Showing posts with label Chris Antonik. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Antonik. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

New CD From Canadian Blues Guitarist Chris Antonik - Better For You

New CD From Canadian Blues Guitarist Chris Antonik
Better For You
 
 
Available for pre-order on iTunes March 12, 2013
Official Release Date March 26, 2013
Available for purchase on iTunes and at www.chrisantonik.com
 
In 2010, Canadian blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Chris Antonik arrived onto the national and international blues scene with his self-titled debut recording, which received widespread critical acclaim, placed in the Roots Music Report Top 100 charts for over a year, and garnered Antonik a nomination for Best New Artist of the Year at Canada’s national Maple Blues Awards.  After extensive touring and major blues festival appearances in Canada in 2011 and 2012, Chris now returns with his highly anticipated follow-up Better For You, scheduled for release on March 26, 2013. 

Better For You
is a highly personal and reflective album for Antonik, dealing with rebuilding relationships, learning to put others first, and developing a positive moral code in a world full of blues. 
 
With Antonik on the majority of lead vocals, guest vocalists include: two-time Grammy award-winner Mike Mattison (The Derek Trucks Band, The Tedeschi-Trucks Band), 2013 American Blues Music award-nominee Shakura S’Aida, and the incredibly soulful Josh Williams (The Fat Cats), who also features on keyboards throughout the album.  The electrifying and eternally funky Chris Chiarelli (drums) and Andrew Taylor (bass) once again hold down the rhythm section.  Other guest artists include: blues Juno award-winners Steve Marriner (MonkeyJunk) and Julian Fauth, as well as Canadian music veterans Suzie Vinnick, and Richard Underhill, who arranged all the horns on the album.
 
Co-produced by Antonik and Ted Onyszczak, the album was recorded by Grammy award-winning engineer Jeremy Darby (U2, Mick Jagger, Colin Linden) at Toronto’s Canterbury Studios, and includes 10 original songs written and co-written by Antonik, and one cover song. Ben Fisher, Paul Olsen (Scrapomatic) and Heather Hill contributed to the co-writes.



"The energy on Antonik’s sophomore release is...purely joyful...Antonik wields his guitar as someone with the authority to do so" - Blues Rock Review

"Antonik not only equals his dynamite debut release, but improves upon it in many ways." - BluesBytes.net

"Following Canadian acts I enjoy such as Colin James, David Gogo, JW Jones and Downchild, here comes a new name to add to the list - Chris Antonik."
- Thebluesblast.com

 
 
 
 

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Better For You - Chris Antonik - New Release Review

I just received the new release (released formally on March 26, 2013), Better For You, by Chris Antonik and it's quite interesting. The release opens with Long Way To Go, a funky rock track with some really cool guitar by Antonick and harp work by Steve Marriner. Turn To Shine has the warm feeling of a Delaney and Bonnie track and it really feels like you're taking a bite of the old ATCO/Muscle Shoals/Capricorn stuff. Josh Williams' vocals are great and his guitar playing has the over driven sound of Duane and the rhythmic pacing of Dickey. Very cool! Come From A Good Place is a softer edged song with a lot of airplay potential. Like the song before, sweet horns back the track and in this case, lead vocals are handled by Shakura S'Aida who is obviously solid and Antonik grinds in some really hot guitar riffs. Broken Man features Mike Mattison singing a soulful ballad over a quiet background and light jazz rhythm. Up next is Walter Horton's Have A Good Time, a simple understated blues track and Josh Williams steps up on harmonica and vocal to compliment Antonik on guitar. Shake Me Down is a very cool track with a strong back beat and featuring Williams on organ. This is a warm backing for Antonik to not only sing but to lay out some funky wah wah guitar riffs. This track has a bit of jazz under the wool and that adds to the general texture of the track giving Antonik a bit of room to flex his fingers. Better For You is a bluesy ballad with an easy soul feel. I really like this track. It lays nicely in the groove and Antonik plays smoothly through the track drawing out some real nice blues riffs. Nothing I Can Do is another track with a bit of funk in the stew featuring Williams on keys and vocals and a bit of horns. Antonik takes a nice extended guitar solo on this track. Tell Me What You Need is a easy going radio style ballad. A lonely electric guitar playing in the field of openness behind Antonik's voice, not unlike an effect created by Dire Straits (different riffs of course) is really nice. Julian Fauth joins Antonik on piano for I'll Help You Through, a blues ballad (along the lines of New York State Of Mind). This is a nice smooth ballad with an equally smooth guitar solo to compliment Antonik's vocals on this track.   If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!
This is not from the new release but I was unable to find something that is. This is a good example of Chris' work.