Here’s hoping I’m only one of millions who download this rather–not surprisingly–excellent version of “Empires Never Last,” recorded with a full orchestra. Very nice. Very nice, indeed. These guys never cease to surprise and delight me.
https://galahad1.bandcamp.com/track/empires-never-last-orchestral-version
Muse, B-Sides and Rarities, 2012
Tracks: Disc 1: 1. Coma 2. Jimmy Kane 3. Agitated 4. Twin 5. Host 6. Forced In 7. Do We Need This 8. Pink Ego Box 9. Con-Science 10. Ashamed 11. Yes Please 12. Recess 13. Sober (The Saint Remix) 14. Nishe 15. Nature I 16. Execution Commentary 17. Map Of Your Head 18. Piano Thing 19. Sunburn (Timo Maas Sunstroke Remix) 20. New Born (Paul Oakenfold Perfecto Remix) Disc 2: 1. Shrinking Universe 2. Spiral Static 3. Hyper Chondriac Music 4. Screenager (Live) 5. The Gallery 6. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want 7. Futurism 8. Shine 9. Cant Take My Eyes Off You 10. Dead Star 11. In Your World 12. The Groove 13. Eternally Missed 14. Fury 15. Crying Shame 16. Easily 17. Glorious 18. Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever) 19. Prague 20. Resistance (Tiesto Remix)
Muse is such a brilliant band that it is hard to imagine them creating anything that isn’t wonderful. Even the controversial (for die-hard fans, at least) The 2nd Law has grown on me – after all, it is a concept album. It should come as no surprise, then, that an album of rare songs and B-sides from Muse is excellent. I didn’t even know this collection of songs existed until our loving founder shared them with us last week. After listening to them, I’m amazed at the sheer number of songs – 40 of them across two discs. What’s even more amazing is the number of songs here that I had never even heard before.
While there are a few remixes, such as “Sober,” “Sunburn” (both originally from Showbiz), “New Born” (Origin of Symmetry), and “Resistance,” as well as a live version of “Screenager,” the vast majority of these songs are rarely heard tunes that never featured on an official album. The first disc largely reminded me of their earlier, more progressive sound, as found on Origin of Symmetry. There are a few others that don’t strike me as being like Muse at all, particularly a few of the remixes. They have a bit of a Dubstep sound that grates on me – I really hate the contemporary party scene and the music that accompanies it. I’m not sure why they decided to have these songs remixed like this, but it is only a few selections from this whole album.
“Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever)” is definitely my favorite song from the album. It has all the makings of some of the strongest songs in the band’s catalog. Sadly, this song was made for one of those dog-crap awful Twilight movies. The less said about that the better – it is still a great song.
Many of the other songs strike me as being worthy of inclusion on albums such as Origin of Symmetry, Absolution, and Black Holes and Revelations. These songs aren’t as politically motivated as their more widely regarded work, but I believe they stand well with songs like “Hyper Music,” “Falling Away with You,” “Blackout,” “Butterflies and Hurricanes,” and many other overlooked Muse songs. “Piano Thing” (track 18 from disc 1) finds Matt Bellamy at his absolute best on the piano. I wish the band would include interludes like this in their music a lot more than they do. His piano work takes their music to a whole other level.
So, who should check out this collection of B-Sides and Rarities? Certainly any big fan of Muse and definitely fans of their Origin of Symmetry sound. If you can’t tell, that’s my favorite album by them, and it is probably why I find this collection of songs so appealing. I’m amazed that even the songs that few people hear by this band are of such a high quality. This collection could easily stand up against other similar bands’ best albums.
Kerzner is seeking Kickstarter pledges:
Here’s a brand new 75+ minute album (the length of a double album) of Progressive Rock you can get for as low as $10 (or $20 with an exclusive bonus only available on Kickstarter). If you like bands such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, Porcupine Tree, Marillion, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Radiohead and Sound of Contact (my band with Simon Collins) then just watch the video where I talk about and play music from my new album “Static” here: https://www.kickstarter.com/…/static-a-progressive-rock-alb…
Less than 9 days to join to get the exclusive extras and a glimpse behind the scenes during the making of the album all the way up through our performance on Yes’s Cruise To The Edge (including updates from CTTE itself with Steve Hackett, Nick D’Virgilio, Billy Sherwood and more!)
Fire Garden Live at Martyrs’ with Sonus Umbra and Erzulie
Recommended for the fans of Progressive Rock, Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, Pink Floyd.
Venue: Martyrs’ Chicago
Date: Wednesday Nov 30, 2016
Tickets: $7
Doors: 7:30 PM
Erzulie 8 PM – 8:50 PM
Fire Garden 9:10 PM – 10:00 PM
Sonus Umbra 10:20 PM – 11:10 PM
Tickets at
http://martyrslive.com/wed-nov-30-8pm-7
Come and enjoy great music, venue and atmosphere.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1678754159103385/
Although there is the potential today for historically reconstructing The Incredible String Band as a folksy psychedelic sideshow, the core group of Mike Heron and Robin Williamson were among the most imaginative and deeply schooled of the musicians emerging out of Britain’s folk revival in the late 1960s. Succored by Joe Boyd and Elektra records, the band was in sympathetic company, and mined both sides of the Atlantic, and eastern drones, to create music and lyrics at turns profound and humorous, instantly identifiable, and hugely influential on far more successful bands who rode in their wake (Led Zeppelin particularly saw the writing that ISB flung like spatter art on the wall). They themselves didn’t emerge out of a vacuum, however; connecting the dots from someone like John Jacob Niles, the Incredible String Band can be viewed on a continuum with John Fahey, Bob Dylan, and Martin Carthy, and were surrounded by the time of their third album, 1968’s The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter, by like-minded souls in Fairport Convention and Pentangle. “Waltz of the New Moon” is one of the many shifting centerpieces of that record, which is a paste-up of folk melody and imagery dissolving into each other, bounding across the frontiers separating east and west. The musicianship is breathtaking, and while the songs do hang in the air like a cannabis haze, I wonder if this association is because the Incredible String Band in their genius created such a sound to begin with.
soundstreamsunday playlist and archivesoundstreamsunday playlist and archive
According to my translator, this means, “You are warmly welcome.” I’d expect nothing less from one of the greatest bands of our era in rock.
“Just be Stevie Nicks. That’s all you have to do.”
Great feature in The New Yorker:
The Resurgent Appeal of Stevie Nicks
Her generous songs provide an antidote to today’s often embattled pop music.
By Amanda Petrusich
The Mute Gods have released a music video for their song, “Nightschool For Idiots,” which happens to be my favorite song off of their album, Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me. This song was certainly written from the heart. I’ve read mixed reviews on it, but I love it. Enjoy.
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Dear Progarchists, one simple thing makes us extremely happy–when record labels treat us well and professionally. We hope we offer the same courtesy in return. One of the best labels–especially from the standpoint of a small website like ours–is Cuneiform Records and its creative giving spirit, Joyce. Thank you, Joyce! And, thank you, Cuneiform. Long may your goodness and creativity reign! Yours, Brad
This 15 song compilation album, Cuneiform Records: The Albums of 2016, features over 80 minutes of simply great and utterly creative music made by musicians from around the globe; selected from albums that Cuneiform Records released in 2016.
It is now available to stream or download at a price of YOUR OWN choosing via Cuneiform’s Bandcamp page:
https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cuneiform-records-the-albums-of-2016
CUNEIFORM RECORDS: THE ALBUMS OF 2016
TRACK LISTING
1. São Paulo Underground – Olhaluai [from Cantos Invisíveis] 05:21
2. Richard Pinhas / Tatsuya Yoshida / Masami Akita [Merzbow] – TVJ 33 (Core Track) (excerpt) [from Process and Reality] 05:55
3. Wadada Leo Smith – New Orleans: The National Culture Park USA 1718 (excerpt) [from America’s National Parks] 12:12
4. I.P.A. – Sir William [from I Just Did Say Something] 05:46
5. Ergo – That never came [from ‘As subtle as tomorrow’] 05:49
6. The Claudia Quintet – JFK Beagle [from Super Petite] 03:28
7. Bent Knee – Leak Water [from Say So] 04:41
8. Naima – Bye [from Bye] 04:56
9. The Ed Palermo Big Band – Dirty White Bucks [from One Child Left Behind] 04:39
10. Gary Lucas’ Fleischerei [featuring Sarah Stiles] – The Broken Record [from Music from Max Fleischer’s Cartoons] 03:07
11. Empirical – The Two-Edged Sword [from Connection] 02:32
12. Thumbscrew: Mary Halvorson, Michael Formanek, Tomas Fujiwara – Sampsonian Rhythms [from Convallaria] 04:03
13. Rez Abbasi & Junction – Self-Brewing [from Behind the Vibration] 06:20
14. Richard Pinhas & Barry Cleveland (feat. Michael Manring & Celso Alberti) – Zen/Unzen (excerpt) [from Mu] 08:06
15. Deus Ex Machina – Figli [from Devoto] 06:59
Progarchy 