Album Review: Lipstick II

"Not everyone in Nashville listens

to country music."

-Me

Lipstick is a hard rock glam band from Nashville, TN. Fronted by the enigmatic Greg Troyan, the band delivers a classic sounding groove that will take you back to the days when real men wore tights and makeup...and Lipstick. Their shows are high energy, with quality entertainment, frequently joined by various characters, including a giant cool cat, wearing sunglasses. 

Greg Troyan

The band's second album, Lipstick II literally has something for everyone. It starts off with a Zeppelinesque intro, called On the Eve of the Attack which gets the ball rolling, and it goes into Fight Back. A tune that will bring back memories of the classic songs of another makeup wearing band, Kiss. The song, Stop is another one. The band has influences that are on display, but they definitely have their own sound. For example, Love of Some Kind has a Beatles ballad feel to it, while Stop Drop and Rock and Roll  has a 60's rock feel. Troyan has a powerful voice with a nasty sneer that fits perfectly with the classic vibe of the music. Guitarist, Casey Horn can hang with any guitarist of the era. Eric Penticoff plays guitar as well. All the songs are accompanied by blistering leads. 

Casey Horn

The bass and drums are played by equally talented musicians. Bassist, Steve Smith is as solid a bass player as anyone. He is accompanied by Greg Loyacano on drums. The band has several songs with rapid pauses in them, and this rhythm section keeps them tight, like the appropriately titled, and aforementioned Stop. But their power is on display on You Can't Stop the Rock. The song starts with a barrage of bass and drums.

Steve Smith

What impresses me the most about this band is not only their perfect tribute to the classic rock of the 70's and 80's, its the fact that these guys are all under 30. They have a serious grip on their style, and I think that even that 70 year old guy who is at every Skynyrd show, who swears by them would even enjoy Lipstick immensely. Sure, the band writes lyrics about millennial age problems, like Girl Dressed as Sailor Moon, a song about meeting your dream girl at a comic con, only to find out that she lives in another state, and the heartbreak associated with such events. But, the lyrics are funny. The music is good, the lyrics are funny, and it makes you feel good hearing it. I'm not even sure what a Rock and Roll Anime Girl is, but I dig the tune! And, I think my favorite tune on the album is Gotta Eat When You Can. That song will have you 'chomp chomp chomping' at the bit to raid the frige!

The band also pays homage to the sleazy rock of the 80's in Electric Pussycat. And, what 80's style album wouldn't be complete without an ode to teenage girls? Teenage Girlfriend is respectful to the young ladies. Although, the band seems to like their nerdy girls to be real and not a Fake Nerd Girl. 

Mr Cool, the Electric Pussycat?

I think the most unique song idea I've heard is the Lipstick Public Service Announcement, Lipstick Encourages You To Have Fun At Our Shows But Not At The Expense Of Other Concert Goers. Yes, that is the title! Its a punk rock song in which there are certain parts where a mosh pit could actually form. But, Lipstick wants you to have fun and dance, and not hurt anyone. And, the album concludes with an original punk rock Christmas song, Christmas Time Machine. 

This is one of my favorite albums that I've had the pleasure of reviewing. Its fun, and it puts a smile on my face. It will for you as well. There's so much going on in the world that will make you frown, so wny not turn it upside down? Order a CD, or download it from their website:

http://www.lipstickgeneration.com/

And follow them on social media:

Facebook

Stairway to Humdrum, Highway to...HEADACHES!!!

I get it, ok??? I get that Led Zeppelin is a founder of hard rock, and heavy metal. I really do. I understand. I know this to be true. I realize that Led Zeppelin is a LEGENDARY band. I understand that I am a moron if I do not worship at the altar in front of the 'Houses of the Holy.'

When is enough enough? In the town that I reluctantly live in and am stuck in, there is a rock station called 'BAD DOG.' They play a mix of 70's, 80's, 90's, 2000s, and current music. You would think that would be a good format right? Play enough variety of rock to please everybody, right?

You're wrong.

This radio station might as well be called 'BLACK DOG.' Every single hour, you will hear one Led Zeppelin song, one AC/DC song, one ZZ Top song, and one Aerosmith song, followed by the top latest hits from the current bands that you are also sick of. You can literally set your watch to Zed Zeppelin. They will also throw one of four Guns n Roses songs, one of four Judas Priest songs, and a Rush song. And the songs of course are all the songs by the various bands that you have been sick of since the late 80's because radio stations play NOTHING ELSE.

Instead of playing songs like 'A Touch of Evil' by Judas Priest, we get 'Breaking the Law, and Living After Midnight. Think they will even play something like Victim of Changes or Diamonds and Rust?

You've Got Another Think Coming.

Don't think I'm just bitching about the crappy rock station in the crappy town I live in. Radio stations like this exist all over the country. They do it because they think that all the classic rock they play will get them a larger audience. But what they don't realize is that there are also stations that play nothing but CLASSIC ROCK! But stations like Bad (Black) Dog play MORE Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Aerosmith, etc than even most CLASSIC ROCK STATIONS!!!

When was the last time you were listening to the radio and Stairway came on, and you just flipped out with excitement? Me personally, I have NEVER done that, and neither have you. I did like it back in the late 80's and early 90's when the rock stations didn't play Led Zeppelin during the day. At 9:00 PM, they would 'GET THE LED OUT!!!!' That was cool. It made you look forward to it if you wanted to hear it. But they don't do that anymore. They just play the entire Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, ZZ Top, etc catalog every single day of the week, over and over again.

STOP IT ALREADY!!! You want to play a variety? Here's a suggestion. Play other stuff. You think you are playing a variety, but all you are doing is playing EVERYTHING that has been worn out over the years. One DJ actually said "All right, rockers, we got a real treat coming up for you right after this break!" It was Free Bird. Really? That's a treat? It was more like being forced to eat your Brussels Sprouts as a kid.

Bottom line here is that if I want to hear Led Zep, ZZ Top, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, etc, I will listen to a classic rock station. But stations like this one have made sure that I will NEVER want to hear Led Zep, AC/DC, etc again as long as I live. If the radio stations  want to do something different, step outside of the box and ditch the songs that we all heard 10,000 times before hitting puberty. Dig a little deeper into the 80's rock/metal. Instead of playing Paradise City, Sweet Child of Mine, and Welcome to the Jungle, play Mr. Brownstone, Live and Let Die, or You Could be Mine. Use this template for your entire artist catalog.

Just in case you need any help, Ratt has more songs than Round and Round. Queensryche has more songs than Silent Lucidity and Jet City Woman. Deep Purple has more songs than Smoke on the Water.

I just can't believe that people stand for this crap.

Do I like Led Zep, AC/DC, ZZ Top, etc? YES! I DO! But that isn't the point. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR SOMETHING DIFFERENT for a change!!! Literally, if I hear these same songs, I change the station. Translated, I listen to more talk radio these days than music. So called 'rock radio' is the number one recruitment tool for sports, and political talk radio. Why? Because program directors don't know how to listen to their fans. One person who calls the radio station and tells the DJ that the station rocks is all they need to hear. They are validated.

That is bullshit.

Am I the only one who feels this way? Come on. I know I'm not! I know you change the station too!

There's a lady who's sure

That her radio's broke

Because all that it plays is Led Zeppelin....