3/28/2020

Alt-Rock Review: Morrissey - I am Not a Dog on a Chain

Release Date: March 20, 2020
Label: BMG

Moz is back with his 13th studio album, I am not a Dog on a Chain. Typical of the tortured man, proudly standing his modest piece of ground, the title perfectly matches the sentiment within. Brutal honesty and spilling of one's guts to the point where the listener, for fear of crying, can't help but laugh. 

Other than the atmospheric, eight-minute petulant grouch-fest, "The Secret of Music," there isn't much to draw my interest beyond the tried and true intro/verse/chorus/verse/solo/chorus pop-punk progression. Beginning with The Smiths whose sound defined 1980's British Indie Rock, this formula has served Morrisey well, and the musicianship on this album is solid. Yet, it serves primarily as a foundation for the grouchy vegetarian's sulky bitch-fest, ripe with warning shots of impending doom and hell-to-pay for anyone attempting daring to approach his fragile ego.  

Somewhere within this ridiculous self-indulgence lies the sublime. Worthy moments beckon the disaffected and marginalized and shine a light forward. On the title track, Moz bellows, "open up your nervous mouth and feel the words come streaming out… For otherwise, you'll never know who you are or all that you can do. If you want to" On "Knockabout World," Morrisey belts in his lush, dramatic tone, "Congratulations, you're still okay. I'd kiss your lips off any day." There is no shortage of sage advice from the aging prima donna either, "Time will mold you and craft you. But soon, when you're looking away. It will slide up and shaft you." 

As we've come to know about Morrisey, things can turn dark in a hurry. On "Jim Jim Falls," he encourages a poor indecisive soul to commit suicide. "If you're going to jump, then jump. If you're going to run home and cry, then don't waste my time. If you're going to kill yourself, then to save face, get on with it." There is no shortage of paranoia either, "Time will come, but it hasn't yet. "Someone's out to get me."  

All in all, Morrisey continues to play the victim on this slightly different spin of the same-old, same-old. He has failed to find any new ground, and instead of taking his profound lyrical instincts to blaze a new path forward, he insists on standing his ground, shouting like a disgruntled diva into the void while the world collapses around him.

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen

3/26/2020

New LITTLE VILLAINS Album Celebrates The Crazy Life Of MOTÖRHEAD Drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor!


Los Angeles, CA - Phil Taylor put the motor in Motörhead for 13 incredible years, recording drums for that iconic band on 11 studio albums as well as 4 live albums. His stage presence became the stuff of rock legend and the ferocity with which he attacked his kit (as well as offstage antics) earned him the moniker Philthy Animal. Under appreciated in his later years, Taylor continued to play hard-driving rock n’ roll in various outfits, including the superb Little Villains project, formed with producer/musician James Childs of Airbus fame. The group made several studio recordings overseen by Childs, some of which were released in 2019 as the album Philthy Lies.

And now a new Little Villains album is hitting the streets, this time featuring the talents of former Hawkwind bassist and Lemmy prodigy, Alan “Boomer” Davey, who joins Childs on this celebration of the life and talents of Phil Taylor. Featuring the remaining studio recordings Taylor made prior to his passing in 2015, the album Taylor Made bursts with the power and energy of those early Motörhead albums. Childs expresses his enthusiasm for the project saying “I grew up on Motorhead and Hawkwind and to actually work with key members of each group is a milestone in my lifetime that I never could of imagined.”

Check out the first single, the title track, and its inventive animated video here:


Taylor Made will be available on digital, CD and limited edition RED vinyl beginning April 3 courtesy of Cleopatra Records!
To order: https://orcd.co/littlevillains

Track List:
1. Taylor Made
2. Model B
3. Aeroplane
4. All The Flak
5. We All Toil
6. Melony Blue
7. In A Mess
8. Over The Moon
9. Control Yourself
10. Soon

Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com


CLEOPATRA RECORDS, Inc.
11041 Santa Monica Blvd #703
Los Angeles CA 90025
www.CleopatraRecords.com
Facebook @Cleopatrarecords
https://www.facebook.com/CleopatraRecords/
Instagram @cleopatrarecords
https://www.instagram.com/cleopatrarecords/
Twitter @cleopatrarecord
https://twitter.com/cleopatrarecord
Youtube @Cleopatrarecords
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCopQ0616Fpfrq8Gt0N-0zOQ
Soundcloud @cleopatra-recs
https://soundcloud.com/cleopatra-recs
Dailymotion @Cleopatrarecords
https://www.dailymotion.com/CleopatraRecords
Vimeo @cleopatrarecords
https://vimeo.com/cleopatrarecords
Spotify  @cleopatra_recs
https://open.spotify.com/user/cleopatra_recs
Linkedin @cleopatra-records
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleopatra-records

New LITTLE VILLAINS Album Celebrates The Crazy Life Of MOTÖRHEAD Drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor!


Los Angeles, CA - Phil Taylor put the motor in Motörhead for 13 incredible years, recording drums for that iconic band on 11 studio albums as well as 4 live albums. His stage presence became the stuff of rock legend and the ferocity with which he attacked his kit (as well as offstage antics) earned him the moniker Philthy Animal. Under appreciated in his later years, Taylor continued to play hard-driving rock n’ roll in various outfits, including the superb Little Villains project, formed with producer/musician James Childs of Airbus fame. The group made several studio recordings overseen by Childs, some of which were released in 2019 as the album Philthy Lies.

And now a new Little Villains album is hitting the streets, this time featuring the talents of former Hawkwind bassist and Lemmy prodigy, Alan “Boomer” Davey, who joins Childs on this celebration of the life and talents of Phil Taylor. Featuring the remaining studio recordings Taylor made prior to his passing in 2015, the album Taylor Made bursts with the power and energy of those early Motörhead albums. Childs expresses his enthusiasm for the project saying “I grew up on Motorhead and Hawkwind and to actually work with key members of each group is a milestone in my lifetime that I never could of imagined.”

Check out the first single, the title track, and its inventive animated video here:


Taylor Made will be available on digital, CD and limited edition RED vinyl beginning April 3 courtesy of Cleopatra Records!
To order: https://orcd.co/littlevillains

Track List:
1. Taylor Made
2. Model B
3. Aeroplane
4. All The Flak
5. We All Toil
6. Melony Blue
7. In A Mess
8. Over The Moon
9. Control Yourself
10. Soon

Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com


CLEOPATRA RECORDS, Inc.
11041 Santa Monica Blvd #703
Los Angeles CA 90025
www.CleopatraRecords.com
Facebook @Cleopatrarecords
https://www.facebook.com/CleopatraRecords/
Instagram @cleopatrarecords
https://www.instagram.com/cleopatrarecords/
Twitter @cleopatrarecord
https://twitter.com/cleopatrarecord
Youtube @Cleopatrarecords
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCopQ0616Fpfrq8Gt0N-0zOQ
Soundcloud @cleopatra-recs
https://soundcloud.com/cleopatra-recs
Dailymotion @Cleopatrarecords
https://www.dailymotion.com/CleopatraRecords
Vimeo @cleopatrarecords
https://vimeo.com/cleopatrarecords
Spotify  @cleopatra_recs
https://open.spotify.com/user/cleopatra_recs
Linkedin @cleopatra-records
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleopatra-records

3/25/2020

The 3rd Edition of "The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock" by Charles Snider To be Released March 27, 2020


The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock, 3rd Edition
• Reviews of 510+ albums from 1967 - 1982
• 572 pages
• Fully edited, proofread and fact-checked

Back in print for 2020! The definitive record guide to the progressive era of rock music, Strawberry Bricks presents a comprehensive discography with reviews of 500+ albums, with band histories, musical synopses, key tracks and critical commentary, all presented in the historical context of a timeline. Beginning in 1967 and continuing through 1982, a generation of musicians took rock music in directions unforeseen as they charted what would become known as progressive rock. From art rock to krautrock, from England to Germany to Italy and all across Europe, Strawberry Bricks offers a candid reappraisal of rock’s most cerebral genre. Also for this edition, Matt Howarth has revisited his original artwork from the first edition of the book.

Says Charles, “The newly written Prologue offers a historical perspective of the pretext to the progressive era, beginning post-WWII, while the Epilogue offers a current perspective on progressive rock since the early 80's. I've also spent a good deal of time fact-checking every detail in the book, including song titles and artist names. Further, this edition has been professionally edited and peer reviewed, all to make this as exacting and rewarding a book as the music it covers. Strawberry Bricks is another narrative on the classic era of progressive rock, one with hopefully a novel and candid outlook on the genre, its albums and the men that made it one of the most interesting chapters in rock's history.”

With 212 more reviews, 210 more pages, completely fact-checked and professionally edited, and with a full index, the third edition is a substantial upgrade to owners of the first edition of the book. For owners of the second edition, Matt Howarth once again revisits his original artwork for Strawberry Bricks. Enjoy the music!

Praise for Strawberry Bricks:

“In Strawberry Bricks Charles Snider gives us a history of progressive rock from 1967 to 1982 through his astute, colourful and insightful entries on a personal selection of over 500 albums – and not always the obvious choices. He acts as an informed and trustworthy guide leading the reader on a fascinating journey through the genre.” - Mike Barnes, A New Day Yesterday: UK Progressive Rock & The 1970s

“Snider’s research is impeccable, his writing style enjoyable and it’s hard to fault the inclusion of any of the hundreds of albums he covers.” - Kev Rowland, The Progressive Underground

“Most impressive! I can see it’s phenomenally well researched. Well done.” - Hugh Banton, Van der Graaf Generator

Comments on previous editions of Strawberry Bricks:

“Only one major book on progressive rock that matters has been published this year, and it's this one: The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock (Revised and Expanded Edition) by Charles Snider. This is a work of great passion and expertise by a true aficionado and historian of the form. It's an exhaustive, comprehensive and engaging overview of the genre. It also offers 500+ reviews of important albums from the "golden era" of this music from 1967 to 1982. This is a valuable addition to the library of every enthusiast of progressive music.” - Anil Prasad, Innerviews

“Charles Snider has an encyclopedic knowledge of progressive rock, and has accrued one of the world’s most formidable record collections. No one is better equipped to write the definitive discography of this rich genre of music.” - Jonathan Schang, District 97

About the Author:
Charles Snider has been collecting records since the early 1970s, amassing one of the most complete archives of progressive rock. “One of my earliest memories of vinyl was The Beatles' 'Paperback Writer' b/w 'Rain.' Musically, my love for British music and everything thereafter starts with The Beatles. My daughters are even named after Beatles’ songs!” Snider's self-professed passion for the music “archaeology” continued over the decades, branching out to many other genres of music. “In the early 90s, Kevin Eden and I curated the WMO label, with the cooperation and support of Wire. The CD was a new format, and we released a lot of hard to find records, as well as unreleased archival material and two very good tribute discs.” Upon moving to Chicago in 2000, he began writing the first edition of The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock. “I've always loved record guides. Certainly, Ira Robbin’s Trouser Press was the prototype, but growing up in the 70s with magazines like Circus, Creem and of course Rolling Stone, I've always enjoyed the passion writers convey about music.” While not listening to prog rock in his man-cave, Snider can be found blogging about personal technology or cheering on the Chicago Blackhawks.

The 3rd Edition of “The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock” will be released on March 27th, 2020. Available directly from http://strawberrybricks.com/the-book, and from Amazon.com (including UK, JP and the EU). Published by http://www.strawberrybricks.com/ via Kindle Direct Publishing, an Amazon company.

To purchase from Amazon:
Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/39eAui9
Amazon.co.uk https://amzn.to/2JaeQkA

For more information: http://www.strawberrybricks.com/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

The 3rd Edition of "The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock" by Charles Snider To be Released March 27, 2020


The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock, 3rd Edition
• Reviews of 510+ albums from 1967 - 1982
• 572 pages
• Fully edited, proofread and fact-checked

Back in print for 2020! The definitive record guide to the progressive era of rock music, Strawberry Bricks presents a comprehensive discography with reviews of 500+ albums, with band histories, musical synopses, key tracks and critical commentary, all presented in the historical context of a timeline. Beginning in 1967 and continuing through 1982, a generation of musicians took rock music in directions unforeseen as they charted what would become known as progressive rock. From art rock to krautrock, from England to Germany to Italy and all across Europe, Strawberry Bricks offers a candid reappraisal of rock’s most cerebral genre. Also for this edition, Matt Howarth has revisited his original artwork from the first edition of the book.

Says Charles, “The newly written Prologue offers a historical perspective of the pretext to the progressive era, beginning post-WWII, while the Epilogue offers a current perspective on progressive rock since the early 80's. I've also spent a good deal of time fact-checking every detail in the book, including song titles and artist names. Further, this edition has been professionally edited and peer reviewed, all to make this as exacting and rewarding a book as the music it covers. Strawberry Bricks is another narrative on the classic era of progressive rock, one with hopefully a novel and candid outlook on the genre, its albums and the men that made it one of the most interesting chapters in rock's history.”

With 212 more reviews, 210 more pages, completely fact-checked and professionally edited, and with a full index, the third edition is a substantial upgrade to owners of the first edition of the book. For owners of the second edition, Matt Howarth once again revisits his original artwork for Strawberry Bricks. Enjoy the music!

Praise for Strawberry Bricks:

“In Strawberry Bricks Charles Snider gives us a history of progressive rock from 1967 to 1982 through his astute, colourful and insightful entries on a personal selection of over 500 albums – and not always the obvious choices. He acts as an informed and trustworthy guide leading the reader on a fascinating journey through the genre.” - Mike Barnes, A New Day Yesterday: UK Progressive Rock & The 1970s

“Snider’s research is impeccable, his writing style enjoyable and it’s hard to fault the inclusion of any of the hundreds of albums he covers.” - Kev Rowland, The Progressive Underground

“Most impressive! I can see it’s phenomenally well researched. Well done.” - Hugh Banton, Van der Graaf Generator

Comments on previous editions of Strawberry Bricks:

“Only one major book on progressive rock that matters has been published this year, and it's this one: The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock (Revised and Expanded Edition) by Charles Snider. This is a work of great passion and expertise by a true aficionado and historian of the form. It's an exhaustive, comprehensive and engaging overview of the genre. It also offers 500+ reviews of important albums from the "golden era" of this music from 1967 to 1982. This is a valuable addition to the library of every enthusiast of progressive music.” - Anil Prasad, Innerviews

“Charles Snider has an encyclopedic knowledge of progressive rock, and has accrued one of the world’s most formidable record collections. No one is better equipped to write the definitive discography of this rich genre of music.” - Jonathan Schang, District 97

About the Author:
Charles Snider has been collecting records since the early 1970s, amassing one of the most complete archives of progressive rock. “One of my earliest memories of vinyl was The Beatles' 'Paperback Writer' b/w 'Rain.' Musically, my love for British music and everything thereafter starts with The Beatles. My daughters are even named after Beatles’ songs!” Snider's self-professed passion for the music “archaeology” continued over the decades, branching out to many other genres of music. “In the early 90s, Kevin Eden and I curated the WMO label, with the cooperation and support of Wire. The CD was a new format, and we released a lot of hard to find records, as well as unreleased archival material and two very good tribute discs.” Upon moving to Chicago in 2000, he began writing the first edition of The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock. “I've always loved record guides. Certainly, Ira Robbin’s Trouser Press was the prototype, but growing up in the 70s with magazines like Circus, Creem and of course Rolling Stone, I've always enjoyed the passion writers convey about music.” While not listening to prog rock in his man-cave, Snider can be found blogging about personal technology or cheering on the Chicago Blackhawks.

The 3rd Edition of “The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock” will be released on March 27th, 2020. Available directly from http://strawberrybricks.com/the-book, and from Amazon.com (including UK, JP and the EU). Published by http://www.strawberrybricks.com/ via Kindle Direct Publishing, an Amazon company.

To purchase from Amazon:
Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/39eAui9
Amazon.co.uk https://amzn.to/2JaeQkA

For more information: http://www.strawberrybricks.com/

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com