AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: THE INNOCENCE MISSION/SUN ON THE SQUARE

It’s been nearly thirty years since the self-titled 1989 debut album by The Innocence Mission was released. The album was a slickly produced slice of Folk Pop that was filled with enchanting songs that shimmered regardless of the production value. Throughout the years, the band has continued to create albums filled with beautiful melodies plucked from the rain-soaked side of heaven. SUN ON THE SQUARE, their 10th studio album, is no exception. Tender, minimalistic and haunting, the album strikes the perfect balance between frail and strong, heartbreaking and hopeful, and love and loneliness. In essence, it is everything you’d expect from an album by The Innocence Mission. […]

By | July 2nd, 2018|News, Uncategorized|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: THE INNOCENCE MISSION/SUN ON THE SQUARE

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: JESSE DAYTON/THE OUTSIDER

Even if you don’t instantly recognize Jesse Dayton’s name, you have probably heard his work over the years. He has created music for some of Rob Zombie’s films (including THE DEVIL’S REJECTS and HALLOWEEN II), played on recordings by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, the Supersuckers, and Willie Nelson, and even filled in for Billy Zoom during one of X’s U.S. tours. And that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There’s much more to Jesse Dayton’s career than his work with other artists… […]

By | June 8th, 2018|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: JESSE DAYTON/THE OUTSIDER

BART & THE BEDAZZLED’s Blue Motel reviewed!

Bear with me here… Music can so often dictate my emotions.  It can literally transport me from one mood to another in the blink of a chord change. And this brings me to something that I call ‘3 A.M. Music’. How would I describe this style of music? Well, imagine that melancholy feeling you get when you are floating halfway between consciousness and sleep very late at night/early in the morning. Then, as you lie [...]

By | May 23rd, 2018|News|Comments Off on BART & THE BEDAZZLED’s Blue Motel reviewed!

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: TOM RUSH/VOICES

With this 2018 release, Tom Rush doesn’t hesitate to get back to business. Now 56 years into his career as a Folk and Blues legend, Tom may not be prolific but he sure hasn’t lost any of his passion. Like a comfortable pair of overalls or a warm blanket on a chilly night, Tom’s music may be comforting but that doesn’t mean that he plays it safe. On VOICES – the first album in his career consisting almost entirely of originals – Tom Rush presents an album that embraces the spirit of his early recordings with the maturity that time has graced him with. […]

By | April 27th, 2018|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: TOM RUSH/VOICES

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: GUIDED BY VOICES/SPACE GUN

Remember back in the mid ‘80s when practically every R&B and Pop record released seemed to be performed or written by Prince? From his own albums and singles to songs by The Bangles, The Times, Cyndi Lauper, Vanity 6, The Three O’Clock, Sheena Easton and Sinead O’Connor, Prince was everywhere. It seemed as if he was the most prolific musician and songwriter in the world for at least the second half of the ‘80s… Well, folks, indie singer/songwriter Robert Pollard’s mega prolific output over the years makes Prince look like a lazy bastard!  But unlike Prince, the fruits of Pollard’s insane work ethic is not locked up in a dark vault somewhere, never to be heard by the public. In fact, just the opposite – Pollard has released hundreds of songs under his own name as well as under the names of the many side projects he’s been involved with including Circus Devils, Boston Spaceships, Ricked Wicky, Phantom Tollbooth, Teenage Guitar, and, most importantly, Guided By Voices. […]

By | March 23rd, 2018|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: GUIDED BY VOICES/SPACE GUN

Chris Squire’s FISH OUT OF WATER reissued! Limited Edition Boxed Set and 2CD Set!

  LIMITED BOX SET (Includes 2CD, 2DVD, 1LP and 2×7-inch singles)   AND    TWO CD SET   4.27.18 Esoteric Recordings are proud to announce the release of an official limited edition deluxe boxed set of Yes founder Chris Squire’s legendary 1975 solo album FISH OUT OF WATER. Recorded in the late Spring and Summer of 1975 whilst Yes was on hiatus as members recorded their respective solo albums, FISH OUT OF WATER was a breath-taking work, and equal in standard to any Yes album in terms of sheer invention and creativity. The album was essentially a collaboration between Chris Squire and his friend Andrew Pryce Jackman, a gifted arranger who had been a member of The Syn, Squire’s pre-Yes group. The sessions saw contributions from former Yes drummer Bill Bruford, Yes keyboard player Patrick Moraz and noted musicians Mel Collins and Jimmy Hastings. Released in November 1975, FISH OUT OF WATER was a Top 30 chart hit in the UK and made the US Billboard Top 75 album chart, going on to sell nearly 500,000 copies worldwide. […]

By | February 20th, 2018|News|Comments Off on Chris Squire’s FISH OUT OF WATER reissued! Limited Edition Boxed Set and 2CD Set!

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: THE GUESS WHO/AMERICAN WOMAN (DELUXE EDITION)

 On the surface, it is slightly ironic that “American Woman,” one of Rock’s most memorable hit singles of the ‘70s, was written and recorded by a Canadian band – The Guess Who. Unbeknownst to some, “American Woman” was, according to guitarist Randy Bachman, an anti-Vietnam War protest song! Regardless, The Guess Who’s Blues-based Rock workout became a fist-pumping anthem and remains a staple on terrestrial and satellite Rock radio… and rightly so! […]

By | December 15th, 2017|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: THE GUESS WHO/AMERICAN WOMAN (DELUXE EDITION)

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS/NEW WORLD ARISIN’

In the world of Rock ‘n’ Roll, it is rare for a band to hit the 31-year mark with all original members intact. Big Head Todd & The Monsters is one of those rare beasts. Formed in Boulder, Colorado in 1986, Todd Park Mohr, Rob Squires and Brian Nevin (along with longtime member Jeremy Lawton, who joined the original trio in 2003) have achieved commercial and critical success, sold boatloads of albums, traveled the world and built up a huge, devoted following. And on their 2017 album NEW WORLD ARISIN’, they prove that they still have something to say. […]

By | November 3rd, 2017|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS/NEW WORLD ARISIN’

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: EVEN A TREE CAN SHED TEARS

  This compilation offers a fascinating peek into the Japanese Folk and Rock movement of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Though influenced by Western music, the music contained on EVEN A TREE CAN SHED TEARS: JAPANESE FOLK & ROCK 1969-1973 is undeniably infused with a deep connection to their very own Japanese culture. […]

By | October 19th, 2017|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: EVEN A TREE CAN SHED TEARS

THE INMATES/The Albums 1979-1982 (3CD set) reviewed!

     In the late ‘70s, the Rock world was being turned on it’s head by Punk and New Wave. The pretentious ‘old guard’ (i.e. Prog rockers, Folk singer/songwriters, Pop stars, etc.) were handed their walking papers by the press, who latched onto the shouty, belligerent Punk kids. By ’79, you were more likely going to read about the exploits of Sex Pistols, The Damned and The Clash before you’d stumble upon a review of ELP’s latest live gig. And by that time, reviews of ELP, Yes and the like were leaning towards scathing.      However, while the press fell over themselves to discover the latest Punk craze, Pub Rock and British Rhythm & Blues was also a happening thing.  Dr. Feelgood were already established and Nine Below Zero were on their way to becoming legendary. While not always recognized as such, The Inmates were certainly one of the best of the Pub/R&B bunch (in fact, they still are!). With Cherry Red’s three CD box set, THE ALBUMS 1979-1982, The Inmates are finally receiving the credit and attention that they deserve. Containing the band’s first three studio albums (plus bonus tracks), this is a long over-due look at the band’s excellent early output. […]

By | August 11th, 2017|News|Comments Off on THE INMATES/The Albums 1979-1982 (3CD set) reviewed!