Issue 39

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Available online from Issue 39

3 Leg Torso - Animals & Cannibals

Cartoon soundtracks and movie music come to life on Animals and Cannibals, the fourth 3 Leg Torso album (their first in seven years). Considering that this elite ensemble hides under cover...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Abacus - Destiny

With a self-important air and a melodic core harking back to 70s progressive kitsch (think voice and piano themes in certain Styx, Foreigner or Toto songs), Abacus’ sixth studio album...

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(Posted by Alan K. Lipton 2011-06-01)

Abarax - Blue Room

Abarax were a band whose original purpose was to fill the void left by Pink Floyd’s absence. Their 2006 debut, Crying of the Whales (now out of print), did reveal a taste for languid...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Aidan Baker - Songs of Flowers and Skin

Amid the bulk of BLR releases, to which such adjectives as “noisy,” “chaotic” and “abrasive” are regularly applied, it’s easy to forget that there’s...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Alex Carpani - The Sanctuary

Some may recall composer / keyboardist Carpani’s Waterline album from a few years back, or his outdoor performance with guitarist Tony Spada at the 2008 (and sadly final) Baja Prog...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Alexander Berne - Composed and Performed by Alexander Berne

This lavish set presents composer / sound-designer / musician Alexander Berne in a variety of settings, mostly on his own, but with other contributors at times. Taking them in the order listed on...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Algernon - Ghost Surveillance

Lately I've been listening to a lot of music that is labeled "post-rock," and like many genre labels, there is a point at which it becomes meaningless. World's End Girlfriend,...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

All Over Everywhere - Inner Firmaments Decay

I really wanted to like this one. It’s keyboard-heavy symphonic rock with female vocals, with some good ideas in both composition and arrangement. But after listening to it in a number of...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Anderson / Wakeman - The Living Tree

Yes's Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman have enjoyed success both within and without the group. Considering that both are on the outs with their previous band, it makes sense that the two would...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Aqua - Aqua

Aqua were a German band who had some success in the 80s as a mainstream hard rock band. What is little known is that they began as a progressive rock band, but unfortunately never released any...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Aranis - Roqueforte

This is the third album by Aranis, a Flemish chamber quintet that’s been around a few years. I don’t recall many details about the band’s second album from 2007, but I do remember...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Aun - VII

Aun is the Montreal duo of Martin Dumais (guitar, synths, violin, bass, and programming) and Julie Leblanc (synths, guitar, and percussion) who create powerful droning noise soundscapes, much the...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Aviva - Peer Gynt in Favour

It’s a shock to hear music you've known all your life bent in new directions for new purposes. I still remember envisioning how my four-year-old self would have wept at The...

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(Posted by Alan K. Lipton 2011-06-01)

Aviva Omnibus - Nutcracker in Fury

Picture, if you will, channeling the essence of Metallica, Keith Emerson, and Ralph Lundsten to play Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker with demonic abandon and you might have some glimmer of...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Awenson - Wizard

Wizard is the second album by Awenson (aside from self-produced CDR releases), whose first was released under the name Awen, and whose real name is Joël Bernard. These two long...

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(Posted by Alan K. Lipton 2011-06-01)

Baraka - Inner Resonance

Baraka was a 1992 non-narrative film similar in scope to Koyaanisqatsi, and if this Japanese trio did indeed name itself after that film, the widescreen range of instrumental...

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(Posted by Alan K. Lipton 2011-06-01)

Believe - World Is Round

Believe are one of the fastest working bands in the progland, this being their fourth album in five years. Founder Mirek Gil (ex-Collage) seems to feel that success will come from building an...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Benoît Delbecq Trio - The Sixth Jump

Piano trios can be a gnarly musical beast. In the case of pianist Delbecq, trio pieces transpire in real time, with a quiet classy reserve that gently tugs the listener through subtle changes....

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(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Bertrand Loreau - Réminiscences

Bertrand Loreau is a French synthesist who has been composing and releasing music for the past 30 years. Listening to and learning from the masters Klaus Schulze and Vangelis, Loreau has an...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Bill Cutler - Crossing the Line

Bill Cutler arrived in San Francisco in 1970, spent the following decades producing other people’s records, and on his first album channels all those influences and experiences. His guitar...

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(Posted by Alan K. Lipton 2011-06-01)

Bittertown - Scenes from the Box

Dutch bassist Tom Janssen is the driving force behind this album, though his debut solo outing, Are You Surprised, dates back to 2004. For this concept album he’s enlisted aid from...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Blld - Materia Prima

This 20-minute EP is very tasty indeed. A meeting of Ric Byer (also known as 05Ric) and Markus Reuter would be expected to be a summit meeting of two original and remarkable players, but this...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Blue Cranes are from Portland, Oregon; led by two saxophones, one alto and one tenor. The band has a remarkable style, having heard Monk and Zorn but wanting to play straightforward rock melodies.... » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Bone Cave Ballet - The Echo of Entropy

"Bone Cave Ballet" — what an evocative name. So many possible interpretations, all of them intriguing. The music itself has a similar quality, with lyrics that catch your imagination without lending... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Brown vs Brown - Odds and Unevens

Rock vs. jazz; punk vs. art; complex compositions vs. raw improvisation. Brown vs. Brown encompasses all of this and much more, turning in seven long tracks of blistering raw energy for their...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Brunnen - Swoon

<crickets> — that’s either the typical response to the question “Any Brunnen fans in the audience?” or an accurate description of the third track on this CD. Brunnen...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Bryan Ferry - Olympia

Bryan Ferry has noticeably become very particular when releasing new material under his own name. Reportedly this album was going to be a Roxy Music recording at one point, seriously re-worked and...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2011-06-01)

Cage - Secret Passage

There’s nothing new about a progressive rock band sounding a bit like classic Genesis, and unless you have a categorical dislike of bands that sound a bit like classic Genesis, Cage has a lot...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Carla Kihlstedt / Matthias Bossi / Shahzad Ismaily - Causing a Tiger

Here we have three principals of various Bay Area art-music assemblages of recent vintage creating something new and radically different from their usual endeavors. Most readers will know violinist...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Carta - An Index of Birds

Carta hail from the S.F. Bay Area and currently consist of Kyle Monday (guitar), Sacha Galvagna (bass, keyboards), Ray Welter (guitar, keyboards), Gabriel Coan (drums, electronics), Jason Perez...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Cédric Vuille - Faire

Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Vuille may be better known as a founder member of the Swiss Band L’Ensemble Rayé, and Debile Menthol before that. But with little to no recording activity from... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Celestial Oeuvre - This Mortal Coil

The story around this album is a sad one. New Yorkers Celestial Oeuvre had just finished work on the follow up to their 2004 debut Second Chance when keyboard player / bassist / guitar...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Chance:Risiko - Sleep Talking

The first thing I’d have to say about this four-piece from Bologna is that they really don’t sound Italian, which of course is an absurd thing to say, since a whole country can’t...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Christopher Froh / Christopher Burns - Triptych

So if a tryptich is an art work that has three parts, for example three panels in a hinged painting that opens up, how come this musical tryptich has five tracks? The answer is that two of them are...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Chuck van Zyl - MemorySpace

Van Zyl is probably best known for his Philadelphia based Stars End radio program, which he has hosted for over 30 years now, and his long running concert series The Gathering, which has...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

CJ Boyd - Aerial Roots

I previously encountered C.J. Boyd with his group Sexxxtet (reviewed last issue), and while this recording features him without the cellos, there are definitely some musical similarities. The...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Clogs - The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton

It's an actual place: Lady Walton's Giardini La Mortella acts as a foundation in memory of her late husband, the composer Sir William Walton, provides the setting for classical performances and –... » Read more
(Posted by K. Leimer 2011-06-01)

Conqueror - Madame Zelle

Not much accompanied this promo – just a disc in an envelope. No booklet, tray card, or information. Normally my attitude is that if a label doesn’t care enough to send artwork or any...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Cybiont - Angels & Demons

There is a paucity of information about Cybiont other than he is a New Zealander performer, composer, and producer. Angels & Demons, not to be confused with Dan Brown’s Vatican...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Da Capo - Da Capo

Da Capo were a German band from Fürth in mid-Franconia who released one LP in 1972 that became one of the most sought-after German rock records. They recorded their seven-track album in two days...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

David Helpling & Jon Jenkins - The Crossing

Around three years ago, Helpling and Jenkins’ initial collaboration Treasure (reviewed in # 35) initiated the journey that continues here – not just a protraction or sequel,...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Delta Red - Gama de Espectros

Delta Red is a progressive jazz-rock trio hailing from Querétaro, Mexico who play aggressive instrumentals heavily influenced by King Crimson’s Red. The title track opens the...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Dennis Rea - Views from Chicheng Precipice

Classical Chinese poetry, like Japanese haiku, even in English translation, can be very evocative, carefully choosing certain details to trigger the mind to fill in an entire scene. For the most...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Distinguished Panel of Experts - Trans-Indulgent

These experts are well known to most Exposé readers: bassist and primary expert Mike Sary (French TV), keyboardist Guy Leblanc (Nathan Mahl, Camel), guitarist Shawn Persinger...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Djam Karet - The Heavy Soul Sessions

Over the last four or five years, Djam Karet has gone through some evolutionary changes. Gayle Ellett has switched from guitars to primarily analog keyboards, and a fifth member Mike Murray has...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Dou Wei & Buyiyang - Zaochun de Yusan (Early Spring Umbrella) & Ru Qiu (Entering Autumn)

Chinese multi-instrumentalist / singer / composer Dou Wei first came to public notice as a member of Heibao (Black Panther), one of the country’s earliest prominent rock bands, back in the...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Dungen - Skit i Alt

Dungen is a four-piece band of guitar, bass and drums together with composer Gustav Ejstes, a keyboard player who also plays flute and guitar. He sings in a nice nasal tenor style much like...

» Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Edward Artemiev - Invitation to Reminiscences

At first you may think you’re listening to Vangelis, but synthesizer pioneer Edward Artiemiev’s music comes from a different place and sensibility: a subtle Russianness underlies much...

» Read more
(Posted by Pam Thompson 2011-06-01)

Eidôlon - Dreamland

Eidôlon is a French band consisting of a keyboardist / guitarist, violin / bass, and a drummer. Dreamland is a seven-part 50-minute piece based on a poem by Edgar Allan Poe. The disc...

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(Posted by Dan Marsh 2011-06-01)

Else Teicher - Whored

Very little is available regarding Ms. Teicher, the only information I could find is on the BlRR web site. Apparently Else has been releasing limited run cassettes and CDRs for the past 20 years, and... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Engineers - Three Fact Fader

Engineers were a band many pegged to go big, but the implosion of their label after the release of their 2004 debut threw them into limbo. The time off allowed them to slave over these 13 songs,...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Esthema - The Hereness and Nowness of Things

This American band features a trio of guitar (electric and acoustic), violin, and oud / bouzouki backed by electric bass and drums, plus guests on percussion and cello. The lead role is most...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Faithful Breath - Fading Beauty

Faithful Breath, who later became a German heavy metal band in the 80s, began as a symphonic progressive band releasing two LPs in the 70s: Fading Beauty and Back on My Hill....

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Faust - C'est Com... Com... Compliqué & Is Last

Beginning in the lush, disco-free Eurozone of the 70s, beneficiaries of finally reliable synthesizers, a well-defined tradition of art music tape experimentation, post modern euphemisms, and a...

» Read more
(Posted by K. Leimer 2011-06-01)

Felonious Bosch - Toy Box

An interesting new release by this Minneapolis / St. Paul based sextet, one that skirts a lot of musical genres (elements of pop, folk, rock, blues, jazz and experimental are all fused into their...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Fern Knight - Castings

Drawing seemingly equal parts from dark-age folk, psychedelic mysticism, and post-rock, this latest release by Fern Knight embraces some of the more straightforward folk sound of their 2008...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Fibonacci Sequence - We Three Kings & Numerology

This Milwaukee-based band’s name may have you expecting some sort of robotic math rock, though there’s little in the way of Frippian interlocking guitar patterns here. Instead these two...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Final Conflict - Stand Up

Stand Up nicely sums up the Final Conflict modus operandi. Out front are the dual lead guitars and vocals of Brian Donkin and Andy Lawton (who I swear is Sean Bean’s long lost twin...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Flood - Tales from the Four Seasons

Flood is a one man band who plays all the instruments (acoustic guitar, keyboards and clarinet, among others) on this CD which gives us four tunes, one for each season. The entire CD is a tranquil...

» Read more
(Posted by Dan Marsh 2011-06-01)

Fra Fra Sound - Dya So

It’s a big world, and many people are free to move around it, so something like a “Dutch Afro-Caribbean” jazz band shouldn’t be too unexpected, I suppose. And given this...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

French TV - I Forgive You for All My Unhappiness

This is the tenth album by bassist Mike Sary and company, which this time (for the most part) includes ex-Boud Deun / current Prester John guitarist Shawn Persinger, drummer Jeff Gard, Adam Huffer...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Frequency Drift - Personal Effects (Part Two)

Frequency Drift is primarily the effort of German keyboardist Andreas Hack, though he’s joined by a large group of supporting players that includes three female vocalists, three guitar...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Frogg Café - Bateless Edge

New York’s Frogg Café has released one of the most interesting albums of the year with Bateless Edge. This is a 77-minute CD with eight songs ranging from five to 14 minutes, three of... » Read more
(Posted by Dan Marsh 2011-06-01)

Garaj Mahal - More Mr Nice Guy & Discovery

Garaj Mahal takes some of the classic elements of 70s fusion and makes them work in today’s musical climate. While the music is sometimes on the funky side of rhythm, the jazz feel always...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Gary DiBenedetto - Twin Towers

Gary DiBenedetto is an electro-acoustic composer from New York and Twin Towers is his effort to present a compilation of radical and controversial sonic collages designed to imply...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Gary Husband - Dirty & Beautiful Volume 1

The idea of Jan Hammer and Allan Holdsworth playing together on a single recording (likely a fantasy of fusion fans everywhere) has come to pass on this new album from Gary Husband. Husband’s...

» Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Godsticks - Spiral Vendetta

Beginning with the obvious, Darran Charles, Godsticks' singer and principal songwriter, wants to be Adrian Belew. His high tenor perfectly mimics those eccentric, fluid melodies with emphasis through... » Read more
(Posted by Alan K. Lipton 2011-06-01)

Goldbug - The Seven Dreams

Seven bopping tunes of a highly improvisational nature are gathered together on this recording by the sterling quartet of Theo Travis on saxophones and flute; Tim Motzer on guitar, keyboards,...

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(Posted by Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Gong Global Family - Live in Brazil 20 November 2007

November 20th, 2007 is the date, one of three shows in Brazil that year. Daevid Allen and Josh Pollock (University of Errors) are joined by a number of Brazilian musicians (members of the Invisible...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Govea - Danza Urbana

This Mexican trio is led by keyboard wizard Salvador Govea, who also handles most of the compositions and arrangements. He is joined by bassist Luis Arturo Guerrero and drummer Victor Baldovinos, the... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Gunda Gottschalk / Xu Fengxia - Youlan

Here we have a set of live improvisations with Gunda Gottschalk, a German violinist, and Xu Fengxia, a Chinese guzheng player; both of them also provide vocal sounds. The guzheng is an ancient...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Haiku Funeral - Assassination in the Hashish Cathedral & If God Is a Drug

At hand we have the second and third releases by Haiku Funeral. The nine tracks of Assassination in the Hashish Cathedral explore dark grotesque soundworlds, laced with disturbing gothic...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Half Past Four - Rabbit in the Vestibule

This is Toronto quartet Half Past Four’s first full-length album that isn’t a movie score (2007’s The Mad). A variety of genres are melded here, including art,...

» Read more
(Posted by Pam Thompson 2011-06-01)

Hanggai - He Who Travels Far

Since their 2008 debut CD, this band from Inner Mongolia (currently resident in Beijing) has become a world music festival favorite, playing WOMAD, among others. That release blended the earthy...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Happy Birthday Secret Weapon - Ground Floor Coming Up

This Seattle-based band takes an interesting turn away from standard guitar power trio sounds. Certainly more complex (especially rhythmically) than your standard rock fare, they haven’t...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Harley Gaber - I Saw My Mother Ascending Mount Fuji

Gaber’s 65-minute piece for “multi-track violin, processed alto flute and tape” is, to get metaphorical (which is about the only way to really describe music), an abstract...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Henry Gwiazda - Claudia and Paul

This audio-visual work is constructed from hyper-realistic depictions of populated and empty urban landscapes. Repeated stills with captions and numerals or replays of simple events seem like a...

» Read more
(Posted by Alan K. Lipton 2011-06-01)

Hey Marseilles - To Travels and Trunks

Seattle may be most famous for its noisy rock, but there seems to be a crop of bands with expanded instrumentation and more melodic intentions. Case in point: Hey Marseilles. Their brand of...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Holloway - Illusions

Holloway is a new band from Michigan, currently operating as a quintet, though the band that recorded this debut was just the threesome of Ross Morgan (guitar, vocals, drums), his brother Josh...

» Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Hualun - Asian River

For their second release, this Wuhan post-rock crew has stepped up a few notches from their debut, Silver Daydream (

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Hypnos 69 - Legacy

It’s been a a few years since we reviewed this Belgian band’s previous effort, The Eclectic Measure, but this latest release Legacy (also available as a double-LP) is...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Ideal Bread - Transmit: Vol. 2 of the Music of Steve Lacy

Fans of Steve Lacy will adore this – a reverential treatment of seven Lacy compositions from various periods in his career, interpreted by players who have a high level of skill playing in...

» Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2011-06-01)

Il Tempio delle Clessidre - Il Tempio delle Clessidre

If you yearn for 70s Italian prog, rejoice as this genre is alive and well with the next generation of bands. The best is Il Tempio delle Clessidre (Temple of the Hourglass) whose name is a...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Incandescent Sky - Four Faradays in a Cage

This band is now up to their fourth full-length release of improvised music, and it’s an amazingly coherent effort, not at all random-sounding or chaotic. Their focus has always been more on...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

J.C. Combs - Safe Passage

After a long period of what seems like relative inactivity, Electroshock released at least a dozen new titles in 2010. Safe Passage is among the most interesting of those, but also one of...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

J21 - Yellow Mind - Blue Mind

J21 is the stage name of a Spanish guitarist who, judging from the list of collaborators here and on his other projects, is getting a lot of attention in musical circles. This CD features Trey...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Jack Dupon - Démon Hardi

[Regarding Démon Hardi]

An up-and-coming four-piece from the Auvergne region of France, there is nobody named Jack in the band – kind of like that other band...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Jack o' the Clock - How Are We Doing, and Who Will Tell Us?

The East Bay area (Oakland and surrounding) has produced some interesting musical hybrids of late. A lot of that no doubt has to do with Fred Frith’s involvement with the esteemed Mills...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Jan Bang - ...And Poppies from Kandahar

Sonic sculptor Jan Bang brings his formidable sampling skills to bear on this internationally star-studded disk. His large palette of extracted sounds varies dramatically from solo vocals to...

» Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Jesca Hoop - Kismet & Hunting My Dress

I missed this extraordinary songwriter's debut back in 2007, but when I heard her second effort I immediately sought it out. Kismet is a stunning entry into what might be called the...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension - To the One

Has there ever been such a strong John McLaughlin studio album? This slightly revised quartet has come off some high mountaintops (specifically the guitarist’s last two albums, Industrial...

» Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Josiah - Procession

Procession is the fifth and final album by this UK stoner rock band formed in 2000. If you are a fan of head-slamming rock along the lines of Black Sabbath and Ozzie, this is the album for... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Julie Slick - Julie Slick

Being from a famous music family has definitely helped bassist Julie Slick get a leg up on the competition. A graduate of the Paul Green School of Rock, Slick and her just slightly older brother...

» Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton 2011-06-01)

K Leimer - Degraded Certainties

Kerry Leimer's newest work delves deeply into the process side of ambient fabrications. Here, he gathers source elements that include strings, bells, and percussive sounds, and then runs them through... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Khatsaturjan - Disconcerto Grosso

Named after the famous Soviet composer (spelling may vary), this Finnish progressive quartet exudes classical ambition carried by formidable chops that many prog bands can only dream about....

» Read more
(Posted by Alan K. Lipton 2011-06-01)

Kraan - Diamonds

Kraan, now down to a trio of Hellmut Hattler, Jan Fride, and Peter Wolbrandt (bass, drums, and guitars/vocals respectively), seems to have found new freedom and energy in the three-piece format, as...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Lalo Huber - Lost in Kali Yuga

Lalo Huber is the keyboard player for Nexus and this is his first solo album. This 79-minute disc is mostly instrumental with a couple of vocal songs. The centerpiece of the disc is the four-part...

» Read more
(Posted by Dan Marsh 2011-06-01)

Lee Abraham - Black & White

On this album Lee Abraham is treading a similar path as countryman Steve Thorne (see Roundtables, this issue), though overall these songs have a stronger metal quality to them, especially in the...

» Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Legendary Pink Dots - Seconds Late for the Brighton Line

2010 marks the 30th anniversary of this band as well as a major change to their lineup. Long time band member Niels van Hoorn departed because of the demands of constant touring, reducing the band to... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Lemurya - Soma

I’ve been listening to a lot of Japanese and Chinese rock music lately, so my ears are atuned to the sounds of those languages. Imagine my surprise to hear both of them on this French...

» Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Level ∏ - Electronic Sheep

Electronic Sheep is Uwe Cremer’s (aka Level ∏) second release and though firmly rooted in the Teutonic and Berlin-school of electronics, it is quite a departure from Entrance.... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Level ∏ - Entrance

Level π is kind of an oddball release for Garden of Delights as they specialize in releasing reissues and archive recordings of little known German bands from the late 60s and 70s. In this case,... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Lonely China Day - This Easily Assimilative People

I wrote about this Chinese band’s previous CD back in #36. On this latest effort, they continue their path moving away from sounds typical of rock bands and further into the esoteric realms of... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Lunatic Soul - Lunatic Soul II

Nowhere on the cover does it actually say it, but this is indeed the second Lunatic Soul, a follow-up to the first, which was released a couple years ago. In essence, it is the solo project of...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Lüüp - Distress Signal Code

I did not know what to expect from this release. The cover is a photo of a Chaplinesque clown balancing on a stack of chairs. But the music is anything but comical. What we have is a collection of...

» Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Makaras Pen - Makaras Pen

If you’re in the mood for dreamy female vocals drenched in reverb, there’s a bunch of bands you can turn to, many of whom populate the Projekt roster, but if you feel like a little more energy in... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Mandibulbe - Praxis

This French instrumental quartet brings a lot of influences to the table, although refined and presented in a fresh and progressive way. The band’s main composer is guitarist Guillaume Fenoy,...

» Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Manooghi Hi - Silence

Manooghi Hi are nothing if not ambitious, at least when it comes to sound. Every track on their second CD features lush arrangements, intense singing, and a full complement of rhythm from the bass and... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Marc Barreca - Subterrane

You know you’ve entered the modern era when the sole musician on a CD is credited with “acoustic and synthesized sources” — which in this case apparently involves a lot of...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Master Musicians of Bukkake - Totem Two

MMOB is a Seattle-based musician collective with members from Earth, Asva, Burning Witch, The Diminished Men, and special guests from Secret Chiefs 3 and the thriving Istanbul music scene. They...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Mike Henderson - White Arrow Project

Mike Henderson was one of the founding members of Djam Karet, and White Arrow Project represents his interest in acoustic guitar based song oriented craft with lyrics. He has assembled a...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Mike Keneally - Scambot 1

This is the first installment in a three-volume cycle, about a guy named Scambot, his cat Chee and the evil Boleous T. Ophunji (among many others). Mike Keneally is a triple threat as a musician,...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Mushroom - Naked, Stoned, & Stabbed

The opening cut, a gentle duo for flute and acoustic guitar, is the first signal that this might be a little different than previous Mushroom releases. In fact, what a listener will notice is that...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

My Sleeping Karma - Tri

This German instrumental outfit, described by its label as stoner rock or psychedelic groove rock, comes at you with a nuanced assault of guitar, bass and drums, drenched with moody reverb and...

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(Posted by Alan K. Lipton 2011-06-01)

Mystery - Destiny? 10th Anniversary Edition

This is a reissue of Mystery’s second disc, Destiny? Originally issued in 1988, it features original singer Gary Savoie along with main song-writer and guitarist Michel...

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(Posted by Dan Marsh 2011-06-01)

Necronomicon - Strange Dreams

Strange Dreams presents 13 archived recordings from the Aachen band Necronomicon. The first ten are rehearsal tapes and the final three live, all from 1976. Consequently, the sound quality is... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Nevärlläjf - Klusterfloristen

Nevärlläjf is a young Swedish quintet of synths, guitars, bass, and drums. By young, I mean that these guys were in high school in 2005. Yet their music belies their age with its...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Nik Bärtsch's Ronin - Llyria

The instrumentation for this highly regarded jazz quintet is soprano and alto saxophone and bass clarinet, piano, bass, drums, and percussion. Pianist Bärtsch is the adept leader and...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

No Name - 20 Candles

No Name may be the only prog rock band from Luxembourg. They currently have four studio albums under their belt, their most recent being the creatively named 4 from 2006. 2008 marked the...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Noetics - Delayed Back

Delayed Back is a set of eleven electronica / dub / jazz / trance instrumentals by Noetics from Germany. Noetics is Ole Ohlendorf (keyboards and synths), Christian Schmidt (percussion),...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Odyssice - Silence

Dutch band Odyssice’s new album has been several years in the making, but it was worth the wait. The band has gone though some changes since 2000’s Impression, most notably the...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Osada Vida - Uninvited Dreams

Poland is bursting with talented groups these days and I’d put this quartet near the top of that list. Their sound is similar to countrymen Riverside in that they can delve into heavy duty...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Pancake - Out of the Ashes

Perhaps the band is better known for their opening salvo, Roxy Elephant, in 1975, which featured a far more guitar dominated progressive style. The follow-up, Out of the Ashes, is...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Paolo Angeli - Tibi

Part concert, part love letter to an instrument, this is a fascinating piece of work. Recorded in Bologna, Italy in 2009, this is a one-man concert by Paolo Angeli on a highly modified Sardinian... » Read more
(Posted by Pam Thompson 2011-06-01)

Percy Jones / Scott McGill / Ritchie DeCarlo - Percy Jones / Scott McGill / Ritchie DeCarlo

Fasten your seat belts prior to starting the opening track “Menagerie Animato” – it clocks in at only a little under five minutes, but it’ll leave you out of breath and in...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Peter Gach - Fresh Piano

Californian pianist Peter Gach here presents a set of pieces by five different contemporary composers from his home state; a variety of styles are represented, from decidedly lyrical to angular and...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Phaedra - Ptah

Hmmm. This is one case where I really wish the promo had come with an info-sheet, but instead this writer is left guessing as to what much of this album, sung entirely in Italian, is all about. On...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Picchio dal Pozzo - A_Live

Many great Italian progressive bands reformed in the 90s and early 00s (some returned to their roots after years of producing pop music), and PDP is one example of a band that made a real difference... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Pikapika TeArt - Moonberry

Nine extraordinary musicians from Krasnoyarsk, one of the largest cities in south-central Siberia, make up this new entry in the chamber-meets-rock-meets-folk genre. Among the players are bassist...

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(Posted by Jon Davis, Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Polytoxicomane Philharmonie - Go Ape

Apparently this is the fourth release by this German five-piece that’s somehow flown under my radar since their 2003 debut. The fact that there are only eight tracks spread across these two...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Prester John - Desire for a Straight Line

Prester John this time is Shawn Persinger on acoustic guitar and David Miller on mandolin, weaving beautiful intertwining rhythms and melodies, with some amazing lead fretwork from both players as...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Procosmian Fannyfiddlers - Requiem Fatigue

Sweet voices and guitars start off the Procosmian Fannyfiddlers eighth CD, Requiem Fatigue. The band calls their style burlesque progressive rock, and that's pretty accurate. The tales told... » Read more
(Posted by Pam Thompson 2011-06-01)

Proyecto Wef - En Concierto - Creación Espontánea

Each song is named “Creación Espontánea” followed by the appropriate Roman numeral, which gives the songs a kind of implied importance. They do deserve your attention,...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Psicotropia - Psicotropia 3

We’ve followed this trio from their first album, and each release has been a significant step forward. No exception here, they’ve further elucidated their overall concept and integrated...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Quicksilver - Six String Voodoo, 07 Live & The Hermit

Gary Duncan was the ‘other’ guitarist in the original Quicksilver Messenger Service. Today, with Freiberg off doing other things with Jefferson Starship most of the time, Greg Elmore...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Radio Massacre International - Time and Motion

This trio of Brits has been performing their epic electronic improvisations since the mid 90s. They have performed at numerous electronic music festivals across Europe and the US. In 2004 they...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Radio Massacre International - Time and Motion

I’m no RMI expert, but of the things I’ve heard, there’s some nifty Tangerine Dream style electronic music, some tripped-out space rock, and some atmospheric improvisation. Those...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Ranjit Barot - Bada Boom

Drummer Ranjit Barot has certainly surrounded himself with world-class international talent, much of which also records for the Abstract Logix label. Since participating with John McLaughlin on...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Rational Diet - On Phenomena and Existences

This is the fourth time out for this seven-piece chamber-rock ensemble from Belarus, their third in three years for AltrOck, a great label that seems to be able to do no wrong. Featuring drums,...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Reebosound - This Is Reebosound

Reebosound is the brainchild of mulit-instrumentalist Sven “Missu” Missullis from Hannover, Germany. This is Reebsound is his second solo release. Performing live at shows and...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Retsam Suriv - Exégesys

Retsam Suriv is a progressive metal band from Argentina. Exégesys is their first album and was released in 2009 (but copyrighted in 2007). The band consists of guitars, keyboards, bass,... » Read more
(Posted by Dan Marsh 2011-06-01)

Richard Pinhas - Metal / Crystal

If it's true – at least in creative work – that quantity yields quality, the recent releases by Richard Pinhas are proving that maxim possesses a limited applicability. Built as a...

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(Posted by K. Leimer 2011-06-01)

Rick Miller - Falling through Rainbows

Rick Miller is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and composer who began his musical career in the 80s. Over the past five years Rick’s focus has been progressive rock and Falling through... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Rick Wakeman - Past, Present and Future

At the outset, it would appear that reviewing three CDs of solo piano music from keyboardist Rick Wakeman would be a daunting task. While wrestling with the perception that the pianist can easily sit... » Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Robin Taylor / Taylor's Free Universe - Two Pack

A brilliant marketing strategy here - two 3-inch mini-CDs in cardboard sleeves are shrink-wrapped back-to-back. The first features three new songs recorded in 2010, featuring Taylor on guitars, bass,... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Roman Stolyar - Missa Apocryph

This release in no way fits the standard mold of Electroshock music (though they’ve been breaking that mode a lot lately, so maybe we should stop remarking on it!), being essentially a...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Rotor - 4

This is blistering high energy, mostly instrumental hard rock by a German trio with three previous releases to their credit – we reviewed their third album a couple issues back. The...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Rudy Adrian - Distant Stars

As its title boldly suggests, Rudy Adrian's latest (and his third for Lotuspike) launches the listener into the ambient expanses of deep space, leaving the earth – elements of which provided the... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Runaway Totem - Le Roi du Monde

After close to twenty years on the scene, this Italian band continues to evolve and surprise, providing something new and unique with each new release. Le Roi du Monde (King of the...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage

Beyond the Lighted Stage is directors Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen's look under the hood at the venerable Canadian trio, with the bulk of the content based on personal interviews with...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Sándor Szabó / Kevin Kastning - Returning

For readers who have memorized every review this magazine has published, I won't have to remind you that we've covered the two previous releases by this duo of unusual guitarists. For the...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

SBB - Blue Trance

The legendary SBB is back once again with Blue Trance, same lineup as last time (multi-instrumentalist Józef Skrzek, guitarist Apostolis Anthimos, and drummer Gabor Nemeth), this...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

ScienceNV - Pacific Circumstances

This is the second release by this San Francisco based quartet, their odd name coming from the fact that all four members are trained and working scientists, although that most certainly doesn't...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Soft Machine - Live at Henie Onstad Art Centre 1971

The challenge for any archivist of the Soft Machine catalog has been to present just what it was like to attend a performance by the classic line-up of Wyatt, Dean, Ratledge, and Hopper. Now with half... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen, Jeff Melton 2011-06-01)

Soft Machine Legacy - Live Adventures

With the sad passings of Canterbury icons Elton Dean and Hugh Hopper, the reformulated quartet continues to carry on convincingly in the vein of the great icon of British Jazz. Now led by the...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2011-06-01)

Solstice - Spirit

One of the bright spots of 2010 was the return of Solstice. It's been 13 years since their last studio effort, Circles, and I was beginning to wonder if they'd ever return. Other than Andy... » Read more
(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Sophya Baccini - Aradia

Hers was one of the most powerful voices in Italian rock when she fronted the band Presence in the mid-to-late 90s, with albums like The Sleeper Awakes and Black Opera to their...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Stefan Poetzsch - Light On

Born into a family of musicians and artists, Stefan Poetzsch started studying classical violin at music school in Magdeburg, East Germany in 1970. In the mid-70s he heard a radio broadcast of music...

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(Posted by Pam Thompson 2011-06-01)

Steve Hackett - Out of the Tunnel's Mouth (Deluxe Edition)

Back in the day I was a huge Genesis and Steve Hackett fan, but I lost interest in Steve with his 1980 release Defector. Fast forward 30 years and it looks like either I have been missing...

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(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)

Steve Howe Trio - Travelling

Steve Howe’s jazzy organ trio plays with the entire groove that this traditional jazz configuration demands, and then some. Together with his oldest son Dylan on drums and Ross Stanley on...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Steve Roach - Live at Grace Cathedral

This two disc set documents one of Roach’s rare live performances, this one at San Francisco's historic Grace Cathedral on June 29, 2007. The natural reverb of the performance space meshes well with... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Steve Roach - Sigh of Ages

Sigh of Ages is Steve Roach's fourth release of 2010. Six continuous tracks totaling 74 minutes take you on a journey that is deep, dark and hypnotic for its duration. You either really like... » Read more
(Posted by Dan Marsh 2011-06-01)

Steve Tibbetts - Natural Causes

On first listen, one could easily be forgiven for thinking that Natural Causes might be a collection of out-takes from Tibbetts' 1982 album Northern Song, his very first LP for ECM.... » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Stickman - Fretless

On Neil Haverstick's ninth CD, he offers a compilation of all the fretless pieces from his previous CDs. Four of seven tracks exceed the ten-minute mark and feel improvised, sometimes enhanced with... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

The Gak Omek - Nonrenormalizability

The Gak Omek is the project of one Robert Burger, and this is album number three. Mostly we hear guitars, guitar synths, synth-drums, keyboards, clarinet, some wild electronic sounds, and lots of...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

The Microscopic Septet - Friday the Thirteenth

Straight ahead jazz with a flair for the avant – that’s Friday the 13th, the latest from The Microscopic Septet. This is the band’s tribute to Thelonious Monk, featuring...

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(Posted by Pam Thompson 2011-06-01)

The Pineapple Thief - Someone Here Is Missing

The Pineapple Thief have always had an affinity for indie rock that’s put them at the forefront of the new generation of British prog bands. They push the envelope even further here, with a...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

The Tunnel Singer - Undercurrents

The theme of this latest offering – the ninth from Lee Ellen Shoemaker, aka The Tunnel Singer – is various deep water undercurrents, with appropriately named titles like “Cedros...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2011-06-01)

Three Shanghai Bands

These three bands hail from Shanghai, a city known for avant-garde music, and they certainly fit that categorization; they share members, several of whom have also worked in other prominent...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Tinyfish - The Big Red Spark

It seems like everything British prog rockers Tinyfish have done up to now has been a prelude to The Big Red Spark. It helps that there’s a solid continuity between this and the...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2011-06-01)

Tokyo Jihen - Sports

Since its founding in 2004, singer Shiina Ringo's band Tokyo Jihen (The Tokyo Incidents) has been a very eclectic and creative entry in the Japanese rock scene. Their latest effort is no exception, a... » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2011-06-01)

Tortoise - Beacons of Ancestorship

What if Can and Cluster merged? Grinding retro-sequencers and synthesizers have an old eight-bit tone to them on this record – the funny result is like Kraftwerk totally rocking out. Yes, the...

» Read more
(Posted by Jeff Melton, Scott Steele 2011-06-01)

Total Normal - Total Normal

Total Normal is Thierry Vaudor, a French Canadian multimedia artist applying his electroacoustic background from the University of Montreal to create interesting musical compositions. Total Normal... » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 2011-06-01)