Single Review: Rokita – “Just Wanna Be With You”

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Rokita – "Just Wanna Be With You" single cover

image courtesy of Mighty Achilles

by Eric Harabadian, Contributing Blogger

Single Review of Rokita: “Just Wanna Be With You”

Chris Rokita is a Frankenmuth, Michigan singer-songwriter with a spirited and heartfelt song dedicated to his late mother Marian. It’s a big bombastic love letter to his past and how his mother served as mentor, muse and inspiration.

Rokita press photo

photo by Yazmin Rokita; photo courtesy of Mighty Achilles

Here’s a sample verse: “You were my life; always there for me. Never going back now, just the way it has to be. Nothing’s the same; there’s no one to blame. Fate played its game. Wishing you were here with me.” Rokita sings all the vocals and plays guitars and bass, accompanied by the ubiquitous legend Kenny Aronoff on drums.

Melodic layered guitars are arpeggiated and strummed during the intro, with Rokita’s distinctive tenor voice taking command. But when Aronoff’s unmistakable drums kick in, the song goes into overdrive.

frame from Rokita's "Just Wanna Be With You" music video

photo courtesy of Mighty Achilles

Essentially, the tune has that Midwestern, early John “Cougar” Mellencamp vibe, with a drive and bravado that is honest and forthright. The combination of Rokita’s emotive voice and melodic sense also conjures up big ‘80s hit makers like The Outfield or Big Country.

“Just Wanna Be With You” is a cool and uplifting anthem that finds solace in the sadness. And we could all use something like that right about now.

Album Review: David Udell – It’s Worth It

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David Udell – It's Worth It album cover

image courtesy of Rock Rose Music

by Eric Harabadian, Contributing Blogger

Album Review of David Udell: It’s Worth It

This is David Udell’s second solo album and employs a lot of the sounds and textures he’s used in the past as a burgeoning guitarist and keyboardist with St. Louis-based avant-prog group Wax Theatricks and synth-pop instrumentalists Delay Tactics.

Working in a solo context, Udell creates a unique landscape of sound that encompasses elements of pure pop, Americana, prog, ambient, and straight up rock ‘n roll. His satirical lyrics combine with tuneful melodies, while the record’s multi-layered production rides that wave reserved for artists as vast as King Crimson, The Cars, Duran Duran, Phil Manzanera, R.E.M., Steve Hackett, The Beatles, and Can.

Udell is all over the map, in a seat-of-the-pants sort of way, starting with “Watching the Freak Parade.” He bursts out of the shoot, with a spirited rocker that has a clear and clever sense of irony and humor. “It’s Beginning to Look Like Rain” shifts gears down to a spacious, serene kind of vibe. This is an acoustic-flavored tune that spotlights Udell’s keen use of melodic hooks.

promo photo of David Udell

photo courtesy of Rock Rose Music

“Slow Song” features his fellow guitar and composer buddy from his mid-’80s Delay Tactics days, Carl Weingarten. The multi-tracked vocals and various echoed guitars give this a strong psychedelic feel.

“The Motion Song” is a composition from Udell’s early ’80s catalog and is a quick and light experiment in natural rhythms and toy percussion. “Our River” has a real Americana vibe, with a psyche component that sets the vocals in a swirling motion like streams down a river. “Solid Ground” has a folk-like early British feel that is accentuated by Margaret Bianchetta’s golden flute passages.

“Made My Peace” sounds like an outtake from The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s album or something. It’s got a cool arrangement, with back masking and all these little sonic buzzers and bells happening underneath the action.

Udell asks the question “Is it Worth It?” And before he answers it at the end of the album, he cleverly goes through a litany of questions directed at mankind’s inhumanity and lust for control. It’s an existential ride that features some sizzling guitar in the mid-section.

“Unexplored Expanses” goes back to his roots as an electronic adventurer. It’s a short interlude that blends ambience and a Can/Holger Czukay-type of unorthodoxy. The title song and answer to the previous track, “It’s Worth It” kind of sums up the album. It’s somewhat of a hopeful song, with some tasteful Robert Fripp/Steve Hackett-like sustained guitars. It’s an appropriate finale that really builds in a semi-symphonic, almost Baroque-infused manner.

David Udell is a talented and multi-faceted artist, firmly rooted in art and progressive rock, but with a strong melodic crossover appeal.

Album Review: Rory Block – Positively 4th Street

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Rory Block – Positively 4th Street album cover

image courtesy of Mark Pucci Media

by Eric Harabadian, Contributing Blogger

Album Review of Rory Block: Positively 4th Street (Stony Plain Records)

Rory Block is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who was on the ground floor of the folk and blues movement in the burgeoning ‘60s Greenwich Village scene. Both her mother and father were musicians, and her family ran in the same circles as musical icons like Pete Seeger, Maria Muldaur, John Sebastian, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan.

Block’s father owned a sandal shop in the Village and a lot of the evolving folk and blues greats would frequent his establishment. Dylan, in particular, hit it off with Block’s family, and young Rory was smitten by Dylan’s poetry and emphasis on maintaining his love of music and artistic integrity.

Rory Block promo photo

photo by Sergio Kurhajec; photo courtesy of Mark Pucci Media

As a young teenager Block studied classical guitar and taught herself Delta blues styles. She became so enamored with traditional blues that she left home at 15 to seek out the fathers of Delta blues like Mississippi John Hurt, Son House and Reverend Gary Davis. She eventually wound up in Berkley, California, where she honed her craft in clubs and coffeehouses.

Bob Dylan is America’s poet laureate who, for an amazing sixty-plus years, has been part of the musical zeitgeist and artistic fabric of our society. And, with the addition of the multiple Oscar-nominated bio-pic A Complete Unknown out now, Dylan’s legacy and social impact is as relevant as ever.

The timing to release a Bob Dylan tribute album could not be more perfect. But, again, Block is someone who was there. She witnessed and was a part of the folk incubator that was the ‘60s-era Greenwich Village. This album is as much a love letter to the folk movement as anything else.

Rory Block promo photo

photo by David Gahr; photo courtesy of Mark Pucci Media

The very youthful-looking and slender Block is the real deal. And she has chosen nine tracks from the Dylan catalog that blend the big hits with the deeper, more ponderous cuts. A case in point is the very bluesy opening track “Everything is Broken.” Her somewhat smooth, world-weary voice is laced with a touch of humor. She sings the ironic and clever lyrics accompanied by her adept slide guitar work. “Ring Them Bells” follows, done in an original folk-blues style.

Block plays all guitars and drums on the album and the mild groove serves this song well. Everyone knows “Like a Rolling Stone,” and she delivers a reading of it that is pretty spot-on with the original. Another deep cut, “Not Dark Yet,” is significant for its slow and reflective tone. She hangs onto each word where you hear the pathos and raw emotion in her voice.

“Mr. Tambourine Man” has been done by so many artists. Block’s is probably one of the best in terms of really getting back to Dylan’s initial intent. The title track “Positively 4th Street” spotlights some fine slide guitar and rudimentary drums. She really captures the essence and mood of Dylan’s words. “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” and “Mother of Muses” are nice back-to-back mixes of Block’s ability to run the emotional gamut from somewhat upbeat to a haunting lullaby.

The finale “Murder Most Foul” is a 20-plus minute treatise on the turbulent ‘60s-era and beyond. It addresses, in many ways, the cracks in our society, particularly in the United States. It’s kind of a combination of rap and monologue that Block conveys in a starkly hypnotic style. Powerful stuff!

Single Review: We Demand Parachutes – “Cheerful Coping”

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We Demand Parachutes live performance photo

photo by Mickey Renger; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Single Review of We Demand Parachutes: “Cheerful Coping”

If you’re a fan of bands like Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, and New Found Glory, you’re likely to really dig We Demand Parachutes‘ pop-punk banger “Cheerful Coping.” Guitarist/vocalist Kevin McCord is joined by Ben Shumaker (drums/percussion) and Seth Richardson (bass and programming) to deliver an infectious, memorable, resolute rocker.

We Demand Parachutes – "Cheerful Coping" single cover

image courtesy of Knyvet

The guitars jangle, and even though the tempo is relatively slow, the guitars and drums pick up the pace, making the song seem faster than it really is. The distorted, muddy music bed provides a buzzy backdrop of crackling energy. And the beat, particularly leading into the chorus provide a modest pogoing vigor.

The band has produced two versions of “Cheerful Coping,” and, while the radio edit’s “bloodshot” is actually a much more clever lyric, the original version is more fun to sing along with.

We Demand Parachutes live performance photo

photo by Internal Vision; photo courtesy of Knyvet

I’m not entirely sure which version of this catchy tune I’m going to save to my phone, since it will eventually pop up on one of my #PhoneOnShuffle playlists. I often listen in coffeeshops and diners, so I’d need to be able to resist accidentally singing along with the NSFW version, but I’m not sure I can. But that’s my problem, not yours. You need to hear this song because it’s catchy af and a great energy release.

“Cheerful Coping” was We Demand Parachutes’ first single and title track from the band’s 6-song EP, Cheerful Coping.

 

Single Review: The Lilac Hour – “Feeling Again”

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The Lilac Hour – "Feeling Again" single cover

image courtesy of BJF Media

Single Review of The Lilac Hour: “Feeling Again”

The Lilac Hour – Jake McCollum (lead singer, rhythm guitar), Matt Davies-Saunders (lead guitar), James Katz (bass), and Matt Volpato (drums) – is a London-based indie/alt-rock band whose style is laid-back but with a certain type of energy – in other words, laid-back but not lazy, songs with direction, music that’s going somewhere.

The band’s overall broad-appeal alt-rock sound is timeless and draws upon apparent influences spanning several decades. “Feeling Again” would be my recommended introduction to The Lilac Hour for fans of ’80s British pop/new wave bands like Tears for Fears or The Human League. Not the faster songs. “Feeling Again” has a slower pace with a flowing sound and some big, round, fat moments in Jake McCollum’s vocals.

The Lilac Hour

photo courtesy of BJF Media

For a more modern reference, it’s worth noting that “Feeling Again” was recorded at Kempston Street Studios in Liverpool, where Blossoms and Coldplay recording many of their earlier songs like “Charlamagne” and “Yellow,” respectively, and you can hear a bit of a similar sonic vibe in “Feeling Again,” particularly compared with “Charlamagne.”

In any case, “Feeling Again” is a cool song that fans of modern alt-rock and older Britpop alike are likely to enjoy. Or, as in my case, those who simply like well-written songs. If any of that describes you, check out “Feeling Again.”

More Recently

Since the release of “Feeling Again,” The Lilac Hour has dropped two more singles – “Everyone But You” and “Strawberry Lemonade.”

Album Review: Anaria – Holding Cell

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Anaria band photo

photo by Wildthorn Productions; photo courtesy of Anaria

Album Review of Anaria: Holding Cell

Anaria is a powerful, progressive metal band featuring soaring vocals, shredding guitar, and intricate song arrangements. Yes, I’ve just described any decent band of this subgenre, but it’s the details that count, so let’s dig in.

Stylistically, Anaria might share the stage with Evanescence, Edge of Paradise, or Major Moment. Their music frequently shows pop sensibility (a la Evanescence) but only to the extent that a modern metal band might occasionally appeal to a broader audience without sacrificing their street cred. The Edge of Paradise comparison is due to a combination of powerful vocals that produce many soaring tracks but also the willingness to experiment with unusual tempos and arrangements from time to time. The Major Moment comparison is the band’s ability to create a powerful wall of melodic modern metal sound that’ll blow their listeners’ minds, but this might be the least obvious comparison because when they reach musical peaks of power, the two bands’ tendencies are to take the songs in very different directions. And yes, the Evanescence comp was a lazy comparison on my part, which I included mostly because I figure the broadest set of readers will know the reference. But I’m sure modern metal fans will also know the other comps. And many of you already know Anaria – the band’s large social media following and 2024 New England Music Awards nomination in the Hard Rock/Metal Act of the Year category prove they’re garnering some well-earned attention.

Anaria – Holding Cell album cover

image courtesy of Anaria

Holding Cell kicks of with the title track, a powerful number that pulls you in immediately with a very cinematic-feeling opening, followed by flowing verses intermingled with thumping choruses and the lyric you’ll want to sing along with: “Is this real? Because it feels like hell!” This feels like a big concert-opening number that would amp up an arena full of fans. I can even picture the light show – at times dark with lasers shooting through the fog, other times, a big wall of blinding lights flashing, pointed directly at the audience. Always cool when a song is so rockin’ that you can picture it as an arena performance. Totally love starting an album with a number like “Holding Cell.”

Next song, “Synthesis” soars vocally atop a heavy, thumping soundbed, akin to “Holding Cell.” It’s followed by “Freakshow,” an edgier number with a bit of a carnival-flavored music bed, with the harsher vocals (at times) showcasing Jessica Mercy’s vocal versatility. “The Sandman” seems a bit more straight-up heavy but includes some winding rhythms and sprinkles in a little musical uneasiness. Sprinkled like sand, I suppose.

Anaria band photo

photo by Cory Wilmer; photo courtesy of Anaria

“Circle of Love” is notable for its particularly memorable chorus, a chorus that’s heavier than the song verses, which flow a bit lighter, but a bit more flowing than the bridges. It’s a cool song design, and the chorus’ rhythm is memorably, even if there are a bit more words than I can remember to sing along. As with any good progressive-influenced new metal track, of course, there’s a solid instrumental segment near the end, somehow delivering an enjoyable, song-element-heavy heavy rockin’ tune in under 3 minutes. Actually, that’s a them on this disc – songs that are relatively short for Anaria’s genre, even though nothing’s missing.

“Worthy” is probably one of the songs most likely to reach a very broad audience. It’s a slower, melodic-yet-powerful – Anaria’s sound is always super-robust – song with emotionally soaring vocals, a new metal slow song with a sound that perfectly matches its message. It’s a song about valuing yourself despite life’s struggling, with lyrics: “See yourself like I do. Beautiful scars are part of you. See your flaws and embrace them ‘cause you are perfect how you are, and you are worthy of love.” The lyrics are something anyone who has struggled can relate to, and they’re affirming uplifting. “Worthy” is a powerful track.

“Vampire Disco,” next, is a bit more playful, sung with a vocal slyness in the opening, with sidewinding guitar work, and a really cool, brief pause before crashing into the chorus.

photo of Anaria from the filming of their music video "The Sandman"

photo by Kendall Couture, for Wildthorn Productions; photo courtesy of Anaria

Anaria continues to mix its tone and sounds within the envelope of the band’s general style. “Ritual” is musically aggressive. “Golden Crown” is a little slower-tempoed (for the most part). And “The Red Queen” soars but still manages to fit the ominous lyrics.

Finally, the band closes with its cover of HIM’s “Wings of a Butterfly.” It’s energetic and fun to sing along with, at least until you realize you’ve just screamed “Come on and show them your love. Rip out the wings of a butterfly.” Hopefully no one heard it. Anaria’s cover sports a bigger sound, features vocals that soar a bit more, and is musically a little heavier than the original. All in all, an exceptional cover. And a song you might know right of the bat as you get familiar with the rest of the disc.

My favorites on Holding Cell are “Holding Cell,” “Vampire Disco,” and “Worthy” – one fast, one mid-tempo, and one slow. But ask me tomorrow, and I’ll probably choose others. In all, this is a strong release from an arena-caliber melodic/progressive metal band.

More Recently

Since releasing Holding Cell, Anaria has also released an EP, Sign of Life, which the band notes is a 3-song collection of unreleased material with a space theme, and three more singles: “Trigger,” “Crave,” and a cover of Lady Gaga’s “Disease.”

Album Review: Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys – Between Breaths

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Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys – Between Breaths album coverAlbum Review of Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys: Between Breaths

I can’t really explain why I enjoy listening to Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys so much. Their music is unusual, irreverant, sometimes outlandish, performed with precision, and joyously original and positively fun to listen to. Oh, will you look at that? I guess I can explain it.

More than a year ago, I reviewed this group’s exceptionally creative single “Goth Beach.” Well, Between Breaths is a full-length collection of Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys’ theatrical, over-the-top originals, and it’s the album you never knew you really needed.

Disc-opener “Bed and Breakfast” is probably my favorite in the collection. At least, it’s the most memorable, notably that I’ll always refer to a B&B now as a bed and “motherf***ing breakfast!” The lyrics are imaginative and fun, and the vocal delivery is soaring and edgy, sometimes simultaneously.

Stylistic variance is significant across the selections on this record, though they’re all very clearly within the somewhat exaggerated musical delivery style of Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys.

“Wally Wonka,” for example, sounds musically like psychedelically demented carousel music. (And if randomly pops into my head all the time, so it’s clearly catchy!) “Firefly” and “Holes in the Sky,” meanwhile, could be powerful classic or progressive rock songs with different arrangements; instead, it sounds like a WS&tAoBT cover of such a song (though, of course, it’s an original).

“Laundromat” and “Pusssy Cat” deliver another style, along the lines of over-the-top, rhythmic industrial music-styled tunes.

“Silver Screens” and “Around the Circle” are softer, more atmospheric songs, with “Silver Screens” having somewhat softer edges and, therefore, being the song more likely to appeal to a broader listenership.

If you ever wanted to have this band committed to an asylum, well, a lot of their songs would do the trick, but “Dream Spell for Time Travel,” a less-than-one-minute spoken word track, is perhaps the best option. Tim Burton would have a hard time matching this odd prose. However, it leads into “Ima Hex,” whose rhythmic rise and fall is based on an exceptionally engaging rhythm and Sickert’s emotionally raw (perhaps hysterically so) vocals that are gravelly scream-sung at the song’s apexes. OK, so it’s hard to describe, but it’s engaging as hell… or hex.

The rest of the disc continues in a similarly eclectic way. “I Shine Me Down” has a catchy rhythm. “City in an IV” is a distantly rhythmic number. “Between Breaths” is a softly psychedelic, relaxing-mood piece. And, finally, “Never Sleep Nervously” starts with an almost music-box piano feeling before flowing into an oddly disturbing number that might be sung by a deranged clown that haunts your dreams. It’s an effectively unnerving way to end an album. But that’s exactly what you’d expect from this exceptionally talented troupe that might be described as the carnival sideshow of Boston’s top musical outfits. (That’s meant, of course, in the best possible way.)

Personally, my favorite songs on Between Breaths are probably “Bed and Breakfast,” “Holes in the Sky,” “Silver Screens,” and “Ima Hex.” Give this unusual 14-song collection a listen and, if you enjoy the musical insanity therein, see which songs will be your faves.

Album Review: Saxon – Hell, Fire and Damnation

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Saxon – Hell, Fire and Damnation album cover

image courtesy of New Ocean Media

Album Review of Saxon: Hell, Fire and Damnation

Classic metal. That was always Saxon. All rock fans always respected Saxon and knew a Saxon concert would be a hell of a concert, even fans of less heavy, more melodic metal (which – who are we kidding? – was really melodic hard rock, and I say that as a huge fan of that subgenre). Well, Saxon hasn’t lost a step. Hell, Fire and Damnation is a heavy rock album full of classic old-style metal, varying significantly from song to song but always relentless.

The album starts with a minute-and-a-half spoken word opening, “The Prophecy,” delivered ominously by renowned English actor Brian Blessed OBE. It sounds like the opening proclamation of the sort of epic fantasy movie the album’s cover would suggest. The songs that soar are almost Dio-reminiscent, while others are merely weighty guitar-driven classic heavy rock.

The title track, “Hell, Fire and Damnation,” is a steadily plodding classic power rocker, with Biff Byford’s vocals echoing as if from a mountaintop. There’s plenty of power guitar, as well as dancing guitar solos, from axemen Doug Scarratt and Brian Tatler. And the rhythm section of Nigel Glockler (drums) and Nibbs Carter (bass) is heart-thumpingly heavy.

Next up, “Madame Guillotine” opens with a softer version of its dominant rhythm, one that’s interrupted only for a mid-song softly meandering guitar solo before additional instruments join back in and reintroduce the pounding rhythm.

Focusing on Marie Antoinette, that’s just the first of the historically-based songs on the album. Other historical subjects covered on the disc are Kubla Khan (“Kubla Khan and the Merchant of Venice”), the Battle of Hastings (“1066”), and the Salem witch trials (“Witches of Salem”). The band also goes historically supernatural on “There’s Something in Roswell.”

Album-ender “Super Charger” is a strong way to finish, full of energy and power. A great driving song, especially if you’re on the autobahn because with its tempo, there’s no way you’re keeping it below 120 mph – I mean, 193 kph.

My three favorite tracks are “Hell, Fire and Damnation,” “Madame Guillotine,” and “Super Charger,” but the album is so solid, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of disagreement. Hell, Fire and Damnation is a great beginning-to-end listen. The guitarwork is impeccable, and it’s probably the main reason this disc doesn’t feel too heavy to me, even though it’s clearly an awesome display of rock power. It will not disappoint fans of heavy rock. Aside from the occasional brief respite to showcase powerful vocals or fancy guitar shredding, this album is relentless old-school-power heavy rock.

Single Review: Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures – “White Spade Symphony”

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Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures – "White Spade Symphony" single cover

image courtesy of Knyvet

Single Review of Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures: “White Spade Symphony”

“White Spade Symphony” from Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures is the best brand-new ’70s-style psychedelic classic rock song you’ll have heard in quite some time.

Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures band photo

photo courtesy of Knyvet

The song clocks in at under 4 minutes, but it feels longer, as would be expected from a true ’70s psychedelic rocker. There’s a long instrumental section in the middle of the song that showcases screaming classing rock axework, giving it the feeling of one of those 5-to-7 minute AOR opuses from the seventies. (Note the foreshadowing there, kids.) There are segments of the song that remind me of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth (Stop, Hey What’s That Sound),” though the classic rock reference is meant more generally, based on the tone of the guitars and the thin, distant seventies rock sound of Derek’s vocals.

In any case, “White Spade Symphony” is memorable and so well-done that it will soon become a favorite if you’re a fan of guitar-based classic rock in general, not just the ’70s psychedelic subcategory.

More Recently

Since the release of “White Spade Symphony,” the band has released two more singles – “Tomorrow Morning” and “Songbird” – and a full-length album, Opus, which contains both of those two singles but not “White Spade Symphony.”

Single Reviews: Twisted Rose – “Broken Glass” and “Coming Back”

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Twisted Rose band photo

photo courtesy of Twisted Rose

Single Reviews: Twisted Rose – “Broken Glass” and “Coming Back” (7Hard)

Twisted Rose has released several singles in advance of the planned February 28 release of its upcoming album Escape. Two of my favorites are “Broken Glass” and “Coming Back.”

Twisted Rose – "Broken Glass" single cover

image courtesy of Twisted Rose

You may recall that I reviewed Twisted Rose’s Cherry Tales album about a year ago. I’ve been excited to hear the band’s new singles and am looking forward to hearing the upcoming full-length album.

“Broken Glass” is one of Twisted Rose’s signature relatively-fast-paced, energetic, hard rockers. It starts with a steady, plodding heavy rock rhythm, but that’s just the long intro. When the song starts its first verse, the tempo picks up, and by the time the chorus comes around, “Broken Glass” has kicked into fast-speed asskicking mode, driven by Chris Bones’ screaming axework and Caro’s classic buzzsaw hard rock vocals. Mad props, too, to a late-song bridge that brings the volume down a bit, allowing band and listeners to catch their breath before launching back into full-on power rock mode for the song’s ending.

Twisted Rose – "Coming Back" single cover

image courtesy of Twisted Rose

“Coming Back,” meanwhile, is one of Twisted Rose’s signature-style ballads. The soft guitar support provides the ideal backdrop for Caro’s emotional vocals, smooth but with an edge, just as hard rock ballads’ vocals ought to be. The lyrics are emotional, and the song’s arrangement is ideal for drawing the listener in, resulting in a beautiful ballad that’ll leave a lump in your throat before the song is through as lyrics and vocals combine effectively. In the end, the lyrics conclude that “home” is a person, not a place.

Twisted Rose has released six songs on Spotify since Cherry Tales. Presumably, those will form some of what’ll be released on the Escape album in a few weeks, so you can look there for a preview. Personally, I’d suggest starting with the two songs I just reviewed – a kickass rocker and a ballad – to get your first taste of Twisted Rose’s new music.