There’s a new song now available from Dead Professional (aka singer-songwriter John Harouff). You can stream ‘Downtown at Sundown’ using the Soundcloud link below.
Monthly Archives: July 2013
NATHAN EDWARDS – The Music of Stephen Foster
In 2011, DIY singer-songwriter Nathan Edwards released his full-length album ‘New Season’. While not always perfect, it featured music delivered straight from the soul, its pastel shades often gently uplifting. For his second release, Nathan explores a few songs from the catalogue of Stephen Foster, a man credited as being the “Father of American music”. Foster’s catalogue of songs is centuries old – and the weariness of age and the heartfelt nature of some of his lyrics are both well suited to Nathan’s own sense of warmth.
THE TERRACES – Extra Time EP
T
his EP from Anglo-Australian punks The Terraces may only be a stop-gap release…but quality is the watchword here. ‘Extra Time’ should in no way be considered [a] for existing fans only, or [b] purely disposable. It’s three previously unreleased tunes are as strong as anything found on their full length LP, while the extra material – a couple of re-recordings and a well chosen cover – show a band who’ve improved in the relatively short space of time since that previous release.
AESTRID – Box
With a huge set of influences from 80s new wave, synth rock (more specifically the more commercial end of Krautrock) and more than a touch of 80s goth and 90s alternative for good measure, this second album from Dutch electronica/alt-rock band Aestrid represents the sound of a band reaching early maturity. Although its base sounds will probably sound familiar to listeners over a certain age, the albums eleven songs blend dense sounds with a sense of optimism in a way that is almost magical.
GIUNTINI PROJECT – IV
Tony ‘The Cat’ Martin rarely gets any credit for his time in Black Sabbath between 1987-90/1993-97. That’s a pity, since he always did his absolute best with the given material, while tackling a job that – in rock terms – was the epitome of “dead man’s shoes”. Maybe those six studio records would now be better respected if they’d been issued under a different band name? We’ll never really know for sure. In many ways, this fourth release from Italian guitar maestro Aldo Giuntini – the third to feature Martin – is similar to those largely unloved Sabbath records in that many of the tunes come at a stomping mid-pace with a gritty guitar sound – perfect in many ways for Martin’s vocal range. While it’s a record with no real relevance at the time of its release [and certainly a far cry from the “breath of fresh air” promised in the press materials – what were they thinking?], it certainly would be unfair to suggest that ‘IV’ doesn’t have a good stab at providing some old school entertainment.