Monthly Archives: May 2013

Gig review: GREAT BRITISH ALTERNATIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL, Minehead, 26-28 April 2013

The Lambrettas - Great British Alternative Festival 2013

Review and photos by Noel Buckley Day 1 Friday 26 April What a difference a year makes, last year we arrived in Butlins in Minehead in the pouring rain, which lasted the whole weekend, this year we arrive in glorious … Continue reading

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Album Review: WALTER TROUT – Luther’s Blues – A Tribute To Luther Allison

Provogue [Release date: 10.06.13] ‘A Tribute To Luther Allison’ is a triumph of ambition, focus and sheer ability over any semblance of self doubt, as Walter Trout successfully captures Luther Allison’s essential spirit. Such is Trout’s intrinsic feel for Luther’s … Continue reading

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Gig review: SPOCK’S BEARD – The Garage, London, 7 May 2013

A very healthy turn out for a Tuesday night gig, swelled slightly by those here to see Sound Of Contact (including Marillion’s guitarist Steve Rothery). Sadly I only caught the tail end of opener’s Beardfish’s set who went down well … Continue reading

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Album Review – LORD – Digital Lies

Dominus Records (Release date – out now) Lord started out life as Dungeon in the depths of the Australian outback. They relocated to Sydney and had a successful career, releasing 9 albums and finding an audience across Australia and beyond, … Continue reading

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Album review – MICHAEL SHEPHERD BAND – II

Self Release (Release date – out now) There aren’t many rock bands from Luxembourg that spring to mind, in fact the Michael Shepherd Band could well be the first I have heard of. The band have been together for a … Continue reading

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Album review: MAJESTIC – V.O.Z.

Self-released [Release date 17.12.12] In these days of risible TV talent shows where the sole ambition of the participants is the acquisition of fame and fortune (however transient that may be), the word ‘genius’ is frequently bandied about to describe … Continue reading

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Album review: CITY REIGN – Another Step

Car Boot Records The heavy guitar lead “Another Step”is the debut album from Manchester quartet City Reign, and is an expressive burst of story, doing indie how indie should be done. The tracks were all recorded in Salford’s Scared Trinity … Continue reading

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Album review: H.I.M. – Tears On Tape

Cooking Vinyl His Infernal Majesty aren’t the sort of band to go reinventing themselves for every album, and Tears On Tape pretty much follows the usual musical formula found in some of their older records, but Ville Valo and co. … Continue reading

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Gig review: DEMON – Winking Man, Leek, Staffs, 4 May 2013

This was a rare UK appearance and a fairly low key gig in Demon’s home town of Leek which had been billed as part of the “Leek Arts Festival 2013”. The Winking Man pub is in the middle of nowhere … Continue reading

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Album review: KINGDOM COME – Outlier

Kingdom Come - Outlier

SPV www.spv.de [Release date: 29.04.13] Kingdom Come’s new “Outlier” album could more accurately be credited as a Lenny Wolf solo effort as the band’s main man handles everything bar the guitar solos, these being provided by Eric Forster. Wolf also … Continue reading

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Book review: AC/DC – The Early Years with Bon Scott by Neil Daniels

Independent Music Press Engaging, easy to read and authoritve, Neil Daniels’ latest offering “AC/DC- The Early Years with Bon Scott” is essential reading for fans of the band. Having grown up watching a Brian Johnson fronted AC/DC and only hearing … Continue reading

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Album review: TOM KEIFER – The Way Life Goes

Tom Kiefer - The Way Life Goes

Merovee Records [Release date 29.04.13] For me, Cinderella always stood head and shoulders above the general hair metal bands that they would unfairly be lumped in with. With grittier songs, real feeling subject material and a more mature outlook the … Continue reading

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Quick plays: KILL FOR EDEN, CIRCA, MELINDA ORTNER

KILL FOR EDEN – S/T www.killforeden.com Interestingly, anyone I have mentioned West London band Kill For Eden to has enthusiastically told me how good they are and the general feeling is that their debut, and self titled, album should do … Continue reading

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Album review: TIME GRID – Life

      Open Your Eyes Records [Release date: 21.01.13] Time Grid is French/Swiss prog metal band who have taken nearly a decade to realise their musical vision. ‘Life’ is by no means an unblemished slice of prog metal, but … Continue reading

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Album review: CHASING VIOLETS – Jade Hearts

Chasing Violets - Jade Hearts

AOR Records [Release date 14.06.13] I think producer Frederic Slama compromised Chasing Violets’ debut album ‘Outside Heaven’ (2012) by re-using the songs (and the backing tracks) for his own project album ‘LA Temptation’. Slama is a respected LA-based AOR mover … Continue reading

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Album review: CTHULHU RISE – 42

Cthulhu Rise

Musea Records This incredible heavy but inventive album may sometimes border on the cacophonous as it blasts away the cobwebs of complacency with monumental fractured riffs, but the underlying fast changing time signatures, unrelenting metal dirge (sludge metal anybody?) and … Continue reading

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News: SCHEMATA THEORY’s new album ‘Dry Lung Rhetoric’ out in June

‘Dry Lung Rhetoric’ ABAF Records, June 3. ‘A beautiful blend of progressive textures and soaring vocal arrangements.’ – TheNewReview ‘Purely sensational music and experimentation.’- Throwing Shapes Media & Reviews “Dry Lung Rhetoric is a calling card from a band destined for … Continue reading

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Album review: I SEE HAWKS IN L.A. – Mystery Drug

I See Hawks In L.A.

Blue Rose Records [Release date: 01.05.13] Alt-country outfit I See Hawks In L.A. are “dabblers” says their guitarist Paul Lacques. “There really are about 20 different ways to chop up country roots music”, he adds, while singer Rob Waller summarizes … Continue reading

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Gig review: AUDREY HORNE, Camden Underworld, 2 May 2013

You often wonder why some bands are not bigger names than expected, when talking music with fellow fans.  Threshold and their modest following in their native UK are often one that crops up and I’d add Audrey Horne who played … Continue reading

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Album review: RUBEN HOEKE BAND – Loaded

Ruben Hoeke Band

Dimensions records [Release date: 23.03.13] Dutch Guitarist Ruben Hoeke is firmly established as both a guitarist in his own right as well as a high profile interviewer, radio presenter and festival booker. His guitar chops are certainly evidence on ‘Loaded’, … Continue reading

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Gig review: DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT – The Garage, Glasgow, 30 April 2013

Devin Townsend

There is a fine line between genius and madness and it is one that Devin Townsend has been balancing on precariously for many years. I recall seeing him for the first time fronting Vai when they supported Aerosmith on their … Continue reading

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Album review: STATUS QUO – Bula Quo

Status Quo - Bula Quo

Fourth Chord Records/Warners (2CD) [Release date 10.06.13] Status Quo have gone silver screen in Kiss fashion with a film Bula Quo, shot in Fiji, with the band playing themselves. The film’s soundtrack (disc 1) features 9 new tracks and kicks … Continue reading

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Quick plays: MARC RING, LENKA, THE PROWLERS

Marc Ring

MARC RING – The Long Road Home www.marc-ring.co.uk Marc Ring was previously a member of folk rockers Jasper (who have recently had a re-issue campaign through Angel Air) and Good Thinking, who released a comeback album back in 2011. For … Continue reading

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