– Rock Formats Music Reviews (7.5.11) By: Michael D. Vogel    © July 5, 2011. Michael D. Vogel.  All Rights Reserved. Published in: Free Gotham  – July 7, 2011 Examiner.com – July 6, 2011  Songs  The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band Song: “Never Lookin’ Back” From the release: How I Go Label: Roadrunner Records/Loud & Proud Records/RRP Members: Kenny Wayne Shepherd – guitar, […]

All posts from 2010 compiled into a monthly virtual magazine: Music reviews: Ian Moore, Robert Plant, Alpha Rev, Godsmack, We Are the Fallen, Rolling Stones, Elton John/Leon Russell, Dwight Twilley, Sweet Psychosis and Plain white T's Features: 311, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Metallica Book Review: Full Metal Jackie

Quickly glancing at the dial to confirm his format choice, Dave proclaims, “What’s old is new again!” while fumbling for the volume knob on his car stereo. The cyclical nature of this axiom holds true for so much of our lives, especially the music we listen to. Long before the days when rock radio fragmented, album oriented rock (AOR) was the source for all things with loud screaming guitars and bands like AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses ruled the radio airwaves. The main factor with heritage artists, especially to a younger crowd, is cultural relevance. Some bands have it and others don’t. You can’t go into a mall anywhere in America and not see a black t-shirt with a hard rock band logo on it. Heritage artists such as Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC and Metallica help bolster a station’s gold library by bringing a connection between the old and the new. These records are over 10 years old and in most cases help to attract the higher male demographics, which are so important for the Alternative format.

By all accounts, 2008 was a good year for The Airborne Toxic Event. They have become the darlings of Los Angeles press and radio and fixtures on the Southern California music scene. Their songs feature wide, sweeping hooks, garnering comparisons to Modest Mouse and Arcade Fire as well as the Clash and U2. The acts self-titled debut album—the band’s name is from the postmodern novel “White Noise” by Don DeLillo—is co-produced by Pete Min (Longwave, Ivy).

The dream is always the same – a sleek sports car flying down the Pacific Coast Highway, the crashing surfing pounding the beach below. The music is pulsating out of the speakers; the searing guitars, the pounding drums, the thick rhythm of the bass and the unmistakable vocal roar. The songs may be interchangeable but one thing remains a constant – the band, Metallica! And for a quarter century, they have been just that, a constant! As my head begins to rock back and forth and my fingers tighten their grip on the steering wheel, I realize today is no dream. So, it’s off to the legendary Cow Palace in San Francisco for an intimate evening with Metallica and a few hundred of their closest friends and family. And the only thing between Los Angeles and the city by the bay was a lot of asphalt and several hours of rockin’, Metallica-style.

SCENE: Phoenix, Arizona, in the early ’90s. David (DLB) Bowers is honing his studio chops, recording local hip-hop acts and listening to rock, dreaming of the day he can mix everything he knows and loves together in a project that will reflect his passions. He meets a kindred spirit in fellow MC Doug (Rid) Moore, and the dynamic vocal duo eventually hooks up with fellow Phoenicians Sean Faulkner on bass, drummer Sean Gardner and guitarists Tracy (Tre) Thorstad and Cristin Davis to form Trik Turner. DLB was kind enough to sit down and speak with Album Network Rock Radio Director Michael D. Vogel (who is also a fan and outspoken supporter of Trik Turner) about his band’s history, their “keep it real” attitude, their self-titled debut and subsequent live experiences.

As the 21-century unfolds; it’s becoming more and more obvious that we have moved into a ‘cyber’ world. After all, even the most socially awkward individuals among us can now reach out and touch millions of people from around the world with the same relative ease as when the pick up a telephone. In the world of radio, a Program Director now has the opportunity to put his station on the ‘net with the hopes that millions from around the world will discover their station. While few are lucky enough to hit the jackpot, Glen Gardner and the staff of WJJO Madison, WI. are one of the lucky ones who have struck pay dirt by successfully melding style, attitude and a touch of danger into a regional ‘terrestrial’ Rock station and turned it into a worldwide super-station. And the rest as they say, is cyber-history. Glen and his staff have elevated their station to #1 rated Rock station in their Arbitron market and a Top 25 ranking for time spent streaming. Not bad for a station less than 3 years old.

Anyone who has interacted with Kevin Vargas, PD of KISS San Antonio, knows him to be a consummate professional in every way. He immediately earns the respect, not only because of his undying passion of Active Rock radio, but also for his dedication to building the station into the powerhouse it has become.

His sound is unmistakable, his stance unforgettable. Notes stream from his guitar in metallic waves, occasionally softening into a feathery whisper. His voice is that of the six-string; as if being ripped from his throat, he screams tales of love, betrayal, hope, despair and all-night bacchanalia. It’s the blues at its most raw-nerved and ferocious–but look into the musician’s face as he gyrates and bends almost in half, doubling over to the floor. He breaks into a smile, eyes glistening with childlike joy.

We often talk about how most successful bands in the ’90s have largely set themselves up for the success they now enjoy. The Dave Matthews Band has perhaps become the best example. Through constant touring, releasing projects on their own label and by careful thought, they placed themselves into a position where major labels took notice.