January 2009
Review: Prayers & Lowsongs by Greg Lawless
GREG LAWLESS
PRAYERS & LOWSONGS
2000 Galaxy 21 Music
Purchase: eBay
Review by: Steve Ruff
Greg Lawless is perhaps best known as the guitar player in Adam Again, but this solo effort was completely different from what you heard from him in the band. Lawless actually recorded this solo album before Gene Eugene passed away in 2000. It wasn’t released [...]
Review: Dial M by Starflyer 59
STARFLYER 59
DIAL M
2008 Tooth & Nail
Purchase: toothandnail.com
Review by: Matt Crosslin
This Starflyer disc has been a long time coming. Twenty songs were originally recorded by Jason Martin and company and released on ten seven inch vinyl discs as the Ghosts of the Future box set. Ten of the best songs from that box set were chosen [...]
Review: Darn Floor, Big Bite Re-issue by Daniel Amos
DANIEL AMOS
DARN FLOOR, BIG BITE
2008 Arena Rock Recording Co.
Purchase: danielamos.com
Review by: Steve Ruff
The end of 2008 saw the re-release of D.A.’s classic album Darn Floor, Big Bite. This is Daniel Amos at their finest. Their website says, “Coming November 25, 2008! The classic album that remains the favorite among many DA fans is finally returning [...]
Review: The Now and the Not Yet by Motonaut
MOTONAUT
THE NOW AND THE NOT YET
2008 Independent
Purchase: www.motonaut.info
Review by: Steve Ruff
I first heard about these guys when they sent Down The Line a friend request on MySpace. If I remember correctly they were Michael Knott fans and said something to that effect on their request. I checked out their MySpace page and thought they [...]
Review: Umbra by The Sound Gallery
THE SOUND GALLERY
UMBRA
2008 Independent
Purchase: MySpace
Review by: Steve Ruff
The Sound Gallery is unique. This is Herb Grimaud Jr.’s band, and he is the sole member. I remembered Herb from when he played with The Violet Burning several years ago. I didn‘t know what to expect from the music, but the stuff I heard on MySpace was [...]
Review: Overflow by Windy Lyre
WINDY LYRE
OVERFLOW
2008 Independent CD-R
Purchase: MySpace
Review by: Steve Ruff
This is Windy Lyre’s second album. Her first was on Blonde Vinyl back in 1991, and this is a beautiful follow up. Windy’s vocals are ethereal and remind me of the Cocteau Twins, maybe even Natalie Merchant from 10,000 Maniacs. She has an incredible voice and the music [...]
Review: Death of the Avante-Garde by Jerry Oliver
JERRY OLIVER
DEATH OF THE AVANTE-GARDE
2008 Odd Records
Purchase: www.jerryoliver.com
Review by: Matt Crosslin
Jerry Oliver was the leader of band called Peculiar Red that made a splash in the Midwest in the mid-90’s. Jerry has been busy releasing solo CDs since then. Death of the Avant-Garde has been garnering so positive reviews since its release in 2008, and [...]
Review: Red Road by Glenn Rowlands
GLENN ROWLANDS
RED ROAD
2008 Independent
glennrowlands.bandcage.com
Review by: Matt Crosslin
The common reaction that I get when I mention this new Glenn Rowlands disc to people is: “that name sounds familiar – but I can’t remember where.” Glenn was an underground name back in the late 80s and early 90s. He was in the thrash/hardcore/rapcore band Wickeds End. He [...]
Review: XV by King’s X
KING’S X
XV
2008 InsideOut Music
Purchase: kingsxrocks.com
Review by: Matt Crosslin
You probably already know whether you are going to get this album or not. You have either stuck with King’s X through all of the Black Maniac Bulbous weirdness and will still get this, or bailed when they got weird and have no idea what you are now [...]
Review: Ancestral Echo/Wunderzeit! by Writ on Water
WRIT ON WATER
ANCESTRAL ECHO/WUNDERZEIT!
2008 Cyrus Shade Recordings
Purchase: writonwater.com
Review by: Matt Crosslin
This single disc is a collection of two EPs combined on to one disc. Both EPs contain some songs that were considered for A Wingless King, but didn’t quite fit. For lack of a better description, songs were grouped in to an “electric” EP and [...]
