Somewhere behind the retro childrens’ book artwork and drab brown packaging, Stephen Lawrenson delivers ten pieces of relatively sunny adult power pop on his debut release for Kool Kat. Fans of the genre will undoubtedly have fun in spotting the dozens of influences this particular singer-songwriter has twisted into his own vision, but while, by the time of its closing notes, ‘Obscuriosity’ has found its feet to become a great piece of work, it doesn’t actually start off too impressively…
PLAYER – Too Many Reasons
Those of a certain age should already be familiar with some of Player’s previous work, since the pop-rockers scored a huge US hit in 1978 with ‘Baby Come Back’, a track which even entered the UK chart peaking just inside the top 40. In their 70s heyday, the band toured with Heart, Boz Scaggs and even scored a place as support band for the slightly worse-for-wear Eric Clapton on his ‘Slowhand’ tour.
KEVIN AYERS: 16th August 1944 – 18th February 2013
Born in in the 1940s in Herne Bay, Kent, Kevin Ayers had become a cult figure on the UK music scene by his twenties when, via a Canterbury based band called The Wylde Flowers, he founded (The) Soft Machine. While never as commercially successful as Pink Floyd’s ‘Piper At The Gates of Dawn’, their self-titled debut album is now considered a cornerstone of psychedelic music.
I Am I to support Skid Row in the UK, April 2013
I Am I – the new band featuring ex-Dragonforce frontman Z P Theart – will be playing shows in the spring. Most of the upcoming feature the band supporting Skid Row on their ‘United World Rebellion’ tour, although a couple of headline slots in March are also confirmed.
New 25 min interview with Stone Sour’s Jim and Josh now online
A twenty five minute video clip featuring Stone Sour guitarists Jim Root and Josh Rand has been posted on YouTube. In the lengthy clip, the musicians discuss their gear and all that goes into the Stone Sour live show.
The interview was originally conducted by Fret12 and can be viewed by clicking on the embedded box below.