Wednesday 26 November 2014

Album Review ~ Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band ~ Goin' Home


Hello, 

Welcome to this weeks main post, I'm going to be reviewing blues band Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band and their latest album "Goin' Home" that came out this April. This album delves deep into Kenny's inspirations as he re-creates some of his favourite songs by his heroes. The album features original songs from the likes of BB King, Bo Diddley, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lee Dorsey. 

The album starts off with a track called "Palace Of The King". An upbeat Freddie King number to get the record off to a positive and exciting start. Keeping in the style of Freddie King the guitar tones are noticeably similar in this record to how Freddie played. The horns are a great edition to the track and this whole recording sounds very full.

After that is a classic sounding Walter Jacobs (Little Walter) track that goes by the name of "Everything's Gonna Be Alright". Its got that real blues drive and shuffle that the genre is so famous for, it never gets old. This is the first track we really get a flavour for Kenny's guitar solo's and its certainly one to really get your ears listening. His tone makes it sound like a vintage guitar, but is recorded with the clear quality we have today. Kenny's voice suits this song perfectly. 

Moving onto a Willie Dixon number called "I Love The Life I Live", again that real nice blues shuffle, but with a real blast from the harmonica. The tone from that harmonica has a real delta blues background to it, it sounds like its a recording from the 40's. I personally love a harmonica that sounds as bluesy as this, its one of my favourite instruments when played in this way. Though I found it a shame the harmonica wasn't used in the previous song being a Little Walter number. Though I can't complain too much with some classic blues shuffle done very well. 



The track "The House Is Rockin'" is a fast-paced Stevie Ray Vaughan song with a lot going on in the complexity of the blues straight groove. A neat little number that is certain to get anyone up and dancing to at a live show with a nice little ending too. "Breaking Up Somebody's Home" demonstrates more of the groovy side to the Shepherd band and really getting the chance to hear the power Kenny puts into his voice. At times it overwhelmed me with the raw power he puts in, likewise with how Albert King does the same with his songs, a great cover. 

To me, when "You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now" starts, you just know its a BB King track. It has that essence about it, that feel and the guitar solo at the start that Kenny nails. This is one of the stand out tracks on the album, the guitar licks are done to perfection and has one of the best piano solo's I've heard for a very long time. Throughout the first few verses you can hear the piano in the background with a few licks that are noticeable, but that solo...damn. As well as Kenny's impressive solo, this is the perfect homage one of the great blues legends. 

"You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover" goes into more of the country/blues scene with a great Willie Dixon cover that again will certainly get your head boppin' and your feet tapping. I've found that each song on this album doesn't sound the same as the last song. This album proves that blues can be a very creative genre, a lot of people speculate blues to be just a 1,4,5 chordal system with a shuffle. Each song has been different in its own right which is great to hear and keeps the listener entertained with Kenny's impressive blues band. 


Photo Credit: Mark Seliger (All Photos)

"Looking Back" is as cool as you can get with a cover. A really nice simple blues structured song with a lot going on in the song, but with a great guitar solo's. Kenny's tone for his guitar solo's make them sound authentic, nobody else can get the sound he is getting from those guitars. His solo's are note for note perfect with each note clean as a whistle for the listener to hear. 

"Born Under a Bad Sign" was another personal favourite because its one I play in my own blues/cover band 'The Delta Sons'. Singing away and I was really trying to see what Kenny had done with the song that was different from the original. The one thing I noticed is Kenny's laid back approach on how to sing the lyrics. He presents the lyrics how someone like BB King would, coming into the lyrics at any point, but still finishing off at the same point. Singing some words longer than others and really belting some notes out. 

Kenny's reason for creating this album was to pay homage to some of the artists he grew up with and whom inspired him to start playing guitar. He and his band have done this and more. They have recorded some excellent covers, some of which really show off what those legends were about. Taking their presence in songs and re-creating them in the song, but in Kenny's own way. Some with grunge, shuffled blues or a simple 4/4 groove, each song has its own identity and can give a listener a real understanding of how diverse blues actually is. 

"Goin' Home" by Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band is out now and I advise you all to have a listen if you want to get into blues. These are all classic tracks from legendary blues artists and its a great album to really understand what blues is all about. 

If you enjoy Kenny's album then he has just announced a April 215 tour too. These are the dates:

Salisbury City Hall                                             Friday April 10th  
Holmfirth Picturedrome                                Saturday April 11th
Glasgow O2 ABC                                               Sunday April 12th  
Aberdeen Lemon Tree                                  Monday April 13th
London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire        Wednesday April 15th


Thank you very much for reading and until next time. 

Lewis






Friday 21 November 2014

Live Review ~ Joanne Shaw Taylor ~ Shepherds Bush Empire 19/11/2014

The evening started out in anticipation from Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marnsden. He graced his presence on stage and was performing acoustically to start the evening off. He was welcomed by the crowd with a huge round of applause. Has a great stage presence that had the whole venue intently listening. 

Halfway through his set Bernie brings out a lovely looking velvet red double necked guitar. He said 'I've owned this for 40 years' and the tone that came from that guitar couldn't be re-created, it was a mesmerising sound. One stand-out song for me was his rendition of 'Dragonfly' by Fleetwood Mac. A beautiful rendition of which was one of Bernie's favourites to play. 

In-between songs he was cracking jokes and telling stories from his adventures on the road. He dedicated a few songs to certain people like Bobby Bland and Gary Moore. Before the song 'Dragonfly' he amused us with his attempt to bring Peter Green into the studio to record this song with Bernie for his latest album. As he played his final note of the set, the audience erupted in applause and before he left the stage he said "thanks for listening". 

Photo by MHP Studios

After a short interval, Joanne Shaw Taylor came onto the stage with her band and blasted into 'Mud Honey', the latest single off her new album 'The Dirty Truth'. The three opening songs were fast-paced and packed full of solo's from Taylor. Though at times were hard to pick out every note, you could see from her expressions she meant each one. 

The song "Jealousy" brought the high energy down to a slow number. This was the song that everyone could really start to hear the emotion Taylor puts into each song as the band were playing at the very minimum and let Taylor sing out the lyrics. In the solo she managed to muster up the highest notes on her guitar possible which was very impressive and a show in itself. 

With the gig in full swing, Taylor is bringing out top level blues for each song. At one point she introduces one of her band members on keys and the lighting focuses on him. Preparing myself for an epic keys solo it was cut short to carry on the song which was a slight oversight for the evening. She even added some comedy about her song "Wrecking Ball" and a comparison to Miley Cyrus that had the hall erupt with laughter. 

Coming into the latter end of the gig, Bernie Marnsden was re-introduced back onto the stage that was accompanied by another huge round of applause from the audience. They played two songs together that were "Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues" and "Let It Burn". In the second song Taylor and Marnsden battled it out with a call and response both constantly smiling as they pick out their best work to demonstrate to each other. It was great to see both having such a good time. 

The whole performance seemed to have notched up a gear after Bernie left the stage once again. The whole band seemed to be pumped with energy and really getting into each song. Strong and grungy guitar melodies were the essence of the final few numbers from Taylor's set. 

Photo by John Bull

Joanne's solo in "Going Home" was the best of the evening. Each note engraved into her fingers to be blasted out to the audience. It was a real spectacle of true emotion played into just one solo. Out of all the solo's she performed on the night, this was one the stand-out even if the others were just as spectacular.

After her final song she left the stage and was asked back for more by the audience with continuous clapping and foot stomping. She came back to end the show with "The Dirty Truth". After she finished her encore everyone was applauding her as the house lights came on to end the show. The gig was a success for all and the audience left with smiles on their faces. 

In conclusion, Joanne Shaw Taylor put on a show and pulled out all the stops in her performance. Each song had its own identity and was executed with style, grace and power. I would recommend going to her live to anyone who enjoys seeing some impressive guitar solo's and hard-hitting blues. After the show Joanne seemed happy with herself and said how much she enjoyed this evenings event. I'm sure I will be back to see one of her gigs next year.

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Album Review ~ Honeyblood ~ Honeyblood


Hello!

Welcome to this weeks album review, today I have a glaswegan female duo that have been impressing the industry within their rock/alternative sound for the past two years. They go by the name of Honeyblood who are signed to Brighton indie label FatCat Records. 

The opening track "Fall Forever" gets things going with a bang, some really nice guitar rhythms and melodies being worked into this song along with very distinctive vocals from vocalist and guitarist Steena Tweedale. I really like the way the actual song is quite simple, but because the way they have produced it, the sheer noise just keeps reminding me that this is only a duo making this music.

The other half of Honeyblood is the drummer who goes by the name of Shona McVicar who really seems to have some solid beats laid down on this album. I really like the little breaks in "Killer Bangs". It could be something little like changing the drums onto the floor tom and snare, but it changes the whole complexity of the song. Some parts are just a second long like in the chorus where the lyrics are "I don't wanna go, go go go on". On the three 'go's' the duo come together and really accent those words which sounds great and keeps the energy throughout the track.

The track after the two very fast paced, but brilliant songs comes "Super Rat" which slows things down. Gives the listener a little break and is the song where you can really appreciate Tweedale's vocals that really stand out and are like nothing ive heard before. I can't think of an artist that sounds remotely like her. In some parts it sounds like she is talking the lyrics,  but still with some notes sung and I really like how she does this.



The new single that comes from the duo is a tune called "Biro". The middle of this album seems to have brought the energy down a peg or two, but that doesn't mean the power has gone. This song keeps the flow of loud alternative rock, but with more of a dynamic shift between the verses and chorus. Though having the dynamics still pretty high in the song can make the hi-hat really pierce the sound which can be a bit uncomfortable at times. Though on the flip side of things it gives their sound something to feel harsh about, its not all games and fun when listening to this record.

The song "Joey" brings out the best in the vocal harmonies from the duo. The song isn't the most energetic in the album, but it gives the listener a chance to hear both vocals without the guitar and drums taking charge of the song which happens on quite a few of the tracks. For a duo you need a lot of things happening at once otherwise it can sound quite empty, but for "Joey" it works well.

The song "Choker" is one of the strongest songs on the album and is the song that really defines who Honeyblood are compared to other bands of their genre. It was the first single that was put out from the duo and got a massive backing from BBC Radio 6 Music with the single being on the A list for a considerable amount of weeks. Its a very catchy tune that lets the backing vocals take the leading melody for the track. The main vocals lead with the melody line in the verses and breaks. I like the way the song is structured and doesn't seem to long winded.



By the time youve got to the track "No Spare Key" you've got a good idea of the Honeyblood sound. The next song "Fortune Cookie" is possibly the 'happiest' song on the record, using major chords and even a xylophone to keep things sweet. Though this sweetness doesn't get annoying because its different to the rest of the album, so it ads a nice texture to the record as a whole. I really enjoyed the guitar solo at the end of the track too and shows off how good Tweedale is on the guitar.

Honeyblood have just come off the back of the NME newbreed tour where they toured the country with the band Superfood and was a great success. I can only imagine there are a whole bunch of better things to come for the duo in 2015 and I look forward to following their journey for the coming year.

The tracks to check out are "Fall Forever", "Killer Bangs" and "Choker".

Thank you very much for reading and until next time. 

Lewis


'Fall Forever'




Sunday 16 November 2014

Single Review ~ The Districts ~ 4th And Roebling


Hello, 

Welcome to this single review and today I have a band called The Districts. This four piece from Pennsylvania have been together since 2009 and got signed to Fat Possum Records in 2013 after their impressive style of indie/blues rock.

The single '4th And Roebling' is taken from their latest album 'A Flourish and A Spoil' and certainly caught my attention when I was sent this song for a review. The song starts off with some nice bass lines accompanied by some background beats and tambourine. 

When the guitar starts to enter the scene, its building up to something quite unique. This four piece are really taking your ears on a little rollercoaster. Building up the tension for a split second by cranking it up and then bringing it back down to a softer tone from the guitar. Rob Grote (vocals) has a great vocal range for the band and really gives this band an identity. 



The vocals are used with a nice tone on the microphone to not make it sound crystal clear, a little bit of distortion gives his voice that real grit. You can tell there's power in those vocals that is great to hear from an indie band as a lot tend to stay at one level, but its getting pushed to the limit. 

The chorus' are what make the song, a lot of noise, great guitar tones and getting everything turned up a notch from the verses. The band is really putting a distinct barrier between what is the verse and chorus. Though they come into each other very quickly, there is no warning when its being cranked up for those chorus'. There is a very nice instrumental/guitar solo building up to the eruption of the ending chorus to really end it on a high note.

All in all its a great track that you should go check out! I'll leave a link below for the track. "4th And Roebling" is out on the 9th/10th February on Fat Possum Records. If you can't wait till February then check out their EP they released at the beginning of this year. 


Thanks for reading and until next time. 

Lewis 


Soundcloud link: www.soundcloud.com/fatpossum/the-districts-4th-and-roebling

Fat Possum website: www.fatpossum.com

Wednesday 12 November 2014

Album Review ~ Bear's Den ~ Islands



Hello!

Welcome to this weeks main review. This week I have a folk/alternative band to review that go by the name of Bear's Den who are from London, UK. The three piece released their debut album 'Islands' on 20th October and I'm here to tell you what the album is like. 

Their band name  "Bear's Den" has been a band I'd keep constantly hearing about. Whether it be BBC Radio 6, Radio 2 or just from other people recommending them. So I finally got round to jumping on Spotify and checking them out and was incredibly surprised at the quality of this three piece and nothing like what I was expecting. 

Bear's Den bring to the table an album of chilled out folk music accompanied with guitars and a banjo. Andrew Davie (vocals) brings out his calmly toned vocals to make the music sound delight to hear. This is not a band trying to make noise and get heard, they're making music by saying "You...come over here, sit with us and listen". I can't help when I listen to the record that I'm sitting round a camp fire and really taking in everything they're playing and saying about. Just me?

The album starts off with a cracking opener that is "Agape". Bringing together each main instrument, packing a punch from the drums followed by the distinctive vocals and some mellow backing vocals from Kev Jones and Joey Haynes. The backing vocals are very impressive and give the overall sound of the album promise for the other 9 songs much to look forward to. 



In the track "The Love We Stole", you can really get a feel for the Bear's Den sound. A sound that is very different to anything that is out there at the moment. When its hard for me to describe the genre and style of music, you know its good.


One of the more popular tracks on the album that is ""Above The Clouds Of Pompeii" starts off with a guitar rhythm that free-flowing and catchy. Everything just seems to fit for this song to be the best on the album. The bass drum at the end of the song can be quite heavy on the ears compared to the rest of the song, but this is only a minor set back.
The lyrics make the songs very home-grown, if I was to describe everything on the record in one word it would be home-grown. They all enjoy making the same music, nothing is over-done, nothing is pushed. Its all come from some inspirational songwriting and experience on the road. Quite a lot of the album involves adding things little by little. Possibly starting off with just a guitar and vocals, then adding bass, then a small drum beat. Its also adding in piano's and trumpets at the end to really give it a fulfilling end. 


"Think Of England" does the whole adding in instruments gradually very well. Its only until the end of the song you realise how much has been added since the beginning of the song when it ends with guitar and vocals. At the beginning of the song you know something is brewing with the beating bass drum accompanied with clapper and shaker. 


Songs like "Magdalene" on the record are as if they're just made for Bear's Den. A chilled out worry-free song was if it was meant to be written for them. Its so difficult to make something sound so relaxed and easy, this song does it very well. The vocals are the reason this song is so laid back, if it was a singer who signs very powerfully then it wouldn't work. 


In the song "When You Break", I think its a little unnecessary for them to say the line "I want to f*** away all my fear". I think the style that they're playing in has no need or use for swear words. Its meant to be free-flowing and heart warming, but throw in some swear words and it changes the mood of the album to angry and raging. 


Finishing off the album are some beautiful songs that include some of the most hauntingly graceful guitar tones as well as feeling like the album is coming to an end. The use of horns in "Elysium" bring everything together in the track to become one of the loudest, but is one of the best on the record. The last track "Bad Blood" also has this feeling of togetherness to bring an end to the album.

In conclusion, Bear's Den have really outdone themselves to produce an album of folk that I feel everyone should give a try. You'll more than likely find that you'll enjoy at least three of the songs on this album. There isn't a song on the album that is 'below par' from the others, each one has been carved into the 'Bear's Den' wooden hut to be shared with the world. I look forward to seeing what is in store for the band when they go on their first headline tour in 2015. 

Here are the dates: 


Fri 6 FebBirminghamTempleUK
Sun 8 FebDublinWorkman’s ClubIE
Mon 09 FebBelfastVoodooUK
Wed 11 FebGlasgowOran MorUK
Thu 12 FebNewcastleClunyUK
Fri 13 FebManchesterGorillaUK
Sun 15 FebCardiffClwb Ifor BachUK
Mon 16 FebOxfordAcademy 2UK
Wed 18 FebBrightonConcorde 2UK
Fri 20 FebParisPoint EphémèreFR
Sat 21 FebBrusselsWitloof Bar *NEWBE
Mon 23 FebAmsterdamMelkweg Old HallNL
Tue 24 FebHamburgKnustDE
Wed 25 FebCologneBuergerhaus StollwerckDE
Fri 27 FebMunichStromDE
Sat 28 FebZurichMascotteCH
Tue 3 MarLondonO2 Shepherds Bush EmpireUK

Thanks for reading and until next time.


Lewis





Facebook: www.facebook.com/bearsdenmusic

Wednesday 5 November 2014

Album Review ~ John Mayer ~ Where The Light Is: John Mayer Live In Los Angeles


Hello!

Welcome to this weeks main review. Today, I'm taking you all back to 2007 when John Mayer recorded a live album in Los Angeles. This album was made around the time of his best album "Continuum" with the likes of "Vultures", "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room" and "Gravity" coming from the album to name but a few. 

The reason I'm reviewing this album is because over the past few weeks I've been really getting into the album. Its a fantastic live album, one of the best personally and I wanted to share it on my blog, so, enjoy!

With a long list of quality songs on his back, this live gig was shaped up to be one of his best. He starts the set off with 4 acoustic songs including "Stop This Train" and "Free Fallin'". A mellow way to start off a gig, but with some of his biggest songs. These are definitely the most intimate songs on the album. There's no percussion or anything to support the rhythm, it genuinely is just Mayer and his guitar. 

A personal favourite on the acoustic section is "In Your Atmosphere". Its a free-flowing riff that Mayer plays expertly that sounds like a part written for two guitars. Mayer is known for his top songwriting and this song bares no exception to this, as well as his vocals. They're displayed in this song the best with some difficult high notes to reach, but sings with ease. 

So, with four songs down, time to crank it up and introduce Pino Palladino (bass) and Steve Jordan (drums) to make up the 'John Mayer Trio'. Introducing the trio is a song called "Everyday I Have The Blues" which is a cover of BB King's famous song that comes in with a bang. A blues shuffle with some electric guitar solo's cranks the gears up from the acoustic set earlier. 

Pino Palladino has worked with some of the best in the industry. He's worked with the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Jools Holland, Eric Clapton, The Who and Adele. To be accompanied by the effortlessly talented Steve Jordan on drums that makes the line-up seem like some sort of royalty. Steve Jordan has worked with the likes of Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, BB King, Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards and Buddy Guy. Need I say more about the line-up!?

When you get into the groove of "Wait Until Tomorrow" and "Who Did You Think I Was" you can get a real feel of what's in store for the rest of the record. Tight drums, groovy, fast paced guitar chords and solo's accompanied with slick bass. Both these songs are a great introduction to the trio and with the album not even halfway through, its certainly build up the excitement for what's in store. 

Steve Jordan, John Mayer and Peter Palladino

Getting to the song "Out Of Mind" is a real treat for the ears if you're into your guitar solo's. This is the song to really dig deep into Mayer's guitar skills, its clean guitar, but the sounds he can get out of it are astonishing. This song is practically one big solo with some vocals here and there with solid grooving drums and bass. This is the first song you can really hear how locked in and professional Jordan and Palladino are. 

The only song that can get slightly tedious on the record is the song "Bold As Love". Mayer does a corny speech in the middle about how "he made it happen for himself" and about love. To me it wasn't necessary, but ends of with a nice little drum solo and instrumental so I'll let that part slide. 

One of my favourites on this album is "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room", just purely because it's such a beautiful song. Performed really well live on this album too, the backing vocals are to the point which you can't really pick up that well on any other song apart from "Gravity" a bit later on.

Other songs on the album that are a stand-out are "Why Georgia", "I Don't Need No Doctor" (that is just the grooviest 'headbopping' song) and "Gravity". Though the album ends on more the mellow side, it ends on a great song called "I'm Gonna Find Another You". 

All in all I hope this review has made you think about giving this album a listen. If you enjoy listening to blues, groovy tunes and John Mayer then this is the album for you. Its out of CD, 4xLP Vinyl and Digital Download. It was also recorded for a DVD too, so you can see the concert for yourself and how it was performed!

Thank you very much for reading (if you made it all this far down especially) and until next time. 

Lewis



"Gravity"



Website: http://johnmayer.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnMayer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnmayer