CIRCA: – Valley Of The Windmill (2016)

On By Adam SearsIn progressive rock1 Comment

I’ve had major A.D.D. lately, so it’s been difficult for me to sit through long songs, much less whole albums, but what I’ve heard so far from the new Circa album, I really dug. I’m looking forward to having a nice listen to Valley of the Windmill soon. Iris over at Grendel Headquarters has lots of great things to say about this album.

Iris's avatarGrendel HeadQuarters

The band consists of Tony Kaye, a former Yes member, and Billy Sherwood, who is a current member of Yes. Billy took over Chris Squire’s place as a bassist, who we sadly lost in 2015. However, mister Sherwood provides the lead vocals and guitars instead of bass on CIRCA:’s fourth album, named Valley Of The Windmill. Rick Tierney is providing the bass guitar parts, and Scott Connor does the drums and percussion.

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soundstreamsunday: “Northern Sky” by Nick Drake

On By Craig BreadenIn jazz folk, progressive rock2 Comments

_79248536_bigbryterlayterAcross three years and three albums, Nick Drake produced singular, autumnal music that in its vision and genius defies era and genre. An extraordinary guitarist, lyricist, and gifted writer of melody, Drake was a lone wolf, debilitatingly shy, and thus his records were midwifed, by producer Joe Boyd — to this day Drake’s champion — and arranger Robert Kirby, along with various luminaries from the British folk rock/jazz scene. Richard Thompson, one of the players, estimates Drake probably sold only 5,000 albums in total when they first appeared, and it would take a VW ad a generation after his death to bring his music to a wider audience, but Nick Drake’s discography carries a timeless beauty, the light of late fall, and I hear in it the expressiveness — pain, humor, love — of Van Morrison and the soft, breathy sway of Joao Gilberto. “Northern Sky” from Bryter Layter is to my mind a perfect song of deep love and yearning, informed by the sensitive playing of John Cale, Dave Pegg, and Mike Kowalski. It wasn’t the breakthrough Drake expected (Island Records declined to release it as a single), and, perhaps disillusioned by his own overt attempt at and ultimate failure to make a commercial record, it’s believed to be one of the reasons he stripped down his sound for Pink Moon. And yet “Northern Sky’s” shimmering, jazz-inflected pronouncement, “I never felt magic crazy as this,” and its bell-like arrangement, is as fitting and whole a description of Nick Drake’s music as any I can imagine.

Find on Amazon

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Chevelle Release Another Winner: The North Corridor

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock5 Comments

Chevelle, The North Corridor, 2016 (Epic Records)

Door to Door Cannibals (4:36), Enemies (3:29), Joyride (Omen) (3:37), Rivers (3:59), Last Days (4:12), Young Wicked (3:06), Warhol’s Showbiz (4:30), Punchline (5:11), Got Burned (3:39), Shot From a Cannon (8:12), A Miracle (CD only bonus track) (5:32)

chevellethenorthI’ve been a fan of Chevelle since I was in 7th grade (2007 or so), and while they aren’t prog, neither are they your typical mainstream rock or metal band. They are often compared to Tool, who are often lumped under the wide prog banner, but I can’t really comment on that since I am unfamiliar with Tool. All I know is, Chevelle has been consistently making very interesting and compelling rock music since 1999.

I absolutely loved their last album, 2014’s La Gárgola. It had such an awesome horror and heavy feel to it. In my review of that album, I said that it was the band’s best album since 2002’s Wonder What’s Next. Well, The North Corridor is a more than worthy successor to La Gárgola. It is heavy, but not in the same way as the last album. The guitar and vocals are distinctly heavier, while the last album had a thematic heaviness. There is a clear distinction between the two styles, yet the music is still familiar.

Continue reading “Chevelle Release Another Winner: The North Corridor” →

Metal Allegiance Announce EP “Fallen Heroes”

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock1 Comment

epCoverMetal Allegiance announced that they will be releasing a 3 song EP, Fallen Heroes, on August 12, 2016. The EP is 3 covers in honor of Lemmy Kilmister, David Bowie, and Glenn Frey.

  1. “Iron Fist” featuring Troy Sanders
  2. “Suffragette City” featuring Mark Osegueda
  3. “Life in the Fast Lane” featuring Alissa White-Gluz

Metal Allegiance is Mike Portnoy on drums, Alex Skolnick on guitar, and Mark Menghi on bass.

Check out their website for more details.

Nosound to Release 5th Album in September

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rockLeave a comment
 
NOSOUND ANNOUNCES NEW STUDIO ALBUM “SCINTILLA” ON KSCOPE; NEW SONG/MUSIC VIDEO “SHORT STORY” STREAMING ONLINE
Fifth studio album out September 2; features guest appearances from Anathema’s Vincent Cavanagh, acclaimed Italian singer Andrea Chimenti
ROME, Italy – After a decade of crafting a very particular type of widescreen melancholia and wistful imagery, Nosound has announced its fifth studio album, Scintilla, to be released via Kscope on September 2.
Inspired by personal upheaval and a desire for change, Scintilla is an emotionally complex and musically direct work presenting a stripped-down set of compositions that mark a major departure from Nosound’s trademark symphonic lushness and production precision. Shifting from the uncharacteristic sarcasm of “Love is Forever” and potent anger of “The Perfect Wife,” to the dreamy sensitivity of “Emily” and the unusually uplifting “Celebration of Life,” Scintilla represents the boldest statement of Nosound’s career so far.
Founder Giancarlo Erra comments: “The intention with Scintilla was to do something a bit more different than previously and illustrate more vigorously what Nosound is today.”
Taking in influences from post rock, shoegaze and alt-singer-songwriters, the album imaginatively utilizes a mostly organic and acoustic sound palette. Musically looser and more sonically intimate than the band’s previous releases, Scintilla’s emphasis is placed firmly on feeling rather than technique.
“During a decade of activity, my listening tastes have shifted gradually towards a simpler, more direct music with an intimate character that still retains a certain richness and detail in sound,” adds Erra. “Northern folk and alt singer-songwriter music are possibly the stronger influences, but, generally speaking, everything that is simple, direct and minimal but with rich sound is what I like, and what I hope this album is.”
Scintilla also includes guest appearances from Anathema’s Vincent Cavanagh and acclaimed Italian singer Andrea Chimenti. Cavanagh lends his distinctive vocals to two of the album’s tracks, “In Celebration of Life” and “The Perfect Wife,” while Chimenti co-writes and sings on the serene “Sogno E Incendio.” Cellist Marianne De Chastelaine returns once more to the Nosound fold (this time in a more free-flowing and improvisational capacity).
To celebrate the new album announcement, Nosound has launched a new track and video, “Short Story,” on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLtfb-HcTz8&feature=youtu.be and Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/167108079.
Giancarlo Erra comments of the song and video: “This is one of the shortest and less structured Nosound songs, both musically and lyrically, and yet one that perfectly sets the mood to ‘different’ and prepares for the album. A statement of intentions, so much that it is the opening of the album and the one we choose to be the first single.
“The video was shot specifically for this song, introducing the places where the album was partly written and recorded, and at the same time illustrating the emotional extremes present on the whole album, being at the same time delicate and thunderous without very much for the in-between.”
Scintilla is available to pre-order via the Kscope webstore at: https://www.burningshed.com/store/nosound as a deluxe CD/Blu-Ray in Mediabook with a 24 page booklet and audiophile double 180g vinyl edition (mastered at 45rpm to ensure quality) in a gatefold cover with booklet and poly-lined inner bags. Download and streaming versions will be available to pre-order at: http://smarturl.it/SCINTILLA_DIGITAL with “Short Story” as an instant download.
1. Short Story [02:24]
2. Last Lunch [07:00]
3. Little Man [04:38]
4. In Celebration of Life [05:34]
5. Sogno E Incendio [04:44]
6. Emily [03:19]
7. The Perfect Wife [07:27]
8. Love is Forever [02:51]
9. Evil Smile [04:33]
10. Scintilla [06:27]
Regarded by critics and fans alike as one of the most interesting up and coming alt/art rock bands in Europe, Nosound inventively combines influences from ’70s psychedelia, ’80s/’90s ambient and contemporary alternative, progressive and post rock. The project started as a one man studio project in late 2002 by Giancarlo Erra, but has since grown into a five piece band, evolving into something unique, focused and powerful. The music is evocative and intense, with personal songwriting.
A cathartic album of emotional extremes, Scintilla marks the brave beginning of the second phase of Nosound’s fascinating career. Stay tuned for more information on Nosound and Scintilla, out this September on Kscope.
-###-
Nosound is:
Giancarlo Erra – vocals, guitar, keyboards
Marco Berni – keyboards, vocals
Alessandro Luci – bass, upright bass, keyboards
Paolo Vigliarolo – acoustic/electric guitars
Giulio Caneponi – drums, percussion, vocals
Nosound online:

Lobate Scarp Release New Song Ahead of Their Second Album

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock1 Comment

Today, Lobate Scarp released their brand new song, “Beautiful Light,” off their upcoming second album, You Have it All. I highly recommend it to all of you – a fantastic style of upbeat prog rock with clean production and a lovely 70s “golden age of prog” feel to it. Check out the song, and if you can, please support their kickstarter campaign. Anyone who supports the Kickstarter for the second album gets an instant download of “Beautiful Light” in either mp3 or WAV format.

More info in the following press release and at their website:

Continue reading “Lobate Scarp Release New Song Ahead of Their Second Album” →

“Stone and Steel” News from Big Big Train

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock2 Comments

For all the North American BBT fans (and fans of physical media), it seems we will not be getting a properly working Blu-ray of BBT’s Stone and Steel. The band decided not to make a second pressing, and they say that the first pressing may work on newer Blu-ray machines. They have also released it digitally via Vimeo. I would much rather prefer they make it available on iTunes, and I’m not in the mood to pay lots of money for a Blu-ray that may or may not work. Coupled with the rather annoying multiple tracklist versions of their latest album, Folklore, I’m a little peeved.

Check out this news posting on their website for more details. Check out this link for a technical briefing from BBT on whether or not the Blu-ray will work with your machine.

I also received this in my email inbox yesterday:

Hi everyone

The digital version of the complete “Stone & Steel” film is now available to purchase for streaming and download on Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/bigbigtrain/164537525

If you need to satisfy the palate as well as the ear and eye, Folklore Ale and Wassail Cider are available from The Merch Desk, along with other BBT merchandise:
http://themerchdesk.com/shop/index.php?route=product/category&path=87_115

Finally, a reminder that the band has been nominated in three categories for this year’s Progressive Music Awards: Band/Artist Of The Year, Album Of The Year, and Live Event. If you’d like to show your support for Big Big Train or any of the other nominees, you can vote at:
http://www.progmagazine.com/awards

Our official YouTube channel now contains three live performances from our gigs last year, amongst other goodies:
https://www.youtube.com/user/EngElecRecordings

Best wishes,
Andy, Danny, Dave, David, Greg, Nick, Rachel and Rikard

soundstreamsunday: “Isle of View (Music for Helicopter Pilots)” by Penguin Cafe Orchestra

On By Craig BreadenIn Ambient, avant-garde, progressive rock1 Comment

ThePenguinCafeOrchestraMiniAlbum(AlbumCover)One of the great tragedies in twentieth-century music was the death of Simon Jeffes, age 48, in 1997. As leader for 23 years of the classically-pedigreed Penguin Cafe Orchestra, his music was sly, mostly wordless, and while greedily snapped up by advertising firms and public radio stations looking to set a mood fast, in long form the melodic and meditative qualities of PCO’s songs ensure their enduring presence.  As one of Brian Eno’s first production projects following his exit from Roxy Music, PCO has a certain historical cachet, of being associated with the emergence of ambient music, although in many ways Jeffes’ compositions owe much more to the organic performances of his musicians than to the electronic manipulation of sounds that characterizes much of ambient. It’s a kind of extended minimalism, but with a smile (sardonic as it might sometimes be). “Isle of View (Music for Helicopter Pilots)” is from PCO’s third album, Broadcasting From Home (EG, 1984), a record that also featured the popular and much loved “Music for a Found Harmonium.”  The song captures a not atypical approach, a melodic loop of bass and guitars and ukeleles, that morphs slowly and underpins a sympathetic line, often just a simple sustained note, on the cello. Occasionally, as here, percussion adds untold dramatic effect. It is comfort music that is genre challenging, for “New” music should not be this accessible, and pop music should not feel this free.

PCO on Amazon

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Thank you, Bryan Morey!

On By bradbirzerIn Uncategorized3 Comments

As some of you might know, I’m spending a rather significant amount of time in the Colorado Rockies this summer.  While this is my favorite spot on the whole of this planet, it lacks in technology what it makes up for in beauty.  Hence, I have very little internet connection, and, when I do, it’s tediously slow.

One of my favorite humans, Progarchist Bryan Morey, has been doing a lot of the administrative work on the site as of late.  I can’t imagine a better person to do so.  I’ve known Bryan as a student and as a friend for many years now, and I admire him immensely.  For all intents and purposes, he is, rather happily, our administrator this summer.

He’s also an ox when it comes to hard work.  If you look at the top right hand corner of the page, you’ll see a new category: ALBUM REVIEWS.  Bryan has been graciously indexing every review written at progarchy over the previous four years.  What an extraordinary task.

So, Bryan–thank YOU!!!!

Yours, gratefully, Brad