Music Discovery Monday – 1/23/17
Music Discovery Monday shines a light on artists that are not getting the radio attention that they deserve, while also showcasing new singles by established bands that are likely to get airplay in the future.
This week, we feature an exclusive interview with Frank Dimino, who discusses working with his former Angel band mate (Punky Meadows) on a song from Dimino’s most recent solo album.
In addition to appearing on the embedded YouTube playlist below, all songs featured on Music Discovery Monday can be listened to individually by clicking on the hyper-linked song titles above each review.
ADAM WALDMAN – (Publisher, Hard Rock Daddy)
DIMINO – “Never Again”
Back in the mid-‘70s, Gene Simmons discovered the band Angel. They were eventually signed to Casablanca Records (with Kiss). The band enjoyed early success as the alter-ego (of sorts) to Kiss, dressed in all white vs. the all-black ensemble sported by their label mates. For reasons that are still unclear, the band enjoyed more of a cult following than mass commercial success.
The ride ended quickly, as both frontman Frank Dimino and guitarist Punky Meadows left in 1981. Dimino has kept busy through the years, although not with any projects as high profile as Angel. When Dimino and Meadows both released albums this year, rumors swirled that there would be an Angel reunion, but nothing has materialized to date. Meadows did provide guest guitars on this bluesy rocker that is in the same wheelhouse as classic Deep Purple. Dimino shines on vocals, proving that he still has the pipes that once made him a part of a band that should have been bigger than they were. [Review from Hard Rock Daddy’s Top 100 Hard Rock Songs of 2016]
Frank Dimino discusses working with Punky Meadows (his Angel band mate) on “Never Again” in an exclusive interview with Hard Rock Daddy…
“The song was one of the first ones that I wrote with Oz Fox (Stryper) for the album. When we finished writing the song, Oz had mentioned that the chord structure came from an idea that he had from Angel. He said to me that it would be great to get Punky to play on the song. When I called Punky to ask him to play on the album, he agreed right away. I told him that I had a song that’s kind of like an Angel song. I sent him the song and he recorded it in North Carolina (where he lives), and then he sent it back to me. Even though we weren’t in the studio at the same time, we were both involved in the track itself, so that was a lot of fun.
The song, when I first started with it, was kind of just about word play. It was fun, like a Steven Tyler or John Lennon type of thing with a story around the word play. The lyrics just popped into my head when we started playing around with the melody. The story is a guy/girl kind of thing, where the girl was screwing over the guy. He’s in love with her, but he’s had it with her. Even though he’s stuck loving her, he vows never to be with her again.”
ONE DESIRE – “Hurt”
It’s always great to discover bands for Music Discovery Monday early on in their careers. You can’t get much earlier than this, given that One Desire will be releasing their debut album on March 24th. If you are a regular Hard Rock Daddy reader, you know how we feel about the music coming from Frontiers Music in Italy. This label not only gives the musicians from the ‘80s an outlet for new music, but they also deliver some of the best melodic rock around from new bands.
Finland’s One Desire was formed in 2012 when drummer Ossi Sivula started putting together musicians for his new project. The writing process took a few years with various players. Everything changed in 2014 when they met Jimmy Westerlund (who had several gold and platinum albums as a producer, songwriter and guitarist). Westerlund recruited his longtime friend (vocalist) Andre Linman to add the final piece to the puzzle. If you’re a fan of AOR music, you are going to be an instant fan of One Desire. Within the first minute of “Hurt,” I was hooked! Definitely looking forward to hearing more from what these Finnish rockers have to offer.
ANDY CHEUNG – HRD Music Scout
PAIN OF SALVATION – “Meaningless”
Swedish progressive metal band Pain of Salvation recently released their tenth studio album, In the Passing Light of Day. It is as sad and emotional as it can get. The lyrical content and mood of the single, “Meaningless,” is depressing (at best) while showcasing the bands instrumental talents and heavy sound. Take every tear you’ve ever shed and bottle it up. That’s what listening to Pain of Salvation is like.
RED FANG – “Flies”
I featured a song from Red Fang when the album was released a few months back, but I have to admit, I can’t stop listening to it. The band from Portland, Oregon released their fourth album Only Ghosts, a solid metal album that has enjoyed some commercial success. The chords are fuzzy and heavy, and the choruses beg the listener to sing along. Even though the subject matter of most of the songs are comical, their musicianship is nothing to laugh at. The band is chock-full of groovy chops, memorable riffs, syncopated beats and growling vocals to boot. My favorite album to listen to in 2017 so far!
ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout
ECLIPSE – “Vertigo”
Vocalist Erik Martensson pairs again with guitarist Magnus Henriksson for some premium melodic hard rock. Sweden’s Eclipse is preparing to release their newest album, Momentum, and they deliver strong here with this first sampling.
HOUSE OF LORDS – “Oceans Divide”
House of Lords returns in 2017 with a new album, Saint of the Lost Souls. James Christian’s vocals are as appealing as ever, with lots of layered support from the rest of the band. Jimi Bell’s guitar work stands out, as always, even among the contributions of so many other amazing musicians.
SUBMISSIONS
To be considered for Music Discovery Monday, please e-mail a link to the song being submitted on YouTube and an artist bio to – submissions@MusicDiscoveryMonday.com
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