Latest @bigbigtrain News: Full King’s Place 2015 Video

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock1 Comment

From the mighty Big Big Train:

Dear All,

Live Dates in 2018
—————————————————————————–

We are playing two shows in 2018. These will be the only two gigs this year as we are currently writing music for a new album which we will be recording in the autumn.

July 11th, at The Anvil, Basingstoke (with support from Beatrix Players)
Tickets here:
http://www.anvilarts.org.uk/whats-on/big-big-train

July 13th, at Night of the Prog festival in Loreley, Germany
Tickets here:
http://www.nightoftheprogfestival.com/en/home-2/

Films of the Kings Place 2015 shows
—————————————————————————–

Films of our 2015 concerts at Kings Place, London have now been made available for rental or purchase from Vimeo. The films provide a complete set one and a complete set two. Links here:

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/bigbigtrainkingsplace1

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/bigbigtrainkingsplace2

Andy Poole
—————————————————————————–

Founder member of Big Big Train, Andy Poole, has recently left the band and we wish him well in his future adventures. We will make an announcement soon on the additional musician we have recruited to replace Andy for our live shows.

Best wishes

Danny, Dave, David, Greg, Nick, Rachel and Rikard

Well, I’ve bought my digital copy of the King’s Place shows. Have you??!! Take note that there are free downloads of three of the band’s music videos also available on Vimeo.

soundstreamsunday #95: “Jezebel” by Anna Calvi

On By Craig BreadenIn goth rock, Rock and Roll1 Comment

calviYou could do worse than follow the 1951 Wayne Shanklin song “Jezebel” as a guiding aesthetic for launching a recording career.  A hit for Frankie Laine (1951), Edith Piaf (1951), and, remarkably, Herman’s Hermits (1966),  “Jezebel” is built around a flamenco figure that adapts itself well to pop drama and, as Anna Calvi demonstrated on her first single, shows a sympathy to the reverb-y guitar dynamics and thundering tom-driven drumming favored by surf guitarists and Italian directors of Spanish-set westerns.

Taking rough cues from Piaf’s French version of the song, Calvi here adds a visually arresting, emotional core lacking in many of “Jezebel’s” versions, setting the table for the feast of her self-titled debut (2011), a record ripe with passion and shadow, with unified sonic and narrative themes that you might call cafe goth.  Siouxsie and the Banshees comparisons certainly apply, but there’s an Americana bent to it, too, inhabiting the same territory Chris Isaak mines to such great effect, or even the darker work of Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood in the 1960s.

The video for “Jezebel” is a live performance by Calvi and her band, Daniel Maielen-Wood and Mally Harpez.  It is a power trio upended, confounded, confirmed by Harpez’s harmonium, transporting the song to the bars of Sevilla, approaching midnight, as the walls jump to the shadows of a guitarist and her dancers….

soundstreamsunday presents one song or live set by an artist each week, and in theory wants to be an infinite linear mix tape where the songs relate and progress as a whole. For the complete playlist, go here: soundstreamsunday archive and playlist, or check related articles by clicking on”soundstreamsunday” in the tags section.

Review: Distant Horizon – Laniakea

On By NickIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Distant Horizon - Laniakea

Distant Horizon is a new band coming from Lapua, Finland who released their debut EP “Laniakea” in June 2017. This fully instrumental progressive metal project is led comprised of Joona Lehto on guitar, Jere Lehto on bass, Jesse Lehto on drums, and Matias Kalli on keyboards and guitar.

As is the case with most instrumental albums, “Laniakea” requires careful listening in order to be fully appreciated. It is definitely not the kind of stuff you can put on as a soundtrack for other activities — complex music, full of twists and turns, yet not unnecessarily complicated, or weird for weirdness’ sake. In fact, the music has a beautiful, natural flow, a clarity and melodic quality. Even though guitars make up a prominent part of the sound, they never get to the point of overwhelming the other instruments. As in most experimental music, however, the foundation of Distant Horizon’s sound lies in the rhythm section, especially in the jaw-dropping drumming patterns provided by Jesse Lehto.

Head-spinningly complex without being cold and sterile as other efforts in a similar vein, “Laniakea” can easily be (re)listed as one of the top releases of 2017. In fact, the sterling musicianship, coupled with an admirable sense of restraint, focuses on creating cohesive, highly listenable tracks rather than pointless displays of technical skill. However, it is also a release that will definitely not be everyone’s cup of tea. Strongly recommended to practising musicians and fans of intricate, challenging music, it may come across as daunting to those fans who prefer a higher measure of melody and accessibility, as well as a more conservative approach to progressive rock and jazz fusion.

The album is available from Bandcamp here.

Farewell to Kings (and Faith): Neil Peart, 1977

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock1 Comment

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the release of A FAREWELL TO KINGS.

rush farewell
40th Anniversary Edition

What followed, 1977’s A Farewell to Kings, though, had far more in common with 1976’s 2112 than it would with 1980’s Permanent Waves.  Not appearing on the market until September 1, 1977, A Farewell to Kings ended the new album every six months schedule Rush has followed thus far.  A brilliant album in and of itself, A Farewell to Kings still belongs to Rush 2.1 as I have defined it.  So does the follow-up album, Hemispheres.  Certainly, Rush tried many new things—in terms of album structure, lyrical depth and story telling, and musical complexity—than it had on the first several albums.  “We had written material that was a little beyond us, considering our level of musicianship at the time,” Lee later admitted.[i]  But the progress is in continuity, a major reform rather than a revolution.  “Our progress has always been sincere—not in an arrogant way, but for our own pleasure,” Peart stated in 1982.  “We’ve always incorporated music from people we liked, so it has made us stylistically schizoid.”[ii]

While there are no side length tracks on A Farewell to Kings, the album revolves around its two major songs, “Xanadu” at 11 minutes in length and “Cygnus X-1” at almost ten and 1/2 minutes.  Thematically, Peart continues to embrace both the fantastic—“Xanadu” based on the iconic romantic English poem, “Kubla Kahn,” by Samuel Coleridge—and science-fiction, “Cygnus X-1.”  At the time, Peart lauded fantasy writing in lyrics.  “It’s a way to put a message across without being oppressive.”[iii]

Continue reading “Farewell to Kings (and Faith): Neil Peart, 1977” →

Marillion BRAVE pre-order news for U.S.

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock2 Comments
marillion brave
De-Luxe!!!

Dear Fellow Citizens of the United States,

At the moment, it is cheaper to order the 5-disc Steven Wilson remix deluxe version of the forthcoming BRAVE from Marillion through Marillion.com than it is through amazon.com.

At Marillion.com, including shipping, $42.

At amazon.com, including shipping, $49.98.

This has been a public service announcement from your friends at progarchy.com.

Yours, Brad

Sound of Contact Drama Continues

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock3 Comments

I loved Sound of Contact’s first album, but this band seems to be surrounded by some sort of unknown drama. Simon Collins (son of the mighty Phil) and Kelly Nordtrom both announced that they have left the band. Since Simon was both drummer and vocalist, it really isn’t Sound of Contact without him (there’s no way they have another drummer that happens to sound exactly like him). This is certainly a very strange turn of events, especially considering Dave Kerzner left the band and rejoined a few years ago.

More over at the good folks at Prog mag: http://teamrock.com/news/2018-01-20/simon-collins-and-kelly-nordtrom-quit-sound-of-contact.

 

Birzer Bandana – Of Course It Must Be

On By Dave BandanaIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Re blogged from Kadees Music

kadees's avatarkadees.music.

Cover

“Birzer Bandana
are two prog lovers from opposite sides of the Atlantic who have never met.

View original post 46 more words

Rick’s Reissue Roundup: Attack of the Spring Box Sets!

On By kruekuttIn progressive rock3 Comments

Shed a tear for the hardcore prog collector — actually, don’t.  This week has been absolutely crammed with articulate announcements looking to part fans from their hard-earned cash or pull them deeper into debt.  And no, I’m not talking about the upcoming Derek Smalls solo album.  Check out what’s coming our way as winter (hopefully) gives way to the spring of 2018:

Continue reading “Rick’s Reissue Roundup: Attack of the Spring Box Sets!” →

Review: PuzzleWood – Gates of Loki

On By NickIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Gates of Loki

The “Gates of Loki” album and its music is a desolate, introverted place of darkness that summons broodingly melancholic images of angst and tension, and it’s all been dreamt up by Russia’s PuzzleWood.

The music on this debut album, I have to say, doesn’t immediately reward you as a listener. However, the lush melodies that are imbedded deep within the ten songs found on this recording grow, swell and expand the more you explore them, and soon the shadowy lyrical themes of alienation that exist between the individual and society as a whole draw you in to the all encompassing world that PuzzleWood have fashioned.

The album kicks off cleverly with “Intro (Gates of Loki)”. Its light but sinister musicality builds over time and you find that your attention never wanders, however laid back the music feels to you; the song sweeps over your senses, taking them hostage, and its (almost) hypnotic, trance-like melody keeps you chained to the song like a prisoner, but a prisoner who doesn’t want to escape. “Remember My Name” has an almost Riverside-like feel to it. “Tyrant Who Fall in Love” is again trance-like in the extreme, but the way the song is nurtured and allowed to grow is an amazing thing to hear, and it is for me the album’s standout composition.

“To the Void” feels intricate, incorporating varied instrumentation by the three members, as well as a bouzouki performed by guest Dmitry Ignatov. There is a number of ethnic instruments that can be heard throughout “Gates of Loki,” what gives this record its specific flavour. Basem Al-Ashkar’s arabic oud on the closing “Road Will Lead” is beautifully dissonant, making for a perfect ending.

It’s not an easy album to like initially, but given the right amount of time that this weird style of Prog needs to work its magic on you, “Gates of Loki” soon becomes an impressive, thoughtful release that has all the tools needed for it to become a minor classic amongst those who frequent the shaded borderlands of the Progressive Rock World.

Stream / buy “Gates of Loki” from Bandcamp.

Review: The Blue Prison – Alchemist

On By NickIn progressive rockLeave a comment

The Blue Prison - Alchemist

Alchemist is a new EP release from a Japanese guitarist and composer Keigo Yoshida (The Blue Prison), residing in Los Angeles, CA.

Right from the start, the title song kicks off the EP incredibly strong with its toe-tappingly catchy rhythms and roaring guitars, followed by an equally solid djenty “Zenith,” presented with immaculate detail with ricocheting metalcoresque drums. “Kingdom” is far more edgy, with guitar solos tripping over the song’s plodding rhythm. “Red Sun” introduces a symphonic pattern forming a backbone for Yoshida’s immaculate soloing. Short closing piece “River” is an atmospheric piece that brings Alchemist to a solid closure.

Curiosity begs the question: what does The Blue Prison sound like outside the comfort of his niche he’s carved? Perhaps necessity will force him outside his signature sound before stagnation takes hold in future releases, but for now,  Yoshida has done his best: no-nonsense, tightly produced melodic prog.

Alchemist is out today; order it from Bandcamp.