The ALBUMREVIEW.net podcast

The world is so huge you’re constantly stepping on new bands every week! When I heard the band name, Ratboys, I immediately thought it was an underground 70s punk band out of either New York or London that I’d never heard of. But with a touch of a smart phone generated icon, the track, Black Earth, WI, played through the car stereo, and that was all I needed. I proceeded to go back the next morning and listen to the Ratboys album, The Window in its entirety. To say I am in deep infatuation with this record, would be an understatement.

The band you’ve likely never heard of, Ratboys was formed in 2010 by lead singer and guitarist Julia Steiner along with lead guitarist Dave Sagan. Steiner and Sagan were attending Notre Dame University when they met. After the realization that they liked a lot of the same music, they formed a duo, playing together on acoustic guitars. After a few years writing and recording with an initial drummer and bass player, current bassist, Sean Neumann joined them in 2016. Marcus Nuccio joined them a year later in 2017 on drums. Originally, Steiner and Sagan named themselves Ratboy. The name originated from a nickname lead singer Julia Steiner was given in high school. To this day, she is not sure why or where the name came from. A group of her friends were giving each other nicknames, and Julia’s seemed to be the only one that stuck. 

In 2011, the band would change the name to Ratboys, plural, after stating they were getting strange, threatening emails from an artist in upstate New York, claiming to own the band name “Ratboy”. Rather than ignore or fight, they added the “s” and carried on. 

12 years after releasing their first piece of music as a two piece, an EP titled, Ratboy EP, the quartet released their fifth studio album, The Window on August 25th, 2023. The album was produced by Death Cab for Cutie band member, Chris Walla, in Seattle, Washington at Chris’ studio, Hall of Justice. This was the first album the group would record completely on analog tape, as opposed to digital…..the OLD SCHOOL WAY! 

Kind of Blue was released on August 17th 1959. I wrote a review of this album back in 2020. For this episode, we will give you a deeper dive into the album along with adding some atmosphere and musical clips. 

Some of you may notice ALBUMREVIEW.NET is collection of reviews from different genres. In addition to the collection we have presented, we also admire the Jazz music genre very much. 

Produced by Irving Townsend, and featuring saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, pianists Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb, Kind of Blue holds up 65 years later as the most influential jazz album in the genre's history.

Ranked number 12 out of 500 albums of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine, this is a review of what I think is the greatest, and I mean GREATEST Jazz album of all time, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.

For this episode, I welcome a very special guest to the podcast. Los Angeles based guitar virtuoso, Angela Petrilli. 

I met Angela while attending a Zepparella show. Zepparrella is a California based female Led Zeppelin tribute project. Angela was filling in at the particular gig for guitarist Gretchen Menn and I was lucky enough to watch her shred on her guitar and give her best Jimmy Page performance that night. 

But when she’s not touring the country with Zepparella, Angela has a band of her own, Angela Petrilli and The Players. Formerly a member of the band, Roses and Cigarettes, Angela also is the spokesperson for Fishman Guitar Products, she has over 120K subscribers to her YouTube page. 

Featured in Guitar Player Magazine July 2023 (issue with Dave Gilmour on the cover mind you!), Rolling Stone Magazine and the CBS Morning News, Angela is a dynamic guitar player. And she’s here to talk with me today in this episode about a lot of things. Touring with her band Angela Petrilli and the Players, their most recent 5 song EP, “The Voices”, losing her former bandmate to a horrible disease and how she dealt with all that. PLUS, in typical Angela style, you will hear her talk positively about how she values her friends, her family and her time here on earth. Her positive vibes are definitely contagious. 

So sit back and relax or stand up and SHOUT and enjoy, with music tracks included, my interview with Musician Angela Petrilli

Dark Matter is Pearl Jam’s twelfth studio album. Released on April 19, 2024, it was produced by Andrew Watt through Pearl Jam’s own private record label Monkeywrench Records with help from major label, Republic Records.  Andrew Watt was a completely different producer than who Pearl Jam was used to. Watt helped the band focus on the music more, and less of the production. He was also much younger than the band members at age 33, and the first producer since recording their first album, Ten, to really challenge them.

Listening to this album over and over and over has brought me so much joy. It has made me want to be a hard-core Pearl Jam fan again. 

Dark Matter is the strongest Pearl Jam album since 1994’s Vitalogy. 

Listen and find out for yourself. 

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Joining Greg on episode #71 are Hakon and Reuben from the Norwegian band, On the Edge of Leaving. Hakon and Reuben released their 2nd piece of music, an EP, titled, “Respite” in February 2024. After hearing the first song on the record, 1992, I was hooked and had to have them on the show. 

And what drew me to these guys were many things, one in particular is the fact they were previously a “black metal band” called Draug. But in the summer of 2023, they locked themselves in a studio in Drammen, Norway and recorded Respite as a new band called On the Edge of Leaving. And to say this music would be a complete left turn from their metal past, would be a drastic understatement. But their music spoke to me. Its acoustic foundation relaxed me, and it also made me want to listen to the lyrics and ask what the meaning behind all of it is. 

And so for today’s episode we are going to find out. 

Never mind the Bollocks is the only studio album ever released by the Sex Pistols. Recorded from early to late 1977 in London, England with producer, Chris Thomas. Thomas’ additional fame includes mixing duties on Pink Floyd’s, Dark Side of The Moon and an instrumental role on The Beatles, White Album. 

I can remember being a thirteen-year old walking through Cambridge and Boston. Moving from Record store to Record store, I was obsessed with discovering new music. In those days, I was most attracted to album covers. The artwork played a crucial part in my decision-making process whether I would buy the album or not. Most thirteen-year old kids do not have a lot of money to their name. Therefore, I had to be careful with my choices. I picked this album out of a bin at a small, underground record store in Harvard Square, asked the store owner if it was any good (he just nodded) and that was all I needed. 

Joining Greg on this episode is Podcaster Steve Cooper. Steve is a former stand up comedian turned very successful podcaster. He currently hosts Coopertalk which is his podcast. Steve has recorded over 990 episodes, which is not an easy accomplishment, and has hosted countless guests ranging from musicians Mick Mars from Motley Crue, Tommy Stinson from The Replacements, blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa, Corey Glover from Living Color, Rachel Bolan and Snake Sabo from Skid Row, George Lynch from Dokken, Colin Hay from Men at Work, Joe Satriani from well, if you don’t know who Joe is, you have some learning to do!!!

I mention these few guests as they are musicians and resonate more with me and most of the people who listen to the ALBUMREVIEW.NET podcast, but he’s also interviewed actors such as Tom Arnold and Steven Bauer, who is one of my favorite characters in Scarface, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and my favorite Skateboarding film from the 80s, Gleaming the Cube. The list goes on and on. And we don’t have enough time to talk about all of them unfortunately. 

What drew me to Steve was mostly his energy, and his story. And that story, we will talk about on this episode. 

Lisa Czarina Michaud is an Italian American writer based in France. Her work has appeared in The Huffington Post, xojane, Narrtively, Bonjour Paris and other publications. She holds four evaluations at The Evergreen State College, and she joins us here today as she has written her first novel, titled, Slanted and Disenchanted.

I had the opportunity to meet Lisa prior to this interview and read her book. When you are reading her book, you feel like you’re sitting down with Lisa, listening to her tell you a story. Slanted and Disenchanted is a novel set in 1999 and follows the main characters, Carla and Pete through the new millennium and into 2001. Carla and Pete are both what you would consider “disenchanted”, have multiple family issues and have a drive to play music. When they get together and form a band, the two learn more about each other and eventually themselves. Set to a fantastic mention of songs from the 90s and early 2000s, music plays a big role in Slanted & Disenchanted and is arguably the 3rd character in Lisa’s Novel. 

Lisa and I talk about her book and also go deep into our challenges growing up and how we handled our own family issues. So sit back and listen to this interview with author Lisa Czarina Michaud. 

Mr. Crowe’s Garden was formed in 1984 at Walton High School in Marietta, GA by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson. The brothers were fans of what was then called “Indy” music or “College Radio”. Influenced by bands like R.E.M., a staple in the 80s Georgia college radio scene, the Robinson brothers also had a taste for 70s blues and rock n’ roll, specifically The Rolling Stones. 

The band would moonlight in New York City on and off for the next 5 years, playing small venues, eventually graduating to play CBGB’s, once considered THE chief music club from its opening in 1973, until its demise and eventual closing in 2006 (RIP CBGB!) In 1989, the band would secure a record contract from Def American Records, and soon change their name to The Black Crowes. 

After the commercial success of Shake Your Money Maker in 1990 and 91, it was time to record their second album. By this time, the band had sold over 5 million copies of Shake Your Money Maker. They’d developed a little confidence, and many would also say cockiness. 

Their next record was going to be a true blues rock n’ roll album. Yes, “Money Maker” was bluesy, but this time around, the band had money, they had fame, and they had a desire to make the record they really wanted to make. So, in late 1991 they entered the studio to record their sophomore effort, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. 

Listen to more episodes at https://www.albumreview.net/podcast

Their third studio album, "Toys in the Attic" is Aerosmith's strongest. Released on April 8, 1975, “Toys” demonstrates the beginning of American Hard Rock. Take southern blues, mix it with the Rolling Stones, speed up the tempo – you have the definition of Aerosmith. They did not have the “soft rock” label like the Eagles or the “black magic” blues and heavy metal label like Led Zeppelin. Aerosmith was stripped down, hard rock at a faster speed. In the 70’s, all five members of the band had everyone’s attention. By the 90’s Tyler and lead guitarist, Joe Perry became the faces of the group.

Originally marinated in Sunapee, NH, the band moved to Boston and officially formed in 1970. After 2 studio albums, Aerosmith re-entered the studio in New York City in late 1974 to record Toys in the Attic. “Toys” was their third album but first album in several years where they had to write new material. For their first two albums, the self-titled, Aerosmith and Get Your Wings, the band recorded all their previously written songs from their early years before they became known globally.