Album Reviews

Charlie Farren: Tuesday

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Published on Saturday, May 11 2013 18:26

Written by Bluebird

CHARLIE FARREN: Tuesday

Album photography by Kevin Keating.

Mixonline.com to Quincy Jones: What aspects of your personality helped make you a successful producer?

Quincy Jones: I don't think it's about personality. It's about judgment.

So many artists self-produce their records these days and it is an exciting time for creativity. Given this vast landscape, what makes an original record stand out? The legendary Quincy Jones makes a point when he says, "It's about judgment." Choices.

During the era when rock and roll was at a peak of loud, and songs were first seen on MTV, as well as heard, Charlie Farren with the Joe Perry Project and later, Farrenheit, brought guitar soaring blues rock and 80's muses to the screens and big stages. Teaming up with long time friend and musician colleague, Jon Butcher, the vocal contrasts and traditions continued throughout the decades, packing live shows, releasing albums and continuing to record, while many artists from that era faded out. Charlie Farren is solo now and still going strong. Recording from his FMansion Studio, and Studio Bopnique, he has self-produced a new record called, Tuesday. The title track, "Tuesday," was co-produced by Farren and Anthony Resta. The CD was engineered by Karyadi Sutedja and Charlie Farren. How did they make this album reflect all that Mr. Farren has to offer? Judgment. Choices.

This ten track set covers the range of talents that Charlie Farren has seasoned in the decades playing rock, pop, jazz and blues music. Each song is fresh and eclectic, pure to the sounds that Farren values in his productions. Real music, real instruments, creative songwriting that is accessible to everyone, inspired by a true blue soul - that's the Farren ethic you will get every time.

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Keith Moody: Dreaming Out Loud

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Published on Saturday, April 20 2013 16:05

Written by Bluebird

Welcome to a mix of roots rock, with a singer-songwriter casual style. Nashville based, Keith Moody, brings classic rock influences of Tom Petty and blues guitar riffs to his second album, Dreaming Out Loud. Smooth enough to be compared to pop hit-sters, John Mayer or the Gin Blossoms, but lower in blues keys and soulful topics, Moody will not sell out the indie crowd. Rustic countrified on some tracks, he dusts everything he does with Southern charm. Dreaming Out Loud has rhythmic beats and great productions, which bring a fresh collection of ballads and catchy hooks to your door. Lyrics are hopeful, inspiring and grounded in real life. My favorite track is "Up". Fast paces and tight solos, wrap around the upbeat numbers, with nuggets that will take you for an open wide, window car ride, this summer.

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One Less Reason: A Blueprint for Writhing

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Published on Monday, May 06 2013 15:14

Written by Bluebird

One Less Reason: A Blueprint For Writhing

"Deep, meaningful, hard rock. One Less Reason songs are more lyrically heavy than musically heavy, and there's always a message. It's all based around those four letter words - love, hate, pain, hope."

~One Less Reason.

The post-grunge era has given us a wealth of experience with rushing guitar work, and an embracing of the raw.The quality metal bands can produce amped up volume rock, while keeping the tone accessible.  Keeping lyrics ethereal and even soulful, while reaching new creative heights in loud, is often a great balance to strike for a heavy band. The contrast of soaring guitar, impact vocals and lightening drums, to set the background for a gripping lyrical song, is what can really bring an audience into the fold. We all deal with good and evil, relationships, and the cycle of life. We have questions in our heads each day, whether we are aware of it or not. Lyrics put words to these thoughts and music captures the emotions simultaneously. One Less Reason does all of this, with power and intellect, clearly sets themselves apart in their new record, A Blueprint For Writhing. After leaving Universal Records to self-release their own productions, thousands of fans supported their latest project so the band could follow their creative souls. The result?

In a word, A Blueprint For Writhing is STUNNING. (Ok, so you want another word?)

A Blueprint for Writhing is RIVETING.

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Sevendust: Black Out The Sun

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Published on Monday, April 08 2013 06:21

Written by Whitey

Review by Paul "Whitey" Renstrom:

Whitey has been a bass player and songwriter for years. Living in the Hudson Valley, he is now in a roots rock band called THE TALL WEEDS. With a long history of playing classic rock, metal, punk and folk rock, he is our resident new music expert and just happens to love SEVENDUST. Here is what he had to say about Black Out The Sun.

The latest effort by the band SEVENDUST is called Black Out The Sun. As a die hard Seven Dust fan, I gotta say they delivered another great album. This album stays much more true to their early sound, similar to what can be heard on their second album 'HOME," and their 3rd album "ANIMOSITY". Their last album was the first effort by the band with the return of original guitarist Clint Lowery. That album, "Cold Day Memory," seemed to take a lighter approach to the music.

Black Out The Sun is back to that "in your face" driving rhythms with very melodic choruses that have become signature in SEVENDUST music. With a nice acoustic start to the album with the first song "Memory" it leaves the true Seven Dust fan wondering what's next. As soon as the second song "Faithless" starts I knew I was in for some good old SEVENDUST metal.

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