Show #96

On this week's show, more new releases! But first, the big news this past week was the announcement that Nick D'Virgilio was leaving Spock's Beard. This is the second major defection from this great band. This first, when Neal Morse left the music business, albeit temporarily, was akin to Peter Gabriel leaving Genesis. Nick came out from behind the drums, as did Phil Collins, to take over the vocal duties. Now, Nick has left, but his reasons are sensible, and it is without accrimony. Read more on his website. I wish Nick well in his future endeavors, and wish the rest of the Beard well in theirs.

With the coming of the first snow here in Montreal comes the new Kate Bush CD aptly named "50 Words for Snow". It is a wonderful album, and musically it is much more stripped down than what we had been used to by Kate. The consumate artist, Kate Bush has given us wonderful music through all these years, and today she brings us on a musical journey through snow covered landscapes.

After an absence of 8 years, Hungarian band After Crying has now released "Creatura", a wonderfully complexe album which I hope you will like. With four parts, each starting with the same leitmotiv, each song is titled on one of the cardinal points.

The Stevegane Project is the first CD by Pascal Stevegane, a french guitarist which shows a lot of promise as a solo artist. He says his influences are Pink Floyd, Yes, Rush, and Rainbow, but I feel his music is more in the vein of Mike Oldfield, in that it is richly textured and the guitar plays an important part. A great beginning.

As for the other artists featured today, Knight Area, Landscape, and The Psychedelic Ensemble, I'll have more to say later. As for The Anabasis, I refer you to the progmistress's review (click on one of the blogs I follow).

BTW, if you are living in the Montreal or Toronto area, Sun Domingo will be coming to town during the first week of December. Sun Domingo, as you all should know, is the band that has been opening for Marillion at most Weekends these past few years, and they are scheduled to open for Marillion on their North American tour next year. Now is your chance to see a whole Sun Domingo show, as headliners, playing their latest album, the excellent Songs for End Times, and playing the whole of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. This is a show not to be missed.

Now on with the radio show.

The playlist was as follows:

1- A Guy Named Sid, by Spock's Beard (Feel Euphoria, 2003)
2- Beautiful, by Nick D'Virgilio (Pieces, 2011)
3- Hold the Line, by Nick D'Virgilio (Pieces, 2011)
4- Egypt, by The Anabasis (Back from Being Gone, 2011)
5- Snowed in at Wheeler Street, by Kate Bush (50 Words for Snow, 2011)
6- Misty, by Kate Bush (50 Words for Snow, 2011)
7- Eszack (North), by After Crying (Creatura, 2011)
8- Summerland, by Knight Area (Nine Paths, 2011)
9- Wakerun, by Knight Area (Nine Paths, 2011)
10- The Green Eyes, by Stevegane Project (When Time Is a Present, 2011)
11- Glass Curtain, by Landscape (Outside of Nowhere, 2011)
12- Through the Prism of Time, by Landscape (Outside of Nowhere, 2011)
13- The Quest, by The Psychedelic Ensemble (The Dream of the Magic Jongleur, 2011)
14- The Secrets of Your Mind, by The Psychedelic Ensemble (The Dream of the Magic Jongleur, 2011)

As always, if you love the music purchase the CDs either through the artists (links above), or through your favorite retailer.