Banging in Bangor - Greta Van Fleet Rocks the Cross Insurance Center
Guitar & Pen
by Tom Endyke
1M ago
Score: 91/100  Release Date: 8/2/23 Genre: Rock On a cool October evening in Bangor, Maine, the Cross Insurance Center buzzed with the vibrant sounds of the soulful Greta Van Fleet.  First up was Robert Finley, a blues and soul artist, who wowed the audience with his powerful vocals and impressive guitar skills. His music transported everyone to the classic blues era, leaving a lasting impact. Following Finley, Houndmouth brought indie rock vibes to the stage, getting the crowd dancing and singing along. Their harmonies were tight, and they seamlessly switched between upbeat ..read more
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Alt Rock Review: Ratboys - The Window
Guitar & Pen
by Tom Endyke
6M ago
Score: 89/100  Release Date: August 25, 2023 Genre: Alternative, Indie Similar Artists: Big Thief, Sun Kil Moon, Kevin Morby, Big Thief A low-key and low-fi dynamo, Chicago-based Ratboys have been making music since songwriters and guitarists Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan met at Notre Dame in the early 2010s.  The band's standout album, Printer's Devil, in 2020, when the band expanded from a duet to a quartet, was this writer's first exposure and embodied an eclectic and otherwise ineffable sound that defied labels. All I knew was that I liked it, especially the heavy groo ..read more
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Alt Review: Panda Bear & Sonic Boom - Reset
Guitar & Pen
by Tom Endyke
1y ago
Score: 92/100  Release Date: August 22, 2022 Genre: Alternative, Indie Similar Artists:  The music of Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) has historically sampled the past. This was especially true as a solo artist with Animal Collective and now as a collaborator with Sonic Boom (aka Pete Kember).   Reset is more than an album title. It's a declaration to the world of modern music that anything is possible. The underlying rhythm is intricate and infectious, transporting the listener to a children's music room filled with skilled musicians. You'll hear what sounds like xylo ..read more
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Alt Rock Review: Jerry Cantrell - Brighten
Guitar & Pen
by Tom Endyke
1y ago
Score: 87/100  Release Date: October 29, 2021 Genre: Alt-Rock, Country-Rock, Grunge, Blues Similar Artists: Alice in Chains, Mark Lanegan, Thurston Moore Former Alice in Chains guitarist releases his first solo work in 19 years, and the results are pleasantly compelling. An all-star cast of characters (Duff Mckagen, Gil Sharrone, and Greg Puciato) joined Cantrell in the studio, and Cantrell produced this remarkable work. Cantrell describes the album as "a journey up through darkness to light." Brighten is filled with space; within that space, Cantrell reflects on the past two ..read more
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Guitar & Pen is seeking contributors.
Guitar & Pen
by Tom Endyke
3y ago
Are you a rock music fanatic looking for an opportunity to strengthen your writing skills and broaden your portfolio and experience? If so, Guitar & Pen is looking for contributors to our award-winning album review website. Here at G&P, we write about the seminal rock releases of our time. This is an unpaid gig that would allow you to write about what you love and grow your audience. The expectation is to submit one review every two to three weeks.   Email tom@tomendyke.com if interested.   8.7.3 ..read more
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Metalcore Review: Architects - For Those Who Wish to Exist
Guitar & Pen
by Tom Endyke
3y ago
Score: 83/100  Release Date: February 26, 2021 Genre: metalcore, progcore, ambient postmetal Similar Artists: While She Sleeps, Killswitch Engage British metalcore phenoms, Architects are back with their ninth full-length release.  It is their second since Tom Searle's (lead guitarist, synth programmer, songwriter, and lyricist) passing after a three-year-long battle with skin cancer at the age of 28. At the time, his brother, drummer Dan Searle, refused to mince words or offer any false reassurances "I don't know what will become of Architects." The good news is that the ..read more
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Indie Rock Review: Shambertans - Wallflower
Guitar & Pen
by Tom Endyke
3y ago
Score: 85/100  Release Date: November 16, 2020 Genre: Indie Rock/Pop Similar Artists: Housemartins, Libertines, The Jam The Shambertans' debut EP, Wallflower, is an achievement in sonic alchemy. Formed in Cambridge, England in 2019, the band's sound is an extraordinary diversity of melody and mood, a blend of post-punk pop and modern no-frills rock. These balances are difficult to strike, and most modern rock bands end up producing grocery store music – one of a hundred varieties of the same product. While the band stands on their own solid ground, the influences are clear. O ..read more
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Rock Review: Foo Fighters – Medicine at Midnight
Guitar & Pen
by Tom Endyke
3y ago
Score: 75/100  Release Date: February 5, 2021 Genre: Hard Rock Similar Artists: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Audioslave, Pearl Jam Having risen from the ashes of grunge rock, Foo Fighters have gifted their hardcore fan base with a tenth studio release and the first since 2017’s Concrete and Gold.  With Medicine at Midnight, the band remains deeply entrenched inside a groove they’ve carved for themselves out of which it is so difficult to climb. Let’s face it, the formula pleases fans, supports the crew, appeases the record company, and further solidifies their standing in the p ..read more
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Prog/Electronic Review: Steven Wilson - The Future Bites
Guitar & Pen
by Tom Endyke
3y ago
Score: 73/100  Release Date: January 29, 2021 Genre: Electronic, Prog-Rock Similar Artists: Pineapple Thief, Moby With his 5th solo album, former Porcupine Tree frontman and Prog Rock wonderboy turns sharply into the digital netherworld, challenging his most ardent followers' expectations.  After Wilson's brilliant Hand Cannot Erase and To the Bone, it was anyone's guess as to which direction he'd turn. Yet, the deep and profound songs of alienation and marginalization backed by more digital underpinnings such as "Routine," "Perfect Life," and "Permanating" should have t ..read more
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Folk Rock and Soul Review: Skyway Man - The World Only Ends When You Die
Guitar & Pen
by Tom Endyke
3y ago
Score: 87/100  Release Date: October 23, 2020 Genre: Folk Rock, Soul, Gospel Similar Artists:  My Morning Jacket, Wilco, M. Ward James Wallace, singer, songwriter, and producer behind Skyway Man describes his third studio album, The World Only Ends When You Die, as "a spinning disc flashing the finest examples of cosmological country and sci-fi gospel blues." If that's not enough to give it a listen, I don't know what is. After I did, I found his description quite apt. There's a lot of soul here, a lot of good ole fireside foot-stomping, and enough howls at the moon to mak ..read more
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