The Swigs

I love this band! They are pure rock and roll because they not only rock your senses, they get inside too.  Extreme talent from each of them: Kevin Henderson–Guitar, Vocals, Piano. Eric Snyder–Bass. Mike Troupe–Drums.

Some unique and soulful remakes of obscure songs, one by David Bowie that I love:  "Let Me Sleep Beside You".  Amazing take on a song you may have never even heard before.

You know, I'm not the greatest at reviewing music so my suggestion is to listen to these three guys and hear what my words can't say:
 

Tyrone Vaughan - Downtime

Tyrone was born with music in his blood.  I was fortunate to receive a copy of his new single "Downtime".  You should check it out if you enjoy his father and uncle (Jimmy and Stevie Ray) and also have a taste for country.


Catchy tune, huh?

New Music From Heart!

For the first time in six years Ann and Nancy have released a new original record: Red Velvet Car. It will be released on August 31. Here's a sneak peak:

Here are a few things being said about it:

“The barracudas are back and at the top of their game.” (Rolling Stone, September 2, 2010)

“Aggressive, Delicate and Enduring” (New York Times, August 4, 2010)

"Red Velvet Car, to be released by Sony Music’s Legacy Recordings, boasts an evolved sound that doesn't pander to the iPod generation. The women of Heart have strong stories to tell through the music.” (The Virginian-Pilot, August 13, 2010)

And from their press release:

"Like all Heart albums, Red Velvet Car rocks hard but also has a deep acoustic side. Nancy Wilson has long been known to play her acoustic guitar with rock ferocity. This time an abundance of resonant acoustic instruments (guitars, mandolin, dobro, banjo, fiddle, viola, cello, and autoharp), played by Nancy Wilson and the album’s producer, Ben Mink, are showcased in Heart’s unique style. Nine of the album's songs were written for, and appear for the first time on Red Velvet Car. The album's closer, "Sand," is a newly recorded version of a song originally written and recorded by the Lovemongers, Ann and Nancy's 1990's acoustic side project. The release of Red Velvet Car heralds Legacy's forthcoming reissues of the classic Heart catalog in new physical and digital editions.

I can't wait to hear it, just wish Ann and Nanc were touring in my area! I guess I'll be driving to Los Angels is I want to see them this time. If you hear any of the new songs, let me know what you think!

New CD by One of Our Blog Buddies!

Paul Lesinski of Isorski's Musings has just released his first CD!  Its available for free download (but please consider donating $5 or more).

Check it out HERE!

The actual CDs will be available soon.  Help spread the news by Tweeting or sharing of FB!

Contgrats, Paul!  I am listening to it right now, awesome!

(Do you must feel like you just gave birth?!)

New Aussie Band - Expatriate

Just heard about this band and took advantage of the free download, I like it:

"Australian 4 piece rock outfit, Expatriate. After a European arena tour supporting Placebo earlier this year, the band are set to release their magnificent debut album ‘In The Midst Of This’ on 1^st March 2010. We have permission from the band’s label to offer their first single, Blackbird, as a free download so please feel free to post this on your site for readers if you like what you hear.

You can download the single ‘Blackbird’ here http://www.sendspace.com/file/j9y70k which is also out on March 1^st."

Expatriate myspace page

p.s.  of course I do have a fondness for cute Aussie boys, but seriously, the music is good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lots of New Stuff to Buy in November (Christmas Gifts???)

(I took this info from Dave White's wondreful site:  About Classic Rock)

Creedence Clearwater Revival - 'Singles Collection' CD/DVD box set

Release date: November 3, 2009
Creedence Clearwater Revival managed a feat few bands attained. Through the late '60s and early '70s their singles were all over Top 40 AM radio at the same time that progressive FM stations were playing their non-single (or B-side) album tracks. It is those familiar singles that are highlighted in this two-CD set. A bonus DVD contains four CCR videos.
John Fogerty - 'Comin' Down The Road: The Concert At Royal Albert Hall' DVD

Release date: November 3, 2009
The timing of the release of this 2004 concert video probably has less to do with the CCR box set released on the same day than with Fogerty's Live By Request appearance on PBS a few days later. This performance at Royal Albert Hall came 37 years after Fogerty and CCR performed there in 1971. The set drew from the artist's CCR and solo catalogs.
'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum: Live' DVD box set

Release date: November 3, 2009
No, these are not the just-staged Rock Hall 25th anniversary concerts at Madison Square Garden. No doubt, that will come sometime after they are telecast on HBO. This three-DVD set consists of performances and speeches from the Rock Hall induction ceremonies of the past 24 years. The package might best be summed up by Mick Jagger's observation as Rolling Stones were inducted at the 1989 ceremony. "Tonight you see us on our best behavior. But we re being rewarded for 25 years of bad behavior."
AC/DC - 'Backtracks' CD/DVD box set

Release date: November 10, 2009
AC/DC's Backtracks: The Ultimate AC/DC Experience is a box set of "studio and live rarities" on three CDs, two DVDs, and a vinyl album, accompanied by a coffee table book and fistful of reproductions of posters, flyers and stickers. A limited edition (for serious collectors and very generous gift-givers only, at $200+) comes packaged in an actual working guitar amp.

'The Jerry Garcia Collection, Vol. 2 - Let It Rock' CD

Release date: November 10, 2009
Jerry Garcia is remembered as much for his work ethic as his musicianship. In 1975, Grateful Dead were recording Blues For Allah, The Grateful Dead Movie was in production, and still Garcia found time for one of his many side projects, Jerry Garcia Band. In November 1975, JGB played The Keystone Berkeley, in the shadow of the University of California campus. This two-CD set was recorded during that performance.
Vendor's Site
Ray Davies - 'The Kinks Choral Collection' CD

Release date: November 10, 2009

As lead singer and principal songwriter, Ray Davies had much to do with The Kinks' distinctive (and highly successful) style. He also has much to do with keeping the band's music alive and fresh. In 2007, he enlisted the Crouch End Festival Chorus to collaborate in recording choral arrangements of Kinks classics like "You Really Got Me," "All Day And All Of The Night" and "Waterloo Sunset."

Paul McCartney - 'Good Evening, New York City' CD/DVD

Release date: November 17, 2009

Good Evening, New York City is a two-CD, one-DVD set recorded during Paul McCartney's July 2009 performance at the new Citi Field (formerly Shea Stadium.) Macca performs a mix of material from his solo, Wings and Beatles catalogs.

The Doors - 'Live In New York' box set

Release date: November 17, 2009
Nearly 40 years after The Doors played four shows at the Felt Forum theater at New York's Madison Square Garden, those performances, in their entirety, are being released in this six-CD set. Most of the material on Live In New York is being released for the first time. These were the band's last New York performances with Jim Morrison, who died just a few months later.

Steve Morse Band - 'Out Standing In Their Field' CD

Release date: November 17, 2009

The former Deep Purple guitarist is back with Steve Morse Band's 12th studio release. Morse's virtuosity is front and center -- all 11 tracks are instrumentals. Out Standing In Their Field is a fusion of rock, jazz, funk, and country, in keeping with the range of styles the artist has sampled over the years.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - 'Live Anthology' box set

Release date: November 24, 2009
Compiling this four-CD set was no small feat when you consider the sheer volume of performances by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers between 1978 and 2007. Engineer Ryan Ulyate compiled more than 400 titles from more than 3,500 concerts. Producers (Ulyate, Petty and Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell) promise a realistic mix -- no fixes or overdubs -- to accurately reproduce the live experience.

Them Crooked Vultures

John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl and Josh Homme

This is a band I want to check out!  I heard about it first over at Circle of Fits, then a friend sent me this article.

"That their output delivers a punch to the gut can only be seen as the fulfillment of a promise. The band doesn’t feel like naked derivation, but its parentage is hammered home with every fat and bruising riff."

New Music Tuesday (on Wednesday)

Heard about this band from Jake over at Rock Ridge Music. This is what caught my eye:

Think Led Zep meets Backdoor Slam meets Soundgarden.

Sounds good to me! I listened to a few tracks and like them, let me know what you think if you take a listen. One of the special things about them is that they record in analog - no digital remastering for this album at all.

Each of their completely unique performances evokes the raw, euphoric essence of Rock and Roll. Their upcoming release, Sweet Fist, truly reflects the light and dark of this new millennium; it unravels the tales of this modern world with an analog tongue rarely heard in the digital age. It represents both homage to their influences and an insightful progression of the dynamic power of Super 400.

Their forthcoming release “Sweet Fist,” was recorded at the legendary Ardent Recording Studios in Memphis, home to Stax Records for many years, and used the same lathe that was used on many Stax recordings. Recorded on 2 inch tape, the album is pro-tools and auto-tune free. The artwork for the album was created by Klaus Voormann, designer of The Beatles’ “Revolver.”

You can hear an audio stream here - "Flashlight (Radio Edit)" http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/400_flashedit.wma

You can hear a harder track, “FFMN,” Here - http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/400_ffmn.wma

New Music Tuesday

I just made that up, the new music Tuesday thing, but I may try to keep it a new feature here because I know most us like to sample new musical treats along with our standard classics!

Here is what I will be checking out this week:






"Although few noticed when Warner Bros. issued Geoff and Maria Muldaur's daughter Jenni's debut album in 1992, her long-overdue follow-up is sure to turn heads with its audacious program of undeservingly [sic] obscure R&B and pop tunes, her throaty, nicely nuanced vocal deliver, and the world-class cast of players who surround her. Read more here.




I love Train! They are fun and sometimes that's what I want in a song. They put on a great show and have a good time with the audience. Planning to see them at a local Indian Casino next month.



Note from Train: "It's been in the works for a while, but now our new single 'Hey Soul Sister' is finally here and is premiering exclusively on Billboard.com

. So head over to Billboard

, check it out, and let us know what you think! And tonight around midnight you'll be able to purchase 'Hey Soul Sister' at iTunes.com/train."


ZAPPA FANS!!!!!

This sounds insanely interesting, can't wait to here it. I can't help but think how proud Frank would be of Dweezil for his originality. Check this out:

In a joint announcement with AMD (NYSE: AMD), Dangerous Music released details of Dweezil Zappa’s road recording rig using 48-channels of Dangerous 2-Bus LT analog summing and Dangerous Monitor ST speaker controller, allowing immediate mixing of the ‘Zappa Plays Zappa’ live shows — even in a hotel room. The “Room Service Rig” consists of a PC Audio Labs computer powered by dual AMD Opteron™ quad-core processors, running Steinberg’s NUENDO DAW software along with three 2-Bus LT summing amps and Monitor ST , providing large-format analog console mixing quality on the road.

Boswell also explained why the ‘The Room Service Rig’ was aptly named. “Dweezil was not interested in simply hacking together typical ‘board mixes’ of Frank Zappa classics. He chose Dangerous Music and AMD in order to deliver studio quality mixes and mastering for the fan base. He feels the technology should not only fulfill the Zappa quality requirement but it should also adapt to spontaneity of life on the road.” Visit Charlie Boswell’s blog at: http://globalnerding.blogspot.com.



Last, but in no way least: BOBBY LONG. Another brilliant young artist from the UK. Although much more mellow than Davy Knowles, Bobby has an "old soul" feel to him too. Give him a listen, and if you like what you hear leave a comment and let me know if you would like a copy of his CD I have to GIVE AWAY (first come first serve).

Learn more about him and check out his stuff here.

Chickenfoot is Here!

For the last YEAR the search word "Chickenfoot" had directed more traffic to this site than any other search, so I would just like to take a moment here to personally thank Sammy, Joe, Chad and Michael: Thanks, boys :)

The question is: has anyone heard it yet and what did you think?

My friend Mike gave it a listen and likes it. You can download it for 3.99 at Amazon so I think I will do that.



----------------
Now playing: The Clash - Rock the Casbah
via FoxyTunes

Yusaf - New Music from "Cat Stevens"

According to his website, these 11 new songs are in classic "Cat Stevens" style. I went to the site and listened to the tracks they have playing there.

Wow, just hearing his voice again makes me feel good. I spent so many hours of my youth with Tea for the Tillerman, Buddah and the Chocolate Box, Mona Bone Jakon, Teaser and the Firecat, and Catch Bull at Four.

I can't wait to hear all of his new music. I didn't get offered an advance copy to review - bummer!

New Dylan!

Hot of the press from Arbell at Sony Music, and there's a Free Download of First Track!!

The first track from Bob Dylan’s forthcoming release, Together Through Life, has been posted as a free download on BobDylan.com. Titled “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’”, the song will be available for free from midnight, March 30th through midnight, March 31st. Together Through Life will be released on Columbia Records on April 28th.

The new album will be the 46th release from Bob Dylan, and follows 2006’s Platinum album Modern Times, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and reached the top of the charts in seven additional countries and the Top 5 in 22 countries around the world.

Any Dylan fans out there?  I'm a huge fan of his early stuff, he lost me for a few years but Modern Times was excellent!

Hmmm, I'm liking that album cover art too....very sensual. 

Back Door Slam

Was listening to the radio today and heard this song by these guys. The lead vocals/guitar is only 21 years old but seems to have an "old soul". If you like rockin blues check them out, you will hear the Robert Cray/Clapton influence. Must have this album!