Category Archives: New Release

Acoustic, Cleveland, Country, Folk, Good Times, Live Shows, Music, New Release, Outlaw Country, Review, Rock, The Awesome

Album Review: Wagons – Rumble, Shake and Tumble

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Henry Wagons and I met by chance one day last September.  He was an opening act for Those Darlins that night and I remember the tall Aussie armed with a headband and acoustic guitar impressed me beyond belief.  His set filled up the tavern that night with outlaw folk/country jams making me an instant fan.  After his set I learned that Henry Wagons hailed from Melbourne, Australia, and actually left his band, Wagons, back home as it was too tough to fly everyone to the states.  Even though they were a pretty big deal back home, Henry Wagons took it upon himself to spread their music to the states.  I left that night with a copy of a Wagons CD titled Rise and Fall of Goodtown, a sweet towel and new love for an Australian band.

I tried my hardest to see Wagons play at SXSW in Austin, TX, this past spring, but thanks to a botched flight, I did not get there in time.  Rumor has it, Wagons turned a bunch of heads with a memorable set in which they played new material off a new album.  Needless to say, I was bummed out that I missed my chance to see Wagons and hear some of the upcoming tunes.

Luckily for me and many other fans, Wagons dropped their fourth all new release titled Rumble, Shake and Turn on Thirty Tigers toward the end of the summer.  The album is country, it’s rock, it’s even a little cabaret and sure as hell is full of outlaw tendencies.  When listening to Wagons, you get a sense you have heard the music before not just from your father’s collection, but also from your grandfathers collection you might have been exposed to at a young age.  The band takes generations of music and blends it perfectly into their own style guaranteed to turn some heads.

Opening track “Downlow” is very Tom Petty sounding from the get go with lyrics that almost could emulate Wagons’ very own wit and charm.  “I Blew It”, a quite addicting track to listen to, immediately followed full of outlaw country styles as well as some Elvis-sounding growling within.  The music video as seen below is pretty damn amazing as well.  “Moon Into The Sun” was about as country twang as any track on the album gets with a more sensitive Wagons declaring “my life has been a fucking mess without you.”.  Wagons’ singing on this track easily brought the listener back to the days of Twitty, Williams, Jennings, Haggard, and even a starving young Cash and seemingly did not sound like he was even trying to.

The ever catchy tribute to Willie Nelson,  properly titled “Willie Nelson”, deserved multiple plays on account of how fun it was to listen to.  Comparing Nelson to other greats, I loved how Henry Wagons shifted his accent  (“Willie Nel-sun!”) in a clear comical attempt to mess with the listener yet pay a homage to a country great.  “He likes some salt and pepper with his evening meal” is repeated over and over by Wagons about his favorite musician in the country music business and as much of a tribute the song was, it was just hilarious to listen to.  I would love to know what Nelson’s reaction was about this track.

“Love Is Burning” was an unexpected track on the album that was more rock and roll than anything.  “My Daydreams” was a thoughtful track spanning around romance that easily has the ability to swoon.  Wagons’ had no problem recalling the outlaw greats throughout the track as the band backs him up.  “Save Me” was a simple upbeat tune with easy sing-a-long qualities, more of that country twang and even a little blues thrown in.  “Follow The Leader” moved along with almost a train track rhythm only to jump rail and turn psychedelic for a moment.  i did not know what to think about this song.  It definitely strayed away from the rest.  “Marylou” ended the album and at the very end, Wagons closes out the album with a sigh making me wonder how personal that track really was to Wagons.

Rumble, Shake and Tumble was a great album from start to finish full of American genres with a modest Australian twist.  Wagons and company pull off yet another impressive release that more people need to check out.  Wagons has quite the fan base back home and I am pretty sure before long, we Americans will be picking up on their talent.

Wagons is actually back on a US tour in support of the new release and will be stopping at the Beachland Tavern in Cleveland this Sunday Sept. 11th.  Tickets are only $8 and if you fathom yourself a folk/country/rock fan, you would be doing yourself a favor seeing them live.  Not only is the music good live, but Wagons himself is a pretty candid guy.  Don’t be lame.  Get up there Sunday night.

Acoustic, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Review, Rock, Solo

Album Review: Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room – Hurricane Season

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Dan Andriano, also known as the bassist/singer of Alkaline Trio, recently released an impressive solo album called Hurricane Season. Under the moniker Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room, the man took the album into his hands, literally.  He wrote all the songs, played/sang all the music (sans the organ, piano, and a couple of harmony vocals), and even produced it.  It is safe to say that Hurricane Season is indeed a true solo album.  The man even took it upon himself to supply the photos as seen throughout the album and booklet.

Andriano, in case you live under a rock, is one of the impressive three that make up the popular punk rock band Alkaline Trio.  Formerly of Slapstick, he is known these days for his distinguishable signing in many AK3 songs (including “Fine” as heard on AK3’s last full length This Addiction). Andriano has toyed with side projects in the past including a 2002 split as well as been a part of the punk rock supergroup The Falcon.   He writes, he plays, he performs, and this time with help from Asian Man Records, he has given his talent a challenge of sorts and dropped quite the impressive album.

“It’s Gonna Rain All Day” opens the ten track album with Andriano doing what he does best; write heavy, meaningful lyrics.  Such the sorrowful track with piano sneaking in and out of acoustic guitar playing making for one of my favorite tracks on the release.  “Hurricane Season” followed in a more upbeat rock feel with some familiar cries coming from Andriano’s pipes.  “Hollow Sounds” was more of an acoustic jam with many the reference to addicting temptations and comparisons revolving around a heartfelt memory.

“Let Me In” was a busy rock track throughout, impressive when you think that one man put it together by himself.  “On Monday” had a nice country/rock feel to it.  “The Last Day We Ever Close Our Eyes” was the closest thing on the entire album that resembled a heartfelt track.  Then came, “From This Oil Can”, a seemingly happy ending to Hurricane Season that easily was meant to swoon someone in a clever, direct way.  I really enjoyed this closing track a lot.

Hurricane Season was an album full of songs that easily could have been mistaken for AK3 b-sides or acoustic jams, but I know that is not at all what he was looking to do.  Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room was more of a personal sounding voyage with deep tracks most likely that have been trapped in his mind for quite some time.

Andriano does contribute quite a lot to AK3, so it is not surprising that a lot of the tracks on Hurricane Season are dark and lost.  Knowing though that this album is a solo release means that Andriano has offered so much more to it over the the typical 1/3 he probably does in AK3 as the two other members help make AK3 what they are too.  The result is a personal tribute to himself.  If anything, an amazing musician who probably just wanted to play some songs all by himself for others to listen to did just that.  I just hope he takes this solo project on the road, only time will tell. See tour dates below.  No Cleveland show, but who knows, maybe next time!

Fall Tour Dates:
Sept. 9th – Gainesville, FL at The Double Down
Sept. 10th – Naples, FL at Flieschmann Park
Sept. 11th – Ybor City, FL at Crowbar
Sept. 13th – Charlotte, NC at The Evening Muse
Sept. 14th – Chapel Hill, NC at Local 506
Sept. 15th – West Columbia, SC at New Brookland Tavern
Sept. 16th – St. Augustine, FL at Cafe 11
Sept. 24th – Chicago, IL at The Bottom Lounge

Hardcore, Music, New Release, Review

EP Review: Bayonet – Bayonet

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I know I am not the only one that has been waiting what seems a lifetime for Bayonet to release something since they announced their existence.  I was immediately excited when I heard earlier this year that members of bands like Senses Fail and The Banner had joined forces to create a hardcore band of sorts.  Well wait no more, Bayonet just dropped a self titled EP, a first taste have you, and I am loving what I am hearing.

The New Jersey hardcore act features Senses Fail’s Buddy Nielsen behind the mic, The Banner’s Jeremy Comitas, Suburban Scum’s Paul Klein and Fit For An Autopsy’s Will Putneyalls. Having already supplied a taste of what they were all about on their MySpace page, the EP features five hardcore songs that range from a minute to three. Nielsen seems to just lose himself through out on the EP dropped on Mightier Than Sword Records.

“I really wish I was better than this” is screamed by Nielsen towards the end of “Nightmare”, a full-on brutal intro that slowly mellowed towards the end (this might have been more suitable to close the EP). The band supported a hard and tough sound backing Nielsen’s livid vocals up perfectly. “Who’s Gonna Want Me Now” followed in a minute…literally.  “One, two, fuck you!” starts off the minute long mosh pit enhancer and before you know it, it’s laid to rest. “Harsh” reached way back into the hardcore styles I remember growing up with and stayed tough all the way through. “Blackbird” had a little horror-punk feel to the start only to jump kick into awesomeness.  “New York Minutes” again just was looking to pick a fight.  Great song full of opportunity to sing along and get rowdy.

Senses Fail seemed to be getting weaker and weaker with their last few efforts and I pretty much stopped listening to them. When I heard Buddy Nielsen belt out a harsh grouping of vocals at the beginning of this EP, I knew I was in for something good.  The combination of musical forces have structured quite the beast of a band. There are no positive songs on here, only hate and self-loathing ideas mashed with hardcore goodness – Kids are going to love these guys.

If you are a die hard fan of Senses Fail and think you are going to be treated to new material by them, stay clear. This is a little harder than what you might be expecting. Additionally, if you are tired of hearing about Buddy and want nothing to do with Senses Fail, maybe you should still give Bayonet a chance. Who knows, you might dig them like I did.

These days, I’m a little too weathered to be swinging about in the pit and picking fights with the concrete. Still, I know when I hear something I like.  All I can say to Bayonet is: “Good job, when is the full length coming out, and when the hell are you guys touring my way?”

90's, Acoustic, Cleveland, Music, New Release, Punk, Review

Album Review: Alkaline Trio – Damnesia

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Punk rockers Alkaline Trio (AK3) recently dropped a mostly-acoustic, sort-of-best-of-album entitled Damnesia on their very own label Heart&Skull.  The album, that was also released on Epitaph Records, contains seletions from previous releases from the band’s career  as well as two brand new songs.  If you recall, AK3 already took a stab at releasing some acoustic tracks as seen on last year’s deluxe version of This Addiction.  This time though, the band had a reason to dig into their catalog.

Marking their 15 year anniversary, the band saw it best to celebrate their success by putting together an album for the fans.  The result is a nice twist at classic songs with some of the re-recorded acoustic / semi-unplugged versions sounding better than the original cuts.

“Calling All Skeletons” started off the 15-track album, sounded well, but just was not overly impressive.  “Nose Over Tail”, originally found as a b-side from the “Sundials” single, on the other hand was awesome.  I loved that they re-recorded such a great track and it sounded better to me than the original thanks to  Skiba’s vocals sounding  so personal and heartfelt.

The pianos throughout  “This Could Be Love” was a nice touch.  A bit gloomier this round, the track was a tad slowed down which was fine by this listener.  “Calvicle” kept things moving with a speedy acoustic jam.  “Mercy Me” almost sounded rejuvenated with its rebirth into the un-plugged world.

“The American Scream” started with a duo of Skiba and piano playing.  I have to admit I enjoyed this version a lot.  I loved when the rest of the band kicked in and started playing / singing along.  “We’ve Had Enough” continued impressing me.  There was just something about this version that made me tap my foot a little harder to the ground while listening to.

One of the two new tracks, “Olde English 800” was an awesome tribute to a iconic malt beverage.  The sing-a-long had me craving for a 40oz. or two by the time it was over.  Comedic?  Perhaps…  Sincere?  Absolutely.  Am I going to have a hangover tomorrow?  That is has not been determined yet.  All in all, great love song for a top-notch beverage.

AK3 covering The Violent Femmes was not overly impressive to me, but it was nice see them choose “I Held Her In My Arms” over other overly-covered Femmes songs.  It was not terrible to listen to at all, it was just not something I was really looking to listen to although I appreciated the light twang feel to it.  Then again I never was the biggest Femmes fan.

“I Remember A Rooftop” was the other new track on Damnesia and was a lot more serious than the O.E. 800 song.  Andriano took over singing duties this round on the acoustic guitar only track. With lyrics like “I took my lousy shot at public recognition” the lyrics clearly were a little darker, something this beloved band has never been afraid to dish out. 

The very Dexter Morgan describing “Private Eye” was another nice surprise to find on this album.  A great version of “Radio” closed out the album.  Once again, the singing sounded just a little more personal and meaningful on this track.  I really enjoyed it a lot. 

A lot of times when I hear that bands are going to take songs and re-record them in an acoustic manner I am usually not overly excited about it, sans Unwritten Law’s Music In High Places.  AK3 nailed it though with Damnesia.  The album takes a nice detour from the punk rock path and brings you to just a nice chill (chilling?) listen many punk rock and non-punk rock fans will enjoy. 

Does recording an acoustic album mean the band has slowed down (not trying to knock anyone)?  Well, perhaps in some cases for some bands, but I doubt AK3 has any means to take it down a notch anytime soon.  This was a nice novel idea for the fans from the band that has been kicking it for a decade and a half.  Look for AK3 to be touring this summer in support of the new release as well as means to continue to celebrate their 15 years as a punk rock act. 

Andriano had this to say about the tour:

“We’re looking forward to our 15th anniversary tour this summer. We’re going to really try to put together a set that encompasses everything the band has done over the past 15 years and plan to play some songs that rarely find their way in to the set list. We will also play some songs in an unplugged style similar to what we’ve recently recorded on Damnesia. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

AK3 will be playing at the House Of Blues in Cleveland on Aug. 8th.  The Smoking Popes (stoked about this act!!!) and River City Extension will provide as openers.  This is going to be a kick ass show.

70's, Music, Music Video, New Release, Review, Rock

Album Review: Rival Sons – Pressure & Time

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I don’t know if I can speak for all of you out there on this memory of mine, but I remember once when I was a kid I was flipping through my father’s LP collection.  His collection consisted mostly of late 60s and 70s bands, bands considered “classic rock” these days.  Still new to the game called music, I had no idea who all these bands were and was ever so curious to familiarize myself with them.

I marveled at the pictures at first, some more than others thanks to scantily clad women gracing the covers, and soon was just playing record after record teaching myself what to like and what to disregard.  There were gems that I found in those stacks of records that pretty much kick started my love for music.  I bring up this story because I swear that the new Rival Sons album, Pressure & Time, that I just listened to easily could have been one of those records that I pulled out from the stack, listened to, and said “woah.”

Hailing from Los Angeles, Rival Sons are a modern day classic rock band, all talent and no gimmicks at all.  The foursome has been around since 2008 and released their sophomore album Pressure & Time on Earache Records.  At times the band sounds like a cross between classic rock like Led Zeppelin but also hints towards a modern White Stripes/Jack White feel.  The collection of genres makes for a great sound that has been seemingly dismissed these days in the music world when it comes to new bands.

As soon as “All Over The Road” started, I found myself almost in shock to hear what I was listening to.  “Pressure and Time” won me over after I listened to it.  I adored the whole song start to finish.  Just check out the video below and see if you agree.  I can see the ladies already swooning over “Only One” once it hits their ears.  Reminding me of a Black Crows song, it was a sly cut to listen to with nice keyboard and heavy bass guitar playing.

“Get Mine” was a straight up jam with an ever so addicting funky bass riff that was met up some classic guitar playing.  “Burn Down Los Angeles” was just bad ass.  The drumming, the bass, the guitars, and the signing all together kept your head rocking and toughened up your skin.  “Save Me” had a fun start with a little classic guitar and bass exchange and then was smothered with a nice helping of soul.  Throughout it reminded me of a Sweet song, not like “dude, it was sweet”, but like the band Sweet…never mind. (additionally this song has been featured on a Jeremiah Weed commercial).  The lighter flicking, body swaying, arena destined “Face Of Light” closed out the album.

Pressure & Time seemed to just breeze past me while listening to.  At 30-minutes, I really would have loved to heard more, a lot more.  I really was not expecting Rival Sons to sound the way they did.  I was told that they “rocked” but that is an understatement.  This band must have gone back in time and hung out with the legends to sound this great. The lead singer looks like the lovechild of Jim Morrison and sounds like Jack White as well as Robert Plant.  The band dresses to impress and supposedly puts on some of the best like shows (still yet to be determined by this guy).  Apparently they have shared the stage with bands like Kiss and Judas Priest already in their short career.  Not too shabby boys.

If you like your rock classic and have been looking for something new to check out and just sink your teeth into, look no further.  Rival Sons have arrived and I am pretty sure all the folk out there who rocked out in the 70s, perhaps even your parents, are going approve.