Issue 38

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Available online from Issue 38

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO - Interstellar Guru and Zero

I find it extremely challenging to keep up with this prolific band with their myriad lineups and bazillions of releases. This time around, the band is Tsuyama Atsushi (monster bass, tortoiseshell...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Amy X Neuburg & The Cello Chixtet - The Secret Language of Subways

Putting cellos and Amy X Neuburg’s amazing voice together seems like a great idea, and by the end of the opening track, “One Lie,” I was hooked. On it Neuburg lays bare the lyrics...

» Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2010-07-01)

Anthony Phillips - Missing Links Volume 4: Pathways & Promenades

Subtitled Missing Links Volume IV, this is the latest in that series, which I suppose supersedes the Private Parts and Pieces series. Similarly, though, this is a collection of...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Arashk - Ustuqus-al-Uss

Arashk is presented as an Iranian three-piece instrumental unit covering multi-guitars, bass, keyboards and drums, though more correctly in recorded form it’s mostly the vehicle of... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Ars Nova - Seventh Hell

The opener “Seventh Hell” presents twelve minutes of intensely convoluted frantic bombast, busy and chaotic at every melodic intersection, though sensibly arranged; in short –...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Barry Cleveland - Hologramatron

Barry Cleveland considers his new album a departure from past efforts. I’d agree, only insofar as many of the songs feature vocals. But for those who recall Cleveland’s lauded 2004...

» Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2010-07-01)

Between Interval - The Edge of a Fairytale

It’s been a few years since 2006’s Autumn Continent, but this latest release – his fourth altogether – is well worth the wait. Between Interval is the creative...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Bill Mumy - The Landlord or the Guest, Speechless & Carnival Sky

If his name sounds a little familiar, it may be because many will remember him from his appearance on numerous television shows going all the way back to Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Black Tape for a Blue Girl - 10 Neurotics

Well, I have to be honest right out of the box, here. The lyrical content of this disc is so intense, permeated in dark sexual fetishism and disturbing first-hand details of troubling personal...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Blackfield - NYC - Blackfield Live in New York City

This is probably the way all concerts should be released: as a double disk with an audio-only version as well as a DVD concert video. One or the other will likely pop up on a torrent site or...

» Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2010-07-01)

Carsick Cars - You Can Listen, You Can Talk

I wrote about this Chinese band’s debut recording back in #36, and their core esthetic...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Cathedral - The Bridge

Thirty years ago, the US progressive band Cathedral released their first album, Stained Glass Stories. That was it until Tom Doncourt (keyboards) attended a King Crimson concert in 2003...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Cathedral & Rum - The Moon Is the Lord of Twisted Trees

Cathedral & Rum is essentially LA-based singer/songwriter Chris Hartford plus a host of guest musicians, depending on the album or song. Though make no mistake: Hartford is the creative nexus... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2010-07-01)

Causa Sui - Summer Sessions

Causa Sui is a Danish powerhouse of spacy, extended psychedelic stoner-rock jams. With two releases to their credit – their previous Free Ride from 2007 received a glowing review in...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Christian Décamps - Psychédelice

So... what to make of this? One of the most famous lead singers in the history of European prog has recorded a solo album... of instrumental music (well, almost – there’s one track with...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Colour Haze - Burg Herzberg Festival 18.Juli 2008

This double disc set commemorates over two hours of Colour Haze’s amazing performance at the July 2008 Burg Herzberg festival in Germany. A psychedelic hard-rock trio of guitar, bass and drums, with... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Copernicus - Disappearance

If Van Halen’s David Lee Roth decided to drop it all and become an obtuse beat poet, that may create a small avenue of interest into the ramblings of Copernicus. There is no doubt that plenty of... » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2010-07-01)

Coral Caves - Mitopoiesi

Coral Caves is an Italian band that proves good solid progressive rock doesn’t have to be overly complex to be good. I hear elements of early Genesis, mid-70s Pink Floyd, Camel, and of course...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Crimson Jazz Trio - King Crimson Songbook Volume 2

The late Ian Wallace championed the completion of his trio’s second recording but never had the chance to hear the final fruits of his labor. Together with pianist Jody Nardine and bassist Tim... » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2010-07-01)

Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin - Green and Blue & Hour Moon

The first new set of music in over 15 years from sophisticated pop duo keyboardist Dave Stewart and vocalist Barbara Gaskin is a strong reason for celebration. The two have not lost step with their...

» Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2010-07-01)

David Parsons - Earthlight & Jyoti

Parsons is a New Zealand based composer with fifteen or so releases to his credit going all the way back to the early 80s; his work tends to draw its inspiration from his extensive travels...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Deborah Martin / Erik Wøllo - Between Worlds

The worlds in this case are the spirit world and the physical world, the bridge between them according to Native American beliefs are the ritual, the healing and the magic, and on the music...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Demon Fuzz - Afreaka!

Demon Fuzz was a brass septet hailing from the UK, led by woodwinds man Paddy Corea, who spent time on the UK jazz circuit most notably backing Wilson Pickett on his British tours. An electric fuzz...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2010-07-01)

Doubt - Never Pet a Burning Dog

Keyboardist Alex Maguire's new trio, flavored with the occasional Canterbury tinge, is a testament to the durability of that jazz-rock essence on European musicians. Maguire's insane fuzzy...

» Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2010-07-01)

Drifting in Silence - Facewithin

Drifting in Silence is the electronic brainchild of composer and multi-instrumentalist Derrick Stembridge and Facewithin is his fifth release of ambient-based dance music. The eight...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Earthling Society - Sci-Fi Hi-Fi

Fans of freewheeling psychedelic spacerock should take note. Sci-Fi Hi-Fi is Earthling Society’s second release for the 4zero label, and their fifth release overall since their formation in... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Edward Ka-Spel - O'er a Shalabast'r Tyde Strolt Ay

Edward Ka-Spel records and releases two basic types of solo music, songs and experimental music (collages, found sounds, and electronics). O’er a Shalabast’r Tyde Strolt Ay is an...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Edward Ka-Spel - The Painted River of Regrets

During the Legendary Pink Dots 2008 tour they were selling Edward’s The Painted River of Regrets as a limited edition of 399 CDr copies. These were rapidly sold out and...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Ergo - Multitude, Solitude

A trio of drums, electric piano and synths, and trombone, although trombonist and bandleader / composer Brent Sroka spends at least as much time creating and processing sounds on the laptop, which...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Fast 'n' Bulbous - Waxed Oop

Fast ‘n’ Bulbous is one of several tribute bands that Cuneiform has been nurturing in the last few years (along with Mahavishnu Project, Yo Miles, and Ed Palermo’s Zappa tribute...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Flamborough Head - Looking for John Maddock

This Dutch outfit has been active since the early 90s, inspired by both 70s symphonic prog and 80s neo-prog. Their sound straddles the two, though for the most part they echo the warm and engaging...

» Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2010-07-01)

Forgas Band Phenomena - L'Axe du Fou

Patrick Forgas is a French drummer who has been releasing jazz-rock fusion gems since the late 70s. The latest incarnation on Cuneiform Records finds Patrick and his band mates Sebastien Trognon...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Forrest Fang - Phantoms

It’s been nearly a decade since Fang’s last solo release Gongland, punctuated only by Invisibility, his collaboration with Carl Weingarten in 2006. But great achievements are... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Fred Frith - Nowhere. Sideshow. Thin Air.

As one might guess from the title, this is a three-in-one – in this case three commissioned dance pieces by three different choreographers (one recent and two a bit older) that coexist...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Gentle Giant - King Alfred's College

Good quality Gentle Giants live CDs are a variable commodity for fans seeking a performance of that elusive tour or song which was only performed twice. Surprising to find then that the band itself... » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2010-07-01)

Gong - 2032

In 2032, or so the legend goes, Planet Gong finally makes contact with Earth. And I guess that you can consider 2032 to be the fourth part of the Radio Gnome trilogy. This new release is...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Gutbucket - A Modest Proposal

This (the band's fourth album) was the first I'd heard of Gutbucket, but it impressed me so that I immediately tracked down their second and third albums (Dry Humping the American Dream and... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Henry Cow - The Road: Volumes 1-5

Even after 40 years it’s difficult to use the past tense when it comes to the work of Henry Cow. Its importance grows and influence continues to be felt. And while it’s absurd to add that “it...

» Read more
(Posted by K. Leimer 2010-07-01)

Hualun - Silver Daydream

Maybe it's actually easy to make post-rock music. After all, there seem to be bands springing up all around the world playing it. Hua Lun are part of the new generation of Chinese bands following in... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Iconoclasta - Resurrección

If anything can be said about this long-running Mexican progressive band, it’s to expect the unexpected. The band has been going in various forms since the early 80s, and no two consecutive...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Indukti - Idmen

This Polish powerhouse’s earlier album S.U.S.A.R. from a few years ago blew a lot of minds wide open, as did their captivating performance at Baja Prog 2007. This writer was more...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

IQ - Frequency

Frequency is an important IQ album, since it’s the first time two new band members were on board since the early 90s. But rather than propel their sound forward, as they did with...

» Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2010-07-01)

Iron Kim Style - Iron Kim Style

It starts out with a loose groove and wah-wah trumpet, so the first impression is of electric Miles Davis, though with more guitar and no keyboards. Later, as more diverse elements show up, that...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Jeff Greinke - Virga

It’s been a while since I’ve heard anything new from Jeff Greinke, probably my own fault since he has close to 20 releases to his credit now and I’ve heard less than half that number – mostly... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Joie Tet - All Structures Unstable

It starts with an aggressive riff on the bari sax run doubled an octave lower with a harmonizer; a bit later you get a distorted melody played on an instrument you can't quite identify from the...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Jon Hassell - Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes in the Street

Jon Hassell's first ECM recording as a leader is long overdue, but it is an understated ambient percussion mix consistent with the acclaimed trumpet player’s most pervasive recordings....

» Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2010-07-01)

Judy Dyble - Talking with Strangers

For those of you not old enough to remember, Judy Dyble was Fairport Convention’s original vocalist who left after their first album. She then hooked up with Ian McDonald and the original...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Kansas - There's Know Place Like Home

Classic Kansas with an orchestra! Kansas celebrated their 35th anniversary in February 2009 by appearing with the Washburn University Symphony Orchestra in Topeka, Kansas. Unlike many rock /...

» Read more
(Posted by Dan Marsh 2010-07-01)

Karda Estra - Weird Tales

For his eighth album, Richard Wileman has turned to familiar and not so familiar topics, with pieces inspired by vampires, Max Ernst paintings, actor Peter Cushing, and the short fiction of...

» Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2010-07-01)

Kenso - Sparta Naked

Fans of Kenso will certainly be familiar with the band’s album Sparta from 1989, a bold step in a more jazz-rock / fusion direction following their first three studio and double-live...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Killick - Exsanguinette

This represents the beginning of a whole new chapter in Killick’s body of work, although there have been many chapters before, so one shouldn’t expect that this will be the last....

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Klaatu - Solology

Canadian trio Klaatu was primarily a studio outfit, their only live performances coming in the early 80s toward the tail end of their five album run. So the highlight of Solology is the...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Knitting by Twilight - Riding the Way Back

The Knitting by Twilight crew have been busy lately, with their last album out in 2008 and the Herd of Mers spin-off release coming late that same year. Though this isn’t a full-length CD — the... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2010-07-01)

KTU - Quiver

The follow-up to the first effort from the partnership of latter day King Crimson rhythm section (Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelloto) with accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen is a must for fans of Crimson and...

» Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2010-07-01)

Larry Kucharz - Pastels

Lights out. Put your headphones on for this one! Expansive sheets of subtle melodic color and points of sparkling light and empty darkness drift and float in and out of a three-dimensional...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Lovespirals - Future Past

This is the fourth album by Southern California based Lovespirals, a moody, dreamy pop duo featuring vocalist Anji Bee and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Lum, who carried the essence of the concept...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Magma - Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré

Listening to the new Magma album is kind of like visiting an old town you used to live in thirty years ago. As you walk around you see some of the old landmarks you used to know, but there are many...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Makoto Kawabata / Shinsuke Michishita - Sex, Voyage, and Echo Chamber

Billed as the first collaboration between Kawabata Makoto of Acid Mothers Temple and Michishita Shinsuke of LSD March, it’s no surprise this release sounds like two electric guitarists...

» Read more
(Posted by Alan K. Lipton 2010-07-01)

Mamabaoyou - Moni Rensheng (Analog Life)

Mamabaoyou is an instrumental band from Dalian in northern China, which is also home to the more well-known Wang Wen. Oddly enough, although the band’s name sounds Chinese, it is never...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Manooghi Hi - Manooghi Hi

Full disclosure: the members of this band are friends of mine. So it's fortunate I can honestly and wholeheartedly say it's a great CD. If I didn't think so, I'd probably keep quiet about it.... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Marc Wagnon - Earth Is a Cruel Master

Swiss born vibraphonist / percussionist Marc Wagnon is probably best known as a member of Tunnels during their five-album run, or perhaps as a member of Doctor Nerve before that, but all through...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Martin Archer - In Stereo Gravity

This sprawling two-disc set of experimental musical vignettes is as interesting as it is difficult to describe, but as always, this writer will do his best to communicate its essence in words. The... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Mastermind - Insomnia

In 2005, five years after their previous, Angels of the Apocalypse, a Mastermind single called “Broken” appeared, featuring three new songs, an extended mix of the title cut,...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

miRthkon - Vehicle

Stylistically, miRthkon covers a lot of ground. Led by guitarist/composer Wally Scharold, the band features twin guitar, bass, drums, sax, and clarinet on most songs. The album is a primarily... » Read more
(Posted by Mike Grimes 2010-07-01)

Modest Midget - The Great Prophecy of a Small Man

Lionel Ziblat is an Israeli / Argentinean composer and musician based in Holland, and is the visionary and driving force behind Modest Midget, a four-piece touring band, although many more musicians... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Moraine - Manifest Density

Moraine is a new Seattle-based five-piece led by guitarist Dennis Rea (please refer to our feature on Mr. Rea in issue 23 for more background), joined by a rhythm section of bass and drums, plus a...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Negative Trip - Parasite Psychotic

Crashing beats, distorted sounds, sampled voices: this band from the town of Wädenswil, near Zürich, is definitely plying the decades-old genre of industrial electronic music. But they have the good... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Neil Haverstick - Spider

Neil Haverstick continues to prove his guitar virtuosity with Spider. The album opens with the four movements of “Spider,” written for 19-tone guitar and chamber orchestra. Tom Blomster... » Read more
(Posted by Pam Thompson 2010-07-01)

Neil Rolnick - The Economic Engine

American composer Neil Rolnick has been working in the intersection of music and computers since the 70s, and this recent recording presents fully realized visions of several directions you can go... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Nels Cline - Coward

Make no mistake: Nels Cline is a modern guitar hero of high caliber. This recording begins with a looped drone reminiscent of Soft Machine before carefully exploring new channels. Cline gracefully... » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2010-07-01)

Ourself Beside Me - Ourself Beside Me

This oddly named band is a mainstay of the Beijing avant rock scene. They take their name (an old song title), and one of their members (guitarist Yang Fan), from Hang on the Box, a pioneering...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Panic Room - Satellite

The follow up to Panic Room’s 2008 debut Visionary Position builds on their strengths of solid songwriting, intrinsic melodicism, and intelligent arrangements, all supported by...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Pendragon - Concerto Maximo

Neo-proggers Pendragon seem to have taken a cue from Yes, with five DVDs on the market since 2002. So why another one? For one thing, this commemorates the band’s 30th anniversary, plus it...

» Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2010-07-01)

Pentatonic - If You Don’t Understand Then I Can’t Explain to You

I had never heard of this band before I saw them play live, opening a show for Wang Wen, China’s best known...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Peter Garland - String Quartets

Exuberant, bright and energetic, these two string quartets performed by Apartment House ( a traditional line-up of two violins, viola and cello) manage to cover a few centuries’ worth of style while... » Read more
(Posted by K. Leimer 2010-07-01)

Peter Hammill - Thin Air

Peter Hammill’s recent albums of home studio recordings always present a consistent delivery and song craft. This collection of nine pieces moves forward with a few unique tweaks and variations... » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2010-07-01)

Phased - A Sort of Spasmic Phlegm Induced by Leaden Fumes of Pleasure

Once one gets past the gross-out album title, there’s plenty of great music on this disc for the proto-psych, space-rock and stoner-rock aficionado. A Swiss based g/b/d trio, this is apparently... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Phideaux - Number Seven

It’s been a few years since Steven Davies-Morris handed me a copy of Ghost Story on a rained-out Sunday at Baja, but as soon as I listened to it, it was evident that the songwriting,...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Piano Circus featuring Bill Bruford - Skin and Wire

Bill Bruford’s last new studio recording before his announced retirement is seamlessly intertwined with the improvisational two man, two woman unit Pianocircus. Performing the compositions of... » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2010-07-01)

Porcupine Tree - The Incident

The Incident is Porcupine Tree’s tenth studio album. The double vinyl limited edition comes housed in a PVC slip case including a 48-page 12” book with the usual artsy photos...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Present - Barbaro (Ma Non Troppo)

Present has a history of making macabre movie-soundtrack music since their first album Triskaidekaphobie was released in 1980. Their ninth record is accompanied by an essential archive DVD... » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2010-07-01)

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Reunion

Forty years after Quicksilver’s heyday, this 2006 live show recorded at The Sweetwater in Mill Valley featuring original members Gary Duncan and David Freiberg plus four more recent additions...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

RandomK(e) - Waiting

It's probably most accurate to call RandomK(e) a Beijing-based band than a Chinese one, as all the members are foreigners living there. Since their start in 2004, the foursome has been one of the acts... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Rebuilding the Rights of Statues - Watch Out! Climate Has Changed, Fat Mum Rises...

The band with the awkward name has released an album with a name even more awkward. The band is generally called Re-TROS, and I'll call the album Watch Out. Since their 2005 release...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Robert Rich - Ylang

It seems that every new project that Robert Rich immerses himself in — be it solo or collaborative — adds another level of enlightenment to whatever comes after it, carried forward to...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

RPWL - The RPWL Live Experience

German band RPWL have secured a devoted following over the past 10 years and five studio albums, due to a likeable sound that blends Genesis and Pink Floyd inspired prog with a modern aesthetic...

» Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2010-07-01)

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Playing the Piano / Out of Noise

Some thirty-five years ago Japanese rock music was still an unknown subject, the only exception being percussionist Stomu Yamash’ta. Then came the Yellow Magic Orchestra, which marked the beginning... » Read more
(Posted by Alessandro Michelucci 2010-07-01)

Saga - The Human Condition

The Human Condition is Saga’s debut release with new vocalist Rob Moratti. Not surprisingly, the group’s sound has changed with Moratti’s addition. After all, in addition...

» Read more
(Posted by Mike Grimes 2010-07-01)

Salvation - 1st & Gypsy Carnival Caravan

Among the mainstays of the West coast psychedelic scene in the mid- to late-60s was a jamming unit with a slight country flavor originally called The New Salvation Army Banned. Eventually a certain... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Sándor Szabó / Kevin Kastning - Parabola

Like the previous Szabó/Kastning duets, Parabola consists of improvisations utilizing different kinds of acoustic guitar other than the standard variety – 6- and 12- string...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Seven That Spells - Cosmoerotic Dialogue with Lucifer

Is it a dialogue or one-way harangue? That's what you might ask emerging from this full-bore psychedelic freak-out of ferocious proto-metal fighting to stay alive (or conscious) against some...

» Read more
(Posted by Alan K. Lipton 2010-07-01)

Shawn Phillips - At the BBC

Back in the early to mid 70s Shawn Phillips was in the heyday of his career. This CD presents three different BBC radio sessions (May 10, 1971, March 7, 1973, and October 1, 1974) from this fine...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Shawn Phillips with J Peter Robinson and Paul Buckmaster - Living Collaboration

Hot on the heels of his Living Contribution concert DVD is Living Collaboration recorded at the Minnesota Zoological Gardens the evening of July 19, 2008. Living...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Simon Steensland - Fat Again

Steensland's is a musical world of sharp edges, intense contrasts, brutal aggression and mysterious beauty all served up in an expressive way that is both challenging and engaging. This makes around... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Slivovitz - Hubris

Here’s one of those hard to classify albums that covers a lot of ground but is generally centered in a sort of ethnic area of the jazzosphere, with some nods to Zappa as well as middle-eastern... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

St Vincent - Actor

Imagine if Enya and Adrian Belew had produced offspring. Annie Clark (St. Vincent is essentially Clark plus guest musicians) has the former’s angelic voice and mesmerizing vocal arrangements,...

» Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2010-07-01)

Steve Roach - Destination Beyond, Afterlight, Immersion: Four

Steve Roach released these three CDs as an individually numbered boxed set or as separate items. As with any minimalist music, you are not on the fence: as you either love it or loathe it. All...

» Read more
(Posted by Dan Marsh 2010-07-01)

Strawbs - Dancing to the Devil's Beat

I’m not sure what the dog licking a red popsicle on the cover represents, but this latest release by the full five- piece Strawbs celebrates 40 years since the release of the band’s...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Syzygy - Realms of Eternity

There is definitely something going on with progressive music these days. As we near the end of the first decade of the 21st Century it appears that we are emerging from the doldrums with some...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Terra Ambient - Wanderlust

“Ambient” gets thrown around quite a lot, and both understanding of the term and of the genre seem to have finally and completely dissipated into catch-all meaninglessness... an...

» Read more
(Posted by K. Leimer 2010-07-01)

The Black Angels - Directions to See a Ghost

It is always exciting to discover new bands that take interesting elements from the past, combine them with fresh new ideas, and create something entirely new. Cases in point are the neo-psych bands... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

The Black Noodle Project - Eleanore

Sometimes I put the CD in the car stereo without looking at the titles, and that’s what I did with Eleonore. I like to keep my eyes on the traffic. As the disc played I found a lot...

» Read more
(Posted by Pam Thompson 2010-07-01)

The Brimstone Solar Radiation Band - Smorgasbord

Apparently this is the third recording by this excellent Norwegian quintet, although they are new to me. Where have I been? Like their countrymen Motorpsycho and The Last James / Haakon Ellingsen,... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love

With each successive release, The Decemberists seem to get more proggy. Their brand of folk-oriented rock owes more to Jethro Tull and Strawbs than the Byrds and CSNY. Leader Colin Meloy’s stories... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

The Tunnel Singer - Beyond Stillness & Dreams without Words

The Tunnel Singer is Lee Ellen Shoemaker, San Francisco based vocalizer with a long string of releases to her credit, most employing nothing but her voice and lots and lots of reverb, either...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

The Ukrainians - Diaspora

Hard to believe it’s been 18 years since this band’s first release. While they’ve hardly been prolific – only four studio albums in that time, along with a couple of live...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Tim Motzer + Markus Reuter - Descending

Guitarist Tim Motzer and touch guitarist Markus Reuter establish an instant atmospheric rapport on their first joint effort together. The first song, “1200 Sundays,” is beautiful and sounds... » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2010-07-01)