Monday, September 27, 2010

Poll #1 results and Poll #2

The results are in and they are quite interesting. I asked you all what kind of prog music you liked, and multiple votes were allowed (since we all like all kinds of prog). The definitions for the styles of prog were taken from the ProgArchives, a great site with a lot of information. Your answers were:

61% - Symphonic Prog
44% - Neo-Prog
40% - Psychedelic / Space Rock
34% - Jazz Rock / Fusion
25% - Heavy Prog
25% - Progressive Metal
25% - Canterbury Scene
23% - Prog Folk
21% - Crossover Prog
19% - Progressive Electronic
17% - Rock Progressivo Italiano
11% - Eclectic Prog
11% - Experimental / Post Metal
9% - Post Rock / Math Rock
9% - RIO / Avant-Prog
5% - Zeuhl
3% - Krautrock
1% - Tech / Extreme Prog Metal
0% - Indo Prog / Raga Rock

Thanks to all who participated. A new poll is now up, and from now on polls will be mostly about the songs that were played during the show. If you haven't heard the show, go to the next post and download it. Then choose your favorite songs.

Unitopia Interview

Hello progheads!

On September 26th Rick and I had the pleasure of speaking with Mark Trueack, vocalist and composer for the Australian band Unitopia. Because of time-zone differences (3 PM in Eastern Canada, and 4 AM in Australia) we finally got hold of him in the last 15 minutes of our 3 hour show. Since we had him on the line and Mark is an interesting guy, we extended the show by a half hour. So enjoy the show, and for our European fans, check your local listings for the time and places where you can catch Unitopia in concert this October, it'll be worth your time and money. You can download last Sunday's show here! (Podcast no longer available)The setlist was as follows:

1. The Order of the Universe, by Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (ABWH, 1989)
2. Land of Plenty, by Carptree (Nymf, 2010) - NEW
3. Dragonfly, by Carptree (Nymf, 2010) - NEW
4. Euphoric, by James LaBrie (Static Impulse, 2010) - NEW
5. Coming Home, by James LaBrie (Static Impulse, 2010) - NEW
6. Here and Now, by Hamadryad (Intrusion, 2010)
7. Missa Atropos, by Gazpacho (Missa Atropos, 2010) - NEW
8. Copyrighted Genes, by Delusion Squared (Delusion Squared, 2010) - NEW
9. Sentenced, by Delusion Squared (Delusion Squared, 2010) - NEW
10. Framed, by Cirrah Niva (For Moments Never Done, 2009)
11. Beyond, Within, by Glass Hammer (If, 2010) - NEW
12. 321, by Unitopia (The Garden, 2008)
13. 21, by Odyssice (Silence, 2010)
14. Dark Angle, by The Reasoning (Acoustically Speaking, 2010)
15. Widows Watch, by K2 (Black Garden, 2010) - NEW
16. Gone in the Blink of an Eye, by Unitopia (Artificial, 2010)
17. Justify, by Unitopia (More Than a Dream, 2005)

Download the show now, since the links stay active for only 6 weeks. And, as always, visit the artists websites by following the artist links, and if you like their music, purchase the CD - full artwork is a prog rocker's dream!!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Black Clouds & Silver Linings

Was the title of the last Dream Theater CD with Mike Portnoy prophetic or what?

It's true! Mike Portnoy is leaving Dream Theater. Needing a break from the band, not having his heart fully into it, Mike Portnoy has decided, for the good of the band and for his own good, to leave the band he started and helpp make famous!

Of course Mike is also a member of Transatlantic, and has had numerous other ventures that never stop him from joining with his regular band mates to write and record albums. But it seems that he needs a break from DT, and was hoping the other members felt the same way as he. It was not to be!

Of course, that doesn't mean the Mike has quite the biz! He will have many other musical projects and we will be hearing his trademark druming on CDs soon enough (probably the live CD and DVD of the Transatlantic tour will be the first of these releases).

And what, pray-tell is the Silver Lining? Well Dream Theater have announced that they are going back in the studio in January 2011 to record their next CD. I know, it won't be the same withoout Mike behind his kit, but they are great musicians nonetheless and will surely come up with a great CD (finding a replacement for Mike won't be easy, but they will try).

So, as we say "The King is dead.... Long live the King!".... Dream Theater as we knew it is no more, but a new Dream Theater may be reborn from this, and Mike Portnoy will still be around on whtever project he decides to venture in! Good luck to both of them... I know I'm looking forward to hearing what they will deliver in the years to come!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

First Show of September

A quick post today. Last sunday's episode is now available for download (Link no longer available). Hasse Froberg, singer of The Flower Kings, and as of this year solo artist, was our guest in the first hour of our show, You'll hear songs from his excellent new CD, and some of his thoughts on creation of music and working with other musicians on his solo project. You'll also hear a lot of new music!

A short note before I write down the setlist: the downloads are not permanent. If you intend to download past shows, do it quickly since the links last for about 1 month and a half. I will not repost the shows for the time being.

The setlist for the show was as follows:

1- Magic Pie, by The Flower Kings (Flower Power, 1998)

2- Only My Blood, by Hasse Froberg & Musical Friend (Future Past, 2010) - NEW
3- 23 Minutes of Tragedy, by IZZ (The Darkened Room, 2009)
4- Reflection, by Edensong (The Fruit Fallen, 2008)
5- Rabbit, by Half Past Four (Rabbit in the Vestibule, 2009)
6- Deaman Jigging Spoon, by Mahogany Frog (FO5, 2008)
7- Shadows Black & White, by FramePictures (Remember It, 2010) - NEW
8- Piece of the Sky, by Hasse Froberg & Musical Friend (Future Past, 2010) - NEW
9- I Can't Take You with Me, by District 97 (Hybrid Child, 2010) - NEW
10- Racecar, by Periphery (Periphery, 2010) - NEW
11- A Poet's Talespin, by Dave Kulju (Notes in the Margin, 2010) - NEW
12- Last, by Dante (Saturnine, 2010) - NEW

As always, if you loved the music, follow the links and buy from the artists or their distributors.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Has It Been 1 Year Already?

Yes it has! And what a year it's been. We've played great prog music, new and old, adn received guests from all over the world, from Michel St-Pere of canadian band Mystery to Sean Timms of australian band Unitopia, as well as Bart Schram of belgian band Mindgames, Ken Jacquess of american band K2, and Andy Tillison of british bands Po90 and The Tangent.

As you all know, we had an 8 week vacation, although I prepared some download only podcasts so that we would not be forgotten (though we were gone). But now we are back!

This week we celebrated our first year anniversary, and for the occasion we received phone calls from many of our favorite artists. Come and listen to all the fun by downloading the podcast from here (Link no longer available). Please write down your comments in the comments section below, or write to us with whatever comes to mind, be it suggestions for our playlist to CD reviews.

The playlist for last Sunday's show was:

1. Black Garden, by K2 (Black Garden, 2010 - Forthcoming)
2. The Ultimate Thrill, by Hasse Froberg and Musical Companions (Future Past, 2010)
3. In Tomorrow Hid Yesterday, by Koi (In Tomorrow Hid Yesterday, 2010)
4. Post Secret, by Projected Twin (Earth to World, 2010)
5. Lorelai, by Edensong (Echoes of Edensong, 2010)
6. Fanfare for Absent Friends, by Erik Norlander (The Galactic Collective, 2010)
7. Better View, by Rocket Scientists (Revolution Road, 2006)
8. In Green and Blue, by Id Guinness (Soul Envy, 2010)
9. Train’s Gone, by WolfSpring (WolfSpring, 2010)
10. Small Hours, by Dec Burke (Destroy All Monsters, 2010)
11. Candybrain, by Phideaux (Doomsday Afternoon, 2007)
12. Gatekeeper, by Argos (Circles, 2010)
13. Lucifer’s Dance, by Ennïs Tóla (Seeds, 2010)

Hope you enjoy the show. Next week we might have a very special guest! As always, if you loved the music, buy the CDs by following the links to the artists.

Frank