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Classic Rock News And Views
July 9, 2010
Not Sure About The Glow But They Are Indeed ‘Heavy’
No, the headline has nothing to do with anyone’s weight. If you have not yet heard of them, Heavy Glow is another contemporary band that has that classic feel about them. After hearing them, it’s hard to argue that this trio doesn’t pull off a big sound, and pull it off quite well.
Heavy Glow, based in San Diego (man, I’m envious of the weather you guys have out there!) was founded by guitarist and lead vocalist Jared Mullins and bassist Joe Brooks who formed up in 2008.
There are more and more contemporary groups that seem to be embracing a classic sound these days – a development that’s certainly welcome by those of us that tire easily of many other current rock bands that sound pretty much the same.
That has to be key to classic rock’s longevity – there was no way you could mistake Journey for Kansas or Bad Company for Foreigner. You get the idea.
Maybe it’s just me, but I wasn’t too far into my first Heavy Glow track before one name popped into my head: Hendrix. I’m not trying to steer this down the tired old “that guy is no Hendrix” rat hole, but the gritty, raw guitar-bass-drums sound of this trio has a kind of Hendrix feel to it.
They’ve been compared to Queens of the Stone Age, Blue Cheer, and The Black Keys, but from a classic rock perspective, it’s hard for me to stop thinking Hendrix.
The group’s self-titled 2009 debut EP included six songs, and was produced by Stevie Salas. Frontman Mullins says the group strives for “hard-hitting, gritty, infectious and melodic rhythms to create a sound that is both informed by the past and undeniably modern.” Well said.
During 2009 Dan Kurtz joined the group as their new drummer, and they soon began work on their second EP, a 5-track collection titled The Filth & the Fury, which you can check out by following the links on the group’s web site. It was released this past January.
A real interesting tidbit regarding The Filth & the Fury is that it was basically recorded in one take. In other words, the tracks were laid down with the group all performing together in the same room over the course of six hours. I think recording five songs in six hours could be considered “one take,” when one considers the amount of multi-track overdubbing and other technological magic that goes into the making of so many other albums.
It’s really great to hear some of these contemporary rock groups adding a bit of classic style to their material and combining it with a more modern sound that strikes a nice balance between past and present. Heavy Glow is an excellent example of this welcome trend and is definitely worth checking out.
March 31, 2010
Steve Palmer Band’s ‘Apparition’ A Pleasant Surprise
This is one of those instances where the subject matter strays away from what we normally consider “classic rock” and more towards what I like to call “contemporary classic rock.” For those of you who are unfamiliar with that reference, I use it to classify groups that sound as though they might have formed back in the 70’s or 80’s, but are actually contemporary bands.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, I occasionally receive promotional copies of albums for review prior to their release. Unfortunately, most of what I receive appears to have been sent by promoters who have no idea that this site is about classic rock, and I get quite a few albums by contemporary groups that bear no resemblance to classic rock, and frankly, some that sound more like noise than music.
The most recent arrival landed in my mailbox about three days ago. I had never heard of the Steve Palmer Band, and I braced myself as I placed the CD in the player. Expecting the worst, I was actually pleasantly surprised after just a few short minutes listening to this new album. What’s even more surprising is that I listened to the entire album two or three times, and have listened to it a number of times since.
I think we’re all quite accustomed to comparisons to well-known artists when reading reviews of new artists, but fortunately the internet makes comparisons far less important these days. In many cases, potential fans can get a taste of a new artist’s material directly from a number of sources that are only as far away as their computer or smart phone.
With influences such as Kansas, Yes, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and James Taylor, it’s not hard to see why the group’s sound has that classic feel to it. The up tempo tracks have plenty of energy, but at the same time, they don’t quite cross the line into what I would consider “heavy.” More akin to Bad Company or Foreigner than to groups like Kansas or Rush, for example.
“Getting this CD out to the public is my lifelong dream,” Palmer says. “I am very happy with it and thrilled to try to get our sound out there and finally play in front of people.” If my impression is any indication, a lot of potential fans will also be very happy to discover this new group.
The Nashville-based group plans to embark on a cross-country tour following the release of Apparition on April 20th.
My personal favorites from this new album are the first track, “Living on the Streets” and the number seven track, “I Think I’m Falling in Love,” which brought to mind the work of Rush’s Alex Lifeson, thanks to the minor-key rhythm guitar work.
I’m no Simon Cowell, but I think this new act has a bright future ahead of them. Exhibiting just the right mix of classic style and commercial appeal, I think they will be well received by fans of genuine, old-style rock and roll.
You can read up more on the Steve Palmer Band on their website and check out a few select tracks from the new album on their MySpace page.
March 2, 2010
CD Review: Craig Maher’s Propel
Craig who? It’s not a name as recognizable as Led Zeppelin or Aerosmith, and technically, he’s not even a classic rock act. However, I’m including a review of this CD here not because I was paid (I wasn’t) and not because I got the CD for free (I did). It’s because it actually sounds pretty good.
I get promotional CDs and DVDs in the mail from time to time, and unfortunately, most of them are either completely unrelated to classic rock, or just something I don’t care for. In fact, it’s rare for me to get any more than 30 seconds or so into each song on most CDs I receive before they wind up in “the pile.”
That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to pop Craig Maher’s new CD, Propel, into my player and have it play from beginning to end. Was I jumping up and down about it? Not quite, but it’s a lot better than most of the other stuff that shows up. Heck, it’s actually pretty good.
Interestingly, Maher describes his music as “Cosmic Contemporary” and cites influences as “the best of the 60’s and the early 70’s rock scene and its ties to Eastern music, Mysticism, and spirituality.” He also credits artists such as U2, David Bowie and Lenny Kravitz as influences.
Certainly, some of the lyrics seem true to Maher’s notion of “Cosmic Contemporary,” but at the same time, there is little doubt that you are listening to a rock album.
Maher covers quite a bit of territory even though the CD might be considered a bit on the short side with just 8 tracks. From the hard-driving rhythm of the title track to the more flowing and laid-back tempo of “Ten Thousand Dreams.”
The eastern influence mentioned earlier makes its presence known in “Where I belong,” although not in sufficient quantity to detract from the track’s rock edge. It’s a passage that reminds me of what Max Webster did with the intro on “Beyond The Moon” from Mutiny Up My Sleeve.
Yeah, I know – a lot of you are thinking, “Huh?” (See the Broaden Your Classic Rock Horizons for more on Max Webster)
It’s clear that Maher has assembled a seasoned group of musicians and engineers to back him on this album. The performances are tight, and I find the mix and engineering to my liking.
Your best bet is to simply go to Maher’s MySpace page and get a taste of his music for yourself. The sample tracks should give anyone enough to make a decision on whether or not Propel should be part of their collection.
March 1, 2010
Would You Believe ‘Contemporary Classic Rock?’
Those of us who are old enough to remember the television series Get Smart will recognize where I stole part of that headline from. I can remember watching that program regularly as a kid.
Regular readers know that I keep the focus on classic rock here, but do stray a bit from time to time when something interesting shows up on my radar that isn’t quite classic rock in its purest form, but may be of interest to fans of the classic rock genre. From now on, I am going to refer to these artists as “contemporary classic rock” artists.
Please note that I’m not staking a claim as the one who coined that term, and for all I know, it has been used a million times by others. It just happens to be what popped into my head when I searched for a way to classify artists like this. Hopefully, it is not something the artists themselves will find disagreeable.
I believe it started when I ran across an article about Grace Potter and The Nocturnals a couple of years ago. I liked the fact that they had a “classic” sound – something that could have come out of the 70’s, but clearly they are a contemporary group.
I decided that they were too good to ignore and thought that other classic rock fans might appreciate their work as much as I do. Therefore I decided to sneak them in here alongside the great bands of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.
These exceptions will be rare, and totally according to whether I like a particular act or not. There are probably a lot of contemporary groups out there that are going for a “classic” sound, but only a few of them really catch my attention in a way that makes me want to help to spread the word about them in some small way.
It makes me wonder if some classic rock radio stations might be interested in mixing things up a little with some of these new groups that have a solid, classic sound. If there’s one criticism I hear about classic rock radio, it’s that they play the same songs over and over again. I realize radio stations are businesses that base their decisions on the bottom line, but it would be interesting to see what the audience reaction would be to showcasing a few select contemporary groups that have the “right” sound.
Speaking of Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, they’ve recently released a new video which showcases the group as they cover the Jefferson Airplane classic “White Rabbit.” As a fan, I may be biased, but I think they pulled it off brilliantly.
I’m told that more Grace Potter and The Nocturnals news will be coming soon.
