AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: SARAH SHOOK & THE DISARMERS/YEARS

Country Music has gone through a major metamorphosis over the years. Modern Country radio resembles Pop radio of the ‘90s and you’d be hard pressed to find a pedal steel guitar on any track gracing the Top 40. For those looking for a more traditional slice of Country Music, you’ll need to look outside of the charts and turn your attention to hard-working rootsy Americana outfits like Sarah Shook & The Disarmers in order to get your traditional Country fix. […]

By | April 5th, 2018|News, Uncategorized|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: SARAH SHOOK & THE DISARMERS/YEARS

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: LEE DEWYZE/PARANOIA

 PARANOIA is the seventh album from singer/songwriter Lee DeWyze, best known as the winner of the ninth season of AMERICAN IDOL. Paranoia is an atmospheric and highly passionate album that blends the warmth of acoustic instrumentation with cold yet emotional electronic textures, creating something that is unique yet still very commercial. PARANOIA is a highly emotional concept album that details the many facets of a romantic Relationship – a subject that all of us can relate to.  […]

By | February 16th, 2018|News, Uncategorized|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: LEE DEWYZE/PARANOIA

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: CINDY ALEXANDER/NOWHERE TO HIDE

For two decades,  singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Cindy Alexander has been crafting albums of emotional strength and delicate beauty. Thankfully, the string of albums that she has released over the years have not gone unnoticed. In 1998, she was named Songwriter of the Year and nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year by the Los Angeles Music Awards. Her debut album SEE RED was nominated for Independent Pop Album of the Year. Since then, she’s received many more awards and nominations including Songwriter of the Year –JPF Music, Best Female Rock Vocalist – All Access Music Awards, and Special Achievement Pop Artist – Los Angeles Music Awards. She was offered a major label recording contract thanks to her appearance on NBC’s Star Tomorrow but she chose to have more control over her career and rejected the offer. […]

By | January 5th, 2018|News|1 Comment

Two Tim Buckley titles on Rolling Stone’s ‘Best Reissues Of 2017’ list!

15 Best Reissues of 2017 […]

By | December 21st, 2017|News|Comments Off on Two Tim Buckley titles on Rolling Stone’s ‘Best Reissues Of 2017’ list!

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: NEIL FINN/OUT OF SILENCE

It has been forty years since Neil Finn made his recorded debut on Split Enz’s 1977 album DIZRHYTHMIA. Although he only provided guitar and backing vocals to that album, he certainly made his presence known. His own compositions started showing up in 1979 on the band’s FRENZY album. While his big brother Tim handled a bulk of the Enz’s material, it was Neil who penned their first global hit, “I Got You,” which was released in 1980 on the TRUE COLOURS album. Over the course of the next few Enz albums, Neil wrote more highlights including “One Step Ahead” and “Message To My Girl.” […]

By | October 13th, 2017|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: NEIL FINN/OUT OF SILENCE

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BRUCE COCKBURN/BONE ON BONE

BONE ON BONE is the highly anticipated 2017 album from Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn. The album is his first in six years and is the follow-up to 2011’s SMALL SOURCE OF COMFORT. His 25th studio album overall, BONE ON BONE finds Bruce Cockburn at ease as a musician but ill at ease with the world. For those familiar with Cockburn’s work over the years, this may seem like nothing new. However, BONE ON BONE finds Bruce at the top of his game. And for an artist that has been releasing albums for nearly 50 years, this is quite a feat.  Mixing Folk and Blues, the album is warm, intimate and filled with songs that are destined to become Cockburn classics. Amongst the Folk Blues stomp of songs like “States I’m In” (the first single) and “Café Society” is “Forty Years In The Wilderness”, one of the loveliest songs he’s ever written.   […]

By | September 14th, 2017|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BRUCE COCKBURN/BONE ON BONE

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: CHARLIE PARR/DOG

       Singer/songwriter Charlie Parr has returned with an album that mixes his Folk roots with plenty of heart and soul. Although he may sometimes write as an observer, his songs put him square in the eye of the storm. Parr writes songs that are extremely personal yet universal at the same time.  Listening to DOG, you’ll stumble across people that you feel that you already know, places that you are sure you’ve been and feelings that you most definitely have experienced.  This is a world where both feet are firmly planted on the ground. You can feel the heat of the sun and smell the beer-soaked floorboards. This is an album that pulls no punches.  Life is hard and then you die but in between, there is light in the darkness. However, that light may be only fleeting at times. But that is understandable because Charlie experienced some truly dark moments before making the album. […]

By | September 7th, 2017|News, Uncategorized|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: CHARLIE PARR/DOG

TODD RUNDGREN: An EXCLUSIVE interview!

  LET’S DO THIS: Todd Rundgren talks about WHITE KNIGHT      Todd Rundgren needs no introduction. His ‘legendary’/‘iconic’ status is  well-deserved. End of story.      WHITE KNIGHT, Todd’s 2017 release,  finds Rundgren continuing to move forward, but this time he’s brought a few of  his musical friends with him. While technically an album of collaborations, WHITE  KNIGHT is most certainly not a ‘duets’ album… in the traditional sense,  anyway. Every guest on the album – including Daryl Hall, Robyn, Donald Fagen (Steely Dan), Joe Walsh,  Trent Reznor, Joe Satriani, Moe Berg (The Pursuit Of Happiness), John Boutte and  others – brings their own personality to the party, making each track feel  different from the last. While Rundgren may be the name on the album cover, he  allows every collaborator to make their presence known. Totally modern and  relevant, WHITE KNIGHT still features Todd’s distinct musical thumbprint  and is a pleasure from start to finish.      Stephen SPAZ Schnee was able to track Todd  down while on tour and have a chat about WHITE KNIGHT and the magic behind  it… […]

By | May 22nd, 2017|News, Uncategorized|Comments Off on TODD RUNDGREN: An EXCLUSIVE interview!

JUSTIN HAYWARD/Moving Mountains (reissue) reviewed!

     While not the only lead vocalist  in The Moody Blues, Justin Hayward is the most recognizable. His silky smooth voice can be heard on nearly all  of their hits including “Nights In White Satin,” “Your Wildest Dreams,” “Tuesday  Afternoon,” “The Voice,” and many others. One of Rock’s finest front men, Justin  Hayward has also released a handful of fantastic solo albums over the years  that have come and gone without much notice by [...]

By | May 10th, 2017|News, Uncategorized|Comments Off on JUSTIN HAYWARD/Moving Mountains (reissue) reviewed!

COLIN HAY/Fierce Mercy reviewed

Colin Hay is a rarity in the world of Rock ‘n’ Roll. He achieved great success out of the gate 35 years ago while leader of Men At Work (“Who Can It Be Now?,” “Down Under,” “Overkill”) but had to pursue a career as a solo artist once the band split in ’86. In 1987, he ventured out as Colin James Hay with the LOOKING FOR JACK album but struggled to maintain success. Next came the Colin Hay Band’s 1990 album WAYFARING SONS, which didn’t fare any better. In 1992, he released PEAKS & VALLEYS, the first in a series of solo albums that would slowly rebuild his career from scratch. Now, three and one-half decades after hitting #1 with Men At Work’s BUSINESS AS USUAL album, Hay is at his peak as a songwriter and vocalist and he shows no signs of slowing down. FIERCE MERCY is proof that he is one of this generation’s finest songwriters. While his hits with Men At Work may have been more ‘immediate’ on first listen, his songwriting is deeper, more passionate and better than ever on this 2017 album. Like his last release, 2015’s NEXT YEAR PEOPLE, this is an album filled with songs that are warm, intimate and emotional. Whether he is singing from experience or as an observer, Hay always connects with the subject matter and it all sounds so personal, which adds to the songs’ power. Lead-in track “Come Tumbling Down” is a sing-a-long that prepares you for the roller-coaster ride of emotions that weave in and out of the rest of the album. “A Thousand Million Reasons,” “The Best In Me,” “The Last To Know” and “Secret Love” are some of the best songs that Hay has ever written or co-written (with Michael Georgiades and others). “Two Friends” (written by Georgiades) features one of Hay’s finest vocal performances to date. Never one to live in his past, Colin Hay has creatively risen above his previous success and recorded what could be his finest musical work to date. Again, Colin Hay has proven that he leaves pretty much all of his contemporaries in the dust. FIERCE MERCY is a lovely, heartfelt album that will stand the test of time. If you stopped listening after the CARGO album, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do! […]

By | February 23rd, 2017|News|Comments Off on COLIN HAY/Fierce Mercy reviewed