Derev’s second release "Troubled Mind" takes a deep dive into the intricacies of the human psyche, addressing a spectrum of mental health issues ranging from temporary mental instability to more severe conditions such as schizophrenia, cognitive immobility (a fixation on the past), and depression stemming from loss. Musically, the album builds on the foundation laid in the first release, offering a diverse range of sounds from mellow, calm tracks to adrenaline-pumping heavy headbangers, while maintaining their distinctive progressive rock sound, enriched with Middle Eastern influences. In this album, Derev elevates their sound by incorporating more prominent keyboard and synth parts, experimenting with various time signatures, and introducing new instruments such as the Cajon, Darbuka, and electronic elements.

In four years, the band grew from remote covers to an Americana rock formation with a fantastic live Mambo Studio. Turmoil is a band you will definitely hear more of, with this new album they will also travel to the country in 2025 to introduce the public to their fresh take on ‘old school’ guitar-driven music. 'Coming Home' is the debut album from the Dutch Americana/Rock quartet: Turmoil. Coming Home is a collection of 10 songs with the common thread being: change, new beginnings and ultimately Coming Home.

If there is one artist who revolutionized folk and rock in the sixties, it is Bob Dylan. Although he initially shocked people when he injected electric guitars into folk music, he also inspired a large number of musicians. Musicians who, together with Bob, steered folk and rock in a new direction. A direction that is still popular six decades later. Don't expect Dylan on this compilation, not even one covered song of him. What you do get are 25 fantastic songs by artists who, inspired by Dylan, released great songs. Songs that also caused a cultural revolution among the youth.
Dion, who opens this compilation with 'Two Ton Feather' and Bobby Darin, who is later featured with 'Me & Mr. Hohner', are the only artists on this album who were already famous before Bob Dylan caused a serious revolution. Dion and Darin perhaps deliver the most surprising tracks, especially if you know the genres in which they have previously achieved success. The other names, who now enjoy enormous fame, were inspired by Dylan and grew into world-famous artists in the sixties. You can enjoy recordings by David Crosby, Lou Reed, Tom Rush, Barry McGuire, Bob Seger, Donovan, Boz Scaggs, Billy Joe Royal, Leon Russell, Johnny Winter, Dick Campbell, Jackie Washington and Len Chandler among others. Recordings that reference both the acoustic and the electric Dylan. Even the Belgian Ferre Grignard, who started out as a skiffle artist, graces this album with his hit ‘Drunken Sailor’. Each and every one of these artists wrote and performed their songs within the musical framework that Dylan created, both in terms of timbre and phrasing. Songs, many of which are in the collective memory, still effortlessly stand up after all these years. ‘He Took Us By Storm’ mainly contains songs from the mid-sixties and this album was compiled with great passion, especially for Bear Family Records, by the French producer Philippe Le Bras.
In the 48-page booklet, you will find rare photos, a foreword by the late John Sinclair and essays by Iggy Pop and Elliott Murphy.
I can only say that ‘He Took Us By Storm’ is an absolute must. Get it while you can!

Original Blues, Soul, and Rock & Roll band based out of Northern New Jersey. Powers rock music embodies the essence of his life. This is how rock music should always sound. Irresistible, danceable and everything in between. Highly recommended…! 

The Commoners, a rock band from Toronto, Canada, embrace a rich Southern Rock sound with energetic guitar riffs, soulful vocals and harmonies. A natural evolution from their 2022 album ‘Find A Better Way’, ‘Restless’ offers a peek behind the curtain of success, revealing the gruelling routines and ragged emotions that hide behind the glamorous aesthetic of a rock band on the rise. With introspective, slower-tempo numbers pocketed amongst rip-roaring anthems, the new album, recorded at RHC Music in Toronto, is a portrait of a hardworking group revitalizing a classic genre.

Every song on ‘Rugged Elegance’, the majority of which are Rose/ Tolchin co-writes, is a distinct portrait of someone or someplace beloved, but they all emanate from a singular place of honesty, reflection and a desire to embrace one another in times of difficulty. Its sound channels the icons who have defined her old-time roots – Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Bonnie Raitt to name three. The release ‘Rugged Elegance’ is a an anointing for your soul ! 

Beaux Gris Gris And The Apocalypse is a Californian band fronted by Greta Valenti, aka Beaux Gris Gris on lead vocals and percussion. The second supporter of the group is guitarist Robin Davey, known from The Hoax. For the other members, the duo draws from a collective of musicians, so the composition of the band is not always the same. For the recording of this album, the pair called on Stephen Mildwater and Chris Cunningham both on bass, Sam Robertson on keys and Tom Rasulo on drums and percussion. Guest musicians were hired for the horn section. The band's repertoire is difficult to pigeonhole. New Orleans is certainly a source of inspiration, just like blues, soul, folk and rock. With 'Hot Nostalgia Radio' the group is already on their third album. It contains 14 tracks, all by Greta and Robin. Energetic and heavy rocking, Beaux Gris Gris and The Apocalypse start with 'Oh Yeah!', where Greta's vocals immediately grab you by the scruff of the neck and Robin provides sublime guitar work. The tone is immediately set for the rest of the album. The band continues blues rocking with dedication with 'Wild Woman' and 'Satisfy Your Queen'. In 'Middle Of The Night' the horns provide a funky touch and on 'Sad When I'm Dancing' it is a bit quieter, while for a sublime blues ballad you can go to 'All I Could Do Was Cry'. Song that highlights Greta's enormous empathy in a song. She also shows this in the soulful 'The Runaway', 'Don't Let Go' and 'Penny Paid Rockstar'. A touch of folk characterizes 'Harder To Breathe'. The album closes with the zydeco-radiating 'Mama Cray'.
'Hot Nostalgia Radio' convincingly showcases the versatility of Beaux Gris Gris and The Apocalypse, both in the heavier and quieter work. One to keep an eye on!

A story about continuous change, love and little pain with highs and lows in emotion and musical setting. 

The rock that developed in America and England would quickly spread worldwide, including in Germany. At the end of the sixties, partly due to the emergence of concept albums, pop and rock music emerged as its own art form that had to be taken seriously. While German musicians and music fans had until then had to rely on the recordings of Cream, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Blue Cheer and Jimi Hendrix, German rock would soon find its own identity. Bands like Scorpions and Rammstein even managed to put the German version on the world map. In addition, there were also groups that made a national splash, but were unable to break through internationally. Reasons for this were diverse. Part of the hard rock audience remained loyal to the American and English bands. An additional problem was that this lower appreciation turned out to be uninteresting for the record labels. The German Bear Family Records pays attention to this with the first volume of this double CD in a miniseries that will contain two volumes. Most German bands chose English for their lyrics, but here and there there were also groups that did it in their native language. The most striking recording on this compilation is undoubtedly that of the schlager duo Cindy & Bert. With 'Der Hund Von Baskerville' they made a German version of Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid'.
This double album quickly shows that the German hard rock musicians were not inferior to their American and English colleagues in terms of instrument control and creativity. Like them, the Germans also excelled in their approach to the genre. Strong original compositions, catchy riffs and penetrating vocals are characteristics that apply to this. Even the hard rock ballad 'Sweet Morning Light' by Weed stands up effortlessly. The Scorpions are featured on CD number two with 'In Search Of The Peace Of Mind', from their debut album 'Lonesome Crow', which is almost an example of psychedelic rock.
It may be said that the German hard rock bands in the seventies gave the genre its own face. This edition is good proof of that. For those who consciously experienced this development, this compilation is a beautiful memory. With this publication, younger music lovers will receive a piece of previously unknown history.
In the accompanying 96-page beautifully designed booklet, metal specialist Frank Schäfer delves deeper into the origins and evolution of the German hard rock scene. Definitely an interesting release for fans of the harder genre.

”Richard Rozze is an artist who has successfully forged a unique approach to his playing and compositions. He glides effortlessly through multi-genre worlds, his solos flawlessly committed to his surroundings. ‘Lion’ is an electric guitar album, with a focus on song writing at its core. The songs have subjects that are personal yet universal.

Most rock fans know Buddy Miles as Jimi Hendrix’ drummer on his album ‘Band of Gypsys’ (1970), but are often unaware of Buddy Miles the singer and song-writer and also of the successful music he made before teaming up with Hendrix – think ‘Them Changes’ and ‘We Got to Live Together’.
Anyway, BGO Records have just released remastered versions Miles’ 1971 solo albums ‘Live’ and ‘Message to the People’. I prefer the live album in the sense that concerts allow Miles and his ten-piece band to expand on a song, stressing the rhythm, inserting jazzy improvisations, interacting with the audience and showing everything he’s capable of as a showman too.
Miles is soul, funk and rock all rolled into one unstoppable drive, with a humane message and daring covers, like his take on Neil Young’s ‘Down by the River’.
If you still think of him as a good drummer, listen to this two-for-one double CD and discover a great singer and very fine composer. No wonder Mike Bloomfield wanted him for Electric Flag and Hendrix recruited him to play on his albums! 
Radio 68 plays choice tracks in Rock On!, Wednesday 13 September 2023 from 12 noon till 12 midnight CET, 11 a.m. till 11 p.m. GMT. 

​The tried-and-true cliché "not to be taken for granted" seems to have been invented for Daan Stuyven. His work defies conventions and ticks multiple boxes. His ‘Housewife’ is a benchmark in Belgian dance history, he evoked Johnny Cash with 'Icon', provided soundtracks for various films, composed a blazing indictment of right-wing political parties with 'Landmijn', et cetera. In April 2023, he surprised and baffled all by covering 'Intro' by Metejoor as a spoken word parlando for TV show 'Liefde voor muziek'. On paper it sounded like a recipe for disaster, but in Daan's hands it became an instant classic.
 
New album 'The Ride' is vintage Daan. In 'High' one can recognize the click track from 'Da da da' by the German Trio. The Casio VL-1 drum computer is one of Daan's favorite working instruments, which he buys at flea markets. 'Morning Sun' resembles a slowed-down 'I Want to Break Free' by Queen, although that was anything but the songwriter's intention. 'The Dancer' is described by the maestro as 'the evil beastie, an annoying song,' but it's refreshingly cool. The absolute highlight of ‘The Ride’ however, is the opening track of the B-side, ‘16 Men’. In the song, Daan apologizes to women for not being able to be everything. He very generously replaces himself with sixteen other men. The song's close harmony is reminiscent of The Temptations’ or The Four Tops’ best work. An incredibly catchy, danceable song that will haunt your head for weeks to come. Today alone, I sang it out loud four times.
 
'The Ride' lives up to its title. It's quite the ride. Great record

​John Lindberg Trio is a Swedish band led by guitarist John Lindberg. On bass and backing vocals he is assisted by Nathanael Marcusson and behind the drums is Olle Tjern. On the Swedish Enviken label, owned by Patrik Staffansson, they release their new album 'Are You For Real?'. An album consisting of 14 tracks, to which 5 more songs from EPs and singles are added and which mainly contains own work. The John Lindberg Trio stands for solid, oversized rock, which is also the case on this album. On a solid foundation laid by Nathanael and Joakim, John showcases his fine guitar skills. Incessantly he shakes one riff after the other from his snare board and solos that it is a delight. In addition, he also has the talent to pen catchy songs, such as 'Bad Loving' and 'Get It On!' which definitely have hit potential. The trio slows down a bit with the beautiful 'Back At It', but with 'Bluebird' the gentlemen are back at cruising speed. A hell of a song is certainly the rousing 'Crying, Lying, Denying', while 'Wishbone' and 'Not Like The Other Guys' contain a wonderful rockabilly feel. Giving your own interpretation to classics is no problem for Lindberg. He does that excellently with Charlie Rich's 'Goodbye Mary Ann', which Stefan Nykvist provides with a nice piano tune. The gentlemen do that again in Chuck Berry's 'Promised Land'. Closing is done with a completely own version of Little Richards 'Keep A Knockin'' where Lindberg's guitar takes over Penniman's piano part.
With 'Are You For Real?' the John Lindberg Trio proves that they are ready to make it international. Something this band certainly deserves.

​‘The Price Of Progress’ features ten narrative rock and roll songs about people trying to survive in this modern age. It’s a great way to celebrate there 20 years as a band. Great! 

​The Anatolian Dragon breathes enchanting fire into your mind.  Great album!

​One of his best albums with strong lyrics and passionate songwriting.

​Very strong and recommended debut from the Czech band Damask Rose, written and sung by the Scottish musician Steven Johnston.  Absolutely one of the best singer-songwriters of the century.

​Guitar driven songs with narrative lyrics.  Some groovy and catchy sounds make it all worth discovering.

​The band Novelty Island from Liverpool promote their debut album 'How Are You Coping with This Century?'. It is a very rewarding journey through a sunny and psychedelic songcraft. Most of the songs also have a penetrating alt-pop reference. Would a music city like Liverpool and his  ‘Beatlemania’ have something to do with it…

​Although the chance that a German-language rock album ends up in your mailbox is extremely small, it is certainly not zero. After all, Till Kersting's 'Cirkuskind' is one of those. His previously 3 albums were in English, but now he does it in his native language. You can also take the title of the album literally, because Kersting really grew up in a circus family. The often hard life there has certainly not done him any harm as an artist. During his 20 years as a guitarist, he even lent his skills to the grandfather of German rock, legend Peter Kraus.
During 8 songs, including beautiful ballads, Kersting clearly shows what he is capable of. He displays his weathered voice and his versatile creative guitar work with verve.

Jan Jaspers (vocals, guitar), drummer Gert Servaes, Patrick Louis (vocals, guitar) and harmonica virtuoso Fabian 'The Lord' Bennardo form the basis for that exciting sound. The third release 'Love Me Some' is packed with twelve delicious and honest songs. The bonus tracks 'Howl' and 'Mine All Mine were even mixed in the studio by Jim Diamond, known for his work with The White Stripes. Boogie Beasts open in their appropriate blues style. The rough swampy harp and slide guitar, pounding bass lines and drum punches make this all so recognizable. And that is the identity of this band. Highly recommended release !

​Like the bandname suggests: it bangs and it takes you not only by the balls.  Great melodic rocksongs with a lot of catchy rhythms and soulful emotion.

​Jackson Browne always brings a message without preaching, makes a statement, loves people and the world.  Downhill From Everywhere is an soulfull album about desire!

​Powerful and hard-mouthed debut from Belgian guitarband Generator.  One word: great!

​Enjoy the Joy Machine of Mark Rechler’s Circus Mind.  Steamy groovy funky songs with excellent guitar players.