Tag Archives: Single Review

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.

Single Review: Hairpin – “Coyote”

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Single Review of Hairpin: “Coyote”

NYC-based indie rockers Hairpin have released an infectious, hooky, jangly rock earworm in “Coyote,” with frantic-yet-smoothly-delivered vocals that sit atop an soundbed that moves steadily, relentlessly forward. Distorted, echoey guitarwork adds a cool dive-bar flavor infusion throughout, including what can best be described as a buzzy guitar solo during both a mid-song bridge and the late-song chaotic outro, which includes some serious drum-bashing, as well. The surf guitar-inspired intro – a rhythm that carries on more or less throughout the song – adds another layer to the music, most likely the secret hook that makes “Coyote” so infectious.

Throughout, aside from the dissonance of the distorted guitar work that dashes in and out of the song, much of this song’s style revolves around a sort of floating pop-rock vibe reminiscent of The Palms’ single “Ready or Not” that I reviewed last year. You know, probably not a bad “next” tune for your playlist if you’re looking for something to play back-to-back with “Coyote.”

In any case, this is a very cool song. If you’re a listener of garage rock, alt-rock, college rock, or really any kind of rock ‘n roll song with a catchy hook, you’ll dig Hairpin’s “Coyote.”

Single Reviews: Orianthi – “First Time Blues” feat. Joe Bonamassa and “Some Kind of Feeling”

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image courtesy of Frank Roszak Promotions

Single Reviews of Orianthi: “First Time Blues” feat. Joe Bonamassa and “Some Kind of Feeling” (Woodward Avenue Records)

You may know Orianthi best as Alice Cooper’s guitarist from 2011 to 2014 (at least, I did), before she resigned and was replaced by Nina Strauss. Or you may know her for her collaborations, performances, and tours with any number of other A-listers, an extensive list that includes Carrie Underwood, Richie Sambora, Dave Stewart, Michael Bolton, and many others. And, obviously, Joe Bonamassa. Or perhaps you know her from her solo career. Whether you know her already or not, you should. So read on (and then check out these songs).

photo courtesy of Frank Roszak Promotions

In February 2024, Orianthi released “First Time Blues,” and it’s infectiously cool, likely to quickly become one of your favorite songs, delivering a powerful, sidewinding blues rock guitar punch. Orianthi’s vocals match the power of the axework, too, while the beat is heavy and prominent, at least to the extent possible behind the varied, fully-engaging guitarwork.

“Some Kind of Feeling” is a bit of a cooler number, showing some of Orianthi’s range, as it is a slower-paced, funky-bluesy number. This song, likely, will appeal to a broader audience. It’s still cool enough for guitar fans, but it’s really more of a power pop-rocker and sports the sorts of sentiments expressed by lyrics like “baby, you give me some kind of feeling,” song topics that are of interest to a more mainstream audience than the concept of gettin’ the blues.

Combined, these two singles are songs you oughta hear. You’ll have a favorite, just like I do, but you’ll probably dig ’em both… just like I do.

image courtesy of Frank Roszak Promotions

Looking Ahead

Alice Cooper fans will get a chance to see Orianthi back in the band for a few weeks, as she’ll be filling in for Nita Strauss in Alice’s band for his January 31-February 16 gigs in Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Florida.

According to the “tour” page on Orianthi’s website, her current Australian tour ends on January 12th. Her website also lists a couple Oakland, California gigs in mid-April, a European tour in July, and an Illinois gig in October. I’m sure she’ll be adding more concerts this year, so you’ll want to check her website for new dates as they’re added.

Single Review: Captains of Industry – “The In Between”

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Captains of Industry Group Photo

photo courtesy of Captains of Industry

Single Review of Captains of Industry – “The In Between”

Captains of Industry is comprised of four veterans of the Boston music scene: Daniel Rodriguez (vocals, guitar), Aaron Kammerer (vocals, bass), Jason Fidler (vocals, guitar), and Drew Spangler (drums). The band calls itself an Americana/indie band (at least on its Facebook page). It’s always tough to adequately label bands in this particular corner of the rock ‘n roll spectrum, but that’ll do for starters.

image of the Captains of Industry – "The In Between" single cover

image courtesy of Captains of Industry

This single, “The In Between,” is a slow song. If a rock band performed a folk song relatively true-to-intent but it ended still sounding as if a rock band was performing it, it might sound like this. There’s a big booming drum strike or two on the track that are pretty cool, too. Technically, I suppose it’s a ballad in that you could slow-dance to it if you wanted to. But more specifically, it’s a richly-textured song about internal conflict, uncertainty, and… “it’s the in between that sees me through and brings me back to you.” As with any good lyric, apply that to your own circumstance however you see fit.

Captains of Industry live performance photo

photo courtesy of Captains of Industry

More Recently

Since the release of “The In Between” in February 2024, Captains of Industry have released a couple more singles – the peppy “Sunshine” in June and “Get Along Fine,” kind of a mellow, melancholy-ish song with maybe the slightest hint of Tom Petty, in November.

Single Review: Justine Giles – “Before It’s Too Late”

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Justine Giles sitting in car with door open

photo by Jarrett Edmund; photo courtesy of Justine Giles

Single Review of Justine Giles: “Before It’s Too Late”

Here’s an artist I first encountered thanks to following New Tec Radio on social media. Sometimes when people whose musical taste I respect share what they’re listening to (or reviewing or playing on-air), I check it out. And that’s one of the ways I discover new music. (Kind of the same way, hopefully, you’re discovering some cool new music via this blog.)

Justine Giles – "Before It's Too Late" single cover

image courtesy of Justine Giles

In this instance, I discovered this kick-ass song from Calgarian Justine Giles; it has turned out to be one of my favorite single releases semi-recently. “Before It’s Too Late,” does a great job of showcasing Justine’s broad vocal skills. The song is a mix of torchy, bluesy Americana, wide open spaces, and modern country vibes. Specifically, on the country front, the haunting vocals are a little reminiscent of that feeling you get in certain spots of Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” when you get chills and every hair on your body stands on end. Wow!

Justine Giles sitting on the gravel shoulder, leaning back against the front of a car

photo by Jarrett Edmund; photo courtesy of Justine Giles

The lyrics are intricate. The vocals ranging from smooth to gritty to forcefully powerful. And the appeal for this song is broad – singer-songwriter, country, Americana, pop. If you’re… well, human, then give this song a spin!

More Recently

Recent accolades for Justine include the well-deserved honor of being named Solo Artist of the Year at Calgary’s 2024 YYC Music Awards. She was also nominated in the “Exceptional Rising Leader” category by the 2024 Calgary White Hat Awards.

In October 2024, Justine released an EP entitled Another Chance. One of the five songs in that collection is “Before It’s Too Late.”

Single Review: The Amplifier Heads – “They Came to Rock” feat. Barrence Whitfield

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image courtesy of Knyvet

Single Review of The Amplifier Heads: “They Came to Rock” feat. Barrence Whitfield (Rum Bar Records)

One of the singles from The Amplifier Heads‘ 2024 release Songs From They Came to Rock, “They Came to Rock” is a ’50s-style boppin’ rocker, with Amplifier Heads bandleader Sal Baglio tabbing Barrence Whitfield for the fun, sometimes-booming, memorably stylistically appropriate vocals. This catchy song is a smile-inducing homage to old-style rock ‘n roll, with an otherwordly vibe fitting the song’s content.

Barrence Whitfield and The Amplifier Heads' Sal Baglio

Whitfield and Baglio; photo courtesy of Knyvet

The band released a fun video, too, with a hilariously serious, newsreel-style video lead-in. You might categorize the video under “space camp.” In any case, you should definitely give the video a view; you can find it on YouTube via this link.

The full album was released in April 2024, a few weeks after this single dropped; you can check out the entire space-themed “rock opera,” Songs From They Came to Rock, here on the album’s Bandcamp page.

Looking Ahead

You can keep track of upcoming performances from The Amplifier Heads or Sal Baglio here on the “Live” page of the band’s website.

 

Single Review: Bernie Marsden – “Invisible” feat. Jaime Kyle

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photo courtesy of BJF Media

Single Review of Bernie Marsden: “Invisible” feat. Jaime Kyle (Conquest Music)

Just about a week ago, I reviewed Jaime Kyle’s recent kickass album Wild One. Well, she also lent her voice to the single “Invisible”, released by Conquest Music as the last single from Bernie Marsden‘s final album. Of course, Bernie is most widely known as one of the original members of Whitesnake, co-writer of some of the band’s earliest hits.

image courtesy of BJF Media

“Invisible” appeared on the late 2023 double-album Working Man, a record Bernie had just completed and which was released a few months after he passed away. The details about the song’s release are detailed on the Bernie Marsden website quite completely, so click through here to read more about it; I’ll stick to reviewing the music.

From the opening guitar riff, “Invisible” identifies itself as a “turn up the volume” room-rocker. In fact, it becomes so quickly familiar that I had to review the songwriting credits just to make sure this wasn’t a cover of a song I already knew. The song has self-empowerment, anthemic qualities, with lyrics like “you’ll never change me, so don’t even try” playing right into the gritty edge of Jaime’s vocals. Meanwhile, Bernie’s playful axe riffs and slightly longer, engaging guitar runs provide the tempo and the hooks. The song rides the line between guitar rock and power pop, providing perfect fodder for rock radio, to the extent that category still exists. Not that it matters. If you dig catchy, guitar-driven, energetic rock ‘n roll, give “Invisible” a listen and add it to your playlist.

Single Review: Kill Shelter – “She’s in Parties”

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photo courtesy of HYPR Communications

Single Review of Kill Shelter: “She’s in Parties”

Kill Shelter is UK artist, DJ, and producer Pete Burns. The song “She’s in Parties” was originally recorded when Kill Shelter was asked by Unknown Pleasures Records to record a Bauhaus song to appear on the Honoris III compilation, which was released in 2022. Pete Burns (vocals, guitars, synths, programming) was joined on the recording by Alan “Lord Hagos” Haggarty (bass) and Lynsey Burns (backing vocals). More recently – early last year – Kill Shelter released a “She’s in Parties” as a single with a music video featuring model DJ MAUS.

image courtesy of HYPR Communications

I was, of course, not a goth kid, so I was unfamiliar with the original. I also tend to enjoy modern updates of songs, even longtime favorites – at least, when they’re juiced up rather than blandified (I’m looking at you with that comment, pop music). Well, Kill Shelter adds a lot of character and energy to this cover. The staticky, thumping distortion that rhythmically served as the beat was energetic and catchy. Pete’s vocals played it straight, with a very matter-of-fact delivery augmented by reverbing echoes. This just feels like one of those club tunes you get up to dance to, then realize the beat isn’t really made for dancing, but the song’s so cool you just stand there swaying, enjoying the three or four minutes.

photo courtesy of HYPR Communications

If you’re a longtime blog reader, the band I’ve reviewed that most reminds me of this recording would be The Sweetest Condition, but only insomuch as I might book them at the same event because TSC’s music was largely danceable industrial music, whereas Kill Shelter’s cover of “She’s in Parties” is an echoing, beat-driven, post-goth experience. I’m thinking this updated rendition of “She’s in Parties” would find footing with an exceptionally large swath of music fans. At the very least, I guarantee it’s worth a listen, so please, dear readers, go give it one.

 

Single Review: Joe Kidd & Sheila Burke – “Last Time I Looked”

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image courtesy of Joe Kidd & Sheila Burke

Single Review of Joe Kidd & Sheila Burke: “Last Time I Looked”

Here at the blog, we last reviewed Joe Kidd & Shiela Burke a few years ago. Well, contributor Eric Harabadian reviewed them… six years ago! For this duo, that’s been too long. Since Eric wrote that review, this will be my first attempt to capture the uniquely pleasant, enjoyable, identifiable vibe of one of Joe and Sheila’s recordings.

Joe & Sheila’s e-mail message accompanying the release of this single said: “Imagine yourself in an Alien Future: You are a survivor of climate catastrophe, nuclear holocaust, famine, plague, apocalyptic social upheaval. You are telling stories to the young ones, remembering the world as it was in the not too distant past.” That certainly describes the subject matter well. Lyrics include phrases like “Last time I looked, we could all breathe clean air” and “Last time I looked, no reason to beware.”

Sonically, “Last Time I Looked” is top-tier singer-songwriter fare. Folky, but with some guitar choices that hint at a broader appeal, marking it as a song that could be more easily appreciated and enjoyed by a crossover audience. Joe’s raspy voice and Sheila’s crisp, rich, tuneful singing blend exceptionally well. There’s a bit of a ’60s/’70s flavor in the song, harkening back to an era when the best folk-based songs could break through to a mainstream radio audience. Personally, I also like the fact that it seems like a song you could sing along with – most of the lines begin with the words “last time I looked,” after all – but it’d take a lot of listens before you could even hope to begin to sing along to all the words that follow that recurring phrase. Just about every line is different. So you just listen and enjoy. Just one more of the many cool things about this tune.

 

Single Review: The String Revolution feat. Tommy Emmanuel – “Folsom Prison Blues”

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photo by Mark Marynovic; photo courtesy of Leighton Media

Single Review of The String Revolution feat. Tommy Emmanuel: “Folsom Prison Blues”

We all know this song, made famous by Johnny Cash. It’s a song that almost shouldn’t be covered. And yet it was, winningly. Grammy winningly, in fact. This instrumental cover by The String Revolution, joined by guitar luminary Tommy Emmanuel, won the 2024 Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella. The arrangement earned a Grammy for The String Revolution trio of Markus Illko, Janet Robin and Rober Luis, plus Tommy Emmanuel and John Carter Cash.

image courtesy of Leighton Media

This version of “Folsom Prison Blues” utilizes multiple guitarists intricately well, as I suppose as you’d expect from a band of guitarists. There’s a nifty little lead-in – a lead-in that turns a bit ominous for a stretch before transitioning to the classic song’s easily-recognizable opening notes. A blending of picking, thumping, and tempo carry the song predictably for a while, but there’s plenty of creative originality front, middle, and back of the song (including a mid-song return of that ominous sequence) while still staying wholly true to the “Folsom Prison Blues” we know and love.

photo by Maarten de Boer at iheartmaarten; photo courtesy of Leighton Media

In all, this song, as performed by this award-winning trio (or, I suppose foursome, with Tommy Emmanuel on board) is an energetic guitar-pickin’ package. It’ll be a neat addition to the music collections of Johnny Cash fans… or those who enjoy intricate guitarwork or excellent musicianship. It’d be hard not to enjoy this piece; and it’s obvious why this is a Grammy-winning arrangement. But don’t take my word for it – check it out for yourself.