June / July 2008
by Paul Autry
http://www.myspace.com/spotlight_music
I'm gonna start this issue off by giving you an introduction to Jim Price. He's a huge supporter of the local music scene...and music in general...and he's been doing it for quite some time. So, I figured the best way to feature him here would be to ask him to explain who he is and what he does. So, I sent him an e-mail, asked the question and here is his response.
"I'm "The Professor," Jim Price, and my life pretty much revolves around music. I play it on the radio for a living, as the afternoon announcer on WBXQ "Q94," a classic rock radio station based in Altoona, Pa. I also host a local music program on Q94 called "The Backyard Rocker," which airs two hours of local and regional artists every Sunday night from 8 to 10 PM. I write a column called "The Professor Speaks" for Pennsylvania Musician, a regional music publication based near Harrisburg, PA. In that column, I write about live and local music happenings in a six-county area including Blair, Cambria, Centre, Huntingdon, Bedford and Clearfield Counties in west-central PA. I also do CD reviews for Pennsylvania Musician as well. I also am a co-administrator and writer for Rockpage, a local music website based in Altoona. For Rockpage, I do weekly recaps of shows I see in the region, and also post occasional CD reviews, commentaries and other music-related items. I also blog and do CD reviews for The Altoona Mirror newspaper.
I've been a music fan since my childhood in the early 70's, when my older brother used to bring home rock albums while attending Penn State University. I quickly turned on to progressive and hard rock, and those were my prominent musical tastes as I grew up. I've also been a writer since childhood, working on school newspapers while growing up and even publishing my own underground newspaper in high school.
After graduating from Penn State University with a broadcasting degree in 1983, it was at my first radio job, at WFBG-AM/FM in Altoona, where my whole music-related career started coming together. Within months after being hired, I began helping out on a Saturday overnight radio program called "All Night Album Rock" on WFBG-AM. Hosted by Jay Randyll, the show featured five hours of hard rock, heavy metal and album deep cuts. I started doing local concert and album review features on the program, the prequel to my eventual work with Pennsylvania Musician.
In 1986, two years after I started at WFBG, Jay Randyll decided to reform his old high school rock band. Although that band ultimately did not reform, the band Tommi-Gunn was formed, and I was recruited to be their manager and publicist. It became a big learning experience for me, as I handled bookings, publicity and general business affairs for the group. In pursuit of promoting and garnering publicity for the band, I began running ads for them in Pennsylvania Musician. At that point, Pennsylvania Musician had columns from different parts of the state, but not my hometown Altoona area. It dawned on me that if I could write a column about the Altoona area, I could not just publicize Tommi-Gunn, but all the other talented bands playing in my part of the state. Although the magazine was lukewarm to the idea when I first approached them, I went ahead and submitted my first article anyway in June, 1987; and have been in every issue ever since. While Tommi-Gunn bit the dust in 1991, my column in Pennsylvania Musician continued and grew, with my coverage area expanding over the years to its current six county area."
If you're a local band or you're an out of state band coming to this area, it would be in your best interest to get in touch with Jim and have him come out to your show. It's probably the best thing you could ever do if you're in a band. Here's all of his links for you to check out.
http://www.myspace.com/professorjimprice
http://www.rockpage.net
http://www.pamusician.net
http://www.wbxq.com
http://www.altoonamirror.com
I first heard Showin' Tell by way of their "Tuesday Afternoon" album. When I finally had the chance to see them live, they were like a totally different band. They were in your face, loud, aggressive and kicked some major ass. That just didn't seem to come across on the album. However, they have a three song EP that's more like the band I saw on stage. Normally, it would take more than three tunes for me to form an honest opinion. But, I know what this band can do and, from what I've seen and what I'm listening to now, they're getting it done. They do more with these three songs than some bands do with a full length album. The first track, "Rockstar," is exceptionally catchy and I think this is a tune that's gonna be a signature for Showin' Tell. This is the one that people will always want to hear. "Mother May I" and "Against You" rock just as hard. Once they put out a full length release with the same style and sound that can be found on this EP...they're gonna own the local music scene. Absolutely fantastic!
http://www.showintellband.com
http://www.myspace.com/showintellband
Progressive. Rock. Alternative. That's what Stone Lucy has up on their MySpace page. "Syndicated Summer" is the name of the album that I have. There's talent here, no doubt about that. The album is pretty solid. The music is good. But...first listen...you might not hear it that way. You have to give this one some time to sink in. Gotta listen to it three or four times before you really start to feel it. Some people might view that as a bad thing. Well, it's not because, first of all, they manage to get your attention and, since you have to listen to it a second, third, fourth time, they hold your attention and you coming back for more. That's the sign of an intelligent song...and there's seven of them on this release.
http://www.myspace.com/stonelucy
I did a write up on The Illuminati before. I mentioned how they brought U2 and Pink Floyd to mind. That was the record I heard. When I finally had the chance to see them perform...I got a totally different vibe. They were really solid and more rockin' and the one artist that did pop into my head was John Cougar. They had a song or two that was kind of in that same genre. Every time I experience this band, I hear something different. They seem to be very focused and they clearly have their act together.
http://www.theilluminatiband.com
http://www.myspace.com/theilluminatiband
Never heard of Render before. But, I recently caught 'em live. Think I only missed a song or two of their set. However, I saw enough to make my night complete. They were rockin' the house. They were raw, loud and very energetic. They put on a really good show and I liked what I heard. I have a three song disc and, on their MySpace page, they mention that these tunes weren't mastered. I think it has a pretty cool sound. It's just like their live show...only...not as loud.
http://www.rendermusic.net
http://www.myspace.com/renderrock
I don't care who you are or where you live. If you haven't heard of 3 Kisses before...you're not paying attention. If you wanna talk about self-promotion...wow...this band does it all. Seriously, they do more for themselves than a major label does for a dozen bands. They're not afriad of hard work and it doesn't matter if they reach one person a day or one thousand. As long as someone new is getting the chance to hear their music for the first time, they're happy. Believe me, if you're a musician, you could learn a lot from this band. Actually, now that I think about it, you really could. You see...vocalist/guitarist Tish Meeks has written an e-book called "How To Get Band Sponsorships & Endorsements." 3 Kisses has more than a dozen sponsorships/endorsements. To name a few...Go Girls Music, Sam Ash Music Stores, PRS Guitars, Coffin Case, Dunlop, Miller Lite and Jagermeister. If you wanna find out how they got all of these people/companies to take notice and help support them...buy the book. If you're in a band...believe me...this is a good investment.
http://www.myspace.com/3kisses
http://www.bandsponsorshipsandendorsements.com
Steve Cone's a rock/metal guitar player. That's what I tell people...and I think it's safe to say that his full length release, "In My Bones," is a good way to represent the kind of music that we feature on this site. Back in February when were were at the MMC, his disc was one of the most metal items that we had on our table. Once I put 'em out...they didn't last too long. Luckily, I had enough for the three days I was there and I'm pretty sure he made a few new fans from that event. If this is the first time that you're hearing about him...please...don't hesitate to check out what he has to offer. I guarantee that you'll like what you hear.
http://www.stevecone.net
http://www.myspace.com/stevecone
Pat Burke is a former Pennsylvania musician. He got married, moved to Florida and released, in my opinion, one of the best AOR/rock releases that I've ever heard. It's just an amazing album from start to finish. Anyway, I did a write up on it and I figured, why I'm at it, I might as well ask him a few questions in order to give him a little more exposure and this is how it turned out.
Paul Autry: How did you get involved in music?
Pat Burke: Well, I spent time listening to mom's 8 tracks and dads music. But, really, The Monkees 1986 reunion started it all. I went from 60's all the way up to hair metal and followed right through. I'm still on the journey.
Paul Autry: . Could you give us a brief history of Searching For Gladys.
Pat Burke: I joined the remnants of Troy Moser's band. We got a guitarist and I sang in 1999. Seven drummers, 2 guitarists, seven years later and a CD! We played CBGB's and opened for Breaking Benjamin and SR.71. It was an amazing ride and I learned a lot. Those guys are still the best.
Paul Autry: Why did you decide to leave the band?
Pat Burke: I wanted our next record to be huge. Its hard to think huge in our coal region area. The guys all had solid personal lives going on and I had a chance to get mine in order, which meant a move to central Florida. The guys were content to stay local, so I decided I would take the chance on love, and new beginings in music and let them carry on. It worked. They got a new singer, and I got married and started performing solo.
Paul Autry: What made you decide to do a solo album?
Pat Burke: I was originally "using up" some Searching for Gladys "reject tracks" as I like to call them. Songs that the band maybe didn't feel was us. That was fine with me, but I like Led Zeppelin mentality, use everything. So, Al had some cool sounds and ideas at the studio and I had some songs. The guys from the band play on several of the songs, but it's mostly just Al and me. BIlly Adams from Deuce plays keyboards. It turned out to take a lot longer than i had planned. Al has tremendous patience.
Paul Autry: How was the recording process?
Pat Burke: Again, Al has tremendous patience. He would shoot me like 9 guitar solos in 4 minutes. It was amazing. He's amazing. It took forever but I loved it. I never produced or arranged before. As I said, SFG plays on a few of the tracks. In a way, it was kind of like our 2nd album, only more of my songs thrown in. It was always intended to be my solo record, but one or 2 of the songs would have made it to an SFG record.
Paul Autry: Are you happy with the end result?
Pat Burke: I am. But it may be a bit over done in some spots. That's my fault. I kept pushing it. It also may be a little loud. But all in all, it's a great mix of stuff.
Paul Autry: What do you hope to accomplish with this release?
Pat Burke: Well, start a band and play the songs. Until I got to Florida, got married and settled in it was like 6 months. I put some ads up but nothing. Then I started playing acoustic. If you know me, I'm no where near the best guitarist, So, I'm playing these songs live acoustic along with 30 other covers...it's very hard at times.
Paul Autry: How's the music scene in your area as compared to Pennsylvania?
Pat Burke: It's the same and different. The area I live in contains a lot of older musicians. Orlando is mostly all original music. Its kind of like Harrisburg (Pa.) only more people live there. The other thing here is, you can play outside almost year round. So I do a lot of deck shows and those involve covers. The best thing is...I'm making more doing this than we ever made as a band.
Paul Autry: Final comments???
Pat Burke: Hmmm.. Well...Thanks for the questions and the review...and thanks to central Pa. for listening to us in SFG. "Dysfunctional County" was our anthem, I should have put it up there in the other question. Thanks for making it a huge success the nights we played it. Singing it back to us every night was the best thing in the world. Thanks to the band we played with and the guys in SFG.
Paul Autry: What are your musical influences?
Pat Burke: Here is where it gets long and ugly. Well, Matchbox 20, Live, Grand Funk, Deep Purple, Francis Dunnery, The Beatles, Monkees, CCR, Butch Walker, Brain Wilson, Tyketto, Rush, Marillion, Saigon Kick. There are many more for many other reasons. As I type, I'm loading my ipod with my 900 CD's. I hate to part with some of them, but I sure hope they all fit!! Take care Pennsylvania!
http://www.myspace.com/patrickburkemusic
I'm in touch with a lot of rap artists and I feature a lot of them in this column. A lot of the artists that I'm in touch with or know on a personal level...well...they do some heavy promotion. It's all about getting their name and music out there. It's all about exposure. It doesn't really matter what style of music you play. If you have an audience...you need to reach them. You need to let them know what you have to offer. The rap artists do that. That's why I'm so familiar with what they're doing. I'm in touch with so many of them...I could do an entire column on them...and that's just what we're gonna do. When the next, new SPOTLIGHT column is posted, the first Ballbuster rap column (BALL-BUSTA) will be posted as well. While you're waiting...and while I'm working on it...here's a few artists to get you started.
Now, I only heard five tunes from the artist known as Dynamite. But, every one was a winner. "One Wish (W.W.Y.D.)" is a song with a message. It has a lot to say. "Smash These Cats" has the feel of a rock song. Is that a Papa Roach riff I'm hearing? Also, Dynamite can spit out lyrics faster than a machine gun can fire bullets. This song is a perfect example of that skill. On "Showoff," the lyrics talk about how fast he can rap. Oddly enough, he doesn't do it on this song. You can hear some Tears For Fears in the backround. The call "I'm Drunk" a dummy track at the begining of the tune. I don't know what they mean by dummy track. Hopefully, they're not callin' it a throw-away track because this is a fun little tune. If I had to pick a favorite, this one would probably be it. The disc ends with the high energy track "Your Song." These tunes give you such a natural high...you crave more and more. So, be sure to check him out. Get your addiction started.
http://www.myspace.com/dynamitethemc
Formhell2hide's "Monstro City" is a 14 song disc that's bangin' harder than a metal band and the energy level is up to 11 right off the bat. They don't waste any time. They throw down a kick ass beat and, from start to finish, they tear it up like nobody's business. I guess there's a little bit of rock 'n' roll in their blood because they serve up a little Metallica and Foreigner as well. That was a nice suprise. This is a totally professional release. They took the time to do it up right. It's got a running time that's close to an hour and, believe me, they make every second count. This is one release that you want in your collection.
http://www.myspace.com/formhell2hide
I can't say that I'm familiar with the Jewish culture. So, when I listen to Ta-Shma's debut album, "Come Listen," some of what they have to say probably goes in one ear and out the other. I'm quite sure that some of the message is lost on me. But, that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy the music. It's usually the first impression that matters the most and, I've gotta tell you, the first three songs really caught my attention. "Revolution" has a really great groove and "Rachamana" has a pretty steady one. When we get to "Shine," now that's the ticket. This tunes has a real positive vibe and a lot of energy. It's probably my favorite track from the album. Sticks with you from the moment you hear it. The rest of the album is kind of a hit and miss for me. There's some tunes that I like, there's some that I don't. The ones that I'm less interested in are the more mellow and/or laid back tracks. Take "Voice Of My Beloved" for example. The lyrics come out pretty fast and the music doesn't quite keep up with it. When it comes to this style of music, I like energy...and if you have it in the lyrics, you should have it in the music as well. That's just my opinion. Anyway, I listen to a lot of different rap music and I appreciate Ta-Shma for doing something different. They don't sound like any other release that I have in my collection and that has to be a good thing.
http://www.myspace.com/hasidichiphop
http://www.jewishmusicgroup.com
Finally, 7th Layer is getting ready to unleash their latest album on the world. It's gonna be called "Bring Out Your Dead." Before this album was recorded, they released a FREE online EP called "The Sci Fi Adventures Of 7th Layer Vol. 1: Paranormia," which you can download from MegaUpload or RapidShare. Copy and paste either link into your browser...download...and enjoy!
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VX37TRRH
http://rapidshare.com/files/115158336/7thLayer.rar
For more information on 7th Layer: http://www.myspace.com/seventhlayer