Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews

Adam Ant rings in the apocalypse with one of the worst, best songs of 2012:

The confusing title to this article is the only way to really describe the new release from Adam Ant who has not released a single since 1995. We learned about the single the way all good post apocalyptic reporters learn about news: via Twitter. On December 21, Adam Ant Tweeted “Adam Ant – The world has not ended. To celebrate here is Adam’s first video single in 17 years. Watch here:” http://t.co/fzc3YXco. The full album The Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner’s Daughter will be released on January 21, 2013 according to Adam’s website http://www.adam-ant.com

So why are we referring to the release as the worst, best song of 2012? This is a song that you will most likely listen to the first time and find yourself asking “What is this and what was Adam thinking?” Then you will replay it to be sure it was really a serious song and not some joke. Third time you play it “jut to be sure it was really that bad”, you’ll find yourself humming the non-sensical chorus. It is at that point you’ll begin to realize you are starting to actually enjoy listening to is for some bizarre reason.

If you surf around and check out other opinions, you’ll find we are not alone. The song has listeners saying the same thing everywhere. They pretty much echo the sentiment “I didn’t like it at first, but it really grows on you”. In the end should this surprise us? After all, aren’t all of Adam Ant’s songs this way? How many of you truly like “Goody Two Shoes the first time you heard it?

The new single “Cool Zombie” sounds like a combination of Bob Dylan vocals meets Kid Rock lyrics meets classic Rolling Stones doing a southern blues tune. The video is a depiction of the 58 Year old returning to London after living in Tennessee. The music video has that surreal quality that only a veteran of music videos from the music video heydays like Adam could produce.

Adam toured at a moderate pace in 2012, mostly in England, but did make a swipe across the U.S. in September and October of 2012. The release of “Cool Zombie” has definitely wet the palate of Adam Ant fans for the new release in January. Until then, give the song the required 3 plays we recommend before you make your decision on this one! When you find yourself humming it the next day, remember…we told you so.

K-rock

Bloodline Riot is keeping the phrase “Detroit Rock City” Alive.
If you look around pretty much any city with a thriving music scene, you’ll find that band that is made up of a collection of musicians who have paid their dues for years in various bands who finally find each other and the right combination for a great album or more. In Detroit, MI, we have found another example of such a band in Bloodline Riot. The collection of veteran Detroit rockers came together and released their first single as Bloodline Riot entitled “Burn” in May, 2011.

Bloodline Riot
Photo by: Chris Bjornberg

This release was no garage band release. It was produced by Andy Patten (Sponge, Taproot) and mixed and mastered by Chuck Alkazian (Pop Evil, Trust Company). A quick listen to “Burn” will have you eager to hear the rest of the band’s EP “Keys and Clockwork”.  Each song on the  4 song EP is a strong effort worthy of some significant radio play. In fact the band started to catch some of that coveted air time with “Burn” in their hometown, as well as stations in Las Vegas, Texas and beyond.

Bloodline Riot’s music has a great combination of melodic verses, meshed with a pounding backbeat that keeps you energized throughout all of the tunes. There is a certain versatility to their sound that has a bit of something for the metal fan, while at the same time finding some pleasing choruses for the fan of more progressive sounding rock. Perhaps the best example of this style is also perhaps the strongest tune on the CD: “Element”.  The blending of sounds in Bloodline Riot’s style seems to have been recognized by the live music world as well, as they have shared the stage with a diverse collection of acts such as Drowning Pool, Fuel, Taproot, Soil, Nonpoint, Powerman 5000, Dope, 12 Stones, The Dreaming and many others.

Bloodline Riot’s EP “Keys and Clockwork” features some nice work from guitarist Jason Caine. I had the chance to catch up with Jason and ask him about Bloodline Riot’s music and the music scene in Detroit.
K-rock You guys hail from Detroit which has had its challenges in the recent economic times. What is the Rock and Roll Scene like there now?

Jason: The Rock scene in Detroit is interesting. There is an amazing amount of raw musical talent in Detroit. I’m proud and honored to say that I know a lot of amazing bands and musicians who easily hold up to what’s being played out there on mainstream radio. That said, the Detroit music scene has had it’s share of challenges due to the economy as well as smoking being banned in clubs/bars. The thing about the people of Detroit is this however: the people of Detroit are not only some of the hardest working people you’ll meet, but they’re survivors. I’m happy to say that despite the challenges to the scene, I know bands that are thriving and adapting to the changing environment. I think to be a musician/band with any sort of longevity, you have to be adaptable, strategic as well as talented and versatile. I know several bands that have been signed to label deals within this past year or so & have been touring with some of the biggest Rock acts out there. Ghosts of August, Battlecross, & We Came as Romans, for example, are all Detroit-based acts that have been doing amazing things and a great example of what I’m talking about. Also, we’re fortunate that Detroit is considered a main touring hub for national acts as well, so that definitely helps local artists gain exposure to the mainstream audience through opening slots. Detroit is alive and well as far as our music scene and gaining momentum every day.
K-rock: Tell me about the video for “Element”. Where as it shot? Anything special about it?
Jason: The video for “Element” is a live performance video that was shot by our good friends Nick Barry & Terrance Centofanti at Visual Zen studios. It’s kind of funny because the video was taken during a live performance we played at the Detroit Pub in Clinton Township, MI. It was all just one video take, since we were playing a show, without any staging or real plan other than us playing our show. I was unfamiliar with their work at the time, but once I saw the final product I was really impressed. Especially since we weren’t playing to a click or the recording of the song itself, yet they managed to sync everything perfectly, grabbed some amazing footage and made us look great!
K-rock: You guys (and gal) come from different bands. Did you know each other well before forming this band or was it an audition type of thing?

Jason: Amber (bassist of Bloodline Riot) and I have been in bands together now for roughly 5-6 years. Our former band was a completely different kind of band. It was more of a Pop Punk type of thing where I sang and played guitar with much more of an emphasis on songwriting. However, I’ve always considered myself more of a guitarist than a singer and studied guitar in college, so to shake things up, I’d throw in a crazy shred guitar solo in the middle of our set that led into one of our fastest songs. People really seemed responsive to that part of the show. We toured, won a contest and opened for KISS, were nominated for Detroit Music Awards and had a great run, but in my heart I always wanted to focus on songwriting with more guitar involvement with a singer that could focus solely on vocals so I could really focus on playing guitar. Amber and I decided it was time to follow up on that and write heavier material. We wanted to do our best to find musicians that were the best at their instrument in their bands that had the same drive, positivity and goals that we did. It was also very important to us that it felt like more than a work environment. We wanted a band that felt like family. We had a very strong idea of what we wanted to do and had a strong plan of action. Matt Marriott (original drummer) was someone we’d met through the music scene and had known for a while. Seeing him play in his band, not only was he a great drummer, but his showmanship on the drums was something to behold. He is one of the most entertaining drummers I’ve had the honor of playing with. When we were ready, I called him up and we had a three hour phone discussion about the entire idea, and he was in. After we had the core group, we put out the call for vocalists anywhere and everywhere. It was actually very difficult for us because not one bad singer came in to audition. Some had some amazing background and experience and others were total diamonds in the rough that were awesome. Mike Hughes was recommended to us through a mutual friend. I was familiar with all of his previous bands, and had probably been in the same room with him a dozen times at shows and clubs, had a ton of the same friends, but for some reason had never met him in person. He came out to talk about things to make sure we were all on the same page then came out to sing with the band. Although every singer that came out was great, Mike had the right chemistry with the band, experience in the industry and a unique vocal quality that we wanted to explore. It was tough. Every singer that came out could be or have been in successful bands. After the band was finalized, we recorded our first single, “Burn” at the Loft with Sponge guitarist Andy Patalan, which won us a spot on Rockstar Uproar 2011. From there, we went to Pearl Sound Studios in Canton, MI with producer Chuck Alkazian (Pop Evil, Trust Company) and recorded our CD “Keys and Clockwork” which was just released this Fall.

K-rock: Are there any big tours/shows/plans coming up in January?

Jason: Our immediate future plans include recording our new single, writing for the next album, a full production video and regional touring. We also plan on some promotional photo shoots and videos for our endorsement companies, Krank Amps and Unlocal Clothing as well as shots including gear we love and use such as Schecter Guitars, Coffin Case, etc. We have a great show at the Token Lounge in Westland, MI for the RawRadioX Launch party on Feb. 23 for those in the area. To stay on top of our schedule, visit our website at www.bloodlineriot.com or our Facebook at www.facebook.com/bloodlineriot under the band profile tab.

K-rock: Since I’ve never had the pleasure…What can folks expect to see at a live Bloodline Riot show?

Jason: A Bloodline Riot show has everything you’d want from a live show. It is a high-energy event filled with theatrics, lights, lasers, fun & tons of great crowd interaction. Everything we do, we do for our friends and fans. They’re the reason we do what we do, and we do our best to give them the best show we can every single time. You have to see it to get the full picture. We promise a great time for everyone.
Keys and Clockwork is a very good release and a strong album that should support Bloodline Riot well as they perform live and produce new music in 2013. It seems likely that as Bloodline Riot continues to share the stage with a diverse group of national acts that the band will continue to amass fans. We look forward to seeing what the band does with their momentum in 2013.
K-rock

Another M3 Festival is in the books and your crew here at Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews has been there for all of them. I have heard some be critical of the lineup this year, but I will not be one of them. I was happy with the lineup on Saturday and mostly pleased with the Friday lineup.

Friday:
I have respect for the School of Rock kids and all the talent they display, but I think I would have preferred to see a local “play in” band on the bill. I was equally puzzled by the choice of “In the Pink” as an opening act on Friday. Due to our travel schedule we could not be there for either of these bands, so I cannot comment on how well they played.

The rest of Friday evening was a good opening night lineup. Enuff Znuff is not a band I really have followed much, but they played a decent enough set and they got the crowd warmed up and in the “hairmetal mode”. Naturally the crowd eagerly waited for “Fly High Michelle” and was not disappointed, although the vocal performance was a little shaky on this one.

I heard some debate about whether Kix or Night Ranger should have headlined on Friday. Despite the national audience this festival draws, there is still a predominance of Baltimore area fans at the festival, which makes it tough for Kix not to headline. Night Ranger was once again fantastic. We have seen them three times this year and they have quickly turned into a “must see” band for us every chance we get. The vocals are still flat out awesome from all of the guys and the guitar/ bass combo of Brad Gillis and Jack Blades is tough not to like. These guys, along with Kix who followed them are among the best of the 80s bands still playing in terms of bands who sound pretty much the same as they did back in the day. I have always thought drummer Kelly Keagy was and still is a very underrated singer.

Kix is a band we’ve reviewed many times and as those of you who read loyally know, are among K-rock’s all time favorite bands and live acts to see. We see these guys all the time and they are always a crowd pleaser. The thing about Kix is that they have such a loyal following in the Baltimore metro area that a Kix show in the Baltimore area is a totally different experience than anywhere else. It is an insane reunion of fans watching the band they grew up with and enjoying one of the best frontmen in all of rock and roll in Steve Whiteman. Another Awesome Kix show in the books!

I would really love to see M3 make Friday night a “local” sort of show and bring in great bands from the Baltimore region for a similar “Mini M3” for the Friday night show. Bands like the Ravyns, Child’s Play, Kix, Bootcamp and maybe even Joan Jett as well as other classic regional bands would be a real treat for a Friday night crowd. Just my humble suggestion.

Saturday:
As with any festival, we did not get to see all of the bands. M3 did a very good job staggering them (this was because the festival was televised on HdNet), but we made the decision in a few cases to forgo one band in favor of a front row spot for another.

Let There Be Rock: We did not see

Drum Wars: This was an interesting act to watch as Carmine and Vinny Apice played a short set of “drums only” music. I can’t say that it was something I would go to see specifically, but as an early act it was interesting. Seeing the two legends up there was unique.

Great White: Let’s first note that this is the band now known as Great White which features Terry Ilous (also the singer for XYZ) on vocals. Jack Russell’s Great White still tours as well and was not at this festival. I am not getting into the whole debate here on which is the better band. Many folks were critical of the bands performance, and while I will admit that they were not among my favorite acts of the day, I don’t think they were bad. I think singer Terry Ilous does an amazing job singing the classic Great White tunes. He is a seriously talented singer. It just seems their tunes lack a little “fullness” to their sound. I am not a sound engineer, just a fan, so I can’t give you the technical reasons for this. I think the band played a decent enough set, although I did hear a number of other fans be somewhat critical.

Streetlight Circus: Did not see.

Stryper: Did not see. We were really disappointed to have to miss Stryper yet again as we somehow managed to not be able to catch them on the Monsters of Rock Cruise. We had front row center for XYZ and would have had to give that up to see them so we made the tough choice to stay put. We did hear them via audio cast and they were awesome and a real crowd pleaser! Every single person I spoke to who saw Stryper loved them.

XYZ: After seeing XYZ on the Monsters of Rock Cruise, I knew there was no way I was going to miss them. This is a band you do not want to miss if you get the chance to see them live. They were once again incredible, and Terry Ilous managed to pull off singing a set with Great White followed by this gem of a set. I was disappointed that there was only time for 5 songs from XYZ and I hope M3 brings them back for a third time next year with a longer set. We interviewed Joey and Pat from XYZ after the show and you can see that interview right here. I look forward to seeing these guys play every chance I get.

L.A. Guns: I am a big fan of L.A. Guns (this is the Phil Lewis lineup and the one we have seen several times). The guys sounded great again, but I was somewhat disappointed in the song selection for their set list. The band played a great set, it was merely my personal interest in hearing a few songs that didn’t make it in. The guys have so many songs, that I understand, it was just not the list I would have chosen. Still a solid performance. After multiple fan complaints last year of a very short set, the Guns were given 45 minutes this year. I would love to see them work Vampire into their set list and bring back Over the Edge.

Bang Tango: Well, we heard them, but didn’t see them. We were just outside the fence of the second stage for their set. I can’t give a really accurate review of them based on this, except to say that we have been critical of Bang Tango at times, and from what we could hear they sounded very good. The sound is what matters after all right? They won back some points with us based on what we heard.

Dokken: We did not waste our time. Frankly, we have heard enough horrible reviews of recent performances that we decided to go for front row, for Loudness instead. The word is that Don wouldn’t even let the band be broadcast on the HdNet simulcast although I cannot confirm this. I can confirm that they were not broadcast, but the reason is speculation at this point on my part. Don Dokken does seems to have lost touch with reality or he is just hiding what many reported to us to be some horrible singing.

Loudness: These guys were the pleasant surprise of the day. What a rockin’ band! Loudness had the crowd going nuts and screaming for more. This was my first time seeing the guys who made the trip all the way from Tokyo to play this festival. They were among the best acts of the whole festival and I would HIGHLY recommend seeing them. Absolutely phenomenal. I didn’t even know most of the songs and yet I still had no trouble getting into them. They were much heavier than I anticipated and sounded more modern than the “hairmetal” theme that is so prominent at this festival. I will definitely see them again if I get the chance.

Warrant: Warrant was good, but not great. Once again I was a little lulled into being distracted during their set. I seemed to hve felt like I missed some big songs. I don’t know if they were cut short as happened to some bands and that could be the reason. This was the second year in a row that I enjoyed Warrant, but was just not super into it. It is possible that this is because they drew a tough part of the day to play. It was right in the middle, before the sun went down, folks were getting tired and I think I was too. Warrant was decent…just decent.

Lynch Mob : Ms. MARR caught their set and enjoyed Lynch Mob. We saw them on the Monsters of Rock Cruise and they were very good as well. She reports a very good performance despite having a bad time slot in my opinion. The big problem with the side stage at this festival is that unless you are in the first 10 rows or so, it is really hard to see. It sort of slopes away from the stage. I would really like to see some temporary bleachers in the back of the side stage so more fans can SEE and hear the music.

All Star Jam: We skipped the All Star Jam in favor of a front row spot for Quiet Riot.

Quiet Riot: We loved their set yet again. We had the opportunity to see Quiet Riot in October and they were awesome. This was the first time we have seen them with their newest singer in the line of frequently replaced singers, Scott Vokoun. Scott did an awesome job and the band was rock solid. I realize that Frankie Banali is the only original member and heard folks complaining, but we have seen them play a killer set on two separate occasions now and are not bothered in the least by the lineup. They were a treat to see, played tight and rocked the hit tunes.

Queensryche: I am a die hard Queensryche fan and we see them as often as we can, which is not enough. Queensryche has always been among my top ten favorite musical acts and they are always awesome. I know some folks will knock singer Geoff Tate for losing a little range, but the guy simply drops an octave when he needs to and puts on a nice show. Even an octave lower, he is still one of my favorite vocalists. There were a few more obscure choices in the set list, but I love the band so much I wasn’t bothered by them. “Eyes of a Stranger” was and usually is my favorite tune. Wish they would have worked in something from American Soldier, but they did play a nice lengthy set.

Skid Row: We did not see

Ratt: I have heard nothing but folks bashing Ratt’s performance, and I just cannot agree. I thought Ratt was very good and while it is true that Stephen Pearcy may not be at the top of his game, I didn’t think his performance was as bad as I have heard some others report. In recent years, M3 has had some questionable performances from their headliners and I actually thought that Ratt was one of the better headliners we’ve seen to date. I think in the end that Queensryche should have moved up to headliner when Cinderella pulled out. That being said, Ratt played 14 great rock classics and I thoroughly enjoyed the set, despite being exhausted by this point in the day.

In summary, once again, the M3 festival proved to be one of my favorite live music events of the year. It’s pretty hard to top the cruises we take for a several day party, but M3 comes close. And besides, I don’t get seasick at M3. I hope the organizers keep up the good work and keep finding new acts to bring in. Barring anything unusual, we’ll be returning to M3 again next year. Thanks to the dozens of you who took the time to find us and chat with us at the festival. We had a great time as we always do meeting all of you. Looking forward to seeing all of our friends again next year!

K-rock

The title of the post is much more than just that. It is our mission statement here at Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews. We would like to take credit for the wording, but that credit goes to Dawn Botti from the band New Day Dawn who dropped the phrase on us as we were having a conversation one night, and it was obvious to both Ms. MARR and I that this  simple statement so perfectly describes why we do what we do.

In the past two years we have had the honor of covering live music all over the country and we have seen bands demonstrating time and time again that the rock and roll community consists of the most caring, giving, thoughtful and aware people this world has to offer.

Last night we had the honor and privilege of covering the Forever Autumn memorial event at the TLA in Philadelphia, PA. For those who may not know the story, Autumn was a beautiful child and family member of the band The Electric Boa who’s life was senselessly taken for no good reason. Autumn’s untimely death left not only her family asking “why”, but left her family and extended family in the band The Electric Boa, the Philadelphia rock music scene, and the world who watched this story unfold across global media, asking the same question “Why”?

Quite simply there is no answer that we know of that can explain Autumn’s loss. What we do know is that while we may not be able to answer why, we are left trying to figure out what we can do to ease the pain of Autumn’s death for those who loved her, and seek to find ways to bring peace and healing to those left to mourn her.

While nothing can bring Autumn back, guitar player Joe Fortino of The Electric Boa and  managed to find a way to honor Autumn that simply blew us away. Joe organized the “Forever Autumn” memorial event which featured 12 bands from Philadelphia and beyond who came together to celebrate the life of Autumn and to help each other heal.

The effort that Joe put into organizing such an event is deserving of more recognition that we could ever begin to bestow upon him. This was a top notch event with incredible bands and auction items from all facets of the community including memorabilia from national artists, collectibles, and donations and even some gifts that honored Autumn by featuring some of her favorite things in life such as a BMX bike and her favorite candy.

We want to publicly recognize Joe and The Electric Boa for putting on a show that was a tribute to Autumn. I hope that this incredible event provided some measure of healing to those suffering this loss. For us the show demonstrated something about the rock and roll scene in Philadelphia as well. The musicians who performed at this event were amazing talents.  Even more important, we were so impressed to see the camaraderie of the members of all of the bands, many of who have shared the stage with each other for years, and who have traded band members and band names over the years come together for a untied cause.

We had the opportunity to simply sit back and observe from back stage as band after band appeared and worked together to honor Autumn and support her family. We saw no ego trips, no petty squabbling over dressing rooms, no prima donnas. We saw a community of musicians who were proud to be a part of the live rock and roll scene and who were especially proud to be a part of the Philadelphia music scene. We saw musicians who put aside other things in their lives during the busy holiday season to help a friend. We saw fans who love these bands come out in full force and support their favorite band, and the rock and roll lifestyle as well.

K-rock and Ms. MARR with Joe Fortino and Greg Cornwell of The Electric Boa

The purpose of this post is not to review the show (it was incredible). We will be producing a video of the day and publishing it in the next few weeks. Our purpose here is to say congratulations to Joe and Sue Fortino, The Electric Boa, all of the bands who played at the Forever Autumn event, the fans who attended and those from all over the country who made donations. We know what a daunting task this was.

To our amazing friend Joe Fortino, all the members of The Electric Boa and The entire Electric Boa family…you guys hit a home run with this event and exemplify what we mean by our mission “Changing the World Through Rock and Roll”.

We’ll have more to say about this event in weeks to come. Congratulations to:

THE ELECTRIC BOA
MACH 22 w/ Special Guest Jeff LaBar
HAMMER DOWN
THE KEEFS
CYANIDE SAINTS
MADHOUSE
ONE TON SHOVEL
MARK EVANS and Friends
JOHNNY DEE AND MEMBERS FROM  DORO AND DOPE
BAROMETER
RECKLESS BEHAVIOR
SCHOOL OF ROCK

This was truly a night to remember. We will remember the good times, the friends, the music and most of all, we will remember Autumn and her family. We cannot say that we we knew Autumn personally, but to see the legacy of her life bring so many people together tells us she was a special person. We send our deepest sympathy and hopes for healing to her family.

K-rock and Ms. MARR

Lifehouse is one of those bands that we have been big fans of for quite a while. However, what solidified our love for the band was the opportunity we had to see them play live multiple times in a few days while aboard the VH1 Best Cruise Ever in 2011. Some who know our preferences for hard rock might be surprised to see Lifehouse in the list of bands that we love. I think however, we are not alone in seeing this band as a a band who is more than a Pop band. If you have had the opportunity to see them live, you will probably agree that this band can rock out.

K-rock and Ms. MARR with Jason Wade of Lifehouse on the VH1 Cruise

In addition to being a great live band, what really makes Lifehouse a great band is that they are great at writing songs. Their new release Almeria is another great example of this band’s ability to make great music. The album does indeed have a few tunes that represent the Pop side of the band with tunes like “Between The Raindrops” which features Natasha Bedingfield, and “Nobody Listen” both of which have a pretty mainstream feel to them. However there is a lot to like in this album beyond those tunes which, while still solid tunes are my least favorite on the album. I prefer some of the other personalities of Lifehouse that all appear on this album.

The first is the almost darker sounding side of the band as revealed in “Moveonday” which has a bluesy and haunting side to it “Rolling Off The Stone” fits here as well. Then there is the band’s ability to demonstrate some diversity almost venturing into a almost country rock sort of feel on more than one tune including the song “Right Back Home” which features Peter Frampton.

No where is Lifehouse more of a force than in their ability to write beautiful ballads and mellow tunes and this album features an absolutely amazing tune entitled “Aftermath”. This is an absolutely beautiful tune and is the very best part of this album. It may not have a radio play appeal to it, but it is a fantastic song, and I tip my hat to the band for writing such a gem.

I am recommending this album to fans of Lifehouse. If you have been a fan of the band in the past, there is much for you to like in Almeria. This is a strong release from Lifehouse and we congratulate them on it.  If you are a casual fan of the band or do not know them well, I highly recommend seeing them live.

K-rock