Kingdom Come stir some interest back in ’88 when some of the listeners thought that Kingdom Come was actually a Led Zeppelin reunion. And their self-titled debut album was actually a nice piece of hard rock/blues rock collection of songs, almost similar to the sound and style of the legendary English rock band Led Zeppelin, actually they almost ripping their riffs right off.
The group was formed in 1987 after the breakup of Wolf’s previous project called Stone Fury. Wolf’s A&R man, Derek Shulman and record company, Polygram, allowed him exclusive freedom to assemble Kingdom Come’s lineup and direct its sound, and Wolf recruited Pittsburgh-based lead guitarist Danny Stag, guitarist Louisvillians Rick Steier, drummer James Kottak and from Northern Californian, bass player Johnny B. Frank. Stag and Frank had previously been members of the bands WWIII and Population 5.
In 1988, the band released its debut LP, Kingdom Come. The band’s first single, “Get It On,” was a big enough hit on AOR stations that the band’s eponymous debut went gold, meanwhile receiving platinum certificate.
In 1989, Kingdom Come released their next LP, called “In Your Face”. However, the album failed to sell well and all members other than Wolf quit the group. Read more Kingdom Come – Rendered Waters (2011)
rock
Death Cab For Cutie – Codes and Keys (2011)
The upcoming seventh studio album by Death Cab For Cutie, set to be released on May 31, 2011 contains 11 quiet, kind of “interiorized”, intimate songs, as Benjamin Gibbard and Nick Harmer have declared before, this album is “a much less guitar-centric album than we’ve ever made before”.
The first single, “You are a Tourist”, was made available for online stream on March 28, 2011 on the band’s official site.And “You Are Turist” – just like the other 10 tracks – is a nice, quiet song build upon a minimalist orchestral construction, the voice of Ben Gibbard lead as through a mysterious space filled up with a lonely acoustic guitar tune and a few discrete synth colors, only drummer Jason McGerr smashes off his drum kit and at the end of the track they introduced a nice turn into a much sunnier theme, but only for a few moments to create a nice contrast. Read more Death Cab For Cutie – Codes and Keys (2011)
The Tape Disaster – Realidade Aumentada (2011)
Mainly in rock/metal circles the mention of Brasilia bring up almost exclusively the name of Sepultura. Cliche or not, that’s a fact. Ratos de Porato for many still remains an unknown name. Anyway, a few days ago I was excited (and surprised) by MindFlow, a powerful and intense progressive (post) metal/hardcore band, now I’m listening into this “Realidade Aumentada” by The Tape Disaster and it’s quit a pleasant surprise. Waving around progressive and indie rock tunes, The Tape Disaster put together a beautiful world of images and sounds, they write a couple of nice tunes and some great songs shifting between moments of calm and dynamic twists. Unfortunately they don’t have a singer, but even exclusively with instrumental resources they managed to fill up the spaces and create a colorful and flowing material. Read more The Tape Disaster – Realidade Aumentada (2011)
The Residents – Lonely Teenager (2011)
The Residents are for a quit long time around and since the end of the 60s they explore the experimental/avant-garde area of the music releasing over 40 albums, but also they explored the multimedia area. Pioneers in exploring the potential of CD-ROM and similar technologies, The Residents have won several awards for their multimedia projects, and Ralph Records, a record label focusing on avant-garde music, was started by them. Actually they are more an art collective than a classic band. The Residents – as they declare – are “four people who dabble in the arts, they make music, videos, perform, and generally have a pretty good time.” Well, “Lonely Teenager” is pretty dark, but still colorful, surprising and exciting material. Mostly navigating on some strangely colored space rock/psychedelic fields, “Lonely Teenager” is a trip into a dark labyrinth of conscience. Read more The Residents – Lonely Teenager (2011)
Vessels – Helioscope (2011)
Vessels are a post-rock band from Leeds, UK, born from the ashes of the band A Day Left in September 2005. The band members are: Tom Evans – guitar, Tim Mitchell – drums, Martin Teff – guitar, bass, synth, Lee J. Malcolm – guitar, synth and Peter Wright – guitar, keys, bass.
The debut album “White Fields and Open Devices” was released through Cuckundoo Records in 2008 and a compilation called “A Cheery Wave From Stranded Youngsters: An Instrumental​​/​​Post​​-​​rock Compilation” is available on their Bandcamp page for download.
In May 2010 Vessels recorded their second album in Dallas, Texas, with John Congleton, known as a Grammy Nominated producer/engineer/mixer and through his own band, The Paper Chase. Read more Vessels – Helioscope (2011)
Foo Fighters – Wasting Light (2011)
I never was excited by Dave Grohl after Nirvana’s band, Foo Fighters. It was too fluffy, too pop for my taste, too mainfuckingstream, too radio friendly and actually I have no taste for Dave’s funny approach and kind of parodies. If I wanna have fun listening music, I prefer Dennis Leary, The Bloodhound Gang or Richard Cheese. “The Pretender” directly pissing me off because I actually think that Dave is exactly that kind of pop star millionaire he make fun of it. Well, maybe I’m a wrong judge of characters, but he’s star and a millionaire for sure. Irony? Probably. On the other hand I’m convinced that Dave is also very talented. It may be a paradox, but that’s a fact. And Dave proved us this not once. He’s a great drummer, a great musician, a great songwriter. “All My Life” – the opening track of the 2002 album “One by One” – is a huge rock anthem. So, I didn’t really expected from Dave nothing this time, but “Wasting Light” actually it’s a great rock album. Read more Foo Fighters – Wasting Light (2011)
Thomas Giles – Pulse (2011)
“Pulse” is one of the most wonderful and exciting records I had the pleasure to listen this year and I admit it, it was a huge surprise. Tommy Giles Rogers Jr. is the lead singer and founder of the band Between the Buried and Me, one of the leaders of the new – twisted – metal wave, a powerful and extremely creative band wich show a new direction and proved once again: metal is not dead.
“Pulse” is actually the second solo album by Tommy, the first was released back in 2004 under the name Giles. The new material is extremely colorful, impossible to label, crammed in some particular box. And about the influences and different musical roots of Tommy we can get an idea by listening the cover collection released in 2006 under the title “The Anatomy of” by Between the Buried and Me where we have songs by Metallica, Sepultura, Depeche Mode , Queen, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Earth Crises, Blind Melon, Counting Crows, Soundgarden, Faith No More, Motley Crue, Pantera, and Smashing Pumpkins. Read more Thomas Giles – Pulse (2011)
Guano Apes – Bel Air (2011)
Guano Apes are back! This is the good news. Guano Apes are softer than ever. This is not so good news. “She’s A Killer” it’s pretty intense and they still have some nerve, but there’s no more real skater anthems. The reunited Guano Apes left behind the nu metal and in gender the metal roots and they have some kind of indie rock approach with electronic spices. It’s not that bad, but somehow they didn’t manage to write rememberable tunes, sticky choruses, this collection of 12 brand new songs are kind of similar and linear. They have a few better moments, “Trust” is another better song for example, but still, something is missing. They last real release, “Walking On A Thin Line” came out eight years ago and a decade it’s like eternity this times, and “Bel Air” it’s sort of thin for a come back. They original fan base probably put their skates up in the attic and till now have a family and other worries. Generally this are not too good times for the entertainment business. The economical depression, the piracy and all that things makes everything ten times harder… Read more Guano Apes – Bel Air (2011)
TV On The Radio – Nine Types Of Light (2011)
Scheduled for release on April 12, “Nine Types of Light”, the upcoming fourth studio album by TV on the Radio consist of 10 brand new songs and the same kind of smooth, soft, tasty, very discrete, but still touching type of minimalist electronic indie construction with a charming romantic accent, but also including funk and rock, post-rock elements in a very colorful blending. If you knew and love them, you know what I’m talking about. The second track, “Keep Your Heart” instantly reminds me of “China Girl”, the song co-written by David Bowie and Iggy Pop during their years in Berlin, first appearing on Pop’s album “The Idiot” (1977) and rerecorded and released by Bowie on his album “Let’s Dance” (1983). But Bowie is not a news in TV On The Radio’s world. Their second studio album, “Return to Cookie Mountain”, received critical acclaim, and on the album features guest appearances from David Bowie, Celebration, Dragons of Zynth, Martin Perna and Stuart D. Bogie of Antibalas, Blonde Redhead and Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Nick Zinner. Also, during their US tour, the band performed a few covers with Bauhaus singer Peter Murphy and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor. Read more TV On The Radio – Nine Types Of Light (2011)
The View – Bread And Circuses (2011)
Look at this cover! If this is not “The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle”, I don’t know what it is. And The View are kind of back to ’78, not quit to Sex Pistols, but to The Who. Brits are obsessed by a few bands (and brands) such as The Beatles, The Clash and The Who. While nobody really succeed to become the next Beatles, many still trying to rebuild at least partially the sound – and fame – of The Clash or The Who. What can I say? “Lily, oh Lily….” 😀 Kind of “talking ’bout my generation…”
The View are a Scottish band formed in 2005, consist of Kyle Falconer – rhythm guitar, piano, occasionally bass, lead vocals, harmonica, Kieren Webster – bass, occasionally guitar, backing and occasionally lead vocals, Pete Reilly – lead guitar, Steven Morrison – drums and percussion and the only touring member, Darren Rennie – keyboards. Read more The View – Bread And Circuses (2011)
