Yearly Archives: 2024

Album review: BLACKTOP MOJO – Pollen

Blacktop Mojo - Pollen

Facebook  [Release date 05.04.24] This reviewer loved Blacktop Mojo’s last album, 2021′s self-titled release and expectations are high for this new one. The band’s line-up has had one change since with guitarist Chuck Wepfer being replaced by Malcolm Booher. He joins the … Continue reading

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Album review : SON OF MAN – Gaslight

Son Of Man - Gaslight jpeg

Pete Feenstra chatted with George Jones about the new album and development of Son Of Man.  First broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, 7 April 2024. Esoteric Antenna [Release date : 26.04.24] ‘Gas Light’ is Son Of Man’s third … Continue reading

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Album review : VAN DER GRAAF – Vital (2 CD Remaster)

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Cherry Red [Release date : 29.03.24] The year after England won the world cup, English musician Chris Judge Smith took a “summer of love” trip to San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury, a pivotal point on the Flower Power map. It is … Continue reading

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Feature: DANNY VAUGHN at Fairycroft House, Saffron Walden, May 24 2024

danny poster

A new venture at a smaller venue is the focus of our feature and emphasising the continuing importance of grass roots music promotion… Feature by Jason Ritchie Not content with photographing rock and roll artists under his Mart’s Arts Photography … Continue reading

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EP review: SILVEROLLER – At Dawn

Silveroller

Bandcamp [Release date 01.03.24] Silveroller announced their presence last year with a line-up of respected blues guitarist Aaron Keylock joined by drummer Joe Major, bassist Tadhg Bean Bradley, organist Ross Munro and a real vocal find in Jonnie Hodson. Boy, … Continue reading

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Album review : FIREWIND – Stand United

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AFM Records [Release date : 08.03.24] 10th album from Power Metal band, Firewind. The band, Gus G, Herbie Langans, Petros Cristo and Jo Nunez have established their Power Metal credentials over and over again during the last 25 years, with … Continue reading

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Album review: LILLIAN AXE – The Box Vol 2, The Quickening

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Cherry Red [Release date : 29.03.24] The Quickening is the second instalment of a two part series documenting the recorded life and times of metal’s most underrated band, Lillian Axe. There are six CDs. CD1: Deep Red Shadows (2010) w/7 … Continue reading

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Interview: JOHN McCOY & DAVE QUINCY

ZZEBRA - Hungry Horse (Live In Germany 1975)

Fusion/prog rock band Zzebra recorded two studio albums in the mid 70s (and a 3rd in 1975 that remained unreleased for 35 years), and some wonderful music that should have been much more in the public eye. Joe Geesin recently interviewed … Continue reading

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Album review : TROJAN / TALION – The Complete Recordings 1984/90 (5 CD Boxset)

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Cherry Red [Release date : 28.03.24] Boxset of remastered material from UK Thrash/Speed Metal band, Trojan, aka Talion. 5 CDs, 49 tracks. CD1: TROJAN : Chasing The Storm studio album, 1985 CD2: TROJAN : Capturing The Storm – Live At … Continue reading

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Rising Stars: WYNONA BLEACH

Wyona Beach

Mixing alternative rock, shoegaze and power pop, Wynona Bleach are a 5-piece from Belfast, NI. 2021 saw them sign to legendary indie label Fierce Panda (Coldplay, Placebo, Death Cab For Cutie); in early 2022 the band’s debut album Moonsoake was … Continue reading

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Gig review: NINEBARROW – Harwell Village Hall, 15 March 2024

ninebarrow

A pleasing sign to read on the doors tonight – sold out. Live music maybe in intensive care in some cases but signs of recovery are thankfully showing. Opening tonight were Oxfordshire female duo Wednesday’s Wolves, who I had first seen … Continue reading

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Gig review: MARTIN TURNER – Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 7 March 2024

MARTIN TURNER- Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 7 March 2024

2023 saw Martin Turner revisit the 50th anniversary of Wishbone Ash’s seminal live album Live Dates. This year though, he and his band are fast forwarding seven years to do a similar retrospective with ‘Live Dates Volume II’. (as, incidentally, … Continue reading

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Album review : LEAVES’ EYES – Myths Of Fate

LEAVES' EYES Myths 150

AFM Records [Release date : 22.03.24] Fans of the band, or even just the genre, will know that German Symphonic Metal band, Leaves’ Eyes are totally immersed in Nordic and Celtic mythology. Pipes, fiddles, choirs, growls, all spin up through … Continue reading

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Album review: PROG COLLECTIVE – Dark Encounters

PROG COLLECTIVE - Dark Encounters

Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra Records [Release date 29.03.24] If this is “dark prog” then dark prog sounds to me like jazz/rock fusion. Once you are past the descriptors, a look at the cast list suggests this might be a rather tasty fusion … Continue reading

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Album review : VARIOUS ARTISTS – I See You Live On Love Street, Music From Laurel Canyon 1967-75 (3 CD Boxset)

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Cherry Red [Release date : 22.03.24] For those geography lovers among us, LA’s Laurel Canyon Boulevard snaked up through the hills from Hollywood then down into the San Fernando Valley (as in “Valley Girls”), with little avenues branching off left … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE BLACKOUT – SWG 3, Glasgow – 20th February 2024

Almost exactly 9 years ago I dragged myself along to The Garage in Glasgow to say farewell to The Blackout as they became another victim of the corporate music machine. That night was all the more bittersweet as it served … Continue reading

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Album review: MYRATH – Karma

MYRATH - Karma

earMUSIC  [Release date 08.03.24] I was a fairly late convert to the Myrath cause, only really becoming aware of the band with the release of their ‘Live At Carthage’ album in 2020. Delving into their back catalogue I found an … Continue reading

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Album review: AMELIA COBURN – Between The Moon And The Milkman

AMELIA COBURN - Between the Moon and the Milkman

Bandcamp [Release date 08.03.24] Amelia Coburn maybe releasing her debut album, however, she has been building up her musical reputation having reached the finals of the BBC2 Radio Folk Awards, participated in the English Folk Expo Artist Mentoring Scheme and … Continue reading

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Album review : CRUZH – The Jungle Revolution

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Frontiers [Release date : 22.03.24] Welcome to The Jungle Revolution, third album on the Frontiers label from Swedish band, Cruzh, and their second with vocalist, Alex Waghorn, winner of Idol Sweden in 2017 (singing Journey’s ‘Faithfully’). Among their admitted influences … Continue reading

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Gig review: 10cc – Bristol Beacon, 7 March 2024

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David Randall chatted to Graham Gouldman about his career.  First broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, 12 August 2018. I worked out it’s nearly fifty years since I last saw 10cc live, and this was at the height of … Continue reading

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Album review : LORDS OF BLACK – Mechanics Of Predacity

LORDS OF BLACK Predacity image 150

Frontiers [Release date : 15.03.24] The Lords Of Black are on their sixth album now, so they must be doing something right, Mechanics… is a thematically sound treatise on the human condition, in which they“embark on a profound exploration of … Continue reading

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Album review : STATUS QUO – The Early Years 1966-69 (5 CD boxset)

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BMG/Sanctuary Records [Release date : 15.03.24] This 5 CD, Early Years boxset is one of the most interesting of the Status Quo back catalogue repackaging of recent times. It tracks us through the band’s startup moments in the early sixties, … Continue reading

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Album review : LIPZ – Changing The Melody

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Frontiers [Release date : 15.03.24] Debut album from young Swedish quartet, Lipz, in which they attempt to breathe life into a dying genre, Glam Rock. We’re told. But how do you define “Glam Rock”? Would that be the early eighties, … Continue reading

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Quick plays: RICHARD TRETHEWEY, THE SCHMOOZENBERGS

Richard Trethewey - Two Halves

Richard Trethewey – Two Halves [Release date 15.03.24] Second album from Cornish musician Richard Trethewey is one that was first imagined for vinyl, as side one is songs inspired from Cornwall’s river estuaries, whilst side two would feature songs based … Continue reading

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Gig review: GUN – 100 Club, London, 29 February 2024

GUN- 100 Club, London, 29 February 2024

Gun’s profile is set to be higher in 2024 than at any time since they reformed, with songs being used in a Samuel L Jackson movie, festival dates already announced and most importantly a new album in ‘Hombres’, their first … Continue reading

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