the age of 90. There isnt enough space here to devote to how altering his words and riffs were to the musical form known as rock n roll. Read the full In Tribute: Chuck Berry Live In Chicago review

Sad Vacation: The Last Days of Sid and Nancy The story of Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungens relationship and how it came to be comes to vivid life here in all its sordidness, and many may rightfully consider Sad Vacation to be the definitive statement on the matter. Read the full Sad Vacation: The Last Days of Sid and Nancy review

Emmet Cahill - Emmet Cahill's Ireland Cahill is a featured performer with the Irish group Celtic Thunder and here he puts his beautiful tenor to work on an 11-song set of beloved traditional Irish songs. It makes for a great soundtrack to a mellow St. Patricks Day, or indeed any day. Read the full Emmet Cahill - Emmet Cahill's Ireland review

American Dreamer - Restless Nights Alabama once sang of how, if you want to play in Texas you need to have a fiddle in the band. American Dreamer stretches that Southwest-centric definition in the most peculiar and beautiful ways. Read the full American Dreamer - Restless Nights review

Rock Reads: Out of the Basement: From Cheap Trick to DIY Punk in Rockford, Illinois, 1973-2005 The latest in the Scene History series from Microcosm chronicles the birth and evolution of the punk scene in the Rust Belt city of Rockford, where, like elsewhere, punk was a powerful magnet for bored and alienated youth. Read the full Out of the Basement: From Cheap Trick to DIY Punk in Rockford, Illinois, 1973-2005 review

Dan Webb - Oedipus The King Its easy to miss Webbs intelligence due to his sonic weirdness. But hes by no means some sort of raving lunatic. He just likes to stir the pot, both lyrically and musically. A delightful aural journey down Dan Webbs unique sonic rabbit hole. Read the full Dan Webb - Oedipus The King review

Root 66 Week: Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band - Standing on Faith While Ledet and company color outside the lines here everything, regardless of description, has a groove and you can bet that the bands live shows provide a raucous good time. In the meantime Standing on Faith will do quite nicely. Read the full Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band - Standing on Faith review

Derek Davis - Revolutionary Soul Fans of the hard rock band Babylon A.D. have a lot to look forward to: the group, featuring all of the original members, will release a new album this October. In the meantime, lead singer Derek Davis has a new solo effort on offer as a tide-over. Read the full Derek Davis - Revolutionary Soul review

Root 66 Week: Darin and Brooke Aldridge - Faster and Farther With the speedy and very spiritually-attuned Kingdom Come and the gospel number Fit for a King opening the latest from this bluegrass duo, you might get the idea that this is a full set of gospel bluegrass. It is not. Read the full Darin and Brooke Aldridge - Faster and Farther review

Road Trip: The True/False Film Fest 2017 The True/False Film Fest took place in Columbia, Missouri March 2-5 and once again the annual celebration of the best new documentary films was a crowd-pleasing success filled with fun and surprises Read the full The True/False Film Fest 2017 Road Trip

Root 66 Week: Chip Taylor - A Song I Can Live With Thats the modus operandi here, sedate yet intense songs with minimal accompaniment (mostly guitar and piano) that might throw those who only know Taylor from his work with Carrie Rodriguez for a bit of a loop. Read the full Chip Taylor - A Song I Can Live With review

Zucchero - Black Cat The dream production team of Don Was, Brendan OBrien and T Bone Burnett puts the perfect edge on this set of funky, Continental-via-New Orleans party rock from Zucchero. Read the full Zucchero - Black Cat review

Mike Llerena - Absence & The Heart Just as certain men seemingly love all women, Llerena loves most varieties of rock & roll. Hes the guy that gets as excited about a Tom Petty classic rock concert, as he is about a local punk bands set, one imagines. Read the full Mike Llerena - Absence & The Heart review

Root 66: Charlie and the Regrets - Rivers in the Streets Charlie and the Regrets lead singer Charlie Harrison has been quoted as saying, Everything I say is with a smile and a wink, and that becomes obvious right away here on opening track Proud Man. Read the full Charlie and the Regrets - Rivers in the Streets review

Tony K's Best Films Of 2016 List Awards do not mean anything in the big picture of life. I love watching the Academy Awards every year but must confess, with every passing year, I do not always remember who won, but I always remember the films that penetrate my soul. Read the full Tony K's Best Films Of 2016 List review



Chickn - Chickn Heres a really cool and trippy offering from this Greek band. Opening cut Chickn Tribe mashes up bluesy, Jimi Hendrix-style guitar with Jim Morrison-recalling vocals and a tribal drumbeat along with subtle psychedelic effects Read the full Chickn - Chickn review

Avenged Sevenfold TBT For this weeks TBT we revisit Matthew Hasties 2007 review of Avenged Sevenfolds self-titled album where he found that the band sounded better than ever but a little more haywire. Read the full Avenged Sevenfold TBT review

Miss Ohio - White Hot: The Best of Miss Ohio One could be easily fooled that Miss Ohio is Drive-By Truckers, especially because of Magnet. Vocalist David Wilson is a dead ringer for DBT singer Patterson Hood. He has that scratchy, woebegone sound down pat. Read the full Miss Ohio - White Hot: The Best of Miss Ohio review

Joe Lynn Turner - The Sessions Powerhouse vocalist Turner rocks through a set of mostly well-known, mostly hard rock songs from iconic bands like Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC as well as his former band Rainbow. Read the full Joe Lynn Turner - The Sessions review

Matt Chanway The fact that most of these tracks clocking in at over six minutes, should give you a clue its an all-instrumental work. Matt Chanway is a master guitarist, and his chosen musical style is progressive metal. Read the full Matt Chanway review

TBT - Arctic Monkeys' Favourite Worst Nightmare For this weeks TBT we travel back a decade for Kevin Wierzbickis review of Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare where he found that they not only avoided the dreaded sophomore slump but took a leap toward senior. Read the full TBT - Arctic Monkeys' Favourite Worst Nightmare review

Root 66: Washboard Hank - Human Beans Fans of acts like Mojo Nixon and his washboard-playing sidekick Skid Roper will love the similarly earthy sounds of Washboard Hank. And as with Mojo and Skid, Washboard Hanks music is full of delightfully-skewed humor. Read the full Washboard Hank - Human Beans review

Marty McKay - New York City Dreams Marty McKay once played with Vanilla Ice. But dont hold this against him. In fact, his music could hardly be any more different from that Great White Hopeless. This Swiss rocker writes and sings heartfelt songs Read the full Marty McKay - New York City Dreams review

Root 66: Holly Norman - Taking Care of Bluegrass: A Tribute to Elvis Singer and guitarist Norman got the idea to do an Elvis Presley tribute album during a visit to Graceland and what a good idea it was. Here she presents grassed up interpretations of a dozen songs associated with Presley Read the full Holly Norman - Taking Care of Bluegrass: A Tribute to Elvis review

Judas Priest - Turbo 30 For some Judas Priest fans it probably seems like just yesterday that they were roaring down the street with the car radio cranked up, singing along with Priest front man Rob Halford on the big hit Turbo Lover. Read the full Judas Priest - Turbo 30 review

Alice Cooper: Between High School & Old School For this weeks TBT we take a look back at Tony Ks Alice Cooper: Between High School & Old School feature from 2007 where he examined the legacy of the legendary shock rocker! Read the full Alice Cooper: Between High School & Old School review

Saul Losada - Energy Saul Losadas Energy offers him the opportunity to stretch out and prove what he can do on an electric guitar. Also, the album is sprinkled with a few familiar songs, which makes it more than just a show off work. Read the full Saul Losada - Energy review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Pink Jeep Sedona Tour, Travvy Award Winners And More This time out our column features something especially for sweethearts, news of this years winners of Travvy Awards, and a new book for travelers who are fans of military history. Get a bag packed and lets go! Read the full Pink Jeep Sedona Tour, Travvy Award Winners And More review

5 Star: Jethro Tull - Stand Up: The Elevated Edition Overall the package is an excellent snapshot of early Jethro Tull presented in a modern manner that makes Stand Up: The Elevated Edition a very desirable collectible. Read the full Jethro Tull - Stand Up: The Elevated Edition review

Scott Taylor - Blues Kitchen Blues music gets right to the point, whether love is good or bad, which is why its eternally and universally loved and respected. And Scott Taylor cooks up all the good stuff on Blues Kitchen. Read the full Scott Taylor - Blues Kitchen review

Shallow Side - ONE With cuts like the heavy-thumping, defiant Rebel and an incendiary take on the Styx chestnut Renegade in their arsenal, Shallow Side land firmly in the bastion of bands that have the goods to shut down the rock is dead naysayers. Read the full Shallow Side - ONE review



Root 66: Saints Eleven - Coming Back Around This Dallas-based band plays a sort of country music that rings with authenticity. Whether vocalist Jeff Grossman is professing eternal love or attempting to get back with an ex, the plaintive quality of his voice makes every word believable Read the full Saints Eleven - Coming Back Around review

The Blues: The Reverend KM Williams - The Real Deal Blues Fans can take this albums title literally, the retro production techniques employed here give this record a vibe that will be irresistible to hipsters while also pleasing blues purists. The real deal indeed. Read the full The Reverend KM Williams - The Real Deal Blues review

TBT: David Bowie Live In Chicago 2004 Tony K continues out TBT look back at music legend David Bowie and celebrates the 13th anniversary this week of the January 16, 2004 Rosemont, IL concert that he reviewed. Read the full David Bowie Live In Chicago 2004 review

Michael Hornbuckle - Soul Repo As the title of the album suggests, singer and guitarist Hornbuckles music is exceptionally soulful. With a voice that reminds of superstar John Mayer, Hornbuckle here demonstrates a mastery of lights-down-low slow dance R&B Read the full Michael Hornbuckle - Soul Repo review

Saint Blasphemer - Simon Templar Saint Blasphemer is a unique band because much of the music on its Simon Templar EP express frustration of seeing friends and family members struggle with addictions Read the full Saint Blasphemer - Simon Templar review

David Bowie - Station To Station Remaster We continue our special TBT look back at music legend David Bowie with flashback to Tony Ks review of the remaster of the iconic album Station To Station. Read the full David Bowie - Station To Station Remaster review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: January 2017 Edition It takes some of the fun out of traveling if you arrive at your destination with a pain in your neck or elsewhere. Aching neck and shoulders are common problems for travelers. Now there is help, plus Legendary Blue Danube River Cruise and W Las Vegas Read the full January 2017 Edition review

The Blues: Big Jay McNeely - Blowin' Down the House: Big Jay's Latest & Greatest This phenomenal sax player was driving audiences wild with his high energy stage show way back in the late 40s and early 50s and many fans today might be under the impression that the star has passed away. Read the full Big Jay McNeely - Blowin' Down the House: Big Jay's Latest & Greatest review

TBT: Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska Bruce Springsteen recorded what he thought were demos on a 4-track tape recorder 35 years ago this week. The demo recording was haunting and proved challenging to replicate with the band. Read the full Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska review

The Blues: Popa Chubby - The Catfish Popa Chubby is a multi-instrumentalist and he plays lots of the bass, drum and keyboard parts on The Catfish, but it is his guitar playing and singing that take the spotlight here as he romps through a dozen songs, 10 of which are self-penned. Read the full Popa Chubby - The Catfish review

Tumbler - Come to the Edge Its odd that Tumbler lists Soul Asylum, The Kinks and The Cure as similar artists. While there is an urgency in the way Harry and Richard Grace sing these songs, theres also an optimism you rarely in hear in Kinks songs Read the full Tumbler - Come to the Edge review




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