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. […]

By | July 5th, 2019|News, Uncategorized|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BILLY BRANCH & THE SONS OF BLUES: ROOTS AND BRANCHES

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: APEX MANOR/HEARTBREAK CITY

It has been eight years since Southern California-based Apex Manor released their last album. Eight years is a long time between albums. In that same span of time, The Beatles wrote and recorded their entire catalog (not to mention making movies and touring). Fleetwood Mac was able to knock out everything from their 1975 self-titled release to their 1982 album TANGO IN THE NIGHT in just under eight years. Popular children’s music band The Wiggles issued nine studio albums, toured the world, and filmed a TV series within their first eight years of their existence. Wait… did I just mention The Wiggles? Oh, dear.  Let’s circle back to Apex Manor and the eight-year stretch between albums… […]

By | May 31st, 2019|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: APEX MANOR/HEARTBREAK CITY

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: B.B. KING BLUES BAND/THE SOUL OF THE KING

THE B.B. KING BLUES BAND THE SOUL OF THE KING (Ruf Records) 5.10.19 Blues music has been a crucial part of American history for nearly 150 years. Originally, the Blues genre grew organically from Folk, spirituals, and African work songs. Since the dawn of recorded music, Blues has traveled around the world, inspiring millions of musicians in the process. The musical blueprint for the Blues remains virtually unchanged a century and a half later yet musicians find new ways to interpret it year after year. Much like an amusement park ride, the basic structure itself never changes yet it is experienced differently by each person that rides it. The Blues can be performed by down-trodden acoustic guitar player or a glitzy big band and have the same effect on the listener. The Blues informs almost every other style of music – from Rock ‘n’ Roll to modern Country and Jazz. The Blues is understood and misunderstood in equal measures. The Blues can make you sob but then turn around and drown you in joy. The Blues, in the hands of the right musicians, is magical.  And one of the greatest Blues musicians/magicians was – and remains – B.B. King. […]

By | May 10th, 2019|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: B.B. KING BLUES BAND/THE SOUL OF THE KING

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: JACKIE EVANCHO/THE DEBUT

Being a ‘child star’ is a blessing and a curse. Initially, the ‘blessing’ offers the young performer early stardom and adulation. However, the ‘curse’ revolves around the child star growing older and losing their innocent charm. Sadly, the pressures of maintaining your popularity AND experiencing the trials and tribulations of your teenage years and young adulthood is a very difficult task. Some child stars cannot handle the pressure and spend a good portion of their lives drowning in a sea of drugs and alcohol. Thankfully, there are exceptions to the rule and some of those ‘former child stars’ manage to grow older gracefully while staying out of the tabloids. Some of them leave the business while others turn their attention to other aspects of entertainment (directing, writing, etc.). And then there’s Jackie Evancho. Not only has she survived child stardom, she has succeeded beyond all imagination. […]

By | April 12th, 2019|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: JACKIE EVANCHO/THE DEBUT

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS/RISE SUN

When tracing the history of American music, Bluegrass is still a relatively young genre. Hollywood may have added a decade onto Bluegrass’ age by using it as the soundtrack to Bonnie & Clyde’s exploits in the 1967 film, but the truth is that the genre didn’t exist until long after the duo’s 1934 death.  While variations of the sound most likely developed a few years before it became mainstream, Bluegrass became a phenomenon in the mid-‘40s and is one of the few styles of music that has continued to progress while also remaining true to its roots –  the more things change, the more they stay the same. Even though modern Country Music bears little to no resemblance to the Country & Western of the ‘40s, Bluegrass is still Bluegrass – honest and pure. […]

By | April 5th, 2019|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS/RISE SUN

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: THE STRUMBELLAS/RATTLESNAKE

Pop music is a strangely wonderful artform. On the surface, it can sound deceptively simple and carefree. However, like a calm and inviting ocean, mystery lies beneath the windswept ripples. The melodies may dance around in the ether but there are a lot of moving parts that make them seem effortless. Every beat, every bass thump, every electronic whirl, every guitar strum, and every harmony is there for a reason. It is up to you, the listener, to realize what that reason is. Yes, you can read interviews and find out what the artists’ intents are but often times, they don’t fully realize the meaning of their songs until years later. On the other hand, one song can mean something different to nearly every person that listens to it. And that, in and of itself, is one of the great mysteries of Pop music. […]

By | March 29th, 2019|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: THE STRUMBELLAS/RATTLESNAKE

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: JOHN & YOKO: THE WEDDING ALBUM

I can only imagine (no pun intended) a Beatles fan spinning John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s THE WEDDING ALBUM for the first time. I mean, it most certainly isn’t THE WHITE ALBUM or ABBEY ROAD, is it? “Which cut is the single? Where are the hooks? Wait, never mind the hooks – where are the songs? And where on earth is the Rock ‘n’ Roll?” OK, so maybe fans weren’t exactly thinking those thoughts since THE WEDDING ALBUM was John and Yoko’s third release as a duo (and their first as a bona fide married couple) and their avant-garde recordings were certainly nothing new. Remember the UNFINISHED MUSIC NO. 1: TWO VIRGINS album featuring John and Yoko on the album cover in all of their nakedness? Then there was UNFINISHED MUSIC NO. 2: LIFE WITH THE LIONS, which featured a cover photo of John and Yoko in her hospital room shortly after a miscarriage. In essence, John and Yoko’s first three albums were far from light-hearted affairs. These were albums that expressed their emotions in unique ways – through experimental recordings. Yes, there were other artists who made avant-garde recordings… but they weren’t associated with the biggest Rock band in history! […]

By | March 22nd, 2019|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: JOHN & YOKO: THE WEDDING ALBUM

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: REIGNWOLF/HEAR ME OUT

Thanks to American Idol, The Voice and other like-minded TV shows plus the influence of YouTube, it is perfectly understandable that kids today think that the path to a successful musical career is easy and that nearly anyone can be a star overnight. However, reality paints a darker picture. It is often overlooked that nearly 90% of all TV talent show winners end up without a hit record to their name and they fade away into obscurity almost as quickly as they rose to fame. On the other hand, there are still plenty of modern artists who have toiled in relative obscurity for years before becoming ‘overnight sensations’. While not exactly obscure, indie Blues/Rock outfit Reignwolf has taken the long road and is finally releasing their debut album seven years after the band first formed. […]

By | March 15th, 2019|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: REIGNWOLF/HEAR ME OUT

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: DAVID GRAY/GOLD IN A BRASS AGE

In the music industry, fame can be fleeting but true success is measured by the lasting impact the musician’s art has on the listener/consumer. For example, let’s look back at the year 2000. There were a lot of big worldwide hits that year by well-known artists (U2, Bon Jovi, Madonna, Britney Spears, etc.) and some long-forgotten artists as well (Darude, BBMak, Wheatus, MxPx). While many of the hits from that year are still fondly remembered, an equal amount of chart-climbers have been tossed aside like an old stick of bubble gum – chewed up and spit out once they were out of flavor. However, there are singles released in ’00 that were not only lovingly embraced by music fans but also inspired a new generation of musicians. A few of those – including “Babylon” – were released by British singer/songwriter David Gray. The success of his WHITE LADDER album took many by surprise yet it was far from an overnight success… […]

By | March 7th, 2019|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: DAVID GRAY/GOLD IN A BRASS AGE

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: STEVE POLTZ/SHINE ON

Nova Scotia, Canada has given us some fine musical talent over the years. Anne Murray, Denny Doherty (The Mamas & The Papas), Sarah McLachlan, Feist, members of April Wine and Sloan, Holly Cole, and Hank Snow are just a few of the native Nova Scotians that have made their mark in Rock history. There are many others, of course, and there will be many in the years to come. Singer/songwriter Steve Poltz hails from Nova Scotia as well. However, he kickstarted his musical career as a member of San Diego legends The Rugburns. For over two decades – and releases on Priority and Bizarre/Planet Records – The Rugburns has remained a sorely underappreciated outfit. Alongside The Rugburns’ trio of releases (two albums and an EP) and a dozen solo albums, Poltz is also known as the co-writer of his former girlfriend Jewel’s multi-platinum hit “You Were Meant For Me,” which reached #2 on Billboard. In short, Poltz has achieved quite a bit in a career that, by and large, has been under the radar. Perhaps it is time for more listeners to get to know Steve a bit more intimately with his 2019 album SHINE ON… […]

By | March 1st, 2019|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: STEVE POLTZ/SHINE ON