Morning Fame "Back and Forth"

The first thing I thought of when listening to Morning Fame was how much they reminded me of 90’s alternative bands similar to those of Gin Blossoms or early Foo Fighters. Funny thing is that when I went on their Facebook page and looked under info, the first band they put under “Influences” is “Gin Blossoms.” The problem with Gin Blossoms is that, while they have some very catchy hits that I love such as Follow You Down, Hey Jealousy and my personal favourite Till I Hear It From You, beyond those hits, their other songs, for the most part, didn’t sound much different. I mean, I’m a fan and can listen to their stuff and thoroughly enjoy it, but I would never argue with someone who might listen to Gin Blossoms and not enjoy them.

Peur "We Can Build Astronauts"

When I got more in to newer rock music, I went through a period where I listened to a lot of post-grunge alternative metal bands; the bands like Puddle of Mudd or Seether or Chevelle. While I still very much enjoy bands like this, I found that they lacked something that kept them from being great. I’m not going to say that these bands sound the same from one another. While some do, not all do. They just seem a bit too comfortable in a small bubble of song writing style and are too afraid to experiment.

The Bloody Nerve "Red"

Nashville has famously been coined as “Music City” for years. It’s no surprise really. It has been the designated home for country music for decades; it got that nickname in 1950 and still stands tall to it today. It has always been the city for country artists to migrate to, just as Los Angeles was for rock music in the late 60’s/early 70’s. It is also the home of the Grand Ole Opry, which is essentially the Country Music Hall of Fame; and apparently the oldest music hall of fame also. But with such a reputation for country music, how would a rock band formed in this city sound?

Red Nightfall "Late in the Fever"

I like to think I have a broad sense of music taste. It may only really centre in the realms of rock, but which seems to confuse people when I tell them I have a broad taste. Sure there are people out there whose iPods feature rock along with hip-hop and country and what not, in a sense I guess that’s a broad taste, more in genres than in music though. I mean they have country, but only two or three different artists and only a song or two by each artist, than they have whatever the latest hit is by Katy Perry or whomever. And the people who listen to classic rock, I’ll be damned if I find more than just Stairway to Heaven on their iPod. These people should listen to Supertramp, then Joe Walsh, then Our Lady Peace, then move up to Alter Bridge and Protest the Hero, THEN tell me I don’t have a broad sense of music taste.

Halestorm "ReAniMate 2.0"

I’ve written two articles on Halestorm by now, one on their TheStrange Case Of... album (the first album I ever gave a 10/10 to) and then one on their debut, so there really is no need for paragraph after paragraph on the history of the band. Hence this article may be shorter than most (at least pretend that’s a bad thing for my sake).

The Naked and Famous "In Rolling Waves"

The Naked and Famous is different from the artists I usually write about. I must admit I’m surprised just how much I enjoy their music considering their music style is completely different from the norm of what I usually listen to. But at the same time, their music style is different in general. Now two albums in to their still relatively new career, the New Zealand band show no sign of giving in to musical norm.

David Paige "This Is Love"

Having grown up in the 90’s, I have a pretty exceptional idea and memory of what music was like. My memory goes back to when I was about four and would hear songs like All Apologies by Nirvana or Interstate Love Song by Stone Temple Pilots on the radio. Then eventually I remember bands like Our Lady Peace and Collective Soul coming in to play on the radio. I was only a kid though, not knowing what I was listening to. It was when I turned about seven that I started learning artist’s names; unfortunately that was right about the time the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys hit the airwaves. A couple of years later, in the mid/late 90’s, probably ’98 or so, before I boycotted all modern music altogether, I remember the heyday of alternative pop rock bands that I quite enjoyed.

Brothers of North "Stolen Cars"

One genre of music I don’t quite understand is “Indie” rock. Don’t misread that, I’m not saying I don’t like it, I just don’t understand it. “Indie”, of course, stands for “independent”, and started a few decades ago by bands, well, basically being independent. They recorded the music themselves, distributed it themselves, etc. The part that confuses me is; if, say a heavy metal band, like the next Metallica, were to record and distribute music independently, they still wouldn’t be considered “indie” because they don’t have that sound that “indie” bands have; a sound that isn’t harsh and requires the main instruments of a rock band; guitar, drum, bass and vocals, maybe keyboards and other instruments if wanted. These bands don’t sound similar to each other, but they have something in common with their sound that keeps them indie. I guess a better way to describe my confusion is, when did “indie” become an actual sub-genre rather than just a title, and why when a band, such as Metric, becomes big and no longer distributes their own music, are they still considered “indie rock”?

Eagles "Desperado"

It’s the last week of summer. As it saddens me, I look back on it, and I’m sure many do, as a terrific summer full of memories. I’m going to take this opportunity to write about a classic rock album for the first time, something I’ve wanted to do since starting this website. The problem is, there are just so many albums to choose from. But I thought about this, and if there is one album that has defined my summer, one album that I listened to the most out of any album is The Eagles 1973 sophomore album Desperado.

Laura Wilde "Sold My Soul"

I believe it’s been about a year since I discovered Laura Wilde. Late August/early September of 2012 she followed me on Twitter, as I’m sure she did to a lot of people to broaden her reach. I told her that day that I was sure glad she followed me otherwise I’d never have discovered her music. I then realized that this lovely 23 year old young woman from Australia (who moved to L.A.) had spent the better part of 2012 touring with none other than Ted Nugent and had already slowly started making a name for herself.

Evan Egerer "Evan Egerer EP"

I don’t know if I’ve ever said this, but the basis of my music interests, as wide as they stem, always comes back to that simple blues influenced hard rock. Guys like Slash or early Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Nazareth, etc. After listening to (and of course loving) the latest in metal and alternative, I always find my way back to artists such as the previously mentioned artists and remember that they are where my roots of my love for music come from.

Scorpion Child "Scorpion Child"

If you read my review on Monster Truck, you’d have read a bunch of words that sum up to me ranting and raving about a band finally able to harness the sound of classic hard rock and successfully modernize it and call the style their own. After a number of bands that I have heard, some popular and some underground, who concentrate on trying so hard to sound like what much of them refer to as the good old days of rock, but lacking any true identity, Monster Truck turned my hopes, and the hopes of many people in the world, including Slash, that the future of hard rock was in good hands.

Halestorm "Halestorm"

I had so much fun writing about Halestorm’s The Strange Case Of... album a few months ago that I decided I’d go back to their self-titled debut album. I discovered Halestorm when the first Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival was announced. Since there was no way I was going to miss what was essentially an Avenged Sevenfold/Disturbed co-headliner, I checked out what other bands were going to be there. Only two really caught my attention, and the main one was Halestorm. This was approximately a year after the April 2009 release of their debut album, so I immediately went to HMV to pick it up.

Barenaked Ladies "Grinning Streak"

Scarborough, Ontario’s Barenaked Ladies have always been somewhat of a novelty act to some. Probably over 90% of the population has heard of them, and most of them could only really name two songs (If I Had $1,000,000 and One Week). Fortunately there are plenty of people out there who do know more of the hits that the band has had such as Old Apartment, Enid, Falling For The First Time etc. While there are people out there who may not take them seriously because of such quirky songs as Be My Yoko Ono, the bands more serious side has never truly hit the public eye the way it deserved to with songs such as Jane and What A Good Boy being two of the absolute best examples.

Monster Truck "Furiosity"

I’ve mentioned this in past articles, and I’ll mention it again; there is a huge surge lately of bands trying to revive the classic rock sound in to modern music. Most bands try it but sound too generic, all of which remain in a mostly unknown bar band status. One band that I find generic that was lucky enough to breakout is The Sheepdogs, but that is the only exception I can think of.

Don Ray Band "Kickstands Up"

For some time now, I’ve had an acquired taste for country rock. Country and rock are two genres that have not been mixed in to one often enough. Two main bands that I can think include two of my favourite artists; there’s the obvious choice that are the Eagles, and then there is country legend Charlie Daniels. The former made a career, particularly on their first four albums, by releasing music more on the side of rock music but with a definite country influence at the heart of all of their songs, some songs even being closely classified to country. The latter artist, Charlie Daniels, made a career in contradiction to the Eagles, by making music more toward the side of country music, with a great deal of southern rock influence in a countless amount of his songs.

John Fogerty "Wrote a Song for Everyone"

Among the many living legends from the dawn of the classic rock era, few are more respected by fellow musicians and less appreciated by modern music fans than John Fogerty; the main man of Creedence Clearwater Revival from 1967-1972, and writer of countless hits still sung in peoples to this day, and someone who I regard as the first truly bad ass guitarist.

Alice In Chains "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here"

The late 80’s/early 90’s “grunge” surge from Seattle was definitely a unique moment in the history of new music. It’s always debated who are true grunge bands and who just kind of got the title because they made similar sounding music at the time. Bands like Stone Temple Pilots for instance, happened to have been making heavy not-quite-heavy metal music in the early/mid 90’s so they kind of got thrown in to the mix, but it’s bands like Soundgarden and of course Nirvana who truly carried the torch as “grunge” musicians through and through. Pearl Jam has always been referred to as grunge because they are from Seattle and were making popular music around the same time, but I disagree that they are “grunge” and more just early since of alternative rock.

Dead Sara "Dead Sara"

Yes, I have already reviewed this album, but I have been unpleased with my review of this album since probably the day after I wrote in back in January. It was only my second review and I had not found a comfort in doing reviews yet, so I feel I owe it to just redo it and only keep one or two parts the same, including the introduction...I really like the introduction.

One Day Late "One Day Late"

There has been an uprising in young talent trying to give a rebirth to the old fashioned hard rock sound. Back in the days when The Doors played a song like Roadhouse Blues and you believed every word Jim Morrison sang, or when all ZZ Top wanted was some Tush; this was a time when a rock standard was a good badass guitar riff and a good groove in the back ground and a singer with some balls who you’re not sure whether to be scared of or be best friends with. Every now and then there is a slight murmur from modern rock bands by releasing the odd song that has that old style vibe to it, but lately there have been a few bands, particularly relative unknowns, whom have found a way to harness this sound. Some even do it quite well.