What I've Published Lately

Things are picking up again. The latest issues of Classic Rock and Metal Hammer include a couple of my new features and reviews:Classic Rock magazine shuttled me up to L.A. to spend an evening with The Struts, the UK's first hard rock act since the Darkness with legitimate potential to claim Oasis-like stature. While they were all still shaking out the cobwebs after a night of post-Grammy parties, I felt like I caught them while they were still unscuffed by the jaded weariness that rock stardom invariably brings; all four proved to enormously down-to-earth, conversational and utterly genuine. They made eye contact when they spoke and joked easily with and about each other. While they aren't short on charm — in fact they ooze all of the prototypical rock star intangibles — they're a rare breed these days in that their music backs up every bit of ambition they bring to the table. This is music for dudes and gals — thunderous, shout-out choruses, hip-swiveling grooves and blistering hooks at every turn. They're playing the San Diego House of Blues on Mar. 30. Get stuck in.https://youtu.be/abOhx2YtPyM I reviewed the new Steel Panther DVD/CD, Live From Lexxi's Mom's Garage — The L.A. glam metal refugees kick the plugs out of the sockets and play an hour-long acoustic set for a garage full of boozed-up, scantily-clad women. The humour doesn't really hold up in the between-song skits, but the songs sure do.I trucked up to L.A. to see Bullet For My Valentine, Asking Alexandria and While She Sleeps. WSS blew me away with riffs that seemed to explode off of the walls, bouncing back on the crowd with skull-crushing heft. Asking Alexandria have softened a bit with new singer Denis Stoff, whose range is far better-suited to material that showcases his muscular clean vocals. Unfortunately, I'm not a big clean vocals guy when it comes to extreme metal. They brought big production and delivered enough heaviness however, that it was an enjoyable set, although I had to wonder how, one year after replacing singers, they still seem to be searching for their vibe. BFMV were massive fan favorites. As an impartial observer, it seemed that their ferocious energy compensated for a rather generic set.