Hey! That's up for review!

    Listen to alt-J and you'll see the indie rock scene is alive and well thanks to their contributions out of Leeds, England. They offer a truly incredible sound led by one of the most unique voices in music today. Sometimes when listening to rock (especially indie rock) many of the artists start sounding the same but you'll never have that issue as soon as Joe Newman starts to sing. No one does it like he does.     Joe and the boys are back for their 3rd studio album, Relaxer. This album has a different feel for me than the others. Sitting at 8 songs and just 39 minutes, it's their shortest album, but doesn't quite have the homerun as "This Is All Yours" had. Happy to get more music from alt-J and I'm looking forward to catching them when they start touring the US again.      Let's take a look at the album track-by-track: "3WW" - Gives a great opening feel to the album. It's slow with a powerful chorus which tells us of the sta...

    Last night, at the Hi Tone in Memphis, TN, a Welsh alternative rock band took the stage. Ritzy, Rhydian, and Mr. Thomas did what they always do... they brought the house down.     Every time I see The Joy Formidable I am reminded there is something that makes them unique. That being: They seem to really enjoy their music as well as each other. The on stage banter during song breaks and the interaction amongst one another during the show illustrates the tight nit family they are. It's truly enjoyable to watch.      They had a perfect setlist. Played all the crowd favorites even an "acoustic" version of "A Heavy Abacus." They ended the show with "The Whirring" and walked out under distorted reverb.      One thing I think they have mastered is filling the venue space with constant harmonious music. It almost feels like it is turning into noise but they tread the line wonderfully. I think that brings a unique energy to each of t...

    The Amazon Echo is a ~10 inch tall smart speaker that quickly becomes and integral part of your home. It comes loaded with a personal assistant named "Alexa" that operates in cloud space. Don't worry. If you have an ex-girlfriend named "Alexa", you may change the Echo's wake word in the settings to either "Amazon", "Computer", or "Echo". This smart speaker can help you with a wide variety of things such as: making to-do lists, streaming music from Amazon, Spotify, or Pandora accounts, letting you know about traffic on your route to work, updating you on weather conditions, and even give you a flash briefing of the news based on your news info profile.     The way my house is set up Alexa sits on my bar top that divides my kitchen and living room. I use it every day. Whether I want ambient music while I am reading or playing my guitar, or if I am on my way out the door and need to know what today's weather is going to b...

    Today, something is not up for review. Instead, we appreciate the life of Chris Cornell and his contributions to the music industry and our lives. For those of us who knew and loved his music, we have fallen "on black days" as his race here in life is now finished. I will not entertain any of the rumors or the well covered stories of his struggles. This is not for that. This is simply to appreciate him and be a reminder of what was lost today.     Chris Cornell... a name that resonates across the music industry. He was the leading warrior for Soundgarden which lead the grunge rock movement in the US in the late 80s and into the 90s. He is also known for Temple of the Dog, Audioslave, and his solo works.     His vocal range was unrivaled and if you've ever been around a radio you've heard him belting out his hits in a super high octave. No one quite like him. He achieved so many accolades in his more >30 year career. In 2005, ranked 12th in MTV's "2...

    If you had told me years ago that I would be reviewing a Harry Styles album, I likely would've told you, you didn't know me or you had the wrong guy. I'll admit to you now, I am not a One Direction (#1D) fan. I am naturally skeptical of the musical prowess of these guys when they breakout on their own. There has only been one really successful ex-boy band member... All hail King Timberlake for making the transition.     About a month ago, I caught wind of Harry Styles solo album being released sometime in early May. I rolled my eyes as I've seen this before with Backstreet Boys, N*Sync, 98*Degrees, etc. They've all broken up, they've all tried the solo route, and with the exception of the aforementioned Timberlake, they've all failed at clearing the gap.    Harry Styles self-titled album released on May 12th, 2017. It was easy to find in the "New Releases" section of Spotify. I queued it up knowing it was going to be a solo version of a 1D a...

    Chris Stapleton might have one of the more appropriate names in the industry. For over a decade, he has been a major Staple  in the Nashville-music scene, collaborating with artists such as Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, Dierks Bently and Brad Paisley on their albums and serving as a songwriter for Vince Gill, George Strait, and Kenny Chesney.     I was raised on country music. I remember being a kid and singing Garth Brooks, George Strait, Travis Tritt, Hank Williams, Jr., and Clint Black just to name a few. As I grew older, I watched the landscape of country music start to change. It became pop with a twang. It became watered down. As I write this I am reminded like Alabama once sang "If you wanna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band." As I watched this genre breakdown and become a shell of itself, I grew tired of the major players. I walked away. I still kept the good ol' stuff on my Spotify playlist but I wasn't actively searching out for the nex...

    It happens every year. First weekend of May. Like a peacock boasting it's beautiful feathers, Memphis reveals one of her many beautiful sides: Beale Street Music Fest. Ask anyone and they'll tell you how the grounds will be nothing but a pigsty because "it always rains." They don't care though. That's why the Bass Pro Pyramid sells rain boots. This year Mother Nature had other plans for us . This year was going to be different entirely.     If you're not aware already, Beale Street Music Fest is always talked about for being one of the best value festivals. This year it made Everfest's Top 300 festivals in the WORLD. It's one of the many reasons you'll see folks from all over coming to Memphis for the party.     From the venue to the lineup, you'd be hard pressed to find a better one out there. Sure, you can find higher profile lineups all over the country for example at Bonnaroo, Cochella, Lollapalooza, etc but that's not wha...