Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... Season 2

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... - Season Two
2011, MVD Entertainment Group

Music fans unaware of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... are missing out on one of the best music oriented shows on television.  Currently shown in Canada, Spectacle has consistently drawn big name artists to the small screen for sit down chats and memorable performances, both solo and with Elvis Costello and the Imposters.  MVD Entertainment Group recently released Season Two of Spectacle in the form of a 2-DVD set.  Season Two features interviews with and performances by such artists as Bono and The Edge, Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Lyle Lovett, Richard Thompson, Nick Lowe, Ray LaMontagne, Neko Case and Mary-Louise Parker.

Spectacle has been honored with an EMMY nomination and a Gemini award as the Best Talk Series, and it's no surprise.  The artists who appear on Spectacle let down their guard speaking with Costello in a way that rarely happens on traditional talk television, and the musical performances are a real treat for fans.  Season Two features a special double episode Bruce Springsteen.  Special features include a special behind the scenes feature entitled Elvis Costello With... Inside Notes, and four bonus performances from Elvis Costello and his guests.  Costello is an engaging host throughout season two, keeping the format fresh with offbeat conversations and some truly wonderful musical moments.  Costello has managed to create a near-perfect television forum for music makers and music fans.  This is the rare television series you might find yourself actually watching again and again.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Spectacle at www.spectacletv.com.  Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...  Season 2 is available from Amazon.com on DVD and Blu-ray.

herMajesty - Images From The Vanishing Night

herMajesty - Images From The Vanishing Night
2010, Bittersweet Records

herMajesty has been crashing the New York City scene since 2005, mixing ethereal rock expositions with highly emotive lyrics and grand melody. herMajesty’s latest release, Images From The Vanishing Night, ventures into solid rock/pop territory at times.

Images From The Vanishing Night opens with the soaring strains of "Operator (NYC)". herMajesty shows off guitar work inspired by The Edge in a song reminiscent of the ethereal rock feel of early U2. "Into The Light" is a solid pop tune, although the vocalist somewhat implodes on the high notes in the transition to verse two. It's a decent tune otherwise. "My Dear Friend" is decent, middle of the road rock that's perhaps a bit overdone emotionally. "World Smiles" goes for a big sonic impression, soaring with anthemic power but not really grabbing the listener in the process. The EP closes with "Wish", a great song of love and longing; of missing someone who is far away. "Wish" is the class of the EP.

Images From The Vanishing Night is a highly uneven experience, ranging from sublime songwriting ("Wish") to experiments in big bland sound ("World Smiles"). herMajesty shows the ability on Images From The Vanishing Night to craft solid pop/rock songs, but was perhaps a bit too much in a hurry to get an EP out to wait for a couple more high quality songs to be born. Nevertheless, Images From The Vanishing Night offers a solid introduction to herMajesty; enough so that you won't hesitate to check out the next release after you've heard this one.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about herMajesty at http://www.hermajestyny.com/. Images From The Vanishing Night is available as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Loomis & The Lust - Nagasha EP

Loomis & The Lust - Nagasha EP
2009, Kings Of Spain/BMI

Santa Barbara, California is home base for Loomis & The Lust, but after listening to their debut EP, Nagasha (July, 2009) I suspect they'll be spending a lot less time at home. With such diverse influences as The Kinks, The Animals, Chet Atkins, David Bowie, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Franz Ferdinand, Loomis & The Lust create an original brand of Rock N Roll with an honest affection for 1970's classic rock and a hook-laden philosophy straight out of the 1980's. Nagasha was produced by Brandon Mason (David Bowie, Secret Machines, Bono, The Edge), and features some of the catchiest, most danceable Rock N Roll of the year.

Nagasha opens with Bright Red Chords, a song that will lodge itself in your brain before you even know it's happened. The melody here has a universal feel, like something you've heard so many times you know it even as you hear it the first time. With a catchy, dance-inducing arrangement, Bright Red Chords will stick with you for a good long time. Break On Love has a classic, Blues/Rock feel and would fit right into an AOR playlist. Sweetness sounds like it could be a mix of The Wallflowers and Dave Matthews (solo), carrying a chorus that's unforgettable, while Cure For Sale slows things down a bit in a gentle rocker that entrenches in the Wallflowers sound. Cure For Sale may well be the most marketable song on the disc, likely having significant allure for the licensing world. Girl Next Door is a big, raucous blues-influenced rocker that sounds like it could be the basis for a movie. The theme here is a classic for Rock N Roll, and Loomis & The Lust show what they're really made of, using double entendre and testosterone-laden intentions for an amusing bit of musical confusion.

Loomis & The Lust take Rock N Roll back where it belongs in the five songs presented on Nagasha, blending deep classic rock roots with some of the zeitgeist of the 1980's and a modern twist. I suspect Loomis & The Lust will see a lot of commercial success in the licensing realm, although I am not sure where they fit in currently in the world of radio. From anything I have read about the band the live show is the thing. Loomis & The Lust seems to convert new fans every time they step on stage. Consequently, while I highly recommend you check out Nagasha, I would urge you to make a point of seeing Loomis & The Lust if they come to your town.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Loomis & The Lust at www.myspace.com/loomisandthelust or http://www.loomisandthelust.com/. You can purchase the Nagasha EP directly from their band via their web store, or digitally via iTunes.