Vinyl Review: "There Is No Feeling Better" by Mike Adams At His Honest Weight

There Is No Feeling Better

There are things that happen to you in the world that you remember. Such happenings can be so profound that for years you tell your friends where you were when it happened.

For me, it was a Friday evening. Bruce Franks has hours away from winning his election to the Missouri Legislature.

The rain was pouring and I was dragging my wife to Foam on Cherokee St. in South St. Louis, MO.

We were going to be seeing Mike Adams At His Honest Weight.

No one begged me to be there. There was no outcry for me to spill my words upon the pages about this show.

In fact, this wasn't the first time I'd heard Mike Adams At His Honest Weight. So, like my personal mass on my driver's license...the above kind of fraudulent. There was nothing about the show that was my first, apart from the first time seeing them live.

LP Review: "Drying the Eyes Of the Goddess Of Gloom Underneat the Stars And the Moon.." by Gloom Balloon

Drying the Eyes Of the Goddess Of Gloom Underneat the Stars And the Moon..

I'm just going to say it.

The entire title is underneath the cover art because it's funny.

In the past few weeks, sleep has been eluding me.

Part of it is my ignorance on how to reset the stupid automatic thermostat to stop kicking back up and down.

It's fine in the winter because it heats up quickly, and when the AC changes, my house heats up quickly. Because of that, my late night music spins no longer contain such things like Coffin Dust or Morbid Slaughter. When sleep is elusive, every single possible care must be taken to capture it. 

One of those things is mellower tunes whilst winding down.

Vinyl Review: "The Battery Line" by Quin Galavis

The Battery Line

Let's say a few  nice words about mile stones if you don't mind my going off on a small tangent before we get into the meat of this review.

It doesn't seem all that long ago when a band first had two album reviews here, but that was nearly five years ago.

Today, Quin Galavis becomes the first artist to get the vinyl treatment for a second time. (Confidentially, there's another one in the kitty though.)

Glacially Musical is rapidly closing in on our 1000th post. In fact, this is post number 997. In my life, there's been a lot of t hings I've done, but this one is certainly among the longest, most successful, and very satisfying. You may have noticed that for the past two weeks I was a bit off the grid, just because, a break from this behemoth was required. As a small site that we do on the side, it's hard to keep up all of the content.

Thank you for enjoying the ride with us.

Vinyl Review: "Microwave Dreams" by John Wesley Coleman III

Microwave Dreams

Have you ever had a really bad day?

Today, well, frankly, it wasn't that bad, but it was a rough one. Aside from the birthday party, the battery on my hybrid hitting purple, and having to go get a new extension cord for my new electric lawnmower....

I'm beyond wiped.

The irony of my complaining about technology not suiting me while writing about being a Luddite, well, that's certainly not lost on me whatsoever.

I suppose, it's just that somethings we don't need to improve upon. Cars? Yeah, we need to improve upon that. I drive a hybrid for several reasons. Naturally, the fact that on a normal week my Prius gets better gas mileage than my Honda Civic did on it's best day is wonderful. Helping the planet is also a great thing.

Stream: "Gardner's Bell" by Overlake

On May 12th, the new album from Jersey City's own, Overlake, will be released on Bar/None Records.

Until then, stream the latest single below.

Remember, you can't love a band unless you like them on Facebook. 

LP Review: "Great Unknown" by The Watters

Great Unknown

I'm a bit tired of beef stew.

For those readers who don't follow my twitter account, if you ask me, my beef stew is legendary.

My love of beef stew is bordering on religiosity. Far more beef stew has passed its way into my innards than is likely healthy.

Not just the canned slop, which is delicious, but I also cook beef stew at home. Over the years, my bland and tasteless beef stew has been transformed into a miso/gravy/chicken broth based culinary cluster bomb of something or other.

Heavy Metal is kind of like beef stew for me as well. My love is legendary. My devotion is epic. However, there are times when we just don't all feel like worshiping Satan and we need a break.

Album Review: "The Lost Estate" by John Dillon

The Lost Estate

Perhaps you've caught me waxing nostalgic on Twitter for Full House after beginning the Netflix sequel to it, Fuller House.

As much as American intellectuals, may wish to decry it, the American Sitcom is just as much a valid art form as painting.

Not that I'm saying Full House is more important than Starry Night, but art is art is art.

What makes this show so engrossing for me isn't the story lines, the acting, the characters, or the new additions.

It's the feeling of home, but without rehashing what's been done in the past. Even the mighty Gene Roddenberry couldn't pull this off with the first season of Star Trek. 21st Century music in a similar spot.

New styles of music are often rehashes of what's been popular in the past, but they don't always offer something we haven't heard in the past.

Album Review: "So Damn True" by Miss Mec

So Damn True

Could you imagine twenty years ago, back when I was in high school no wait just graduated, how much different music, and the music industry would be?

Back then it was all blow parties for the labels and the A&R men.
The idea of supporting independent music meant you caught your cousins' friend's band at Metal's Edge on South Broadway opening up for Agnostic Front.

Back then, no one wanted to be an independent artist. The idea was to record something, get it put out on cassette or CD and get picked up by an indie label and then a major. The final goal was to be invited to the blow parties with the A&R men as you were handed a gold record.

Well, we've come a long way, baby.

Album Review: "Zealots" by The Deadline Shakes

Zealots

Sometimes music comes to me and I just find myself thinking, you know I really need to check this out.

Today it's The Deadline Shakes.

They're from my family's ancestral home of Scotland. Glasgow to be precise.

As I'm oft happy to do, I'm introducing them partly because they are a brand new band on the cusp of releasing their first album. Zealots.

I have them on my list of bands to check out. I wrote their name down about a week and a half ago, and I honestly cannot remember why I chose them, just did. As I couldn't remember why I chose this particular album for review, I was not prepared for what came next....

Album Review: "Crucible" by Drew Worthley

Crucible

I received an email that simply said he needed an address to send off a review copy of his upcoming album.

OK.

That's all I knew really. It could have been anything. The title is Crucible, which is very metal. It's the type of pot they used to burn witches in and the name of an old thrash metal band from St. Louis whose indie cassette tape I recently found in an old box of stuff.

Well, Drew Worthley is not metal in the slightest.

The East Londoner plays well, a sort of retro pop made new again. I will get more into that as we go on. He's on the cusp of releasing his second album independently and was good though to think of me

Album Review: "Small Problems" by The Bulls

Small Problems

About twenty years ago, I discovered a band, The Suede Chain, that had a string section. They were a "local" band that played between Champaign, IL and St. Louis, MO. They had a couple of albums, but never went anywhere...sadly.

A couple of years ago, my father in law gave my wife and I a pair of tickets to see a band at the Pageant that neither of us had heard of, The Airborne Toxic Event.

This band also had a female violinist...and some pretty kick ass guitars.

So, this band struck a chord with me and before the second song of the set was done, I had already plopped down some cash to get their latest album.

Well, I told you those stories to tell you about The Bulls. They were co-founded by Anna Bullbrook of the Airborne Toxic Event, the violinist. Well, that was enough to get my interested in this album.

Album Review: "Odd Anthem" by Static In Verona

Odd Anthem

It's been a nearly a full year and a half since I first heard of Static In Verona.

The "band" was described to me as a mixture of shoegaze, jazz, pop, and everything else in the world that could be put into category that was neither rock nor blues.

Well, I do my best to listen to what's sent to me, and I checked it out. You can read about it here.

Well, it's been awhile since I posted that review and I've been jamming to that disc since I heard it.

Now we're talking about the next release by the indie one man band from Chicago. The next record is out later this month and I'll admit has a slightly less cool title than its predecessor, but I am not sure that title could be topped....

Album Review: "Glitter Lung" by Jesse R. Berlin

Glitter Lung

Today we're looking a man who's been around the music scene for quite a long time.

Jesse R. Berlin cut his teeth in the Tex-Mex Blues scene in Houston, TX.

So he's been around. Know what I mean?

Nudge, nudge?

Over the years he released blues albums and later decided to give all that miss and take on electronic music. That's a bit of a strange turn, but didn't Johnny Lydon go electronica too?

Glitter Lung will certainly disappoint those who are looking for a hard and fast blues on the order of Stevie Ray Vaughan, but listeners will be treated to a very different kind of sound instead.

Album Review: "Bicycling In Quicksand" by Derek Bishop

Bicycling In Quicksand

Twitter is kind of a funny thing. Unlike Levar Burton's Levar Burton character from The Big Bang Theory, I'm not finished with Twitter...the connections I've made there have been great.

As a semi-famous music blogger who can't ever seem to get himself to shut up for more than four to five minutes at a time....

I have connected with about seven million bands over the years of doing this. Most of them follow me, then I follow back, they never interact with me, never talk to me about coverage, and then unfollow me later.

I'm kind of a big deal you see.

Well here's one of those rare times when the artist actually interacted with me, chose to send me his music, and well is just a general good follow. Click here and do that. Just be forewarned, this is not Simon Pegg's alter ego...as far as I know.

Album Review: "Mean Love" by Emmy Wildwood

Mean Love by Emmy Wildwood

Today our album review is a very different flavor that what's normally found here at Glacially Musical, but as music is always moving and ever changing, so do we.

Today's review introduces us to a new artist in the world, Emmy Wildwood. She has not only written this EP, but recorded every track and instrument on the album. Beyond simple artistic acumen, she is also a person of business.

The label releasing this EP, Tiger Blanket Records, is wholly owned by Wildwood. The Williamsburg based label also houses a record store, that of course she owns...

Aside from her business, her solo recording, the punk band, Velta...she has one other distinction as a musician. She plays guitar in Guns'n'Hoses, an all female Guns'n'Roses Tribute band.  However, we should move onto the current album.

"Warranted Queen" by Arum Rae

Arum Rae (formerly known as White Dress) a singer from Brooklyn, NYC, via Austin, via Boston, and more. Nothing in her story is simple.

Born in New York City, relocated to Austin, and received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. This where she learned to play guitar. This is where she learned the inverse of the lesson that so many guitar players learn, you must play and sing in order to never rely on others, but she sang first, instead of the inverse.

She has toured extensively with some very major players including Willie Nelson and B.B. King.

It's a good thing she changed from white dress, because frankly that's a pretty common term for the google and finding information on her in that stage of her career is darned near impossible!

"Someday, The Moon Will Be Gold" by Kalle Mattson

Twenty years ago, this album would have already blown up the United States. We would be fawning over this Canadian who's come to the States to bring us his music, but the world has changed.

Kalle Mattson hails from the capitol city of Ottawa, Ontario, but he's originally from Sault Ste. Marie, also from where the Esposito brothers hail.

Someday, The Moon Will Be Gold is the fourth release from our friend to the north. He has a released an album every year for the past four years. It's always good to see newer artists working hard to push through, as the world has changed.

In the MTV era, a video would have been premiered, and Mattson would be a household name, but with the death of terrestrial radio and the metamorphosis of MTV, up and coming bands have a much tougher road to hoe.

"Sirens" by DA & The Jones

DA & The Jones is a pair of singer song writers from the far west of Echo Park, Calif. (Why is it so many artists come out of California? It must have something to do with the warm weather and laid back attitude that helps artists flourish.)

The pair, Daniel Ahearn and Mindy Jones, have been working as a pair since 2011. So really, this is a bit of a younger group. The released their debut EP, Electric Love, was released in 2013 and the first single, Break My Heart, was featured on the television show Pretty Little Liars.

Sirens is their first full length album of what's sure to become their signature brand of folksy pop.If you think that sparsely accompanied music without a full band behind the vocals isn't music, well, thanks for reading and you may wish to check back next time...

Album Review: "Moonwater" by Chappo

Here is an album that was purchased by me because someone said it was good and a worthy pick up. Ifound out later that my friend had seen them play live and that he felt that they "had potential."

Uh oh.

This recommendation was from the same person who suggested Rory Gallagher's Irish Tour 74, so it came from a trusted source. This person seems to have a similar taste in music to me and has even suggested an awesome little headphone amp so I can rock out on my Les Paul after the wife and daughter go to sleep.

A couple samples of this record were listened to before the purchase. As soon as the songs were heard by this blogger, they were put onto the Amazon wish list.

Album Review: "Til The Casket Drops" by ZZ Ward

This album arrived to the Amazon recommendations list and it looked like something that might be enjoyable. With my personal swerve towards blues and blues rock, this seemed like it would be a good purchase.

This is the full length debut of ZZ Ward. She has been working steadily in the underworld of music seeking a break. The 26 year old Ward started playing in bands at the age of 12.

This is a very talented woman in many ways. Her lyrics are phenomenal and she plays the guitar, harmonica, piano, and more. She is certainly the kind of musician that my wife would just absolutely love, which is why I suppose that I do not.

This album, while bluesy, is far too dependent on pop music dynamics for me to really appreciate it as an album.