Issue #35 Extra!: New Releases

A.C.T. — "Silence"
Alquimia — "Forever"
Antiklimax — "Plus Loin Vers L'Est"
The Art of All — "Morgan"
Ashes.Are.Nutritious — "Frustration +"
Astralis — "Bienvenida al Interior"
At War with Self — "Acts of God"
Beggar's Farm — "Itullians"
Big Big Train — "The Difference Machine"
Big Brother & The Holding Company — "Hold Me — Live in Germany"
Birch Book — "Fortune & Folly"
Born Again Floozies — "7 Deadly Sinners"
Contrarian — "Minor Complexities"
Court — "Frost of Watermelon"
Cruz de Hierro — "Crossroads"
John Curtis — "Short Songs About Affordable Food"
D'arcana — "Premonitions"
Haakon Ellingsen — "Bounty"
Ex-Vagus — "Ames Vagabondes"
Michael Fahres — "The Tubes"
Ken Field — "Under the Skin"
Five Fifteen — "Alcohol"
Flëur — "Prikosnoveniye"
Flëur — "Volshebstvo"
Flëur — "Siyaniye"
Flëur — "Vsyo Vyshlo Iz-pod Kontrolya"
The Flower Kings — "The Sum of No Evil"
Focus — "Focus 9/New Skin"
Anat Fort — "A Long Story"
Frogg Café — "The Safenzee Diaries"
Fromus — "Audio Diplomacy"
The Jeff Gauthier Goatette — "One and the Same"
Genre Peak — "Ends of the Earth"
The Gift — "Awake and Dreaming"
David Gilmour — "Remember That Night"
Gravity Tree — "Ultimate Backwards"
Grosskopf, Baltes, Heilhecker (Sunya Beat) — "The Jelenia Gora Sessions"
Hectic Watermelon — "The Great American Road Trip"
Hiromi's Sonicbloom — "Time Control"
Horslips — "Roll Back"
Imogene — "Imogene"
Iona — s/t
Iona — "Live in London"
Naoki Ishida — "Fazing Redust"
Mark Jenkins — "This Island Earth"
Josiah — "No Time"
JPP — "Artology"
Klangwelt — "XOIO"
Little Tragedies — "The Sixth Sense"
Lo-Fi Chorus — "Something in the Air"
Lolli Zan — "Ancient Girl"
Magicfolk — "Magicfolk"
M.A.S.S. — "Mysteria"
Lucia Micarelli — "Music from a Farther Room"
Mirror Snake — "Mirror Snake"
Mooch — "Gaiaspace"
The Mother Hips — "Kiss the Crystal Flake"
Nautilus — "What Colours the Sky in Your World?"
Neo — "Broadcast"
Nexus — "Perpetuum Karma"
Nouvelles Lectures Cosmopolites — "Friesengeist π"
Charlemagne Palestine — "A Sweet Quasimodo between Black Vampire Butterflies for Maybeck"
Panzerballett — "Panzerballett"
Phased — "Medications"
Pinnacle — "Meld"
Roger Powell — "Fossil Poets"
Pure Reason Revolution — "The Dark Third"
Quodia — "The Arrow"
Rapoon — "Time Frost"
Kurt Reifler — "Kurt Reifler"
Walt Ribeiro — "I.I"
Riverside — "Rapid Eye Movement"
Kurt Rongey — "With Form It Threatens Silence"
Runaway Totem — "Esameron"
Rush — "Snakes and Arrows"
Michel Sajrawy — "Yathrib"
Sarcasme — "Mirage"
Trygve Seim — "Sangam"
Seamus — "Zealotry Sterblichen Schizophrenia"
Emiliano Sicilia — "Devotion, Materialize"
The Source — "All Along This Land"
SSI — "E Pluribus Unum"
Stick Man — "Mysterious Female"
The Strato Ensemble — "Drawn Straws"
Sunya Beat — "The Jelenia Gora Sessions"
Supay — "Confusion"
Tammen/Harth/Dahlgren/Rosen — "Expedition: Live at the Knitting Factory"
The Tear Garden — "Secret Experiment"
Waldteufel — "Sanguis"
Stan Whitaker & Frank Wyatt — "Pedal Giant Animals"
Whitechapel — "Le Masque d'Arlequin"
XII Alphonso — "Claude Monet Vol.2"
Zaboitzeff & Crew — "Missa Furiosa"

Fromus — "Audio Diplomacy"

(10T Records 634479453458, 2007, CD/DVD)

Fromus is short for "From Uzbekistan" the homeland country for this inspired quintet that took Tashkent by storm a few years ago. Guitarist Vitaly Popeloff leads the band in a series of fusion and semi-classical pieces that have been garnering favorable comparisons to Mike Portnoy's Liquid Tension Experiment or Planet X. I find the eight studio tracks (plus two additional pieces on the live DVD) display a great deal more heart mixed within the hot chops and charts. The "Intro" is a clear indication of the highly dramatic territory the group maps out on the two discs. Prime keyboardist Albert Khalmurzayev has a commanding role on both discs whether it's grounding pieces with Hammond organ patches or imparting homeland symphonic workouts ( as heard on "Familiarization Results"). The well rehearsed songs are much less fatiguing than other jazz rock recordings due to a clearer balance between heavy unison riffs and song structure. "Spare Wheel" could have easily wound up on a Kevin Moore era Dream Theater recording despite the lack of vocal reference point. The two non-studio tracks on the DVD include "Remark 12" and "Dual Ad Libitum." The former song is a folk-ish acoustic guitar break for the band while the latter piece is a showcase for percussionist Vladimir Badirov. Since Baja Prog the band appears to be positioned for further international dates to show people they have the right stuff. — Jeff Melton

Born Again Floozies — "7 Deadly Sinners"

(Triple R TR3011, 2007, CD/LP)

After last year's five-song debut EP Novelties, Addenda & Ephemera, the release of this Indianapolis band's first full length CD was a highly anticipated event here at Exposé central. Sporting a most unusual instrumental lineup comprising a top end of main singer, guitarist and songwriter Joey Welch, and a bottom end featuring tuba player Ben Vokits with two tap dancers (Amy Gilmore and Libby Milliken) providing the percussion (the latter also playing a marching bass drum). This sort of strange jugband meets circus-sideshow sound was the formula for all of last year's EP, and about half of the songs here. For the remaining tracks they have enlisted the services of a guest kit drummer who adds a steady beat to those pieces and gives them a slightly more 'alternative' rock feel. Vokits and Gilmore both provide backing vocals, and Gilmore even gets a lead vocal spot on "Lucia." Welch's unusual finger hammering guitar style is matched by his irregular, esoteric lyrics on all of the songs but three instrumentals. It's all very strange, fun and hip, definitely a band alone in a world of their own creation, perhaps vaguely reminiscent of bands like the Japonize Elephants. If there is any other band that sounds like the Born Again Floozies, this writer surely has never heard them. — Peter Thelen

[www.myspace.com/bornagainflooziesband]

Michel Sajrawy — "Yathrib"

(Ozella Music OZ010CD, 2007, CD)

The nine tracks presented on Yathrib not only attempt to bridge Arabic traditional composition forms, western jazz idioms and progressive rock, they also bridge the cultural differences (Christian, Muslim and Jewish) of the ten players involved, led by amazing guitarist Michel Sajrawy, who also composed each of the pieces. The core ensemble is a quartet of electric and acoustic guitars, drums, electric and string bass, and oud, but they are frequently joined by additional players on violin, viola, jarra, rabab, tabla, rek, and other percussion. Every one of these cuts is very impressive, each in its own unique way, whether it involves one of the expanded lineups taking a jazz inspired flight, or the core quartet rocking out in some odd time signature with surprise changes at every hairpin turn. There are plenty of subtle microtonal flights herein as well, especially when the violinists come into play. Oud player Darwish Darwish is a flat-out monster on his instrument, though (being the newest member) he's only featured on a few of the pieces. Regardless of where the music goes, bassist Valery Lipets and amazing drummer Ameen Atrash are right there, providing a tasty framework and guiding the other players along to whatever may come next. Those looking for unusual kaleidoscopic fusion in a cross-cultural sense would do well to check this out; it's nothing short of awe-inspiring. — Peter Thelen

[www.myspace.com/michelsajrawy]

Hiromi's Sonicbloom — "Time Control"

(Telarc CD-83655, 2007, CD)

Japanese jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara's previous releases have all borne the name "Hiromi" and basically consisted of her standing trio of bassist Tony Grey and drummer Martin Valihora. Guitarist David Fiuczynski was a guest on her first album, and he's here now as a full member, hence the new name. While I love her previous albums, this one really grabs me, from the quick tinkling intro of "Time Difference" to the dizzying stylistic shifts of "Real Clock vs. Body Clock = Jet Lag" to the last moody melodies of "Note from the Past." That pitter-patter raindrop intro is followed by a killer riff in alternating 7/4 and 6/4 with some superb unison melodies on piano and guitar. The first solo spotlight has Hiromi tossing off one of her eccentric synth flights, and Fiuczynski joins in with some of his own eccentricity. This is fusion at its best, folks, with all cylinders firing in perfect synch, loaded with energy and imagination. It's refreshingly free of clicés, and while the technical level is stunning, it never seems like mere exercise. With the second track, an electric piano joins Hiromi's palette (though the acoustic piano still dominates), and there's a funky soulful vibe; the guitar gets a wah-wah treatment, and much fun is had by all. Things slow down a bit for "Deep into the Night," though it's a far cry from smooth jazz; the guitar reminds me of Phil Miller. I could go on and on — it's terrific all the way through. — Jon Davis

[www.hiromimusic.com]

The Strato Ensemble — "Drawn Straws"

(Fateless Recordings, 2007, CDR)

Hovering somewhere between jazz-rock fusion and explorative electronic sounds, this group of improvisors is led by keyboardist Dean De Benedictis, who has already received great reviews in our pages as Surface 10 and with his ambient electronic based releases on the Spotted Peccary Label. On these nine expansive workouts, the Strato Ensemble involves anywhere from two to four musicians, track depending, including bassist Guiseppe Patane (Matta Haari), drummer "Jako" Giakomini (Socadia) and guitarist Takeshi Nishimoto (I'm Not A Gun), with occasional participation from saxophonist Jim Goetch. The opening sidelong salvo "Empowering Gamesake" covers everything from subtle ambient swells to high-intensity group pyrotechnics, going through numerous cycles along the way giving each player plenty of stretching room, but it also shows the spirited improvisational telepathics of the full ensemble. There is no doubt, by the time one reaches the 24 minute mark, that you've wrapped your ears around something very special. That one track alone is worth more than the price of admission, but the creative juices continue to flow freely for nearly another hour, sometimes in similar lengthy spellbinding sorties, other times in shorter vignettes involving subsets of the full group. Fans of 70s Crimson in improvisational mode, early Weather Report, and pure improv groups like Cloud Chamber would do well to check out Drawn Straws. — Peter Thelen

Panzerballett — "Panzerballett"

(Bad Land BLR-666400, 2005, CD)

In my mind I picture the dancing of tanks — the cover art helps. But the only dance I can imagine is a slow, clumsy, brutish affair, most unlike the quick, dextrous, sophisticated music I hear. Disney could make the hippos into ballerinas, but my imagination fails me when it comes to large machines in camouflaged colors. Fusion is so often polished to a silvery sheen that we forget it can be gunmetal grey or even camo, intense and unpredictable. Sax and electric guitar duel at a few paces while bass and drums act as seconds, arguing over choice of weapons and time signatures. Disjointed bursts of melody twist in the air, combining, separating and recombining like strands of willful smoke. Not like panzers at all, not machines, but if smoke could shout existential angst wordlessly at the void, it might sound like this. Wordlessly, but with palpable intelligence, purposeful though the purpose remains private, unguessable from the outside, a puzzle to observers, shards of music flash in varying directions like laser light reflected off a disco ball. Or if you can imagine that each of those flashes, instead of being simple monochromatic light, actually carries an image randomly selected from the memory of a random person, probably you — there goes falling out of a tree — there goes a toy soldier demolished by a firecracker. Somewhere out in the nether reaches of the continuum between jazz and heavy rock there is a meeting of minds. — Jon Davis

[www.panzerballett.de]

Stick Man — "Mysterious Female"

(Private release, 2007, CD)

Colorado's Neil Haverstick is now simply "Stick Man." For this writer, there used to be some shock value listening to music played on 19 tone (and even more unusual) scales, but after listening to enough Haverstick albums (and others — let's not forget the grand-daddy of them all Harry Partch), I guess I'm now suitably acclimated… it's just another way of approaching the whole concept of tonality. And certainly Haverstick puts it all to good practical use; his work never leaves you feeling like you're listening to some kind of experiment-in-progress or demonstration. He has made microtonality (or "non-12-tunings" as he prefers to call them) his way of life for many years, and uses his custom built microtone and fretless guitars to play standard forms like blues, folk, rock, classical, and even fiery acoustic jazz numbers like the twelve minute workout "Iraq" that envelops the listener a couple minutes after the disc starts. There are no vocals this time out. Chording is one area where the encounter can still seem a bit disorienting, but Stick Man has the good sense not to overdo it. The seven-part title suite is a good case in point, alternating between beautiful acoustic passages and vignettes lightly orchestrated with synths, where 12-tone and 19-tone instruments work together, bringing new emotions and feelings to the experience, ripe for intrepid listeners to explore. "Silver Woman" mixes acoustic and electric fretless together for one truly wild ride. — Peter Thelen

[www.microstick.net]

Tammen/Harth/Dahlgren/Rosen — "Expedition: Live at the Knitting Factory"

(ESP-DISK ESP-4031, 2006, CD)

The artist alone decides what music appears on their ESP Disk, and yet such is the nature of music, marketing, labels, and categorization that you and I can have fair idea what music they are going to choose. Expedition is nearly an hour of reasonably noisy improvised avant-jazz, let's say two "machine guns" on a scale of five, featuring a quartet of "endangered" guitar, tenor sax/bass clarinet, bass/electronics, and drums. These musicians are a bit less known than the luminaries of avant- and free-jazz, but they have been influenced by and played with some of the best, names like Sharrock, Brötzmann, Zorn, Braxton, and William Parker to name a few. The music can get pretty urgent and dangerous with the squonks and fury we have grown used to from this genre, settling into moments of relative calm in which the electronics are the focus against ominous long notes from the others. Drummer Jay Rosen is a linchpin, providing the power needed by the former sections and the atmosphere called for in the latter. When a familiar theme emerges from the melee I can only smile and think of Albert Ayler. There's no point worrying about one track vs. another since the entire performance flows together and is best enjoyed in its entirety. An engaging listening experience. — Sean McFee

Trygve Seim — "Sangam"

(ECM 1797, 2005, CD)

If there was ever a time for a new jazz icon, composer and saxophonist Trygve Seim surely fits that bill. His ensemble's well received performance at the 2007 Portland Jazz Festival was a jaw dropper inviting attention to his recent studio recordings. The disc's six pieces run the gamut of sad purposeful dirges to emotional heartbreak, blurring the lines between song and improvisation. The title track opens the disc in a somewhat dour mood while the most effective piece is "Beginning an Ending" that builds tension slowly understating the subtle power of the band. The organic key to the composer's success lies in his unique fusion of ambient influences within acoustically driven big brass arrangements that are owed in part to Arvo Pärt. "Dansante" is a bit more upbeat with accordion player Frode Haltli adding a distinct European touch to the piece much like mid-period work by Bruford's Earthworks. One of the key points to the presentation lies in the pervasive low end of the mix played by tuba player Lars Andreas Haug and Nils Jensen on bass sax and clarinet. Together with drummer Per Oddvar Sunde as the backbone of the ensemble, the entire group flourishes within the tight vision of the composer. Seim's more recent work has been with Omar Hakim's new live band continuing to garner the composer a wider audience. Overall this is the kind of direction jazz needs to evolve into to remain rich and vital. — Jeff Melton

Anat Fort — "A Long Story"

(ECM 1994, 2007, CD)

The format for pianists has long been established by the likes of Bill Evans and modernized by international stars such as Lyle Mays and Rainier Bruninghaus. Enter Israeli pianist Anat Fort, who embraces bits and pieces of these more familiar players, though she is clearly on her own path in both solo and quartet settings. Her solo pieces include "Morning: Good" that serves as a melodic playground for spirited and insightful playing while "Chapter One" occupies a more introspective space. Bassist Ed Schuller (Tim Berne, Bill Frisell) leads a passive introduction for clarinetist Perry Robinson (Charlie Haden, Dave Brubeck) offset by Fort's classy comping. "Not a Dream?" is clearly a piece in the signature ECM style with a serpentine main phrase offset by wonderful cymbal work and more of Robinson's lyrical magic. The freer side of the ensemble is explored on "As Two/Something 'Bout Camels" with the quartet mixing it up nicely before wood flute imparts a colorful traditional element into the tune. Noted drummer Paul Motain crafts a drum cadenza on "Not the Perfect Storm" joined by Fort's reinforcing lower register. The three variations on "Just Now" show the multifaceted talents of the pianist to good form with a subtle endearing ensemble mood opening the disc and later reprised by solo piano. Variation three features Robinson's most moving performance to close out the disc. Overall this is a well crafted and rewarding first foray for the young pianist. — Jeff Melton

Seamus — "Zealotry Sterblichen Schizophrenia"

(Musea FGBG 4519, 2006, CD)

Seamus is a French/English band that takes on the monumental task of portraying the horror of the Holocaust. The music is very intense, even abstract at times, as Seamus tries to convey the anguished atmosphere of separating families, deporting them on trains to destinations unknown, and ultimately their mass murder. But that is as far as it goes. ZSS is an ambitious undertaking and probably not a topic with broad appeal. Either you are appalled by its inhumanity or you are a revisionist denying the Holocaust ever happened. In either case you are hardly interested in listening to a musical adaptation in your car or on your home stereo. Taking the Holocaust out of the equation Seamus' music reminds me of Present and Universe Zero in their approach to odd time signatures, dissonance, and difficult listening. On "Y" the piano solo reminds me of Keith Jarrett's harsher moments. Then there is the cheesy cover art of the oddly rendered line of naked males (or are they aliens?). Actual photos would have been in bad taste, but they could have done a better job with the art. In summary, ZSS is a strange release and one that I probably won't listen to very often even though I do like harsh experimental music. — Henry Schneider

Ashes.Are.Nutritious — "Frustration +"

(private release, 2006, CD)

This oddly named quartet hails from South Amboy, NJ, and brings a number of strong elements to their debut studio release Frustration +, including a powerful vocal presence in frontman Billy Clifton. Not for the queasy or faint hearted, he wails and screams his way through the eleven cuts with commanding and incisive deliberation, taking no prisoners. The band is your basic, no frills guitar, bass and drums, aggressive and impassioned purveyors of what might rightfully be called math-punk, fired up and full of energy, yet these guys are truly on to something beyond their unbridled angst and pure sonic mayhem. Skillful players all, they never seem to turn down a challenge, driving their music over the top and well beyond the standard fare. There are numerous expressive passages that take the quartet into experimental territory, exploring dark textures and introspective dissonant corners of their collective soul. The disc gets even more adventurous as it goes on, culminating with the twenty minute "Siafu," an explorative free-form instrumental adventure that rivals some of the best Crimson improvs circa Thrakattak, as they move effortlessly between spacy waves of guitar feedback and driving grooves. Fans of Tool, At The Drive-In, Radiohead, and Alkaline Trio might do well to check these guys out. — Peter Thelen

[www.ashesarenutritious.com]

Imogene — "Imogene"

(Intrepid No#, 2006, CD)

Certainly one of the ways for a band to achieve a distinctive sound is to feature an unconventional lineup of instruments. Imogene takes this tack by taking a typical b/d/g/k format and substituting an 8-string bass for the guitar. The resulting sound has a different feeling from a normal rock band — the word "deep" is tossed around a lot. The lead bass is generally pretty fuzzy, though David Melbye does occasionally supplement the low end with a touch of guitar, but it's more gravy than potatoes if you take my meaning. Keyboardist Gabe Cohen favors electric piano, which further adds to the unusual tone; and the drums and "regular" bass of Andy Campanella and C.J. Cevallos put together a kind of funky psych groove not far from what Morphine did. Of course, all of this recombination of sound elements would be for naught if the tunes sucked, which they don't. Melbye's voice has the kind of dreamy tone you hear in some Pink Floyd or Porcupine Tree, and the melodies are catchy without being annoying. It's nice to hear this kind of updated retro sound, and nice to see it getting some attention (showing up on TV soundtracks and so on). The tracks, all under the five minute mark, have the kinds of grooves that could go on a lot longer (and might in a live setting for all I know), but they're offset by choruses and varying sections that add variety without detracting from the flow. Nice stuff. — Jon Davis

[www.imogene.info]

Haakon Ellingsen — "Bounty"

(Perfect Pop POP57, 2005, CD)

Many many years ago (in issue #12 to be precise) we reviewed a wonderful and heavily Beatles influenced psychedelic pop album titled Kindergarten by Norwegian trio The Last James. Haakon Ellingsen was one of two primary composers in that band, and though a lot of time and other musical experiences have transpired in the years since, his latest album Bounty in many ways picks up where that previous endeavor left off. It's definitely a more solo oriented work, with somewhat less dense instrumental structure, but the compositional spirit and arrangements are every bit as brilliant and playful, fusing elements of pop, psych, and folk with strong classical sensibilities. Ellingsen handles lead vocals, guitars, keyboards and mandolin, joined by six other musicians covering additional keyboards and guitars, sax, flute, drums, bass, and prominently featured cello. Ketil Vestrum Einarsen handles those cello arrangements, the woodwinds, keys and harmony vocals. Once again, the result is an absolutely wondrous and magical mix of great songs and lyrics, with subtle hooks at every turn. With inspiration to spare, nothing here is derivative. The only questionable inclusion comes at the very end with "Music Man," a track that was recorded in 1978 — perhaps his earliest recording ever (and certainly recorded under primitive conditions); it's an interesting bit, but closes this otherwise perfect disc in an odd way. Still, I give Bounty nine thumbs up and recommend finding a copy quick, before this one goes out of print too. — Peter Thelen

[www.myspace.com/haakonellingsen]

Big Brother & The Holding Company — "Hold Me — Live in Germany"

(Dig Music DIG127, 2007, CD)

For the better part of forty years the core members of Big Brother (Peter Albin, Dave Getz and Sam Andrew on bass, drums and guitar respectively) have been playing together, and by now are an amazingly tight unit. Their endless dilemma is trying to find singers who are great enough to fill the shoes of the late, great Janis Joplin. This time they certainly did! The disc at hand was recorded at the end of a European tour at the Burg Hertzberg festival in the summer of 2005, and features the amazing and soulful vocal talents of NY based rock singer Sophia Ramos, who steps up to the plate capably, both on the older numbers as well as a few new songs the band presented here. She belts out classics like "Down on Me," "Turtle Blues,” "Ball and Chain," "Women Is Losers" and "Summertime" effortlessly, with all of the power and passion that one could hope for, even upping the ante sometimes. Also featured on this set is second guitarist Chad Quist, who meshes with the core three members perfectly. This set is also available as a DVD with three additional tracks included on the band's website. Another astonishing live show from a superb and timeless band! — Peter Thelen

[www.bbhc.com]

Rapoon — "Time Frost"

(Glacial Movements GM003, 2007, CD)

Glacial movements indeed. On this release (as on many before), Rapoon (a.k.a. Robin Storey) creates atmospheric minimalist musical landscapes that pass the drone test, although on this particular one the result is a little too "active" to be considered "floating ambient," the overall tone this time being cold, icy, and frozen. This in keeping with the title and the imagery on the beautiful digipak, which looks like some kind of Antarctic landscape. On the first track one immediately hears some crackling sounds in the background. In fact the theme of the disc is a new ice age which could envelop Europe (due to global warming, of course), quoting the liner "...an imaginary recording of the mutational process of sound locked into ice and transformed over millenia, like ghosts of music trapped in an evershifting permafrost." To accomplish this, Storey sampled a 1968 vinyl recording of Strauss' "Blue Danube," processing it into numerous cells and loops which conspire to create the textural fabric of what is heard here, repeating and slowly evolving slowly throughout the five pieces — the first four are radio-manageable samples of five to six minutes duration, whereas the fifth is "Ice Whispers," a vast expanse lasting well over half an hour. Those crackling sounds from the scratches and distortions in the vinyl tend to make Time Frost a little more abrasive and industrial than it could have been, but overall it's still a very compelling journey. — Peter Thelen

[www.glacialmovements.com]

Flëur — "Prikosnoveniye"

(Prikosnovénie prik063, 2002, CD)

Flëur — "Volshebstvo"

(Prikosnovénie prik077, 2003, CD)

Flëur — "Siyaniye"

(Prikosnovénie prik093, 2004, CD)

Flëur — "Vsyo Vyshlo Iz-pod Kontrolya"

(Voron, 2006, CD)

Flëur is essentially the Ukrainian duo of Olga Pulatova (piano, vocals) and Elena Voynarovskaya (guitar, vocals) along with a variety of other players on flute, cello, violin, keyboards, bass, and drums, depending on the album. The music is gentle and beautiful, but not without energy, and could easily slip into a variety of genres. Certainly there is a lot of appeal for fans of ethereal female artists like Happy Rhodes and so on, but the underlying Neo-Classical vibe sets them apart from artists taking a more electronic path. The debut album is almost entirely acoustic, with guitar, cello and flute the usual backing for the two voices; percussion is relatively minimal, but there's a lilting bounce to a lot of the music that keeps it from becoming too sleepy to maintain interest. Aside from the brief instrumental intro, all the tracks feature singing in Russian. One of the band's catchphrases is the melding of two different songwriters into one unified music, and I'd say the unification is successful: I can't really distinguish between the two either vocally or stylistically. It's a lovely album if you're not put off by the overt beauty, and whether it topples over the edge to preciousness is the individual listener's call. Their second album starts with electronic sounds, signaling a slight shift in tone, but after a moment, we hear piano, cello and flute, so it's not too foreign. And for the most part the rest of the tracks concentrate on acoustic sounds, once the guitar comes around. Understated drum kit also shows up, as well as accordion and what might be a harmonium. About half is low-key mellow stuff; the other half is more upbeat. Siyaniye follows in much the same mold, perhaps a little more on the upbeat side. And this may sound strange coming from someone who often complains about music lacking energy, but these songs often sound a little rushed, as if a slightly slower tempo would feel more natural. Russian is a language with a lot of consonants, and when it goes too fast, it sounds really awkward. For their most recent album (Everything Is out of Control in English), things actually do change, though it might be a mixed blessing. For one thing, there is some electric guitar, which really changes the mood, and the programmed rhythm parts are more prevalent. But the overall feeling of the music remains the same, partly because the same vocal styles remain. For most listeners, I would recommend starting with the earlier albums, though those who like more electronic sounds might prefer the newest. — Jon Davis

[www.fleurmusic.com]

Court — "Frost of Watermelon"

(private release, 2007, CD)

A recent stateside tour was the first I had heard of this Italian quintet since their two WMMS label releases over a decade ago. What is surprising is how little has changed with their sound in the intervening twelve years; certainly they deserve some credit for just surviving! A strong folk-tinged brand of neo-progressive with sharpened contrasts between acoustic and electric instrumentation still guides their sound, driven by a standard rhythm section and use of flute, oboe, recorders, 12-string, classical and electric guitars, mandolin, accordion, a variety of vintage keyboards, and Mellotron. The thickly accented voice of lead singer Paolo Lucchina may be initially off-putting, but certainly one that a listener can warm up to over the course of a few spins. There a few instrumentals to be found across the album's 15 tracks, including the very tasty "Bridge to Maya," but they mainly focus on song length prog mini-epics — the exception being the sidelong four-part closer "Mad and Child." Unfortunately, this writer was at an east-coast festival on the weekend Court passed through the SF Bay Area, but one gets a sense that this could be an outstanding live set. As it is, this is a solid recording that I'm sure many readers will enjoy. — Peter Thelen

[www.courtband.com]

A.C.T. — "Silence"

(InsideOut Music IOMCD 263, CD, 2006)

I'm new to this Swedish quintet, but have to say I'm mightily impressed. In a nutshell, these guys have come up with a prog rock take on what Queen were doing in the mid 70s. Other reference points include Saga, It Bites, and Spock's Beard so unless you can stand immaculately crafted songs with emphasis on multi-layered vocals, upbeat and energetic arrangements, and an abundance of pop-inflected, melodic writing then you might want to steer clear. But while this band aren't for everyone there's no denying that this album is a pretty remarkable achievement. The second half comprises a suite called "Consequences" that could have been a concept album on its own, but nonetheless shares disk time with ten other tracks, so the buyer really gets their money's worth here. Several things leap out at the listener from the opener "Truth Is Pain": first is the acrobatic and precocious multi-part vocals featuring lead singer Herman Saming. Next is the dynamic instrumental attack where everyone gets in their licks, from Ola Andersson's guitars to Jerry Sahlin's keyboards to Peter Asp's bass to Thomas Lejon's drums. Andersson primarily wields a metal crunch and grind that ably accompanies the high velocity drive of the material, while Sahlin's keys come to the fore primarily when the music chills out. Imagine "Bohemian Rhapsody" played by Pain of Salvation and you start to understand what these guys are all about. It's a sound that's not for everyone, though there's no denying the effort and skill behind it. — Paul Hightower

Runaway Totem — "Esameron"

(Private release CMG01001, 2007, CD)

Since their debut in the early 90s, Runaway Totem has always had interesting music to serve up. Their early Black Widow releases were extremely dark and twisted endeavors, while their first for Musea (the highly acclaimed Andromeda), released in '99 turned their sound in a more intense zeuhl-like direction, which they followed for the next couple releases. Now the band (down to a duo of multi-instrumentalists Roberto Gottardi and Germano Morghen since 2002's Pleroma) have parted ways with Musea (except for distribution) and have started their own label in order to experience complete artistic freedom. Esameron comprises the first movement of the larger work 4 Elementi 5, which seems to have exploded their style out in every conceivable direction, covering nearly every path they have traveled before and many new ones previously unknown. Bits of sweltering zeuhlish madness juxtapose with uncompromising bits of alien RIO-like chamber elements and short chaotic flashes of symphonic rock, all filtered through some ancient numerology concepts that I won't even try to explain. The three sidelong tracks and one midlength piece here are certainly some of the most complex and ambitious compositions that the band has ever presented. Those looking for something completely unusual will definitely find it here! — Peter Thelen

[www.runawaytotem.com]

Beggar's Farm — "Itullians"

(Electromantic ART-419, 2006, CD)

I have to admit that when I saw this one I thought, "Not another tribute band." But there was that list of participants on the front cover: Clive Bunker, Mick Abrahams, Bernardo Lanzetti, Jonathan Noyce. The list of tracks included seemed promising, including tunes from This Was up to Too Old to Die, consisting of lesser-known titles rather than big hits. And let's face it: I'm a sucker for just about any Tull. Sure, I would have loved to hear something from Minstrel in the Gallery, but "Serenade to a Cuckoo" (misspelled "Cockoo" on the cover) is a rare treat, and the "new" song, "A Fairy Tale" (actually an expanded version of "Tomorrow Was Today" an early 70s track that Tull played live but never made it to a studio album) is quite good. For a bit more variety, they throw in a Genesis tune and a few PFM gems — what prog fan would complain at hearing a crack band tackle "Impressioni di Settembre"? The recording, mostly culled from a variety of live shows, is crisp and lively, with not much crowd noise — I wonder if anyone was there at all! So while this kind of product will only appeal to fans of the original music, it seems a worthy musical effort in its own right. If Itzhak Perlman can spend his life covering other people's music, why can't rock musicians do the same? These guys have all proven themselves with original work, so let them have some fun. — Jon Davis

[www.electromantic.com]

Gravity Tree — "Ultimate Backwards"

(private release BS051-03)

Gravity Tree is one of the more interesting progressive bands around, a duo who covers all the instruments of a four piece band, plus vocals; and they do this live too. Guitarist Linc plays a combo-guitar that has both bass and guitar strings, and separate pickups for each, allowing him to play both parts simultaneously. Drummer Alan Nu handles a keyboard with his right hand and drums with the other, as well as using various drum controlled triggers. The result is an amazing full band sound from just two players. Both provide the vocals. Some readers may remember "Aim to Please," their contribution to the Bay Prog Sampler disc that was included with issue #24; in fact that song has gone through further refinement in the years since and appears here on this, their second album, along with nine other original compositions. Their material bears a stamp of currency, yet also features the conceptual ideals of classic progressive rock. Their influences likely include Zappa, Happy The Man, Van der Graaf, and Gentle Giant, which they assimilate well as they explore new musical territory; most of the songs are long and labyrinthine, and rarely settle down into a pattern for very long. In that respect, I am reminded of another current band, The Underground Railroad. Familiarity with Ultimate Backwards will require a few repeated plays, but over the haul the listener will be rewarded. This is a solid second effort. — Peter Thelen

[www.gravitytree.com]

D'arcana — "Premonitions"

(Lemuria Music, 2007, 2CD)

The sprawling two-disc set at hand is D'arcana's third release, nearly two hours of ambitious studio recordings squarely in the modern progressive rock vein. This northern California trio is strong on melody, driven by acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums, keys and multi-part vocal harmonies that, all taken, have a decidedly West Coast feel blended with psychedelic touches, though there are surprises at every turn. D'arcana's primary composer and de-facto leader is multi-instrumentalist Jay Tausig, who some may be familiar with from several space rock projects (Solid Space, E-Motive), or from his contributions to tribute discs. Rounding out the trio are bassist Shelby Snow and guitarist James Camblin, who doubles on synth and contributes some sweet pedal steel playing throughout, giving their sound a unique character. A guest violinist appears on a couple numbers. Lead vocals are provided by Tausig, but all three members contribute harmonies. There are plenty of nods to classic prog (influences seem to be Gentle Giant, classic Yes, Peter Hammill, perhaps Anthony Phillips era Genesis), but there's no mistaking that this is a band of the 21st century, especially given the clean production values and wise avoidance of too many 'vintage' sounds. Central to this set is the 42 minute split title track, opening disc one and closing disc two, though the travels in between provide plenty of interesting stops as well, and give the set a strong sense of variety. Premonitions is a superb release that most readers should find much to their liking. — Peter Thelen

[www.myspace.com/darcana]

The Source — "All Along This Land"

(Under The Sun 06-001, 2006, CD)

The Source is a Los Angeles based four-piece of g/k/b/d with keyboardist & primary composer Aaron Goldich assuming the vocal duties. They are a prog rock band with ambitious aims, as evidenced by the sidelong five-part title track, seemingly hoping to be the next Spock's Beard. One can hear the influence of classic Yes throughout the disc, especially in the compositional structures and the guitar playing, though their overall sound is given a far more modern treatment. At times — especially on the four shorter numbers, their material assumes a more pop-like posture, tending to abandon the complexity, though remaining effective. The vocals are a bit nasal and wear thin at times, and the lyrics (which are printed in the tri-fold) of the title track are at best convoluted, often making little sense. I'm not sure how long this has been out there: the date on the CD is 2006, but it didn't hit the Exposé mailbox until late 2007. For a two year old band that only formed in '04 this is not a bad effort, and shows an immense amount of promise, although this band still has a lot of development ahead of them. That said, they are all excellent players and handle all the self-induced complexities of the compositions well. Hopefully a follow-up disc is already in the works. This is a band to watch. — Peter Thelen

[www.thesourcerocks.com]

Lucia Micarelli — "Music from a Farther Room"

(143/Reprise Records 48795, 2004, CD)

So, I've got this record to review. Drop-dead gorgeous raven-haired violin goddess, an obviously classically trained violinist with that Trans-Siberian Orchestra rock twist on your grandparents' Montovani records. Then, synchonicity strikes. Free ticket for a show. Josh Groban? There at his show though, is this beautiful violinist, wearing an evening dress with more slits than Ceasar on the Ides of March. She's playing like Paganini meets Van Halen and... yes! It's Lucia Micarelli! And in the middle of the treacle she has a solo number — a show-stopping Led Zeppelin number! "Kashmir." As hot as violins can be, for rock they tend to get thin and Papa John Screechy. Still, as bands like String Driven Thing and It's a Beautiful Day show, there's a place. Farther Room cannily puts the violin pretty much in service of the tunes, and the melodies here are nice, and nicely played. Cuts like "Meditation from Thaïs" really show Micarelli's expertise. The standout, in my opinion, is the lovely Irish tune "She Is Like the Swallow" with a goosebumpy vocal by Leigh Nash, who sounds for all the world like a Celtic Dolly Parton. The version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" doesn't quite fit in with the rest. I liked Zep better. Word is that many have seen her with Jethro Tull. And while this is pretty much music for BMW's and wine-and-cheese parties amongst the hoi polloi, this is a lovely souvenir of that Josh Groban experience. Unlike the blue-haired ladies swooning over Josh, I swooned over Lucia. — David Bischoff

Five Fifteen — "Alcohol"

(Sweden Rock SR2, 2007, CD)

Has it really been eight years since Six Dimensions of the Electric Camembert? That was the last full album by this Finnish hard rock band this writer heard, more or less corresponding to their switch to the Record Heaven label. On the surface, much has changed — including several wholesale turnovers in the band's lineup along the way, which prior to this latest release had singer/guitarist/frontman Mika Järvinen as the only remaining member from their Camembert days (it's always been his band, anyway), that is until singer/frontwoman Maikki Luiski returned to the group late last year, restoring the band's original male/female harmony vocal style. What hasn't changed is the concept behind their sound: a classic progressive hard rock style with psychedelic touches (a bit less now than before) presented without apologies by a committed band of true believers in the rock and roll lifestyle. A list of influences might include Zep, The Who, Floyd, Beatles, Hawkwind, Purple and others from the late-sixties/early-seventies school of classic rock, and they're not afraid to wear those influences on the outside. Occasionally one might even hear a borrowed riff or lyric, which is something their heroes were prone to do also. Whatever one thinks of them or their chosen style in general, Five Fifteen deserves credit for keeping the flame burning bright, and adding their own unique stamp to this well-worn style. Prog purists may be horrified, but for this writer's money, Five Fifteen delivers the goods. — Peter Thelen

[www.novision.fi/fivefifteen]

Josiah — "No Time"

(Elektrohasch 121, 2007, CD)

I can close my eyes and really believe that I'm listening to some long lost British heavy rock classic from 1970 on the Vertigo label. Josiah has that sound down cold. Think Sabbath, Motorhead, Uriah Heep, and Josiah! These guys rock hard and take no prisoners, and it's just three of them, Matthew (g/v), Sie (b) and Keef (d). The nine songs are potent slices of that point in time where the harder they rocked, the better the world was for it. Fast or slow, loud or louder, they do the job well and make this writer reminisce of days long gone, when progressive rock didn't have that name yet, and the established heavy metal sound was still a decade away. The band is certainly capable of shredding with the best of them, and the compositions have enough sharp corners, labyrinths and switchbacks to keep it interesting all the way through. The vocals are powerful and commanding, even if a bit harsh at times, but always dead on key and right in your face. Add to it all some authentic sounding late 60s/early 70s production, and there will be no doubt about it: You've gone back in the time machine. — Peter Thelen

[www.myspace.com/josiahukrockers]

Contrarian — "Minor Complexities"

(private release CTB-1037, 2007, CD)

While one can't fault this for its flawless execution, outstanding vocals or the excellent and thoughtful lyrics, it certainly doesn't cover any new ground stylistically beyond that well worn path previously traveled by bands like Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and such. Contrarian is writer/multi-instrumentalist Timothy Boney — who plays all the instruments except drums, vocalist Joseph Leming (who has a hand in most of the compositions also), and drummer Michael White, joined by occasional guests on violin and cello. While the dozen cuts on Minor Complexities certainly don't push the metal stylings as hard as they do the prog (save Leming's vocal delivery, which is textbook prog-metal), all but a couple lean toward the aggressive side of the progressive rock sound. They ply this territory studiously well, with all the definitive moves of the best of the best, and pristine production to match. This is certainly a trio of highly skilled musicians who could probably do something really innovative if they ever got out of the box they've restricted themselves to. Not knocking this, and I'm sure there are many who will totally dig what they do; it's just that it all sounds like things I've heard way too many times before. — Peter Thelen

[www.contrariantheband.com]

Cruz de Hierro — "Crossroads"

(private release, 2007, CD)

Some may recall this Mexican quintet from their performance at Baja Prog many years back; in fact they have come a long way toward finding their own sound since those earlier days. Their stock in trade is a melodic progressive metal, a busy and technical style that fits these players well, though it eases occasionally into more pop-stricken radio-friendly territory (as on "With You" or "Life and Dream"). Guitarist Ernesto Bringas leads the band, and together with brother Antonio Bringas (drums, also a member of Cast) has a hand in all the compositions, which tend to be heavily guitar driven and rhythmically intense, but bear clever and varied arrangements that keep them interesting throughout. The four instrumentalists (g/k/b/d) are skilled and impressive players who hold their own next to the best of them. Vocalist Alejandro Carrera is the wild card here, listeners will probably take or leave the band based on the vocals, typically prog-metal and somewhat on the emotional, histrionic side. For some reason the band also finds a need for lyrics in English (isn't their primary audience in Guadalajara Spanish speaking?); mind you the lyrics are generally good, sometimes excellent, but too often the singer's delivery is a bit awkward. For the album closer "Trinta Monedas," he switches to Spanish, and it's here where he gives his strongest performance on the disc. Fans of chops driven prog-metal will probably find Crossroads to their liking. Check out the MySpace page for samples. — Peter Thelen

[www.myspace.com/cruzdehierro]

Kurt Reifler — "Kurt Reifler"

(Red Glare 25040, 2007, CD)

The first comparison that came to mind when I started on these tunes was Lenny Kravitz, though with more down-to-earth production and less self-important posing. There's also a hint of Living Colour, with less of the heavy rock riffing. What does that leave you? A solid singer-songwriter who fits in the rock genre, not folk. He has a strong, pleasant, soulful voice, and the guitar work is tasty throughout, whether it's acoustic strumming or funky electric. The compositions manage to break out of standard expectations, with some tempo and rhythm changes within the songs that keep things interesting. Reifler's voice is the constant, as he takes the old fashioned strategy of actually including some variety of tempo and intensity rather than presenting ten versions of the same song. The sound is basically that of a guitar/bass/drums trio with some overdubs, nothing fancy to overshadow the music itself. I don't see any reason why fans of classic and progressive rock shouldn't like this; while it's not by any stretch progressive, it's a step above simplistic mainstream rock, and has plenty of nice touches to bring a smile to your face. — Jon Davis

[www.kurtreifler.com]

The Mother Hips — "Kiss the Crystal Flake"

(Camera CAM-006, 2007, CD)

The Mother Hips have been kicking around the Bay Area for at least a decade, having a half-dozen or so releases to date, though this is their first in a few years. Their stock in trade is great songcraft, solid playing and singing, and a knack for melodic and rhythmic hooks, which all taken makes the material on Kiss the Crystal Flake stand tall above so many other alternative rock/pop bands that seem to get lost in the me-too glut of new releases. Nearly every one of the twelve songs has some vital hook and bristling energy that drives it, making the entire album a fun and satisfying flight with numerous memorable reference points along the way. The band is a four-piece of g/g/b/d, with three of the four sharing vocal duties. Among them all, only one cut, "Let Somebody," seems a bit bland and pedestrian; contrast that with a long and impressive list of standout tracks (too many to enumerate here), each with its own character and unique energetic approach. Those listeners looking for retro-prog should continue looking elsewhere, but for a solid collection of great songs, this latest Mother Hips release is right on target. — Peter Thelen

[www.motherhips.com]

Lo-Fi Chorus — "Something in the Air"

(Four Prong E LFC-02, 2007, CD)

Lo-Fi Chorus is an indie band from Dallas, TX obviously influenced by Elvis Costello. Something in the Air is their second release and one they hope will bring their music to a wider audience. This CD contains 11 songs that fit well in the college radio format. I can definitely see where it would get airplay at the university, but it doesn't really belong in the prog rock, electronic, or experimental genres that occupy the pages of Exposé. Lo-Fi Chorus play pleasant folk-punk minimalist music (guitar, bass, keyboard, and percussion) but there is nothing edgy or adventurous happening here. I find the lead singer's vocals affected and nasal. For instance he sings toyme for time, noyne for nine, and loyne for line, definitely not Texan nor any other dialect I've heard. On my first listen I thought that Something in the Air had some catchy songs, but on repeated listenings I found it all a bit boring and repetitive, though now some lyrics remain stuck in my head. Aargh! The oddest thing about this release is the cover art. It appears to be declassified military aircraft photos that don't have any apparent connection to the music, other than these are things in the air. Go figure. Anyhow, if you are into the whole indie college radio thing, Lo-Fi Chorus might just be a band for you to investigate. — Henry Schneider

[www.lofichorus.com]

John Curtis — "Short Songs About Affordable Food"

(Big Balloon Music BBM503, 2007, CD)

An interesting concept — and a successful one too, that certainly lives up to its title. There are 43 songs here, and only a handful break the minute-and-a-half mark. Some are instrumentals, but most have lyrics with subject matter about...well, candy, burgers, snacks, pizza, soup, burritos, bagels etc. and their ramifications and importance within the larger scheme of things — and let's not forget the coffee! Within that context, Curtis' vocals are outstanding, and the music is impeccably produced throughout; he is joined by a number of guests on various instruments to augment his own guitars, keyboards and drums, while others contribute lyrics to some of the songs. Stylistically, one can hear the influence from Todd Rundgren, Mike Keneally, The Tubes, and even an occasional flash of Uncle Frank himself, in the widescreen production, jazzy segues, vocal harmonies, and wry wit. The material crosses all kinds of boundaries from 80s styled new wave MTV rock to progressive to art-pop with elements of soul, country rock, old-timey big-band with bits of jazz and classical woven in seamlessly, all saturated with the brilliance of vision in these vignette length pieces; perfect mind fodder for the attention-defecit generation. Throughout, Curtis establishes himself as an artist and composer that won't allow himself to be painted into any corners. — Peter Thelen

[www.myspace.com/johncurtismusic]

Alquimia — "Forever"

(Prudence 398.6733.2, 2007, CD)

Alquimia, beginning with her album Coatlique — Goddess of the Earth back in the early 90s established herself as the premier female voice in the ambient/experimental field. A series of groundbreaking albums followed, including Wings of Perception and A Separate Reality, each different yet equally explorative, then collaborations with the likes of J.L.Fernandez Ledesma, Roedelius, and Zinkl. Anyone reading this review should be forewarned that the disc at hand has little in common with any of those innovative, pioneering releases of the past. Instead, her latest release is a collection of traditional and original Celtic flavored folk and gentle pop songs, with guitar or piano accompaniment and backed by light orchestration and string bass, with additional backing voices (sometimes multitracked, yet there are other backing singers as well), and occasionally spruced up with folk instruments for effect. If I could just forget all of the other more interesting things Alquimia has done in the past, I would have to say this is quite nice for what it is, albeit a little tame for my tastes. Her voice is still magical and powerful, and applied to these songs, she certainly does them justice. Most of the songs here are also presented in a stripped down form (simple piano or guitar accompaniment only) as MP3 files; to my ears, those are somewhat more engaging than the orchestrated versions. I'm hoping this is just a temporary condition, and that she will return to her more challenging and progressive endeavors in the future. — Peter Thelen

[www.myspace.com/alquimiamusic]

The Tear Garden — "Secret Experiment"

(Subconscious Communications SUB 33, 2007, CD)

The Legendary Pink Dots and Skinny Puppy have been recording music on and off as The Tear Garden since 1986. Secret Experiment is their eighth release, arriving five years after their previous Eye Spy with My Little Eye. The Tear Garden is a collaborative effort with Skinny Puppy typically providing the musical ideas and the LPDs the lyrics. You will not experience the harsh visceral electronics of Skinny Puppy nor will you hear the structured songs of the Dots. Instead The Tear Garden creates a hybrid that can be thought of as an upbeat Skinny Puppy or a darker LPD. Following Skinny Puppy's penchant for science fiction and horror movies, a number of the songs are in this genre. Perhaps the best song is the 15 minute album closer "A Gift of Knowledge" that combines movie and radio samples, sweeping chords, ambient electronics and rhythms, and Edward Ka-Spel's unique recitation. The album artwork looks like a worn out and dog-eared CD case that has been left in the lab and stained repeatedly with various substances. There are little demons crawling out of beakers and flasks reminding me of that disturbing animated Scion ad seen in movie theaters this summer with the Deviants slaughtering the Sheeple. Five years is too long to wait between Tear Garden releases, we can only hope that it won't take so long for their next one. — Henry Schneider

[www.scaremeister.com, www.subconsciousstudios.com]

Zaboitzeff & Crew — "Missa Furiosa"

(Intoxygene INTOX023, 2004, CD)

Zaboitzeff & Crew — "Voyage au Centre de La Terre"

(WTPL Music 734.0006.020, 2006, CD)

Thierry Zaboitzeff is a name most will recognize from his many years as the bassist/cellist of Art Zoyd, before striking out on his own in the late '90s. At hand are his latest two albums, both dealing with very old familiar concept themes that could be (and have been) disasters in the hands of other artists; instead, Zaboitzeff has given new life to these through very imaginative and unexpected compositional treatments and arrangements. He is never one to be predictable, and these two are quite different from each other as well as from any of his other previous work. Missa Furiosa is an unusual take on the age-old Catholic Mass, with his radical versions of the "Kyrie," "Gloria," "Sanctus," and other parts exploring far reaching musical terrain, be it dark ambient environments mixed with middle-eastern flavored vocal prayer, or heavy repetitive pulsating electronic beats with dense arrangements for multiple voices and choirs, the latter occasionally hinting of the Carl Orff-like side of the classic Magma sound. Zaboitzeff handles most of the instrumentation (bass, cello, keys, guitars, programming, etc.) through numerous overdubs and loops, with guests on drums, violin, oud, and three vocalists. The end result is at once modern and ancient, cold and warm, where unlikely sounds and structures are butted up against one another in sometimes bizarre, but effective juxtaposition. Voyage is another beast altogether, once again featuring prominent vocal passages and choral arrangements, but infinitely darker this time, conjuring up twisted realms of gothic imagery, augmented with a lush cinematic production and interesting bits of folk, classical, avant-garde, and minimalist structures all thrown into the mix. Add saxes and horns (or samples thereof) and judicious use of electronic effects to the instrumental mix this time as well. Both powerful releases that, while fundamentally similar, explore very different moods and perspectives. Both recommended. — Peter Thelen

[www.myspace.com/thierryzaboitzeff]

Mooch — "Gaiaspace"

(Dead Earnest DERNCD-99, 2006, CD)

Dripping with glissando and staggering from frequent hamsterish workouts on the pitch wheel, Gaiaspace (not Gaia's pace?) is indeed Space Music, all the way from the strained noun-combo of the title to the form-free Hillage-like stretches of guitar noodling. There are no modest proportions at work, no sense of constraint or contrast: just flat out jams that more often than not manage to dead end, despite the vastness of space itself. Twirly, liquid, running fast then faster analog sounding synth riffing dukes it out with the sustain and feedback of some lovely sounding and slightly twee guitar, as all the while the omnipresent beats try to maintain order. As required by the genre, the compositions are long and favor lengthy and usually solo extrapolations over ensemble style playing. These pieces are mostly smoothly textured beds, driven by churning beats or overt sequencing which is then slathered with the aforementioned and interminable solos, a pitched mayonnaise of reassuringly major scales. Such structures — or sandwiches — really don't exhibit much in the way of dimensionality, either in the music or the audio soundstage. And when visiting Gaiaspace, reverb often becomes so dominant that you can almost blindly count the many windings of the old analog springs. If nothing else Gaiaspace now makes obvious, at least in certain parts of the universe, that time has come to a complete and mostly self-reassuring stop. — K. Leimer

[www.btinternet.com/~deadearnest/]

Mirror Snake — "Mirror Snake"

(Stone Turtle Productions STP-001, 2007, CD)

Mirror Snake is an Oakland, CA-based neo-psych band. They play hard-edged post punk fuzzed out psychedelic rock that brings to mind bands like Dead Flowers, Plastic Crimewave Sound, and at times Amon Düül II. Mirror Snake is Rebecca (vocals), Chris (vocals, drums, guitar, bass, flute, percussion), Clint (guitar), Danny (guitar and percussion), Joe (bass and percussion), and Nancy (spoken vocals). Their debut self-titled CD contains 12 high-energy songs packed into a mere 33 minutes, which is far too short. Peppered throughout are some very cool guitar solos by Danny and Clint. Stitching the songs together are several short instrumentals that are so well executed you don't realize how rapidly time is passing, the sonic equivalent of a time warp. You blink and the CD is over. All in all, Mirror Snake is quite an impressive debut for this young band. I only wish that they had packed more music into this release. — Henry Schneider

[www.mirrorsnake.com, www.digistation.com/mirrorsnake]

The Art of All — "Morgan"

(Wonderdrug Records no cat #, 2006, CD)

The Art of All is a young band (Peter Aliferis drums and keyboards, Ruben Ruiz vocals and guitar, and Chris Debari bass) based in Massachusetts who characterize themselves as a progressive trance grunge band. They play quiet atmospheric music similar to God Speed You Black Emperor, but with vocals. This is pleasant and relaxing background music and each song appears to be a variation on the same theme. So if you view this CD as one long track with eight parts it makes more sense than a collection of eight separate songs. Morgan is a decent debut effort, but could benefit with a bit more diversity in sound and compositional style. — Henry Schneider

[www.theartofall.com]

Nouvelles Lectures Cosmopolites — "Friesengeist π"

(Gazul ETCD-49/GA-8686.AR, 2006, CD)

For the third installment of his Friesengeist series, Julien Ash has pared things down, utilizing only four musicians to augment his own keyboards and effects; previous releases featured eight or more. This lends a very intimate atmosphere to the music, making it a kind of modern chamber music that really doesn't resemble anything else I've heard. Melancholy piano is accompanied by violin, acoustic guitar, piccolo bass, and occasional female vocals on 15 mostly low-key pieces. Electronic touches vary from subtle spice to pretty much nonexistent, leaving the players to their own devices at times, or drifting for periods of indistinct ambience consisting of unidentifiable noise — though never harsh or grating. All in all it's very mellow and reflective, definitely more suited to Sunday morning than Saturday night, and don't even think of listening to it in your car or on the subway. So while there is nothing to get excited about here (as excitement is not the goal), there's plenty to enjoy if you're looking for some beautiful music that isn't cloying. — Jon Davis

Walt Ribeiro — "I.I"

(private no#, 2006, CD)

Walt Ribeiro is an American composer in his early 20s, influenced both by classical music and modern rock. I.I is probably best described as post-modern classical music. It consists of twelve pieces, seven orchestral, three for string quartet, and two for piano. Nothing is performed by actual musicians, but was instead realized using software such as Sibelius, MOTU's Digital Performer, and East West Quantum Leap Gold XP. I have heard a lot of "MIDI music" in my time and it pretty well all sounded like crap, but I have to say that the technology has come a long way. The orchestral pieces really do sound like they were recorded by an orchestra. The main melody is quite minimal; consisting of the notes E-E-F-E as Ribeiro says. Ribeiro does all the standard compositional tricks and variations on this melody, but this said the main drawing points of the orchestral pieces is the orchestration itself, the variation in dynamics, the evocative moods. The listener will not find the kind of harmonic progressions and variation that would be present in a symphonic movement. So while this is an enjoyable listening experience, and a victory that this kind of album could be made at all without a studio, I think it would benefit from a bit more depth. If the compositions could match the arranging this would be fantastic, but I can still give a thumbs up to open-minded classical music fans regardless. — Sean McFee

[wribeiro (at) verizon.net]

Grosskopf, Baltes, Heilhecker (Sunya Beat) — "The Jelenia Gora Sessions"

(Ricochet Dream rd010, 2005, CD)

Ricochet Dream sponsors an annual gathering of Tangerine Dream fans and bands. In 2004 the Ricochet Gathering occurred in Jelenia Gora, Poland and Sunya Beat's performance is captured on this CD. Sunya Beat is the trio of Harald Grosskopf on percussion, Steve Baltes on keyboards and synths, and Axel Manrico Heilhecker on guitar. The Jelenia Gora Sessions is a mixed bag of humdrum and outstanding tracks. The album openers "Jelenia Sky" and "Miami" are hypnotic and eventually boring tracks of repetitive guitar riffing, synths, and drums. It is not until "Lys," "Landmarke," and "Gora Slide" where they hit their stride. Axel kicks it into gear with his excellent screaming raw guitar giving the music a Manuel Gottsching feel and Baltes even gets adventurous with his synths. Then with "Gamma Life" they regress to mundane New Age pabulum. The final track "Drum and Bond" starts out abstract and slowly integrates Harald's electronic and acoustic percussion. As the music builds over the next 10 minutes, you hear Axel riffing the James Bond theme to end the CD on a high note. This album is sure to please the diehard Tangerine Dream fan, though I have some reservations due to its unevenness from track to track. — Henry Schneider

[www.sunyabeat.com, www.ricochetdream.com]

Antiklimax — "Plus Loin Vers L'Est"

(Dreaming DR-8444-AR, 2006 CD)

Antiklimax is the name given to the keyboard endeavors of Frenchman Vincent Benesy. This CD is the result of five years' work focusing on many Euro film based ideas as impetus to funky compositions carrying heavy bass lines with MIDI and digital percussion in tow. At times Benesy's cinematic vision is based on 80s era Tangerine Dream where a simple melody gives way to a pulsing electronic drum beat or synthesizer wash. Pieces such as the opening track, "Krypton 85" and the album closer "Vladavostok" reinforce comparison to Froese and son's collaborations with Paul Haslinger on Underwater Sunlight. The keyboardist is more successful when couching his ideas within a stronger uplifting phrase as heard on "Sumbersible et Invincible" where his flair for the dramatic approaches Kit Watkins' simpler work post Happy the Man. Less appealing are efforts which rely on a familiar new age approach like on the title track; there's less airy fluff to latch onto. In contrast, the jazzy R&B flavored electric piano on "Dernière Escale" provides a good foundation for the light synthesizer solos that characterize the piece. Several compositions could have utilized lead vocal or another type of soloist to add melodic weight thus reducing the mechanical fatigue inherent with machine based songwriting. Not so coincidentally the group has expanded the line-up to become an ambient pop trio with the addition of Finish female vocalist Jaana Palonen and Margus Mets. — Jeff Melton

[www.myspace.com/antiklimax]

M.A.S.S. — "Mysteria"

(Membran Music 224083-372, 2006, 3CD)

In the early 70s there was the legendary Krautrock band Mythos led by multi-instrumentalist Stephan Kaske. Over the decades Kaske remained active as a musician, ultimately becoming a solo electronic artist with a long string of releases recorded as either Mythos or M.A.S.S. Mysteria is his latest release and is a massive one at that. This triple CD release comes in a lavish digipack with a 28-page booklet summarizing Kaske's musical career and basically marketing his back catalogue. I really tried to like this album, especially since I am a fan of his very early work. But there is far too much mundane and boring music on Mysteria to make me want to listen to it more than once. It isn't until I waded through the first two discs that I finally uncovered some music on Disc 3 worth listening to: "Mythomorphosis," "Fourthreetwoone," and "Kirikaeshi." These three songs have an edge and harken back to earlier times. Unfortunately the rest of the discs are simple repeated sequences that rarely vary with occasional sampled voices, but nothing to capture your attention. It is a shame as it is evident that Kaske devoted a lot of time and energy into this project, as well as encouraging you to listen to the CDs on an SACD-player to experience the full range of his electronic music. Kaske has received a lot of positive press for his other work, and that is probably where you should go rather than investigate Mysteria. — Henry Schneider

[www.mythos-music-berlin.de]

SSI — "E Pluribus Unum"

(Azra 0203, 2006, CD)

SSI (Sonic Solutions, Inc.) apparently consists of California brothers Will and John Goff, who combine laptops and MIDI synths along with live and programmed percussion to create sounds reminiscent of, but distinct from, old-school electronic music. There are certainly elements of Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk, as well as some touches of newer electronica, but there's a free-wheeling live vibe to it that really sets it apart from anything else I've heard in a while. There's also a random, maybe improvisational feeling to it, with sequences that wander erratically and toss off accents in unexpected places. While I don't think anyone would actually mistake this for TD, that's probably the closest comparison I can make, especially if you concentrate on the late 70s. The dominant feature is a cascading echo affecting various sounds in time with the sequencing. Tie a couple of those in knots, sprinkle liberally with washes of string sounds, and splatter with percussion. It's a very appealing combination of atmosphere and energy that really works for me. It's basically one long piece divided into six sections; there's a sense of continuity from track to track, though different elements and moods are associated with each. It's much too rhythmic to be ambient, but not suited for the dance floor either, so I just hope they can find an audience for this middle country. Now, if they just mixed in a Mellotron… — Jon Davis

[www.outside-music.com]

Klangwelt — "XOIO"

(Spheric Music SMCD 6102, 2006, CD)

XOIO is Gerald Arend's (aka Klangwelt) third CD release. Gerald plays New Agey electronic music. The majority of his music fits within the trance-techno realm making it great for the dance club scene, but unfortunately it is extremely monotonous and boring on the home stereo or car. Most of the nine tracks on this CD are too long and a bit like the electronic doldrums of the late 90s, sampled voices and driving beats. Unlike Klaus Schulze, the undeniable Master of Long Music, there is no development of ideas in or movement to Klangwelt's music. Most of the time you feel like he is stuck on auto-pilot. There are moments peppered throughout the disc where you think he is stepping out of the box (the roller coaster sounds and eerie opening to "Fun-fair," the jet flying overhead on "Bed of Clouds," and the Jon Anderson-like sampled vocals on "Spirits") , but alas he is not. Klangwelt is a competent keyboardist and I expect that there is a market out there for this kind of mindless music, but it just isn't for me. — Henry Schneider

[www.sphericmusic.de, www.klangwelt.info]

Naoki Ishida — "Fazing Redust"

(InterMusic IM009, 2007, CD)

Although one's initial reaction to this obviously low-budget recording (the hiss throughout is quite noticeable) of seemingly aimless sonic noodling might be rejection, the seven tracks herein do have their own unique charm, and begin to reveal themselves upon repeated listens. Lots of tape splicing and sample overdubbing went into this project, sounds with mysterious sources as well as bits of more conventional instrumentation (organ, synth, guitar, percussion, though rarely played in a conventional way) mix freely on this artist's palette, serving up a swirling mix of tonal colors and textures. I am often reminded of the earliest recordings by Kraftwerk (first 3 albums), in that interesting sounds seem to be cast into loops and repeating cells, creating cerebral textures that often juxtapose in mysterious ways. The result is never aggressive or demanding of the listener, instead very minimalist and ambient, like some kind of bizarre sonic wallpaper that floats along in many directions at once, with different facets fading in and out, carrying the listener with it. There is definitely a lot going on here, and Ishida seems to be onto something worthwhile. An even newer release, Tone Redust, has just been released also. — Peter Thelen

[www.myspace.com/naokiishida]

Waldteufel — "Sanguis"

(Beta-Lactam Ring mt069, 2007, CD/LP)

Waldteufel is the German duo of Markus Wolff (primarily vocals, drums & percussion) and Tyrsson Sinclair (other instruments, vocals, etc.) and this is their fourth full-length release. Their music is extremely dark and ritualistic, often consisting of long passages of mysterious chanting, bathed only in reverb, or hypnotic pieces driven mainly by drumming, with chanting voices and small parts for other instruments like a horn or violin. A primary component to their sound is the atmospherics, nearly always menacing, dark and foreboding. Fragments of melodies supplied by accordion or violin may sometimes connect what they do with something more musically flavored. Other times a very primitive sounding space-metal engulfs what they do, reminiscent of the early work of High Tide, with heavy and repetitive fuzz guitars taking a front seat along with the chanting. Apparently their lyrics (in German) are adaptations of the works of two nearly-forgotten mystical authors, Stefan George and Alfred Schuler. The long and the short of it is that whatever direction their sound happens to be taking at any given moment, the everpresent chanting pretty much puts their music in its own unique space. Definitely worth a listen. — Peter Thelen

[www.blrrecords.com]

Emiliano Sicilia — "Devotion, Materialize"

(Horus Music h0-200605-04, 2006, CD)

Now that we are in the era of cut-and-paste music, there are many more possibilities for bizarre juxtaposition of sounds and styles than back in the days of tape editing. Italian guitarist Emiliano Sicilia takes this to heart and pushes a lot of limits, taking the axeman heroics he obviously loves and slapping them together with everything from industrial noise to horror movie sound effects and more than I can name in the space I have. As an example, in the eight minutes of "Splatter on a Bluegrass" you get an unaccompanied shred solo, then a bunch of flamenco strumming and clapping with female vocals backed by a death metal growl and a techno thumping bass drum, then an electric country pick-fest, then an accordion tango crossed with a reprise of the flamenco bit, then (we're at the four minute mark now) a kind of industrial metal section that reminds me of Stabbing Westward, then you get to cycle through variations of the previously mentioned sections. For other tracks, add other styles. A little disjointed? You bet. Interesting enough to hold my interest? Not really. While it is a fascinating exercise in musical extremes and pretty cool at times, I just can't imagine what kind of mood I'd have to be in to enjoy it as other than a novelty. It goes on the list I use to prove that Exposé writers get really strange stuff in the mail, to be trotted out when someone doesn't believe my descriptions. — Jon Davis

[www.emilianosicilia.com]

XII Alphonso — "Claude Monet Vol.2"

(Musea FGBG 4540, 2006, CD)

Got a friend who only likes jazz or movie soundtrack music or both? Here's a disc to slip into their hands with a wink. It just might turn them into prog-heads. XII Alphonso have fashioned here a unique yet familiar blend of background music that improves upon foreground inspection. The French, of course, are crazy for jazz, and their take on jazz is often more melodious than improvisational. Still, as France is the birthplace of impressionism in the visual arts, what better way to put a Gallic spin on jazz and prog than to go "impressionistic." Thus that ever-listenable group XII Alphonso have summoned forth a strong wash of rich imagery by naming this set after one of Impressionism's greats, Claude Monet. What might become a mishigosh in the hands of lesser musicians, becomes a savory beef bourguignon as served up by XII Alphonso. The strong melodic sense of the composers, along with their encyclopedic access to musical styles is what makes this like screen music. One moment you are in the cheerful street-circus atmosphere of "Madrid 1904" with tubas and castanets, the next you're on a whimsical vibes, flute and accordion dream in "Partition pour Pinceaux et Coquelicots." And don't worry. There's enough strong electric guitar work herein to satisfy prog fans. If there's one CD that you can put in your player and set "repeat" with while you paint marigolds or loll about with a croissant and the thickest of Sunday papers, this is it. — David Bischoff

Ex-Vagus — "Ames Vagabondes"

(Galileo Records GmbH LC 02968, 2006, CD)

Ex-Vagus is a French prog rock quintet (bass, drums, keyboards, vocals, and guitars) that would fit well in the Musea stable of French artists (Ange, Pulsar, etc.). Ames Vagabondes is their third release, the first on the Swiss prog rock label Galileo Records. Unlike their first two rock opera releases, the eight songs on Ames Vagabondes are a diverse collection of original tunes incorporating assorted elements such as astronomy and comic book characters (the Silver Surfer). In addition they perform an excellent cover of Christian Decamps' "Ici" as well as have him as a guest vocalist on "Le Cheval de Nebuleuses." Their impeccable orchestrations, melodic guitar solos, emotive French vocals, and mastering by none other than Jean Pascal Boffo make for an outstanding album and an enjoyable listening experience. This disc is sure to please any Exposé reader. — Henry Schneider

[www.galileo-records.com, www.ex-vagus.com]

Whitechapel — "Le Masque d'Arlequin"

(Musea Parallele MP 3055.AR, 2006, CD)

Yes, it's a French band that sings about a jester. To be honest, it's probably just the title track that's about the jester or harlequin in question, but it also has a jester's face on the cover. With a tear on it. Okay, now that the obligatory cheap lampoon of the album is out of the way I can listen to this with nary a jester in mind since I can't understand the words. The band basically operates in a symphonic metal realm, though it must be said that the metal aspect rears its head more in the form of 80s metal than modern prog metal. The complexities and brutal attack of modern metal are generally replaced by a relatively smoother, more relaxed approach, sometimes even coming across as a hair band. Neo-prog-metal anyone? Vocalist Fabrice Altairac is more than up to the task with a great range and tone, often hinting at The Scorpions' Klaus Meine. I enjoy French vocals as much as the next guy, though I had my doubts about them in this context, but Altairac carries the job off with aplomb. The rest of the band is strong as well, concentrating more on ensemble play without a tremendous amount of in your face soloing. I could complain about the digital lushness of the keys but that seems a bit futile in this day and age. Besides, the mediocre sound quality is distraction enough to keep your mind off of them. — Mac Beaulieu

Little Tragedies — "The Sixth Sense"

(MALS Ltd. MALS-162, 2006, CD)

I am having a bit of difficulty identifying my issues with Little Tragedies' third release The Sixth Sense and I don't wish to sound negative. I have tried unsuccessfully on several occasions to listen all the way through the CD. It could be that the first four songs, ranging from 8 to 12, minutes put me off from listening to the remaining eight. Or perhaps it is the Russian lyrics that are more emotive recitation than singing. Or possibly it is the grandiose, lush, symphonic bombast of their music. It is hard to tell, but it doesn't interest me. The band is a quintet of accomplished musicians (guitar, percussion, keyboards, saxophone, and bass) playing an amalgam of ELP, Procul Harum, Genesis, Camel, Pink Floyd, and Metallica without really being a heavy metal prog band. It is hard to imagine all of the elements coming together in a single song, but Little Tragedies pulls it off. In addition the songs are musical interpretations of poems by the contemporary Russian poet N. Gumilev, but they lose their impact for us non-Russian speakers. Since the CD release Little Tragedies has not been idle. They are contributing an Ennio Morricone-inspired track for the Musea tribute Spaghetti Epic 3, a Dante-inspired track for Musea's 3 CD progressive rock epic Inferno, and their newly released CD Chinese Songs set to the poems of eight 12th Century Chinese poets. Though not for me, The Sixth Sense may appeal to you if you enjoy symphonic neo-prog. — Henry Schneider

[www.mals.ru, www.littletragedies.com]

Nautilus — "What Colours the Sky in Your World?"

(Cyclops CYCL 159, 2004, CD)

Nautilus is a UK quartet of guitars, keyboards, drums, and bass. They play excellent instrumental music that is a melodic version of mid-period King Crimson, if you know what I mean. King Crimson can be very edgy and difficult to listen to at times. Nautilus has learned from the masters, smoothed these dark edges to create a sound only reminiscent of KC while injecting their music a unique blend of originality, inventiveness, and musicianship. The guitars, keys, drums, and bass complement each other as the music changes mood and pace throughout each track. There are lots of interesting musical ideas popping up all over the place. This CD is quite an enjoyable listen and Nautilus is definitely a neo-prog band to watch. Since it has taken a while for Nautilus to submit their CD to Exposé for review, it may now be difficult and/or expensive to purchase a new copy. — Henry Schneider

[www.gft-cyclops.co.uk]

Stan Whitaker & Frank Wyatt — "Pedal Giant Animals"

(private release 83710127816, 2006, CD)

This gem came out quietly toward the end of 2006, a side project by two of the primary composers of Happy The Man needing an outlet for their material, unable to wait for the stars and planets to be in perfect alignment for the full band to get together, rehearse and record. Joining them on various tracks are Peter Princiotto on bass (from However) and Chris Mack on drums (Puppet Show & Iluvatar). Many of the numbers here are typical of the more gentle vocal pieces one might find too few of on any given HTM album, sung by Whitaker with backing support from Wyatt. That said, there are a fair number of instrumentals too, many of which tend to rock a little harder and also get into some very tasty and colorful elaborations and variations. These guys are both masterful creators, and each piece they cast is brilliantly arranged to pull out its strengths, using piano, synthesizers, guitars, bass, drums, and all manner of woodwinds, much as they would be had they been included on a HTM album. Since these were recorded, Pedal Giant Animals (the project) has evolved into a full five-piece band Oblivion Sun, featuring Wyatt, Whitaker, Mack, and two additional musicians on bass and keyboards. — Peter Thelen

[www.myspace.com/pedalgiantanimals]

Kurt Rongey — "With Form It Threatens Silence"

(Long Dark Music LDCD05, 2006, MP3)

Quite a few years ago — I think it was after I first heard Echolyn — I devised a new sub-genre of progressive rock, part of my own eccentric system of categorizing music. I called this sub-genre "bright" prog, because the overall tone of the music seemed so bright, relying on keyboards with trebly tones, high-pitched vocals, and a somewhat understated low end. After a little thought, I realized that you could probably work backward and throw Starcastle into the same category. All of which serves to introduce a new entry into the roster of Bright Prog. As with many of Kurt Rongey's projects (see The Underground Railroad), this album was a long time in the works, with the backing tracks done on a Kurtzweil keyboard back in 1993, tweaked a bit in 1995, and not finished (basically just adding the vocals) until 2005. So this is both a new release and a time capsule, with some attendant dated aspects. Certainly if you object to programmed drums, you'll want to stay away, but for my ears, the quality of the composition trumps the artificial rhythms — and it seems that a kind of mechanical sound was part of the intended aesthetic (the three-part "Mechmech" suite is an obvious clue). So if you're up for some imaginative meditations on technology done in a prog-meets-electronic style, this should suit you fine. In keeping with the technological attitude, he's made it available for download (complete with artwork) at his website rather than on physical media. — Jon Davis

[www.kurtrongey.com]

Supay — "Confusion"

(Mylodon MyloCD022, 2006, CD)

Peru's Supay (named after evil spirits of Quecha-speaking natives) is almost two bands rolled into one. On one side is a rock quartet built around the guitar playing of Luis Proaño, along with keyboards (Gustavo Valverde), bass (Renzo Dauser), and drums Neto Pérez (drums). This ensemble favors warm, vintage rock with some light symphonic elements in the arranging, akin to Camel circa Mirage. On the other side are the indigenous woodwinds of Williams León and Alex Valenzuela who cover everything including quena, quenacho, zampoña, bastos, taca, and toyo. Theirs is a folky and almost new-age-y sounding persona. Put the two together and you have something genuinely unique. When the woodwinds join on the rock pieces these guys sound like a Peruvian version of vintage Jethro Tull. As the group's founder, Proaño clearly intended Supay to be an outlet for his guitar playing and he never fails to grab the spotlight when the opportunity presents itself. His playing is rooted in standard blues rock technique, though he tries on several occasions to stretch out into jazzier modes, echoing Steve Howe's early work with Yes, though lacking Howe's prowess on the instrument. Proaño also occasionally lapses into some pointless meandering clearly meant as open-ended jamming, though again some maturity in the studio and as an arranger will help tighten up these loose connections. The band has suffered some shakeups since this album was recorded, though if this is any indication there's loads of potential here if they can hold the core elements together. — Paul Hightower

Nexus — "Perpetuum Karma"

(Record Runner RR0480, 2006, CD)

This Argentine symphonic band made a big splash back around the turn of the decade, fronted by beautiful lead singer with golden voice, Mariela Gonzalez, leading to invitations to Baja and NEARfest. Mariela bailed after their second album, leaving the remaining four-piece to soldier on without her; and so they have, in the same classic symphonic progressive rock style, with the men now handling the vocals (or what little vocals there are) on their own. I'm not sure how many releases the band has done since that time, but this is the first one that's met these ears. In fact anyone who liked what the band was all about then should like them even more now. Six long epics are presented, most over ten minutes, each with numerous sections and frequent changes, going loud to soft and back again, loaded with a mind-spinning array of classic keyboard sounds and fiery guitar passages while the mindful rhythm section lays the precision groundwork for it all. It's all very retro, but you knew that already — that's what you liked about this band in the first place, right? Taking that well worn style from the past and creating new variations of it. Most just imitate and steal from it shamelessly, but some, like Nexus, Änglagård, LMDC, and a few others are keeping the flame alive, surveying what little territory remains undiscovered and adding to the possibilities therewithin. — Peter Thelen

[www.geocities.com/nexusprog]

Pure Reason Revolution — "The Dark Third"

(One Haven/Red 82876845082, 2006, CD)

Pure Reason Revolution is a new breed of British Neo-progressive act balancing neo-folk vocal phrases with familiar engaging art rock trappings. Led by guitarist Jon Courtney and bassist Chloe Alper, the band wears diluted spacey Pink Floyd motifs on their sleeve while delivering strongly realized vocal phrases closer to that of Steven Wilson's best work for Porcupine Tree minus the tricky riffs. The band is big on epic theme development from loose ambient sound structures but they are still in their infancy when honing a unique identifiable character. Tracks such as "Apprentice of the Universe" demonstrate mastery of a slow building groove with Enya-like harmonies, which may turn away as many ears as turn them on. Crafted pop is also one of the band's strong points with "The Bright Ambassadors of Morning" being a vocal highlight in the vein of Polyphonic Spree. At times the band approaches the best work of Tears for Fears on pieces such as "Voices in the Winter" and "The Intention Craft." This University of Westminster quintet caught the ears of the NEARfest planning committee sometime in 1996 resulting in a 2007 stateside appearance which brought the group a fair amount of attention. I'd like to hear the band again in a few years once they've had a chance to grow their muse and channel it into a clearer more refined direction. — Jeff Melton

Pinnacle — "Meld"

(Self-released No#, 2006, CD)

Heck, any band that gives thanks to "the spectacular Eliza Dushku for inspiration" deserves the benefit of the doubt, don't they? This American three-piece treads some familiar ground — the sorta-progressive power trio — but good taste, musicianship, and varied writing win out over the lack of ground-breaking innovation. There's enough room in the world for well-crafted music like this to find a home. The whole production has a whiff of DIY to it, but these guys do it well, from the nicely printed cover (which is professionally done if not artistically brilliant) to the clean recording. I could name a horde of similar bands who are aiming at a similar target and miss the mark. The difference probably comes down to the quality of the writing. Quality instrumentalists are not rare in the world, and even good singers are not hard to find (though sadly not found in many places where they ought to be), but here we find both combined with someone who can come up with some decent tunes for them to work with. Most of Pinnacle's music is written by Karl Eisenhart, with all three contributing arrangements, vocals, and a variety of instruments beyond the foundation of guitar, bass and drums. I hesitate to throw around comparisons, because while Pinnacle fits securely within the realm of Rush and Spock's Beard (among others), they really don't sound imitative. I have no trouble calling this one of the best American prog releases of 2006. — Jon Davis

[www.pinnacleband.com]

Big Big Train — "The Difference Machine"

(English Electric Recordings, 2007, CD)

Over the years, UK proggers Big Big Train have been migrating their sound from the Genesis-ish fare served up on early records like 1994's Goodbye to the Age of Steam to a more modern approach first explored on 2004's Gathering Speed. The laid back and pastoral vibe the group is keen on makes several appearances here, punctuated by the viola work of Becca King and earthy flute playing of Tony Wright. When the band rocks, as on "Saltwater Falling on Uneven Ground," they sound like a cross between Spock's Beard (no doubt due to the guest appearances by Nick D'Virgilio and Dave Meros), Jadis and Porcupine Tree. Clearly Gregory Spawton and Andy Poole have read the prog rock tealeaves and have decided to join the current trend toward "emo-prog" trail-blazed by P Tree and taken up by groups like Pineapple Thief. For those looking for melodic and well-executed prog that's not as sunny or upbeat as bands like The Flower Kings I'd recommend giving this one a listen. The musical chairs of guest contributors threatens to disrupt the albums sonic continuity, though whether it's Meros or Marillion's Pete Trewavas playing bass, the material hangs on to its moody and richly textured ambiance. Don't ask me what the concept behind the album is about, even if an emotional ennui conveyed in the three short instrumental bridges seems to be trying to tell a story. Not that it matters. This collection stands on its own and should find favor among mainstream prog fans. — Paul Hightower

The Gift — "Awake and Dreaming"

(Cyclops CYCL-151, 2006, CD)

The Gift are a fairly new British group targeting the more accessible side of the progressive spectrum. They have lots of analog keys and such, although many songs are just a singer and an acoustic guitar. The album is basically a song-based concept album that would go over big with the ROSfest gang. The rockier numbers remind me a bit of early Echolyn at times, maybe mostly because the vocalist can sound a bit like Ray Weston. It seems to be an anti-war concept. This kind of thing has real potential to become a melodramatic mess but the songwriting here is good and fairly understated and I don't find it too cheesy. One interesting bit in "Escalation" where he sings an anti-war line to the melody of the final couplet in the American national anthem. Solos and the like are pretty rare on this album, but based on the strong keyboard solo in "La Lune de Miel" I would conclude this was by choice, and that the band is playing to the concept instead of proving their chops. I haven't seen much of a splash for these guys yet, but if they keep at it I think they are going to make one fairly soon. — Sean McFee

Roger Powell — "Fossil Poets"

(Inner Knot INK 0680, 2006, CD)

Roger Powell is best known as long-time keyboardist for Utopia as well as his early pioneering synthesizer records (Cosmic Furnace and Air Pocket). Fossil Poets is his first set of new recordings in quite some time; Powell has had a few compositional ideas which had not come to fruition until he met up with co-producer Gary Tanin. Tanin was literally instrumental in shoring up many of the keyboardist's arrangements as well as suggesting Greg Koch who fills a guitar ace role across the fifteen tracks. Best examples of this collaboration are the opening cut, "Lone Gunman," "Underwater City" and "Serpentine." "Gunman" slowly builds tension with Koch in the background eventually coming foreground in the moody track. "Underwater City" suggests simply that with a bubbly synth intro offset by Koch's understated hammer-ons and shuddering sound effects. Lastly, "Serpentine" is perhaps the most like recent Jeff Beck recordings also including guitar ace Jennifer Batten. The modern semi-techno rhythms offer much to the guitarist as a suitable platform for cranking up the amp and letting it fly. Two contrasting acoustic piano pieces are signposts on the disc: "Dauphine" and "Astrae." The former short piece carries a pensive autumnal theme while the closing track is lighter but still poignant. The mix across the disc is one of the key successes of the recording with a unique blend between electronics and instrumentals that generates a homegrown vibe. In summary, Powell and associates have created a project fans of Jeff Beck's recent work will fully embrace. — Jeff Melton

Genre Peak — "Ends of the Earth"

(In-Code Music CDIC0906, 2006, CD)

Genre Peak is the trio of Martin Birke (vocals, drum programming, percussion), Daniel Panasenko (Stick, upright bass), and Stephen Sullivan (guitar, guitar synth, backing vocals). I reviewed an album with Birke, Panasenko, and Roman Leykam last issue that was more along the lines of rhythmic, atmospheric improv. Genre Peak takes some of the same core elements but has a different focus. The album is made up of actual pop songs, you know, with lyrics and stuff. The rhythmic backdrop of programmed drums and Stick/bass is obviously reminiscent of electronica, and all of this music could work well in a club. Sullivan's guitar leads are occasionally reminiscent of Fripp but he tends towards the more ambient and textural. The synth lines are more of the same, about mood and atmosphere as opposed to virtuosity or complexity. The vocals are capable and assured and fit the music, emotions expressed more often as a slow, controlled burn than a raging, out-of-control flame. The album closes with three instrumentals with "Microsphere" in their titles, totaling 16 minutes. These don't deviate greatly from the overall album mood. Finally an "ARP mix" of one of the earlier tracks serves as a bonus, a different mix with some extra synth swooshes. Straddling the lines between electronic and pop rock, Genre Peak provides a satisfying low-key listening experience. — Sean McFee

Lolli Zan — "Ancient Girl"

(Hymn Hum HH-0048, 2006, CD)

Well, you never know what might show up in your mailbox when you write for this magazine. This one was a pleasant surprise. It's fairly ambitious independent rock with a flavor of India, and maybe it's inevitable that a bit of psychedelic creeps in by way of those snaky melodies and tablas. There are only three songs, plus a remix of the title cut, so it's (hopefully) just a taste of things to come from this American band. It's fun stuff, with catchy melodies and solid harmonies, though the recording has a bit of a DIY sound to it (though the credits list a professional studio). Keeping my review length proportional to the CD length, that's about it. — Jon Davis

[www.hymnhum.com]

Magicfolk — "Magicfolk"

(private release, 2007, CD)

Like the bright sun burning through the morning fog, Magicfolk come bearing tradition, vision, passion and mysticism. On this, their debut, the seven-piece is blessed with the beautiful lead voice of Michelle Glover (who also plays acoustic guitar and handles much of the composition), and backed by two additional female voices within the band (guitarist Vicky Grady and Josephone, who doubles on flute, sax and bass clarinet). The four remaining players handle keyboards, lead guitar, bass, drums and percussion. The material here was written and recorded over a five year period, and many of the songs feature players and vocalists from earlier versions the band, plus some guests also; even as such, the result is surprisingly consistent across the twelve pieces presented. Stylistically, they are somewhere between the late-sixties West Coast folk-rock sound (think PBC or earliest Airplane) and the British progressive folk-rock of the late sixties and early seventies, though one might hear many similarities to the early (pre-symphonic) work of contemporaries Iona. These ears often hear a sound reminiscent of the British progressive band Solstice on their early outings Silent Dance and New Life. "Heliopolis" is a case in point: after the first vocal section, the band revs up for a restless workout on multiple guitars with bass clarinet that would make the crimson king proud. The blood-curdling screams on "Furies" that give way to a blistering guitar lead is another. All taken, an excellent slab of modern British folk-hippie-rock that most will enjoy. — Peter Thelen

Horslips — "Roll Back"

(Horslips Records MOO23, 2006, CD+VCD)

It was a sad day in 1980 when I read in Melody Maker that Horslips were calling it a day. The premier Irish folk-rock band had survived a decade without a single personnel change, gone through numerous ups and downs, but ultimately it was their expectations of greater popularity outside of their homeland that did them in. Then came a two-decade battle with record companies and publishers for the rights to their music. The problems were finally sorted out, and a reunion of sorts happened at an exhibition of Horslips memorabilia in 2004. That four-song acoustic performance is captured on the second disc of this deluxe boxed set (both audio and video). Encouraged by the response, the five members decided to go back in the studio and rework some of their old songs and add a few new ones while they were at it. The result can be heard on the first disc of Roll Back, fifteen songs, including acoustic reworkings of a number of their classics like "Mad Pat," "Trouble with a Capital T," "Faster Than the Hound," "The Power and the Glory" and others. The tasteful rearrangements generally take these pieces into entirely new directions from their original incarnations, especially later period tunes like "Guests of the Nation" and "The Man Who Built America"; interspersed among these are a few new tunes, mostly instrumentals. The band now gigs occasionally, and hopefully they'll find time to write some new material and record again soon. — Peter Thelen

[www.horslips.ie]

Birch Book — "Fortune & Folly"

(Helmet Room Recordings, CD, 2006)

Birch Book is in reality singer/songwriter/guitarist Michael B'eirth (also known as B'ee), a rising star in the acid-folk and psych-folk scene. Fortune & Folly breaks down into two halves, the first addressing the fickle nature of fate and the second investigating life's journeys, both topics forever confronting the wandering minstrel, which B'ee sees himself as in a modern context. There's a sense of authenticity to his songwriting and delivery that evokes giants of the elder days including Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen, Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention. The cover art and B'ee's presentation as the wandering troubadour take the listener further back to medieval times, which are subtly invoked in songs such as "Zephyr through Willows" and "The Carnival Is Empty." The instrumental "Diaspora" and the opener "Birch Sap" even dip into psychedelic realms via ghostly guitar drones and ethereal, wordless chants, which work their way on a smaller scale into other songs like "The Trip Goes On." Otherwise we're in pure acoustic folk territory and it's easy to picture B'ee huddled over an acoustic guitar, perched on a stool and leaning his face toward a microphone in a small bookstore somewhere in rural Vermont, spinning out his songs to a gathering of tea sipping folkies. With songs this "wooden" it's not surprising when his voice slips into a warm country twang, though otherwise his soft and gentle singing rarely rises above hushed recitation. This is an impressive and enjoyable cycle of songs, as long as one can stomach the occasional psych flavoring. — Paul Hightower

Hectic Watermelon — "The Great American Road Trip"

(Predator Fish Records PF 3346, CD, 2006)

Hectic Watermelon is less a band than a solo project built around the talents of guitarist John Czajkowski. For this album he's assembled a capable trio to back him that includes bass (Harley Magsino), drums (Darren Debree), as well as legendary fusion violinist Jerry Goodman, who contributes his usual top notch playing to nine of the album's 11 tracks. Czajkowski is a versatile and multi-faceted player, though he sticks primarily with electric fusion-rock guitar throughout the album. Stylistically he covers the usual, from Eric Johnson's "clean Strat" sound, to Steve Morse's "country boogie" style, to Steve Vai's "strangled metal" style, with nods here and there to everyone from Jeff Beck to Alan Holdsworth. Clearly he's studied every big name guitarist to come along in the past 20 years and can pull whatever style is demanded of him out of his bag of tricks. The arrangements — all instrumentals except for the Adrian Belew flavored "Twenty-First Century Visigoth" — are fairly standard guitar trio fusion fare. Memorable tunes are scarce, though what you get instead is loads of leads and solos from Czajkowski and plenty of duels between him and Goodman. Fans of the rockin' fusion or the aforementioned guitarists will probably enjoy this album, though slipping an acoustic piece or two in among the others would have helped give it a bit more diversity. Still, Czajkowski is a talent to be reckoned with and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here. — Paul Hightower

Charlemagne Palestine — "A Sweet Quasimodo between Black Vampire Butterflies for Maybeck"

(Cold Blue CB0025, 2006, CD)

In the 30 or so years that Charlemagne Palestine has been around, this writer has never heard any of his music until now. It was inevitable that one of his recordings would reach my ears eventually, but the reader needs to keep in mind that this is my first exposure, so I can't offer much in the way of comparisons to any previous recordings. A four-minute intro of spoken anecdotes accompanied by the ringing sound from a brandy snifter leads into the main event: an intense and powerful minimalist piece performed on two grand pianos. A full eight minutes of explorations on a single note go by, with varying accelerations and velocities in seemingly random patterns, one or the other or both sustain pedals in play, researching the minute differences in tuning between the two instruments before finally a second note is introduced one half step away from the first. This adds a entirely new dimension to the proceedings, with a whole universe of harmonics and microtones ringing together as the second note recedes and is eventually replaced by others, some complementing the first playfully, others finding a mildly disturbing dissonance. The piece begins moving into quieter realms, approaching stillness, then evolving back again with an aggressive passion, going through a number of these cycles across its 35 minute duration. While this is probably not for everyone, fans of Steve Reich, Tony Conrad, late 70's Battiato, and even Klaus Schulze should find plenty here to appreciate. — Peter Thelen

[www.coldbluemusic.com]

The Jeff Gauthier Goatette — "One and the Same"

(Cryptogramophone CG128, 2006, CD)

Violinist Jeff Gauthier is probably best known as for having spent time in the LA improv scene working with Alex and Nels Cline (who are prime contributors on this set of seven avant tracks). At times his work points to many of Jean Luc Ponty's arrangements with ambient textural embellishments. Three of the five players on the disc give a spacey unilateral direction to much of the collective jamming employing unison lead lines as reinforcement. "Solflicka" is straight of Ponty's classic Aurora era with both violin and keyboard playing off melodic and chordal accompaniment with some nice brushes from A. Cline. Keyboardist David Witham's straight ahead piano jazz accompaniment completely fulfills the promise of the piece. It's almost as if the persona of David Cross is playing on the disc with his familiar soloing reminiscent of some of the controlled chaos well documented in King Crimsons early 70's inspired forays. Ex-Headhunter Bernie Maupin's piece "Water Torture" is done up with with slack tempo and brooding low end from Joel Hamilton's probing bass line. The piece glides into ghostly terrain complete with guitar driven sirens and space rocket wows. Nels Cline contributes two pieces: "Don't Answer That" that opens with brother Alex's spitting cadenza before Nels unison duets with Gauthier leading into alternate round robin style interplay. The ensemble eventually builds some admirable tension with Gauthier soloing over drum and piano both doubling up. Overall this recording is a tremendous display of group interplay and dynamic control. — Jeff Melton

Michael Fahres — "The Tubes"

(Cold Blue Music CB0024, 2006, CD)

This one falls into the "environmental music" category. German artist Michael Fahres "composed" these pieces using sounds found in nature or from sources not originally intended for this purpose. He goes beyond musique concrète, however, with a strongly ambient quality to these three tracks. The longest, "The Tubes," clocks in at over 30 minutes and includes Jon Hassell on trumpet and Mark Atkins on didgeridoo. The inspiration here is a small island in the Atlantic Ocean called El Hierro that is part of the Canaries. Fahres' field recordings are run through processors and then sequenced together to create "music," though again there's no sense of melodies or arrangements. The sounds ebb and flow to created organic soundscapes, parts of which remind me of the more esoteric moments on Peter Gabriel's Passion album. The third track, "Coimbra 4, Mundi Theatre," is perhaps the most intriguing. Here, Fahres roamed the streets of Coimbra, Portugal, during a citywide festival, recording anything and everything, from brass fanfares to choral masses, schoolchildren, random street sounds, and the conversation of ordinary people in the marketplace. It all goes together to create a sonic photograph of a place in time and it's interesting to think how the same approach can be applied to just about anywhere and in so doing capture the character of the place based purely on recorded sounds, and Fahre's wizardry in stitching it all together. It's not music, but it works on the heart and the head in the same way. — Paul Hightower

Mark Jenkins — "This Island Earth"

(Ricochet Dream RD022, 2006, CD)

On the heels of his double CD Live in the USA, Mark Jenkins has released his 14th album This Island Earth. It presents three styles of electronic music: 1) a purely digital laptop-based composition ("New Jersey Shore"); 2) an analog and digital synth composition recorded in the studio and live in the USA in 2006 ("This Island Earth"); and 3) a classic analog synth composition recorded live in 2002 ("The Graveyard of Dreams"). It is interesting that Mark chose this order to put forward his new music as it significantly improves the more analog it becomes. "New Jersey Shore" is 17 minutes of uninteresting sterile arpeggios and other electronic noodling, nothing much to write home about, though Mark thought it was pretty cool to create music with simply a laptop and software. "This Island Earth" is a four-part Sci-Fi journey that maintains your interest throughout its 28 minutes with movie sound bites and Tangerine Dream-like instrumentation, timbres, and themes. The album closer, "The Graveyard of Dreams," is roughly 20 minutes of blissed-out old school Teutonic analog electronics replete with sweeping washes, electronic burps, squeaks, and driving pentatonic sequences. Mark excels in this genre and the shear richness of his analog sounds just blows away any of his digital efforts. "The Graveyard of Dreams" alone is worth the price of this CD. Bottom line, This Island Earth is a mixed release, but one worthy of notice. — Henry Schneider

[www.markjenkins.net, www.ricochetdream.com]

Quodia — "The Arrow"

(7D Media 837101333931, 2007, CD/DVD)

Several years in the making, Quodia is the brain child of Warr guitar masters Trey Gunn and Joe Mendelson. Somewhat similar to many of Laurie Anderson's multi-media productions, the Crimson alumnus has jointly created a multi-faceted work unique, but not easily assimilated. Two guest narrators (Regina Spektor and Nadia Valencia Mazuela) as well as Gunn's plaintive spoken word are the focal element of the project creating imagistic novelettes. Best of breed include "Water Woman" where an overly thirsty nag is undone by mischievous birds and "I Saw Two Hands" where a muted trumpet introduces a steel drum backed passage. Perhaps the creepiest vignette is "A Boy Comes By" where the duo set up an funky alternating rhythm and drive it home as the main character links both the hand and the arrow elements into his possession. Percussion tracks from both Matt Chamberlain and Pat Mastelloto help build tension and rhythmic structure at crucial moments in the storytelling. At times moods are imposed similar to Peter Gabriel's acclaimed soundtrack, Passion, where a wordless traditional vocal leads into a serpentine lead line. With the visual element of the project available on the dual disc, the project is fully realized in capturing the full attention needed for these insightful allegories. Gunn's active participation with Pat Mastelloto in KTU and Eddie Jobson's UKZ project may back-burner this ongoing effort in the near term, but I suspect Gunn and Mendelson have only started the Quodia journey. — Jeff Melton

Sarcasme — "Mirage"

(Musea MP-3059, 2006, CD)

Maybe I'm just a little dense, but I'm not sure how a band that's been around for 12 years can be called young and new, even if this is their first release. That being said, I will admit that the first adjective that popped into my head when I heard this CD was "young." There's some intangible quality to the music that makes me think these are not mature veterans. This five-piece of dual guitars, flute, bass and drums makes me think of a French take on Camel, with some flavors of one of the less dramatic French bands (definitely not Ange), though of course lacking keyboards. Like Camel, the music is melodic, has a hint of blues (mostly in the guitar solos), and is not overly complex (and this Mirage is a fair bit less complex than Camel's Mirage). As such, it's pleasant enough to listen to, but doesn't ever really grab me. Most of the time, it's the bass work that stands out, executing busy fills between phrases and keeping things interesting while the guitars play chords. As I mentioned, the guitars solos tend to the bluesy side, often with a Knopfler-like clean tone, and even featuring a talk-box for an extended period on one track. The vocals are on the low-key side, never forceful or gruff, and are harmonized nicely. So I will retreat to one of the reviewer's stock assessments: this band shows much promise for the future, even if this release is not outstanding. — Jon Davis

Frogg Café — "The Safenzee Diaries"

(10t Records 10T0024, 2007, 2CD)

First things first. This is one of the absolute best sounding live albums this writer has heard, made even more surprising because nearly every track across the 2CD set was recorded at a different time in a different venue, yet the result is an amazingly consistent sound quality throughout. For anyone who's been living in a cave for the last seven years, Frogg Café is a group of extremely talented and diverse multi-instrumentalists, usually numbering six, who seem to draw their influence from Zappa, Gentle Giant, Mahavishnu, early Steely Dan, Happy The Man, and the general realm of 70s progressive rock. Yet that's not to say they sound like any of the aforementioned — they're clearly doing their own thing and creating something fresh and new. Compositionally, these guys are way ahead of the game; every one of the fourteen songs here — some drawn from their previous four studio albums and several new ones to boot, display an advanced sense of musical adventure, twining through complex labyrinthine ideas effortlessly. Their palette includes trumpet, electric violin, flugelhorn, trombone, plus the standard g/b/k/d. Some of the intense instrumental jams that these longer cuts encompass are positively breathtaking, especially some of the dual violin flights; given that the average track is around 8 to 12 minutes, there's a lot of room available for stretching out. Four members supply the vocals (plus one guest), which are not big on flashy multi-part harmonies, but they get the job done, and the different voices offer some additional variety. Anyone new to Frogg Café would do well to start with this outstanding live set. — Peter Thelen

[www.10trecords.com]

Riverside — "Rapid Eye Movement"

(InsideOut Music IOMCD-283, 2007, CD)

Riverside's new one consolidates their position at the forefront of Polish prog bands and convincingly encapsulates what makes this quartet so effective, with few of the hamstrings that can weigh down modern prog metal. Rapid Eye Movement finishes off the "Reality Dream" trilogy, which won't win any award for conceptual originality, plus I find Mariusz Duda's lyrics functional at best, though this doesn't stand in the way of what this collection has to offer. He may not have much to say, but it's how he says it that makes Duda's vocals work, mixing raw-throated, and visceral power with plaintive fragility. At times, as on "Rainbow Box," the band sounds like Steven Wilson fronting Dream Theatre, though I find the prog metal side of Riverside the least interesting. They're capable of much more than crunchy riffing and speedy unisons and this is where the band excels. For the most part, the album tips into the realm of modern prog with an edge pioneered by Porcupine Tree and Tool. The band are playing at their best with nice power trio work from Duda, guitarist Piotr Grudzinski, and drummer Piotr Kozieradzki. Michal Lapaj's keyboards are largely atmospheric, and put to good effect on songs like "Schizophrenic Prayer." Occasionally the music even slips into acoustics, as seen on "Through the Other Side" and "Embryonic," which reveals a side of the band that could stand a lot more exposure. With this album cycle put to rest I'll be very interested to see where Riverside goes from here. — Paul Hightower

Neo — "Broadcast"

(Metal Mind Records MMP-DVD-0106, 2007, DVD)

Prog rock super groups just won't go away. First there was Transatlantic (the rumor is that Neo were going to originally call themselves Non-Pacific as a joke) and now we have this ensemble, founded by John Jowitt (IQ) and Clive Nolan (Arena, etc.) and including Nick Barrett (Pendragon), Alan Reed (Pallas), Mark Westwood (Dirtbox, Martin Orford's band), and Andy Edwards (IQ). The difference is that this is strictly a cover band, or as Clive Nolan humorously put it, "We're a tribute to ourselves!" The shtick here is to have musicians from various neo-prog bands playing their own songs as well as those by other bands. The hope is that this allows them to put on shows in places they might not otherwise reach, plus by cross-marketing create visibility for their music with audiences who might not have heard it. That's why on this video you get Clive Nolan playing keyboards on Pendragon songs, John Jowitt playing bass on Pallas songs, and Alan Reed singing IQ songs. After a successful debut at 2006's ROSfest the group were encouraged to do it again and this DVD captures what is apparently only their third ever performance. Neo was part of the evening's festivities leading up to Pendragon's headlining set captured on their Past and Presence DVD (reviewed herein), and as with Pendragon's show this one's pretty good, other than some dodgy vocals from Jowitt and Nolan. I would have liked to see a Dirtbox song or two added, but it makes sense to stay with what the audience already knew and by the reactions caught on tape they were happy with the results. — Paul Hightower

David Gilmour — "Remember That Night"

(Sony 707424, 2007, 2DVD)

For those living under a rock, David Gilmour has recently completed a world tour in support of his 2006 solo album, On an Island, which this double DVD set documents and commemorates. Disk one captures Gilmour and his band on stage at the Royal Albert Hall and presents almost the entire show. Everything about the event screams "quality," from the reverent setting to the cast of guests that includes David Bowie, Graham Nash, David Crosby, and Robert Wyatt to the band itself that features Richard Wright, Dick Parry, Phil Manzanera, and regulars Guy Pratt, John Carin and newcomer Steve DiStanislou on drums. But though he tries not to steal the show, the most precious part of the whole package is undeniably David Gilmour and his still astounding guitar playing and ability to capture what made Pink Floyd so magical throughout their long history. Despite the amount of gray hair (or lack thereof), the music and performances on stage are stupendous and the audio and camera work capture it all in state of the art perfection. The set spans Gilmour's entire career, the first half presenting On an Island (itself not a weak batch of songs) in its entirety. Set two concentrates on Pink Floyd songs including the usual suspects, along with some nice surprises like "Fat Old Sun" and "Arnold Layne." The show culminates with "Echoes" from 1971's Meddle album and is given an energized delivery and Technicolor production. Disk two is loaded with bonus features that include a "Making of..." for the album plus a huge tour documentary where you see the cast and crew dealing with the highlights and struggles of carrying on a world tour. Tons of great individual moments are revealed including a chance meeting of Gilmour and Roger Waters who shared the same rehearsal facilities. It's hard not to be impressed by the camaraderie of the band and crew plus Gilmour's spontaneity along the way such as bringing an Italian street musician on stage in Venice or pulling "On the Turning Away" out for a show in Gdansk, Poland. This tour marked Gilmour's first public appearances since the death of Syd Barrett and he commemorates his predecessor's passing on several occasions, including a rendition of "Dominoes" and an intimate acoustic recital of "Dark Globe." The bounty of material on this set is almost overwhelming and makes whatever Best Buy or Amazon are charging for it seem trivial. A reformation of the full Pink Floyd may never happen, but for fans this worthy DVD set will certainly fill the void. — Paul Hightower

At War with Self — "Acts of God"

(Sluggo's Goon Music, 2007, CD)

Guitarist Glenn Snelwar's second release under the At War with Self moniker is a curious turn in direction. By pushing the project in a more personalized course the possibilities for subsequent live performance may also present themselves as well. Michael Manring has been replaced by bassist Damon Trotta, making the effort a collaboration between like-minded friends rather than proficient fusion practitioners. Emphasis on acoustic instrumentation (particularly mandolin) is one of the key points of the success of the technical metal thrust of Snelwar and Trotta's enhanced vision. The light acoustic guitar and mandolin strumming sets a tone akin to Led Zeppelin’s III before the bass drum accents introduce a Jurassic Park like doom. The additional four cell framed video on the website for "911" represents a strong visual aspect of man-made destruction while unison riffs wail away. The link between Indianapolis based hard rock act Von Garcia and Vehicle marks another clue for the new project's enthusiasm. Vocally, Mark Sunshine invokes the late Layne Staley's (Alice in Chains) delivery on four tracks that surprisingly work well on "Threads" and "Ursa Minor." The former piece swings into jazz/funk territory with Snelwar's snaky leads put to good use. The latter song relies on a tremolo driven spacey motif for Sunshine's fitting vocal line. The album closer "Refugees" sounds like it could have been a grungy bluesy outtake from Jar of Flies. In summary Snelwar's new muse embraces hard rock thus sidestepping the successful technical metal trappings of the band's debut. — Jeff Melton

Iona — s/t

(Open Sky Records OPENSKYDVD1, 1990/2003, DVD)

Iona — "Live in London"

(Open Sky Records OPENSKYDVD2, 2006, DVD)

Celtic prog band Iona are back in a big way, not only with their recent studio release, The Circling Hour, but also with two new DVDs. This is a great set both for fans and those new to the band as it documents Iona in their early days as well as up to the present. The first and older of the two DVDs was released in 1990, concurrently with The Book of Kells, Iona's second album. At 30 minutes it's a bit short; it was probably originally intended as a television program. The material switches between the group performing songs from the first two albums before a live audience, and interviews filmed on the island of Iona itself, plus footage of the band tromping around a la Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii. The focus of the interviews is both personal histories with the band, but moreover their personal connection with Iona and the Christian themes behind it. This part of the video may bother some, though given Iona's intense spiritual focus on their early records it's no surprise. The good news is that the musical performances are so good and the scenery of Iona so starkly beautiful that the religious musings of what were then a young and earnest group can be forgiven.

Live in London is literally that: Iona in performance at The University of London in 2004. They play two sets, the first a short unplugged selection that showcases Troy Donnockley's mastery of myriad flutes, pipes, acoustic stringed instruments, etc. as well as the band's folkier, more traditionally "Celtic" flavored music. The other half of DVD number one consists of lengthy interviews with each band member. Besides insights into Joanna Hogg's recent decision to take time off to have two kids, what comes through loud and clear is Iona's collective desire to distance themselves from the ardent Christian philosophizing that was so prevalent in their early albums (and so evident on the earlier DVD). DVD number two is the main concert performance, spanning Iona's entire history, though leaning on selections from their two most recent albums. The camera work is terrific throughout with minimal video effects or distractions (though the cameraman should have realized that Joanna Hogg's huge microphone muffler was covering half of her face at times.) I've always been impressed by this group's musicianship, but seeing them tear through songs like "Woven Cord" and "Castlerigg/Reels" is something to behold and sure to convert anyone into an instant fan. This is aided by a gloriously clean and full 5.1 Dolby stereo mix that gets you surprisingly close to the music. It's great to have Iona back in service and with this set of DVDs now everyone can get an idea of what all the fuss is about. If only they'd come play the States... — Paul Hightower

JPP — "Artology"

(NorthSide NSD-6089, 2006, CD)

Just when you thought you'd had enough of Nordic fiddles, along comes this little gem from Finland. I like Scandinavian folk music as much as the next guy — probably more, actually — though I'll admit to approaching burnout on the genre. But I forced myself to pop this one into the player, and found myself enjoying it quite a bit. Given their limited palette of four fiddles, a harmonium, and acoustic bass, they manage a surprising diversity of sound, mixing modern with traditional, Nordic with foreign, and energetic with reflective. They wisely draw from other traditions as well, including some American swing, a Middle Eastern sounding piece, and a tango, providing a Finn's eye view of music from other countries. Sometimes the arrangements mass the fiddles together for rousing unison melodies, while at other times they split apart for harmonies or more intricate counterpoints, and even include some uncharacteristic pizzicato work. If there's a flaw, it's that the four fiddles blend together so much that none of the players is left with an individual voice. But if that was music's sole virtue we wouldn't need symphony orchestras. All of the music is original, composed by Arto Järvelä, and it is testament to his talent and sensitivity that it all works so well. I wonder what would happen if he tackled a style even further afield, say RIO or zeuhl… — Jon Davis

[www.noside.comk]

Ken Field — "Under the Skin"

(Innova 208, 2006, CD)

We all know saxophonist Field from his many years with Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, and of late, his Revolutionary Snake Ensemble also. His solo albums tend to be lesser known, perhaps because they are often commissioned works for dance, without the wide distribution afforded his band releases. They are nonetheless excellent and equally adventurous, as Under the Skin will immediately testify to; it was created as the soundtrack for a multimedia and dance presentation of the same name by choreographers Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer. The eight pieces herein rock, swing and groove their way along playfully using multilayered saxophone embellishments, the different melodic parts crossing, overlapping, and complementing one another. The interesting thing is that it's all done with alto sax exclusively, using numerous overdubs (these ears can count as many as eight parts on some of the numbers). The compositions move along joyously, informed by jazz, lively funk, classical, and tasty grooves, driving sublime melodies and infectious rhythms. All of these are certain to get the feet moving — this be after all music for dance, so a strong rhythmic current underscores everything. Field is joined by bassist Jesse Williams and drummer Phil Neighbors on most of the pieces. The only minus is it's all over in only 25 minutes; I guess that's all the music they needed for the production. As they say, it's not the quantity but the quality, and this is certainly one where every minute counts. — Peter Thelen

[www.kenfield.org]

Phased — "Medications"

(Elektrohasch 116, 2006, CD)

The promo sheet says something about Black Sabbath crossed with Hawkwind, and for once you can take that at face value. Heavy, spaced-out rocking good fun, skeletal imagery notwithstanding. These guys are having fun with the material, witness titles like "Sausage Tricks" and "Nude Interlude from Hell." And while some of the riffs sound suspiciously like early Sabbath rip-offs, I'm not complaining. The addition of some trance-inducing repetition keeps it from descending into mere imitation. The vocals are a bit on the rough side, though not often growling, and sometimes even feature rudimentary harmonies. The guitar playing is quite good, with tons of Iommi-like long sustain for the riffs, but also loads psychedelic phase-shifting and wah-wah along with a fair dose of pure chaotic noisemaking. Imagine early Black Sabbath sans Ozzie covering "Silver Machine" with a Scandinavian metalhead sitting in on vocals. The band is in fact a multinational trio (Swede, Swiss, Finn), but there are enough guitar parts to justify at least a few more members in a live setting (though I'm pretty sure they don't actually do so). Luckily there's a variety of tempo (sometimes within individual songs) to keep it from getting samey, and there's always a new gadget in the guitar arsenal, like the crazed echo feedback on "Solitary Animal." With the legions of overly serious heavy bands out there, Phased provides a welcome dose of humor without sounding silly. — Jon Davis

[www.phased.ch]

Focus — "Focus 9/New Skin"

(Red Bullet Records RB 66.253, 2006, CD)

After an initial stab at a return to action with 2002's Focus 8, Thijs van Leer is back with an almost totally new lineup that's sounding better than ever. That is, if your tastes for this Dutch outfit favor the classic early 70s sound of albums like Moving Waves or 3. Also returning to the fold is original drummer Pierre van der Linden, along with newcomer guitarist Niels van der Steenhoven (bassist Bobby Jacobs is still on board). Nobody can ever replace the great Jan Akkerman, though I find van der Steenhoven to be an excellent pick for the job. He easily moves from biting rock, Beck-like melodic leads, Metheney-esque jazz, plus elegant or folky acoustic work. Of course the other half of Focus' signature sound is Thijs van Leer who sounds like he just stepped out of the 1973 time machine. His Hammond playing has that great 70s warmth and his flute work easily encompasses classical elegance and Tull's folk-rock cheer. Nods to Focus of yesterday abound on this disk, including "Aya-Yuppie-Hippie-Yee" that recalls "Hocus Pocus" complete with cartoon-y vocalizations plus the not subtly titled "Sylvia's Stepson — Ubatuba." Standout tracks include the gorgeous opener "Black Beauty," the laid-back jazz rock ballad "Just Like Eddy," featuring an excellent vocal from Jo De Roeck, and the multi-faceted and extravagant "European Rap(sody)," that clocks in at over 10 minutes. I can't really find anything negative to say about this album. Let's hope it's the start of many more to come. — Paul Hightower

Astralis — "Bienvenida al Interior"

(Mylodon MyloCD046, 2006, CD)

Astralis are part of the explosion of new prog rock bands emerging from Latin and South America, Chile to be more specific. The band was formed around guitarist and singer Patricio Vera in 1999 and it's taken them quite a while to get a debut album put together (though another one is already on the way). The group has many of the characteristics of Latino prog within their music: passionate vocals, stirring symphonic arrangements, soaring guitar and a preference for straight-ahead compositions and uncluttered instrumental arrangements. In short, neo prog sung in Spanish. To my ear, Astralis sound like Cast of about 10 years ago. This isn't a bad thing, though the group needs to update their sound and approach moving forward or they'll have a hard time keeping an audience interested. As musicians this is a talented group (besides Vera, Astralis features Sergio Heredia on drums, Mauricio Arcis on bass and Juan Pablo Gaete on keys), even if nobody is blazing any trails on their instrument. The main Achilles heel is Vera's singing, which is mediocre at best. The strength of the album is the six songs themselves, all generally upbeat and energetic. They're the kind of thing that could improve in a live setting where the indifferent studio production rendered here won't be a factor. Fans of early Marillion, Saga, IQ and the aforementioned Cast will probably find something here to their liking. As for me I'll be interested to see where they go from here. — Paul Hightower

The Flower Kings — "The Sum of No Evil"

(Inside Out IOMCD 285, 2007, CD)

Best I can figure, this is around the twelfth album by Sweden's Flower Kings, and across all those years they have pretty much maintained a course of prog-rock purity that stays the straight and narrow set up by bands like Yes and Genesis in their formative years in the early 70s, as well as their many followers since that time. Their music rarely gets too far outside that box, and although the song ideas, melodies, lyrics, and other musical ideas may be original, there has clearly been an effort to not expand beyond those limits. That said, this is an outstanding group of players from leader, vocalist, guitarist and primary composer Stolt, bassist Reingold, percussionist Bruniusson, keyboardist Bodin, and the rest, each giving it their all in dedication to the classic prog-rock concept, and thoroughly succeeding. As usual, there are several epic length pieces that break the ten-minute mark, and one that even approaches half an hour, each with numerous sections that change and morph into new sections, ornamented with vintage keyboard and Mellotron sounds, soaring guitars, quiet passages that suddenly become loud passages with earth-shaking bass pedals, widescreen vocal harmonies, most everything seemingly in major-key bright colors mode. Only on "Flight 999 Brimstone Air," a short (relatively speaking) instrumental does the band really get out of their comfort zone and push the limits into some truly progressive territory. But most Flower Kings fans probably won't like that one. Another solid entry in the Flower Kings' catalog. — Peter Thelen

[www.insideoutmusic.com]

Rush — "Snakes and Arrows"

(Atlantic 135484-2, CD, 2007)

When a short audio sample of "Far Cry" was posted on Rush's web site it led to excited and hopeful premonitions of a return to the kind of prog rock the Canadian trio had pioneered on late 70s albums like Hemispheres. However, a full spin of the song (and album) instead reveals more of the type of melodic rock seen on albums Vapor Trails (2002) and Test for Echo (1996). For those lamenting the grip this kind of music has had on Rush lately you won't find much solace here. Songs like "Armor and Sword," "Workin' Them Angels," or "We Hold On," while flirting with odd meter and power trio dynamics, are a far cry (pardon the pun) from the sort of creativity seen on landmark albums like Permanent Waves or Moving Pictures. New producer Nick Raskulinecz has done a good job improving over the tonally flat palette of Vapor Trails, and the band revisits trademark stylings from earlier times (best exemplified by Alex Lifeson's increased use of acoustic guitars) with positive results showing in the better songs like the rocking "Spindrift" or the instrumentals "The Main Monkey Business" and "Malignant Narcissism." Lyrically, Neil Peart has become more of a commentator on the human condition and Life on Earth. It's a safer and less charged position, though songs like "The Way the Wind Blows" still reveal him to be in command of his craft. The same can be said for Rush in general, even if the years are starting to show. — Paul Hightower