antiReviews

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Sites and Sounds: Wire & Wood Songwriters Festival The Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta will come alive for this two day festival as shows are presented on stages located throughout the citys downtown area and at the Avalon shopping and entertainment complex. Read the full Wire & Wood Songwriters Festival review

TBT: Dio - Holy Diver For this weeks TBT we look back at our review of Dios landmark album Holy Diver which ran as part of our Classics series 10 years ago this week in September of 2006. Read the full Dio - Holy Diver review

Rock Reads: Dynamic Song Performance: The Singers Bible Vocal techniques are just a small part of this bible for singers as Jay covers everything from phrasing to stage presence to creating a fan base in this very thorough primer. Read the full Dynamic Song Performance: The Singers Bible review

Iron Savior - Titancraft Titancraft is predictable in the best possible way, and just another slab of goodness that Iron Savior will proudly archive among its collection of solid albums. Read the full Iron Savior - Titancraft review

Root 66: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver - Burden Bearer Theres something about the plaintive quality of bluegrass music that makes the genre particularly suitable for interpreting gospel songs. mandolin master and singer Lawson leads his band through a generous 20-song set. Read the full Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver - Burden Bearer review

Suidakra - Realms of Odoric Realms of Odoric is a special kind of dreadful. While its safe to say few were preparing for Suidakras finest hour, I dont think anyone was expecting the worst thing to happen to Celtic pride since the Irish Potato Famine Read the full Suidakra - Realms of Odoric review

On The Record: Motosierra Is the Moto part of Motosierras name a tribute to Motorhead? Maybe, or maybe not, but for sure Motosierra has, like Motorhead did, a real penchant for speedy, balls-to-the-wall rock n roll. And a knack for doing it well, too. Read the full Motosierra review

Rabid Young - EP 1 You hear a lot of different musical influences coming through EP 1 by Rabid Young. A lot of these influences take on the form of passionate 80s musical voices. Read the full Rabid Young - EP 1 review

Gravitysays_i - Quantum Unknown This Greek band has released one of the most interesting prog records to come along this year. Opening cut More Than a Matter of Instinct tunes in to a spacy groove that sounds like early Pink Floyd Read the full Gravitysays_i - Quantum Unknown review

Road Trip: Odysea Aquarium Making A Splash In Scottsdale, AZ There's a brand new place to have fun in Scottsdale and rockin' lobsters, cool catfish and swinging starfish are coming from all over to check the place out, as are creatures of the human persuasion Read the full Odysea Aquarium Making A Splash In Scottsdale, AZ Road Trip

TBT: The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute For this weeks TBT review we travel back to 2005 to revisit Mark Henschs 5 Star review of The Mars Voltas Frances The Mute which proved that bands could still stretch the bounds of music and find success. Read the full The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute review

Root 66 Ladies Edition: Annika Chambers, Gabrielle Louise, Tami Neilson, Carrie Newcomer This time out our spotlight on the best new roots music releases features ladies only including Annika Chambers, Gabrielle Louise, Tami Neilson and Carrie Newcomer. Read the full Ladies Edition - Annika Chambers, Gabrielle Louise, Tami Neilson, Carrie Newcomer review

Winter Calling - FACES Winter Calling is a progressive rock band, and there are plenty of rock fans that draw the taste line at progressive sounds. However, this groups singer, Chris Hodges, is so good, even progressive haters might make an exception. Read the full Winter Calling - FACES review

Dinosaur Pile-Up - Eleven Eleven Dinosaur Pile-Up singer and guitarist Matt Bigland says that 11:11, the title track of this album, is in part about finding significance in insignificance Read the full Dinosaur Pile-Up - Eleven Eleven review

Mike Campese - Chapters The recent earthquake in central Italy no doubt brought back horrible memories for Campese- the guitarist lost several relatives to a similar event that occurred in the same area a few years ago Read the full Mike Campese - Chapters review

Coffin Dust - Everything is Dead Given Coffin Dusts ties to Exhumed, its no surprise Everything is Dead follows the path bulldozed by the gods of gore metal, but with a mild punk edge Im attributing to The Misfits and others. Read the full Coffin Dust - Everything is Dead review

On The Record: Kate Fagan - I Don't Wanna Be Too Cool Fans that went through the new wave years in the Chicago vicinity will be especially pleased with this rerelease of music that Fagan recorded before she went on to front Chi-Town ska band Heavy Manners Read the full Kate Fagan - I Don't Wanna Be Too Cool review

The Tigerlillies - 123456 EP The Tigerlillies list such bands as Cheap Trick and The Ramones as influences. These six songs are built upon driving electric guitar riffs, which powers the acts melodic pop. Read the full The Tigerlillies - 123456 EP review

Road Trip: Swaziland Part 3- The Best Places to Stay Although it is a very small country, Swaziland is packed with exciting things to do and see like viewing Africa's "Big 5" game animals, attending a world-class music festival like Bushfire, and more Read the full Swaziland Part 3- The Best Places to Stay Road Trip

Mutants of the Monster: A Tribute to Black Oak Arkansas Acts like Eddie Spaghetti (Supersuckers), Greg Ginn (Black Flag), Shooter Jennings, Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers) and the Kentucky Bridgeburners all offer contributions Read the full Mutants of the Monster: A Tribute to Black Oak Arkansas review



Root 66: Stony Plain Records Label Showcase Stony Plain is a roots music label based in the Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta that is celebrating a 40th anniversary this year. Heres a look at some of their brand new releases. Read the full Stony Plain Records Label Showcase review

Jim Peterik - The Songs Although Jim Peterik may not be a household name, everybodys heard his songs. He co-wrote Survivors mega hit, The Eye of the Tiger, which began as song on the soundtrack to Rocky III Read the full Jim Peterik - The Songs review

RockPile: Prog Edition- Gong, MJ12, Armonite Kevin Wierzbicki checks in with a special edition of Rock Pile where he looks at new prog releases including Gongs Rejoice! Im Dead!, MJ12 and Armonites The Sun is New Each Day. Read the full Prog Edition- Gong, MJ12, Armonite review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: CooLHeadS, Lassoing the Sun, Outrigger Resorts' Waikiki Music Lovers Its easy to get excited when thinking about travel. The thought of new experiences and exotic places can really crank up the heat. But its important to keep a cool head at all times. Read the full CooLHeadS, Lassoing the Sun, Outrigger Resorts' Waikiki Music Lovers review

Rotten Sound - Abuse To Suffer Abuse to Suffer is a Rotten Sound record from A to Z. The grindcore overlords are especially gifted at delivering a malicious sensory overload of nonstop violence. Read the full Rotten Sound - Abuse To Suffer review

Obsidian Kingdom - A Year With No Summer A Year with No Summer ends up a mixed bag. The progressive rock structure limits the group creatively, and there are several instances in which the opportunities available to Obsidian Kingdom are squandered. Read the full Obsidian Kingdom - A Year With No Summer review

RockPile: Gringo Star- On Dolphin- More For this edition of Rock Pile Kevin tells us about the new rock releases Gringo Stars The Sides and In Between, 18th and Addisons Makeshift Monster and On Dolphins Layers. Read the full Gringo Star- On Dolphin- More review

The Ann Wilson Thing! Hot on the heels of Hearts stellar new album Beautiful Broken, Heart lead singer Ann Wilson keeps the new music coming with the second in (hopefully a long series) of EPs from The Ann Wilson Thing!, her solo side project. Read the full The Ann Wilson Thing! review

Road Trip Revisited: Puerto Vallarta Summer is winding down so for this Flashback Friday we take a trip south of the border to enjoy the sunshine. Today we revisit Kevin's 2014 Road Trip to the beautiful Puerto Vallarta as we bid farewell to summer 2016 Read the full Road Trip here

#TBT: Opeth's Blackwater Park For this weeks #TBT review we revisit antiGuys look at Opeths 2001 album Blackwater Park, which was the bands first U.S. release and earned a five star nod from aG who said it was like listening to a metal orchestra. Read the full #TBT: Opeth's Blackwater Park review

Tod Hughes - Time Slow Down An album title like Time Slow Down suggests songs about life in the fast lane. However, Tod Hughes is by no means speeding down lifes highway. Rather, hes a more of a stop and smell the roses kind of guy Read the full Tod Hughes - Time Slow Down review

Road Trip: Travel News, Trips & Tips If you're hungry or thirsty you'll love this edition of Travel News, Trips & Tips- it's all about food and drink including Prague's Beer Tour, Sunset Key's Rum Ration and Tiny Restaurants in the Big Apple. Read the full Travel News, Trips & Tips Road Trip

Leslie Cours Mather - We Are America When was the last time you said the Pledge of Allegiance? The oath will likely be stuck in your head as an earworm after hearing We Are America, the catchy new single from Leslie Cours Mather Read the full Leslie Cours Mather - We Are America review

Road Trip: Quebec City Summer Festival Part 2 - Street Party! With some 300 concerts taking place on 10 stages over the course of 11 days, the Quebec City Summer Festival is one of North America's biggest music festivals, and one of its most beloved too Read the full Quebec City Summer Festival Part 2 - Street Party! Road Trip

Chameleon Technology - Blank Canvas Chameleon Technology is a one-man band, manned by the wonderfully named Max Histrionic. Blank Canvas, though, is an inaccurate name for such a busy and engaging EP of music. Read the full Chameleon Technology - Blank Canvas review

Die Choking - II Die Chokings link between the sounds and influences of grindcore remain key to the musical charge, never once putting their feet on the brake. Split that up for six minutes, and try not to die choking. Read the full Die Choking - II review

The Damned - Don't You Wish That We Were Dead Despite the fact that they were the first British punk band to release a single (1976), release an album and tour the United States (both 1977), the Damned, still working to some extent today, have been perennially underrated. Read the full The Damned - Don't You Wish That We Were Dead review

Root 66: Kenny Davin Fine and the Tennessee Texans- Pete Kronowitt- Tom Rhodes Kevin Wierzbicki tells us about Kenny Davin Fine and the Tennessee Texans Brand New Road, Pete Kronowitts A Lone Voice, Tom Rhodes Who You Were in this installment of Root 66 Read the full Kenny Davin Fine and the Tennessee Texans- Pete Kronowitt- Tom Rhodes review

RockPile: 3 Pill Morning- Lucifer's Friend- Cal Kevin Wierzbicki tells us about some new rock releases including 3 Pill Mornings Never Look Back, Lucifers Friends Live @ Sweden Rock 2015 and Cal Rock & Rolls Homegrown Read the full 3 Pill Morning- Lucifer's Friend- Cal review

Lollapalooza 2016 Final Day The final day hit many of the high notes even as exhaustion from the previous three days had set in however, it was a post-grunge band who left us speechless. Read the full Lollapalooza 2016 Final Day review

Sizzling Summer Of Chris Lane Being just days away from the Friday August 5th release of his debut CD, Girl Problems, Chris Lane is the most up-and-coming country artist on radio. Linda spoke with Lane about the album and his tour with Rascal Flatts Read the full Sizzling Summer Of Chris Lane review

Lollapalooza 2016 Day Three 2016 marks my fifth year of covering Lollapalooza for the antiMUSIC Network and in that time I have written over 50,000 words about this festival. Read the full Lollapalooza 2016 Day Three review

Lollapalooza 2016 Day Two Every year new acts emerge at Lollapalooza in a rare opportunity to activate their musical muscle and talents for one of the largest audiences of their careers. Read the full Lollapalooza 2016 Day Two review

Rock Reads: Kittens and Kulture- The Pinup Photography of Susana Andrea The pinup has come a long way since having its first heyday during the World War II era, back when likenesses of pinup girls adorned military barracks and appeared on airplanes and other tools of war Read the full Kittens and Kulture- The Pinup Photography of Susana Andrea review



Lollapalooza 2016 Day One Lollapalooza turns a quarter century old this year and to celebrate, the organizers are putting on the biggest festival to date with over 170 different acts covering more genres and sub-genres of music Read the full Lollapalooza 2016 Day One review

Road Trip: Quebec City Summer Festival 2016 Part 1: La Musique! Quebec City is a joy to visit on any given day. It is only fitting that this is where the Quebec City Summer Festival, an 11-day event celebrating live music, takes place. Read the full Quebec City Summer Festival 2016 Part 1: La Musique! Road Trip

Izzy Thomas - Sell Your Soul Once in awhile, if youre lucky, you get to hear a select few new artists and just know they are destined for big things. I got this feeling from hearing the first few notes by British singer/songwriter Izzy Thomas. Read the full Izzy Thomas - Sell Your Soul review

Arcana 13 - Danza Macabra One band that can be likened to Arcana 13 and Danza Macabra is Ghost, yet labeling them a copycat or clone is downright absurd. Arcana 13 has the incredible gift of atmosphere to add to the elements of horror and heavy metal they proudly cherish. Read the full Arcana 13 - Danza Macabra review

Road Trip Swaziland Part 2- Wildlife and Game Parks For most folks who take a holiday to Africa, especially first-time visitors, there's one thing that's sure to be on the agenda: Let's see some animals! That's something that's easy to do in Swaziland, home to Africa's famed "Big Five" game animals Read the full Road Trip Swaziland Part 2- Wildlife and Game Parks Road Trip

Root 66: Urban Pioneers- Ivas John- Travis Green- Clint Morgan In this installment of Root 66 Kevin Wierzbicki tells us about Urban Pioneers Feast or Famine, Ivas Johns Good Days a Comin, Travis Greens A Little Too Late, Clint Morgans Scofflaw Read the full Urban Pioneers- Ivas John- Travis Green- Clint Morgan review

Vernon Neilly - Outta Time Guitarist Neilly wrote all of the songs on Outta Time with the exception of two versions of a cover of Jimi Hendrixs Fire that bookend the album, with the second version being an extended version. Read the full Vernon Neilly - Outta Time review

Denner Shermann - Masters of Evil Round two of the Denner/Shermann project helmed by the eponymous Mercyful Fate guitar duo takes the agonizing tease of a Mercyful Fate reunion to a whole new level. Read the full Denner Shermann - Masters of Evil review

Road Trip: Nepal Open for Business! You may not be the sort of person who wants to climb Mt. Everest, but you might want to see it. Go ahead and make plans to do so. The magnificent peak and all the other delights of Nepal are awaiting. Read the full Nepal Open for Business! Road Trip

Rock Reads: Counting Down Southern Rock: The 100 Best Songs With Banisters list of the 100 best Southern rock songs beginning with #100, its a little tempting to flip to books end to see whats listed at #1. But its really not necessary Read the full Counting Down Southern Rock: The 100 Best Songs review

Sting and Peter Gabriel: Rock Paper Scissors Concert Review Sting and Peter Gabriel are standing shoulder-to-shoulder ten minutes into the Rock Paper Scissors concert. No, this is not standard opener/headliner show and it is not a concert where the headliners both play shortened sets. Read the full Sting and Peter Gabriel: Rock Paper Scissors Concert Review review

Foghat - Under the Influence Foghat perform a set of mostly original material where the songs are played in the style of a group or performer that has influenced the bands overall sound over the years, along with a few covers. Read the full Foghat - Under the Influence review

Michael Franti & Spearhead Live 2016: Miracle Makers Watching Michael Franti and Spearhead in concert is akin to an attending a reunion, a wedding and a funeral in the same two-hour period. Franti has a capacity to express ecstasy and agony in the same two-hour window Read the full Michael Franti & Spearhead Live 2016: Miracle Makers review

Road Trip: Swaziland Part 1: Culture and Attractions If you think the country called Swaziland sounds intriguing, wait until you get there! The small nation in southern Africa, bordered only by Mozambique and South Africa, offers visitors countless adventures in both rural and urban settings. Read the full Swaziland Part 1: Culture and Attractions Road Trip

Guns N' Roses: Not In This Lifetime Concert Review Guns N Roses is reminding everyone what rock n roll is truly capable of. You can call it nostalgia but the truth is the catalog of Guns N Roses has never had more observant ears than they do right at this moment. Read the full Guns N' Roses: Not In This Lifetime Concert Review review

5 Stars: Heart - Beautiful Broken By now all the accomplishments of Ann and her sister Nancy are well-documented and Heart has achieved a firm place in the history of rock, still Beautiful Broken is a look to the past, in a couple of ways. Read the full Heart - Beautiful Broken review




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