Rounder hits the mark with no-frills Box of the Blues

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 18, 2003 By Steve Newton Blues fans looking to acquire a worthy cross-section of the genre—but who aren’t up to shelling out big bucks for the premium package centred on Martin Scorsese’s film series The Blues—should consider this compact, no-frills set. The four-disc collection brings together 60 tracks … Continue reading Rounder hits the mark with no-frills Box of the Blues

ZZ Top goes heavy on the ’70s with Chrome, Smoke & BBQ box

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 18, 2003 By Steve Newton In 1987, blues-rockers ZZ Top released a three-disc compilation of their early work titled The ZZ Top Sixpack, which included such stellar mid-’70s albums as Tres Hombres, Fandango, and Tejas. If you own that collection, you’ve already acquired most of the trio’s best … Continue reading ZZ Top goes heavy on the ’70s with Chrome, Smoke & BBQ box

Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2015

By Steve Newton The more I see pictures of headphone-wearing DJs alone on-stage, dickin’ around with laptops and turntables, the more I think: fvck off. Bottle Rockets South Broadway Athletic Club  One of the world’s most underrated bands comes up with a killer album of catchy guitar rock that rivals its stellar ’94 release, The Brooklyn … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2015

Deep Purple’s overdue induction into Rock Hall means snubbing of Tommy Bolin and Steve Morse

By Steve Newton Now that the millions of Deep Purple fans around the world have finished celebrating the hard-rock legends' shockingly overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it's time to take the bad news with the good. The names of guitar legends Tommy Bolin and Steve Morse will not be included. … Continue reading Deep Purple’s overdue induction into Rock Hall means snubbing of Tommy Bolin and Steve Morse

Queen box set out today captures the legendary rockers live in ’75

By Steve Newton Queen freaks who couldn't quite afford the massive Queen Studio Collection that was released a couple of months ago should know that the legendary British rockers are issuing another box set today (December 18), one that is aimed at fans who adored the band in its mid-'70s, long-hair-on-Mercury heyday. A Night at the Odeon captures … Continue reading Queen box set out today captures the legendary rockers live in ’75

Rock Hall finally inducts Deep Purple; could Rory, Link, Johnny, and Maiden be far behind?

By Steve Newton Well, those bozos down at the highly slaggable Rock and Roll Hall of Fame finally came to their senses. Twenty-two years after it first became eligible for induction, legendary British hard-rockers Deep Purple finally gained admittance into the Cleveland institution's hallowed halls. I guess the powers-that-be finally broke down and played Machine Head … Continue reading Rock Hall finally inducts Deep Purple; could Rory, Link, Johnny, and Maiden be far behind?

Billy Gibbons gets rude ‘n’ bluesy in Vancouver on ZZ Top’s Afterburner Tour

mila geran photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 20, 1985 By Steve Newton Shortly before his death, somebody asked Jimi Hendrix if he knew of any up-and-coming guitarists to watch out for. One of the players Hendrix mentioned was Billy Gibbons. Sixteen years later, Gibbons is living up to Jimi's expectations. At the moment, his guitar … Continue reading Billy Gibbons gets rude ‘n’ bluesy in Vancouver on ZZ Top’s Afterburner Tour

Kick Axe avoids Quiet Riot syndrome, welcomes their friends to the club

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 3, 1986 By Steve Newton Some years ago there was a club at the corner of Broadway and Kingsway known as Vancouver's Tonite--one of the Top Three local clubs along with Frams and Outlaws where nasty guitar licks and heavy sounds were the stock-in-trade. And one of the heaviest bands ever … Continue reading Kick Axe avoids Quiet Riot syndrome, welcomes their friends to the club

Graveyard has nothing to do with death (metal)

By Steve Newton When your band is called Graveyard, it’s no surprise that you sometimes get pegged as yet another grinding death-metal act. According to Graveyard frontman Joakim Nilsson, it happens quite a bit. “Yeah, we hear that a lot,” says the 37-year-old singer-guitarist, on the line from his home outside Gothenburg, Sweden. “But I … Continue reading Graveyard has nothing to do with death (metal)

Black Sabbath reissues bring back memories of “War Pigs”-inspired furniture abuse

By Steve Newton I have hazy memories of the very first albums I ever owned, but there's three that stick out in my mind: Alice Cooper's Billion Dollar Babies, Deep Purple's Fireball, and Black Sabbath's Paranoid. I used to play the hell out of them on an ancient stereo downstairs in my parents' "rumpus room". And my favourite … Continue reading Black Sabbath reissues bring back memories of “War Pigs”-inspired furniture abuse

Graveyard frontman gives shout out to fellow Swedes the Hellacopters

By Steve Newton I called up Graveyard frontman Yoakim Nilsson at his home in Sweden the other day to do an interview in advance of his band's first ever (and sold out) Vancouver show next Saturday (December 12). Whenever I think about Swedish rock bands I think about the Hellacopters, who I discovered in 2002 … Continue reading Graveyard frontman gives shout out to fellow Swedes the Hellacopters

Krampus makes the most of demonic gingerbread men

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 4, 2015 By Steve Newton Anyone who enjoyed mid-‘80s horror-comedies that relied on animatronic puppets for their chills and chuckles—movies like Gremlins and the lower-rent Ghoulies—may get a mild kick out of Krampus. Starting out with a Christmas Vacation vibe, Krampus sees your typical afluent American family--parents Tom and Sarah (Adam Scott and Toni Collette) and teenage kids Max … Continue reading Krampus makes the most of demonic gingerbread men