Trying to view a release on I-Tunes but pushed purchase instead of wish list !

As it turns out a reasonable mistake - I've bought the new EP from Newsted.

To be honest, if you'd never have heard of Jason Newsted you would have guessed from this that Metallica were an influence...

Four tracks of bludgeoning metal reminiscent of ....And Justice For All. It's solid but not not hugely inspiring, very 80's post thrash sound

Four tracks is about right with the lead track Soldierhead being the pick. The EP is called Metal for a reason

A real find thanks to a free CD from Classic Rock !

Shovels & Rope are a male/female duo from the heart of the US of A - Now that may sound familiar but this is what the Civil Wars would sound like if they were both related and married to each other....

Acoustic guitars, harmonica and kick drum give the album O' Be Joyful a real spit and sawdust feel.
Songs a plenty about loving among the good ol' boys such as Keeper and then Hail, Hail adds in some riotous horns on a song extolling the delights of rock n' roll

The two minute blast of real country rock has one of the finest titles ever of Kemba's Got the Cabbage Moth Blues

The only low spot would be ending on the very downbeat This Means War but after the first ten songs it's a minor misstep

Though not yet released in the UK, get yourself some bourbon, a cousin you fancy and have yourself a hoedown with a truly great album

Not so much a review but a recommendation....

Bandcamp is a site is a site set up to allow musicians to sell music directly to their fans. The latest development is to allow you to post reviews of your purchases and let others see what you like/dislike. There's a link below to my collection if you want a browse

http://bandcamp.com/hawkins

There are some great discoveries to make and also some big names especially from the goth scene -Julianne Regan (AAE), Eden House, Peter Yates (FOTN), All Living Fear......

Worth taking a look

Free downloads don't show up in youe collection though and I can offer the following two bands as examples of great new music out there ans available for free


hAND are a female fronted prog metal band and the album Breathing  is rather good. The vocals are not the histrionics you get from the European scene (Nightwish et al) but a much more downbeat even goth like fee. The opening track Song Number B has a great chorus - even with the dodgy title

 

 

The second band is Lithium Dawn. Their album AION takes a more regular prog metal but with elements of Tool and a big dose of melody. It would appear to be a concept album but as with all the best concepts, make your own mind up about what it all means !

One worth watching

 

 

 

 



Very late discovery last year but what a stunning find....

While the Alabama Shakes started my year with some top notch americana, Phantom Limb have possibly topped it with The Pines

Whereas Brittany Howard is more Janis Joplin, Yolanda Quartey is channelling Etta James over some gorgeous southern' R&B with more than a touch of soul

Hard to believe this band is from Bristol when dobro, swirling Hammond organ and banjo form the soundtrack.

Some songs like Laugh Like You're Mad have the sound of early Eagles pre checking into the hotel while Tumbling Down is achingly beautiful

Produced by Marc Ford of the Black Crowes this is an album you should really search out

Time to look back over the last 12 months are decide on the albums that rocked and rolled....

So here it is, the top 10 in alphabetical order.

• Alabama Shakes - Boys and Girls
• Alcest - Le Voyage De L'Ame
• Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
• Crippled Black Phoenix - (Mankind) The Crafty Ape
• Crippled Black Phoenix - No Sadness Or Farewell
• Dead Can Dance - Anastasis
• Eden House - Timeflows EP
• Marillion - Sounds That Can't Be Made
• Phantom Limb - The Pines (review coming soon...)
• Smoke Fairies - Blood Speaks

In addition the best live release would be Fields Of The Nephilim - Ceremonies

Well I stopped subscribing to Classic Rock probably about 18 months ago but I've just picked up the Christmas edition just to have a look at the 50 albums of the year.

Now normally I find I've only purchased two maybe three of their top tips but this year I got a whole five!

No. 44 Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls (reviewed on this blog in May)

No. 42 Killing Joke - MMXXII

No. 35 Crippled Black Phoenix - (Mankind) the Crafty Ape

No. 30 Marillion - Sounds That Can't Be Made (reviewed on this blog in October)

No. 10 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Last Of A Dying Breed (reviewed on this blog in December)

Out of the five, the Skynyrd album is the one I rate least but I'm guessing it's high placing has a lot to do with the fact that Classic Rock released it as a fan pack.... Cynical or not ???



(Still can't believe I forgot to review the Killing Joke and Crippled Black Phoenix albums...)

And here comes another quick sprint through the albums I didn't remember to write about....


Dead Can Dance- Anastasis.
A beautiful album displaying two distinct types of vocal. For the female led tracks, it's like the high priestess of ancient Sumeria calling you to prayer over swirling middle eastern rhythms. Utterly hypnotic. The male vocals are more Scott Walker and a bit more of an acquired taste.
There are individual tracks but the album lulls you a trance like state so titles are meaningless.
A unique and mesmerising piece of work


Lynyrd Skynyrd - Last Of a Dying Breed
Forget dying, this album suggest dead. After God and Guns (their best album since the 70's) this is a tepid affair lacking ideas and some terrible cliched lyrics.
Poor Man's Dream and Something to Live For are some of the most uninspired Skynyrd I've heard. The title track isn't bad and a couple of bonus live tracks mean it doesn't end on a low.
The Classic Rock magazine the album came with is very good though !


Seth Lakeman  - Tales From The Barrel House.
A return to the folk of Kitty Jay after the more glossy rock sounding Poor Man's Heaven.
Seth plays all the instruments and there's a concept with the tracks all about tradesman. Blacksmiths Prayer and Brothers of Penryn are top notch folk songs but there is a  major problem.....
I actually prefer the glossy rock sound of Poor Man's Heaven


Hussey-Regan- Curios.
A covers album by the lead singers of The Mission and All About Eve respectively. Some covers work and some don't but that's the nature of these albums. Witchita Linesman is lovely and really benefits from the duet format. A speeded up version of Ordinary World from Duran Duran also works but Ashes to Ashes is a bit of a mess. There are a couple of new compositions of which Regan's Dangerous Eyes is the best. 
An intriguing album at best but anything featuring these two vocalists is worth a listen.