AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: OH SEES/FACE STABBER
Musicians, by and large, carve their own paths. They take their influences, fuse them together, and create their own noise. Some of those musicians absorb more influences and make adjustments to their own sound along the way. While some of them might be distracted by the bright lights of YouTube viral videos and social media sycophants, we are still left with those that make music because they want/need/have to. Success might be their ultimate goal but how do you measure success anyway? Is a ‘one hit wonder’ like Starbuck more successful than artists like R. Stevie Moore or Daniel Johnston, two enormously creative artists that have built up devoted fanbases without even the slightest hint of massive commercial success? Some say that the hitmakers win out, but in all actuality, the winners are the fans who can enjoy the commercial Top 40 cheese while also enjoying those artists that inspire us to take chances, to move forward, and to be ourselves… […]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: SMOOTH HOUND SMITH/DOG IN A MANGER
Smooth Hound Smith has come a long way since they formed in Southern California. Yes, you read that right – Smooth Hound Smith is a they, not a he or a she. Comprised of multi-instrumentalist Zack Smith and his wife, vocalist/percussionist Caitlin Doyle-Smith, the duo formed in Southern California back in 2012. Caitlin was performing with her band Dustbowl Revival and Zack sat in on one of their sets. Without even realizing it, the seeds of their future were planted at that very moment. Caitlin would eventually add percussion and vocals to Zack’s ‘one man band’ performances. Marriage would soon follow. Eventually, Zack’s ‘one man band’ concept was cast aside, replaced with the introduction of Smooth Hound Smith as a duo. Along the way, Zack and Caitlin left the comforts of Southern California, eventually settling in East Nashville, Tennessee. […]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BERLIN/TRANSENDANCE
The history of Synth/Electro Pop band Berlin spans four decades and includes a healthy handful of hit singles, a few musical detours, a break-up, some reunions, and a legacy that refused to die. The roots of the band were planted in 1978 when John Crawford formed his first band, The Toys. Within a year, the band had changed their name to Berlin and the core line-up featured vocalist Terri Nunn, keyboardist/guitarist David Diamond, and bassist Crawford. Nunn left after the release of their debut album and the band soldiered on with a new vocalist before briefly calling it a day. With band members pursuing other projects, Crawford decided to revive Berlin for an EP side-project. He reached out to Nunn, who agreed to rejoin. When PLEASURE VICTIM was released in 1982, its success surprised everyone. Armed with three classic radio hits – “Sex (I’m A…)”, “The Metro”, and “Masquerade” – PLEASURE VICTIM was a smash and paved the way for even more success. […]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: PARTICLE KID/WINDOW ROCK
It all started way back in 1956 when singer/songwriter Willie Nelson first started making a name for himself as a Country Music songwriter. Willie was a hugely successful songwriter but his solo career limped along until the ‘70s, when he finally became a superstar. Country Music has morphed and changed over the years, making it more difficult for Willie to score a hit in the charts today. However, Willie is still a superstar and will forever remain so. In between the hits – both on the charts and on the bong – Willie has built up a family, which includes seven children. As expected, his kids learned a thing or two from their pops and have ventured into the music business to make their mark… […]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: ELLEFSON/SLEEPING GIANTS
David Ellefson is a Heavy Metal icon. Alongside band leader Dave Mustaine, Ellefson was a founding member of legendary Metal band Megadeth. From 1983 until their temporary dissolution in 2002, Ellefson was the anchor in the band, standing by Mustaine’s side through several line-up changes. When Mustaine reformed the band in 2004, Ellefson was not part of the then-new line-up. For the next six years, Megadeth soldiered on without him. Once some issues had been resolved between Mustaine and Ellefson, David rejoined Megadeth in 2010 and remains a member of the band to this day. […]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: IMPERIAL TEEN/NOW WE ARE TIMELESS
Imperial Teen is a proper Pop band. Imperial Teen is a proper Indie Rock band. Imperial Teen is a proper Retro Pop band. Imperial Teen is a proper Post-Punk band. Imperial Teen is a proper (insert your favorite genre here) band. […]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BILLY BRANCH & THE SONS OF BLUES: ROOTS AND BRANCHES
The harmonica has long been a neglected instrument in Rock music. In a musical environment ruled by guitars, drums, keyboards, and vocals (including harmonies), the harmonica – AKA mouth organ – is often used as a novelty… and even then, very rarely. There are those artists who have managed to fit the harmonica into their hits – Billy Joel, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, etc. – but by and large, there aren’t many Rock musicians who proclaim themselves as first and foremost a harmonica player. However, if you’re talking about the Blues, that is a completely different story. Blues musicians known chiefly as harmonica players include James Cotton, Sonny Boy Williamson, Charlie Musselwhite, Junior Wells, Kim Wilson (Fabulous Thunderbirds), Paul Butterfield, Mark Feltham (Nine Below Zero), and many others. […]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: MINDI ABAIR AND THE BONESHAKERS/NO GOOD DEED
The Blues genre may have spent the last century travelling around the world, but it has remained America’s music. Born from the crust of the earth, the Blues came to life when it was introduced to the sweat of humanity and the darkness buried deep in the hearts of America’s downtrodden. While Blues Music had been around for decades, Robert Johnson’s deal with the Devil helped to propel the genre forward. In the 80 years since that deal went down at the Crossroads, Blues has remained the music of the people. It is also the foundation of practically every genre that has come since – from Folk to Country to Jazz to Rock. The Blues is part of us and we are part of the Blues. […]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB/FALSE ALARM
Since the early ‘60s when The Beatles kicked open the doors, there’s been a constant flow of bands making their way from the UK, Scotland and Ireland to America. Every 10 years or so, there will be chatter and hype about a ‘new British Invasion’, but music fans are well-aware that great music has been landing on these shores for decades, and there doesn’t seem to be any signs of it stopping. For every band that achieves enormous commercial success (Beatles, The Clash, Depeche Mode, Blur, Oasis), there are dozens of other bands with that are just as worthy of your attention and hard-earned dollars. One of those bands is Ireland’s very own Two Door Cinema Club. […]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: MIKE ADAMS AT HIS HONEST WEIGHT/THERE IS NO FEELING BETTER
Up through the ‘80s, the term ‘Pop Music’ was not a derogatory term. Technically, it is shorthand for ‘Popular Music’ and didn’t refer to one particular genre. , Pop Music could refer to a Rock band that played songs with substance and melody. The Beatles are a perfect example of what one used to refer to as Pop Music makers. That term could also be applied to the teen idols and the one hit wonders like Frankie Avalon, Edison Lighthouse, and other artists known for a catchy chorus we all remember decades later. None of those artists sounded alike but they easily fell into the Pop Music category. In more recent times, Pop Music has been used to define the current state of the Top 40 – manufactured, paint-by-numbers music written by committee and enhanced by Auto-Tune. Well, I’m here to take the term ‘Pop Music’ back and apply it to artists that best exemplify what Pop Music was, is, and shall always be. […]