Adam Lane is an improvising artist local to San Francisco who happens to use the upright four string as his medium to create with. On his 1999 Cadence release, Hollywood Wedding, the...
» Read moreAdrian Belew has been very busy in the imposed break from King Crimson. With multiple projects in various stages, it makes sense to market a sampler to highlight each of his works. Obviously,...
» Read moreAfter a mildly disappointing third album, Bondage Fruit is back in top form. Over the top, in fact. Much of this is insanely complex music that one might swear is all improvised, at least until the...
» Read moreThis Swedish band starts off their first album with a nice slice of instrumental rock: two guitars, bass, and drums slipping easily between phrases of three and four beats. It is well arranged,...
» Read moreCan's legacy in the progressive rock/experimental field is nothing short of legendary. What has been lacking is any real tangible support for the myth in the form of easy access for present day...
» Read moreLiner notes which throw phrases around like “an immensely personal journey towards self-discovery” and “this powerful message of personal redemption” are all warning signs:...
» Read moreAmbient music, like any other genre, has many sounds, from purely electronic soundscapes, to cut-and-paste pointillism, to environmental collage. Cipher presents a jazzy take on the quiet side of...
» Read moreThis duo of flautists, Michael Graham Allen and Barry Stramp, creates a music far beyond that of the acoustic instrument. Processed through a myriad of effects, the tones of the flute create music...
» Read moreZeuhl alert! One of the best, yet little known zeuhl gems has re-surfaced thanks to the specialty label Soleil Atreides, the same folks who recently gave us Archaia. Dün is rather more in the...
» Read moreMost of the time, when I listen to music, I don’t actively think about the intentions of the musicians. I just listen and judge the sounds on their own terms. Only later do I sometimes wonder...
» Read moreRecorded in both France and Japan, En Concert is a snapshot of the band on two nights in the summer of 1998. Much of Eclat’s music could be categorized as jazz-fusion, but they...
» Read moreFifty Foot Hose occupy that most rare of places, avant garde psychedelia, a mix very few bands have even attempted, let alone pulled off. The fact that they first honed their craft with their debut...
» Read moreFoxtrot Zulu is a Rhode Island group who should be finding a quick path onto the roots radio wave still prevalent across the US. One of the things that sets the seven piece apart from other roots...
» Read moreFor those of you wondering who in the world is Fred Baker with the familiar middle name, please allow me to provide background on the educated virtuoso. He’s a Birmingham College of Music...
» Read moreYou may be aware of Carbon 7 for their new Present release (No. 6), Cro-Magnon, and a few others. But with Garrett List we and they step into a different dimension altogether. The New...
» Read moreNo this isn’t the California band Atlantis. This is a Japanese band called Group Therapy with an album titled Atlantis. This is a seven-piece all-instrumental band: two guitarists, a...
» Read more1976 was a transitional year where Brian Eno changed his context for working with electronics to an ambient perspective. This was due in part to his meeting with synthesizer duo Cluster (Moebius...
» Read moreWhen was the first time you heard “Exiles” or “The Great Deceiver” and were taken aback about the lyrics? It’s a pretty strange role to find yourself by trying to fill...
» Read moreThe first I ever heard of Kepa Junkera was at the first WOMAD USA festival. He was an unknown quantity that my wife and I checked out and became enraptured with. He plays the traditional Basque...
» Read moreLoop Guru got started in England in 1992 as a collaboration between Salman Gita (Sam Dodson) and Jamuud (Dave Muddyman) to experiment with tape loops, samples, and world beat rhythms. Over the...
» Read moreThis English "pomp-rock" (as those silly British metal mags used to call it) band has been around for donkey's years. Wide spread fame always seemed to elude them however, but given...
» Read moreOut of the vaults come recordings for an aborted third album by the original line-up of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Time to celebrate! This was the band who set out to chisel a trail across...
» Read moreAfterglow is the combined musical energies of cellist Martin Tillman, flautist Tim Wheater, and keys player Michael Hoppé. For the most part, the music is a spacious and somber...
» Read moreIt's a rare project that extracts elements of the written word and transfers them eloquently to an audio performance. Composer/trumpet player Michael Mantler's first major success with this...
» Read moreThe Cosmic Krewe’s music is an almost perfect hybrid of trumpeter/keyboardist/vocalist Michael Ray’s two most significant former gigs. Here, as on the band’s 1994 debut,...
» Read moreOrient Squeezers, aside from being an especially nonsensical phrase, is a solo project of Håkan Almkvist, the driving force behind Ensemble Nimbus. The disc displays quite an obsession with...
» Read moreOysterband (originally The Oyster Band) has been making music in their own unique and developing style for more than a decade. I would hesitate to call them a post-punk equivalent of Fairport...
» Read moreThe third album in the Pere Ubu canon is one where the group appears to be in a more playful mode rather than on their acclaimed sophomore album, Dub Housing (1978). They had matured a bit...
» Read more801, lead by guitarist Phil Manzanera, deserve a pretty lofty place in the Prog hall of fame. The band was a veritable supergroup, fronted by Phil and Brian Eno, blending quirky pop songs with...
» Read moreRichard Thompson’s latest album for Capitol Records (his longest stay on any major label) follows a three-tiered study of songs: The first five on the disk follow a “Metroland”...
» Read moreRegarding Ranshart:
The Norwegian group Ruphus suffered a drastic lineup shift after their 1973 debut, New Born Day, which resulted in the loss of, among others,...
» Read moreSmokstik is the Massachusetts based duo of John Kiehne (Chapman Stick, vocals) and Hillary Koogler (drums, vocals). Although it sounds like a pretty lean arrangement on paper, these two get a very...
» Read moreSteve Feigenbaum (founder of Cuneiform Records) continues to expand the breadth of the Soft Machine legacy by finding gold in long forgotten tapes. His latest audio treasure spotlights a brief...
» Read moreSorten Muld exist in the same milieu as Hedningarna, Garmarna, and Afro Celt Sound System, bringing modern sounds and techniques to traditional music, in this case that of Denmark. They are masters...
» Read moreSugarwood have been kicking around parts of the UK for a few years now, and seem to have gathered a following (if internet activity is any indication). They fit in more or less with the current...
» Read moreFor those of you unfamiliar with this ensemble on this reissue two disc set, Swans is an artsy cult band who blazed a trail of punishing punk metal which is fairly popular in certain circles. The...
» Read moreAs best I can tell (my Hungarian is a little rusty) this release is an archive recording from 1975 that was originally a Hungarian radio broadcast. The band has a "big band" line-up,...
» Read moreWhen I think of hard working bands, Tempest immediately comes to mind. You can find this band at Celtic festivals, Highland Games, and clubs across America. Tempest performs traditional and...
» Read moreThe Big Wu is a Midwest quintet who focuses on the amusing swing jazz groove vibes of Zappa or the Grateful Dead. This is the kind of group who can channel a happy vibe and break off into a heavy...
» Read moreTomorrow is currently a hot psychedelic commodity on the market: many of the band's English UK singles fetch top dollar on the English collector's circuit. Adding to the frenzy is former...
» Read moreTrama is an out-of-the-ordinary blend. They capture some of the essence of 70s Italian symphonic bands, and at the same time have a definite 80s AOR element to their sound. The lush keyboard and...
» Read moreFrench Canadian label, Ambiances Magnétiques released a second sampler of their diverse artist's work in 1997. The disc focuses on various combinations of personnel ranging from solo and...
» Read moreMedium Productions is a low profile label from the UK which represents the work of three former members of Japan. The trio is alternately creative within varying contexts and combinations of...
» Read moreSo here are two samplers chock full of French hard rock and heavy metal. Why should you care? Well, I guess cuz it comes from Musea’s hard rock offshoot label, Brennus. But then again, a...
» Read more
2019-11-07
Glenn Smith RIP –
Glenn Smith, founder, mandolinist, and primary composer of the DeLand, Florida based prog / fusion band Magnatar, passed away on October 18th 2019 at the age of 68, after a brief illness. »
Read more
2019-11-04
Dino Brassea RIP –
Word reaches us of the passing of Dino Brassea, who sang and played flute in Cast for many years. By our count, Brassea appeared on 11 Cast albums between 1994 and 2002. He also released music as a solo artist. »
Read more
2019-10-06
Ginger Baker RIP –
Legendary English drummer Ginger Baker has died at the age of 80. After coming to fame with Cream in the 60s alongside Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce, he became one of the most recognized and influential drummers of the rock era. On September 25, his family announced that he was critically ill, and on October 6 his death was confirmed. »
Read more
2019-08-20
Alex's Hand Seeks Spa Treatment –
American / European band Alex's Hand has a new album in the works called Hungarian Spa, which looks to be their biggest and best yet, featuring a large roster of guest musicians. They're seeking funding to take the project on the road, and are looking for help from the crowd of wisdom. »
Read more
2019-06-05
Legendary Co-Founder of The 13th Floor Elevators Passes Away at Age 71 –
Sadly, Roky Erickson passed away on May 31, 2019. Known as the father of psychedelic music and co-founder of the ground breaking 13th Floor Elevators, Roky had a profound influence on music from the 60s to today. Plagued by his own personal demons, Roky had a difficult life and is now free of these burdens. »
Read more
Tokyo Jihen - Sports – Since its founding in 2004, singer Shiina Ringo's band Tokyo Jihen (The Tokyo Incidents) has been a very eclectic and creative entry in the Japanese rock scene. Their latest effort is no exception, a... (2011) » Read more
Blackmore's Night - Secret Voyage – The partnership of guitar god Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow) and Candace Night (skimpy bodice) has been going strong for 10 years, and — despite the Ren Faire and LARP associations —... (2009) » Read more
Gulââb - Veils of Mystery – Rarely do I receive a recording that makes me stand up and take notice. My jaded and tired ears perked up as I flew my astral plane while playing Veils of Mystery. What's this you ask, a trip to... (1994) » Read more
Alfredo Tisocco - Kátharsis, Ritagli d'Anima & Ballet Collection – Alfredo Tisocco's solo career apart from Opus Avantra, began in 1975 with the release of Kátharsis (originally released as Artis ARCD 005), a lengthy piece for modern dance, generally more... (1995) » Read more
Aufklärung - De' la Tempesta... l'Oscuro Piacere – An Italian band with a German name that sings in English? Okay. Aufklärung is a five piece of bass, keys, drums and two guitars, with guest vocals handled by Chicco Grosso – if that name... (1996) » Read more