It's OK if I give you the music releases a week late, right? Well, it was more rhetorical than anything else as I have been super busy with living life and such that sometimes the posts get delayed. Especially with spring and summer coming up around the corner, my posts will hopefully stay as frequent, but you can understand if they aren't.
(Artwork by AFGM. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
Anyways, last week's releases had a lot of genres for you all to include in your weekly visit to your local record store, online retailer, or trusted digital source. Be sure to check out some up and comers like Royal Thunder, Sworn In, and of course the gem of the week...Gov't Mule's "Dub Side of the Moon" box set. Cheers and have a great week of exploring music!
(Brian Wilson - No Pier Pressure)
Of course the entire CD - which features country singer Kacey Musgraves and fun. lead singer Nate Ruess, among others - does not reach that level, and some of the new compositions sound tepid in places. Wilson, at times, seems to be striving for a breezy, carefree sound that, after five decades, no longer sounds fresh. But even the weaker songs bear his unmistakable stamp: complex vocal mixes that can never, ever be taken for granted, and a distinctive flair for arranging. He has come a long way from "Surfer Girl" - there is more air and space in these songs, less percussion, more of a sense of time stretching calmly, endlessly ahead. -Fay Observer
(The Waterboys - Modern Bules)
Regardless, it’s the raw, rocking that keeps you locked on songs that never let their grasp weaken. And when the band gels, as they do on nearly every track, it has a similar effect as Neil Young leading Crazy Horse through their paces. Even ballads like “Nearest Thing to Hip” have a hypnotic effect. There are also strains of fellow Irishman Phil Lynott in both Scott’s attention to words and gutsy blues influenced rocking. This recording might be coming late in Scott’s impressive catalog and even though he has never been less than committed, he sounds completely rejuvenated here. It makes Modern Blues one of his most compelling releases and a potent example of how a change of scenery can unexpectedly yet effectively revitalize a career. -American Songwriter
(The Grip Weeds - How I Won The War)
This new album is almost that once-in-a-lifetime everything-comes-together kind of album; while the songs differ, there’s a stylistic and thematic unity that thread each track into one cohesive unit. Driven by the chunky and crisp ’60’s twin guitar attack of Rick Reil and Kristen Pinell, the path is cleared for the garage-y vocal stylings of lead singer/drummer Kurt Reil (Rick’s brother and Kristen’s husband) – all of this anchored by the deep bass boom of Dave DeSantis, which makes this band sound like now as well as then. From the opening title track onward, you know this is going to hold you from end to end. -Pop Dose
(All Time Low - Future Hearts)
Future Hearts becomes the perfect album and most cohesive All Time Low release to date. It’s not that the songs are terrible. They are in no way bad songs. “Tidal Waves” will go down as the “Remembering Sunday” of Future Hearts, and “Bail Me Out” is one of the catchiest songs All Time Low has ever released. They’re just not compatible with the tone of the rest of the album, and that’s truly a shame. -Under The Gun
(Royal Thunder - Crooked Doors)
Everything shifts audibly: the skilfully jazzy drumming that sometimes is at times subdued and tasteful, at others thunderous; Parsonz voice goes from breathy to huge; the guitars quietly meander and then build up to squealing solos; violin segments invoke sadness. On Crooked Doors, the music is given ample space to breath, giving it a progressive edge. All told, it's a huge leap forward for Royal Thunder. -Exclaim
(Agnostic Front - The American Dream Died)
Agnostic Front is a band that generates strong opinions. They are usually either loved or hated. Even if you hate them, you must respect them. With the possible exception of the Cro-Mags, no band has been more influential in the development of the New York Hardcore sound. Agnostic Front's early recordings, United Blood and Victim In Pain, are stone cold classics of the genre. Singer Roger Miret has done hard time. No one has more street cred than Agnostic Front. While their early records are celebrated, their more recent output has been a mixed bag. Later albums range from quite good to quite forgettable. Fortunately, The American Dream Died is a solid addition to their catalogue. -Punk News
(Sworn In - The Lovers/The Devil)
Disguised with song titles you’d see in children’s tales (“Sweetheart”, “Sugar Lips” & “Pocket Full of Posies”) this contorted and gnarled story is unseen to the un-trained eye. This being another talent Sworn In displays as the album carefully and slowly unleashes the hatred and malice/resentment this narrative truly turns out to be. After the first listen, you may be turned off to the change in direction the band has taken. But with a deeper glance into this story, your mind may change. The band hasn’t lost the “heaviness” or “brutal” sound it had in their prior album “The Death Card” they have reincarnated to form an emotional monster, ready to take on any of the doubters and haters in their path. -Discordant Media
CD/DVD/Blu-Ray:
(Shania Twain - Still The One: Live From Vegas)
You’re Still The One remains lovely and swoon-worthy, though it does reveal that Twain’s voice has a lost a bit of dexterity and subtlety compared to the original. From This Moment On ends the main set majestically, though it’s no surprise that the outrageous, ballsy Man! I Feel Like A Woman! tears the house down to close the concert on an emphatically jubilant note.
Shania Twain has paved the way for female country artists to achieve success in the pop world. This live album is evidence that she hasn’t lost the ability to entertain and that her song catalogue will stand the test of time. -Renowned For Sound
(Steve Vai - Stillness In Motion: Vai Live In L.A.)
This concert was recorded on Steve's latest tour, which took up the years 2012 through 2014. The Story of Light Tour featured songs from all over Steve's career and then some. In totality, the tour saw Vai and band perform 253 concerts.
The DVD bonus features show the band traveling the world and also includes even more music! There is over three and a half hours of stuff to watch on the bonus disc--probably too much, to be honest... but Vai fanatics will think it may not be enough! -Classic Rock Revisited
Box Set:
(Gov't Mule - Dub Side of the Mule)
‘Dub side of the mule’ is a remarkably generous package. With the full concert presented in all its glory, fans can, for the first time, experience what that lucky audience were treated to on Dec 31st, 2006 at New York’s prestigious Beacon Theatre, and it’s a hell of a ride. The DVD offers up only the contents of disc two (the reggae set) sadly, as the swirling beauty of songs like ‘unring the bell’ must surely have been as mesmerizing to watch as they are to listen to, but nonetheless it’s a fine DVD to watch and an excellent bonus and it is clear that there is a case of a record label doing everything right, treating both artist and audience with the respect they deserve rather than taking the easy route of simply releasing the ‘dub’ disc. With crystal clear production throughout, a wide-ranging and diverse selection of songs and guest appearances from renowned artists Gregg Allman, John Popper and Toots Hibbert, ‘dub side of the mule’ is the ultimate mule package and an utterly essential document of the transcendent live mule experience. If you’re a fan of the mule, a fan of the blues, a fan of reggae or just music in general, then this is a set you have to buy. Utterly life-affirming, ‘dub side of the mule’ is the best of the mule anniversary celebrations so far. -Sonic Abuse
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