If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Hi all!
Jerry Cherry is a rocker with heart. And Life is Sweeter… is a debut album that documents his life experiences in New York City and his many years of playing guitar and writing songs. He’s got the experience to write about too.
Born in Brooklyn and moving to Ft. Lauderdale at age 6, he learned how to play guitar before high school and was playing gigs in high school. So he was honing his skills for a long time before he was ready to think about making an album.
Life is Sweeter… includes eleven songs that tell stories of a life well lived. Loves gained and lost, trying to fit into NYC after being in Florida for many years, and finding meaning in his life. And with songwriting eing an intense personal form of expression, Jerry says “For the most part I have to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown in order to write.” Of this album, he says that “creativity for me is almost like therapy.”
Jerry formed a band in 2003 and has been playing all over NYC and opening for artists such as Buckcherry and The Fixx. Jerry recently even played lead guitar as a member of Chubby Checker’s band on CBS and at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his 2008 hit, “Knock Down the Walls”.
The album itself is a series of stories told through music and lyrics - from moving back to the big city, to trying to get the girl, to fitting in — it’s all there. You can hear his many influences, from punk to rock, including David Bowie, Elvis Costello, AC/DC, The Verve, The White Stripes, Radiohead, and more.
You can definitely hear the Elvis Costello influence in “Big City Life,” where he sings about adjusting to the craziness of living in the big city where everybody’s just trying to escape from it.
And he struggles to get the girl in “Lancelot” - “If I were Lancelot I’d steal her from King Arthur / And I would never let her go, / I am Romeo and she’s my Juliet / A love that will never die” Great lyrics about getting and keeping the girl. I can definitely identify with the sentiment!
But he also has a soft side, as he shows with “Turned Around” and “Slip” with beautiful guitar and great lyrics. Jerry not only struggles with finding love, but feeling like it’s deserved. Common themes for the common man.
Jerry and his band can definitely rock. “Punished” definitely has a Radiohead vibe. “Freakshow” has an AC/DC-style bass line at its heart.
But Jerry Cherry is about more than mimicking his many influences. He takes things apart and puts them together in new and unique ways, paying his respects to the classics - like “Worst Looking Man” which has a sweet rockabilly vibe.
Life is Sweeter… is a fun album, full of songs I’d love to hear played live for fans young and old. Be sure to check out his website at JerryCherry.com!
In the early 1990s, alternative rock band LIVE began an amazing career as they hit the airwaves with a series of singles that still resonate with listeners around the world. Their hits “All Over You”, “The Dolphin’s Cry”, “Lightning Crashes”, and “I Alone” still score airplay on radio stations worldwide. With four platinum selling records (Mental Jewelry, Throwing Copper, Secret Samadhi, and The Distance to Here) in the last 20+ years, their fans are still rabid for new music and live concerts.
The band LIVE consists of four musicians - Ed Kowlczyk (lead singer/guitarist), Chad Taylor (lead guitar), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass guitar), and Chad Gracey (drums). When they started playing together in 1985 as Public Affection and later as LIVE, they gained millions of fans in the process of making 8 albums together and touring the world.
On November 11, 2008, LIVE will do something they’ve never done - release a live album. LIVE at the Paradiso - Amsterdam provides a recording of two nights of concerts at the Paradiso venue in Amsterdam. The live tracks were recorded just a few months earlier - June 30th and July 1st, 2008. The album will be released on DVD and CD in high definition surround sound.
The 16 track CD includes their biggest hits, including “I Alone”, “Lightning Crashes”, “The Dolphin’s Cry” and many more. It also includes two new studio tracks - “Forever” and “Purifier”.
Lead singer/frontman/guitarist Ed Kowlczyk comments, “The filming and recording of LIVE at the Paradiso was a magical process from start to finish. Considering our namesake, we took it pretty seriously! The Paradiso in Amsterdam is a sensational venue and was inspirational in so many ways. Dutch LIVE fans are some of our most devoted on the globe, and they practically steal the show from us. Whether you’re watching the DVD or listening to the album, the intense and mutual love between the fans and the band is unmistakable. It is truly a celebration of almost 20 years of LIVE touring and recording. We are thrilled to be able to share this incredible DVD and album with our fans all over the world.”
I have to say that it’s a tribute to a live album that makes you jealous that you weren’t at the concert(s) where the tracks were recorded. LIVE at the Paradiso - Amsterdam is definitely one of those. Each track not only shows the passion of the members of the band, but the passion of their fans as well - singing in the background at the top of their lungs.
Among the best tracks (and it’s tough to choose among them) have to be “The Dolphin’s Cry”, “Lightning Crashes” and “I Alone”. But honestly, the two new tracks, “Forever” and “Purifier” seemed almost anti-climactic after the passion of the live tracks before them. You can hear “Forever” on LIVE’s MySpace page. I felt that “Purifier” had more energy than “Forever”, but it’s great to know that the band is together and still recording new tracks!
For LIVE fans all over the world, LIVE at the Paradiso - Amsterdam is an early gift for the holidays. Enjoy it!
This week I saw that MTV has decided to return to its roots. When I watched MTV (yes, I’m old) back in the 1980s, music videos were still young. Each video director and artist had an opportunity to put a unique spin on the new media and share it with the world relativey quickly.
Since then, MTV doesn’t really seem to show good videos any more (sorry, but I don’t like most of modern pop or R&B). Instead, they play tawdry teenage and college shows that are more fluff than substance. Oh well, it’s the end of an era I guess.
Then this e-mail shows up stating that MTV was putting it’s library of classic music videos online! What a concept. All these cool videos you can only see late at night on VH1 now you can share with a whole new generation of internet-savvy folks!
Having never experienced Todd Hannigan’s music, I was in for a pleasant surprise when it arrived. Starting with “Playas” I was drawn into a miasma of guitars and lyrics that has kept me entertained for most of the last couple of days.
The title track of Volume 2: Courtside for the Apocalypse brings new meaning to the end of days. If I was going to watch the world come to an end, I’d want Todd and the band to be there simply jamming the time away. It’s a call for everyone to take notice of world events and take part, rather than simply having courtside seats for the apocalypse. But if you’ve got seats to the end of the world, you might as well enjoy yourself when you get there.
I would liken Todd & The Heavy 29’s music to a mellow mix of Jack Johnson and Dire Straits. His laid back, surfer dude approach to life (focusing on his life of music, travel, and surfing) is immediately apparent when you hear the strains of the song “Heavy 29’s,” which beautifully sums up their view of the world. “Life can get expensive when it’s always a Friday, benders ramble on when it’s going my way…”
The song “Maybe” calls to his restless, traveling spirit. “Gonna follow my stars… gonna follow the lights” Hannigan traveled the globe in the 1990s into the early 2000s, exploring Australia, Indonesia, South America, and elsewhere. But Ventura, California, where he went to High School, served as a base when he ran out of money. Traveling and working odd jobs, he explored the world, finding the inspiration for songs and bringing it back to eventually share with the rest of us.
As you listen to the album, you can’t help but start wondering about your own place in the world. He says in “Still in Your Heart” — “A lot of people going through the motions, and hoping for the best…” All of us are guilty of this to some degree. Each day bleeds into the next, just part of the formless mass of humanity trudging through the world. With the woes of the world all screaming every day, it’s easy to close your eyes. But we must follow our heart and do what we know is right. Keep hope alive.
Each song merges melody, beat, and rhyme to find a mellow balance to share the message. But Todd and the Heavy 29’s can rock it out too, like “Weight of the World”. “Cause the weight of the world is getting heavy, try to relax but my mind won’t let me… up in the mountains finding total zens, gotta align the chakras every now and then… now I’m hanging tough with the Dalai Lama, join the Heavy 29’s, you know you wanna…” This has to be my favorite song on the album next to the title track. Give it all up, go to Tibet, and find total Zen. Sounds good to me.
Though Hannigan has spent much time traveling, playing, and surfing, his music has been featured in numerous surf films/documentaries, including “Thicker than Water”, “September Sessions”, the score for “Sliding Liberia” (which won “Best Soundtrack at the Alma Surf Festival in Brazil), “Wave Riders” (won an “Audience Award” at the Dublin International Film Festival in Ireland), and he was co-producer/musical director for “Majini” (which won “Best Short Film” and “Best Experimental Film” at the New York Festival).
For the last eight years, Brotheryn Studios in Ojai, California has been a home where Todd has been recording his own albums and film scores. He’s a partner and helps operate the studio, where he’s also recorded albums for a number of well known artists including Jack Johnson, Colbie Callait, and Kenny Loggins.
We can only hope that Hannigan’s travels (”Gotta hit the road ’cause my gypsy heart is burning…” as he says in “Weight of the World”) generate another crop of amazing songs like this album. Each has a message, but it doesn’t get in the way of the music.
Be sure to check out Volume 2: Courtside for the Apocalypse from Todd Hannigan and the Heavy 29’s at Amazon when the album is released digitally on November 18.
Enjoy!
–Fitz
Track list:
Playas
Fastlane
Courtside for the Apocalypse
Heavy 29’s
Maybe
Things are Gonna Change
Still in Your Heart
Stay Awhile
Weight of the World
Peace of Mind
Flowers
Mountain View
Too Late
p.s. Pick up this album on November 18th as MP3 downloads from Amazon, but in the meantime pick up Volume 1:
Released in 2008, David Sanborn’s album Here and Gone brings back an old school jazz feel reminiscent of Dave Brubeck and Charlie Parker. However, Sanborn doesn’t live in the past - with Eric Clapton and Joss Stone featured, this is a great mix of old and new.
Starting with the “St. Louis Blues“, Sanborn wails to old school sounds with a big band heart. He moves from there to “Brother Ray,” where his sax is backed by the guitar of Derek Trucks, whose slide style blends smooth jazz with rock sensibilities.
And who can beat the blues sounds of Sanborn and Eric Clapton in “I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town.” Clapton’s guitar and voice mix with the Sanborn’s sax groove to keep the blues’ beat smooth and sultry.
Like some of his other duets (”It’s Probably Me” pairing Sanborn & Sting from the Lethal Weapon 3 soundtrack is probably my favorite to date), Sanborn knows when to let his partner take the lead and when he can wail. He never tries to overwhelm during his duets, instead making it a collaboration where he can feature the other artist prominently.
“I Believe to My Soul”, an old Ray Charles song, is another duet that merges Sanborn’s sax skills with another artist - this time blues chanteuse Joss Stone. Though young, that girl can definitely sing the blues, and I have to say she’s got one heck of a voice.
Here and Gone merges the best that Sanborn has to offer. His last album was released more than three years ago (Closer in 1985), and he’s touring constantly around the world. He’s had such an amazing career, I’m sure all he has to do is call someone up to see if they’d like to collaborate with him on an album.
I’ve been listening since the mid 1980s when I was playing alto sax in a high school jazz band, and David Sanborn only gets better with age. He released his first album in 1975 and has been going strong ever since, having released 23 albums (including Here and Gone).
Winner of two Grammy awards (1981 for Voyeur and 1986 for Double Vision), Sanborn has worked on music for movies and television and continues blending musical styles and tastes in his own unique way. Double Vision still holds a prominent place in my music collection.
Whether you’re a fan of jazz, blues, rock, or swing, Sanborn has a little bit of everything to offer. Here and Gone deserves a place in every sax or jazz lovers collection.
Check out more about David Sanborn at his fan site. The site provides a full biography, tour dates, discography, news, and much more.
Hopefully we won’t have to wait another three years for David Sanborn’s next amazing album!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up Here and Gone and other great Sanborn albums at Amazon:
When I saw a chance to review a new album from Glen Phillips, a former member of Toad the Wet Sprocket which is still one of my favorite groups, I jumped at it. Secrets of the New Explorers did not disappoint.
This is not Glen Phillips first solo album. Immediately after Toad broke up in 1998, he began working on his solo career. In 2000, he released the album Abulum in 2000, Winter Pays for Summer in 2005, and Mr Lemons in 2006, along with the live album Live at Largo in 2003.
Beyond his solo career and touring, he’s been active with other groups, including Nickel Creek and Works Progress Administration. And he has a new EP in the works for release in 2009 and another full album in 2010. So he’s definitely kept busy in the wake of Toad the Wet Sprocket’s demise.
Funny enough, the members of Toad get together from time to time, including a tour in 2006 and many single concerts across the United States.
Secrets of the New Explorers is a 6 song EP that features songs inspired by space travel. As the son of two scientists, the thought of space and space travel is familiar to Phillips. He says “I grew up reading Heinlein, Herbert, Asimov, and my dad’s collection of Amazing Stories and Astounding Science Fiction Magazines. The cover art for Secrets pays homage to those magazines from the ’50s.”
And the love for Phillips’ music has even had an effect at NASA. Harlan Spence at NASA had his Cosmic Ray Telescope featured in the song “Solar Flare.” He says “My NASA colleagues shared your song with me and I nearly died and went to heaven from its excellence and brilliance and relevance. ‘Solar Flare’ is awesome! I never thought I’d say it, but radiation poisoning rocks.” He goes on to say that “to discover that someone far afield cares about the research I do, and that it was THE Glen Phillips. Incredible.”
Of the six songs on the EP, I have to say that “They’ll Find Me,” “Solar Flare”, and “The Spirit of Shackleton” are great, but “Space Elevator” and “A Dream” were my favorites.
“Space Elevator” talks about traveling up a space elevator to orbit, which is a long-term goal for space programs around the world. A long cable stretching from the ground to a geo-stationary object in orbit that could be used to transport goods and people into orbit more safely and cost effective than the standard rockets used today, the space elevator has been a concept discussed in scientific circles since 1895. The concept has also been featured in science fiction by Arthur C. Clarke, Charles Sheffield and Robert Heinlein.
Not only does “Space Elevator” have a great message, but it’s upbeat, educational, and just plain fun!
Meanwhile, “A Dream” has a chorus that haunts me. “They’re not gonna take it all away…” calls to something inside all of us. Keep your dreams safe, for they are that is truly yours.
This EP from Phillips was inspiring. Be sure to pick up Secrets of the New Explorers online at Glen Phillips’ site or at iTunes. It’s rare to find science-fiction themed rock or pop, and Philips knocked this one into orbit. I look forward to hearing his projects in 2009 and 2010!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up some Toad the Wet Sprocket or Glen Phillips CDs from Amazon below:
“Weird Al” Yankovic has released a new single on iTunes and the web called “Whatever You LIke”, which is a parody of T.I.’s song “Whatever You Like”. He turns T.I.’s version on its head and uses lyrics to comment on the state of today’s economy.
The beauty of Weird Al is that occasionally he can take a parody and make it really poignant to the currents of society. With everyone’s retirement plans going downhill quickly and the job and housing markets being as rocky as they are, everybody’s on edge. (On the plus side, gas prices are dropping finally, but as my wife and I were discussing the other day, it’s sad that we’re pleased at the fact that gas is now less than $3.00 a gallon.)
Yankovic again works his magic on the lyrics for this piece, making light of the fact that we’re all scaling back on going out and going out to eat, among other things.
“Take you out to dinner, anywhere that you please
Like Burger King or Mickey Ds
And baby you can have whatever you like
I said you can even have the large fries…”
and
“You like Top Ramen, need Top Ramen
Got a cupboard full of ‘em, I’ll keep ‘em coming
You want it, I got it, go get it, just heat it
Dump the flavor packet on it and eat it…”
He’s got a talent for taking pop culture and turning it, so it’s great that he no longer has to wait to release his new material to the public. With the Internet, he can keep things fresh and topical and release them when they’re most appropriate, rather than waiting to put a whole album together.
Al recently shared his excitement in a MySpace blog entry: “One of the hardest things I’ve had to deal with in my career is keeping my material topical even though I only release albums every 3 or 4 years. Now, with the advent and popularity of digital distribution, I don’t have to wait around while my songs get old and dated - I can get them out on the Internet almost immediately. It kind of boggles my mind - I thought of the idea for this new song a week ago, and next week it’s getting released!”
Initially “Whatever You Like” was available exclusively on iTunes, but it should be made available at all major online retailers very soon. T.I.’s original version of the song is still on the Billboard Hot 100 at #1 and Al is releasing his own version while it’s all fresh. Amazing how immediate it all is.
Al’s last album, Straight Outta Lynwood, was hilarious and proved that he was still at the top of his game. Download “Whatever You Like” today!
You can also give it a listen before you buy it here:
Every now and then you get an opportunity to hear something new, fun, and very alive in the music world. When I had a chance to hear The Rescues’ new song Break Me Out online after it aired during the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy, I knew I had to hear more from this group.
Formed in 2007 from the union of three accomplished singer-songwriters in Los Angeles - Gabriel Mann, Adrianne, and Kyler England, The Rescues release their first album, Crazy Ever After, on November 4, 2008. And the first thing you notice when you hear the album is the chemistry. For many musicians (including myself), the art of multi-part harmony is a mystery. Yet, somehow, Gabriel Mann, Adrianne, and Kyler England manage to merge their harmonies in an almost effortless fashion.
Though I can’t say that every song on the album wowed me like Break Me Out, there are several very well written tracks that stuck with me after listening.
Break Me Out has an energy about it that just makes it fun to listen to. Though I’m not much of a dancer (just ask my wife), I was moved to dance (not a pretty sight) by the driving beat, the upbeat lyrics (escape is always a good thing), and layered melodies.
“break me out tonight i wanna see the
sun rising anywhere but here
come with me, this could be
the only chance we get, we gotta take it
don’t do it now we’ll never make it
lose this crowd, break me out”
So the album starts with a powerful song, Lost Along the Way, about losing your way in a relationship. The two parts, male and female, merge into a melody that buries itself in your brain. Several of the songs are like this, including Matter of Time and Shadows of Tall Buildings. Sweetspot, like Break Me Out, has one of those infectious beats that makes you want to tap your toes or get up and dance.
And then there are a couple of songs that break the mold of what you typically hear on a pop album. I Miss Missing You’s melodies are not the norm. Minor keys and odd chords float in the background. Yet the strength of voices and the interlocking melodies and the story behind the lyrics holds it together.
The same holds true for My Heart With You, which I thought was an odd song to include on this album. It has a haunting melody and lyrics, but is nearly entirely acapella. It does showcase the voice talents of the trio nicely, but I would have preferred to have heard it live rather than on the album I think.
Beyond that, there are a few songs that just never really clicked for me. California Rain, New Kind of Cool, and Lay It On Me were in that category.
That said, I count any album a success if I like more than half of the songs on it and would be interested enough to try and get to a concert or find the next album when it comes out. So this is definitely a success.
Individually the artists have toured all 50 states and Europe, which is amazing in and of itself. Since their January release, the Rescues have played to sold out venues in the southeast and around Los Angeles. Along with Break Me Out being featured on Grey’s Anatomy, it will also be heard in an episode of “Army Wives” on Lifetime. Sweetspot will be heard in the upcoming film “The Lucky Ones” starring Rachel McAdams and Tim Robbins. They also recorded covers of “All By Myself” (originally by Eric Carmen) for the “Superhero Movie” and Oingo Boingo’s “Dead Man’s Party” for use in trailers for the animated feature “Igor”.
On their own and together they have a bright future ahead of them. I look forward to hearing more of the layered melodies and acoustic instruments on the next album!
Look for the Rescues album, Crazy Ever After, at a retailer near you on November 4, 2008!
Occasionally you run across an artist who simply takes your breath away. Sometimes it’s a painting, a writer or an actor, but for me it’s more often a musician. Tori Amos in the early 1990s left a rather large impression in my mind. Little Earthquakes, her first solo album, burned itself into the airways in 1992 and Amos’ star burned brightly.
The CD for Tori Amos Live at Montreux 1991/1992 combines tracks from two different performances in Montreux, Switzerland. The first 10 tracks were from her first visit to Montreux, including Silent All These Years, Crucify, and Winter. This was just months before her Little Earthquakes album was released.
The last 6 tracks were from her 1992 show, after her first solo album, and you can hear the difference in Precious Things. The confidence rose and her voice was more stable, more sure of itself.
Each song tells a story. Her voice, deep with emotion, would be enough - but when paired with her amazing piano skills, she pulls you further and further in. The stories tell of her life and you’re there with her. This was the beginning of her career and you almost feel like you are playing the voyeur as the stories unfold. Her life was anything but perfect. But somehow she survived to tell the tales to her swelling fans.
The CD includes the following tracks:
Silent All These Years (1991 show)
Precious Things (1991 show)
China (1991 show)
Crucify (1991 show)
Leather (1991 show)
Song For Eric (1991 show)
Upside Down (1991 show)
Happy Phantom (1991 show)
Winter (1991 show)
Thank You (1991 show)
Little Earthquakes (1992 show)
Precious Things (1992 show)
Whole Lotta Love/Thank You
Me and a Gun (1992 show)
Winter (1992 show)
Smells Like Teen Spirit (1992 show)
This CD accompanies a DVD combining the two shows as well. The DVD is 90 minutes and includes 19 songs (including three not on the CD from the 1992 show - Crucify, Silent All These Years, and Happy Phantom).
Tori Amos has several solo albums under her belt after 25+ years in the business… Little Earthquakes, Under the Pink, Boys for Pele… fourteen albums in all, including American Doll Posse just released in 2007.
My personal favorites are Little Earthquakes, Boys for Pele, and To Venus and Back, but I swear Tori could sing the alphabet, nursery rhymes, or the phone book and it would be amazing. I’d probably pay for it.
She has led a rough life at times, including a miscarriage, marriage, and a daughter… and she continues to use music to share those experiences with the world. The world is a better place because of her gifts.
On September 30, 2008, the CD and DVD will be available from Eagle Eye Media at major retailers. If you have ever been a Tori Amos fan, this is a must to hear her as her career took off 17 years ago. Let’s all wish her another 17 years!
Thanks!
–Fitz
p.s. If you’d like to purchase this CD or DVD, check it out at Amazon:
I’m not sure how many of you are aware of the Very Short List e-mail list (if you’re not aware of them, check them out — it’s worth the look), but it’s brought some very interesting topics, sites, and images to my attention in the last few weeks.
This cool video is called “Brilliant Noise” from two British artists (Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt) working with the brainiacs at the NASASpace Science lab at UC Berkeley. Basically the 10-minute video turns the suns hot spots into soundwaves, creating a soundtrack that accompanies the amazing images.
Though the music isn’t startling in and of itself, when paired with some of this footage it takes on a life of its own.
Anybody interested in astronomy, music, or simply art, should take a look and a listen to the music of the sun.
fitz in 
Born in Brooklyn and moving to Ft. Lauderdale at age 6, he learned how to play guitar before high school and was playing gigs in high school. So he was honing his skills for a long time before he was ready to think about making an album.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=1d404c8c-f6c8-4c9d-88bb-5a0d75590a19)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=ba477f44-c3e5-4a68-a367-55e42169eda8)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=8fe33468-d771-4662-8b91-12d19b1948b3)
The title track of Volume 2: Courtside for the Apocalypse brings new meaning to the end of days. If I was going to watch the world come to an end, I’d want Todd and the band to be there simply jamming the time away. It’s a call for everyone to take notice of world events and take part, rather than simply having courtside seats for the apocalypse. But if you’ve got seats to the end of the world, you might as well enjoy yourself when you get there.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=81271824-b75f-4f96-ad3d-c1dcfe5b5598)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=40385fe1-8c8f-49b6-b861-d1a09d93934e)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=b49f243e-aa6b-4c34-8369-b0e1ee0fe0ac)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=377b5a9b-ae22-4db2-ab6d-9c2cce4cf33b)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=4dbd3094-6266-495e-9f5c-c262de889a6f)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=f3de654a-e54d-4695-b0c3-434d363d3757)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=887967de-4080-4bb6-9f9c-c15221a6e5f3)
