Blossom Toes - We Are Ever So Clean
Blossom Toes - If Only For A Moment
Sunbeam

Thanks to the fine folks at Sunbeam two rare, much-overlooked psychedelic treasures are once again available for all to enjoy. To be sure, Blossom Toes is a band you will never hear too much about, but after listening to these two albums you will wonder why the band’s name isn’t on everyone’s lips. The band has the distinction of putting out a psychedelic album as good as anything The Beatles, Small Faces or The Kinks had done, and then follow it up with an album so heavy Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin could have stolen ideas from it (and probably did).

Unfortunately, the band put out their whimsical, slightly-twee psych-rock album when there was a glut of like-minded music flooding the market and put out their heavier record before the taste of the public had moved towards heavier rock music. Much revered by fans of late ’60’s psych, these two Blossom Toes albums have been much sought after for years by collectors and music zealots who swear Blossom Toes were putting out some of the best music of the ’60’s.

Take a few listens and find out for yourself how right they were!

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I am pleased to introduce Scott Homewood to the virtual pages of The Rock and Roll Report. With years of music journalism under his belt and work published in numerous online and print publications, Scott brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Report and I can’t be more excited hosting his first rate writing and I know you will enjoy Scott’s distinctive take on what rocks his world.

We kick off Scott’s contributions here with his review of two long lost gems by British psychedelic rockers Blossom Toes, a name you probably don’t know but after reading Scott’s piece, you will probably want to get.

With Scott joining regular contributors Matheson Kamin and Michael Goldsmith (the author of the weekly series Cover Stories), I am pretty stoked to see where this is all going and now is as good a time as any to begin the process of transforming The Rock and Roll Report into more of an online magazine and less of a blog. In the coming months get ready for yet another change in look for the Report with some new features and new voices that will make a visit to the Report a great way to discover amazing rock and roll you may not be aware of, whether it was created in 2008 or 1968.

As the podcast grows and matures (well mature might not be the best word!) and we start to incorporate more videos from the bands we write about and play, the Rock and Roll Report is finally becoming the site I hoped it would be. As I like to say on Rock and Roll Report Radio, grab a cold drink, a hot squeeze and turn the volume up to 11, this rock and roll ride is just getting warmed up!

Thanks for reading and listening!

Mark Boudreau
Head Ringmaster and Handyman

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Take equal parts hard rock and prog-metal and you get a feel for what Italy’s Twinspirits sounds like. This five-piece outfit came together when Daniele Liverani was looking for the next phase of his career as a musician.

Throughout his years of playing music, Daniele has become a virtuoso on both the guitar and the piano. With Twinspirits, he has taken his experience as a keyboard player and has written some of the best melodic metal to be released in a long time.

Although Daniele is the songwriter of the band, he is not the only piece to the puzzle. To fill the part of guitarist, Daniele called upon 20 year old Tommy Ermolli to be the behind the six-string. Tommy has made the most of the 8 years he’s been playing and has more than mastered the instrument. For bassist, Alberto Rigoni fills the part. While being the perfect choice to provide the bass part for the band, Alberto is also a composer in his own right. He has just released an album of his own music. Finding a drummer was a no-brainer. Dario Ciccioni has been playing with Daniele for a decade. When the idea of the band was thought up, Dario was the only choice. The role of vocalist was the one piece to the band that took the most time to fill. But when all was said and done, Danish vocalist Soren Adamsen was the final piece to the puzzle.
It is this group of musicians that have recorded the band’s 2007 release entitled “The Music That Will Heal the World”. Though it is not one, “The Music That Will Heal The World” can be interpreted as being a “concept album” as the songs seem to tell a story.

Some of the songs follow a common thread of war and battle. One of the songs that really follow this theme is “Fire,” a song that has to do with an American soldier that died in battle. Other songs on the album seemed to be tied together with an almost similar theme.

Italy’s Twinspirits has created one of the best albums of hard rock/prog-metal. If you like that style of music, take the time to check out the band’s “The Music That Will Heal The World”.

To check out the band’s music, go to http://www.twinspirits.net/, or go to their MySpace page @ http://www.myspace.com/twinspiritsband .

Matheson Kamin

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Just a quick reminder that Rock and Roll Report Radio returns to the airwaves of CKUT FM tonight from 10:00 - 11:00 PM EST for more rock and roll fun. Enjoy your 10th green beer as you listen to bands like The Fores, Annex, American Anthem, Automan.ca and Paperback Freud rock your St. Patty’s Day!

Thanks for listening!

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Copyright ©1968 and 2008 by Lee Conklin - All rights reserved.

Subject: Santana, a 1969 release (on Columbia Records) by Santana, with cover art & design by Lee Conklin

The cover of Santana’s debut record was adapted (at Santana’s request) from a poster design originally done for a concert performance at Bill Graham’s legendary San Francisco venue, the Fillmore West. This iconic image done in pen and ink was certainly one of the best examples of early psychedelic art.

Both guitarist Carlos Santana and artist/illustrator Lee Conklin hit their stride in San Francisco’s mid-60’s cultural scene, with Santana finding a wide variety of music being played in the clubs (Tito Puente’s salsa, folk, Gabor Szabo’s jazz and in 1966, a concert by the great blues guitarist B.B. King at the Fillmore West that would greatly influence the development of his own personal style) and Lee Conklin meeting a number of aspiring artists – Victor Moscoso, Alton Kelley, Stanley Mouse, and many others – who were producing the promotional posters and related graphics for events at the Fillmore and at Family Dog’s Avalon Ballroom and other venues.

Soon after his B.B. King-inspired epiphany, Santana formed The Santana Blues Band (later shortening it to simply “Santana”) and the band made its debut at the Fillmore in June, 1968 (playing a 4-nite stand that was released in 1997 by Columbia/Legacy in a set titled Live at the Fillmore 1968). Santana impressed Bill Graham so much that the band became a regular act at the Fillmore, packing the auditorium regularly.

And then came the Summer of Love, Woodstock, and the band’s legendary performance there on 8/15/69…

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Fresh Pair of Eyes is the debut release by Brooke Waggoner, who was born in Houston, Texas, but was raised in the coastal town of Morgan City, Louisiana. While living in Louisiana, Brooke began taking piano lessons at the early age of 4 and didn’t finish her training until she turned 21 during her senior year at Louisiana State University.

Although she made it into the Top 10 in MTVU’s Best Music on Campus Competition as part of a Christian rock group, Brooke has since changed her musical direction. Her current style has only a few religious overtones, giving way to a more contemporary pop sound.

It is that style that was shaped while Brooke was in college. Brooke has received her degree in composition and orchestration. With that education, she has started writing music that has a style that is a cross between Tori Amos, Electric Light Orchestra, Rodgers + Hammerstein, and Chopin, among others. To say that Brooke’s style of writing is complex would be an understatement; however, it is still very listener-friendly.

One of the most entertaining songs on the 6-song EP is “So-So,” a fictional look at a moving day. Each line in the song ends in a word that has a long O sound. Some of the rhymes are a little far-fetched, but that just adds to the lightheartedness of the song.

Having been trained to be a composer and arranger has really given Brooke a leg up on her contemporaries. While most of the musicians out there today would have to ask someone to write arrangements for them, Brooke can simply write out the arrangements to fill out her sound.

Currently, Brooke Waggoner calls Nashville, Tennessee home as she is focused on the task at hand of promoting her new CD, Fresh Pair of Eyes. Download the entire EP straight from Brooke’s website for absolutely NOTHING. This the time to check out one of America’s most talented up-and-coming artists and see what you could have missed.

To check out Brooke Waggoner and her free music, go to www.brookewaggonermusic.com or www.myspace.com/brookewaggoner.

Matheson Kamin

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Well this week’s Rock and Roll Report Podcast is chock full of rock and roll goodness as we stagger around the United States for our tunes with a brief stopover in Stockholm, Sweden. All the bands played are either unsigned or on an indie label and are in my opinion sadly neglected by commercial rock radio so if you like what you hear please buy their music, see their shows and drop comments on their websites to support them.

If you want to subscribe to the podcast, just click either of the links below:

Subscribe to The Rock and Roll Report Podcast

Here is what I played:

1. Rock and Roll Report Intro by Featured on Fridays
2. 20 to 12 by Watts
3. Rock ‘n Roll by The Hot Rocks
4. 30 Seconds by The Erotics
5. Raise It Up the Flagpole by Paperback Freud
6. Backing Down by Punchface
7. The Runaways by The Armed Forces
8. All Together Now by The GoStation
9. One Beer by the Black Angel Band
10. Rock and Roll Report Outro by Featured on Fridays

Thanks for listening and if you liked what you heard please subscribe to the podcast and support your local indie rock and roll scene.

The next Rock and Roll Report Podcast will be released March 12, 2008.

Later.

Mark

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(Ed’s note: I don’t normally publish syndicated material anymore but in this case I though it was important and highly enlightening to see how the mainstream press works…)

The Black Crowes’ manager issues statement:

In my thirty years in the music business, I have never once written a letter to any publication to discuss or oppose a “review” of my artist’s work. Any artist or manager who has survived a dramatically changing musical landscape, and experienced some longevity throughout, has a clear understanding that both good and bad reviews are part of the scenery.

However, this letter was not written to address a bad “review” but rather a fabricated album review that your magazine published even though your “music critic” had not heard more than one song.

In our business, a fabricated review is a serious concern that may ultimately harm all artists because it calls into question the credibility
of the entire review process.

A February 20th email response from a Maxim representative stated in part:

“On the rare occasion that we are not given music because of our lead time or unavailability of the tunes, we make an educated guess … Of course, we always prefer to hearing the music, but sometimes there are big albums that we don’t want to ignore that aren’t available to hear, which is what happened with the Crowes. It’s either an educated guess preview or no coverage at all, so in this case we chose the former.”

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Cleveland band BMZ came together as a group because the members of the band were all looking to do something musically and had nowhere to turn to fill that desire. With Jim Bacha on bass guitar and vocals, Michael Misiak on drums and vocals, and Jerry Zsigo on guitar and vocals, the musicians have created a solid rock band.

The band decided to take their best material and attack the songs in a live setting and record the resulting show for future release. That resulting show took place on March 10th, 2007 at the Cleveland, Ohio concert venue, The Winchester. The band has taken the recorded show and put it out on a double CD album, entitled BMZ Live at The Winchester.

Previous to the date of the concert recording, the band had recorded and released two albums as a four-piece outfit. The new CD features the band in its current three-piece power trio line-up. The difference is definitely noticeable; and it’s a change for the better. As a trio, the band is tighter and the songs rock harder. Having recorded the first two albums in the studio, BMZ Live at The Winchester shows that the real magic happens onstage.

The audience that showed up that night for the recording helps make the live experience come through for the audience listening at home. And the band answers back with a great instrumental entitled Let It Happen that seems to convey the message that the band is happy for the audience’s support.

Throughout the 2-hour concert of high-voltage power rock, BMZ shows that with time comes experience, and with experience comes talent. Jim Bacha, Mike Misiak, and Jerry Zsigo have the experience and the talent, as BMZ Live at The Winchester definitely shows.

If you like power rock, this album is a MUST for your music collection. This is not only a great live album, it’s a great album all the way around.
To hear the music, purchase the album, or for more information on the band, go to www.bmzmusic.com.

Matheson Kamin

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I recently attended something called Podcamp Toronto which is an amazing conference gathering podcasters together to talk shop and learn from one another. Amazingly it is free. One of the things that numerous participants recommended is that podcasters post a list of equipment that they use to create their shows so, in deference to anybody who wants to see what I use for the podcast, here it goes.

As I approach my tenth podcast and I am starting to get comfortable with putting the show together, I thought I would let you know what I use to produce the Rock and Roll Report Podcast. One important point for anybody considering producing a podcast of their own is that you can do a podcast with good audio quality for a very modest outlay of cash. As a matter of fact, some will argue that you can do a podcast for almost no money down but I think if you want it to sound good you will need to buy some equipment.

The most important factor by far is the microphone that you use. This will probably be the item that most shapes your sound and you can definitely pick up a mic for under a hundred bucks that sounds good and is reasonably priced. I use a Kel Audio HM2d mic with a pop screen. This is a brand new model from Kel and the quality is excellent right out of the box and the price is reasonable ($149.00). I plug the mic into a Tapco Mix 60 mixer made by Mackie which is rock solid, inexpensive (72 bucks Canadian) and sounds great. The mixer is connected to my computer (currently a PC running Vista (ugh!)) by a Edirol UA-1EX USB audio interface which basically bypasses the soundcard on the PC and ensures that the audio that goes through the computer is of the highest quality possible. These portable little units retail for under a hundred bucks. I record the whole thing using Audacity (free!) to my hard drive.

As with anything, you always want to get more stuff to (theoretically) improve your sound so I am looking to change a couple of things but my next purchase will be an external hard drive to record all my audio to as it is best that your podcast files not be on the same hard drive as your operating system.

That’s it! This set-up is perfect for me and the Rock and Roll Report at this point in time and I think it sounds great and I haven’t done too much tweaking of the audio to get here. The key thing about podcasting is to just get going and do it and not spend all your time worrying about what equipment to buy. The ‘Net is full of podcaster resources and I find one of the best is Podcast Rigs at the Podcast Academy. I am pretty much using their “Basic” rig and it works for me.

I’ll update this post if and when I upgrade the studio set-up. Email me at rockandrollreport@gmail.com if you have any specific questions and I’ll do my best to help.

A big thank you to good friend of The Rock and Roll Report Shaz for the very hot pic featured above! You rock Shaz!

If you want to subscribe to the podcast, just click either of the links below:

Subscribe to The Rock and Roll Report Podcast

Thanks for listening.

Later.

Mark

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We are already into March thank God because I am all snowed out here in Montreal! The schedule for Rock and Roll Report Radio and the podcast looks like this:

March 5th - Podcast #8
March 12th - Podcast # 9
March 17th - Rock and Roll Report Radio on CKUT FM
March 24th - 3 Amigos on CKUT FM

I Will try and fit in another podcast towards the end of the month as I move to a more consistent weekly schedule for the podcast.

Hope you stop by and listen and please leave a comment on the website or comment line at 206-339-3646.

Look for a Rock and Roll Report Facebook Group soon!

Later
Mark

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