(Meant to finish this yesterday, but got a little under the weather, so we’re finishing it on Friday. Friday’s regular Get it or Forget it will be published tomorrow. Sorry for the delays.)
We close out the month of January with today’s Get it or Forget it, featuring five more reviews including the incomparable the latest from preeminent musician Ted Russell Kamp. Let’s get this going.
Artist Name: WANK
Album Name: White Knuckle Ride
Label: Self-released
Genre: Pop-punk/ska
Track Listing: 1. Remington; 2. Blue Skies; 3. Salvation; 4. Rollin’ On; 5. Sweet Music; 6. Believe It; 7. Shut you Down; 8. We Wanna Rock, 9. It was You; 10. Won’t let Go; 11. Forgiven
Publicist: Earshot Media
Review: WANK may be a pop-punk band but their sound is more akin to ska/indie rock bands like Reel Big Fish, No Doubt and Flogging Molly. Their music is upbeat and fun, without all the angst associated with most punk music. These songs are truly radio friendly and ready for heavy rotation, especially “Blue Skies,” “Salvation,” “Sweet Music, “Shut you Down,” “We Wanna Rock” (although it needs to remove the f*bombs), “It was You,” “Won’t Let Go,” and “Forgiven.” They would also make great placements in film and television. Take a fun ride with WANK – you won’t want the fun to end!
Recommendation: You simply MUST Get this one!
Artist Name: Radar State
Album Name: Strays
Label: Wiretap Records
Genre: Indie Rock/Punk
Track Listing: 1. Strays; 2. What’s a Rebel; 3. Anywhere; 4. Summer of Sundays; 5. Damn the Man; 6. Making me Feel; 7. Self Hurt Guru; 8. Artificial Love; 9. Defender; 10. Good Catholic; 11. Leather Dye; 12. Victims of Fashion; 13. Play for the Game
Publicist: Earshot Media
Review: Radar State is a new band composed of Matt Pryor and Jim Suptic from The Get Up Kids, Josh Berwanger from The Anniversary and Adam Phillips from The Architects and The Gadjits. Combined these four bring a strong punk flavor to their version of indie rock, complete with screaming guitars, great vocals and amazingly well written songs. This band rocks, and deserves major industry attention, especially on songs like “Anywhere,” “Summer of Sundays,” “Artificial Love,” “”Defender,” “Victims of Fashion,” and “Play for the Game.
Recommendation: Definitely worth adding to your collection, especially if you like a healthy dose of punk with your indie rock.
Artist Name: Lazy Queen
Album Name: A Sigh so Deep
Label: Self-released
Genre: Punk/Rock
Track Listing: 1. F*ck Kevin Spacey; 2. Things I Think About While we F*ck; 3. Apocalipstick; 4. Turn from Void; 5. Tamir
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: Norwegian band Lazy Queen mixes raucous punk rock with profound lyrics that tackle such topics as gender identity, mental health, racism, police violence, relationships and self-destructive tendencies. They are not your run of the mill punk band, but use a almost heavy metal rock to drive their lyrics home. While some of the song titles may be explicit, the lyrics are less so, although there are a few f*bombs. The story told in the lyrics is worth listening to, even though the musical accompaniment is pretty strong. If you like your music hard, then this is a good choice for you. We think the closing song, “Tamir” is the best track.
Recommendation: Definitely worth checking out.
Artist Name: Kristina Koller
Album Name: At the Poli Club
Label: Self-released
Genre: Jazz
Track Listing: 1. Save Your Love for Me; 2. Falling in Love with Love; 3. I Didn’t Know About You; 4. What a Difference a day Makes
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: This EP is a live recording of part of Kristina Koller’s show last October at The Poli Club in Connecticut. We reviewed her last album in May 2018, and we think this live recording affirms our previous assessment. She has such a strong voice and with the help of her amazing jazz trio, she raises the bar for jazz performance. This album will truly help you chill after a hard day of work, and should be a required item for your own well being. Grab a glass of wine, sit back and enjoy jazz perfection.
Recommendation: You need to chill to this one every day, so run out and Get it.
Artist Name: Ted Russell Kamp
Album Name: Walkin’ Shoes
Label: Poetry of the Moment Records
Genre: Americana/Roots
Track Listing: 1, Home Away From Home; 2. Paid by the Mile (ft Sam Morrow); 3. This Old Guitar; 4. We Don’t Have to be Alone; 5. Heart Under Pressure (ft Jaime Wyatt); 6. Tail Light Shine; 7. Highway Whisper; 8. Get off the Grid (ft Brian Whelan); 9. Written in Stone; 10. Freeway Mona Lisa; 11. Just About Time for a Heartache; 12. Less Thinkin’, More Drinkin’ (ft John Schreffler); 13. Roll on Through the Night
Publicist: KG Music Press
Review: Ted Russell Kamp is one of LA’s busiest musicians, spending his time on tour and in the studio with the likes of Shooter Jennings while still finding time to record and perform his own music. In fact, Walkin’ Shoes is his 11th solo album. He is joined by his touring pals John Schreffler and Jaimie Douglass, as well as local LA artists including Brian Whelan (Dwight Yoakum, Chris Shifflet), Dan Wistrom, Sam Morrow and Jaime Wyatt. The result is his best material to date. While most of the music he makes with Jennings is more southern rock, Kamp’s own material is closer to Americana and Roots Rock, with a healthy dose of country and soul. His lyrics are heartfelt and poetic, and deserve more industry attention. We really love his duets with Morrow, Wyatt, Whelan and Schreffler (especially those horns and that jazzy NOLA sound).
Recommendation: If you love the grit of good Americana music, then this one is a must for your collection. Go Get It!