Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Sky Architect Return with New Album on Nov. 4


Two years after their ambitious A Dying Man's Hymn, Sky Architect are now back with their highly anticipated third album titled A Billion Years of Solitude. Prepare for a launch into space. Prepare for wormholes. Prepare for planet eaters, supernovae, and lots of unexpected twists and turns. This time heavily inspired by the vintage science fiction classics, Sky Architect boldly venture into new territories, once again proving themselves to be pioneers within the genre.

On A Billion Years of Solitude, Sky Architect have challenged themselves more than ever before. In every step in the process, including the cover artwork, the band have taken full creative control. The result: a stunning outburst of creativity, featuring typical Sky Architect elements such as surprising changes, crazy rhythmic devices, polyphonic arrangements and extensive song structures. Fans of Gentle Giant, The Flower Kings, Beardfish and Pain of Salvation take note!

Sky Architect is a young Rotterdam-based band that evolved from a three-piece called Seraphine, consisting of Wabe, Christiaan and Rik, formed in 2008 at the Rotterdam Conservatory. A year later, Guus and Tom joined and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, two albums (Excavations of the Mind, A Dying Man’s Hymn) were released to critical acclaim. Christiaan is also well-known and highly acclaimed in the scene under his solo moniker Chris. In their short history, they have already played on such esteemed festivals as Night of the Prog, ProgPower and Terra Incognita, sharing the stage with luminaries such as Dream Theater, Riverside and The Tangent.
 
A Billion Years of Solitude will be released by Galileo Records on November 4th.
 
 
Track list:
1. The Curious One (18:06)
2. Wormholes (The Inevitable Collapse of the Large Hadron Collider) (5:52)
3. Tides (3:24)
4. Elegy of a Solitary Giant (10:43)
5. Jim's Ride to Hell (2:27)
6. Revolutions (8:00)
7. Traveller's Last Candle (12:43)
 
To purchase Sky Architect's A Billion Years of Solitude CD: 
 
For more information: http://www.skyarchitect.com/  

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Crowd-Funding Solstice Coil's 3rd Album


Solstice Coil is a progressive rock band formed in Israel in late 2001. They've released two self-produced studio albums in 2005 and 2011. You might have heard of them through their Dream Theater Parody, or maybe you saw them play live at the 2006 Prog Resiste Convention or on their 2012 tour in India. Maybe you know of them after having heard a track or two on this radio show. Or maybe you just know them because you know them. Or maybe you don't know them at all!

You can listen to them on Bandcamp, Youtube and their offical website. They are also on Facebook, Twitter, and pretty much every other social media platform out there.

For their third album, which is announced to be more epic in nature compared to their previous albums, they've decided to record all of the instruments and vocals in a professional studio to get that "big sound", instead of recording only some tracks in the studio and some in their home studio like they did on their previous albums.

Now they need your help. Your funding will allow then to hire a graphic artist to design the album's cover art, get the album professionally mastered and most importantly, print CDs rather than go with a digital release only. In order to achieve all of the above they need to raise $6,000.

Unfortunately I got the news about this a bit late, and there are only 62 hours left to the Indigogo crowd-funding page left to attain that goal, with,as of this writing, $1,727 already pledged. Pretty good deals are to be had ($6 for the CD and the download, $80 puts your name in the booklet, $250 puts your own voice on the album!!). 4, 000 to go, and even though  it looks like a lost cause, it's been done before - the crowd-funding for the Subterranea movie being one exemple.

So I invite you to go now and pledge: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/solstice-coil-s-3rd-album


UPDATE: Solstice Coil have unfortunately not met their crowd-funding goal. Still, they promise to record a new album, albeit not with the producer or in the studio that was their first choice. The next album will also not be available on CD, but as a downloadable album, probably through iTunes and through their website.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Hang Out with Dream Theater on Live Google+


Members of Dream Theater will be available to chat with on Live Google+ Hangout On Air. They will be answering questions on November 1, 2013 at 3pm EST.

You can add your own questions about the Live at Luna Park DVD to Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #LiveAtLunaPark

On November 1st you will need to go to the Dream Theater website, Facebook or Twitter sites, where they will post the URL link for the live video feed.

And, following the release of their eponymous new CD, garnering rave reviews by the way, they will be embarking on a European Tour starting in early January 2014. No dates yet for a North American tour, but stay tuned.

Dream Theater European Tour 2014:
Jan 15: Coliseu do Porto, Oporto, Portugal
Jan 16: Palacio Vistalegre, Madrid, Spain
Jan 17: Anaitasuna, Pampona, Spain
Jan 18: St. Jordi Club, Barcelona Spain
Jan 20: Mediolanum Forum, Milan, Italy
Jan 21: Obihall, Florence, Italy
Jan 22: Palalottomatica, Rome, Italy
Jan 23: Geox Theatre, Padova, Italy
Jan 25: Gasometer, Vienna, Austria
Jan 26: Zenith, Munich, Germany
Jan 27: Volkshaus Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Jan 29: Tipsport Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
Jan 30: Arena, Ludwigsburg, Germany
Jan 31: Le ZĂ©nith, Paris, France

Feb 01: Stadthalle, Offenbach, Germany
Feb 03: Cibona, Zagreb, Croatia
Feb 04: Small Tivoli, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Feb 05: Spodek Hall, Katowice, Poland
Feb 07: Brose Arena, Bamberg, Germany
Feb 08: Brielpoort, Deinze, Belgium
Feb 09: Swiss Life Hall, Hannover, Germany
Feb 10: Saarlandhalle, Saarbrucken, Germany
Feb 12: Aeronef Club, Lille, France
Feb 13: O2 Apollo, Manchester, United Kingdom
Feb 14: Wembley Arena, London, United Kingdom
Feb 15: Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Feb 17: Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Feb 18: Mitsubishi Electric Halle, Dusseldorf, Germany
Feb 20: Falkoner Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark
Feb 21: Spektrum Arena Ans, Oslo, Norway
Feb 22: Annexet, Stockholm, Sweden
Feb 24: Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finlad

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Fierce and the Dead's New Single Out


ARK!!
 
As of yesterday, Monday October 20th, you can now buy the single 'Ark', taken from The Fierce and the Dead's new album Spooky Action. As well as the main track you'll also get a cracking remix from the man, the legend Emmett Elvin (Chrome Hoof / Guapo / Knifeworld), and a collaboration theyrecorded with James Orman from Silvery called 'The Icy Tundra of Tharg'. It's pretty out there, which is a good thing.
 
You can watch the video Kev Feazey, Matt Stevens, Stuart Marshall and Steve Cleaton made for 'Ark' over on our Youtube channel.
 
So head over to the Bad Elephant Music site and get yours downloaded right now! 
 
And remember there's still time to pre-order the new album before it's release date on November 4th and bag yourself a bonus live track, or a discounted CD/T-shirt bundle. 
 
 
Spooky Action track list:
1. Part 4
2. Ark
3. Let's Start a Cult
4. Pyramid Hat
5. I Like It, I'm Into It
6. Intermission 3
7. Spooky Action
8. And the Bandit
9. Entropy
10. Part 5
11. Chief
 
 
 
So get involved!
 

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Jon Anderson to Play Florida, Iceland and Progressive Nation at Sea


Legendary vocalist Jon Anderson, Yes's singer/songwriter for 35 years along with his successful work with Vangelis, Kitaro, and Milton Nascimento, will be performing shows in Miami Beach and Clearwater, Florida, as well as Iceland and the Progressive Nation At Sea 2014 cruise. The shows promise to deliver an exciting mixture of material from Jon Anderson's prolific solo career, collaborations with Vangelis and classic Yes songs, along with new compositions, highlighted by humorous and enlightening stories told by Jon.

November 10, 2013: Colony Theatre, Miami Beach, FL (Tickets)
Show times: 6:00 PM & 9:30 PM
 
November 15, 2013: Conference and Concert Hall, in Reykjavik, Iceland (Tickets)
Show time: 7:30 PM
 
February 15, 2014: Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida with a symphony orchestra! He will be opening for Alan Parsons Project With Symphony Orchestra. 
Jon will also be touring the US in March 2014. For tour dates and ticket info please visit: http://jonanderson.com/tour.html
 
Lastly, much to the excitement of Yes fans around the world, the legendary band has finally been nominated for the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Says Jon, "Wonderful news, all you great Fans deserve to see YES in the Hall of Fame. YES music is very special, very unique, and I'm a fan of what we did as a band, no matter what happens, we still created some of the most wonderful music ever, well I'm blessed to have been part of the Adventure....so excited...have fun!"
 
To vote for YES to be inducted into the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 

Transatlantic Reveal New Album Title and Tour


Progressive-rock super-group Transatlantic, featuring Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, Roine Stolt and Pete Trewavas will release their brand new fourth studio album ‘Kaleidoscope’ on the 27th January 2014.

The track-listing for the forthcoming record is as follows:


1. Into the Blue
2. Shine
3. Black as the Sky
4. Beyond the Sun
5. Kaleidoscope


The band will also embark on a 6-week World Tour that will see them joined once again by Pain of Salvation’s Daniel Gildenlöw as a 5th touring member. As part of the extensive tour, the band will also headline the Progressive Nation At Sea 2014 Cruise from the 18th till the 22nd February alongside 22 other leading Prog acts including Adrian Belew Power Trio, Devin Townsend Project, King's X, Anathema, Spock’s Beard and many more. This unique performance will see the band performing a very special encore of classic Yes material with the legendary Jon Anderson on vocals. You can find more details on PN14 here: http://www.progressivenationatsea.com/

An Evening With Transatlantic 2014 World Tour:
Jan 31st - Los Angeles, CA, USA - El Segundo Performing Arts Center
Feb 1st - San Francisco, CA, USA
Feb 2nd - Seattle, WA, USA
Feb 4th - Chicago, IL, USA - The Arcada Theater
Feb 5th - Quebec City, Canada - Theatre Du Capitole
Feb 6th - Montreal, Canada - L'Olympia
Feb 8th - Philadelphia, PA, USA - Keswick Theater
Feb 9th - New York City, NY, USA - Highline Ballroom
Feb 11th - Mexico City, Mexico - Teatro Metropolitan
Feb 13th - SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil - Carioca Club
Feb 14th - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Feb 15th - Santiago, Chile
Feb 18th to 22nd - Progressive Nation At Sea
Feb 27th - Madrid, Spain - La Rivera
Feb 28th - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
March 2nd - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
March 3rd - Rome, Italy - Orion
March 5th - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
March 6th - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
March 7th - Munich, Germany - Muffathalle
March 8th - Berlin, Germany - Astra
March 9th - Cologne, Germany - E Werk
March 11th - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
March 12th - London, England - The Forum
March 13th - Tilburg, Holland - 013
March 14th - Tilburg, Holland - 013
March 15th - Paris, France - Le Bataclan
June - Sweden Rock Festival

For more information visit:
www.facebook.com/transatlanticmusic
www.transatlanticweb.com

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Edison's Children Pledge Drive


Edison's Children (Eric Blackwood and Pete Trewavas) are proud to announce that Jakko Jakszyk, King Crimson's newest member, and John Mitchell (Arena / It Bites / Kino) have begun the mixdown on Edison's Children's 2nd album "The Final Breath Before November"!

You can help them finish and master this new album by pledging your soul before the darkness comes... http://edisonschildren.com/shop/Pledgeboard/

A variety of pledge alternatives are available.

The Final Breath Before November tracklist:
1. The Final Breath
2. Light Years
    i. Fading Away...
3. Silhouette
    i. Silence Can Be Deafening (Pt I)
    ii. Welcome to Your Dreamland
    iii. Where Were You?
    iv. The Longing
    v. The Moriphlux (Pt I)
    vi. I Am Haunted
    vii. What Do You Want?
    viii. The Seventh Sign
        a. The Wrong
        b. The Alcolyte
        c. The Hollows
        d. The road (less traveled)
    ix. The Morphlux (Pt II)
    x. Silence Can Be Deafening (Pt II)
    xi. Welcome to Your Nightmares
    xii. Music for End Credits


And while you're there, why not pick up their first album, or the singles.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Eddie Jobson Adds Special Show to Japan Tour


Eddie Jobson, whose Four Decades Tour (EJ4D) in North America had to be cancelled for lack of ticket sales, has found fertile ground in Japan for this special tour concept and master class. To paraphrase what Jobson wrote when cancelling the American solo tour, such is the marketplace.

Well, the Japanese marketplace has spoken and has been rewarded. Prior to the start of the Four Decades shows in Japan, Eddie has added a very special performance at Club Citta on November 8. For the first time ever, both the debut UK album, as well as the Danger Money album will be performed in their entirety by UK -  Eddie Jobson, John Wetton, Alex Machacek, and Marco Minnemann. After that one-off show, Minnemann will be staying on for the remainder of the Japanese tour, meaning that four of the original members of UKZ will be on stage together!

The tour dates are:

UK performing UK and Danger Money in their entirety:
November 8: Club Citta, Tokyo, Japan

EJ4D with Sonja Kristina (Curved Air), John Wetton (UK), Aaron Lippert (UKZ), Marco Minnemann (UKZ), and others:
November 9: Club Citta, Tokyo, Japan
November 10: Club Citta, Tokyo, Japan
November 11, Club Citta, Tokyo, Japan
November 12, Namba Hatch, Osaka, Japan

And last but not least, UK will do two performances on the Cruise to the Edge between April 7-12, 2014!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Mike Oldfield Announces New Studio Album


Mike Oldfield is set to release Man on the Rocks, his first new album since 2008, on January 27, 2014. Man On The Rocks features bassist Leland Sklar and drummer John Robinson. On vocals is Luke Spiller from young UK band The Struts. This was announced today, on October 11th, the day the BBC will air a documentary outlining the creation of Oldfield's original masterwork, Tubular Bells.

The Man on the Rocks tracklist will be:
01 Sailing
02 Moonshine
03 Man on the Rocks
04 Castaway
05 Minutes
06 Dreaming in the Wind
07 Nuclear
08 Chariots
09 Following the Angels
10 Irene
11 I Give Myself Away

The album was recorded in the Bahamas, where interviews for the new documentary were also conducted.

The documentary, titled ...Plus Tubular Bells will feature old footage and new interviews with Oldfield, his family, friends and co-workers, discussing the ins and outs of the recording of his most famous work.

The documentary, made by Tigerlily Films, will be broadcast on BBC4 on tonight, October 11 at 9pm. It will be followed by a repeat of the Second House 1973 televised performance of the album.

Here are two teasers for ...Plus Tubular Bells. Good viewing. And for those who are able to see it, give me a shout and write down your impressions in the Comments section.
 
 

 

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

IPRS Guy Manning Interview


As we do here every year at the International Prog Rock Show, we sit down and have a chat with multi-instrumentalist/composer Guy Manning to speak about his latest creation. As always bits and pieces of his music and some of his influences and interests creep up musically during the show.

The IPRS aired two weeks ago (yes, I'm late with the play list), on a new internet radio station called Northern Lights. Since this interview was pre-recorded, some of the things mentioned during the show have since changed, mainly the Manning shows scheduled for November.

As mentioned by Guy, the Manning band will be playing two live dates, one on the 16th of November for the Classic Rock Society at the Wesley Centre in Rotherham, the other on the 17th of November at The Peel, in London. Since the airing of the show the line-up has changed. Unfortunately the John Young Band had to cancel, but they are being replaced by the great Landmarq!


By the way, you've got to love the name of the tour: the Great Excavation Tour!


The new Manning album, The Root, the Leaf & the Bone is now out and you can order it on the Manning website. It is a wonderful album full of nuance and subtlety, with great musicianship and storytelling craft.

1. Hello, by Electric Light Orchestra Part 2 (Electric Light Orchestra Part 2, 1990)
2. The Southern Wave, by Manning (Margaret's Children, 2011)
3. The Huntsman & the Poacher, by Manning (The Root, the Leaf & the Bone, 2013)
4. Palace of Delights, by Manning (The Root, the Leaf & the Bone, 2013)
5. Old School, by Manning (The Root, the Leaf & the Bone, 2013)
6. Cockroach King, by Haken (The Mountain, 2013)
7. Roads to Moscow, by Al Stewart (Past, Present and Future, 1974)
8. Evening TV, by The Tangent (Le Sacre du Travail, 2013)
9. The Root, the Leaf & the Bone (The Root, the Leaf & the Bone, 2013)
10. Pearl, by Magenta (The Twenty Seven Club, 2013)
11. Childhood's End, by John Young Band (Live)
12. Out of the Angry Planet, by Phideaux (Phideau & Mogon, 2012)


As always, if you love the music, purchase the CDs through the artists' website or your favorite retailer.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Nik Turner Tours and Hawkwind Cancels

Two pieces of news release over the weekend that are linked. Nik Turner was co-founder and member of Hawkwind from 1969 to 1976, then from 1982 to 1984. While working on his most recent CD, Turner launched an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office to register the name "Nik Turner's Hawkwind". Meanwhile Hawkwind, under the other remaining co-founder Dave Brock, were still a going concern, still recording and touring. As time moved on and no word of legal action came, the band believed that Turner had stopped pursuing the application.

But this past September, a day after Dave Brock was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Prog Awards, came news that Turner had started the first steps in a legal move to get his name trademarked.

Needless to say, with both Nik Turner's Space Ritual and Hawkwind preparing to tour North America, Dave Brock was starting to feel the stress of a new tour and a legal action unpon the name he has been working with for years.

In response to the recent Hawkwind controversy Nik Turner had issued this statement: 
 
Dear Friends, Helpers Enthusiasts, Supporters, Inter-Dimensional Travelers, Intergalactic Aliens and All Sentient Beings, 
I'm very sad to hear of rumours of Dave Brock's ill health, and wish him a quick recovery from whatever ails him.  I'm greatly looking forward to seeing Hawkwind live in the USA, being aware as I am that they happen to be touring at the same time as my band.  I wish them every success, and it would be nice if Dave and I could actually play together on a stage somewhere on our tours, just like the old days, bury the hatchet, work together.  We have been very good friends in the past.  I thought about Dave and me inviting Lemmy to join us, get a band together with us (sounds like The Blues Brothers) and do a world tour.  Sounds like it could be fun too.  Life is too short to worry about all the trivial, irrelevant bullshite.  So let's all be friends, love one another.  We're all different; let's enjoy our differences.
If you come to one of my shows, come say hello.  Let's all work together in the spirit of what Hawkwind was all about: alternative culture, alternative values, peace and love, brothers and sisters, One Source, One Tribe, One World, One Mind, One Cosmos, One Love, Love to you all.
Nik
 
 
Now, doctors have confirmed that his condition is stress related, aggravated by the trademark dispute in the United States which could result in years of litigation.

After enduring a series of tests, Dave has been advised that it could be dangerous to his health to embark on a gruelling 14,000 mile tour at this time. After much discussion about possible ways forward, the members of the band have reluctantly decided that it is necessary to reschedule the dates to March 2014, rather than put Dave's health at unnecessary risk. (New dates for each venue will be announced next week).

Whilst we understand this will come as a big disappointment to those of you who have booked tickets, as it does to ourselves, we are equally sure that you will understand health concerns must take priority.
 
And on Nik Turner's side of things the tour is still on.
 
Nick Turner's Space Ritual will tour the following dates:
 
10.09.13 Eureka, CA at The Shanty
10.10.13 Portland, OR at Mississippi Studios - Fall Into Darkness VII Fest
10.11.13 Bellingham, WA at Shakedown
10.12.13 Seattle, WA at Chop Suey (Tickets)
10.14.13 Calgary, AB at Palomino
10.16.13 Salt Lake City, UT at Urban Lounge (Tickets)
10.17.13 Denver, CO at Lion's Lair
10.19.13 St Paul, MN at Turf Club
10.20.13 Milwaukee, WI at Cactus Club (Tickets)
10.21.13 Chicago, IL at Reggie's (Tickets)
10.22.13 Detroit, MI at PJ's Lager House
10.23.13 Cleveland, OH at Now That's Class
10.24.13 Pittsburgh, PA at Brillo Box
10.25.13 Toronto, ON at Mod Club (Tickets)
10.26.13 Montreal, QC at Il Motore
10.27.13 Portland, ME at Geno's*
10.29.13 Boston, MA at Middle East Upstairs
10.30.13 New Haven, CT at BAR (free show)
10.31.13 Easthampton, MA at Flywheel (Tickets)
11.01.13 Providence, RI at Dusk
11.02.13 Philadelphia, PA at Philamoca (Tickets)
11.03.13 Brooklyn, NY at Saint Vitus Bar
11.04.13 Raleigh, NC at King's Barcade
11.05.13 Charlotte, NC at Tremont Music Hall
11.06.13 Asheville, NC at Mothlight
11.07.13 Atlanta, GA at The Earl (Tickets)
11.08.13 Memphis, TN at HiTone Cafe
11.09.13 Little Rock, AR at Rev Room
11.10.13 Austin, TX at Fun Fun Fun Nites
11.11.13 San Antonio, TX at Ten Eleven
11.14.13 Phoenix, AZ at Rhythm Room (Tickets)
11.15.13 San Diego, CA at The Casbah
11.16.13 Los Angeles, CA at Satellite (Tickets)
11.17.13 Oakland, CA at The Uptown