AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BOB MOULD/SUNSHINE ROCK

Forty years ago, a Rock artist’s longevity was not something that was guaranteed. The first Rock ‘n’ Roll boom of the ‘50s had been swallowed by the late ‘50s/early ‘60s teen idols. Then those heart throbs were dethroned by the British Invasion. That joyful racket was overcome by the Summer Of Love/Hippy scene of 1967. And so on… Like any industry, the new kids were constantly replacing the old guard, who would then reluctantly slip into the shadows and wait for nostalgia to make them momentarily relevant again. The four Beatles (among others) made it work but a lot of their contemporaries had been left behind, lost in a time warp and destined to play the oldies circuit for the rest of their careers. By 1979, artists and the industry were more understanding when it came to making hit records and extending an artist’s career. However, the Punk movement was initially viewed as a novelty by the bigwigs and while the industry capitalized on Punk’s commercial appeal, they certainly didn’t expect any of the artists to last beyond a two or three-year window, just like any other musical movement that came along since the days of Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. Over time, we have learned that nearly every artist from every genre was capable of something much more than their “15 minutes of fame”. As for the unruly Punk kids, Bob Mould was going to break the mold (semi-pun intended)…

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AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: ROCKABYE BABY! LULLABY RENDITIONS OF TOM PETTY

When Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers released their self-titled debut album in 1976, there were no indications that Petty would become one of the most important and successful figures in American Rock ‘n’ Roll for the next four decades. Initially lumped in with the Power Pop movement, Petty was eventually embraced by FM rock programmers and by the time of the band’s 1979 album DAMN THE TORPEDOS, he was a bona-fide Rock ‘n’ Roll star. Over the course of his career, he became one of the biggest selling music artists of all time, shifting more than 80 million in the process. Not only did Tom Petty win multiple Grammy and MTV awards, he also received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and was inducted – with The Heartbreakers – into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2001. Apart from all that success with his band as well as a solo artist, he was also a member of Pop/Rock supergroup The Traveling Wilburys (with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne). Not bad for a skinny kid from Gainesville, Florida with big dreams…

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AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: LEE DEWYZE/PARANOIA

 PARANOIA is the seventh album from singer/songwriter Lee DeWyze, best known as the winner of the ninth season of AMERICAN IDOL. Paranoia is an atmospheric and highly passionate album that blends the warmth of acoustic instrumentation with cold yet emotional electronic textures, creating something that is unique yet still very commercial. PARANOIA is a highly emotional concept album that details the many facets of a romantic Relationship – a subject that all of us can relate to. 

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AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS/NEW WORLD ARISIN’

In the world of Rock ‘n’ Roll, it is rare for a band to hit the 31-year mark with all original members intact. Big Head Todd & The Monsters is one of those rare beasts. Formed in Boulder, Colorado in 1986, Todd Park Mohr, Rob Squires and Brian Nevin (along with longtime member Jeremy Lawton, who joined the original trio in 2003) have achieved commercial and critical success, sold boatloads of albums, traveled the world and built up a huge, devoted following. And on their 2017 album NEW WORLD ARISIN’, they prove that they still have something to say.

COLIN HAY/Fierce Mercy album review!

Colin Hay is a rarity in the world of Rock ‘n’ Roll. He achieved great success out of the gate 35 years ago while leader of Men At Work (“Who Can It Be Now?,” “Down Under,” “Overkill”) but had to pursue a career as a solo artist once the band split in ’86. In 1987, he ventured out as Colin James Hay with the LOOKING FOR JACK album but struggled to maintain success. Next came the Colin Hay Band’s 1990 album WAYFARING SONS, which didn’t fare any better. In 1992, he released PEAKS & VALLEYS, the first in a series of solo albums that would slowly rebuild his career from scratch. Now, three and one-half decades after hitting #1 with Men At Work’s BUSINESS AS USUAL album, Hay is at his peak as a songwriter and vocalist and he shows no signs of slowing down. FIERCE MERCY is proof that he is one of this generation’s finest songwriters. While his hits with Men At Work may have been more ‘immediate’ on first listen, his songwriting is deeper, more passionate and better than ever on this 2017 album. Like his last release, 2015’s NEXT YEAR PEOPLE, this is an album filled with songs that are warm, intimate and emotional. Whether he is singing from experience or as an observer, Hay always connects with the subject matter and it all sounds so personal, which adds to the songs’ power. Lead-in track “Come Tumbling Down” is a sing-a-long that prepares you for the roller-coaster ride of emotions that weave in and out of the rest of the album. “A Thousand Million Reasons,” “The Best In Me,” “The Last To Know” and “Secret Love” are some of the best songs that Hay has ever written or co-written (with Michael Georgiades and others). “Two Friends” (written by Georgiades) features one of Hay’s finest vocal performances to date. Never one to live in his past, Colin Hay has creatively risen above his previous success and recorded what could be his finest musical work to date. Again, Colin Hay has proven that he leaves pretty much all of his contemporaries in the dust. FIERCE MERCY is a lovely, heartfelt album that will stand the test of time. If you stopped listening after the CARGO album, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do!

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AMPED™ Distribution celebrates THREE 2017 Grammy wins!

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Independent distribution company AMPED™ is making major waves with significant repertoire and even more impressive sales. As artists and labels of all sizes look for new and innovative ways to distribute product, AMPED™ rolled out to offer an alternative distribution system that is having impressive results. Among those results are 13 Grammy nominations and 3 Grammy wins!

Congratulations to the AMPED™ Grammy winners!

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GOLDEN EARRING – Complete Studio Recordings (29 CD Box)

From their debut Just Ear-rings from 1965 till the tribute to their hometown The Hague from 2015 – all 26 studio albums by Holland’s most legendary rock band are collected in a monumental box Complete Studio Recordings, augmented with no less than three CDs full of non-album tracks.

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