LP Review: "Amen Breaks" by Quiet Hollers

Amen Breaks

As far as I'm concerned, my love the Quiet Hollers has never been remotely a secret.

Their eponymous album is still one of the biggest bright spots of 2015 and it's subsequent vinyl pressing (complete with black splatter on clear coloring) was also a bright spot of 2016.

Our friends from Kentucky stopped in at the Heavy Anchor in December of 2015, and we were able to celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary while they played some amazing songs.

The only dark cloud was that their vinyl had been pushed back so I wasn't able to go home with it that evening. The full house they had though warmed the cockles of my heart. It's awesome to see a band succeeding in this day and age.

In this modern age, there are far too many instances of a band, though of quality, being chewed up and spat out because they weren't able to make a financial go of it.

EP Review: "The Rains" by Henry Jamison

Autumn is a time for relaxing with the windows open, finally able to turn off the air conditioning, and to enjoy a relaxing, often chilly evening.

If I was choosing something to listen to while taking that break it might be Henry Jamison's debut offering, The Rains, available everywhere tomorrow on Akira Records.

Jamison brings to mind the beat poets of Greenwich Village, a Bohemian voice with an almost meditative sound, yet modern and his own.

Displaying Jamison's wide vocal range, The Rains provides an almost ethereal background of gorgeous acoustic guitar, at times sleepy and haunting and at others bright and insightful. There are ghostly moments as in Dallas Love Field and the early strains of Real Peach that flow smoothly and effortlessly into thoughtful refrains.

Album Review: "Jet Plane and Oxbow" by Shearwater

Jet Plane and Oxbow

I have been into watching Science Fiction for as long as I can remember I suppose.

The first movie I can say for certain that I saw in the theater was Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. I also recall seeing E.T. in the cinema thrice.

Space travel, alien beings, robots, and the like. These things greatly appealed to me.

I suppose we're always looking forward and wondering what lies ahead.

One concept that always really stuck with me though was the cyborg. Kryten in Back To Reality, Arnold in The Terminator, and countless others in film and comic books. This idea thrilled me to no end.

Album Review: "Children of the Call" by Allan Moon

Children of the Call

Today I'm reviewing Allan Moon's latest solo record, Children of the Call. It's the follow up to his 2008 release, Song of the Wind.

Take note of the titles being a little off the beaten path.

Moon has a very interesting personal history. He was born in Toronto, ON, but moved to Manhattan, NY where he was raised.

Later he moved again to Tel Aviv, Israel and now resides in Galilee.

In the past, I've noted that where a person lives, or has lived, leaves an indelible mark on their soul and in their art. I cannot say what kind of mark any of those places would leave, but his moving and moving would certainly leave a mark.

As someone who's shuffled around significantly, though not as far each time, I understand and empathize with that all too well.....There is a definite mark left.