Exposé Online

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...

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(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...

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(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...

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(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...

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(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...

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(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...

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(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)

Transatlantic - The Whirlwind

The Whirlwind was one of the most anticipated CDs of the year and it does not disappoint. Disc one is a 78-minute piece which is broken out into 12 sub-sections. Many people are concerned...

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(Posted by Dan Marsh 2010-07-01)

Trey Gunn / Marco Minnemann - Modulator

From the outset this recording sounds like a modern update of Eddie Jobson’s UK on steroids, with a scoop of 21st century Crimson on top. It was arrived at in a fascinating way. Master...

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

Trimtab - The House, the Car, and the Map

This collection of tunes was started in Minnesota before leader Jason Goessl relocated to Seattle, where he has since assembled a new version of the band. This complex music is the result of his...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Trusties - Human Wheel

The last time we heard from this excellent Finnish band was their previous album We Just Want to Rule the World from 2003 (review in issue #29). At that point Trusties was a trio, with a...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Ulysses - The Gift of Tears

Ulysses is a Dutch metal-prog band and The Gift of Tears is their second album. Apparently, The Gift of Tears is a concept album, as Ulysses wanted to share their views and...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2010-07-01)

Unto Ashes - The Blood of My Lady

If you can imagine a medieval fantasy made for the Sci-Fi Channel – yes, it’s overwrought and romantic in a neo-Gothic sort of way, and frequently anachronistic – this could be...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Various Artists - Hur! Hommage à la Musique de Christian Vander

On the occasion of Magma’s 40th anniversary as a band, Soleil Zeuhl has assembled this excellent tribute compilation featuring an array of artists, including several former members of the...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

XII Alfonso - Under

Apparently taking a break from their three-part tribute to painter Claude Monet, this French band has put out this lush instrumental concept album. You might typically say that an instrumental concept...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2010-07-01)

Yang - Machines

Some five or six years ago, French instrumental quartet Yang released their outstanding debut, A Complex Nature, on Cuneiform, then promptly disbanded before playing even a single concert....

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)

Yūgen - Uova Fatali: Yugen Plays Leddi

Yūgen is an Italian based chamber rock ensemble (nine members + numerous guests for this recording) led by guitarist Francesco Zago. Another member of the group is multi-instrumentalist  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2010-07-01)