Songwriter C.R. Ecker came to country music from a news background in New York and L.A. Not a usual musical career route. “I knew to write with clarity and feeling about my own experiences, match melodies that listeners would remember, make every word count and sung as pronounced, and not waste a note –all advice from my songwriting coach Sam Brown, who also mentored a very young Michael Jackson. You’ll…
Stars and Satellites is the latest release by Trampled by Turtles, and it showcases a band that can unite a variety of disparate elements into a cohesive release. The transformative aspect of this album cannot be overstated; it provides listeners with a blueprint with how to make a tremendous album. Stars and Satellites begins with Midnight on the Interstate, hitting listeners with a very polished and catchy set of…
The fact that fIREHOSE was even a band, let alone one with a strong enough catalog to justify a two-disc special re-release treatment, is surprising. When D. Boon accidentally died in the mid-80’s abruptly ending punk heroes The Minutemen, the last thing bassist Mike Watt wanted to do was start another band, still morning his band mate and one of his closest friends. As fIREHOSE legend has it, Ed Crawford,…
There is no reason why one’s i-product (either iPhone or iPad) could not be used as emulation software for a keyboard controller. Line 6, in their continued pursuit of creating an utterly perfect experience for those with mobile devices, have released the Mobile Keys 49. This keyboard controller is made with very sturdy materials; players will be able to hammer a beat just as if they were on a full-sized…
This film is part of the Nikkatsu collection; Nikkatsu’s films were picked up for US distribution by Impulse back in 2010. Ryoto Watanabe’s turn as Ami showcases a desire for Japanese softcore to have more of a story than comparable American releases; Ami is a woman that is not satisfied with her life. Wanting to make a change, Ami is able to find contacts in the Madame Machiko Society…
Miracle of Marcelino (Blu-Ray) / 2012 VCI Entertainment / http://www.vcientertainment.com This is the restored 1955 version of Marcelino pan y vino. The video quality of this restored title is simply fantastic, allowing for individuals to be immersed in the film’s storyline in a way previously impossible unless you had watched a theatrical screening of the title. VCI has restored all aspects of Miracle of Marcelino, ensuring that the sharp picture…
There have been a number of distinct movies and documentaries that have been made about the Titanic, but few have been able to have a current and contemporary take on the events alongside eyewitness testimony. Waking The Titanic succeeds because it is able to provide some sense of the terror that existed on the ship along with solid scientific and historical reporting of the events. I liked the way…
Sthenos is the first company that we have reviewed that has been able to make a hoodie that has fit our female health and fitness reviewer. Most products are cheap and use traditional sorts of measurements to determine their sizes. As she is a powerlifter, the overall muscle mass that she possesses makes it physically impossible for her to get a hoodie on. The Sthenos Driven hoodie has extra…
We reviewed PreSurge Unleashed last year, but were provided with a bottle of their Citrus Ice. I believe that this allows us to have a better appreciation for what this pre-workout can do, especially since we have covered a number of similar products in the interim. The amount of energy that is provided by the PreSurge Unleashed is substantial, but at no point does this energy transfer into jitteriness…
Before there were celebrity-endorsed headphones, there was Plantronics. The company understands headsets and headphones, and has done so for countless years. Their BackBeat Go is their latest product offering, and is the best headset that we have reviewed this year. The clarity of the BackBeat Go in music reproduction is astonishing, revealing bits and pieces of tracks that one could not hear on a typical speaker setup. However, this…
It is hard for an individual to move from the all-in-one vitamins to the supplements that they actually need; a company like Paradise Herbs has tens of different products in stock. For those uninitiated, L-Carnosine is a neuropeptide that both decreases the amount of oxidative stress as well as protects the body from aging. There is also early evidence that properly supplementing with L-Carnosine will decrease some of the…
1616: The World in Motion (Book) / Thomas Christensen / 2012 Counterpoint Press / 384 Pages / http://www.counterpointpress.com/ / http://www.facebook.com/counterpointpress I believe the average American has little idea what was happening on the world stage 150 years before the United States became a country. Thomas Christensen looks to rectify this lack of knowledge with eir new book, 1616: The World in Motion. This title goes into exhaustive detail about the…
Physique Enhancing Science is a newer supplement company, and this means that they are able to benefit more directly from current research than firms that have been around. This is particularly present in their Alpha-T2, a fat burning supplement. Alpha-T2 is not your average fat burner; the 1-2-3 punch of Higenamine, Rauwolscine HCl, and 3,3′-diiodo-l-thyronine is unmatched in the rest of the supplement world. Rauwolscine is a compound that…
With Tough Sh*t, his latest self-confessional memoir, director Kevin Smith proves that absolutely nothing is off limits when it comes to opening up about his personal life and experiences in Hollywood. From sex with his wife (including a hilariously uncomfortable essay about her backside) to working with Bruce Willis on Cop Out (another essay about an ass), Smith is refreshingly honest and quite possibly the author of the funniest memoir…
There are an incredible amount of different thermogenics that are currently out on the market. However, the quality of each of these products varies. We were able to test Applied Nutriceuticals’s new product Fat Free, and we are pleased to report that the supplement works for a variety of individuals. I believe that Fat Free has such a high efficiency in energy generation and fat burning because of Applied Nutriceuticals’s…
The Jamie McLean Band is one of the acts that are tight enough to make a live recording sound as good as a recorded one. The band, tying together McLean (guitar / vocals), Brian Griffin (drums / vocals) , and Ben Mars (bass / vocals), releases their Live At Gibson in May. This album takes ten tracks and two guests (Jason Crosby and Taylor Hicks) and will convert anyone lucky…
Good Old War has continually innovated and evolved their sound since their 2008 debut, Only Way To Be Alone. Come Back as Rain is their third full-length, and showcases an act that is incredibly comfortable in their overall dynamic as a band. The album starts off with Over and Over, a track that builds off of the repletion alluded to by the title and subtly shifts the arrangement, until what…
Anais Mitchell is one of the most exciting performers currently active in America. This is because ey fully takes up a role with Young Man in America, and does not drop the façade until after the disc’s final track, Ships, closes up. This theme album is able to succeed in any fashion, whether listeners are just able to pick up a single track, can listen on repeat, or even see…
The Lumineers gained much critical acclaim upon the release of their debut EP in 2011. This 2012 release looks to expand upon the styles, approaches, and genres originally broached during this title and expand upon a variety of different sounds. Flowers in Your Hair is the first track on this LP, and provides listeners with the first hint of the band’s inimitable new-folk leaning. Throughout the tracks on this LP,…
New York City has always been a hot spot for music, but its’ allure has faded ever so slightly with the prominence of other cities and countries in the last decade. Ravens & Chimes look to restore that luster to the Big Apple with their new title, Holiday Life. Holiday Life begins with Division Street, a track that captures the different tacks taken by the band throughout each of the…