REVIEW: Riverside - Shrine Of New Generation Slaves (2013)

Progressive Rock: a genus of rock n' roll which embodies instrumental, lyrical, compositional....progress through complexity I suppose. Bombastic suites, time changes, jazz and classical progressions: this is how we've boxed in many a great band since the style's heyday of the early-to-mid 70's. And yet this definition has been changing ever since the 80's: more kids today have been introduced to the "proggier" side of alternative musical styles by bands like Porcupine Tree, Muse and The Mars Volta since Y2K as opposed to Yes or Van Der Graaf Generator. These newer bands are simply better at incorporating other contemporary styles into the classic prog. rock architecture, and that's what moves merchandise. Overall result? The 2000's and beyond have been kinder to the genre than any other decade since the golden era, if not downright affluent.

And yet, we are living in a musical era where the old becomes new and vice versa, a trend never more prevalent or clear to see than in Poland's top progressive rock export, the magnificent and ever prodigious Riverside. Their Reality Dream Trilogy of albums (Out Of Myself, Second Life Syndrome and the particularly fantastic Rapid Eye Movement) are considered to be contemporary classics in the early 2000's 'nu-prog' canon, with each album being a vehicle for the gorgeous vocals of Mariusz Duda and his psychedelic blend of alternative rock atmospherics with a certain edge more akin to modern metal groups like Tool or Deftones.

So here we are in 2013 with long awaited opus Shrine Of New Generation Slaves (or S.O.N.G.S.), an absolutely gorgeous LP sitting somewhere between a condemnation and a concept record, a way station for sounds and ideas heading towards the modern world from an antiquated small town somewhere far behind where people still sing about fairies and jam on Hammond organs. And boy when it works.....you can hear the Earth's crust shifting beneath your speakers.

The past is inescapable, and its hard to deny that Pink Floyd is all over these wicked songs by accident, design and perhaps well-meaning coincidence. Less drugged out spaciness, more snow blind melancholia and the sort of luscious guitar contemplations that paint a sky grey, but I digress. The title track is bluesy, repetitive, and even fires up a bit about midway through. The blood really starts flowing when we come to 'The Depth Of Self Delusion' and 'Celebrity Touch' though: the former is chill yet armed to the teeth with a bassline that could crack concrete and the latter is a woodland headbanger with a killer chorus and some beautiful bridges to burn. What's not to like?

By the time we get to album anthem 'Feel Like Falling' and very dreamy 'Deprived (Irretrievably Lost Imagination)', I'm goddamn elated. Mariusz goes into falsetto of all things on 'Falling', and they bring in some glorious saxophone on the last couple of minutes on the latter of these two tracks....and I'm just wondering why the whole world can't be celebrating this album as much as I want to when these fantastic songs sweep over my room.

We close off S.O.N.G.S with a suite-de-grace in the form of 'Escalator Shrine' (which is what you're seeing on that thar album cover if I'm not mistaken). It's the penultimate statement of the record, a 12 minute promenade of lip-smackin' guitar solos, spacey Hammond mediation and enough jam to soak your toast from crust to crumble. Whew!

I could have asked for a better album to start 2013 off with nor a more splendid collection to introduce other people to the musical institution that is Riverside. Go buy the damn thing: they deserve every penny for something of this caliber.

Buy It Here!

REVIEW: Crossfade - Secret Love (2011)

One of the cooler projects led by Swedish vocal powerhouse Goran Edman (Yngwe Malmsteen, Karmakanic, Street Talk, among other bands he's fronted), Crossfade specialize in a bluesy, prog-inflected approach on the late 70's/early 80's Westcoast sound perfected by Toto, Ambrosia and Steely Dan. This particular record, last year's Secret Love, is the group's kickass sophomore release and a late-to-the-party kind of addition to my steadily lengthening list of 2011's best albums.

From my point of view, Goran's voice has a gravely, hit-or-miss quality in his tone which has given me a love/hate relationship with most of his recorded output, but when it comes to this particular project he always seems to bring his best. The title track's backbone, led by a wicked Lukatherian guitar groove slithering through the mix, the soaring 'Don't Ask Me Why', the jazzy, sax charged 'Waiting For A Miracle' -- lots of strong points on this album, folks, and the gorgeous production quality certainly doesn't hurt it either.

While this lacks the infectious pathos of Ole Borud's astonishing Keep Movin' LP that served as my Westcoast pick of 2011, Crossfade have their own approach to the genre that sounds very modern, yet embellished in classic Los Angeles fashion. Don't pass it up, ladies and gents!

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REVIEW: The Residents - Coochie Brake (2011)

Around the time that psychedelia was falling out of sorts across the world, there was an emergent force out of the deep bayous of Louisiana who traveled north and west, perplexing the world wherever they went and leaving only mystery and awe upon disembarking from the latest wharfside gig. If The Beatles had changed the way the world saw music from the outside in only a few years before Flower Power met its demise, then this band was shifting new terrain from the inside out...crawling out and about dimensions alien to all but a receptive, whimsical minority.

Since 1969 and counting, an anonymous eyeball-donning outfit known as The Residents have been and still remain the greatest enigma in today's musical world, the godfathers of all that's strange and outside convention in the world of rock n' roll. Sixty-something albums, countless live recordings and many a world-tour later, we are living in the second decade of a new century, and these strange beings from a time before most of us were born continue to dazzle new generations unabated by changes in sonic fashion or whatever major labels decide is worth trending.

It stands to reason, then, that last year's Coochie Brake (the titular marshland where this band supposedly spent their youth) may be the first time any relatively normal music-faring individual has encountered this esoteric ensemble...and they couldn't have found a better starting point.

To elaborate, The Residents only create (basically) two kinds of albums: those which are satirical in nature and/or those which tell some kind of bizarre, sometimes unfathomable tale. Enthusiasts of this bunch will regale you with praise upon their 70's period, the decade where some of this group's unquestionable classic additions to the canons of avant-garde rock were unveiled and released (the ambient histrionics of Eskimo, the unsettling Not Available, the synth-haunted Fingerprince), all of which were concept albums. Coochie Brake continues that tradition via an untypically semi-autobiographical account of the band's beginnings in their swampy homeland.

And it's a hell of a trip, like a dream you were thoroughly immersed within before the waking world reeled you back into the open air of day-to-day sense & logic. Sludgy guitars straight out of the fevered murk, horns, glittering electronic landscapes that juxtapose and enhance the production, topped by menacing monologues echoing above the dim, rich mixture in...Spanish? Guttural mantras reverberate like flesh-formed didgeridoos, and it's all so deliciously voodoo and indifferent to anything the group has done before, much less what anyone else is doing musically at the moment.

It's weird to the point of obsession, and richer than anything this one-of-a-kind act has done in decades. You could die happy with just this on repeat, cycling unto eternity as vague aspirations disintegrate with dawn's untimely arrival at your windowsill.

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Dя. Joни - Locкεd Doши (2012)

I won't be the first to say this, but the good voodoo doctor has proven to be a fine musical cure to many a folk's musical malaise over the decades: got a taste for some jazzy Happy Hour blues? 1978's City Lights cleans your clock all nice and spiffy-like. Feeling strange and swamped? '71's The Sun, Moon & Herbs will haunt you long after the thunder stops a'rollin'.

That being said, The Night Tripper really outdid himself here. A fresh, young ensemble cast brings the spookier elements out into the open against a plethora of bone-tight grooves and plenty of other meaty embellishments that, if nothing else, will take you out of your head and deep into the bayou where you belong. Monstrously good!

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Bluεs Cяεαtioи - Dεмoи & Elεvεи Childrεи (1971)

There ain't no cure for the summertime blues, but there's more than enough ironclad acid-blues rock to go around on this excellent proto-prog. proliferation, not unlike a more straightforward rarity that belongs to a grand pantheon previously populated by the magnificent Flower Travellin' Band and Black Sabbath.

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Dαяyl Hαll - Lαughiиg Doши Cяyiиg (2011)

A decade and a half after his last studio recording and a mere eleven months after the death of his jam buddy and collaborator T-Bone Wolk, blue-eyed soul king Dαяyl Hαll delivered a record that could have easily made my Top 11 of 2011, but didn't due to mere technicality and timing on my part.

Eclectic, groovy and difficult to place in any particular box as genre goes, Laughing Down Crying is remarkably listenable. Whether in jubilation or lamentation, these songs are some of the strongest I've heard from Mr. Hall since he & Oates cut H20 back in 1984, and that's not something I say lightly considering the quality of that particular period in his career.

That being said, there's not much New Wave or synth-pop or Philly soul here. Listeners are more likely to be reeled in by the low-key power pop of 'Talking To Myself', or perhaps seduced by the standout space funk shuffle of 'Eyes For You' (the keyboard line of which is a tongue-in-cheek nod to a certain hit by the duo back in '82). :P

Hark a gander at my 12th favorite record of 2011.

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Βoz Sсαggѕ - Dig (2001)

We all know Duh Boz was a mean ol' boss on the streets of L.A. from '68 through '88, but it's only when you leap forward into a far more alien era that the true measure of a great artist can be gleaned, and in that regard Dig is one hell of entrance into the 21st century for an aging and "irrelevant", yet still quite vital, existence.

These are the nighttime blues for a fresh new audience, shuffling grooves for the uninitiated. There is not a 'Lowdown' or 'Jojo' to be found, but staked out downtempo territory not far removed from the excess of post-2000's Bristolian reveries, yet equally sumptuous and probably a bit jazzier too. Tracks like 'I Just Go' and the smoldering 'Desire' take loping loops that beat like a heart and juxtapose them against a timeless voice and otherworldly production where every timbre echoes into the ephemeral glow of the city....and beyond.

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Cαpαbiliτy Bяowи - Voicε (1973)

A wonderful band who never really got the opportunity they deserved to strike at the fickle heart of the then-commercially-viable progressive rock market, Cαpαbiliτy Bяowи deserved a better hand than they were dealt. Nevertheless, with five fantastic covers of some early Rare Bird and Steely Dan classics and a 20-minute hellishly good slice of suite called 'Circumstances', this record was about as glorious a death as one could ask for in the fast paced record biz', and like my stash of tequila it has aged magnificently.

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Blαck Couиτяy Coммuиioи - S/T (2010)

Debut vehicle from one of the few legitimate rock supergroups to emerge in the last decade. Unlike all-style-no-substance ensembles like the overhyped Chickenfoot and the disappointingly weaksauce Them Crooked Vultures, the all-star cast of Blαck Couиτяy Coммuиioи brings to mind the best years of Led Zeppelin with a heavy dose of progressive rock explorations and arrangement not unlike Uriah Heep or Lucifer's Friend.

Based around the lineup of ex-Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes (AKA The Voice Of Rock), keyboard wiz Derek Sherinian, guitar god Joe Bonamassa and some nobody drummer named JASON BONHAM (*hint hint*), this is one record you folks don't want to let slip away from your filthy mitts.

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Sεαl - S/T (1991)

Every decade has them - albums that define an era, sonic checkpoints of evolution between disparate audiences and generations. As far as the 90's go, there are a number of albums that did that for a lot of people: Nirvana's Nevermind, Nas's debut, Wu Tang circa 36 Chambers, Primal Scream's infamous Screamadelica...

..but even with that classic lineup of records, there was this one that sits just a bit higher on the chain in my eyes, underrated despite its massive success in its heyday. One soulful voice from a scarred darksome British fellow coupled with some wicked good production values (courtesy of former Yes-man Trevor Horn) that blew away the power ballads and synth-driven "funk" of a rather artificial era with a deadly, catchy new kind of ambient pop-neo soul. Layered and transcendent, it set the bar so high that nobody could even get their fingers around it. And in 2011, that brilliance still blinds as ageless things do.

You all know 'Kissed From A Rose' from Seal's later years. Now it's time to listen to go back to where he started and let your minds go numb in fascination to a genuine classic.

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Kεvin Gilbεrt - Tнud (1994)

One of the more interesting short-lived musicians from the 90's, Kevin Gilbert was a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer who collaborated with everyone from Michael Jackson to Madonna to his then-girlfriend Sheryl Crow. 

His real love, however, lied in creating theatrical yet attractive sounding music that blended his own American pop sensibilities with mid 70's Genesis, a combination of approaches which is rendered perfectly on his 1995 album Thud, a testament that would prove to be the only solo album he would ever do before his death in May of 1996 from autoerotic asphyxia at the age of 29. Sadder still, his body was discovered on the day he was scheduled to have an audition that could have landed him the position of becoming lead vocalist of Genesis, as Phil Collins quit the band earlier that year.

In any case, the music here is ambitious and gleefully (or perhaps eerily) eclectic, shifting from the angular bluesy rock of 'Goodness Gracious' to the dusky jazz of 'Joytown' to the punk-opera-prog. centerpiece 'Shadow Self' without so much as a single snag or note out of place. Wry lyrical content and a unique, distinctive delivery also do Gilbert a lot more credit than he ever got during his life, and its a shame that we'll never know just how far he could have gone. Hell, considering the quality of this one and only bona fide release from the man, I doubt anything was impossible for him. 

R.I.P. maestro. You were one in a goddamn billion.

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Kip Шiиgεя - This Coиvεяsαtioи Sεεms Likε A Drεαm (1997)

The debut solo masterpiece from this great former hair-metal singer/songwriter's 90's alternative rock period, done in the wake of the death of his wife. Regardless of whether he's doing harmonic walls-of-sound shredders such as 'Kiss Of Life' and 'Monster' or more atmosphere oriented knives in your emotional belly like 'Here' and the acoustic 'Naked Son', K.W. treats his voice as if it were the only candle he possesses against the vast darkness of the world. However, he also takes advantage of his dynamic vocal power as a textural instrument to complement whatever grandiose designs he chooses to lay around it.

Great men make great music, ladies and gents, so pick this up and experience it for yourself.

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5tεvε Millεr Bαnd - Fly Likε Aи Eαglε (1976)

Time keeps on slippin...slippin...slippin...into the future....

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J0hn M4rtyn - Heav3n & 3arth (2011)

Although the grave has held him long and lonely since his unfortunate passing a few years back, everyone favorite bark-voiced English bard has finally gotten his final studio recording out into the presses for us, the fortunate living, to inhale and appreciate from pulse to pulse. Slick funk broods along the boogie blues of a swampy bayou, and its a ride that will be remembered long after the works of lesser singer-songwriters are left in the dust of yesterday's zeitgeist.

Love J.M. or hate him, these are some final bits of timelessness to add to his already rich and everlasting sonic hoard of riches. Let his soul wash over yours so that you may come out a better beast tommorrow.

Listen Here - "Heel Of The Hunt"


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Robert Johnson - King Of The Delta Blues Singers (1998)

Yeah, Satan lent this guy a hand somewhere down the line. It's too good to be otherwise.

Listen Here - "Hell Hound On My Trail"



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Mu - S/T (1971)

Along with Comus's infamous tainted folk masterpiece First Utterance, the cult classic self-titled one shot by Mu which also arrived in '71 is yet another of those one-of-a-kind acoustically oriented releases from that first half of the decade that still haven't been outclassed today. Entrenched up to its teeth in thick, groovy basslines, free jazz sax solos, bluesy guitar riffs and some rather comendable songwriting, this is a psychedelic blues-rock album for the ages and beyond.

My main point of attachment to this album is the sheer weight of ancient, pervasive soul present in every flick of a chord, every kick to the percussion, and the sense of journey whenever the groove gets time to flesh itself out in the light of the desert. It's Fleetwood Mac with the balls of a tanuki and the crunch of a chilled out Blue Cheer. It's an experimental West Coast album with the chops and emotion to bring about a rather glorious fruition.

In other words, I can't recommend this enough to aspiring listeners. Let that good ol' pre-Steely Dan Californian sound wash right over ya!!

Listen Here - "Nobody Wants To Shine"



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Terry Callier - What Color Is Love (1973)

The best soul album of the 70's.

...well, that's how I'd like to sum this review up, but being that mistah Terry Callier isn't well known even among soul enthusiasts, I'll elaborate: he, along with his more famous childhood bud Curtis Mayfield, occupied a roster on Motown for a good part of the decade. Unlike his good chum however (and in fact unlike anyone else on the label), Callier possessed a distinctly spacey yet intimate songcraft that lent itself just as easily to folk and baroque-tinged pop as it did to the bellowing James Brown theatricalia psychedelica that was expected of a legitimate soul singer.

That said, 1973's What Color Is Love serves a dual purpose amidst his output: it can be approached as a singular point where his romantic style of songwriting came together into a near perfect set of stoned soul smashers ('Candyman', 'A Song Of The Sun'), heartwrenching balladry ('Just As Long As We're In Love', the title track) and even a fine slice of epic folk-jazz ('Dancing Girl'). On the other hand, every artist hits a milestone early on that can be said to be relatively "untoppable" by all subsequent output in the ears of casual listeners: Marvin Gaye? What's Going On. Bill Withers? Just As I Am. Isaac Hayes? Hot Buttered Soul. For Callier, What Color Is Love is that sort of defining moment.

Listen Here - "Just As Long As We're In Love"


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Ramases - Glass Top Coffin (1975)

Underrated and lauded in many underground circles back in the good ol' 70's, Ramases are basically the symphonic folk equivalent to psychedelic space gods Hawkwind and their ilk, sending their operatic tenors of voice and eclectic instrumentation alike to the infinite nether and beyond and letting their starborne intentions carry on to new worlds.

Glass Top Coffin, remastered and reissued after thirty five years in obscurity, was this communal collective jamboree's final release in 1975 before they split up to go do...whatever hippies do when they aren't playing music or indulging in mild altering contraband. Considering how beautiful and compellingly listenable this sophomoric finale was though, I guess the breakup couldn't have happened at a better time - amidst the acoustics and vibratto-harmonizing, there's a classically induced sheen borne from euphoric strings and woodwinds mingling amidst the sunshine pop and would-be Fairport Convention-ing which befits the "space opera" image as though it were a match made in heaven.

Fans of spacey subject matter, troubadours brimming with bard like delivery, baroque folk-rock and beautiful music on the whole will be blasting off with glee when this record gets a'spinnin'.

Listen Here - "Mind Island"



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Lonely Kamel - Blues For The Dead (2010)

I don't know what it is about Norway, but a lot of quality releases seem to consistently and constantly emerge from their woodwork from every angle you can imagine. In regards to that, 2010 has brought us a damn fine acid blues-rock album from Lonely Kamel, who dwell in Oslo and hammer down some fine blistering guitar brawls on Blues For The Dead, which came out earlier this year.

Sure, there's nothing groundbreaking here in terms of musical palette - everyone from Led Zeppelin to Leaf Hound have done the early 70's blues-rock thing to death before the former had ever played a single stadium. Still, when the rhythms are compelling and the vocalist has the drawl to go with the swagger, who really gives a shit what's new and past due? If tracks like 'Lady Mushroom' and 'A Tale Of A Madman' don't give you even the slightest bit of nostalgia for that good ol' psychedelia, then you should get your ears dewaxed.

Hang loose, rock out, and take Lonely Kamel for what they are - a kickass 70's stoner ensemble who have warped to the modern era in order to crack a few skulls...and stir your blood to life.

Listen Here - "Lady Mushroom"


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Hound Dog Taylor - Natural Boogie (1973)

Hound Dog Taylor is a legendary bluesman to whom few compare, particularly on the particular of him having six fingers on each hand! With his band The Heartbreakers behind him on this seminal early 70's release, we get a rumbling pack of sonic vendettas that speak to older days and wilder nights in the wilderness of saloons, train stations and the savage, open country beyond it all.

The poor bastard died a long time ago, but this record is a grand occasion to meet him for yourselves. Do not deny his acquaintence!

Listen Here - "One More Time"

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