Simon Barrett

Does trump actually have an agenda, or is it soley to undo everything Obama did? Obama care North Korea Bob Corker Iran Tillerson fucking moron comment Pence and the NFL, $240,000 bill Is trump trying to destroy the press  

What a week! it is hard to know where to start. Trump and the truth seem to be casual aquiantences at best.

After years as the driving instrumental force behind the guitar/vocal duo, Glass House, guitarist Mark Vickness releases his first solo CD inspired by experiences traveling throughout the US.   “Places” is a modern fingerstyle solo acoustic guitar CD featuring eight original compositions and an arrangement of the spiritual, “I Must Tell Jesus,” which Mark recorded in memoriam to the woman who raised him who died in 2015 at the age of 99.    Says Mark, “Although the music on this CD is inspired by places I have been, it's also about the personal journey of delving into modern fingerstyle guitar in writing and recording these pieces.”

One thing is clear, with Trump in the whitehouse there is never a dull moment. Is it useful and constructive? Well that is unknown.

ACTING NATURAL lead singer & guitarist Eric Carnevale, bass guitarist/vocalist James David Maney, and drummer/vocalist Jesse Leonard are fueled by a mutual interest in bringing back the authenticity of raw Rock & Roll music. Their new ACTING NATURAL EP is a stunning debut that proves they have aligned their unwavering dedication to creating quality music with a signature sound. The ACTING NATURAL EP will have a worldwide digital release on September 22, 2017, followed by a physical CD release on October 20, 2017. Coinciding with the digital release, ACTING NATURAL will be attending the iHeartMusic Festival on September 22 in Las Vegas, NV.

From the American South, Kentucky, comes a new group of southern blues rock champions, OTIS, who will be releasing their highly anticipated second album on Purple Pyramid Records on September 15th. Executive Produced by Grammy winnning Blues/Rock guitar great Paul Nelson, who is best known for his work with the late Johnny Winter, OTIS's “Eyes Of The Sun” takes blues rock to a higher level!   “If ever there were a band to fill the new top spot in the Jam Blues Rock scene and the void left by loss of groups like the Allman Brothers... 'OTIS' is it. This tight unit of talent from the back woods Kentucky has everything it takes to become one of music's next great classic Blues Rock Bands!”- Paul Nelson   The band has earned accolades from ZZ Top guitarist Billy F. Gibbons who hailed the band's “fine singing, sweet guitar tones...all around enjoyable listening!”

It has been a busy time, 2 huricanes in 17 days and now 3 more are churning in the atlantic. I am so glad that gbobal warming is a hoax! Trump has been causing trouble, making deals with the dems has the right wing repeblicans reaching for the Tums. Kim Jong Un continues to test, is there a way to stop him?

Is the GOP about to distance themselves from Trump? Is he a liability for the 2018 midterms?

Aisles, the acclaimed South American prog rock sextet, will tour the United States for the first time in their career to play five dates, including the festivals Progstock in Rahway, New Jersey, and Progtoberfest, in Chicago, Illinois. Aisles will be performing part of their latest record, “Hawaii,” a two-disc concept album about human colonies established in space after the destruction of the Earth. Its twelve tracks explore the dilemmas and challenges that the individual and the human spirit would face in this futuristic scenario. Regarding the theme and sound of the album, guitarist and producer Germán Vergara states: “Without a doubt it’s our most profound work so far. With ‘Hawaii’ we dug deep in search of a concept that could really move us. Our objective was to write music that would emotionally and mentally take us to the place where the events in the album occur: Space.”

This week on the program I will be joined by singer/songwriter Tokyo Rosenthal. He has just released a new CD, This Minstrel Life. Why have a musician on a program about politics? Well, I think you will find that Tokyo is quite a political animal, several of his songs contain political leanings.

“Bigotry unchecked ushers in greater abuses to civil rights and liberties. The UnAmerican Struggle is my response to help educate people about the increasing struggles diverse people experience in America.” So says Ric Osuna. The rise of Trump has also given rise to a number of groups that seem to feed off the hate that Trump seems to tollerate.

It has been a busy and mostly unproductive week. North Korea causing all sorts of threats and the US engaging in the verbal mellee. Is this a good strategy? The violence in Charlottsville yesterday was a stark reminder of how polarized the country has become. There are two sides to every argument and both are right and wrong at the same time. It is wrong to try and rewrite history, only George Orwell could do that. But it is equally wrong to bring violence and death to the table.

The opioid epedemic is ravaging the US. This week on the program we will explore the problem and ways forward.

Hard rock trio The Rift will be releasing two balls to the wall singles titled “Rock Narcotic” and “Mysterious” from their eagerly awaited forthcoming second album slated for release end of July 2017! Conceptually the first single “Rock Narcotic” is a tribute to rock and roll. It's about how rock n roll feeds our imagination, inspires us, and allows us to totally immerse ourselves in it's grooves. Once you're hooked on that feeling you never want to let it go, it's the best drug in the world. The second single “Mysterious” is more abstract. It's about the give and take nature of life, struggling to have faith but wanting to, and realizing how precious and short our time is. 

Progressive rock band Mars Hollow has announced that they will be recording a new album after a nearly 5-year hiatus. The announcement was made during a semi-reunion show and subsequent radio interview in June, and came on the heels of a show billed as “John Baker and Steve Mauk Perform the Music of Mars Hollow” in Chicago. The show was the first time Mars Hollow has performed live since May, 2012. The most recent studio effort from the group was the track “So Far Away,” which also had a video release and was included on the Mars Hollow Live album. The album, also available on DVD, documented the band's 'Church of Prog' spot at RosFest, 2011 and was released in Fall of 2012.    

Where is the most unpopular bill since Income Tax at? After 7 years of grumbling, the GOP don't seem to have a clue what to do with Obama care. Mosul is about to fall, ISIS is losing ground, however one article I read this week sait the caliphate really does not physical territory. The capiphate can be online How do you fix it?  

Lets talk about North Korea and Otto Warmbier. It could be argued that he should not have gone there in the first place, but go he did.In light of his death what should the US response be? Health care, will it lower costs Wh press briefings Buget cuts

"Nothing to see here" the trumpers scream. Lots to see here is what everyone else said! So who is right?

The Trumpinator had another tough week. There was little to celabrate.

Blues rock guitarist Alex Lopez and his band The Xpress will be releasing their eagerly awaited third album titled “Slowdown” on MarEmil Records on May 19th! A powerful modern blues album that seamlessly fuses rock and blues and combines it with an unstoppable groove. The album's lyrical theme will also connect with today's world. “Slowdown” tells a story about a person who travels down a path that leads to addiction and their struggle to find a way back home. Each song is a chapter in this saga and the album takes you from innocent beginnings to heartbreaking despair and eventually to redemption and salvation.