Blogcritics Author: Matt Wardlaw

Concert Review: B-52's At The House of Blues, Cleveland OH, 4/29/08

Matt Wardlaw — Thu, 1 May 2008 21:48:11 EDT

Grab a ticket to one of the dates in your area. You'll have fun, guaranteed!
I had one of those "God, I feel kind of old moments" on Tuesday. I had tickets to see The B-52's at the House of Blues here in Cleveland, and I realized that it's been 16 years since the last time The B's and I saw each other.I was in high school in 1992 that summer. We assembled the largest group of friends that I can remember ever going to see a...

Missing Record Store Day

Matt Wardlaw — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:57:55 EDT

On April 19th, I was one of the music loving sinners who missed Record Store Day.
On April 19th, I was one of the music loving sinners, who for an unexplained reason, missed Record Store Day. But then again, I would argue that in my world, Record Store Day is everyday!Now, perhaps you didn't hear about Record Store Day? Google it. You'll find posts on Ohmpark, Shoutnote, and Amoeba too.There were special events in...

Nine Inch Nails Release Brand New Single, And Maybe A New Album Too?

Matt Wardlaw — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:27:33 EDT

In 2008, the music industry may have finally found the answer to many of their problems of the past few years.
Nine Inch Nails' main-man Trent Reznor continues to be one of the most innovative artists in the music industry today. It's a title that, in my book, Reznor has had a nearly constant grip on for nearly 20 years now. In 1997, the NIN track "The Perfect Drug" (from the Lost Highway soundtrack) made its debut on the internet, and...

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

CD Review: The Yayhoos - Put The Hammer Down

Matt Wardlaw — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 12:58:42 EDT

Without knowing it, I've been a Dan Baird fan since the early '80s, not knowing that much about the guy that sang "Keep Your Hands To Yourself", but I knew that it was a catchy tune, and that I liked it. Around the time of Baird's first solo album release, Love Songs For The Hearing Impaired, I was curious about the record being billed to the "ex-Georgia Satellites frontman", and finally was properly hooked onto the Baird bandwagon.From that point, I have kept up with Baird's output, and one of the most satisfying projects to hit my ears, has been his "supergroup" collaboration called The Yayhoos, which grew out of being the backing band for Baird on his tour supporting Buffalo Nickel. The band finally released Fear Not The Obvious, an album that had long been on the shelf, in 2001 on Bloodshot Records.The band features Baird on vocals and guitar, former Del-Lord Eric Ambel on guitar, who has also been logging lots of road miles playing guitar for Steve Earle, songwriter Terry Anderson on the drums (co-writer of Sats hit "Battleship Chains"), and Keith Christopher (Kenny Wayne Shepherd) on the bass guitar. The band is a bunch of guys with a deep discography that bring you the world's greatest bar band this side of The Smithereens. What is unique about the band is that they trade off vocals from track to track, so that while Baird might have been the most notable player initially in the band, each member definitely brought a unique voice and songwriting style to the band that made Fear Not The Obvious a great mixed bag of tunes with truly something for everyone.The band logged several years and many dates on the road behind Fear Not The Obvious, and the result is a new album Put The Hammer Down, which feels more like a proper band album from a unit that really had a chance to develop these songs on the road, and in the studio. The album opens with "Where's Your Boyfriend At", a track that has the signature Baird sound and that familiar driving guitar riff that I have heard in many a Baird tune. "Right As Rain" is another Baird track on Put The Hammer Down that is unmistakably Dan, but is a tune that really features the best of what makes The Yayhoos great, and all of the guys really step it up on this song, and the results are an instant classic. "Right As Rain" puts you in the studio with the guys playing around you on a late night with several beverages already having been put away. Put The Hammer Down also includes a couple of cover songs that were in the set on the last couple of tours for Fear Not The Obvious. The cover of "Love Train" is not much of a stretch for The Yayhoos, and is just as much fun as the original tune, with a dose of Yayhoos style added for good measure. The real surprise on this album, is the cover of the B-52's track "Roam", which has been appropriately rocked up with guitars that would make Kate and Cindy's beehive hairdos run for the hills! Anybody that read my review of Eric Ambel's Knucklehead album will also know that I would have been very happy to see their version of "Down By The River" wind up on this record. Who knows, perhaps we might see it show up on that long talked about Yayhoos live album?Speaking of Ambel, if I have a complaint about this album, it would be that there is not nearly enough Ambel on it. He turns in a couple of fine tracks vocally, particularly "Between You And Me", and also the pleasantly retro "Hurtin' Thing". Eric Ambel has become a favorite, and hopefully we will get another solo record from him one of these days.All in all, Put The Hammer Down does just that, and is a record that unbelievably manages to top Fear Not The Obvious, and then some. The album will be enjoyable to anyone that enjoys good rock and roll and comes with an invisible ticket that guarantees that you will get your ass kicked at a future Yayhoos show, very soon.Order Put The Hammer Down from The Yayhoos official website. Other web links of interest:Eric Ambel official site Dan Baird official site Terry Anderson official site Lakeside Lounge

As a lifetime music fan, Matt Wardlaw has been lucky to work in a number of fields that pay him to do jobs related to the music that he loves. These jobs include 13 years (and counting) in Cleveland radio, and five years working for a Cleveland based radio syndication company. Matt fills his limited spare time with writing, going to concerts, and is continually on a quest to find the next great record store.

CD Review: Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs - Under The Covers Vol. 1

Matt Wardlaw — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 19:06:08 EDT

Matthew Sweet has been fairly prolific over the past few years, participating in a supergroup of sorts with Pete Droge and Shawn Mullins called the Thorns, and also released a pair of well-received solo albums last year. Susanna Hoffs has also been busy in recent years, releasing a couple of solo albums, and also reuniting the Bangles for a reunion tour, which absolutely smoked in back to back nights at the House of Blues in Chicago on their initial run. She also has a new Bangles album -- Doll Revolution. Together, Hoffs and Sweet have united to finish what they started with Ming Tea and the Austin Powers movies. An album was planned at the time, but plans were shelved, because Austin Powers brass thought that the album would conflict with sales of the Austin Powers soundtrack.That's all water under the bridge with the release of Under The Covers Vol. 1, which is a 14 track celebration of the 60s, with one lone non-60s cut, "Run To Me", thrown in to round things out. If you've already read DJ Radiohead's review of this album, I have to admit that I was kind of on the same page with DJ initially. On my initial listen, the first half of the album was a bit touch and go, although I enjoyed the second half much better.Subsequent listens to this album have really brought it home for me. I was born in 1974, so I grew up with some of this music, which my parents played for me. "The Warmth Of The Sun" was an important track for me to hear, with all of the Beach Boys albums that my dad shared with me in my early years. What makes this album enjoyable for me, is that it doesn't stick to well-known tracks like the Beach Boys cover. Instead, it is educational, and stretches out with tracks from The Marmalade, Fairport Convention, and even Love -- bands that might not be at the top of every person's CD collection.Under The Covers Vol. 1 is a win in my book. There is only one track on the album -- "And Your Bird Can Sing" -- that is a miss to my ears. It's not that it is a bad rendition, it's just not the first Beatles song that I would have picked. Hoffs and Sweet sound great, individually with Hoffs on "Care Of Cell #44", and Sweet on "The Warmth Of The Sun." Together, they shine on all of the tracks, and the album opening, "I See The Rain", is just great. If you have heard any Matthew Sweet albums, or any of the albums that Susanna has done over the years with The Bangles, you will already know that they spent many years listening to the albums and songs that are paid tribute with Under The Covers Vol. 1.Hoffs has long been underrated as a vocalist in my opinion, and Under The Covers Vol. 1 really gives her a chance to show off her talents. The album includes full liner notes and comments on each track from Sweet and Hoffs, and also an opening note from longtime Beach Boys collaborator Van Dyke Parks. Early indications are that this album is selling well, and I hope that to be the case, because I would love to see what kind of songs might wind up on Volume 2!

CD Review: Black 47 - Bittersweet Sixteen

Matt Wardlaw — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 04:11:08 EDT

Black 47 were an important part of my youth. Like many, I first heard of the band in the early '90s with their radio hit "Funky Ceili", which earned me a blank stare many times, when someone would ask me what I was liking musically at that moment. I caught the first of many Black 47 shows in early 1992 and discovered the great live show that many New Yorkers had known for years via their fiery sets at Paddy Reilly's. I haven't caught the band live in NYC, but from the shows I have seen over the years, it is clear that Black 47 brings the same truckload of vein-popping energy with them in every set that they play.They have been called the premier Irish-American rock group, and their career has now been nicely collected in the new retrospective release Bittersweet Sixteen, which collects 16 of the finest cuts the band has recorded over the years starting in early 1990 and ending present day with two new cuts. Bittersweet Sixteen is a unique collection that presents a number of oddities, including the original mix of "Funky Ceili", and a cover version of "For What It's Worth". As a fan of both Vin Scelsa's Idiot's Delight and Black 47, I was very stoked to see that this collection also included six tracks from a classic Idiot's Delight live studio recording. Those live cuts are a vibrant alternate look at material from the band's out-of-print major label work.Despite the many different sources used for this compilation, quality is consistent throughout the album, and if you've managed to miss Black 47 up to this point, Bittersweet Sixteen is a good starting point to educate yourself on all things Black 47. A particular highlight that leaps right off the disc is frontman Larry Kirwan dueting with New York Doll David Johansen on "Staten Island Baby" from the band's stellar 2004 release New York Town. The cuts that are included from the Idiot's Delight appearance have been remastered and sound great. Bittersweet Sixteen is in the rare category of compilations that truly have something for everyone. It works well for the casual fan who wants to learn more about Black 47, and at the same time, is loaded with all sorts of cool stuff for the Black 47 diehard like me who thought he had everything. Longtime fans will enjoy "Home Of The Brave" and "Patriot Game", unreleased material from their first recording session. The two new cuts that are included on Bittersweet Sixteen, "Southside Chicago Waltz", and "Joe Hill's Last Will" are a promising look at what we can look forward to as Black 47 continue onward making a loud noise for those that need to hear it.Bittersweet Sixteen is a good start, but not necessarily the last word on everything that you need to hear from Black 47. If you're interested by what you hear on Bittersweet Sixteen, you would do well to hunt down albums from the rest of the Black 47 catalog, particularly the early albums, Fire Of Freedom, and Home Of The Brave.Official Black 47 Website

Pearl Jam Offers Up New Album, And Then Some

Matt Wardlaw — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 07:13:58 EST

Pearl Jam have always been a band that understands what it means to be a fan, and that as a fan, it's always cool when your favorite band adds something extra to sweeten the pot.The band will drop a new self-titled album, their first since leaving Epic Records, on May 2nd. While you can go to your favorite mom and pop record store and buy it then, this is definitely one case where you are better off to embrace the technology, and pre-order via the band's official site.Fans that pre-order the album from the site will receive a couple of bonuses including a free digital download of the album one minute after the album becomes available in the U.S.The real action though, is the bonus live disc that you get by pre-ordering the album, which contains a classic New Year's Eve Pearl Jam performance, recorded live at The Academy in New York City in 1992.As they say, where do I sign?Pearl Jam still puts on one of the best shows for the buck, but believe me, I am salivating at the prospects of having an officially released show from 1992 on disc. Having heard many recorded documents (read: bootlegs) of shows from those early years, I often kick myself for missing each and every chance I had to catch the early gigs.I have always kept an eye on what Pearl Jam is up to musically. For me, their first mistake was with the No Code album. I didn't get it, and this wasn't the Pearl Jam that I knew and loved. It was only one morning, several months after the release of No Code, that I became among the converted. I was walking past a friend's office, and again heard this album, and had to stop and ask what it was. No Code was the album playing, and I finally saw it for the great album that it was. Sadly, it remains an underappreciated album with many that didn't get a second listen like me.From that point, Pearl Jam lost me for a few albums, and finally lured me back in with their most recent studio release, Riot Act. Riot Act was the album in my opinion, that should have been the followup to No Code. "Love Boat Captain" and "Thumbing My Way" are genius songs. They are a long way removed from the band that brought you the Ten album, but as a band, Pearl Jam have aged well.It is the long journey that Pearl Jam have made as a band, that makes me excited about not only the new album, but also the bonus live disc release. With that bonus disc, we have the opportunity to revisit good times in our collective past. I am excited about the new album, as well. Coming off a good release like Riot Act, there's a good shot that it will be good. And it has to be good, because even the artwork is cool.The new album is coming, tour dates are being booked, and official live bootlegs will be recorded. It's going to be a fun year for us Pearl Jam fans, indeed.On a side note, I don't think Al Barger is looking forward to the new album quite as much as I am!

CD Review: Bruce Springsteen - Hammersmith Odeon, London '75

Matt Wardlaw — Sun, 5 Mar 2006 07:53:44 EST

When the 30th anniversary Born To Run box set came out last year, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I stuck the remastered Born To Run CD in for a second or three, and for those few seconds, it sounded good. But if you are a Bruce fan, how often do you really listen to the studio albums? Answer: Hardly ever. The real jewel of the set, was the full concert DVD of the Hammersmith Odeon concert from 1975. Once you are holding that jewel, your mind will very likely forgot about the remastered Born To Run, and probably didn't even see that a documentary DVD was included as well.Camp Bruce is doing now what should have been done day and date with the box set release, and they are releasing a CD audio version of the Hammersmith show previously only available on the DVD.Perhaps you already read Mark Saleski's review of Hammersmith right here, and if not, you owe it to yourself to check it out.Anyway, back to the review: Having had this show on bootleg for a few years, I somehow managed to miss what an incredible show this is, and as Brucelegs go, this one is definitely up there in my book of favorite Bruce shows. The setlist features not only "the hits" for the casual fans like Thunder Road and Tenth Avenue, but it also features a number of great album tracks that these days you would be happy and lucky to get just one of them in the setlist.Hammersmith contains, in my opinion, the definitive version of "Lost In The Flood," which while I have yet to hear a bad version of this song, Bruce was firing on all cylinders for this one at Hammersmith. Likewise, the CD contains "The E Street Shuffle" and "Kitty's Back," which is always good.Overall, it's a great set, and one that I wasn't that excited about initially when I first saw the track listing. Regardless of how it looks on paper, it is dynamite on the playback. The setlist flows really well, and the power and emotion of Bruce and company's performance really cuts through on this one.If this is the launch of the official bootleg series from Bruce, as has been written recently, well then it's a good first entry into the series in my book, despite duplicating the previous DVD release. Word is, that they are already working on a show to release from the Darkness tour, and hopefully we won't have to wait until 2008 to see that release come out.If you are like me, and are less than stoked about the upcoming Springsteen album of Pete Seeger covers, then you will most definitely want to check this release out to tide you over until when and if Bruce gets back to the rock and roll.

CD Review: Daylight Dies - Dismantling Devotion

Matt Wardlaw — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:37:26 EST

It takes a rare CD to turn my head for something out of the ordinary, but that's exactly what happened when I received the latest release from Daylight Dies. The album's tone is set with the opening track "A Life Less Lived" which clocks in at an epic eight minutes plus, and it doesn't get much shorter from there, with most tracks falling in the five to seven minute range. Dismantling Devotion marks Daylight Dies' return to recording after a four-year break.Instrumentally, some of the longer song instrumental intros will remind you of your favorite early Metallica riffs. Vocally, it's hard not to make the Opeth comparison with a hostile vocal laid over a strangely calm and driving metal landscape. The band is described as "Dark, Desperate and Melancholic Metal" and they certainly fill out that definition! Daylight Dies delivers a song and a moment for each of your moods, whenever they may strike.While definitely not the heaviest album you will ever come across, the Daylight Dies album has a little bit of something for everyone, whether you are a prog-rock guy, a heavy metal guy, or maybe you are that guy that likes to play air drums while the fan blows your hair back. Just kidding, kind of.Daylight Dies have assembled a strongly compelling album that times out at almost an hour, and they get that done in a mere eight tracks. There is a good amount of clean vocals that are mixed into the songs to good effect, and probably the best thing about this album is that while the songs are long, they don't overstay their welcome.The band itself originates in North Carolina, which floors me. I was for sure that like many of the good bands in their genre, surely they must be from Finland, or Norway, or somewhere, but North Carolina, eh? Knowing this, there might just be hope for this thing called "music" yet!Tour dates for the band appear to be limited to a couple of dates in July opening for Emperor in New York City. Hopefully with the album release forthcoming in March, more dates will be added.Official website

DVD - The Moody Blues - Live At Montreux

Matt Wardlaw — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 08:54:45 EDT

I am very careful with my music/video purchases, but this Moody Blues DVD slipped under my radar, and was an instant purchase with minimal thought process. Live At Montreux captures on video a classic tour in Moody Blues history, the 1991 tour to promote their album at the time, Keys Of The Kingdom. A reviewer on the Amazon website summed it up very well: This was the Moody Blues captured live when they were a ROCK band, before the orchestral tours, before the casino tours, etc.This was also one of the first shows that I caught after moving to Cleveland, and was my first opportunity to catch the band, who I had been a big fan of growing up, in the live setting. I have never seen the band play a set as electrically based, as I did on this tour. It was this tour that really made me appreciate the Moody Blues, and it's nice to have a document of the tour, all these years later.The release is part of a series of releases that Eagle Vision is rolling out from the archives of performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival over the years. It is not without it's flaws, which I would attribute to the likely fact that it was filmed for broadcast on the fly, with no plans for video release at the time. The mix is more than a bit shaky for the first 30 minutes of the show, with certain lead vocals missing from the mix, key instruments missing from the mix, etc. It took the mixing engineer at the show more than a few songs to get the mix right, so as a result, the opening set of songs suffer. It's exactly what you would expect from a live broadcast of a multi-band festival - as long as you can put up with the mixing quirks, they do get it right eventually, and overall, it's a really nice setlist that is different from the standard Moodies setlist you have come to expect.Highlights, are 3 tracks from the Keys album, including the rarely performed Bless The Wings (That Bring You Back), and Lean On Me (Tonight). As many times as I have heard it, the disc also contains a great version of Question. Lovely To See You has always been one of my favorites as well, and it's nice to have that present and accounted for.Overall, this disc is a must have for anyone that didn't get to experience the 1991 hard rockin' version of the Moody Blues. It captures them all in good voice, and it's good to see the core of the classic lineup playing together, especially now that Ray Thomas has retired from the road in recent years. It reminds me a lot of how amazed I was on that night that I saw them live, at how good all of the members still sounded despite years spent on the road. At an hour and a half, Moody Blues fans will enjoy this musical journey, without a doubt!