As it turns out, North Korean officials have invited blues/rock guitarist Eric Clapton to play a concert in the communist state. This comes as a very big surprise, because North Korean authorities have long shunned rock and pop music, sistematically rejecting any chance of getting great singers to perform there.Ah, but there’s a catch here. Kim Jong Chol, the Swiss-educated son of national leader Kim Jong Il, is reportedly a fan of Eric Clapton. He…
Artist name: Xiu Xiu Album name: Women as Lovers Label: Kill Rock Stars Gender: Art Rock/Experimental Rock Release date: January 29, 2008 ZMErating: 9/10 Website: www.xiuxiu.org Something I always appreciate in a good musician is originality, better yet actually uniqueness. A rare quality these days, in a time of piracy, digital mastering and plagiarism of retro musical values. The San Fransisco experimentalists, however, don’t fall in the last category, their different and being different isn’t…
They are preparing this reunion for the Rock on the Range festival, to be held May 17-18 at Columbus, Ohio’s Columbus Crew Stadium. It will probably be glorious and spectacular and two days long, here’s why. Among the bands which are going to play there, to name just a few would be naming Kid Rock, Disturbed, 3 Doors Down, Staind, Papa Roach, Seether, Flyleaf, Shinedown, Serj Tankian, the reunited Filter, Killswitch Engage and Finger Eleven….
Artist name: Lenny Kravitz Album name: It Is Time for a Love Revolution Label: Virgin Records Us Gender: Soul rock Release date: February 5, 2008 ZMErating: 8 and 1/2 Website: www.lennykravitz.com Well the first thing I thought about when I heard about the album was that he’s still single, so what kind of revolution is he talking about?(bad joke, I know). Anyway, this album was intended to be a classic, but the thing is that…
Artist name: Bullet for my Valentine Album name: Scream Aim Fire Label: Jive Gender: Heavy Metal Release date: January 28, 2008 ZMErating: 8 and 1/2 Website: www.bulletformyvalentine1.com Well I had heard a whole lot about this album before listening to it; and most of what I’ve heard was really bad. So I started listening to it with kind of low expectations, not being a [tag]Bullet for My Valentine[/tag] fan, and I to my shame I…
Artist name: Morcheeba Album name: Dive Deep Label: Echo/Ultra Gender: Electronica/Pop/Soul/Trip-Hop Release date: February 19, 2008 ZMErating: 8/10 Website: www.morcheeba.net The mid 90’s saw a new genre of electronica to surface, namely the cult phenomenon of trip-hop, that characterized itself through a eclectic blend of downtempo electronic music and hip-hop. Among representative trip-hop groups to emerge from the mid 90’s scene were Massive Attack, Bjork, Portishead and of course [tag]Morcheeba[/tag]. The later formed by brother…
Artist name: Hot Chip Album name: Made In The Dark Label: EMI Gender: Electronic Indie/Pop Release date: February 4, 2008 ZMErating: 8/10 Website: www.hotchip.co.uk The electro pop Londoners from [tag]Hot Chip[/tag] have always struck me as your typical smart asses and I simply love them for that. Their awesome blend of smart and humorous knack has always made them terribly appealing to me and since their epic 2006 breakthrough, The Warning, I’ve been a fan….
Artist name: Jack Johnson Album name: Sleep Through the Static Label: Universal Gender: Acoustic/Folk/Rock Release date: 4 Feb 2008 ZMErating: 10/10 Website: www.jackjohnsonmusic.com In case you know your music, you already know that Jack Johnson is a legendary singer/songwriter whose musical individuality is as fascinating as it is peaceful and calming. Jack’s band consists of long time members Adam Topol (Drums) and Merlo Podlewski (Bass), and Zach Gill (Keys) who joined the band during the…
Artist name: The Mars Volta Album name: The Bedlam In Goliath Label: Universal Motown Records Gender: Psychedelic Rock/Progressive Rock Release date: January 29, 2008 ZMErating: 8/10 Website: www.themarsvolta.com I’ve always been fascinated by the prog and experimental rock scene, being a fan of old school musicians like Yes, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, The Beatles or The Velvet Underground, but also following contemporary acts like Xiu Xiu, Dream Theater, Tool and not ultimately [tag]The Mars Volta[/tag]….
Artist name: Idina Menzel Album name: I Stand Label: Warner Brothers Gender: Pop Release date: January 29, 2008 ZMErating: 8 and 1/2 Website: www.idinamenzel.com Already a star on Broadway, Idina is here to pleasure us with an album. Before anything else is said it must be mentioned that she has enlisted very talented veteran Glen Ballard, best known for his work with Alanis Morissette’s 16-times-platinum Jagged Little Pill; he has also worked with the likes…
Andrei Mihai
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