Mark Growden - "Saint Judas" CD

From San Francisco comes this veteran songwriter whose gritty take on dark, bluesy Americana makes him a shoe-in for fans of artists like Tom Waits, Nina Simone, or the Low Anthem. His opener here, "Undertaker", is a raw and soulful lament that recalls the great old bluesmen, though with stronger production, of course. And his group, The Mark Growden Sextet, accents his world-weary voice with old-time arrangements and stylish textures. "Been In The Storm So Long" is another tortured dirty blues number, with a cool swamp-jazz vibe. He re-interprets the classic Leonard Cohen gem, "I'm Your Man", and convincingly makes it his own. Other standouts include the haunting "Coyote", and the melancholy "Inside Every Bird". Certainly, "Saint Judas" is a strong, deep, and mature album for fans of blues that bleed realism, loss, sorrow, and redemption. Superb. (Porto Franco Records)

Growden's label, Porto Franco Records, has given kind permission for the following two Mp3s to be given away from the new album:
"Saint Judas"
"Inside Every Bird"

Mark Growden site

Growdenspace

And check out this new video for "Coyote", as directed by Christiane Cegavske:

Muse - "Under Review" DVD

Muse are a band I've enjoyed, but their predilection for sounding like other bands has been their ultimate downfall, in my eyes. Their earliest records (never released here in the states) echoed Radiohead far too closely, and in more recent times, Muse have done the unthinkable, and referred painfully to Freddie Mercury and Queen - blustery, pompous, and even operatic at times. This unauthorized documentary DVD, billed as "An independent critical analysis", does refer to these gripes, but generally goes off the deep end, citing Muse as great innovators, and one of the world's greatest groups. Hooey, I say. Former managers, UK music writers, and past producers are interviewed, and they all speak adoringly (perhaps too much so) about Muse's successes and glories. Taken with a grain of salt (or three), "Under Review" can be an entertaining look at the history of this epic stadium rock outfit, especially if you can get past the sycophantic spirit. (Sexy Intellectual via MVD Visual)

Musespace

Shane MacGowan, Johnny Depp, Nick Cave, and friends...

Here's something cool deserving of some attention. To help benefit the victims of Haiti's massive earthquake, Pogues leader Shane MacGowan rounded up some of his high-profile friends, including Johnny Depp, Nick Cave, Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream), Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders), and Mick Jones (The Clash), to cover the great 1956 Screamin' Jay Hawkins track, "I Put A Spell On You". It's a lovely and faithful rendition, I'm sure you'll agree. The song will be released as a downloadable mp3 soon, as well. Check the video for details.

"I Am Virgin" DVD (director: Sean Skelding)

B-movies can be fun, titillating, and guilty pleasure-romps, where the right mix of camp and over-the-top situations are so borderline comedic that suspension of disbelief doesn't matter any more.
That said, "I Am Virgin", a softcore parody of "I Am Legend" with vampires, contains this campy element, but loses me in several ways. It's the tale of the last "regular" man on Earth, and he's still a (grudging) virgin. The trouble is, the plague that destroyed the world turns everyone (and it seems everyone is a Suicide Girl) into sex-crazed, nymphomaniac vampires. So he is pursued by numerous tattooed and pierced nudies with silicon implants, yet he refuses to succumb to their toothy wiles, for fear of being killed. The acting is absolutely bad, with the stripper/actresses poorly gumming their way through their plastic vampire teeth. It's hammy, trashy, overacted, and gaudy, and though this obviously isn't meant to be much more, I found it nearly unwatchable. The numerous sex scenes seemed sterile and plastic, so that doesn't save it, either. The best performance here has to be from Billy the basset hound, whose dubbed yelps and responses are spot-on. "I Am Virgin" isn't scary enough to be horror, and it's not sexy enough to be porno. No, thanks to this one. ( Cheezy Flicks Productionsvia MVD Visual)

I Am Virgin site with clips, interviews, etc.

Fear Factory - "Mechanize" CD

The heralded reunion of vocalist/conceptualist Burton C. Bell and guitarist Dino Cazares shows the band with a renewed sense of urgency and power, and sounds every bit as incendiary as their early industrial-metal works from the 90's. With producer and keyboardist Rhys Fulber (of Front Line Assembly) also returning, the title track is an extremely tight screamer that brilliantly showcases all of Fear Factory's trademarks -- Bell's gutteral-to-melodic singing voice, downtuned surgical-steel guitars, inhuman drumming (thanks to Dethklok/Strapping Young Lad drum-deity Gene Hoglan), and deeply cinematic electronic effects for mood. The tempo is unrelenting on "Industrial Discipline", which could be an out-take from the band's classic 1995 album "Demanufacture". It's a maelstrom of entangled metal wires and diodes punctuating the eerie yet hard-hitting instrumental "Metallic Division", too. And "Final Exit" is an epic 8-minute closer, with regal melodic breakdowns that give way to blindingly potent thrash around the edges. Killer stuff. My theory as to Fear Factory's staying power is that so many metal bands are afraid to stray too far from the genre, whereas these guys have taken bits of everything from indie noise/rock to electronica and techno, gene-spliced it to raging industrial death metal, and in effect, helped to create a new sound. It's nice to have them back. This is a grand return to form. (Candlelight Records USA)

Fear Factory site

Fear Factoryspace

Burton's Ascension Of The Watcherspace


Fear Factory - Fear Campaign
Video Codes at www.roxwel.com

Aldaaron - "Nous reviendrons Immortels" CD

With a shrieking madman in vocalist Ioldar (think Alan Dubin's strained wails from his days in grindcore progenitors O.L.D.), this French group's propulsive debut combines inspirations from black metal (the most evident) to heavy grind and classic metal, sometimes within individual tracks. "En route vers la bataille" ("On The Way Towards The Battle"), for example, brings almost 8 minutes of fluctuating tempos and styles, from an acoustic, medieval, even pagan vibe to heavy, blurry, and frenetic black metal with Cookie-Monster vocals. "Nirnaeth Arnoediad partie 1 & 2" bring forth interludes of mournful gothic strings to further evoke a mood of isolation and despair. "Royaume" has a cool mid-tempo thrash chug-a-lug that proves successful, as well. It's a good mix, full of clear instrumentation and wide high and low frequencies. Aldaaron have a diverse sound that opens them up to more than most of their peers, and I can see them diverging even more from their well-trodden path on future releases. As is, "Nous reviendrons Immortels" is a strong effort from a band who are well on their way to making a name for themselves. (Paragon Records)

Aldaaron site

Aldaaronspace

March Of The Beer 2010

Ah, the time is at last here again for the month's beer tastings. Findings below. Be sure to support your local craft brewers (local is always fresher), and give a small brewer a try...relying solely on corporate beer is only allowing yourself to be boxed in and marketed to. Be individual, stand out, and drink indie beer!



BLUE DAWG BREWING - WILD BLUE BLUEBERRY LAGER (Baldwinsville, NY) - 1.0
To start with, I adore blueberries. Fresh, ripe, and real blueberries, that is. Nonetheless, this Nehi grape-colored debacle may say it contains "natural flavors and colors", but beer it is not. And I question the "blueberry" content as well. Maybe the 8% ABV is meant to obscure the fact that this one commits abominable and atrocious acts on the tastebuds? It tastes like an alcoholic grape soda, with no discernable hint of hops, just a weird, artificial fruity flavor that lingers like a Wild Irish Rose version of beer. Ugh. Avoid.

SCHLAFLY No.15 ALE (St. Louis, MO) - 4.5
This nice amber wheat ale brings a frothy appearance and a fragrant spice aroma - delectable! The first impression is a well-balanced maltiness, with a hint of citrusy spice. Compares (very) favorably to it's mainstream counterpart, Blue Moon, and in fact, a source close to me (who happens to enjoy Blue Moon) rated this one better. I do, too. A wonderful beer -- not flashy or showy, just eminently enjoyable and steady. Pick of the month.

TWO BROTHERS BREWING - THE BITTER END PALE ALE (Warrenville, IL) - 4.0
A nice, sweet, and floral aroma immediately permeates the air around this one. Certainly a promising opening! Tastewise, it's a smooth and hoppy character with a well-balanced malty presence that counteracts the more acidic and bitter elements that other pale ales exhibit. A standout, and a fine example of the style. Highly enjoyable.

MICHELOB - HOP HOUND AMBER WHEAT (St. Louis, MO) - 3.0
A nicely clouded golden ale, this seasonal macro features a balanced blend of Northwest hops and sweet malts. It's an appealing combination with hints of citrus and caramel notes, and not as bitter or biting as the name suggests. Hop Hound is easygoing, and not too complex, but more than drinkable. A nice starting point for the inexperienced beer drinker.