This is my sketch for the John Tyler painting.

• So the #Chiefs didn't look so bad. I even give Croyle some props. Here we come #Oakland! #

Read the rest of this entry »

Artist: Chevelle
Album: Vena Sera
Release Date: April 3, 2007
Label: Epic Records

I don’t know what it is about me, but sometimes when a band has put out a few albums I start to expect a let down. By the time Vena Sera came out, I was expecting Chevelle to finally let me down. They had three very good albums under their belt, three staples in my bro rock belt. I typically don’t go for mainstream radio rock and I would even argue that Chevelle is far from the typical radio rock they’re often lumped in with, but I won’t head down that argument trail, so for now I’ll just leave ‘em where they lie… because there is no denying by the time this album dropped I loved Chevelle.
Read the rest of this entry »

Artist: Chevelle
Album: This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)
Release Date: October 21, 2004
Label: Epic Records

This type of thinking really could do Chevelle in. This album explodes off the starting line with the fantastic “The Clincher” and from that moment, they pretty much did clinch me as a fanboy for life. Unlike Wonder What’s Next which had obvious high points and stand out singles, This Type of Thinking is a complete album. Such a change is good for fans, but sucks for label execs since this albums sales failed to meet that of their predecessor. Read the rest of this entry »

Artist: Chevelle
Album: Wonder What’s Next
Release Date: October 8th, 2002
Label: Epic Records

Could anyone have predicted how huge Chevelle was going to get with this album and more particularly “The Red”? Doubt it, I know I sure couldn’t have. As I previously stated, I enjoyed Point #1 but I don’t think I have the skills that could see though the muddy layers of riffs and yells and find underneath them a band meant for mainstream airwaves. I’m sure glad someone else did.
Read the rest of this entry »

Artist: Chevelle
Album: Point #1
Release Date: May 4th 1999
Label: Steve Taylor’s long since defunct Squint Entertainment

I’ve decided to review the first 4 Chevelle albums before getting to my review of the newest offering from the band, Sci-Fi Crimes. As you are well aware, it’s quite common for people to love the fact that they were “in the know” long before a band hit it big time. Most of the time it’s also common to lord such knowledge over the head of those less fortunate, those who got into said band only after the radio played their first hit single into the ground. Read the rest of this entry »

Artist: Showbread
Album: The Fear of God
Label: Tooth and Nail Records
Release Date: August 11th 2009

Showbread is back! While, as an artist, I saw the value in the artistic nature of their double concept album Anorexia/Nervosa, those albums left me wanting. Not so much Nervosa as Anorexia though. Nervosa was a solid album, I just feel you have to weigh both albums together. There were few songs that were catchy, raw and rocking like the Showbread I came to love used to do, though guest vocals from Reese Roper and Jeff Fortson were much loved, and the message behind the art was all very well done. Still, I received this new album with wide-eyed excitement.
Read the rest of this entry »

I could use more photos like these. Thanks to Kathryn and Hannah for e-mailing me this photo of them and their United Plates prints!

Read the rest of this entry »

Read the rest of this entry »