Jupiter in Velvet-The World Didn't Start With U

Free 2b Free Records
2015

Look! Up there in the sky! Is it a bird? No! Is it a plane? Nope! Is it a band? Kinda. You're getting closer! Well then, is it a man who happens to be a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and electric rock and roller? Yes, you finally nailed it! It's Jupiter in Velvet!! Born and raised here in the U.S. (and now calling London his home base of operations), Jupiter in Velvet is a out of this world musician with a grand total of four albums to his credit. First sighted in 2012 (by way of Jupiter in Velvet's critically-acclaimed debut album, "Screaming the Love Behind the Scars"), Jupiter in Velvet has grown stronger with each new release and now this US/UK singer/songwriter looks to take things even higher with album number four. Last week I covered this album's title track and lead single, "The World Didn't Start With U" and now I'm happy to report that the rumors are true. It might seem impossible (or at the very least improbable), but "The World Didn't Start With Us" is one of 2015's best "rock" recordings and there is actually physical evidence available to back up that wild claim! What kind of evidence is there you might be asking? Well, by clicking on this link you can actually go and stream this album and hear it all for yourself! That's right! There's no need to be a Doubting Thomas when you can just go directly to the source and play "The World Didn't Start With Us"! All I ask is that you please wait on doing that until the ride comes to a complete stop. You wouldn't want to miss any of sights would you? I didn't think so. Where were we then? Ah yes, Jupiter in Velvet circa 2015. Reportedly this is the "heaviest" recording of his career. Or was it the most aggressive? It's certainly the most ambitious one to date. Beyond that I honestly cannot remember which one it was. Not that it really matters if you are new to this band. And if you are? Well, first things first then. When it comes to this underground rocker it's worth mentioning how Jupiter in Velvet has been (vocally) compared to the likes of David Bowie and Paul McCartney and that he has a PhD in Finance. So, not only is he musically skilled, but Jupiter in Velvet is also highly intelligent. Both ideals play towards the absolute strength of this album. As far as that first part goes one need not look any further than "Martini Rock" for David Bowie and "Dive In2 My Seas" for Paul McCartney. There are other tracks that fir those molds, but those two numbers spring to mind so I went with them. And the second part? Well, that's the album as a whole. Other than "When Love Rules The Day" (which sounds suspiciously like INXS) this album is chock full of clever ideas and infectious material. The individual songs that make up "The World Didn't Start With Us" are intelligent, well-structured, and challenging. Genre-wise there is something for everyone. At it's heaviest there are songs that cut a path between post-grunge and (goth-infused) nineties alt. rock. At it's lightest there are psychedelic like moments that hint at what The Beatles would have sounded like if they were still together in the eighties. In-between all of that you'll find fuzz-heavy electro rock that is honest and optimistic. Of the twelve tracks on "The World Didn't Start With Us" only "When Love Rules The Day" struck me the wrong way. That's just one out of twelve! Highlights for me would be too many to count, but the album kicks off with the tile track first, swings into "Alpha Me Omega U" and then moves through key moments like "The Beauty of U", "No Matter Where U Go", "The Everything & The Nothing", "Eat Your Fear", and the aforementioned "Dive In2 My Sea". Looking over my physical notes I see that I wrote down and then underlined phrases like 90's alternative rock, bass-heavy, and fuzz-tastic(!) and then I jotted down bands as diverse as Cracker, Gin Blossoms and My Bloody Valentine. Besides the fact that I need to do a better job of making sure that my notes are better worded(!) the key thing to take aware from all of that is the diversity of this album and the fact that it reminds me of a better era (as far as great rock/alternative rock is concerned!). For what's it's worth this album also reminds me of a show that my daughter and I have been binge watching on Netflix. Try not to laugh, but Jupiter in Velvet's "The World Didn't Start With U" brings to mind Buffy the Vampire Slayer's TV soundtrack! That's actually a positive note as the former CW horror TV show featured TONS of amazing underground/up-and-coming indie/alternative rock acts and it had a dark and mysterious vibe to it. While Jupiter in Velvet isn't exactly dark there is a little bit of mystery to all of this and one could favorably compare the two separate, but equally enjoyable features. But yet again why not stream it for yourself? Now that we're all wrapped up be sure to head here and hear what all the fuss is about! I can't see how you'd regret it!


PS-I'm loving how this album brings to mind so many great bands and acts! I pick up on everything from "Achtung Baby"-era U2 to a David Bowie-lead N.I.N. (that is if N.I.N. grew up on/was more influenced by psychedelic garage rock and shoegazing!).

Kelakos-Uncorked: Rare Tracks from a Vintage '70s Band

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Alright classic rock and roll fans it's time to drop what you're doing and listen up! I've got just one word for you and you are going to want to write this one down. That word is Kelakos and it represents everything that was and still is right with the world when it came to the sights and sounds of the seventies rock scene! And now, with everything from yesterday suddenly hip and trendy with the in-crowd and with modern technology capable of turning long-gotten tape recordings into bright, bold and beautiful collections like this one, everyone young and old can enjoy the music of this hidden-treasure of a band! Rocking and recording out of Ithaca, NY, this fanciful four-piece was composed of lead singer/guitarist George Michael Kelakos Haberstroh, guitarist Mark Sisson, bassist Lincoln Bloomfield and drummer Carl Canedy. For heavy metal fans the name Carl Canedy should ring a bell as this multi-talented musician not only played with everyone from The Rods to Manowar, but was responsible for producing albums for Anthrax, Overkill, TT Quick, Exciter and even the almighty Possessed! Here on the (fully-remixed) 15-track "Uncorked: Rare Tracks From A Vintage '70s Band" Canedy's skills are put to the test and naturally these various numbers go a long way towards reaffirming just how good Carl was and is behind a solid drum set! With Carl working his magic on the drums the other three musicians involved with creation of these classic tracks were able to move about freely as witness on the smashing cut, "All You Need Is A Ticket". This one song alone has some fat solos that will tickle your classic rock itch while simultaneously tilting straight towards the group's hard rock potential! For Kelakos (who incidentally took their band name so that they could honor their singer/guitarist's family heritage) it all started  in 1976 with the band issuing its first single, "There's A Feeling"/"Funky Day", before moving on to release the long-sought after LP, "Gone Are the Days"(the title of which sounds refreshingly like classic Allman Brothers Band!), in September of 1978. This 15-track collection collects all of the band's previously-released material along with the never-before-released song, "In the Sun". With Lincoln Bloomfield responsible for mixing the original tracks for this collection and Blaine Misner tasked with the mastering the material the end result is a CD that is more than worthy of admission into one's personal classic rock collection! Starting with the cool and collective "Boogie Bad Express" the band weaves in and out of rock music's past with the would-be AOR-hit "Rachel" fitting in rather nicely next to the Zeppelin-like "Frostbite Fantasy"! "Rachel" isn't the only track that would have had major AM radio-appeal as the wonderful "Follow Your Dream" combines the Procol Harum and the softly-spoken voice of guitarist George Michael Kelakos Haberstroh into the perfect evening cocktail! perfectly! With influences ranging from the Beatles to Grand Funk this band makes the smooth "How Did You Get So Crazy" sound like a staple of adult contemporary before mixing the likes of The Doobie Brothers, Santana and Traffic together for the spectacular "Lovin' So Fine"! The use of exotic instrumentation on "Persephone's Poison" does bring to mind more Santana, but it's the way in which this band works together is nothing short of spectacular! It's an absolute shame that this band didn't get their proper due back in the seventies as other than maybe "Change Your Mind" this amazing collection has cut after cut that could have made a splash on AM radio! Easily the smooth yet sassy "Till The Break Of Day" could have charted and the same could be said of the unreleased "In The Sun"! Ending with the single "There's A Feeling" this 15-track collection makes the case even stronger for resurrecting long-lost albums. Between the fully-remixed sound and the nice CD booklet that comes with "Uncorked: Rare Tracks from a Vintage '70s Band" there is so much to love about this 2015 re-release. For fans of classic rock and roll the excellent "Uncorked: Rare Tracks from a Vintage '70s Band" seems like a real no-brainer!

Klem-Ritagli Di Tempo

Self-Release
2013

Self-produced and self-released at the tail end of 2013, with Atomic Stuff Promotion simply stepping in to offer up a kind hand of support, "Ritagli Di Tempo" is the first full-length release from Italian rock trio Klem. Formed out of the ashes of a previous band called Jab (featuring bassist Umberto Patuzzo and drummer Francesco Schiavi) the band came together in 2010 with the (fortunate) addition of vocalist/guitarist Leonard Scali. (Jokingly) self-dubbed "Fluo Rock" the group's sound could best be described modern alternative rock by way of seventies rock (only with equal access given to The Killers and Queens of the Stone Age as can be seen & heard on the band's first video of "Quando cogli un fiore"!). Age-wise these three might be on the younger side of life (or at least as viewed through the eyes of this near 41 year old reviewer!), but their sound is remarkably much more mature all around. Variety plays a solid roll as evident by "Ritagli Di Tempo" first few tracks. "Scacco Matto" might just be (heavy) rocking, modern alternative fare, but by the second track (the slightly fuzzy "Specchi Infanti") it seems quite obvious that these three lads are not above (lovingly) embracing everyone from U2 to Jane's Addiction to even early pop-punk such as The Buzzcocks! As it's all sung in their native language though that could prove to be a draw-back. Still, the looks are there when it comes to these three as are the licks. And besides, there's plenty of fun-loving hooks on numbers like "Da te" and "Poi si fermerà" to go around (More nods of appreciation towards modern alternative rock as well as modern day radio rock? Sure, why not? Especially when it simply floors the peddle down on "Poi si fermerà"!). Back to the variety though for a second and we take a close look at "Mobile Classico", which recalls classic Beck, before peeking in on space-age (jam) rocker "Fluo", "2" (Material Issue meets The Killers?) and then rock and roll closer, "Acqua, terra e fuoco". All told Klem's "Ritagli Di Tempo" is a solid debut output that excels not only in regards to the album's bookends  ("Sacco Matto" and "Acqua, terra e fuoco"), but between the covers ("Quando cogli un fiore", "Specchi Infanti", "Da te", etc.). You can check out the group's video for "Quando cogli un fiore" right below and hear the album in it's entirety right here: http://klem1.bandcamp.com/album/ritagli-di-tempo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql-1Te_B61Q

Hidden Masters- Of This & Other Worlds

Rise Above Records / Metal Blade Records
2013

Three men and a cause. That's the essence of this Glasgow-based entity known as Hidden Masters. Those three men are the vocalist/guitarist David Addison, vocalist/bassist Alasdair C Mitchell (who also plays piano and organ) and vocalist/drummer John Nicol. As for the cause? On this, the group's debut LP, the trio embark on a journey straight into the heart of psychedelic rock and pop band. Make that psychedelic rock and pop band of the 60's variety. Without a doubt these three are exceptional musicians with talent that would have been right at home during the later day, musical exploration era, of both The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Whether it's the sugar sweet group melodies that cut right to the core of what made the 60's and early 70's such a magical time to begin with (think along the lines of an acid-rock version of  The Association or even Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) or the band's natural ability to casually switch things up between folk-rock (The Byrds), classic rock (The Doors) and even hard rock/proto-metal (Black Sabbath) it's all nothing short of brilliant! The influences that these three gentlemen bring to the grand party are as varied as the music itself on "Of This & Other Worlds". A casual walk through the other day of this album, with my own two teenagers also listening in admiration to this 10-track LP, opened up our eyes and ears to the sounds and styles (all of which were splashed against the canvas in these exploding waves of color!) of each and everyone of those Hidden Masters influences. From The Doors to Queen to The Who it's all here under the covers of Hidden Master's sound. Any band who sites the likes of  Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, Buddy Holly, The Moody Blues, Earth & Fire, The Move, Buffalo Springfield, Yes and black Sabbath as influences obviously will be interesting, but it's how simple that all of this sounds seem to be that proves to be the real difference maker. It's rock and roll with all the trimmings (seriously this one rolls from one extreme to the other) while it's also highly experimental (Black Sabbath, Yes and even The Zombies? Really?) and downright addicting! There's just so much fabulous variety going on within these tracks that it begs just one question. That is where has this band been hiding all this time?