Iggy Pop and James Williamson on a record again was one of the ultimate rock’n’roll dreams. The Stooges ever playing again was another one. Then dreams came true. The fourth Stooges studio album, “The Weirdness” was recorded and released 34 years after its killer predecessor “Raw Power” and features founding members Iggy Pop (vocals), Ron Asheton (guitar), and Scott Asheton (drums) along with new band member Mike Watt (bass guitar), but also guest musician Steve Mackay (saxophone), who also appeared on the Stooges’ 1970 album, “Fun House”. And the album was engineered by Steve Albini.
Unfortunately, Ron Asheton was found dead in his home on January 6, 2009 and any further The Stooges performance became – once again – improbable. Iggy released a smooth incursion into a jazzy world with his 2009 effort “Préliminaires”, then last year released a covers album entitled “Après”, which featured renditions of songs by Serge Gainsbourg, Henri Salvador, Harry Nilsson, Georges Brassens, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles and Yoko Ono.
But Iggy Pop stated that “although ‘the Stooges’ died with Ron Asheton, there is still ‘Iggy and the Stooges’ and somehow managed to convince James Williamson to return as guitarist. Williamson, who was responsible for the seminal guitar sound on 1973’s “Raw Power”, gave up the guitar and worked as an electrical engineer before becoming Vice President of Technology Standards at Sony. Read more Iggy and The Stooges – Ready to Die (2013)
The Bunny The Bear – Stories (2013)
I think they are funny. And honestly, humor it’s one of those qualities I appreciate in music while I’m a devoted Frank Zappa fan. But The Bunny The Bear reminds me of Green Jellÿ, obliviously a much modernized, updated, electronic fueled and club oriented version, but at basic level, the concept it’s pretty much the same: metal, fun and reaching out a larger audience by adding modern electronic layers, techno and trance flavor and vibe.
But while most of the “metalcore” labeled nowadays bands suffers from serious lack of inspiration and mainly only delivering sound, but never songs, The Bunny The Bear once again manage to gather a few good ideas and write several memorable themes and they have a couple of good songs. So, this “Stories”, the band’s third studio album it’s a refreshing mixture of catchy melodies, powerful riffs and banging electronics.
Matthew Tybor (The Bunny) and Chris Hutka (The Bear) have for you 11 tracks which were released through Victory Records on April 16th, 2013. Bang on this!! Read more The Bunny The Bear – Stories (2013)
Karl Marx Was A Broker – Alpha to omega director’s cut (2013)
Karl Marx Was A Broker is such an interesting choice for a band name, isn’t it? Got this album from the Italian independent label fromScratch Records and it’s an excellent ride into experimental, ground-breaking alternative rock/metal. It’s a vivid and dynamic blending of different tastes and styles from jazz and psychedelic to the so-called match rock and progressive metal, but it’s also a bridge over time, one foot is on the solid ground of the 70’s while the other kicking down the doors to the future.
Strong riffs, powerful grooves and interesting build-ups make “Director’s Cut” an exciting and memorable listening. This is practically the rearranged version of the previous album (based only in bass and drum), it adds new instruments and sonorities given by a new band member’s entry, Stefano Tocci. The powerful rhythm section of KMWAB is now reinforced and reached with guitar and synth’s riff and with sequencer tracks. Read more Karl Marx Was A Broker – Alpha to omega director’s cut (2013)
Loading Data – Double Disco Animal Style (2013)
Loading Data is a French band founded in 1999, they tried their chances in the USA and toured for over 2 years, then moved back to France.
They released their debut album in 2002 through United Musics. The second album, entitled “Rodeo Ghetto-Blaster” was released 6 years later through the Argentinian label Oui-Oui Records (Los Natas) and via Deadlight Entertainment in Europe in 2010.
The band consist of Patrón – guitar and vocals, Robin Vieville – drums, Louise Decouflé – bass and Julien Ribeill – guitars and keyboards released their third album, “Double Disco Animal Style” in March 2013. Produced in Los Angeles by Alain Johannes (Eleven, Queens of the Stone Age, Chris Cornell, Them Crooked Vultures, etc) it’s a mixture of stoner, heavy grooves and post-modern indie pop/rock with sticky melodies and strange, sometimes dream-like, sometimes floating like the smoke down in the club type of vibe. Read more Loading Data – Double Disco Animal Style (2013)
Skid Row – United World Rebellion: Chapter One, EP (2013)
Solid, powerful heavy rock which would just fit perfectly and make probably serious waves, get acclaimed both by fans and critics as a follow up of their killer, 91’s “Slave to the Grind”. Unfortunately, 22 years late released from a band which could be one of the best American rock/metal bands – even against all the trends and media bulls*hit. But back in ’96 Sebastian Bach failed to convince his band mates to open for KISS while Rachel Bolan considered the band too big to play as opener. Just as a twist of fate, after they fired Bach, they subsequently opened for KISS both as Ozone Monday and later as Skid Row. But this is history now!! Can’t bring those days back anymore…
After the failure of Ozone Monday featured lead vocalist Shawn McCabe, in 1999, remaining Skid Row members Dave “The Snake” Sabo, Rachel Bolan, and Scotti Hill hired Johnny Solinger to replace Bach. To date he has sung on the albums “Thickskin” (2003) and “Revolutions Per Minute” (2006), but Skid Row have been toured every summer. In 2008, Johnny Solinger pursued a country music solo career and released his debut solo album, although, previous Skid Row he had his own rock band called Solinger and released three studio albums and a live recording.
“United World Rebellion: Chapter One” is the band’s first EP since 1992’s “B-Side Ourselves”, and the first in a set of upcoming EPs releases throughout the next 12-18 months. And well, it passed seven years since “Revolutions Per Minute” as well, quite a serious gap in time between two releases for any artist. Read more Skid Row – United World Rebellion: Chapter One, EP (2013)
Panzanellas – Fagiano Unrequited Love (2013)
A little bit of color, life and madness from Firenze, Italy. Panzanellas is an experimental free jazz project formed by saxophonist Francesco Li Puma (the bass player of Atomik Clocks), guitarist Stefano Spataro (of Hysm? Duo) and drummers Marco Ruggiero (of Atomik Clocks), respectively Mattia Betti (of Umanzuki).
Build around the free rides and adventurous melodies of the saxophone, this is a journey of exploration and tripping in a Coltrane flavoured, gloomy, sometimes weird, but throughout expressive world of experimental/avant-garde music. Not for everybody, not for the the average or occasional music consumers, but for those who have ear for free music and border-less explorations.
Can grab it even for free (“name your price”), can share it, but most of all, listen it and enjoy it! Read more Panzanellas – Fagiano Unrequited Love (2013)
Lobotomic Cohesion – Of The Missteps And The Wounds (2013)
Actually don’t know anything about this project, anything else that it was conceived at Warszawa, Poland, this is the second chapter of their journey into the wilderness of noises and it’s for FREE DOWNLOAD at their Bandcamp page. So, grab it, share it, announce your neighbors and friends, scream loud as you can.
This is an exploration of sounds and secrets, a ride on rhythmic noise layers, gloomy soundscapes, a contorted combination of breakbeats and industrial fueled Gothic vibe. Sometimes strange, sometimes quite cinematic, but troubled throughout, this could be perfect for the soundtrack of a weird movie. But definitively it have its exciting moments as “Outsiders”, “Lizard On Ice”, “Beautiful Day”, and “It’s Just Too Painful”. Read more Lobotomic Cohesion – Of The Missteps And The Wounds (2013)
ANiMAL-MUSIC Releases Jump Music Video & FREE Download
The underground is over-populated with better then better bands and artist, unfortunately not always the best of them hit the surface. ANiMAL kicked out from the London’s EBM/Dubstep underground in late 2011. The three piece band consists of drums, laptop and guitar/vocals, started with a regular DJ takeover on Modestep Radio progressing onto guest mixes for Mista Jam on Radio 1Xtra and The Remix Show on XFM. Starting in 2012 ANiMAL went on to tour most of Europe playing at sold out Bass and EDM nights as well as some high profile supports.
The musical style is Punk meets Bass, kind of The Prodigy versus Sex Pistols, and definitively, this is quite a winner merge of styles and sounds, although, already experimented and bring to master level by their bad-ass homies, Subsource. Punkstep it’s a sold tag already, but still, ANiMAL it’s one of the more interesting bands pretty anxious to claim the throne.
After “The Animal Cage”, and “Mind Reader”, now ve’ve got “Jump” – featuring Mary Magdalan -, a new video and free download. What I like about ANiMAL it’s the humor. Can’t take them really seriously, but I admit, at least they are funny and sounding fat enough. Read more ANiMAL-MUSIC Releases Jump Music Video & FREE Download
Michel Anoia – Michel Anoia (2013)
In a world of senseless violence a to the bone brutal album actually make sense. And beneath the surface, Michel Anoia it’s more then simple and pure brutality. Merging some killer and chill jazz breaks, slow grinding and doom flavored passages and complex, technical moments with brutal, grindcore rooted death metal, Michel Anoia offers a 30 minutes (almost) non-stop hell of a ride. This is the ultimate death metal roller-coaster.
The sound of the recording it’s raw, unpolished, ideal rehearsal type of, but it’s just the perfect, live and alive, breathing and kicking sound for this kind of music. Very convincing. And the song – the 29:24 minutes butchery – it’s flawless. Smartly build up, naturally flowing, with excellent breaks and moments for breathing, technically brilliant, intense and brutal throughout. Fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Between the Buried and Me, The Conjuration and generally, of those brutal, but colourful, bold and experimental metal bands will be delighted and definitively satisfied.
Best of all, it’s for free, you can grab it from their Bandcamp page and share it away!!
They also made 100 limited DIY CDs, so contact them if you want your Free Price CD at: [email protected]
Michel Anoia is a power trio Read more Michel Anoia – Michel Anoia (2013)
Rob Zombie – Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (2013)
Mr. Zombie has sold over 15 million albums worldwide, and had six Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States. His fifth album, “Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor” will be released on April 23rd, 2013, four days after the release of Zombie’s film “The Lords of Salem”. The horror film was written, produced and directed by Mr. Zombie, and starring his wife Sheri Moon Zombie.
“Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor” will be the first Rob Zombie album to feature drummer Ginger Fish (ex-Marilyn Manson, Martyr Plot, and Powerman 5000). Ginger replaced old-time Zombie drummer Joey Jordison who focuse on his own band, the Murderdolls. Matt Montgomery – better known as Piggy D. – guitarist in Wednesday 13 and bassist for Rob Zombie is here, just like guitar genius John 5 (ex- David Lee Roth and Marilyn Manson). With a solid band like this, you only can expect true monstrosities, isn’t it? And well, Mr. Zombie will not disappoint anybody. “Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor” is filthy, groovy, unforgettable, rock to the bone kind of industrial metal. Somewhere half way between Revolting Cocks, Pigface, White Zombie and Marilyn Manson, but with the totally unmistakable charm and perfume of Mr. Zombie. Actually, this feels like a The Doors album on illegal drugs and perfusion. And regarding the good old days, we’ve got a Grand Funk Railroad cover, now that isn’t so sweet? Read more Rob Zombie – Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (2013)
