Reviews by Time Bomb

"The Soul Sessions" is the title of the album with which, in 2003, Joss Stone started with a bang his recording career. A record in which he read with his young, and at the same time warm voice, soul classics dating mainly from the seventies. After nine years and four albums cantautorali, that's the 25 year-old English decided to repeat the experiment with the debut of "The Soul Sessions vol.2". The album was recorded in two sessions in New York and Nashville and contains eleven cover still largely date back to the Seventies: stand "(For God's sake) give more power to the people" by The Chi-Lites, "I don 't want to be with nobody but you "by Eddie Floyd," Teardrops "by Womack & Womack (1988)," Pillow talk "by Sylvia and the classic" Then you can tell me goodbye. "

TRACKLIST:
"I got the ..."
"(For God's sake) give more power to the people"
"While you're out looking for sugar"
"Sideway Shuffle"
"I do not want to be with nobody but you"
"Teardrops"
"Stoned out of my mind"
"The love we had (stays on my mind)"
"The high road"
"Pillow Talk"
"Then you can tell me goodbye"

Seven years. Much time has passed since "Rebel, Sweetheart" the last exit signed Wallflowers. A musical adventure in which the last word has not been written, but the will of Jakob Dylan to follow a lonely path could be a prelude. Fortunately this did not happen. The boys gathered in Nashville - the city where the air you breathe not only country music but tout-court - with the addition of Jack Irons on drums (formerly sat behind the drums of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam ...) and the sacred partnership of Mick Jones of The Clash guitar thinking, they worked hard and gave birth to the work that we have at hand: "Glad all over", the sixth album by the band.
So fortunately it was not, they said, because the eleven songs on this album tell us very clearly that the Wallflowers still have great cards to spend and to give good notes. A disc of pure rock that retains suffused echoes of pop that, far from banal, I vary the log. A disc that uses the writing always inspired by one of the best pens on the market today, the lucid and careful Jakob Dylan. Just the depth of the texts is one of the essential strengths of "Glad all over". A disc that also relies, in two episodes, the single "Reboot the mission" and "Misfits and lovers," the recognizable touch of Mick Jones. So you'd think, listening to the funk stradaiolo Radio Clash and magically resumed the interrupted program some time ago. But, however pleasant, are only episodes, to be precise.
The heart of the album, if we want to provide coordinated and more precise reference, we refer to what is now the most traditional in the country of the stars and stripes, Bruce Springsteen. "Have a mercy on him now" and "It will not be long" give the impression that the singer behind us and the entire E Street Band, it's a compliment and not a criticism, mind you.
An album where there are beautiful songs, in which there is a good feeling, when it seems that everything is in place where it should be. In addition, as they say, is an album that grows with each subsequent listening.
The Wallflowers are back to play the role of "beautiful outsiders" who had lost in the street.
They have a history of twenty years and a good record production behind it is especially live are appreciated to the full, there seems to touch the essence of their soul. Who attended the American concerts this summer has brought a great impression. Besides, before publishing their first album Jakob and his brothers have a long apprenticeship lining up a number of concerts in three digits.
In the letter of wishes to put under the tree addressed to Santa Claus next to the health of our loved ones, and an expected lull in the economic stranglehold let's also a nice tour of the Italian Wallflowers in 2013.

Eleven years. So much has passed since the release of their latest album No Doubt's "Rock Steady". In the middle of a long pause (2004 to 2008) and two solo albums Gwen Stefani, who projected the blonde Californian singer Olympus of the pop star in the world.
In 2008, No Doubt meet to prepare a tour that will take the next year and start working on a new album which, ideally, should see the light again when Gwen will have time to devote to the band. I spend another four years, but finally here is the sixth installment of the No Doubt record, a job in which you'll see the different souls of the band in Anaheim from rock to reggae sound, through electronic, pop and ska-punk.
Notable among them collaborations with singer Jamaican dancehall Busy Signal and the project Major Lazer (headed by DJ Diplo) in the title track.

TRACKLIST:
"Settle down"
"Looking Hot"
"One more summer"
"Push and shove"
"Easy"
"Gravity"
"Undercover"
"Undone"
"Sparkle"
"Heaven"
"Dreaming the same dream"

It took four years to record "La futura", we are not to unrivaled levels of slowness touched by "Chinese Democracy", but considering the nature of ZZ Top has always been a power trio of torrid and minimalist boogie / rock / blues / hard, we can say that yes, this album is their "Chinese Democracy", in some ways. But deferring the changes have not been training wild whims rockstar catafratta and tabloid material as in the case of Guns N 'Roses: in this case, the "guilty" by the name of Rick Rubin (another bearded), which - as a producer - has claimed that the band gave their best and even more, not caring about the passing of time.
Three blues rocker locked in a studio for four years (on and off), playing together as a garage band in high school, this is the approach that Rubin imposed on the three veterans of the idea "I do not have anything to teach these guys, I just have to get them to work, work, work. " The result is an album of pure and traditional ZZ Top sound, no head shots, innovations, trends and oddities (in which sometimes fall band with many years behind him, perhaps victims of the boredom of routine) ... just an honest, sweaty muscle and hard boogie rock with bluesy and garage.
Of course the price to pay for this steel consistency, the constant self-quotation, and I will forgive the indelicacy, but also by fans and owner of most of the 15th studio album of the group, I can not help but think that after more than 40 years ZZ Top sound like a tribute band to themselves, offering riffs that echo those of his past, but only a few and seasoned with different text. There is nothing wrong with that, mind you (I'm not the first nor the last to do so with dignity and without the need to kick up a fuss), especially if then over to the job you can still see the spark again and passion for music. Which of the three Texans do not miss for sure, because they sound like teens full of energy. In addition, to mitigate the stranoto flavor of the dish, there is a welcome return to the origin, ie the sound more raw and edgy pre-commercial success, a move that, no matter how seemingly trivial, usually pay.
Then, of course, there is the hand of Rubin, who although he claimed to vacate the ZZ Top of jamming and writing study (talking about more than 20 cd full of raw material, accumulated during the pre-production), not decided not to put his mark on the disk. In fact, the production is typical rubiniana with those guitars and exuberant rhythms impressive ... to make a comparison irreverent, much of this "Future" has a print reminiscent of the sound of Cult "Electric" grappling with a series of outtake the session "Rio Grande Mud" - which is a bit 'like saying that if you love these "flavors", you can never say that the new ZZ Top is an album negligible or just succeed, because it would be a lie big as Texas .
Finally, "The Future" is certainly not a Big Disco, those that change the course of history or the career of a band, but it is a good record of a large group, that will not disappoint the fans and help to keep alive the name , legend and bank account Gibbons (and members). The rest of that eternal beard mileage to care for and the hobby of collecting vintage car in need of generous injections of cash ... and who are we to deny them?

There are some models, some "pattern" in musical creativity. Some work almost always, some are stereotypes. Number one: artists do best records after a period of suffering, the music that comes from the happiness is less creative. Number two: the artists are experimental records, which draw them away from their sound, which invariably return after the album.
This "pattern" is almost always true. The previous one - derived from the romantic myth tormented artist - is a stereotype. Take "Havoc and bright lights" by Alanis Morissette.
It 's the first disc of unreleased over four years, from "Flavors of Entanglement". This came after a turbulent period, the end of a story. All this did not lead to an Alanis angry as to its origins, but a new producer, Guy Sigsworth, and (partially) in a sound-oriented electronics. Better intentions than the outcome.
Today Alanis is happy. Serena. And 'well mom recently. All the conditions of happiness, in the stereotype, theoretically worsen creativity.
Wrong, at least in part: "Havoc and bright lights" is far from a masterpiece, but it's a much better record than its predecessor. What is certain is that Morissette has changed label (after Warner, this is the first album for Sony), but kept the manufacturer has largely abandoned the electronic experiments. All this, to return to a more recognizable sound. Just listen to "The Guardian", which sound mix of guitars, vocals and "coloring" could easily get out of one of the first album, those produced by Glen Ballard. Same applies to the more obscure "Celebrity", or the solar pop of "Empathy".

"The debut album of Mechanical Orange is the imaginary soundtrack for a toast with Stanley Kubrick and Mario Monicelli." This is the phrase that begins the press notes of Orange meneghini Mechanics, however brilliant, I find it slightly smoky, I would then provide a different version: "The debut album of Mechanical Orange is a Pussy Wagon driven by Quentin Tarantino in acid, loaded up to capacity of Sons Of flowers thrown at full blast on a road paved with robust rock'n'roll. "

Let's clear one thing: if you believe, as the band's name, to be in front of a formation of matrix parody, I'm afraid you will be disappointed listening to this cd, since the only episode blatantly ridanciano is the swing of "I Porto Out To Dinner. " What you'll find instead in abundance on this album, produced by Giulio Favero (Theatre Of Orrorri) and Livio Magnini (Rolling Stones), is the genuine excitement and enthusiasm that is steeped in the angry frown of singer Gianfranco Fresi, suspended between atmosphere and irresistible glam bridge Electronic Equipment ("Tomorrow"), ballads Nick Cave ("Love"), laden atmospheres LSD and '60s ("Caravan Of Love") or Reggae that takes the path of England, without, however, turn into ska but a kind of weird to Jet crash ("Reggae"). It almost seems that the English spirit of 30 years ago matches the flavor of melodic rock-style Italian, all seasoned by a progressive spirit sourly, a sort of pastiche of mold mystical Hindu Bollywood, what is actually represented in a more precise in that cover art of this work.

In terms of defects, I have a report concluding part less effective than the rest of the album: "Automation For The People" attempts to recover the rhythm partially lost from the previous "Tumblin 'Heart", with text over the top of the mold deliberately inhabit, but without centering too much on target, while the final "Men / Machines" is perhaps excessively dilated. Sins of youth destined to disappear with the next studio album, I am absolutely certain; album which I hope will soon give birth outside the scope of self, because I really is amazing how this caravan of love Milan is still without record deal, when dozens of formations much less convincing than their undeserved distribution channels are much more capillaries.

So what are you waiting for? The Pussy Wagon Of Love soon stop in your area, please you also to get on board!

After two years from the previous album "Wonderlustre", Skunk Anansie have their sixth chapter "Black traffic", the third since their reunion in 2009.
The work was carried out in the last year and a half, that consists in Los Angeles and later recorded in London with producer Chris Sheldon (Foo Fighters, Pixies, Byffy Clyro). The sound of Skin and associates remains granite and aggressive, with the voice of the singer (who recently married his partner) and guitars in the foreground.
With regard to the main themes of the record, here are the words of the band itself, which is well also explain the meaning of the title: "In the center are the ideas being put forward by Occupy Wall Street (the protest movement against financial capitalism) and its" derivative ", Occupy London, against economic inequality and the lack of available and affordable homes in the UK, but also the scandal Barclays, the riots in Greece. All of these things together give you the idea that there is something moving in the shadows beneath the life of every day. That there is a small group of people holding the power to manipulate reality. A traffic black, hidden under the surface known to the common people. The first single 'I believed in you' are talking about the disappointment of many in the political class rise to power. Many people have been disappointed, for example, by their leaders. We all want to vote, but for whom? ".

Before the White Stripes, the Black Keys first, there was the Blues Explosion. "Enough this sentence, which the Guardian has opened his review of "Meat + Bone", the first album of Jon Spencer Blues Explision in eight years.
It would be enough to explain why this album should be listened to, despite the long absence - in which Spencer has been given mainly to r'n'r with Heavy Trash - did lose some 'dell'allure group.
The Blues Explosion (so simply called himself in 2004 when he left "Damages") invented back in the 90s a mission that Jack White and the Black Keys have made ​​it immensely popular rivilitalizzare, modernize the blues and rock 'n' roll more raw.
But even in the best - all that masterpiece of "Acme" - the JSBE never reached the level of popularity of his students were too advanced for their time. Today, however, were a little 'back - or at least not as a later time, right overtaken by those who gave us a somewhat' coolest one who has pushed a little 'more about melody, from who ...
Of course, "Meat + bone" is a wonderful CD. There is everything there must be: r'n'r wild, Spencer's voice that seems to come from beyond the grave (anything but a zombie, like a bluesman risen and very, very pissed off), the rhythm section as wilderness of Judah Bauer (guitar) and Russell Simins (drums). And there are the songs, ranging from the Stones ("Bag of bones" and the opening riff of "Bottle Baby"), the classic blues ("Unclear"), contamination contemporary (the rhythm section of the instrumental finale "Zimgar") .

Band Of Horses are the new rock of Mike Bongiorno. What about the presenter with the band Ben Bridwell? Nothing, or almost, if not that consciously or unconsciously have the same strengths and weaknesses.
Decades ago Umberto Eco wrote one of the most cited papers (and not read) the Italian culture: "Phenomenology of Mike Bongiorno," published in the "Journal minimum" (1963). The TV was viewed with suspicion by the intellectuals, then and only care already like that was new, almost revolutionary - the same Mike he boasted on several occasions, probably without having read it. Eco's thesis was that the success of Mike was given by its "mediocrity" to say "mediocrity." He was the everyman, happy to be proud of being ignorant and speak Italian "basic".
Behold, Band Of Horses are a wonderful "everyband" speaking the basic language of rock - and it works for these reasons. Have not (will never) a success comparable to that of Mike but in recent years have reached a level of credibility and popularity growing - in Italy will play Alcatraz in Milan, a place reserved for band ... Well, you know what.
Yet experience as Wilco, do not have the writing and the voice of the Counting Crows, they have the image and the creativity of Jack White did not have the urgency and the charge of the Gaslight Anthem, do not have (insert here your rock favorite band and its distinctive feature).
However, Band Of Horses have a bit of everything ', and of a good standard. They look like 10,000 things without blatantly resemble anything. I'm not sure mediocre - not in the pejorative sense - but they are definitely "average" - a feature of much contemporary rock that BoH perfect example.
"Mirage rock" is the confirmation: second album for Columbia, waited and chatted after the excellent "Infinite Arms". Before we get started it is not at the level of its predecessor: there is definitely a song masterpiece like "Laredo", summa beautiful (even that) of a sound that was a cross between Neil Young and REM
But it's a great record: sounds perfect - there is the hand of Glyn Johns, who is a master of the genre - ranging from country rock ("Everything's gonna be undone", "Long vows"), rock pulled (" Knock knock "," Feud "), a folk ballads (" Slow cruel hands of time "). When trying some new way - as "How to live", with its tempo changes - then leave it there, not follow it to the end. In short, "Mirage rock" is an album that works best when it is left in the middle of the rock, when it becomes "a guided tour of the American sound", as someone wrote.

"It took 30 years to make an album like this. And 'the sum of all previous records by Swans and all the music I've done so far. "
So Michael Gira, Swans leader, presented the new work "The seer." The album, which comes two years after "My father will guide me up a rope in the sky", was largely financed with the proceeds of the live album "We rose from your bed with the sun in our head , "published last May.
The twelfth chapter of the record 'swans' is a double album (lasting almost two hours), born as always by Gira guitar and later developed into the studio with the other band members and friends within the disk alternate experimental chips and long suite in the balance between post-rock, folk and psychedelia. Noteworthy was the participation of guests such as Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker of Low ("Lunacy"), the singer - ex Swans - Jarboe ("The seer returns"), Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs ("Song for a warrior"), the Akron / Family ("A piece of the sky"), Grassopher of Mercury Rev and the minimalist electronic composer Ben Frost.