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Wednesday, 12 November 2008 21:35 |
 By Tyler Bothe – GJD Contributor
Edmonton's own Social Code recently recorded the follow-up to their 2004 small hit 'A Year at the Movies,’ and with tours alongside bands like Rise Against, Fall Out Boy, and Deftones in support of that album, they've cultivated a following that will most likely snatch up their latest release He Said, She Said instantly.
Nowadays recording is less of a chore for these boys up north as they have, since their last release, gutted the basement of bassist Logan Jacob's home for a studio of their own and not lost a drop of production value in the process. Now, while the band itself had help on this five track EP by long vetted producer Howard Benson, (Hawthorne Heights, My Chemical Romance) and others, the band has seemed to find its groove by taking the reigns on its latest release.
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Friday, 07 November 2008 18:29 |
 By Scott Thomas - GJD Contributor
Smoothie Award winning jazz guitarist Vernon Neilly’s new CD - featuring the Legendary Hit Maker Stevie Wonder’s music - is chocked full of Wonder’s hit songs and has got to be one of the best Tribute CDs I’ve heard in a long while. The album reeks of Pure Class. Vernon has out done himself with the arrangements, recording, and engineering of this sweet music. The record label owner and producer has taken those celebrated hits and has made them flawlessly and collectively all his own.
I remember it was still winter in Upstate New York and we had just had a late winter snow storm (March ‘77). The snow was 4 foot deep everywhere... no kiddin’! After ol’ man winter hit again, the only way to get around for a few days was with a snow mobile. And talk about freakin’ cold!!! However, as soon as the roads were drivable, my uncle (who was only a few years older than me) drove up from Norfolk, Virginia Naval Base for the weekend to take care of family business (he was a young sailor in the navy at the time).. While he was there on furlough, he asked me if I wanted to go to back with him to Norfolk for a couple of weeks and it was just in time for my two week spring break from school. I was 15 at the time and he was 18... You betcha. To my amazement, my mother said GO! He had to come back to New York to finish his family business in a couple of weeks anyway.
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Friday, 31 October 2008 15:19 |
 By Tim McCall, Contributing Writer – Guitar Jam Daily
WOW! How in the world could I pass up the opportunity to see Yngwie Malmsteen on tour, promoting his new album? When I was asked to do this review, I jumped at the opportunity. You have to understand, I have been a huge Yngwie fan from the moment I first heard “Anguish and Fear” on his 1985 Album “Marching Out.” I was instantly hooked. I had never heard anyone rip up and down the fret board the way Yngwie did. I think to some extent I am still waiting to hear anyone come even close and frame it into a listenable song that actually works.
I am one of those people who has ADHD, with a heavy emphasis on the “Hyperactivity” part. All those screaming guitar notes and riffs ripping through my head are like the fireworks going off to Handel’s “Music for the Royal Fireworks!” Brain Neuron INSANITY! It’s better than being named Beavis and drinking massive quantities of coffee!!!
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Thursday, 23 October 2008 21:17 |
 By Tyler Bothe - GJD
The Status, making their debut with “So This is Progress,” have already surrounded themselves with the right people. Whether it be their manager, Bayside lead singer Anthony Raneri, the backup vocals they get from Adam Lazzara lead singer of Taking Back Sunday on their track: "Where the Heart Is,” or the production from Kenny Gioia, best known for his commercial success with Marcy Playground's 1998 hit "Sex and Candy,” things are looking up for this determined four piece from Atlanta, GA.
The overall production on this project is top notch. To my ears, none of the 12 tracks are over produced or packed with fluff. The drums are fat and punchy and blend nicely with the cutting guitar parts and the heavy bass lines.
The Status say themselves that they're not looking to save music, and it's true; there are no boundaries being pushed, and no artistic doors being thrown open here, which down the road will be a turning point for a band whose genre is plagued with a billion sound-a-likes everyday. For now though the band separates themselves from every other cookie cutter pop/rock act with their abilities to not only crank out a decent riff here and there, but to lyrically push out of the seemingly inescapable desire to write about girls and the “would have,” “could have,” “should haves” in high school that their genre has come into great association with over the years.
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Thursday, 09 October 2008 20:44 |
 By Ken Volpe - GJD
I’ve been looking forward to this CD for a long time. It’s the latest offering from JaR, which is Jay Graydon and Randy Goodrum.
Jay’s credits include two Grammy awards and twelve Grammy nominations, among them "Producer of the Year" and "Best Engineered Recording". He is an extremely versatile artist who is a master of many different styles and genres. From the late ‘60s through the late ‘70s, he was an "A list" session musician in Los Angeles, where he acquired a reputation as an ace studio guitarist/solo specialist. A partial listing of artists Jay’s worked with includes Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, The Jackson Five, Cheap Trick, Christopher Cross, Ray Charles, Cher, Joe Cocker, Marvin Gaye, Hall & Oates, Olivia Newton-John and Albert King. Among rock music fans, he is perhaps best known for his now-legendary guitar solo for Steely Dan's "Peg".
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Wednesday, 01 October 2008 21:45 |
 By Nick Friese - GJD
The dust and music filled the air in Austin, Texas on Sunday at ACL. The crowds were huge and colorful, and ready for another two full days and nights of music.
The day featured artists Foo Fighters, The Raconteurs, Blues Traveler, Joe Bonamassa, Shooter Jennings, and many more.
On Sunday, at least for us at GJD, it was time to get deep into the guitar driven sounds of Joe Bonamassa. Joe all decked out in Texas duds, cranked out a blistering set of guitar hero quality playing. The guy is not your run of the mill blues-rock guitarists out copping lick after lick from the masters like Page, Vaughn, and Beck. Joe Bonamassa has a sound and style of his own that is liquid and deep as any player I've heard. I was not expecting the raw power and incendiary guitar work from this 31-year guitar hero. Bonamassa played tunes from his Sloe Gin and You and Me albums that had people throwing the rock salutes. Towards the end of his set Bonamassa pulled out his acoustic guitar as his band members took a break and Joe stood alone with just his axe. He furiously blasted out what sounded like the start of a chunky blues version of Rude Mood and then took off into flamenco runs and more melodic playing before leaving everyone breathless by his guitar mastery and versatility. Bonamassa is one of those players that can play well beyond what is recorded in the studio and what you normally hear through your ear buds.
Next it was off to catch Blues Traveler, one of the original jam bands dating back to the late 80's. The crowds were enormous and stretched all the way back and mixed in with the masses waiting for Gnarles Barkley on the AT&T stage. It was impossible to get close to the band. Quite frankly I was surprised at how young the crowds were waiting to hear the band and was unaware that the bands songs have passed through the generations of music fans. The band came out and started off with a high paced jam and son went into a speedy version and a bit rough might add of Blondies "I Want You to Want Me". After shaking off a poorly played cover tune, Popper led the group into a much more comfortable and well played version of the radio friendly hit "Run Around". Popper blasted into some mind blowing harp solos throughout the set as they played some tunes off of their latest studio album North Hollywood Shootout.
Overlapping Blues Traveler during the late afternoon time slot was Shooter Jennings. The son of the late Waylon Jennings, Shooter is not your chip-off-the-ole-block country singer-songwriter-guitar playing progeny. He is a more a true rebel than anything else. His outlaw country, southern rock, music that will kick you in the teeth, is a departure from what Nashville normally churns out. His love for great songwriting and hard driving music is infectious. The hard life lyrics and screaming guitars will knock your hat off.
The band also looks the part as well with all members will shoulder length hair and all outfitted with Gibson SG's, Firebirds, and Flying V's. This band is 110% badass. When Shooters keyboard wasn't giving him the sounds he wanted, and after failed attempts by his tech to fix it, Shooter punched the keyboard a few times (crowd loved it) and then picked it up and then slammed it down on the stage. The place went crazy and Shooter just took the mic and said "well I fixed that". It was one of the coolest moments of the weekend. Afterwards, outfitted with a black Gibson SG guitar, Shooter and his band ripped out smoking southern rock that had the flags waving and crowd cheering. The music is a throwback to the days of Skynyrd, Blackfoot, and Outlaws but with a bit more mood, dimension, and weight. Shooter was definitely my sleeper pick of the ACL festival.
To close things up for the GJD crew we headed over to catch the Raconteurs, Jack White's project outside of the White Stripes. White cranked out some fuzzy, bluesy rock from the AMD stage with a fiery energy. Although, White was recently injured and was sporting a ruptured disc in his neck - which kept him a bit more stationary than he would have liked. He even went so far as to apologize for the ailment to the fans telling them he would do his best to play but was sorry if it wasn't as good this time around. White's neck had no effect on the vibrant rock sounds coming from him and his band.
That's a wrap for this year's ACL festival. We'll definitely be back next year for more fun in the sun, dust, and wonderful sounds in Zilker Park.
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Tuesday, 30 September 2008 21:20 |
 By Sarah Schoenfelder - GJD
The one act I vowed I wouldn’t miss on this year’s Austin City Limits lineup was Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. But after waiting half an hour in the hot sun, a haze of dust and smoke burning my eyes, I began to wonder if I’d made a mistake selecting this midday show. But as soon as the Dap Kings assembled on stage, the horn section and retro guitar riffs rounding the edges, I knew I was in the right place.
Sharon Jones soon joined her band on stage, and her warm voice took the crowd to a place far from the dusty festival grounds: born in Brooklyn but raised in the south, Jones has a voice that oozes classic 60s soul, with a little Muscle Shoals thrown in for good measure. Hard to believe Jones once worked as a prison guard on Rikers Island and only found her place in music recently; she sounds like she’s been doing this her whole life.
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Monday, 29 September 2008 17:00 |
 By Nick Friese - GJD
The line-up at ACL this year is a diverse as the crowds and people of Austin, Texas. The bands range from Beck, Alison Krauss & Robert Plant, Patty Griffin, Mars Volta, Freddy Jones Band, G Love and Special Sauce, Blues Traveler, Joe Bonamassa, Raconteurs, Foo Fighters, Galatic, and many more. The festival takes place in Austin's Zilker Park in a big open field that has a backdrop of the city that hosts it. Stages are sprinkled from corner to corner of the wide-open park where the music fills the air for 3 full days and nights.
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Tuesday, 02 September 2008 14:56 |
 By Nick Friese - GJD
Man, I love this CD. On Track 1, The Places We Lived you can tell right off the bat that the production is very bare bones which fits perfectly for their music. The vocals are very clear allowing you to hear the content of the lyrics. I especially enjoyed the lack of reverb on the lead vocal track. I like their use of chromatic bass notes that give the song a great hook. These guys have major vibe in the songwriting department.
Their music is very refreshing; it is a nice departure from the “Guitar Hero” stuff that is often submitted to our site. They make excellent use of mild crunch and steel string guitars.
I think that they are very original in their overall sound but I do hear many influences such as Tom Petty, The Beatles, REM, Counting Crows. Ed Anderson, the band’s brainchild, makes great use of subtle keyboard parts to outline the chord changes in his compositions. The keyboard parts are also arranged nicely as to not clash with the guitar parts which many would consider somewhat of a lost art.
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Friday, 29 August 2008 08:25 |
 By Ken Volpe - GJD
It’s been a long-time coming, but I finally got a chance to see guitar legend Steve Lukather live. I was also fortunate enough to recently do a phone interview with Mr. Lukather (Part 1 aired on GJD last week). During the phone interview I was able to get some insight into his music, his gear, and his personality. So, seeing him live really made it all come together.
The Ridgefield Playhouse is an amazing little venue. It is an old theatre that has been converted into a concert hall. It seats about 500 people and has darn good acoustics. Many great acts play here on a weekly basis.
Steve’s 5-piece came out with a bang. They started out rockin’ a couple of tunes from Steve’s latest release entitled, “Ever Changing Times”. Steve’s new band consists of Ricky Zahariades on guitar, Carlitos Del Puerto on bass, Steve Weingart on keyboards, and Eric Valentine on drums. Through out the concert, Steve acknowledged that he was fortunate enough to be playing with such a talented bunch of musicians.
Between songs Steve spoke about an assortment of things including his career with Toto, and his recent addition to his family. Anyone who knows Luke knows that he has quite an off-color sense of humor and is not shy about sharing it with the audience. It was apparent that most of the people in the crowd were huge Luke fans and appreciated his ripping guitar and his wit.
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Reviews 
By Ken Volpe - GJD
