Alice Cooper | Welcome 2 My Nightmare | Rating: 7/11 | As a music critic, I tend to be wary of “sequel” albums… Actually, I tend to avoid “concept albums” to begin with. However, there are those life-long musical heroes whom I’ll happily indulge, even if their prime was quite a few decades ago… And there are few I’m happier to do that for […]

Mates of State Mountaintops Barsuk (2011) So what do we have here in the new Mates of State offering, Mountaintops? Honestly, something so confectionary and fun on the ears that I almost can’t stand it, but what do you expect from the seemingly impossibly in love husband-and-wife duo of Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner? Drums and keyboards surrounded by a […]

The Burning | by: Jane Casey | Rating: 8/11 | The Burning is the first installment in the Maeve Kerrigan series and is the second mystery book by Jane Casey. Maeve is a detective constable with the London Police who is struggling to prove herself in a mostly male dominated work force. She’s lucky enough to land on the Burning […]

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never | Rating: 8.2/11 | After resisting viewing Justin Bieber: Never Say Never for many months no matter how many people encouraged otherwise, the inevitable happened (thanks to Netflix Instant). Never Say Never is a tour documentary and pseudo Justin Bieber biography complete with interviews from not only his family, but also his road crew, management […]

The Trews | Hope & Ruin | (Bumstead Records) | There are a few running themes throughout The Trews’ fourth studio album, Hope & Ruin, such as redemption, heartbreak, crafty vocal arrangements, homage to CCR, roots rock, guitar distortion, familiarity, and when all neatly line up in a music row, they fair well as a soundtrack to gassing up and […]

Does The Noise In My Head Bother You? | by: Steven Tyler | Rating: 8/11 | Steven Victor Tallarico aka Steven Tyler speaks, thinks and writes like he sings so it’s no surprise that his book turned out to be very stream of consciousness in style; a style this writer is especially fond of. But did I really want to […]

Kings of Leon | Come Around Sundown | Rating: 9/11 | It’s hard to believe that Come Around Sundown marks Kings of Leon fifth studio album. This band has sure come a long way since Youth & Young Manhood‘s release in 2003. Going from a dirty southern-garage rock band to a melodic arena-rock-friendly adult contemporary type band. Don’t get me wrong, they haven’t completely lost their edge. Lyrics […]