LP Review: "Retreat" by The Knitts

Retreat

It's about as common as any sight in these United States. How many times have you been watching a movie about the beautiful, Swinging 60's and there was some fictional band all over the movie?

There's one flick that my wife and I watched featuring James Gandolfini vehicle that has never left my consciousness, Not Fade Away.

Certainly, this is not a recommended use of your precious two hours. This movie will leave you confused, annoyed, and wishing you had your two hours back.

Like a thousand other cinema "classics," this one features a fictional band and the viewer sees them from the beginning to the breakup. As is the standard, no one who watches this movie will want to hear anything else of this band, but what about The Rutles, The Wonders, or the unflappable Spinal Tap?

People wanted to keep hearing from that last band.

Album Review: "Show The Blood" by Alone At 3AM

Show The Blood

Let's talk roots rock.

What is roots rock?

Well it's music that harkens back to a simpler time, when music wasn't so difficult.

Back when you went into the studio, it's possible that Les Paul had yet to invent multi-track recording, so when your band started playing and the red light went off....

What you had was what you had. There weren't any overdubs, retouches, or Pro-Tools.

Everything was simpler and more confused, but the music was honest, raw, and a bit sloppy. I think that's how rock music should be, a bit sloppy and well, somewhat naive.

Album Review: "#3" by Archi Deep & The Monkeyshakers

#3

Archi Deep & The Monkeyshakers.

I can't stop thinking of Hot Daddy and the Monkey Puppets. You know that band Uncle Jesse had in the latter seasons of Full House?

I remember that instead of playing guitar and singing, he played drums and sang, but did it standing up...

Oh the hilarity that ensued. Those classic sitcom moments like when they had to play polka instead of rock'n'roll, and who could save the day, but the young man who was fired from the band that same day...ahh.

Thankfully, Archi Deep & The Monkeyshakers are not a cover band from some awful sitcom from my youth that I cannot get out of my brain. They're a real band from France.

Album Review: "Workingman's Bellfuries" by The Bellfuries

Workingman's Bellfuries

Let's think back to a simpler time.

Back when rock'n'roll music was wholesome, pure, and didn't raise the hackles of any conservative groups for being evil.

When the church thought it was all right to rock around the clock and before Leo Fender invented bass guitars.

Well, let's be honest, as long as there's music, there will be groups trying to censor it, shame it, and smear it. Whatever is new will raise the ire of those who fear it.

But anyway. Today we're looking at a band who is new, but whose music is not...well not precisely anyway.

Sticking with the premise that anything that can be done has been done, The Bellfuries play a style of rock'n'roll roots Americana straight from the 50's.

Album Review: "Totem" by The Hiders

Totem

 In my writing, I find myself coming across more music than I could ever listen to, much less review.

I'm just one man and I need many, many minions to give all of the music I see the true attention it deserves, but it's also shaped my review philosophy:

Music you need to hear.

So, that's why sometimes I need my attention grabbed in order to give the music the attention it rightly deserves. This time, I was contacted because of my review of Jeremy Pinnell's solo debut.

Billy Allezhauser emailed me. It was his impression that I could very well love the music he's making. You might remember him from the band the Ass Ponys.  Well, he sent me a copy of his album...and I have to tell you about it now...

Album Review: "We Come With The Dust" by Triumph of the Wild

We Come With The Dust

I feel like I have to explain what my little blog is more often than not.

To begin with, this is not a heavy metal blog.

I like to think of what we do here as something eclectic. It's a music blog and I would wager that you would not get the same coverage, if a bit uneven, of a wide variety of styles.

So, I say that because today we're looking at some music that frankly I cannot pigeonhole into a genre. For lack of a better term, I'd call this roots or Americana.

I think however, to distill it down to that is a bit of a disservice.

Triumph In The Wild is now on their sophomore album and I feel lucky enough to be able to review it. After five months in the Deep South, our friends from San Diego came back a little bit different.