In the realm of transatlantic musical ambassadors, Len Hansen stands as a distinguished figure, adept at building bridges between North America and Norway throughout his extensive career. Renowned for his captivating vocals and diverse song variations, Hansen enjoys widespread respect among his peers in both Scandinavia and North America. Hailing from the heart of Canada's "The Folk Music Movement" during the 60s and 70s, he seamlessly incorporates the stylistic nuances of that era into his musical repertoire.

A graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Hansen is not just a musical virtuoso but also a visual artist, leaving an indelible mark on both fronts. With a performance history that spans countless concerts in Europe and North America, as well as notable appearances on national television and major stages, Hansen's artistic footprint is expansive.

Upon delving into his musical catalog, the organic, folk-oriented, and heartfelt nature of Hansen's compositions becomes immediately apparent. The enchanting journey commences with "All I Know," a tender and welcoming love letter characterized by exquisite guitar and piano interplay. The lead vocal, infused with a soft angelic harmony, contributes significantly to the song's emotive resonance without veering into saccharine territory.

"Tell Her About Greed" takes a departure into a different sonic landscape, evoking the spirited ambiance of an old-time hoedown. The upbeat composition transports listeners to a bygone era, exuding a timeless charm reminiscent of the 60s or 50s. The acoustic instrumentation creates an intimate atmosphere, as if one were enjoying the performance in a lively dive bar surrounded by a jubilant crowd.

The sonic exploration continues with "Row Upon Row," a slow-burning, pensive composition that unfolds with an orchestral grandeur. The beauty of the piece is augmented by its contemplative nature, and attentive ears might catch the ethereal tones of a didgeridoo, adding an unexpected yet captivating layer to the arrangement.

​In essence, Len Hansen proves himself a versatile artist, successfully navigating the diverse landscapes of his musical endeavors. From the soft and sweet realms of love letters to the lively hoedowns echoing through time, and the contemplative orchestrations, Hansen's artistry shines through. Dive into his musical world and experience the multifaceted brilliance that defines Len Hansen's work.

Rash Panzar is a hard rock group from Geneva, Switzerland, who have just released a 12-track album titled "Liberation."

Rash Panzar was formed in 1979 and released their first single, "Heavy Leaders," in 1984, followed in 1988 by the EP "Rock ’n Roll Street," helmed by famed producer Dennis Weinreich (Jeff Beck, Procol Harum). They continued to release albums over the years until 2023 when they hired producer Serge Morattel to record "Liberation" and are now busy with that same producer on a follow-up. Here are just some of my favorites.

When people talk about songs blasting right out of the gate, they're talking about a song like "Easy Lovin’, Easy Livin’," which tears down your backyard fence with chainsaws and jumps on the foot of your bed with hard-living, hard-loving vocals. Rash Panzar basically sound like every hard metal band you ever liked mixed together in a bongwater stew. I could list names forever, but how about Van Halen, Detective, Black Oak Arkansas, and AC/DC to start? The vocalist has total rock swagger, and the lead guitarist shreds without too much neck-tapping lunacy. "Rock On" is a jaunty, jumpy ode to both rock and roll and the ladies one finds haunting the shows (is that sexist? This kind of music gets you thinking that way!). On this track, I became aware of the drummer’s deep pounding tubs and tumbling rolls. "Freewill" takes a lateral move to very heavy metal with wild wah-wah lead guitar skittering around with startling abandon. The lead vocalist goes way beyond James Hetfield cookie-monster menace. For a song like this, my music pals would say: “Here come the Orcs!”

"No Way" starts with a double-time jungle beat that reminded me of '50s rock and roll, and as soon as I thought that, the singer burst forth with a very Elvis-like vocal (or Jon Spencer, if you want a reference that’s less than 70 years old!). Not quite as loud and heavy as the previous tracks, so there’s a bit more sonic room to enjoy the musicianship. The steady beat almost reminds me of brushing teeth, highly amplified and backed up with floor toms. Similarly, "Reason" has a very fast piano-based beat that hints at the early rock and roll of Jerry Lee Lewis.

You’d expect a track named "Wild Roses" to have an acoustic guitar, and there it is! Without losing any of the power of the whisky-drenched lead vocals (and the cool harmonies), this is a laid-back ballad with heavy choruses and, of course, a sweet concluding guitar solo. "Liberation" is a stomping rocker distinguished by bluesy slide guitars slithering around unrelenting one-chord verses and angry, rollicking choruses. "Shiny Eyes" is the concluding track of your dreams, with a supersonic forward momentum that could power a Mack Truck. For these guys, this is a love song, and I’ll be damned if our swaggering lead singer doesn’t betray a sentimental catch in his powerful pipes. Ear-popping fast-picked solo for the win!

I won’t pretend there’s anything new or revolutionary about this music, but if you love this sound and style, these guys have it down to a crazed science!

rashpanzerofficial.com

What is Blue Mallee? One answer is that it’s an oil or soap derived from the Eucalyptus plant, commonly known as the blue-leaved mallee, endemic to south-eastern Australia. What is the Blue Mallee group? They’re a folk music duo endemic to Sydney, Australia, who’ve just released an EP titled Questions Of Fear.

The members of Blue Mallee are a mystery, even in this total information age. They look like a husband and wife but never say so. Searching all their social media and reviews, I could not find so much as a first name! So, this review will be totally about the music, which they say showcases “music ambience, primal rhythms, soaring vocals, storytelling, and great banter, pushing the boundaries of contemporary indie folk music with traditional influences and dreamlike soundscapes.” The duo has played many venues and festivals in Australia. Based on their Instagram photos, it appears that the man in the group plays guitar and most other instruments, with the woman performing hand drum, percussion, and harmonies.

Keeping the anonymous nature of this band consistent, they state that recording took place in two different studios in Sydney, with one track recorded and mixed by “an award-winning producer.” Mastering was done by a Highly Regarded Mastering Technician.

Approaching the band as a novice, I saw the word “folk” and was expecting yet another traditional roots-folk album. It is nothing of the kind. In fact, it’s much closer to dreampop than folk, though without the Pop. The band specifically describes this collection of songs as having “melancholy undertones that could only exist in cold climates such as Iceland and Austria.”

“Hallstatt” begins very much like a classic folk song, with gorgeously strummed acoustic guitar and sincere, reassuring vocals (“I love the view out my window / I love watching the view change / Especially at the lowest light”). The band explains that the song “was written whilst traveling in Austria and picking up a mysterious virus in Salzburg. Planning to visit Hallstatt situated on the other side of the lake, these words were penned whilst bed-bound in Obertraun and later formed into a song during the 2020 COVID lockdown.”

From the beginning, instead of pedal steel or something similar, we start hearing ghostly secondary guitars and synths that grow steadily louder until they fully envelop the vocalist. There is a slide guitar solo in the middle, but it’s more of a feeling instead of a star turn. By the final third, we also have drums and bass and even a faint harmony vocal. I found this song to be a perfect example of Blue Mallee’s unique mixture of folk and space music. This is followed by a very short instrumental track confusingly titled “z3p()73Vn3” that is fully ambient and orchestral and acts as a kind of overture for the next song. “Flush of Hearts” follows the template of the opening track, with the folk-rock tune at its center surrounded by strange ambient effects, including bird-like electric guitar. This song, even within the sound miasma, has a forward energy very similar to Irish traditional. The electric guitars and drum kit drive the song even harder.

“GODAFOSS” was an early single from this album, released on all streamers. The band calls it “a saga story about survival and sacrifice entwined with Norse mythology.” As befits an Epic Saga, there are several sections, starting with delicate acoustic guitar and piano along with story-song vocals. There are ominous rumblings of lost fishing boats, a lack of food, and a father “60 years gone.” The music gets even quieter before the big explosion of electric guitars, multiple heroic vocals, and deep, assertive hand drums. There’s dark power in the drone-like driving chords, pushed almost to the breaking point. In the final section, I was amazed to hear what sounded like a string section.

“Boat With Wings” is a short acoustic interlude mixed below big, slow waves of keyboards and feedbacked guitar, which leads into the six-minute final track “Bedroom Bride” which was “recorded and mixed by an award-winning producer.” Not dissimilar from the other songs, this one has just a bit more care and gravity, with lots of interesting panned sounds as the vocalist sings with a melancholy, Glenn Hansard energy. It’s a great track with beautifully recorded elements, though I might have preferred just a bit less mixing magic (but that totally depends on your mood!).

​Honestly, I thought I knew what to expect from these guys, and was almost totally wrong. Fans of folk who don’t mind dreamy, spacey detours should find much to love here.

Gregory’s Xit is “an unapologetic rock band” from Indianapolis, Indiana who’ve just released two new singles titled “Live It Up” backed by “Cry on You.” The band members are Gregory Washel (guitar), Craig “Shred” Young (guitar), Jay Strawder (drums), Gordon Creech (vocals) and Bill Williams (bass). All the members also sing.

It’s not often that an indie band sends me a press release stating they were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance, and at first I thought they were joking, but it’s actually true! Plus they also nearly made the cut for 2023! 

The first track “Live It Up” doesn’t just start: with its distant, tumbling drums and space-arena ambience, it basically grows before your ears. When the thunderous power chords chime in, you know you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. With the powerful multi-tracked vocals of lead singer Creech and the rest of the band, the arena rock references multiply with lightning speed. Metallica, BOC, Queen, Zappa and even specifically Led Zeppelin (“Yesterday had a new day coming / New lady, gotta whole lotta lovin’!”). The chorus guitars are so epic that my ear was tricked into thinking there was a horn section! The guitar solo sections manage to harmonize, shred and speed-riff all at once. The meticulous construction of these guitar solos boggles the mind, and it’s appropriately how this track ends. 

“Cry on You” takes a total 180 with a classical opening of acoustic piano and strings. The boys decided to go Full Ballad here, and the blistering guitars totally disappear, revealing the full richness of the band vocals. They recreate some of the drama of the best ’70’s prog rockers, and have the discipline to hold back on the electric guitars until the halfway point. Suddenly I’m hearing Brian May, Tom Scholz and other masters of 6-string harmonic wonder. Even when I thought they were mostly done, a plaintive “Baker Street” style sax solo closes the deal.

​Two very different sides of the same coin! There’s a lot more where these tracks came from, and they all deserve to be investigated and enjoyed. 

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