• Music

    Diana Hayes/Andy Meyers – Deeper Into The Forest

    Andy Meyers is the former guitarist of Toronoto art-punk legends The Scenics.  He’s gone off to do more exploratory work after moving to the Vancouver area, and this, his latest work, is a collection of soundscapes set to the poetry and vocals of fellow Canadians Diana Hayes and Susheela Dawne. From the release’s Bandcamp website: Composer/producer Andy Meyers was co-recipient of Canada Council Grants to score two CDs of spoken word with award winning poet Brian Brett. (“an often unsettling meld of orphan sounds and menacing undercurrents, and an offbeat celebration of those old staples: love, experience, sex and death.”…

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    Dorota Barová – Dotyk

    Czech vocalist and cellist Dorota Barová is a new name for me, but her rather glorious voice brings up memories of Portuguese singers like Teresa Salgueiro, who you might remember as the lead singer of Madredeus.  Barovà has had an impressive career, as her first album, the award-winning debut “Iluzja” (Anděl Award), propelled her to fame in the Czech indie music scene.  Her sophomore release, Dotyk (Touch), brings a collection of new songs and lyrics authored by Barová, which she recorded in trio with guitarist Miroslav Chyška (member of Illustratosphere, J.A.R. and Sexy Dancers) and bass guitarist Miloš Klápště (known…

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    F.P. & The Doubling Riders – Doublings & Silences Vol. I

    The Doubling Riders were one of those bands that came out of 1980s Italy who were criminally neglected. It’s great to see this published digitally.  This reissue came out today, and it was considered a big score in my collection when I had the vinyl version.  From the Bandcamp site: The Doubling Riders were born in the middle of the ’80s from the ashes of the great experimental / minimal wave project A.T.R.O.X. around the trio of Francesco Paladino, Pier Luigi Andreoni, and Riccardo Sinigaglia (Professor of Electronic composition at Milan’s Conservatory). Starting from an electronic music approach and working…

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    Ángel Ontalva – Angel On A Tower

    Ángel Ontalva is a welcome site on this blog, and he has a new release to share with us.  He continually surprises us by mixing a Rock-In-Opposition sound (think Samla Mammas Manna) and jazz-rock (maybe a touch of National Health).  It’s unique, taking cues, of course, from some of his influences, but with guitar playing that sets it apart from other proggers.  Another solid release by Ángel.

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    Frames – In Via

    Frames aren’t quite a new name for me, but it seems I missed this post-rock gem.  I was amused to read that a lot of post-rock fans don’t see much good in this album because it doesn’t fit their pre-conceived notions of what music in the genre should sound like, I suppose.  For me, I like that it goes nowhere in particular, a bit like a drive down a highway on a Sunday afternoon with no particular point you’re traveling to.  Musically, this is a solid album, not as metal as other post-rock bands (which for my taste is a…

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    trajedesaliva – Mima Blanca

    My friends from trajedesaliva gifted me one of their older albums recently, and as I had some spare time to listen today, I indulged in Mima Blanca. It took me a moment to figure out what this reminded me of, but then it dawned on me – several incredibly good influences, or they’re on the same wavelength If you’re a fan of Tuxedomoon (especially the solo projects by Steven Brown or Blaine L. Reininger), Daniel Schell & Karo, or some of the projects on the Made To Measure series of albums on Crammed Discs, you’ll find a quirky experimental experience…

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    [The Spirit Of Progressive Rock] CD Review – Be Bop Deluxe – Life In The Air Age (Box Set)

    While doing a bit of research pertaining to my new position at a school in China, I took a bit of time to read a great review over at The Spirit Of Progressive Rock on a box set I’ll have to purchase before I leave the States. Be-Bop Deluxe were one of the premier art-rock bands of the 1970s, and its frontman, Bill Nelson, is still making music.  This box is massive, spanning at 16 discs (15 audio, 1 DVD)!  Why am I fascinated with this record?  TSOPR explains: This legendary live album was released in July 1977 and here’s…

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    Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel 1 (Car)

    It’s safe to assume that the vast majority of my friends and readers know who Peter Gabriel is.  I don’t think there’s been a more important pop singer in the last 40 or so years, and it’s really a pleasant surprise to see him put the whole of his catalog on Bandcamp. This album is my favorite of the back catalog, as it was his first after leaving the band Genesis.  Car is a collection of songs that sound like Gabriel was undergoing a creative explosion, mixing heavy rock, progressive, and you could hear a strong imprint from guest musicians…

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    Yat-Kha – We Will Never Die

    Albert Kuvezin (Альберт Кувезин) is a legend in the ethno-rock and World Music community.  He was one of the founders of the band Huun-Huur-Tu, which brought throat singing into prominence.  He went on to form his own band, Yat-Kha, who I came across in 1993.  He was managed to meld together traditional Tuvan music (the region in Russia close to Mongolia and not so terribly far from China) with post-punk and even country music. On June 21, Yat-Kha’s latest album, We Will Never Die, is due for release as a download and will be available on CD and vinyl. The…

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    Nick Sudnick – Opera Of The Eleventh Hour

    St. Petersburg, Russia-based composer Nick Sudnick has had a storied career as the main protagonist of the of the art-rock group Zga.  I had the pleasure of working with him for one reissue in another life. He is still very much involved with music, and has been releasing an incredible series of albums recently.  As I understand it, he’s creating operas based on each hour of the day.  The latest installment is for the Eleventh Hour, and base material for this project include motifs derived from pharmacies, medical encyclopedia, online mental health forums and so on. This will appeal heavily…