Author Archives: GRTR! HQ

Album review: AS LIONS – Selfish Age

Posted on April 7, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Better Noise [Release date 20.01.17] We first heard As Lions when they released a four track EP featuring tracks from their forthcoming debut album. Immediately, as with the opener here ‘Aftermath’, you knew this was something special. Strong on melody, … Continue reading →

Album review: PROCOL HARUM – Novum

Posted on April 6, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Eagle Records [Release date 21.04.17] What do you think of when you hear the words “Procol Harum”? “Whiter Shade Of Pale”? Symphonic rock, maybe? Robin Trower was in an early incarnation? Perhaps this demonstrates the band’s eclectism over 50 years … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, Gary Brooker, Geoff Whitehorn, jazz, Novum, Procol Harum, progressive, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: COLIN HARPER – Titanium Flag (Remastered & Expanded Edition)

Posted on March 31, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Market Square Records [Release date 24.04.17] The sad thing about this album is that most punters will be drawn in primarily by Track 3 which features legendary Dutch guitarist Jan Akkerman. In fairness, back in 2010 when this was released … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album, ambient, Andy Roberts, Colin Harper, Cormac O'Kane, Focus, folk, instrumental, Jan Akkerman, jazz, Liverpool Scene, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Phil Shiva Jones, Premik Russell Tubbs, Quintessence, review, Titanium Flag | Leave a comment

Album review: MALCOLM HOLCOMBE – Pretty Little Troubles

Posted on March 29, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Gypsy Eyes Music [Release date 26.05.17] As a co-reviewer pointed out to me, I have previously reviewed an album by ‘old soul and modern day southern blues poet’ Malcolm Holcombe back in 2011 (To Drink To The Rain). But, falling … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, country, folk, Malcolm Holcombe, Pretty Little Troubles, review, roots, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Quick plays: HARROW FAIR, OH SUSANNA

Posted on March 29, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

HARROW FAIR Call To Arms Roraing Girl Records [Release date 19.05.17] Deploying that now familiar White Stripes, unaccompanied two piece modus operandi, Canadian duo Miranda Mulholland and Andrew Penner let loose a kick drum fuelled debut laced with rootsy guitar … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged A Girl In Teen City, acoustic, album, Call To Arms, country, folk, Harrow Fair, Oh Susanna, pop, review, rock, roots, singer, songwriter, Suzie Ungerleider | Leave a comment

Album review: AIMEE MANN – Mental Illness

Posted on March 29, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

SuperEgo/Membran [Release date 31.03.17] Not exactly an uplifting title for an album? But then Aimee Mann’s never exactly been what you might call a happy singer, or a “heaven is a place on earth” composer. No, Aimee was born looking … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, The Best of 2017 | Tagged acoustic, Aimee Mann, album, Mental Illness, pop, review, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL AOR – Pwllheli, 9-12 March 2017

Posted on March 20, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Lita Ford - HARD ROCK HELL AOR - Pwllheli, 9-12 March 2017

The HRH franchise is probably the most successful of these three day indoor events and rightly so, they found a spot in the market and have developed a fluid, tightly run operation that always delivers. The AOR weekend was slightly … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 9-12 March 2017, AOR, Bonafide, FM, gig, Hard Rock Hell AOR, Lita Ford, melodic rock, Michael Monroe, Mike Tramp, Paul Laine, Pwllheli, review, Romeo's Daughter, Slaughter, Vega | Leave a comment

Gig review: WINTER’S END FESTIVAL – Poole, 24-26 February 2017

Posted on March 20, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

With the resounding success of sister event Rockstock, Planet Rock seized on the idea to stage another event this time in the south of England in Poole, a somewhat neglected area for touring rock bands. I think it is safe … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 24-26 February 2017, Bernie Marsden, Chantel McGregor, gig, Gun, Inglorious, Planet Rock, Poole, review, rock, Stone Broken, THE ANSWER, Toseland, Winter's End Festival | Leave a comment

Gig review: MIKE + THE MECHANICS – Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 15 March 2017

Posted on March 16, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

With only two tracks from the album featured in the set, the Word Of Mouth Tour 2017 billing – to celebrate that album’s 25th anniversary last year, turned out to be something of a misnomer. But, let’s be honest, the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 15 March 2017, Andrew Roachford, AOR, Bridgewater Hall, Genesis, gig, Manchester, Mike & the Mechanics, Mike And The Mechanics, Mike Rutherford, pop rock, review, rock, soft rock | Leave a comment

Album review: TIM GRIMM AND THE FAMILY BAND – A Stranger In This Time

Posted on March 14, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Cavalier Recordings [Release date 03.03.17] As the billing suggests, multi-talented folk/country singer/songwriter and actor (the TV series Reasonable Doubts, and films including Clear And Present Danger with Harrison Ford) Tim Grimm’s latest release is something of a family affair ‘supported … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged A Stranger In This Time, album, Americana, bluegrass, country, review, roots, singer, songwriter, Tim Grimm And The Family Band | Leave a comment

Quick plays: MADISON VIOLET, STEVE RAVENSFIELD, BLACK ANGELS

Posted on March 14, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

MADISON VIOLET The Knight Sessions (Big Lake Music) With their last album Year Of The Horse (2014), Madison Violet (two piece Canadian female harmony duo Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac) shifted from their country/ folk roots to a bolder, dare … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Broken Diamonds, country, Death Song, Madison Violet, pop, Psychedelic Rock, review, rock 'n' roll, singer, songwriter, Sound Of The Suburb, Steve Ravensfield, the Black Angels, The Knight Sessions | Leave a comment

Quick plays: VEXINE, SIREN’S SKY, NARYAN, THE VIOLET HOUR, THIRD LOVE

Posted on March 13, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

VEXINE Little Sin [Release date 30.04.16] Female fronted blues based rock bands are becoming increasingly ‘in vogue’, but Richmond, Virginia, based 4-piece Vexine have hooked a left at the crossroads and are taking the genre across country. A seasoned bunch … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged About You, album, AOR, Black Letters, Cosmic, Ignite, Little Sin, Naryan, progressive, review, rock, Siren's Sky, The Violet Hour, Third Love, Vexine | Leave a comment

Album review: DREW HOLCOMB AND THE NEIGHBORS – Souvenir

Posted on March 13, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Magnolia Music [Release date 21.04.17] With a Masters degree dissertation on ‘Springsteen and American Redemptive Imagination’, and tour support slots for the likes of The Avett Brothers, Ryan Adams and Los Lobo it’s not hard to guess what to expect … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album, Americana, Drew Holcomb And The Neighbors, folk, review, singer, songwriter, Souvenir | Leave a comment

Album review: EZIO – Daylight Moon

Posted on March 13, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Jazzhaus [Release date 18.11.16] From Cambridge, with eight studio albums, and four live albums to their name since 1990, Ezio have built up something of a cult following over their 26 year career (both in the UK and Europe), without … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album, Daylight Moon, Ezio, review, rock, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: DAN CLEWS – While Middle England Mows Its Lawns

Posted on March 13, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Vista Music [Release date 31.03.17] Album number three, and much is still made of Kentish singer songwriter Dan Clews’ George Martin connections. But while originally endorsed by the 5th Beatle, and with son Giles involved in the production of Clews’ … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Leave a comment

News: ELEANOR McEVOY – UK tour (May 2017)

Posted on March 11, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Eleanor McEvoy - Alexanders, Chester, 12 March 2015

Ireland’s internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Eleanor McEvoy continues her ‘Naked… Live’ tour with the announcement of a fourteen-date tour across England and Wales throughout May 2017. Best known for her songs ‘Sophie’ and the Irish standard ‘Only A Woman’s Heart’, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Gigs and Tour News, NEWS | Tagged acoustic, Eleanor McEvoy, folk, Ireland, may 2017, pop, rock, singer, songwriter, Tour, uk | Leave a comment

News: Jethro Tull’s IAN ANDERSON – new album and radio interview (March 2017)

Posted on March 10, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Pete Feenstra chatted to Ian Anderson and featured tracks from the new album, for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 12 March 2017. Album review Nearly 50 years after the debut album from Jethro Tull, Ian Anderson is set … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, INTERVIEWS, NEWS, Radio interview | Tagged album, classical, Ian Anderson, interview, Jethro Tull, March 2017, radio, review, The Carducci Quartet, The String Quartets | Leave a comment

Gig review: BLUE OCTOBER – Islington O2 Academy, 4 March 2017

Posted on March 6, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Shortly before the UK tour, David Randall chatted to Justin Furstenfeld for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. In the first hour of his weekly show, David plays tracks from the current and recent albums whilst asking Justin about the band’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 4 March 2017, alt rock, alternative rock, BLUE OCTOBER, gig, interview, JUSTIN FURSTENFELD, O2 Islington Academy, review | Leave a comment

Gig review: DAN REED NETWORK / Vega – Live Rooms, Chester, 4 March 2017

Posted on March 5, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

DAN REED NETWORK - Live Rooms, Chester, 4 March 2017

Chatting to two excellent songsmiths recently – Blue October’s Justin Furstenfeld and Dan Reed – I suggested to them that modern songcraft isn’t what it used to be and that we were unlikely to be whistling many contemporary tunes in … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 4 March 2017, Chester, Dan Reed Network, funk metal, funk rock, gig, Live Rooms, review melodic rock, Vega | Leave a comment

Album review: TERRY BOZZIO – Composer Series

Posted on March 1, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

earMUSIC [Release date 25.11.16] Traditionally, drummers have received bad press or no press. They sit at the back keeping time but very rarely come forward to articulate their wider musical visions. Terry Bozzio is perhaps best known for his work … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Composer Series, Frank Zappa, fusion, instrumental, jazz, Jeff Beck, review, Terry Bozzio | Leave a comment

News: BLUE OCTOBER – UK dates and radio interview (February 2017)

Posted on February 26, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

David Randall chatted to Blue October mainman Justin Furstenfeld on the eve of their UK visit. This special feature includes tracks from several albums including ‘Home’ (59:40) First broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, 26 February 2017. Blue October … Continue reading →

Posted in Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, INTERVIEWS, NEWS, Radio interview | Tagged alt rock, alternative rock, BLUE OCTOBER, February 2017, interview, JUSTIN FURSTENFELD, radio, UK tour | Leave a comment

Album review: JON LORD – Reissues (Gemini Suite/Before I Forget)

Posted on February 21, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Gemini Suite [Release date 09.12.16] Before I Forget [Release date 27.01.17] It is perhaps sometimes overlooked, but Jon Lord left a quiet legacy of solo albums even though for most of his career he laboured in the gargantuan shadow of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged ALBERT LEE, album, Bad Company, Before I Forget, Bernie Marsden, Deep Purple, Gemini Suite, Jon Lord, Neil Murray, reissue, review, Whitesnake | Leave a comment

Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) April-June 2017

Posted on February 20, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Compiled by Jason Ritchie Updated 30.05.17 March 3rd RICHARD BARBIERI ‘Planets + Persona’ Kscope BLAZE BAYLEY ‘Endure And Survive (Infinite Entanglement Part II)’ BLINK ‘A Map of rhe Universe’ (re-issue) Garage Records BROTHER FIRETRIBE ‘Sunbound’ DANKO JONES ‘Wild Cat’ AFM … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, NEWS, Upcoming (Tours & Releases) | Tagged albums, April-June 2017, blues rock, CD, DVD, metal, New releases, Progressive Rock, rock, singer songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: FIREWIND – Immortals

Posted on February 18, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

AFM Records [Release date 20.01.17] It’s been four years since ‘Few Against Many’ but Gus G is no slouch. In the interim he’s released two excellent solo albums and moonlighted with Ozzy. And in spite of everything he always seems … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Bob Katsionis, Firewind, Gus G, Immortals, metal, power metal, review, rock | Leave a comment

News: Man Doki Soulmates (incl. Ian Anderson, Chris Thompson, Randy Brecker) play London gig, 3 March 2017

Posted on February 17, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Where can you see the combined talents of some of the most renowned legends from the world of classic rock, prog and fusion? On Friday 3 March the musical collective of the Man Doki Soulmates play a very exclusive one-off … Continue reading →