Album Review: Delta Rae Goes Musically Where Others Fear To Tread With "Chasing Twisters"

Storm chasers.

Most of us have seen them on TV.

They are the brave, maybe a little crazy, people that venture to places that others fear.  They get as close as they can to tornadoes for the thrill of recording them and sharing what they captured with anyone who cares.

Over the past couple of years, a certain band has, much like storm chasers, been bold enough to go where other artists haven't dared to tread stylistically.  That band is Delta Rae, a six-piece group hailing from the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area - the same stomping grounds that produced Kat Robichaud, a recent top 10 contestant on Season 5 of The Voice.

Before their breakout debut album, 2012's Carry the Fire, even came close to running its course, the band has returned to the virtual record bins of iTunes with a new release, the five-song Chasing Twisters.

Charity Spotlight: Sage's Army Receives Donation From Helping Hands Rock Reviews

From left:  Sharon, Sage's Army's Carmen Capozzi, and Chip

Our mission in starting Helping Hands Rock Reviews was to raise awareness and money for worthy charities.  We were thrilled when we were able to present our first donation to one of our personal favorite charities, Sage's Army, on November 10, 2013. 


We recently had the chance to sit down with Carmen Capozzi, the founder of Sage's Army, to discuss what Sage's Army does, who it helps, and how you can get involved in their cause.

Album Review: The Infinite Staircase Enlists Rock Star Friends, Prepares To Climb With "No Amends"

Before even hitting the play button on No Amends, the latest album from The Infinite Staircase, I couldn't help but notice some of the credits in the track titles.  Every song features a recognizable name:  Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust), Chris Caffery (Trans Siberian Orchestra), and Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society) were just some of the "rock stars" listed next to the titles.

With that type of name dropping, I made a couple of assumptions prior to the moment when the initial notes oozed through my earbuds:  First, that the album was gonna be firmly in the mold of its most active guest artists and, second, that the album was gonna be supergood.

Only one assumption was right.

Concert Photos: Falling In Reverse Performing Acoustically at Altar Bar in Pittsburgh, PA on November 12, 2013

An Evening With Falling In Reverse: Acoustic & Uncensored made a special appearance to Altar Bar in Pittsburgh, PA on November 12, 2013.  This show delighted fans to a meet-n-greet, poster, Q&A with the band and much more.  An admirable aspect to this fun-filled evening with the band is that they donated a portion of each ticket sale to Living The Dream Foundation which is an organization that helps make dreams come true for terminally ill children.

Ronnie Radke & Derek Jones

Violet Opens Up About Emotional New Video, Changing The World, A Halestorm Connection and Their Favorite Charity

Photo Source:  thisisviolet.com

People often say that the Internet has leveled the playing field for musical artists and that record labels aren't very relevant anymore.  But if you look at the musical artists whose YouTube videos get millions of hits; whose songs get played on radio stations nationally; and who get hundreds of articles written about them, the vast majority are all on labels with the budgets to get top-quality recordings made, to get great videos produced, and to get the support of other established artists.

Occasionally, though, a musical artist hits a nerve that gets everyone talking in a way that helps them succeed independently.  That's exactly what is happening with the LA-based pop/electro band, Violet.  

Violet recently released an emotional video for their song, "The Day I Was Sorry," that has begun riding the waves of social media and getting attention far and wide.  Helping Hands Rock Reviews recently had a chance to sit down with vocalist Jessie Covets, bassist Alayna Miller, and drummer Kayla Miller to discuss the song, the video, and where they see the enthusiasm of their growing fan base taking Violet in the near future.

Album Review: Why Should Avril Lavigne's New, Self-Titled Album Come With a GPS?

In the video for her latest album's second single, "Rock N Roll," Avril Lavigne is pictured going for an exciting but treacherous drive in a 1970's-era sports car.  With this self-titled opus, Lavigne takes her music on a similar cruise through some new territory, leaving fans to decide whether the detours are welcome scenic routes or a waste of their sonic travel time.

The album starts out with the compass pointing in the right direction.  "Rock N Roll" and "Here's To Never Growing Up" are extremely fresh manifestations of Lavigne's trademark bratty, youthful, and pop-tinged rock. 

Butch Walker's Colorful Show Leaves Pittsburgh Crowd In A Good Mood

Singer. Songwriter. Producer. Underrated guitar virtuoso.

All of those descriptors – and many more - fit Butch Walker. But “musical chameleon” is perhaps the one that’s most accurate.

With a professional recording career that began with him playing guitar in a hair metal band, then migrated through a solo career in the arena rock, alt-rock, and singer-songwriter genres before arriving at its current indie/Americana home, the only thing constant about Walker’s music has been change. With his solo career now spanning six releases and 11 years, Walker has quite a catalog from which to draw his set list on his current tour for the recently-released Peachtree Battle.

Helping Hands Rock Reviews set out to Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 1, 2013 to see what gems Walker would pull from his vast musical portfolio for his eager fans.

Concert Photos: Butch Walker Performing at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh, PA on November 1, 2013

Butch Walker Performing at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh