Music Releases For September 2nd, 2014

Awesome selection of tunes this week!  I am very stoked to be checking out a wide variety of tunes from some of the industry's top performers.  From Maroon 5 to Johnny Winter; from Counting Crows to The Haunted.  This week's selection will put you on a roller coaster of sound and structure.  And much like every other week, my dilemma will consist of which album gets played first and which one gets played last.  Hell, I'll even take a cup of coffee right now and start orchestrating the Hannibal sound track with my arms right now (you know those moments where you feel like you're the conductor haha).

So the usual reminder folks.  There wouldn't be music if there wasn't fans.  So be a doll and pick up a copy of these album(s) from a local record store, online retailer, or an authorized digital source.  Cheers and have a great week!

(Maroon 5 - V)

The typical knock on Maroon 5 is that all these strengths can also be seen as weaknesses – their versatility can come o ff a little too breezy. Levine's voice is a powerful instrument, yet he sometimes seems like less of an emotional presence in the music than on earlier albums like the band's 2002 debut, Songs About Jane, a collection of breakup songs. The best glimpse into his real life today comes via the Phil Collins-esque "It Was Always You," where the recently married singer radiates happiness about finding Mrs. Right. -Rolling Stone

(Johnny Winter - Step Back)

Nothing doing here however. All glowing comments that follow are positively justified and fully merited. Make no mistake, this is a stonker and up there with the best of his albums from a long and illustrious career.

Other guests pop up throughout, including Joe Bonamassa, Ben Harper, Leslie West, Billy Gibbons and more, but they never offer more than added value embellishments to what is clearly Johnny’s album at all times. Nowhere is this more in evidence that on the sprightly version of Clarence Gatemouth Brown’s instrumental Okie Dokie Stomp. On this, Johnny’s guitar goes charging off on a Texas blues romp only for Brian Setzer’s rockabilly trills to catch up with him and add extra bounce to what is already an enlivening experience. And on the closing track, the New Orleans favourite, Blue Monday, Dr John’s presence as much as his always-splendid piano playing adds a real flavour of the Crescent City musical vibe. -Red Lick


(Counting Crows - Somewhere Under Wonderland)

Over the course of the record’s nine tracks, Counting Crows yet again demonstrate their innate ability to serve as pop-rock’s preeminent chameleons. Case in point is the prog-pop opus that is album opener and lead single Palisades Park – it opens with some gentle piano and muted trumpet and over its 8 minutes and 21 seconds, travels everywhere from earnest, lyrically candid piano balladry to ballsy, ‘70s-radio riff-rock.

From start to finish, it’s plain to see that Counting Crows have been around long enough to have earned their stripes and for as much diverse musical ground as they manage to traverse, they always have their own unmistakable sound. Somewhere Under Wonderland is yet another in a long line of pretty flawless pop-rock records by a band whose sense of instrumental adventurousness is only matched by the raw emotion of their masterful craftsmanship in pop songwriting. -Renowned For Sound

(The Color Morale - Hold On Pain Ends)

The Color Morale has been astonishingly prolific since signing to Rise Records back in 2009 as Hold On Pain Ends marks their fourth full-length, but first since making the jump from Rise to Fearless Records.

Over the past five years, The Color Morale have worked tirelessly to become one of the pillars of the post-hardcore genre. There isn’t a band with a closer, more intimate relationship with their fans, as Hold On Pain Ends was greatly inspired by a countless number of fans who have blessed the band with their stories over the past few years. I’m not sure how the band or their current fan base would respond to a vast expansion in their popularity, but Hold On Pain Ends suggests they better prepare for it. And if there’s a band whose message I wouldn’t mind reaching a much broader audience, it’s The Color Morale’s. -Under The Gun

(The Haunted - Exit Wounds)

With Exit Wounds it seems that we may have got that in the style of a thrash metal beast. A thrash metal beast with a ton of groove that stops it getting boring. The production is top notch, the rhythm section is beyond solid, the guitars are totally killer without and don’t waste a solo and the vocals, oh my, that is the key here. When hearing music like this you need a vocalist who can kill it every single time.

It’s been a while but can we just say to The Haunted…….. Welcome back. -Hit The Floor

(Hammerfall - (r)Evolution)

“(r)Evolution” is an uprising of old and represents a reset for the band that would stylistically fall somewhere between “Legacy of Kings” and “Crimson Thunder.” The material is refreshed and catchy without being overdone and drab. The band’s decision to stick to what it is good at and what made the group famous was a sound decision. Of course, there will be certain fans of Hammerfall that will never be satisfied unless a time machine is built to transport their physical beings to catch up with the late 90’s mentality. I cannot imagine any reason how any longtime fans would be disappointed. HammerFall has given you exactly what you wanted – a return to passionate and glorious cheese so you must “Live Life Loud.” -Metal Underground

(Brian Tyler - The Expendables 3)

After a sustained period of frankly not a great deal, things do wake up with a sudden for the album’s last three cues – “Valet Parking Done Right” is a rip-roaring cue, “Moral Chess Games” then brings back the electronic sound heard earlier in the score and the best cue of all is saved for last, the spectacular six-minute “Armoured Freaking Transport” making great use of the familiar main theme.  The Expandables 3 is an enjoyable album, but it does feature some less interesting passages and (understandably) some of the better parts are very similar to those heard in the previous scores.  It’s all good fun, though perhaps not quite as much as the last ones. -Movie-Wave

http://www.movie-wave.net/the-expendables-3/

(Brian Reitzell - Hannibal Season 1: Volume 1)

(Brian Reitzell - Hannibal Season 1: Volume 2)

This score is crazy it really is. It’s like entering the twisted mind of Hannibal, but I enjoy the heck out of it. There’s nothing better to put on my headphones and listen to this score. It puts myself and my mind at a completely different place and I love it there. Beware though, play this score at your own peril. I don’t know if it’s good for you or not, but you just have to try it. By the way, if you think 2.5 hours of this is crazy, there is apparently 25 hours of score recorded for the first two seasons. This score contains just excerpts. The booklet even says how to listen to the score: “The opening track allows the listener to quickly adjust the peak volume on their playback system. For an optimum listening experience, once set, the volume should remain at this position”. -Soundtrack Geek

CD/DVD/Blu-Ray:

(We Came As Romans - Present, Future, and Past)

Present, Future, and Past, which serves as the group’s first full length DVD release, showcases a band far more mature and seasoned than the fresh-faced young men I recall from that concert many years ago. Beginning several seconds before the group hits the stage in front of a sold out crowd at the House Of Blues in Chicago, the film offers an incredibly well produced multi-angle take on WCAR’s live show that has never been offered to fans before. The sound is impeccable, with Stephens and Pavone taking center stage (both literally and metaphorically), and the powerhouse level of strength and talent displayed at the beginning is maintained throughout. There is no pyro or over the top theatrics, but none of that matters because the group’s collective presence is so demanding it’s almost impossible to look away. The lighting is also on point, which is an added plus. -Under The Gun