Has anybody ever said, "If you've heard one Acid Mothers Temple album, you've heard them all"? My guess would be that it's been said more than once by more than one person....
» Read moreIt's good to see Panzerpappa back in action again, this being their first album in around six or seven years, now signed to the Rune Grammofon label. Even in their humble beginnings with...
» Read moreI will admit to approaching this CD with a bit of trepidation. I rather like the previous Ahleuchatistas releases I've heard (as you can tell by other reviews on this site), and I had heard...
» Read moreMustard after Dinner is a free downloadable anthology of non-album material from North London’s Fighting Kites (2006-2012). Pulling together their self-releases, compilation...
» Read more"Stoner rock" is one of those labels that means pretty much nothing to me. It's not as bad as "indie rock," but it doesn't really describe the music in any meaningful...
» Read moreBassist Julie Slick's second solo album comes after extensive performing with Adrian Belew in his Power Trio on the Two of a Perfect Trio tour, and many of her bandmates from that experience...
» Read moreCheck out the subtitle: "Songs written by Mike Keneally & Andy Partridge." There you see the reason I had to have this. Keneally is a consistently interesting songwriter, guitarist,...
» Read moreIt took a while, but Lonny Ziblat won me over with this set of songs. On the surface, Songs from the Drawer is a singer-songwriter effort from Dutch multi-instrumentalist Ziblat, who...
» Read moreHow to start a review when a simple list of all the styles touched on in the music would use the entire word count? Jim of Seattle is one guy recording with a little help from friends (or possibly...
» Read moreThink about Odessey and Oracle, S.F. Sorrow, and Pet Sounds. All classics of a particular era, and all sharing a similar aesthetic that combined psychedelic rock with a...
» Read moreThe Goblin Market is an occasional project of Jeff Kelly and Laura Weller, both of whom are probably better known as members of The Green Pajamas. Their other collaborators are Emily, Charlotte,...
» Read moreI’ve been debating with myself about how I would review this collection of music, individual reviews or one combined review. Jack Dupon’s music is difficult to describe, so instead of...
» Read moreZeuhl alert! One of the best, yet little known zeuhl gems has re-surfaced thanks to the specialty label Soleil Atreides, the same folks who recently gave us Archaia. Dün is rather more in the...
» Read moreOne look at the cover and the magic square that adds up to 15 in any direction, and one might get the idea that math is a big part of this music, and they would be right. But it’s actually a...
» Read moreLol Coxhill and Morgan Fisher are two musicians whom you wouldn’t think had crossed paths before. Coxhill’s resume consists of an early stint with Kevin Ayers and Mike Oldfield in The...
» Read moreThe Lost Vinyl label once made a career out of reissuing these hopelessly obscure Basque folk-rock gems. These days they seem to find their way to re-release on their original labels, usually Elkar...
» Read moreRight from the beginning you will realize this is not the same Marillion we've heard on the previous two albums. "Man of a Thousand Faces" opens with a simple three-chord acoustic...
» Read moreWith Gleams, Robbie Gennet has produced a set of very appealing sophisticated songs that draw on a long history of good music. I am reminded of such classics as Goodbye Yellow Brick...
» Read moreListening to Copernicus is anything but easy. Widely varying music, everything from clattering free improvisation to sloppy renditions of "The Star-Spangled Banner," backs the crazed...
» Read morePancake started life as the psychedelic band Nyrvana Pancake, releasing a single in 1973 (“Open Your Eyes” / “Lonesome Boy”), then in 1974 with a new bass player, decided to...
» Read moreLangsyne was a German folk group that began in 1969 as the duo of teenagers Egbert Fröse (guitar, organ, other instruments, vocals) and Ulrich Nähle (percussion, flute, other instruments,...
» Read moreKeyboradist Hendrik Schaper and bassist Rolf Rettberg had been playing together since 1967 in a trio called Trikolon from Osnabrück in lower Saxony. Early in the spring of 1971, the third...
» Read moreThis set marks the end of an era for Spock's Beard. The tour in support of the 2010 album X was the last to include founding member, drummer, and singer Nick D'Virgilio. As with...
» Read moreHillmen is an improvisational four-piece featuring drummer Peter Hillman, the Topanga contingent of Djam Karet – Gayle Ellett on organ and electric piano and guitarist Mike Murray, plus track...
» Read moreWhile Yes, King Crimson, ELP, and Genesis went on to considerable fame, there were a good number of English bands that didn’t fare so well as far as output goes, but were equally as...
» Read moreThe Mercury Tree is a young band from Portland, Oregon forging a style that mixes elements of modern progressive rock (along the lines of Porcupine Tree) with post-rock (a little like Explosions in...
» Read moreSaxophonist Dave Liebman has a career stretching back to the 70s, a resume that includes much expansion of jazz beyond its traditional sounds; Machine Mass (Michel Delville and Tony Bianco) have a...
» Read moreThis is a band I have occasional (ahem) doubts about. Their use of sequencing borders on mechanical-sounding at times, but then the sheer quality of the music becomes apparent, and my reservations...
» Read moreWhile credit is due to Alan Stivell for being the first great figure of the modern French folk revival, my favorite group of the entire genre is Gabriel Yacoub's Malicorne. Even though it was...
» Read moreI had never heard of Autumn Electric before I saw them open for Johnny Unicorn at a dive bar in Seattle. Since that time I've been metaphorically kicking myself for not paying more attention to...
» Read moreHere at Exposé, there are a number of things that are just not allowed, and not reviewing a Muffins album is one of them. Mother Tongue came out during a...
» Read moreRadiate! is Camera’s debut release and quite an impressive first outing to be sure! The eight tracks alternate with the odd numbered tracks being energetic and the even tracks...
» Read moreLets start with the title. "What is an oast house?" you might ask. An oast house is a special building for drying hops, a critical step in brewing beer. The negative image on the album...
» Read moreAny band that would name a tune "Arvo Particle" has my attention. Fang Chia's piece by that title doesn't really seem to have any connection to Arvo Pärt (or maybe I'm...
» Read moreI suppose it's likely that this Norwegian band is making some kind of political statement with the title of this record, but I'm going to set that aside and just listen. Sonically, we have...
» Read moreWhen I interviewed Uwe Cremer in Köln in 2011 he told me that one of his...
» Read moreIn 2012 Dieter Moebius was invited to perform a musical accompaniment to Fritz Lang’s sci fi silent film classic Metropolis. His approach to scoring the 2 ½ hour film was to...
» Read moreAs the 70s slipped towards the 80s, progressive rock bands found their style of music increasingly unpopular, so most of them that stayed active tried to maintain relevance by making music more in...
» Read morePeter Bardens' first album after leaving Camel is a showcase for his songwriting as much as for his keyboard playing. He sings on several songs, and while he was never a great singer, he was...
» Read moreThe reissue of Heldon's first album is one that this writer has surely been anticipating for quite some time. What's even better is that Heldon's very elusive double third album has...
» Read moreWhen I think of Greece, the last thing that comes to mind is 60s psychedelia. But with a steadily growing fan base is this five-person band from Thessaloniki, Greece The Basements. And what a great...
» Read moreStrangers on a Train was a short-lived project whose two albums were originally released on the infamous SI label. The band pretty much launched the careers of several notable musicians in the...
» Read moreStrangers on a Train was a short-lived project whose two albums were originally released on the infamous SI label. The band pretty much launched the careers of several notable musicians in the...
» Read moreI'm combining two albums here as the live CD / Blu Ray / DVD differs very little from the studio version in terms of notes — it may be slightly more intense, but everything I can say...
» Read moreIn the early 90s, Änglagård weren't the first retro-symphonic rock group to rise up in the genre's comeback years, but they were arguably the most important, and they certainly...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
This post will be umlaut free for efficiency. Hhai Live is the top Magma on my list if for no other reason than it was probably the first one I...
» Read more1975 saw several personnel changes in Magma's lineup, but the instrumentation which recorded the brilliant Köhntarkösz remained virtually unchanged, only adding Didier...
» Read moreFor 2012, guitarist Todd Clouser gives us two CDs, one of original music (Entre) and one of cover tunes (20th Century Folk Selections), some of them arranged nearly beyond...
» Read moreFor 2012, guitarist Todd Clouser gives us two CDs, one of original music (Entre) and one of cover tunes (20th Century Folk Selections), some of them arranged nearly beyond...
» Read moreFans of this popular Brazilian band will surely revel in this package: one CD (Magic Spells) captures the band live in 2005, there’s a second CD of new music (2012 Light Years...
» Read moreThis two-album set is Portuguese musician Luis Simões’ unabashed love letter to classic British psych. Think Syd-era Pink Floyd, Steve Hillage, early Gong, etc. Even the recording...
» Read moreSince Magma reformed in the late 1990s, the band has been releasing mostly live albums and DVDs of their classic material, and two extended pieces of music (Köhntarkösz Anteria...
» Read moreTheir first studio album in seven years, Freaks of Nature marks the return of Kansas. Well, actually they haven't been gone. Even though this marks the first studio release for the...
» Read moreThis one surprised me a bit – I guess I was expecting it to be much worse. I suppose it's a bit dated for 1973, with definite psych / beat influences and shorter songs. In many ways,...
» Read moreThere's no overestimating the impact Kate Bush has had on music, especially for many female musicians who found in her a model for how to be successful (musically if not commercially) and...
» Read moreSilberbart were a German trio in the early Guru Guru vein, a bass-drums-guitar combination with an eye for the psychedelic. If you're familiar with Guru Guru albums such as Hinten or...
» Read moreFor most of Rush's fans the music on the Canadian trio's 19th studio album won't come as a complete surprise. The songs "Caravan" and "BU2B" were released a couple...
» Read moreFor some listeners, I suppose, pretty much anything labeled Prog Metal will be attractive, but for someone like me who is outside that group, a prog metal band has to do something special to not...
» Read moreThis new Norwegian jazz quartet features drums, double bass, trumpet, tenor and soprano sax, and vocals. Bandleader Ellen Andrea Wang is the lead voice and double bass, and also responsible for all...
» Read moreTo a certain extent, Ossicles could be considered another example of my new genre (see the previous O.R.k....
» Read moreOrdinary Brainwash is the nom de plume of Polish composer/musician Rafał Żak; Me 2.0 is his third release, built around a narrative that either is or isn’t autobiographical — it’s...
» Read moreBy the end of the 1970s Todd Rungren had done it all, honing his guitar and compositional chops with The Nazz in the late 1960s, ultimately leaving that band to move on to production work for other...
» Read moreThere is not much information available about this Italian prog rock band. They have been around since 2005, but their MySpace page is noticeably lacking in details. If you Google “Flower...
» Read moreThe Cold Blue label has been around since the early 1980s, producing a number of excellent vinyl releases, then a few years later they folded up shop, only to re-emerge as a CD label a decade later...
» Read moreAche was a Danish four-piece progressive rock outfit that released four albums during the 1970s, of which these are the first two. Their debut De Homine Urbano ("About Urban Man"), an...
» Read moreAche was a Danish four-piece progressive rock outfit that released four albums during the 1970s, of which these are the first two. Their debut De Homine Urbano ("About Urban Man"), an...
» Read moreAcqua Fragile is best known as the band that featured singer Bernardo Lanzetti prior to his joining PFM in time for their Chocolate Kings album. But in fact from their very beginnings,...
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2021-01-18
Asia Minor Third Album on the Way –
On January 29, AMS records will be releasing the long-awaited third album by classic Turkish-French band Asia Minor. Released last year in Japan, this will be the widespread debut of Points of Libration. The album features original members Setrak Bakirel (vocals, guitar) and Eril Tekeli (flute, guitar). »
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2020-12-09
Harold Budd RIP –
Harold Budd, one of pre-eminent American composers of avant-garde and minimalism, has died of complications from the coronavirus. Budd came to prominence in the 70s, championed by Brian Eno on his Obscure Records label, with music that blended academic minimalism with electric jazz and electronic music. Much of Budd's best known work was done in collaboration with other artists, including Eno, Daniel Lanois, Robin Guthrie, Andy Partridge, John Foxx, Jah Wobble, and many others. »
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2020-11-20
25 Views of Worthing Finally Gets Released –
A while ago, we wrote about the discovery of a "long lost" Canterbury-style gem by a band called 25 Views of Worthing. And now we're pleased to find out that Wind Waker Records has released their music on an LP. »
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2020-10-14
Audion Is Back in Business –
Our esteemed colleague Alan Freeman has restarted Audion Magazine after a seven year hiatus. The new incarnation is available online on their Bandcamp site. Audion's history goes back to 1984, and included 58 issues up to 2013. Issue #59 is available now, and #60 is in the works. »
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2020-10-06
Romantic Warriors IV – Krautrock (Part 2) Is in the Works –
Zeitgeist Media, the people who have brought us the great series of documentary films chronicling the history of progressive rock, are working on the second installment of their examination of German music. Krautrock 2 will focus on artists from Münich such as Guru Guru, Amon Düül II, Xhol Caravan, Kraan, Witthüser & Westrupp, and Popol Vuh. »
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Covenant - Nature's Divine Reflection – It seems that the one-man band is making a comeback in the American mid-west. Whether this is a positive happening or not, I will leave to the individual listener. Covenant consists solely of one Dave... (1994) » Read more
Ozric Tentacles - Sunrise Festival – In years of late, at least for the studio recordings, Ozrics have been essentially the solo project of de-facto bandleader Ed Wynne (guitars and keys), with other players dropped in here and there on... (2008) » Read more
Billy Currie - Stand up and Walk – The second solo album by violinist and composer Billy Currie (ex Ultravox, Visage) traces a narrow path down a lush musical side road. Having completed his tenure with those bands, moving into a... (2002) » Read more
Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free, I'm Around About Midnight & Third – Artman's Lard Free project has received considerable amount of documentation in progressive periodicals, so I won't bore you with the details. Here's a quick overview; all are essential listens —... (1994) » Read more
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 need... (2011) » Read more