I first heard Black Lab in the fall of 1997. Their first single was featured on Toronto radio station 102.1 The Edge’s “Groundbreakers” show where they introduce new songs. (two of the other artists featured that week were Black GrapeRead more…
Tales From the Bargain Bin: Sugar Ray – 14:59
I once heard that Sugar Ray’s album “Floored” was the most returned album of all-time. Fact or myth, it’s not much of a stretch. The lead single off the album was a sunny reggae-tinged pop song called “Fly” and thereRead more…
Butch Walker – Peachtree Battle
Butch Walker has carved out quite the career over the past quarter century. A musical chameleon, he started as a teenager with-hair metal (Southgang) before moving on to glam-rock (The Floyds), and crunchy alternative (Marvelous 3). In 2002 he embarkedRead more…
Various Artists – This Is Your Life: A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio has long been considered (along with Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford) one of the best metal singers of all time, if not the best. He was the vocalist for Elf, Rainbow and Black Sabbath before going outRead more…
SIANspheric – The Owl
Last week I wrote about Swervedriver’s new single “Deep Wound.” I should’ve known SIANspheric wouldn’t be far behind with a 7″ of their own in “The Owl”. (SIANspheric and Swervedriver frontman Adam Franklin shared a double-EP compilation back in 2003).Read more…
Amon Amarth – Under the Influence
It’s pretty common practice for a band to release a covers record. But a record of knock-offs? Amon Amarth included “Under the Influence” as a bonus disc to their album “Deceiver of the Gods.” It was intended as an homageRead more…
Tales From the Bargain Bin: Less Than Jake – Losing Streak
Remember when ska was popular again in the 90’s for about three months? It seemed like you couldn’t swing a dead fish without smacking into a ska cover of some popular song. A couple come to mind: Reel Big Fish’sRead more…
Bit Brigade – Ninja Band
You’ve got to admire Bit Brigade’s painstaking attention to detail. With “Ninja Band,” they’ve recorded note-for-note covers of the soundtracks from the NES Ninja Gaiden games. Tecmo’s series of side-scrollers were notorious for two things: their brutal difficulty and theirRead more…
Tales From the Bargain Bin: Tal Bachman
I spend a lot of time browsing record stores. While the majority of the human population has turned to buying/streaming/stealing their music digitally, there are still those who prefer to buy their music on vinyl. I am not part ofRead more…
Anamanaguchi – Endless Fantasy
My introduction to chiptune-powered outfit Anamanaguchi came many years ago when the gamer-centric (and immensely influential) website Penny-Arcade linked to their “Power Supply” EP. I was immediately hooked by this band creating original music using what sounded like an oldRead more…