Vintage Trouble - The Bomb Shelter Sessions

Left to right: Nalle Colt, Ty Taylor, Richard Danielson, Rick Barrio Dill

New comers Vintage Trouble have been causing quite a stir on the music scene. Nominated as best new band by Classic Rock magazine and having supported rock legends Bon Jovi, Brian May and Thin Lizzy on recent tours, The Bomb Shelter Sessions shows why they are a hard band to ignore.

As the band name suggests, this record has a vintage feel to it. Harkening back to the musical style and ethos of the 1960s, the debut album from the Californian four piece features catchy, singable songs with a strong soul and blues vibe.

The first track, “Blues Hand Me Down”, blares through the speakers with an energetic blues riff. This simple bit of good old fashioned blues rock will have you wanting to get up and dance while listening to front man Ty Taylor's light-hearted lyrics about how the blues was passed down to him “Papa was a blues man gave me the blues hand me down/In alligator shoes man gave me the blues hand me down”.

Freddie Mercury - Lover of Life, Singer of Songs

5 September 1946 - 24 November 1991

As many of you may or may not know, it is 20 years ago today since Freddie Mercury sadly passed away. With Freddie being such an influential and important figure in music, and with a career spanning three decades, I felt it wouldn't be right to let the day pass un-noted. 

Can women be rock n roll, feminine and sexy?

The Runaways

Having just had an introductory lecture about women in pop music and the somewhat derivative avenues for female singers/musicians to enter into the music industry, I find self pondering the topics of music, sexuality and gender stereotypes. 

As we were getting a background on this, most of the music we focused on was from the 60s-70s which, incidental, is my favourite period for music. I was interested and a little concerned to find out the my favourtie bands - Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Stones, Hendrix etc - are what is, or was, known as "cock rock" and is aimed at men with a large percentage of the audience at a gig being male. I cringed a little when I was told that "women's music"  was "teeny bop" and consists of Donny Osmond and the like! Now I have always been aware of what "cock rock" and "teeny bop" are and which artists fall into their categories but when exploring this in my teen days I made the assumption that "teeny bop" was for young teens say 10-15 and "cock rock" was for older teens and adults, 16+. Despite the overtly masculine name, the question of gender never crossed my mind. To continue liking "teeny bop" when you were a grown woman, in my mind, is absurd! It lacks all the excitement, rebellion and promise of a good time which "cock rock" exudes. It is parties, wild nights, extravagance and adventures. In comparison "Teeny Bop" is good table manners, cardigans, sunday school and in bed by ten. Why should women not want a bit of excitement? Yes, generally women want to settle down, nice house, married with kids. But there is a period before that when you are growing up which is about rebellion, waving the middle finger at rules and authority and just having fun. "Cock rock" is the sound track to that. I mean can you really imagine sneaking out to a friends house party, staying up all night, getting wasted, meeting boys and blaring out of the stereo is not "Whole Lotta Love", " My Generation" or even "Paradise City" or "Kickstart My Heart" but "Puppy Love"? No. It just doesn't work.