Tag Archives: cover art

Music, Pop Culture

Hugh Cornwell Offers Hoover Dam For Free!

Hoover Dam Cover

I’ve been a fan of Britain’s seminal art-punk band, The Stranglers, from “Peaches” to “All Roads Lead to Rome” and into all of vocalist Hugh Cornwell’s numerous brilliant solo albums. Now Cornwell is offering a free download of his latest album, Hoover Dam directly from his website. I spent five minutes yesterday downloading the CD after being turned on to the offer by my good pal Randy, and I enjoyed playing these ten songs all afternoon! The album is fantastic, not a bad song in the bunch. I highly recommend adding Hoover Dam to your collection.

Music, Pop Culture

The Advantage Help You Get Your Geek On

Advantage Elf Titled

For the past few weeks I have been telling everyone I know about my new favorite band, The Advantage, a rock quartet from Sacramento that plays only covers of Nintendo Game Theme Songs. Oh my god, they are so way beyond genius. I’ve never played video games in my life, but these songs’ bizarre sonic amalgam of Yes, Frank Zappa and Oingo Boingo thrill me completely. I just can’t stop playing their new CD, Elf Titled, which comes out on January 24, 2006. The Advantage fucking rule, and you need to get your geek on and check them out.

Music, Pop Culture

CD Review: Supernatural Equinox by Outrageous Cherry

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Outragous Cherry CD Cover

Artist: Outrageous Cherry
Album: Supernatural Equinox
Release Date: May 6, 2003
Label: Rainbow Quartz

On its fifth album, Detroit’s Outrageous Cherry pull together a tight concatenation of influences; mingling old-school acid eaters (Stones, Byrds, Beatles) with modern genre revivalists (Dandy Warhols, Brian Jonestown Massacre) to wrap their signature noise-pop in a distinctive psychedelic overcoat. There’s a well-balanced, seductive ethereality to Supernatural Equinox that’s hard to resist. On the sunnier, Beach Boys-influenced tunes like “If You Want Me” and “Saturday Afternoon,” vocalist/songwriter Matthew Smith simultaneously pays homage to and parodies the 60’s with lyrics like, “It’s 1970 now/Flower Power is dead.” On the flip-side, OC doses the listener with the intense, acid-prog of “Psychic Wheels” (think BRMC) and a ferocious wah-wah pedal attack courtesy of “The Orgone Vortex.” Supernatural Equinox peaks out with “See You Next Time,” a raga-flavored, extended jam punctuated by processed backing vocals borrowed from Their Satanic Majesty’s Request. Turn on, tune in, trip out.

Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/outrageouscherrydetroit/
Official Website: http://www.outrageouscherry.com/

This article was originally written for Rolling Stone’s Online Magazine. Though Rolling Stone remains in print and online, this article is no longer a part of their archive and has been added to the content base of The Worley Gig for our readers’ enjoyment.

Music, Pop Culture

CD Review: 2 a.m. Wakeup Call by Tweaker

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Tweaker 2 AM Wake Up Call CD Cover

Artist: Tweaker
Album: 2 am Wakeup Call
Release Date: April 20, 2004
Label: Waxploitation

2 a.m. Wakeup Call is the second album from Tweaker (producer, remixer, ex-NIN drummer Chris Vrenna), following 2001’s The Attraction To All Things Uncertain. Continuing Vrenna’s fondness for conceptual works, 2 a.m. is a journey through nightmares, sleeplessness and a variety of nocturnal disturbances. Warm tones of piano and acoustic guitar moderate the expected electronic flourishes, taking the chill off songs exploring insomnia-inducing subjects like deep depression (“Worse Than Yesterday”), the manic mind (“Pure Genius”) and somnambulism (“Sleepwalking Away”). Framing Vrenna as a modern Burt Bacharach, 2 a.m. finds the composer crafting tunes for interpretation by other voices, though Vrenna had guest vocalists (including David Sylvian, Robert Smith and Will Oldham) write their unique lyrical visions for his mini-soundtracks. The results are surprisingly seductive. From the stark “Nights In White Satin” vibe of “Ruby” to Jennifer Charles’ opiated, candy floss croon on “Crude Sunlight,” Tweaker’s disquieting lullabies for troubled slumber provide uneasy listening at its finest.

Official Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweaker_(band)

This article was originally written for Rolling Stone’s Online Magazine. Though Rolling Stone remains in print and online, this article is no longer a part of their archive and has been added to the content base of The Worley Gig for our readers’ enjoyment.

Music, Pop Culture

CD Review: Dirt by Mark Selby

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Mark Selby Dirt CD Cover

Artist: Mark Selby
Album: Dirt
Release Date: 2003
Label: Vanguard Records

After gaining notoriety for penning hits recorded by Kenny Wayne Shepherd (“Blue on Black”) and the Dixie Chicks, singer/songwriter/ guitarist Mark Selby earned his moment in the spotlight with the release of his own critically lauded, 2000 debut, More Storms Comin’. His exceptional sophomore CD, Dirt indicates that album was not just a fluke. Many of Selby’s songs (some co-written with his wife, Tia Sillers) give vibrant life to romantic ruminations he keeps in his head, (“Willing to Burn, ” “Desire”). Favorable comparisons to Gregg Allman permeate this disc, not only in regard to Selby’s lyrical blues-rock guitar playing, but also his visual songwriting and slightly rough-hewn but engaging vocals — especially appealing on the lead track, “Reason Enough.” Excellent flanged guitar adds a hypnotic undercurrent to the gorgeous title track, but never detracts from the song’s true grit. No need for bells or whistles here: the music does all the talking.

Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/MarkSelbyRocks/

This article was originally written for Rolling Stone’s Online Magazine. Though Rolling Stone remains in print and online, this article is no longer a part of their archive and has been added to the content base of The Worley Gig for our readers’ enjoyment.