Michigan Indie Review

This blog has been quiet for almost a year now. More and more time passes withou an addition to this blog or any other publication that I've been known to contribute to. Why? I've been asking myself that question for a while now. No real motivation to contribute I suppose. There's certainly no money in writing about music, unless, of course, you went to an Ivy League school on the east coast and don't really need the money anyway. This game is about who you know and not what you know or what you can do. Event the little free rags in Detroit are part of a very tightly controlled clique of fashionistas. So advancemennt in "the field", if you can call it that, is unlikely. What's more, the closer you get to the music business and the writing business, the less attractive it is. Getting close to the music is one thing, getting close to the musicians is quite another. This is a highly competitive field with very little tolerance or time for anythi...

Forge: Bring on The Apocalypse Mitch writes: Like all of my reviews, this one's very late in coming. Forge have already collected their well-deserved Detroit Music Award for OUTSTANDING HARD ROCK/METAL ARTIST/GROUP back in April and, I'm sure, are moving on to other things. I flaked out again a few months ago and disappeared from MB due to burnout and frustration and never finished their review. There just isn't enough time in my life to indulge in my avocation and meet all my familial and financial responsibilities. But when the writing bug bites, I have to listen and I really hate to leave things undone. So, enough of my blather. Here's my review of Forge's "Bring on The Apocalypse." - Mitch "Bring on The Apocalypse" by Forge Band: Forge Release: "Bring on the Apocalypse" Label: Static Records Year: 2004 Band Members: John Dearry (Guitar), Aaron Greene (Vocals, Guitar), Greg Mastin (Drums), Steve Greene (Bass) Recorded at: Temperm...

Welcome to Michigan Indie Review. My name is Mitch Phillips (not the voice-over guy) and I've been writing about independent bands from Michigan since before the start of the 21st Century. The reviews that I post here may have already been published on Michigan artists.com, Michiganbands.com or JamRag. They've been salvaged for posterity in case anybody cares and only represent a fraction of the work I did. I hope you can enjoy something from it and feel free to leave message. Back to top .

Music Review: Robb Roy ''Days of Pride & Hunger'' Date: Friday, November 07, 2003 @ 00:00:00 EST Topic: Music Reviews Robb Roy's fourth full-length release, "Days of Pride & Hunger", offers fourteen new songs, one video by a White-Striped director, one jingle for an SUV-on-steroids, four cameos by local artists and nearly enough blood, sweat and tears to destroy one of Michigan's most beloved indie rock bands forever. Read Mitch Phillips' review of this important local release. It made him laugh, it made him cry, it made him ask Brittany Spears, "Oh why, oh why?" Click "Read More" below. Band:Robb Roy Release:Days of Pride & Hunger Release Date: Oct. 21, 2003 Recorded At: The Cleaners, Studio Seven, Studio Select (Detroit) Produced by: Jason Keuhn Band Members: Graham Strachan (vocals), Michael Kudreiko (guitars), John Cottos (bass), Duane Huff (drums) Additional Musicians: Jill Jack, Pat Brennan, Chris Codish, Ch...

Music Review: The Hopescope ''Bring In The Sun'' Date: Saturday, October 11, 2003 @ 23:30:00 EDT Topic: Music Reviews Tortured by the role strain created by his neurotic need to please people and his ethical duty to give an honest opinion, Mitch Phillips' personality splits right down the middle in a temporary manifestation of review-induced schizophrenia. The Hopescope's "Bring In The Sun: A Five Year Journal" chronicles five years in the life of songwriter Eric Empson and his long journey from west-coast wanna-be to a self-realized soul. From unrequited love to the bottom of a bottle, Empson's musical diary is full of hard knocks. But where he eventually finds grace in The Divine, Mitch's altar ego only finds solace in the soothing sound of the waves. Band: The Hopescope CD: Bring In The Sun: A Five Year Journal Year: 2003 Label: Marathon Records Produced by: Jeff Elbel Band Members: Eric Empson - lead vocals tracks 1,3,6,9 & background...

Music Review - Immigrant Blue (self-titled) Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 @ 13:20:00 EDT Topic: Music Reviews True, Immigrant Blue has already received some love here on MB (see Jeff Halicki's review here) but some things just bear repeating. Immigrant Blue's eight-song debut is something special and I'd hate for you to miss out on adding it to your local collection because we didn't plug it more than once. With that in mind, Mitch revisits Immigrant Blue's debut and includes a track by track analysis with samples. Band - Immigrant Blue Recorded at - Sound Stage 1 (Climax, MI.) Mastered at - Masterfonics (Nashville, TN) Produced by - Sean Mansell & Immigrant Blue Band Members - Sean Mansell (keys / vocals), Chris Frankenhauser & Rob Clark (Guitars), Jon Moody (bass), David Perry (drums). If it's true there are limited archetypes in rock & roll, Immigrant Blue seems to have taken over where 70's progressive-pop hit-makers Sup...

Super Model-T: Something For Your Misery Date: Monday, September 15, 2003 @ 21:54:44 EDT Topic: Music Reviews In the past three years I’ve brought home a lot of local CD’s. I play them while I do the dishes, while my daughter does her homework and while my wife cleans up after the both of us. Whenever I leave the house, I make sure to bring one along so I can get acquainted with a disc before I do a review. Since I’m terminally disorganized, CD’s end up all over the damn place; in the living room, in my office, in my truck and even in my wife’s car. Eventually (and thanks to her indulgence) they find their way back to my office desk in a heaping pile. Except for one, that is . . . For some reason, I couldn’t find my copy of Super Model-T’s “Something For Your Misery”. It wasn't in the CD player in the living room. It wasn't on my desk hiding under a pile of unpaid bills and review notes. Perhaps in the console of my truck? Not there either. Damn. Where did I put that disc? ...