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Hello all, Greetings from Neal! I’d like to invite you to join me in a LIVE Q&A SESSION, TOMORROW (9/26/14), 10am (CST). I’ll be here: http://ow.ly/BSdbo on Radiant Record’s Facebook page eagerly waiting to hear all of your questions about Morsefest! And hopefully, will be able to provide you with some answers as well. Get your questions ready! I look forward to chatting with you about this exciting event! For the first time ever, you can join Neal in his home town for a two-day music festival! Special guests, like Mike Portnoy, will be joining Neal in performances of the entire “One” and “Testimony 1” albums. Hear the music in the very place it was inspired! This weekend will be full of legendary status events such as:
This is sure to be a once in a lifetime event that you do not want to miss! Make your travel plans to Nashville now for November 14-15!
Tickets on sale now at Radiant
God bless, Neal Morse |
Author: bradbirzer
By day, I'm a father of seven and husband of one. By night, I'm an author, a biographer, and a prog rocker. Interests: Rush, progressive rock, cultural criticisms, the Rocky Mountains, individual liberty, history, hiking, and science fiction.
RochaNews: In Search of the Sun
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In Search Of Sun The World Is Yours Raging Demon Entertainment 7 October 2014 |
| LONDON, ENGLAND – U.K. rising rock/metal quintet, In Search Of Sun, has announced an October 7 release date for its debut album, The World Is Yours, to be released digitally via Raging Demon Entertainment. Formerly known as Driven, The World Is Yours marks a significant step up in songwriting, production and maturity for In Search Of Sun, with head-bopping beats, epic choruses and ambient soundscapes replacing the groove-laden metalcore roots of its debut EP, ‘A Breakdown of Character.’ The album itself is built upon a foundation that’s been developing over the last three years, with the name change being the final piece of the puzzle in terms of crafting and sealing the band’s identity. Commented the band, “The World Is Yours has been a while in the making, but it’s a big shift up for us in terms of direction and sound and we can’t wait to get out there and start playing these songs live. Expect an uplifting and hard-hitting journey through groove-ridden riffing and punching beats.” The World Is Yours was produced by Phil Kinman at MTR Studios (Deadly Circus Fire, Tank, Paul Di’Anno) and mastered by Harry Hess at HBomb Mastering (Cancer Bats). Track list: 01. The World Is Yours |
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New TransAtlantic Video and the Elegance of Second Nature
Radiant Records posted this just today. Well worth watching and admiring.
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Also, though I will offer a proper review soon, let me take this moment to praise the new Flying Colors’ album, Second Nature. I thought the first album was a great AOR album. It’s become my oldest son’s favorite album (all of the Birzers love everything Morse does, to be completely honest). For me, it was amazing, but it should’ve and could’ve been a bit more so.
Not only is Second Nature “a bit more so,” it’s a HUGE bit more so. I’m not even sure quite how to label it except as proggy-AOR or gospel AOR.
The song writing is excellent, but what really makes the album is the intertwining of McPherson’s and Morse’s vocals. They seemed a bit stilted as a team on the first album. On this album, they’ve clearly discovered how to play off of each other, to better the other.
The end result of Second Nature is something that can only be described as elegant.
Karisma: Bjorn Riis’s Forthcoming Solo Album
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Lullabies in a Car Crash Karisma Records 3 November 2014 |
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 OVERVIEW Airbag lead guitarist and main song writer Bjørn Riis is releasing his debut solo album, “Lullabies in a Car Crash”. The album is very much a personal statement, with lyrics dealing with fear of abandonment, alienation and loss. It’s also homage to many of Bjørn’s musical influences. Bjørn is one of the founding members, the lead guitarist and main songwriter of the highly successful Norwegian band Airbag. Their three releases have all received great reviews worldwide and all become favourites among fans all over the globe. “Lullabies in a Car Crash” feature six songs with a coherent and thematical composition. Bjørn’s soulful guitar playing and low-key vocals creates a rich listening experience. Although Bjørn as a guitarist have developed his own sound with a unique tone and his own technique over the years, the playing and tone are reminiscent of David Gilmour, Steven Rothery and Steven Wilson. As a singer this is the first time he takes the lead, normally doing the backing vocals in Airbag. His singing style is in the area of the mellow vocals of Tim Bowness and Nick Drake. In addition to playing with Airbag, Bjørn is a highly respected guitarist within the guitar community, where he has a huge fan base. His guitar page “Gilmourish.com” has, with more than 40 million hits in total and an average of 150000 hits every week, become a centre for gear and music discussions online. “Lullabies in a Car Crash” feature Airbag’s Henrik Fossum on drums and Asle Tostrup providing loops and effects. Long-time Airbag collaborator Vegard Sleipnes has co-produced the album together with Bjørn. The album is mastered by Jamie Gomez (Orgone Studio).
TRACKLIST 1. A New Day 2. Stay Calm 3. Disappear 4. Out Of Reach 5. The Chase 6. Lullaby in a Car Crash
Band website: www.bjornriis.com Label website: www.karismarecords.no |
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Glass Hammer Live!
Glass Hammer w/ special guests: Anton Roolaart Band [April 25,2015]
September 23, 2014 By
Who: Glass Hammer w/ special guests: Anton Roolaart Band
http://glasshammer.com | http://antonroolaart.com
When: Saturday , April 25, 2015 | 7:30PM Show | 6:45PM Doors
Where: Roxy & Dukes | 745 Bound Brook Rd, Dunellen, NJ (map)
Cost: Online Presale $32 (includes $2 processing fee)
Walk-ups Day of Show $40(Cash Only)
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Glass Hammer
Glass Hammer is an American progressive rock band from Chattanooga, Tennessee. They formed in 1992 when multi-instrumentalists Steve Babb and Fred Schendel began to write and record the Tolkien-themed concept album “Journey of the Dunadan”. While many musicians have appeared on Glass Hammer albums over the years, Babb and Schendel have remained the core creative force of the band. Both play a variety of instruments, but Babb is better known as the bassist while Schendel is the primary keyboardist. And though they also sing, a number of other vocalists (most notably Michelle Young, Walter Moore, Susie Bogdanowicz, Carl Groves and Jon Davison) have also handled lead vocal duties through the years.
Lyrically, Glass Hammer is inspired mostly by their love of literature (most notably Tolkien, C. S. Lewis and John Krakauer) and Babb’s love of Victorian prose and medieval mythology.
Musically, they lean towards 70’s driven symphonic rock, focusing on epic-length songs anchored by Babb’s distinctive bass guitar work and strong keyboard playing from Schendel; specifically Hammond organs in the tradition of ELP. They have a superb melodic flow to the music they make, encapsulating real power and dynamics without ever becoming overpowering. Their most apparent influences are ELP, Genesis, Gentle Giant and, to a less noticeable extent, Camel. Fans and critics are usually quick to attest that Glass Hammer have managed to combine those influences into a unique style all their own.
Critically acclaimed albums have continued to flow from the Glass Hammer studio, with the most successful and noteworthy being “Chronomtree” (2000), “Lex Rex” (2002), “The Inconsolable Secret” (2005) and “IF” (2010). Vocalists and fan-favorites Carl Groves and Susie Bogdanowicz took a temporary hiatus from the band after 2009 and vocalist Jon Davison took over as lead vocalist for three studio albums; “IF”, “Cor Cordium” and “Perilous”. Kamran Alan Shikoh joined the band at the same time taking on the role of guitarist. Both Shikoh and Davison remain in the group currently, though Davison has also assumed the role as front-man for Yes. This led to Carl Groves rejoining the Glass Hammer in 2013 for live performances and recording. Aaron Raulston joined at the same time as drummer for the group. Susie Bogdanowicz rejoined in late 2013 and is slated to appear along with Raulston, Groves and Shikoh in 2015 concerts.
Glass Hammer’s 2014 release “Ode To Echo” features performances by many of the band’s vocalists, including Bogdanowicz, Young, Moore and Davison, though Carl Groves handles the lion’s share of the vocal duties.
Other prog musicians and rock artists have made contributions to Glass Hammer projects, including Jon Anderson of Yes, Arjen Lucassen, Rich Williams and David Ragsdale of Kansas, Rob Reed of Magenta and Randy Jackson of Zebra. Glass Hammer has also appeared with The Adonia String Trio and performed two concerts (2006-2007) with 120 plus member choirs from Belmont University and Lee University.
Currently, Glass Hammer is in the studio recording their sixteenth studio album which is set for release in early 2015. The current live lineup for the band is Babb, Schendel, Groves, Shikoh, Raulston and Bogdanowicz.
http://www.glasshammer.com
https://twitter.com/GlassHammerProg
https://www.facebook.com/glasshammerband
https://www.youtube.com/user/ghprog
RochaNews: Burnt Belief
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Imagination Head–the Latest Sensation from Atlanta
“Talented and musically adventurous” –Latest Disgrace
“Any fan of Built to Spill, The Shins, or Cake will want to hear Imagination Head. Their indie palette is at once accessible and unique […] weaving a dreamy undertone to peppy melodies” –The Moon and Pluto
“A smart, ambitious band with the ability to flesh out their themes both formally and lyrically” –Little advances
“Imagination Head takes traditional aesthetics and breathes new life into them” -Ohmpark
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September 16, 2014 –
Imagination Head’s indie psych-pop induces a mellow, creeping euphoria. They’re experts at fusing ’80s British post-punk with subtle space-rock flourishes, creating a mysterious sonic shroud over their impressive songs and masterfully crafted pop arrangements. Lyrically, the band’s songs grasp at untethered freedom while lamenting the doldrums of modern life. Imagination Head’s music is the rabbit hole to Wonderland—a drug to awaken the uninitiated. And their adventurous, infectious sound has landed them on bills with indie-rock contemporaries The Octopus Project & The Orwells.
The Atlanta-based band’s new album, Chromataverse (out Nov 1), is a departure from Imagination Head’s psych-folk roots, exploring an edgier, more guitar-driven sound in which the studio is a lab for experimentation, a place for songs to evolve as the recording process unfolds. With the help of producer Damon Moon (Iron Jayne, Rrest), they’ve utilized space echo, tape hiss and a slew of other analog toys to build their neo-New Wave soundscapes. The journey presented here by J.R. Wicker (guitar, lead vocals), Erin Wicker (keys, vocals), Jason Bogart (bass), Puma Navarro (drums) and Vince Gray (lead guitar) is a bold call for revolution filtered through Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. “This album is a warning,” J.R. says. “The American Dream is constantly dangled in front of your face as you work overtime for nothing in particular, waiting a lifetime in line for your turn. But it’s your fate to avoid the trap—to rise above it.”
Imagination Head recorded Chromataverse at East Atlanta studio The Cottage, which—while within the city limits—provided a secluded, escapist environment, the band’s breaks often spent trekking through the adjacent woods along the ridge of an abandoned rock quarry, soaking up the hushed, primal vibe. The sessions for the new album were fast-paced, spontaneous and mostly live, capturing the feel of the band’s electrifying live sets, before carefully adding layered sonic texture to each track. The album would have been ready sooner, but with Erin nine months pregnant, they had to take a break.
“The Cottage was like a clubhouse,” Erin says. “We were able to concentrate and play in a stress-free environment, but the baby was crushing my lungs the whole time, so I had to come back later, after he was born, to finish my vocals. After the album was mixed, when he was just a few months old, he was crying and J.R. played him one of the new songs and he actually stopped crying. I guess he’s as much a part of this record as anyone.”
Imagination Head is rooted in the relationship of J.R. and Erin Wicker. They met in Memphis, and before long were musically—and romantically—entangled. In the early days, Imagination Head was a collaboration between just them, working as a psych-folk duo. They recorded their first album, The Stale and the Sparkly Air, with a few Memphis friends rounding out the sound. The couple eventually relocated to Atlanta, and made the transition to five-piece band with the album ON/OFF. The current lineup solidified in 2012 with the release of LP Plastic Heart.
J.R. and lead guitarist Gray most often are the ones who bring song ideas to the band, who then collectively fleshes them out, building bridges between disparate parts. “Our workshop is based around modern technology,” Gray says. “When I have an idea, I just record it on my phone and send it to everyone in the band. Sometimes, the ideas comes fast and have to be acted on. ‘Disconnect,’ from the new album, seemed to just explode into existence just days before we began recording.”
This immediacy also drives songs like “Rat Trap” and “Break the Chain,” their message that of a constrained society opening up to the freedom of space. “Mars” practically cries out for listeners to join the expansive exploration of dreams and the cosmos, while “Moon Sings Dance” beckons them to take this epic journey with the band, leaving behind the tired pop convention of verse-chorus-verse.
Chromataverse is the sum total of Imagination Head’s underground evolution—atop their folk-duo foundation, building a vibrant, danceable, electro indie-rock opus.
-Baby Robot Media
For further info: wickerjr@yahoo.com
Cea Serin News
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Generation Prog Records is proud to announce the long-awaited 2nd album by Cea Serin: The Vibrant Sound of Bliss and Decay is set to be released worldwide on October 6, 2014. An album ten years in the making, this collection features five songs with a total playing time of 48 minutes, sharing a sound and atmosphere that belies the songs’ vastly different origins. The first two tracks on The Vibrant Sound of Bliss and Decay are new recordings of two long-time staples of the Cea Serin live set: Holy Mother and The Illumination Mask, previously featured on the long-unavailable Chiaroscuro demo and often requested by fans for inclusion on a proper album. After drummer Rory Faciane joined the band, it was decided to grant the fans their wish and revisit these songs with better recording quality and a real drummer instead of the previously used drum machine. The third track, a cover of the Sarah McLachlan song Ice, serves as a link between the revisited and the brand-new material. It features an original Cea Serin arrangement, turning the acoustic guitar ballad into a haunting, piano-backed piece, putting Jay Lamm‘s clean vocals front and center and showcasing a different side of the band. The Victim Cult is a brand-new track. „It deals with the castigation of the creators by the people content in sitting back in languor, judging and claiming a right to the services from the very people they’ve vilified,“ says Jay Lamm, composer and lyricist of all four of the album’s originals. The song features a unique structure with two distinct choruses that lead into each other, with their order reversed at the end. The album closes with the 20-minute epic What Falls Away, a song that deals with the suicide of a girl and how it impacts her family – her parents, who are trying to make sense of the events and what might have led to them, and her brother, who suffers from a mental disorder and cannot comprehend what has happened and why his life has changed. The CD comes with a 12-page booklet containing the lyrics to all songs and Jay Lamm‘s comments on them. The Vibrant Sound of Bliss and Decay track listing: 1. Holy Mother (7:07) Total playing time: 47:48 The Vibrant Sound of Bliss and Decay is out on October 6 via Generation Prog Records. The album is available now for pre-order from the Generation Prog Records store. Stream the album in its entirety on Bandcamp. Cea Serin is one of the participating artists on the upcoming Progstravaganza: Beyond Frontiers sampler, with the song The Victim Cult. The compilation is availably for pre-order from Progify store. Links: https://www.facebook.com/CeaSerinMusic MEDIA ALERT: If interested in reviewing Cea Serin’s The Vibrant Sound of Bliss and Decay or featuring it in radio shows or podcasts, please get in touch at info@prog-sphere.com. The band is also available for interviews.
Progarchy’s take. Very nice. Eager to hear this. In particular, I’m very glad to see someone take on Sarah McLachlan’s early music. For anyone interested in a Talk Talkish form of prog, McLachlan got it about perfect on “Ice.” A huge thanks to Prog Sphere (Nick!) for the advanced notice. |
Holy Schnikees: A Mini Mini Review of Threshold, FOR THE JOURNEY
Ok, so 1) I’m not a metal guy. And, 2) see no. 1.
Despite 1 and 2: Threshold’s latest, FOR THE JOURNEY, is just astounding. Simply and movingly astounding.
Brad’s mind: officially blown.
Brad’s soul: officially happy.
Brad’s cry: Ave Threshold!
Order it now. Or, even faster than now: http://media.nuclearblast.de/shoplanding/2014/Threshold/for-the-journey.html
A proper review is on its way.
Rock is NOT Dead
I must admit, I’m so utterly frustrated by all of the “Rock is dead” doomsayers over the past week that I’d like to wretch (or, retch–you know, either way). Really big time.
Here’s the latest complaint–from the London Telegraph of all things (isn’t this supposed to be one of the respectable papers, or am I confusing it with the Daily Mail?)–to follow laments from CLASSIC ROCK mag earlier this year, a member of KISS who seems to resent much of life, and every single human who has decided to hate U2: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/11089923/The-decline-and-fall-of-rock-and-roll.html
[A quick side note. You have Apple and you don’t like U2? Easy–hit the image of the album and drag it to your trash. Your Mac will then ask you if you would like to delete or hide. Deleting it actually deletes it. No offensive U2 ever need show up in your library again, and you will have accomplished this is far less time than it took for the album to download to your computer. In fact, it will take you less time to delete the album forever from your personal space than it will for you to write a comment on the web or even an article for a respectable English newspaper about how much you dislike U2, Bono, Apple, Catholics, Apple pies, Irishmen, or whatever your current dislike is.]
I have no idea if I’m using this term correctly, as I’m not English. But, my first thought is: what a wanker that Telegraph writer must be. Did I use the term correctly? What say you, Mr. Andrew Woods? Here in the British colony of the United States, we’d just call you a prig.
Of course corporations try to conform us. They give us lots of good stuff, but they also make the world a lot less interesting. They want us as consumers, and consumers are much easier to manipulate when only the same tepid and pallid mush is being served. Is the Telegraph suddenly a not-for-profit paper?
The next time a corporation tries to sell you something, just walk away. It’s really not that hard. Turn away from the offensive thing and move in the other direction.
Growing up in Kansas, I knew next to nothing about NME. What I did know: NME looked like a bunch of quasi-trash porn that wealthy children in Kansas City might purchase out of boredom. I didn’t pay attention to it or to Rolling Stone. When Rush came out with a new album, I bought it. When Tears for Fears came out with a new album, I bought it. When Kate Bush came out with a new album, I bought it. When Talk Talk came out with a new album, I often bought two copies, one as backup. I didn’t look to NME or Rolling Stone or whatever rag was available at the time telling me what to think and wear and write and read. I worked very, very hard for my music collection. Sure, I made a few missteps, such as once purchasing a Howard Jones album. But, I also collected a lot of great music, much of which I treasure to this very day.
What many music journalists, record labels, and professional wankers have yet to figure out is that the market for art is now as decentralized as humanly possible. The internet gives us as much space to be excellent as it does to be mediocre.
Some of the music being made right–including and especially the vast majority of music we have the privilege of reviewing at progarchy–is some of the best rock music ever made. Here and now. Not merely there and yesterday. Here and now. Right here, right now. Rock is so far from being dead that I can barely keep up with so many enticing, interesting, and dramatic releases.
The author of the Telegraph piece can’t see beyond the very corporations he so hates and, thus, he becomes a conformist in his own cry against conformity. Face it, Mr. Andrew Telegraph, you are the establishment. And, from what I can tell, you always have been–especially when you read magazines such as NME, then or now.
One last thought. I really don’t care if U2 recorded forty-five minutes of The Edge working in his back garden. Any group of artists who can write and record October have earned a position of respect in the world. I, for one, will give them the benefit of the doubt, and presume good (and, yes, profit-seeking) motives on the parts of Mr. Bono and Mr. Cook.
On Mr. Andrew Woods? The jury is still out.
[P.S. I’m glad Mr. Woods mentioned his daughter. My thirteen-year old daughter can name every member of Rush, Big Big Train, and The Tangent, and she knows almost every lyric written by FROST*. Care to compete?]
Progarchy 