JEFFREY MORGAN’S MEDIA BLACKOUT #908.594.228!

Black Stone Cherry – Folklore And Superstition (Roadrunner) :: Wherein one of the best hard rock bands in America blends the best of Aerosmith and Alice in one timpani shredding session.

Anemo – Stentorian (City Canyons) :: They’ve got the same pop vocal stylings and 4/4 backbeat of Eurythmics with a heapin’ helpin’ of hard rockin’ Heart. That I didn’t clue in to this initially means that they’ve got their own thing goin’ on too.

Bob Dylan – Both Ends Of The Rainbow (MVD Visual) :: Wherein the usual bunch of windbag wankers expound on Bob’s born again phase—as if the actual records themselves weren’t good enough.

The Dirty Heads – Any Port In A Storm (Universal) :: These four white guys do echoed dub like it genetically runs through their veins—and who knows, maybe it does.

Rick Wakeman – Rick Wakeman’s Grumpy Old Picture Show (MVD Visual) :: Wherein prog rock’s greatest keyboardist hangs up his cape to try his hand at biographical multi-media stand up comedy—but don’t laugh ’cause he actually manages to pull it off thanks to his prattle-punctuatin’ piano passages.

Mark Berube & The Patriotic Few – What The Boat Gave The River (KBM) :: I dunno if Mark Berube ever heard Marc Benno’s Asylum Choir work, but this one sure sounds like he did, right down to the mix’s schizoid stereo separation.

One Second 2 Late – World Time Bomb (Red Ink) :: Wherein one of the best hard rock bands in Canada blends the best of old Korn and new Korn in one bagpipe shedding session.

SIZZLING TV SHOW OF THE WEEK: Jefferson Airplane – Go Ride The Music (Eagle Vision) :: This live in the studio session originally ran on NET’s Fanfare program back in 1969 and contains seven full-length songs from the Volunteers era, including a slow vamp on their then-current single “Mexico” as well as the elusive “Emergency” which was never waxed but remained a live staple—plus an extended barn-burning throwdown on “Volunteers” itself. Points deducted for Jorma’s ever-present swastika pendant. What a maroon.

Be seeing you!

JEFFREY MORGAN’S MEDIA BLACKOUT #907.593.227!

Comic Book Heroes – Take A Seat (self released) :: I was gonna say something suitably snide like: “If real superheroes were as lame as these four Supersnipes, the world would be run by supervillains.” But it turns out I’m only half wrong because, just like the Hawk, they got enough Whoish power chord trappings to wake me up. Unfortunately, just like the Dove, they also got enough Hagarish power ballad trimmings to snooze me down.

North Side Kings – Suburban Royalty (I Scream) :: These screamos write liner notes that brag: “This is the song Ice-T wishes he wrote in place of ‘New Jack Hustler’.” Yeah, right.

Ice-T – Home Invasion (Rhyme Syndicate) :: And this is the album the North Side Kings wish they’d made in place of Suburban Royalty. Yeah, right on.

Fear Nuttin Band – Yardcore (Bodog) :: Jahve nuttin d’feah bwah dis Korny wrekord widjil leeve fuh evva indie infuhmmy, mon.

The Notwist – The Devil, You & Me (Domino) :: Love their way, they’re the new Psychedelic Furs!

Bad Luck Charms – Bad Luck Charms (I Scream) :: I scream, you scream, we all scream for this slovenly hard rock cross between the New York Dolls and Wild Man Fischer.

Keaton Simons – Can You Hear Me (CBS) :: You’re breaking up.

Neil Sedaka – Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (Rocket) :: Can you hear me now?

Your Vegas – A Town And Two Cities (Universal Republic) :: It was the best of Hall & Oates, it was the worst of U2.

PSEUDO-SIZZLING PLATTER OF THE WEEK: John Oates – 100 Miles Of Life (Phunk Shui) :: Strangely believe it, this one sounds a whole lot like DaBo’s Young Americans, which ain’t no insult by a long shot when you consider that it’s got a similar trifecta of breathy pseudo-soul lead vocals, smooth pseudo-soul background vocals, and slinky pseudo-soul strings—the only difference being that the erstwhile Mr. Jones never slipped into gritty pseudo-stud David Lee Roth vocal mode from time to time like pseudo-soul Oates does here.

Be seeing you!