MWE3.COM
MUSIC NEWS & NOTES
SUMMER 2016 RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
POP
& ROCK
AGENT
ANONYME / ABSOLUTE – Over in the U.K. singer-songwriter
Daphne Guinness released a fantastic CD, Optimist In
Black—her 2016 long player produced and recorded in NYC
by rock legend Tony Visconti. Visconti’s production work
with the late great David Bowie is the stuff of legends and he brings
that impeccable production edge to Daphne’s album as well. The
production is great but the songs are equally rocking and haunting.
Bowie himself is said to have attended a recording session before
he left the building. As you spin the 14 track CD you can hear some
of Daphne’s influences such as Grace Slick / Jefferson Airplane,
The Small Faces, The Doors and of course Bowie himself. Fans of Tony
Visconti’s work with Bowie will love the way Daphne works her
magic throughout the album. Co-produced by Daphne and Irish producer
Pat Donne, who co-wrote many of the tracks here, Optimist
In Black features a number of musicians including long time Bowie
bass ace Gail Ann Dorsey, Steve Ferrone and John
Henry (drums), Johnson Jay and Conor Brady (guitars),
Morgan Visconti (slide guitar) along with producer Visconti
and co-writer Donne adding in string arrangements, programming, backing
vocals and more. Sure to be among the most auspicious CD releases
of 2016, Optimist In Black is a stunning and effective introduction
to the sonic vision of pop chanteuse Daphne Guinness. www.DaphneGuinness.com
ANGEL
AIR – Hitting the charts during the heyday of the 1970’s
Mr. Big are back in 2016 with a recent comeback album made
in 2010 called Bitter Streets. The album is really
a throwback to someone’s Lp as the music draws on the best of
U.K.
pop and rock during the 1970s—from Bowie to Mott and Bolan, Spearheaded
by Jeff Pain—who used the stage name Dicken. Having caught
the ear of George Martin the band went on to release several singles
in the early 1970s and several albums as well. Anyway, Dicken is back
with multi-instrumentalist Paul Gibbon and several guests and
the results offer a most satisfying album of well produced pop-rock
in the spirit of mid ‘80s YES, Pilot with a McCartney edge in
there too. For those pop fans just tuning into Mr. Big for the first
time, Bitter Streets is proof that it is sometimes better late
then never. Angel Air continues to honor the great British bands of
the past with the 2016 CD release of 304 Holloway Road Revisited
by The Honeycombs. It’s hard to believe it’s been
50+ years since the late great Joe Meek produced “Have I The
Right”. Had he lived, Meek would have loved this 2016 Honeycombs
album. Honeycombs founder Martin Murray is in fine form on
Angel Air’s 14 track album which features a newly recorded version
of “Have I The Right” along with new originals and other
tracks written by the song writing teams of Ken Howard / Alan Blaikley
and Joe Meek. Honeycombs producer Joe Meek was always haunted by the
specter of Buddy Holly’s death, so fans of Meek, Buddy and other
early 1960s pre-Beatles rock will love this unique 21st century comeback
by The Honeycombs. www.angelair.co.uk
ANNE
WALSH MUSIC – California singer / song stylist Anne Walsh
comes through on her 2016 CD Brand New. Backed
up by a number of talented jazz musicians—including album arranger
and co-producer Tom Zink—Anne interprets some of the great
songs from the best 20th century songwriters. Among the covers are
tunes from the songbooks of The Beatles, Burt Bacharach & Hal
David, Deodato, Michel Legrand and more. The songs have been covered
before, it’s true, but Anne’s voice delivers them in a new
light that deserves to be heard. A cover here of “To Sir With
Love” gives a good indication of just how much Anne loves these
songs. File Brand New under the finest 21st century smooth
jazz vocal music. www.AnneWalsh.com
AVALON
RECORDS – The U.K. progressive rock band Galahad celebrates
30 years of musical greatness with a 2015 double CD retrospective
called When World’s Collide. With ten classic
Galahad tracks newly re-recorded, the 19 track album presents classic
Galahad music reworked and rearranged. With a number of the tracks
dating back to the 1980s, the double CD set clocks in at nearly three
hours of music. The CD set is accompanied by a CD booklet filled with
written praises of the band from some of the most astute rock journalists
on either side of the Atlantic. Throughout the CD set, long time Galahad
members Stuart Nicholson (vocals) and Roy Keyworth (guitars)
are joined by Galahad members past and present making When World’s
Collide a fabulous overview of an often overlooked progressive
rock icon. September 2015 liner notes by Stuart Nicholson sheds
light on the history of Galahad. www.GalahadOnline.com
BAD
ELEPHANT – Progressive rock continues its renaissance and
resurgence in the U.K. and The Room CD, Beyond The Gates
Of Bedlam is a fine example in full bloom. Started back in
2010 by Martin Wilson (vocals) and Steve Anderson (guitars),
The Room clearly have a lot to offer prog-rock fans. A five piece
rock band with vision and drive, The Room cites hard rock bands like
Saga, Journey and Magnum as influences and their 2015 album is fine
follow up to their 2012 debut album called Open Fire. There
is a bit of stadium rock on the Beyond The Gates Of Bedlam
album but it’s quite well recorded and the instrumentation sounds
very clear so you can hear a range of instruments as they intended
to fit into the mix and not just a wall of hard rock sound. Clearly
a band on the way up, The Room offer the promise of even bigger and
better tracks and albums with Beyond The Gates Of Bedlam. www.TheRoom.eu
BAFE’S
FACTORY - Among
the most promising pop vocal groups in Finland and Scandinavia today—the
modern girl-group sound of Tuuletar comes alive on their much
anticipated first album Tules, Maas, Vedes, Taivaal.
The eight song CD was superbly recorded and produced at Liquid
5th studios based in North Carolina. Visiting and performing in New
York on the way back to Finland, Tuuletar can't wait to bring their
“Folk-Hop” sound —accapella vocals all sung in their
native Finnish—to the attention of music fans World Wide. The
skillful production by the Liquid 5th team shines a bright light on
Tuuletar’s phenomenal pop vocal approach. For music listeners
challenged by the unusual complexities of the 
Finnish
language, Tuuletar’s album title translates to “Fire,
Earth, Water, Sky”, with each group member representing a
different element or sign. At the core of the Tuuletar sound are four
accomplished singers—Sini Koskelainen, Piia Säilynoja,
Johanna Kyykoski and the band’s human Beat-Boxer / singer
Venla Ilona Blom. With Venla supplying the percussive beat-boxing
sounds, and the impressive production of Liquid 5th putting on the
sheen, Tuuletar’s vocal arrangements are fully realized on their
CD debut. Commenting on the unique Tuuletar sound in the following
interview, Sini Koskelainen tells mwe3.com, “Beat-boxing is
a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking
drum machines using one’s mouth, lips, tongue and voice. The
folk-hop sound blends Finnish folk music with hip-hop, electronic
music and world music.” The perfect showcase for their unique
talents as a group, the debut Tuuletar album is filled with appealing
vocal harmonies yet the music is also quite experimental sounding.
Researching their Finnish heritage and naming their band after a Finnish
female spirit of nature that controls the wind, Tuuletar brings their
sound into the brave new world of 21st century pop music with unexpectedly
brilliant results. www.tuuletar.com
/ www.bafesfactory.fi
BASILICA MUSIC – There’s
been a range of superbly produced techno pop-rock coming from the
U.K. in 2016 and you can add the name Glitch Code to the mix.
Pairing the sound and vision of multi-instrumentalist Paul Kirkpatrick
and singer Rachel Harvey, the 2016 Glitch Code album Gifted_Damaged
will clearly be of interest among fans of electro pop legends
such as The Eurhythmics, Bowie and Kate Bush (for example) and, after
hearing the Gifted_Damaged album, the comparison makes sense.
With Ms. Harvey handling all the vocals and Paul Kirkpatrick taking
on the keyboards, drum programming and sound creation, the pair are
joined by a number of musicians and string players including Gordon
Foley (guitars), Julian Todd (bass), David Williamson
Smith (drums) and other players. Informing us about the Glitch
Code 
story,
Paul tells mwe3.com, "The
core of Glitch Code is myself and Rachel Harvey. I met Rachel when
we were both playing on the same bill in different bands and I really
liked her voice and thought it would suit an idea I had for a new
project which became Glitch Code. As Rachel is also a TV actress,
it took us a few years to get the project really off the ground and
then just when we got up and running Rachel had some health problems
which put us on hold for 18 months or so. However, I used that time
to rewrite some of the original tracks we had recorded for the project
and add some new material to form more of a cohesive sound. Gifted_Damaged
explores the fine line between genius and madness that so often affects
those who are creatively successful. I’m sure everyone reading
can relate to someone they know, famous or not, who they would recognize
as both gifted and damaged." Extra
mention must go to the excellent packaging in which the CD and inserts
are packaged in a book like case filled with song lyrics and unusual
sick room setting pics of Ms. Harvey (see story below). Dedicated
to all those who are gifted and damaged, the twelve track CD offers
a potent mix of techno pop-rock, electronic dance grooves and hard
rock sounds. With the release of Gifted_Damaged, Glitch Code
establishes itself as a name that music fans will watch and take further
notice of. www.Glitch-Code.com
BELIEVE
/ ACWL – It’s true I don’t speak the French
language but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the 2016 CD by
the France based band called ACWL. France has a long held reputation
for producing impeccable sounding rock and instrumental music and
the ACWL CD, Internal blends the best of both worlds.
The 12 track Internal is spacy and rocks up a storm yet is
still quietly impressionistic. Progressive rock fans with an open
mind will love this CD. Vocals by Clin, who also plays bass,
is balanced out by Jean (guitars, programming) and Patrick
(drums). Clin’s female voice is offers a solid contrast to
the spacy, prog-rock, dream-pop and neo-punk sound. Overall there’s
plenty of challenging and adventurous music on Internel by
ACWL. www.acwl.net
BIG
NESS RECORDS – Over in the U.K., the band known as The
Mighty Handful are helping to reshape the role of rock music in
the 21st century. The 5 piece band features Gary Mackenzie (drums,
vocals), Ralph Blackbourne (keys, vocals), Christopher James
Harrison (lead guitars, vocals), Tom Halley (bass, vocals)
and Matt Howes (lead vocals, guitars). In addition, there are
several guest artists who are also on the album. Covering parts 1
- 3 of the proposed 5 album series, both Still Sitting In Danny’s
Car and Rubicon were released as two separate
albums, and both albums are well worth the time and energy of rock
music fans. Musically, The Mighty Handful is all over the musical
map. From 1970’s style prog-rock to rock ‘n’ roll and
even instrumental rock, the Mighty Handful clearly have their hands
on the pulse on the state of 21st century rock music. www.MightyHandful.com
CHERRY RED RECORDS – Having first been a member of YES in
1980 and then again in 2013, keyboardist / composer Geoff Downes
released an album in 2016 with his other group DBA. Doing
business as The Downes Braide Association, the 52 minute, 12
track Suburban Ghosts is a joint collaboration featuring
Downes and L.A. based singer Chris Braide. Of course YES fans
are still reeling from Chris Squire’s cremation in June 2015
but Downes and his new DBA album almost sounds like the ghost of Chris
Squire is in the room, especially when considering Squire’s series
of collaborations between YES and The Buggles with Downes and Trevor
Horn. Anyway, these fresh and original DBA songs have staying power
and it gets better with repeat spins and Downes always entertains
on keyboards. Several guest artists appearing on the CD including
Dave Gregory of XTC and guitarist Lee Pomeroy. The CD
has a cool look and feel and the booklet has all of the lyrics. Someone
said the album kind of sounds like The Pet Shop Boys but I could swear
that “North Sea” sounds like a great long lost Joe Jackson
song! Maybe years after processing Squire’s death, YES will still
be around and with any luck, Downes will still be in the band playing
“Roundabout” for fresh-faced fans. www.DownesBraide.com
DANIEL
MERON MUSIC – In 2016, pianist / composer Daniel Meron
released his second album called Sky Begins.
The eight track CD is a fine showcase for Meron’s impeccable
piano skills and he’s joined by a number of fine players including
vocalist Maia Karo and the rhythm section of Jimmy Macbride
(drums) and Noam Wiesenberg (bass). Meron’s sound
is pure jazz but the vocal performance adds a lot of soulful, jazz-tinged
style to the CD. Ms. Karo’s appealing vocal sound is kind of
reminiscent of a young Annette Peacock and the songs themselves kind
of echoes the great work on the 2015 Blue Shift album Levels Of
Undo. Even so, Sky Begins is a fine work and the NYC based
Meron is clearly a musician / composer worth keeping an ear out for.
www.DanielMeron.com
DAPTONE
RECORDING COMPANY – The Daptone mark of excellence is all
over the 2016 CD by U.K. soul music singer-songwriter James Hunter.
Credited to The James Hunter Six, the ten track Hold
On! was actually recorded in mono. Perhaps if Hold On!
would have been released in 1966 instead of 2016, it would have
been an even bigger hit. With Hunter handling all the song writing
and vocals, the album also features key contributions from a band
of musicians including drummer Jonathan Lee and keyboardist
Andrew Kingslow. Hunter’s vocals are clearly the star
of the album and his electric guitar work is also sparse, yet remarkable
for its stinging leads that serve to accompany the songs. The album
is quite amazing sounding and is in fact the most perfect soul music
album even in 2016. If you close your eyes in fact, there’s no
way to tell this album was even made in the 21st century. Close approximations
to Otis Redding and Arthur Conley or any of the great Stax singers
notwithstanding, Hold On! is the best soul-pop album of 2016.
Listen the James Hunter sing and it’s 1966 all over again. www.JamesHunterMusic.com
DAVE
STEWART ENTERTAINMENT / MEMBRAN – The genius producer
/ songwriter behind The Eurythmics, Dave Stewart plays a major
role behind the 2016 CD release of the self-titled CD debut by singer
/ songwriter Hollie Stephenson. With the passing of the late
great Amy Winehouse, perhaps music fans into Amy’s kind of music
will find musical solace in Hollie’s CD. With production and
guitars handled by Dave Stewart, the 13 track CD features a range
of fine players, including programming and mixing by Dave’s musical
cohort Ned Douglas. Among the genres touched upon are pop,
rock, soul, R&B, ska and more. Recorded in L.A. and Jamaica, the
CD sounds great and features an in depth CD booklet with song lyrics,
full credits and liner notes by Hollie. Filled with one catchy, upbeat,
pop-rock track after the next, Hollie Stephenson’s CD is set
to break her star-studded career wide open. Keep your eyes and ears
on Hollie Stephenson. www.membran.net
DESERT
COMB MUSIC / TUNE LEAK RECORDS - Australia’s
rising musical mastermind Ben Craven takes progressive rock
in exciting new directions on his 2016 CD / DVD entitled Last
Chance To Hear. The album comes with a DVD featuring
a documentary on the making of the Last Chance To Hear album
along with a bunch of user-friendly video clips of various tracks.
After listening to Last Chance To Hear, calling Craven eclectic
would be an understatement, but not for someone who says he absorbed
Dark Side Of The Moon while still in his mother’s womb.
A prolific singer-songwriter, 
guitarist
and keyboardist, Ben plays everything in sight on Last Chance To
Hear. Although he’s an adept vocalist, and he does feature
several vocal tracks here, the emphasis is placed on the instrumental
prog-rock thing that Craven also does so well. The vocal tracks, including
“Last Chance To Hear Pt. 1” and “The Remarkable Man”
truly enlivens the album's progressive rock experience while pointing
a socially satirical finger at the music business and the annexation
of music by You Tube and other online music resources. The third vocal
track here “Spy In The Sky Pt. 3” features a spoken word
vocal by Captain James Kirk of the Starship Enterprise (a/k/a Bill
Shatner), which is a total gas. Ben's latest instrumental tracks
are totally convincing and blend the compositional spirits of John
Barry, Brian Wilson and Chris Squire to great effect with somber and
thought-provoking moods and sounds. What ever your interest is within
the progressive / instrumental rock realm, Ben Craven has the sonic
prescriptions ready to fill your every need with the sonically super-charged
Last Chance To Hear. www.BenCraven.com
DEVI
ROSADO MUSIC – It’s hard to find some new sound in pop
but singer-songwriter Devi Rosado comes close with her five
track CD/EP called Heart Stone. Produced by Devi
and Ali Theodore, Heart Stone combines melodic Beatle-esque
pop peppered with a 21st century mindset. Devi’s voice just soars
and the overall soundstage is superbly balanced so the music is free
from overproduction. Hard to compare to other artists but in the spirit
of great American singers such as Marti Jones, Natalie Archangel and
even The Bangles, there’s plenty of pop goodness on Devi’s
Heart Stone. Interestingly, Devi cites Todd Rundgren and Led
Zeppelin as big influences. Devi has previously released an album
sung in Spanish as well as a pair of EP releases. Commenting on the
title track to Heart Stone, Devi adds, “I collect heart
stones. One day I found a broken heart stone, which inspired me to
write the song.” The only complaint is that the CD is
only five tracks but overall, Heart Stone is a stunning pop
entry from an artist that will surely be worth hearing and watching.
www.DeviRosado.com
DOONE
RECORDS - Guitarist / composer Paul Bremner is recognized
as one of the top prog-rock guitarists recording today. A founding
member and lead guitarist in the band IZZ, Bremner is currently
turning on the prog crowd with his 2016 solo album called The
Witness. The album features nine tracks, topped off
by a five part CD closer entitled “Last Exit Before Toll”.
The Witness features Brems in the studio backed up by some
excellent musicians including Paul’s band 
mates
in IZZ—Tom Galgano (keys), John Galgano (keys,
bass), Greg DiMiceli (drums), Brian Coralian, Anmarie
Byrnes (vocals), Laura Meade (vocals) and other fine players.
As in Izz, Brems has his hand right on the pulse of the prog-rock
interplay on The Witness. The album was superbly recorded and
engineered by Tom Galgano in New York. Speaking about his wide song
writing influences and the making of The Witness, Brems tells
mwe3.com “Since I wrote all of the music and lyrics, I consider
The Witness to be a solo album. I am very happy that all of my bandmates
are on the album, definitely giving it an Izz flavor. I enjoy listening
to many different types of music, so I suppose it’s natural that
I try to write music with a wide variety of moods and emotions.”
At the core is Paul Bremner’s guitar work and songs, yet with
so many great singers and musicians adding to the album’s exquisite
sonic vision, it’s clear that Izz fans and fans of progressive
rock overall will totally enjoy The Witness. www.izznet.com
DRAG
CITY – Drag City is one of the coolest indy record labels
in the world today. The label is all ears and case in point is the
2016 CD by singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom, called Divers.
Kind of gothic pop in a cool way, Divers sounds like a
long lost Kate Bush album. Joanna has that kind of voice and her songs
meander all over the place but they’re very sweet and spacy at
the same time. The eleven cut CD features a number of arrangers and
musicians including guitarist Kevin Barker and keyboardist
Dan Cantrell, drummer Peter Newsom as well as contributions
from the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and other fine
musicians. In addition to her songs and vocals, Joanna masterfully
adds in her own contributions on all forms of keyboards including
Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, piano, mini moog and
mellotron. Produced by Ms. Newsom and Noah Georgeson, Divers
is one strange and beautiful album for sure. For CD fans, Divers
is superbly packaged with full lyrics booklet. www.DragCity.com
DRAG
CITY – The English have a great legacy of story telling in
music. Groups like The Who and The Kinks invented the rock-opera during
the 1960’s and while it’s fallen out of fashion in the nuts
and bolts world of the 21st century, some groups keep looking back
to better days in music for new ideas. Case in point is The High
Llamas, a sextet who are back in action in 2016 with a new album
called Here Comes The Rattling Trees. With 16
cuts that clocks in under 28 minutes, there’s a lot of sounds
to cover here but it’s all done with the utmost taste and finesse.
Led by visionary singer-songwriter Sean O’Hagan, The High
Llamas turned heads around in the 1990’s with some great albums.
Boasting a splendid title track and a whole album of loosely knit
soundtrack like sounds, Here Come The Rattling Trees takes
its place in their repertoire. When mentioning The High Llamas, it’s
hard not to mention visionary songwriters like Brian Wilson and Van
Dyke Parks, who were key influences to O’Hagan’s musical
upbringing. How many hours O’Hagan spent listening to SmiLE
is debatable but it’s not been for nothing. As half the album
consists of instrumental vignettes, another musical signpost here
is the exotic blend of instrumental music from the likes of Martin
Denny and even Les Baxter – clearly two of O’Hagan’s
other prime influences. More than just a collection of stories, songs
and soundtrack sounds, Here Comes The Rattling Trees is a most
welcome return to form by Sean O’Hagan and The High Llamas. www.DragCity.com
/ www.HighLlamas.com
EAGLE
ROCK ENTERTAINMENT – Melody Gardot released Live
At The Olympia Paris on DVD in 2016. Superbly produced, Ms.
Gardot wows the French audience speaking fluently in French between
tracks on several tracks. Some have compared her to a modern day Billie
Holiday or Nina Simone but the lady can hold her own in any genre
including jazz, groove jazz, soul and spiritual music, rock and more.
Primarily a singer-songwriter, Ms. Gardot acquits herself on guitar
and piano, greatly adding to her stage presence. Her band is excellent
throughout and the concert is perfectly filmed and edited. Live
At The Olympia Paris is a fantastic introduction to Melody Gardot
in concert. www.MelodyGardot.co.uk
FAT
POSSUM RECORDS – Mississippi-based Fat Possum Records released
Human Ceremony from rising pop-rockers Sunflower
Bean. The eleven cut CD is a rock-solid outing that features Nick
Kivlen (vocals, guitar), Julia Cumming (vocals, bass) and
Jacob Faber (drums). Well recorded, the album merges post punk
pop and is wisely described as neo psychedelia for the digital age.
The CD is well recorded, the band is quite tight sounding and the
packaging is appealing too. Nothing too earth shattering here but
Human Ceremony is well done and suggests even bigger and better
things for Brooklyn based Sunflower Bean. www.sunflowerbean.bandcamp.com
GLASSNOTE
MUSIC – The U.K. based Daughter made waves with their
2013 CD If You Leave and in 2016 they follow with a new CD
called Not To Disappear. Released on the Brooklyn-based
Glassnote Music, Not To Disappear continues onward with their
unique shoe gaze type of drone rock that will put you in a sonic trance.
Daughter features singer / guitarist Elena Tonra, along
with producer / guitarist Igor Haefeli and drummer Remi
Aguilella. Between the three of them, the wall of sound is mesmerizing
and enchanting at the same time. The ten track CD was recorded in
Brooklyn and the music is already gaining inroads into the new music
worlds of bands like Radiohead and Sigur Rós to name a few.
Produced by Igor Haefeli and Nicolas Vernhes, Not To Disappear
will bowl you over with its powerful wall of rock sounds. www.GlassNoteMusic.com
/ www.OhDaughter.com
GRASS
MAGOOPS RECORDS – In 2015 singer-songwriter / guitarist Bill
Price released his double CD masterpiece, I Can’t Stop
Looking At The Sky. The double CD set comes with two
musical journals and extensive lyric books and the album was also
released as a single CD version sampler that draws upon various tracks
that gives the listener a good idea of the music Bill Price composes.
Based in Indiana, Bill Price’s Americana rock sounds influenced
by Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne and String Cheese Orchestra, for example.
Produced by Bill and Michael Graham, I Can’t Stop Looking
At The Sky is being heralded as a major thematic work that speaks
to the universal experiences of time, home, place, childhood, forgiveness,
grace and paradox. Interviewed by mwe3.com about the extensive research
and experiences that went into creating his double album masterpiece,
Bill Price synopsized, “In 2010, I was in need of a big break.
I hadn’t been anywhere for a long while and so I decided to return
to my two favorite places: The Black Hills in South Dakota and Glacier
National Park in Northwest Montana. Having recently become a fan of
Lewis & Clark, I decided to stop at some of their historic locations
and, like them, keep a journal. After a little over three weeks, I
came back with a lot of inspiration about life. Some of the ideas
were new and some were not. But even the older ideas, I was reenergized
about. I had planned to return and record my next album. By adjusting
some lyrics and writing some new songs, I thought that the project
could be a pretty cool thematic piece. It grew into two CDs with 34
tracks and over two hours and twenty minutes of music. The package
then got pretty elaborate, due to my graphic design background. The
idea evolved in its own way—kind of asking to be done—in
a rather organic fashion.” With Bill handling all the composing
and lead vocals, a number of quite talented musicians also appear
backing up his wide-screen pop-rock vision. One of the most meticulously
packaged, produced and recorded double albums of the decade, I
Can’t Stop Looking At The Sky is a well-rounded example of
Americana pop-rock at its best. www.BillPrice.info
GRUBBWORM
MUSIC – Florida-based
guitarist / composer Todd Grubbs has a number of instrumental
albums to his credit and over the past decade he’s established
himself as a well-rounded hard-rock / jazz-fusion recording artist.
That all changes with Todd’s 2016 CD called As The Worm
Turns—released
on his own Grubbworm label. For As The Worm Turns, Todd has
turned to vocal rock and overall, the eleven cut CD is a fine showcase
for his varied and eclectic rock vocal sound. Todd’s band is
first rate throughout the CD and he’s also chosen to enlist the
aid of four excellent singers, including two female vocalists and
two male vocalists, who balance out his own lead vocals on various
tracks. Speaking about going back into the rock music world after
releasing a number of highly regarded instrumental albums, Todd tells
mwe3, "I have recorded 6 instrumental albums and I kind of feel
like I have made my statement in this genre. If an 
opportunity
came up with some backing or some kind of big interest I would be
happy to do another one but at this point I am really enjoying writing
music with vocals. My current goal is to balance out my discography,
so I have an equal amount of vocal and instrumental songs." Having
studied at the Berklee School Of Music, Grubbs is clearly not just
a rock metal guitar guy and fans of Zappa, Steve Vai and Adrian Belew’s
music will get a charge from As The Worm Turns. There’s
a number of fantastic video clips for As The Worm Turns and,
while some might miss his instrumental fusion guitar sound, open minded
rock fans will embrace this latest CD by Todd Grubbs. www.ToddGrubbs.com
INTERSTELLAR
CLOUD – Progressive rock is alive and well in Portugal with
the two latest CD titles by the band Heylel. Featuring the
music of Narciso Monteiro (guitars, keys, bass) the band is
filled out with singer Ana Batista and Filipe Braga (drums).
On their 2014 CD Nebulae they offer a range of original
songs and a cover of “I Talk To The Wind” by King Crimson’s
1969 album debut. They shoot high but the originals aren’t too
bad and Monteiro has his prog sound down to a science and the studio
/ mastering sound is excellent throughout. The 2016 Heylel 5 track
20 minute CD, Flesh furthers their intriguing rock edge
onward with equally positive results. Further development may yield
more favorable results down the road but Heylel is moving in the right
direction with these titles. www.heylel.net
KHATRU
MUSIC – In Finland you speak Finnish, unless you’re
a progressive rock band and in that case, the world’s your oyster.
Look no further than the Finnish prog-rock band Octopie, who
deliver with their 2015 CD The Adventure Of Harry And Walrus
Kane. The Finns love hard rock and heavy metal music
and on their CD, Octopie blends hard rock with a bunch of progressive
rock influences. Their musicianship is first rate and the CD is wonderfully
packaged with full lyrics in English of course that will amuse you
as you trek through the album. Two years in the making The Adventure
Of Harry And Walrus Kane is fine follow up to their 2012 album
Fresh From The Oven. Lead singer / flute player Tom Tamlander
gets excellent backing from his band mates and a number of guest
musicians. With a sound that’s kind of reminiscent of early 1970s
Genesis, Octopie does prog-rock proud with The Adventure Of Harry
And Walrus Kane. www.octopieband.tumblr.com
L’ABEILLE
RODE – Released in 2016, Nos Ames Saoules is
a solid entry from South France based prog-rockers Lazuli.
The album features a range of driving riffs and power chords and even
with the French language vocals being a challenge for fans outside
of France, it’s a most impressive album. With the music and lyrics
handled by singer-songwriter Domi Leonetti, the five piece
band features a excellent musicians Gédéric Byar
(guitars). With their full-bodied sound, these guys would make a great
stadium rock band. Much more rock-based than anything, Lazuli make
driving, dynamic rock music, French lyrics and all. You can’t
help but be impressed with Lazuli’s unique sounding approach
to 21st century progressive rock sounds. www.Lazuli-Music.com
MAGIC
BUS PRODUCTIONS – Some U.K. music fans in the know are comparing
the latest CD by Magic Bus to the spirit of the legendary music
from the 1968-73 Canterbury area of England that spawned bands like
Caravan and Robert Wyatt with Soft Machine. The 2014 CD by Magic Bus,
Transmission From Sogmore’s Garden features the
songs, guitars and vocals of Paul Evans, who receives some
excellent support from a number of musicians. Of course it’s
not 1968 anymore but Magic Bus and Paul Evans do a great job reviving
that legendary U.K. folk-pop-prog sound of 
troubadours
like Daevid Allen, the above mentioned Robert Wyatt and even Donovan.
On keyboards in Magic Bus is Jay Darlington of Kula Shaker
and his keyboard approach sounds influenced by the legendary David
Sinclair of Caravan, which is clearly a good thing for prog fans.
Also adding to the CD sound is Terence Waldstädt (lead
guitars) and Viv Goodwin-Darke (flute, recorder, backing vocals).
Regarding his songwriting influences, Evans also sounds influenced
by West Coast American bands like Grateful Dead and CSN. Speaking
about the 1973 comparison, Magic Bus driver Evans adds, ‘The
Canterbury bands and the West Coast bands do certainly have differences
in their styles but I love them both… the great harmonies and
jazzy guitar noodling from the U.S and the English folk and keyboard-led
jams from the U.K. blend perfectly to me.’ It’s also
worth noting the way the CD is packaged, which is quite amazing complete
with lyrics booklet. As if to gently contrast the timelessness of
their music in this 21st century age of plug-ins, apps and sampling
in a second—Magic Bus has created a minor prog-rock classic with
Transmission From Sogmore’s Garden. www.MagicBusBand.co.uk
MARKET
SQUARE RECORDS – Just when you think you’ve heard everything
along comes something truly unusual. From Northern Ireland, Colin
Harper is a renowned author and music historian who has penned
five books as well as writing various music liner notes. Over the
past five years he has also written and recorded music for his 2016
self-titled CD from his Sunset Cavaliers project. The CD is
mostly impressionistic instrumental music, that towards the end brings
in several appealing pop and rock tracks. Due to its overall sonic
complexity, collectors of such music might arouse musical signposts
such as Townshend’s series of Meher Baba tribute albums or even
the thought of what a still living Syd Barrett might sound like today.
Directing the music on acoustic guitar, Harper is assisted by a range
of excellent backing musicians including the late Duffy Power (guitar),
Cormack O’Kane (keys), Steven Kindler (9 string
electric violin), along with appearances by U.K. guitar icons, including
the late Bert Jansch, as well as Andy Powell and Chris
Spedding. If you enjoy eccentric U.K. genius composers then by
all means check out Colin Harper’s Sunset Cavaliers. www.Colin-Harper.com
MUTE
– Recording label Mute continues breaking sonic boundaries
with the 2016 CD release of Amen & Goodbye from
alternative rockers Yeasayer. The album is quite experimental
yet maintains an accessible pop-rock edge. You could have fooled me
that they come from Brooklyn as it sounds more influenced by Southern
California or even U.K. prog-rock bands. The 13 track CD was superbly
produced by drummer Joey Waronker (son of Warner Bros. Recordslegend
Lenny Waronker). Featuring long time members Chris Keating,
Ira Wolf Tuton (bass) and Anand Wilder (guitars), Amen
& Goodbye features a number of other musicians and, with their
superb vocal harmonies, the album sound is quite lush sounding and
full of sonic surprises. Amen & Goodbye never wears out
its welcome and the cover art is equally spectacular with its Sgt.
Pepper meets Hieronymus Bosch cover art. Amen & Goodbye
is a must for serious students of 21st century pop-rock. Another
Mute album classic for the ages, Junk by M83
is really creating a sonic furor with its musical diversity. The best
tracks are the instrumentals—check out track 8 “The Wizard”,
track 11 “Tension” and track 5 “Moon Crystal”
—which recall some of William Orbit’s music from the late
1980s. Clearly M83 founder, Anthony Gonzales is on the right
idea on the humorously titled Junk. The pop edge is fully exposed
on a range of tracks most notably track 6 “For The Kids”,
which is as cool as Sarah McLaughlin’s best tracks. Among the
genre’s hit on here are 1960s film soundtracks, ‘70s radio
and television hits, ‘80s electronic and ‘90s shoe gaze
music. Gonzalez has enlisted the help of a range of great musicians
to help him realize his wide screen vision. Guitar icons Steve
Vai and Lyle Workman appear as do a number of players.
Gonzalez wrote most of the tracks here and his work on guitars and
keyboards is first rate throughout the album. Progressive smooth jazz?
Easy listening prog-rock? Take your pick as Anthony Gonzalez and M83
have it all covered in style. www.mute.com
/ www.M83.com
OMINVORE
RECORDINGS – A&M Records did a terrible job promoting
the early music of Emitt Rhodes so the first album to really
gain the attention of the public was his self titled, Summer of ‘71
album on ABC Dunhill. A&M had somehow released an older album
by Emitt at the same time and the record buying public became confused
and Emitt was pissed. Unreasonable label demands and a bad contract
with Dunhill led to his being sued by the label and it’s so easy
to lose it in the music world… so sad. You can almost see the
tears of rage on the face of Emitt on his new album Rainbow
Ends. That picture aside, there’s plenty of fine
pop sounds that really sounds like the guy who sang "Fresh As
A Daisy" and “With My Face Of The Floor” from that
fore said album. These new Emitt Rhodes tracks were produced in Los
Angeles by Chris Price, who actually co-wrote one of these
newly record Rhodes songs. The sound of the CD is excellent and while
long time fans know he could do it all himself, the band Emitt and
Price have put together features a bunch of L.A. power pop stalwarts
like Jason Falkner who adds in some stinging electric leads
as well as Falkner’s bandmate in Jellyfish Roger Manning Jr.
Emitt’s grimace on the cover is merely indicative of a bunch
of freshly penned Emitt Rhodes classic songs delivered with a retro
power pop panache and a cutting edge and quite lyrical veracity that
is pure Emitt. Long time Emitt Rhodes fans who find Rainbow Ends
won’t be disappointed. www.OmnivoreRecordings.com
ONE LITTLE INDIAN – In late 2015, U.K. based One Little Indian
released Outsiders, by New York-based pop-rock
singer-songwriter Jesse Malin. The eleven cut CD rocks up quite
a storm and features Malin backed up by a rocking band. Produced by
Don DiLego, the album features guest artists such as J Mascis
(guitar) and there’s also a cover of The Clash classic “Here’s
The Situation”. Combining post-punk rock with all forms of 21st
century rock, there’s plenty of amazing sounds on Jesse Malin’s
Outsiders. Malin fans may also want to check out One Little
Indian’s CD 2016 double vinyl and CD reissue of Jesse Malin’s
2002 solo debut The Fine Art Of Self Destruction. Also recently
out on OLI is A Taller US by Montreal based Foxtrott.
No relation to the Genesis album of the same name, Foxtrott is the
brainchild of singer-songwriter MH Delorme. The album features
eleven cuts of beat-box, trip hop electronic music with vocals and
it almost sounds like Ms. Delorme is singing in French but I could
be wrong about that. One part dance music, one part avant-garde pop,
A Taller Us is truly 21st century music at its most cutting
edge. There is a video for a track here called “Shields”
that offers the promise of bigger and better things for Ms. Delorme
and Foxtrott. Also recently on One Little is a 2015 EP called Incitation
by Russian-born, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Olga Bell.
The five track CD EP is only 20 minutes long but it’s a great
introduction to Ms. Bell’s uncanny, bizarre pop that sounds like
Billie Holiday produced by Yoko Ono. It’s just that weird. Apparently,
Ms. Bell is a classically trained pianist who moved to NYC pursue
electronic music. On Incitation, Ms. Bell’s vocals and
compositions are startling to say the least but her voice is quite
strong and overall it’s another pretty mesmerizing CD by the
prodigious One Little Indian label. www.indian.co.uk
ORIGIN
RECORDS – Also on Washington State-based Origin in 2016 is
a fine album from Bay area singer Daria. Entitled Strawberry
Fields Forever – Songs By The Beatles. The eleven
track CD features Daria singing the songs of Lennon & McCartney
(there is no George Harrison song here, so the title is slightly misleading).
That said, the album sounds great even though it’s slightly more
McCartney than Lennon, but that’s okay. Supported by arranger
/ bassist / keyboardist Sam Bevan, the CD features a wide range
of players including a sitarist called Joseph Cohen. There’s
always room in the music world for yet another tribute album featuring
the music of The Beatles and Daria’s self-styled Fab Four tribute
should fit right in. www.DariaJazz.com
PAPER
BAG RECORDS – Canada-based Paper Bag Records has a wonderful
2016 CD out from Montreal based Arcade Fire violinist Sarah Neufeld.
Clocking in at 44 minutes, the eight track CD, entitled The
Ridge features a hypnotic mix of mostly instrumental music
that features Ms. Neufeld’s expressive violin and occasional
vocal cameos. At times the music sounds influenced by icons like Mike
Oldfield and Philip Glass, yet there’s also some uniquely appealing,
instrumental and vocal, tones here to separate her from past legends.
Backing up Ms. Neufeld are fine players including Arcade Fire’s
Jeremy Gara (drums, synth), Colin Stetson (lyricon)
and Hans Bernhard (bass). Fans of recent music from U.K. orchestral
string masters John Metcalfe and Marvin Ayers will enjoy Sarah Neufeld
and her expressive mix of instrumental and vocal excursions. www.SarahNeufeldMusic.com
PROPELLER
RECORDINGS – Norway continues to amaze with the 2016 CD release
of Hold On Dreamer by the band Frøkedal.
The music is deep and rich and the voice of Anne Lise Frøkedal
is most impressive. Some have compared her to Nico from Velvet
Underground, yet Anne Lise’s music is much more grounded and
the arrangements are quite lush chamber pop with definite rock edges.
There is quite a mid 1960’s kind of East and West Coast American
music echo too, which blends nicely with the group’s native Norwegian
mix of chamber-prog and pop. If you can imagine Nico singing some
of John Cale’s best songs then give a listen to Ms. Frøkedal.
There’s no mistaking that Hold On Dreamer is a modern
day masterpiece of 21st century pop-rock. www.frokedal.com
RED
RIVER ENTERTAINMENT – Rock / pop icon Marshall Crenshaw
is the ultimate musicologist rock star in the world today. I remember
speaking to him at rehearsals for one of his shows in the early ‘90s,
following his classic Life’s Too Short album and we somehow
got to talking about Hank Marvin and he told me what a big influence
“Wonderful Land” is. The glory days of his Warner Brothers
and MCA years may be a thing of the past, but in 2016 Marshall is
still making great albums and the release of #392: The EP Collection
is a stellar return to form. Culled from a series of vinyl
only EP releases issued between 2012 and 2015, #392 features
a bunch of Crenshaw originals along with covers of Bacharach –
David, The Easybeats, John Sebastian, Bobby Fuller, The Everly Brothers
and even The Move. That Move cover of “No Time” was featured
on the final Move album from 1972, Message From The Country and
Marshall’s version is spot on (recorders and all) and would even
make Jeff Lynne smile. There’s a number of great musicians backing
Marshall up on these fourteen tracks but make no mistake about it,
#392: The EP Collection is pure Marshall and is a most welcome
return to form by rock’s most knowledgeable and tuneful statesman.
www.MarshallCrenshaw.com
REGAL
CRABONOPHONE – It’s nice to see younger bands who grew
up with Badfinger and Emitt Rhodes, and mod-proggers The SYN, and
even later period bands like R.E.M. To that growing list of astute
young rockers add the band The Chemistry Set who deliver an
entertaining late 2015 album called The Endless More And More.
The cover art grabs you right away and the song writing and multitasking
musician / singer-songwriters Dave McLean and Paul Lake.
The prettier sounding poppy songs are neatly balanced out by a harder
rocking sound that bowl you over with psychedelic guitars and mellotron
keyboards. If you close your eyes it’s almost 1967 again thanks
too the inventive music of The Chemistry Set. www.thechemistryset.bandcamp.com
RHINO
RECORDS – Legendary Rhino Records reissued all of the albums
by The Monkees back in the early 2000’s. Now in 2016,
there’s an album of all new music by the pre-Fab Four called
Good Times! For their first album in 20 years, the surviving
three Monkees—Peter Tork, Mike Nesmith and Mickey
Dolenz—have created an album that pays tribute to their past
while taking the Monkees legacy into the 21st century in style. There’s
even a guest vocal by late, great co-founding Monkee Davy Jones
along with superb production by Adam Schlesinger. Rising
to the occasion, the album features some gifted session players. There’s
some uniquely crafted tracks that combine original session tapes from
1967 and 1968. Tracks written by Harry Nilsson, Andy Partridge, Boyce
& Hart, Neil Diamond, Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller are really
ear-opening. The cool looking CD booklet features full credits, lyric
and track by track notes by the Monkees and the songwriters taking
part. There’s hardly an off track here. Recorded in L.A. and
NYC, Good Times! is a vital shot in the arm in defense of The
Monkees as a bonafide pop music institution. www.rhino.com
TARPAN
RECORDS – Based in Hong Kong, singer-songwriter Jennifer
Saran released Walk With Me in early 2016. The 18
track CD was produced by Narada Michael Walden and it’s
a excellent example of thought-provoking pop. The star attraction
on the CD is Ms. Saran’s pop vocal performance and the songs—co-written
by Ms. Saran and Narada—are memorable as well. Primarily pop-based,
Walk With Me does blend in elements of groove music and R&B
with a touch of torch song gospel, but it’s all done so tastefully,
and the album just flies by. A wide range of musicians back up Ms.
Saran including Narada on drums as well as first class musicians like
Steve Winwood band member José Neto (guitars) and a
wide range of horn players and much more including string arrangements
by Minna Choi. Walk With Me is a fine example of 21st
century mainstream pop at its best. www.JenniferSaran.com
THREE
CROWS RECORDS / APRC – Of special interest to folk-rock
fans is the 2015 CD release of Expatriot, the
fourth album by the U.K. based recording / song writing team of Trevor
Moss & Hannah-Lou. For Expatriot, Trevor and Hannah
joined forces with renowned record producer Ethan Johns, son
of famed Beatles / Who producer Glyn Johns. That same sonic gold touch
of the elder Johns has passed down to his son as Expatriot is
a superb sounding album with an intriguing selection of music to match.
It’s sort of stripped down sounding jazzy folk-rock but that
doesn’t dampen the enthusiasm that creeps into the grooves and
into the ears of music fans. Commenting on working with Trevor and
Hannah-Lou, Ethan Johns adds “I’m so glad I had the chance
to make this record with Trevor and Hannah. I think it’s a beautiful,
honest and engaging record.” The recording is kind of Dylan-inspired
in places but in a light- hearted and not too serious manner. The
acoustic-based guitar playing of both Trevor and Hannah-Lou is first
rate and their songs hold up well. Track 5 on Expatriot, “The
Pigeon People” is both haunting and captivating and even sounds
a bit influenced by “The Star Spangled Banner” (I kid you
not!). The CD packaging is first rate and the CD booklet reprints
all the lyrics which are equally of interest. Folk-rock fans give
a listen to Expatriot by Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou. www.TrevorMossAndHannahLou.com
TRANSIT
MUSIC GROUP – The New Hampshire-based power trio Mindset
X are rocking the music world with their 2015 album Oceans.
For a rock trio, Mindset X makes a lot of sound and the band features
the vocals and guitars of Steve Haidaichuk backed up by Adam
Cote (drums) and Paul Davidson (bass, keys), with the album
co-produced by Jay Frigoletto. The tracks on the CD are mostly
composed by Haidaichuk with lyrics sometimes co-written by Adam Cote.
Mindset X makes hard rock sound for the 21st century that obviously
pays respect to all kinds of bands—from Deep Purple and Black
Sabbath to Grand Funk Railroad and Rush. Rush is a good signpost here
and the power trio sound of Mindset X yields some highly promising
results. One can see this band evolving to even bigger and better
things in the future. www.mindsetx.com
INSTRUMENTAL
B11 MUSIC – Based up in the Boston area, the 3 piece band
called B11 are making waves with their most recent albums—the
self-titled B11 (2013) and their 2016 called Vitamin
For The Soul. Featuring the guitar sound of Boyan
Hristov and his band mates Mike Levesque (drums) and Tom
Appleman (bass), the sound of B11 is retro yet very modern sounding
guitar-based instrumental music that will appeal to surf-rockers and
modern jazzers who love guitar instrumentals. For example, 2013’s
self-titled B11 kicks off with a rockin’ version of “Peter
Gunn Theme” with several other Mancini classics balanced out
by a number of Boyan originals. 2016’s Vitamin For The Soul
offers a solid cross section of Boyan originals including a track
called “One For Ry Cooder”. One could say that Boyan Hristov
and B11 has a solid grasp of just how well jazz sounds blend with
guitar instrumental music. Also of note is a recent three track 2015
EP released by B11 entitled Surf My Spy that shows just
how astutely B11 blends jazzy guitar instrumental within the surf-rock
genres. B11 is a band for guitar fans to keep their eyes on. www.B11band.com
BIRD’S ROBE RECORDS / ART AS CATHARSIS RECORDS –
The Australian band known as We Lost The Sea sound mercurial
and mesmerizing on their 2016 album Departure Songs.
The sound of Departures Songs is fully blown instrumental
art rock with prog-rock and minimalist tendencies in the spirit of
heavy metal art-rock bands like Explosions In The Sky, This Heat (the
late 1970s rock in opposition band) and newer bands like Sigur Ros.
The Departure Songs album is well recorded and sounds truly
mind blowing. The CD is brilliantly packaged and the booklet features
track-by-track liner notes. For example, track four, “Challenger”
is all about the space shuttle that blew up in the skies in January
1986. It’s a 20 minute piece of hair-raising instrumental rock
that superbly paints a sonic portrait of the haunting images of the
space shuttle explosion. Music fans who enjoy instrumental prog-rock
with traces of minimalist music and heavy metal will enjoy Departure
Songs by We Lost The Sea. www.WeLostTheSea.com
BREAK
OPEN RECORDS – On her 2016 CD Shoebox View,
Washington State-based composer / trombone player Naomi Moon Siegel
combines a range of genres and the results are a highly listenable
brew of instrumental sounds. Mixing jazz, soundtrack and hybrid type
of Americana, Shoebox View features Ms. Siegel’s trombone
playing, occasional piano, ukulele and keyboards while backed up by
fine players like Wayne Horvitz (keyboards), Sean Woolstenhulme
(guitars), Eric Eagle (drums) and many others. The sound
is never without unique musical ideas, which helps to propel the music
forward to rather unusual musical destinations. One part soundtrack
and one part experimental Americana, Shoebox View is filled
with wonderfully written and performed instrumental music. www.NaomiMoonSiegel.com
CLEOPATRA
RECORDS – Not a record label known for their surf-rock instrumental
albums, Cleopatra nevertheless has a winner on their hands with the
2016 CD of Aggravatin’ Rhythms, by gothic
surf rockers The Coffin Daggers. Recorded in NYC, the 14 track
CD features the talents of guitarist Vic Venom, who’s
joined by Rob Morrison (keys, rhythm guitar), Peter Klarnet
(bass) and Pete Martinez (drums). The sound is surf-rock
instrumentals at their most sinister and menacing. The cover art is
either hilarious or horrifying, depending on your musical stripes.
There’s a bunch of Coffin Daggers originals as well as covers
of Burt Weedon and Alan Hawkshaw and several others hard to pinpoint
tracks. Well recorded and presented The Coffin Daggers are a spooky
bunch and they’ll please their many fans with the startling surf-rock
sounds of Aggravatin’ Rhythms. www.CoffinDaggers.com
CUL
DE SAC MYSTIC PRODUCTIONS – One of the top New Age flute
players in the world today, Ann Licater released Beyond
The Waves in 2016. As expected, the solo flute instrumentals
on the album are some of Ann’s finest works yet. Several guest
artists appear providing like-minded backing, including guitarist
Dan Ferguson, Scarlet Rivera (violin) and Peter
Phippen (flute) but the spotlight is clearly on Ann’s meditative
flute musings. The beauty of Beyond The Waves is really in
playing and replaying the album, which just seems to uncover new and
intriguing musical insights with each spin. With hardly a note out
of place, Ann Licater’s Beyond The Waves is among the
best New Age instrumental / solo flute albums of the year. www.FluteForTheSoul.com
DESERT COMB MUSIC / TUNE LEAK RECORDS - Australia’s
rising musical mastermind Ben Craven takes progressive rock
in exciting new directions on his 2016 CD / DVD entitled Last
Chance To Hear. The album comes with a DVD featuring
a documentary on the making of the Last Chance To Hear album
along with a bunch of user-friendly video clips of various tracks.
After listening to Last Chance To Hear, calling Craven eclectic
would be an understatement, but not for someone who says he absorbed
Dark Side Of The Moon while still in his mother’s womb.
A prolific singer-songwriter, guitarist
and keyboardist, Ben plays everything in sight on Last Chance To
Hear. Although he’s an adept vocalist, and he does feature
several vocal tracks here, the emphasis is placed on the instrumental
prog-rock thing that Craven also does so well. The vocal tracks, including
“Last Chance To Hear Pt. 1” and “The Remarkable Man”
truly enlivens the album's progressive rock experience while pointing
a socially satirical finger at the music business and the annexation
of music by You Tube and other online music resources. The third vocal
track here “Spy In The Sky Pt. 3” features a spoken word
vocal by Captain James Kirk of the Starship Enterprise (a/k/a Bill
Shatner), which is a total gas. Ben's latest instrumental tracks
are totally convincing and blend the compositional spirits of John
Barry, Brian Wilson and Chris Squire to great effect with somber and
thought-provoking moods and sounds. What ever your interest is within
the progressive / instrumental rock realm, Ben Craven has the sonic
prescriptions ready to fill your every need with the sonically super-charged
Last Chance To Hear. www.BenCraven.com
DRAG
CITY – The English have a great legacy of story telling in
music. Groups like The Who and The Kinks invented the rock-opera during
the 1960’s and while it’s fallen out of fashion in the nuts
and bolts world of the 21st century, some groups keep looking back
to better days in music for new ideas. Case in point is The High
Llamas, a sextet who are back in action in 2016 with a new album
called Here Comes The Rattling Trees. With 16
cuts that clocks in under 28 minutes, there’s a lot of sounds
to cover here but it’s all done with the utmost taste and finesse.
Led by visionary singer-songwriter Sean O’Hagan, The High
Llamas turned heads around in the 1990’s with some great albums.
Boasting a splendid title track and a whole album of loosely knit
soundtrack like sounds, Here Come The Rattling Trees takes
its place in their repertoire. When mentioning The High Llamas, it’s
hard not to mention visionary songwriters like Brian Wilson and Van
Dyke Parks, who were key influences to O’Hagan’s musical
upbringing. How many hours O’Hagan spent listening to SmiLE
is debatable but it’s not been for nothing. As half the album
consists of instrumental vignettes, another musical signpost here
is the exotic blend of instrumental music from the likes of Martin
Denny and even Les Baxter – clearly two of O’Hagan’s
other prime influences. More than just a collection of stories, songs
and soundtrack sounds, Here Comes The Rattling Trees is a most
welcome return to form by Sean O’Hagan and The High Llamas. www.HighLlamas.com
DRAMATICO
– It’s true that The Shadows haven’t made an album
of new music since 1990 but they reform again, for at least one track,
on the 2016 solo album from long time Shads drummer Brian Bennett.
Released on Mike Batt’s U.K. based Dramatico label, Shadowing
John Barry is ostensibly Brian Bennett's tribute album to
the late John Barry, who passed away in Oyster Bay, Long Island
on January 30th, 2011. One of the greatest film music composers and
band leaders in pop music history, John Barry left an enormous legacy
of music, including his most famous works as the chief composer of
the world-renowned 1960's James Bond movies, a number of which are
represented here. On Shadowing John Barry, Brian Bennett is
joined by a range of musicians, including his band mates in The
Shadows—Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch—along
with a range of rock superstars such as top guitarists Peter Frampton,
Ray Russell, Mark Knopfler, Mark Griffiths and
John Parricelli. Produced by Brian Bennett, Shadowing John
Barry also features key contributions by Brian’s son Warren
Bennett (guitars, keyboards, string arrangements) with engineering
by long time Shadows studio ace Dick Plant of Honeyhill Studios.
Also worth mentioning is a rare appearance by one time Shadows bass
player Brian “Licorice” Locking, who appears on the
album playing harmonica on a cover of the John Barry classic “Midnight
Cowboy”, along with excellent keyboard work by Kevin Townend
and other fine players. A small but effective orchestra led by
Gavyn Wright adds in that fabled Barry orchestral feel throughout
the album. Despite being a key member of The Shadows starting in 1962,
Brian Bennett never got the same amount of fame as his peers like
Ringo Starr and other world famous British drummers rock fans know
and love. Still, Shadowing John Barry is a fitting tribute
to both Brian Bennett’s band leading and drumming skills, still
very much in tact at age 76, as well as being an all-star, action
packed instro rock tribute to the late, great John Barry. Brian Bennett
may be getting up there in years but his hands, ears and heart are
still in the right place and Shadowing John Barry is a triumphant
return to form from a true legend of U.K. music. www.BrianBennettMusic.co.uk
/ www.dramatico.com
GREYDISC
- As the owner of Greydisc Records, guitarist Kevin Kastning has
released 22 albums featuring him paired with a range of musical collaborators.
The 2016 CD release of Skyfields is Kevin's second solo album,
following the 2015 release of Otherworld. Kastning is clearly
a pioneer of 21st century classical music. Not only that, but Kastning,
the guitar architect recorded his latest album with his world renowned
36 string guitar—an instrument that has inspired a new repertoire
of 21st century music. Speaking to mwe3.com about the differences
between his two latest solo albums, Kevin 
Kastning
explains, “I think Skyfields is indeed different from Otherworld
in both sound and scope. I did intend for them to be different; I
didn't want to release an album that was essentially "Otherworld
2." Otherworld consists of 16 tracks which are not directly related
compositionally or thematically, but rather connected by mood and
atmosphere. I had been thinking about longer solo pieces divided into
movements, like a symphony. The original plan was for four movements
totaling around 40 - 45 minutes. But compositions and improvisations
can take on a life of their own between conception and completion.
By the time it was complete, it was five movements and 63 minutes.”
For music fans who enjoyed Kastning’s Otherworld CD
as well as his music releases with Carl Clements, Michael Manring,
Sandor Szabo, Mark Wingfield and more, Skyfields will be another
valuable listening experience. For these listeners unfamiliar with
or even challenged by Kastning’s 36 string guitar experimentation,
give Skyfields a good hearing, you won’t be disappointed.
All the great guitarists of the 20th century have challenged their
audiences during various times and currently, Kevin Kastning is one
of the most thought-provoking 20th century guitarists recording new
music in the 21st century. www.KevinKastning.com
HEART
DANCE RECORDS – Very much rooted in both the acoustic folk
instrumental music and New Age / ambient folk worlds, David W Donner
is making waves in the guitar world with his 2016 CD Eterna.
Somewhat reminiscent of the Windham Hill sound of the late 1980s,
Eterna is both meditative and musical. In other words, you
can put it on and chill out or active listening will show that Donner
is on the mark as a skilled guitarist. Interestingly, the album was
named after Donner’s first guitar, given to him by his grandmother
when he was 15. In his heartfelt liner notes, Donner says that Eterna
was over a decade in the making—recorded after years of his
playing and writing in bands, doing canned tracks for music libraries
and composing for film. It’s mostly all Donner but there are
some guest appearances by Heart Dance founder Sherry Finzer (flute),
Hope Easton (cello) and others, including album co-producer
Cass Anawaty. Acoustic guitar fans will easily tune into David
W Donner’s Eterna. www.DavidWDonner.com
HOLTZ
SOUND – Hailing from the country of Luxenborg, The Majestic
Unicorns From Hell give hard rock / heavy metal music a makeover
with their 2016 CD A Matter Of Less In More. Released
on their own Holtz Sound label, the ten-track CD just bowls you over
with a number of instrumental tracks that sizzle with intensity. The
sound of the CD is dark and menacing yet for relief from the meek
and the mundane, Majestic Unicorns have all the heavy metal moves
down to a science on their CD. Hard rock fans and heavy metal fans
who love Black Sabbath and Judas Priest will enjoy the scintillating
instro guitar moves on display on this latest and great CD by The
Majestic Unicorns From Hell. www.TheMajesticUnicornsFromHell.bandcamp.com
JIM
OTTAWAY MUSIC – Living and working on the Gold Coast of Australia,
electronic composer and musician Jim Ottaway is turning heads
around with his mind-boggling albums of instrumental electronic music.
A rising figure on the global electronic music scene, Jim has actually
released 23 independent albums that blends a wealth of instrumental
music genres such as ambient space music, electronica, rock, chill-out
music, dance music, New Age and soundtrack sounds. A gifted and prolific
recording artist, Jim released Invisible Vortex in 2015
and in 2016 he follows up with Southern Cross. Speaking
about his most recent releases and his vast output of recorded music
over the past decade, Jim tells mwe3.com, "My most recent
album, Southern Cross is a space ambient album and the album before
that, Invisible Vortex from 2015, is an electronic synth album with
some very powerful tracks filling the album. Naturally, over the years
I feel my music has developed more complexity and the production of
my albums has certainly improved. I am very proud of all my albums
but I can certainly see, and hear, the changes, hopefully for the
better, that have occurred." Both albums will appeal to fans
of all of the instrumental music genres mentioned above as well as
creating interest among fans of giants in the electronic music world
such as Tangerine Dream and their late, great leader Edgar Froese,
Vangelis, Enigma and many other e-music icons. In fact, Invisible
Vortex is dedicated to Edgar Froese and also features 10cc guitarist
Rick Fenn guesting on a track as well. While Invisible Vortex
is more kinetic and animated sounding and Southern Cross is
more pure electronica—each of these albums presents a variety
of good reasons as to why instrumental electronica music fans should
listen to Jim Ottaway. www.JimOttaway.com
LITTLE
HARTLEY MUSIC - World renowned as a piano virtuoso and
music composer, Fiona Joy released Signature – Synchronicity
in 2016. In 2015, Fiona released Signature – Solo
and its follow up, Signature – Synchronicity takes
her music to a whole new level of sonic excellence. Taking the solo
piano music of Signature – Solo and reproducing it with
number of musicians, the results make Signature – Synchronicity
Fiona’s most exhilarating album to date. Commenting on the differences
between the two albums, Fiona tells mwe3.com, “I took the same
10 songs and recorded them on a hand made contemporary Australian
piano with 97 keys in an edited, overdubbed studio environment with
full orchestration. Totally different worlds! I added lyrics, many
layers of instrumentation and yet the piano parts are identical almost
note for note, taking the keyboard length variations into account.
I wanted the listener to see how different each approach can be.”
The approach may be different but the music sparkles in a new and
different setting. The production work of Will Ackerman, Tom
Eaton and James Englund adds to the sonic experience. Recorded
in both Australia and the U.S., Signature – Synchronicity
also benefits thanks to the added input from key musicians such
as Tony Levin (NS bass), Marc Shulman (electric guitar),
Will Ackerman (guitar), Tom Eaton (keyboard pads) Jeff
Oster (flugelhorn), Borbala Bodonyi (backing vocals), Nick
Hawkins (beat box), Jeff Haynes 
(percussion),
Eugene Friesen (cello) Rebecca Daniel (violin) and others.
While the basic piano themes of Signature – Synchronicity
were first explored on the Signature – Solo album,
the music gets a new shine on these newly recorded versions—proving
that great music can work in any production setting. An ethereal and
captivating listening experience flowing with lush melodies and exquisite
production techniques, Signature – Synchronicity is Fiona
Joy’s most celestial-sounding music yet. www.fionajoy.com
LOU
PECCI MUSIC - In
the hands of guitar ace Lou Pecci, classics from the great
American songbook come to life again. For his 2016 CD, Cinema
Standards On Guitar, Lou goes back in time—way
back in fact to songs that were mainly written and made popular in
the 1930’s—a
time when melodic uniqueness and content ruled the day. Lou is particularly
fond of the Rogers & Hart songbook but he also covers music of
Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin and others. 
Speaking
about the CD release of Cinema Standards On Guitar Lou tells
mwe3.com, "I’ve always loved playing standards, and have
for a long time now. I actually recorded this a few years ago and
didn’t know if I was going to do anything with it, until a friend
heard it and liked it, which encouraged me to put it out."
More than just another covers album, Lou points out on the CD cover
art that a few of these songs were also used in some of his favorite
movies. For example, track 3 here, Lou’s cover of the 1939 Rogers
& Hart song “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” was
featured in the 1959 movie Pal Joey. There’s even a cover
here of “Amapola” dating back to 1922 and was covered by
Ennio Morricone in the movie Once Upon A Time In America. Lou's
unique and very cool guitar instrumental cover of Harold Arlen’s
timelessly melodic “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” (written
for The Wizard Of Oz) is a toe-tapping delight. After a few
spins, the music sinks in nicely and it’s great to hear that
Lou knows his stuff. Cinema Standards is a fresh and invigorating
album of instrumental guitar magic by one of New Jersey’s finest
guitarists, Lou Pecci. www.CDbaby.com
MAPLE
SUGAR MUSIC – Denver-based guitarist Sean McGowan
knows a music standard when he hears one and on his 2016 album My
Fair Lady, he delivers an album full of them. Featuring
the music of Lerner / Loewe, My Fair Lady was such a huge hit
Broadway play in 1956 and then a movie success, that the album spawned
a wide range of songs that have endured till today. On his instrumental
guitar tribute to the music of My Fair Lady, McGowan kicks
things off with his solo guitar version of “Get Me To The Church
On Time” and things just get better from there. The album is
only 36 minutes long yet it’s packed with so many memorable melodies
that you’ll have to play the CD at least a dozen times to fully
grasp the historic magnitude of the music here. McGowan performs his
arch-top jazz guitar like a mini orchestra, covering all the melodic
lead lines and bass accompaniment while keeping the songs right on
track. Choosing seven songs from the musical may make this an abridged
version yet jazz guitar fans can do no wrong by picking up on Sean
McGowan’s super smooth My Fair Lady guitar tribute. www.SeanMcGowanGuitar.com
MARKET
SQUARE RECORDS – Just when you think you’ve heard everything
along comes something truly unusual. From Northern Ireland, Colin
Harper is a renowned author and music historian who has penned
five books as well as writing various music liner notes. Over the
past five years he has also written and recorded music for his 2016
self-titled CD from his Sunset Cavaliers project. The CD is
mostly impressionistic instrumental music, that towards the end brings
in several appealing pop and rock tracks. Due to its overall sonic
complexity, collectors of such music might arouse musical signposts
such as Townshend’s series of Meher Baba tribute albums or even
the thought of what a still living Syd Barrett might sound like today.
Directing the music on acoustic guitar, Harper is assisted by a range
of excellent backing musicians including the late Duffy Power (guitar),
Cormack O’Kane (keys), Steven Kindler (9 string
electric violin), along with appearances by U.K. guitar icons, including
the late Bert Jansch, as well as Andy Powell and Chris
Spedding. If you enjoy eccentric U.K. genius composers then by
all means check out Colin Harper’s Sunset Cavaliers. www.Colin-Harper.com
MMX
RECORDS – In addition to their ever evolving jazz and rock
culture, the country of Finland has a rich history of both classical
and world music. A good example of a modern album that combines instrumental
jazz and classical vibes can be heard on Magic Violin,
the 2016 CD by Finnish classical artist, Mervi Myllyoja.
It is true that the late, great Finnish composer Pekka Pohjola was
a skillful violinist although he only played that instrumenta on the
early Wigwam albums and his first solo album from 1973. Picking up
from where Pohjola’s classical inclinations left off, Mervi’s
album is filled with wonderful instrumental tracks that will appeal
to both fusion ears and classical fans with an open mind. Featuring
Mervi covering works by esteemed Finnish composers and famous classical
masters such as Johannes Brahms, Magic Violin features Mervi
in the studio backed up by a number of excellent Finnish musicians
including Juha Lanu (guitars) and bass player Eero Heinonen,
who also composed the CD closing title track. The eight track album
clocks in just under 29 minutes but the studio sound is excellent
and Mervi’s liner notes describes the meaning and the message
behind her “Magic Violin”. www.MerviViolin.com
ORIGIN
RECORDS – Guitarist Corey Christiansen strikes a chord
for instrumental jazz guitar fans with his 2016 CD Factory Girl.
Not named after the Rolling Stones song of the same name, the
nine cut CD features a range of Christiansen originals that employ
a range of guitar moves and grooves—from jazzy fusion to Americana
to a more biting slide guitar groove that evokes a range of guitar
sounds. Christiansen receives excellent studio backup from his band
mates including Zach Lapidus (keys, super collider), Jeremy
Allen (acoustic / electric bass), Matt Jorgenson (drums)
and Michael Spiro (percussion). Quoting from the CD liner notes
by guitar icon Andy Summers, “Corey is at the frontier
of American jazz guitar. Maybe he has created a new genre here. Avant
folk maybe? Whatever it is, this is a great album with stellar playing
all around and a great pleasure for guitar fans.” Jazz guitar
fans and guitar instrumental fans will sit up and take notice of Corey
Christiansen and his splendid Factory Girl. In other release
news, State based Origin will make jazzers quite happy with Border
Crossing, their 2016 CD by guitarist Alex Goodman.
A young, vital Canadian guitarist, Goodman is joined by a number of
players including vocalist Felicity Williams, who sings scat
over the guitarists fretboard magic as well as drummer Fabio Ranelli.
Covers of Mozart and Anthony Newley fit in well on Goodman’s
mostly instrumental album of 21st century guitar-centric sounds. www.CoreyChristiansen.com
www.OriginArts.com
PAPER BAG RECORDS – Canada-based Paper Bag Records has
a wonderful 2016 CD out from Montreal based Arcade Fire violinist
Sarah Neufeld. Clocking in at 44 minutes, the eight track CD,
entitled The Ridge features a hypnotic mix of mostly
instrumental music that features Ms. Neufeld’s expressive violin
and occasional vocal cameos. At times the music sounds influenced
by icons like Mike Oldfield and Philip Glass, yet there’s also
some uniquely appealing, instrumental and vocal, tones here to separate
her from past legends. Backing up Ms. Neufeld are fine players including
Arcade Fire’s Jeremy Gara (drums, synth), Colin Stetson
(lyricon) and Hans Bernhard (bass). Fans of recent music
from U.K. orchestral string masters John Metcalfe and Marvin Ayers
will enjoy Sarah Neufeld and her expressive mix of instrumental and
vocal excursions. www.SarahNeufeldMusic.com
PERISKOP
– Norway based multi-instrumentalist Juhani Silvola turned
heads around thanks to his work with singer Elin Kåvan. Now
on his solo debut CD, Strange Flowers, he’s
turned in a mesmerizing album of instrumental avant garde New Age
meets soundtrack sounds. Backed by drummer Timo Silvola and
string player Sarah-Jane Summers, Juhani goes from very sedate
instrumental soundtrack sounds to a more aggressive Spectorian wall
of Nordic style instrumental rock that some have even compared to
German bands such as Can and Michael Rother. Influences about including
the swampy rootsy sounding lead off track “The Gods That Built
This Place Were Mad” and there’s some fine electronica on
several cuts. Apart from his obvious skillful production style, perhaps
his guitar is equally intriguing, sometimes evoking a younger Kenny
Håkansson of the Sami hinterlands. www.PeriskopMusic.com
RADHAUS
– In 2016, L.A. based Radhaus released a 3 CD set called
Saving Cecil’s Pride. Cecil was the famous
lion who was senselessly killed by a big game hunter and his name
and legacy is now honored by a mighty music tribute. With all the
proceeds going to The Big Life Foundation wildlife conservation group,
the CD scope and vision is great and the sound is even greater. Saving
Cecil’s Pride features a stellar mix of top talent from the
realm of New Age music, ambient and electronica and there’s even
a touch of tribal sounding African music here too that is not too
far out to appeal to western ears. There are some bigger names here
including top names from the world of 21st century music like Ricky
Kej and Russell Suereth but the majority of the 32 artists
featured over the three discs are lesser known, yet all are very deserving
of inclusion on such a stellar tribute CD. Honoring Cecil and honoring
your ears with some fine music, Saving Cecil’s Pride is
a win-win situation for music lovers and animal rights fans. www.savingcecilspride.com
REAL
MUSIC – As a follow-up to his 2015 CD, Crosswinds, Indian
flute maestro Rajendra Teredesai released Moksha in
2016. Rajendra’s approach on Moksha is equally spiritual
in scope compared to his early Real Music albums but for the uninitiated,
the concept of Moksha is quite intriguing. In the Indian culture
“Moksha” has two meanings—the highest state of spirituality
through yoga and meditation as well as eternal release from “samsara”,
which is the endless cycle of birth-death-rebirth. That key connection
between music and the soul appears to be very much in play on Moksha.
The drone of the Indian raga and the sound of the tamboura is
the perfect setting for Rajendra’s Bansuri flute and the album
is divided into six parts based on the premise that certain ragas
are associated with a particular time of day or night. Whatever your
spiritual inclinations are, Moksha is certainly one of the
most divine sonic experiences you could here. It’s interesting
that the CD comes with a warning that this music is meant to be listened
to in a meditative setting and not while driving a car or working
with heavy machinery. Most Real Music fans will find that to be a
given as the music that company makes is specifically linked to meditation
and relaxation and is not supposed to be listened to in stressful
settings like driving. Such is the nature of Raga related Indian music
and that makes Moksha a deeply spiritual and celestial listening
experience. www.RealMusic.com
REAL MUSIC - New Age music innovator Gandalf released
Dreamweaver in 2013 and he’s back in early 2016 with a
new album called All Is One - One Is All. A number of musicians
appear on All Is One - One Is All, but the accent is purely
upon Gandalf’s piano, guitar, assorted keyboard sounds and various
atmospherics. Gandalf has released over thirty albums since the early
1980’s and he’s been an acclaimed forerunner of New Age
and heavenly sounds for decades. Although he 
was
raised on the early guitar instrumental sounds of The Shadows and
later, prog-rock guitar icons such as Steve Hackett, Gandalf’s
specialty has always been his spectacular, symphonic instrumental
music opuses, many of which have been released in recent years by
California-based label Real Music. As he did on 2013’s Dreamweaver,
on 2016’s All Is One - One Is All, Gandalf scaled
back the electronics in favor of a sound that is more pure and natural—he
even described the sound as being neoclassical in scope. That’s
partly what makes All Is One - One Is All so appealing. The
melodies are still there to be appreciated, but the sound is very
pure and undiluted. That approach works wonders, for example, on track
six “Paint You a Song,” which is a superb showcase for Gandalf’s
haunting piano melodies, as well as the Celtic sounding “The
Fragrance of Eden,” with cello strings provided by Merike
Hilmar and Irish Whistle from Karin Leitner. With a legacy
going back decades, Gandalf is one of Real Music’s most acclaimed
artists and he will please his many fans with his 2016 masterpiece
All Is One - One Is All. www.realmusic.com
RIVERWIDE
RECORDS – Studio
engineer expert Tom Eaton released his first ever solo album
in 2016. The album, abendromen, is a magical
journey into the art of keyboard-based New Age ambient instrumental
music. Working as an engineer / producer for a number of folk-music
artists early on in his career, Tom joined forces as a studio engineer
for Imaginary Road studio and has worked with New Age / ambient music
producer Will Ackerman on over fifty albums over the past five years.
Commenting on the long and winding road towards completing abendromen,
Tom tells mwe3.com, "I have always been writing and have
had pieces of my own music in various states of completion but for
some reason they never coalesce into a complete album, probably because
I am extremely busy making music for others! I've been making records
for clients at my own place for 23 years now, and working with Will
Ackerman on the records we make at his Imaginary Road Studio in Vermont
for the past five. However, last December I was processing some emotional
stuff I was going through and this whole record emerged very quickly,
in about four weeks start to finish. I worked late at night... sometimes
overnight, after I'd done my regular music work for the day. The concept
for the record—seven evening dreams—is the music, really.
These were the things I was feeling as I worked those late nights,
the 'dreams' I was having… the things I needed to say but couldn't
find the words for." Tom
Eaton is very much part of the new music movement of progressive instrumental
and he’s been involved in the production of new music by 21st
century recording artists such as Fiona Joy and Jeff Oster. If you
enjoyed Fiona and Jeff’s latest works than abendromen will
strike a similar vibe for you as well. Even though he’s known
as a fine studio engineer and technician, not many know Tom as a musician
and recording artist, yet one listen to abendromen will remedy
all that. Another amazing thing is that on abendromen Tom plays
everything himself, including all keyboards, synths as well as the
ambient guitar sounds which all enhance his subtle and meditative
music. Start to finish, abendromen is a captivating, all around
album of sonically appealing keyboard-driven ambient music by keyboardist
and studio wizard Tom Eaton. www.ThomasEaton.com
ROBERT
RICH MUSIC – Releasing music on album since 2002, California
avant garde sound shaper Robert Rich is one of the most extreme
and gifted ambient recording today. Rich has recorded with esteemed
fellow musicians such as Steve Roach, Ian Boddy and Markus Reuter.
Listening to the 2016 Robert Rich album entitled, What We Left
Behind, you’d be hard-pressed to find a jazz melody
or rock style chord progression. But what you will find is first rate
experimental ambient neo-electronic sounds, featuring instruments
like prepared piano, Haken Continuum, PVC flutes, lap steel guitar,
percussion as well as all types of high tech synth electronics. Fellow
sonic instrumentalist Forrest Fang receives credits on a pair
of tracks here but it’s mostly Robert Rich at what he does best,
which is his creating a symphony of avant garde electronica that weaves
in primeval instrumentation on lap steel and flutes. The unearthly
results makes What We Left Behind a most challenging, yet sonically
rewarding listening experience. As is usual for Rich, his album cover
art for What We Left Behind is spectacular and enhances the
listening experience. www.RobertRich.com
ROSE
IN THE FIRE MUSIC – Guitarist Bill Mize is well known
among fans of classic instrumental acoustic guitar music. Bill describes
his latest CD, 2014’s The Back Of Beyond as “A
return to my Appalachian roots and a reconnection with people and
events that have shaped me and my music”. Bill is recognized
as a U.S. national fingerstyle champion and a Grammy winning guitarist.
His work has appeared in the Ken Burns’ documentary “Our
National Parks” and his work has also appeared on a Windham Hill
Records guitar sampler and in Mel Bay Productions. Bill’s ten
track CD, The Back Of Beyond sounds amazing as it was quite
well recorded. The album features Bill performing on guitar, lap steel
and ebow with some assistance on a track from Beth Bramhall (accordion).
All the tracks were composed by Bill except a cover by famed accordion
master Astor Piazzolla. Brought to the attention of mwe3.com by Americana
singer-songwriter Bill Price, Bill Mize is clearly a master of the
acoustic guitar medium and his album will sit nicely alongside guitar
classics from the finest players recording today. www.BillMize.com
SPACE ROCK PRODUCTIONS – In 2015, the Denmark and Sweden-based
musical outfit known as Øresund Space Collective released
a massive double CD set called Different Creatures. The album
was a superb introduction to the band’s space rock instrumental
sound. Now in 2016, the label behind the ØSC sound have released
two new albums featuring members Dr. Space a/k/a Scott Heller
joined by a range of players. First off, ØSC has an even
more recent release called Ode To A Black Hole. Recorded
in October 2014, the CD is quite meditative and is described as a
slowly evolving piece of music. The two part CD features synth drones,
violin, pedal steel guitar, minimal bass and slow emotional drums.
Also out on Space Rock Production is a 2016 CD release by the ØSC
offshoot band West Space & Love, simply called West
Space & Love Vol. II. With song titles like “Floyd’s
Dream”, “Pig In Space”, “Øscillations In
D Minor” and more, the album is very much in the Øresund
Space Collective mode and will appeal to instrumental space rock fans
of bands like Gong and even some of Pink Floyd’s more cerebral
instrumental moments. The vast number of vintage synthesizers used
in the making of the West Space & Love Vol. II album is
quite impressive. When the drums kick in you know you’re in for
a treat. West Space & Love Vol. II borrows from all types
of instrumental music including Indian trance music, (with sitar and
santoor) as well as German electronic space music ala Tangerine Dream.
Space rock instrumental music fans, electronica fans as well as long
time fans of Øresund Space Collective will enjoy each of these
amazing releases. www.SpaceRockProductions.com
STONE
ANGEL MUSIC – Religious music has a strong advocate for instrumentals
with Utah-based pianist Paul Cardall. When people think of
religious music they often think of people singing church hymns but
not many think of instrumental piano music, yet that’s what forms
the core of Paul Cardall’s 2016 double CD set entitled, 40
Hymns For Forty Days. The double CD set features Paul
playing 40 hymn arrangements for piano and strings. The results are
a sublime sounding mix of spiritual and meditative instrumental music
that blends New Age sounds with neoclassical sounding music. Whether
your bag is peace, prayer, meditation or scripture study, Paul Cardall
provides the ultimate soundtrack with 40 Hymns For Forty Days.
Paul’s Steinway piano is enhanced by his light electronic
enhancements and strings played by several players. These songs are
not well known by the masses so Paul Cardall’s arrangements are
the perfect way to tap into a somewhat unknown, yet completely uplifting
and soothing genre of instrumental music. www.PaulCardall.com
STRANGE TREE PRODUCTIONS – As two thirds of the Flamenco-rock
trio Incendio, Liza Carbé and Jean-Pierre Durand
form the axis of the band Carbé And Durand. Their
2008 album Sketches made inroads into Nuevo Flamenco music
and the dynamic duo are back in 2016 with A Bridge Between.
Instead of all original sounds featuring their impeccable guitar
skills, they’ve opted for an album of mostly covers of classic
songs played in their Nuevo Flamenco style. With a range of covers
from the songbooks of Mason Williams, The Beatles, Jimmy Webb, Stevie
Wonder and The Rolling Stones, the results are mostly satisfying.
The Carbé And Durand cover of “Blackbird” is very
nice while their version of “Paint It Black”, the spring
’66 Stones cover is perfect for their instrumental flamenco style.
Some of the tracks are lesser known and there are a couple Carbé
And Durand originals to keep fans interested in their own music too.
A Bridge Between will keep guitar fans happy at least until
Incendio stirs the pot again with their white hot instrumental flamenco
grooves. www.CarbeAndDurand.com
WEASELTRAP
RECORDS – In
2016, South Carolina based Weaseltrap Records released Time and
Again from guitarist Bob Kilgore. Later in 2016, Weaseltrap
also released a new CD by Bob’s brother Bear Kilgore called
After a Pause. Musically, Bob and Bear are on
the same page and—with
the album performed entirely by Bear—that
same high level of 
musical
expertise can be heard on After a Pause. Bob is renowned as
a guitarist and the classically trained Bear likewise, shines on a
range of keyboard related tracks here that combine New Age sensibilities
with a kind of soundtrack vibe. The 15 track After a Pause is
very much rooted in all types of instrumental music and would make
the perfect soundtrack for a documentary or some science fiction film.
Commenting on the title, Bear explains, "After A Pause
refers to two very different events. The more obvious one was my waiting
six years to make the CD. The other one, of much more eternal significance,
was the period between the old and new Testaments in the Bible, in
which God was silent for 400 years before the birth of Christ."
Bear balances his fondness for synth keyboards with some appealing
percussion, which swells in and out of the sound spectrum. Other types
of music featured on After a Pause include jazz-piano and instrumental
techno-pop. Six years after his first solo album, Untroubled, keyboardist
/ composer Bear Kilgore returns with After a Pause—his
strongest album to date. www.weaseltrap.com
WEASELTRAP
RECORDS – Guitarist Bob Kilgore brings his music to
its highest level yet on his 2016 CD Time And Again.
The 13 track album is essential for fans of instrumental acoustic-based
guitar music as well as New Age music, especially as the music on
Time And Again is quite meditative and peaceful sounding. Playing
his Martin D16M guitar, Bob gets support from his keyboardist brother,
Bear and the CD also features orchestral strings by cellist
Sarah Dean. The 
CD
packaging also lists the various tunings Bob uses on his guitars and
the album is also a showcase for Bob’s own Harmonic Capo, which
helps him get some appealing harmonic string sounds on his Martin
guitar. Kilgore’s 2016 notes regarding the making of the CD are
revelatory with the guitarist adding, ‘I worked on it for
over four years, discarding it twice entirely before I was completely
satisfied with the compositions and with my performances of them.
I am immensely proud to offer it to anyone who cares to give it a
listen.’ If you go to Bob’s website you can see all
his many fine albums released to date on his Weaseltrap Records imprint.
Music fans into deeply inspiring, acoustic guitar-based New Age instrumentals
are well advised to track down and give a good listen to the music
of Bob Kilgore. www.weaseltrap.com
XCAPPA
RECORDS – Electric bass ace Phil Palombi joins forces
with a number of gifted jazz musicians on his latest solo album and
the results make for fine listening on the 2016 CD release of Detroit
Lean. The ten track CD features a range of pleasant
fusion outings written by Phil with the exception being track six
“Stay The Same”, written by Phil’s wife Sarah Jan
Cion. Recorded in Upstate New York and mixed and mastered in NYC,
Detroit Lean reflects on Phil’s evolution as a musician
as well as his sound since moving to New York. Phil explains, “I
was feeling a little nostalgic when I wrote the music for this CD.
Most of the titles correspond to events or feelings that I had when
I moved to New York City in 1997. I my previous life, growing up in
Ohio, I was a total gear-head. I used to rebuild muscle cars, cruise,
drag-race… all the fun stuff! The phrase “Detroit Lean”
refers to a style of sitting behind the steering wheel, looking cool.”
With Phil’s nimble bass work driving the sound, the album also
features some very fine players, including Matthew Fries (keys),
Tony Romano (flamenco, steel string and electric guitars),
Keith Hall (drums) and more. Filled with solid jazzy fusion
grooves, Detroit Lean is authentic and original sounding and
overall makes for a fun-filled, stress free jazz-rock journey. www.PhilPalombi.com
YAKSONGS
– England has a great history of instrumental rock and you
can add the (unlikely) name Yak to that list. On the 2015 Yak
album called Quest For The Stones, keyboardist
Martin Morgan joins forces with Dave Speight (drums)
and Gary Bennett (bass) and the results are a great progressive
instrumental rock album. Turns out that drummer Dave Speight had worked
with former YES guitarist Pete Banks so that early YES sound is another
influence that comes to mind on Yak. Having done a self-produced now
out of print CD in late 2008, Morgan’s musical destination with
Yak may sound more late 1970s than 2015 but that won’t stop music
fans from flocking to his vision. For comparisons, Camel fans may
cite instrumental opuses like The Snow Goose and other mythological
type prog music from the ‘70s but Morgan does have a unique concept
here and his keyboard arsenal is amazing—pianos mixing with synths
and mellotrons really drive the sound to some interesting destinations.
In fact, you could swear there were guitars on the album but perhaps
Morgan is bending and pitching the guitars in your mind. The in-depth
liner notes goes into great depth regarding the quest for the Yak
stones which are located somewhere in the UK while also mentioning
the album is a benefit for the Tower Hill Animal Sanctuary. www.towerhillstables.com
It’s all very mythological but the music of Yak is timeless and
is a true find for instro prog fans. www.yaksongs.com
REISSUES
& RETROSPECTIVES
BGO RECORDS – BGO reissued the early Jan Akkerman album,
Tabernakel, from 1973, as part of their late
2015 reissue which pairs it with Eli, from 1976
and featuring Jan Akkerman with Kaz Lux. Tabernakel is
one of the most lush sounding guitar albums of the early ‘70s.
As the guitarist with Focus, Akkerman is world renowned for his song
classics “Hocus Pocus” and “Sylvia” and fans of
“Sylvia” will want to check out Tabernakel, which
is a neoclassical sounding acoustic guitar / lute based album complete
with full band, sweeping orchestral strings and a hit single called
“House Of The King”, a sure fire instrumental follow up
hit to “Hocus Pocus”, without the yodeling. Interestingly,
Tabernakel was recorded during the summer of 1973 at Atlantic
Recording Studios in NYC with members of The Vanilla Fudge. Who knew!
Anyway, BGO’s, 19 track single disc / double album CD reissue
is superb sounding and the addition of another Akkerman title, a blues-rock
album with singer Kaz Lux, shows a very much different side of Akkerman.
Liner notes by Neil Daniels takes you back in time to the heyday
of the European jazz-rock guitar scene. Also out in 2016 on BGO is
a double CD set from jazz legend Gary Burton. Burton's 2016
CD remaster on BGO pairs 3 albums on 2 CDs—Something's
Coming (1964), The Groovy Sound Of Music (Burton's
album tribute to The Sound Of Music from 1965) and taking up
disc 2 is The Time Machine (from 1966). There is nothing
cooler than hearing Burton's originals mixed in with his skillful
covers of pop standards of the day. CD liner notes by Charles Waring
are truly insightful. Another 2016 double CD set on BGO is by
famed U.K. drummer and his group John Stevens' Away. BGO's
double John Stevens album features 3 albums—the self-titled John
Stevens' Away (1976), Somewhere In Between (1976)
and Mazin Ennit (from 1977). Also included are four
bonus cuts, with two featuring the late great singer John Martyn.
Stevens passed away in 1994 but his legacy lives on. Liner notes by
Charles Waring are quite illuminating. Fans of U.K. prog-rock icons
Beggar's Opera will want to hunt down BGO's 2015 single disc
CD pairing of Pathfinder (from 1972) with Get
Your Dog Off Me (from 1973). Highlights include an amazing
Beggar's Opera cover of "MacArthur Park" and a cover of
the Mason Williams penned "Classical Gas", featuring Beggars
Opera guitarist Ricky Gardiner. Liner notes by Neil Daniels.
www.BGO-Records.com
ESOTERIC
RECORDINGS – Back in 1968, Paul McCartney could do
no wrong. With sessions for The White Album soon to be underway,
Paul took some time out to co-produce sessions for what would soon
be the McGough & McGear album. The “McGear”
part was Paul’s brother Mike McCartney a/k/a Mike McGear.
The “McGough” part was Roger McGough, Mike's partner
in the British rock band The Scaffold. Released originally on Parlophone
Records, McGough & McGear turned into a kind of superstar
session with Paul enlisting the help of rock royalty including Jimi
Hendrix, Graham Nash, Dave Mason, Spencer Davis
and many others as indicated in the scrupulous liner notes written
by Esoteric founder Mark Powell as well as the original album
notes by Beatles biographer Hunter Davies. Musically it’s
a mixed bag with the definite highlight being “So Much To Love”,
the Hendrix / McGear jam that kicks off the album. From a pop perspective,
too many of the tracks feature the spoken word poetry that McGough
became known for although, historically speaking, that’s a minor
quibble at this point. McGear and his Beatle brother would have to
wait seven more years before they’d reach their collaborative
zenith on the underrated McGear album, released on Warner Brothers
in 1975. That said, the liner notes are chock full of historical Beatles
related trivia and then there’s that brilliant Hendrix track
that is well worth the price of the double CD set, which presents
the album in both its mono and stereo mixes. Mike McGear remains one
of the most underrated singers in pop history and, musically and historically,
McGough & McGear is nothing to sneer at. www.CherryRed.co.uk
MVD
VISUAL – The tragic and brief career of Janis Joplin is
remembered with both fondness and musical accuracy on Janis:
Little Girl Blue. When she burst on the scene with
“Down On Me” – the breakthrough hit with Big Brother
& The Holding Company no one knew Janis would be gone by October
1970. Rock stars were dying in rapid succession in those years but
still it was a major jolt losing such an influential singer, as Janis
was back then, at only 27. Released in 2015, the movie Janis: Little
Girl Blue was written and directed by Amy J. Berg and features
a number of still living members of the Joplin bands of the era. The
105 minute documentary features key contributions and appearances
by Kris Kristofferson, Dick Cavett, D.A. Pennebaker,
Bob Weir, Pink and a whole lot more including Joplin’s
still living brother and sister. Combining new interview footage with
pieces of historic performance video clips of Janis Joplin live in
concert, Janis: Little Girl Blue is the best movie yet of the
late great Janis Joplin. www.MVDb2b.com
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