Odds and Ends

Each week I use this space to post some mini-reviews, cool tracks, random thoughts, neat news, or whatever else I damn well please.

MiniReview
Meekos & Me “Anxious Little Turtles” – Meekos & Me is a duo based in L.A.: Joey Colando on vocals and guitar and Danny Grab on cello. Their debut, “Anxious Little Turtles”, due June 21, features 14 mellow tracks best suited for rainy day listening. There are some truly inspired moments where the gentle folk melodies mesh beautifully with the strings, but for the most part this is a mood record. While the music is well played and nicely recorded, the hooks are too few and far between to hold my interest. If sleepy coffeehouse music is your thing, check out the track “Animals In My Room” for a taste. More info on the band can be found here.

Surprise of the week
Paul McCartney is planning to make a “heavy rock album” – and he’s asked Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) for tips on how to go about it. Read all about it here. A heavy rock album from the man who brought us Silly Love Songs? Maybe we’ll be amazed…I’m looking forward to this one!

News
Def Leppard says “We would like to work again with Mutt”. Mutt Lange, that is. The famed producer who helped craft “High ‘N’ Dry”, “Pyromania”, and “Hysteria”. C’mon guys…let’s make this happen! Read the full interview with Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott here.

REO Speedwagon is releasing a special 30th Anniversary Edition of their smash 1980 record “Hi Fidelity” on July 19. It will contain a second CD with 9 previously unreleased goodies.
Disc One – Selections: 1. Don't Let Him Go 2. Keep On Loving You 3. Follow My Heart 4. In Your Letter 5. Take It On The Run 6. Tough Guys 7. Out Of Season 8. Shakin' It Loose 9. Someone Tonight 10. I Wish You Were There.
Disc Two: The Crystal Demos – Selections: 1. Someone Tonight 2. Tough Guys 3. In Your Letter 4. Follow My Heart 5. Take It On The Run 6. Don't Let Him Go 7. Keep On Loving You 8. Shakin' It Loose (Instrumental) 9. I Wish You Were There. (All tracks previously unreleased.)
Read the full story here.

Ingram Hill’s 2010 album, “Look Your Best” was my pick for best of 2010. They have an acoustic set coming out on June 21 called “Blue Room Afternoon” (only on iTUNES). Read more about it here.

Random iPOD song of the week
This week my iPOD reminded me what a gorgeous and moving song Lillian Axe created when they wrote “The Day That I Met You”. Off their excellent “Psychoschizophrenia” album from 1993.

Classic melodic rock CD of the week

By Stephen Kasenda

LILLIAN AXE "Psychoschizophrenia" (1993)

Lillian Axe had just begun turning people's heads with several hits from their "Poetic Justice" in 1992, just as the grunge wave came crashing in. The band tried to survive the change by releasing "Psychoschizophrenia", an album that incorporated a darker element and deeper essence to the music and lyric department, respectively. Big thumbs up to Steve Blaze who wrote all the songs - this man is simply a genius, not to mention the thrilling guitar solos he had on this album.

"Crucified" is a blazing opener, crushing forward with intense hard rock, followed by a groovy track of "Deepfreeze" with a wonderful solo. "Sign of The Times" has a combination of dark verses, a melodic bridge, and a catchy but rough chorus – it is a stunning delivery by the band and one of the best tracks off the album. A couple of great ballads on the record are unbelievably pretty. "The Needle And Your Pain" is dedicated to a late friend who died of cancer, and "The Day I Met You", an ode to the lost love, this track is emotionally sad and touching. Some other great songs that I like are "Stop The Hate", "Deep Blue Shadows", and the Japanese bonus track, "Here Is Christmas".

To sum up, "Psychoschizophrenia" contained a mix of early glam with a bit of alternative influence – it is a bit dark and heavy, but melodic and accessible at the same time. This is a grower and not an easy album, probably needs at least 4-5 spins to capture the magic of Blaze's ideas. A brilliant underrated album that came out in 1993!

Read more of Stephen’s features at MetalMusicArchives.

Rare CD: Logan “One Step Closer”

"LOGAN “One Step Closer” CD. Logan International 1992 / 6 tracks. Incredibly good HARD/GLAM album released in 1992 by this fantastic band from Hostoun-Texas/USA. The sound quality is excelent, all the six songs are powerful and solid, in the same style as early Lillian Axe (Johnny Logan was the first L.A.´s vocalist) Joker (US), Erotic Suicide, Raquel, Dirty Blond and Child´s Play. One of the best Hard/Glam indies out there today, only a few hundred were pressed independently. This fantastic indie is disputed by many, another hyper rare cd."

Sold for $111.27 on ebay.

Review: Lillian Axe "Waters Rising"

Man, was I excited to hear about a new CD from Lillian Axe! They rocked my world in the early 90s with their CD "Poetic Justice." Their subsequent release in 1993 (Psychoschizophrenia) was also pretty good, but exhibited a shift to a harder, less melodic sound. Still, it had plenty of good moments. Then these talented guys faded from the scene (thank you grunge rock!) and I figured they were out delivering pizzas or painting billboards.

But enter 2007 and Lillian Axe wants to - ahem - bury the hatchet. The new release, "Waters Rising," is earning good reviews from devoted fans around the net so I had to check it out. But, just like I experienced with Europe's "Secret Society," this comeback record left me deeply disappointed. Why can't more of the old bands do it right (like the Scorpions?)

Lillian Axe has plunged full force into the abyss of heavy prog rock that is devoid of hooks and memorable melodies. Most of the songs are epic in proportion, some lasting 6-8 minutes. That would be fine, but they just wander aimlessly and have you just praying for the damn thing to end. Lead singer Steve Blaze sounds great after all these years, and the production is solid (some tunes have orchestration that could be used in the movies), but sadly the songs just suck.

Official site.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 4, 7