ALBUM REVIEW: Screaming Eagles: Stand Up and Be Counted

Screaming Eagles

The latest independent band I'd like to present to you is Screaming Eagles, a hard rock band from Northern Ireland. I first became aware of them a couple of months ago and was really struck by their no-frills, straight ahead driving hard rock sound. It's very 1970s/80s sounding but with a modern feel, and a lot of fun. Sometimes you just want to rock out and have a good time listening to music. That's exactly what Screaming Eagles deliver. I was able to listen to their EP, entitled Save Me, and their brand new album Stand Up and Be Counted, which was released in July.  My track by track review is below, but before that, here's some more information about the band from a recent press release:

"Northern Ireland rock quartet Screaming Eagles, who achieved international recognition after their single ‘Rock N’ Roll Soul’ was featured on the hit US TV Show - Justified, will release their 10-track second album STAND UP AND BE COUNTED on 13th July, 2015, preceded by a multi-track EP and first single SAVE ME in June. The band, whose debut album ‘From the Flames’ was described by Classic Rock Magazine as “absolutely smokin’, hotter than hell, the work of a group burning up with fiery ambition,’ are signed to Worldwide-Distributing label ‘Off Your Rocka Records’, home of the Quireboys and Bonafide. 

“We had an incredible start to 2015 after signing a licensing agreement with Sony Music Pictures in the US,” said Chris Fry, Screaming Eagles’ lead vocalist, “who included our first single ‘Rock N’ Roll Soul’ on the first episode of the final season of Justified, to an audience of more than 4 million. We cannot wait to continue that success with the release of Stand Up and Be Counted and play it live to the masses. I’m extremely excited as when we got the final mixes through it sounded immense. I think it shows a progression, musically, with a mixture of what we do best - the Rock N’Roll anthemic sing along chorus’ and driving riffs, mixed with some darker rib-shaking belters." Of the first single "Save Me", Chris had this to say "it's a more grittier and intense sound than we're known for, from the sirens in the intro to the eerie guitar distortion, this song will live long in your memory and have you chanting the chorus in your sleep!" 

The first single from the album - a 7 track EP/single titled ‘Save Me’ will feature bonus material including a cover of Australian rock classic “Good Times” featuring guest vocals from Pontus Snibb of Bonafide as well as live material recorded at Hard Rock Hell 2013. The ‘Save Me’ video will debut on YouTube on 24 June via this link: https://youtu.be/VmtfMeMt8Os. Off Yer Rocka CEO Jonni Davis commented "we’ve watched our Irish Eagles with extreme interest since they won one of our national competitions and have seen their career accelerate in the UK, US, Germany and Australia 100 fold after the Justified release. This is exactly what we challenged them with for the next step and to say they have over delivered is an understatement." After exclusively debuting new album tracks at Hard Rock Hell Ibiza in May of this year, the band will soon go on tour including a date on the Main Stage at November’s Hard Rock Hell UK alongside Saxon and Black Label Society. Over the past 2 years Screaming Eagles have shared bills with the likes of Airbourne, UFO, Black Star Riders, Blue Oyster Cult, and The Answer, at various festivals such as Giants Of Rock, Minehead, The Great British Rock N Blues Festival, Skegness, Southern France Aquitane Showbike Montalivet and Hard Rock Hell, Wales and their biker edition in Ibiza."

Screaming Eagles are:

Chris Fry - vocals
Adrian McAleenan -  guitar
Ryan Lilly - bass guitar
Kyle Cruikshank - drums

Save Me EP

1. Good Times

The song sounds very much like mid-1970s AC/DC with crunchy guitars, steady drumming, and growling vocals.  The singer has some range and at spots sounds like Bon Scott or Brian Johnson from ACDC. The lyrics name check lots of classic rock tunes (Bony Maronie, Long Tall Sally, Short Fat Fannie, etc) and this is a fun opening track.

2. Hungry For More

From here on to the end of the EP, these are live recordings from Hard Rock Hell in Wales.  This tune has a really heavy riff like the best 1980s metal and sounds a bit like GNR (Guns n Roses) in terms of its sound, riff,  and guitar solo. Slash would be proud!

3. Down the River

The riff is out of the Angus Young songbook and crunchy! This tune is very catchy. 

4. Immigrant Song

A Led Zeppelin cover. Fry's vocals are a bit shaky when he tries to do the classic Robert Plant wails, but those would be extremely tough for anyone to do exactly as the man himself did. Who can sing like Plant circa 1970 anyway? Still, he does an admirable job, while musically it's a bit more metal-sounding than Zeppelin's version. That being said, they do an very good job on a tough cover of one of the defining Led Zeppelin tunes.

5. Blood

A brighter sounding song with a cool riff. There's a false ending at the four-minute mark before they come storming back for another couple of minutes, complete with a ripping guitar solo in middle. The sound reminds me a little bit of what a Black Crowes song crossed w/ACDC might sound like. Speaking of the rockers from Oz, the last couple of minutes morph into a cover of their song "(It's a Long Way to the Top if You Want to Rock and Roll)." Fun!

6. Rock and Roll Soul

This is the song that put the band on the map within the past year when it was used on US TV in the show Justified. It's got a pummeling riff and beat, a very Jimmy Page-ish guitar solo, and overall just awesome playing. There are a couple of fluffed guitar notes tucked in there but hey, this is live rock n roll and we don't care...it still sounds great! A great song and, for me, the highlight of the EP.

Stand Up and Be Counted:

1. Ready For the Fall

The album opens up with some thunderous drums and a massive guitar riff reminiscent of early 1980s Iron Maiden/Judas Priest. The nice thing about this song, and indeed all of the Screaming Eagles' songs, is that it is still very melodic and memorable. A nice, anthemic chorus rounds out this effective way to kick things off.

2. Save Me

One of the best songs on the album, starting off with some eerie sirens and guitar feedback before another very aggressive, chunky riff propels things along. There's not anything I can say that you can't hear for yourself in the video above...awesome song, I really dig it! 

3. Stand Up and Be Counted

The title track. It's got a cool ascending/descending riff and another anthemic vocal and chorus...I can imagine a room full of people bouncing up and down with their fists in the air singing along.  This song sounds a like what ACDC would sound like if they wrote far better melodies. 

4. Bow Down to the Blues

It starts off sort of like a late 1960s/early 1970s Led Zeppelin song before it gets into a chugging bluesy groove. Not one of the more memorable songs on the album but still solid and enjoyable.

5. Chase You Down

A heavy riff and drums kick it off before it gets into a shuffle-type blues groove. As above, a fun, short but sweet tune.

6. Get Out While I'm Ahead

Brooding riffs and arpeggios, some pulsating tom-tom beats build the song up at the beginning. Another crowd-pleasing chorus and a bit of a curveball as to my ears this song sounds a bit like Rush (musically) which is fine with me since I'm a huge Rush fan! 

7. Breakin' All the Rules

A slinky, bluesy riff with some subtle slide guitar in the background gives this song a very nice Southern rock/Black Crowes vibe before it gets into a cool open-string/alternating riff. A very southern, fun song.

8. Streets of Gold

Powerful, insistent riffing starts it off and there's a really trippy and great chorus/breakdown section.  The guitar solo is old-school and drenched in wah-wah, which is right in my wheelhouse. It again sounds a bit like Slash but is still wholly unique...some of the best playing on the whole album.

9. Screaming Eagles

The band's title song! It's got an insistent, pulsing riff and drums before they lock into the groove. Once again it has that 1970s/80s hard rock/metal type feel, with a chorus that shouts out that "screaming eagles gonna block out the sun!" A bit cheesy, perhaps, but great fun which comes through in the band's delivery. Another awesome guitar solo in the middle is augmented with some sampled dialogue and airplane/machine gun/war noises in the background, all the while the excellent solo keeps going.

10. 27 Club

The album closer. A really rocking tune with lyrics obliquely referencing the tragic members of the 27 club. One final ripping guitar solo in the middle, played over a menacing riff. Some really cool vocal "oh's" end the song are lain over the wailing guitar as the song and album come to an end.

All in all, Screaming Eagles are straight-out rock and roll. No ballads, no slow songs, just balls-out rock n roll.  These are songs where you want to raise your fist in the air (hence the entirely appropriate album cover!) and sing along to the choruses, headbanging along with the riffing and rhythm section.  Screaming Eagles have a sound that draws on several influences but never sounds derivative...in many cases, they improve upon the best of what their inspirations have to offer, and an added strength of theirs is the always underlying melodic instinct which ensures that most of these songs will stay in your head long after you're done listening to them. I know the band are gigging in the UK...I hope they're able to build on their US success of "Rock and Roll Soul" and are able to play some shows here, as I know it would be a really fun gig to see!

As always, SUPPORT INDEPENDENT MUSIC! Buy their albums, go see them live, and spread the word! You can buy Screaming Eagles' music on Amazon...if you like what you've heard here, check them out and support them by purchasing it...rock on!

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ALBUM REVIEW: Max Gowan - Big People

Around the same time I came across Will Weston's excellent album Heart of the Order, I was also introduced to the music of Max Gowan. He's a recent high school graduate from Raleigh, North Carolina who will be attending American University in Washington, DC in the fall. He's been playing guitar and singing since he was eight years old and has spent time studying jazz and music theory. Initially playing in a heavy metal band in high school, Max switched gears and released his first solo acoustic EP in 2014 which earned positive reviews and some solo acoustic shows around Raleigh. For Big People, his first full-length album, Max played all of the instruments and sang all of the vocals himself. The overall sound is one which he feels is more representative of who he wants to be as an artist. His influences include Wilco, Elliot Smith, Alex G, Elvis Depressedly (love that name!), and Deerhunter. These songs will be played around the Raleigh area this summer by Max and his band, The Estates.

I've gone through a few listens of Max's album now will go through it track by track for this review. In addition to the reference points he mentioned above, I also hear a lot of Death Cab for Cutie and Pavement in his sound, as well as a smattering of Graham Coxon's middle-period work where he straddled American lo-fi and classic British pop/rock. As before, I'll do my best to convey the flavor of the music through mere words. As Frank Zappa once said, "writing about music is like dancing about architecture." And yet those of us who love both music and writing feel compelled to continue on this fool's errand...

1. Rare Thing starts the album off with some moody piano and acoustic guitar...it sounds a bit like Radiohead's "No Surprises" in terms of ambiance, or late 1990s Pavement.  Gowan's vocals sound a bit like Death Cab for Cutie, whose influence I detect running throughout the entire album (as you'll see). This is an excellent song and a great choice as an opening track.

2. Window, the second track, is very mellow and consists only of vocals and some shimmering electric guitar. It reminds me of early Semisonic, which is a good thing! This short tune leads right into...

3. Face This song is started off with some beautiful arpeggiated guitar and vocals. It sounds like late 1990s lo-fi,  Pavement influences mixed with a bit of Graham Coxon's more melodic late 1990s tendencies. I really like this one.

4. Another Lucy This one might just be my favorite track on the album. It has a jaunty acoustic guitar-driven rhythm and reminds me of a Bluetones song but at the same time is unique. Max's voice is really nice on this one and the maturity of his voice belies his young age. Great lyrics, too...wonderful song.

5. Bend This one starts off with an aggressively strummed acoustic intro that sounds a bit like Dave Matthews Band before the ethereal vocals come in. There are some really nice chord changes in chorus section that catch the ear upon first listen.

6. Big People The title track, which is usually the grand statement of any album, right? Bright guitar strums gently begin the song and it settles into a mellow 3/4ish tempo. There's a nice contrapuntal piano melody underneath the guitars...I get a definite Death Cab For Cutie vibe from this song in terms of both the music and the vocals. The middle section brings some delayed, psychedelic-sounding guitar to the fore that remain spacey as the as pinging guitars fade away with the song. A very strong song.

7. Here (Part 1) This one sounds like 1997-era Blur by way of Pavement or Death Cab For Cutie. There's a really nice chorus that contains an interesting chord thrown in that caught my ear the first time I heard it and still burrows its way in each time it comes around.

8. The Stumble A pretty instrumental consisting simply of melancholy acoustic guitar...a nice change of pace for the album, almost an aural palate cleanser before the last round of songs.

9. Snow A strong Death Cab For Cutie influence (at least to my ears), both in terms of the guitar sound and vocals, permeates "Snow," but it isn't simply derivative as there's something unique about it at the same time. There are some pretty chord changes and effective bits of dissonance playing off each other during the verse.

10. Open Letter to Heaven An acoustic-driven song that would not sound out of place at all on side two of Led Zeppelin III, at least musically. Fairly unique sounding track amongst the rest of the album and a nice way to show another aspect of Max's sound.

11. Here (Part 2) Continuing on from track 7, part 2 starts off with strummed dirty-toned electric guitar, a synthesizer, and glockenspiel. Perhaps more than anywhere else on the album, Gowan's vocals remind me of Death Cab as he's got some VERY Ben Gibbard-sounding vocals. In fact, when I closed my eyes I could imagine that I was listening to an unreleased Death Cab tune. I love the almost anthemic chorus...it's one of those that you could imagine people singing along to when played live. Overall, this song is like a wave: it starts off slowly and gently before gaining in intensity in the middle where it peaks before it eases back down for a gentle ending. Another definitely highlight of the album for me.

12. Everything is Cool I like this song...it's very fun! The beginning has a riff played in unison by an organ, an electric piano and bass guitar. The song reminds me of Pavement or other bands of that late 1990s era when I was in college, while the melodic synth riff that runs throughout gives it a bit of Blur touch.

After listening to Big People, the most striking thing to me was that this is a very, very good album made by someone who is still quite young. While there are a handful of songs I wrote in my teens that I'm still proud of and will still play in front of people, the majority of stuff I wrote at Max's age embarrasses me now. If I had written songs of the quality of Max's when I was 18, I'd be proud to play them twenty years later. His production is crisp and clean and while it doesn't sound like something that was recorded in a bedroom (which according to Max, is exactly where he made the recording), it has an intimate homemade charm that definitely comes across. If I have one criticism of the album, it would be mainly that all of the songs have a very similar mid-tempo feel. While the songs are interesting and varied enough so that they don't sound samey, the tempos do. In the future, mixing it up and changing the pace with some faster songs would make for even more effective pacing. However, given that Max Gowan is just entering adulthood and has already produced this solid, enjoyable record on his own, it bodes well for the future that there will be more good music in store.

***You can listen to and download Big People HERE and remember to please support independent musicians and their music. Buy it, listen to it, spread the word, go see them live! ***

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ALBUM REVIEW: Will Weston: Heart of the Order

Greetings, readers! I know you all enjoy the books reviews that I post on this site (well, at least I hope you do!). I've begun to review music as well, like the new Blur album that I reviewed last month. I thought it would also be nice if I could review albums by artists on indie labels in order to spread the word and help these musicians get some much deserved exposure for the great music they're making. Well, I've been blessed in my maiden voyage to this territory with the subject of the present review, San Francisco-based Will Weston's sophomore album Heart of the Order.

I first became aware of Will's new album a few months ago and from the first listen I've really enjoyed it. In his own words, Will Weston is a San Francisco-based songwriter and guitarist exported from humble roots in Maui, Hawaii. Weston's early exposure to rhythm and blues met with an attraction toward guitar-led rock and pop music. Relocating to the Bay Area, Weston recorded his debut album, "Quiet, Sirens," in 2012, forming the roots of his current rhythm section and enjoying a string of live shows and an outpouring of support that catapulted him within months to the Bay Area's top stages.

 Now backed by a 6-piece rhythm section, Weston has released his sophomore album, "Heart of the Order." With an energetic live presence, an emphasis on playing, and a frustratingly loyal support base, Weston & Co. are an artery to San Francisco's still-beating rock and roll heart, ascending the hills one contagious riff at a time.

Photo credit: Zona Foto

I've listened through to Heart of the Order several times now and each listen has revealed something new and interesting in the way the songs are constructed. To me, the overall sound of Weston and his band melds the funky/jazzy grooves and incisive and witty lyrics of vintage Steely Dan with the melodic pop sensibilities of late 1980s XTC, with a dash of early Chicago sprinkled in. The music is definitely guitar/bass/drums driven, but the keyboards and horns are an essential part of the sound and are always present without ever getting in the way (except for the times when they're supposed to). I decided to write up the album track by track, but I urge you to listen for yourself as it sounds even better than I'm able to convey with mere words.

Will's band consists of the man himself on guitar and vocals, as well as:

Cyril Guiraud on tenor sax
Brandon Jackson on trumpet and flugelhorn
Anthony Petrocchi on drums
Dan Manian on bass guitar
Erik Strom on guitars
Robert Kennedy on organs and keys

1. Permanent Echo

  

Some choppy delayed guitar chords kick off the song and album, leading into a song that has a bit of Steely Dan flavor mixed with some early 1980s Joe Jackson.  A great groove and sound, while Weston's vocals sound a bit like Joe Jackson in the verses and Andy Partridge in the choruses. It's at once both lush and beautiful, with the energy going up a notch in the chorus. I love the electric piano flourishes in background and the guitar solo at the end is fantastic, with a really smooth yet biting attack that is just great.

2. Moments and Magazines

 

This is one of my favorite songs on the album! It's got a funky groove with a driving bass that really propels the song and some tasty pianet filling in the spaces. The horn section and organ are great and the sudden change in the middle 8 is really nice. I absolutely love what the bass guitar and horns are doing in outro...the entire song has a very summery type of feel and would have fit right in on classic albums like XTC's Oranges and Lemons or Wasp Star.

3. Oblivion Song

A slightly laid back, breezy tune with an infectious guitar-and-horn riff, a Steely Dan-ish groove, and a catchy chorus. 

4. Tell Me

A syncopated Phish-type groove with horns and keyboards heralds the song's arrival before the vocals start.  The sparser verses contrast really well with the organ and horn led chorus, and the lush vocal harmonies and saxophone solo at the end of the song are just beautiful.

5. Search Engine

This is definitely the heaviest song on the album, with some distorted guitar chords and bass lines during the intro giving way to jazzy horns and an insistent drumbeat played out by a steady four beat snare drum. From the overall sound to the rapid vocal delivery it sounds a lot like late 1980s XTC, which is a very good thing!

6. Trace of Your Flaws

Some soft electric piano starts off this quieter song, which has some understated and gentle vocals from Weston and nice ensemble playing from the band. I like the picked guitar melody and harmony vocals during the chorus, and the addition of some muted trumpet is a welcome touch.

7. One Step

Jazzy chords and shimmering organ start off the song which sounds like an early 1980s New Wave song crossed with jazzy Chicago or Steely Dan horns. There's a great chord change heading into the chorus and with the very resonant vocal it really takes off. The synth solo sounds a bit like 1970s prog-rock by way of Spock's Beard which is fine with me. It's little touches like the electric piano and the backing vocals in the chorus that show the attention to detail and atmosphere that the whole band used when putting the album together.

8. Born True

A nice groove right from the onset dictated by the drums and a great bass line. Some quietly intense horns come in before the vocals start with craftily understated guitar arpeggios and a laid back vocal. The electric piano solo and hand claps add a special touch in the middle of this great song.

9. Quiet Spark

This one starts with jazzy horns that sound like they could have come out of a smoky club years ago before giving way to a shuffle-type drum pattern and jazzy guitar figures. It's a quiet Steely Dan-type song that sounds as though it would fit perfectly on Gaucho (apart from Weston's voice, which has a hushed quality that fits the mood of the song more than Donald Fagen's pinched, nasal tone would). Love that jazzy guitar solo, too.

Photo Credit: Zona Foto

10. Hands Up

Another killer groove with a funky guitar lick that starts it all off. The horns and guitar play a dual lead melody and there are some nice rhythm kicks in between each phrase. There's a great breakdown section in the middle with just drums and a rocking guitar riff (doubled by the bass) that gradually builds up layer by layer with organ and vocals and an almost spoken-word rap.  It concludes with a ripping guitar solo that wouldn't be out of place in a 1970s hard rock song...the bass guitar underneath it is awesome, too. As the song ends, a bit of studio chatter and laughter ends it all on a lighter note.

Overall, this is a very strong album with a variety of textures and sounds all woven around Will and the band's distinctive sound. There are hooks that will stay with you long after you've listened and it stands up really well to repeated plays. As always, I urge you to support musicians both big and small...listen to their music, buy it, go see them live, and spread the word! You can buy Heart of the Order by clicking on the link and if you like what you've heard/read here, please do so! Here's to  what Will and his band come up with next while I continue to enjoy this one!

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