Category: Reviews

THE GRAND ASTORIA “Then You Win” (addictive]) This is yet another release that show us the many sides of THE GRAND ASTORIA. This is only a two track release but it shows a more up tempo band. As much as I like when they jam on and on this is from the stance of a track a much more easy to access song. It is still THE GRAND ASTORIA doing the THE GRAND ASTORIA thing. But in terms of songs this is more direct. I am one that never say no to a real stomper and “Then You Win” is… Continue reading

THE GRAND ASTORIA X US CHRISTMAS “Split” (addictive]) This is a split between THE GRAND ASTORIA and US CHRISTMAS. Again I have no idea how this fits in the discography and I don’t really care either. This does appear to be a bit more somber and controlled than other stuff I have heard by the band. but it also goers to show the many sides of this amazing band. The band does one track on this split but the track is a 19 minutes piece. I honestly don’t know where the band comes from musically or even where they are… Continue reading

THE GRAND ASTORIA “The Mighty Few” (addictive]) This is an album that I have been dying to get my hands on. I have heard it streaming but I have wanted to own it physically too. I am glad that this got sent to me. with this being just a two track album stretched out over almost 50 minutes you kinda know that this is gonna be a hell of a lot of everything that makes THE GRAND ASTORIA great. I am a total fan by now. They could pretty much play anything and I would still sit there in awe… Continue reading

IWKC ”Cargo Cult” (addicted]) I don’t know if I Will Kill Chita (IWKC) after having heard this album. On the contrary. This makes me want to got to bed more than anything. This is a journey that I have no problems whatsoever taking. An instrumental journey to a place where I get to relax my mind is not something I often turn down. There is something soothing to let go of the stress of everyday life and just allow the music to float with you. In a way this is my isolation tank. Where I close my eyes and free… Continue reading

KSHETTRA “Five Mothers” (addicted]) Whenever the word jazz is mentioned I take several steps back. I have tried understanding jazz but unless it is easy listening jazz I am totally lost. To me the more hardcore jazz is musicians music. But I guess that hardcore jazz fans says the same about some (or most) of the stuff I listen to. But that is what is so cool, that we are allowed to think differently. But it was with some trepidation that I took on this album by KSHETTRA. And I was right in doing so. This is not die hard… Continue reading

MATUSHKA “ Mestopolozhenie” (addicted]) If I am not totally off the beaten track MATUSHKA means mother in Russian. I know that Batushka means father. Not that I think it has any sort of bearing on the music of this band. This is just a three track record but it is three long tracks. The first one didn’t really start to come to life until about 7 minutes in, and then not really. This is one of those releases that I have a hard time getting to grips with. I think I have been to subjected to vocals and three minutes… Continue reading

PREE TONE ”Kiddy” (addicted]) This is yet another of those albums that had it not been sent to me I would not have bothered checking it out. This is not the stuff I usually listen to but when I get sent it more often than not, I find that I dig it. This is what I would like to call drone garage rock. It is my very personal way of describing it. Don’t know how accurate it is but it helps me understand what it is I am hearing. This is not the most direct record you could hear but… Continue reading

SOUND OF GROUND ”Sick” ([addicted]) At first I wasn’t too sure about this band’s name, the art work fir this album or even the title of it but as I started to listento it, it kinda all fell in place. Let me say this much, had I seen this one in a CD stand in a store I would not have bought it. I don’t think I would have bought it even if it had been played in the store. As I listen to it now I realize how lucky I am to be doing this so that I can… Continue reading

Transnadežnost’ ”Monomyth” (addicted]) It is strange (well not that strange really) how music travels over borders and continents. Something that started in the desert of California can all of a sudden be heard coming from a band from Russia. The band Transnadežnost’ play a brand of stoner rock that is heavily influenced by psych and space rock. Space Rock to is Hawkwind. Heavy psych I have no clue what that is. But if it is anything like the stuff that this band plays then perhaps I need to check that out. This is from what I can hear mostly stoner… Continue reading

Dan Reed Network – “Origins” (AOR Heaven)  Following their hugely successful 2016 comeback album “Fight Another Day” and recent UK tour, Dan Reed Network loose no momentum in returning with their brand new album “Origins”. I should say that ‘new’ isn’t strictly speaking true, as while the first 4 songs on this release are just that, the latter 4 songs are actually re-recordings of old classics. That said, the one thing they all have in common is that they were all recorded live in the studio to an audience spread from Blueprint Studio’s in Manchester, The Power Station in NYC,… Continue reading