Tania Kikidi-"Rock n roll paradise"

 

Tania Kikidi-"Rock n roll paradise"(Grooveyard records)

Greek rock singer Tania Kikidi a well known locally singer, joins forces with  guitarist Stavros Papadopoulos (Revolution Highway, Super Vintage, Shadowplay Project (Rory Gallagher Tribute), Hard Driver, Freerock Saints, Universal Hippies) and some other Greek guitar slingers and presents her solo album. An album full of ballsy rockers with most and above all great guitar work based mostly on the 70s and 80s. 

 

From the Ted Nugent riff driven "Queen rider" to the more melodic heavy rock in the vein of Dokken, House of Lords ``Eye of the storm and in between the album is filed with guitar frenzy and a singer that her voice is reminiscent of Ann Wilson, Doro and Jutta Weinhold (ZED YAGO). Her 70s origins and her voice abilities are better sounding at groovy rockers like "Feel my soul rockin". In conclusion this is a groovy,heavy rock album with lots of references to 70s,80s hard rock and classic rock. The major  disadvantage is the guitar players who sometimes overshadow the singer with their love and devotion to the six string mistress. Otherwise this is a great female fronted rock album less ISSA and more HALESTORM, SOUL PILLS . 

 

 

Tania Kikidi delivers the goods with a great set of pipes and the attitude of a real rock n roll singer and RnR heaven is more than words, its a reality. But she needs more songs like "You keep me true" to let her voice stretch, groovy and rocking, than the speed and noisy like " Night burner", "Save me" songs that could have come from LA of the 80s. "Escape" is another great example of the melodic rock style the album serves. Great voice if you re still in this style, but with Frontiers dominating the genre, the competition is hard even for such a good vocalist. The closing power ballad "The last goodbye" just reassures the listener on Kikidi's power pipes amazing abilities.

 

 

7

 

Jon Butcher- "Special day"

From aor master to the contemporary bluesman with the social awareness/criticizing lyrics and spirit at songs like "Special day" may seem a long road for others but for Jon Butcher is the anticipated evolution. His last works were driving him to a more blues/roots musical approach and in "special day", he plays what he feels more comfortable with and releases a work that will talk to most of his old fans as they also grow older with him. More mature, he is not a standard blues player, but he incorporates elements from Tex Mex, jazz, swing and New Orleans along with his well known pop sensibility. From the typical blues "Devil s train" with the harmonica/slide guitar driving rhythm to Hendrix like "Kiss the sky" and his mesmerizing 'Senor Garcia" a hallucinating song. Butcher plays on safe ground but still expands the limits. 'Kalena' has the AEROSMITH taste of honky tonk rock but Butcher lets the old tobacco, whiskey smell take over the place and the honky tonk piano dominates the sound of the song. 'Still crazy after all these years" could be on an Leon Russel album, just pointing out that Butcher is a far more diverse and interesting artist than you might think or expect. "Make a little room" sounds a bit like a stripped down QUEEN song full of life, depth and optimism based on piano and Butcher's distinctive voice. "How does it feel" has the horns, the backing vocals and the 60s Motown feeling and the live good, feel good vibration spread all over. "Architect of peace”  closes the alum as a true Gospel song, full of positivity and enlightenment with its stripped down, warm melody.

 

 

 

Overall ``Special day" is a modern blues album from an artist who is feeling in the right shoes to let the music do the talking . Staying away from the classic twelve bar and the Chicago school the present us a wider targeted blues album where R n B and Tex Mex color the final result along with his strong storytelling. He may not be so contemporary as Gary Clark Jr but he is really less traditional than you would expect. An album that makes listening to it your day special.

7,5

 

Chase Graig Band- Whiskey again

Southern rock, country and americana in a mix reminiscent of DRIVE BY TRUCKERS but with its own originality. Harmonica and the singers deep voice are the strongest points of CGB. Laid back countrified rock with one eye at Gram Parsons Flying Burritos and the other at modern americana, WILCO, DBT,etc. So there is not a dull moment, while the desert meets California, with some great violin input and a steady rhythm section  bringing the groove to the listener.

 

 

 

Diversified album that is based on low fi tunes and emotions. 'Settle back down' again is the perfect example of the balance between, rock n roll, country and emotional songwriting. Neil Young is another obvious and ever present influence along with Gram Parsons lament especially in songs like "Old ghost train" and 'Country soul".

 

 

7

Song of the Week CRIMSON FIRE - Judas (Lyric Video)

 Song of the Week

 CRIMSON FIRE - Judas (Lyric Video)

 

Taken from the album "Another Dimension", out by No Remorse Records on August 27, 2021. Recommended for fans of IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, RIOT, EUROPE and '80s hard n' heavy. LINE-UP: John Britsas: Vocals, keyboards 

Stelios Koutelis: Guitars, backing vocals 

 

Nick Efetzis: Guitars 

Dinos Ganitis: Bass guitar, backing vocals

 Andreas Vlachogiannis: Drums Read 

more: https://label.noremorse.gr/news/crims... 

Follow CRIMSON FIRE on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrimsonFireFB 

Follow No Remorse Records on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoRemorseRec...

«Στο εστιατόριο-Η κοινωνία στο πιάτο μας» Κρίστοφερ Ρίμπατ (Εστία)

 

Ο Ρίμπατ καθηγητής Αμερικανικών Σπουδών σε Γερμανικό πανεπιστήμιο προσεγγίζει το γνωστό σε όλους μας χώρο του εστιατορίου, με μια ματιά που συνδυάζει κοινωνιολογία, ιστορία και πολιτικές επιστήμες. Το ενδιαφέρον του βιβλίου είναι ότι η «ιστορία» του εστιατορίου από την αρχή της εμφάνισης του όρου ρεστοράν, έως σήμερα μεταφέρεται με τη βοήθεια αποσπασμάτων από συγγραφείς και ανθρώπους του χώρου της εστίασης, σαν ένα χρονικό που συνδυάζει την παρακολούθηση εκ των έσω αλλά και ταυτόχρονα την κοινωνιολογική εξέλιξη του εστιατορίου.

Κάποια από τα άρθρα,αποσπάσματα αφηγήσεων που χρησιμοποίει, σε συνδυασμό με την επανεμφάνιση /συνέχεια τους σε άλλες χρονικές στιγμές και την εξέλιξη των συγγραφέων-κεντρικών χαρακτήρων είναι πολύ ενδιαφέροντα. Η κοινωνιολόγος-δασκάλα που παρακολουθεί την ζωή των σερβιτόρων εκ των έσω και τελικά πέφτει θύμα των διακρίσεων, μιας και ως γυναίκα η δουλειά της δεν αναγνωρίζεται, «στερείται» της επιστημονικής θεώρησης, αλλά πρακτικά αποτελεί χρονικό μιας πραγματικότητας, είναι από τα πιο ενδιαφέροντα σημεία του βιβλίου. Αντίστοιχα η εξέλιξη της καντίνας στην Ισπανία, σε σημείο συγκέντρωσης των νεόπλουτων της Ευρώπης, η μοριακή γαστρονομία αλλά και ο αντισημιτισμός στη Γερμάνια πριν τον Β ΠΠ, μαζί με τον Γάλλο μετανάστη μάγειρα που αναδεικνύεται σε υπέρμαχο των δικαιωμάτων των εργαζομένων στην κουζίνα, είναι από τα δυνατά σημεία του βιβλίου. Το εστιατόριο αποκτά πρόσωπο. Η ζωή πίσω από τις πόρτες της κουζίνας γίνεται μια απτή πραγματικότητα, οι αδικίες, η διαστρωμάτωση στο προσωπικό, οι κοινωνικές αλλαγές στην ψυχή του εστιατορίου αλλά και στον τρόπο αντίληψης του πελάτη.

Ο Ρίμπατ έχει τις προσωπικές πολιτικές και κοινωνικές προκαταλήψεις του, όπως και στον τρόπο που αντιμετωπίζει τα ταχυφαγεία ή κατευθύνει με την παράθεση κειμένων τον αναγνώστη. Αυτό είναι το μειονέκτημα του βιβλίου αλλά και το πλεονέκτημα του. Αν και αποτελεί στην ουσία μια κοινωνιολογική πραγματεία, η επιστημονική προσέγγιση συρραφή των επι μέρους τμημάτων θα γίνει στις τελευταίες σελίδες. Εκεί ο αναγνώστης συντάσσεται με την ερμηνεία του Ρίμπατ ή αναλύει όσα έχουν παρατεθεί υπό το δικο του πρίσμα εμπειριών, γνώσεων, απόψεων. 

Παρόλα αυτά ο όγκος της πληροφορίας για τη συνομοταξία των μαγείρων και των εστιατορίων σε συνδυασμό με την μεταμόρφωση τους σε ποπ φιγούρες του σημερινού κόσμου αλλά και σημεία αλλαγής βλπ κίνημα του πάγκου, στο πλαίσιο των αγώνων για τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα και τις φυλετικές διακρίσεις στις Η.Π.Α και τις Νότιες πολιτείες συνθέτει ένα μωσαϊκό χαρακτήρων και στοιχείων που ξεπερνάνε τον δημιουργό, ερευνητή και αποτελούν υλικό τροφή για σκέψη, απευθείας για τον αναγνώστη. Η ανισομέρεια στην επιλογή των κειμένων και η οπτική του συγγραφέα/μελετητή που είναι έντονα πολιτικοποιημένη και στρατευμένη αποτελούν το μόνο ανάχωμα  στην ανάγνωση ενός κατά τα άλλα πολύ ενδιαφέροντος βιβλίου, που απευθύνεται σε όσους αντιλαμβάνονται το εστιατόριο σαν τόπο συνάντησης, εργασίας αλλά και κοινωνικών αλλαγών.

 

Styx- "Crash of the crown"

 

Pomp AOR, melodic rock,FM rock, classical influenced rock, commercially oriented rock, you name it , STYX deliver it with spades and in the highest quality and their new album is a fine example of real professionals offering a Covid 19 anti depression album. "The fight of our lives" is a Covid 19 anthem, pro vaccination obviously and,yes, pomp rock bands like STYX show the way on the contrary with "artists' like Van Morisson and Clapton who prefer the middle ages. Melody, keyboards, grandiose choruses and a tight band that creates modern rock songs like "Hold back the darkness" keeping the STYX sensibility intact even in the 21st century. The elements of the great stadium rock wotia touch of progressive rock are all here, the PINK FLOYD reminiscent echo and the lyrics that always differentiate STYX from their rivals. Reggae overtones at "Crash of the crown" along some yacht rock piano and classic STYX harmonies are driving the fans crazy as the band is in prime form and the QUEEN style vocals take off the song to another dimension. "Common ground" is another piece of multi layer vocal harmonies and QUEEN influenced prog pop song. 

 

 

 

 

STYX deliver a melodic rock album full of bombastic rhythms and tons of multilayered vocal lines creating a melodic monster that is equally Arena rock as prog with overtones of the WHO (Quadrophenia era) all around."Long live the king" stays in your mind with its addictive melodic line. This is a STYX album that respects the band's history and has all the basic ingredients,melodies, multilayered vocals, progressive aesthetic,catchy songs and uplifting spirit in its own STYX way, bringing elements from reggae to jazz and swing at the musical part of certain songs like "Stream" proving STYX are a band that are really progressive ,even if they have been labeled as AOR or pomp rock. An album delivering all the goods.

8

 

Levara- "Levara"

Modern radio friendly rock with some great pop overtones. This power trio has the brilliance of father Lukather but his son (the bands guitarist) along with his partners in crime don't get caught in the family name trap. Instead they choose a more fresh and innovative way, playing music that owes more to bands like MUSE,STYX and Supergrass than TOTO, BOSTON and Giant. 

 

 

They deliver powerful melodic songs that ask for more airplay, "Automatic", "Heaven knows" are  soundtrack to the awful teenage NETFLIX series and bring smiles to those of us who were thinking as modern AOR/FM rock a lost cause.'On for the night" is a small masterpiece of melodic rock alignment with pop sensibility. NOISEWORKS, INXS, CHOIRBOYS, GLASS TIGER and even SNOW PATROL at "Chameleon" all these unidentified, unregistered bands comes to mind along IT BITES, Kim Mitchell and trust your instinct, LEVARA are a song away of breaking big, even bigger than TOTO at the Spotify generation.

 

 

7