by Kev Rowland | Jul 25, 2018 | Reviews
House of Lords frontman James Christian is back with his fourth solo album, and he has brought some of his old mates such as Tommy Denander and Jimi Bell to come and help him out. The result is an album that feels incredibly together, warm, relaxed while also kicking some serious butt! Christian’s vocal skills are well-known, with power, breadth, depth and range, and when in front of a rocking band with great songs he knows exactly how to put his talents to best use. He can bring it down on ballads, with a slight rasp to his voice to bring the listener in, or he is able to ride the rock horse when he needs to, always in total control.
The result is an album that will immediately appeal to fans of House Of Lords, Robin Beck, Night Ranger, Ted Poley, Revolution Saints, Eclipse, Sunstorm, Hardline and Mr Big. Big guitars, great vocals, strong hooks, it is almost as if grunge never happened as this takes us back to the melodic rock heydays of the Seventies and Eighties, but with more up to date production and guitars. It has taken nearly twenty five years for Christian to release four solo albums, as he is a little busy with HoL, let’s hope that it’s not too long until the next one.
– Kev Rowland
by Nick | Jul 25, 2018 | New Releases, News
FROST*, the band masterminded by producer, keyboard player & vocalist Jem Godfrey, has announced that they have re-signed with long-time label partner InsideOutMusic (who this year celebrate their 25th anniversary).
This new deal will encompass several forthcoming releases, including 2 new studio albums, a live album (filmed at 2017’s sold out show in London), as well as reissues of the bands back catalogue. Jem had this to say: “InsideOut have been a long suffering supporter of Frost*. Unwaveringly supportive even when I was lobbing as many toys as I could find out of my pram. As time has passed, I’ve grown up and come to realise what a luxury it is to have a record company of this calibre covering your back. Many bands don’t have that luxury so I’m absolutely raring to go with the new album and the one beyond that.”
InsideOutMusic label-head Thomas Waber adds: “I am really pleased that we managed to extend our partnership with Frost* mastermind Jem Godfrey. His unpredictable nature and humour is a breath of fresh air in this genre and provides for some of the best music we have released on the label. Let’s see what mischief we can come up with in the years to come!”
More news on these forthcoming releases will be released in the coming months.
As mentioned, Frost* played the final show of the Falling Satellites campaign to a sold-out Dingwalls in London in November 2017. The evening was filmed, and will see the light of day as a brand new live release.
Falling Satellites was released in May 2016 to much critical acclaim, with Prog Magazine calling the band “one of the most entertaining and exciting bands on the block”, while Echoes & Dust called the album “essential listening” and Heavy Blog Is Heavy said: “Progressive pop is theirs, and Falling Satellites is the benchmark.”
Jem is joined on ‘Falling Satellites’ by guitarist & vocalist John Mitchell (Lonely Robot, It Bites), drummer Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson) & bassist Nathan King (Level 42). ‘Falling Satellites’ was the band’s first album in 8 years & the follow-up to the acclaimed ‘Experiments In Mass Appeal’. Comprising 11 songs, the final 6 forming a 32-minute long suite, ‘Falling Satellites’ also sees a guest appearance from Grammy-nominated guitar legend Joe Satriani who Godfrey played with on the G3 tour in 2012.
FROST* online:
www.frost.life
www.facebook.com/Official-Frost-154098904622178/
www.twitter.com/here_be_frost
INSIDEOUT MUSIC online:
www.insideoutmusic.com
www.youtube.com/InsideOutMusicTV
www.facebook.com/InsideOutMusic
www.twitter.com/InsideOutUSA
www.insideoutmusicshop.com
INSIDEOUTMUSIC Spotify Playlist:
http://spotify.com/progrockessentials
by Nick | Jul 17, 2018 | News
Friends, after almost two decades of writing and touring the world together, we have decided to close this chapter of our lives as Minus the Bear.
What started as a silly inside joke inside the dingy confines of Seattle’s original Cha Cha Lounge back in 2001 quickly snowballed into years of adventures, creativity, and friendship. We could have never predicted the wild journey about to begin. We’ve accomplished so much over the past 17 years, and we are grateful for the experience.
Undoubtedly we owe all of these adventures to you, our fans. Without all of you, the memories of traveling the world, exploring different cultures, and witnessing the delight of your beautiful faces singing along wouldn’t have been possible. Your support weathered us through storms that easily could have scuttled the band. Throughout the years, it’s you who kept us going. We cannot thank you enough.
This Autumn we head out on our final tour in support of our upcoming 4-song EP “Fair Enough” courtesy of Suicide Squeeze Records. You can hear the title track and read our interview here: https://bit.ly/2utoQ1d
These final shows are a celebration for the community of fans who gave us so much through years of dedication. We’ll be digging deep in the MTB catalog and we are honored for the opportunity to play our hearts out for you one last time.
Love,
Alex, Cory, Dave & Jake
by Nick | Jul 15, 2018 | News
Kracked Earth Keyboardist, Guitarist, Composer and Founder Andy Kinch and the band are hard at work on their Sophomore album simply titled “Immortal” for a late 2018 release. Immortal is a retrospective of Andy’s work over the past 20 years and will feature 11 tracks of remixed and re-mastered tracks including one new track.
Photo by Dave Armitage
“Immortal” will be released as a Hi-Quality digital album and a Limited Edition Vinyl release.
According to Andy “We are here but for a moment. But the music we make is Immortal”
Side One.
- Everlastin Love (2016 Remix)
- Onwards Upwards (2018 Remix)
- Border Town (2018 Remix)
- Strange Desire (2018 Remix)
- Warm (2018 Remix)
- The Promise (2018 Remix)
Side 2
- When The City Sleeps
- Simple Man (2018 Remix)
- Wheels in Motion
- Footsteps in the Snow (2018 Re-master)
- Mountain (2018 Remix)
Everlastin Love was re-released on April 28th2016 and features one of the last recordings of the late Kelly Groucutt of ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) the song originally appeared on the 1998 CD “Andy’s Diner”. World-renowned artist Ed Unitsky will once again step up for creating the artwork.
Kracked Earth’s music is available worldwide in both CD and Digital formats.
You can listen, buy and share “Everlastin Love” by following the links below.
Kracked Earth’s music is available worldwide in both CD and Digital formats.
You can listen, buy and share “Everlastin Love” by following the links below.
Kracked Earth Online Shop
Bandcamp: https://krackedearth.bandcamp.com/track/everlastin-love
CD Baby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/krackedearth2
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/everlastin-love-feat-kelly-groucutt-single/1109018603
Follow Kracked Earth
https://www.facebook.com/krackedearthband
http://mrrmusic.com/kracked-earth/
https://www.youtube.com/user/andykinch/
Melodic Revolution Records Online:
http://mrrmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MelodicRevolutionRecords/
https://www.facebook.com/MelodicRevolutionRecords/
https://www.youtube.com/c/MelodicRevolutionRecordsMusic
https://twitter.com/MusicIsOurVoice
Melodic Revolution Records Spotify Playlists:
https://open.spotify.com/user/melodicrevolutionrecords
by Nick | Jun 13, 2018 | News
Bellows Falls, VT – Veteran music journalist Joe Milliken recently announced a publishing deal with the Lanham, Maryland-based publisher Rowman & Littlefield Publishers to produce his first book, a biography about the late Benjamin Orr. Orr was the co-founder, co-lead singer, and bassist for the platinum-selling rock band The Cars. Titled Let’s Go! Benjamin Orr and The Cars, a release date is set for November 15, 2018.
Often considered the band’s heartthrob, Orr possessed an incredible voice, diverse musical talent, and rare stage presence, all balanced by a magnetic, yet enigmatic personality, striking good looks, and a relentless determination to reach rock stardom. Born Benjamin Orzechowski (aka “Benny Eleven Letters”) and raised in the Cleveland suburb of Parma Heights, Orr was, prior to becoming a world-famous rock star with The Cars, a “teen star” as a house band musician for the nationally syndicated television show Upbeat.
A few years later Ben met his musical partner and future Cars’ bandleader, Ric Ocasek, and by 1976 their quest for the perfect blend of songs, bandmates, and musical landscape finally materialized as The Cars. They would go on to sell over 30 million albums worldwide resulting in 15 “Top 40” hits.
From his early success in Cleveland through his stardom with The Cars to his solo band efforts and eventual rebirth with the emerging supergroup Big People, this definitive account of Orr’s rock-and-roll life is not a backstage ‘tell-all,’ but the story of a charismatic musician with a vision, a sense of adventure, and unwavering perseverance. Orr passed away much too young at 53, but he achieved his dream through hard work and determination, a long road that began in Cleveland and culminated with The Cars coming back to his hometown to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in April of 2018.
This first-ever biography about Orr spans 11 years in the making, as Milliken draws together interviews with over 120 family members, friends, bandmates, and music associates from Orr’s life, as well as many unpublished and never before seen photos from private collections, to reveal an intimate portrait of one of classic rock’s great talents.
About the Author: Joe Milliken has been a music journalist, editor and website publisher for two decades. A die-hard music fan with a degree in visual arts, Joe turned to writing as his creative outlet, first as a local reporter, then a sports/arts & entertainment editor and freelancer. In 2014, he launched Standing Room Only, a website dedicated to promoting music and the arts on a local (New England) and national level. Originally from Boston, Milliken now resides in southern Vermont with his wife, Kelly, and his children, Nate and Erin.
Learn more about upcoming book-related announcements, events, discounts, and author interviews at www.facebook.com/BenOrrBook, by email at [email protected] or follow @benorrbook on Twitter.
Joe Milliken: Author, Website Publisher
Donna Neale: Public Relations Assistant: [email protected]
Let’s Go is available for presale:
Rowman & Littlefield’s website: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538118658
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Go-Benjamin-Orr-Cars/dp/1538118653/ref=sr_1_1
