^ "RIO/Avant Gard" doesn't denote a singular form of music and so can't be taken as a singular "description" either. The term encompasses an almost unimaginably wide array of partly contrasting sets of approaches - and certainly beyond any "Prog".
^ "RIO/Avant Gard" doesn't denote a singular form of music and so can't be taken as a singular "description" either. The term encompasses an almost unimaginably wide array of partly contrasting sets of approaches - and certainly beyond any "Prog".
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
^ I love daiquiris in RIO. U2?
How about gettin' caught in the rain?Originally Posted by chalkpie
Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx
In other news, I have at least half a brain.
"And this is the chorus.....or perhaps it's a bridge...."
Better than me. I'm at around 1/17th and that's generous.
Thank you for introducing me to MASALA QUARTET - Stories From Masala. Just been jamming it on Youtube. That is for sure one I need to purchase. Great stuff.
My pleasure, Steve. Happy to hear that you're enjoying the album.
Best wishes,
Alan
I Own an Ion by John Elmquist's HardArt groop
My final list will be something like
1. JG Thirlwell & Simon Steensland - Oscillospira
2. Schnellertollermeier - 5
3. Darrifourcq / Hermia / Ceccaldi - Kaiju Eats Cheeseburgers
4. Led Bib - Live at The Vortex Jazz Club
5. Dan Weiss Starebaby - Natural Selection
6. Horse Lords - The Common Task
7. Nubya Garcia - Source
8. The Necks - Three
9. Mammal Hands - Captured Spirits
10. Shabaka & The Ancestors - We Are Sent Here By History
11. Mary Halvorson's Code Girl - Artless Falling
12. Guillaume Perret - A Certain Trip
13. Le Grand Sbam - Furvent
14. Arch Garrison - The Bitter Lay
15. Behold The Arctopus - Hapelectic Overtrove
16. The Yazz Ahmed Quintet - When We…
17. Artús - Cerc
18. Polymorphie - Claire Venus
19. Hedvig Mollestad - Ekhidna
20. Glass Museum - Reykjavik
21. Moses Boyd - Dark Matter
22. Cheer-Accident - Chicago XX
23. Red Fiction - Visions Of The Void
24. Titans to Tachyons - Cactides
25. Paradise Cinema - Paradise Cinema
26. Tigran Hamasyan - The Call Within
27. Chromb! - Le Livres De Merveilles
28. Anthony Pirog - Pocket Poem
29. Aksak Maboul - Figures
30. Nick Prol & The Proletarians - An Erstwisle Alphabestiary: Book One
Last edited by NogbadTheBad; 01-27-2021 at 04:46 PM.
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
Is the new Glass Hammer significantly different from Chronomonaut? That album was a disappointment. Looking for stuff from them that's more similar to their works prior to 2013.
Wow!!! I've actually heard four of these!!!
The Prog Corner
Dreaming City is miles better than Chronomonaut but sounds nothing like classic GH. I think they have really stumbled on something with Dreaming City though - Rush meets Tangerine Dream. I dig it.
The Prog Corner
Good stuff! I like most of those. Did you already check out Constantine by Valentin & Théo Ceccaldi? I think you might like it.
My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/
Yes, it's on my bandcamp wishlist, I like it a lot, I'll probably buy it on the 5th.
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
While I like Dreaming City, I actually prefer Chronomonaut. Neither one sound like old Glass Hammer, but that's okay with me. I appreciate them trying some different stuff.
"Roll For Initiative" and "Terminus" are two of their most catchy songs ever, IMO.
In no particular order:
Jeff Parker-Suite for Max Brown
Pat MEtheny-From This Place
Maria Schneider-Data Lords
Starebaby-Natural Selection
Richard Hallebeek-Bumerang
Aaron Parks-Little Big II
Scofield//Swallow-Swallow Tales
Joel Harrison-America At War
Zorn-Baphomet
Tigran Hamasyan-The Call Within
Helmet of Gnats-Travelogue
Le Grand Sbam-Furvent
Zopp=Zopp
A Love Supreme Electric-A Love Supreme and Meditation
Ghost Rhythms-Imaginary Mountains
Ron Miles-Rainbow Sign
Jaga Jazzist-Pyramid
HAlvorson's Code Girl=Artlessly Falling
Wobbler-Dwellers of the Deep
"And this is the chorus.....or perhaps it's a bridge...."
I will listen to RfI again and at least partially give Chronomonaut another spin. I remember there were a few tunes on that album I liked. Just didn't give it enough time maybe. I did DL Shadow Lands two nights ago since it was so cheap (digital version). Listened to three songs and thought it was pretty good. What next? I love Cor Cordium & wish I could find my IF CD so I could hear that. Maybe Perilous or their latest?
I think you'd probably enjoy Perilous too, if you liked Cor Cordium and If (both of which I liked very much myself). It's along similar lines and has Jon Davison on vocals as well.
Do you have The Breaking of the World from 2015? That one is great IMO.
Valkyrie is the best from recent years IMO, although I also liked Breaking Of The World. I doubt they'll ever top The Inconsolable Secret though.
Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.
*** Join me in the Garden of Delights for 3 hours of tune-spinning... every Saturday at 5pm EST on Deep Nuggets radio! www.deepnuggets.com ***
^ Oh yeah, I forgot all about Valkyrie. That's a really good one too.
If Snow Palms isn't the one you've already got Ian, you might consider giving that a go. It's pretty lovely, IMHO.
As for the weird list...eh, I like what I like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and I am REALLY happy that there's so much out there that I'm liking these daysBuying the Snow Palms & Valentin & Théo Ceccaldi this weekend.
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
Sweet, I hope you enjoy it
If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
https://battema.bandcamp.com/
Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com
Sweet, I hope you enjoy it
My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/
My "final" list for 2020...
Tier 1
1. Aka Moon - Opus 111 (Best album in a while, combining Cassol's arrangement style and classical music with Aka Moon jazzy goodness)
2. Archive - 25 Live (this was a limited download only release, but a really great set)
3. Pure Reason Revolution - Eupnea (another nice entry in their catalog, very happy to seem them back at it)
4. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush (Maybe their best. Keys-heavy, pop-dream psych with very deliberate call backs to late 70s/80s)
5. Aksak Maboul - Figures (Wow, fantastic blend of Stereolab + Canterbury whimsy + avant progressions)
Tier 2
6. Motorpsycho - The All Is One (A bit monotone at first with reveals on future listens)
7. Kahil El'Zabar - America the Beautiful (Inspirational jazz music with feelings of both pain and hope through a 2020 lens)
8. Ghost Rhythms - Imaginary Mountains (Always good material from these guys. It's a work in progress, so who knows where it will end up?)
9. Hedvig Mollestad - Ekhidna (Deliberate and driving jazz-rock that will get you moving)
10. The Heliocentrics - Infinity of Now (Another interesting release that blends jazz, psych, space, and other elements)
11. Elder - Omens (Their best, most proggy, and most diverse so far?)
12. Joel Harrison + 18 - America at War (Really well composed big band jazz in a modern style, with compositions often very different from each other)
13. Pat Metheny - From This Place (another fantastic work from Pat who has really hit his stride)
14. Elds Mark - s/t (A more stripped-down version of Jordsjo, heavy on folky themes with a fair share of Camelesque prog sprinkled in)
15. The Tangent - Auto-Reconnaissance (Solid writing and whimsy lead to another solid Tangent release)
Tier 3
16. La Maschera di Cera - S.E.I. (Engaging opening track coupled with an album that otherwise falls a bit flat)
17. Gösta Berlings Saga - Konkret Musik (Several catchy moments on this one. I enjoyed it more than the last few)
18. Wobbler - Dwellers of the Deep (It has its moments, but I have a hard time connecting to it after repeated listens)
19. Jaga Jazzist - Pyramid (The album starts pretty ho-hum but picks up half way in to the point where you want to listen again)
20. Airbag - A Day at the Beach (Nice return by these guys. A pleasant album)
21. Trees Speak - Ohms (Heavy on the 70s Electronic, psych, krautrock motif. Very well done and could move up the list)
22. A Love Supreme Electric - A Love Supreme & Meditations (well done interpretation of these classic works by some well respected modern musicians)
23. Mythic Sunship - Changing Shapes (From El Paraiso, heavy psych rock with sax and a free-rock/jazz element)
24. Siena Root - The Secret of Our Time (Good old fashioned 70s retro-rawk. This one really stands out from their last few)
25. Zopp - s/t (Canterbury that grows on you. Not a classic, but not bad)
WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.
2020 ROUND-UP
It's not in my nature to do a best-of list, but I always like to complete a review of all the new releases from a year when I have a chance. It's taking me about two weeks to go through everything.
I avoid including boxes, compilations or archival releases in my Yearly Round-Ups, so FZ's Halloween '81 and the 1969 Crimson box won't be on this, but they (and a few other archive type thingies) were definitely major releases for me. Here, then, is the 2020 Round-Up in alpha order ("hooray," said absolutely no one):
1. The Amorphous Androgynous & Peter Hammill: We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal
A lot of really good moments on this album. I wish it had more Hammill.
2. John Anderson: 1000 Hands
Ugh. Gross. What the heck is this? Then, all the sudden, there is an utterly awesome track with Corea and Ponty, so I'm super-glad to own this if only for that.
3. Big Big Train: Empire
Another solid live album from this band. Nothing really more to say.
4. Cheer-Accident: XX
My first Cheer Ax album. Many followed.
5. Disciples of Verity: Pragmatic Sanction
Good heavy rawk featuring Corey Glover from Living Colour. When Glover is shouting "I can't breathe," it's very powerful. (And I hope I didn't just confuse this with the previous Living Colour album.)
6. Bob Drake: Planets and Animals
Hooray! This is the stuff.
7. Bob Dylan: Rough and Rowdy Ways
"Murder Most Foul" doesn't do much for me, but the rest of the album is solid, latter-day Dylan. His voice is what it is at this point. I like it.
8. Elder: Omens
I got into Elder on a whim a few years back when I ordered some Motorpsycho albums. That whim continues to pay off.
9. Guided by Voices: Um . . . various?
Listen: GBV release like eight albums a year. I'm not even sure which ones are from this year. They all sound the same. And that's fine with me.
10. Haken: Virus
A great companion to Vector. Haken was a band I'd had one album from for a loooong time. This was the year that I finally got into them.
11. Jaga Jazzist: Pyramid
If there's a theme to 2020, it's "solid-albums-by-bands-I-like-that-aren't-their-best-albums-but-they're-all-pretty-good-so-what-the-fuck." Hey. Pyramid? I'm looking at you.
12. Jakko Jakszyk: Secrets & Lies
There are some amazing moments on this album. There are some . . . less than amazing moments. I wish Jakszyk would work with a band in the studio. Everything feels a little cut and paste-y.
13. Kansas: The Absence of Presence
There are two bands I fell for hard this year: the aforementioned Cheer-Accident. The second is Kansas. I'd never really listened to Kanas before 2020, and I certainly hadn't bought any of their albums. Their music is like comfort food for me. Easy to digest. Tasty. Familiar. This is a good album with some amazing moments.
14. King Buzzo w/ Trevor Dunn: A Gift of Sacrifice
Holy shit. This is really good. Yeah, I get it. I'm a Melvins fanboy (will I ever be a "fanman?"). But still. Trevor Dunn is the star of this one.
15. A Love Supreme Electric: I'm not typing the whole album title; that thing is long!
Mike Watt plays jazz bass! I love Mike Watt. The other players I don't know too well, but I imagine I'll fix that eventually. This is a highly enjoyable interpretation of Coltrane's work.
16. Motorpsycho: The All Is One
The never-ending rhythm of "N.O.X." is worth the price of admission. The remaining songs (outside of that 40-minute song cycle) are all solid Motorpsycho.
17. Mr. Bungle: "The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo"
Let me tell you something: I got flaming drunk on Halloween and live streamed the Bungle show and danced my stupid, fat ass off. I know why people won't like this. That's fine. I love it. My album of 2020.
18. Pere Ubu: By Order of Mayor Pawlicki
Oh man! David Thomas almost died in 2019. Thankfully, he didn't. Thankfully, this live album was put out, too. I saw Pere Ubu in Pittsburgh a few years back. This is the same (or nearly the same) set. Wonderful memories.
19. The Pineapple Thief: Versions of the Truth
Harrison continues to add to the PT sound.
20. Marcus Reuter: Truce
Rubbery, fretless bass heaven. Solid band.
21. Terje Rypdal: Conspiracy
See my comment for Jaga Jazzist. Nothing floored me here; everything is good.
22. Rikard Sjoblom: Alone Together
If I said that this album sounds a lot like the past few solo/Gungfly albums, that's not a bad thing. But if you asked me which album is which, I'm not sure I could tell you the difference. They're all good.
23. Soft Machine: Live at the Baked Potato
I shelved this one and forgot about it. I remember that I thought it was a little laggy in the tempos. I stand by that, but the interplay between the musicians is very good.
24. Sonar w/ David Torn: Transportation (Volume 2)
Do you like listening to David Torn do David Torn things? Yeah. Me too.
25. Kavus Torabi: Hip to the Jag
Late at night, when no one else is alive, Torabi's album sends out beacons from beyond. In the morning, everything is back to normal. Mostly.
26. Kamasai Washington: Becoming (OST)
A few recycled themes, a few new ones. Nothing outstanding here. Should've passed.
27. Rick Wakeman: The Red Planet
An album with great moments, but it doesn't stick together for me. Probably another one I could've passed on.
28. Wire: Mind Hive
My least favorite of the "new" Wire albums. It just falls flat, though a few tracks ("Off the Beach," "Oklahoma") are magic.
29. Wire: 10.20
Part compilation, part new recordings. Solid enough. Better than Mind Hive, actually.
30. Wobbler: Dwellers of the Deep
I couldn't differentiate this from the last one if you asked me. I don't get the "this is a step down" comments, but, hey, what the heck do I know.
31. Zombi: 2020
Synths and drums and synths and drums and synths and drums. Perhaps a little more song-based than their previous efforts? Always good!
32. Zopp: s/t
I remember someone saying that drummer was a little too heavy-handed. I agree with that comment, but the music is good, and the keys are excellent.
I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.
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