Exposé Online » Issue 35

Date : January 2008
Pages : 92
Summary : Larry Coryell, Paul Sears of The Muffins, Rock In Opposition event 2007, Interviews with Murat Ses, Secret Oyster, Tony Harn, John Hackett, Fabio Zuffanti, Ritual, Craig Padilla, Ian Bruce-Douglas
Items found : 220

From Anadolu Pop to Electric Levantine —
The Murat Ses Interview

If you are an aficionado of Turkish progressive music, you will recognize Murat Ses as one of its pioneers. And if you are a long-time Exposé reader, you may recall reading reviews of his solo work. Over the past 12 months, Murat has released two more solo albums of his East meets West fusion: Binfen 2005 Remix and Electric Levantine. We were lucky enough to interview him in 2006 to give a fuller picture of the man and his career.  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Maximal Chainsaw Muffin —
The Paul Sears Interview 2007

Paul Sears is probably best known for his many years and numerous recordings with east coast jazz-rock mainstays The Muffins. But that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, as multitasking is a way of life for Sears, and throughout the years he has been involved in numerous different bands and projects in a variety of roles. During the summer of 2007, Exposé had a chance to talk with Paul, and recap some of the highlights of the drummer’s long, diverse, and continuing career.  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

A.C.T. - Silence

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Adachi Kyodai - Xianshi

Sort of like Guitar Craft gone wild, these two exceptional sibling guitarists Source K and Ryusuke that make up Adachi Kyodai offer some high-intensity listening as they intertwine their strings...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

AdiB - Spinning Like a Top

AdiB is an Italian quartet (bass, keyboards, guitars, and drums) formerly known as Assolo di Bongo who released their first album in 2001. Their new album, Spinning Like a Top, contains...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Alec K Redfearn and the Eyesores - The Blind Spot

This album can’t be called dull — it’s intriguing, unpredictable, quirky, sometimes disturbing, and masterful. It starts with industrial sounds reminiscent of walking up stairs,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Pam Thompson 2008-01-01)

Alex Carpani - Waterline

Coming a couple of years after the originally announced release date of July 2005 is Alex Carpani’s “progressive rock” album. I put that in quotes because Swiss-born Carpani,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Mac Beaulieu 2008-01-01)

Alison Faith Levy & Mushroom - Yesterday I Saw You Kissing Tiny Flowers

For this limited edition release on the British 4Zero label, San Francisco Bay Area improv-trippers Mushroom have joined forces with the soulful and seductive voice of singer Alison Faith Levy....

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Alpha Wave Movement - The Regions Between: Unreleased Tracks 2001-2006

This collection marks 10 years of music from Alpha Wave Movement, aka Greg Kyryluk. With interests shifting more toward ambient and improvised collaborations, it seems fitting to have a retrospective...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Alquimia - Forever

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Amarok - Sol de Medianoche

Over numerous releases now, Amarok has essentially created their own musical world, somewhere between the Mediterranean-Arabic folk music axis, the medieval sounds that might have been associated...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Amon Düül II - Carnival in Babylon, Wolf City & Vive la Trance

Revisited Records is busy reissuing classic Krautrock albums by Klaus Schulze, Kraan, Guru Guru, Holger Czukay, and Amon Düül II. These latest discs are Amon Düül II’s fourth, fifth, and...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Ana Fort - A Long Story

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Anekdoten - A Time of Day

Anekdoten’s first release in three years finds them on familiar ground. In the 90s they pioneered combining alt rock grunge with the heavy prog of 70s King Crimson. They’re back at it...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Antiklimax - Plus loin vers l'est

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Areknames - Love Hate Round Trip

By the very nature of the progressive rock “scene” you run into a lot of groups classified as retro, and by and large by “retro” people mean “sounds like Genesis.” This simplification of...  » Read more
(Posted by Sean McFee 2008-01-01)

Arti e Mestieri - First Live in Japan

The modern incarnation of Arti e Mestieri has not seen much documentation on CD, so it is nice to see this release covering a recent concert in Japan. The two main components of the group are still...

 » Read more
(Posted by Sean McFee 2008-01-01)

As Lonely as Dave Bowman - Pod

The genesis of this floating ambient side-project by Sam Rosenthal, founder of Black Tape for a Blue Girl, is an interesting one. It began with Rosenthal’s four year old son playing with a...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Ashes Are Nutritious - Frustration +

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Astralis - Bienvenida al interior

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

At War with Self - Acts of God

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Baby Grandmothers - Baby Grandmothers

Baby Grandmothers were a legendary underground Swedish psych trio from the late 60s who performed extensively throughout Scandinavia but only released a single in Finland. The band consisted of...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Baku Llama - Eris

Eris is the debut release by this Southern California based trio, oft given to systematic discoveries in the rockier terrains of what one might call soundtrack music. Their vision is rooted...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Beggar's Farm - Itullians

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Big Big Train - The Difference Machine

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...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Big Brother & the Holding Co - Hold Me - Live in Germany

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Bill Holt - Dreamies Program 12

Among many, an early and great of music in opposition to the recent caterwauling of our current government is alms by re: There’s also Joy Division’s broader and more concise “Atrocity...  » Read more
(Posted by K. Leimer 2008-01-01)

Biota - Half a True Day

Colorado Art colony Biota continues to make strides in their first new collaboration in over six years. Since their last recording, the European folk elements have been put in the background in...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Birch Book - Vol. II: Fortune & Folly

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Birdsongs of the Mesozoic with Oral Moses - Extreme Spirituals

This album is likely to split Birdsongs fans. Some might consider it a brave creative statement while others may see it as a failed experiment. I’m in the first category and in my opinion...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Black Bonzo - Sound of the Apolcalypse

The Laser’s Edge is the label that introduced the world to Landberk and White Willow, and proprietor Ken Golden was instrumental in bringing Änglagård and Anekdoten to the attention of prog...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Bob Lind - Elusive Butterfly - The Complete 1966 Jack Nitzsche Sessions

In the early sixties at the height of the folk boom, Denver based singer/songwriter Bob Lind was regularly working the coffee houses in the area, and later (as the local folk scene dried up) moved to...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Born Again Floozies - 7 Deadly Sinners

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....  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band - Live at Bickershaw Festival - North West England 1972

The front of the package proclaims "Joe Strummer's favourite concert." Well, I'm sure it was great to be there. The Captain and his crackshot '72 touring lineup (Rockette...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Cathedral & Rum - Surreal Typewriter

Chris Hartford and his cohorts have returned for their third outing, and in a nutshell if you like what was done before you’ll probably enjoy this as well. C&R albums have always been...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Causa Sui - Free Ride

The strummy acoustic riff and rough-cut harmonies on the title track give few clues as to what lies beyond the second index on this Danish band’s sophomore release. With “Lotus,”...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Cédric Vuille - #804 Center Street

A founding member of the Swiss ensemble Debile Menthol, then of L’Ensemble Rayé, Cédric Vuille is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. In the liner notes he writes about when, at age 17 and...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Charlemagne Palestine - A Sweet Quasimodo between Black Vampire Butterflies for Maybeck

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,...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Claudia Quintet - For

For their fourth release, John Hollenbeck and company have produced yet another engaging disc of Euro-folk chamber jazz, for lack of a better quick descriptive for their unique and identifiable style....  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Claudio Cordero - Enlace

One of the best young guitarists anywhere in the Americas, Claudio Cordero delivers the goods on this fantastic first solo effort. The CD is all instrumental, and features exceptional playing from...

 » Read more
(Posted by Pam Thompson 2008-01-01)

Cold Fairyland & Lin Di - Ten Days in Magic Land, Bride in Legend, 2005 Live & Seeds on the Ground

One of the first musical things I discovered after moving to Beijing was this band from Shanghai. Their Chinese name (Lengku Xianjing) is taken from the Chinese title of a book by Japanese writer...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Contrarian - Minor Complexities

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Court - Frost of Watermelon

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Crime in Choir - Crime in Choir, The Hoop & Trumpery Metier

This instrumental San Francisco based outfit started out life in 2000 as a guitar / bass / drums / keyboards quartet, adopting a somewhat psychedelic groove-based jamming style mixed with elements...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Cruz de Hierro - Crossroads

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

D'arcana - Premonitions

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

David Gilmour - Remember That Night - Live at the Royal Albert Hall

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

David Helpling & Jon Jenkins - Treasure

Both Helpling and Jenkins each have numerous masterful releases to their credit, so in collaboration one could expect only the best, and that’s exactly what they have delivered. The cover...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

David Sylvian - When Loud Weather Buffeted Naoshima

A commissioned installation that might immediately strike listeners as the soundtrack for a diorama in its startling ability to create the sense of motion and event within a setting of largely...  » Read more
(Posted by K. Leimer 2008-01-01)

David Torn - Presenz

Guitarist David Torn's return to the ECM label is surely a testament to the man’s desire to push forward. His long time collaborators (Tim Berne and his Science Friction band of improvisers) provide...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Deborah Martin / J. Arif Verner - Anno Domini

Both Martin and Verner have been regulars in the pages of Exposé over the years with their respective releases, but Anno Domini marks their first collaboration. Anyone...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Dennis Rea - Live at the Forbidden City

Dennis Rea is a Seattle area guitarist who’s worked with Jeff Greinke, Bill Rieflin and may be known to some through his participation with groups Land and Stackpole. Long before he made his...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Dino Brassea - Del Cielo y la Tierra

Dino Brassea is known to many through his long relationship with Mexican prog rockers Cast. His voice and flute playing have been one of Cast’s trademark ingredients until recently when he...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Edward Ka-Spel - Dream Logik Part One

EKS has a new solo album and it is probably more out there than Melancholics Anonymous. It is always a treat to hear a new EKS release. Sometimes the new music is like visiting with an old...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Edward Ka-Spel - Melancholics Anonymous

Melancholics Anonymous is a collection of EKS pieces from rare vinyl releases plus one previously unreleased track. Even with reissuing these songs to a wider audience, this CD is a...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Electric Kompany - Electric Kompany

There are plenty of new bands to check out these days, though there haven’t been many notable American bands in a while. These guys change all that. Electric Kompany hails from New York and...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Eleni Karaindrou - Elegy of the Uprooting

Karaindrou may be best known for her film scoring work since the early 80s in her native Greece. Elegy is a sprawling two-disc live set recorded at Megaron in Athens in March 2005; it...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Elton Dean / Sophia Domancich - Sea of Infinity & Avant

Two of the late Elton Dean’s last sessions as leader and co-leader have been championed by Hux records in the UK. Sea of Infinity captures him again leading an out session careening...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Elton Dean & the Wrong Object - The Unbelievable Truth

It’s still hard to believe that Brit jazz giant Elton Dean is no longer with us. Considering how alive his performance from fall 2005 is with Belgian band the Wrong Object, it was clearly a...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Emiliano Sicilia - Devotion Materialize

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Eroc - Eroc 1, 2 & 3

After 30 years Eroc’s solo albums are now available on CD and finally finding their way to the US in 2007. Eroc remastered them from the original tapes, added bonus material, and included liner...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Ex-Vagus - Ames Vagabondes

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Ezoo - Ezoo

Last time I checked there are not many Mexican bands with an American Stick player and singer who’s also a woman, but that’s what we have here with Ezoo. Besides Linda Cushma, Ezoo...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Fit & Limo - Astralis

Fit & Limo have been producing some of the finest psychedelic folk music ala the Incredible String Band since the early 80s. Astralis, subtitled New Studies on Strange Folk,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Five Fifteen - Alcohol

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...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Flëur - First Four Albums

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Flower Kings - Instant Delivery

Instant Delivery is a concert video shot in Holland during The Flower Kings’ 2006 Paradox Hotel tour. The intent with this 2-DVD set was to present the group’s show in...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Flower Kings - The Sum of No Evil

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...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Focus - Focus 9 / New Skin

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...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Forrest Fang & Carl Weingarten - Invisibility

Forrest Fang is best known for his recent works in the area of world music, and Weingarten for his slide and ebow work with resonator guitars (dobro), so initially a collaboration between these two...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Frogg Café - The Safenzee Diaries

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Fromuz - Audio Diplomacy

Fromuz 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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Genesis - 1976-1982

Even though this box set covers the post-Gabriel years from 1976’s A Trick of the Tail through 1981’s Abacab, it was actually the first released. As with the other...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Genre Peak - Ends of the Earth

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Sean McFee 2008-01-01)

Gift - Awake and Dreaming

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Sean McFee 2008-01-01)

Goad - In the House of the Dark Shining Dreams

During the last decade several Italian bands which hit the big time in the 70s have got back on track. Some examples are Arti & Mestieri, Museo Rosenbach, and Osanna. Others, on the contrary,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Alessandro Michelucci 2008-01-01)

Gösta Berlings Saga - Tid är Ljud

This doesn't come on the scene with threats to take the prog world by storm, but rather insinuates itself subtly, from the gentle cover art through the music itself, which wraps many styles and...

 » Read more
(Posted by Mac Beaulieu 2008-01-01)

Graham Collier - Hoarded Dreams

On a purely practical level, this release is hard to categorize. It is the first wide appearance of a performance from the Bracknell Jazz Festival in 1983, so it is both a new release and an archival...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Gravity Tree - Ultimate Backward

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Green Milk from the Planet Orange - You Take Me to the World

Read the credits: “All songs improvised by GMFTPO” and (especially if you’re familiar with their other recordings) you know you’re in for a trip. A strange and disturbing...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Grosskopf, Baltes, Heilhecker - Sunya Beat - The Jelenia Gora Sessions

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....  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Guru Guru - Seven Reissues

Guru Guru is one of the better known Krautrock bands from the 70s. In Spring 1973 they released their fourth album Guru Guru, engineered by the legendary Conny Plank, featuring drummer...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Haakon Ellingsen - Bounty

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Hail - Hello Debris

The ongoing collaboration between avant garde multi-instrumentalist Bob Drake and vocalist Susanne Lewis continues to confuse and confound. Drake and Lewis this time pull in more indie rock...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Hectic Watermelon - The Great American Road Trip

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Here Are the Facts You Requested - Felt & Testing Ground Live

Somewhere back in the late 90s, after seeing them open for the Mike Keneally Band, we reviewed this San Jose band’s earlier release, Shocks and Struts, which proved them to be a...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Hiromi's Sonicbloom - Time Control

Japanese jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara's previous releases have all borne the name "Hiromi" and basically consisted of her standing trio with bassist Tony Grey and drummer Martin Valihora. Guitarist...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Horslips - Roll Back

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Hot Tuna - Double Dose

Long unavailable on CD, this full-length live disc (originally a 2LP set) is a superb summary of Hot Tuna's career up to that point; in fact the band split up shortly after the album hit the street in...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Hoven Droven - Jumping at the Cedar

In the whole Nordic Revival of the last decade (or is it just one record label?), there’s traditionalists like Väsen and JPP, and there’s dabblers in electronics like Hedningarna and Sorten Muld,...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Ian Anderson - Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull

Over the last several years, Ian Anderson has been taking breaks from his regular band work for the occasional solo album and tour. On this occasion, his four-piece backing band is supplemented by a...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Ilitch - Lena's Life and Other Stories

This is the second disc of all new material in Ilitch’s recent batch of activity beginning with Hors Temps in 2004 (last years’ Rainy House was mixed with older...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Imogene - Imogene

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...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Iona - Iona DVD & Live in London 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...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Iona - The Circling Hour

It’s been six years since Iona’s last album, Open Sky, and the good news is that everything the Anglo-Irish band had working so well for them hasn’t been forgotten. Some...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Jakko M. Jakszyk - The Bruised Romantic Glee Club

Guitarist Jakko Jakszyk has finally come into his own with his current solo recording. After stints with Level 42, Dizrhythmia, and 21st Century Schizoid Band and numerous guest spots, the...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

James Sudakow - Green

The tribal beats and pulsating electronic vibe in the opening minutes of “Black” set the stage for some amazingly incisive electric violin work as the piece slowly builds intensity...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Janet Feder / Fred Frith - Ironic Universe

The word “sonorous” seems meant for this recording. In addition to the inherently warm and pliant voicings of the acoustic guitar and the further extension of those voicings by any...

 » Read more
(Posted by K. Leimer 2008-01-01)

Jim Cole and Spectral Voices - Innertones

A few years back I reviewed Jim Cole’s then-latest release The Way Beyond, a heavily processed drone-like dreamscape sourced exclusively from overtone singing. This latest release offers...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

John Curtis - Short Songs about Affordable Food

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Josiah - No Time

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

JPP - Artology

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

K Leimer - The Useless Lesson

At first listen, it might seem like The Useless Lesson takes two paths, one of melodic avant-garde chamber explorations, and another of more spacious ambient territory, interleaved...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Ken Field - Under the Skin

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Klangwelt - XOIO

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...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Klaus Schulze - Kontinuum

With great anticipation I waited for the release of Klaus Schulze’s 45th solo album Kontinuum and I was not disappointed. Klaus has been reissuing lots of music lately, but it is two...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Klaus Schulze - Moondawn

Moondawn was Klaus’ first electronic masterpiece. This was the first recording using Klaus’ big “Moog.” Beautiful scintillating abstract electronic sounds open the...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Klaus Schulze - Revisited Records Reissues, Part 1

Revisited Records continues its reissue of the Klaus Schulze back catalog with another 12 CDs. I haven’t quite figured out their rationale, but they are releasing 12 a year covering the...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Klaus Schulze - Timewind

Next in the Revisited reissue series after Blackdance is Timewind, Klaus’ fifth release, the one he considers his breakout album and the one that brought him worldwide...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Kurt Reifler - Kurt Reifler

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,...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Kurt Rongey - With Form It Threatens Silence

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Lady Lake - Unearthed

By one scheme of reckoning, rarities collections come three categories: those that are only of interest to established fans of the artist, those that can serve as an introduction to a newbie, and...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Lambert and Nuttycombe - At Home

Been waiting a long long time for this gem to arrive on CD. Craig Nuttycombe and the late Denis Lambert got their start as a folk duo in the Los Angeles area after years of playing in a number of...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Larry Coryell / Victor Bailey / Lenny White - Traffic

These seasoned players need no introduction for any chemistry coaxed from old bottles. The nucleus of this power trio of Larry Coryell (Eleventh House), Victory Bailey (Weather Report), and Lenny...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Lazuli - En Avant Doute

Atendees of either the 2006 or 2007 Baja Prog festivals have been fortunate enough to see Lazuli do their thing live on stage. They truly are one of the most interesting groups among Musea’s...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Lindsey Boullt - Composition

Boullt’s debut CD Composition is a surprisingly masterful and well-paced collection of guitar-based instrumental pieces that spark the imagination and elevate the spirit electric. He’s...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Little Tragedies - Sixth Sense

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Lo-Fi Chorus - Something in the Air

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...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Lolli Zan - Ancient Girl

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Lucia Micarelli - Music from a Farther Room

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'...  » Read more
(Posted by David Bischoff 2008-01-01)

M.A.S.S. - Mysteria

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...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Mad Juana - Acoustic Voodoo

I was going to say, “Here’s one out of left field” but that’s unfair. Mad Juana comes from somewhere outside the ballpark entirely, from some dark, candle-lit back-alley...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Magenta - The Singles

Magenta has always had a healthy output of singles alongside their three studio albums. Rather than keep re-releasing singles, Rob Reed (the group’s keyboard player, composer and producer)...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Magicfolk - Magicfolk

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Magma - Mythes et Légendes 1

Not to be confused with their 1985 CD with the exact same title, this DVD is the first of four that are being compiled from the shows that took place at Le Triton from May 10th to June 4th 2005....

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Mar de Robles - Indígena

This second album from Mar de Robles is both a continuation and a departure from the first. It’s an example of a band honing its craft and moving on and up. The five piece features vocals /...

 » Read more
(Posted by Mac Beaulieu 2008-01-01)

Margarita Botello / José Luis Fernández Ledesma - La Paciencia de Job

Based in Mexico City, José Luis Fernández Ledesma’s projects appear every year or so quietly with little fanfare; he is definitely one of the most underrated artists around,...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Mark Jenkins - This Island Earth

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Metaphor - The Sparrow

Acclaimed US prog act Metaphor’s third album is finally out after two-plus years of refinement, and the finished result is well worth the wait. I was lucky enough to receive a group of rough demos...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Michael Fahres - The Tubes

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Michel Sajrawy - Yathrib

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Minoke? - Sangaky

This is the follow up to this Japanese quartet’s impressive 2003 debut, Taneshina. The jazz approach seen on the debut is carried forward here, though this time even more non-jazz...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Mirror Snake - Mirror Snake

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Moby Grape - Moby Grape, Wow, & Grape Jam

One of the very best of the late 60s San Francisco bands (if not the best), Moby Grape's recordings as well as the band's name itself has long been tied up in endless cycles of litigation thanks to...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Mooch - Gaiaspace

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...  » Read more
(Posted by K. Leimer 2008-01-01)

My Sleeping Karma - My Sleeping Karma

My Sleeping Karma are four guys living in the middle of Germany hard at work crafting and playing minimal retro-psychedelic music that can easily stand up to Harmonia’s Krautrock masterpieces...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Naoki Ishida - Fazing Redust

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Nautilus - What Colours the Sky in Your World?

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Nels Cline - New Monastery: A View into the Music of Andrew Hill

Nels Cline’s affinity for pummeling sound boundaries as well as working within jam bands and standard song structures (e.g. – Wilco) is now further realized within the works of another...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Neo - Broadcast

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Nexus - Perpetuum Karma

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...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Nouvelles Lectures Cosmopolites - Friesengeist Part π - Ascendances

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Novalis - Novalis

Novalis was a Krautrock band from Hamburg, Germany and their self-titled second album is part of Revisited Records’ reissuance of the Brain back catalog. This album is an amazing mixture of folk...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

NR Hills - Eleven Nails in the Coffin

These pieces originally appeared on English composer and musician N.R. Hill’s first three (now deleted) albums: Romeo & the Beast, Nails, and The Triumph of Death. With...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Nurse with Wound - Rock n Roll Station

Somewhere within the seven pieces that comprise Rock ‘n’ Roll Station a sadly conformist aesthetic emerges, apparently in conformity with its own tradition of non-conformity....

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(Posted by K. Leimer 2008-01-01)

Odin - SWF Session 1973 & Live at the Maxim

Along with the reissue of this quartet's amazing self-titled debut album from '73 (which originally appeared on the Vertigo label), Long Hair has released these two collections of archival...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Oki Hikoki - Krinkle

From some Wright honorable Meddle-era keyboard plonks to pretty much anyone’s arpeggiated Telecaster (here noted to be a “Rikencaster”), Brian Packham has been listening...

 » Read more
(Posted by K. Leimer 2008-01-01)

Os Mundi - 43 Minuten

Os Mundi, Latin for “origin of the world,” was a 70s Berlin-based band that released only two albums, Latin Mass and 43 Minuten. Both of these Krautrock classics have been...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Øresund Space Collective - It's All About Delay

The ØSC web site states “totally improvised space rock!” That was quite evident on their debut release reviewed in Issue #34. A lot of “water has passed under the bridge” since then (10...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Panzerballett - Panzerballett

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...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Pendragon - Past and Presence

It’s funny that Pendragon, who represented the “new wave” of prog rock not that long ago, have now been around long enough to be having commemorative reunion and anniversary...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Periferia del Mondo - Periferia del Mondo (3)

Their third album, my first to hear. There’s a good variety of tones and influences here, not really like anything else I can think of. Some of the heavier parts remind me of the heavier...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Peter Hammill - Singularity

Peter Hammill’s hardened stare adorns the cover of the songwriter’s current recording from his home studio in Wilts, UK. If fans needed any reminder, the singer’s stance has always included...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Phased - Medications

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon

This is a very different turn from last year’s The Great Leap, but that’s what Phideaux does – a different sound with every new release, but one can always count on excellent...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Pinnacle - Meld

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet

Not known for uplifting and cheerful music, Porcupine Tree has delivered another dose of downer prog rock. The theme of Fear of a Blank Planet is adolescent angst and the large number of...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Porcupine Tree - Nil Recurring

This mini album consists of four songs (totaling about 30 minutes) that were written and recorded during the Fear of a Blank Planet album session but were held off for a variety of...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Psicotropia - Grog

A few years back this young Spanish trio left its mark on the audience in Mexicali, proving themselves to be competent purveyors of free-wheeling high-energy jamming and tightly composed math-rock....

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Puppet Show - The Tale of Woe

Puppet Show’s long awaited second studio album has finally made it out the door. Squashing any blatant anticipation, the quintet jumps right to it on the opening cut, “Seasons,”...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third

Pure Reason Revolution is part of a new breed of British Neo-progressive acts balancing neo-folk vocal phrases with familiar engaging art rock trappings. Led by guitarist Jon Courtney and bassist...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Quodia - The Arrow

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Ranarim - Morgonstjärna (Morning Star)

This tasty and rousing slice of modern Swedish trad-folk grows on the listener like a nice warm coat on a cold winter morning. This is music full of color, warmth, melody, and rich in tradition,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Randy California - The Euro-American Years 1979-1983

It merits discussion as to what, in the early 80s context, constituted the difference between a Spirit album and a Randy California album. Because nearly every Spirit composition in those days was...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Rapoon - Time Frost

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Ritual - The Hemulic Voluntary Band

Is this some long lost Gentle Giant album that I’m hearing? Just insert Patrik Lundström into Derek Shulman’s shoes and you get an idea of the sound bursting from the title track...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Riverside - Rapid Eye Movement

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...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Robert Fripp - At the End of Time: Churchscapes Live in England & Estonia, 2006

There is a great volume of music that we can work to comprehend, and there is a more elusive body within the body of music that it is best to apprehend. The first, of course, is a conscious...

 » Read more
(Posted by K. Leimer 2008-01-01)

Robert Wyatt - Comicopera

Robert Wyatt must truly be the most playful world artist on the planet. His tireless efforts making strong musical statements in pop and jazz format stand up and apart from any other British or US...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Roger Powell - Fossil Poets

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Runaway Totem - Esameron

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Rush - Snakes and Arrows

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...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Sarcasme - Mirage

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Saturnia - Muzak

Saturnia has been around since the late 90s, and Muzak is the latest release from this little known Portuguese psych-prog band. Saturnia is essentially multi-instrumentalist Luis Simões...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Seamus - Zealotry Sterblichen Schizophrenia

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

SimakDialog - Patahan

For their first international release, SimakDialog offers a live set recorded in Jakarta in April 2005. At this juncture, bandleader and keyboardist Riza Arshad is joined by a rhythm section of...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Six Gun Lullaby - Six Gun Lullaby

I’m the last person who would insist on bands adhering to standard instrumentation, but when I listen to this one, I hear a sound that’s tinny and kind of wimpy – and wimpy is the...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Spirit - Salvation... The Spirit of '74

One of the heretofore undocumented periods in Spirit's career began shortly after Epic's rejection of Potatoland in '73. Randy California left the group (for the second time)...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Squonk Opera - You Are Here

You Are Here is a companion soundtrack to Squonk Opera’s latest stage production, (put your hometown’s name here): The Opera and continues a string of theatrical...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

SSI - E Pluribus Unum

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

Stan Whitaker / Frank Wyatt - Pedal Giant Animals

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Starcastle - Song of Times

The late bassist Gary Strater’s dream to create one more Starcastle record was realized in 2006 with help from his long time engineer friend Mark Rubel, along with old band members and friends. Many...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Steve Hackett - Wild Orchids

For nearly 30 years many have kept on considering him only the man behind the powerful guitar solos of Foxtrot and The Lamb Lies down on Broadway; yet he has proved to be much...

 » Read more
(Posted by Alessandro Michelucci 2008-01-01)

Steve Peters - Occasional Music

My only encounter with Peters’ work to date has been his EP length disc From Shelter, released on Cold Blue a few years back, which had a fairly unified concept and approach, fitting...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Steve Roach - Fever Dreams III

For the third in this series, Roach has served up a double dose. Like much of Roach’s material, the Fever Dreams series embraces soundworlds of a floating ambient nature, but with a...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Steve Thorne - Part Two: Emotional Creatures

Two years after his debut CD Emotional Creatures – Part One, Steve Thorne has released his second CD Emotional Creatures – Part Two. In some sense it is a continuation...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Stick Man - Mysterious Female

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Strange Days - 9 Parts to the Wind

One of the better British progressive one-offs has finally gotten the CD treatment it has long deserved. Led by guitarist, singer and songwriter Graham Ward, the four-piece was the standard g/k/b/d...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Stuckey/Murray - Mythical Fornication

If you are easily offended, don’t appreciate sophomoric humor, are a sensitive 90s male or a socially conscious feminist, please don’t buy this CD. If you enjoy bawdy humor (okay,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Pam Thompson 2008-01-01)

Supay - Confusion

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Tammen / Harth / Dahlgren / Rosen - Expedition - Live at the Knitting Factory

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...

 » Read more
(Posted by Sean McFee 2008-01-01)

Taproban - Posidonian Fields

I have heard Taproban’s previous release Ogni Pensiero Vola and also their contribution to the Spaghetti Epic compilation (reviewed in #32) and was looking forward to...

 » Read more
(Posted by Sean McFee 2008-01-01)

The Art of All - Morgan

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

The Bennie Maupin Ensemble - Penumbra

Bennie Maupin is primarily known for his rooting bass clarinet work on Miles Davis’ Jack Johnson and Bitches Brew sessions. Later he would cement his legacy with Herbie...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

The Jeff Gauthier Goatette - One and the Same

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

The Mahavishnu Project - Return to the Emerald Beyond

Gregg Bendian and Company are back with another take on classic Mahavishnu material. While previous efforts have dealt entirely with that band’s first incarnation, due to (as they say)...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2008-01-01)

The Mother Hips - Kiss the Crystal Flake

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

The Pineapple Thief - Little Man

UK-based quintet The Pineapple Thief have built a healthy following for their brand of modern, indie-influenced prog rock. Their 2005 release 10 Stories Down sold 5,000 copies and...

 » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

The Smell of Incense - Of Ullages and Dottles

The passage of time is not always what it seems. Sometimes it crawls interminably and at others it passes in an instant. In the case of The Smell of Incense it is shocking to me that it has been 10...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

The Source - All Along This Land

The Source is a Los Angeles based four-piece of g/k/b/d with keyboardist and primary composer Aaron Goldich assuming the vocal duties. They are a prog rock band with ambitious aims, as evidenced by...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

The Strato Ensemble - Drawn Straws

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

The Tear Garden - The Secret Experiment

The Legendary Pink Dots and Skinny Puppy have been recording music on and off as The Tear Garden since 1986. The Secret Experiment is their eighth release, arriving five years after their...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Tor Lundvall - Empty City

There’s Copeland’s Quiet City and some years on The Muffins’ Open City. And countless preceding and following metaphorical interpretations of the City as a force...

 » Read more
(Posted by K. Leimer 2008-01-01)

Trees - On the Shore

The Trees was a British folk rock band formed in 1969 that sputtered out in 1972, barely leaving a footnote in musical history. Their two albums The Garden of Jane Delawney and On the...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Trygve Seim - Sangam

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,...  » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Ubi Maior - Nostos

Prog metal is a genre which has grown as many arms as an octopus – or more. Italy especially is famous for many bands in this genre. Not that Ubi Maior is a pure prog metal band – no,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Roel Steverink 2008-01-01)

Upsilon Acrux - Galapagos Momentum

As math rock goes, Galapagos Momentum is like solving linear transformations in n-dimensional vector spaces while spinning around on a gyroscope ride at the carnival. For those of us crazy...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Uzva - Uoma

One of the best arranged recordings from last year hails from Helsinki, Finland by Uzva, a seven-piece chamber rock act with additional orchestral instrumentation. Comparisons have been drawn to...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Van der Graaf Generator - Real Time

Impossible reunions by not-so-spring chickens are now becoming fashionable. This is due in part to both Cream and Van der Graaf Generator taking the live stage the same week for surprisingly...

 » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2008-01-01)

Various Artists - A Dark Noël

Christmas is my least favorite holiday of the entire year, a month-long season of unbridled commercialism and indulgent spending, nearly completely stripped of its original meaning as the birthday...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Villebråd - Alla Är Här Utom Jag

For those of you who miss Landberk (I know I do) I urge you to give this album a listen. Villebråd, who hail Uppsala, Sweden, have been together for three years and were formed by brothers...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2008-01-01)

Waldteufel - Sanguis

Waldteufel is the German duo of Markus Wolff (primarily vocals, drums, and percussion) and Tyrsson Sinclair (other instruments, vocals, etc.) and this is their fourth full-length release. Their...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Walt Ribiero - I.I

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Sean McFee 2008-01-01)

White Willow - Signal to Noise

Each successive White Willow album finds the band further along their evolutionary path, establishing their own unique sound amid numerous Scandinavian symphonic retro-prog bands. And each new disc...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Whitechapel - Le Masque d'Arlequin

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)

Xcross - Kadath - The Dream Quest

This ambitious concept album by Maryland duo Xcross is based on H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath,” eleven purely instrumental tracks following a brief spoken...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

XII Alfonso - Claude Monet, Vol. 2 - 1889-1904

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 Alfonso have fashioned here a...  » Read more
(Posted by David Bischoff 2008-01-01)

Yeti Rain - Discarnate

It doesn’t take more than one look at the booklet cover and about 15 seconds of the first piece to know this isn’t like anything else that Unicorn has put out before; nor is it like any of the...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Zaboitzeff & Crew - Missa Furiosa & Voyage au Centre de la Terre

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...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2008-01-01)

Zweistein - Trip – Flip Out – Meditation

According to the liner notes, in 1970 Jacques Dorian, his wife German pop singer Suzanne Doucet, and their children entered the studio and recorded an obscure experimental triple LP under the name...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2008-01-01)