More people need to be listening to Red Bazar. Peter Jones’ outstanding voice and brilliant lyrics have taken the band into the stratosphere artistically. Absolutely astounding. This is what cultural commentary should look like. Some fantastic guitar work here too. Enjoy!
In a flurry of news-based activity, Perfect Beings have released a veritable plethora of announcement-style news items…
These guys really are awesome. Give them your love!
‘Static’, the long-awaited, somewhat-delayed, therefore-more-long-awaited new album by keyboard maestro Dave Kerzner, is now available for Bandcamp pre-orderererers.
General release availability is 1st October. Get it here!
There are no words. The greatest pop-prog band in the world. Color me envious!!! Seeing them in Denver in 2015 was one of the great highlights of my life. Such natural performers, such integrity, such artistry. Call me smitten.
Several new arrivals at Progarchy HQ in Michigan. Thank you so much to the good companies and artists for sending these! We’re honored you would trust us. May we continue to earn that trust.
As a born and bred New Englander, I cannot neglect this opportunity to acknowledge the time of year when my home truly becomes God’s country. May everyone enjoy a restful Fall!
James Murphy made no bones about the hipster cred accorded Can on “I’m Losing My Edge,” LCD Soundsystem’s 2002 dancefloor-meets-Weird Al hit. “I was there, I was there in 1968, I was there at the first Can show in Cologne,” he sing-speaks ala King Missile, going on to target Suicide and others in the pantheon of removed, white boy cool. It’s idolatry and idol-destroying at once, and it’s a lot of fun to listen to. Murphy never shies from the obvious or expected, scratching musical itches and quoting hosts of precedents within his long-ish form constructions. He makes big beats, giant basslines, and his meta smarts about the music he creates enlivens his work rather than reducing it to a nostalgia trip. Precocious, yeah, precious, no.
Murphy wrapped up his LCD Soundsystem project in 2011, but revived it last year with some shows and this year (this month in fact) with American Dream, a double LP epic that continues an obsession with Adrian Belew-era Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, New Order, Depeche Mode, Modern English, Kraftwerk, and on and on and on…. Songs as dessert, and dessert with every meal. And yet the lyrical content carries some heft, and whether or not you think Murphy is saying anything new or real or whatever, you can take his songs in a lot of different ways, luxuriating in all the analog richness and the cracking drums, or thinking, as I do when listening to the lyrics of “How Do You Sleep?”, of something that relates on a personal level (in this case, there’s a Stevie Smith “Not Waving But Drowning” vibe going on). These aren’t simply tossed off words so people who aren’t comfortable with instrumentals have something to chant, or words made to fit or counterpoint melody, which was Can’s m.o. The lyrics crystallize, emotionalizing the epic weight of the central, insistent riff and Murphy’s all-in vocal.
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.
Some brilliant news from Steve Babb and Fred Schendel:
25th Anniversary Special Edition includes rare and previously unreleased studio and live tracks spanning the history of Glass Hammer. Featuring vocalists Susie, Jon, Walter and Carl. Includes “No Man’s Land Live”, two unreleased covers of Argent and Beatles tracks and much, much more. 74 minute running time! Collector’s will also want to grab autographed copies of the new Glass Hammer Photo Book. Only available for a limited time so order now. Orders ship October 20th, 2017. Buy Now!
Featuring vocalists Walter Moore, Carl Groves, Susie Bogdanowicz and Jon Davison. Current bandmembers Fred Schendel, Steve Babb, Kamran Alan Shikoh and Aaron Raulston are all present as are many GH alumni.
Tracks: Shadows Of The Past 2008, Infusion, Identity Principle, Hold Your Head Up, Babb’s Bach, And Then She Sighed, Eiger Dreams, It’s All Too Much, Troll, A Grain Of Sand, Cool Air, The Impulsive Type, No Man’s Land Live (2017).
Pre-ordering autographed copies begins now at the Glass Hammer Store!
Having been immensely privileged to have heard an early version of this release, let me assure you that this is a must own. Of course, this is true for every Glass Hammer release. But, in a year of extraordinary releases–from several from Big Big Train, The Tangent, Steven Wilson, and others–Glass Hammer always reminds us of what is most important in art and creativity–the integrity and imagination to move forward while always bringing the audience along for the ride.
It’s Tolkien week, this week, after all. Today, Bilbo and Frodo celebrate birthdays. If last year’s extraordinary VALKYRIE–THE best album of 2016–was Tolkien’s THE SILMARILLION, Glass Hammer’s UNTOLD TALES is Tolkien’s UNFINISHED TALES. Plus, who can ever have too much Susie Bogdanowicz, our very own River Daughter, in this life?
Though the references may be brief, Led Zeppelin never shied away from their Tolkien influences. Enjoy this one during Tolkien Week 2017. While you’re at it, go buy Brad’s awesome book on the Professor. You can also buy his book on the Professor of Prog. The books are so good that I’m not even being paid for this advertising!
by Rick Krueger
I’m not a hardcore Bob Dylan fan, but I admire quite a bit of his work: the early folk music, leading into the groundbreaking electric stuff (basically what’s in The Original Mono Recordings box set); Blood on the Tracks and Desire; the recent run of “old guy plays the blues” albums that started with Time Out of Mind. I’m also grateful that Dylan’s music has midwifed some of the most resonant work by highbrow rock writers like Greil Marcus, Clinton Heylin and Michael Gray, along with poet Christopher Ricks’ masterful Dylan’s Visions of Sin.
To top all that off, Dylan’s Bootleg Series is, in my mind, one of the best-curated rarities/reissue series from a major artist. Every volume has been at least an interesting listen for me, and I consider the last two releases, The Basement Tapes Complete and The Cutting Edge 1965-1966 (as well as Volume 4, The ‘Royal Albert Hall’ Concert) downright essential.
I also remember, as a college freshman, reading Jann Wenner’s review of Dylan’s Slow Train Coming in Rolling Stone. Wenner knotted himself into a human pretzel trying to reconcile the free-spirited, hippie picture of Dylan he had built up for himself with a new album of — shudder — “born-again Christian” music. It was unintentionally hilarious.
I’d argue that Slow Train Coming was really more of an “lost Old Testament prophet” kind of record — and thus in line with Dylan’s long-term aesthetic. It wasn’t a masterpiece, but it was quite good — and there were occasional fine songs on the other “Christian” albums, especially “Every Grain of Sand” from Shot of Love.
Thus, Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series, Volume 13 /1979-1981 is definitely on my want list. 8 CDs plus 1 DVD of live and unreleased studio material, to be issued (like King Crimson’s Sailor’s Tales) on my birthday, November 3. I really need to find some long-lost rich relatives!
Progarchy 