Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Celebrating the Holidays Prog Style

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Solstice, and of course Happy Festivus fellow progheads!  I want to be all inclusive this holiday season so as to wish everyone  sincere seasons greetings no matter how you choose to celebrate!  I appreciate your taking time in the middle of this hectic holiday rush to spend a few moments with me here in the Closet Concert Arena.

If you have followed this blog long enough you know I am loathe to write a "best of" column to wrap up the year. While I respect those who do put one together, I find they tend to be subjective, personal, and usually leave someone out...resulting in fans of a particular band or artist feeling slighted.  I would much rather applaud every band and artist for producing all the great progressive music we have enjoyed here in the Closet Concert Arena during 2015 as well as those I may have missed.  I know my search for all things prog unearthed some true gems these past 52 weeks, but I am not naive enough to believe I found all there was to find...at least I hope I didn't...

So to finish 2015 in style and bring in 2016 with a flourish I thought it would be fun to listen to some progressive holiday music.  So grab a mug of whatever warms you up, sit back, relax, and enjoy...

To open the celebration I chose a favorite with a twist; Greg Lake's  "I Believe in Father Christmas." This is a live version recorded in London with Ian Anderson on flute, David Arch on keyboards, and Florian Opahle on acoustic guitar...and the St. Bride's Church Choir backing them up.  A beautiful piece of music; the guitar floats on that flute like the first dusting of Christmas snow...



Moving down the holiday buffet line, I came across a song that surprised me when I first heard it...but have since come to appreciate.  Dream Theater's rendition of "O Holy Night" starts out slow and gentle like one would expect--until the "Professors of Prog Metal" quickly put their stamp on it. James LaBrie nails the vocals and Mike Portnoy stomps on the edge of burying the entire piece with drumming--but ultimately keeps his ego in check.  I like that this song is played hard because the message is so pure and real.



This next song is one I have only heard a few times yet I believe is one of the better versions recorded; Jon Anderson performing "I Saw Three Ships."  Anderson's vocals are unmistakable, the drum/percussion work fits like a pair of warm slippers, and the keyboards slide right through the entire piece like the silky smooth caramels Santa leaves in your stocking...


We have time for a few more, so let us listen next to a song that is beautiful in its own right but taken to a new level of magnificence; "O Come All Ye Faithful" performed by keyboard master Rick Wakeman.  I don't know that I could add anything of value to the music, so please wrap yourself in this like you would your favorite blanket...



My final selection for this holiday season is a piece of music that is as traditional for me at Christmas as "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" is at Thanksgiving.  King Crimson fans know Robert Fripp has
re-invented himself more times than the Energizer Bunny and always seems to come through a better, years-ahead-of-his-time version of himself.  This was recorded during his Frippertronics days and is quite a stirring rendition of "Silent Night."  Please to enjoy...



As this is my last post for 2015, I would like to sincerely thank you my faithful followers for making the Closet Concert Arena a joy to write.  Listening to and reviewing great prog music is the best therapy, extremely fun, and quite a blessing.  I also need to applaud all the bands whose music I was honored to review these past twelve months.  The Concert Closet traveled to--in no particular order--Norway, Sweden, Italy, England, France, Germany, Portugal, Argentina, Latvia, Mexico, Greece, Spain, Peru, Scotland, and Canada.  I also managed to spend some quality time checking out local bands here in the United States; logged lots of frequent flyer miles and put a hurtin' on my GPS...

For me the pleasures are twofold.  First, the experience of listening to and hearing some absolutely fantastic progressive rock from new, up and coming, and well established bands is nothing short of a Utopian experience for me.  Watching the prog garden flourish and expand has been rewarding as well...knowing that the genre continues to reach new fans is part of my motivation.  Second, the opportunity to talk with bands and artists about how they go about their craft and what makes them tick...for someone who was only able to master playing the stereo, this truly is a treat.

Of course all of this is moot if not for you my faithful followers.  Look for more interviews, new bands, new releases from established bands and artists, and a few surprises as we move into the unknown that is 2016.  As the prog garden expands, so too will the approach the Closet Concert Arena takes to presenting it to you the listener.

I sincerely wish everyone reading this the Happiest Holiday season--no matter how you bang that drum.  I hope to see you all back here in the Closet Concert Arena when I return January 12th, 2016...until then...

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Mohai Experiment

Greetings from the last month on the 2015 calendar fellow progheads!  The sand has almost run its course through the hourglass as the end of the year approaches.  These past twelve months have proven to be quite an odyssey; band interviews, introductions to up and coming bands, album release parties, Kickstarter campaigns, and some great progressive music have all graced the Concert Closet this year.

Before it's time to flip said hourglass and start the clock on 2016, I thought it be might fun and interesting to do something a little out of the ordinary.  It is often said that all good things must come to an end...this is as much true for the calendar we are about to flip as it is for a band...so this week the Concert Closet checks out a prog band that had its swansong and moved on, leaving some great music as its legacy. One last trip to Italy for the year as we check out the great audition that was; the Mohai Experiment.

I admit reviewing a band that no longer exists is both unusual and a tad to the left of what one would expect from a music blog...but that is part of what separates the Concert Closet from the pack--a burning desire to stand out among my peers and grabbing the opportunity to go against the tide.  I believe it will be a fun week giving you my loyal followers something atypical to ponder...so let us march straight to the buffet before it is pulled down for the last time...

The first course served up this week is a hard hitting piece of music called "Part I: Utopia."  An electronic display of sorts strikes you as the curtain draws back; Mohai Experiment seems to lean toward the Adrian Belew days of King Crimson--but just as suddenly the band swerves hard left and you feel as though you sailed through a time warp into an Alan Parsons Project jam session.  The guitars bleed so profusely into keyboards you are hard pressed to detach one from the other. Meanwhile the drumming keeps you in lock-step.  Mohai Experiment pushes boundaries with this piece; I sense aromatics of Transatlantic, Psicolorama, and perhaps a hint of Barock Project folded in to keep you entranced.  Not sure why Mohai Experiment chose to call it a career, so let us keep digging...

Diving into the second course finds me ears deep in a cult-like slice of "Part I: Mud."  As the headphones begin to pour forth with sound, I am immediately hit with images and musings of Pink Floyd's "Careful With That Axe, Eugene."  The tension mounts and your skin gets all goose bumpy...but the screams of terror never materialize.  What does shine through is darkness as smooth as the night sky during a lunar eclipse...the guitar and bass work so well together you almost sense one pair of hands playing both simultaneously.  The drums and percussion cut through the base of your skull like a Sawzall cuts through plywood--with little effort and uneven edges.  Mohai Experiment tests your senses with this piece; are you walking through darkness fending off terror, or simply walking through a tunnel with the promise of light as you approach the exit?  Complex as King Crimson, intrinsic as Jethro Tull, and straightforward as Liquid Tension Experiment--the multiple personalities of a prog band...

Liner Notes...Mohai Experiment hailed from Turin, Italy, kept a relatively tight lid on who its members are/were,  and released one helluva  digital download CD in April.  Peter Hamer is credited as Mohai Experiment's manager and the label under which the band records...my guess is Peter is also the one keeping Mohai Experiment alive via Twitter and Reverbnation--and quite possibly Mr. Mohai Experiment himself...

The band originally formed in 1993; not sure what led to the band's demise, but as prog artists--or performers in any music genre for that matter-- can attest, succeeding in the music world is extremely difficult.  The ugly truth is it can sometimes take much more than talent...the list of bands that are in and those yet to be inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame proves my point.

The upside is Mohai Experiment left a permanent mark with the release of "The Finite Infinity."  Strong top notes of King Crimson and God Is An Astronaut permeate the band's sound...and I detect aromatics of Psicolorama and hints of Electric Mud buried between the layers.

The final selection for review this week is a heavier piece called "Part II: Follow the Blue Rain." Mohai Experiment hits hard with the keyboards and guitars here; the music pours down like  heavy New England snow as your equilibrium takes small hits from all sides.  Mohai Experiment lands some solid blows with this cut and the experimental side takes center stage for a while as sounds float across the top accented by a counter balance weighing down the foundation.  Paint splattered on a dark canvas with accents of bright hues burning through at the edges...Mohai Experiment uses most of the colors on the pallet and mixes them together quite well.  

I chose carefully the clip posted below--this is my best chance to convince you the listener that Mohai Experiment is worth the investment.  "Part II: Eclipse" opens with heavy percussion that is kept afloat with keyboards and guitars that refuse to be weighed down.  Think Transatlantic meets Under the Psycamore meets Atlas Volt...now you're feeling it!  Although Mohai Experiment no longer exists in the "putting out new music" sense, you can still check out "The Finite Infinity" in its entirety at
https://www.reverbnation.com/mohaiexperiment.  The band also has an active Twitter account @MohaiExperiment ...perhaps if enough progheads "poke the bear"  who knows...maybe more music will be forthcoming from the Turin region of Italy...

                 

Well fellow progheads, December is kicking into high gear as 2015 prepares the banquet hall for her final bash...hopefully you get the connection between the year coming to end and my desire to review a band that did the same.  The Mohai Experiment may no longer function as a living breathing prog band, but fortunately for the masses their music still has a pulse thanks to modern technology.  Mohai Experiment will still be relevant (I believe) twenty years from now because the music has depth and character; a personality if you will.  There is a Brian Eno "ambient sound" feel to the music...and like a good pair of Levi's--that never goes out of style.

The search for all things prog continues toward its 2015 climax, so please spend some time enjoying the sounds of Mohai Experiment for a while...until next week...

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Up Close and Personal with The Alea Dilemma

Hello fellow progheads!  Time is running out on 2015 faster than people's faith in government--and I thank you for carving out some of that precious time to join me back here in the Concert Closet.  The search for all things prog these past 11+ months traveled many a tangent road discovering many great, new, up-and-coming prog bands along the way.  The Alea Dilemma is no exception--I had the privilege of reviewing the band's debut album "Within the Clamor of Voices" when it was released in October.

Now that Danny, Ryan, and Todd have had an opportunity to let everything sink in, it seems only fitting that the Concert Closet take one more jaunt to Kansas City and talk with the guys behind the instruments.  So I bring to you my fellow progheads the final interview for 2015 as the Concert Closet talks with Danny Brymer and peels back the curtain on The Alea Dilemma...



Closet Concert Arena: First of all, congratulations on the release of  "Within the Clamor of Voices!"  How have sales been, and what does it feel like to have your work out there for the world to hear?

The Alea Dilemma: Thank you Vinny!  Sales have been OK.  We are a new band playing
non-mainstream music so there are definitely some challenges.  However; we have been seeing a steady increase in sales and awareness.  We recently had some sales in London and a radio station in Sweden contacted us interested in promoting our music among other stations and publications.  We are very glad to discover our music has global appeal.

Closet Concert Arena: Why progressive rock; what led you guys to this genre?

The Alea Dilemma: There is no one style of music that completely satisfies me; I love the artful excellence of classical, the harmonic complexity and intensity of jazz, and the sheer power of
rock 'n' roll.  Progressive  comes the closest to being a complete style for the three of us having come from all those backgrounds.  We wanted to craft a powerful yet aesthetically excellent art form. Progressive rock is such a profound medium with which to accomplish that while remaining unique within the genre, as shown from the artists who have influenced us.

Closet Concert Arena: You're based in Kansas City, MO; any plans to expand beyond that region when touring?   

The Alea Dilemma: It is definitely in the works, yes.  I used to play in the Aaron Clift Experiment out of Ausitn, TX and I still remain in contact with them.  There is the possibility of a Texas "mini tour," performing with them for one show among others.  The Alea Dilemma absolutely wants to break out beyond the Kansas City area and expand.

 Closet Concert Arena: There are definite jazz and metal influences scattered throughout your music...what bands/artists have made the biggest impression on your playing style?

 The Alea Dilemma: The jazz is unquestionably there.  As for metal, I think hard rock more accurately defines that side of us.  Ryan our bass player is the most metal of the three of us, but I believe "rock-wise" we hail more from the school of Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Van Halen than we do the school of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden.  However; I would not say our music is devoid of metal.  Ryan digs the bottom of Tool and Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave, so there is that presence bass-wise.  Our influences go well beyond hard rock though...we love the classic prog bands like Yes, King Crimson, Kansas, Rush, Pink Floyd, and ELP, as well as latter day prog artists such as Dream Theater, Spock's Beard, and King's X.

All three of us have played jazz so that element is strong.  As far as jazz influences, we love Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, Weather Report, Miles Davis John Coltrane, and Pat Metheny among others.  I also studied classical music extensively while working on my Master's Degree in music theory and composition, so Stravinsky, Debussy, Ravel, Messaian, George Crumb, and Bach are powerful influences on me compositionally.

 Closet Concert Arena: What brought this trio together and what is the story behind the band's name?

The Alea Dilemma: Ryan and I have known each other for ten years; we met in Denver, CO while studying music in college.  We had a prog band during that time called Strativarium.  In fact one of the songs that survived from this era and made the journey to The Alea Dilemma is "The Catalyst." Strativarium ended amicably and we all went our separate ways in 2009.  By chance, Ryan and I met up again in Kansas City in 2013 and immediately decided to start another band.  We both wanted a new and fresh start, so with the exception of that one song, we set out to write completely new music. We picked up Todd our drummer in the spring of 2014 and started rehearsing soon thereafter.

As for the name, I liked "Aleatoric," the term for an avante garde genre of classical music where the element of chance is used in the performance.  Ryan suggested using the root word, "Alea," which is Latin for "dice" or "a game of chance."  Nobody remembers where the "Dilemma" part came into play, but that is how we managed to name the band.  We were doing something new and adventurous so we thought Alea Dilemma fit us well.

Closet Concert Arena: There is a definite "dark feel" to the music, yet I never sense anything macabre or foreboding.  Is there a style to your writing and/or any life experiences that affect the final product you put on vinyl?

The Alea Dilemma: I write all the lyrics and they are drawn from my personal experiences and observations of the world around.  "Forsaken Pawns" and "Altars" were written about the media and people of influence that subject the general public to homogenized thought.  "Betrayed Brilliance" was written about people I've known who have traded dreams for temporary fixes, and "Survive Another Mile" is about a little girl I knew who underwent abuse at the hands of her adoptive parents.  "Beyond the Realm" was deeply personal; written during a time of darkness and trial in my life.  I am drawn to the profundity of lyricists like Kerry Livgren and Roger Waters, and how they are able to challenge your perceptions of life.  That is something I also try to do in my writing.  I want to challenge the listener to think, and although that may lead to some dark moments, I am not into angst, hate-filled lyrics, or the use of profanity.  In anything dark I write I like at least a glimmer of light, because oftentimes that is all it takes for a good balance.


Closet Concert Arena: What band(s) and/or musicians--living or deceased--would you like to play a gig with if you could?

The Alea Dilemma: Hmmm....that is a tough one.  If I was playing guitar, I would have Chick Corea  on keyboards, Jaco Pastorius on bass, Bill Bruford on drums, and Steve Walsh doing the vocals...and perhaps Wayne Shorter on sax.

Closet Concert Arena: That is a show I would wait all night in line for tickets to see...

Closet Concert Arena: What else do you want the world--or at least the Closet Concert Arena faithful--to know about The Alea Dilemma?

The Alea Dilemma: That we got here with lots of coffee, so drink more coffee!  Also, please check out our new record, look out for a gig near you, and there are some wild ideas cooking for upcoming music as we speak!

So there it is fellow progheads, one more prog band exposed to the light.  The Alea Dilemma has elements of old and new prog, fused with some strong jazz top notes, all blended with a tinge of metal/hard rock.  A prog band that seemed decades in the making, Alea Dilemma came together the old fashioned way--their paths crossed randomly years later by chance.  Prog music draws on emotion, and as Danny so eloquently points out, sometimes you use the darkness in your life to shine a light on the path that leads you out.

Please give the clip below a listen so as to peel back a layer on Alea Dilemma yourself--and expand your prog listening library. Check the band's website at http://www.thealeadilemma.com/ to get your copy of "Within the Clamor of Voices."  You can also follow The Alea Dilemma on Twitter, @TheAleaDilemma.  Facebook updates include tour dates, music clips, and other band information https://www.facebook.com/TheAleaDilemma

 
As 2015 makes her final curtain call and 2016 prepares to take center stage, I find myself appreciating bands like The Alea Dilemma because of their bare bones approach to music generally and prog specifically.  The prog garden has acreage dedicated to many different subplots within the genre, but ultimately they all share a common thread--the ability to dig deeper, peel back another layer, and go behind the curtain.  The Alea Dilemma brought their sound to the masses two months ago, but their music has been years in the making...which is one of the traits that separates prog from other genres.

Just a few grains left in the hourglass, but the search for all things prog continues...until next week...

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Scarlet INside

A most gracious and sincere thank you for returning to this space once again fellow progheads!  As the sands of 2015 begin to run swifter through the hourglass, the Concert Closet is making every effort to unearth as much great progressive music as possible.  The Gift was a great seven days spent, but with only so many weeks left on this year's calendar the search for all things prog is forging
ahead--400 miles north--to Glasgow, Scotland and a visit with Scarlet INside.

Scarlet INside pushed my curiosity sensor into the red with this nugget; "Scarlet INside...record and play a broad mixture of sounds ...experimental style and stage show mentality...often using bizarre instruments..."  Their bio also included this gem about the prog genre; "What's possible is possible..." which means there is no way the Concert Closet cruises past that flashing neon sign without at least tapping the breaks...so Glasgow here we come...

The first selection from what I foresee as a most delectable buffet is of the deep thought variety called "Here to There."  Listen carefully as the song opens, lest you feel as though you are caught in an old "Twilight Zone" episode.  The steady pulse leads to intricate, almost veiled acoustic guitar reminiscent of Al DiMeola.  Scarlet INside goes for the jugular right out of the gate; you can feel yourself being taken under--but the pull is so smooth and easy you surrender without a fight.  The sound builds as vocals cut deep, and the steady bass line accompanied by that caramel smooth guitar fills your head with a warmth usually reserved for the familiar scent of home cooking...

Scarlet INside has strong aromatics of early Pink Floyd and Genesis melding beautifully with the latter day sounds of Atlas Volt, Beardfish, and Under the Psycamore.  The music stands out like a stream in the desert yet flows as effortlessly as that same stream during rainy season.  Scarlet INside is the thinking person's prog band and that point is made crystal clear with the second cut I lined up; "We Cry Alone."  The soft opening forces you to listen closely to what solitude and loneliness sound like.  Searing vocals never crept through the headphones so stealth-like before.  Scarlet INside found that spot in the prog garden where David Byrne, Roger Waters, and Peter Gabriel go to write those deep cutting lyrics.

Liner Notes...Living in the aforementioned Glasgow, Scotland, Scarlet INside is Kevin Kennie. Originally a "real band" with other members, by 2011 Kevin was a solo act.  Several musicians have retained their Scarlet INside membership status and/or perform with the band as the mood and opportunity strike.  Brian Johnstone is credited for keyboards, piano, synthesizers, tech, and computer, while Jerry Good is listed as drummer and performer of percussion and noises.
Meanwhile, Kevin plays guitar, percussion, assorted acoustics, synthesizers, instruments, and noises. In short; Kevin Kennie IS Scarlet INside.

Scarlet INside have several releases for your listening pleasure and  one would be wise to give a healthy listen to them all.  Scarlet INside is that big, burly uncle who comes off as dark and foreboding until he speaks...and you begin to realize there are so many unpeeled layers to that onion. My third selection from the buffet helps put this in perspective; an emotionally gripping piece called "Dungeons and Fishtails."  Stronger and a touch darker, this song has a "Robin Trower meets Seven Impale" feel to it.  The guitar cuts through you like a howling arctic wind as the vocals wrap themselves around your mind like a silk scarf.  Scarlet INside isn't happy skimming the surface--they plunge fathoms below, hitting nerves previously left unscathed...

For your listening delight this week I have posted a haunting song called "Nightwatch."  Kevin fills the room with layers of intricate, delicate sound fragile as antique crystal yet strong enough to pierce your skull with the finesse of a skilled surgeon.  Scarlet INside crawls inside that secret place and begins to exorcise the demons using their own darkness as a scythe, cutting them down with the precision and meticulousness of a detective drawing a confession from a hardened serial killer.
Crawl into the world of Scarlet INside at https://sites.google.com/site/scarletinsidesin/; you will gain a much stronger taste for the music and a sense of what goes on behind the curtain...of course there is always Twitter to keep up with the latest musings and outbursts, @ScarletINside, and the ever popular Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ScarletINside/?fref=ts.  Once you start down the rabbit hole, you won't want to turn back lest you miss the next quiet outburst...

                   

Well fellow progheads, the curtain is quickly closing on 2015--and what a year it's been!  Bands like Scarlet INside have made this year's search for all things prog one amazing 52-week odyssey into the unknown and previously unexplored.  Digging deep has afforded me all the riches the prog garden has to offer.  Progressive music has many faces, personalities, and emotions.  Scarlet INside reminds me to never let up; never assume I have unearthed all there is to find...

Sometimes the best part of the journey is the next leg of the journey...which will be two weeks in the making as the Concert Closet take a seven day respite to enjoy the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends.  I will be back in a fortnight to continue winding down the 2015 search for all things prog and raise the bar for 2016.  Progressive rock is more than just music--it is an evolving, growing, tangible thing that persists in the hearts of those who appreciate what it has to offer...until December first...

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

The Gift

Hello and welcome back fellow progheads--what a week!  "Time traveling" with Spaceport Union was a lot of fun and the music quite impressive...and so continues the search for all things prog back on Planet #3.  Seeing as November starts the official holiday run toward the end of the calendar, I thought it quite apropos to offer you my faithful followers a "gift."  It almost seems gratuitous to say the return trip from Jupiter touched down in the UK--my second home for prog--but the entrancing sound emanating from London was too much to ignore, so I offer for your listening pleasure the prog band known as The Gift...

A five man operation, The Gift modestly refers to themselves  as "...a progressive rock band..." Precisely the type of moniker that always intrigues me; is it the generic brown wrapper covering a masterpiece...or the boards over a broken window keeping disaster and ruin from sight?  Only a head long dive into the music will answer that question, so cue up the diving board...

My first assault on the prog buffet yields an upbeat tune called "Too Many Hands."  The opening riff rings particularly optimistic;  you find your foot tapping almost subconsciously.  The Gift has tossed extremely bright colors at the canvas with this piece...guitars clear a wide swath for strong vocals to take up residence in your auditory canals and not let go.  The sound is quite tight; these guys know how to feed off each other's energy--and the needle is pegged in the red.  The bar has been set high for the week...let's hope they can keep the energy flowing...

Serving number two is a more delicate piece called "Walk Into the Water."  Listening to the song open, it is as if I am sitting in a church pew...a very poignant and delicate organ bleeds into soft vocals, while guitar work floats through like a whisper.  The song has dark undertones, but the color shines through and illuminates what could have ended up a macabre piece of music.  The Gift have top notes of Spock's Beard and the Alan Parsons Project on this cut; exceptional song writing ability encased in a shell of flowing and intricate sound.  Follow the song to the end and you feel a sense of calm; what is ending here is just the beginning of another splendid adventure elsewhere...

Liner Notes...based in London, The Gift is a five-piece prog band consisting of Mike Morton on guitar, flute, and vocals, David Lloyd on electric and acoustic guitars, Samuele Matteucci on keyboards and samples, Stefan Dickers on bass, and Scott James behind the drum kit.  The band also credits Graham Harris as stage/tour manager, band tech, and for live sound.  The Gift started as a duo in 2003 working on a concept piece about the madness of war.  By the time that was released in 2005, The Gift had become a full fledged quintet.  Line-up changes--the inevitable equalizer among all bands past, present, and future--struck The Gift early on.  Of course, the result is proof positive that change does not necessarily translate to something negative.

The Gift are an enigma of sorts; while the music resonates of the symphonic, hard-hitting and classic standard bearers, the lyrics are entrenched in the reality of today.  The Gift seem unable to simply write a song and etch it into vinyl...they prefer to tell an entire story and wrap it in splendor.  The Gift wander the width and breadth of the prog garden but spend most of their time in the concept section among the Steven Wilson, Roger Waters, and Peter Gabriel elite...

The dessert this evening is an adult portion called "Nocturne."  With images of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" radiating through the headphones, this songs cuts through the cacophony of noise that fills the day with surgical-like precision.  The soft acoustic guitar belies strong vocals...smooth as a burlap bag yet dead on with emotion.  Aromatics of The Cure float across this piece, and the understated drumming taps the back of your skull with just enough ardor to hold your attention.

The clip I chose for you this week is called "Escalation."  This piece in particular struck me for the way it creates a foundation on which to build...starting out slow and deliberate, then just ripping the insulation out the speakers midway through--and oh those biting vocal snippets!  The Gift surrounds your mind and never lets up, building to a crescendo that splits your head down the center--and then suddenly the stage fades to black.  Learn more about The Gift at http://thegiftmusic.com/index.php. You can check out their sound by going to https://soundcloud.com/the-gift-music-uk.  For the Twitter crowd The Gift is at @TheGiftMusicUK and of course you can keep up with everything at the band's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheGiftMusicUk/.




Yet another stroll through the London progressive rock scene yields superb results. The Gift treat the prog garden like their personal Wikipedia...taking from each section what sates a need and using all they gather to fashion a sound that flows like Spin-Art.  As you the listener are drawn into the music, you allow yourself to be changed--ever so slightly.  One of the reasons I enjoy prog so much is the way it transcends everything you think you know and takes you on an adventure.  Whether it be symphonic, neo, classic, metal, jazz infused, or some other "insert-your-prog-adjective-here" subgenre, progressive music always finds a way to broaden the music horizon.  The pleasure for me is finding the gems lying in wait as I continue the search for all things prog...until next week...

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Spaceport Union

Good evening one more time fellow progheads!  Last week's introduction to The Alea Dilemma was a great slice of new progressive rock and a keen insight into what continues to come around the bend. Gearing up for the "holiday season," I decided to take the search for all things prog north this week, trekking into territory I have neglected as of late.  Preparing for winter and all the madness November and December are about to thrust upon the masses, this seems the perfect time to take a deep breath, relax, and venture into the cosmic reverberations of Spaceport Union.

Calling their sound "...progressive/epic art rock..," Spaceport Union originated in Victoria, British Columbia.  However, the band lists their current whereabouts as "Outer Space...parked somewhere out by Jupiter."  Initially I find this a bit perplexing; is Spaceport Union nothing more than fun and games with a fancy prog wrapper--or are they the real deal; a prog band with serious talent who simply wish to enjoy the journey?  Time to dig below the surface and find out how they define prog out there near Jupiter...

Coming in for a "don't know what to expect" first course, I am captivated by a song called "In the Heat of the Sun."  The solitude of the piano hits you first, then the vocals creep in like your odd uncle who never married...the entire piece is shrouded in storm clouds that hover darkly yet fail to break your spirit.  Spaceport Union packs a lot into six minutes worth of CD space.  The soft drumming is accented by guitar work that slowly crawls down your spine...and suddenly everything is in focus...gonna be a great week!

Armed with a better sense of what Spaceport Union has to offer, I jump for my second serving; a harder hitting piece called "Yer Battery's Dyin'."  Bass is boss on this cut, even with the strong cutting vocals.  Everything in this song hits hard and deliberate. The darkness here brings with it a Vanilla Fudge psychedelia...you can almost see the amoebas splitting on the wall behind the sofa...

Liner Notes...apparently British Columbia is right around the corner from Jupiter if you fold the map just so...and hailing from these parts are Adam Basterfield on guitars, keyboards, and vocals, Caroline Spence on guitars, keyboards, saw, and vocals, Aaron St. Arnault on bass, trumpet, and vocals, and  Taylor Charles on drums.  Spaceport Union collided as a group sometime in 2008/2009, and have been making some out-of-the-ordinary progressive rock ever since.  This is a band that exudes confidence, grit, and a wee bit of cockiness as they strut through the prog garden plucking parts they are able to turn into a marvelous whole.  

Spaceport Union has top notes of Porcupine Tree, Deep Purple, and David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust tour. They have chameleon-like tendencies; the ability to re-invent and redefine themselves song-by-song.  I also pick up aromatic overtones of King Crimson, early Pink Floyd, and a dose of KingBathmat.  The kicker though, is while Spaceport Union shows an acute sense of prog know-how, they seem to be as stressed about it as kids watching Saturday morning cartoons while it's raining...a Happy Graveyard Orchestra approach that is refreshing, thrilling, and perplexing all at once.

The third serving on the platter is a cut from the band's debut album called "Simple Lack of Motivation."  A melancholy opening...an attempt to come off as jejune while defining what a lack of spirit sounds like.  Don't miss the point--Spaceport Union nails it even as they try to paint themselves as uninterested and jaded.  The soft overtones of the song underlie a determination that Spaceport Union oozes almost effortlessly.

The clip posted below is the first single from Spaceport Union's new album.  The song is called "White Noise" and it is a dandy.  No mistaking the opening homage to the Adrian Belew era King Crimson sound--right down to Tony Levin's bass line and the  gritty vocals.  Spaceport Union pulls another bait-and-switch as they flow through the headphones like the first sap run of a monster maple syrup season--and then hand you a gallon of pure Grade A gold.  With roots throughout the prog garden, Spaceport Union manages to channel their 70's classic prog vibe quite nicely.  Learn more about Spaceport Union at http://www.spaceportunion.com/.  Don't forget to follow the band on Twitter @spaceportunion to get the latest cosmic groove....and of course there is always Facebook https://www.facebook.com/spaceportunion for those of us stranded here in earth's gravitational pull...



OK fellow progheads, November has crept onto the calendar while we were busy searching for all things prog.  Fortunately, the time and space continuum managed to cross the path of the Concert Closet with that of Spaceport Union.  Anytime a band can cherry pick the vibe from so many cross sections of the prog genre and create a sound as distinctive as that which Spaceport Union has created, one should feel obligated to sit back and enjoy the spoils of creative genius.  But alas, I must continue this journey.  While I ask you to stay and savor the splendor that is Spaceport Union, I will pack up the Concert Closet and continue the search for all things prog...until next week...

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Introducing The Alea Dilemma

Greetings from the Concert Closet fellow progheads!  Last week was quite the adventure with Pandora; not only were we treated to some amazing progressive rock, we also witnessed firsthand the passion emanating from Studi Pandora Music di Claudio Colombo...my blood pressure is still running high...

Having spent three of the past five weeks in Italy, I realize the need to take the search for all things prog back home to the USA.  For a shake-up of sorts, I decided to look for something new and exciting; a band that has to survive the next ten years in order to celebrate their ten year anniversary.

Being a strong believer in fate, receiving a first hand request, and seeing as the planets have aligned themselves just so, this is the perfect moment to introduce you my loyal followers to The Alea Dilemma.  In their own words, The Alea Dilemma is "...an eclectic progressive rock band..."  With their debut album, "Within the Clamor of Voices," set for release October 30th--three days hence--let us take the Concert Closet to Missouri and ingest all The Alea Dilemma is serving up...

Jumping right in with a hearty appetite, I start with a full-bodied song called "I.D."  The music opens with an energy burst that hits you square in the cranium.  The guitar just baps you right off, followed by a drum beat thumping strong and steady.  The music gives the illusion of letting up-- but don't be fooled;  I.D. comes at you without compromise start to finish.  I sense top notes of Dream Theater and perhaps an aromatic scent of Yes in the air...The Alea Dilemma has set the bar high with their first installment...

Serving number two is an attention-grabber; a sort of "prog-parallel" tune called "Forsaken Pawns." The opening bears resemblance to an early Uriah Heep gig with a rustic Boz Scaggs laying down the vocal tracks...hitting hard in unsuspecting places.  The drums set up camp at the top of your spinal column sending reverb across your body in waves...meanwhile hefty doses of guitar are being pumped  through your bloodstream...Alea Dilemma has laid roots in a dark section of the prog garden--but light does manage to cut through the haze.

Liner Notes...Hailing from Kansas City MO, The Alea Dilemma came to be in 2013...but the prog seeds that blossomed first took root in Denver CO back in 2007.  Guitarist/vocalist Danny Brymer formed a band with bass player Ryan Sloan that was short-lived due to life hurling her usual challenges and twists at them...but fate always finds a way.  Danny and Ryan were reunited in KC and decided to give the prog band thing another shot, adding Todd Crookston on drums to complete the ensemble.

Playing prog with infusions of jazz, metal, and a few symphonic layers, The Alea Dilemma has reached beyond traditional boundaries and forged a sound ripe with top notes of Yes, The Strawbs, Led Zeppelin, and Steely Dan.  I even detect an infusion of Fairpoint Convention blended with aromatics of Chick Corea to create what is truly a distinctive sound.  Danny, Ryan, and Todd have perused many sections of the prog garden and used what they learned to build a style that stands just outside the borderline of any hard definition.  It is an invigorating jolt to the senses...

Another cut served up for digesting is a jazz-infused gem called "The Machine."  Clean and crisp, this song floats through your ears like a kayak cutting across a still lake. The song opens as if spoon feeding evidence in a criminal investigation...building to a tense moment of full disclosure. Once the drums grab the guitars and invade the inner lining of your skull, the song comes at you from all sides...a  reflection of the diversity Weather Report has been known to hurl around the room, with side notes of Joe Satriani...

The Alea Dilemma is a multifarious band...they make their home in the prog garden but were raised on many influences.  The complexity of their sound increases your desire to hear more.  They have haunting vocals, intense mood swings, and a foot locker full of imagination...

Listen to the cut posted below; it is but a sampling of what The Alea Dilemma will thrust upon the prog world in 72 hours...an exciting piece called "Down the Rabbit Hole."  A funky jazz fused intro opens a flood gate of sound that pours through your ears and fills your cranium with pictures and ideas reminiscent of the Whisky A Go Go in its heyday.  Let the sounds and images wash over you like high tide just before the storm.  Learn more about The Alea Dilemma and check out a purchase of their debut release at http://www.thealeadilemma.com/. You can also follow the band on Twitter at
@TheAleaDilemma.  To get below the surface and keep up with the band's show schedule, check their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheAleaDilemma.  Support The Alea Dilemma and purchase your copy of "Within the Clamor of Voices" Friday...


OK fellow progheads, ten down and two to go as 2015 continues its relentless march toward the end of the calendar.  The Alea Dilemma is one more piece of proof positive that the prog garden has fertile soil and continues to produce brilliant music.  That prog is a melting pot of sorts should surprise no one; blending the intricate musings of jazz with layers of symphonic sound and  hard hitting rock 'n' roll is bound to leave a mark on your mind--but isn't that what prog is supposed to do? With The Alea Dilemma unearthed and exposed to your auditory senses, time to continue the search for all things prog and take the Concert Closet on another exploration...until next week...

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Catching Up With Pandora...Prog Music and So Much More...

Good evening fellow progheads, and welcome back!  Last week's side trip to Spain/London was enjoyable to say the least--but the siren call of Italy has drawn me back once more.  Once again I ask you my loyal followers to flip through the rolodex in your mind--and the link on this blog to my posts from January 2014--and re-visit Pandora.  A lot has happened in the 22 months since the Concert Closet visited Bra, Italy in the Piedmont region of that beautiful country.  Well, the search for all things prog has once again brought the Concert Closet to the Italian hemisphere of the globe where there is always great food, enthusiastic people, and marvelous progressive music.

Catching up with Pandora, I discover the band has been anything but complacent since January 2014. So this week I bring you another interview with another prog band as I peel the curtain back on Pandora; let us discover together what has kept Claudio Colombo and the rest of Pandora busy since our last stopover...

                                      


Closet Concert Arena: Since Alibi Filosifico was released, what has Pandora been up to?

Claudio: We have had quite a lot to keep us busy!  After the release of an album there are many  aspects on the business side of music that need attention; jounalists, publicity, information via our website and other channels.  Above all Pandora needed to keep our fans involved, make them feel they are part of our family!

The time seemed to fly incredibly fast as we worked on these aspects of promoting our music and we found ourselves on many new roads.  One new journey was the opening of the "Studi Pandora Music di Claudio Colombo," a structure hosting an art school, music school, and a cutting edge recording studio.  Another side road Pandora traveled was working on our next album and the celebration of our 10th anniversary!  Our communication channels may have slowed a bit--but we are working hard and profusely "behind-the-scenes" without losing contact with our faithful, loyal fans.

CCA: Can you tell us more about your new recording studio/music and art school?

Claudio: Yes, of course!  The official name is "Studi Pandora Music di Claudio Colombo;" a project I have been planning for years.  Previously I ran a drum school for almost ten years.  Following the evolution of Pandora's musical journey, I decided to create a place made by artists for artists.  A
state-of-the-art facility where one can record in a top quality professional setting; where someone can learn to play an instrument alongside artists who live by and through their music.  At the same time, I wanted my wife Emoni to be part of it all--the one person in my family and Pandora that has worked extremely hard side-by-side with me to make it all happen.  She follows the arts courses and secretarial work in the studios.  We started this project in 2013, and in October 2014 everything was complete and the studios were inaugurated; I successfully accomplished everything I set out to do.

I run the drum, guitar, bass, and keyboard courses, Corrado Grappeggia is in charge of piano courses, my father Beppe takes care of music history, and Emoni handles art and English for musical language courses.  Other teachers have joined our project as well...some are part of the history of Pandora.   Jerry Arcidiacono is an artist who performs with Pandora live; Jerry and other lesser known but incredibly talent-laden artists full of passion love to reach out to anyone interested in approaching the world of music!

The studio has been analyzed down to the last detail.  The entrance, for example, is dedicated to an extensive music memorabilia collection put together over several years, belonging to my father and I. Live concert posters from original shows, autographed track lists--we even have a set of Phil Collins' drumsticks to be honest!  Inside there is a section highlighting Emoni's art teachings for both young and old; where she devotes her time and talent to creating the splendid album cover art for Pandora.

The heart of the entire operation is most certainly the control room and recording studio.  Everything was designed to achieve a great, clear sound...working with the latest technology available as well as analog equipment from "the good old days!"  I am also in charge of recording, which ranges from demo productions to official record albums.  I handle every detail regardless of whether it is one or the other; to me everything is of equal importance as those who have registered for courses and entered the studios will attest.  I invite you and your readers to visit our studio's website at
https://www.facebook.com/Studi-Pandora-Music-di-Claudio-Colombo-811373725582720/timeline/ to better appreciate the photos and other material through our work.

CCA: Have there been any line-up changes since Alibi Filosifico?

Claudio: No.  The project has its artistic form completed--I am always in charge of drums, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, some keyboards, and small instruments added here and there; Puerto Rican cuatro, flute, etc.  I also handle artistic production of the final songs, the audio recording, and the mixing of the recordings.  My father Beppe continues his great work with keyboards as does Corrado, in addition to leaving his voice print on our work.

With us also is Emoni Viruet, who will continue to apply her magical artistic touch that characterizes our covers of other artists.  She will complete our arrangements with her ever evocative, intense, and beautiful voice.

                                         


CCA: What can fans expect from Pandora for the remainder of 2015 and beyond?  

Claudio: This year we are celebrating exactly ten years since the creation of the Pandora project.
Ten years since we first sat in our living room at home discussing what to do and where to begin...ten years since Corrado, after arriving at our house, said, "I want to play prog!"  and my father excitedly replying, "Then you are in the right place!"  We are celebrating ten years since choosing the name Pandora; the name that has always kept us company.  To mark this celebration, we wanted to make something extremely special, something that would contain everything that brought us to where we are now and inspired us to keep going.

CCA: Will the new album be as grandiose as Alibi Filosifico, or is Pandora going in a different direction?

Claudio: We are not the ones to judge this, hehe!  But we can tell you we are exceptionally happy with how things are going!  The direction of Pandora--according to many--is always very unpredictable.  I would need the album in hand to have an answer because there is still a sea that separates us from the end result.  Nonetheless, we start recording soon and if all goes well, the completed album will be available in early 2016!

CCA: What musicians/bands have had an effect on Pandora?

Claudio: If we have to make a list it would most certainly include: Genesis, ELP, Yes, Jethro Tull, Dream Theater, Gentle Giant, Area, Banco, PFM, Le Orme, Ayreon, Pink Floyd, Marillion, Pendragon, and many, many more...

Music is a unique and special world because everyone influences each other, but with different ideas and ways of expressing those ideas that may contrast others.  The groups we listed are but a small part of what we have heard and collected over the past 40 years in our recording libraries (which for the most part belong to my father; he has a vast collection of LP's and CD's!).  Each group has shared with us emotions that have sparked something inside.  There are people who listen only to a specific genre of music and are not open to listening to something other than what they hear regularly.  I believe this is very wrong and not very constructive.  If what you hear is created with a sincere, pure, true expression, then it should be listened to while trying to understand and grasp the nuances--whether it be jazz or death metal!

While it is true Pandora makes symphonic progressive music, there are times when I may need a Genesis CD to explain a feeling I want to create, while immediately after I may use something from Iron Maiden!  Perhaps that is what pulls us away from the "classic" progressive music; we are not tied to just the classic canons of the genre--we prefer to wander through every aspect of music from rock to jazz to metal to classical...from melodic to the most complex and absurd improvisations you can imagine.  As we have always stated and believed; Pandora music is a pure and sincere 360 degrees of Musical Expressionism!

CCA: Who writes the songs and how are the arrangements determined?

Claudio: The role of composer has been passed around continuously since the birth of Pandora; in the end we all take part and many things end up completely changed, hehe!  Everyone's opinions and tastes are important to make our music what it is.  To be honest we have very different musical personalities that once blended together, create our unique sound.  I am very much in charge of the arrangements and the artistic production of the band.  I do my best to perfectly blend everything, bringing it to a final result that satisfies everyone's ideas, all the while creating a unified meaning.

CCA: Will Pandora be touring to promote the new album, and if so will that include US dates?

Claudio: Unfortunately no.  It is very difficult to promote music here in Italy--concert-wise especially! We would love to bring our live music overseas; if that were to happen we would be more than honored to share the world of Pandora, hehe!

CCA: The artwork and designs for your CD sleeves are quite striking; where does Emoni draw her inspiration from?

Claudio: Emoni's art visually defines the music of Pandora in every aspect.  Her way of expressing her interpretation of the music is unique and eclectic.  Emoni is a very radiant person, filled with enthusiasm and talent.  Right from the beginning when we first started working together, she painted while the band worked on songs in another room; this allowed her to put on canvas her feelings about the music she was hearing.  When I saw one of her first drawings I immediately said, "This will be our next cover art!"  I am referring to the art you see on "Sempre e Ovunque Oltre il Sogno;" an album containing much of her artwork--given that she created a painting for every song on it!  That said, after seeing Emoni's first artwork, I was very shocked and pleasantly surprised as was the rest of the band.  We all agreed and Emoni came to be part of the team.  We can now say she is our Roger Dean, hehe!

 CCA: Are there any other festivities or surprises planned to celebrate Pandora's 10th Anniversary?

 Claudio: As I stated earlier, a nice sparkling album, hehe!  But I would like to clarify; this is  a very special album dedicated to our 10th anniversary--and some specific choices were made to celebrate just that.  Let me give you a little preview:

The album will be divided into two parts.  The first will be comprised of four songs from our previous albums (which you will soon discover!) completely re-recorded, re-arranged, and re-mixed.
As a special gift to our fans outside Italy who have always supported us--the songs are sung in English!

The second part of the album will contain five re-arranged tribute songs (which you will find out later!) dedicated to groups who have been an inspiration and guided us with their notes and music. Of course there will be other surprises as well--I will reveal one now; the renewal work and collaboration with the legendary David Jackson who once again lends his magnificent touch and tremendous talent to our recordings!

As always the album will be an AMS production under Matthias Scheller and will contain everything our fans have come to expect from Pandora--360 degrees of Musical Expressionism!

CCA: Feel free to send this fan a copy when its complete...


CCA: Which musicians and/or bands would you like to perform a live show with?

Claudio: As my father Beppe always says, music is a moment of unity, expression, and sharing. Whoever understands or feels this is welcome on stage with us...so I guess I don't have a precise or definitive answer to this question.  To play alongside other bands, be it before or during as has happened in the past, is always an honor; something special that makes music a real universal language.

                                                                                 

Well fellow progheads, I believe you will agree that Pandora is one of the most high energy, passionate prog bands to take up residence in the prog garden...I need to sit and catch my breath! Pandora absolutely embodies a richness, boldness, and zeal few bands in any genre radiate. Combine all that energy with the talent that oozes through Pandora's music and you have the embodiment of what prog is.

Listen to the music interspersed randomly through this blog and you hear more than sound--you hear passion coming alive.  Pandora exudes a desire to not only play great prog--they bring it to life and offer it to the masses!  Follow Pandora on Twitter and keep up with all that is happening at @PandoraMusic1. Learn more about the band at http://www.pandoramusic.eu/ and please check out the Studi Pandora Music di Claudio Colombo at the link I posted above...you will be drawn to the progressive arts...

Now the Concert Closet must once again continue the search for all things prog, which means once again leaving Italy.  Bittersweet as that may be, I know there is so much more prog out there waiting to be discovered...until next week...
















































Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Psicolorama...The Album Catalog...

Autumn harvest greetings fellow progheads!  The days are getting shorter and the nights a bit brisker...a perfect time to continue the search for all things prog.  This week things get twisted just a bit; I have done album reviews in the past and has received much positive feedback. They are enjoyable for me and a great way to learn more about many of the prog bands tilling acreage in the prog garden. Based on feedback received I believe they are entertaining for you my faithful followers as well.  So this week I dine on the entire album catalog of Psicolorama...

Psicolorama is a prog band the way David Bowie is a rock 'n' roll band...one man, one artist, and many collaborations.  You may remember my original review of Psicolorama just a bout a year ago. The lone "mad cap" behind the curtain is one Carlos Herrera Carmona, hailing from Seville, Spain--although he lists London UK as the home of the band.

The Psicolorama music library consists--as of this writing--of four full length LP's and one EP, each with its own story to tell.  This week I will review a selection or two from each and offer you my faithful followers an opportunity to get acquainted with "...a new concept in prog..." as stated in the Psicolorama bio.  You may not need to fasten your seatbelts, but you will want to grab hold of something with both hands to anchor yourself securely in this stratosphere...

The first offering served up is from the album "Fear" originally released July 2014.  A deep, cerebral song called "Something Logic" is prog at its minimalist best.  Nothing gratuitous or excessive lasered into the disc...just raw progressive rock.  The piano blends so brilliantly with the acoustic guitar it is impossible to find any seams.  There is a Flim & the BB's feel to this piece; it is haunting while avoiding the macabre.  The vocal track cuts right through the heart of the song; you feel a pulse coming through the headphones.

Moving down the buffet line to serving number two, I find "The Girl on the Grass" from the December 2014 release, "Momo." Another piano intro that stirs unbeknownst sentiment...you find yourself impatiently searching the far reaches of your brain for a connection.  You are familiar with the feelings--but why are they here?  The mood swings a bit toward a light bleeding through the canvas covering this piece...as if emerging from the deep end of the pool.  Psicolorama cuts through the subcutaneous layers of emotion and pierces the heart.  You want to save the girl even though you aren't sure what you'd be saving her from.  Psicolorama borrows a page from the master of emotion twisting, Syd Barrett.  Remnants of very early Pink Floyd flake off the music like so much wax on an old Chianti bottle...

Liner Notes...despite having exposed Psicolorama to the masses with my previous post, some elaboration may be helpful.  Carlos Herrera Carmona is the heart and soul of Psicolorama--and a multi-layered, poignant soul it is.  Carlos has collaborated with the french prog group In Limbo, Horten Aranda, and Nicolas Leterrier among others.  Psicolorama does prog proud because there is so much more to this band than music and sound.  There is something tangible...a feeling as real as walking on broken glass or enjoying a dry martini in a smoke filled nightclub.  Psicolorama draws you in slowly only to escort you out vigorously--and you are never the same.

Stepping back to the prog buffet for my third course, I find "Father and Maryanne" from the July 2015 release, "Home."  Herminia Loh provides the vocals on this cut, and they are piercing. The passion that envelopes this song  is almost frightening--all you want to do is stop the aching in this poor girl's heart.  The mood shifts sharply toward a darkness that falls into an abyss from which there appears to be no escape.  The soft acoustic guitar is a ruse--the pain drips from each note sung like sweat from the brow of a condemned prisoner...the brush strokes on this canvas are almost three dimensional.

One more slice from the carving station yields a most intriguing cut called "Walking Along the Fence" from the September 2015 LP, "The Garden and the Pool: Maryanne's Diaries on the Farm." The album follows Maryanne from her odyssey on "Home" and delves even deeper.  As "Walking Along the Fence" fades out, it bleeds into an exquisite piece called "The Kidnapped Life." No words needed--you feel all the emotion you can handle as it runs down your spine, spilling out like so many tears on a satin pillow.

For your musical interlude this week I chose "Psico-Reimpression," the lone cut from Psicolorama's October 2014 self-titled EP release.  The music bores so deep and explores so much it is hard to believe only twelve minutes have clicked off your life clock when it's over.  The dark, somewhat ghoulish opening seeps into daylight as delicately as a faun being born.  The layers are progressively applied atop a piano and guitar foundation such that you aren't aware of the change in mood and tempo until after the fact.  In an ironic twist, the song seems almost celebratory...like seeing the world through a different lens has opened not just your eyes, but your soul as well.  Go ahead...hit play...and while you're listening to the music and allowing it to infiltrate your mind, check out more of Psicolorama  at http://psicolorama.bandcamp.com/.  Follow the whimsical and assorted rants on Twitter  @psicolorama and other musings on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005418435612&fref=ts.  I highly recommend you crack the ceramic piggy bank sitting on your bureau and make a purchase too...this is the prog that made your parents wonder who the heck occupied that locked bedroom at the end of the hall.


                    


OK fellow progheads, the prog garden has officially been expanded.  Psicolorama may not be in the Captain Beefheart  section, but the band does till acreage in the Pink Floyd "Atomic Heart Mother" and "Meddle" section.  Carlos Herrera Carmona turns inside himself to expose all that Psicolorama has to offer.  So many cliches would make a fitting description here, but I prefer to simply tell you that Psicolorama is progressive music...much the way The Talking Heads are new wave post funk. Unafraid to collaborate with anyone, Carlos pushes the envelope with each new release.  I have a sneaking suspicion the four LP/one EP catalog will be expanding soon and often--of course I will be more than happy to review the next wave of music Psicolorama spills across the prog garden. However, the search for all things prog must venture onward...until next week...

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Comedy of Errors

Happy "Progtober" fellow progheads!  As promised, the Concert Closet has left Italy (for now)...albeit grudgingly.  Barock Project was the perfect ending to a fortnight spent in the land of my forefathers...but I digress.  This week the search for all things prog has me on the hunt for a sound unique unto itself; full and bright without melting your ears.  Music that refuses to be pigeon-holed...sounds that fill the room without kicking you out.  So 1500 miles northwest we go to enjoy the rich sounds of Comedy of Errors.

Based in Glasgow, Scotland, Comedy of Errors refers to themselves as a "...progressive rock band..." A bit like Miles Davis referring to himself as a jazz musician...time do dig deep into the prog garden soil and unearth what lies beneath...

The prog buffet opens with a flashback of sorts...a mind-altering tune called "Disobey."  The song opens as if playing in reverse...drawing you deeper into a vortex that is oddly relaxing.  Comedy of Errors strikes with muted force; you feel yourself being hit yet never feel abused.  The music is extremely tight...guitars feed off the drums which follow a sturdy bass line, and strong vocals are the chives on the baked potato.  I can easily spend seven days here...

Making an eager stride back for more, I find another stalwart piece; "The Cause."  The curtain rolls back on a darkened stage--but beams of light break through the haze almost immediately. Comedy of Errors seems to be anything but--there is a seriousness about the way this band approaches their craft.
I detect top notes of  Be Bop Deluxe and an aromatic whiff of Transatlantic...perhaps an after taste of Marillion as well.  Comedy of Errors strikes the anvil hard on this tune; hammer blows with guitars and drums that leave your senses a bit out of kilter as the final notes echo through your ears. However; the band included a backdrop of emotion and passion that attempts to leap over all the barbed wire.  Sifting through the layers of music I am awed by the intricate simplicity...

Liner Notes...calling Glasgow, Scotland home, the current line-up for Comedy of Errors is Joe Cairney on vocals, Sam McCulloch and Mark Spalding on guitars, Jim Johnston on keyboards, John Fitzgerald on bass, and Bruce Levick on drums.  Dial the Way Back Machine to 1984; Comedy of Errors sets out to make their mark the old fashion way--clubbing, losing/adding members,  even suffering a temporary demise of the band.  Fast-forward to the present millennium where two albums and a metamorphosis of sorts combine with true determination and a burning desire to bring their music to the masses...new life is breathed into a symphonic-jazz fused progressive rock band.  I for one am pleased Comedy of Errors survived the decades of turbulence.

The final selection this week is a song called "Fanfare for the Broken Hearted."  A piano led soft opening bleeds into a melange of sound that fills the prog garden with fall blooms--the colors may not be "summer vibrant" but they certainly are deep, bold, and rich.  Vocals cut through the periphery and drive a stake through your feelings, like that first teenage crush.

The clip below is called "Rule Britannia."   I chose this particular cut because it fits like a favorite pair of shoes...you can just step right in and feel the comfort.  Gravel smooth vocals wrapped around a sound reminiscent of Beardfish jamming with latter-day Genesis allow Comedy of Errors to stretch their reach through the prog garden.  Feel free to listen again and again...learn more about Comedy of Errors at http://www.comedyoferrors.org/.  Of course, as always, you can follow the band on Twitter, @ComedyOfErrors2  and Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Comedyoferrorsofficial/timeline/.   



Well fellow progheads, as we move closer to the end of another calendar, let us relish all that we have gathered from the prog garden thus far.  Comedy of Errors is but the latest fruit born of a bountiful harvest.  The search for all things prog continues to astound and enlighten me.  Progressive rock has shown time and again that music does indeed transcend if we but take the time to listen.  And now is the time to carry on the search for all things prog...until next week...

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Barock Project

As always, a grateful hello and welcome back to the Concert Closet fellow progheads!  Our visit to Rome last week spending time with Inior was fun and stimulating--which got me to thinking (something that usually leads to trouble).  Although I tend to call the UK my second home when it comes to progressive music, my search for all things prog has revealed some truly superb bands in Italy.  Since the Concert Closet is already here, why not extend our stay seven more days and see what else lurks in the Italian section of the prog garden?

Traveling north from Rome, I take the Concert Closet to the Modena region where I discover the invigorating sounds of Barock Project.  Describing themselves simply enough as "...a symphonic rock band..."  leaves a lot to the imagination--and the headphones.  Symphonic sounds range from Gentle Giant to The Trans-Siberian Orchestra to ELP to The Moody Blues to Glass Hammer to...you get my point.  An adjective that by simple definition is not so simply defined.

OK; so as is my wont in this situation, I saunter to the buffet with a grandiose gait.  The first offering served up on the carving board is a strong cut called "Coffee in Neukolln."  As expected/anticipated, delicate piano work begins the march to some strong keyboards.  I detect some top notes of Flim & The BB's and an aromatic whiff of Gregorian Rock.  Barock Project hops on the mood elevator and pushes all the buttons...emotions ride high and crash hard.  The vocals are Boz Scaggs smooth...I can almost feel the velvet surround me...two weeks in Italy for the win...

The second course is a bit more grandiose; "Overture."  Keith Emerson's ears must be burning as keyboards are hurled through he headphones at lightning speed.  I get the sense of riding the dark horse on a merry-go-round as the calliope ups the tempo...you are torn between needing to step off and wanting to go even faster.  Barock Project doesn't paint with bright colors here--they fire paint balls at the canvas and admire their handiwork.

Liner Notes...Barock Project hails from the aforementioned Modena region of Italy and currently consists of Luca Zabbini, composer, keyboard player and backing vocalist, Luca Pancaldi on lead vocals, Marco Mazzuoccolo on guitar, and Eric Ombelli on drums.  The essence of  the Barock Project is to bring classical, jazz, and rock together creating a more structured sound while revamping 70's era prog-rock.  I guess re-inventing the wheel wasn't challenging enough...

Ten plus years and four albums later, Barock Project continues to stretch the boundaries of the prog garden.  Keyboards ranging from the intimate to the extravagant encased in opera-strong vocals that blaze a trail held upright by strong guitar work...and the entire venture is built on a foundation of drums and percussion bursting through at just the right places.  Barock Project hits fast and with extreme passion, much like sheets of rain  blown horizontal by a blustery wind on a fall September day...

Platter number three from this week's progfeast is an in-depth poignant piece called "Akery." The opening piano builds a wall of emotion that starts slowly...and while you feel each brick being laid into place, you are bracing for the wrecking ball--but it hits with a non-lethal whack leaving only a slight mark on the inner lining of your ear drums.  Barock Project stands tall in the symphonic section of the prog garden, resonating just fine with the standard bearers.  If Atomic Rooster had a brightly colored alter-ego, Barock Project would be it.

The clip posted below was chosen to offer but a glimpse through the kaleidoscope that is Barock Project.  The song is called "Fool's Epilogue" and gives the listener  the opportunity to appreciate the versatility Barock Project brings to the prog garden.  Learn more about the band at http://www.barockproject.it/.  Of course, you can further scratch the itch by following them on Twitter, @BAROCKPROJECT and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/barockproject?_rdr=p.



Well fellow progheads, these past two weeks in Italy were the fastest moving fourteen days in recent memory.  Barock Project brought Italian progressive rock full circle for me; the metal of Dream Theater, symphonic wizardry of ELP and TSO,  and the ornate soundscapes of  Yes and Gentle Giant.  Barock Project is sure about who they are and not afraid to fill a room with sound.  The prog garden needs more of what Barock Project brings...youthful maturity.  They have done their due diligence and are not content being the caboose--they are the steam engine melting the rails.  So before I leave Italy to continue the search for all things prog, perhaps one last shot of Italian symphonic...salud.  Until next week...
 

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Inior

Hello again fellow progheads!  Now that everyone has their own copy of "Outer Light, Inner Darkness" by The Aaron Clift Experiment, it is time to pack up the Concert Closet and continue the search for all things prog.  This week we log some serious air miles heading from Texas, USA to Rome, Italy and the exciting sounds of Inior.

Classifying themselves as "...a contemporary progressive rock band..." seems a bit vague...so naturally I am only too happy to dig deeper, peel back the layers of that onion, and discover what lurks in the heart of Inior.  As they say, prog blogging isn't just a job--it's an adventure...

My search for all things prog has thus far revealed a few surprises, among them that most Italian prog bands lean toward the metal side of the garden.  Inior is no exception; however this is a band that sees metal through a different lens.  Inior is--like most things Italian--heavy on the ornate.  However, they do it without being ostentatious...laying it out with loud colors and multiple layers of sound while avoiding the "look at me" bravado.  So let us stride confidently to the buffet and sample the offerings...

The first song this week is a smooth, eclectic piece called "From Blue to Red."  The opening riff brings with it strong hints of what Steely Dan jamming with Weather Report might sound like.
Strong guitars are backed by solid drumming while dark vocals seep in through a crack at the base of your right ear.  Leaping through moods like a tiger through a flaming hoop at the circus, Inior taps into strong emotions here, stirring images and memories time tried for years to bury...

Striding back to the buffet for another serving, I am rewarded with "Dust," a tune with a more somber underside.  Inior smooths out the bumps on this piece, hitting with pulled punches and kicking with soft shoes.  Vocals start a race around the perimeter of your inner skull, darting to and fro as if being chased.  The song builds on that Italian ornate theme, layering keyboards and vocals on top of subtle guitar work held together by drumming that keeps everyone accountable.  Inior paints with a bright brush and is not afraid to expose darkness to the light.

Liner Notes...Inior is Flavio Stazi on lead vocals, Marco Berlenghini on guitar and vocals, Domenico Dante on bass, Daniel Mastrovito on keyboards, and Daniele Pomo on drums.  Hailing from Rome, Italy, Inior began in the prog world circa 2003 as Apple Device, the brainchild of Marco and Flavio. Performing gigs, building a sound, honing their skills, and (of course) going through the obligatory line-up changes that are the growing pains and life experiences of many a band led to the disintegration of Apple Device in 2011...and the birth of Inior in 2013.

The main focus of Inior is the concept album--a staple in the prog world.  The band released their debut album, "Hypnerotomachia" in November 2014.  Loosely translated as "the fight for love in a dream," the album focuses on the the human journey and the disgregation of appearances from society to inner self.  Yes; deep run the roots that  nurture the music growing in the rich soil of the prog garden...    

My final selection for review from this elaborate buffet is called "Starslave."  Once again Inior opens with a sound as smooth as a suede jacket.  Top notes of Yes permeate this tune, and I pick up aromas of The Alan Parsons Project wafting in the air.  The vocals delicately pierce the soft wall of sound Inior has built within the song...painting a mood of tranquility and inner peace.

The clip below is a deeper cut called "The Paper Ship." A mesmerizing piece that delves into the inner soul searching for a way out,  Inior goes way below the surface here yet you feel as though you are gliding on the glass-like surface of a still lake.  This is a band akin to a fine scotch; sip slowly and purposefully, take your time, and savor the experience.  Learn more about Inior at http://www.inior.it/en/ and discover their music at
https://itunes.apple.com/it/album/hypnerotomachia/id937202195.  Of course you can follow the band on Twitter @INIORofficial and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/inior.




Once again fellow progheads the search for all things prog has unearthed something remarkable.  The trip to Italy was seven days well spent; sounds to soothe and guide that search through inner self. Inior goes deep without going dark...ornate without being ghastly.

Italian prog is almost a genre unto itself and the prog garden is richer because of it.  Progressive rock has many facets...many sides.  Inior occupies a section of the prog garden that produces richer, more robust fruit.  Yet as delightful and eye opening as this week has been, it is time for the Concert Closet to make yet another discovery...until next week...
















   


Tuesday, September 15, 2015

The Aaron Clift Experiment, "Outer Light, Inner Darkness"

Welcome back one more time fellow progheads!  Autumn is about ready to step through the veil that was summer...leaves are turning, the AC no longer runs 24/7, and the sun gets switched off earlier each evening.  The world keeps spinning in greased grooves...which can only mean one thing--the search for all things prog continues!

This week a special treat for my loyal followers; I have been asked to review the latest release from The Aaron Clift Experiment.  Their new CD, "Outer Light, Inner Darkness" hits the streets Friday September 18th--a mere three days from today.  It was just about a year ago--to the very day--I posted an interview with Aaron Clift where he discussed a kickstarter campaign to raise money for the band's second album...suddenly the dream has become reality!



For those eager to immerse themselves right away, I have included a clip below that teases each song on the album; kinda like your favorite restaurant handing out free mini-samples of their dinner fare...luring you in with the promise of more...



When I started this blog  I wanted to discover new prog sounds and help thrust them on the masses...so let us not waste time but rather run to the prog buffet and check out all that Aaron Clift has to offer...

A self-proclaimed proghead myself, it only seems fitting and logical to start at the beginning. Dropping the laser on cut number one, a multi-layered piece called "Kissed by the Sun" starts the revelry--and disappointed I am not.  The drum/guitar/violin explosion is immediate as the headphones seem incapable of   handling all that is being thrust upon my auditory canals.  The canvas is splashed with bright colors on this tune, seeming to burst from every angle.  OK...the outer light is undeniably exposed...

My next selection is a more tranquil song called "Bathed in Moonlight."  Gray hues hit the canvas this time as soft vocals are caressed by delicate keyboards and a drumbeat sitting sentry at the gate. Guitars come in and move the tempo around yet keep true to the temperament of the song.  The Aaron Clift Experiment rides a mood and goes deep into emotional territory with this cut...and the inner darkness says hello...

Quick Liner Notes...The Aaron Clift Experiment hails from Austin,Texas and currently consists of lead vocalist, keyboard, organ, grand piano player and band founder Aaron Clift, Eric Gutierrez on guitar, Devin North on bass and double bass, and Joe Resnick sitting behind the drum kit.  The album also includes Oscar Dodier, Corina Santos, and Beahnam Arzaghi on violin, Michael Zahlit on viola, and Diana Burgess on cello.  OK...back to the music...

Selection number three has a bit of a Marillion vibe; "Fragments of Sleep."  The opening guitar riff has top notes that hint of vintage Thin Lizzy while the keyboards and drums provide just the right highlights. Aaron's vocals once again propel through the speakers in blasts much akin to that feeling of being tossed by rough waves in the ocean and you don't know which way is up.  This tune stretches the boundaries of the album; there is a distinct theme building on its own momentum--but "Fragments of Sleep" alters the trajectory.  Ah, the beauty of prog!

One more slice from the buffet this week; an upbeat full-color piece called "Aoide, Goddess of Song."  Another cut from the outer light side of the garden, this tune fills the air with aromas of Transatlantic infused with a toned down Pandora.  The experiment part of The Aaron Clift Experiment seems to be a rousing success thus far...

The clip below is the earlier reviewed "Kissed by the Sun."  Smart shoppers always test the merchandise before buying so go ahead; pop the hood and kick the tires...The Aaron Clift Experiment can handle the scrutiny.  Just be sure to take that next step and purchase the entire thing; one song does not a prog feast make.  Learn more and make that purchase at http://aaronclift.com/.  You can also follow the band on Twitter @AaronCliftMusic and check out the latest info on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AaronCliftMusic?fref=ts.  Rest assured; once you whet your appetite you will need the entire meal...


The Aaron Clift Experiment comes at you from the dark and the light...upbeat and a bit downtrodden. What leaps at me is the emotion these folks pour into their music.  On Outer Light, Inner Darkness, The Aaron Clift Experiment leaves nerves exposed and emotions laid out on their collective sleeves. The prog garden yields a variety of fruit; there is an abundance of different "sub-genres" if you will. The Aaron Clift Experiment isn't satisfied staying in one roped off section--they prefer to leap through the garden and taste it all...isn't that what experimenting is all about?

My final clip from the new album is called "Locked." The band wandered down a new path yet again with this one; I get a smooth jazz fusion feel a la Steely Dan.  Everything flows creamy smooth like a silk scarf carried by a soft breeze.  The tempo does pick up as the guitar takes center stage, but the hard edges are rounded off by the drums and vocals.  


Well fellow progheads, I hope you enjoyed this installment from the Concert Closet.  I enjoy album reviews because they allow me to go deeper into the music and wander further behind the curtain.  I get to do nothing but spend time listening to the heart and soul of a band.  The Aaron Clift Experiment laid it all out and asked me to take a look-see and have a listen...now it's your turn.

 Progressive rock continues to flourish and as long as bands like The Aaron Clift Experiment spring forth from the prog garden, my "work" will never end...until next week...