Introducing JAKE ALLEN - Michigan musician..and other Favorite modern songwriters...

Kevin Gilbert

Jeff Buckley

Jimmy Gnecco

Casey Crescenzo

Joey Eppard

Matt Mahaffey (sElf)

Jessy Ribordy

Fjokra

Gavin Castleton

Sheena Ringo

Michael Mills (Toehider)

Bryan Scary

Jared Draughon

Jake Allen?

Many others I'm not listing here..but this guy Jake Allen..omg, I'm getting attched to his 2020 record Affirmation Day over the last couple of days.

Something is brewing and if given the time, I'll try and write something and/or film a video on YouTube about this guy.

Definitely 1 of those cases where you hear someone's music and it hits you like a ton of bricks how amazing much of it is.

Bryan Scary and I suppose, include Sheena and even Jared Draughon's in the last time this happened to me over the last couple of years.

What may get me maybe the most in some ways is he is may be the 1st one of these people who I know is/was a fan and influenced by Kevin Gilbert Per THIS ARTICLE. Sure, there are many of them (NDV of course, Dave Kerzner, Randy McStine even...), but none of those have fully really grabbed me in the way Kevin did,..or just in some way. Nick I do appreciate his talents and him working with many bands..I suppose mostly Spock's Beard of course. But for whatever reason, beyond his fronting of Spock's, his solo music never has gone far like Kevin, Casey, Matt Mahaffey or Bryan Scary..but thus dude 

Jake Allen from Michigan..I dunno..I'm really really loving much of his music. The textures, lyrics, dynamics, blending of styles..although not super diverse and weird..it's enough for me to appreciate.

Record Store Day 2019 Video

Sort of truncated in some ways, even though it's a 15-minute video.

we very well make a 2nd video, or at least I will, just talking about RSD and also maybe what we missed, strategy about getting items, dividing things up.

And yes, we had Open Houses to go to on Saturday and actually put another offer in (the 2nd in 2 weeks) but alas, we still didn't get it. We're starting to question if buying a house makes sense now.




-Record Store Day 2019 Bag, Sunglasses, Guitar Picks (Joe Bonamassa)
-The Bird and the Bee - The Bird and the Bee
The Bird and the Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future (10th Anniversary)
Jeff Buckley - In Transition
-Madonna - La Isla Bonita [EP]
-Ghost World Original Soundtrack
-Banarama - Remixed Vol. 1

Childish Japes and Dave Vives - Salamander (2017-2018)

This kind of came out of nowhere to impress me quite a lot, just being released on Friday August 4th.

Childish Japes released an EP After You're Born, I enjoyed a bit last year. If I recall, Courtney Swain from Bent Knee even sings on 1 track.

Childish Japes is the latest project drummer JP Bouvet has worked on, ever since the end I guess of The Super Pilots. He has/had a band called Helicopria who have I guess 3 eps I have still yet to checkout (but will), that were active in the early 2010's.

But this new album Salamander is not only Childish Japes but is a full release with singer Dave Vives who had a band called Mals Totem a few years ago who put out on EP with the guitarist Asher Kurtz whose with Childish Japes.

So this record I enjoy many facets about, namely the 1st 7 tracks, but I think the biggest thing about it is Dave Vives vocals. he sounds like Jeff Buckley at times or Judah Nagler from The Velvet Teen, or even Petter Carlsen whose vocals stood out on Long Distance Calling's album Trips.

He can really wail like a banshee on many of these tracks.

The production style reminds me a lot of Bent Knee's albums. With space and clarity. It almost sounds recorded live at times.

"Something Else," "Float," "Old Yeller," and "Lying to Us" among the rest of those tracks standout. The dynamics, and emotion shows up often. I even am reminded at times of the Neverending White Lights.

The guitar tones from Kurtz and Bouvet's crisp drum work are among the best stuff I've heard from him.

I'm not ready to say this is an Album of the Year candidate, but I enjoyed it more than I expected certainly.

And Dave Vives I want to hear more from now, starting with that Mals Totem EP.



1. California 04:04
2. Something Else 03:58
3. Please Explain 03:43
4. Lying To Us 03:59
5. Float 04:36
6. Well Done 03:40
7. Old Yeller 05:51
8. Rosanne 02:11

Videos: CDs and Vinyl (April 2018)

Neither of these videos are short (16 and 19? minutes), but I covered a good amount of ground. I can say, there is an EDIT function in the software I'm using on this laptop, which it's more of a "trim' on the beginning or end of the videos unfortunately. But it may hold some hope for editing these in the future.

No clipping on the laptop-filmed video, so the RSD video with Joyce may have been per my volume levels or how close we were.

I am starting to think the laptop may be the way to go unless I am literally out-and-about filming. It just works better at this point and even the quality of the video seems better.

Oh and I need to actually write a Grimus-featured history entry I think per this video. Not HUGE I don't think, but just an overview like I did in the video.


The Family Crest - The War: Act I
Kindo - Happy However After
Grimus - Unmanageable Species
Grimus - Emergence
Grimus - Egretta
Grimus - Panikon



The Family Crest - The War: Act I [2 LP]
Marillion - Living in Fear 12"

RECORD STORE DAY 2018:
Jeff Buckley - Sin:e [4 LP Boxed Set]
Snarky Puppy - Sharktank 10'
Steven Wilson - How big the Space 12"
Porcupine Tree - In Abesentia
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
(dredg song SANG REAL I couldn't remember.)

Kai Danzberg - Pop-Up Radio

VIDEOS: Record Store Day 2018

Record Store Day 2018 Videos.

The 1st 3 are just short clips, the 3rd one, a bit longer taken at WHOLE Foods. I wish I would have taken more clips, but the memory in my camera low, so it probably would have required time for me to delete some stuff, etc. Even the battery I think was low (I hardly prepared for it).

The 4th video is Joyce and I showing our purchases, and telling anecdotes, and opinions.

45 or 46 MINUTES, lol. Not intended, although I knew it wasn't going to be short.

Truth be though it was a lot for Joyce, rightfully so. I showed mine and told some stories and opinions. But as I mentioned, I'll hopefully be making another video showing and talking more about the ones I bought plus a few others too of course. At the Storage Space.

Hopefully time allowing.

But I won't blame anyone for either taking time to watch the 4th video (or fast-fwding). I did list the items shown in order (I need to learn how the timestamps are put up so easily for some. I'm sure it shouldn't take all that much time, but I don't have time to try and figure it out right now, lol).









Cheapo (St.Paul): Joyce: -The Police - Roxanne '7 [RSD] -Madonna - The First Album (Picture Disc) [RSD] -Josh Rouse - Love in the Modern Age -The Bird and the Bee - Recreational Love Kyle: -Jeff Buckley - Live at Sin:e Box [Deluxe/Legacy Edition] [RSD] -Steven Wilson - How the Big Space '12 [RSD] -Snarky Puppy - Sharktank '10 [RSD]

Barely Brothers:
Joyce:
Bobby Caldwell - Bobby Caldwell
Reed Grimm - First Draft [EP] [CD] Agharta: Joyce: -Madonna - You Can Dance '12 [RSD] Kyle: -Porcupine Tree - In Absentia -Pourcpine Tree - Deadwing Solid State Records: Joyce: -Whitney Houston - Queen of the Night '12 -Breakfast Club - Right on Track '12 -Janet Jackson - Come Back to Me '12 -George Michael - Fast Love/I'm Your Man'96 '12

The Year 1998 Albums Calendar and Rankings

 The year 1998 was a year I was in the thick of Dream Theater fandom I suppose, as I got to see them live for the 2nd time with ELP and Deep Purple.

And of course their new side project Liquid Tension Experiment came out on the heals of Falling Into Infinity, a polarizing record for many. LTE though most loved, and I will admit I did enjoy then, but probably more now as I wasn't as into instrumental rock music up until that point.

But looking at the rankings and calendar, 1998 was quite a deep year, compared to some other years. But at the same time, there doesn't seem to be any all-time favorites.

dredg's Leitmotif is a great debut album, quite original and does not overstay its welcome. And I came to learn about its cool concept/story after enjoying it for awhile. I suppose by default, and my love of dredg, it is my favorite album from 1998. But it's interesting scanning the list, many of the other albums I could easily rank higher than it, as many are albums that are my favorites from said artists (Superior, Jeff Buckley, Chroma Key, VAST, Mansun, Platypus, Pushmonkey).

But it's splitting hairs I guess. I look at this year and calendar as having many (20-25 or more) very good, 3.5-4 star albums. With a few at least bordering on 4.5.

In other words, not Top Heavy, but DEEP and in a matter of speaking.

1. dredg - Leitmotif
2. Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment
3. Superior - Younique
4. Pain of Salvation - One Hour by the Concrete Lake
5. Jeff Buckley - Sketches (For My Sweetheart the Drunk)
6. Marillion - Radiation
7. Shadow Gallery - Tyranny
8. Enchant - Break
9. Angra - Fireworks
10. Chroma Key - Dead Air for Radios
11. Mansun - Six
12. Fates Warning - Still Life
13. Galactic Cowboys - At the End of the Day
14. VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater
15. Spock's Beard - The Kindness of Strangers
16. Poncho Sanchez - Afro Cuban Fantasy
17. Platypus - When Pus Comes to Shove
18. King's X - Tape Head
19. Valinor's Tree - Kingdom of Sadness
20. Pushmonkey - Pushmonkey
21. Sculptured - The Spear of the Lily Is Aureoled
22. The Gathering - How to Measure a Planet?
23. Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come
24. Ty Tabor - Moonflower Lane
25. Marillion and the Positive Light - Tales from the Engine Room
26. Steve Hackett - The Tokyo Tapes
27. Soundscape - Man and Machine [EP]
28. Rush - Different Stages
29, Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
30. White Willow - Ex Tenebris
31. Without Warning - Step Beyond
32. Power of Omens - Eyes of the Oracle
33. OHO - Ecce OHO
34. Vincent Gallo - Buffalo '66 Soundtrack
35. Imogen Heap - I Megaphone
36. Al Di Meola - The Infinite Desire
37, Gorguts - Obscura
38. Wondermints - Bali
39. System of a Down - System of a Down
40. sElf - Brunch [EP]

41. The Rubinoos - Paleophonic

42. Poundhound - Massive Grooves from the Electric Church of Psychofunkadelic Grungelism Rock Music
43. Dream Theater - Once in a Livetime
44. At the Drive-In - In/Casino/Out
45. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too
46. Metropolis - Shadows of the Past
47. Lenny Kravitz - 5
48. Lorde of All Desires - The Scent of Malevolence
49. Van Halen - Van Halen III



Poncho Sanchez - Afro Cuban Fantasy
rel January 1, 1998


Thinking Plague - In Extremis
rel January 1, 1998


Shpongle - Are You Shpongled?
\rel January 25, 1998


Freak Kitchen - Freak Kitchen
rel January 26, 1998


Dixie Chicks - Wide Open Spaces
rel January 27, 1998


Marillion and the Positive Light - Tales from the Engine Room
rel January 1998


Madonna - Ray of Light
rel February 22, 1998


Ty Tabor - Moonflower Lane
rel February 24, 1998


Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment
rel March 10, 1998


Van Halen - Van Halen III
rel March 17, 1998


Malice Mizer - Merveilles
rel March 18, 1998


Sculptured - The Spear of the Lily Is Aureoled
rel March 1998


Arena - The Visitor
rel April 20, 1998


Jimmy Page and Robert Plant - Walking Into Clarksdale
rel April 21, 1998


Steve Hackett - The Tokyo Tapes
rel April 27, 1998


Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth
rel April 28, 1998


Josh Rouse - Dressed Up Like Nebraska
rel April 28, 1998


VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater
rel April 28, 1998


Julian Lennon - Photograph Smile
rel May 4, 1998


Lenny Kravitz - 5
rel May 12, 1998


Spock's Beard - Kindness of Strangers
rel May 19, 1998


Jeff Buckley - Sketches (For My Sweetheart the Drunk)
rel May 26, 1998


Sloan - Navy Blues
rel May 26, 1998


dredg - Leitmotif
rel May 30, 1998


Superior - Younique
rel May 1998


Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Left of Cool
rel June 9, 1998


Vital Tech Tones - Vital Tech Tones
rel June 9, 1998


Imogen Heap - I Megaphone
rel June 16, 1998


Anathema - Alternative 4
rel June 22, 1998


Gorguts - Obscura
rel June 23, 1998


The Rubinoos - Paleophonic
rel June 26, 1998


System of a Down - System of a Down
rel June 30, 1998


Power of Omens - Eyes of the Oracle
rel June 1998


Vincent Gallo - Buffalo '66 Soundtrack
rel July 7, 1998


Angra - Fireworks
rel July 14, 1998


Pain of Salvation - One Hour by the Concrete Lake
rel July 21, 1998


Explorer's Club - Age of Impact
rel July 28, 1998


The Appleseed Cast - The End of the Ring Wars
rel August 11, 1998


Poundhound - Massive Grooves from the Electric Church of Psychofunkadelic Grungelism Rock Music
rel August 11, 1998


At the Drive-In - In/Casino/Out
rel August 18, 1998


Al Di Meola - The Infinite Desire
rel August 18, 1998


Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
rel August 18, 1998


Enchant - Break
rel August 25, 1998


Platypus - When Pus Comes to Shove
rel August 25, 1998


Mansun - Six
rel September 7, 1998


The Church - Hologram of Baal
rel September 8, 1998


Death - The Sound of Perseverance
rel September 15, 1998


Pushmonkey - Pushmonkey
rel September 15, 1998


Trans Siberian Orchestra - The Christmas Attic
rel September 15, 1998


Marillion - Radiation
rel September 21, 1998


Mastermind - Excelsior!
rel September 21, 1998


Galactic Cowboys - At the End of the Day
rel September 22, 1998


Shadow Gallery - Tyranny
rel September 22, 1998


Fates Warning - Still Life
rel October 6, 1998


New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too
rel October 16, 1998


Five Fifteen - Six Dimensions of the Electric Camembert
rel October 18, 1998


King's X - Tape Head
rel October 20, 1998


Devin Townsend - Infinity
rel October 21, 1998


Cobweb Strange - Sound from the Gathering
rel October 23, 1998


Dream Theater - Once in a LIVEtime
rel October 27, 1998


Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come
rel October 27, 1998


Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle - A Space Opera
rel October 31, 1998


The Gathering - How to Measure a Planet?
rel November 9, 1998


Rush - Different Stages
rel November 10, 1998


Metallica - Garage Inc.
rel November 23, 1998


D.C. Cooper - D.C. Cooper
rel December 9, 1998


Ulver - Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
rel December 17, 1998


Chroma Key - Dead Air for Radios
rel December 16, 1998


Blue Canoe - II
rel 1998


Bruford Levin Upper Extremities - Bruford Levin Upper Extremities
rel 1998


Deus Ex Machina - Equilibrismo da insofferenza
rel 1998


Lorde of All Desires - The Scent of Malevolence
rel 1998


Metropolis - Shadows of the Past
rel 1998


Mostly Autumn - For All We Shared...
rel 1998


OHO - Ecce OHO
rel 1998


Steve Smith, Tom Coster and Larry Coryell - Cause and Effect
rel 1998


Soundscape - Man and Machine [EP]
rel 1998


Valinor's Tree - Kingdom of Sadness
rel 1998


White Willow - Ex Tenebris
rel 1998


Without Warning - Step Beyond
rel 1998


Wondermints - Bali
rel 1998


So that does it for the 1980's and 1990's Albums Calendars. I'll add something in a bit about the plans coming up. But in here, it does give me a sense of accomplishment to finish off 2 more decades worth of these and seeing the light finally at the end of the tunnel.