Confessions
Buckcherry
Deluxe CD | CD | MP3
Century Media
Release Date: February 19, 2013

Buckcherry is special for a lot of reasons, but the main reason of note is that they’re one of the very few modern bands that have really captured that great sleazy 80’s-era L.A. sound made so popular by bands like Guns n’ Roses and LA Guns. They aren’t putting on an homage to the era and style of music; they’re simply one of those bands.

The band has gone through lineup changes after breaking up completely back in 2002, but Josh Todd on vocals and the neverending riffs of Keith Nelson have kept the band on track regardless of what other changes happened internally or externally as far as what’s popular musically. The band’s first three albums, Buckcherry, Timebomb, and 15, are near hard rock classics with two cuts from 15 (“Crazy Bitch,” “Sorry”) making that album the band’s most popular to date. Their fourth album, Black Butterfly wasn’t as strong as the previous releases and it made me wonder if they had run their course musically. The most popular song on that album, titled “Too Drunk,” was actually replaced with a Deep Purple cover when the album was re-issued. Then we got All Night Long, which was a return to form as far as album oriented music from the band goes. Most of the songs on the album, not just the singles, were great just like those first two albums.

Bad As Me
Deluxe CD | CD | MP3
Tom Waits
Anti-
Release Date: November 2011

In a time of austerity and defunct pop music, Bad As Me came along and cuts through like a bread knife into stale society and bamboozles it into actual listenable audio lunacy.

Tom Waits knew about current society, too – the pre-release trailer videos hinted towards in the rusted out Volks Beetle he resides to promote what to expect and he had to trust that his musical genius was not leaked out – by presenting the vignettes of his tracks for us to enjoy beforehand, especially utilising the preemptive strike listening party…

In his twenty-odd album career, Waits is nowhere near slowing down. His contemporaries may have retired themselves to stagnant acoustics and vegas-showroom residencies, but Waits continues with his sideways view of America, new and busted, reinventing himself yet again in what could be considered another prime-time of his life album. But no, in a reversal of the Madonna reinvention, Tom Waits has traversed all eras in his career to produce this, a homage, a love letter, a modern masterpiece.

La Futura
ZZ Top
CD | MP3
Universal Republic
Release Date: September 11, 2012

ZZ Top seems to be the little band that could. Just when you think they’ve done all they are going to do musically here they come with La Futura.

They’ve been around a lot longer than many people know. It all didn’t just start in the 1980s with “Sharp Dressed Man.” The band actually formed in 1969 and toured with the likes of Jimi Hendrix. Blues heavy classics “La Grange” and “Tush” made the band stars and ’80s experiments such as the previously mentioned “Sharp Dressed Man” and “TV Dinners” helped the band find even more fans with the still bluesy but modern rock sound. So they’ve been playing music and experimenting with modern influences mixed with their blues base with varying levels of success.

Beacon Theatre: Live From New York
Joe Bonamassa
Provogue Records
September 25, 2011 US: CD | MP3
September 24, 2011 UK: CD | MP3

Albums with Black Country Communion, a duet with Beth Hart, a solo album, and inspired guest appearances with the likes of Lesley West and Derek Sherinian has seen majestically talented blues rock singer and guitarist Joe Bonamassa finally start to get the recognition he deserves. After over 12 years he has been slowly improving over his 14 solo albums and the last year or so has seen him in a rich vein of form.

During this time the king of modern blues rock recorded his fourth live album, Beacon Theatre: Live From New York on November 5, 2011. It’s an impressive 2-disc set with some of Bonamassa’s finest recent work including “When The Fire Hits The Sea,” “Dust Bowl,” “Blue And Evil,” and striking covers of Gary Moore’s “Midnight Blues” and Rory Gallagher’s “Cradle Rock.”

Monster
KISS
Produced by Paul Stanley
UMe
October 9, 2012 (US) CD | MP3
October 8, 2012 (UK) CD | MP3

After an 11-year gap between albums last time out, KISS stomped on the heads of the naysayers and showed the world they were once again (or always were) a relevant band in rock and roll with love guns at the ready. Realizing they were on to something good, they wasted little time in releasing the appropriately titled Monster.

KISS teased us with “Hell Or Hallelujah” way before the release and it gets Monster off to a flier with its infectious guitar riff and superb Paul Stanley lead vocal. We all know the life story of Gene Simmons‘ monster, but he has thankfully put it away long enough to put his mind to better use. “The Devil Is Me” and “Eat Your Heart Out” bounce along on that trademark groin-rumbling bass sound and he is up to his usual tricks on the gloriously filthy “Take Me Down Below.”