Tag Archives: Blues Rock

ALBUM REVIEW: Blacktop Mojo – Under The Sun

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I adore being entrusted with juicy secrets, ask my Skullpals. That does not necessarily mean I am successful at keeping the aforementioned secrets, also ask my Skullpals. Being the Skullgurl, I am privy to hearing new music before the general public. Every once and while I am sent a new album and I find myself checking to see if it was sent to me by the C.I.A. or the F.B.I. because the music is so mind-blowing, it must be highly guarded national secret. Such is the case with the new album by Blacktop Mojo, Under The Sun (Self-Released) The tertiary album by the Southern Rock dynamo’s is a secret that should not be kept, cannot be kept, from the music-loving populous. Full disclosure, I jumped on the Blacktop Mojo magic carpet ride in 2014 when I was sent their debut album, and have been continuously knocked on my keister by the magnitude of talent these five Southern gents possess.Continue reading →


Luna Sol – Below The Deep

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It’s been four years since Denver quartet Luna Sol powered onto the scene, with a certain amount of buzz around the fact that frontman Dave Angstrom had recruited former Hermano bandmate John Garcia as a guest on debut album Blood Moon (Cargo Records). Follow-up Below The Deep (Slush Fund Recordings/Cargo Records) continues the theme of the band’s self-styled “High Mountain Rock,” which incorporates variety into the Desert template.Continue reading →


Valley Of The Sun – Old Gods

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Since their 2010 inception, Ohio trio Valley Of The Sun has been lauded in the same breath as Grunge legends Alice In Chains and Soundgarden, while not yet achieving that level of iconic status. New album Old Gods (Fuzzorama Records) sees the band maturing, with a gentle psychedelia gracing those heady grooves.

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Duel – Valley Of Shadows

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It’s a soulful, heavy trip with Texan quartet Duel. Formed largely from the ashes of Groove rockers Scorpion Child, new album Valley Of Shadows (Heavy Psych Sounds) is their third album in three years but despite the prolific nature, there remains a certain impact from the tracks on offer here.Continue reading →


Bars Of Gold – Shelters

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Album artwork can really help set the tone for an album. Providing a visual companion and interpretation to the audio within, it gives the listener an idea of what to expect when they delve into the main work of art. At first glance Bars Of Gold’s new album Shelters (Equal Vision) would set an expectation to the listener that this record would be a soothing record consisting of seaside recordings and other ambience.Continue reading →


Pharlee – Pharlee

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There’s somethin’ incestuous a-brewin’ in San Diego: a fluid drift from band to band and back again, like the returning wisps of smoke from that latest joint exhalation. This is Zach Oakley’s second journey through my cans in as many months, while more of his friends in Psych outfits JOY and Harsh Toke make yet another union in the form of the drenched riffage of Pharlee.Continue reading →


Buckcherry – Warpaint

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Buckcherry is always down for a good time. It has been four years since we have heard new material from the So Cal natives. A few lineup changes since then, they are back with Warpaint (Century Media) and this time without original guitarist Keith Nelson but with the same fun attitude.  Continue reading →


The Picturebooks – The Hands of Time

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The relentless push for originality can be as paralysing as it is focusing. For bands that stake their entire existence on pushing the boundaries sonically, every new release is another chance to be skewered by their own need for clear and evident advancement.Continue reading →


The Riven – The Riven

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It would seem that this is Scandinavian ‘Drenched Riffs’ Week, but to pigeonhole Swedish quartet The Riven as mere seventies Rock does them no justice whatsoever. Their bass-heavy groove machine is positively electric and eponymous debut album The Riven (The Sign Records) drips The Blues while shooting fire from both hips.Continue reading →


Mantra – Dreamland

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The latest in the long line of Alternative Rockers are Mantra, a British trio who formed three years ago. This year sees the release of their debut album Dreamland (Dine Alone Records), produced by Tom Dalgety whose body of work ranges from Ghost and Opeth to The Pixies and Royal Blood – with the latter two providing the inspiration here.Continue reading →