The music on Live in America is mostly taken from the debut album and we´re even presented with the 30 minute epic All of the Above. The only song from the debut that is missing from Live in America is the Procol Harum cover In held ('twas) in I. Besides the obvious choices of songs from the debut album there are also a couple of Beatles covers in a medley called Mystery train / Magical mystery tour / Strawberry fields forever. Magical Mystery Tour is only played briefly while Strawberry Fields Forever is given the full treatment. We also hear the Norwegian Wood motif played between the two Beatles songs. CD2 starts with a Genesis medley. We get the first couple of minutes from Watcher of the Skies and then most of Firth of Fifth. The album ends with a medley with parts from a song from each of the members main bands and a cover of The Beatles She´s So Heavy.

The musicianship is excellent and even though it says in the booklet that this recording is from their sixth show together as a band there are surprisingly few errors. The vocal performances are pretty good too. But what I enjoy the most is that Mike Portnoy restrains himself and plays some really enjoyable drum parts. His performances on most Dream Theater live albums are always way too complex and most of the time destroys the mood in Dream Theater´s songs IMO ( this only counts for their live albums of course.

The production is good but not excellent IMO. I don´t believe they corrected many errors afterwards and that´s always a positive sign on a live recording.

Live in America is a good live album, but it never reaches excellent in my book. The performance is good and the song selection is great, but the overall impresssion is still that this album isn´t very essential. 3 stars is deserved for a good but generally average live album.

by UMUR


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Friday night, before their official show at the Aragon, tourmates Beck and MGMT teamed up for an early evening set of covers/originals. (We know this because Nick B. tipped us.) The evening was organized by the Chicago radio station WXRT and took place at Martyrs. It has a start time of around 5PM, and went to about 6:15PM. Take it away, Nick:

All members of both bands, I think about 11 in total played. Everything was stripped down, all acoustic guitars, stand-up basses, banjo's, melodicas, obviously a few keyboards for different songs and kazoos. I have attached a copy of the set list but it should be noted the final song, which beck referred to as "the big payoff", was "All the young dudes" into "across the universe" into a little of "dear prudence" into "the wind" and then finally into "time to pretend" acoustic with banjo's and a melodica doing the keyboard riff. I believe the theme of the night was wind due to the windy city. The cover of blowin in the wind was also played very slow, and almost Johnny cash/tom waits/delta funeral march style, very amazing. After the final song, they didn't know what else to play so there was a little bit of free form which included another one bites the dust and others. Finally Beck and MGMT said they had to go because they had to play the actual show at the Aragon at 7:30.

We have the set list as well as video of the opener:

DIK DIK section: All the songs are in an other sampler by SAAR. In truth extreme interesting, these songs are aged extremely good. If you love Soft Prog probably these 6 songs are for you. 'Senza Luce' is the Italian version of 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' but I think that 'Il Vento' be more Prog. For the rest great keyboards carpet but this live version of 'Sognando La California' only with acoustic guitars are good also for a Folk Prog lover.

I GiGanti: This section is totally Beat. But... with great voices. If is not good, because aged extremely bad, 'Lasciati Baciare Con Il Letkiss', 'Tema', 'Proposta' and 'La Bomba Atomica' are good for voices. also 'Una Ragazza In Due' and 'Da Bambino' are good. In general, for lyrics themes, 'Tema', 'Proposta' and 'La Bomba Atomica' are the songs more closer to Terra In Bocca'.

In conclusion this 'Dik Dik- I GiGanti: Due gruppi Un'Epoca' is only another Dik Dik- I GiGanti sampler.

by Mandrakeroot


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Spacious keyboard / guitar texturizing, vocal harmonizations and frequent changes in musical dynamics create walls of sound that recapture the glory days of conceptual art-rock of the early seventies on New York City's Shadow Circus' debut album, Welcome To The Freakroom where a ringmaster ( aka Dave Bobick ) with megaphone in hand ushers the audience into a surreal dreamlike grey area called the Freakroom where they are separated from reality and introduced to a microcosm of their inner sanctums from decadent obsessions and dependences on technology to everyday strifes of a crumbling modern world but offering hope and solace in the end for those who take heed to the ringmaster's forewarnings.

A contemptuously benign overall setting (at times quirky for maximum metaphorical circus effect ) is provided by John Fontana's David Gilmour/Alex Lifeson inspired guitar work along with multiple layerings and grooves by the masterful Zack Tenorio on keyboards ( it's hard to believe that he was only 17 when this disc was recorded in June 07 ! ). Through all the pyrotechnics and flowing electricity the flamboyance of frontman Dave Bobick who was trained in musical theatre emerges. Backed by a solid rhythm section of multi-instumentalist Jason Croft on bass ( who also doubles on cello and 12 string acoustic guitar ) and Corey Folta on drums a solid foundation anchors a bright, thriving aura which is maintained throughout this bizarre musical experience.

Despite the radiance in the music, and there's no doubt these guys are having a blast, there's an ominous message here for us as humans, that it is imperative that we put on the brakes or we will be turned into vegetables by our complacencies in this modern, ferocious world where technological advance seems to be more important than our psychological well being which is literally eating us alive. While this seems to be reading too much into the disc the strongest suggestion of this in the work occurs on the deliberately catchy prog-pop Radio People which rocks it out with devious cynicism with references to how we are programmed by a technological world whose impetus we can't keep up with. A ballad, in The Wake Of A Dancing Flame, urges the audience in to conquer their pasts and that there is indeed some salvation out there. Another upbeat piece, which is distantly reminicient of Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell Days, structured around another catchy main riff played by the piano, Storm Rider, deals with these pasts and features Fontana's guitar as well. It's also preceded by another similarily themed track entitled Inconvenient Compromise with plenty of changes and keyboards galore that really rock it out at times. The 3 part epic blowout track Journey Of Everyman with swirling keyboards and frantic guitars is full of suprises without getting too melodramatic. It is by far the most ambitious,symphonic and moody piece on the album and is placed approprietely at the conclusion of the disc, it returns briefly to the theme in the opening track and attempts to resolve and make sense of all the madnessby imploring the audience not to fear and to put on a brave face upon exiting the temporary sanctuary of the freak room.

Musically impressive, Shadow Circus doesn't approach the intimidating instrumental virtuosity of Gentle Giant, the lyrical confusion of Genesis or the compositional complexities of Yes, but nevertheles re- assures us that the spirit of old school art-rock is once again upon us and very alive. There is a certain light hearted magic here that is not present in other contemporary neo-progressive bands' music that just seem to miss the point in some essential way proving that progressive music need not be serious all of the time. Welcome To The Freakroom has to be one of the most gratfying recent neo-progressive rock albums that breathes newfangled life into the present without forgetting the traditional past.

by Vibrationbaby


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Still Life is a major turning point in Opeth's career and that is because it symbolizes that Opeth finally became completely a extreme progressive metal band. I say completely because so far, in their previous albums, Opeth had progressive influences but was still a goth / death / black metal act, though with prog influences. But here their music finally evolves into something more complex and with more depth and that becomes evident when you compare the orchestration, harmonization and melodic lines of this album with their previous albums: the guitars outgrow that simple riff structure and both the drums and the bass become independent instruments instead of simply supporting the guitars (or should i say the guitar, since the another guitar is the rhythmic guitar).

Still Life is a very important album for me because it was the third Opeth album i ever listened (right after Deliverance and Blackwater Park) and, along with Blackwater Park, it was responsible for my love towards Opeth's music. To be frank, at first i did not liked it very much but the album slowly grew into me and now i absolutely love it.

Also, this album also outgrows the other Opeth albums in content. The lyrics finally don't talk about (directly) goth / black metal themes, but a love story that eventually ends in tragedy, much like a Shakespearian tale (Romeo and Juliet comes to my mind, but whatever). Also, this is a concept album, something that, in my opinion, acts favorably for the album, since this concept is a good one.

The Concept

This concept is not very complicated and does not have many details like other album concepts, what makes it easier to understands it, though all concepts are not very easy to fully understand. At the first song, the main character tells that e was banished from his homeland and, after being 15 years banished, he returns to it for his love, Melinda.

In Godhead's Lament he thinks about the consequences of his return and finds out that Melinda had become a nun, but he still tries to get her back.

In the third song, called Benighted, he tries to convince Melinda to leave her religious duties and because he loves her.

At the next song, Moonlapse Vertigo, the main character remembers again that the townsfolk would probably kill him if they knew he was back. the Council of the Cross, who openly show scorn for the disgraced and the poor, is mentioned and the main character shows that he hates the Council immensely. He also tries to convince Melinda to flee the country with him.

The song Face of Melinda describes Melinda and a black haired and quiet woman. She tells him that she would still honor her vows and will still remain a nun, but as he tries to convince her to flee, telling her that he still loves her, she says that she still loves him.

In Serenity Painted Death, the main character wakes up to find out that Melinda is not by his side anymore (probably they got laid, but who knows) and that she was killed for being unfaithful to the church, which she married. Enraged, the main character kills the ones who killed Melinda and everyone he could before collapsing from exhaustion. Right before blacking out he sees that the Council is there to capture him.

The last song, entitled White Crusher, begins with the character still half conscient (probably he is still awaking), but he soon realizes that he is going to be hanged. He refuses the Council's redemption and, when the townspeople gather to see the execution they all wear white because they believe his soul is lost. He also curses the townsfolk and the Council. When he is finally hanged, he he feels a hand on his shoulder and when he looks behind him he sees Melinda standing right behind him, ready for him to join her in death.

About the songs, musicianship and other features, there are somethings i would like to state:

Though changed, Opeth still bears the extreme metal characteristics in their music, such as distorted guitars, songs are in minor scales, the music is aggressive (though beautiful) and has guttural vocals. I must say at this point that i really love Åkerfeldt's vocals, both guttural and normal. His guttural vocals are deep, down pitched, powerful and very well worked. He is one of the few guttural vocalists i really enjoy.

As i said before, here the bass and the drum work are really good and independent from the guitars: though the guitar work still have some influence over them they are (or they seem to be) independent. The guitar work is also great, specially the solo guitar, whose solos are filled with feeling and fit very well in every song.

Grade and Final Thoughts

What a great album. Great music, great lyrics, great concept. . . It's just an incredibly good final result what Opeth presents to us here and because of that this album deserves the masterpiece grade. 5 stars for sure.

by CCVP


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Here is Kelli’s description:

My new Rocking Horse album is finally finished and will be released on November 24th 2008.

I wrote the album whilst traveling across California and Mexico after leaving London in 2004.

The songs were inspired by our journey, sacred canyons in Mexico, the vast wilderness of California, time spent in San Francisco and L.A. listening to new music and were written over our time spent on the open road, hitching rides with Mexican truck drivers, sleeping under the stars and watching the flames of the campfires shape stories and dreams to be made into songs.

The only instrument I had taken on our journey was a small acoustic guitar, which I named El Nino. It came everywhere with me, and I wrote all of the songs on the album on this guitar. I was also most excited to explore a new sound and found that I was naturally writing songs which required a different vocal approach.

On returning to England, I asked Max Richter to produce the album and we began working together in Scotland In Spring 2008. The album was completed at the end of summer.

My Rocking Horse album is very different from my earlier records and is a collection of songs which resemble dark modern nursery rhymes at times. Odes to the magic of nature and dreams and reflections on my journey are at the heart of these songs.

Acoustic guitars, flute and cor anglais, violins, cello, organ and piano are just some of the instruments we used to interpret the dreamy, folk and modern classically inspired songs.

I believe that we have created a tapestry of enchanting music and haunting melody in the Rocking Horse album, and I am very excited to share this new record with you.

I will be publishing a journal which I kept whilst making the Rocking Horse album on my www.kelliali.com website over the coming weeks.

I am now rehearsing with my band and we will be playing songs from the Rocking Horse album all over London and the UK this winter. The band consists of Jane South on flute and Peter Shoulder on acoustic guitar and for headline gigs, we will be joined by Alex Beamont ..o and Stef Pilcher on Violin.

I’m so very excited to be playing with such talented musicians, it feels amazing to be playing live again after three years of being adrift and wandering.

MP3: Kelli Ali - One Day At A Time

Reviews

Experimusic.com: At its best, ‘Rocking Horse’ plows the noir-ish and poignant depths of candle-lit leftfield folk.

Wound magazine: “Stunning - it is immense. A sprawling lament to lost innocence”

Kelli Ali ”Rocking Horse’ Tourdates:
Wed Oct 8 - Hoxton Bar and Grill - London (w/Hjaltalin and The Loose Salute)
Wed Oct 15 - The Slaughtered Lamb - London (headlining w/Chris Bathgate and Bethia Beadman)
Mon Nov 3 - Madame Jo Jo’s - London (supporting Jessie J)
Tue Nov 4 - The Bedford in Balham - London (free gig)
Fri Nov 28 - The Hare and Hound - Birmingham (supporting Greg Weeks from Espers)

- Mark

Minimalist blues approach – sometimes just guitar and harp, fattening to drums and bass on some. COldfire grew up in the 80s listening to his dad play 50’s music on the piano…took immediately to stringed instruments and went professional at 13 after falling hard for his local (Texan) guitar heroes. Wild for SRV, etc., he left for New York at age 21. There he began to feel there was not that much difference between country and blues, and kept open ears to widen his approach to songwriting. Sounds like it did him some good. Really refreshing sound – a feeling for old-style blues with new approach to songs. Young-sounding voice/killer guitar chops. Really do like themore traditional-sounding/acoustic songs best though.

Ellison, Scott – “Ice Storm” (Earwig) B+

A Tulsa native heavily influenced by Motown and Memphis, which led to a great appreciation of BB King and the blues, Ellison has a Luther Allison guitar screamin’ approach to blues, but can peel back the fuzz and make the guitar cry and sing when he wants to. His voice is a little gravelly and his band solid in the blues pocket leaning hard toward rock, with occasional horn backups. All originals and Scott and Dennis Walker (of Robert Cray’s band). Rock blues – pretty nice.

Hyatt, Walter – “Some Unfinished Business” (King Tears Music) B-

A collection of songs from a young singer songwriter who tragically died in a plane crash in ’96. Friends and family release this disc of his self-penned tunes, backed by fine musicians like Jerry Douglas, the Jordannaires, Riders in the sky and Carrie Rodriguez, etc. Middle range voice over fairly uninteresting tunes—strange chord progressions make tunes sometimes seem stilted, like a songwriter who’s thinking about it too hard. Does make it happen like Elvis on #7 with the Jordanaires on backup, and #11 has some nice blues feel woven throughout. Not really my cuppa.

James, Chris & Patrick Rynn – “Stop & Think About It” (Earwig) A-

Guitarist and bassist from the “Blue Four” band, the duo steps out on their own to memorialize many revered blues musicians (Dave Myers, Willie Kent, Robert Lockwood Jr, Homesick James, Snooky Pryor, Henry Townsend, and Jay McShannon) – all who recently passed, leave gaping holes behind. In this tribute to them, Earwig tossed in a bundle of other great players to back ‘em (David Maxwell, Eddie Kobek, Sam Lay, Bob Corritore, etc.) with the result a nice combination of Chicago feel blues.

Johns, Karen & Company - “Star and Season” (Vital Force) 2008 B

Jazz singing from a multi-talented performer. Originally from Alaska she has moved through Seattle (picking up a husband and a bundle of opera, music and journalism/theology degrees. The couple worked on a Bering Sea fishing boat to earn money to buy a recording studio, which they eventually located in Nashville, TN. There she’s put out this album of jazz vocals over a fluid supporting band. Strong belter voice with facility of movement and smooth delivery and scat singing thrown in when the spirit moves. It’s hard to do such road traveled traditional songs in a new way, but her voice ain’t hard to take. Smooth cocktail jazz stuff.

Johnson, Alvon- “Guitars & Cars” (Pig Heaven Rec.,) 2008 C

Veteran guitarist on West Coast for 30 years doing side-man work for (Babatunde Olatunji, Drifters, John Lee Hooker, Lowell Fulson). Now out there with his own group on his friend (harmonica player and label owner Albert Parks) doing his own record – pretty much road house rock and blues designed to support his electric guitar leads. Nothing special I’m afraid.

Kolvane – “Kill These Blues” (Indie) D

No need…you’ve already done it. Not recommended .

Left Lane Cruiser – “Bring Yo’ Ass to the Table” (Alive Records) C

Street musicians composed of a guy who bangs on whatever he can reach, calls himself “Sausage Paw” and hollars “trash” throughout other guy’s “singing.” Second guy yells lyrics bristling with “ass” and screams while he plays loud electric slide that sounds like his slide bar is wrapped in barbed wire and his head too. Couple bottles of whiskey and a couple of painkillers and I’m there…. Not recommended.

Nouveaux Honkies – “Where Do I Go?” (Bluzpik Rec. ) A-

Described as country-soul, roots and Austin Rock (though they are from the South Eastern part of the US), this band puts together a really different sound – quirky songwriting that takes you from fast two-steps, to Cajun, to fiddle and blues. Really original sound. This group didn’t even bother lookin’ for a label, but after it’s first Indie release, got picked up right away for it’s great roots sound. Check er out.

Parks, Little Albert & the Blue Stars- “Two Thumbs & A Finger”

(Pig Heaven Rec.,) 2008 C

A record label owner putting out his own disc with friends from Southern California. Vocals kinda talky and tired. Instrumentation okay, sometimes nice grooves, but nothing to write home about. Not recommended.

Wheeler, Charlie Band – “Highway Run” (All Sound Group) C

Not a bad voice over basher rock. Not bad backup vocals either. Music is de-da-lee, de-da-lee, de-da-lee up there in lightning delivery with the best of the power rock boys. Eddie Van Halen, you’ve got a boatload to answer for mister. You too Zep. “Katrina…you should have seen’er”…eek. Southern rockers unite. This Yankee cannot recommend.

Zito, Mike – “Today” (Electro-Groove) 2008 B-

A St. Louis kid who made it to the West Coast with his head full of musical dreams…he got a chance on Delta Groove’s branch Electro-Groove. Medium love and pop-rock tunes, nice guitar work and sturdy backup band.
Tunes, singing AND songwriting have a sameness that doesn’t appeal much, even with good guitar work.
Not really recommended.

POLYTOXICOMANE PHILHARMONIE appears in 2007 with a new exciting output. 'Drosophila' is a genus of flies and this one can be called a concept album de facto handling the adventurous story of fly Ned Busckii who wakes up one morning with the feeling that a change is definetely needed in his life. The story is given in english, provided by talented german artist Natali Haug (Ahula Tinga) and can be checked out included in the ellaborated CD package as well as on the homepage.

They are following the crazy concept once initiated with the masterpiece debut 'Psycho Erectus' in 2003. Of course some references to other acts are coming into my mind listening to the album but the band members are able to conglomerate an amazing mix of styles and influences once more, unique and really hard to describe.

Of course the recordings are starting with Busckii's lift-off but then the band hurries up to follow him with the complex Opinion provided with Zappa leanings, some samples and tempo breaks. Mini-Rock is my personal highlight - here the band creates a tremendous groove only interrupted by some weird interludes. Additionally we have wonderful female vocals remembering me of King Cobb Steelie, jazzy brass contributions and spaced-out guitars - wow - I like that! Listening to Late Train To Casket County you would consider them to be under the influence of some mind-blowing substances during the recordings furthermore. The song has a longer opening section with didgeridoo and native indian singing later followed by whispering male/female vocals with a jamming band as the background and last but not least a weird finale with spacey guitars and samples.

The long track Sotto Voce has a nice relaxed floating start supported by a cool 'sexy' saxophone. But - who is familiar with the band knows - the only constant is variation. After some time the bands plungs deep in psychedelic twin guitar jamming 'til the ultimate downfall comes with weird ambient soundscapes/samples in the second half of the song. The Mirrorman finally is an amalgamation of heavier guitar riff spiked rock n' roll and fluffy easy going elements and therefore has a special avantgarde touch.

'Drosophila Road' is a recommended album, also appealing to Zappa fans as well as krautrock lovers, more angular than the forerunner as for my impression. I prevent to mention a special member because they are acting flawless. POLYTOXICOMANE PHILHARMONIE is worth it to be checked out - you should play this loud!

by Rivertree


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