Cherry White – “Staring At The Sun” EP Review

Cherry White, a London based 4-piece seem to have mastered that age old combination of hard hitting songs and sublime technical musicality. Drawing from classic rock influences such as Fleetwood Mac and  The Raconteur’s, Cherry White have demonstrated they intend to rise to the lofty heights of their genre defining heroes.  

“Staring at the Sun” is a testament to their musical prowess and draws on a breadth of influences that make it a must listen.  “Drifter” the lead single of the EP is a brooding swamp rock anthem showcasing the feral nature of Donata’s vocals and Russell’s ferocious guitar licks. Donata’s vocal tone is somewhere between Stevie Nicks and Siouxsie Sioux giving it an anthemic quality reminiscent of 70s stadium rock. “Do It Better” helps to cement Cherry White’s position as a band of the future reliant on the sounds of the past. An air of post punk by way of Tango in the Night creates a interesting mix of musicality and fierce lyricism. Cherry White is able to also convey their musical message through a softer, acoustic approach.  “Angel” is one such song that evokes emotion through the thoughtful lyrics while still standing up musically. The true star of the song being Ralph on bass, showcasing a jazz element to his playing that lifts the song to another plain. The next track, “7 Days” could easily be a prime time Van Halen track, it has just the right amount of 80s shredding to make it truly enjoyable. In contrast “Blue Eyes” is supple piece with a highly effective build up, ending on a crescendo worthy of praise. On the theme of praise, “Staring At The Sun” the final track on the EP is a masterful demonstration of eloquent song writing and rhythmic technicality that further reinforces the transcendent quality of the band.

Each song adheres to the preconceived notion of classic blues rock but adds subtle twists to craft a truly unique sound. With anthems more suitable for stadiums than dimly lit clubs, Cherry White is on course to becoming a classic band in their own right .

Check them out at:

Facebook - facebook.com/cherrywhitemusic

Twitter – cherrywhitegigs

Instagram – cherrywhitemusic

Vida Double A side Single ‘Electric Lady’/’Fade Away’ Review

A truly exciting band who have been likened to some of the shining lights of UK indie, Vida are a British four piece who are going places. Drawing comparisons to a wide ranging indie catalogue, including the likes of Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, The Black Keys, Miles Kane and more, their growing reputation has seen them garnering recognition from some of the country’s top tastemakers.

Their new single is a double A-side release showing two of the different sides of the group. First, ‘Electric Lady’ tells the story of repeated overnight stays with the same girl after meeting on several nights out, and the awkwardness that follows the next morning. Meanwhile, ‘Fade Away’ speaks of a completely different kind of awkward – finding yourself in the same room as an ex…

Fade Away – With an array of easy on the ear sounds varying from the choir in the background of this song. The fantastic guitar or the pleasant-sounding vocals! Is a really slow paced but smooth track!

Electric Lady - Is definitely more upbeat then the previous song and the vocals are better built as well.  A really energetic and heavy guitar riff is included in this track! The drums are also superb in this track, setting the pace of this track along with the drums!

Overall Vida’s double single is a really fantastic double single showing two sides of Vida! I personally prefer the second side of Vida (Electric Lady) both equally have a lot of potential to hit the charts! 

Vida Facebook

Listen to the tracks for yourself here:

“Walking Underwater Pt 2” By Johnny Wore Black

“Walking Underwater Pt 2” is the latest full length release by the dark and brooding Johnny Wore Black. JWB has utilised the talents of producer David Bottrill (Stone Sour) and Megadeath bassist David Ellefson in crafting this album and their talents really shine through. The release is an interesting mix of metal and prog intertwined with alternative rock which is testament to the eclectic tastes of its creator.

The album comprises of singles “A Cut Above”, “A Gift of Desperation” and “Noise” and 7 brand new tracks. All the tracks are relatively similar in nature with soaring distorted vocals rising above driving guitars and crushing bass lines. The opening track Firefly sets the tone for the rest of the album. The continual pounding of the lower frequencies gives a warm cushion from where to explore. Fallen Angels has an almost metal like quality to it, something that prevails throughout the rest of the album. The standout out song of the release is without a doubt “Comfy Slippers.” Reverb laced vocals and guitars give an almost ethereal quality to the track which leads on to majestic power chords. The faultless combination of thought provoking lyrics and musical hooks make this track in particular, irresistible.

The release as a whole is confident and beautifully produced. Sonically, it assaults the senses leaving the listener feeling both drained and reinvigorated at the same time. It is an acquired taste musically but offers all the essentials of great rock music; hard hitting, driving songs with fantastic lyrics.

Watch the video for 'Comfy Slippers' here: 

“Walking Underwater Pt “  is available worldwide now - 

Buy here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/walking-underwater-pt.-2/id944919571

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYn6oNZhgfPL2KrPd8oWeFw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnnyworeblack

Twitter: @johnnyworeblack

Rock/Pop Review-Lunocode-C'è vita intelligente sulla terra?

Release Date: July 2014

Label: 7hard/7us

Website

Lunocode is a pop rock band hailing from the cultured shores of Italy. The members are comprised of Perseo Mazzoni (Drums & percussions, backing vocals), Paride Mazzoni (Acoustic Guitars), Giordano Boncompagni (Acoustic Guitars & darbuka), Francesco Rossi (Bass Guitar) and Daphne Romano (Vocals). Other musicians the album include Francesco Briotti  (Piano, Mellotron & synth), Dora Chiodini (Flute) and Narrator: Francesco Anello (actor). 

Emerging in 2011, the band has evolved with their unique blend of theatrical narrative, theological rhetoric, melancholy prose and acoustic artistry. Their unique blend of introspection on the human condition goes beyond the typical and delves into the harder questions. Is there intelligent life on earth after all? Beautiful spoken word is interspersed with “Chi vive veramente,” quickly morphs into “Idea #5” with acoustic guitar strumming, percussion and Daphne Romano’s angelic voice. Man’s unstoppable quest for knowledge and greed for more-never ceasing despite indicators that our very nature could indeed be our biggest downfall.

Latin based languages are simply beautiful. The fact that I don’t speak Italian was a hindrance but the lyrical beauty of the narrative interspersed between the songs was a siren’s call to reach out and grasp his words with my ears and strive to hear them despite the barrier of mere language. “Un atomo nell’universo” spins around in a sound that reminded me heavily of Jethro Tull. Flutes and percussive elements swoon along with Daphne’s voice and take you along for the journey. Down and down into the soil of our world. Our humanity. Our foibles and failings-but also our glory.

“Come una scintilla dalla pietra focaia” is nearly a prayer. The whispered reverence with male and female voices reaching up toward the heavens combined with the acoustic guitar was magnificent. The harder questions prevail but the knowledge that humanity is key to the universe never falters, only the call to be more aware of our actions in the tidal pool of life.

Lunocode is a band of artists. Not just musicians, they take philosophical discussion and make it a production of spoken word, resonance, melodic voice and eloquent instrumentation. Language barriers hold no sway as hands reach up to grasp universal truths. With great power comes great responsibility and sometimes humanity loses sight of that fact. But in our foibles and frailty, there is beauty and truth. I highly recommend this unique album.

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Chi vive veramente, Un atomo nell’universo, Come una scintilla dalla pietra focaia

Tracks:
Disc One 
1. Idea, Pt. 1
2. Idea, Pt. 2
3. Idea, Pt. 3
4. Idea, Pt. 4
5. Idea, Pt. 5
6. Idea, Pt. 6
7. Idea, Pt. 7
8. Idea, Pt. 8
9. Idea, Pt. 9

Disc 2
01. Il pallido puntino blu (Live)
02. Prima immagine (Live)
03. Cieli immensi ed immenso amore (Live)
04. Seconda immagine (Live)
05. Chi vive veramente (Live)
06. Domanda (Live)
07. (Non) siamo i migliori del cosmo [Live]
08. Affermazione (Live)
09. Mutar forma (Live)
10....e veleggiar lontano (Live)
11. Una introduzione (Live)
12. Capitolo primo (Live)
13. Un bagliore circolare e blu (Live)
14. Capitolo secondo (Live)
15. L'espressione di una idea (Live)
16. Capitolo terzo (Live)
17. Qualcosa di piccolo e brillantissimo (Live)
18. Capitolo quarto (Live)
19. Un atomo nell'universo (Live)
20. Capitolo quinto (Live)
21. Come una scintilla dalla pietra focaia (Live)
22. E' (Davvero) necessario [Live]
 

DanaWright, Sr. Staff Writer

January 31, 2015

Review Provided By Write A Music Review

Instrumental Progressive Rock Review: OVRFWRD-Beyond The Visible Light

Release Date: 1^stJan 2104 

Label: Rock Slack Music

Website

This is the first time I have been sent an album to review and found myself struggling a little with the band name, OVRFWRD, but at least I don’t have to pronounce it to review them. It also tends to catch the attention on the cover of the album. The album is Beyond The Visible Light and is the debut album from the band that was formed in 2012.

OVRFWRD is a four piece instrumental/art rock band that has stated their influences as Pink Floyd, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Iron Maiden. Rush, Yes, Joni Mitchell and Django Reinhardt among others, so they have a very diverse set of influences. The band comprises, Rikki Davenport (drums, percussion), Kyle Lund (bass), Mark Ilang (guitars) and Chris Malmgren (keyboards), and the band came about literally by chance. Rikki and Mark had talked about an instrumental band, while part of another band, and when their vocalist failed to turn up at a recording, the die was cast. With Kyle and Chris, the band recorded a track and have now completed and released the full album.

Beyond The Visible Light is a 5 track album which has a total playing time of around 47 minutes. None of the tracks really fall into the “short” category, although “Can We Keep The Elephant” is the shortest track on offer at 8:03 minutes with the longest track, “Raviji” clocking in at 11:18 minutes.

As an opening track, “Can We Keep The Elephant” (8:03), is instantly memorable, simply for the title alone. The band are off and running very quickly at the start of this track and into an interesting passage with keyboards leading into a strumming guitar. All of this is underpinned by an extremely solid rhythm unit provided by Rikki and Kyle. Mark shows that he is an excellent guitarist and those terrific keyboards from Chris are always there or thereabouts. A couple of minutes into the track and the tempo drops to strummed guitar on its own, before the other 3 group members rejoin proceedings, maintaining the slow gentle melodic nature of the track, which then morphs into a neat jagged guitar riff backed by some  insistent keyboards. This bit of interplay between guitar and keyboards continues to carry the track onwards and returns to the original starting theme which takes the track out. This is a good solid start to the album, with enough light and dark to help maintain the interest of the listener.

“Stones of Temperance” (8:49) has the guitar riffs interplaying with a superb piano passage, before a tempo change introduces a stunning acoustic guitar section. “The Man with No Shoes” (10:48) has a similar configuration of guitar/piano which moves into synths and a more jagged guitar playing area, allowing Mark to show his skills further, especially on those slower sections. The final track, “Dark Star” (8:56) has a simple guitar keyboard passage introduction which slowly builds and the tempo switches up a gear. The keyboards become replaced by that superb piano before the guitar gets a bit looser and drives the track along with the rest of the band contributing to the gradual increase in build-up to see the track make its exit.

“Raviji” (11:18), the longest track on Beyond The Visible Light, and the first track that the band recorded, is a slow burner at the start, with a “little bit more grunt” as it hits the 4 minute mark, with superb guitar/keyboard interaction before a stripping away of everything leaves a solitary piano and a passage which is simply sublime. A gentle acoustic guitar joins the piano to keep things moving along until the rhythm engine sneaks in to add a little more “oomph.”  Bits of slightly distorted guitar appear, but I didn’t feel that they added anything to the track, indeed they seemed to detract a little from what was going on. A sudden tempo change is an indication that the track is close to finishing and it goes out with more piano.

Beyond The Visible Light is a good debut album which has passages that grab the listener and there is no doubt that there are four very able musicians on show. My only concern, and regular readers of my reviews will be aware of this, is that to fully engage a listener over the course of an album, an instrumental album needs something unique to grab that attention. Although I enjoyed all 5 tracks, I did tend to find that my attention either drifted or looked for a vocalist to vary what was happening at times, and while I will definitely dip into the album again and again, it isn’t an album I would put on and listen from start to finish.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Can We Keep The Elephant, Raviji, Darkest Star

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

February 9, 2014


Tracks:
Can We Keep The Elephant
Stones Of Temperance
Raviji
The Man With No Shoes
Darkest Star

Sell your beats online at ReverbNation.com

Instrumental Progressive Rock Review: OVRFWRD-Beyond The Visible Light

Release Date: 1^stJan 2104

Label: Rock Slack Music

Website

This is the first time I have been sent an album to review and found myself struggling a little with the band name, OVRFWRD, but at least I don’t have to pronounce it to review them. It also tends to catch the attention on the cover of the album. The album is Beyond The Visible Light and is the debut album from the band that was formed in 2012.

OVRFWRD is a four piece instrumental/art rock band that has stated their influences as Pink Floyd, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Iron Maiden. Rush, Yes, Joni Mitchell and Django Reinhardt among others, so they have a very diverse set of influences. The band comprises, Rikki Davenport (drums, percussion), Kyle Lund (bass), Mark Ilang (guitars) and Chris Malmgren (keyboards), and the band came about literally by chance. Rikki and Mark had talked about an instrumental band, while part of another band, and when their vocalist failed to turn up at a recording, the die was cast. With Kyle and Chris, the band recorded a track and have now completed and released the full album.

Beyond The Visible Light is a 5 track album which has a total playing time of around 47 minutes. None of the tracks really fall into the “short” category, although “Can We Keep The Elephant” is the shortest track on offer at 8:03 minutes with the longest track, “Raviji” clocking in at 11:18 minutes.

As an opening track, “Can We Keep The Elephant” (8:03), is instantly memorable, simply for the title alone. The band are off and running very quickly at the start of this track and into an interesting passage with keyboards leading into a strumming guitar. All of this is underpinned by an extremely solid rhythm unit provided by Rikki and Kyle. Mark shows that he is an excellent guitarist and those terrific keyboards from Chris are always there or thereabouts. A couple of minutes into the track and the tempo drops to strummed guitar on its own, before the other 3 group members rejoin proceedings, maintaining the slow gentle melodic nature of the track, which then morphs into a neat jagged guitar riff backed by some  insistent keyboards. This bit of interplay between guitar and keyboards continues to carry the track onwards and returns to the original starting theme which takes the track out. This is a good solid start to the album, with enough light and dark to help maintain the interest of the listener.

“Stones of Temperance” (8:49) has the guitar riffs interplaying with a superb piano passage, before a tempo change introduces a stunning acoustic guitar section. “The Man with No Shoes” (10:48) has a similar configuration of guitar/piano which moves into synths and a more jagged guitar playing area, allowing Mark to show his skills further, especially on those slower sections. The final track, “Dark Star” (8:56) has a simple guitar keyboard passage introduction which slowly builds and the tempo switches up a gear. The keyboards become replaced by that superb piano before the guitar gets a bit looser and drives the track along with the rest of the band contributing to the gradual increase in build-up to see the track make its exit.

“Raviji” (11:18), the longest track on Beyond The Visible Light, and the first track that the band recorded, is a slow burner at the start, with a “little bit more grunt” as it hits the 4 minute mark, with superb guitar/keyboard interaction before a stripping away of everything leaves a solitary piano and a passage which is simply sublime. A gentle acoustic guitar joins the piano to keep things moving along until the rhythm engine sneaks in to add a little more “oomph.”  Bits of slightly distorted guitar appear, but I didn’t feel that they added anything to the track, indeed they seemed to detract a little from what was going on. A sudden tempo change is an indication that the track is close to finishing and it goes out with more piano.

Beyond The Visible Light is a good debut album which has passages that grab the listener and there is no doubt that there are four very able musicians on show. My only concern, and regular readers of my reviews will be aware of this, is that to fully engage a listener over the course of an album, an instrumental album needs something unique to grab that attention. Although I enjoyed all 5 tracks, I did tend to find that my attention either drifted or looked for a vocalist to vary what was happening at times, and while I will definitely dip into the album again and again, it isn’t an album I would put on and listen from start to finish.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Can We Keep The Elephant, Raviji, Darkest Star

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

February 9, 2014


Tracks:
Can We Keep The Elephant
Stones Of Temperance
Raviji
The Man With No Shoes
Darkest Star

Review Provided By Write A Music Review

Sell your beats online at ReverbNation.com

Rock/Pop Review: Roy Orbison-Black & White Night DVD

Release Date: November 11, 2013
Label: Sony
Website

Roy Orbison was a legendary performer that had one of the most recognizable and beautiful falsetto operatic voices that ever graced a studio or concert hall. Whatever descriptive term you may have heard about the man…legendary, iconic, brilliant, rare talent, whatever superlative you can possibly imagine that gave credence to the legend of this man’s talent, in this light they all would be a fit. He was a gentle unassuming soul that endured horrible tragedies with his family. Losing a wife in a car accident and then two sons in a fire would have destroyed most people. Even with all that pain and sorrow to deal with, this man somehow found acceptance and peace and continued to make music.

In 1988 Orbison gathered an impressive group of musicians to air a TV special called Black & White Night. This reissued DVD captures that event and fans are once again reminded of how special Orbison was and how that night was so historic for music. The people involved will most certainly remember it forever as well as those in the audience. I have watched this concert countless times and it has aired on PBS several times as well. When you hear Orbison cover powerful classics like “Oh, Pretty Woman,” “It's Over,” and “Only The Lonely” you become mesmerized by his voice and magnetism on stage.

The album was released in February 1989 a year after the performance was aired on TV and it has left an indelible mark on the music industry and fans alike. I think what is so prolific and striking about the video is that this was filmed in black and white. If you stop and listen to Orbison’s songs they are very much black and white, there were no hidden meanings. His music was catchy rock-pop songs about love and life itself. He perfected the pop hit in the 50s and carried it into three more decades before his passing.

Some celebrity admirers of Orbison that were in the audience that night included - Billy Idol, Patrick Swayze, Sandra Bernhard, and Kris Kristofferson. The backing band was the TCB Band, which accompanied Elvis Presley from 1969 until his death in 1977. The male background vocalists, some of whom also joined in on guitar with Roy, were significant such as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, and Steven Soles. The female background vocalists were also a star studded group which included K.D. Lang, Jennifer Warnes, Cindy Bullens and Bonnie Raitt.

This DVD is tremendous and Orbison was in top form and well on his way to making a lasting comeback but that was not written in the stars for him, he was gone suddenly but he left behind an unmatched legacy of recorded works. He was a beautiful soul with the voice of an angel and releases like this reaffirm that truth every time you watch and listen to them.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Oh, Pretty Woman, It's Over, Only The Lonely

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

February 1, 2014

Tracks:
Only The Lonely
Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) 
Blue Bayou
The Comedians
Ooby Dooby
Leah
Running Scared
Uptown
In Dreams
Crying
Candy Man
Go Go Go (Down the Line) 
Mean Woman Blues
(All I Can Do is) Dream You 
Claudette 
It's Over 
Oh, Pretty Woman  

Review Provided By Write A Music Review

Review: Jonas Lindberg-The Other Side

This release, The Other Side, a mini album by Jonas Lindberg is another of those recordings that had not registered on The Ancient One’s radar. Jonas Lindberg is a Swedish bass player and producer who, in 2008 at the School of Music in Pitea, put together a 4 track recording, In Secret Pace, for an exam project. This involved some talented friends and musicians, but didn’t see the light of day until released just last year. When this second album was being planned, Jonas decided that it would be with a 5 piece band and the name came into being, Jonas Lindberg and The Other Side. The music seems to draw influences from many sources, but there are definite “nods” in the direction of Pink Floyd, Sting, Genesis and Level 42 (anyone remember them?) and, nearer to home, I could hear hints of Kaipa, Flower Kings and Moon Safari.
 

The band currently comprises 5 members and they are, Jonas Lindberg (bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals), Jonas Sundqvist (vocals), Jonathan Lundberg (drums), Calle Stalenbring (guitar), and Michael Ottosson (keyboards).

The Other Side is a 5 track mini album which has a total playing time of around 29 minutes, with track 4, *Little Girl,” the shortest at 4:38 minutes and the final track, “Line No 18,” being the longest at 8:23 minutes.

The Other Side starts with “Lies” (5:27) which intros with an excellent piano theme, a little blast of bass and then the voice of Jonas, which is very powerful. The sound picks up with a very solid bass/drums foundation, and the song simply flows along effortlessly. Keyboards and guitar appear here and there and the piano passage from the start reappears, which means that this opening track has it all. There are memorable hooks, a silky smooth melody and it successfully sets the scene for the remainder of this mini album.

The title track, “The Other Side” (5:26) is a little “heavier” but no less melodic and interesting than the opener and “Where to Begin” (5:28) continues the flow of superb music, has excellent harmonies and a stunning guitar passage. The penultimate track, “Little Girl” (4:28) is very different with an intro that reminded me of Star Trek, but it soon turns into a stunningly simple acoustic guitar leading the vocals. This track shows a very different aspect of Jonas Lindberg and The Other Side, gently meandering along with a superb vocal making it a standout track.

The final track, “Line No 18” (8:23) moves off with a blast, showing this band can really rock and even the vocals have a grittier feel. There is no disguising the melodic nature of music on show, as the track simply flows from one section to the next, pulling the listener deeper into the music. Opportunities for guitar breaks, keyboard flourishes and majestic bass lines litter this longer track, giving all the musicians the chance to step into the spotlight.

My initial impression of The Other Side was that it was pleasant, but nothing outstanding, however, what a difference several plays can make to that first impression. I now look upon this release as simply amazing, and it gets both the “One to Buy” sticker as well as the “The Experience will last Forever” one. I wholeheartedly encourage people to get hold of this release and settle down to enjoy half an hour of superb music.

5/5 STARS

Key Tracks:  Little Girl, Line No 18, Lies

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-MuzikReviews.com Staff

October 26, 2013

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