“Through the Rain”
www.agsongs.com
Style (Blues, Rock)

Another good blues rock CD has come my way. Right from the start I dig the guitar playing of Alastair Greene and the subtle Skynardesque undertones. The guitar sound is full bodied with a grinding lived in quality, with hints of unfiltered tobacco and whisky as smooth as 40 grit sandpaper. The guitar solos are expressive saying “yeah, check out these cajones!” Reading the credits on the disc, Greene handled much of the instrument playing, except where noted, and aside from being impressed with his 6 string capabilities, I really dig his low-mid range vocals and how perfectly they fit the tone and character of all the instruments. Truly an excellently mixed collection of songs. My one negative though is that I’m not hearing that “one” song that puts it all together for marketing purposes, but maybe I’m just missing it.

Rating 4 (the live set is where this stuff will shine)

Pittman and his Signature Jarrell guitar join an extraordinary group of guitarists who have performed at Super Bowl Half Time Shows, including Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash who stole the show from The Black Eyed Peas and Usher in 2011, Bruce Springsteen, who showed viewers that he was still “The Boss” with a crowd pleasing around the body guitar spin in 2009, and Prince, whose 2007 guitar solo was played behind a transparent sheet and held in a way that left critics deeming it “Phallic.” In 2006, Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones banged it out with a boldness that was touted as a “raw, dirty, guitar sound, and in 2002, The Edge joined U2 and Bono in 2002 for a hypnotic guitar solo on “Where The Streets Have No Name.”

The Monte Pittman Signature Jarrell MPS is the result of the collaboration between the award winning visionary designer Phillip Jarrell and world renowned artist, writer, and guitarist Monte Pittman. Pittman plays so many different styles of music during any given performance that, until now, he required many different types of guitars to accommodate his needs. Utilizing Pittman’s feedback, Jarrell Guitars worked with MJ at the Seymour Duncan Shop to transform the finest MPS guitar at the time into something completely new – the most versatile instrument ever made. The Monte Pittman Signature Jarrell MPS boasts a mega set of Seymour Duncan pickups with a P-Rail neck, STk-S7 Vintage Hot Stack middle and a custom design SH-13 Dime Bucker Bridge. Both neck and bridge have 3 position mini switches, with custom wiring using a Super 5 way switch, and a kill switch. All together it seems Monte Pittman and Jarrell Guitars are hell bent on rocking the world – the sound of which is none other than simply amazing.

Jarrell Guitars was named “2010 Manufacturer of the Year” at the Music Industries Association of Canada (MIAC) Show in Canada, and has received accolades from PremierGuitar.com.

http://jarrellguitars.com

http://jarrellguitars.com/news29/

http://www.jarrell-mps.com/

http://www.jarrellguitars.com/artistpage_home.html

Jane’s Addiction has released a magical, mythical and sonic release with “The Great Escape Artist’,” on Capitol/EMI records. Where previous records incorporated themes of edgy, crazed, slum-dwelling visionary junkies, this time they are relying on slick production and concept-like tunes. Perry Farrell stands out as one of music’s most forward-thinking and enigmatic frontman in the business with his vocals soaring with vibrancy, vulnerability, and vitality. Guitar god Dave Navarro conjures up psychedelic and epic riffs. Stephen Perkins’ tribal stomp remains hypnotic and transfixing. Jane’s Addiction the band has been around for nearly 30 years and proves that they are frontrunners in alternative music.

In 2010, Jane’s Addiction began writing songs for the new album. By 2011, recording began on what would become “The Great Escape Artist’” on Capitol/EMI records to be supported with a worldwide tour 2012. The band and producer Rich Costey, (Muse, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol) added TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek to the creative team.

The addition of Sitek writing music with Navarro and Perkins pointed the record in a decidedly alternative direction. Farrell’s melodies and lyrics completed the picture, the results of which created a more natural progression of Jane’s music for their inception as the creators of alternative rock as they now step into 2012 with a very modern-sounding record that somehow magically still harkens back to the original vibe of the group. Some fans may think the band has sold out but with this new paring with Sitek they really thrust themselves into the 21st century.

Taking a more musical approach, the members switched off on instruments and stretched out a bit, as Navarro played some bass, Sitek played some guitar, and Perkins experimented with several new percussion instruments. The group even brought in long time touring member and session player extraordinaire, Chris Chaney, to play additional bass.

To further the experimentation JA enlisted the help of Masters of Musicians of Joujouka, originally discovered by Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones in the late 60’s to create the lush but bizarre background to their first released track from the new set called, “End to the Lies.” The Master of Musicians of Joujouka recorded their parts in the wilds Morocco.

Acclaimed for their swirling sonic symphony and unique studio alchemy, Jane’s Addiction have sold over seven million records in the U.S. alone. They’ve also garnered Grammy nominations and spearheaded the movement of the modern American festival culture by launching and headlining Lollapalozza. Even during dormant periods, their classical songs pulsated through rock radio constantly and their influence resounded through countless acts.

Staring off this intriguing and conceptual album is the track, “Underground,” showing off the haunting guitar of Dave Navarro, driving rhythms, and inspiring lyrics classically putting forth their slum-dwelling past experiences. “End to Lies,” about a broken relationship, being down and out was leaked in April 2011 on Chilean radio when Jane’s Addiction headlined Lollapalooza Chili in Santiago at the first official Lollapalooza stages outside the U. S. A final mix of the initial song was released online a month later along with a striking video directed by Alex Bulkley from Robot Chicken fame.

The group’s first single, “Irresistible Force,” is a cosmic love story, ghost-like vibe, and spacey. “Curiosity Kills,” has an Edge-like inspired guitar groove and some soaring vocals courtesy of flamboyant Farrell. “I’ll Hit You Back,” a faulting relationship is one of the stronger songs on the disc with a majestic hooky chorus. The songs “Ultimate Reason,” with its message of love being the ultimate reason in life and the strong influence of STP glossing over in the background. “Splash A Little Water On It,” is a spacey movement, but overall an epic track. And rounding out the rest of the record is, “Words Right Out of My Mouth,” starting with a monologue from a therapist session where Farrell jumps right in but the song feels jumbled and chaotic probably better off closing the album with, “Broken People.”

Underlying the entire concept album is the idea of the underbelly of Los Angeles with its carnival of freaks, hustlers, and street corner visionaries of all kinds. Below the veneer of Hollywood’s lights lies a counter culture driven by escapism. Whether it’s via carnal, mental, physical, chemical, or aural pleasures the quirky court thrive on escape. Jane’s Addiction fourth album “The Great Escape Artist,” could only have been born within this realm. Spun through a kaleidoscope of tightly wound riffs, hypnotic harmonies, booming beats and an unmistakable howl, the record announces the beginning of the next chapter for the alternative rock torchbearers.

Jane’s Addiction is Perry Farrell (vocals), Dave Navarro (guitar), and Stephen Perkins (drums). The band began working in 2010 on what would become “The Great Escape Artist.”

The DVD explores his time with Black Sabbath the English heavy metal band and shows Ozzy in his formidable years as a young bloke in Aston, Birmingham England where his choices of occupation was either, factory worker, prison, or in the army. Born John Michael Osbourne, Ozzy expresses his lack of interest in any of those occupations in 1969 he sets out to be a musician alongside of Bill Ward, Gezzer Butler, and Tony Iommi. Sabbath the pioneers of heavy metal produced the quadruple-platinum 1970 hit Paranoid and position themselves stars in the rock world.

This documentary interviews all of his band mates and Henry Rollins, Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee, and his childhood hero Sir Paul McCartney putting their personal spin on everything Ozzy. Ozzy was a huge fan of the Beatles and was determined to become a rockstar himself. The DVD also shows his spiral down into drugs and alcoholism that plagued most of his forty years in rock’n roll. Due to his lack of self-esteem Ozzy became the band class clown. Cocaine was ever present with the band doing blow all day and all night long. Because they were completely drugged out they became ripped off by many people in the business because they were unable to manage their own affairs.

This documentary shows Ozzy’s three sisters Jean, Iris and Gillian sending Ozzy back in time to his home as he travels back to Aston and his childhood home and offers a porthole into his dysfunctional first marriage and his first two children Luis and Jessica. His kids have many memories of him not being present in their lives and being a no good drunk. Bill Ward tells the account of Ozzy losing his father Jack and how devastating that experience was for him. The band got tired of Ozzy’s antics and fired him from the band. That’s about the time Sharon stepped knowing that Ozzy had no confidence and feeling that it was the end of his dream. She knew he was a great talent but lack self-esteem again and finally got his mojo back with the hiring of great guitarist Randy Rhodes. 1980 Blizzard of Oz’s with Rhodes blew up on the charts and then the follow up Diary of a Madman established Ozzy as a star again. Rhodes helped Ozzy reinvent himself until his untimely Rhodes death in a freak helicopter crash. Sharon and Ozzy married in 1982 and started a family with Jack, Kelly, and Aimee and he still was not a great father. He was constantly drunk and loaded and notoriously bit off the head of a bird at a meeting with executives at CBS records which began to make him a larger than life character. His affair with drugs persisted and it wasn’t until his son Jack got sober that he began to want to get sober himself. The kids saw him and the effect of the drugs made his speech terrible, his walk was bad and it was destroying his family. After many failed attempts to get clean Jack was Ozzy’s inspiration and turning point and as of resultant he has been sober for 5 years.

This DVD also includes a Q&A segment with both Jack and Ozzy as Jack expresses his desire to show the world a kinder and gentile person in Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy says that he wants to be remembered just to be remembered. He also shows his new affinity for art for his own pleasure. Jack’s says that there is a difference between Ozzy and John and he wanted to show this perspective to his adoring fans. Throughout God Bless Ozzy Osbourne audiences are given an inside look into the life of this rockstar from the good times to the bad.

FAST-FORWARD a year into the project, WR has played some great shows in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. One being most epic was playing for The Red Bull Grand Prix on Catalina Island. On their debut album “Three Sheets To The Wind,” Winchester Rebel’s sound has been favorably compared with influential ‘90’s-era bands Alice In Chains, Danzig, Stone Temple Pilots and others. The guitars are heavy and the drums are hard-hitting, the vocals on WR tunes such as “Private Angel,” “Down,” “Loaded Gun” and “Flying” inspire and carry the melodic sound of a band that demands to be heard. Winchester Rebels are a band on the rise whose time to shine is rapidly approaching. It’s not a matter of if for these guys – but when.

1. Jay Gordon’s Blues Venom – “No Cure” (reviewed in vol #8)
2. Adept – “Death Dealers” (reviewed in vol #8)
3. Curt Yagi and The People That Stand Behind me – “Close My Eyes” (reviewed in vol #2)
4. Mojo Monkeys – “Blessings & Curses” (reviewed in vol#3)
5. Trapt – “No Apologies” (reviewed in vol #4)
6. Berger/Sanchez Project – “self-titled” (reviewed in vol #7)

Erupting on the European music scene, Volbeat fired it up, and with each release created a chain reaction of barely contained combustion; a musical flamethrower that has changed the history of modern music forever. What better way to document their rise and illustrate their appeal than the dvd Live From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven.

Led by Michael Poulsen and with Jon Larsen (drums), Thomas Bredahl (guitar) and Anders Kjølholm (bass) Live From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven illustrates how this inimitable foursome has single handedly bridged the chasm between everything from country, blues , punk, rock and metal to form an entirely new genre… one that could have never been predicted and one that still defies all the rules.

Chart toppers, platinum albums, and sold out arenas…and now two discs of Volbeat playing live.

Just as Volbeat has paved an entirely new musical path, Live From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven proves that there are live shows and then there are Volbeat’s live shows and the disparity couldn’t be more evident.

This is no ordinary dvd, it’s a coming attraction, drive in that has the feel of a Brando movie, that was directed by Johnny Cash and edited by Tom Araya. Filmed on 11 cameras, leaving no musical stone unturned, this is as close to a back stage pass as you can get.

With engines revving, Volbeat takes Live From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven into over drive and jacks up their musical ride with footage from their sold out show in front of 10,000 fervent fans at the Forum in Copenhagen, to the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA and the Rock am Ring show in Germany. It’s Volbeat conquering performance territory Stateside and across Europe, showing fans that the band is just as comfortable, charged and throttled in front of an audience as intimate as 1100 or as vast as 80,000.

Lead singer Michael Poulsen notes, “We’ve been touring massively in Europe and when you have such a big production you’re proud because you remember those days of playing in front of 15 people, but then playing small gigs keeps you from becoming routine, it’s exciting and energetic, we’re back to being kids again and we’re having fun. This tour has truly been the best of both worlds, stadiums and club shows..we pull from the energy of both and there is no one highlight, every day has its own highlight”.

No matter where they play, Volbeat is finding a solid fan base. Bassist, Anders  Kjølholm and drummer Jon Larsen observe “Germany Fans are great, our Danish fans are awesome and in the US the fans have been really energetic and it gives back to us, makes us even more energetic, it fuels us to give something back to the fans. We never planned this, it just happened and the crowds have been going crazy”. Jon adds, “It’s been really surprising how many of our “new” fans are recognizing our older songs and requesting them! We never expected that, so we changed our set so that the fans could hear the old, the new and everything in between”.

The newest member of the group, guitarist Thomas Bredahl, remembers what it was like when he was seeing his favorite bands and puts that same dynamism into each and every show. “ We’ve been very busy, its city to city, 100 shows a year doing what we do, and we’re in cities we’ve never heard of and yet the venues are packed.. it’s incredibly humbling when you meet fans who have driven 12 hours to see a show, so we remember when we followed our favorite bands and give every show, everything we have”.

“Everything” in the Volbeat world means it’s not a main event, it’s every event… and Volbeat proves there is only one band that can master the stage… any stage… anywhere.

Joined by such musical greats as Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax/The Damned Things ), Michael Denner (Mercyful Fate), Mille Petrozza (Kreator),   Jacob Øelund, and L G (Entombed) , viewers also get a rare opportunity to see Volbeat in their element… a rock and metal Hall of Fame.

Finally, Live From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven is more than a dvd, it’s an initiation into a world where rules don’t exist, the outlaws of metal reign and angels and rebels cruise heaven in a muscle car without any brakes.

Three Of… first formed in April 2007 and began performing live in July of that year. The band was quick to come up with a repertoire of original songs and released their first full-length CD entitled “Ginko Girl” in March 2008. Quickly gaining speed in the San Francisco Bay Area, the band performed 38 shows in 2008 at a variety of different venues.

Jose has a background in salsa music and funk but blends these sounds with his “Sting”-like vocals to create a wide range of melodic tunes ranging from pop to grunge/metal.

Having spent time as a street musician in Boston, Drew has his musical background in classic rock and folk. Drew and Jose collaborate together to create textures and patterns that are musically unique.

John, a native of New York City has been playing drums since he was 9. With a background in classic rock, hard rock, funk, soul, R&B, ska and punk he brings a unique drumming experience to the band.

www.reverbnation.com/threeof

Every year artists enter the studio to rehash holiday favorites or attempt to capture a bit of the Christmas magic on their own, but LA rockers Judge Jackson create an instant classic with their original tune “Christmas Tree”, featuring Billy Bob Thornton on drums and vocals.

Songwriting duo Todd McTavish (lyrics) and Lee Jackson (music) went into the studio with Grammy Award winning producer/engineer Jim Mitchell (Guns N Roses, Black Crowes) at Thornton?s Beverly Hills home studio, dubbed “The Cave”, which was originally designed and built by Mitchell for former homeowner Slash.

Thornton takes a break from his own band The Boxmasters (Vanguard Records) to lend his talent and voice in creating pitch perfect harmonies and percussive perfection on drums. With McTavish on vocals and Jackson on guitars, the song also includes Boxmasters collaborator JD Andrew on bass and the infamous Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis on keys.

Produced, engineered and mixed by Mitchell, the ‘angel on top’ is having the song mastered by none other than the critically acclaimed Joe Gastwirt (Tom Petty, Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix), whose unmistakably analog approach to the craft gives a warmth and glow that invokes the spirit of the holidays, family and that “big ‘ole Christmas Tree”.

The song is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD to customers at the San Bernardino BEST BUY on SUNDAY, DEC 12, 2010 where the band will do an in-store performance at 3pm.

It’s also included in the XO Publicity compilation XO for the Holidays Volume III [www.xopublicity.com/xofortheholidays3.html] and on iTunes after December 12.

Peter London that had Success on his 1st album “Run Away” 2003 on Atlas Records The EP will feature current keyboard player Phil Bennett from “The Starship” formally Jefferson Starship known for hits like Jane, No Way Out, Sarah and many more hits and also Greg Camp former songwriter and guitar player for the group Smash Mouth that has brought you hits like walking on the sun and all-star just to name a few

This EP will be one not to miss with the combination of all time rock, New Alternative and and a mix of melodic Hip hop by this all-star lineup will be fantastic to all sorts of fans and music lovers. The Ep will be available Everywhere on KVZ global early 2012.

Peter London Band available at Tower.com Amazon and all outlets.

www.myspace.com/petergera