Exit North is a revelation to me. The instrumentation reminds of the sort of progressive rock one would expect to hear from Tim Bowness, Steve Jansen (who happens to provide backing vocals on this album), or in parts, David Sylvian, but singer Thomas Feiner is blessed with a voice so Continue Reading
Art-Rock
Bryan Ferry Looks Back at 50 Years of Roxy Music, Romance, and Elegant Misery
Though I normally loathe Rolling Stone, I have to compliment Rob Sheffield for his fine article on Bryan Ferry. It’s a worthy read. Click here to see the article.
Bill Nelson – Signals From Realms Of Light
Legendary Be Bop Deluxe guitarist Bill Nelson is still producing music at an alarmingly wonderful rate. This disc is a reissue of an album that came out as a limited-edition release in 2011, and the sound is vintage Nelson.
Zhaoze (沼澤) – No Answer Blowin’ in the Wind (没有答案风中飘)
If you can imagine 1969-era King Crimson played on Chinese traditional instruments and a more relaxed feel, you would have this new album by the Guangzho-based band Zhaoze. The music is definitely progressive, touching upon art-rock, but so solidly based in traditional Chinese music that one can call this a Continue Reading
Pere Ubu – Trouble On Big Beat Street
Avant-rock legends Pere Ubu have a brand new album out! From the band’s Bandcamp site: “Pere Ubu unveil their new album, ‘Trouble On Big Beat Street’, nearly four years after their previous record for Cherry Red, ‘The Long Goodbye’. ‘The Modern Dance’ (1978) marked the end of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Continue Reading
Peter Gabriel – Live in Athens 1987
It’s incredibly nice to see Peter Gabriel release the bulk of his solo material on Bandcamp. He even offers a subscription for rare tracks and remixes, most of which are perfectly okay. This release was a pleasant surprise, as it was, I believe, once released as part of the So Continue Reading
Abandoned Toys – Where Tides Defy the Moon
This is a curious release. Abandoned Toys manages to balance ethereal ambient music with symphonic progressive rock. A rather brilliant balance, indeed.
Kara Jackson – Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love?
Kara Jackson certainly knows how to leave a strong impression! If you can imagine Nick Drake’s guitar being willed to Nina Simone with a touch of the spirit of David Bowie (see the track brain for reference), then you have this incredibly powerful album. I had no idea what to Continue Reading
PoiL Ueda – PoiL Ueda
This is a heavy, near-monstrous release involving Japanese singer and bassis Junko Ueda and the French avant-prog group PoiL. From their Bandcamp site: “PoiL Ueda is the result of a collaboration between Junko Ueda, a vocalist and satsuma-biwa player from Japan, and PoiL, a French rock/contemporary music band. The creation Continue Reading
David Bowie – Lodger (2017 Remix) – Classic Music Review
Thirty years on, still no one is quite sure where to place Lodger. In a way, that’s appropriate: as the title suggests, it’s a record that doesn’t … David Bowie – Lodger (2017 Remix) – Classic Music Review I’ve had the pleasure of following altrockchick for a good while now. Continue Reading