Album Review: "Sorry To Bother You" by the Coup

I first heard of The Coup back in about 2009 when I came across Street Sweeper Social Club, well that's when I first heard of Boots Riley and that led me to The Coup eventually.

Though I did not think they were a going concern, but as here we are with a new album, that shows what I knew.

The Coup is a rap group fronted by Boots. Much like Rage Against the Machine and Street Sweeper Social Club, this music is very left wing and it's often an indictment of capitalism in general.

I don't personally agree with every point of view espoused by Mr. Riley, but I do love the music and I understand how someone could come to those conclusions. I don't always agree with the sentiments of an artists, but I try to appreciate the art.

Album Review: "Unrest" by Tabasco Flowers

It seems like with every little blog I create, something interesting tends to happen. I was on TV and radio for the 13 blog. I was made a staff writer on an indoor soccer team because of The Floodplain Footy, and now for Glacially Musical, I'm getting artists contacting me to review their work and sending me the music.

This is the first artist submitted CD I've reviewed. OK, enough about me I guess.

I'd heard clips of this CD here and there in the past and I didn't give it a proper chance as it is very poppy, a bit jangly, and very happy all the way through. I have been trying to think of how to describe this album's sound a few words and the best I can say is that it kind of sounds like the Beatles after being run through the wringer with the Rembrandts and the Violent Femmes.

The Lion, the Switch and the Way Forward

1992

Snoop Dogg’s “reincarnation” as Snoop “Lion” is a big switch that may taste unsavory to some, but the music reflects a style that could shape the road ahead for reggae music.

The tweet back to me read, “>>>Ha, disgraceful…”

It was from my former brother-in-law, Rich, who’d primed me for some Snoop Dogg music in the mid 90’s, following the release of Dr. Dre’s album The Chronic, which seemed to be the big Snoop Dogg intro to the world at large.

Living in Miami at that time, Rich was into rap and hip-hop, which I didn't like too much, and reggae, which I loved. We tore through the documentaries of reggae performers and explored the culture.

Album Review "Apocalyptic Love" by Slash...

..Featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators.

About six months ago when I was ordering the debut Slash "solo" disc, I came to a conclusion.

I love Slash

I really had no idea that I did. I started thinking about things. I love Guns N' Roses. I kind of dig Velvet Revolver, though I'm still disappointed by it. I even bought Slash's Snakepit, though I didn't keep it very long. Well,  if I'm spending my cash on every project Slash undertakes, how can I be anything other than a fan of the man? So, here I now shout it from the mountain tops: I'M A FAN OF SLASH!

This is really funny to me considering back in eighth grade how much I hated "Sweet Child o'Mine," and how I still do. I don't buy every album he puts out or has put out for him, but I at least check out something from all of his projects. What can I say? I'm a fan (apparently).

Album Review: Coverdale and Page (Eponymous)

I've decided to return to my series that I've unofficially been calling "Jimmy Page Through The Years," or "The Forgotten Years." I do still need to purchase at least one more album, and then I'll have all of the source material. I think in the end, I'm going to need to purchase two.

Continuing with my idea of revisiting much of the work that Jimmy Page has done between Led Zeppelin and "Celebration Day," we arrive at Coverdale and Page. I've never been much of a Whitesnake fan and I've always felt that there have been some similarities between David Coverdale and Robert Plant. I'm not going to say that he was ripping off Mr. Plant, but I think the similarities are too large to ignore. In fact there was a song that I heard over and over on rock radio that I thought was a Zeppelin tune, but it turned out to be a Whitesnake song.

We all know whom Jimmy Page is. I really think he is the most valuable rocker of all time: writer, producer, arranger, musician.  Before I gush too much, let's dig into this record, again with eyes unclouded.

Album Review: "Irish Tour '74" by Rory Gallagher

I like to pride myself on knowing a lot about music, and particularly of the great guitarists. In the past few months, I've learned that there's still a lot out there that I am not familiar with.

About a month and a half ago, I was told t hat I should get this album. I had never heard of Rory Gallagher and couldn't figure out why a tour of Ireland would be all that significant, but I put it on the Amazon wishlist and there is languished for awhile.

During the Holiday Amazon Giftcard Blowout, I picked it up. I should also mention that purchasing this CD is a violation of personal policy. I will not buy a live album as my introduction to an artist. It's always ended badly in the past.

I still had heard nothing else of the man, but I thought, I listened to half of a track and wasn't too impressed so I should get this. Right? After ordering it, I was told by a number of people that I was nuts for thinking that this album might not be amazing.

Album Review: "Metal EP" by Newsted

I am nothing if not loyal. Case in point, I love Metallica. Back in the 90's, I even bought the Flotsam & Jetsam album that Jason Newsted was on. Man, back in those days he was that band. He wrote it all, but it was terrible!

Flash forward to 2013! Speaking of, this is my first review from 2013. Let's move forward. After Jason left Metallica, he bounced around and was basically semi-retired. After the Metallica 30th Anniversary concerts, he decided it was time to get the ball rolling again and that brings us to the "Metal EP" by Newsted, exclusively on iTunes.

I suppose I should point out that this is literally the first time I've purchased an "album" on MP3..I don't like it. At least iTunes allows me to always have this in case my iPhone or PC blows up.

Album Review: "Walking Into Clarksdale" by Page and Plant

Celebration Day has worked me into a tizzy.

I knew that watching/listening to the concert would rekindle some fires that were long since extinguished. I even decided to get all the Led Zeppelin studio CDs, instead of my four disc boxed set.

I need it all.

As with most bands, my favorite member is the lead guitarist. Jimmy Page is just a phenomenal player, writer, and studio hand, but thinking back to his post Zeppelin work left me somewhat unfulfilled. Plant's stuff has gotten all kinds of attention, and the fact that he's been far busier and harder working is not lost on me.

So, I decided I was going to set the way-back machine to Jimmy Page. I'm going to take a look back at four, at least, of his post Zeppelin efforts. I will not be entertaining "No Quarter," "Live At the Greek," or anything else I'm unaware of that's primarily Led Zeppelin revisited. I want to see what the man has written since the day Zeppelin announced they were breaking up.  

Album Review: "Disraeli Gears" by Cream

I do  not consider myself to be a fan of Eric Clapton. I was familiar with  the song "Sunshine of Your Love," thanks to Goodfellas, but honestly I never associated with him. Over the years, I've heard people talking about Cream. I've heard artists I enjoy referencing Cream songs. For a group that seems to be so revered, how was I so blissfully ignorant of them? I would have guessed that classic rock radio would have been jamming them down my throat, especially with their love of Eric Clapton.

Well, I decided that it was certainly time to rid myself of this ignorance. I did some asking, and I was told that this was their quintessential album. It was also suggested that I get a live album, but I don't seem to enjoy a live record unless I know the songs first. It's a strange quirk of mine. From what I am given to understand, there is a Cream reunion live cd though...perhaps one day...

Foolishly, I took this album to be an Eric Clapton Enterprise. I really don't understand why I thought that. I have always known that they're a supergroup, so that's really a silly way of looking at things.

Album Review: "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd

With all of the new music I've been buying for the past year or two, I've been needing to pick up some older music. This is my second Pink Floyd album, you may recall "Momentary Lapse of Reason." And there is still quite a bit of older music coming. Soon enough we'll get back to newer stuff. Interest ebbs and flows.

When I was younger, I used to consider myself a Pink Floyd fan, but now as I'm older, I don't think that was accurate. I had Lapse and Relics on tape and I've had "The Wall," "Ummagumma," and "Dark Side of the Moon" on CD. At present, I only have Lapse, but I really don't think that even qualifies for being a fan. Everybody has had "The Wall" and Dark Side right? I mean, it's almost impossible not to have owned those albums. They were just a part of growing up in America. Wait, wait. I forgot about "The Division Bell," but as I never really owned it, I don't think I can count that monstrosity!