Sunday, April 30, 2017

The Most Hated Bands Of All Time

There have always been rock bands that people have just LOVED to hate? Where does this hate come from? Is it ever justified? What drives critics and music fans to single out certain bands as objects of hate? Lou and Keith discuss this plus play some great heavy indie bands that you will absolutely love!  Featured Loudini Artists:  Romantic Rebel  The Sword  Kobra and the Lotus














Romantic Rebel
Chicago-based hard rock act Romantic Rebel will release its new EP, 'Begin Again,' this summer. In anticipation, the band has teamed up with Revolver to premiere its new song and  music video, "Too Far," which was recorded, produced and mixed by  producer Johnny K (Disturbed, Megadeth, Machine Head). 







The Sword
There’s an unspoken edict handed down through the ages when it comes to rock bands: there are no rules.

Nobody picks up a guitar to be constricted or oppressed. It’s all about feeling free artistically. Now, The Sword—John Cronise [vocals, guitar], Kyle Shutt [guitar], Bryan Richie [bass], and Santiago Vela III [drums]—cutout boundaries since day one. Their style never stood predicated on a trend or a template. They always create what feels right and let the results speak for themselves.

When it came time to record the group’s fifth full-length album, High Country [Razor & Tie], Cronise landed at something of a spiritual crossroads. Following the final tour for their critically acclaimed Apocryphon, he holed up in his North Carolina home and eventually began writing new songs. The material began to veer into a different space that at the time Cronise felt was somewhat outside of The Sword’s sphere.

“I didn’t even intend for the demos to be Sword songs,” he explains. “But then I realized that I had taken on a sort of limiting view of what The Sword was, and that wasn’t actually what I wanted it to be. I think the new album is more reflective of the music I listen to and where our heads are at collectively. With each of our albums, it’s become less about fury and bombast and more about trying to write good songs. We realized that our music can go wherever we want it to go. There’s no pre-determined course here now, and there never was.”

High Country became new territory for The Sword, and they began doing things differently. That approach included more attention to backing vocals and harmonies, implementing more synthesizers and percussion elements, and tuning to E-flat instead of all the way down to C. As a result, the guitars stand out as more vital and vibrant than ever.

“I felt like the low tuning had become more of a crutch than a tool,” he says. “It was all a matter of trying to keep things fresh, and not fall prey to habits or expectations. We wanted to break out of any classifications and just putout a good rock record.

”Inspired, the boys headed to Church House Recording Studio in Austin, TX to cut High Country with Adrian Quesadaof Brownout and Grupo Fantasma producing, Stuart Sykes [The White Stripes] engineering, and J. Robbins mixing.Over the course of four weeks, they hammered out the album’s 15 tracks in the old converted church. Thematically though, Cronise’s head was still in North Carolina.

“There are a lot of lyrical themes that run throughout the album,” he explains. “I live out in the mountains, so nature really inspired the whole record. That’s a large part of the lyrics.

”The title track and first single “High Country” springs from a transfixing guitar melody into a sweeping refrain,illuminating the group’s inherent dynamics. Over those rolling riffs, the singer paints a thought-provoking topography.

“That was actually the first song I wrote that ended up going on the record,” he says. “The title can have quite a few meanings. Physically, it might mean mountains and literal high country, but it can also refer to a plane of being; a place of wisdom and enlightenment.”

“Empty Temples” opens with a psychedelic buzz that quickly ramps up into towering guitars and another robustvocal display evocative of rock’s golden age.

“It’s loose and swinging, but it has these epic moments,” says Cronise. “Lyrically, it’s about letting go of the past and moving on. You just have faith if you embrace change and be unafraid, and you’ll find where you need to go.

”The gathering storm of “Early Snow” eventually gives way to a rapturous horn section, another first for the band,while “Mist and Shadow” stirs up a haze of blues that’s instantly thunderous. “That song is based around riffswritten by Bryan, which is a new thing for us. He contributed quite a bit of music to this album, and in many ways it’s our most collaborative work to date.”

Both “The Dreamthieves” and “Tears Like Diamonds” have titles inspired by the work of science fiction author Michael Moorcock, though Cronise insists the lyrics have lives of their own. “I’d prefer to let people interpret the songs how they want,” he says, “which is one reason the lyrics aren’t printed in the album sleeve this time. I think they’re pretty intelligible and accessible, and I didn’t want them to distract from the music.

”The Sword’s impact continues to expand. 2012’s Apocryphon debuted at #17 on the Billboard Top 200, marking their highest entry on the chart. Since first emerging with 2006’s Age of Winters, the group has been extolled by everyone from Rolling Stone and The Washington Post to Revolver and Decibel. Metallica personally chose them as support for a global tour, and they’ve earned high-profile syncs in movies including Jennifer’s Body and Jonas Åkerlund’s Horsemen. However, High Country is the band’s biggest, boldest, and brightest frontier.

“I want to make positive, uplifting music,” Cronise leaves off. “High Country has moments of darkness and thoughtfulness, as anything I write probably will. But at the end of the day I want to put smiles on people’s faces.”


KOBRA AND THE LOTUS - PREVAIL 

Launched in 2009, Kobra And The Lotus is the lifeblood and passion of Canadian vocalist Kobra Paige. Eight years into their journey, the band has gone through significant changes in sound and personnel to the point that they were able evolve and create what is easily the strongest album in the Kobra And The Lotus catalogue. In fact, the aptly titled Prevail is such a show of strength that Kobra and her bandmates chose to make a double album to be released in two parts over the next year; a venture very few artists have the backbone to attempt.

Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Kobra And The Lotus garnered immediate attention in Canada and the US with their debut album, Out Of The Pit, in 2010. The release of their self-titled second album in 2012 and High Priestess in 2014 enabled the band to tour worldwide both as a headliner and support act, which included a North American tour with KISS and Def Leppard. Sadly, Kobra was forced to take an eight month break from music due to a battle with Lyme disease, but Kobra And The Lotus regained much needed momentum with their Words Of The Prophets covers EP in 2015. In fact, the EP played was an integral part in the birth of Prevail in that it cemented the working relationship between Kobra and guitarist Jasio Kulakowski, who joined the band in 2012.

The idea of making a double album was introduced by Kobra's father, who suggested they do it because the vast majority of younger generation metal artists don't have the drive. Kobra admits she thought he was insane and that it was a surefire way to commit career suicide.

"A week later, I couldn't get the idea out of my head because I didn't see any reason why we couldn't push ourselves to do it," says Kobra. "We could at least try, and in that way make a bold statement that Kobra And The Lotus is still hanging in there."

When the band signed with Napalm Records, who were 100% supportive of the double album concept, the label opted to split Prevail into two parts because they felt it was too much material all at once that would go over people's heads. Twenty-one songs in all (including a cover), Prevail I and II share outstanding and diverse material due to the fact the songs were all written at the same time. Not only that, they wrote and recorded together in the studio with producer Jacob Hansen. According to Kobra, the band went to Denmark almost completely empty-handed and had very little material prepared. She calls it an "amazing experience" in that all the writing happened in one place, where the band members could bounce ideas off each other and encourage one other. They also benefitted from Hansen's considerable knowledge and experience.

"I'd say about 85% of Prevail happened in the studio on the spot," says Kobra. "Once we saw how much more colour was added to the songs by working that way we started to feel comfortable with the process. There were some unique things that happened because we were all there together. There was a whole new, whole different vision for this album. I didn't know how this was going to turn out; a lot of it came from my intuition. Jasio is my writing partner and he's a creative force. We lock in with one another when we write, it's amazing. I'm really proud and overjoyed with how the album turned out."

Prevail marks Kobra And The Lotus' debut as members of the Napalm Records roster, but for Kobra the collaboration is a first on many levels for the band.

"It's one of those amazing things that happens and I feel so blessed that Napalm were still interested in us. Every time we were getting ready to release something they were always there looking at us. We always went somewhere else and it was never a good choice (laughs). Okay, it was a good choice in how we needed to grow, but Napalm is the best label we could have hoped for because they're dedicated and they work really hard. There's a lot of young energy at the label and that's a blessing compared to other deals we've had. I don't think we ever knew what it meant to be supported by a label until we signed with Napalm." 

In the months prior to the release of Prevail, fans were treated to three singles: "Trigger Pulse", "Gotham" and "You Don't Know". It comes as no surprise they are reminiscent of some of the material on High Priestess thanks to Kobra and Jasio's partnership, but they also attest to Kobra And The Lotus' massive growth as songwriters and musicians since the last record. On paper it sounds like lip service to say the band has become heavier, more dynamic and adventurous, but your ears don't lie. 

Bottom line... Kobra And The Lotus are fearless as they move forward with Prevail, and with good reason. 

Line-Up
Kobra Paige - vocals
Jasio Kulakowski - guitars
Brad Kennedy - bass
Marcus Lee - drums



Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Loudini Interviews Daniel Kelly of Moral Panic

From the still smoldering cinders of NYC gunk-punk fuck-ups Livids, MORAL PANIC stomps brazenly on the scene and bears the torch on their debut self-titled LP. You heard that right Mack! Ex-Livids geetard mangler Daniel Kelley and drumkit crusher Gregory Collins’ latest gang is in annihilating New Bomb Turks / Teengenerate attack mode, with a heady nod to Canadian power-pop obscuros The Nils on their most blistering cover of “Fountains.” Middle fingers are planted fast and firmly in the faces of back stabbers on “Harbor Fitness,” while paeans to tripodial felines bring a welcome smirk on “Ghost Leg.” Twenty minutes of breakneck punk fracas that you’ll be flipping over before you have a chance to load a bowl... Slovenly style!





Saturday, April 15, 2017

What Were The Most Influential Guitar Solos of All Time

The guitar solo has been a staple of rock music since the beginning. Although it's been maligned in recent years, people still seem to enjoy a good guitar solo now and then. This week Lou and Keith discuss the most influential guitar solos of all time. Featured Loudini Artists:  Flying Joes  Mississippi Bones  Redefined Reflection










Flying Joes  
Based in Montréal, Canada, Flying Joes evoke the raw power of pure 70’s rock, inspired by an authentic blues sensibility. Formed in January 2014, the trio of Syd Bedard (bass, vocals), JF Arsenault (guitar) and Chris Savoie (drums) has a contagious energy both live and on record. Bolstered by their modern rock sound, their festive roadtrip songs call to mind classic bands like Led Zeppelin and The Black Crowes. 

In September 2015 Flying Joes has released their debut album “Let it out” recorded with Award winning producer Glen Robinson (AC/DC, The Ramones, Keith Richards, BB King) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, The Black Crowes, Soundgarden). Only a year and a half after their debut, the band has played close to 200 live shows. “Let It Out” was on the Top 25 Rock Albums of ITunes only a week after it’s release.

Awards
WINNERS OF THE
Nuits Blues Laurentides 2014
CONTEST... See More

Current Location
Montreal, QC, Canada

General Manager
Comanche Productions

Influences
Everything comes from the soul

Press contact

Publicist (Europe): Nicky Baldrian / nicky.baldrian@ntlworld.com 


Publicist (Quebec) Simon Fauteux / simon@sixmedia.ca

Booking agent
Comanche Productions G.P.
Syd Bedard
syd@flyingjoes.com

Mississippi Bones  
Hailing from the flat lands of Hardin County, Ohio, Mississippi Bones have established themselves as a rock n roll force to be reckoned with. In the two years since the release of their self titled debut album, this gargantuan six piece has infected the world with their foot tappin grooves and Southern swamp sludge. With the release of their follow up, “Tracks,” they once again take you on a trip you won’t soon forget. Armed with a barrel full of massive riffs and sharp tongued lyrics, the Bones will soak your soul with rock n roll and leave you reminded why rock is right.

Gender
Plural (mixed)

Current Location
Hardin County, Ohio
Genre
Rock

Band Members
Dusty Donley- Guitars
Jared Collins- Vocals
Derik "The Moustache" Dunson- Guitars, Vocals... See More

Hometown
Hardin County, Ohio

Record Label
Unsigned

About
Fat Slabs O'Rock!


Redefined Reflection

For Redefined Reflection, what started as a group of three friends dreaming about making music and touring nationally is now becoming a reality. Long time friends Lana Brooks (bass/vocals) and Colin Robinson (drums) had been in search of a lead vocalist and guitar player for a few years trying to start up a band.
The group added lead vocalist and guitarist, Brittney Waddle, in February of 2013 after seeing her Facebook post about guitars, amps, and writing original songs. 

Hailing from Little Rock, AR, they are an eclectic mix of their own individual fusions of hard rock sounds with influences shining in their music from punk rock to modern and classic rock. Some influences include: Halestorm, Metallica, Joan Jett, Bullet For My Valentine, Sublime, Led Zeppelin, Sex Pistols, Def Leppard, Pantera, Evanescence, Black Sabbath, Ramones, Slipknot, Chevelle, AC/DC, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana.

Now in Winter of 2014, they have recorded their debut 5 Track EP, "No Turning Back Now", at Red Room Studios with multi-platinum recording artist John LeCompt (Evanescence, Machina, We Are The Fallen). They have performed at many local venues in the Central Arkansas/Western Tennessee area - several in which they have shared the stage with national headling touring bands (Blameshift, The Midnight Ghost Train, Losing September, Girl On Fire). They have also just been announced as semi-finalists in the Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase and will perform at their semi-finalist round January 29th, 2015 at Stickyz Rock-N-Roll Chicken Shack in Little Rock, AR. The band is currently working on new material and planning a Summer 2015 tour schedule. They have also recently released a music video for their newest single, "Violent". Their EP is currently available for digital download on iTunes or Amazon. You can also stream it on Spotify, or purchase a physical copy from their official webstore.

Personal Information
Brittney's Official Page:
www.facebook.com/brittneyrrband
... See More

Current Location
Little Rock, AR

General Manager
redefinedreflection@gmail.com

Influences
We keep our minds open to all kinds of music. You can find inspiration anywhere.

Press contact
redefinedreflection@gmail.com

Booking agent
redefinedreflection@gmail.com




Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Loudini Interviews Greg Kihn


NBC called Greg Kihn “Rock’s True Renaissance Man.” His career stretches from the dawn of punk and indie rock to the discos of the 80’s to the glory days of MTV. As a pioneer with the legendary Beserkley Records, he helped write the book on revolutionary west coast rock and roll.

He’s toured the world, had hit records, appeared on Saturday Night Live and American Bandstand, opened for the Rolling Stones, jammed with Bruce Springsteen, won the ASCAP and Midem Awards for his worldwide #1 hit JEOPARDY and THE BREAKUP SONG, was parodied by Weird Al Yankovic, lived the rock star lifestyle to the hilt, won and lost several fortunes, and lived to tell about it. But music is only part of the story. 





In the 90’s Greg turned his attention to writing fiction. He published four novels, a handful of short stories in various anthologies, and edited a compilation of original fiction by famous musicians. HORROR SHOW was nominated for the prestigious Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. 

It was also in the 90’s that he began his radio career. After a year of seven-midnight, Greg spent sixteen years hosting the top-rated morning show for KFOX radio in San Jose/San Francisco. He also hosted and performed at the annual KIHNCERT at the Shoreline Amphitheater featuring some of the most important bands of our generation.

Greg was inducted into the San Jose Rock Hall Of Fame in 2008 and the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2012. 

Greg recently retained the rights to all his old recordings and is currently re-releasing his entire catalogue with the original artwork. The New Yorker recently described Greg’s music as having “a high degree of intelligence and subtlety.” The recent review of the Greg Kihn Band’s Greatest Hits by Apple iTunes called the group “a rock band of genuine consequence.” The band continues to tour with Greg’s son Ry Kihn replacing Joe Satriani on lead guitar.

Greg maintains a strong Internet presence with professional website design and social media managed by Michael Brandvold Marketing. Thousands of fans engage him daily on Facebook and Twitter. Greg also retains a cutting-edge publicist, Christopher Buttner at PrthatRocks.com, the lauded San Francisco based PR agency voted Best Publicist Of The Year by the National Association of Record Industry Professionals. 

RUBBER SOUL is Greg’s most recent novel. This completely unique murder mystery features the Beatles as characters in the story. The idea came while interviewing original Beatles drummer Pete Best. Greg asked where the Beatles got those rare American R&B 45’s that constituted their early repertoire. Pete revealed that it was from Merchant Marines who carried the records back to Liverpool from America. That gave him the inspiration for the character “Dust Bin Bob” who befriends the Beatles from their penniless early days to the height of Beatlemania. The story climaxes with an assassination attempt in Manila during their world tour in 1966. 
Through interviews with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Pete Best, Geoff Emerick (engineer), Alf Bicknell (driver), Yoko Ono and Patti Harrison, Greg got invaluable insights into the inner world of the Beatles. Even though RUBBER SOUL is a work of fiction, it is 100% historically accurate. 

After a lifetime of rock & roll, and decades on the road and behind the microphone, no one else but Greg Kihn could have written this story.

Loudini Interviews The Nuclears

Meet The Nuclears EP
January 2008 - District Records

The Hair Stays (You Go!) EP
March 2009 - MegaPlatinum Records

The Nuclears LP
April 2011 - MegaPlatinum Records

"Myrtle Ave At 4:00AM" single
April 2012 - MegaPlatinum Records

"Up All Nite" single
August 2012 - MegaPlatinum Records

"Baby You Know I Love You (But You Gotta Stop Bringing Me Down" single
December 2012 - Independent
Released as a split A-side with the Bottom Dollars
Featuring Briana Layon





The Nuclears II: Special Champion Edition LP
TBA 2013

Current Location
Nuclear Manor

General Manager
Ky DiGregorio - kyleighdigregorio@gmail.com

Mike Dudolevitch
mikedudolevitch@gmail.com

Influences
Spinal Tap, Wyld Stallyns, Zack Attack, The New Rod Torfulson's Armada featuring Herman Menderchuck, Stillwater, Kathleen Turner Overdrive, Maxwell Demon, MYSTERY, The Shitty Beatles, Crucial Taunt, Creation, Steel Dragon, the Lone Rangers, Wyckyd Sceptre, and some real groups too

Press contact
Ky DiGregorio

Booking agent
kyleighdigregorio@gmail.com, thenuclears@gmail.com

Saturday, April 8, 2017

A Brief History of Rock and Roll Debauchery: Rock Most Hardest Partying Bands

Synopsis: Lou and Keith tell us who the world's hardest partying bands are and share some of their greatest stories of Rock and Roll Debauchery!  Featured Loudini Artists:  Diemonds  
California Breed Albany Down


















Diemonds

“Risking their safety and sanity for rock n’ roll please welcome Toronto’s wild and young…” – Classic Rock Magazine

Diemonds calls downtown Toronto their home, but they live for criss-crossing the continent for weeks on end, armed with little more than their brand of original hard rock, their gear and a dream. With their 3rd album ‘Never Wanna Die’ slated for worldwide release Summer 2015, the band continues to modernize their heavy rock n' roll sound. This time, multiple Juno award-winner Eric Ratz (Monster Truck, Billy Talent) is in the producer chair. Remaining true to their sound, Diemonds takes lyrics that speak to the outcasts, wild childs, and misfits, and combines them with a hard-hitting live show, taking cues from the greats they look up to.

Priya Panda, the bands front woman, is the sultry singer that the music world has never been so poised for. Every time she steps on stage she walks the indeterminable fine line between class and crass. With her larger-than-life presence, she breaks every cultural, social, gender and sexual boundary known to hard rock. If the ever growing legions of the band's loyal following, known as "Die-Hards", are any indication, Priya and the rest of her bandmates are firmly carving their own path in music and hoards of rock fans are already along for the ride.

Awards
Never Wanna Die - Juno-nominated for Heavy Metal album of the year 

Best Underground Artist of the Year - High Times Magazine Doobie Awards

Current Location
Toronto, ON

General Manager
Dan Hand dan.hand@cloudempirecreative.com

pr@diemonds.net

manager@diemonds.net

California Breed
Think of California and you think of brilliant color and bright sunlight. Think of a breed and it’s all about bloodlines and brotherhood. Put the two together as California Breed and you have the most exciting new band of 2014.

Built around the foundation of legendary vocalist-bassist Glenn Hughes and drummer extraordinaire Jason Bonham, with the addition of the 23-year-old newcomer guitarist-singer Andrew Watt, as Hughes says: “California Breed is real rock’n’roll – but made for right now.”

One listen to standout tracks like first single ‘Midnight Oil’ will confirm that. Deeper grooves than a monster tyre track, more funk than a roomful of bad-asses, this is rock that knows how to roll. That writes its’ own rules. That just don’t care, baby.

But that’s only one side of the story. On the flip you’ve got something like ‘All Falls Down’, a song so beautiful, so soulful and strange and touched by magic, it will make your radio cry.

As Andrew Watt says: “Getting to play with these legends has given me wings. I don’t really believe in luck. For me, luck is when preparation meets opportunity. And if you’re prepared and you’re met with the opportunity, you rise to the occasion. That’s what California Breed has been like for me. So that we’ve come out with something I’m really, really proud of.”

And when Watt calls Hughes and Bonham ‘legends’, he ain’t kidding. The breakout star of mid-70s Deep Purple, the man they call the Voice of Rock, Glenn Hughes has spent the subsequent years working with the biggest legends in music, as a solo star, and guesting with everyone from Black Sabbath to Earth, Wind & Fire – up to his most recent collaboration in rock supergroup Black Country Communion, which included Bonham.

As the son of Zeppelin legend John Bonham, Jason has followed his own distinctive path over the years, fronting his own successful outfits like Bonham, and playing with Led Zeppelin, Foreigner, Heart and, most recently, movie composer Hans Zimmer.

When Black Country Communion disbanded Hughes and Bonham had a strong desire to keep playing together. They're only challenge was finding a new guitarist worthy of their musicality. Easier said than done for these stars who between them have worked with some of the greatest guitarists in history – including Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page and Joe Bonamassa, to name just a few.

Then fate took a hand in things when Glenn’s friend Julian Lennon introduced him to the astounding talents of a New York City hotshot guitarist named Andrew Watt.

“Literally, the first day me and Andrew got together we wrote two songs,” recalls Glenn. “One was ‘Chemical Rain’ and the other was ‘Solo’, both of which are now on the finished album. I was so moved by the music, I said, ‘We’ve got to record this!’ That’s when I called Jason.”

“I was excited from the start,’ says Jason, “because apart from locking in as a rhythm section, Glenn and I had started writing together in BCC, and we wanted to continue that.”

“There was such energy in the room the first time we all played together, me and Glenn didn’t even have to talk about it,” says Jason.  “He was so exited to be playing, though, it was infectious! He was just on stage! No going through the motions, kicking the chair over, everything! I was like, you know what, this kid is a free spirit. It was cool, we all just clicked straight away.”

“Nothing though has gotten into my blood like California Breed,” says Glenn. “I feel the same way,” says Jason, “I feel like a kid again starting out.”

Recording with Dave Cobb at the producer’s own studio in Nashville, added all the finishing touches, says Glenn.

“I’d gotten into Dave’s work via the Rival Sons, who I know and really love. But Dave has done a lot of great stuff. That whole Nashville trip which Dave is a part of. Well, me and Jason don’t want to sound like anyone else, we already sound like ourselves, but we felt we needed some fresh energy – and Dave absolutely brought it.”

At Cobb’s insistence, every vocal was recorded live as the band was playing. “Totally the reverse of what I’m used to,” says Glenn. “But I went into that aggressive rock soulfulness and everything down to the whispers, it was all done live! I enjoyed myself so much, just going for it.”

For what is on paper a three-piece, the sheer range of sounds and melodies you get from California Breed are breathtaking.

“I’m the oddball of the group but I’m the thing that makes us different from any other classic rock band. I grew up loving grunge music,” explains Andrew. “But my father always played me The Who and The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. I always felt like I was in the wrong generation. I used to make rock music on my own and I’d play all the instruments because I could never find anyone my age that really got it the way I heard it. Then I got to play with Jason and Glenn and I haven’t picked up anything but a guitar since!”

“What we’ve got here is a kid who isn’t a hammer-on, virtuoso,” says Glenn, “but a whole new entity. This kid grew up listening to Mick Ronson on Bowie’s records, as well as Jimmy Page in Led Zeppelin. He has a completely different take. And it’s fresh and bold and so exciting. It just gets into your blood.”

That’s the thing about breeds. They go all the way back, in order to bring forth something new. Be the first to hitch your horse to the California Breed wagon.

They’re heading straight for the bright colored sun…

Glenn Hughes and Andrew Watt have chosen ex Queens of the Stone Age/ Eagles of Death Metal drummer JOEY CASTILLO as the drummer for all upcoming live dates when it became clear that Jason Bonham’s professional commitments would prevent him from being able to tour with the band. As Glenn Hughes says “We’re just excited to play live, to tour, to be in front of and with our fans. We’re very proud of our debut record and we can’t wait to share it, live and loud, with you.”

Albany Down
London-based Albany Down are a contemporary rock band with influences ranging from classic acts like Led Zeppelin and Thunder to modern bands such as The Black Keys and Clutch. They combine a vintage rock-blues sensitivity with a contemporary aggressive energy.

Albany Down are Paul Muir on vocals, guitarist Paul Turley, drummer Donna Peters and bassist Billy Dedman and they have already recorded two albums with award-winning producer Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers, INME, Super Furry Animals).

“These guys are really going somewhere; make sure they take you with them!" – Paul Jones, BBC Radio 2

The band is a hard-working, road-tested outfit, which has been well received at various UK festivals including the Maryport International Rock and Blues Festival; The Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival (Colne); and The Great British Rock and Blues Festival (Skegness); as well as at venues like Barfly Camden and the legendary 100 Club.

In 2014, they toured the UK supporting New Jersey’s Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes, which included the highlight of their year when they played at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire. This was followed by appearances at festivals in Belgium and the Netherlands before a very successful tour of Germany with The Brew.

Blues Rock Review offered a fair assessment of both the band and their 2011 debut album: “South of the City” is a solid debut album from Albany Down and they will be an interesting band to watch develop in the coming years”. The album clearly showcased what the band are capable of – ranging from the superbly arranged “Mercy” to the low-down dirty, slide-led blues epic of the title track.

Their formidable second album, “Not Over Yet”, released in 2013, is full of their strongest songs, lingering melodies and great musicianship. And where vocalist Paul Muir could previously have been compared to the likes of Paul Rodgers, he stamps his own personality on this album, while guitarist Paul Turley produces a virtuoso impassioned performance. Traditionally a band’s second album is regarded as being problematical but Albany Down turned that notion on its head.

Their live show never disappoints. The band run on pure adrenalin, unrelenting energy and raw emotion and soon have any crowd entranced. The music is based on thunderous guitar riffs and pounding drums juxtaposed with soulful, soaring, emotionally-charged ballads.

Rock blogger Neil Mach probably got it right, when he recently described the band; “As hot as volcanic ash and yet as cool as snow slippers.”

“Not Over Yet” is an aptly titled album and an accurate barometer of a band on the up-escalator currently tearing up venues around the UK and Europe. Having already generated over 7,500 Facebook fans, the band are due to start work on their third studio album in 2015.

Both Albany Down albums, “South of The City” (2011) and “Not Over Yet” (2013) are available for download on iTunes and Amazon.

“Albany Down is the new voice of British rock music. A blend of contemporary rock and blues – with added brilliance on top. See for yourself.”


Make sure you try to catch a live show in 2015. You won't be disappointed!



Saturday, April 1, 2017

All about that Bass The Top 10 Bassists in Rock and Metal

Lou and Keith discuss the top ten bassists in rock and metal based on very scientific research and years of blind side by side tests. It's been a long time coming but the bottom end finally gets it's due. The boys will also answer the question, "What Makes A Great Bass Player?"     Featured Loudini Artists:  SATE  Kamchatka  Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown




SATE
SATE [definition]: Satisfy a desire to the full.

Rock and roll fans, SATE knows your desires and she is prepared to give you more than you can handle.

With her trademark black lips and platinum Mohawk, the Toronto vocalist and songwriter leads a dynamic band combining blistering hard rock with gritty funk. The empowering messages embedded in her music, and her soul-shaking live show, have quickly built SATE’s reputation as an artist impossible to ignore. Even Canada’s national daily newspaper, the Globe & Mail, declared her full-length debut album, RedBlack&Blue one of 2016’s most anticipated releases.

The build up to RedBlack&Blue has been underway for over a year, starting with a hugely successful Pledgemusic campaign that helped produce three digital-only independent EPs. RedBlack&Blue was then compiled from what donors chose as their favourite 10 tracks from these releases. Among the standout songs are the potent first taste, “Warrior,” and the hard driving single “What Did I Do,” the video for which premiered exclusively at Ebony.com.

It only takes seeing SATE in concert once to feel the impact of everything she represents. Toronto’s NOW Magazine described her as having “a tornado of a stage presence,” while Lithium’s live reviewer proclaimed, “I can tell you sincerely that she is one of the most resounding artists I’ve heard.” When each show inevitably reaches its climax with the indelible image of SATE, fist in the air, and an entire audience raising its hands in unity, the full spectrum of human emotions—anger, joy, vulnerability—suddenly comes into sharp focus through the music.

RedBlack&Blue is the natural result of that live experience, and the culmination of a lifetime spent fully immersed in music of all forms and shades. As the daughter of Canadian blues and jazz pioneer Salome Bey, SATE learned at the feet of countless music legends that passed through Toronto during her childhood. She soon found her own voice by adding the sounds and attitudes of punk and hard rock that shaped her own identity and set her upon her journey.

That journey is in fact only just beginning. The release of RedBlack&Blue will finally introduce SATE to a wider world clamoring for new voices to pick up the torch passed down from our rapidly disappearing rock and roll elders. SATE was born to bear that responsibility, and in the end, everyone will be sated.

Kamchatka
Growing up in Varberg,
a small town on the west coast of Sweden,
Roger, Thomas and Tobias were all rehearsing at the same place,
though in different bands,
exept for the occasional weekend jamsession.
In their mid teens, Roger and Thomas moved
to pursue their musical carreer elsewhere,
Roger to the east and Thomas to the north,
while Tobias continued his back home.
Some learnful years of touring and recording albums
with all kinds of different acts later,
they met up again in Varberg for a
Jimi Hendrix tribute concert in 2001,
and after a successful performance the guys simply
came to the conclusion that they should start a band.
Roger came up with the name Kamchatka,
and the band was formed.

A few years later, after saving up enough money,
they decided to record an album in their own studio
(which has been developing ever since),
with the help of an old friend of Roger's,
Nicholas Elgstrand, who recorded,
mixed and produced it together with the band.
Bullen & Sillen, friends of the band, mastered it
at Studio Mega in Valinge, just outside of Varberg.
An old friend of Thomas', Per Wiberg,
who also designed the album cover,
hooked them up with a New York based indie label
called Grooveyard Records,
where the first Kamchatka album was released January 1st 2005.

After about a year of an occasional gig here and there,
which were all well recieved, the guys started to get restless,
so they decided to record another album,
subsequently known as "Volume II",
this time recording it themselves on an eight-track,
Tobias bringing the technichal expertise.
Once again they called in Nicholas to help mix and produce,
but this time mastered it themselves,
lending the gear from Jonas Eckerström,
another old friend of the band,
mainly with Tobias behind the controls.
Per, again, standing for the artwork.
It was released on Grooveyard Records in January 2007.

After yet another year of an occasional gig here and there
(there is a serious lack of venues to play at in sweden),
they had started recording their third album
when the American rockband Clutch,
whom they had opened a few gigs for in Sweden in 2007,
invited Kamchatka to open for them on their US-tour,
which gave the guys their first opportunity to proove themselves
to the American audience. After 21 successful performances
they returned back home to complete "Volume III",
Tobias standing for the technical expertise,
and Per Wiberg adding his magic,
this time both with beautiful keyboards,and magnificent artwork.
It was mastered by Johan Eckerblad at Mintelligence Studios and
released on Swedish label Superpuma Records
at the beginning of March, 2009.

In November 2009 Kamchatka were once again invited by Clutch to open for them,
this time on a month long tour of 23 gigs throughout western Europe.

2010 Kamchatka first and foremost focused on the writing of their fourth album.
It was recorded and mixed in their very own Shrimpmonkey Studios,
once again mainly with Tobias behind the controls,
during the winter and spring of 2010/2111,
and mastered by Johan Eckerblad at Mintelligence Studios.
Like on the previous albums, the cover art is the work of Per Wiberg,
who also appears on keyboards on one of the songs.
The album was released September 5th on GMR.

Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown
TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN IS A ROCK AND ROLL BAND BORN OF NASHVILLE, TN. THEIR SOUND IS A SOULFUL PATCHWORK OF ROOTS-INFUSED MELODIES AND MUSCULAR RIFFS, ALL WOVEN TIGHTLY WITH THE THREAD OF THEIR ALTERNATIVE PSYCHEDELIC MYSTIQUE. IT’S AS RAMBUNCTIOUS, RAW AND REAL AS ROCK & ROLL GETS THESE DAYS.

A NATIVE OF HONEY GROVE, TX, TYLER CUT HIS TEETH ON GREATS SUCH AS LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS & FREDDIE KING. BRYANT STUDIED THE BLUES UNDER ROOSEVELT TWITTY SR. AND BELIEVES THAT THE SOUL IN ROOTS MUSIC IS WHAT PUTS THE “ROLL” IN ROCK & ROLL.

AT SEVENTEEN, TYLER MOVED TO NASHVILLE TO WRITE SONGS AND START A BAND. THERE HE MET DRUMMER CALEB CROSBY AND THEY BECAME FAST FRIENDS. “THE INSTANT WE STARTED PLAYING,” CALEB SAYS, “I KNEW WE WERE GOING TO START A BAND. WE PLAYED OUR FIRST SHOW A WEEK LATER AND HAVEN’T STOPPED SINCE.” TOGETHER THEY FORMED WHAT WOULD BECOME THE SHAKEDOWN.

GRAHAM WHITFORD, A ROCKER KID FROM BOSTON, WAS INTRODUCED TO TYLER AS THE GUY WHO COULD PUT HIM OUT OF A JOB. AS SOON AS TYLER HEARD GRAHAM PLAY, HE ASKED HIM TO JOIN THE BAND AND MOVE TO NASHVILLE RIGHT AWAY.

NOAH DENNEY WAS THE FINAL ADDITION TO THE SHAKEDOWN. “HIS BASS SOUND SCARED ME AND HE ADDED AN EDGE AND ATTITUDE TO THE BAND THAT WE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WE NEEDED,” SAYS BRYANT. TYLER TOURED AS A SOLO ARTIST FOR A SPELL, PLAYING ERIC CLAPTON’S CROSSROADS FESTIVAL IN CHICAGO, RECEIVING THE ROBERT JOHNSON FOUNDATION’S NEW GENERATION AWARD, AND SHARING THE STAGE WITH ACTS SUCH AS B.B. KING & JOHNNY WINTER.

“PLAYING ON MY OWN WAS COOL, BUT I REALLY WANTED A GROUP OF FRIENDS I COULD HANG AND MAKE MUSIC WITH,” SAYS BRYANT. “THE MORE TIME I SPENT WITH THE GUYS IN THE SHAKEDOWN, THE MORE THEY STARTED TO FEEL LIKE MY BROTHERS. NOW I CAN'T IMAGINE MAKING MUSIC WITH ANYONE ELSE.”

IN 2013 THE BAND RELEASED “WILD CHILD,” THEIR FIRST FULL-LENGTH ALBUM, WHICH WAS FEATURED IN ROLLING STONE, NYLON MAGAZINE, PASTE MAGAZINE, INTERVIEW, AND MANY MORE. THE BAND MADE ITS TELEVISION DEBUT ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE IN SUPPORT OF THE RECORD THAT HELPED GAIN THEM A CULT LIKE FOLLOWING.

TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN RECENTLY INKED A DEAL WITH JOHN VARVATOS/REPUBLIC RECORDS AND GOT RIGHT INTO THE STUDIO WITH CELEBRATED PRODUCER/ENGINEER, VANCE POWELL (JACK WHITE, SEASICK STEVE).

THE BANDS NEW EP, THE WAYSIDE, WILL BE RELEASED ON NOVEMBER 13TH. THE FIRST SINGLE, "LOADED DICE & BURIED MONEY" IS A RAW, UNHINGED REMINDER THAT SOME THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS WHAT WE PERCEIVE THEM TO BE.

"WHEN YOU GIVE EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT TO SOMETHING, YOU HOPE IT WON'T LET YOU FALL BY THE WAYSIDE,” EXPLAINS BRYANT. “THIS ALBUM WAS INSPIRED BY TIMES WHERE THE FEELING OF HAVING NOTHING FELT OVERWHELMING. IN THOSE MOMENTS, MUSIC OFFERED US AN ESCAPE. IT GAVE US SOMETHING THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MONEY OR DISSOLVING RELATIONSHIPS, AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH FREEDOM AND EXPRESSION.”

THE SHAKEDOWN HAS EARNED THEIR STRIPES BY TOURING THE COUNTRY AND WINNING FANS ONE AT A TIME. WHETHER PLAYING A DINGY ROCK & ROLL CLUB, TOURING THE COUNTRY WITH JEFF BECK & ZZ TOP, OR OPENING FOR AEROSMITH, THIS IS A BAND THAT IS PROUD TO BE LOUD AND DEDICATED TO LEAVING IT ALL ON WHATEVER STAGE THEY SET FOOT ON.