Some of my favorite locals ❤
Lynam
August 28th Birthdays
Happy birthday to Mary McCartney, Jack Black, Shania Twain, Leann Rimes, and Florence Welch!
And on a personal note, happy birthday to my friends Kristy and Jacob ❤
Happy Birthday, David Lynam!
I love this guy!
Local Music News
Well…things are not great for me and haven’t been for a while. My two favorite local bands, Lynam and Almost Kings, are going through some changes.
In Lynam’s case, vocalist/guitarist Jacob Bunton has moved to LA and is working with Adler, as well as other artists. Drummer David Lynam and bassist Mark Dzier have formed a cover band called Danger City. I’m not sure what this means for Lynam, though I have my guesses.
Almost Kings, on the other hand, lost bassist Danny Helms months ago. The band announced a search for a new bass player. I know they had a guy filling in, but I don’t know if he was the permanent replacement. A couple of weeks ago, drummer Kevin Compton said he was leaving too. Sooo… 😦 They will continue; I just wonder what’s next. It will definitely be different.
Stranded on an Island (Music Edition)
So we’ve all seen the hypothetical “if you were on an island and could only bring five things, what would they be?” Well, this is the music version. What ten albums would you have to have with you? Obviously, this is my list and it is in no particular order.
Pink Floyd: The Wall
Almost everyone’s essential Pink Floyd, and why wouldn’t it be? I also love the movie.
Tom Petty: Wildflowers
I was such a Tom Petty fangirl when I was little. This is my favorite, closely followed by Full Moon Fever.
Marilyn Manson: Mechanical Animals
Love this album from start to finish.
Avenged Sevenfold: Nightmare
It used to be City of Evil, but I like the diversity from track to track on Nightmare.
Tremonti: All I Was
Another one I can play without skipping a single song ❤
Collective Soul’s self-titled album
My other original band crush ❤
Disturbed: Down With the Sickness
Though I’d hate not having their version of “Sound of Silence.”
The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Gotta have something by the Fan Four and my mom used to sing me “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.”
Alter Bridge: Blackbird
Um, duh!
Lynam: Slave to the Machine
Still my favorite by them and always will be.
Feel free to make your own list! 🙂
My Top 10 Vocalists in Current Rock
Obviously this is simply a matter of opinion, limited to the artists I am familiar with. But isn’t that always the case with these things?
10. Mark Tremonti (Alter Bridge/Tremonti Project)
Okay, I admit it, I’m quite partial to Alter Bridge. However, that is not the reason Mark made the list. Though I’m sure there are better vocalists out there, I feel he deserves to be recognized. He and his band (Tremonti) are terribly underrated.
9. Corey Taylor (Slipknot/Stonesour)
I’m not a huge Slipknot fan, but even in their early days I couldn’t fail to notice his voice. Stonesour — and Slipknot’s later work — served only to further showcase his abilities.
8. Ville Valo (HIM)
Do I even have to explain? As Bam Margera once said, “All girls love HIM.”
7. Matt Bellamy (Muse)
I wasn’t overly familiar with Muse until I saw them with My Chemical Romance in 2007. That was when I discovered that A) Muse rocks, and B) Matt has one hell of a voice!
6. Ivan Moody (Motograter/Five Finger Death Punch)
First with Motograter and now with FFDP, this man’s voice…it gives me shivers down my spine!
5. Jonny Hawkins (Nothing More)
He has won my heart. Hands down my favorite of the more recent frontmen.
4. Brent Smith (Shinedown)
Look, if you weren’t sold by “.45” or “Burning Bright,” I doubt there’s much I can say to change your mind.
3. David Draiman (Disturbed/Device)
This one may seem odd — until you hear him cover “Sound of Silence.” From day one, I’ve loved his voice, but it was “Darkness” from Disturbed’s second album that sealed his place forever in my top ten.
2. Jacob Bunton (Lynam/Adler)
Jacob is probably the best vocalist you’ve never heard of. He now fronts Adler, which boasts Stephen Adler of Guns N Roses, but I discovered him through his work with Lynam.
1. Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge)
Duh! His voice is gorgeous!!! He has an amazing range and can hold a note forever… and did I mention his voice is gorgeous?!?!
Update for my Followers
I know I’ve been MIA, for the most part. My personal life took over. But that’s over now (and believe me, it’s for the best), so I’m going to be more active. I’ve been simply scheduling posts because I haven’t been able to sign in every day. Now, however, I intend to get back to my original plans for this blog.
Coming soon:
-a review of Lynam’s latest release, Bombshell
-a review of Almost Kings’ new album, The Re-Introduction
-a list of my top ten favorite current vocalists
-a list of my top ten favorite “guilty pleasures”
I have also started a Twitter that is meant to be an extension of this blog (@Dixie_Rocker). I’ve been checking out all the bands who follow me/ask me to. There will be a post promoting those artists as well.
I hope this blog finds all of you happy and healthy!
Weekly Focus: Lynam, Day Seven
Lynam — “The Worst in Me,” from the Bombshell EP (2015).
Weekly Focus: Lynam, Day Six
Lynam — “Send You Back,” from the Bombshell EP (2015).
Weekly Focus: Lynam, Day Five
Lynam — “Halfway to Hell,” from the album Halfway to Hell (2013).
Mostly Music 