Second Half Records artist: Chris Antonik - Morningstar - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Morningstar, from Chris Antonik, and it's a blend of pop, rock and blues. Opening with heavy footed, Waves of Stone, with Derek Downham on drums, comes lumbering out of the blocks with Antonik on lead vocal and guitar, joined by Jerekus Singleton on lead guitar, Guenther Kapelle on bass, Jesse O'Brian on keys, Alison Young on sax, Richard Underhill on bari sax and backing vocals by Marlene O'Neill and Ciceal Levy on harmony vocals. Funky bottomed, Back To The Good, has a radio feel with cool backing vocals by Levy and adds William Carn on trombone and Tom Moffett on trumpet and features some scorching riffs by Antonik. The Greatest Americans (Part I and II) explore more artful music with Alison Young on synthesizer and sax, and featuring Antonik on open guitar melody and vocal leading into a funky rocker adding Derek Downham on drum programming and organ, and Lee Rogers on bass. Wrapping the release is ballad, Grace, with Antonik on vocal with Alan Zemantis on piano, slowly building with rich harmony vocals by Marlene O'Neill and Ciceal Levy, and slowly building with lead guitar by Antonik, Kapelle on bass, Riley O'Connor on drums and Derek Downham on organ, synthesizer and percussion. This is a cool release with a little something for everyone. 

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Chris Antonik - Monarch - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Monarch, from Chris Antonik and it's really good. Opening with I'd Burn It All Down For You, Antonik is joined by Chuck Keeping with a great drum riff reinforced by Guenther Kapelle on bass and Jesse O'Brien on keys. Antonik's vocals are solid and his guitar playing inspired. This lightly funky track is a great opener. On Mike Bloomfield's You're Killing My Love, again a touch of funk and super posturing this track moves. Antonik has great attack and the backing of Richard Underhill on sax, William Sperandel on trumpet and William Carn separates this track from the pack. Slow Moving Train has more of a rock edge, again giving Antonik breathing rook to lay down some real nice guitar riffs. With a rumbling bottom, Gold Star, follows in the Dickey Betts "Southbound" format with it's lightly funky country jam. Antonik peppers the track with hot riffs and his vocals are tops. The Monarch and the Wrecking Ball features really nice backing vocals by Samantha Martin, Sherie Marshall and Stacie Tabb. Antonik's own smooth vocals, super groove/hook and slide guitar work make this one of the best tracks on the release. Strong ballad, Love, Bettike, is smooth as silk and Antonik's guitar sings. Country flavored ballad, All Our Days, has a strong melody featuring Burke Carroll on pedal steel blended nicely with Antonik's own acoustic and electric guitars. vocals and string work by Drek Jurecka and Rebekah Wolkstein on violin, Shannon Knights on viola and Lydia Munchinsky on cello giving the track a quietly Roger Walters feel. Wrapping the release is Everywhere I Go, a simple pop track with a strong melody and quiet and appealing execution. With a nice trumpet solo by O'Brien and smooth backing vocals by Ben Fisher and Paul Olsen, this is a perfect closer to a real nice release.

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Chris Antonik Announces US and European Tours

Chris Antonik Announces US and European Tours         In 2013, Canadian guitarist, singer and songwriter Chris Antonik released one of the most critically acclaimed contemporary blues albums of the year, Better For You.  Music critics in Canada, the US and Europe hailed the record as “a masterpiece,” “unrelentingly excellent,” and “truly spectacular.”  Praised for its mix of fresh, innovative blues song-writing, and masterful guitar playing, Better For You was honoured as the Best Canadian Blues-Rock album of 2013 by the Blues Underground Network, and 2013 Album of the Year by RUST, an American music magazine. To reach new global audiences and match this critical acclaim, this fall, Chris will be bringing his live act to the US and Europe for the first time. In September, Antonik will be on tour in the eastern US, including stops in Ohio, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts, and in October and November, he’ll be on tour in Germany and Austria to build on the success of Better For You in the region (the record was nominated for the prestigious German Record Critics’ Association Award for Best Blues Album in 2013). “I am thrilled to be bringing my music to a wider global audience this year," says Chris. “I am equally excited to meet existing fans and friends from all over who have been incredibly supportive of my music.” Full tour dates are listed below. US Dates September 17 - The Canal House, Tuscarawas, Ohio September 18 - The Saint, Asbury Park, New Jersey September 19 - Treme Blues and Jazz Club, Islip, New York September 20 - The Chicken Bone, Boston, Massachusetts September 21 - The Beale, Rochester, New York September 27 - Griffin Hines Farm, Swanton, Ohio European Dates *several more to be added in the coming weeks October 30 - The Belami, Bergdorf, Germany November 1 - Savoy Theatre, Bordesholm, Germany November 6 - Rainers Rockhaus, Algermissen, Germany November 10 - Music Club Live, Hamburg, Germany November 11 - The Green Island, Zeitz, Germany November 12 - Kofferfabrik, Fürth, Germany November 13 - Hotel Weissenwolf, Steyregg, Austria November 15 - Kamphuis, Quickborn, Germany Quotes “One of the finest releases from the Great White North in many a year… a living and breathing masterpiece.  Antonik is a blues star rising.” - Cascade Blues Association, Oregon    “An unrelentingly excellent sophomore album.  When he coaxes his axe he can make it sting like a bumblebee, sing like a lark, or weep like a motherless child.”  - New Canadian Music “Better For You is the sound of someone taking the blues to a new place.   ‘Nothing I Can Do’ features a truly spectacular guitar solo that has shades of Buddy Guy and Hendrix.”  - American Blues Scene   www.chrisantonik.com    @ChrisAntonik   /chris.antonik Listen to "Shake Me Down" on Soundcloud

Chris Antonik's Better For You Generating Critical Acclaim in North America and Overseas

Chris Antonik's Better For You Generating Critical Acclaim in North America and Overseas

Blues guitarist Chris Antonik's sophomore release Better For You has quickly gained him a reputation as one of Canada's hottest young blues artists. Since its release this past March, Better For You has reached #1 on DAWG 101.9 FM's weekly album chart, continued charting on the Roots Music Report, attained significant airplay all over Canada, the US and Europe, including on Sirius XM (B.B. King's Bluesville), the BBC, Jazz FM, CBC, Galaxie, and more.   Critics and blues music industry experts in North America and Europe agree that Better For You is one of the best releases so far in 2013. Here is what some had to say:   “One of the finest releases from the Great White North in many a year.......a living and breathing masterpiece. Antonik is a blues star rising.” - Cascade Blues Association, Oregon   "An early contender for recording of the year.” - Blinded by Sound   "May be the best Canadian blues-rock album of 2013....outstandingly good.....the best sophomore release I have listened to in recent memory." - Blues Underground Network “A salient reference point is Eric Clapton, especially in Antonik’s warm, thick guitar sound, which often sounds in both tone and note selection like mid-to-late 1980s Clapton, around the time of Journeyman.“ - Blues Blast Magazine   "One of the first real highlights of 2013." - Blues News Germany   “Just as Eric Clapton earned the nickname slow-hand, Chris Antonik has defined himself as the gentle giant of modern blues rock." - Rust Magazine, Atlanta     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. "I am so thrilled with the response that "Better For You" has received.  Thank you to everyone out there supporting the album.  It is so rewarding to not only realize your artistic vision, but also to share the fruits of your labours with fans and friends", says Antonik.   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. www.chrisantonik.com

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. www.chrisantonik.com "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

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.