Sari Schorr's 2018 release Never Say Never is the kind of blues-infused hard rock that I love. Schorrr's raspy, powerful, badass vocals are definitely the star. But if you've been reading my blog at all, you know it's all about the music first.
Never Say Never reminds me most of an album that not many have heard: When The Blackbird Sings by Saraya. That is a compliment.
Schorr evokes the best of the 80s. Reminiscent of Bonnie Tyler, Stevie Nicks and bluesy hard rock, in the best way. It also has a 70s vibe to it.
Forget what you've heard about rock being dead. It's just being repackaged.
Amanda Shires put out a damned rock album. Deal with it because To the Sunset is great.
I could go into details here, but I have something in the works. A collaboration.
Here is what I'll say now because I've heard some rumblings that producer Dave Cobb has gone outside his box to produce a rock album. Cobb produced the last two Europe albums (yes, "The Final Countdown" Europe), and he has also produced Southern rockers Whiskey Myers.
Amanda Shires, rock goddess. In the realm of Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Stevie Nicks and Grace Slick.
We all listen to music for different reasons at different times because of different circumstances or moods. Maybe something takes you back to a distant memory that you don't want to forget. Maybe a song or album is something you really relate to and helps you get through a difficult time. Maybe the lyrics speak to you and make you think. Maybe it's a gloomy February day and some mood music is what you need. Maybe it's a sunny spring day and you want something light and peppy. Music can inspire, music can heal, music can fit any situation you find yourself in. That is the beauty and power and magic of music.
Why did I waste so many words on that? Because sometimes music just needs to be fun. And enjoyable.
The Amorettes' latest album Born to Break is fun. It's, to me, AC/DC meets the Go-Go's. That sounds fun, right?
This Scottish trio is unapologetically rock. And they tug at my heartstrings because they do it late 70s/early 80s style. Guitar, bass and drums. No frills. Straight up hard rock.
Don't look for any deep meaning in the lyrics. As Eric Church once penned "that's damn rock n roll".
There is not much variety on Born to Break. It's twelve in your face songs rock songs. That's not a bad thing. AC/DC made a hell of a career out of doing just that. I respect artists who know who they are/want to be and just go for it.
And, just a head's up, with newish bands like the Amorettes making killer rock music, rock ain't dead in reality, it's just dead on mainstream American radio. It's alive and well and flourishing elsewhere.
Enough words, here is "Everything I Learned - I Learned From Rock and Roll":
Danielle Nicole's sophomore solo album Cry No More is a sweaty, sultry blues rock album that is the epitome of my definition of "swamp". The Kansas City native would be right at home in the blues scene of her hometown as well as as the Mississippi Delta, or Memphis, or Texas.
Pulling double duty as not only lead vocalist but also bassist for her band, you know the music is going to feature the bass prominently, and that's a good thing. Too often, the bass gets buried in the mix, not here.
Danielle Nicole started playing bass in order to keep her former band, Trampled Under Foot, a family affair. When she ventured out on her own, no way she was giving up the bass, for the betterment of us all as fans of music.
Is there anything particularly innovative or unique on Cry No More? Not necessarily. But that's not a bad thing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with knowing your wheelhouse and going with it and making kickass music. In fact, that's what I love about the album. It knows what it is and it's going to be as good as or better than anything else you hear.
Her voice is not going to blow you away. It has some Bonnie Raitt qualities, maybe some Melissa Etheridge. However, her voice is perfect for the type of music she plays. It just fits like a glove.
If you start listening and don't like the first song, "Crawl", then stop. But if you do, you're in for a treat. Not a bad song on the album.
I'm going to post a live version of the song "Save Me", because as good as the studio version is, this is better. Which I think every song would be.
For anyone wanting Dorothy's second album 28 Days In The Valley to be ROCKISDEAD part two, well, it's not. What it is though is a much more diverse and, in my opinion, better album. And that's saying a lot, because ROCKISDEAD was one of my top albums from 2016.
The title 28 Days In The Valley refers to how long it took to record the album, produced by, and some songs co-written by, Linda Perry. If that name sounds familiar, it should. Perry was the singer and primary songwriter for 4 Non Blondes.
Dorothy Martin, which is whom the band is named for, also got sober and removed herself from a toxic relationship and put together an entire new band for this album. As a result, some of the songs on 28 Days In The Valley seem cathartic while many others are almost spiritual in nature, reflecting her new outlook on life.
I usually don't get into background information this much or comment on lyrics (that is up for the listener's interpretation) but I thought it was important this time. It matters to how I interpret the music in this case, which, to me, is the most relevant thing; Is the music good?
After a couple of cursory spins of the album, I listened with a purpose. This is an album that is a veritable homage to classic rock. It has everything. I first fell in love with Dorothy on the debut album because of all of the swamp. 28 Days In The Valley still has that swamp, but so much more.
There is really no easy way to describe the music. From start to finish, the easiest thing to compare it to is Southern Rock. The album has so many elements of that music running through the course of the songs, but it's much more nuanced than that.
The title song is a vignette that could be on a western movie soundtrack that evokes thoughts of tumbleweeds and dust. "Mountain" is a Southern Rock, almost gospel song. "Freedom" is a Southern Rock song with hints of psychedelia. "Ain't Our Time to Die" has a strong, groovy Tom Petty vibe to it. "White Butterfly", which Dorothy said in an interview is essentially a prayer, has an Allman Brothers meets Pink Floyd to it. "Philadelphia" is reminiscent of Debbie Harry in Blondie.
This is not to say that any of the songs are cheap knock-offs or dated. It's just that those influences (if they are) come through in the songs and execution. I also get hints of Grace Slick, Heart and Sheryl Crow in different parts of the album.
I'm also I big fan of how this album was recorded/produced. It has that 70s feel where all the instruments are prominent and nothing gets buried in the mix.
28 Days In The Valley is an unapologetic rock album that should resonate with any fans of what rock was in the 70s, 80s and early 90s. And thankfully we still have artists like Dorothy making kickass rock music.
Here are some songs that represent the diversity of the album, but I would suggest listening to it all:
Australian rocker Ruby Boots (real name Bex Chillcot) has led an interesting life. She's been living independently since the age of 16, worked on a pearl farm and took a three year break from singing to repair vocal nodules. Those are just the highlights, but we're here to talk about her latest album Don't Talk About It. Yes, I realize the irony in that last sentence.
I'll admit it, maybe nostalgia has clouded my judgement, but save for one song, this reminds of the stuff I would hear on popular mainstream radio in the late 80s/early 90s. Can I compare Ruby Boots to anyone from that time? Not exactly, she has her own unique sound that is reminiscent of the time when radio was not filled with electronics and manufactured music.
There are elements of rockabilly, rock, country, punk and even some bubblegum on the album. It has been said that this is not a cohesive album, but that's kinda what I like about it. You want to hear the next song because you know it isn't going to be like the one you're currently listening to.
To bring it back to my nostalgia, this would have been one hell of a rock album in the 80s. Not sure Ruby Boots or her fans would agree, but that is a compliment.
I try to be current, but music doesn't come with an expiration date. I will admit that it took me a bit to process this album, which means I've listened to it several times. I'm still not tired of it. It's that good.
Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown's self-titled album is their fifth release and second full album. It's an eleven song piece of real hard rock, swampy, groovy, bluesy and guitar-heavy.
Tyler Bryant grew up in Texas and moved to Nashville during his senior year of high school. The Shakedown is comprised of drummer Caleb Crosby, bassist Noah Denney and guitarist Graham Whitford (son of Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford).
With this self-titled release, Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown seem to have found their niche, deftly combining the blues, swamp and heavy rock with a touch of Alice Cooper creepiness and Aerosmith (of course, right?). Sonically the album is great.
Vocally, well, Bryant doesn't have the best voice in the world, but it works. See the Alice Cooper reference above. His voice exudes the right emotion and passion on every song.
This is another great example that rock isn't dead if you want to find it.
Here is the official lyric video for "Heartland":
And here is a live acoustic version of my favorite song from the album "Ramblin' Bones":
I don't have expectations that cannot be met. That seems to be a healthier way to live life. I'm not saying to lower the bar, but don't make your expectations beyond the realm of probability. Maybe I was a little too excited for the new Elles Bailey album. Her 2016 EP The Elberton Sessions had my hopes up.
After hearing that, I couldn't help myself.
Then she drops her first full-length album, Wildfire.
Well, my expectations, as high as they were, turned our to be low. Wildfire is a great bluesy rock album with some country elements. It's bluesy and swampy. Bailey's voice is smokey and torchy and powerful. The instrumentation and production are impeccable. It's true to course and also diverse.
Here's the thing. It's pretty much a modern 70s rock album coming from a current British female artist. Not so much in lyrical content, but sound. There's a cover of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" that I didn't recognize until the second spin because it is so different.
Though rooted heavily in the blues, Wildfire is so much more than just blues. There is something to be appreciated for fans of any genre that values real instrumentation and vocals over electronics and autotuned vocals.
Grammy-nominated and doing vocals for the likes of Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa and Slash, Beth Hart is not the kind of artist you are accustomed to seeing spotlighted in this space. That being said, how many of you are actually familiar with her work?
I'll admit, I was not until I stumbled upon a video a couple of months ago on YouTube. Then I dropped the ball on the February 3 release date of Fire on the Floor.
Fire on the Floor is not a straight up blues album, though the blues threads heavily throughout, along with jazz, pop and rock. Doesn't really matter though as Hart's sultry, smokey, alluring voice carries the album from start to finish.
Beth Hart can sing anything if she wanted, I'm convinced. On Fire on the Floor, she almost does. Where her voice really shines is when she booms the lower register. So powerful.
This is thirteen songs for grown-ups, with grown-up subjects, dealt with in grown-up ways. No pettiness, no fluff, just real songs about life.
Fire on the Floor is not for everyone, and that's okay. All music is not for everyone, but all music is for someone. But for those that get it, this album is fantastic. Beth Hart has outdone herself with this one.
There is no such thing as a perfect album. But there are good albums and great albums. Eliza Neals' 10,000 Feet Below falls into the latter category.
Neals' latest record is 11 songs of fantastic music. 10,000 Feet Below is a rocking blues album with more texture and nuance than you would expect. Neals' powerful, sexy, sultry voice is complemented by a wide array of excellent musicians to make a cohesive yet diverse album of musical genius.
If you even only think you might like blues, check this record out.
This was one album I was genuinely looking forward to this year. So many times, I'm disappointed. 10,000 Feet Below exceeded all expectations. Seriously, I don't know what songs to choose to put here, so I'm just gonna put out a couple that resonate with me the most (and of course, they won't be the traditional ones).
If I had 2015 to do all over again Eliza Neals' Breaking and Entering may have made one of my year end lists. Unfortunately, I didn't hear this album until a couple of days ago. That's the beauty of music, there is no expiration date on good. Whether it be 2015 or 1995 or 1965, good music is good music. And that's what Eliza Neals provides: good music.
Hailing from Detroit, Eliza Neals borrows heavily from the Mississippi delta and combines it with the upper midwest blues style with just a touch of rock. Neals has vocals reminiscent of Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Nicks. That combination makes for an enjoyable listen for those that like the blues but not too pure.
Weaving in and out of and around and through punk, metal, pop, rock, bubblegum, grunge, Americana and all things in between, sometimes in the same song, sometimes in the same verse or chorus, The Dead Deads refuse to be pigeonholed into anything.
The Dead Deads' latest release, For Your Obliteration... is one of the most interesting albums I've heard this year.
Lead vocalist Meta Dead (Leticia Wolf) can go from a sweet bubblegum voice to heavy metal growling to punk attitude to melodic hard rock seamlessly and often. I have no doubt that she could sing in any genre she wanted.
For Your Obliteration... is bottom heavy much of the way through. This is to be attributed to the the heavy pounding of drummer Billy Dead (Angie Lese) and the bass playing of Daisy Dead (Mavis Turner). They lock in together form a formidable foundation for the soundscapes of Hella (Mandy Wolf) and Betty Dead's (Erica Sellers) keys and guitars.
Want a label? Rock. They rock, unabashedly and unashamedly. Enough words, here is some music. "Animals", which is my favorite song on the album:
Released way back in February of this year (2016), Monster Truck's latest album Sittin' Heavy is another prime example of why *rock ain't dead.
Sittin' Heavy by this Canadian quartet is heavy, with melody; rough around the edges but tight. Monster Truck combines 70's arena rock (Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple) with 90s hard rock (Soundgarden, Alice in Chains) in a way that fans of both eras would be pleased.
*There are sites dedicated to saving country music and bringing back glam. My musical tastes are too diverse to dedicate to one thing, but I will be featuring good rock music, always.
Here is "Don't Tell Me How To Live" from Sittin' Heavy:
Doing this as a hobby, sometimes stuff slips past me. I try to keep as current as possible, but life happens. Greetings from This Town by Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils was released in May of 2015. I just found it earlier this month. But, as the saying goes, good music never goes out of style.
Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils are a bluesy country rock outfit from Detroit. Or maybe a country blues rock band. Or maybe a rockin' country blues band. Whatever you want to call them, their music is good.
From the blues rock opener "Bad Luck Charm" to the foot stompin' high energy country of "Divorcee" to the the straight-up country of "Sinner Part Time" to the smoky, bluesy swamp of "Wade in the Water" Westwood and her band can bring it.
Here are a couple of my favorite tracks.
"Bad Luck Charm"
Sometimes I'll hear a new album that inspires me so that I have to get an "Album Spotlight" out as soon as possible. Sometimes it takes time for an album to grow on me. Sometimes I find something a few months after its releases. And sometimes life just happens and you forget.
The latter was what happened with the Wild Feathers' Lonely Is A Lifetime, released in March of 2016. I fully expected to have a piece written three plus months ago, then life happened and then I forgot out it (I don't take very good notes).
Nashville's The Wild Feathers is... a rock band? Probably, but when I think rock, I think AC/DC. Pop? Pop tendencies, sure, but you can't have an eight minute song and be pop. Americana? Not really, though you could make an argument for that on some songs. And those of you who read regularly know I really don't care about genre anyway.
Lonely Is A Lifetime is a collection of eleven really good, fairly diverse songs. While you can hear influences ranging from Tom Petty to Pink Floyd, The Wild Feathers definitely have their own distinct sound highlighted by three vocalists, each taking their turn on lead with Eagles-inspired harmonies. Oh, and there is the definite Gram Parsons vibe on a few songs.
Lonely Is A Lifetime seems like a natural progression from The Wild Feathers self-titled 2013 debut album. While the debut record is good, it's more in the straight up Southern Rock/Country/Americana vein. The new album is more experimental in nature. And the experiments turned out well.
Here is "Overnight" from Lonely Is A Lifetime:
And because there is a shortage of good eight-plus minute songs in the world right now, here is "Goodbye Song":
The Amorettes second album White Hot Heat is a lot like their previous album Game On. And that is not a bad thing. When you hit upon something that works, why deviate? AC/DC has been doing it for years.
The Amorettes are a trio from Scotland that has stripped everything down to guitar, bass and drums. And attitude. Straight up, no-frills, punch-you-in-the-face rock.
For anyone old enough to remember, think Fastway. It's got that kind of vibe.
Dorothy's new album ROCKISDEAD is a sweaty, sultry siren wearing snakeskin cowboy boots emerging from a swamp covered in scraps of metal and pieces of rock, blues oozing from the pores and dripping from the fingertips.
Unpack that image.
Dorothy is a band. But Dorothy is also vocalist and leader Dorothy Martin. She has surrounded herself with a very competent band to create Dorothy.
The sarcastically titled ROCKISDEAD is very much a rock album. But it's so much more than that. It's blues, soul, rock, metal and country (yeah, country, Martin's favorite female vocalist is Dolly and Martin can yodel, though she doesn't on this album). It's messy. It's real. I love albums like that. Genre-bending without pandering to anything.
How this California band got East Texas/Louisiana swamp into their music is a mystery to me, but it works.
I always post a video/song to give the readers a sense of what the band is like. I still will for Dorothy, but you really need to listen to the whole album because one song does not encapsulate what they are all about.
Here is "After Midnight" from the album ROCKISDEAD:
Ok, I really try to stay current. It's hard. Jasmine Cain originally released White Noise in July of 2015. Then it got picked up by Entertainment One Music and re-released in May 2016. That's when I found it. So I missed out on almost a year of this good music.
Paraphrasing here, but Jasmine Cain is pretty much the bass-wielding ringmaster of her own rock and roll circus.
I won't compare Jasmine Cain to Lzzy Hale, or Cain's band to Halestorm. That would be unfair to both. But if you like Halestorm, then Jasmine Cain will be right up your alley. There are definite similarities, and definite differences.
I'm still baffled at the "rock is dead" narrative. OK, it might not thrive on radio, but get out and go to shows. Rock is alive and well. Jasmine Cain rocks and rocks hard.
Here is "Hole" from White Noise:
And since I'm just now discovering Jasmine Cain, here is "Highway Prophet" from a few years ago:
Sari Schorr's 2018 release Never Say Never is the kind of blues-infused hard rock that I love. Schorrr's raspy, powerful, badass vocals are definitely the star. But if you've been reading my blog at all, you know it's all about the music first.
