Not sure where I am going to start this week for albums. Ever have that moment of too many options to choose from and can't decide where to start? Yeah, that's me today. I think I'm going to go off the beaten path and start with Mr. Connick Jr's "Smokey Mary", or maybe some Ron Sexsmith. Or MAYBE toning the distortion down to something such as Jim James' "Regions of Light and Sound of God". Too many decisions, ahhhhh!
I feel I'm in a non-metal mood after cramming 45 minutes of blast beats into a workout to get the blood pumping. Anyways, you all know the drill and belief of AFGM. Show some love and support. Make your way to your local record shop or your favourite online retailer to grab a few of these albums. Cheers!
Named after the famed Mardi Gras train-engine parade float, singer/pianist Harry Connick, Jr.'s funk-oriented 2013 studio album Smokey Mary coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Krewe of Orpheus, the Mardi Gras super krewe that Connick co-founded in 1993...
Elsewhere on Smokey Mary, Connick delves into a handful of original contemporary R&B-sounding numbers including "Wish I Were Him," "Dang You Pretty," and "Angola (At the Farm)." Helping bring out the album's high-energy party vibe is his stellar backing ensemble, including such stand-out musicians as Preservation Hall trumpeter Mark Braud, trombonist Lucien Barbarin, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, and percussionist Bill Summers, among others. Ultimately, Connick doing his funk thing won't float everyone's boat, but for longtime fans, Smokey Mary will probably play like the passing parade float it is named after, a lot of colorful, shiny fun. -All Music
Conduit builds on the strong foundations set by their previous two albums, continuing the band’s upward trajectory following a creative slump in the late 00′s that saw them leave their record label. Probably the best move they have ever made. Moving from alternative rock back to their hardcore punk roots, the album has more in common with the crunch of their EP’s ‘Between ‘Order and Model’ and ‘Four Ways to Scream Your Name’ than any other release in their catalogue. The result is 11 tracks that bludgeon the senses and a band that have never been more comfortable in their own skin. With a new drummer at the helm in the shape of former Rise To Remain sticksman Pat Lundy, this the sound of a band at their creative peak. -Media Blasphemy
Using a session band of heavy hitters including Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher of Elvis Costello’s band the Imposters, as well as Greg Leisz, Froom and Sexsmith evoke the refreshing airiness that dazzled listeners on Sexsmith’s first three major-label discs, which Froom also helmed or co-produced (he returned for Time Being in 2006). Clown in Broad Daylight, from the brilliant Other Songs, for example, has a cousin in the light and breezy Back of My Hand.
Forever Endeavour is soaked in favourite Sexsmith themes, tackled with the usual disarming plainspokeness. He sings here of the inevitability of regret, love’s redeeming power and the fragility of life (a cancer scare Sexsmith went through in 2011 is reflected in many of the songs, notably the sweet, melancholy, melodically rich Deepens With Time and The Morning Light). -Montreal Gazette
The tale is expertly told, though. The band is truly exceptional here, juggling the many schizophrenic pieces and never dropping one. The scope and ambition of this undertaking would crush a lesser band. Thankfully, rather than a Use Your Illusion, where there are a few highlights in amongst the wreckage of ego, we get The Wall, an epic work of musical and storytelling genius. There was a time where I doubted that Claudio would be able to continue this tale beyond the core Amory Wars Saga. Now, I can’t wait to see where he takes us next.
The only grey lining on my silver cloud is that there is most likely not another album following in another five months. -Technology Tell
In terms of the sound quality, the vocals are clear, and while the guitars and other instruments could stand to come through more brightly, this is a live album, so it’s not really an impediment. The record serves as a document, capturing the band’s live energy, and it succeeds on that front.
Fittingly, these recordings come from 2012 Halloween shows the band played in New York City and their home state of New Jersey, and it’s obvious that the boys’ favorite holiday enlivens them. If every day is, indeed, Halloween for the Misfits, they’re doing something right. -Diffuser
Bits and pieces of this narrative are sprinkled throughout the album’s tracks, which flow often seamlessly into one another. It seems like James’ full-length solo debut might even have a vague story of its own. However, as easy as the record is to listen to, discerning a complete tale from the songs proves to be much more challenging, but in the most fun way possible. The album definitely tempts the listener to journey down a rabbit hole, but the trip isn’t required to enjoy it.
Either way, Regions of Light and Sound of God marks a promising first entry in a solo career we’ve been waiting on. It’s a bold direction that’s not always easy to pursue successfully in the world of music, but Jim James is sure off to a good start.
Your move, Jack. -Paste Magazine
Mixing a post-grunge sound, complete with a slight metal edge, and a radio-ready studio sheen, Red play songs that, although they're often filled with confusion, despair, and anger, are also ultimately positive and redemptive, which is where the band's Christian base comes into the blend. Release the Panic, the group's fourth album (led by the title track as the first single), doesn't mess with the formula very much, and if they sound like Linkin Park, say, or Chevelle, that firm faith in hope and redemption gives the band a kind of spiritual warmth not always apparent at first listen. -All Music
EPs:
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