Tag Archives: pop rock

Album review: SHRED KELLY – Like A Rising Sun

Posted on June 27, 2020 by jason

Devil Duck Records [Release date 03.07.20] Where do these excellent bands keep appearing from? Shred Kelly are another one, a five piece alt folk rock band (and not a speed metal band as their name may suggest) hailing from Canada … Continue reading →

Album review: JOHNNY HATES JAZZ – Wide Awake

Posted on June 11, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 14.08.20] Johnny Hates Jazz’s return in 2013 was well received, with a comeback album ‘Magnetized’ gathering airplay and even a short tour in 2016 (when we saw them in downtown Darwen Library Theatre) and a handful of festival … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged 80s, album, Clark Datchler, eighties, interview, Johnny Hates Jazz, Mike Nocito, pop, pop rock, review, synth pop, Wide Awake | Leave a comment

Album review: BUZZCOCKS – Sell You Everything 1991-2014

Posted on June 8, 2020 by jason

Cherry Red [Release date 29.05.20] The recent release of new single ‘Gotta Get Better’ marked the beginning of “Phase 3” of Buzzcocks, now solely fronted by Steve Diggle following the death of Pete Shelley in December 2018. With most “Phase … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged box set Sell You Everything 1991-2014, Buzzcocks, Cherry Red Records, melodic, Pete Shelley, pop, pop rock, punk, punk pop, review, rock, Steve Diggle | Leave a comment

EP review: THE LICKERISH QUARTET – Threesome Vol. 1

Posted on May 25, 2020 by jason

Lickerish Quartet/Label Logic [Release date 15.05.20] The Lickerish Quartet formed in 2017, featuring former Jellyfish members Roger Manning Jnr. (Imperial Drag), Eric Dover (Slash’s Snakepit, Alice Cooper, Imperial Drag) and Tim Smith. All three of them toured in support of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged Cheap Trick, ELO, EP, Jellyfish, melodic, pop rock, power pop, quirky pop, review, SPARKS, the Lickerish Quartet | Leave a comment

Quick plays: DELAIN, JESSICA WOLFF, BEFORE SUNDAY

Posted on May 7, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

DELAIN Apocalypse & Chill (Napalm Records) [Release date 07.02.20] There was a time – around 10 years ago – when I was rather taken with Delain, and for that matter, Within Temptation. Both brought a slightly more commercial edge to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Anticipation, Apocalypse & Chill, Before Sunday, Delain, Jessica Wolff, Para Dice, pop rock, review, symphonic metal | Leave a comment

Feature: Albums that time forgot – KEATS

Posted on May 1, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

EMI [1984] Released in 1984 the eponymous album by Keats might be considered as an Alan Parsons Project off-shoot. It was produced by Parsons and includes the core band members that feature on most of the Project albums, Ian Bairnson, … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums that time forgot, ALL POSTS, FEATURES, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged Alan Parsons, Alan Parsons Project, album, Colin Blunstone, David Paton, eighties, Ian Bairnson, interview, Keats, pop rock, review, soft rock, Stuart Elliott | Leave a comment

Feature: Bands that time forgot… LOVE AND MONEY (James Grant)

Posted on April 15, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Love And Money formed out of Glasgow-based ‘Friends Again’ in the early eighties and whilst their debut album ‘All You Need is…’ hinted at the funky tunesmithery to come it wasn’t until 1988′s Strange Kind Of Love that the band … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Bands that time forgot, FEATURES | Tagged feature, introduction, James Grant, Love And Money, pop rock, review, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Feature: Bands that time forgot…RIVER CITY PEOPLE

Posted on April 15, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

River City People consisted of two brothers Tim and Paul Speed (guitars and drums respectively)and Dave Snell (bass) who in 1987 were all studying at Liverpool Polytechnic. Vocalist Siobhan Maher had previously worked with Snell in a band called Peep … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Bands that time forgot, FEATURES | Tagged feature, introduction, Liverpool, pop rock, River City People, Say Something Good, Siobahn Maher, This Is The World | Leave a comment

Feature: Albums that time forgot – IT BITES – Map Of The Past

Posted on April 14, 2020 by jason

Inside Out (2012) www.itbites.com The second (and final) album released by the reformed It Bites, that saw John Mitchell (Arena, Kino) take over from Francis Dunnery in fronting the band. John Beck (keyboards) and Bob Dalton (drums) remained from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums that time forgot, ALL POSTS, FEATURES | Tagged Albums that time forgot, Bob Dalton, feature, Inside Out, It Bites, John Beck, John Mitchell, Map of the Past, melodic, pop rock, progressive, rock | Leave a comment

Quick plays: THE LOVETONES, JOE EDWARDS, PATSY THOMPSON

Posted on April 6, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

THE LOVETONES Myriad Cleopatra Records [Release date 28.02.20] I can’t say I’m familiar with The Lovetones – an Aussie indie psychedelic rock band previously active between 2002 and 2010. But main man Matthew J Tow’s song writing has been compared … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Americana, country, Fabulous Day, Joe Edwards, Keep On Running, Myriad, Patsy Thompson, pop rock, psychedelic, review, rock, roots, singer, songwrityer, The Lovetones | Leave a comment

Album review: STATUS QUO – Rock Till You Drop & Thirsty Work

Posted on March 1, 2020 by jason

UMC [Release date 06.03.20] “Rock Till You Drop” was something of a love/hate album for the band. Rossi loved it, Parfitt hated it. It was a look back in the band’s rear view mirror. It was never uncomfortably reverential, but … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, boogie, classic rock, Francis Rossi, pop rock, re-issue, review, Rick Parfitt, rock, Rock Til You Drop, Status Quo, Thirsty Work | Leave a comment

Album review: RUSS BALLARD – It’s Good To Be Here

Posted on February 15, 2020 by jason

On Thursday 20 February at 22:00 GMT Get Ready to ROCK! Radio replays a two-part special when David Randall chatted to Russ Ballard about his long career. BMG [Release date 21.02.20] If you’ve done any world travelling, out of desire … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, It's Good To Be Here, Kiss, melodic rock, pop, pop rock, Rainbow, review, rock, Russ Ballard | Leave a comment

Album review: LEAGUE OF LIGHTS – In The In Between

Posted on February 9, 2020 by jason

Website [Release date 27.09.19] Second album from League Of Lights, who are the husband and wife duo Farrah and Richard West – the latter best known for being a member of Threshold. Their self-titled debut album released back in 2011, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Farrah West, In The In Between, League Of Lights, pop rock, progressive, review, Richard West, rock, synth pop, Threshold | Leave a comment

Album review: LORDI – Killection

Posted on January 18, 2020 by jason

AFM Records [Release date 31.01.20] Finnish monsters Lordi have been rampaging through the planet since the first emerged from the deepest darkness in 1992. Over the years their own brand of twisted melodic and theatrical hard rock has won them … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AFM Records, album, Alice Cooper, glam, hard rock, Killection, Kiss, Lordi, melodic, pop rock, review, rock, shock rock | Leave a comment

Album review: JEFF LYNNE’S ELO – From Out Of Nowhere

Posted on December 31, 2019 by jason

Big Trilby/Colombia Records [Release date 01.11.19] Since relaunching ELO back in 2014 Jeff Lynne’s ELO have completed sell out world tours, been inducted to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and 2015’s comeback ‘Alone In The Universe’. Despite the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, classic rock, ELO, From Out Of Nowhere, Jeff Lynne, melodic, pop, pop rock, review, Richard Tandy, rock 'n' roll | Leave a comment

Gig review: CATS IN SPACE – The Tivoli, Buckley, 20 December 2019

Posted on December 21, 2019 by GRTR! HQ

As we near the end of 2019, and indeed another decade, Cats In Space should be cherished. In fact, our year was bookended by the band, an appearance at Giants Of Rock in January and a “Christmas in Narnia” tour … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 20 December 2019, Buckley, Cats In Space, classic rock, gig, pop, pop rock, review, The Tivoli | Leave a comment

Album review: MOON HALO – Chroma

Posted on December 17, 2019 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 13.01.20] available at moonhalomusic.co.uk and bandcamp.com The tide may have ebbed for the final time on Riversea – a band who produced two quite outstanding albums that somehow failed to get the exposure they deserved – but Moon … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Breathing Space, Chroma, melodic rock, Moon Halo, Mostly Autumn, pop rock, prog, prog pop, Progressive Rock, review, Riversea, rock | Leave a comment

Gig review: KIKI DEE & CARMELO LUGGERI – Goods Shed Arts Centre, Tetbury, 1 November 2019

Posted on November 3, 2019 by GRTR! HQ

In the first part of a two part special Kiki Dee chatted to Get Ready to ROCK! Radio about her early career. First broadcast in March 2015. Part 2 is available here Kiki Dee is a Featured Artist at Get … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 1 November 2019, Carmelo Luggeri, gig, Goods Shed Arts Centre, Kiki Dee, pop, pop rock, review, Tetbury | Leave a comment

Gig review: SQUEEZE – New Theatre, Oxford, 25 October 2019

Posted on October 26, 2019 by jason

A packed out New Theatre were eagerly awaiting Squeeze, however before the main event we had Heaven 17, a band who had plenty of chart success in the early-mid 80’s. Still featuring two thirds of the original line-up in vocalist … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Chris Difford, classic pop, concert, gig, Glenn Gregory, Glenn Tilbrook, Heaven 17, New Wave, Oxford, pop, pop rock, review, singer songwriter, Squeeze, synth pop | Leave a comment

Album review: FLYING COLORS – Third Degree

Posted on October 23, 2019 by jason

Music Theories Recording/Mascot Label Group [Release date 04.10.19] The third album by the supergroup Flying Colors who feature Casey McPherson (lead vocals, guitar), Neal Morse (vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar), Mike Portnoy (drums, percussion, vocals), Deep Purple’s Steve Morse (lead guitar) … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Casey McPherson, Deep Purple, Flying Colors, melodic rock, Neal Morse, pop rock, prog rock, progressive, review, rock, Spock's Beard, Steve Morse, Third Degree | Leave a comment

Quick plays: THIRD EYE BLIND, MICK DEVINE, KEYWEST

Posted on October 15, 2019 by jason

THIRD EYE BLIND Screamer [Release date 18.10.19] Album number six from Third Eye Blind and this reviewer enjoyed their last album, 2015’s ‘Dopamine’. Stephan Jenkins is back (in previous interviews he stated Third Eye Blind wouldn’t reach six albums) and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS | Tagged album, alternative, folk, Hear Now, Keywest, Lonerider, melodic, melodic rock, Mick Devine, modern rock, pop rock, review, rock, Screamer, Seven, Stephan Jenkins, Third Eye Blind | Leave a comment

News: Albums of the Month (July 2019 – September 2019)

Posted on October 2, 2019 by GRTR! HQ

January-March 2019 April-June 2019 October – December 2019 DANNY BEARDSLEY Blood From A Stone www.dannybeardsley.com [Release date 20.09.19] Just when you thought it was safe to go back in to your ageing album collection – frustrated that much new … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS, NEWS | Tagged 2019, albums of the month, August, Berlin, blues rock, classic rock, Danny Beardsley, Diana Rein, hard rock, Iamthemorning, July, melodic rock, Phil Lanzon, pop rock, Progressive Rock, September, Status Quo, the New Roses | Leave a comment

Album review: BERLIN – Transcendance

Posted on August 21, 2019 by GRTR! HQ

Cleopatra Records [Release date 16.08.19] OK, hands up who can name a Berlin number other than ‘Take My Breath Away’? I certainly can’t, and I used to have a vinyl copy of their 1984 album Love Life. But to be … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Berlin, pop rock, review, synth pop, Teri Nunn, Transcendance | Leave a comment

Album review: DONNIE VIE – Beautiful Days

Posted on August 18, 2019 by jason

Deko Music [Release date 07.06.19] Former Enuff Z’Nuff vocalist Donnie Vie returns with a new album, his first in four years and a treat as it looked that after his last album, ‘The White Album’, he wasn’t overly keen on … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Donnie Vie, Enuff Z'Nuff, Jellyfish, John Lennon, Joseph Manning Jr., melodic rock, Paul Gilbert, pop rock, power pop, review, The Beatles | Leave a comment

Album review: VARIOUS – Come On Let’s Go! (Power Pop Gems from the 70s and 80s)

Posted on August 12, 2019 by jason

Big Beat/Ace [Release date 26.07.19] Every few years a label attempts a new “Power Pop” collection, and this time it’s the turn of Ace Records via their Big Beat imprint. Dave Burke presents an impressive selection of 70′s and 80′s … Continue reading →