Appice - Sinister

 

Appice - Sinister is the 2017 release from the brothers Appice, Vinny and Carmine, who have provided drums behind some of the most iconic bands of all time. Black Sabbath, Dio, Rod Stewart, Ozzy, Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, King Kobra, Blue Murder, Heaven and Hell and Beck, Bogert and Appice are just some of the standouts. The music is sure to please any fans of the drums and hard driving, powerful music. Sinister is the first album from the Appice brothers band and it features some big time, all-star musicians.    

Before I start in on the Appice - Sinister review I wanted to give a little background about lead singer Jim Crean. Jim and I played little league baseball together and Jim came over to jam with me and a few friends when I began playing electric bass guitar as a teenager. It's amazing to hear Jim sing on the opening track by a band fronted by the Appice brothers. Jim has truly arrived on the big time rock scene. It's great to see and hear Jim doing what he always dreamed of doing and having a successful music career. OK on with the music review...

The beginning of Sinister begins with a heavy bass and drums back beat, the keyboard provides the melody and Jim Crean adds the icing on the cake. Jim provides a breathy vocal on the intro and follows the track as the energy and tempo ramps up. The Appice brothers offer an amazing drum volley to make the music that much more interesting. The song returns to the slow and melodic intro giving Jim Crean the chance to stretch out on vocals. Sinister also features Jorgen Carlsson on bass and Arty Dillon plays guitar. 

Monsters and Heroes features the vocals of Paul Shortino (King Kobra, Rough Cutt) and Mick Sweda (King Kobra/Bulletboys) on guitar. This song is a tribute to Dio and the lyrics reflect the imagery Dio conveyed in his songs.

Killing Floor features the vocals of Chas West (Lynch Mob). Craig Goldy (Dio) plays guitar and Tony Franklin (The Firm) plays bass. Killing Floor has a 70's bluesy, boogie-based sound much like Led Zeppelin. Chas West sounds just like Robert Plant on this one. The mesmerizing groove at the end is expertly punctuated by the drums.

Danger features Jim Crean on vocals and Phil Soussan plays bass. The song features a hard-driving mix of amazing guitar playing, reminiscent of Van Halen/Steve Vai, and powerful percussion along with an pulsating melody. Jim Crean and Phil Soussan take turns soaring above the melodic and musical twists and turns of Danger.

Drum Wars features the Appice brothers on vocals and drums. Drum Wars is really a rock percussionists' wet dream. The Appice brothers give a clinic on how to play rock and roll drums, the Appice brothers version of Moby Dick. 

Riot is a cover of a Blue Murder song and features Jorgen Carlsson on bass. The lyrical content reflects events of recent times and the wah wah guitar playing on this song is amazing.

Suddenly features Robin McAuley (MSG) on vocals and Tony Franklin on bass. The Appice brothers take a unique approach for the drum tracks, alternating takes. Most of the other tracks are in stereo with Vinny on the left side and Carmine on the right side. 

In The Night features Jim Crean on vocals and Ron Bumblefoot on guitar. This song is heavy on melody with a 80's mid tempo groove.  

Future Past features newcomer, Scotty Bruce, on lead vocals, Craig Goldy on guitar/keyboards and Tony Franklin on bass.

You Got Me Running features Tony Franklin on bass and Carmine Appice on lead vocals and organ.

Bros. In Drums features the Appice brothers revealing their love of percussion in a song, as brothers and performers. Tony Franklin kills it on bass.

War Cry features the vocals of Paul Shortino. Paul delivers an aggressive performance full of metal angst. Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake) plays guitar and Tony Franklin supplies the low end.

Sabbath Mash is just what the title implies, a combo of some of the best Black Sabbath songs of all time. Jim Crean sings War Pigs and the song moves into Paranoid. After a brief guitar solo by Erik Turner (Warrant) the keyboards take over in a very Deep Purplesque section. The jam at the end of War Pigs takes the song out. 

          

This review is dedicated to the memory of Rich Brown. 

                                                                                                        

Drum Wars Live! Carmine & Vinny Appice

 

Drum Wars Live! Carmine and Vinny Appice

Two Demi Gods of the Rock Drums

Live at The Iridium 2014

Featuring veteran WNY vocalist Jim Crean along with Ethan Brosh on Guitar and Jimmy Caputo on Bass.

When it comes to heavy, powerful rock and roll drumming, it's hard to beat the Appice Brothers. Highlights some of the dueling duo drummers' best work with amazing covers of The Mob Rules (Black Sabbath), Holy Diver, We Rock (Dio), Bark At The Moon (Ozzy) and Do Ya Think I'm Sexy (Rod Stewart). It seems unfair to have two drummers without 2 or 3 guitars, 2 bassists and a couple of background vocalists. The energy from the Appice brothers lifts the entire band up and they perform in kind. Percussion is the main focus and the Appice brothers are highlighted on Drum Wars (Part 1 and 2) with both Carmine and Vinny taking a solo on their own. Highly recommended for any drum player or fans of percussion. 

Temple Garden - Austin, Texas

Temple Garden - Austin, Texas 

"Redshift" is the first album by the psychedelic rock band Temple Garden. Formed in Austin, TX after moving from Canton, OH in 2019. "Redshift" is the culmination of the music written and self-produced during 2020's lockdown by the band. Temple Gardem was formed when brothers Eric and Brandon Carbenia joined with James Cosner to create new music in their home studio. The release of the 13 track album is accompanied by a 4 part radio drama mini-series inspired by the golden age of radio and Orson Welles. The release of the album is supported by a music video for Redshift and several 360-degree listening videos that put you in the driver's seat of the patrol ship as you listen through the album's leading singles Redshift and Vacuum Sky.

The sci-fi concept of both the album and radio play follows a space patrolman named Miro who is exiled from a galactic armada due to a forbidden romance with the patrol ship's AI guidance system. He goes on a series of adventures through the universe as he flees the terrible Galactik Kommandoh and seeks a way to hide from the all-seeing eye of the Matrioshka Brain, a supercomputer the size of a planet that monitors the universe for the armada.

Musically, Temple Garden takes influence from everything from modern psychedelic rock like Tame Impala and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard to classic progressive rock groups such as King Crimson and Magma.

Redshift by Temple Garden music review by Joe Tell.

First I must comment on the cover art, Temple Garden brilliantly uses sci-fi/pulp imagery create a mind-set before the music starts. After further exploring the CD art I found that the song titles further enhance the spacy artwork. Onto the music, the Intro is ominous and signals the start of the intense musical journey that is about to begin. Mourning Glory is a multi-instrumental, progressive, alternative rock track. The unique song uses a wall of sound to create a floating mood as the music plays on. For me the icing on the cake is a Zappaesque guitar solo that cuts through the mix like a knife. The next song, Android Babe (Luria), tells of a forbidden love between a man and a machine. What sounds like a mix between a keyboard and a guitar plays a melodic line that carries the song along until a psychedelic interlude/jam takes the song out. Galactik Kommandoh is an uptempo rocker that proves Temple Garden is a highly talented and well versed band. The main part of the song reminded me of Rush from there the song then morphs into another spectacular, spacy psychedelic jam which is then topped off with a fantastic Pink Floydesque saxophone solo. If that wasn't enough the song then uses a samba beat (wow!) to transition into the outro. This song has elements of jazz fusion, with its Jan Hammer like keyboard lines, heavy Led Zeppelin guitar sounds and amazing guitar/bass articulation reminiscent of 70's Yes. Galactik Kommandoh is my favorite song on Redshift. The title track, Redshift, is next and song is placed perfectly on the playlist to maximize it's impact. Redshift highlights the vocals and keyboards to create a haunting melody that will occupy your mind long after you're done listening. The intro for the next song, Starsea, conveys a feeling of loneliness and dread. As the verse music kicks in a feeling of hope takes over but the lyrics continue down a lonely path. The music blends the progressive rock sounds of classic Genesis and Yes. Vacuum Sky is another excellent progressive rock mind bender. A spacy guitar solo with plenty of digital delay brings in a high vocal part that dominates the rest of the track along with a wavy keyboard figure. Mr. Mikey's Megalithic Ziggurat is a fantastic title and the music matches the awesome title. Temple Garden impresses yet again with an intense, guitar heavy intro showing another side of the band. The band uses feedback and an overdriven bass line to create a sense of aggression. The guitar rules on this track as melodic lines and stinging solos weave in and out of the mix. The spoken lines reminded me of the end of the Rush song Rush:2112 theme song.  This song is one of the best on the release. The Tower Of Infinity continues the previous song and serves to further the interstellar story line. The band performs another impressive musical backdrop. I was immediately intrigued by the title of the next track, I Left My Marlboros on A7C. I was happily surprised by the familiar and legendary When The Levee Breaks drum sound. The slap back sound peaked my interest and drew me into the instrumental music. This song showcases the excellent musicianship of each member of the band. The repeating percussion sounds are mesmerizing and they cut are short by an evil cackle. The Elders Of Tunkasilan is melodic but sounds somber and conveys of feeling of thoughtful sadness. Chameleon continues the mood with its hypnotizing mid tempo groove. A few spacy effects add to the soundscape. The groove builds in intensity and then slows down to a crawl ending with a huge bang on a gong. Vex uses a familiar sci-fi soundbite to set up the end of one of the most impressive debut albums I have ever reviewed. The final instrumental track creates the feeling that you are traveling through space and time on an intergalactic journey. Listening to Temple Garden's Redshift on a cellphone or a laptop does not do the music justice, I highly recommend wearing headphones when you decide to listen. Redshift by Temple Garden will take you on a musical journey and it is one of the best independent releases of 2021 so far, highly recommended! Check out the links below to hear and see more about Temple Garden.

Special thanks to Temple Garden for expressing interest in my music blog.

Temple Garden is an independent psychedelic rock band from Austin Texas. "Redshift" is our concept-oriented debut and will be released on April 30th, preceded by our title track single, "Redshift" on March 4th, as well as music videos, virtual reality listening videos, and an extended version that includes an Orson Welles style radio drama to be released with animated shorts on social media. 

https://www.facebook.com/templegarden/

https://www.instagram.com/templegardenband/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-XfPQRzG460Fx5SrociPSA

https://templegarden.bandcamp.com/

Waking Bear - Olympia, Washington

Waking Bear - Olympia, Washington 

Recently received this message from Josh Lalley from the band Waking Bear. Wanted to give thanks and support to the band for sending such a nice message. Thank you Waking Bear!

Hey Joseph & Maria,

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this. You are appreciated! If you get nothing else from this email, please know that! We know how important music platforms like yours can be for artists, which is why we are taking the time to reach out to Joe Tell's Music Blog. If you have a moment we would love your input on our FIRST album "Trust Fall". Waking Bear is not your typical band. We focus on songs that uplift and spread joy using a pop indie rock sound familiar to the Pacific Northwest. We are not for everyone but if we resonate at all with you, we would appreciate any feedback and opportunities to work together. Our website will provide additional info if you’re curious to know more. Wishing the best for you and your continued work within this crazy and amazing industry we love so much. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Cheers!

Josh Lalley

Waking Bear

www.wakingbear.org

Forewarned - Buffalo, NY

Forewarned - Buffalo, NY 

Forewarned presented a double disc of old school American Rock in 2018. Forewarned is led by Steve Supparits (Producer, Engineer, Mastering, Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars) and Lynn Carol Schriver (Vocals, Pianos, Organs, Strings, Synthesizers and Drums). A list of extremely talented musicians contributed to the music to complete the songs. Here's a complete rundown of all the musicians that helped this project become a reality.

George Puleo played guitar on 6 songs and wrote Prelude to a Reflection. Kenny Hawkins played lead guitar and keyboards. Thomas Baum contributed guitar on 1 song.

Marty Raymondo played drums on 2 songs. Jesse Miller also played drums. Gary Bianchi played drums on 2 songs.

Chris Webster played bass on 3 songs. Andrew Noto played bass on 15 of the tracks. Jim Wynne played bass on 4 songs. Jerry Livingston contributed bass on 1 song.

Marilyn Hudson and Clare Sweeney also contributed vocals.

www.forewarned.net

www.facebook.com/forewarned

www.youtube.com/forewarnedmusic

www.twitter.com/forewarnedmusic

Top 30 New York Music Blogs & News Websites To Follow in 2021

 

Hello, my music blog has again been recognized by Feedspot for The Top 30 Music Blogs In New York. It's nice to be on the same list as the Rolling Stone and SPIN magazine blogs! Than You to Feedspot for recognizing my passion for music and sharing my blog on your site!

https://blog.feedspot.com/new_york_music_blogs/

Rock The Charity

Every Year Dave Michaels teams up with a celebrity to release a tune for charity. This year he invited some of his closest friends in the music business to join him as well ! You have a choice of one or both albums this year! 100% goes to The Hillside Family of Agencies. Dave raises money so the kids in need have a special holiday season with toys and instruments. Thank you for your support ! Let's give the kids a holiday they will remember for a lifetime! Special thanks to Peter Vincent and Dewey Richbar for their continued support. Dave is endorsed by Conci Cables.

It's the holiday fundraiser of the year and Dave Michaels is at it again. This year he is releasing an original track featuring a guest celebrity musician, as well as a local drummer . He also decided to expand the charity this year and invite some of his local (also national and international) friends to join him in a relay of sorts. The idea is to pass the word around and donate/raise money for the Hillside Family of Agencies children in need. . For his musical contribution, Dave teamed up with his friend Tony (an original guitarist from that famous band you all loved) to bring you a song that they wrote, produced, and recorded together called Summer of Love. It features a local drummer supreme - Marty Raymond as well..

Now for the REAL unique part! Dave invited all these great bands to join him., and if you buy the album (either one or both. This is 1 of 2) then you can choose which style of music you prefer. This album is more Rock oriented release obviously. Wait till you hear these highly talented artists !! The second album "Roll" is a collection of more laid back music by some of the absolute best solo artists/ bands He could find on the road over the years. You can't go wrong with either album.

Those that joined in on the fundraising, are the most caring, hard working, creative and talented groups and individuals around. All the songs you hear on the album are copyrighted by the authors. The artists all agreed to join in on the bundle as a way of giving holiday joy to the children at Hillside Family of Agencies. With your money, 100% of the sales gets turned into toys and instruments. If we max out the toy donations like Dave did a couple years back, then the rest gets turned into school supplies that will be given out for free to local teachers across western and central NY state.

All Artists apprising on this album have agreed to allow the one time sale/ bundle of their music for charity purposes ONLY. All music is owned and copyrighted by each artist individually. DMB Records is not responsible for the content provided by the artists. All Rights belong to each artist individually and are also released by them before this Charity Project came together. This is a charity compilation series. All material is for entertainment purposes only. 100% goes to a registered NYS charity. Sales tax is included in each sale. Non refundable, unless thru online retail service. See individual artists band sites for credits not listed here.

Artwork paintings for both albums provided by the wonderfully talented local Buffalo based artist Peter F D'Arcangelo. Prints are available for sale to anyone interested. A donation is not necessary for those on the charity's behalf. We will direct you to him for that. He also has other fantastic prints available. So please support him.

Each artist on these albums worked VERY hard to put these songs together for this charity (as well as for their own catalog of online music for sale. We ask that you visit each and every artist's known social media or webpages and support them by buying more of their music if you wish. Dave Michaels found each of these artists either on the road or thru friends. He handpicked them and mastered this collection as a philanthropist, artist, and friend to the members involved. It's a genuine way for the scene to support the children in need and we all thank you for your donations. Every penny goes to charity (except NYS sales tax (which in included in the price of the downloaded music.). 

Album 1 "Rock"

1. Dying to Live - Thom Conde Project.

The Thom Conde Project features Thom Conde...Guitar/Vox, Vinnie Andalora...Drums/Vox, Bruce Irwin...Bass and Peter Vincent on Lead Vox.                          Michael William Hatalak (It Dies Today)...Producer/Arranger/Engineer.                                   The Thom Conde Project songs (1 and 5) are Peter Vincent's (Garden Party) return to the original music scene. The production/sound on the songs is second to none and the writing/performance on the songs are some of the best on the entire compilation. Dying To Live sets the bar high for the rest of the compilation. The band has immediate plans to release a video for After Tomorrow and to record a few more songs. 

2. Summer of Love - Dave Michaels on Vox, Lead Guitar and Bass, Marty Raymondo on Drums and Tony Fredianelli on Guitar and Bass. Written, recorded, produced and engineered by Dave Michaels. Dave Michaels is a producer, solo artist, engineer with 30 years of musical experience as a national and international touring act. 

3. Plan B - Nick John Gabriel Lucido

4. Best Days- Chris Squier Band

Best Days by the Chris Squier band starts off with a well-played acoustic guitar intro and kicks into an uptempo groove with a sound that could be described as the all the best sounds of the 80's. A tight, clean mix of rockin' guitars, keyboards and uplifting vocals. Lead guitar solos are sparse but executed with precision and quality. The bass guitar chords sound great as the song comes to a close.

5. After Tomorrow - Thom Conde Project

6. Law Dogs- Wyatt Coin

7. Under The Sun - Yellow Sauce

8. Bring in the Butcher - Jed Seaver Solo

9. Skate Now ! - JD McClure

10. Where's the Nightmare End - Exham Priory

11. Fighting Just to Win - Wyatt Coin

12. Scapegoat by Methanol

13. Friends of Dave's who have demos for charity track (in order) Phoenix Van Der Weiden / Bruce Lager / The Hallow Society

Produced and Mastered by Dave Michaels @ Purlin studios Rochester NY. www.davemichaelsband.com

 

Album 2 " Roll"

1. Once - David M. Miller (Miller and the Other Sinners)

2. Piece of Mind - Grosh

The feeling conveyed on Piece of Mind is melancholy and the drum track drives the song with a quickness that defies the ballad like sound. Megan's vocals are breathy, beautiful and emotional. The violin track arranged by drummer Richie English and performed by Linnea Cremean and Allison Collins closes out Piece of Mind.

3. All Alive Here - Dave Michaels on Vox and Bass, Marty Raymondo on Drums and Tony Fredianelli on Guitar and Bass. Written, recorded, produced and engineered by Dave Michaels. Dave Michaels is a producer, solo artist, engineer with 30 years of musical experience as a national and international touring act. 

4. Appreciate - Grace Stumberg

5. Amy's Song - A beautiful solo piece by Ed Koban.

6. Roads That Lie Ahead - Johnny Bauer

7. Spiculum - Vinyl Orange Ottoman

8. Start Over - Bryan Price

9. Ignite (Rebel Hearts) - Mike Hogan

10. Got the Time - Johnny Bauer

11. Welcome Home by Susan Kincaid and George Puleo

12. I don't Mind - Papa Schmapa

13 Good Life - Begging Angels

14. Niagara in a Barrel - Jamie Holka, and "Bad Boy" Dave Marko

Hearts Don't Lie - Buffalo, NY

Hearts Dont Lie - Buffalo, NY

Hearts Don't Lie is a rock band from Buffalo focusing on original music.

Hearts Don’t Lie

Jennifer Kohler -  Lead Vocals

Tony Mirabelli - Guitars, Vocals

Drew Clark - Bass guitar, Vocals

Ray Barclay - Drums, Percussion

Anthony Mirabelli - Guitars, Vocals

Hearts Don't Lie debut CD is available now. 

Special Thanks to Fred Betschen, Richard Ells IV, GCR Studios & Underground Pound. Also, Mike Klodzinski & Mark J. Morette from Mark Records.

Hearts Don't Lie music review by Joe Tell.

The self titled Hearts Don't Lie CD begins with the song Dirty. A heavy rock guitar rhythm drops in stereo performed by Tony and Anthony Mirabelli, which is a nice touch and sounds really cool with headphones on. The band locks into a powerful groove. I can picture the song playing on a big stage with dry ice floating in and around all of the band members. The lyrics by Jennifer Kohler tell the tale of a love gone bad. A rather abrupt ending sets up the next song.

Bury Me kicks off with an upfront bass line performed by Drew Clark. The vocal effect adds some atmosphere to the track as it drifts in and out of the verse music. A unique guitar part comes in to start some great guitar soloing.

Next up is Focus. A dual octave guitar rises up into a heavy guitar riff. The heavy riff further breaks down into a sparse guitar figure which allows the vocals and bass to shine through. The guitar soloing on Focus is some of the best on this release. The music comes together for a tight ending.

Much like the other songs On The Inside has a distinct 80's hard rock sound. This song reminded me of the 80s band Dokken. The guitar solo stood out with it's melodic harmonies.

Not Foolin' Me features a classic metal galloping rhythm performed expertly by Ray Barclay. The guitar figure and solo reminded me of UFO, one of my favorite bands. Jennifer Kohler's vocal performance on Not Foolin' Me is one of the best on the CD. 

Someday is my favorite song on the CD. The tight rockin' groove sets up the best vocal performance by Jennifer Kohler on this release.

I Needed You is an uptempo hard rocker with a great dual guitar performance.

The Truth Always Hurts features Ray Barclay on drums as he kicks off the song in fine fashion. The band rock and rolls through this song with some quick stops in the same musical vein as the rest of the set. 

Pieces Of Change is one of the best songs of the set. The dual guitars follow each other creating a natural sounding delay. The melodic vocals of Jennifer Kay add another layer to the melodic sound and the energy of the song.  

Hearts Don't Lie is a great debut effort by a group of talented and experienced Buffalo musicians.

Check out the band Facebook, Spotify and

https://www.heartsdontlieband.com/

Special Thanks to Tony and Anthony Mirabelli and Jennifer Kay.

Haiku, Record Baron "Home of Dan the Record Man", George Puleo

HAIKU
Hugh Arthur
Spencer Bolden
George Puleo
Jim Wynne
First Wednesday Every Month @ The Sportsmen's Tavern, 326 Amherst St. Buffalo, NY
Thank You George! 

Here's a photo of George in action from The Sportsmen's Tavern.

Haiku's CD "Live @ Club Infinity" is available at Record Baron along with alot of other top notch local music. The CD features George Puleo on Guitar, Jim Wynne on Bass and Hugh Arthur on Drums. These guys pull out all the stops. Fantastic playing and much improvising from all 3 players dominates this CD. The CD is a Jazz Fusion lovers dream, Haiku starts off with some excellent originals and close out the CD out with some Hendrix covers. 

Also available at Record Baron is the accompanying DVD of the live performance of the "Live @ Club Infinity" CD.

George Puleo's Solo CD "so low" is also available at Record Baron.

George is a highly skilled and respected guitar player who was once a member of the legendary Buffalo based jazz fusion band, Gamalon.

Julian Frampton Band - Los Angeles, California

Julian Frampton Band is a Los Angeles based alternative rock band. Fronted by Julian Frampton, the band is still flying high from their recent arena/amphitheater opening tour. Now they're back home in LA and just released their new single Quicksand. With influences all across the board and not limited to any one genre, JFB has a unique sound all on its own; edgy yet melodic while priding itself in its live performance. Along with Julian on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, the band consists of bassist Ricky Bakken, drummer Guy Azoulay, lead guitarist Mike Lis, and keyboardist Ben Sheridan.
JFB is genre fluid. A little bit rock, a little bit pop, a little bit prog, a little bit of everything.

Their new single Quicksand is out everywhere now. It kinda feels like we are all stuck in quicksand these days....

https://songwhip.com/julian-frampton-band/quicksand