Innerspace Want to Kickstart New Album

Canadian prog band Innerspace is currently putting the finishing touches on the writing of their second album. Having spent almost two years writing they have ended up with material for a double album that they consider more mature, showing both skill and experience.

And now they ask for your help.

Knowing that they need a minimum of $5,000 to record their next album, and knowing that Kickstarter only pays up only when the goal is reached, they ask for $2,000, hoping that fans of the first album will likely spend in advance for the new double album. As of today there are 52 days left, and their goal is nearly reached. There are a variety of rewards that can be pledged, including signed copies of the CD and getting your name mentioned in the CD booklet.

Their first release, The Village, received critical acclaim, and they hope to surpass expectations with this second album.

Innerspace are: Phil Burton (guitars & vocals), Simon Arsenault (lead guitars), Paul Aubry (keyboards), and Thomas Sauvé (drums).

Pledge on Kickstarter here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/924372470/innerspaces-2nd-album-0

Band website:
http://www.innerspace-band.com/home.html

The Aaron Clift Experiment Launch Kickstarter Campaign

Progressive rock quartet from Austin, TX, The Aaron Clift Experiment, have launched a Kickstarter crowd funding campaign to support the recording and release of their second studio album.
 
Earlier in January, the band started writing new songs that will be part of the still untitled sophomore studio effort, and they are aiming to start the recording process in January 2015. The band commented:

"We have a very exciting set of songs ready to record in January 2015, and we need your help to raise the money to make this vision a reality."

In June 2010, The Aaron Clift Experiment released Lonely Hills, an album that was very well received from the progressive rock community and media. In 2013, Prog Magazine named The Aaron Clift Experiment as one of the top unsigned acts of the year.
 
On the creative process for the upcoming album, the band says:

"The music for The Aaron Clift Experiment's second album is our richest, most expressive to date.  Our new music hits harder and deeper than anything we've done before, and with the added benefit of doubling our recording budget from our debut album to our second album and having Blue October bassist, Matt Noveskey, produce and record the album in his state-of-the-art Orb Recording Studios, the end result is going to be a high-quality classic progressive rock album."

Head over to the Kickstarter crowd-funding page, and help The Aaron Clift Experiment to raise funds for their next progressive rock awesomeness.

The Aaron Clift Experiment is:
Aaron Clift - vocals, keyboards
Eric Gutierrez - guitar
Joe Green - bass
Joe Resnick - drums

Links:
http://aaronclift.com
https://www.facebook.com/AaronCliftMusic
 

District 97's Reveal Plan for 3rd Album

District 97 have just released a video of a new song, performed live at Martyr's Night Club this past June. The new track is titled Takeover and was co-written by vocalist Leslie Hunt and drummer Jonathan Schang. There's only one catch...

They don't have enough money to record it!

So they are starting a Kickstarter campaign on August 25, next Monday. If you want to hear their 3rd album, please consider helping to bring this project to fruition by contributing to their campaign. Links to the Kickstarter campaign will be available here next Monday.

Also check out their Midwest Kickstarter Launch Tour! Dates can be found at http://www.district97.net/shows. In the meantime, enjoy the new song!

Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty Announce Collaboration

 

Music legends Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty announce the formation of a new ensemble - The Anderson Ponty Band! Yes's original singer/songwriter for 35 years, Jon Anderson has had a successful solo career, which includes working with such notable music artists as Vangelis, Kitaro, and Milton Nascimento. International jazz superstar Jean-Luc Ponty is a pioneer and undisputed master of violin in the arena of jazz and rock. He is widely regarded as an innovator who has applied his unique visionary spin that has expanded the vocabulary of modern music. Together these two music icons form a musical synergy that is unparalleled!

“A breakthrough feeling came as I sang with Jean-Luc's music, to be in a band again is very exciting on many levels, we will play and sing our way around the world and have fun, for music is pleasure, music is all that is, music is God” - Jon Anderson

The Anderson Ponty Band also includes Jamie Dunlap on guitars - well known as a film and television composer, most notably 'South Park'; Wally Minko on keyboards - virtuoso player and composer who has performed and recorded with many worldwide stars; Baron Browne on bass who has played with Steve Smith, Billy Cobham and Jean-Luc Ponty; and Rayford Griffin on drums and percussion, who has played with Stanley Clarke Band, George Duke, Jean-Luc Ponty and Michael Jackson. The band will visit the music created by Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty over the years with new arrangements, virtuosic performances and new energy, while creating new compositions as well.

The Anderson Ponty Band have been writing and arranging old favorites during the past three months. They will be in residence for three weeks in September at Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado rehearsing, recording and playing a public performance on Saturday September 20th. An album will be finished in Los Angeles and is scheduled for release in early 2015. Also, a videography documenting the making of the album will be released as well as videos and performances. A world tour beginning in March 2015 is in the planning stages.

The Anderson Ponty Band announce the launch of a Kickstarter campaign today July 25th beginning at 2PM Eastern. The campaign will encourage fans and friends to become a stakeholder in the project. Numerous tiers of donations will be rewarded by album downloads, premium CD/DVD packages, VIP ticket access, merchandising, special one of a kind collectibles, special meet and greets with the band and much more.

Kickstarter campaign: http://bit.ly/apband2014

Anderson Ponty Band Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andersonpontyband

Jon Anderson official website: www.jonanderson.com
Jean-Luc Ponty official website: www.ponty.com

Spock's Beard New DVD Kickstarter Campaign

Spock's Beard is raising funds for a Progressive Nation at Sea DVD on Kickstarter.

The Progressive Nation at Sea cruise, upon the beautiful Norwegian Pearl, was a major event in progressive rock.

Spock's Beard was joined on stage for the final two epic songs by founding member Neal Morse, and the entire show was professionally filmed with multiple cameras and multitrack audio.  The footage is currently in the process of being edited and mixed.  They expect the shipping date to be sometime in late August if they meet their Kickstarter goal, so please preorder this piece of prog history now!

Profits from the sale of this DVD will go towards the initial recording costs of Spock's Beard's 12th studio CD.

Setlist (appr. 65 minutes):
1. Something Very Strange
2. Hiding Out
3. Walking on the Wind
4. Waiting for Me
5. June (with Neal Morse)
6. The LIght (with Neal Morse)

Pre-order here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spocksbeard/progressive-nation-at-sea-dvd

Marillion's Steven Rothery Kickstarts Solo album

After putting together a band to play the Plovdiv Guitar Festival, Steven Rothery has finally decided to record a solo album. As the Marillion guitarist wrote today (November 25th) on his band's website:

A very exciting day for me today and not just because it's my birthday ;-)  After twenty eight years of talking about doing a solo album, the time has finally arrived! Today is the official launch day of the Kickstarter campaign for my solo album The Ghosts of Pripyat.

Earlier this year I was invited to play at the annual Plovdiv guitar festival in October 2013. To prepare I got together with my good friend and fellow guitarist Dave Foster for a couple of writing sessions which went incredibly well. After a couple of days rehearsal with the rhythm section of Leon Parr and Yatim Halimi I realised this was going to be something very special. This Youtube trailer from the live video of the performance gives you an idea of where the finished album, The Ghosts of Pripyat, will go. 

 

The audio download of the festival is available at http://steverothery.com/ and the video download at http://steverothery.fetchapp.com/sell/eizeetip

The album will also feature a guest performance from Steve Hackett on a track called Morpheus and another track titled The Old Man of the Sea. Lasse Hoile (of Porcupine Tree fame) is designing the artwork so it's going to visually stunning as well.

 

Steven is hoping to get £15,000 by January 22, 2014 to push the project along, and as of 10:00 AM EST today it already is up to 8,644 out of 284 backers, so it looks like it will be a success.

Add your pledge to this Kickstarter campaign by going to Steven's Kickstarter page here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2090204348/steve-rothery-the-ghosts-of-pripyat. Many pledge bundles are available.

UPDATE (26th November 2013):
By the end of the evening, the Kickstarter campaign had reached its goal, and then some. Inside of one day, the amount accumulated was £20,529, with 694 backers. This is the quickest campaign I have ever seen! Steven Rothery, whose birthday it was when he launched the campaign, had one hell of a gift, and had this to say:

Thank you all for your incredible support! What an amazing way to celebrate my birthday yesterday.

(...)

Mike Hunter will be engineering the recording of the drums for the album at the Racket Club at the beginning of February and Steve Hackett will be recording his parts towards the end of the month. 

We'll be flying over to Italy to play a couple of shows with Ranestrane on the 21st and 22nd February, more details to follow.

Thanks again, Steve