tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9908604.post2075091791960021703..comments2024-03-01T00:27:42.852-08:00Comments on Hammer Of The Blogs: The Winamp ShuffleHeywood J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05627748699423939682noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9908604.post-38997681992684116742007-04-01T10:41:00.000-07:002007-04-01T10:41:00.000-07:00Eidolon are pretty good, kind of an updated Rage F...Eidolon are pretty good, kind of an updated <I>Rage For Order</I>-era Queensryche type of sound. They are the main band of the Drover brothers (Glen, guitar and Shawn, drums), who are currently on tour with -- wait for it -- Megadeth.<BR/><BR/>Sparta are actually fairly commercial-sounding; I'm surprised this song in particular isn't a Z-Rock staple. Must not be kicking down enough payola. Anyway, I came across them in a recent issue of Guitar World, where they were mentioned as contemporaries (or maybe ex-bandmates) of The Mars Volta. They don't sound anything like Mars Volta, whom I actually like but are pretty distinct musically.<BR/><BR/>I like Kyuss a lot, what I've heard of them. QSA have their moments as well. Loved the Saturday Night Live appearance, with Will Ferrell rocking the cowbell on <I>Little Sister</I>.<BR/><BR/>Ritchie Blackmore has been doing that medieval folk-rock thing since the last short-lived Rainbow lineup, with Blackmore's Night. They have some decent songs, but could stand to rock a little harder. Growing up, I always liked the way Jethro Tull experimented within that quasi-Elizabethan genre, sometimes successfully, sometimes not, but at least they tried different things. In Extremo sounds intriguing; I'll definitely keep an eye out for them. <BR/><BR/>I wish I had more time to check out new bands; I think the availability of technology is putting a stake through the heart of the record companies' distribution/promotion model. I'd much rather see a hundred bands sell 30,000 copies a piece than one or two sell a million or five million, usually at the expense of lesser-known (but equally or more talented) bands.Heywood J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05627748699423939682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9908604.post-18770121544864328892007-04-01T07:09:00.000-07:002007-04-01T07:09:00.000-07:00Good stuff. The only two I haven't heard are Eidol...Good stuff. The only two I haven't heard are Eidolon and Sparta. And <I>Blues for the Red Sun</I> - for me, that's one of those records that always bring back vivid memories of where and when you first heard it. Man, I worshiped that band. Queens of the Stone Age, not so much. But still, Josh Homme could start a boy band and I'd always overlook it in honor of his having created <I>...And the Circus Leaves Town</I>.<BR/><BR/>Lately, I've been checking out a lot of, well, "medieval folk-rock", for lack of a better term. It seems to be mostly centered in Germany, with the common theme being a use of lots of traditional instruments, either combined with heavy metal guitars (<A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/002-1421694-8796806?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=music&field-artist=In%20Extremo" REL="nofollow">In Extremo</A>), electronica (<A HREF="http://www2.mailordercentral.com/isotank/searchprods.asp" REL="nofollow">Qntal</A>) or a more traditional folk sound (<A HREF="http://www.emusic.com/album/10920/10920159.html" REL="nofollow">Faun</A>, <A HREF="http://www2.mailordercentral.com/isotank/ProductByTitle.asp?name=Corvus+Corax" REL="nofollow">Corvus Corvax</A>). In Extremo even sing entirely in dead languages, which I thought was interesting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com