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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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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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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The thing I love about rock and roll is the wide sonic pallet that it encompasses. That is why I never get bogged down in genres, but sometimes I do feel myself listening a bit too much to one style or other so it’s nice to have a band come along and kind of smack me upside the head and change my sense of direction.

The Armed Forces are from Nashville, Tennessee and at first listen of their CD Modern Gospel For Modern Men & Modern Women I knew there was something there that I liked, I just wasn’t sure what it was. But as with all of my favourite CDs, multiple listening revealed to me a great band that had a definite, modern twist to their powerpop hook. The song that got to me first was The Runaways. The finger clicking and female back up vocals clinched it for me and made me hungry for more. In The Free World was next and everything else on this 5 song CD followed quickly thereafter. I won’t insult you by comparing them to somebody since you will probably email me to tell me that I am out of my tree because they sound more like THIS band but I will toss out moder, hooky, angry at times and volume knob worthy.

Check them out at their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/thearmedforce and listen to them on an upcoming edition of the Rock and Roll Report Podcast and Rock and Roll Report Radio. Good stuff!

Later.

Mark

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I spend a lot of time blasting commercial rock radio, and for good reason I believe. It is ad driven instead of music driven, it is devoid of personality, it caters to the lowest common denominator and it plays the same songs over and over again. That being said, non-commercial radio still holds out some hope for all of us who actually care about radio (and I do actually give a shit about the medium). From my very own CKUT FM here in Montreal which broadcasts an amazing array of programming serving a population that is not adequately served by “mainstream” media to stations like KCRW and the Pacifica Network, non-commercial radio is frequently challenging, often frustrating but never boring, just what good radio should be, and at the top of the heap in my opinion sits WFMU, gazing down regally at us all with a slightly bemused smirk on its face.

To me, WFMU embodies everything that is great about radio. Featuring a mind boggling array of programming that is astonishing in its depth and let’s face it weirdness, WFMU continues to fly the freeform flag proudly while existing solely due to the support of its listeners. And unlike other non-commercial stations that run fund raising events throughout the year, WFMU runs their fundraising marathon just once, and now is the time.

From February 25th until March 9th, 2008 WFMU is holding out their hand to their listeners, fans and people who just like to support freaky institutions for their annula fund raising extravaganza. And WFMU is truly an institution as this is the 50th anniversary of the station. Whether you are into garage punk, Tahitian guitar music, reggae, warped country and bluegrass and numerous other “genres” of music, ‘FMU probably plays it. And if listening to them online at www.wfmu.org won’t convince you, perhaps a flip through the utterly fascinating and borderline psychotic The Best of LCD: The Art and Writing of WFMU will.

Recently published by Raincoast Books, The Best of LCD is as eclectic as the station it portrays featuring a number of articles, comics and just plain weirdness from “FMU’s defunct program guide LDC (Lowest Common Denominator). Chock full of amazingly interesting portraits of zany DJs from the ‘50s, guides to the best “Anti-Rock” books and a still accurate diatribe against commercial rock radio, The Best of LCD is a worthy read and perfect for that well stocked bathroom.

If you care about radio, I urge you to make a pledge towards WFMU where freeform radio is not just a slogan; it’s a way of life. Here’s to another 50 years of WFMU, arguably the greatest radio station on the planet.

Later.

Mark

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If you are fed up with the current state of “music television” then head over to http://www.fromthebasement.tv/ for a refreshing change of pace. No logos, no presenters and no typical TV studio paraphernalia. Just straight up performances from people like The Shins, White Stripes, Sonic Youth, Thom Yorke, the Super Furry Animals and more. According to From the Basement founder Nigel Godrich: “I’m a sad fan trying to bring the magic back to music TV.”

Check it out and see how cool music TV can be.

Later.

Mark

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I have made the case in the past how it is important, if you REALLY love rock and roll to experience it live as often as possible. No, I am not talking about U2 or Springsteen at the local Enormodome but about seeing the hundreds (probably thousands) of bands that ply their trade from one rock and roll dive bar to another.

Let me use a recent experience to illustrate. A few weeks ago I caught one of my current faves The Brown Hornets at a local bar here in Montreal. Now granted the bar itself was nothing special in the interior decor department and the lighting onstage was suspect but the place certainly has character and that counts for maximum points in my book. There was no cover charge, the bar held maybe 50-75 people max and yet when I walked out of there on the shady side of 1:00 AM I was positively vibrating with excitement.

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photo courtesy of Amanda Willman

When a popular band decides to call it a day, usually the followers of that band are left with an empty feeling of never being able to see that band again. And if it happens that two bands decide to call it a day at the same time, twice as many people have the same empty feeling.

This is what happened when Cleveland-based band hard rock band Another Path and heavy metal band Gatlin decided that it was time to move on. However, when members of both bands heard of the other’s demise, a new partnership began between the lead singer of Another Path and the remaining members of Gatlin.

The new project became known as A Passion Greater, now known simply as APG. The lead singer, Dave Hudec, picked up where he left off in Another Path by writing songs for his new band, and his new band mates helped turn the new songs into something real, something different than what either band was playing before they broke apart. Along with Dave Hudec on vocals, the rest of the band consists of Jon Drake on bass/vocals, Don DeBiase on guitar, John Marshall on guitar, and Tony Castillo on drums.

The members of APG merged their two styles together into a melodic hard rock band. Taking the best of both worlds and combining them into one makes APG a band with a sound that would fit on any modern day rock station.

Once the band was together, they went into the studio to record their debut album, This Brutal Addiction. Engineered by the band’s lead guitarist, Don DeBiase, the 2007 album gives the listener their money’s worth, as the album clocks in at just under an hour.

One of the best hard rock albums of 2007, This Brutal Addiction definitely is one of those albums that you should check out if you like rock music. And the public agrees as the band has been nominated for the 2008 Free Times Music Awards in Cleveland for Best Hard Rock Band. This is the perfect time to check out this Cleveland group and their music.

For more information, go to www.myspace.apg. Also check them out at www.purevolume.com/apg.

Matheson Kamin

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Just when you start thinking that no one is making good rock-n-roll music anymore, you find someone who amazes you with their style of straight-out rock music. One such musician that is currently making that style of straight-out rock that is sadly all-too-uncommon is Joal Rush.
In 2004, Joal Rush released his debut EP, Delightful Things. With that release, Joal started making a name for himself. The reason for that is the CD started receiving critical acclaim from those who reviewed the release. Along with praise from the critics, Joal started gaining a following from his fans.

Since releasing Delightful Things , Joal has enjoyed a bit of success as good things started happening. The Atlanta, GA musician has shared then stage with the likes of Edwin McCain, Will Hoge and Styx; Joal has had his music added to XM Radio’s Unsigned channel 52 where it has become a fixture of the station; and he has had his song Carry On put on the Awarestore.com Ear Snacks Vol. 6 compilation.

After having success with Delightful Things and receiving all of the accolades that have come with it, Joal Rush is back with his second release, Imagination. With this new EP, Joal has taken his writing style and improved upon it, giving the songs on Imagination more power than before.
The new EP contains 6 great songs. The best tracks on the release are, in my opinion, Imagination, Living a Lie, and Bleed. The CD even comes with a ballad, You Are, that helps to wrap up the release.

Joal has put out a great rock release. His style would belong with groups who were around before there were styles of rock called Alternative or Grunge. His music seems a little out of place with what is on the airwaves right now, but that is because the majority of the groups out there right now follow whatever trends are big at the time and refuse to veer away from the mainstream. It takes courageous musicians like Joal Rush to take a chance at releasing music that is not pigeon-holed by today’s radio formats.

If you like pre-Alternative rock music, Joal Rush is making music just for you. You can check out Joal Rush and his music at www.joalrush.com and at www.MySpace.com/joalrush.

Matheson Kamin

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For Immediate Release

Bodog Battle worldwide unites with a group of gear greats. Bodog Battle is proud to be teaming with Mesa/Boogie, Hoshino/Tama and Paiste Alpha Cymbals to provide the thousands of musicians competing in Bodog Battle 2008 with the highest quality instruments and equipment available today. With 400+ live battle performances taking place within 70 cities in Europe, Canada and across the United States, Bodog Battle keeps the rock sounding as huge as ever by working with some of the greatest names in music equipment to provide the backline for the 2008 Bodog Battle competition and Bodog Battle reality show.

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Like a sugar-coated razor blade, Rochester, New York’s The Meddling Kids offer up a great mix of finely crafted hard pop songs that hide behind those sweet vocal harmonies some pretty biting lyrics.

I came across the band early last year when I was sent a copy of a pre-release version of their great lead off track Let Her Go which has since been honed to a biting sharpness which brings the guitar even more to the forefront. Their self-titled CD is resplendid with hooks galore, both of the guitar and vocal variety. Whether on Goodbye, 7 More Days or one of my favoutites Guilloteenager, these guys know how to draw you in and hold you from beginning to end.

I like all kinds of rock and roll but I have always especially enjoyed well-crafted rock songs laden with hooks. Some may call it commercial, I just call it rock and roll fun of the highest order. Great stuff.

You can listen to some tracks at their MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/themeddlingkidsrock

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Milwaukee, WI band Trance Halo is currently promoting their 2007 EP entitled Bender. Having only been together for about one year. the quartet is still young as a band goes. However, the new debut CD sounds like it was made by a band that has a lot more time under it’s belt. Part of the reason for the maturity in their sound comes from the songwriting of the band’s guitarist/vocalist London J.

The five well-crafted songs contained within the Bender EP hit hard and never let go. From the title track to the last song on the CD entitled Pool, this is a very solid effort. Take equal parts Foo Fighters, Radiohead, and Smashing Pumpkins while adding technology in the form of phase shifters, filters and fuzzes and you get some idea of what the band’s sound is like. The band promises to take modern rock music and launch it into another dimension. Take a listen and you can tell that they are serious about that.

Along with London J, the band is made of 3 talented musicians that help shape the sound of their music. The other members of the band are lead guitarist Johnny W, bassist Belle, and Jim B who played the drums on the CD though the band plays live with an ever-changing line-up of drummers.

Together as a unit, the four musicians create a sound with a noticeable difference. One of the main things that makes Trance Halo’s sound different from most of the acts there is London J’s large collection of effect pedals for his guitar. In fact, with London J, Belle AND Johnny W all using pedals, the band aspires to be known as “the band with the most pedals”.

If you are interested in finding something different from your everyday alternative rock band that you hear on the radio, then you need to check out the band Trance Halo and their CD, Bender.

Visit the band’s website at www.trancehalo.com for more information.

Matheson Kamin

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For Immediate Release:

“On the heels of the “Skater Rock Vol. 1/2″ and “Strip Club Rock” CD Comps, both due in stores March 25th, Versailles Records has announced plans for “Surf Rock Vol. 1/2.’ The album will feature material from current/former members of Ozzy Osbourne Band, Aerosmith, Rough Cutt, Ratt, Alice Cooper Band, Exodus, Warrant, L.A. Guns, Slash’s Snakepit, Exodus, Lillian Axe, Dangerous Toys, Poison, Pretty Boy Floyd, Dad’s Porno Mag, WASP, and others.

In addition to the aforementioned material, the label is seeking original song submissions from up-and-coming, signed and unsigned millennium rock and metal bands. Each participating band will receive a photo and bio in the CD booklet, as well as promos. Interested groups should e-mail inquiries to surfrock2008@yahoo.com.

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I was recently in Burlington, Vermont (a seriously cool little town) and as I was walking back to my hotel late on a Saturday night when I heard some amazing blues harp emanating from this little bar on the Church Street Marketplace. Unfortunately I couldn’t stick around but I finally tracked down the band and it turns out that it was Avi and Celia, a duo who split their time between Burlington and Boston.

Now what do they sound like? iTunes on my laptop pegged them as unclassifiable which is one way yo look at them. I suppose you can say that they take bits and pieces from the blues, bluegrass, folk, Americana and rock and roll but that’s beside the point in my book. You can tell that this music comes from the very fiber of their souls and it is absolutely spellbinding to listen to.

Check out some of their stuff on their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/aviandcelia and get ready for something a bit different but man the groove on “Soak Her In” is addicting! I’m a fan.

Later.

Mark

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Subject – Follow the Leader, a 1988 release by Eric B. & Rakim on Uni/MCA records, with cover image by Drew Carolan

For a guy who thinks that he has a fairly open mind when it comes to music appreciation and thinks that he’s kept abreast of most major musical revolutions of the past 40 years, I must honestly say that I missed the beginnings of organized rap & hip-hop. I do remember Deborah Harry’s rap on “Rapture”, and thought that that was kinda cool, but I entered the rap world only after being exposed to Ice-T’s Body Count. As a music fan with hard rock/heavy metal leanings, I heard that album, was thoroughly impressed, and then wanted to know more.

Copyright 1988 and 2007 – Drew Carolan Photography – www.drewcarolan.com

In my quest for knowledge, I consulted a friend and co-worker at the time who had been involved in the late 80’s rap/hip-hop scene in NYC, which eventually led to the production/promotion world and his own label. He helped me understand who was who, who came first, who was popular, etc., but it may have been too little, too late (thanks, Rocky, for trying). However, when I started the gallery, it became clear that the imagery used to package and promote records in this genre was really compelling, with the talents and artistry of the photographers and illustrators well-represented in the major “world’s best record cover” lists. More than what was typically found in the rock and pop genres, these photographs and illustrations were a vital part of the artists’ image, with these images the keys to the record-buying public’s acceptance of an artist’s “street cred”. The better an artist’s credibility, the more likely it was that the lyrics represented a rapper’s actual life story, and the more that the public believed, the larger the artist’s loyal fan base would grow.

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Copyright 1994 and 2007 – Stephen Stickler Photography – www.stephenstickler.com

Subject - KoЯn – Korn, a 1994 release on Immortal/Epic Records, with cover photography by Stephen Stickler

With “grunge” music filling the airwaves and dominating music television, Bakersfield, California’s KoЯn was a band that stood out from everyone else in a number of different ways. They weren’t full of angst – they were an angry band of metalheads who had discovered hip-hop beats and had a lead singer that also played the bagpipes! After being discovered by an A&R exec while playing in a nightclub, they worked on their unique musical and lyrical stylings until late 1994, when they released their self-titled debut Korn on Immortal/Epic Records.

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From Lexington, Kentucky I present Nine Pound Hammer, a kick ass rock and roll band if I ever heard one!

With songs like Drunk Tired and Mean I think you know where they are coming from with their particular brand of rock and roll. If images of shitty road houses on a blue highway somewhere down south come to mind you are not alone. “Out of my way I’m as drunk as hell” is how 12oz Mouse Theme kicks off and things go pleasantly downhill from there.

Check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/ninepoundhammered for a taste of what they sound like. And pour yourself a shot of red eye to get into the proper frame of mind!

Later.

Mark

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(PR) OurStage announced today the OurStage College Clash, a 3-month long online music competition for New England college bands. The monthly winners will battle it out in a LIVE competition for the $5,000 OurStage College Clash grand prize at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston in February 2008.

“The New England college music scene is budding,” says Ben Campbell, OurStage founder & CEO. “The OurStage College Clash will give these up-and-coming talented musicians an opportunity to get noticed and launch their career, so we invite all New England college bands to submit to our competition today.”

From the 1st to the 23rd of each month, for 3 months starting in November, NE college bands can simply go to www.ourstage.com/go/collegeclash and upload their music into the OurStage College Clash channel to enter. Music fans from OurStage and the submitting bands then decide who’s most deserving by judging all submissions in the channel side by side. OurStage’s unique judging process makes sure that each submission is voted on fairly by a real audience - no rigging, no cheating, and no celebrity judges.

At the end of each month, the top-ranked college band for that month on the OurStage College Clash channel will be awarded $500 and have the opportunity to play live at the Paradise in February against the other OurStage College Clash channel winners. The overall winner will be chosen by the fans at the Paradise based on their live performance. The winner will be awarded $5,000. To qualify for these prizes, at least one member of the band must be currently enrolled in a New England college or university.

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One band that has been a big supporter of The Rock and Roll Report has been UK band The Contrast. With incomparable lyrics by David Reid, the Contrast epitomize intelligent power pop without having that intelligence mar a fresh and jangly rock and roll sound. I realized to my horror a few weeks ago that I had neglected to play anything off of this year’s Underground Ghosts CD but quickly rectified that by playing Clue on the last Rock and Roll Report Radio.

Good lyrics don’t have to preach, they just have to be honest and not get in the way of the music. The Contrast manage both to do both with aplomb. An excellent band and highly recommended. Here is the video for Clue to give you a taste. You can listen to more of their stuff at their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/thecontrasttheband.

Later.

Mark

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Subject - Aimee Mann – The Forgotten Arm, a 2005 release on SuperEgo Records, with cover art direction by Aimee Mann & Gail Marowitz

Based on a story about the relationship between a small-time boxer who’s a Vietnam vet who returned with a LOT of emotional baggage and his small-town girlfriend - who both simply want to run away from their problems – singer/songwriter Aimee Mann’s concept album and her band take the listener on a cross-country musical tour that ends with our two young lovers breaking up, facing their demons and, ultimately, getting back together – well, sort of…

Aimee Mann’s career – from her beginnings in Virginia and Boston at the Berklee College of Music, to her musical travels through punk (The Young Snakes) to New Wave success (and an MTV Video Award for “Best New Artist”) in the mid-80s with ‘Til Tuesday (Voices Carry) and then finally as a well-regarded solo artist, independent label owner and an Academy Award nominated songwriter (in 1999, for music and songs written for the film Magnolia) – has also had its share of heavyweight successes and the sucker punches that only an independent-minded artist suffers in the music business, but in the end, she’s found true love (with singer Michael Penn, whom she married in 1997) and keeps delivering her music to her fans, her way.

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Just a quick note that the second issue of Roczine featuring my brand new column called The Rock and Roll Report (5 points for originality!) should be off the printing presses as you read this. Make sure you check out the magazine’s site at www.myspace.roczine to find out where you can get your copy ’cause it rocks!

Later.

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You know, I don’t know if it’s just me but the rock and porn world continue to get all cozy cozy these days.

First we have Vince Neil’s Off the Strip Poker Tournament taking place November 3, 2007 inside The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Vegas. Hosted by adult film stars Tera Patrick and Taylor Wayne, all proceeds from the poker tournament and charity auctions will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation via the Skylar Neil Memorial Fund, established in 1995 by Vince to honor his daughter Skylar who passed away from cancer. Since that time, Vince’s charitable efforts have helped to raise nearly two million dollars for the T.J. Martell Foundation. It’s kind of hard to find any fault with this knowing that it is a fund raiser you must admit.

Continuing our tour through the rock and porn world everybody’s favourite rock reality host and adult film director Dave Navarro speaks to Rock Confidential about his directorial debut with “Dave Navarro: Broken.” Apparently once you’ve been through heroin and cocaine addiction, the murder of your mom and Jane’s Addiction the thing to do is direct a porn flick. I suppose that’s one way to deal with it!

Later.

Mark

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I had a couple of people recommend that I check out South African band Switchback so I contacted John Dirker who is the singer and guitarist for the band to tell me a bit about them and the rock scene in South Africa. John was enthusiastic in explaining to me the pros and cons of playing rock and roll at the southern tip of the African continent and he piqued my curiosity enough to look into doing a South African-themed podcast and/or blog posting to investigate what that country has to offer. The whole region sounds intriguing.

As to Switchback, there is something vaguely familiar with their sound and especially John’s voice. It’s there, at the tip of your brain trying to make a connection with something you have heard before but at the same time it is wholly original and definitely “modern” (you know what I mean, it’s a tough thing to explain. Listen to their tunes and it will become clear).

Track of Time and Better Off are nice and hard hitting while Losing Me reminded me of latter-era Nirvana for some reason, especially the vocals which are eerily similar to those of Kurt Kobain.

All in all this is promising stuff from an area of the world that to me is extremely under-represented in the global rock and roll party. Again I see no reason why Switchback couldn’t easily slot in to your local “alternative rock” radio station playlist but I suppose the fact that people would have to go looking off the beaten path just makes it all too damn hard. Too bad, this is good shit.

Check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/switchbackonline

Later.

Mark

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Track List
1. Bustin Out For Rosey (Bolin)
2. Sweet Burgundy (Cook)
3. Post Toastee (Bolin)
4. Shake The Devil (Cook)
5. Gypsy Soul (Cook)
6. Someday Will Bring Our Love Home (Bolin, Tesar)
7. Hello Again (Cook)
8. You Told Me You Loved Me (Bolin)
Released May 1976 on CBS Records
Produced by Tommy Bolin and Dennis McKay
Band Members: Tommy Bolin-guitars, piano, lead vocals Reggie McBride-bass Mark Stein-keyboards Carmine Appice-drums Bobby Berge-percussion Norma Jean Bell-saxophone

I first became aware of Tommy Bolin when I was in junior high. Jeff, the high school senior who lived down the street, was a huge fan of his. I was a huge fan of Jeff, and became an instant disciple. Unfortunately, by the time I discovered Tommy Bolin and his music, he was already dead.
If you can find this album, buy it. If not, find what you can on Bolin on the internet. He was a true innovator, mixing rock, jazz, and blues influences for an absolutely unique guitar sound. His style was emotional and funky at the same time, his voice seeming to meld seamlessly with the notes from his guitar.
The production on this album is not the greatest, but you will be amazed at the variety of musical styles and genres that he mixes here, all the while staying true to his own personal sound. This is his second solo record, and the last album he made. Before forming his own band, he replaced Joe Walsh in the James Gang, and was the lead guitarist in Deep Purple after Ritchie Blackmore left. He was only 25 when he died, leaving us to wonder what might have been.

By Rebecca

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I have played American Anthem a bunch of times on Rock and Roll report Radio and you can bet that I will be playing them on the podcast. They consistently pump out that hard melodic rock that I love so much.

I Think About You is just outstanding (and all the girls seem to love it so that’s a bonus) and Real Thing flat out rocks. If you check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/americananthem you can listen to their take on the Beatles classic Help (which actually rocks and definitely sounds….different without doing so for the sake of being different).

There is more to the band than what is on their MySpace page but it is a good place to start. Great stuff. A band that I definitely play regularly on my iPod and in the car and that’s about as good an endorsement as you can get from me.

Later.

Mark

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