Right On Cue by Al Wood & The Woodsmen

For my 1665^th review, I am proud to present the album Right On Cue the March 30, 2012 album and my third review for Al Wood And The Woodsmen featuring Al Wood on harmonica and vocals, Lindsay Pugh on electric and acoustic guitars, Bass and Dobro, Simon Meilleur on drums and Marty Sobb on electric guitar and organ.  It is not very often that I find an album that I could not find a favorite track since I loved the whole album with such great tracks as the title song Right On Cue, Homebound Blues Again, Vicious Cycle Blues, Bitter Pill and much more.  I was quite impressed with the performance on this album as well as Al Wood & Lindsay Pugh’s songwriting talent, plus a superb recording and producing.  This album shows the growth of this artist, his performances and his songwriting since his October 3, 2008 album Mood Swingin’ Blues.  This is definitely an album you will want to add to your blues library.  You can pick up your copy of this album on CD and digital download from Amazon, Apple Music, and many other music outlets as well as from their official website https://www.alwoodblues.com/ where you can learn more about this band, their music, and their tour schedule once this coronavirus situation is over.  In closing, I want to thank Al Wood for sending me his CDs and giving me the honor of the opportunity to listen to him and looking forward to his future releases.

Church House Blues by Crystal Shawanda

Church House Blues is the April 17, 2020 release and my third review for Canadian blues artist Crystal Shawanda via True North Records.  After listening to her earlier albums The Whole World’s Got the Blues and Voodoo Woman, I was excited to hear this new album by this great artist.  This is an album that I have enjoyed from start to finish with amazing vocals and great instrumentation on such track on this ten-song album with such songs as the title track Church Track Blues, Move Me, Bigger Than The Blues, New Orleans Is Sinking and much more.  I was quite moved by the performance on this album as well as the songwriting talent and superb recording. Crystal is an artist I would love to hear more from in the future.  I highly recommend this album to anyone that is a fan of the blues and will be available on April 17th from Amazon, True North Records and all music outlets on CD and digital download.  Please go to her official website http://www.crystalshawanda.co where you can learn more about this artist, her music and her tour schedule when this coronavirus situation is over.  In closing, I want to give a big thank you to Mark Pucci of Mark Pucci Media for sending me this amazing album.

 

Rats & Ravens by From Hell

Today I received a digital file from my friend Billy at Glass Onyon PR for a band called From Hell.  This is the first time I received any music from hell….lol.   The album is called Rats & Ravens to be released on May 22, 2020, on the Scourge Records label.  This amazing metal rock band from Oakland, California features Aleister Sinn on vocals and guitar, Wes Anderson on drums, Stephen Paul Goodwin on bass and Steve Smyth on lead guitar.  This ten-track album showcases this band’s great guitar work, driving drum beats, thumping bass lines and powerful vocals on such tracks as Lilium, The Witch, Don’t Cry For Help, Forest Of The Screaming Trees, Body Parts and so much more.  I was quite moved by the performance on this album as well as the songwriting, recording, and production of this album.  After hearing this release, I know I want to hear their earlier work to see their growth as a band.  You will be able to get your own copy on May 22^nd on CD and digital download in stores and online.  You can learn more about this amazing band by going to their official website http://fromhell.net/

 

Yacht by Fernando Perdomo

Yacht is the March 27, 2020 album and my eleventh review for by Fernando Perdomo, guitarist, and bassist of the Dave Kerzner Band.  I have been a fan of his work for many years and always look for something new as in this album.  This ten-track album which features Fernando Perdomo on all instruments and vocals with a different sound than his previous album that has the sound like such groups and Little River Band, Pablo Cruise and others on such tracks as I Wanna Look In Your Eyes, Streetwalkin Rhythm, Side By Side, Feels and so much more.  I am quite moved by this performance as well as his songwriting talent and a superb recording.  This is an album that I wish he would release on vinyl so I could listen to this on my turntable.  I loved this release so much that I have already listened to the complete album three times already and will listen to it many more times.  This album will be available today from Bandcamp and other music outlets.  To learn more about this amazing artist, his incredible work and more please go to his official website https://www.fernandoperdomo.com/  In closing, I want to thank Fernando for turning me on to this amazing album looking forward to many more reviews from this great artist.

Deck Of Cards by The Wildcat O’Halloran Band

About a week ago I was listening to Lois High’s radio show on https://virtuosityworldwideradio.com/ and she turned me on to a blues artist from Sunderland, Massachusetts Wildcat O’Halloran.  I enjoyed the tracks she played by him so much that I decided that I wanted to contact him and offer to review his music.  In the mail, I received his March 15, 2020 album Deck Of Cards which features Wildcat O’Halloran on guitar and vocals, Emily Duff on saxophone, Kathy Peterson on bass, Mark Chouinard on drums, Sarah Halloran on vocals and Gil May on drums.  This ten-track album that features mostly original tracks, showcases such songs as the title track Deck Of Cards, I Wonder Who (written by Ray Charles), Tell Papa, They Told Me, Blues Energy and much more.  I was moved by the performance on this album, as well as how it was written and recorded.  This album is available on CD and digital download from CD Baby, Amazon, and many other music outlets as well from his official website https://wildcatohalloran.com/ where you can learn more about the band, their music and more.

A Common Wealth by The 10:04s

From time to time I listen to my various friend’s online radio shows and hear a band that grabs my attention.  A perfect example is the alternative rock band The 10:04s from Edinburgh, Scotland.  I contacted this band through Facebook and they sent me their October 4, 2018, digital download album called A Common Wealth.  I was impressed with the sound of this band that features Steven Bolton (vocals, guitars), Danny Scrimshaw (vocals, guitars), Paul Haddow (drums, backing vocals), and Johnny Tracey (bass, backing vocals).  I enjoyed this nine-track album from start to finish with some great songs as Harlequin, Throes, Carbon, Pins, Few In Pursuit and much more.  This album showcases a great performance, excellent songwriting talent, and a superb recording.  This is an album I would highly recommend.  To learn more about this band, go to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/the1004s/

Mood Swingin’ Blues by Al Wood & The Woodsmen

Mood Swingin’ Blues is the October 3, 2008 album and my second review for Ottawa, Ontario based band Al Wood And The Woodsmen which features Al Wood who wrote all the material, sings and plays harmonica with support from guitarist Lindsay Pugh, bassist Frank Deresti and drummer Matt Sobb and numerous support musicians.  After reviewing the album Hooka Train, I got hooked on this band and wanted to hear more thus the review of this album.  I enjoyed this album from start to finish with amazing vocals, bluesy guitar licks, and great harmonica playing on such tracks as Late Night Stroll, Highway 17, Diggin’ Down Deep, Feeble-Minded Woman, and so much more.  This band gave a solid performance on this album as well as great songwriting and an excellent recording.  This is definitely an album you will want to add to your blues library.  You can pick up your copy of this album on CD and digital download from Amazon, Apple Music, and many other music outlets as well as from their official website https://www.alwoodblues.com/ where you can learn more about this band, their music, and their tour schedule.

Tribute To Keith Emerson & Greg Lake by Various Artists

2016 has been nicknamed “The Year The Music Died” as it saw the passing of such musical giants as David Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen (not to mention George Michael, Leon Russell and Alan Vega of Suicide, among many others). Two more names that should absolutely be mentioned in the same breath as these legendary figures are keyboardist Keith Emerson & singer/songwriter/bassist Greg Lake both of whom passed away in 2016 and both of whom had a massive impact on modern rock music not only collectively as part of the brilliant Emerson, Lake & Palmer but individually as well with Emerson as part of pioneering English progressive rock band The Nice and Lake as a founding member of juggernaut King Crimson.  On April 10, 2020, from Purple Pyramid Records, the album A Tribute to Keith Emerson & Greg Lake offers a fresh and comprehensive look into some of the 20th century’s most daring compositions re-imagined by the likes of Todd Rundgren, Larry Fast (Peter Gabriel), Martin Turner (Wishbone Ash), Sonja Kristina (Curved Air), Geoff Downes (Yes/Asia), Derek Sherinian (Dream Theatre), and Arthur Brown plus a very special performance from Emerson’s son Aaron & grandson Ethan!  This ten-track album features such Emerson Lake and Palmer/King Crimson tracks as 21st Century Schizoid Man feat. Todd Rundgren & Brian Auger, Still…YouTurn Me On feat. Sonja Kristina & Steve Porcaro,  Lucky Man feat. Martin Turner & Geoff Downes, Karn Evil #9 1st Impression Part 2 feat. Arthur Brown & Jordan Rudess and so much more.  I was impressed with the renditions of all the songs on this album except for the Karn Evil #9, it just did not sound right to me.  The rest of the album was well arranged, performed and recorded.  If you are a fan of Keith Emerson and Greg Lake like I am, you will want to add this album to your library which will be available on Vinyl, CD and digital download on April 10^th from Cleopatra Records, Bandcamp, and many other music outlets.

Tanglewoods by The Empty Pockets

Tanglewoods is the January 18, 2019 album and my third review for the Empty Pockets which features Josh Solomon, Erika Brett, Nate Bellon, and Danny Rosenthal on the MT Pockets Records label which features vocals of energetic pop-leaning country Americana, with careful and bright vocal harmonies on such songs on this ten-track album such as The Grind, Asleep On The Subway, Brand New Eyes, the title track Tanglewoods and so much more.  Listening to this album, I hear the growth of this band as performers and as songwriters from the first album I reviewed to this current one.  I was impressed with many facets of this band, their performance, their songwriting talents, the way this album was recorded and their marketing strategy by offering a free CD for the cost of shipping because once you hear one album, you will want to buy more from this band.  In the upcoming weeks, I have one more release to review which is their Live In Seattle album.  If you get an email for a free CD offer from this band, don’t turn it down, it will only cost you shipping and you will enjoy this band enough that you will want the other albums in their library.  You will be able to learn more about this amazing band, their other music releases, and their current tour schedule by going to their official website http://theemptypockets.com/.  In closing, I want to thank this great band for the opportunity to hear their music and support their work.

Myriad by The Lovetones

Myriad is the February 28, 2020 album through Cleopatra Records by the Sydney, Australia Psychedelic Rock/ Pop band The Lovetones featuring Matthew J. Tow on guitars and vocals, Christopher Cobb on drums, Matthew Sigley on bass and keyboards, Tim Kevin on guitars, keyboards and vocals and Nic Dalton on mandolin.  This album brought back such memories as the sound from the 60s and 70s with amazing vocals and instrumentation on such tracks as About The Girl, The Milkman Of Human Kindness, Rescue, Modern Life Is Killing Me, I’ll Never Be That Guy and much more.   This release features great performances as well as superb songwriting and recording.  I am looking forward to hearing more from this band and I will believe you will too when you hear this album which is available on CD and digital download from Amazon, Apple Music, and many other music outlets.