After getting rid of most of my pile of DVDs, I am now back to wading through my review CDs. As per normal it is very much a varied bag. In fact, some of it's so varied as to warrant addition in the over-flow over at my blog. Nonetheless, there is a good stuff to be had no matter what mood you're in.
Joetown: Pills & Ammo
I have to admit to liking this release from the first spin. It just has all the right elements for a dose of whiskey-fueled hard rock from the West Coast. Interestingly enough rather than ape Guns n Roses, as so often happens, this band has more of a LA Guns feel to it. Yes, one could argue that I am being a pedant, but there is clearly less of a polished feel to it all.
At other times the band sound quite a bit like Velvet Revolver with all that it entails. Joetown do their best to bring together 80s LA sleaze and the angst fueled attitude of modern heavy rock. This blues fueled heavy rock hits all the right notes and does what it does oh so well. Whether it’s the cracking opener of “Hole in My Soul” to gruff “My Anger Knows no Bounds” this is just quality rock & roll.
There is not one turkey in this lot. While it might not be as ground-breaking as some debuts, this is one of the best albums from a band you have never heard of. And you know what comes next… they should be huge. Let's hope that Joetown get the break they are owed.
I haven’t been this happy listening to a new CD since the debut album from The Answer. You owe to yourself to seek this sucker out. Hell, I even love the logo.
Kip Winger: From the Moon to the Sun
The butt of many a joke was his former band Winger, all of it completely unfair considering the success and the quality of the band’s releases. This is yet another solo release from the man. His ole mucker from the Winger days, drummer Rod Morganstein, shows up to play on a few of the tracks.
This is probably his best solo release and it clearly demonstrates that the man is far from out of clever song-writing ideas. There is a mixture of almost classical music on two tracks that might have fitted in Winger’s output, especially its later material . There is a touch of middle eastern about much of the music here.
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