ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 12, 2009 By Steve Newton Hugh Dillon has gone through a lot of changes since those days in the ’90s when he was portraying self-destructive punk rocker Joe Dick in the movie Hard Core Logo and fronting Toronto hard-rock act the Headstones. Nowadays you’re more likely to see the former … Continue reading Album review: Hugh Dillon, Works Well With Others (2009)
Album review: Lynyrd Skynyrd, God & Guns (2009)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, By Steve Newton In the very first Payback column the Straight ever published I was called a “Skynyrd-loving moron” by a ticked-off Lou Reed fan, and—thanks to incessant reminders from caring colleagues Mike Usinger and John Lucas—have never been allowed to forget it. In a way I was proud of the label, though, … Continue reading Album review: Lynyrd Skynyrd, God & Guns (2009)
Album review: John Fogerty, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again (2009)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 10, 2009 By Steve Newton Fans of John Fogerty’s southern swamp-boogie might not be thrilled by his latest CD, which—apart from a rootsy remake of his 1986 stomper “Change in the Weather”—is a collection of country music covers. It’s a throwback to his 1973 solo debut, The Blue … Continue reading Album review: John Fogerty, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again (2009)
Album review: The Bottle Rockets, Lean Forward (2009)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 10, 2009 By Steve Newton Back in ’94 Missouri’s Bottle Rockets released their second album, The Brooklyn Side, which scored North American airplay for the rollicking, cops’ll-get-you single “Radar Gun” but is best remembered for infectious rockers like “Gravity Fails”, “I’ll Be Comin’ Around”, and the evocative ballad … Continue reading Album review: The Bottle Rockets, Lean Forward (2009)
Album review: Various Artists, True Blood: Music From the HBO Original Series (2009)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 27, 2009 By Steve Newton I’ve never actually seen the HBO vampire series True Blood, mainly because I’m too busy watching the cable channel’s other offerings like Entourage, Eastbound & Down, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. (Larry David fans take note: CYE’s seventh season premieres September 20.) But if True Blood is anywhere … Continue reading Album review: Various Artists, True Blood: Music From the HBO Original Series (2009)
Album review: George Thorogood and the Destroyers, The Dirty Dozen (2009)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 20, 2009 By Steve Newton George Thorogood has made a good living covering crusty old gems by blues legends, but is that something we should hold against him? I think not. Every rock-loving kid that Thorogood turns on to someone like John Lee Hooker via his hellraising rendition … Continue reading Album review: George Thorogood and the Destroyers, The Dirty Dozen (2009)
Canadian Idol champ Melissa O’Neil admits she’s not much of a rocker
"When you perform you get this connection between you and your audience, and there's nothing like it, I can honestly say that."
Elvin Bishop dedicates an Elmore James classic to John Lee Hooker’s wife at the Commodore
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 11, 1982 By Steve Newton Thursday (June 3) was blues night at the Commodore Ballroom with Elvin Bishop and the Brian Butler Band from Seattle. Opening the show was another Seattle group, the Hitch Brothers Band, and their fast-paced set of blues-rock was lively but failed to draw much response from … Continue reading Elvin Bishop dedicates an Elmore James classic to John Lee Hooker’s wife at the Commodore
Album review: Terminal Station, Rolling All Night (2009)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 6, 2009 By Steve Newton If you’re the type of person who makes the rounds of Vancouver’s live-music joints there’s a good chance you’ve already heard a lick or two from guitarist Scott Smith. His blues-rock trio, Terminal Station, has enjoyed a residency at Capones in Yaletown; Bottleneck, … Continue reading Album review: Terminal Station, Rolling All Night (2009)
Album review: Jeff Healey, Songs from the Road (2009)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 30, 2009 By Steve Newton I saw the original Jeff Healey Band play numerous times in the ’80s at Vancouver venues like the Yale and the 86 Street Music Hall. While always blown away by the searing talent of the young blind dude with the Strat on his … Continue reading Album review: Jeff Healey, Songs from the Road (2009)
Album review: Spinal Tap, Back From the Dead (2009)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 23, 2009 By Steve Newton I was never a huge Spinal Tap fan. Sure, I chuckled along with everyone else when Nigel Tufnel’s guitar amp went to 11, and when mutton-chopped bassist Derek Smalls got trapped on stage in that giant pod prop. The idea of an exploding … Continue reading Album review: Spinal Tap, Back From the Dead (2009)
Album review: Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs, Under the Covers Vol. 2 (2009)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 16, 2009 By Steve Newton Back in 2006, power-pop stalwart Matthew Sweet and sometimes-Bangles singer Susanna Hoffs collaborated on Under the Covers Vol. 1, in which they performed versions of ’60s hits by groups like the Beatles, the Who, and the Beach Boys. On Under the Covers Vol. 2 the … Continue reading Album review: Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs, Under the Covers Vol. 2 (2009)
Album review: Chickenfoot, Chickenfoot (2009)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 11, 2009 By Steve Newton It’s a shame that so-called “supergroup” Chickenfoot—composed of guitar wizard Joe Satriani, drumming ace Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a couple of guys who won’t be featured on the upcoming version of Guitar Hero: Van Halen (singer Sammy Hagar … Continue reading Album review: Chickenfoot, Chickenfoot (2009)