A Bartok/Crimson/Cross smorgasbord performance that must have made grown men cry, and now everyone can cry, with joy. A powerful live concert that was actually recorded in 2017 to promote Dialeto’s ‘Bartok in Rock’ album (also distributed by MoonJune in USA).
Austrian born Bernadette Zeilinger creates pure magic with her techniques. This is the definitin of being inventive, in its highest form and on a most elevated plateau. This is a true to the word solo, with Ms Zeilinger producing every ounce of sound and syllable. She has taken wind instruments and voice to a new place. She can play many instruments but on this release she stays with a small collection of Contrabass Recorder, Voice Flute, and Pinkullo (a wooden flute mostly found in the Andes)
A monster eccentric propagative art pop opus!!. Actually set up as a sequel to his 2007 ‘April & I’ release, which was his last offering to the world as a solo artist named Paul Steel, the official title became ‘Carousel Kites’ with a subtitle of such (formerly to be named ‘April & II’). It took Paul ten years to find the time and place to produce this newest gem, due to becoming a husband, father, and provider with a substantial job. After years spent in producing other artists music, and working in the commercial pop world, just to make a living, Paul has arrived once again with music he actually wants to do and has dreamed of doing since a teen. His first full length was ‘Moon Rock’ (2007) and big names such as Andy Partridge (XTC) paid attention to Paul’s talent.
Great new fusion release from band presently based in Chicago. In 2007, Marbin was founded by saxophonist Danny Markovitch and guitarist Dani Rabin who were at the time, living in Israel (where they were born). As fate would have it, they joined a band founded by Paul Wertico (well known as a member of Pat Metheny’s group).
This is the second full length recording from Ukrainian world ethnic fusion duo who are a sure love for Dead Can Dance fans and groups like Vas. The two are Yaryna Kvitka (vocals) and Volodymyr Muliar (drums, percussion, taishogoto, wooden flute, keyboards, backing vocals). Muliar also does the recording and engineering.
In the glorious fashion of late Cardiacs, like an aquatic ghost choir atop the golden German Baden-Band Organ at a predawn amusement park located in no man’s land, comes the sophomore release from a brilliant and highly inventive band fronted and formed by Chris Anderson (using the name Crayola Lectern). Gathering a huge talent pool of mates include ex Cardiacs members Jon Poole (keyboards, subotron, harmonium, bells, timpani and spacecraft)/ Bob Leith (drums)/and Christian ‘Bic’ Hayes , who left Cardiacs to play in Levitation (electric guitar on Lingeron, Lux, (No More) Happy Endings and Finale)
Solju is the mother/daughter duo of Ulla Pirttijärvi – vocals, yoik, and Hildá Länsman – vocals, yoik along with members Samuli Laiho – programming, synths, guitar, piano, glockenspiel, and Teho Majamäki – percussion, vibes, hang drum. Also appearing on the release are guest artists Czech National Symphony Orchestra – strings, Paavo Lötjönen – cello, Mikko Neuvonen – throat singing, and Janne Puurtinen – synth bass, synthesizer. Ulla and Hilda are from Utsjoki, Lapland (a nothern part of Finland). They are Sami musicians who are keeping their ancient native culture alive. The unique vocalizations are called yoik. There is also more common use of singing included among the songs.
From Montreal, Quebec, (Canada) Garnotte is a 5 piece French Canadian band using 3 extra vocalists for harmonies on this debut release in the form of a 9 song EP. The surprising mixture of classical, classic rock, blues, pop and progressive (in the same sense that The Sweet era ‘Love Is Like Oxygen’ got classified as progressive rock), takes you on a multi textured, many changes ride. All the songs connect to each other and the track ‘Scutigeres’ is divided into 4 parts. If you took a long list of late 60’s and early to mid 70’s bands like The Guess Who, Rare Earth, early Steve Miller, Iron Butterfly, Santana, Neil Young, Ten Years After, early Deep Purple, Cream, Uriah Heep, and The Kinks, and made them all one package, then this is what Garnotte sound like on this release. Call it prototype progressive but whatever you call it, it is extremely well done.
Some musicians show the fans a large variety of their talents in styles over the years, but Grice has displayed the mastering of each niche he has covered. His inspiration for this Ep was to get away from the heavy electronic production elements and present another side of his musical persona. With ‘The Grey of Granite Stone’, Grice shows an exceptional skill at creating a mixture of 60’s/70’s psychedelic summer of love classic pop with lush sparkling 1980’s slightly sombre music.
Herculean composer, guitarist, poet, vocalist, inventor, and great thinker, Ben Levin has a new release called ‘Our Place’ (2018). Trying to describe him as a musician is tough due to his prolific output and ability to join together such a variety of styles (to the range of bands like Motorpsycho) like progressive rock, metal, avant rock, art pop and much more.
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