Melanie's Muses - Spotlight Music Lounge

Susan's Top Ten Albums of the Year 2021

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 05:00:00 GMT

At Melanie's Muses, we love a good top 10 list -so Dave and Susan each compiled their top 10 albums from 2021!

This week is Susan's list!

If you missed Dave's list you can see it HERE!

Susan -

10. NF - "Clouds EP"

NF returns to 2021 with his unique style of lyricism, a blend of rap and vocal talent that rivals his peers and in my opinion, surpasses them. His cult following, including me, have devoured his songs like we've been starving for his honesty and his Real Music.
Fave Songs: Clouds. That's a Joke, Prideful, Lost (Feat. HOPSIN) Layers, Trust ft Tech N9ne & Paid My Dues.

9. FJØRA "Onyx"

One of my fave new finds of this year has been FJØRA. Onyx is an album that is dark in tone, yet its definitely cinematic pop, and I love it. I can totally see most of the songs being featured in TV shows.
Fave Songs: Come With Me, Get Down, Outta my Way, Smile, Revenge is a bitch & so am I, Cage, Limitless (Ft. INTOTHEWILD) and This is the End

8. Limp Bizkit "Still Sucks"

Limp Bizkit jubilant return proves that the band Still Sucks - In the f**king best possible way.
Fave Songs: Out of Style, Dirty Rotten Bizkit, Dad Vibes, Turn It Up, Bitch, Don't Change, You Bring Out the Worst in Me, Pill Popper, and Goodbye

7. Måneskin "Teatro d'ira - Vol. I"

Listen, I may not understand most of the songs on this EP, but I was suckered into this catchy rock EP. It's not everyday that you will find me listening to a song from Eurovision, but hell, if you haven't listened to Måneskin yet, then correct that mistake right now.
Best Songs: Every. Single. One.

6. Foo Fighters “Medicine at Midnight”

Foo Fighters return with a triumphant album to give 2021 just what it needs in the form of a toe tapping, mood lifting, 36 mins of awesome.
Fave Songs: Shame Shame, Cloudspotter. Medicine at Midnight, No Son of Mine and Holding Poison but every song on the album is worth a listen.

5. You Me At Six - "Suckapunch”

Suckapunch is an album filled with exceptional vocals, heavy riffs and even a song that I would love to do a remix of for the dancefloor!
Fave songs: Glasgow (Fave!) Voicenotes, Suckapunch, Kill the Mood, Finish What I Started and Beautiful Way.

4. Nothing but Thieves - "Moral Panic II & Moral Panic (The Complete Edition)l"

Moral Panic was one of my fave albums last year and
Fave songs: Every single song …just listen to the complete edition and you won't be sorry!

3. Yonaka - "Seize the Power"

Seize the Power is a perfect blend of motivational anthems with Ordinary, Raise Your Glass and Raise your Glass, to massive FU tracks, like Get Out, Clique, Greedy and Call me a Saint, that will be epic live and the last track, Anthem, surprises the hell out of you in the best possible way.
Fave Songs: The Entire Fucking EP.

2. Architects- "For Those That Wish to Exist"

To be honest, if I could cheat and have both Architects and Hayley at number one, I would. For Those That Wish To Exist is a complex, emotionally charged album that tells a story with each song, each lyric that resonates with those of us who find solace in music during the crazy times we live in.
Fave Songs: Do You Dream of Armageddon?, Black Lungs, Dead Butterflies, An Ordinary Extinction, Animals, Goliath and Dying is Absolutely Safe.

1. Hayley Williams - "Flowers for Vases/ Descansos"

This has got to be one of my fave albums ever. I listened to it so much that when I did a Spotify quiz thing, they asked me if I was feeling okay! Flowers for Vases/descansos is a haunting, beautifully tragic album, filled with heart-breaking lyrics and enchanting melodies that have that instant calm feeling.
Fave Songs: My Limb, Asystole, Trigger, Good Grief, Inordinary, HYD, No Use I Just Do and Just a Lover.

Looking forward to in 2022-Keeping my fingers crossed.

Bring me the Horizon
When Post Human: Survival Horror was released in 2020, BMTH promised us more music sooner rather than later as they moved to release EP style albums instead of full ones. with the release of Die4U in September, it marks the promise of a new EP and if Post Human: Survival Horror was anything to go by, I can't wait.

Paramore
Hayley Williams has been busy with two amazing albums in a year and had promised that Paramore will release new music in the near future. It's been four years since we got the epic album After Laughter and I think we are all ready for another Paramore album.

Måneskin
My guilty pleasure of 2021, Måneskin is a band I'm excited to see more of, after they released Mammamia, I expect they will capitalize on their popularity and either release a second EP, or an album.

Yonaka.
I feel like Yonaka's EP release of Seize the Power just made fans hungry for more, hoping the 2022 brings with it either more of what Seize the Power had to offer in the form of another EP or a full length album.

Pvris
Use Me was one of my fave albums of 2020, and now that Lynn has released two singles, three if you include the song featured on League of Legends, I'm seriously excited to see if a new album is on the cards for 2022!

Code Word For This Article Is List

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!
You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE

All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

Top Ten Most Listened To Songs This Year by Dave Christy

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 05:00:00 GMT

At Melanie's Muses, we love a good top 10 list -so not content with just the top 10 Albums - Dave managed to put together his Top 10 Most Listened To Songs!

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Dave -

In an effort to try not to repeat myself, instead of going for the 10 top songs of the year, all of which would be pulled from my top 10 records of the year list, I decided to go with the Top 10 Most Listened to Songs of the year in addition to the others. A few are new but just singles from not yet released CDs or just one-shot covers thrown up on YouTube. Some songs are older that I went to revisit over and over again.

10. Metric "Black Sheep" Brie Larson vocal (aka The Clash at Demonhead)
Song from the Scott Pilgrim movie. Loved it then, love it now. Watched it more since finding this video.

Hello again
Friend of a friend, I knew you when
Our common goal was waiting for the world to end
Now that the truth is just a rule that you can bend
You crack the whip, shape-shift and trick the past again

9. Motionless in White "Another Life"
Still loving this song and listening to it almost every day.

But I hate that it seems you were never enough
We were broken and bleeding but never gave up
And I hate that I made you the enemy
And I hate that your heart was the casualty
Now, I hate that I need you

8. Kaleido "Panic in a Pandemic"
This song wraps up 2020-2021 in a nutshell.

Walked out the house, it’s been 48 days
I ain't made a dollar, ain't a damn bill paid
They're all late, just put it on my tab
Twelve hundred dollars, yeah bitch real mad
What do I buy with this? it ain't gonna cover shit
Buy some stimulants, and really stimulate the stimulus

7. A Perfect Circle "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish"
Not really an APC fan so when I saw the title, I thought it was a cover of the song from "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" so I had to check it out. But it wasn't. Sad face. But I still loved the song anyway.

Time is money, money's time
We wasted every second dime
On diets, lawyers, shrinks, and apps, and flags, and plastic surgery
Now Willy Wonka, Major Tom
Ali and Leia have moved on
Signal the final curtain call in all its atomic pageantry

6. Letters from the Fire "At War"
Deeply emotional song from little known band. They changed singers after Alexa left and put out one more CD with Nina. Great songs on both CDs but this beauty just kills me and takes me over.

Hold your breath
And pray for the world to end
Nothing's left
Some broken hearts will never mend
And every word's just a whisper to the wind
I pray to God for angels he'll never send
Hold your breath
And pray for the world to end

5. Linkin Park "Leave Out All the Rest"
Wasn't a huge Linkin Park fan but loved this song and some others. But probably this one the most.

When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed
And don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
Leave out all the rest

4. My Chemical Romance "Light Behind Your Eyes"
Love the band and its one of their more underrated songs since it was only released on a series of singles.

And if they only knew what I would say
If I could be with you, tonight
I would sing you to sleep
Never let them take
The light behind your eyes
One day, I'll lose this fight
As we fade in the dark
Just remember
You will always burn as bright

3. Avenged Sevenfold "Victim" & "Fiction"
Still love both these songs from 2010. The meanings and the mindset really hit home in the last year.

House full of roses
A letter on the stairs
A tape full of messages
For anyone who cares
Collage of broken words
and stories full of tears
Remembering your life
'Cause we wish that you were here

Now I think I understand
How this world can overcome a man
Like a friend we saw it through
In the end I gave my life for you
Gave you all I had to give
Found a place for me to rest my head
While I may be hard to find
Heard there's peace just on the other side

2. New Years Day "Sorry Not Sorry"
This goes back to 2019 but I love the lyrics so much, I keep going back to it.

Sorry that I hurt you
I'm sorry but that's a lie
The truth is I don't care
If you're hurt or not for the tears you've made me cry
If you want to live, you gotta let love die
I'm not sorry now
Cuz forgiveness isn't right
I can't apologize
Cuz I don't mean it this time
So save your breath, I know it's cruel
But I'm not the mercy type
This is what walking away looks like

1. Vicky Psarakis "Hate Me"
A quarantine cover from Vicky. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to think of it. But the more I listened to it, the more it grew on me.

Need a bishop preaching fire
To get away with my sins
Despise everything I see
I don't give a fuck if you hate me

Code Word For This Article Is Songs

Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"

Dave's Top Ten Albums of the Year 2021

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 05:00:00 GMT

At Melanie's Muses, we love a good top 10 list -so Dave and Susan each compiled their top 10 albums from 2021!

First up is Dave! Check back next week for Susan's!

Dave -

We're at it again.
You love when tell what to watch and listen to and we love being demanding! Not really but here are some of our favorite releases this year. Aiming for 10 but lets see how many we actually come up with.

10. The Agonist - "Days Before the World Wept"

A little more aggressive than most things I do, with a bit of screamy vocals but also some clean vocals mixed in on this 5 song EP. Vicky has a great clean voice but can still scream and growl with the best of the guys too. "Resurrection" is definitely a favorite but the decoy piano intro to "Remnants in Time" is a nice fake out before blowing the speakers, speeding their way through the rest of it.

9. Edge of Paradise "The Unknown"

Melodic hard rock/heavy metal from California. They have been around a while but I stumbled across them in my YouTube feed because I follow their label Frontiers Records. "False Idols", "My Method Your Madness" and "The Unknown" are favorites.

8. Enemy Inside "Seven"

Great band from Germany. Singles off this record are "Crystalize", "Alien", "Release Me", "Black Butterfly" and "In My Blood". Very artful, imaginative, theatrical videos.

7. Butcher Babies (no title)

It's not even an official release. I gave it a brief mention at the end of last years list expecting a full-length CD but they don't have a label so they released 5 singles. "Bottom of a Bottle', "Last Dance", "Sleeping with the Enemy", "Yorktown", and "Its Killin' Time, Baby!". A bit of a departure sound wise for the band but heading in the right direction. Hopefully they find a label soon so they can release more tunes. The August single "Its Killin' Time, Baby!" is a little closer to their earlier sound than the others.

6. Halflives - "V"

Paris band giving it all they got in this new EP. "Vibe", "Victim", "Valkyrie". Hell, again, the whole record is awesome. Buy it!

5. Garbage - "No Gods No Masters"

90's alternative rock band are back in a huge way. Another record I absolutely loved more than I thought I would. "Uncomfortably Me", Wolves", "Flipping the Bird", "The Creeps" are just a few of the wonderful songs represented here.

4. False Memories - "The Last Night of Fall"

I wanted to do an actual review of this CD but was drawing a blank. This band is from Italy. Kinda gothic, driving, enchanted vocals. A lot of great stuff. "Rain of Souls", "Voices", and "Illusionist".

3. Escape the Fate - "Chemical Warfare"

I reviewed this album earlier. It got delayed a little but in the whole year, its still on my playlist. A lot of great tunes. "Invincible" featuring Lindsay Stirling, "Not My Problem".

2. Alice Cooper - "Detroit Stories"

Alice is still at it. Still rocking and pumping out the hard rocking tunes. He even named a song after me-- "Independence Dave"! Also featuring "Hanging on by a Thread" and "Social Debris".

1. The Pretty Reckless - "Death by Rock and Roll"

You all knew this was coming if you read my review earlier this year. Even though this list is in no particular order, Taylor and company really delivered with this record. The more I listen to it, the more I love it. The growth the band has showed is outstanding. "Standing at the Wall", "Rock and Roll Heaven", "Harley Darling", "And So it Went", etc. Hell, the whole album is great!

Looking forward to in 2022--

Within Temptation.
Yeah, I know I mentioned it last year too but it never came. Between last year and this year, they gave us 3 singles to sneak peek. "Entertain You", "The Purge" and "Shed My Skin". Can't wait to hear more!

Halestorm.
They gave us a new single recently-- "Back from the Dead". It’s been a couple years since they gave us "Vicious" so hopefully a new one will be out in the new year.

Motionless in White.
New single "Timebomb" has such a catchy chorus after a little screaming for the verse it has caught my attention in a big way. Chris said he has 16-17 songs to pick from and looking for a February or March release. Hopefully they find something to do with the extra songs so they don't go to waste.

Guns N Roses.
Maybe? After a long hiatus of having any new music, 2 new songs have hit the airwaves. "Absurd" and "Hard Skool". Could mean more new music on the way.

Code Word For This Article Is Music

Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"

Kiss - Destroyer 45th Anniversary Review by Dave Christy

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 05:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Dave is reviewing Destroyer 45th Anniversary from Kiss!

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Dave -

1976. I was 4 years old. I hadn't heard of Kiss yet. It would be another 2 years until that happens. Yes, I was 6 years old when I discovered Kiss and loved them ever since. When they all did solo records, I saw Ace's in a record store. I was drawn to it. I just saw this guy with long hair and make up and said "Mommy, I want this" and she bought it for me. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Anyway, in 1976 they unleashed their 4th studio album, which many consider their best record even to this day, "Destroyer". This year marks the 45th Anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, they have released a remastered edition in a couple different formats. There is the standard 2 disc set with some demos and alternate versions of some of the songs. Then, for the true collectors with deeper wallets than mine, there is the $200 epic 4-disc set, plus blu ray audio, plus a boatload of bonuses including flyers, stickers, an iron on, a hard cover book, the Kiss Army newsletter announcing "Destroyer", and much more. Who do I know with an extra $200 laying around? Anyone? Anyone? Didn't think so.

A little about this original release. They were already a huge success but this launched them even further. The unexpected hit "Beth" was originally a B-side to "Detroit Rock City" but radio stations started flipping the vinyl single over and playing this one becoming the bands highest charting song. So many classics on this album and some experimenting with different sounds. If "Beth" wouldn't have been played, I think "Great Expectations", which includes a choir, would have been the big hit.

(Melanie here - I picked the video because I love to see it with the Symphony and the choir!)

This isn't the first time it’s been re-issued. In 2012 Bob Ezrin remixed the songs from the original tapes for an updated sound under the title "Destroyer: Resurrected" with a new cover. Actually, more like the original cover. The painting was done but Kiss changed costumes so it was changed to show the new ones. Many have heard these songs have been played consistently on the radio, live in concert, re-released on greatest hits compilations, but this is a chance to shine a little lighter on the lesser-known songs-- "Flaming Youth", "Sweet Pain", and "Great Expectations". Remember the times, technology and recording was different back then. It wasn't uncommon for bands to release 2 records of new material every year. A few tweaks and turns and here we have another reason to revisit the classic songs.

The 45th Anniversary version brings some early demos. Paul lends his voice to "God of Thunder", which honestly, after hearing Gene sing it for so many years it sounds weird being sung a different way. After listening to other demos, a careful ear will hear a few lines of lyrics and some riffs that were later in future songs. A couple of Gene's demos actually ended up his 1978 solo record a couple years later. Just goes to show you, if something doesn't fit yet just put it on the back burner for future use. It can come in handy one day.

Being a fan for over 40 years, I am always excited to see new releases and some unreleased songs see the light of day. I hope they dig out more treasures for more releases. More anniversaries are on their way. If you can't make deluxe versions of everything like this, just throw up on YouTube. Fans will gobble them up.

The Code Word For This Article Is Kiss

Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"

All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

Created From Filth And Dust - Lilith Czar Album Review from Susan Harris

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 05:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Susan is talking about
Created From Filth And Dust- by Lilith Czar

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Susan -

In February 2021, Juliet Simms announced that she was emerging back onto the scene under her new name persona, Lilith Czar, with a new album called Created from Filth and Dust to quickly follow.

I have to admit that I didn't know who Juliet Simms was before I started listening to Lilith Czar and I stumbled upon the songs Anarchy and King when compiling one of my many book playlists. I loved the angsty vibe but didn't realize that she had was an album out that at times, was full of ferocious rock 'n' roll energy the reminded me of Lizzy Hale, Amy Lee and Theresa Jarvis from Yonaka.

Created From Filth And Dust is a good album with some real standout tracks but in a year where we have seen some epic albums being unleashed on the world, I wasn't as excited listening to this after loving songs like King and Anarchy.

Track Listing
1. Intro Poem
2. Feed My Chaos
3. King
4. Anarchy
5. 100 Little Deaths
6. Lola
7. Edge of Seventeen
8. Bad Love
9. In My head
10. Unholy
11. Burn with Me
12. Diamonds to Dust

Standout tracks for me:
Feed My Chaos, King, Anarchy, Lola, 100 Little Deaths, In My head, and Unholy.

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!
You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE

All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

Still Sucks - Limp Bizkit Album Review from Susan Harris

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Susan is talking about
Still Sucks by Limp Bizkit

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Growing up in Catholic Ireland, seeing this sign on anything made the little rebel in me say yes please,
and while Linkin Park fueled my angst ridden soul, Limp Bizkit was one of the bands that made me want to stick my middle finger up to conformity.

It's been about ten years since Limp Bizkit have released some new music and on Halloween they dropped their new album, Still Sucks, and while the band may joke now that they have "Dad Vibes", this album is a step back in time to some proper 90's NU Metal, rap rock.

I grew up listening to Limp Bizkit, I think it was one of the few bands myself and my brother agreed upon growing up and I loved how Fred Durst could rap and sing and basically do it all...I mean, from the angsty Break Stuff to the philosophical Re-Arranged in the same album. I was a firm red cap wearing fan and can still sing the lyrics to Hot Dog or Break Stuff after a few pints lol

I was surprised to find myself moshing out in the car on the way to work like it was 1999 and I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't like much after Results May Vary but Limp Bizkit just show that while they may have aged, they can still belt out some NU Metal like the good ole days. And just like with the songs I mentioned above, you get to listen to Turn It Up, Bitch, then the somber Don't Change.

With the release of their new album, Limp Bizkit prove that the band Still Sucks
- In the f**king best possible way.

Track Listing:

1. Out of Style
2. Dirty Rotten Bizkit
3. Dad Vibes
4. Turn It Up, Bitch
5. Don't Change
6. You Bring Out the Worst in Me
7. Love the Hate
8. Barnacle
9. Empty Hole
10. Pill Popper
11. Snacky Poo
12. Goodbye

Standout tracks for me:
Out of Style, Dirty Rotten Bizkit, Dad Vibes, Turn It Up, Bitch, Don't Change, You Bring Out the Worst in Me, Pill Popper, and Goodbye

Melanie Here - Pineapple Word For This Article is Popper

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl - Book Review by Susan Harris

Sun, 17 Oct 2021 13:50:39 GMT

These memories, from all over my life, are full of music, of course.
And they can be loud at times.
Turn it up. Listen with me.

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

About The Book
So, I’ve written a book.

Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities (‘It’s a piece of cake! Just do four hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!’), I have decided to write these stories just as I have always done, in my own hand. The joy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I’ve recorded and can’t wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child.

This certainly doesn’t mean that I’m quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it’s like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as young musician. From hitting the road with Scream at 18 years old, to my time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, jamming with Iggy Pop or playing at the Academy Awards or dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, drumming for Tom Petty or meeting Sir Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, bedtime stories with Joan Jett or a chance meeting with Little Richard, to flying halfway around the world for one epic night with my daughters…the list goes on. I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement.

Susan's Review

Standalone or series?
This is a standalone biography of the life and music of Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters

How did I get this book?
I purchased the hardcover edition.

Why did I choose to read this book?
Anyone who knows me, knows how much of a Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters fan I am and I was so excited to finally have the gospel according to Grohl in my possession so I could continue to preach the word of the Foo Fighters lol

And Now To The Review!

First Impressions:
I'm not usually a big biography reader but I found Dave's stories entertaining, surprising and inspirational.

General Review
The book gives you an in depth look at how Dave went through live, from his early days to Nirvana, and to a chance sighting in the backass of nowhere in Kerry in Ireland with a Nirvana wearing hitchhiker that pushed him back to music after Kurt's death and essentially was the beginning of what would be the Foo Fighters.

“One day I was driving down this country road and I saw a hitchhiker in the middle of nowhere. And as I got closer, I realized that he was wearing a Kurt Cobain T-shirt,” he says. “And it was that moment that I decided, OK, I'm going to start over.”

The way Dave has written the book, it's easy to forget how much of a rock god he is and the reader gets to experience just how much of a music fan he is, and like any of us who might one day get to meet our music heroes, we get to read when he first met Paul McCartney, ACDC, Little Richard and even having Joan Jett read his daughters a bedtime story.

"For, in a world full of Barbie's, every girl needs a Joan Jett."

He talks candidly about the loss of Kurt Cobain, his best friend and his father, and you get to see just how much of an epic girldad he is. I loved all the behind the scenes little peaks at how normal a dad he was.... if you can call having family time with a Beatle normal that is.

My hero in the book has to be Dave's mom. I mean, there are not a lot of parents who would give their seventeen year old permission to leave school to become a rockstar and Dave's relationship with his mother, calling her his best friend, was one of the many heartwarming stories in the book.

I laughed and I cried reading the autobiography.

I'm a lover quotes from books and poems and there were a few the resonated with me while reading the book and I've shared some in this review.

This book is perfect for any music fans, even is you've never listened to Nirvana or The Foo Fighters.
(But you really should!)

Final Thoughts
I loved learning all about the life and times of Dave Grohl, and I always thought he was like the nicest guy in rock n' roll and now this book proves it!!

Rating:
An Easy 5 Stars for me …but I'd read or listen to anything from Dave Grohl!

Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is Rockstar

I have always measured my life in musical increments rather than months or years. My mind faithfully relies on songs, albums, and bands to remember a particular time and place. From seventies AM radio to every microphone I’ve stood before, I could tell you who, what, where, and when from the first few notes of any song that has crept from a speaker to my soul. Or from my soul to your speakers. Some people’s reminiscence is triggered by taste, some people’s by sight or smell. Mine is triggered by sound, playing like an unfinished mixtape to be sent.

Life is just too damn short to let someone else’s opinion steer the wheel

Cover Songs - Part Two by Susan Harris

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 04:00:00 GMT

At Melanie's Muses, we love a good cover song! So much so that the Musers had their own Music List!
Today Susan is adding her picks to the list and you can check out Dave's picks from last week HERE!

Susan - Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!
You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE

I am a firm believer that if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it!
That goes for movies, TV shows, and especially songs. There are some songs that no other artist should ever attempt to cover, because the original just cannot be replicated. There are some covers that are just so cringeworthy and terrible that it makes your ears bleed, but there are those bands and singers who take a song and make it better than the original, especially when they completely flip it and make it their own.

30 Seconds to Mars "Bad Romance" (Lady Gaga)
30STM cover of Bad Romance proves that any song, done right, can sound better than the original. Jared Leto's voice manages to take the dance track and give it a kinda sinister twist, and I am here for it!

Stone Sour "Wicked Game" (Chris Isaak)
Wicked Game is one of my all time fave songs, and Stone Sours version is number one on my list. Corey has the same quality as Jared, where his voice takes over the song and pulls you in.

Hozier "Do I Wanna Know" (Artic Monkeys)
Another one of my fave songs that got the slowed down treatment and Hozier has this uniqueness to his tone, turning the rock anthem into a haunting ballad.

Yonaka "You Need to Calm Down" (Taylor Swift) Its one of the few Taylor songs I will admit to liking but when Yonaka and Theresa Jarvis did this cover, it gave it that rockier edge that I needed.

Daniela Andrade "Creep" (Radiohead) This female version of Creep shouldn't work but it so does. hearing it from a female vocalist, gives it that, stalkerish vibe. I can image this in a TV show, for a female who is obsessed. But this cover has the ability to give you goosebumps.

Muse "Feeling Good" (Cy Grant )
Muse takes the song made famous by Nina Simone and completely flips it, giving you a raucous rock ballad, completely catfishing you at the start before hitting you when the drums kick in.

The Sundays "Wild Horses" (The Rolling Stones)
This song made the list purely because it reminds me of Buffy, and that Prom scene that never fails to break my heart.

Limp Bizkit "Behind Blue Eyes" (The Who)
I always used to think that Fred Durst's vocals were underestimated, especially when he sang on songs, like Rearranged, and this proves it. I have a tattoo of this as this is one of my fave songs, but the Limp Bizkit version.

PVRIS "Are You Ten Years Ago" (Tegan and Sara)
Pvris' cover for the tenth anniversary introduced me to the pop duo, but I have to say I love this version as Lynn has this powerhouse voice even when she keeps it simple.

Hayley Williams "Nineteen" (Tegan and Sara)
For me, Hayley Williams can do no wrong. There is a hint of vulnerability in Hayley's tone that give you goosebumps.

Nothing but Thieves "Holding out for a Hero" (Bonnie Tyler)
As you all know, I am a massive NBT fan and this cover of Holding out for a Hero frim season two trailer for Vikings is haunting, and sinister and Conor smashes it with that epic voice of his.

Calum Scott "Dancing on my Own (Robyn)
Originally a dancefloor filler, Robyn herself did an acoustic version or twilight mix that Calum Scott covered and I loved the song so much, that when I needed a song for Ricky to perform in the Ever Chace Chronicles, this song was the only choice.

Jaymes Young "What is love? (Haddaway)
Another song that was once a 90's dancefloor filler that Jaymes Young slowed down and made it into a slow ballad.

Jessica Lange AHS "God & Monsters (Lana Del Ray)
To be fair, I only heard of this from Melanie when we were trying to find a suitable name for the final EC book and while sometimes, Melanie's musical taste is questionable, (LOL) I admit she had great taste in this one.

Neoni "Carry on my Wayward Son" (Kansas)
Any SPN fan knows Carry on my Wayward Son, but this slowed down version that appeared in the series finale is beautiufl and haunting.

Holy Wars "Tainted Love" (Soft Cell)
There have been a lot f covers of this song and while Marilyn Manson's version is a firm fave, I loved Holy Wars version which is a little more modern.

Saint Phnx "Bury a Friend" (Billie Eilish)
I really like this male take on Billie Eilish's Bury a Friend, and Saint Phnx manage to put their own twist on it.

Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes "Nothing Breaks like a Heart" (Miley Cyrus)
A brilliant and surprising cover from the UK rockers, I have to say that I prefer this version to the Miley one, but simply because this cover is rawer and grittier.

Hidden Citizen "Paint it Black" (The Rolling Stones)
I cannot say how much I love this version. It feels like a completely original song. A cinematic version that would feel right at home in a movie or tv show.

Hayley Williams "Teardrop" (Massive Attack)
Another Hayley Williams cover, this time a cover of Massive Attack's Teardrop. Recorded during lockdown, it's just Hayley in her towel at home belting out another haunting song that showcases why she is one of the best vocalists in the world.

YungBlud "Time in a Bottle" (Jim Croce)
I absolutely adore YungBlud. His personality is infectious and his music even more so. I am also a big fan of all the Fast movies and this was an epic cover to add to the soundtrack.

Dermot Kennedy "Heartless" (Kanye West)
Honestly, I did not know this was a Kanye song until I did a little research. Dermot Kennedy is a fresh Irish talent and listening to this, you can tell because he took a hip hop track and made it so much better.

Dermot Kennedy "Nothing Else Matters (Metallica)
One of the newer covers on the list, and I'll probably be slated when I say that I prefer this version to the original. I adore Dermot's voice and can attest to the fact it sounds just as good live as it does on this cover.

The Used "Burning Down the House"(Talking Heads)
Another song that once given the rocker treatment works and makes it feel like it a brand new song. one of those soundtrack finds from a movie that you might not have found otherwise.

Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is Wicked!
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

Cover Songs - A feature by Dave Christy and Susan Harris - Part 1 from Dave

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 04:00:00 GMT

At Melanie's Muses, we love a good cover song! So much so that the Musers had their own Music List!
Today Dave is adding his picks to the list and you can check out Susan's picks next week!

Dave - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"

Cover songs can have a negative effect as well as a positive effect. For instance, the first song I heard from Ugly Kid Joe was their cover of Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf". I hated it! Didn't like the way it came out. Didn't like the vocals. Didn't like anything about it. Then their hit song "Everything About You" from the same CD was released. I loved that but still won't listen to their cover of "Sweet Leaf". Another hit of theirs was a cover of "Cats in the Cradle". I liked that too but wasn't really familiar with the original. You are more attached if its a cover of a song you already love. Some managed to get it right though. So here are some covers, for better or for worse, that I think got it right even if it took a different turn than the original.

Alice Cooper "Born This Way" (Lady Gaga)
Alice took a new approach when performing this song live. He crafted some new lyrics to go with it.

The Agonist "Take Me to Church" (Hozier)
The song that got me to like The Agonist. Might have heard something from them before but with more "screamy" vocals. Vicky has such a great voice when she uses the clean vocals. Some of their songs have a mixture, which I prefer to some of their other songs.

Paramore "Use Somebody" (Kings of Leon)
They were always good to throw a cover in here and there to give you something new to listen to.

Def Leppard "Ziggy Stardust" (David Bowie)
Def Leppard is band that does things until they get it right. If you listen to some demo versions of their songs, you can tell how much they rework it until they are satisfied. I'm guessing they do the same with the songs they cover.

Sick N' Beautiful "The Show Must Go On" (Queen)
I know. I know. Its almost a disgrace to put a cover of a Queen on a list but they did a fantastic job on it.

Nirvana "Oh Me" (Meat Puppets)
Is this really a cover since a couple members of the original band joined them? I guess so since Kurt is the one singing it. One thing I loved about when Nirvana did Unplugged, they played 6 cover songs that they didn't have anywhere else. So you didn't just get acoustic versions of songs you knew. It was like you also got 6 new Nirvana songs.

Robyn Adele Anderson "Bawitdaba" (Kid Rock) Robyn takes modern songs and puts a completely different spin on them. Like this song, she made revisions as a 1940's tune. She also redid a couple Eminem songs.

30 Seconds to Mars "Message in a Bottle"
(The Police) Stripping songs down to acoustic guitars can show just how great it is. No overproduction, no burying tracks under multiple layers or sound effects. Just a guitar and a voice.

Twiggy Ramirez and Twiggy Lawson "I Only Want to be With You" (Dusty Springfield)
From the soundtrack to "Dead Man on Campus". Such an odd combination. This song took me by surprise at how well it works.

And now for something completely different:
Daniel Radcliffe "Alphabet Aerobics" (Blackalicious) This video was trending after he did it and its not my type of music but I was just amazed at the result.

Skid Row "I Remember You Two" (Skid Row)
Yes, you read that right. They covered their own song. New singer but a completely different sound. They made this tender ballad into a rock song. I was skeptical at first. As much as I loved Sebastain's vocals, I wasn't sure about them getting a new singer and especially not remaking this great ballad into a rock song.

Within Temptation "Skyfall" (Adele)
Sharon's vocal's are so powerful on this unexpected cover of the James Bond theme song.

Vicky Psarakis (singer from The Agonist) "Teardrops" (Bring Me the Horizon)
Vicky has been using the pandemic to record cover songs to keep herself busy and giving fans something new to listen to. There's been Halloween themed ones like "Vampira", "Sally's Song" and even "Ghostbusters" but this is one of my faves.

Disturbed "Land of Confusion" (Genesis)
One of the most artistic, classic videos of the early MTV age but it got redone with just a little hmmph to put the pep into its step.

The Animal in Me "(I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles" (The Proclaimers)
This band has always put up covers to keep fans entertained. There are over 50 of them from rock, pop, alternative, rap, etc.

Dee Snider "Cabaret" (from the Broadway show)
Did you know that Dee Snider from Twisted Sister did a CD of Broadway cover songs? Definitely a different take on these songs.

Halestorm "Bad Romance" (Lady Gaga)
A pop song turned into a rocker is always a strange journey but usually a good one.

My Chemical Romance "Desolation Row" (Bob Dylan)
MCR did quite a take on this track. The song is epically long so they cut a lot of it out to trim it down.

Soul Asylum with Lulu "To Sir With Love" (Lulu) Taken from Soul Asylum Unplugged on MTV, they wanted to perform the song and made a call to see if Lulu would come on with them. Playing it as an acoustic rock song puts a different spin on it. Plus Dave's duet with Lulu adds another element as well.

Eve's Plum "I Will Survive" (Gloria Gaynor)
90's alternative rock band covering a disco song. All you need to know.

BONUS: Metallica and Lady Gaga "Moth Into Flame" (Metallica) OK, so its still Metallica but with Lady Gaga so its different than what is on the CD so its kinda like she is covering it. The actual show was a mess since the mics were working for half the song but luckily this dress rehearsal was captured.

Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is Covers!

Part Two coming next week from Susan
( If she can narrow down her list!)

Mercury Act 1 - Imagine Dragons Album Review from Susan Harris

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Susan is talking about
Mercury Act 1 by Imagine Dragons

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Susan -

Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer Daniel Platzman. Mercury Act 1 is the bands 5th studio release following on from albums, Night Visions (2012), Smoke + Mirrors (2015), Evolve (2017), and Origins (2018) and have established themselves as one of the best pop rock bands to come out of America.

I've been a fan of Imagine Dragons ever since I first heard that first big drum hit on the opening of Radioactive. Night Visions is one of my fave debut albums. But they have always been a little hit and miss for me, with some of their songs becoming too commercial or pop centrectic to fully enjoy an album. Imagine Dragons are similar to Maroon 5, who came out the block with an edgier album ( Songs about Jane) and then went a little too far in the pop direction for my tastes...but I know some people love the new directions.

Lead singer Dan Reynolds has described Mercury Act 1 as two different sides: one organic and looking inward, the other more aggressive and looking outward. The album touches on themes of loss, loneliness, and grief, while celebrating life and has a lot of lyrics that are relatable and self reflective.

Dan also said:

The point of art is to share our darkest moments as well as the light ones.
I believe that by singing about my own struggle with it, it hopefully will bring someone else some sort of peace or resolve. This record deals with a lot of searching and loneliness, struggling with the finite state of reality.

Mercury Act 1 tries too hard to be an album that will appeal to everyone and not even Dan's voice can save it. I was disappointed because I had high hopes after hearing songs like Wrecked and Cutthroat that they might have gone back to Night Visions roots especially since most of the pandemic released albums have been reflected of the period. At times, it's like the lyrics and the melody are out of sync with one another and on the single, Dull Knives, it actually sounded like Dan was in pain in his throat rather than anything else. I read somewhere that this was their attempt at a MCR Welcome to the black parade, but hell no, this can't even compare to that masterpiece.

Track Listing:

My Life
Lonely
Wrecked
Monday
#1
Easy Come Easy Go
Giants
It's Ok
Dull Knives
Follow You
Cutthroat
No Time for Toxic People
One Day

Standout tracks:
My Life, Lonely, Wrecked, Follow You &Cutthroat.
( The pickings were slim to be fair.)

Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is Dragons

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

New Music - A Feature by Dave Christy

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Dave is talking about how the way we find new music has changed over the years (With Melanie interrupting from time to time)!

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"

Dave - As Guns N Roses once said "You want to step into my world? It's a socio-psychotic state of bliss". One of the ways to achieve this is by discovering new music. Technology plays a big part in how music is marketed and how its discovered.

Once upon a time, people had to have their radios on and tuned into their favorite station to hear what new hits were being played. That didn't leave much room for new, "underground" music though. Most stations wouldn't play anything unless it was gaining traction, or if it was a specialty station geared toward alternative, or heavy metal or whatnot. Occasionally, you have a show on a regular station that had an hour or so for these genres so you might hear something unique instead of the same old songs you've heard 1000 times over and over again.

Melanie - It was very different depending where you lived as well. Even now I am amazed at the groups or singers that are considered "One Hit Wonders" here in the States that was hugely popular in England, and vice versa!

via GIPHY

Dave - The age of MTV brought new discoveries as well. In preparing a new release, if it was a popular artist, you may get a new video a couple months in advance. You can have that one song pounded into your head until the new CD was released. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. It can get you so hyped up for the full-length CD. Or if the rest of the CD has a different sound, it could be a massive let down. Been there, done that. The choice for the lead off single if a big decision. You want something that will catch attention but also that is representative of the rest of the record.

Melanie - MTV was a huge game changer in England too. Suddenly we were seeing a lot more of the American Chart songs and often it wasn't as easy to get your hands on the CDs unlike over here. The record stores were very slow on the uptake when it came to the change hitting the industry and of course it wasn't like now where you could just jump on and order online!

via GIPHY

Dave - I will give the example of the band Extreme. Their 2nd CD came out and they released "Decadence Dance", then "Get the Funk Out" as singles and videos. These were good representations of the CD but the 3rd single, acoustic ballad "More Than Words" is what caught everyone's attention. Top 40 hit, being played on the radio, getting attention from other stations that would never play their other music. People in their 60's and 70's were going into record stores looking for "the nice young guys that sing 'More Than Words'" and were denying it when the workers were bringing them a CD titled "Extreme II Pornograffitti". Yeah, I don't think they'd like the rest of the songs, except maybe "Hole Hearted", the 4th single and closest relation to the previous song they heard. Still acoustic but added bass and drums.

Melanie - Oh my goodness I remember when "More Than Words" was a thing in the UK! I had heard of Extreme before but suddenly everyone was talking about them and LOADS of people were annoyed that they had purchased the CD expecting more songs like that and of course were greeted by a WHOLE different sound!

Dave - As you might have gathered from some other music I mentioned before, I like going for a bit of the unknown bands. So, for my music, I was tuning into MTV for Headbanger's Ball. They had a little bit of everything there. The popular bands, new bands, older, lesser-known bands. More often than not, the brand-new stuff would be saved for the last videos of the night at 3:00 am. But it still gave you a chance to hear something fresh. Made quite a few discoveries there. A few of which, I actually liked more than the popular bands selling millions of records.

Melanie - I was just talking about Headbangers Ball on Live a couple of weeks ago. I never watched it in England (I am not sure if we actually got it), but when I moved here Greg was still watching it occasionally and that's where I found HIM! (Which Greg will say did not belong on Headbanger's Ball at all lol)

Dave - Today's world of YouTube and the internet is a whole different animal. You can follow the artist, or the label and constantly get new suggestions and videos popping up. Or YouTube could just offer suggestions based on other videos you've watched. How many times have you randomly clicked something because it "looked good" by the screencap? Another difference that I am seeing now is that they start promoting the new CD a lot earlier. Sometimes I see a new video without a new CD release date in sight and it ends up being almost a year before it actually comes out.

Melanie - Another big change I've noticed is the popularity of songs because they are used in Instagram or TikTok videos. I found this one because Em showed it to me after I had heard about 1000 clips of it as she was scrolling through. This song WON Eurovision - and yet still it is becoming heard in the US because of social media alone. Side note - Greg is not a fan especially as the riff is super catchy and gets stuck in your head!

Dave - Since they start the groundwork so early, you often can hear 3-4 songs from the new record before its released. It gives you a much better overall feel of the sound they were going for with this release. I would hate when I would only hear one song and go buy the CD and be disappointed in the rest of it. It’s happened a few times. Now, I can hear a few choices first. Or if I wait until its released, the artist may put all the songs on their YouTube channel. (RANTING PREACHER MODE--I prefer to buy the CDs, yes, the actual physical CDs. Support the artists, people. Just because you can listen for free doesn't mean you should. The studio time, the equipment, production, etc all costs money. If you enjoy it that much, buy it. END RANT)

Melanie - Nice to see I am not the only one that gets ranty about things! Also it is a bit like DVDs - things might be streaming now but that doesn't guarantee they always will be!

via GIPHY

Dave - I still don't think a lot of these artists are using the technology to their full advantage. You'd hear a lot of interviews and they say they went into the studio with 30-40 songs and picked the best 12 to go on the record. Where are the rest of the songs? If you aren't going to do anything with them, throw them up on YouTube or on the website. They could sell them cheap as digital downloads. Chances are they will write a bunch more before the next record comes out and these songs will never see the light of the day. There have been so many songs that were B-sides or demos that never made the actual CD that I ended up loving!

Melanie - Totally with you on that Dave! One of my all time favorite songs of all time is Anna Stesia by Prince which was only released on his LoveSexy album! Another is Love Song by Madonna and Prince which was only found on Madonna's Like A Prayer Album. So many great songs out there that should be shared!

Be sure to let us know how you find new music in the comments!

The Code Word For This Article Is Discover!

Dark & Beautiful Secrets - Normandie Album Review by Susan Harris

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Susan is talking about
Dark & Beautiful Secrets by Normandie

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Susan -

Normandie is supposed to be a post-hardcore / alternative rock band from Sweden but their most recent album, released in February of 2021, has more of a pop/punk feel to it rather than alternative rock. They claim to be Sweden's best kept secret so I'm here to tell you why you should give Normandie a listen.
Their style of music has been compared to the likes of Thirty Seconds To Mars, Bring Me The Horizon and Pvris

All of their bios seem to have conflicting information of who is actually in the band so I hope this is up to date. Normandie consists of Lead vocalist Philip Strand, guitarist Håkan Almbladh, basist Lucas Englund and drummer Anton Franzon.

I've been listening to a few of Normandie's tracks lately while writing, so decided to check the back catalogue. Dark & Beautiful Secrets is the band's third album and while some critics have slammed it for being too commercial, I can certainly see the appeal and to be honest, the same could be said for a lot of Bring Me The Horizon's most recent releases...I mean, you know a band is not 100% rock any more when you hear them played in the background of a British Soap, right?

Dark & Beautiful Secrets is an album that I like to call vocal journaling, where an artist is using the medium of music to tell the world their experiences and for this album, it focuses on lead singer Philip's struggles with anxiety.

I think the website Punktastic summed it up when describing the song Hostage and this is the essence of the vocal journaking.

It’s a song that will resonate deeply with anyone who’s struggled with the internal battles of anxiety disorders, lyrically capturing the repetitive thoughts and inescapable nature of panic – it’s all too familiar, but there’s strength in sharing this experience, and the result is a truly cathartic few minutes that show a new side to this band.

Track Listing:

Babylon
Hostage
Jericho
Holy Water
Mission Control
Bury Me Alive
Atmosphere
Thrown In The Gutter
Renegade
Chemicals

Standout tracks:
Babylon, Hostage, Jericho, Holy Water, Bury Me Alive, Thrown In The Gutter, Renegade and Chemicals

The band recently released a series of acoustic versions of songs from the album and I am a sucker for an acoustic track!

Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is Normandie

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

Guns N' Roses - A Feature By Dave Christy

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Dave is talking about Guns N' Roses! (With Melanie interrupting from time to time)

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Dave - 1987. Hard rock and heavy metal were hitting the airwaves and the time was ripe for new bands to explode onto the scene. One of those bands got the prime gig of opening for Aerosmith. That band is Guns N' Roses. The downright brutal assault of "Appetite for Destruction" was making a lot of noise on the radio and MTV and quickly making this LA band a worldwide success.

Melanie - Fun fact - I own 2 copies of Appetite for Destruction on vinyl! One with the cover that was banned for being too "graphic" and the replacement "safe" one.

Dave - The chart-topping success of that record, made their independent EP "Live Like a Suicide" a hot commodity fetching some outrageous prices. So, the band cut 4 new acoustic songs and rereleased that EP on "Lies". The acoustic side brought a new sound to the band. "Patience" was nothing like anything on "Appetite".

"Use Your Illusion 1 & 2" brought another change in tempo for the band. Incorporating some piano and keyboards and an influence of blues on several songs kept things fresh and kept fans guessing. This was one of the first times I can remember a record store having a midnight sale at the day of the release for diehard fans. Songs were getting more epic too. "November Rain clocked in at almost 9 minutes. "Coma" comes in at over 10 minutes. Even though its the longest song on the record, its one of my favorites. Those 10 minutes have about 4 tempo changes, keeping things fresh. If it had been the same repetitive rhythm for 10 minutes, it could have been boring.

Melanie - November Rain is one of my all time favorite songs. I watched the video so many times and even used to own the VHS - Making The F**king Video Part 2 - which was all about the making of November Rain. I also wanted the featured dress to be my wedding dress! I did end up with a dress from Hot Topic - not quite as dramatic but definitely a statement lol.

Dave - "The Spaghetti Incident?" is definitely a WTF moment for most fans. An album of cover songs but not really with the typical GNR stamp. A perfect example of this is "Down on the Farm". It was originally by a punk band called the UK Subs. GNR covered it at Farm Aid 4 in 1990. At Farm Aid, it sounded much more rocked out. This studio version sounds more punk. Everything sounds like the original style it was done in by the original bands.

This was 1993 and the beginning of the long drought and a lot of changes for the band. Everyone was gone except for Axl and the controversy started about name changes since "the original members" weren't there. Well, if you want to get technical, Slash wasn't an original member either. Tracii Guns (went on to form L.A. Guns) was the original guitarist (hence the name-- GUNS N' Roses).

1999 brought us the first new song since 93, and first original GNR song from 91. "Oh My God" brought a heavier, more industrial sound as it was featured on the "End of Days" soundtrack. The eagerly awaited new GNR CD has a name. "Chinese Democracy". Of course, it wont actually be released 2008. But I'll get to that in a bit after I rant a little. OK, maybe a lot. Thus begins my defense.

Comments can run rampant and fans and fandoms can become so toxic. The second that something is different or changes, the assaults come rushing in. Complaining that isn't GNR. Its just Axl and some hired guns. This doesn't sound like GNR. So called fans want to pull apart every bit of originality. You could just as easily say Velvet Revolver was just GNR with a new singer. But that’s beside the point.

First things first.

1. "This isn't GNR". Ummm, yes, it is. Look at the label. Says it right there. Guns N Roses.
2. "It's just Axl and some hired guns". It's his band. His name. Technically everyone in the Appetite line-up were hired guns. He was always one of the main songwriters & the singer. Some would say those 2 things define a band. Which also brings me to my next point.
3. "This doesn't sound like GNR". Ummm, which sound are you referring to? If you listened to all of their albums, they all have a different sound. When "Lies" was released, it sounded different from "Appetite". The "Illusions" CDs sounded different from each other and from their previous work. This is just in line of the next progression. The sound is expanding and the universe is growing too far to remain inside a tiny bubble. Its going to pop at some point.

So, as I said, 2008 brought the release of "Chinese Democracy" the end to the 15-year gap of new GNR music-- and the start of fans crying about it. With as many songs that have been worked on for this record over the years, they only gave us 14 new songs. But clocking in at just over 71 minutes, that was just about the limit for one CD unless they wanted double release. It's a very diverse record. Different influences and keeping the shift in momentum. The title track, "Better", There Was a Time", "Madagascar", "Catcher in the Rye". But one of the sickest burns is in "Street of Dreams"-- "What I thought was beautiful, don't live inside of you anymore". OUCH!

In the years since then, Slash and Duff have re-joined Axl for the reunion tour. I kinda have mixed feelings about this. I love seeing them together but they went right on the road. It seems like a quick money grab to me. If you are going to regroup, hit the studio first. Record new music so you have something to market. I will say one thing that is surprising about this reunion. Something that is separates it from other reunion tours is they are not ignoring the time that the other members were out of the band. They actually had Slash and Duff learn some "Chinese Democracy" so they can play them live. With the new release of the single "Absurd", a reworked version of "Silkworms" from the "Chinese Democracy" demos, maybe we'll be hearing a full record soon.

Melanie - Just want to add that I am a HUGE Duff fan - I even have his solo album which Greg HATES! Duff also played with the Hollywood Vampires for a while - as did drummer Matt Sorum! I love the Hollywood Vampires and got to see them live a few years back - Sadly not with this line up but it was still awesome!

Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"

The Code Word For This Article Is November

Seven - Enemy Inside Album Review by Dave Christy

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Dave is reviewing the Enemy Inside Album from Seven.

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Dave -

If you pay close attention to my music articles, you know I love a great female vocal. It still seems like it’s trying to break new ground while a lot of the male vocal bands are stuck in a little bit of a rut, trying to figure out something new but end up doing the same thing. I just don't find a lot of the newer stuff they are offering exciting. Enemy Inside popped up in my YouTube feed with the first video from "Seven", "Crystallize". I was instantly excited to hear more as soon as I saw this one.

Nastassja Giulia's vocals drive this German-based band. The theatrics of the video are pure eye candy if you are looking for something a little more than just the band performing in a warehouse. The makeup and settings only add to the pulse pounding drums behind the songs. Amusement for the eyes and ears alike. You could almost call it derivative of Alice Cooper but without the shock factor. Another visual delight is the 2nd video, "Alien".

The mostly piano driven "Break Through" shows you don't need the pounding drum beat to find the emotion behind the songs and fall under the spell of the vocals carrying you away.

"In My Blood" is the latest video from "Seven". No way to accurately describe this one. Alice in Wonderland/dinner party from hell? Who knows? But the masks kinda remind me of the ones that In This Moment uses in their live shows. Great song and video regardless.

"Seven" was released August 27th and is actually Enemy Inside's 2nd studio release following 2018's "Phoenix". Since I discovered the band earlier this year, I went back and listened to that record also. The videos for it aren't as theatrical but still just as good. You can have it both ways. All out and outrageous visuals or just dressed down and derivative sending earworms your way.

"Seven" offers you 11 new songs of absolute perfection. If you like what you see and hear in the videos above, check out their previous release "Phoenix" as well.

The Code Word For This Article Is Seven

Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"

All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

Moral Panic II - EP Review by Susan Harris

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Susan is talking about
Moral Panic II by Nothing But Thieves

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Nothing but Thieves are one of those bands that I never tire of listening to and Conor Mason is one of my all time fave male vocalists.
Last year, when they released Moral Panic (Review here) I didn't think the band could make the album any better.
But sometimes, I'm wrong!

Earlier this month, Nothing but Thieves decided to give us an EP that's like Moral Panic 2.0!

The EP is only 5 songs and feels more like the deluxe version of the original album and doesn't disappoint. If you enjoyed Moral Panic, then these few tracks will also be your cup of tea!

Track Listing:

Futureproof
If I Were You
Miracle, Baby
Ce n’est Rien
Your Blood

Standout tracks:
Everything but I especially love Ce n’est Rien

Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is Nothing

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

Metallica Black Album 30th Anniversary - A Feature By Dave Christy!

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Dave is talking about the 30th Anniversary of Metallica's Black Album!

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

(Also how can it have been 30 years - that's soooo long!!!)

Dave -

The year 1991 doesn’t seem that long for some of us. But at the same time, seems like a completely different lifetime to others. Home computers were still relatively new. We used floppy disks to store data. Metallica was on the verge of a breakthrough. A couple years prior, they released their first video for “One” from their 4th record "...And Justice For All" after refusing to make a music video for years.

This was the dawning of a new era or some hardcore fans call it an “error” and the beginning of the end. Some fans you just can’t please. But the harsh truth is old fans can be replaced with new ones. When Metallica released their self-titled album (aka The Black Album), it broke all expectations by selling 16 million copies. That is double what their previous effort sold (it tool 14 years to get to the 8 million mark). I have to think part of that is due to the popularity of The Black Album and newer fans looking into the bands history.

I was one of the lucky ones, hearing the record before the release date at the listening party in New York City at the famed Madison Square Garden. Hearing the songs pumped through the sound system with nearly 20,000 other rabid fans. They also played some live videos, studio footage, etc. At the end of it all, the band came out on stage. It was James Hetfield’s birthday. So Lars said “On the count of 3, I want everyone to say “Fuck you, James!” and 20,000 fans replied. Fabulous!

via GIPHY

Here we are, 30 years later and this classic is hitting a milestone. Metallica is celebrating its anniversary with a massive box set. Remastered CD, demos, rough mixes, live stuff, 53 artists covering the songs, DVDs, guitar picks, laminates, and a book. But you better have a thick wallet or one hell of a good friend. That box will cost $240. You could go with the cheaper, slimmed down, alternative route. Expanded remastered 3 CD set with demos and rough mixes will only be $30. And $30 more for the 4 CDs of the cover songs. Honestly, listening the clips of the covers, that seems a little high since its very eclectic and not a high likelihood of me liking a lot of it. A few may be good but I’m not holding my breath for the most of it. The digital copy of this is $50. Who names these prices and how is the digital more than a physical 4 CD set?

Getting back to 1991 though. Right from the first listen, I loved it all except “Nothing Else Matters”. It was a wide departure for the band but it eventually grew on me. Still didn’t like it as much the heavier stuff— “Don’t Tread on Me”, “Holier Than Thou”, “Sad But True”, “The God That Failed”, “Through the Never”. The track listing is perfect.

1. Enter Sandman
2. Sad But True
3. Holier Than Thou
4. The Unforgiven
5. Wherever I May Roam
6. Don't Tread on Me
7. Through the Never
8. Nothing Else Matters
9. Of Wolf and Man
10. The God That Failed
11. My Friend of Misery
12. The Struggle Within

This masterpiece managed to knock down walls for new fans and build up walls, alienating some older fans at the same. I am one that stuck by them. A fan since their 3rd release, “Master of Puppets”, and journeyed backwards getting their first 2 cassettes, I embraced the bands growth. You can’t grow while standing still. For better or worse, this is essentially the start of Metallica 2.0 and they were ready to take over the world with the help of heavy rotation airplay on MTV. To paraphrase bassist Jason Newsted, you can call them a sell-out. Yes, they sell out every show, every night, sometimes multiple nights in the same city.

All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

Seize the Power - Yonaka EP review by Susan Harris

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Susan is talking about
Seize the Power by Yonaka

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Susan -

Anyone who has every listened to one of my writing playlists knows that you don't have to listen too long before a Yonaka tracks pops up. They are also one of my fave bands to see live, and Theresa Jarvis is one of my all time fave female vocalists.

Yonaka, who also features George Edwards on guitar, Alex Crosby on bass and keyboard, and Robert Mason on drums released Seize the Power, the follow up to their smash album, Don't Wait Til Tomorrow, last Thursday the 15th and it did not disappoint. Its that badass sound we have come to love coupled with this indescribable feeling that you can do just about anything, anthems for the repressed, the depressed and those who need to seize the power within.

Speaking of the new project, vocalist Theresa said:
Seize The Power’ is a collection of songs to empower you. We all possess the power within but through life we are always put down by others, told to be quiet and not express ourselves; this makes us less confident and we lose ourselves.

Yonaka has some of the most incredible visual music videos, that screams creativity and each music video for Seize the Power seems to tell a story.

Seize the Power is a perfect blend of motivational anthems with Ordinary, Raise Your Glass and Raise your Glass, to massive FU tracks, like Get Out, Clique, Greedy and Call me a Saint, that will be epic live and the last track, Anthem, surprises the hell out of you in the best possible way.

Track Listing:

Ordinary
Seize The Power
Get Out
Raise Your Glass
Clique Ft. Fever 333
Greedy
Call Me A Saint
Anthem With Barns Courtney

I was cold, I was lonely
No one thought to even phone me
Look at me now, I'm a fighter
I'm a strong bitch, baby, I'm designer

Standout tracks for me:
The Entire Fucking EP.
Nuff said.

Melanie Here - I discovered Yonaka from Susan's playlists a while ago! Creature is probably the one I listen to the most often!

Also The Code Word For This Article Is ALEX! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

It Won't Always Be Like This - Inhaler Album Review by Susan Harris

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Susan is talking about
It Won't Always Be Like This by Inhaler

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Inhaler are an Irish rock band originating from Dublin, Ireland.
The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Elijah Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson
and drummer Ryan McMahon.
With an old school indie rock kinda feel, Inhaler first came on my radar after hearing the song, When It Breaks and I was like, how the hell had I not heard of them before.

I always love finding an Irish band to promote and Inhaler definitely have a big future ahead of them. When I first listened to the band, there was a niggling voice in my head where I was like...who the hell does the lead singer sound like?
Turns out, that he had a very famous father from the little known Irish Band U2. Elijah Hewson is the son of U2 front-man Bono.
Now, the fact that I found out the Elijah doesn't like to name drop his dad in interviews, wanting to pave the bands own way, I appreciated the way the band was trying to establish themselves before any links to his famous father were made.

The album contains a mix of upbeat and easy listening songs. Some tracks like When it Breaks, Cheer Up Baby, It Won't Always Be Like this and In My Sleep will be rambunctious tracks when played live, something I hope to experience in December when they play a music venue in Cork.

It Won't Always Be Like This is a mature debut form the Dublin Band, with tracks that will appeal to all kinds of rock lovers. Its the kind of album you need on a long road trip, in order to appreciate just how good this album is and how perfectly picked the tracks are.

Track Listing:

1. It Won't Always Be Like This
2. My Honest Face
3. Slide Out The Window
4. Cheer Up Baby
5. A Night On The Floor
6. My King Will Be Kind
7. When It Breaks
8. Who's Your Money On? (Plastic House)
9. Totally
10. Strange Time To Be Alive
11. In My Sleep

Standout tracks for me:
It Won't Always Be Like This, My Honest Face, Cheer Up Baby, A Night On The Floor, My King Will Be Kind, Who's Your Money On? (Plastic House), Totally and In My Sleep

Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is BONO! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

Onyx - FJØRA Album review by Susan Harris

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 17:13:27 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Susan is talking about
Onyx by FJØRA

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

FJØRA is Alexandra Petkovski. Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Alex grew up surrounded by music. A classically-trained pianist with a master's degree in composition, she wrote for film and stage before venturing into the world of cinematic pop. Now based in Nashville, Alexandra is churning out some of the industry’s most distinct forays into dance-infused pop music — born out of a classical taste for good production and a fearless drive to make a new sound in music

I stumbled upon FJØRA when looking for music for my new book series playlist and I got very intrigued because it was not easy to find any information about her!
FJØRA reminds me a little of artists like Fleurie, Ruelle, Svricina and a little like Hayley Williams.

Onyx is an album that is dark in tone, yet its definitely cinematic pop, and I love it. I can totally see most of the songs being featured in TV shows.

When I said it was hard to find details out about FJØRA, I meant it and she doesn't even have many videos on YouTube, even for her first album, Onyx, which came out in March of this year. For now, you can stream it on most platforms, and get the album on Amazon.
I've listened to this album a lot over the past couple of weeks and I still love it.

Track Listing:

Come With Me
Get Down
Dangerous Games
Outta my Way
Smile
Revenge is a bitch & so am I
Cage
Deep End
Limitless (Ft. INTOTHEWILD)
This is the End

Standout tracks for me: (But this a complete unskippable album)
Come With Me, Get Down, Outta my Way, Smile, Revenge is a bitch & so am I, Cage, Limitless (Ft. INTOTHEWILD) and This is the End

Other songs FT FJØRA

Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is ONYX! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

The Best Male Vocalists in a Band - A feature by Dave Christy and Susan Harris - Part 2 from Susan

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 04:00:00 GMT

At Melanie's Muses, we don't like to discriminate when it comes to music ( Unless its Garth Brooks or Justin Bieber) so Dave and I got together virtually and compiled a list of our top male vocalists in bands, covering rock, metal, indie music.

If you missed part one you can check it out here!

Susan's Picks-

The lead singer of a band is usually the person you see standing front and center, setting the tone for the rest of the group. Dave had some awesome picks last week, so here are my top male vocalists from bands I love.

Dave Grohl ( Foo Fighters)

Was there any doubt that I would start with my mate Dave?
Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a proud member of the church of Grohl and I worship at the altar of Dave, preaching the gospel of the Foo's. Dave started out as a drummer for Nirvana, and after Kurt's death in 1994, he formed the Foo Fighters.
Its not an easy feat to step out from behind the drum kit and become that lead singer, but Dave has the natural ability and tone to do it. He's just such an epic guy, whether he is belting out The Pretender or just him and a guitar singing My Hero acoustically.
And to be honest, Dave has to be the nicest man in rock and roll which will always make him my number one singer in a band!

Jared Leto (30 Seconds to Mars)

There is no doubt that Jared Leto can do it all, but I first fell in love with Jared's voice when I heard the song, The Kill and the album Beautiful lie. I will admit that Emo me was in love with dark haired, Jared from the video but its the way his voice just goes from soft to that powerful high that always gives me goosebumps.
While I kinda drifted from the band when their music took a more obvious political turn, I still love early 30 Seconds to Mars and Jared's cover of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance is one of my all time fave covers.

Oli Sykes (Bring Me The Horizon)

When Bring me the Horizon was first formed, they were essentially a pure metalcore group with lots of screaming, but after Oli's stint in rehab, when Oli accepted the band's Album Of The Year award for Sempiternal at the Alternative Press Music Awards in 2014 for the first time, Oli told the crowd that once he'd left rehab, he "didn't want to scream anymore, he wanted to sing from the fucking rooftops".
And he did.
The band and Oli himself's sound has transitioned overtime and now, in his vocals, we can hear the pain, the sadness, the grief and the anger in his lyrics. But also, Oli can sing...its not all about the screaming. In Hospital for Souls, Deathbeds, and even more recently when he collabed with Amy Lee of Evanescence on the haunting One Day the only Butterflies Will be in your chest, Oli held his own with the powerhouse that is Amy and it was a duet no one expected.

Josh Franceschi (You Me At Six)

You Me At Six are a pure example of why you should always go to a gig early and listen to the support act. I went to see Paramore in Dublin and You Me At Six were one of the support acts that I just feel in love with. Josh was still in the award emo hair days but there was no denying his vocal ability. His tone was angsty, whether he was belting our, You've made your bed, so Sleep In It or Tigers and Sharks from Take off your colors and even over the years as they have matured as a band, with their newest release Suckapunch, where the title track is a rebel rousing song to the impossibly beautiful Glasgow that became the anthem when I wrote Fight Song.

Conor Mason (Nothing but Thieves)

Conor Mason is the lead singer of Nothing but Thieves and band I loved even before they managed to bag a deal to record Bonnie Tyler's Holding out for a Hero, for the Vikings season 2 trailer. Back in 2014 I heard the song Graveyard Whistling, I was captivated by Conor's voice, and the power that creeps up on you when you least expect it. Conor is epic live, sounds just like he does on the CD, even if his dad dance moves are a little questionable. If you haven't listened to Nothing But Thieves yet, do yourself and your ears a favor and do it now!

Kelly Jones (Stereophonics)

Kelly Jones was one of my very first crushes and Performance and Cocktails is still one of my fave albums. It brings me back to days where I was young and the summer was long. That gravely tone coupled with a Welsh accent just hit me harder than any band had done before and perhaps shaped the kind of vocals and songs I liked. But Kelly could do it all, belt out fast paced tunes like The Bartender and the Thief and my all time fave song, Just Looking.

Chester Bennington (Linkin Park ,Grey Daze, Dead by Sunrise, and Stone Temple Pilots)

That smile.
Hybrid Theory is the album I always say saved my life when I was a teenager. It spoke to me on so many levels at that age, putting into words things I was feeling but didn't quite know how to express. It was like poetry to music, and Chester had that unique voice made you pay attention. I remember seeing the music video for Crawling, back when MTV did music videos and immediately went out to buy the CD. I had to order it in from the US because it wasn't appropriate for Irish record stores.
Chester gave a voice to my feelings back when I didn't know how I was feeling myself.
I fell in love with tattoos and rock music because of him.
When Chester died, I cried for the first time over the death of a celebrity, over a musician because I would never get to hear a new song sung by him.
His death hurt, knowing that despite his happy demeanor, he was still haunted by his demons, like the rest of us mere mortals. but he left us with a legacy of songs and I will always be grateful for giving me a voice when I had none.

Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is MALE! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

Empty Rooms - Halflives Album Review By Dave Christy

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Dave is talking about the Empty Rooms album by Halflives!

We love when we discover new to us music to share so be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Dave -

Bursting out of Paris, France, Halflives "Empty Rooms" CD fills the room with sound that leaves you bouncing to beat wherever you may be. The 3-piece band consists of Linda Battalani, Oscar Scantamburlo, and Fede Bernardi. A little rock, a little pop, a little alternative, all energy. Linda's vocals jump through the speakers joined with infectious rhythms to give you enough earworms to sing along to all week long.

The 8 song album leads off with "Lone Wolf", a song reminiscent of early Paramore. After a few seconds the drum beats are sure to pull you in with the catchy tones and crunchy guitars.

The rest of the record continues to rock you with the pulse pounding rock beats of "Burn" and "Mayday". Slowing down a little bit for the enchanting tune "Echo", it continues to be a superb musical journey. Now, I can continue to talk about how great every song is but you just have to listen for yourself. OK, one more peek at "Echo".

"Empty Rooms" was released in 2017 so I am a little late to the party. But from their videography, this is definitely a band to watch for and keep a close eye on. As evidenced by their song "Victim" from the brand new 5 song EP "V", they are sure to change up the sound a little bit as they grow.

A couple of off-the-wall covers they have rebranded are My Chemical Romance's "Welcome to the Black Parade" & 30 Seconds to Mars "This is War". Heavily relying on piano to put their own spin on them, they have really impressed me. As a fan of both original bands, I was hesitant to listen but they definitely have my stamp of approval, which isn't easy to get when you cover songs that I already love.

Please check out the store and support the band if you dig what you are hearing.

Halflives Store

Melanie Here - I'm not sure HOW I haven't heard them before but I LOVE them! The video for Victim (as I'm sure none of you will be surprised) really calls to my darker side. Thanks for sharing Dave!!!

Also The Code Word For This Article Is Echo! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!

The Best Male Vocalists in a Band - A feature by Dave Christy and Susan Harris - Part 1 from Dave

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Dave's Picks-

In some ways, the singer can be the most important part of the group. The music genre can be defined by the band members and what they write but how its sung and the voice represented in it will most likely dictate if you like the band or even the song. A singer could use a different tone or pitch to match the feel of one particular song. You may like what you hear there but not on the other songs. So here are some of our favorite male singers. Not sure how many we'll be listing. We seem to go a little overboard anyway. We aim for a number then realize we left out one, or two, or ten others that need to be included. So, in no particular order, with no actual rhyme or reason, this is what I'm coming up with off the top of my head without obvious choices because you know I need to do things my way and be different.

Chris Motionless (Motionless in White).

When I first checked out MIW, it was because they were opening for Escape the Fate and I had tickets for the show. So, I looked them up on YouTube and found their video for "Abigail". The music was good but when the vocals started, they were more screaming then singing and I turned it off. I still had a month before the concert so I ended up giving them another shot. Listening to the whole song this time, it switched things up. A blend of screaming and singing. I liked the singing better. I ended up buying the CD. And their next one too. But it still wasn't anything I was really listening to a lot so I wasn't planning on wasting money on their 3rd CD "Reincarnate". But the songs went up on YouTube so I figured I'd at least listen to them once and see what it sounded like. It was an aptly named CD. The band was reincarnated. Alot more actual singing on this record. Songs like "Unstoppable", and "Contempress" (a duet with Maria Brink of In This Moment) are standouts that show the bands progression. Of course, some fans didn't like this new direction but I found it a lot more pleasing and ended up buying it and loving their subsequent records much more than their first 2. The raw emotion in "Another Life" is utterly amazing. 10 years ago, he wouldn't have been on this list but how much they have grown as musicians, songwriters and vocally have earned Chris this spot.

Axl Rose (Guns N Roses) & Sebastian Bach (Skid Row).

One of the key things I look at when compiling this list is range. Since both of these singers have similar qualities and the ability to belt out a heavy rocker, a fast song, and a ballad without skipping a beat, I decided to list them together. GNR's slowest song (if you can even call it that) on their debut was "Sweet Child of Mine". Then when they released "Lies" and put the acoustic ballad "Patience" as the single, that showed an entirely new level to the band. The Illusions CDs would continue to show another side speeding things up for "Garden of Eden" & "Perfect Crime". Skid Row had the rock anthem "Youth Gone Wild" on their debut but also slowed things down for "18 and Life" and "I Remember You" before igniting a flame under your seat with "Slave to the Grind". An EP of cover songs broke things down to another level for "Little Wing" showcasing Sebastian's vocal talent and range

Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance)

When I first heard about MCR, Rolling Stone described them as "goth, glam, punk, metal" or something along those lines. Sounded like an interesting combination so I decided to check them out. A singer needs presence and emotion to invite you into their world and the feeling behind the song. "I'm Not Okay" on "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge" was being belted out and pulls you in by the throat. Then the very next song "Ghost of You" aims lower and pulls on your heart. "The Light Behind Your Eyes" and "Cancer" are two songs that resonate a lot with me, mentally and emotionally. People like to call this music "emo", short for emotional. I call BS. All songs have emotion. If there is no emotion behind it, why are they bothering to play the music?

John Bush (Anthrax).

When I first got into Anthrax, it was the "Among the Living" CD. Well, back then it was a cassette tape. Also, back then the singer was Joey Belladonna. Nothing wrong with Joey but this selection is to show how much a singer can fit a band, and vice versa. John had a band before Anthrax called Armored Saint. I heard them before but wasn't really impressed. When Joey left Anthrax and I heard John was going to be the new singer, I was not a happy camper. Then I heard a sneak peek of a new song and the announcer said "Do you recognize this band? You may not. They have a new singer on this record." Right then I knew it was a new Anthrax song, "Room for One More". Even though I wasn't an Armored Saint fan, John's voice fit this so well. All my fears were subsided. For a totally different, somber side of the band, also check out "Black Lodge". The single has a few different mixes of it. The "mellow to mad" mix is amazing. It’s basically strings for like 85% of the song before bringing in the other instruments. Incredible.

James Hetfield (Metallica).

Over nearly 40 years, James has had to do it all vocally. In their earlier days, they were more speed metal oriented with stuff like "Whiplash" and "Hit the Lights". They have changed course a few times, experimenting with different sounds. Early fans would never think this band could write something like "Nothing Else Matters", or perform an entire concert with a full orchestra, or an entire concert acoustically. A few years ago, they even had Lady Gaga join them on stage at the Grammy's belting out "Moth into Flame". Set-up wise, that was a disaster since the microphone was on the blink for half the song. But luckily, they filmed a dress rehearsal where everything worked great and that surfaced on Gaga's YouTube page a couple days later. Again, fans get picky with this kinda thing. I don't see why. Gaga adapted to Metallica's style and sang their song. Metallica didn't change to sing one of hers. Some fans just like to complain.

Eric Dover (Slash's Snakepit, Imperial Drag).

Eric used to play guitar for Jellyfish. So, he was picked to sing for Slash's first solo record in the mid-90's, I was a little confused. Of course, I want to support Slash's new project but what would it sound like? As far as I know, this is his first singing gig. It wasn't polished but it fit the music perfectly. "Beggars and Hangers On" and "Back and Forth Again" showcase what he could do. A couple years later, he had his own short-lived band that didn't really get a lot of recognition but I still loved them. Imperial Drag kinda came out of left field. A different musical style than Slash's Snakepit. It was more rock/alternative rock, with a bit of a trippy, almost 70's style feel. I can't even describe it properly. "Breakfast by Tiger", "Spyder", and "Zodiac Sign" will give you a better sense of their sound.

M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold).

Whenever a band changes direction and matures, fans always debate. It’s a fact. They won't write the same songs at 20 years old, as they will when they are 30 or 40 years old. You change and have more experiences, for better or for worse. Avenged Sevenfold is no exception. Early stuff like "Warmness on the Soul" captured fans. "Bat Country" and "Beast and Harlot" expanded the audience but songs like "Dear God", "So Far Away", "Victim", and "Fiction" would go on to affect them on a much deeper level. Even after those songs, the band continued to show progress and expand musically instead of just writing the same style on record after record. That's what I like to hear. Growth.

If you enjoyed Dave's list, come back for part two next week for Susan's Picks.

No Gods No Masters By Garbage - An Album Review From Dave Christy!

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Dave is talking about
No Gods No Masters by Garbage! Susan also added her thoughts after Dave's review!

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Dave Says -

Garbage has had plenty of ups and downs since their 1995 self-titled debut CD. The nearly instant success of songs like "Only Happy When It Rains", "Queer", & "Stupid Girl" set their sights high and let everyone knew who they were. They even caught the attention of me. Now that is definitely saying something. Look at all the other bands you saw me write about. Now throw Garbage into the mix. One of these bands is not like the others. Something about Shirley Manson and her band of co-conspirators lured me in even though it wasn't my usual genre of music. Their music, you can't really categorize so easily. A little poppy but with instruments, with an alternative feel. But at the same time some stuff like "Vow" is more rock driven. Another thing they had going for them is they didn't fall into the sophomore slump with "Version 2.0" either. They stayed true and kept heading in the right direction.

Now it’s 2021 and we almost didn't make it this far. There was a 4-year hiatus between "Beautiful Garbage" (usually everyone's least favorite record) and "Bleed Like Me" (an amazing comeback, if you can call it that). Then there was another 7 years until "Not Your Kind of People". Now it’s been another 5 years since "Strange Little Birds" when the gang came back with "No Gods No Masters". A lot of gaps in their recording but my opinion is this-- I'd rather a band take their time and do it right instead of rushing something out there that will disappoint fans.

This record takes a wide turn from their usual subject matter, widely influenced from the world around them. Pushing the boundaries, they march into "The Men Who Rule the World" and wastes no time letting you know why there is an "explicit lyrics" mark on the front cover. "The Creeps" picks up the pace a little pushing the overall mood.

"Uncomfortably Me" sums up my entire essence in a song.

"Spend every day wishing my life away
Always so nervous and unsure of myself
Always the bridesmaid and never the bride
Always the wallflower, never the sport star
Wanted their body, wanted their hair
Wanted the way that they walked straight ahead of me
Didn’t know then what I think I know now
Wanted their confidence, wanted their love

Uncomfortably here, uncomfortably there
Uncomfortably me, uncomfortably me"

The melancholy "Waiting for God" is nothing short of enchanting. The "Anonymous XXX" hypnotic rhythms just physically put your body into drive and shift into the right gear. "Flipping the Bird" gives off all the attitude you need.

"You tell me who you think I am
And I agree with you but deep inside
I am flipping you the bird again
Seek long enough and ye shall find, my friend"

At the end of this journey, 11 tracks make up this spectacular record that was a long time in the making. A lot had to happen and the stars had to align up to have this turn out the way it did.

If you shell out a few extra dollars, you can get the deluxe edition that has a bonus CD with another 8 songs that have been on various Record Store Day releases over the years including some collaborations. "Starman", "Because the Night" and the fabulous "Destroying Angels" are standouts on Disc 2.

One thing I have always loved about this band is their use of extra songs. Every time they had a single, they would have a couple B-Sides (or, more appropriately fan-dubbed "G-Sides") that didn't make the record. And these weren't just throwaway songs either. "13 X Forever", "Lick the Pavement", "Can't Seem to Make You Mine", and "Thirteen" are just a handful of stellar tracks that could have easily made any one of their CDs. A catalogue of songs awaits you, all guided by Shirley's voice taking the lead.

Susan Says -

I listened to No Gods No Masters after Dave recommended it to me and I'm so glad he did. I totally agree with Dave that this album seems to be majorly influenced by the ever changing world around us. The first song, "The Men Who Rule the World" is a massive middle finger in the air to the governments who are destroying society, not just in the USA, but in the wider world.

Each song is individually powerful, with thought provoking lyrics and haunting melodies as well as old school rockish given a new burst of life.

I've already added multiple songs to a number of book playlists!! Thanks Dave!!

Standout tracks for me: The Men Who Rule the World, The Creeps, Uncomfortable Me, Wolves, Godhead, A Woman Destroyed, No Gods No Masters, Because the Night ft. Screaming Females and Destroying An Angel's.

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

Scaled and Icy - Twenty One Pilots Album Review by Susan Harris

Thu, 27 May 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Susan is talking about
Scaled and Icy by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS!

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Susan Says -

TWENTY ØNE PILØTS is an American musical duo that originates from Columbus, Ohio.
The band's current line-up features Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. In 2009 and 2011 they released two albums, Twenty One Pilots and Regional at Best.
The band eventually signed with label Fueled by Ramen in 2012 and under this label the band released their first major release, Vessel, in 2013, followed by their second and most successful album, Blurryface, in 2015. In 2018, after one year on hiatus, the band released their fifth album, Trench.
In 2021, following the stablished storyline on Trench, they released their sixth studio album, Scaled and Icy.

Twenty One Pilots is a band that spans many genres and are generally difficult to assign to just one genre and I love that the band sometimes have referred to themselves as "schizophrenic pop"
I was first introduced to the band when Blurryface was released in 2015, when the singles like Stressed Out & Tear In My Heart came out.
I always like a band that has a unique sound and Twenty one Pilots certainly does. The band won't be everyone's shot of whisky but there are certainly some songs that will appeal to everyone.

Two of my fave Pilots songs are completely polar opposites to one another. Jumpsuit from the Trench album and Level Of Concern, which was released as a promo single to help those in the live music industry in the wake of Covid. While Level of Concern contains lyrics about the stress of Covid, the beat and the melody make you want to smile and dance.
As the band said themselves - "schizophrenic pop"

Scaled and Icy is a feel good album that just simply produce happy endorphins and is a feelgood album that you'd have to be made of stone not to smile and bop your head to!

Track Listing:

1. Good Day
2. Choker
3. Shy Away
4. The Outside
5. Saturday
6. Never Take It
7. Mulberry Street
8. Formidable
9. Bounce Man
10. No Chances
11. Redecorate

Standout tracks for me:
Good Day, Choker, Shy Away. Saturday, Mulberry Street, No Chances and Redecorate.

Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is Pilots! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

Typhoons by Royal Blood - Album Review by Susan Harris

Thu, 13 May 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Susan is talking about
Typhoons by Royal Blood!

Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Susan says-

Royal Blood are an English rock duo formed by Mike Kerr (vocals, bass) and Ben Thatcher (drums) in Brighton in 2011. Their sound is anchored by Kerr's unique bass playing technique, in which he uses various effects pedals and multiple amps to make his bass guitar sound like a standard electric guitar and bass at the same time. Their self-titled debut album was released in August 2014, with their second album How Did We Get So Dark? following in June 2017, and their third album Typhoons in April 2021.

I've always loved Royal Blood and the uniqueness of their sound, that heavy beat that makes you air drum when stuck in traffic. They have this innate ability to make you want to mosh and dance at the same time.

The lead single from the album, Troubles Coming was released on 24th September 2020 and gave listeners a taste of what they could expect on the album. In my opinion, this is some of the bands best work, fueling my thought that if the pandemic has given us any positives over the last fourteen months, it's that music thrives even in an apocalypse!

Typhoons earned it's place among many other rock bands who scored a number one album in 2021 with it's toe tapping, air drum beats and head bopping, smile educing albums.
I would assume the guys didn't mean for this album to be uplifting but I can't help that it made me smile and want to dance along in the car. And now that lockdown is lifted in Ireland, I'm looking forward to a long spin and some steering wheel tapping.

Track Listing:

Trouble's Coming
Oblivion
Typhoons
Who Needs Friends
Million and One
Limbo
Either You Want It
Boilermaker
Mad Visions
Hold On
All We Have Is Now

Standout tracks for me: ( But this a complete unskippable album)
Trouble's Coming, Oblivion, Typhoons, Who Needs Friends, Limbo, Boilermaker, Mad Visions & All We Have is Now.

You can get the CD on Amazon by clicking the link below!

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)

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