Tom Woll Photography

A tuner post, such a small simple thing that is interesting to me.  When I processed this I had   " A Growing Boy Needs His Lunch" by Dead Kennedys"   playing and the last line seemed fitting: Turn on Tune in Cop out Drop kick Turn in Tune out Click for a larger view

Once again simple things catch my eye, especially when the light hits something just right. A close up of D string tuner post. Click For A Larger View

I know, it's only rock & roll but I like it. Ghost Ship It's no secret that I am a bit of a music fan, so combining music with photography is a perfect fit. A few days ago I took a few photos for Ghost Ship.  They needed a new promo picture and since I took that right before a gig I grabbed a few live shots. These guys have been rockin' the Sioux City, Iowa area for almost 15  years with their heavy originals and covers.  Check them out on  iTunes ,  Amazon  and on the  web . "Sioux City" Rick Barry Dan L Chuck Dan W Jarrod

It has been a while since I have talked about music. So today I'll give a few thoughts on an album I picked up in October. Raven Quinn’s second album, “Not In Vain” has been out since October 7 th .   I bought it when it was released and just now getting around to sharing my thoughts.   On this album the songwriting is even stronger than on Quinn’s debut.   The songs have a mix of rock, goth, alternative and even bluesy riffs and pop hooks.   All of this is put together seamlessly and has a very refreshing sound yet plays familiar genres and styles.   The songwriting and arrangements are made even stronger with the lyrics that are easily recognizable and have a depth to them that too often is missing in some music today.   Raven’s voice is simply fantastic.   She has a very good range and knows when to use it to make the song stronger without showing off.    I don’t know if the vocal strength I am hearing on this album is due to m...

Every July 4th weekend in Sioux City Iowa is the music festival known as Saturday In The Park.  This event is free to the public, and has fantastic musicians year after year. This year the main stage line up was: Titans of Industry (local Sioux City Band) Mat D and the Profane Saints (local Sioux City Band) Wild Feathers Ziggy Marley Bonnie Raitt Avett Brothers Needless to say it was a killer line up and a great day.

The  second album by singer/songwriter Heather Fay was recently released.    Dubbed a country album but it is much more than acoustic country.   The songs do have a very country feel but also proudly proclaim a folk edge and pop sensibility and dare I say a little rock n roll attitude.   This is music for everyone not just the fan of one genre, a true crossover album. The songs are well crafted and each tells a story all the while keeping top notch playing and musicianship to guide the lyrics and Heathers vocals.    Vocally pleasing Heather’s voice on the surface sounds very sweet and innocent but there is a sadness and wisdom that subtly come through at just the right moments.   Each track is very good, all well written musically and lyrically but I do have my personal favorites.    The lead track, "Drive You Out Of My Mind" instantly had me hooked and anxious to hear the rest of the album.   The guitar hook carries the...

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I caught ZZ Ward a while back and I am hooked.  Great sound, killer voice, excellent band and a terrific stage presence made for a fun set. Having preformed on VH1 Big Morning Buzz Live, The Tonight Show and Conan she is on the rise.  Her debut album  Til the Casket Drops has had a single crack the top 40 on the Billboard Alternative chart. Here are a couple shots from her set. Click For A Larger View Click For A Larger View

Sometimes I like to only show part of an object as the subject.  I also really liked the blue lighting in the background. Where's The Piano Man? Click for a larger view

Give yourself 5 bonus points if you know the band and album where I got the title of this post. I really like the sound of a well played sax.  There is something about a saxophone that sounds smooth and sophisticated and dirty and gritty at the same time.  Here are a couple close up shots of an alto sax. Click For A Larger View Click For A Larger View In case you are wondering about the title and bonus points; the song is by the band Fear off of The Record .  I have a soft spot for old school hardcore punk.

It's no secret that I'm a Tommy Bolin fan. Growing up in Le Mars, Ia just a few miles from Sioux City; his music was played on the radio and it seemed that most bands from the area covered a song or two of his. For those that don't know much about Tommy or his music I ran across an old documentary from 1989.  I believe it only aired in Denver and Sioux City; I recall watching this on one of the Sioux City stations when it aired.  This show followed the release of Geffen Records "The Ultimate" box set in 1988 which is no longer in print. Fortunately for us almost all of Tommy's music has been reissued. For those that know his music and those that just love good music check out the documentary.  It's a very good introduction to the man and the music.  Enjoy.

I tend to check out NPR and have found some really good music from those fine folks.  I ran across this article and really have nothing to add since I have not seen this band live; nor do they have an album for sale as far as I have found. Grammy winner Joe Lovano is a highly accomplished saxophonist, clarinetist, flautist, and drummer.  Having him team up with trumpeter Dave Douglas can bring nothing but fantastic Jazz.  The band is rounded out by Lawrence Fields, Linda Oh, and Joey Baron.

Formed in 1987 & on indefinite hiatus since 2003 Fugazi was and is a band that influenced a generation.  A band born of the punk & hardcore scene of Washington DC they played stop-start song structures reminiscent of reggae and heavy riffs echoing arena & hard rock bands.  The band was/is made up of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty. Fugazi was a stretch from most punk but they managed to keep an element of their punk rock roots in their music as it evolved and grew.  Most live shows were $5 and all of them to my knowledge were all ages.  They also kept the cost of records, tapes & CD's much lower than the mainstream and even most independent labels.  This was a testament to the bands DIY ethic and commitment to their fans.  This was a band that had no interest in being the next big thing but wanted to play interesting music.  They did just that and are a real underground...

Clap Your Hands Twice is a punk band out of Germany that has released an acoustic EP in June of 2010.  I discovered this a few months ago and I have to say this was a very good find. The music on this release definitely has a punk rock feel it and mixes elements of blues, country and folk here and there.  The songs are catchy, heartfelt and have an edge to them.  There are a couple that are almost blues-rock and others that are straight rockers and they flow very well together. The songs are well crafted and musically interesting. The band plays them with urgency and this keeps things sounding like they could fall off the edge at any moment but are still kept in a ring of control. I believe this is due to the band being a punk outfit, they can keep an edge and a bit of chaos in the mix. I don't really know much about this band and could not find much info on the interwebs but I really dig this EP.  You can find Clap Your Hands Twice on Facebook .  Listen below...

Dallas, TX duo Expressure have a self recorded & released album titled album We'll Think Of Something.  Expressure is comprised of Emily and Ian Kaskan but they are in the process of putting together a full band to back the album. The music can be best described as pop-rock-blues-jazz.  Sometimes I hear this as a blues band with pop & rock sensibility with a handful of jazz thrown in. Other times I hear this as a jazz-pop album with a hint of rock and a bit of blues tossed into the mix.   To me this is one of those albums that will sound different depending on your mood, and that is a rare and very good thing.  The songs are sung by Emily Kaskan with the vocals, guitar, bass, drums & piano all sharing an upfront area in the mix.  This does not make for a cluttered sound but rather a more pleasant and full sounding mix.  The sound is big, and full without being overbearing.  It works very well for the musical and vocal style throughout all o...

I have been listening to a young singer from California's bay area named Tara Priya for a while now and I'm digging her old school style.  She sounds a bit like a late 50's or early 60's jazz/soul hybrid with a good measure of blues and pop sensibility thrown in to keep things more interesting.  She has released an EP that is soulful, beautiful and almost haunting in a good way. Tara's music seems to draw on such renowned artist as Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, Etta James, Sam Cooke & early Billy Joel. All of this while holding an identity of her own.  The songs have a clean structure yet the melody is diverse and filled with emotion.  Play this in a ballroom and I think the dance floor would fill up in a hurry.  I would love to spend an evening in a small club listening her belt out tune after tune. A quick visit to her website and I learned she is the great-niece of the renowned Persian poet, Sohrab Sepehri .  It seem artistic ability runs in her family....

Straight out of Worcester, MA is Ghost Ocean, a rock band that blends a modern rock sound with a hardcore/punk vibe.   Their EP "Transparent Lines" starts off with Catalyst and it sets the tone for the rest of the 7 songs on the disk.  This is just the kind of hard hitting in your face rock that kept me listening to the EP over and over the past few days. The band does a great job of keeping things simple when they need to be, yet is able to branch out with a more complex arrangement when the time is right.  They never seem to get lost in the black hole of going too far from the groove of the songs when venturing into the complexity of progressive rock.  Just when it sounds like they could turn into an experimental metal band they bring the hook back.  To me this makes for a fun, interesting and heavy listen.  Well done in my opinion. The vocals have a gravely rough sound without being a scream.  Sounding edgy, intensely in your face they sound as...

A friend of mine turned me on to a band from the Pacific Northwest, Scott Pemberton Trio.  This is a jazz band that seems to be able to improvise with the best while still holding a killer coherent groove.  They have released their self titled debut on their own.  I have been listening to this for a few weeks now and I cannot get enough. The track that made me stop and listen to it a 2nd time right away was a cover of Nirvana's Love Buzz.  This is not a 2nd rate cover but a nod to a band from the area that obviously had a huge impact a few years ago.  It stays true to the original yet works as a jazz-rock-grunge-fusion tune. This is the perfect music to listen to while you sit back and enjoy with a nice tall glass of lemonade on a summer evening.  The playing is top rate and you can just feel the excitement build in each song.  The guitar work by Mr. Pemberton is top notch and he has a band of fantastic musicians on the stage with him.  The band...

From Milford, MA comes the band Born Without Bones.  This indie rock band has a little of a punk feel at times that mixes well with the pop/rock/alt sound they wave with well deserved pride. When I first heard a couple tracks I thought this was good catchy rock with enough of a pop feel to keep me entertained.  This proved true, and the more I listen the more of the rock/alt/punk vibe I seem to get from this four piece band.  This is the kind of band that seems to reach out to rock fans of generations.  I dig the hell out of them and the track "Out of Step" from their disk "Say Hello" has become a favorite song of my son, his friends and myself. The disk seems echos influences of Green Day, Jimmy Eat World & the Ink Spots among others.  Paying homage to those who came before them but yet blazing a new take on what has already been done. The band members are Scott Ayotte on guitar & vocals, Ian Van Opijnen playing guitar, James Creighton on bass & Pat...

Recently I was browsing for music and came across the name of a band from North Carolina; Sugar Glyder. The name was enough to make me see if I could find a musical sample. Sure enough I found their YouTube channel and upon watching their video for Poor Baby Zebra I was hooked.  I did a quick web search and found their myspace page and their biography. Here is what it says: “A bearded lady and a whimsical boy who was never actually born began a musical journey. Along the way they met a gothic, Asian chick and a not-so-angry quarter-phillipino guy who wanted nothing more than to hit things with sticks. The members of this new covenant all agreed that they liked glitter, tiny animals, and climbing mountains. And so, they began making magical noises together." Sugar Glyder has released three albums.  2008's "We Cracked The Sky", 2009's Poor Baby Zebra" & "Lovers At Lightspeed" that was just released in February of this year.  It seems these fol...