• Music - Music Articles

    ‘Jeffersons’ Star Sherman Hemsley Was A Huge Prog Rock Fan

    tha As it turns out, ‘Jeffersons‘ star Sherman Hemsley was one of my clients while I was working at Aron’s Records off and on during the 1990s.  He was an absolute gentleman who always had a kind word, and he thoroughly impressed me with his progressive rock knowledge and the special orders he would give me to hunt down.  My fellow buyers and floor staff told me that he was instrumental in bringing a lot of prog to Los Angeles (especially the legendary band Gong).  This article I’m sharing came as a surprise that he and Yes singer Jon Anderson…

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    巴亚宛 Bayawan – 麦盖提刀郎木卡姆乐队 Mekit Dolan Muqam Group

    巴亚宛 Bayawan are heavy psychedelic muqam music from Xinjiang.  From Old Heaven Books’ Bandcamp site: “”Bayawan” is the common name for Muqam music used by the Dolan people. Bayawan, or Dolan Muqam, is a unique form of folk music and one of the most important cultural heritages of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China. Generally speaking, Muqam is a form of large-scale suites which include songs, dances, and instrumental sections, in which the development of music often features a significant degree of improvisation. The Muqam of the Uyghurs is characterized by its diversity of musical styles. Apart from the classical Twelve…

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    Khruangbin – A La Sala

    There is almost nothing I can add to the lore of Khruangbin except to say that, despite me occasionally talking about albums which are fine for nighttime listening, this one belongs to the sunrise.  It has the feeling of an album you would play after an intense night out on the town, and coming down from the high of people around way too many people for too long.  From their Bandcamp site: “The title makes it clear. A La Sala (“To the Room” in Spanish), the fourth studio album by Khruangbin, is an exercise in returning in order to go…

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    The Land Of Yrx – Termination Point

    The Land of Yrx are (were?) a charmingly weird band staffed by members of Audion, perhaps the most important magazine of my youth.  The Freeman brothers would wax on about albums I wouldn’t have the chance to hear in full until I was in my 20s working at a record shop, but their description of said albums always piqued my interest. The most curious releases were ones released by friends.  The Land of Yrx was mentioned a few times, and this was the first time I had the pleasure of actually hearing one of their albums in full.  This one…