Author: Bryan Morey

Public historian and museum professional working with historical artifacts. Music reviewer at Progarchy and Dutch Progressive Rock Page.

Old Fire Launch Music Video for “Bloodchild” in Wake of New Album Release

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock1 Comment
OLD FIRE (FEAT. JOHN MARK LAPHAM [THE EARLIES / THE LATE CORD]) LAUNCHES “BLOODCHILD” MUSIC VIDEO
Debut album “Songs From the Haunted South” out now on Kscope
TEXAS – Old Fire, the pet project of Texas based programmer John Mark Lapham (of The Earlies and 4AD band The Late Cord fame), has released a music video for the track “Bloodchild,” taken from the debut album Songs From the Haunted South, out now on Kscope. Stream the new “Bloodchild” video clip on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/uoIje9I_kjA.
Songs from the Haunted South was produced by John Mark Lapham, mixed by JM Lapham and Mark Kuykendall, and was mastered by Ian Hawgood.
Taking nearly a decade to make, Songs from the Haunted South has been a labor of love for Lapham. Born from an album concept for a 4AD project with singer Micah P. Hinson (The Late Cord), the album was originally intended to feature different singers and musicians recording songs that were both covers and originals. After parting ways with Hinson, Lapham remained determined to realize his vision for the album and sought voices he considered special or fitted the inspiration.
The first piece of the puzzle fell in to place after meeting the former owner of 4AD, Ivo Watts Russell, who introduced Lapham to singer/songwriter, Tom Rapp – who recorded a string of haunting albums in the late ’60s and ’70s under the name Pearls Before Swine. The vocals Rapp provided formed the basis of the track “Shadows.” In the following years, guest vocals were recorded by Sara Lowes (The Earlies), DM Stith, Christopher Barnes (Gem Club), Rebekka Karijord, and Alex Maas (The Black Angels).
Sitting alongside original Old Fire compositions are a selection of intriguing cover versions. Lapham uniquely interprets songs by Psychic TV (“The Orchids”),  Low (“Laser Beam”), Ian William Craig (“A Slight Grip, A Gentle Hold”), Jason Molina (“It’s Easier Now”), Camberwell Now (“Know How”) and Shearwater (“Helix”).
The 13-track album contains a selection of songs that, in one way or another, are dedications to people, some dead and some still living. Musically, inspirations range from ambient artists such as Brian Eno and Stars of the Lid to psychedelic rock, traditional country and early 4AD.
The project also features a myriad of exceptional musicians including DM Stith – piano & guitar, Christopher Barnes (Gem Club) – piano, Warren Defever (His Name Is Alive) – guitar, Thor Harris (Swans) – drums, Christian Madden – Rhodes piano & organ and Semay Wu – cello.
The powerful cover art was designed by U.K.’s Grammy Award winning designer Vaughan Oliver, famed for his work with artists such as Mojave 3, Lush, Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, The Breeders, This Mortal Coil, Pixies, Throwing Muses, in addition to artists such as David Sylvian and Bush. The cover shot taken in 1958 features Lapham’s father during bivouac camping basic training in the foothills of the Ozarks, at Fort Chaffee, Ark.
1. Old Fire 3
2. Along Came a Sadness
3. Helix
4. Know How
5. It’s Easier Now
6. A Stranger in the Family
7. Bloodchild
8. Faust
9. Shadows
10. A Slight Grip, A Gentle Hold
11. Laser Beam
12. The Orchids
13. Deadhouse Dream
Stay tuned for more information on Old Fire and Songs From the Haunted South, out now on Kscope.
-###-
Old Fire online:
Songs From the Haunted South guests:
Tom Rapp (Pearls Before Swine) – Vocals: “Shadows”
Alex Maas (The Black Angels) – Vocals: “The Orchids”
DM Stith – Vocals: “Old Fire 3,” “Laser Beam” Piano & Guitar: “Shadows”
Christopher Barnes (Gem Club) – Vocals: “Helix,” “It’s Easier Now,” “A Slight Grip, A Gentle Hold” Piano: “Laser Beam”
Warren Defever (His Name Is Alive) – Guitar: “Know How,” “The Orchids”
Thor Harris (Swans) – Drums “Shadows”
Sara Lowes – Vocals: “Stranger in the Family,” “Bloodchild”
Rebekka Karijord – Vocals: “Know How”
Christian Madden – Rhodes: “Helix” Organ: “Laser Beam”
Ieva Aarghh – Vocals: “Laser Beam”
Semay Wu – Cello: “Old Fire 3,” “Along Came a Sadness,” “Laser Beam,” “Deadhouse Dream”

Se Delan Releases Lyric Video to Coincide with Latest Album

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rockLeave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 28, 2016

CONTACT:

Brian Rocha

rocha@fresnomediausa.com

Ryan Feldman

ryan@fresnomediausa.com
 
SE DELAN LAUNCHES “BLUE BIRD” LYRIC VIDEO
Sophomore album “Drifter” out now on Kscope
LONDON, England – Se Delan, the dark, alternative, new-wave duo made up of multi-instrumentalist Justin Greaves (Crippled Black Phoenix) and Swedish singer Belinda Kordic, has launched a lyric video for the track “Blue Bird” from its recently released sophomore album, Drifter. Stream the new video clip on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIZZtF3PFs4 or Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/163676597.
Se Delan vocalist Belinda Kordic comments on the song: “As the world is going to serious shits (with a big no thanks to mankind), which the media so generously reminds us of every single day, I retreat to the comfort that there may be a higher being out there. Being grateful and finding joy in the little things in life gives me hope and keeps me grounded.”
The follow-up to 2014’s The Fall, Se Delan set about to make an album that felt raw, more natural and human. Together with their shared influences (“music, film and life”) and a mutual understanding of the way each other works has led to Se Delan creating an album that musically and lyrically looks at madness and how the line between sanity and insanity can at times appear frighteningly thin.
Drifter takes the slow and dreamy nature of the music from the duo’s debut album The Falland moves it to a far darker place through the lyrics and layers of sound that pulsate throughout the record. By giving up all pretentions and just following their hearts, Justin and Belinda recorded (with Ritchie Chappell at Tripdown Studio) in a way that simply captures how they felt as humanly as possible.
Stream Drifter in its entirety via SoundCloud at: https://soundcloud.com/kscopemusic/sets/se-delan-drifter-album-stream.

Purchase Drifter now on CD and 180g black vinyl via the Kscope store at: www.kscopemusic.com/store and digitally via iTunes at: http://smarturl.it/DRIFTER_DIGITAL.

1. Going Home
2. Ruined by Them
3. Blue Bird
4. All I Am
5. In Obscura
6. Blueprint
7. Shadowbox(ers)
8. Gently Bow Out
9. She’s Wild
10. Fear No Ghosts
Stay tuned for more information on Se Delan and Drifter, out now on Kscope.
-###-
Se Delan is:
 
Justin Greaves – all instruments
Belinda Kordic – words & voices
guided by 1000 ravenous skulls.
Se Delan online:

Jury Decides in Favor of Led Zeppelin in “Stairway” Copyright Case

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock1 Comment

A jury in California decided today that the opening acoustic riff to Led Zeppelin’s iconic “Stairway to Heaven” is indeed original. The estate of the late Randy Wolfe, a member of the band Spirit, sued Led Zeppelin members Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, claiming they stole the riff from Spirit’s song, “Taurus.” The riff in question is a very short descending cord progression that has been used in music for hundreds of years.

Continue reading “Jury Decides in Favor of Led Zeppelin in “Stairway” Copyright Case” →

Kansas to Release First New Album in 16 Years

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock1 Comment

phoenixWhile there has been talk of a new Kansas album for a few months now, the band made it official this past Tuesday. The new album, entitled The Prelude Implicit, is due out September 23, 2016, and it is their first album since 2000’s Somewhere to Elsewhere, which featured all original members of the band, including Kerry Livgren. Kansas began recording the new album in January of this year, after signing with InsideOut records.

Continue reading “Kansas to Release First New Album in 16 Years” →

Dream Theater @ The Fox, Oakland CA 05/07/16

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Another great concert review by latindrummer – this time, Dream Theater.

latindrummer's avatarall the world's a stage

I hadn’t been this close to the stage since the Touring Into Infinity Shows back in 1998. To say that I was geeking out would be an understatement. We had seats at stage right, between Petrucci’s and Labrie’s positions. We sat down in disbelief, we were in the 5th row and I seriously considered pinching myself. A fan made his way ahead of us and said a cheeky “man, these seats suck!” We cracked up, mock agreeing with the statement. We looked up, behind, and all around. We couldn’t help but marvel at the lovely, ornate facades inside the Fox. It was a majestic house and probably the nicest venue my friend and I had ever encountered. It shined. This venue was rich with history and culture. It stood out like a little jewel in the odd mix of buildings in downtown Oakland. It was a cool venue and very appropriate for the band’s ‘production.’ This album…

View original post 894 more words

Paul McCartney @ Save Mart Center, Fresno CA 04/13/16

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rockLeave a comment

A great review, by latindrummer, of a recent Paul McCartney show in California.

latindrummer's avatarall the world's a stage

A Beatle. A Beatle came to Fresno (that’s the part where my head explodes). Like a local reporter had written, Fresno received the royal treatment from Sir Paul back on April 13th. Almost 3 hours of live music, 37 songs. 37 songs!! Not 17 like most groups, not 21 or 22 like some of the more generous acts, not 24 like U2 on their most recent tour, but 37!!! Back in the mid 60’s when the Beatles still did live shows, they could get off the stage after 20 minutes. Then the group broke up and George Harrison started hanging around with Led Zeppelin – Harrison saw them perform 3 hour shows and said “3 hours, fuck me!” Inspired by Zeppelin’s stamina or not, McCartney is generously performing a TON of music spanning his entire career, including piles of songs from the Beatles and Wings catalogue, and at 71 years of age with no…

View original post 737 more words

Big Big Train’s Folklore (Hi-Res Audio Version) – Review

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock4 Comments

Big Big Train – Folklore – 2016 – High-Resolution Audio Version

Tracks: Folklore, Along the Ridgeway, Salisbury Giant, London Plane, Mudlarks, Lost Rivers of London, The Transit of Venus Across the Sun, Wassail, Winkie, Brooklands, Telling the Bees

artworkI wasn’t going to review this album. In all honesty, the others at Progarchy who reviewed it have done a much better job than I will. That, and I really didn’t like this album at first. I chalked my initial misgivings as simply, “you can’t win them all.” I figured I would have to accept that nothing else from 2016 would come close to Haken’s Affinity, which I’m still convinced that not much else will.

Admittedly, my first impression upon hearing the CD setlist of the album was, meh. I didn’t like the opening track, as parts of it were too poppy, and I don’t think Big Big Train writes compelling poppy songs. When I saw that “Wassail” was on this album, I was slightly disappointed, since that song grew to grate on me from 2015’s EP. Too much repetition in the chorus. Both “Folklore” and “Wassail” reminded me of “Make Some Noise,” another song that I find tolerable, but wish hadn’t ever been produced by this band. It just doesn’t fit with the rest of their songs. Overall, the track listing didn’t really work. The album didn’t flow, which seemed strange for this band.

My journey as a passenger on the Folklore train did not end there, however. I discovered that the band had another track listing, a definitive one, released as a vinyl record. I saw that it included “Lost Rivers of London” (one of my favorite BBT songs) and “Mudlarks,” another fantastic track. The band also chose to release this track listing as a high-resolution audio download. After annoying Brad for the lossless FLAC files of said hi-res download, I gave the album another shot. I’m glad I did.

Continue reading “Big Big Train’s Folklore (Hi-Res Audio Version) – Review” →

Pink Floyd’s The Wall – The Best Ever?

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock8 Comments

I go back and forth between naming The Wall the best album ever, or Genesis’ Selling
England by the Pound. They are both worthy of the title for different reasons. Selling England moves beyond the mere genre of rock and grounds itself in the western tradition. The Wall, though, tugs and pulls on our emotions while telling a timeless story. Does this make The Wall the better album?

Pink_Floyd_the_WallToday, I say it does. If you ask me tomorrow, I may tell you that Selling England by the Pound is the best ever. I’m annoying like that. The Wall has so much going on, and it all fits together so perfectly. In a way, it really is just one very long song, like Thick as a Brick. It tells a story beginning with Pink, a rock star, as a young man. It continues with his story as a rock star, living a life of debauchery and drugs, and it ends with his trial. Throughout the whole story, he gradually builds a wall around his emotions to protect himself from his pain.

We can’t all relate to having a crappy, oppressive childhood, but some can. We don’t all live like rock stars, surrounded by drugs and sex, but some do. We don’t all find ourselves standing before a judge after our wall has collapsed, but some do. We don’t all build a wall inside of us to hide from the rest of the world, but a lot of us do.

Even if we can’t relate to all or any of those things specifically, in some way, we either understand them or we have experienced something similar. That is the brilliance of The Wall. Every time we listen to it, it connects with us in some new and exciting way. Some days, we throw our fists in the air to “Another Brick in the Wall Pt.2” as a way of sticking it to the man. Other days, we close our eyes and sing along to “Comfortably Numb,” as we enjoy those fleeting moments of carefree protection within our walls.

From undertones of anti-progressive governments to emotional despair, this album has it all. Furthermore, what it means to me is likely much different than what it means to you, and it is probably different than what inspired Waters to write it in the first place (the death of his father and grandfather in the two World Wars).

That is why, today, I say The Wall is the best album ever made. It defies time and genre. It makes us ponder our own existence and whether or not we too are building emotional walls to protect ourselves. Were Pink Floyd the best musicians in the world? No, not by a longshot, but they managed to compose their music in such a way that it conveyed the emotions they were getting across in the lyrics. This album will persist long after we are gone, in part, because it connects with people at a deeper level than most music. That is why The Wall truly is the best.

Happy Birthday Mike Portnoy

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock1 Comment

Progarchy would like to wish a very happy 49th birthday to the one, the only MIKE PORTNOY! Thank you so much for all you do, Mike. Your music astounds us, connects with us, and inspires us. Your work ethic is *ahem* next to none (sorry, couldn’t resist that one), and we look forward to your future endeavors.

CgfnD5VUkAAlgWh

Steven Wilson Wins Again

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock1 Comment

I’ve been super busy this spring break writing my senior thesis, and as such I have listened to a boatload of music. I finally got the chance to listen to Steven Wilson’s album of covers from 2014 (released throughout his solo career), Cover Version. To be honest, I’m unfamiliar with all of these songs, but the first track, “Thank You,” originally by Alanis Morissette, really stood out to me. The music is so simple, but Wilson’s delivery of the lyrics is amazing… emotional… beautiful. It is simultaneously melancholic and hopeful.

Thank you, Mr. Wilson.