Blush Response was an electropop group formed sometime around 2000 and featured Billie Schubert, Trevor Gagner and Brandon Flowers, who left the band in 2001 and formed The Killers with Dave Keuning.
This Blush Response have nothing to do with that one. Eventually, it’s just another case of bad choice of name. The solo project of musician Joey Blush is based in New York and was created in 2009 and officially launched in June 2009 with the release of “Reduce You”, a two track release, featuring demo versions of songs.
The debut album, “We Are Replicants” was released in 2010, shortly after followed by the single EPs “Control Freak” and “Impossible”.
Joey Blush remixed Dangerous Muse’s single “I Want It All”, TENSE’s “Disconnect Myself”, iVardensphere’s “Bonedance”, Batillus’s “Cast” and Pouppée Fabrikk’s “H8 U”. In early 2012, he was tapped to add additional synth programming to the new Fear Factory record “The Industrialist”. He also provided a remix for the deluxe edition CD.
The second Blush Response album, “Tension Strategies” was released on March 05, 2013 on Tundra in the US and Haujobb’s label Basic Unit Productions in Europe and Russia. Read more Blush Response – Tension Strategies (2013)
2013
Trilok Gurtu – Spellbound (2013)
Trilok Gurtu is an Indian percussionist and composer, he was born born in Mumbai, India on 30 October 1951 and his work blending traditional Indian music with jazz fusion, world music and many other different genres.
Trilok Gurtu has collaborated with many artists, including Terje Rypdal, Gary Moore, John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek, Joe Zawinul, Bill Laswell, Maria João & Mário Laginha, and Robert Miles.
Gurtu began playing western drum kit in the 1970s, and developed interest in jazz. In the 1970s, he played with Charlie Mariano, John Tchicai, Terje Rypdal, and Don Cherry.
In the 1980s, Gurtu played with Swiss drummer Charly Antolini, bassists Jonas Hellborg and with John McLaughlin in McLaughlin’s trio, and performed at least one concert opening for Miles Davis.
“Spellbound” is an expression of Trilok Gurtu’s great admiration for the man and musician Don Cherry, but also have some moments with a strong Miles Davis flavor.
Although the album starts with a 33-second improvisation in a duo with Cherry on trumpet and Trilok Gurtu, “Spellbound” contain no other recordings with Don Cherry. Read more Trilok Gurtu – Spellbound (2013)
Queensryche – Frequency Unknown (2013)
And here it is, the new ‘ryche product, not really sure now if this is really the thirteenth Queensrÿche – honestly, I don’t think so – or the first album by Geoff Tate’s version of the ‘ryche – which seems more appropriate. Since I mentioned the war between the two sides of the band, the preliminary injunction lawsuit, disputing ownership of the band name, resulted in a verdict that allow both Tate and the other band members to use the band name until the next court date, scheduled for November 2013. The “other” half – actually 90% of the band – will release their album in June, although, the first single, “Redemption”, was released on March 25, 2013.
I know, generally speaking, the truth it’s somewhere in between, but this whole thing of Tate claiming the Queensrÿche name after he was the one who always was complaining about the metal content of the band and always tried to force his bandmates to leave behind the rock and metal roots and do “other” things, try different approaches and sounds, now smells pretty bad. And listening “Frequency Unknown” and the desperate struggle to prove that they are rock and metal and “true warriors”, make them look – and sound – quite ridiculous. I was curious why the hell Tate felt the need to re-record some classic ‘ryche tracks (I Don’t Believe in Love, Empire, Jet City Woman, Silent Lucidity) and his answer was shocking and cynical: “The money. The record company really wanted those for resale and licensing and all that kind of that stuff, so they said: ‘We’ll give you a lot of money for it.’ And so I said, ‘Okay, beautiful!’ They wanted them to sound, you know, as close as we could make them to the originals. And that’s what was really hard, was making them sound that way.” Well, the result it’s actually not so satisfying. Unfortunately, they managed to sound only as an imitation. Read more Queensryche – Frequency Unknown (2013)
Iggy and The Stooges – Ready to Die (2013)
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)
