Reimagined EP by Jamie’s Elsewhere (Self-released)

Jamie’s Elsewhere from Sacramento is a band in transition. After their recent departure from Victory Records, one could only assume the worst. However, it appears that the band has been on the verge of a creative renaissance – especially if the six songs heard on Reimagined are indicative of things to come. Musical trends certainly come and go, yet good songwriting stands the test of time.

With Reimagined, four songs from their final Victory release They Said A Storm Was Coming are given a whirlwind of reinterpretation, and the results are pretty impressive. Two new compositions are also included, showing a deeply introspective side to the band’s creativity. This collection is sure to surprise longtime fans as well as endear them to newer converts – and perhaps even another record label.

First off on Reimagined EP is I’ll Make My Peace, And Sink, a dark yet inspiring reinvention of The Mapmaker that really makes the listener stand up and take notice. Let’s Pretend That We’re Giants aka Giants Among Common Men is epic and swirling, with its grand wall of sound and wonderfully expressive vocals.

One Foot In The Present Day is a haunting rendition of One Foot In The Grave, and works wonders in this format. Fan favorite Prodigal Son is renamed The Prodigal, and is tremendously effective as an ominous testament to exploration and perseverance,

The last two tracks are stark and emotional, showing just how potent Aaron Pauley’s vocals are. Heavy Eyelids, Heavy Hearts and Out Of Love feature deeply personal lyrically, and definitely leave a lingering impression.

So what’s up next for Jamie’s Elsewhere? Will they pursue the musical direction explored on Reimagined or put the pedal to the metal as in their past releases? Whatever this collective decides to do in future days, there is little doubt that Jamie’s Elsewhere will continue on their compelling journey of musical rediscovery.

At present, the Jamie’s Elsewhere lineup consists of Aaron Pauley on vocals, Matt Scarpelli on guitar, Mike Spearman on keys and Chance Medeiros on bass. The voyage continues on – it will be exciting to see what new musical shores the band commences upon.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

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Yes In the Present – Live From Lyon (Frontiers Records)

In December of 2009 Yes recorded a soul-stirring show in Lyon, France with recent addition: vocalist Benoit David.  I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Yes from this same period and the In the Present recording is a fitting document of what an intense and wonderful experience a Yes show can be.  David conducts himself admirably, this is the band he was fated to join after fronting his own band and a Yes tribute band for many years.  His voice and style fits in beautifully in such songs as I’ve Seen All Good People and Yours is No Disgrace and catches fire towards the end of the set for the bluesy Heart Of The Sunrise.

Siberian Khatru begins the set in a playful mood, the highlight Steve Howe’s intricate guitar picking and Oliver (son of Rick) Wakeman’s keyboard melodies.  A rollicking good time is had for the instrumental break on I’ve Seen All Good People as the audience claps along.  Yes slows things down for Onward from 1978′s Tormato.  A pretty song centered on Howe’s tight guitar motif and David’s uplifting singing.  Bassist Chris Squire shines on Astral Traveller, as does Alan White who is given a drum solo to wow the audience.  Mystery and intrigue is to be had in South Side of the Sky as Wakeman plays some shadowy keys and David and Squire join with chanted wordless vocals, building to a dramatic conclusion.

Machine Messiah starts out promisingly enough, like a soundtrack to a dystopian future, Howe belting out metallic chords accompanied by Wakeman and White at their most evil.  But then a positive vibe changes things and the song gets a bit too hippy dippy yet the song is fun nonetheless.  The opening of Heart Of The Sunrise is proof that Yes can kick out the jams with a bluesy soul and vigor, Squire’s muscular bass playing takes center stage, Wakeman’s minor key stabs accentuating things to come.  The members twine their instruments together, rising and falling, rising and falling, then a pleasant vocal midsection then the most rocking duel goes on between the guitars and keyboards that after a few minutes of fireworks, you don’t care who wins the battle the players are so exemplary.

Every time I hear the opening of Starship Trooper I get gooseflesh.  David puts some grit and soul into his voice as the song beautifully travels from rolling highs to a rocking second half, wrapping up the show with Wakeman’s epic synthesizer story and a jazzy lead from Howe for a rousing climax that will leave you breathless.

(Review by Bret Miller)

Dead Son Rising by Gary Numan (Machine Music Ltd)

Dead Son Rising is the 16th album by the iconic Gary Numan, and is perhaps his most experimental and remote recording to date. It may take a few listens to fully appreciate the various intricacies presented, but the eventual rewards are vast. Fans of the previous efforts Jagged and Pure are sure to revel within the bleak yet intoxicating masterworks.

First up is the instrumental Resurrection, where the artist is allowed to rise from the grave of abstraction. An ominous reverie that whets the appetite for the shadowy glories ahead.  Big Noise Transmissions emerges with its driving beats where the artist eerily speaks of “walking in the shadow of my death.” A potent cut with a grand chorus and some particularly aggressive singing by the Maestro Numan.

The title track commences, where the world-weary narrator cites the marvels he has witnessed, concluding with the mystifying strains of, “And I’ve seen the dead son rising.” The bleak visions continue on an inward spiral with the mesmerizing When The Sky Bleeds He Will Come. “Something falling from heaven, looks like a nightmare, coming to haunt to me,” the lyrics reveal with a horrific sense of unease and regret.

Photo Credit: Ed Fielding

For The Rest Of My Life is an impassioned composition expressing loss and heartbreak that is exquisite and profound. The isolation continues with the somber reprieves of Not The Love We Dream Of, with Numan’s sorrowful vocals and desolate keyboards weaving a poignant tapestry that is absolutely heart wrenching.

The Fall has heavy duty, synthetic dance beats and searing guitars as Numan intensely inquires, “Do you fall like tears on the ocean? Drowning in rage like a poison emotion.” Numan is at his most effective lyrically and vocally, while the song is sure to become a staple in his live set for the distant ages to come.

We Are The Lost is bleak and primal, presenting a sense of chaos and hopelessness.  For The Rest Of My Life (Reprise) follows, containing an even more bleak and desolate rendering of the song. Into Battle is an instrumental that leaves a lingering, otherworldly impression on the listener.  Dead Son Rising concludes with Not The Love We Dream Of (Piano Version), sending the recording into memory on a dramatic, intriguing note.

The perfect companion for the darkest and manic of nights, Dead Son Rising is a menacing work of artistry that will linger within your psyche long after the disc arrives at its solemn conclusion. Another triumphant collaborative work of Numan and Ade Fenton.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Gary Numan Official Home Page

In Abstraction by A Hope For Home (Facedown Records)

A Hope For Home has always been an intensely unique collective, even before they were signed to Facedown Records. It has been exciting to witness the band mature throughout the years. And now with their third full-length album In Abstraction, the Portland, Oregon based group has presented a work of artistry and magnificence. In addition to the wondrous musical compositions, there is a DVD, which accompanies the album featuring not only videos of the songs, but some fairly introspective interviews as well.

The dark post rock tapestries commence with the metallic sounds of Calm, an impassioned track that grabs the listener by the throat and then lulls itself into an intriguing state of grace. Out Of Ruin, Misery follows, with its marvelous lyrical complexities and soaring melodies reaching into the stratospheres of sound.

Firewind is ambient and haunting, an ominous bit of serenity before exploding into its thunderous climax. Tides is hypnotic and ethereal, featuring dazzling guitar work and pensive vocals that transport the listener far beyond the mortal confines of their stereo speakers.

The House While You Were Born continues on with the melancholic reveries of deep contemplation, presenting a palette of sound that is sure to stun as well as haunt all whom encounter its compelling refrains. Weaved possesses even more of a dreamlike stance, channeling the great shoegaze bands such as Ride and Slowdive.

Closing out In Abstraction is a 9-plus minute masterwork entitled Everything That Rises Must Converge. A staggering tune demonstrating just how heartfelt the A Hope For Home experience is, one exits the recording feeling a grand sense of enlightenment, ready to face the daunting challenges of the turbulent times ahead.

The 58-minute DVD is a perfect companion piece, where a greater understanding of In Abstraction is achieved. The direction and editing was conducted with an imaginative flair by AHFH guitarist Matthew Ellis, presenting both thoughtful interviews and astonishing imagery. The brilliant cinematography is courtesy of AHFH keyboardist Eric Gerard.

In Abstraction presents A Hope For Home in their finest hour – a thoroughly ambitious and triumphant work of sonic art that will remain in the listener’s head long after the disc spins to its riveting conclusion.  A fantastic way to conclude the year in music!

The A Hope For Home lineup consists of Nathan Winchell on vocals, Matthew Ellis on guitar and vocals, Tanner Morita on guitar, Dan McCall on bass, Eric Gerrard on keyboards and programming, and Lance Taylor on drums.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

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Live at Hammersmith Apollo by Killing Joke (Four Worlds Media)

Recorded on October 16, 2010, Killing Joke celebrate their 31sth anniversary in front of a London crowd.  It’s one of those instant live recordings, warts and all, yet still sounding amazing.  Killing Joke perform in support of Absolute Dissent,  their first studio album made together in over two decades.  The band has always melded dance grooves with dub bass, harsh guitars and Jaz Coleman’s rasped vocals announcing doom and destruction to the world.  Live, they span their career focusing heavily on their beginnings, playing most of thier 1980 debut as well as the bulk of their latest album.

Tomorrow’s World serves as introduction to the night, a tribal drum tatoo and crunchy guitar line are accompanied by repetitive keyboard tinkle drawing you into the Killing Joke World.  Youth’s chunky bass is prominent on Love Like Blood working up the often funky groove that has been a part of the KJ sound from the beginning, followed by the dubby dance of Bloodsport, basically a chance for the audience to dance.  European Super State continues the club vibe with spacey keyboard sequences and disco beat combined with Geordie Walker’s guitar crunch.  The only thing that distracts from the song is the offkey and slow vocals in the chorus.  This World Hell is metallic guitars coming up against Ferguson’s cymbal crashes, with a fists waving rousing ending.  The Fall of Because is based on a tightly wound groove and call and response vocals that will pound you into a happy sweaty pulp.  Fun is to be had on Madness, as the four members do a round robin of vocals, all chanting the song title to a bouncy circular beat lead by Youth and Big Paul, Jordy slashing away in the background.

Eighties begins the upward climb to hard and fast songs, likely bringing the fans to pogo and dance like wild people to the trance-inducing tunes.  The Great Cull is about the mass murder of our populations by malnutrition from the food providers, set to an insistent rhythm, Fresh Fever From The Skies follows, taking the beat back a little while keeping the energy up, Asteroid hitting your ears like the sonic boom of the arriving subject into the air above, the rock-hard rhythm broken only for a few seconds before careening back harder than before.

The Wait begins a five-song trip back to the beginnings of Killing Joke, the band in total syncronization, their dystopic punk forcing you to want to dance to the apocalypse (and yes, Metallica did a version of this song).  Primitive is a slow burner, Big Paul and Youth again in head-nodding sync, Geordie doing his atmospheric thing around the proceedings, followed by the anxiety-inducing Change, the tight coils loosening for a too short time for the chorus, only to wind you up all over again.  The only solution is to keep moving. Complications is about as old school punk as Killing Joke has ever got, with a distinct verse and chorus simply repeating the song title, the playing full of portent, Jaz chanting  “Alienation/ Self-destruct/ At the count of ten.”

After thanking the band, the crew and the manager, all family, all loved, Killing Joke wrap up Live at Hammersmith Apollo with the Arabic airs of Pandemonium, hypnotizing the listener into a blissful state with help from keyboardist Reza Udhin.  The song is a fitting one to end on with perhaps positive lyrics, Jaz singing “I can see tomorrow, I can see the world to come” and “Life is not longevity and beauty is the only goal.“

Look for a new album from the original members in 2012, likely released before December 21st, the end of the Mayan Calendar.

(Review by Bret Miller)

Welcome 2 My Nightmare by Alice Cooper (EMI/UME)

The original Welcome To My Nightmare was unleashed in 1975, an absolutely iconic album for rock superstar Alice Cooper, which featured the hit single Only Women Bleed. And although sequels are almost never as good as the original, Alice Cooper’s 2011 effort Welcome 2 My Nightmare is imaginative and wildly infectious, presenting a whole new collection of material to warm up those chilly sleepless nights. Nearly an hour’s worth of diabolic intrigue is to be found within Cooper’s 26th extravaganza, and it’s a dark adventure well worth seeking out.

The nightmare commences on a grand and epic scale with the dynamic strains of I Am Made Of You, reeling the listener in for the scary reveries to come. “If I close my eyes, it will be the death of me,” muses Cooper in the wondrously quirky Caffeine. The Nightmare Returns kicks off as a sinister children’s lullaby and then succumbs to a wild and grim ride on the “Nightmare Express” with A Runaway Train.

The descent into the underground continues with the campy overtures of Last Man On Earth, with it’s sinister tongue in cheek lyricism. “I can smoke, I can drink, I can smoke and I can stink,” says the narrator with a sense of fiendish glee. The tour into the dark recesses of a hell then runs into The Congregation, featuring a ghoulish guest appearance by the one and only Rob Zombie.

I’ll Bite Your Face Off is a soon to be Alice Cooper classic, with the narrator encountering a demonic female guide. A wickedly catchy affair with a nasty chorus that will remain embedded in your feverish brain for the ages.

Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever is a murderous dancehall affair, where the maligned genre itself is all but eternal damnation for our hapless hero. Then it’s on to the surfadelic wave sounds of Ghouls Gone Wild, a good deal of creepy fun to be sure.

Something To Remember Me By is an ominous power ballad, with the trademark Cooper persona rendering this one a timeless celebration of sound. The macabre returns with a dead serious vengeance on the haunting When Hell Comes Home, about a young boy seeking revenge on an alcoholic, abusive father. “So tired of being scared,” resulting in, “Daddy’s gonna get a big surprise, I’ll put one right between his eyes.” Some nightmares are vividly real and foreboding.   A blood cousin to the equally disturbing Only Women Bleed.

Welcome 2 My Nightmare swings back into the imaginary yet still scary as hell endeavors, when chanteuse Ke$ha joins Cooper for the wondrously trashy What Baby Wants. And then on I Gotta Get Out Of Here, the stark realization is clearly that the nightmare is never going to end, “What part of dead don’t you get?” the chorus screams out with wicked glee. As the hero’s fate is fully realized, The Underture lulls the listener into one’s own state of false ease as you get ready for your very own personal nightmare.

Produced with skill and precision by the famed Bob Ezrin (who also helmed the original Nightmare as well as several KISS records), Welcome 2 My Nightmare seals the devilish deal as Alice Cooper continues to reign as the king of shock rock royalty. Definitely an album to haunt not only your Halloween, but your remaining days on this Earth as well.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Alice Cooper Official Home Page

Volume Two: High And Inside by The Baseball Project (Yep Roc Records)

Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate and The Minus 5) and help from REM’s Scott McCaughey and Peter Buck and some fine back up music friends like Linda Pitmon (from Steve Wynn’s Miracle 3 band) have come up with another 13 songs that play homage to the beloved past time game. Seems like these maybe from Steve Wynn’s own watching of some of the games and the others are reliving old pastime selected events that happened at a ballpark near you. What happens when two music greats focus their talents upon their favorite sport? You get another entertaining The Baseball Project, Volume Two: High And Inside. The end result is an album with impressing knowledge of the game with its depth of obscure baseball lore.

The amazing thing on this CD is that McCaughey and Wynn admit inherited the task of including so many names, dates and places which required a focused mindset than the standard three minute pop gem might require and do it simply well here. This album should be nominated up for a Grammy Award. Volume 2 also includes music guest artist as Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie, Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan, as well as Chris Funk and John Moen from The Decemberists. The album is a little country but with enough power-pop that hooks you right into it.

There are some great stories, with nostalgia and baseball history galore on here. There are songs here about Pete Rose, and The Twins too. So sit down with a couple of beers and Cracker Jacks or beer nuts and give this project a good ole fashioned memory a spin and relive some great past moments of bassball. Some of the best songs are Don’t Call The Twinkies, Panda And The Freak, Pete Rose Way and Ichiro Goes To The Moon. This is a true Home Run of a winner record.

“Batter Up”

(Review by Jonathan D. Wright)

Conditions by Sleep For Sleepers (Self-released EP)

After a year away with a tentative status regarding the band’s future existence, Sleep For Sleepers has reawakened with a glorious new EP. Once signed to Dreamt Music (a division of Facedown Records), on their own, Sleep For Sleepers continues to create stunning songs whose spiritual lyrics and catchy melodies are sure to inspire and delight.

The constant member throughout the project’s duration has been Jamey Price, a multi-talented musician based out of Whittier, CA, who pretty much sings and performs all the instruments on Conditions except for the drums.  The five songs found within Conditions are rock solid, and should gain the vastly underrated Sleep For Sleepers some much-deserved recognition at long last!

One notices instantly the emergence of a big rock anthem when the title track Conditions kicks off the EP, with its triumphant chorus and wonderfully introspective lyrics. “I’m a man of jealousy, take away the pride in me, far away from what I should be, teach me some integrity” Price sings with a heartfelt sense of urgency.

Dark is definitely the best song Sleep For Sleepers has ever committed to disc – a dazzling pop rock should-be hit whose infectious melodies and driving beats will jangle joyously throughout the listener’s head. A celebratory tune about overcoming personal demons, the dazzling track featured a surprise guest appearance by Sean Mcculloch from Phinehas contributing some super impassioned metal screams.

Cold War is lyrically forthright, with its gigantic melodies housing lyrics such as “be careful because we all know, you’re mind is filth, I’m convinced that you’re heart must be as well” and “Think it’s okay to make my God what you want? Colored in confusion just to pull Him a part?” Power sentiments that are highly effective.

Burn is a stunning rock track, with it’s spiraling guitars and groovy gang vocal  singing “burning it a both ends, baby, where is the girl that I once knew?” And then there’s the gripping Speak, with its triumphant guitars and fearless vocals. “I hear a voice that’s calling from the dark, but I’m not afraid,” Price conveys, concluding the Conditions EP on a grand note of victory and grace.

On Conditions, Sleep For Sleepers has raised the bar on their already compelling music. This is clearly big league material, and a label such as Tooth & Nail, Mono vs. Stereo, (or perhaps any secular independent), would be wise to give an artist with as much passion as Jamey Price a shot. A thoroughly moving effort you’ll want to spin time and again.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

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Anyone versed in early to mid-90′s British rock music will instantly recognize Moonbell’s influences, yet you can easily enjoy their sound without knowing their references.

The four song EP begins with Figurine’s fuzzy bass and David Paslay’s slow percussion drawing you into a trance. Then Garen Ingleby’s drawn out vocals drift in along with chiming guitars adding texture. Halfway through, the playing doesn’t so much build as focus ever so slightly, keeping up an overall hazy mood.

Urgence starts with the same fuzzy bass, a simple shaker and drum thump, the vocals joined by Lisa Dawn Covin’s keyboard stabs and ambient guitar fills, going in circles for five blissful minutes.

Nostalgia for the Future catches fire from the start, agile bass playing leading the charge, the guitars careening into the keyboards and aggressive snare rolls and cymbal crashes. Ingleby and Colvin’s vocals pile up to mesmerizing effect.

On “White Light” the vocals are more direct and forceful, the guitars, while still echoing, almost take the lead away from the dubby bass. In the middle, Colvin’s keyboards shine joyously through the hazy clouds of sound seguing into a pleasantly long climax and solo denoument.

Moonbell’s Figurine EP is for fans of early Ride, The Verve, Lush and Chapterhouse among many other classic albums and for fans of textured, blissed out rock’n'roll.

(Review by Bret Miller)

Moonbell Official Home Page

Igniter by An Early Ending (CI/Decadent Suite Records)

CI Records possesses a solid reputation for discovering some pretty compelling talent in their early stages of their careers. August Burns Red and Texas In July released their first recordings on the label. Albert React’s final magnum opus Sonos Aeterno was on CI as well, a magnificent piece of artistry that was vastly underrated. A recent signing was An Early Ending from Harrisburg, PA, a collective who compares exceedingly well to all of CI’s past endeavors. Igniter by An Early Ending is a collaborative effort released by both CI and Decadent Suite Records, and it’s well worth checking into.

Igniter is the second chapter to the An Early Ending story. Nearly living up to their band name with a catastrophic van accident while on tour a few years ago, An Early Ending’s return is nothing short of a triumph. They say “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” and one could clearly feel the strength and passion within each of the compositions contained within.

The disc commences with an ominous Intro that serves as fuel to the fire that is about to detonate.  The explosive title track Igniter follows, an absolute standout with its thrashing beginning meshing into a rock anthem-like chorus that will remain embedded in your head for ages. One notices right away the meshing of the hardcore and hard rock genres and how effortlessly An Early Ending presents this remarkable fusion of sound.

I Won’t Illuminate This features soaring guitars and highly impassioned vocals that send the material soaring. Dead Eyes is a head banging wonder, where An Early Ending put the pedal to the metal with spectacular results.

Only Way rocks it out like a Taking Back Sunday or Framing Hanley tune, presenting a wonderful diversity while maintaining their own sense of identity and purpose. Breath slams the listener back into supersonic gear with its fiery refrains while Powerless Monster is a heavy assault that manages to maintain a cool sense of melody and intensity.

Igniter concludes on a brilliantly ambitious note with the powerhouse sounds of Home (The End). The last moments are hypnotic and dreamlike, while exuding a feeling of urgency even within the quieter moments of the piece.

The musicianship found within An Early Ending is first rate, courtesy of Alex Runk on vocals, Greg Hildebrand on guitar, Brandon Vartenisian on guitar, Michael Tarrant on bass, and Logan Summey on drums. Igniter is a heartfelt effort by a band destined to break it out in a big and glorious way. Highly recommended!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

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