All Media Reviews Podcast #4: Albums of the Year Part 3

10. Steven Wilson - To the Bone 9. Anakdota - Overloading 8. Godspeed You Black Emperor - Luciferian Towers 7. Anathema - The Optimist 6. Pain of Salvation - In the Passing Light of Day 5. 22 - You Are Creating: Limb 1 4. Bent Knee - Land Animal 3. Everything Everything - A Fever Dream 2. Small Leaks Sink Ships - Golden Calf 1. Mutemath - Play Dead


came out okay. I forgot to suggest in the comments to include your aoty, but I changed the subject on Youtube at least.

I guess as I stressed at the end, I am excited to make the 2017-2018 preview/anticipation podcast soon. With this done now, probably in the next few days, although as I've mentioned in past videos and in here, I probably should just do it by QUARTER so call it 1st-Quarter and Beyond or something.

2016-2017 Midseason Albums Videos

So I crammed in all the titles for the most part, from the lists on the entry I posted like a week ago.

I didn't include the Offa Rex thing and only included a bit about the Steven Wilson album at the end of the 2nd video.

But, anyway, somewhat par for my course, We'll see how, when the end of the year stuff happens given these will be the last videos for this current years music as lists, that I can make at my apartment.

2016-2017 Midseason Albums List

So 2016-2017, while a year that has had a fair number of albums come out, and many more of course anticipated, I guess at this point, being midseason, has only seemed like a luke warm year thus far.

I mean there have been some good albums certainly, if you look at the rankings below. Anakdota, Pain of Salvation and 22 all are albums I have listened to and plan to keep listening to as the rest of the year goes on and further.

Mew as well as those The Reign of Kindo songs, which I'm including just purely on numbers and quality. I suspect the band will put them into some actual, proper release of some kind, and it may ultimately get released after Halloween 2017, per within this years best releases, it won't likely remain. But for now, it seems like it should be included, just purely on how much I've been listening to all 5 of those songs.

As far as the list below it, it's as I point out, a list of records I either have not gotten to checking out, or meant to, but have shyed away per reviews, priorities and expectations. But I would likely have included the albums from Esperanza Spalding and Bent Knee last year into that as well, so I'm not ruling out and/or may still end up spending some time and be surprised.

Then there's the scheduled releases, which to be frank, stuff like Bubblemath and now even Anathema I have heard and do enjoy quite a bit; per they would likely find their way into this rankings mix if they already were released, and quite likely will place pretty high come early November.

And of course the ones I've bolded are currently the biggest hopes for that I'm certain will be released. The Ours album obviously is a big deal to me given my love and appreciation for them.

And of course the anticipation list which has some very likely titles, and then a lot of thinking/hoping will come, but no guarantee even in 2017, let alone by Halloween.

All in all though a decent, but not incredible 1st half of the year, but like pretty much every year, there's both a lot of potential albums that will raise that bar for the entire year. And of course many records I have not spent time with, or enough time, or heard yet as well. It could be from a band I've never even heard of yet of course.

Also to note, like it has been in many recent years, my full attention and ability/interest to listen to a lot of new albums at work has not been what it was at 1 time. It does go through phases, and this current year has been very busy with life things like health, moving, taxes, plus of course listening to older music or of course podcasts, talk radio and youtube audio rips. I guess things may settle down both outside of and at work come July/August/September, devoting a little more time to the new releases may happen for me and some of even the albums on my list below may be seen differently and higher/better, etc.

edit: Also time permitting, I'll try and make a video or 2 about this of course.


1. Anakdota - Overloading


2. Pain of Salvation - In the Passing Light of Day


3. 22 - You Are Creating: Limb 1


4. Mew - Visuals


5. The Reign of Kindo: Patreon Songs

City of Gods 6:13
Human Convention 3:34
One in a Million 4:09
Smell of a Rose 3:50
About Love 4:49


6. Persefone - Aathma


7. Big Wreck - Grace Street


8. Ulver - The Assassination of Julius Caesar


9. The Family Crest, - Prelude to War [EP]


10. Tuxedo - Tuxedo II


11. Blackfield - V


12. Moonloop - Devocean


13. Rachel Flowers - Listen


14. The Barnum Meserve - When All is Lost

 
15. Waaktaar and Zoe - World of Trouble


16. Umphrey's McGee - Zonkey


17. Black Map - In Droves


18. Radical Face - SunMoonnEclippse [EP]


19. Thundercat - Drunk


20. Klimt 1918 - Sentimentale Jugend

Singles:
1. Fjokra - Sick Kids
2. 1000Faces - Sleeping for Dreamers (ft. Jimmy Gnecco)
3. Bend Sinister - Get Along
4. Kimbra and Young Dreams - Oban (Rework/Remix)
5. Hotel of the Laughing Tree - Electric City Rivalry
6. For the Imperium - We Cannot Face It


Listened to Once and was not all that into/Haven't Listened to Yet but mean to/Am shying away from per reviews and general interest in the band's recent music/But may get around to before the end of the year

Cloud Caverns - Collective Memory
Cynic - Uroboric Forms: The Complete Demo Recordings
KXM - Scatterbrain
Mastodon - Empire of Sand
Meridian Incident - Istology
Metallica - Hardwired...to Self-Destruct
Minus the Bear - VOIDS
Mute Gods, The - …tardigrades will inherit the earth
New Pornographgers, The - Whiteout Conditions
Nova Collective - The Further Side
Peter Silberman - Impermanence
Temples - Volcano

Scheduled Releases:

May
5: At the Drive-In - in·ter a·li·a
19: Bullet Height - No Atonement
19: Do Make Say Think - Stubborn Persistent Illusions
19: The Night Flight Orchestra - Amber Galactic
19: Scale The Summit - In A World Of Fear
19: Roger Waters - Is This the Life We Really Want?
26: Bubblemath - Edit Peptide
26: Solstafir - Berdreyminn


June
2: SikTh - The Future in Whose Eyes?
9: Anathema - The Optimist
9: Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly and James McAlister - Planetarium
23: Bent Knee - Land Animal
27: Ours - Spectacular Sight



Confirmed Titles:
Antemasque - Saddle on the Atom Bomb
Broken Social Scene - Halfway Home
Chic - It's About Time
Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pacifisticuffs
Joey Eppard - Word to the Wise
Dave Kerzner - Static
Fish - Weltschmerz
Sculptured - The Liminal Phase
Textures - Genotype
U2 - Songs of Experience

Confirmed/Likely to be Released (but no Title or Release Date Yet)
Barren Earth
Bend Sinister (2 albums coming, 1 may be an EP, the other full-length)
Flying Colors
For the Imperium
Galactic Cowboys (Fall)
In Vain
Live
Major Parkinson: (I just backed their already successful Kickstarter)
George Michael
Native Construct
Pillorian (John Haughm, ex-Agalloch)
Reign of Kindo, The
Small Leaks Sink Ships
Soundscape
Spock's Beard
Subterranean Masquerade
Tiny Giant
Typhoon

------------------------------

*speculation/hope*


Bruce Peninsula
Capital Cities
Chromeo
Disillusion
dredg
East of the Wall
Extreme
The Faceless
Fjokra
Godspeed You Black Emperor
Hotel of the Laughing Tree
Jazzkamikaze
Journal
Karnivool
Kimbra
Spencer Ludwig
Mutemath
Ne Obliviscaris
Neverending White Lights
Pepe Deluxe
Ramona Falls
Red Paintings, The
Sigur Rós
System of a Down
Tears for Fears
Steven Wilson

2016-2017 New Releases Calendar (W/ Frequent Updates in 2017)

2/19/17

March 24
Moonloop - Devocean

2/3/17 12:00PM

March 3
Minus the Bear - VOIDS

March 24
22 - You Are Creating-Limb 1


1/25/17 9:10PM





April 28
Mew - Visuals

March 31 
Mastodon - Emperor of Sand

June 27
Ours - Spectacular Sight

12/30/16 12:30PM-1/1/17

Added

Confirmed Title:
Barnum Meserve, The - When All is Lost FB link
February
24: Waaktaar & Zoe - World of Trouble



12/17/16 6:03PM

Okay, so this Year, I've decided to do things a little differently.

This entry is going to include CONFIRMED Titles and preferably Release Dates (and artwork, etc).

This will be updated/bumped regularly. I would date it October 31, 2017, except I don't like having a stickied entry hurting other new entries attention.

As far as the stuff to anticipate/speculate, etc. I will link soon another new entry there, That entry is almost ready to be published as well. And like this entry, it will obviously also be bumped/updated regularly.

It's a bit of back and forth, I know, but at least this more officially confirmed scheduled entry won't seem so cluttered at the bottom with dozens of names and often never edited/confirmed. It will mean I'll have to try to be more dedicated about doing this stuff, but at worst, I'll try and update it once every week or 2 at the least.

But, okay as far as the stuff on the Calendar right now, Anakdota and Klimt 1918 are the biggest release already out.

Then Pain of Salvation, Big Wreck, 22, Blackfield and Persefone are among my biggest anticipations.

It's already a pretty good list, but of course there's a lot more coming soon. I guess just from an early speculation, Anakdota, Pain of Salvation, 22 and Blackfield are all bluechips of a kind.

Unfortunately, I can't say that much about the Klimt 1918 album, but I need to give it more time.

And just among the confirmed titles below, Ours new album III is of course a huge release for myself and all Ours fans out there. The Sculptured album and Textures also are pretty high, especially Sculptured given like Klimt 1918 and 22, its been so many years since their last album (2008).

Blurbs? dunno, unlikely. But I will be making a Video or 2 about the new year, that in now thinking about it, 1 Video might be the list below, and the other is a likely/speculation/hope video.

November


4: Anakdota - Overloading


11: Umphrey's McGee - Zonkey


18: Metallica - Hardwired...to Self-Destruct


25: Rachel Flowers - Listen

December


2: Klimt 1918 - Sentimentale Jugend



4: Cloud Caverns - Collective Memory

January

13: Pain of Salvation - In the Passing Light of Day

February


3: Big Wreck - Grace Street


10: Blackfield - V


24: The Mute Gods - …tardigrades will inherit the earth


24: Persefone - Aathma


24: Peter Silberman - Impermanence

24: Waaktaar and Zoe - World of Trouble

March


3: Minus the Bear - VOIDS


10: Nova Collective - The Further Side




24: 22 - You Are Creating-Limb 1
Bandcamp Preorder 


24: Steve Hackett - The Night Siren


Moonloop - Devocean


31: Mastodon - Emperor of Sand

April


7: Deep Purple - Infinite


28: Mew - Visuals


June


27: Ours - Spectacular Sight

Confirmed Titles:
Barnum Meserve, The - When All is Lost
Joey Eppard - Word to the Wise FB 3's FB  3's Tw
Dave Kerzner - Static FB Tw

Moonloop - Devocean FB Tw (Spring)
Ours - III  FB Tw (Spring)
Radical Face - SunnMoonnElippse [EP] FB Tw
Sculptured - The Liminal Phase (Early) FB
Textures - Genotype FB Tw
U2 - Songs of Experience FB Tw

Videos: Music Collection Video + Non-Music Videos?

Vennart - Target 15 (DVD)
The Dear Hunter - Act I: The Lake South, the River North (Graphic Novel)
Rachel Flowers - Listen (CD)
Klimt 1918 - Sentimental Jugend (Double CD Book)
King's X - King's X (Vinyl)
King's X - Ear Candy (Vinyl)
Mutemath - Vitals (Vinyl)
The Police - Synchronicity (Purple Vinyl)
Cloud Cult - The Seeker (Black Vinyl)
Anakdota - Overloading (CD)

Anakdota - Overloading (2016-2017)

Well this is a pleasant surprise, to a point.. I of course only have listened "Girl Next Door" "Late" and "Different Views" which from a percentage basis, kind of sucks to only have 5 news songs, but I can't complain tho given they have so much potential and I really love all 3 of those tunes.

Great to see them put out their debut album finally!

Anakdota, the Israeli jazzy tinged college-prog band.

This album just was released, so of course being after Halloween, goes on 2016-2017's list, which is both good and bad. Good because it may be the leader in the clubhouse early on. Bad in that it won't measure up to the 2015-2016 list, etc.

But given I haven't spent much time with it yet, it's probably for the best.

Album of course is free to stream on the bandcamp link here:



1. One More Day 07:03
2. Different Views 05:42
3. Late 04:20
4. Mourning 05:28
5. Overloading 07:08
6. Staying Up Late 08:24
7. Girl Next Door 05:01
8. End of the Show 05:58

2015-2016 Anticipated Albums ********Part 2********

Okay, so here's the 2nd part, of 3 about anticipated albums for 2015-2016. Most of these seem pretty likely to come out, although no guarantees of course, both on the time frame and if the manage to be released by next Halloween.

But if most of these do, I'm certainly looking at some pretty big blue-chip releases. Of course with most years though, many albums are highly anticipated, and don't fully end up being as addictive as I hoped, while a bunch of other artists I have never heard of, or are new, or I didn't have a clue would be releasing a new album, totally come out of that nowhere place to win me over (see Small Leaks Sink Ships from 2014-2015 for example).

Probably/Likely

22 - You Are Creating

22'sTwitter 

It's been anticipated for a number of years, and likely would have been released in 2014 or early 2015 had their singer not left. I recall the Summer of 2014 they posted some updates more or less ready to drop the record. But when they made the announcement of their singer leaving, they included that the album would be re-recorded (or even re-written).

Their social media presence has been sparse over the last year, but that doesn't mean they aren't moving to finally putting this long anticipated 2nd record.

We'll see, but I certainly am hoping it does come as I really love more or less all of their music. And their debut record Flux is catchy and addictive as hell.

Anakdota

Israeli duo making piano-driven progressive rock, a bit in the vein of The Reign of Kindo. The singles they released the last couple of years are awesome, and they confirmed they are working on their 1st full length album last Summer. So don't be surprised to see the Anakdota debut album to drop in 2016.

The Barnum Meserve

UK-based chamber rock band put out their Self-Titled debut album in 2015, which I enjoyed and found new fans. But when they announced the info about it, they also talked about how they had written their 2nd album and were working on their 3rd. And that info came out many months before the debut record did.

So logically, the already written (and possibly recorded?) 2nd record could also come out in 2016, to mark a 2nd LP in as many years.

Blackfield

The 5th Blackfield album, which it has been a few years since the release of their last record. And the most recent update confirmed it was coming, and it would involve Steven Wilson again, maybe more than their last couple of albums. And guests, which include Alan Parsons.

I guess my feeling about Blackfield right now is, their last 2 records I don't even remember much about. But 2012 was their last album, so it's been 4 years, and I could go for getting back into them. But if this record doesn't do much for me, it's not a big deal. At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if this album was pretty good. Perhaps that could have to do with Steven Wilson being more involved again.

British Theatre

British Theatre's Twitter ("Numan" a working song or album title)

Mike Vennart "Something excellent this way comes, January 26th. X" 

With the success of Vennart's record The Demon Joke in 2015, the 1st full-length from British Theatre seems to have more intrigue. And Mike mentioned more than once in interviews in 2015 that British Theatre has a full-length album in the works.

And so he kind of hinted at something there. And I can also include that per The Demon Joke Pledgemusic page, a new Pledgemusic campaign will be launched for British Theatre's debut album soon (likely on the 26th?).

So I suppose the only thing that may prevent this from coming in 2016 would be timing. But it seems like it'll come out relatively soon. And I'm definitely enticed by that, per loving Vennart's work and enjoying the 2 EP's they made previously a lot.

Edit: per another update/email, January 26th (next Tuesday), the campaign is coming.

Bullet Height

Jon Courtney, formerly of Pure Reason Revolution, new band. With a female vocalist, along with his own vocals as well. The 1st single "Bastion," they released recently sounded a bit like some of PRR's last record industrial/electronic rock style. Which I certainly am curious about.

The female vocalist is Sammi Doll, who per Wiki, had done some work with alternative/dark wave/industrial band IAMX, which kind of fits with the initial impression from Bullet Height.

Also interesting how they plan to release a debut record on Superball Music, which PRR had been with along others like Oceansize and now Vennart (and British Theatre perhaps?).


 
Diablo Swing Orchestra

DiabloSwing on Twitter

They posted frequent updates in 2015 from the studio recording. Many over the Summer I recall, or possibly in the Fall. Per their next album seems to be nearing release.

Another band who we haven't heard from in a few years, the last being 2012's Pandora's Pinata, an album I remember being lengthly, but still enjoying a fair amount of it's style of jazzy/dance/quirky prog metal of a sort.

Dream the Electric Sleep

I was pretty won over by this Kentucky-based progressive rock band late in 2014 with their record Heretics. Their singer, almost reminded me of Jimmy Gnecco or maybe closer, Judah Nagler from The Velvet Teen.

And last June? I want to say, they posted about working with Nick Raskulinecz, whose maybe best known for working with Rush on some of their recent records.

So their's multiple reasons to look forward to their next album, which if that was last June, this album could very easily drop in 2016 sometime.



The Faceless

TheFaceless-Twitter

This may be a comeback album for me, as my interest in The Faceless dropped a bit from their last couple of records, after loving their debut record Akeldama.

But I say that per the 1st single, "The Spiraling Void" totally working for me. I think it may be in part from the return of their original singer Derek Rydquist

Also per Wiki, I just noticed a possible title to this upcoming record is "In Becoming a Ghost."

The Family Crest

I was totally won over by the band in 2014, after seeing them open for Mother Falcon at 7th Street Entry, and then picking up their new album Beneath the Brine. And that album ended up being in my top 5 records for 2014.

But after seeing them live a few times since and conversing with some of the members after those shows, they began and have been working on their next work since.

Beneath the Brine, while it gave credits from all the members living in their native San Francisco, also included an incredibly long and detailed list of other musicians from other parts of the States (at least). In other words, they are more or less an rock/pop/folk orchestra of sorts.

But just from the conversations I had, the record they are working on to follow-up BtB is supposed to blow BtB out of the water. Or rather, it's not necessarily going to be a record, but record(s) potentially.

The band I'm sure will come forward in due time about it, but the ambition level seems potentially through the roof, for this next work(s) they put out. It may make Beneath the Brine seem like just a stepping stone.

And how they are making their next records, at least partially, is per their tours and traveling to various towns and working with/recording with different musicians when time allows.

But I almost get the sense this album stylistically may go in many other places, along with just the approach to the subject matter and songs themselves. How they are recorded among other things. A bit like The Dear Hunter's The Color Spectrum perhaps in some ways.

Fates Warning

Midway into this interview Joey Vera mentions Mid-Summer is a projection.

It's well documented how big a fan of Fates Warning I am. And while not every record they've made, I've loved, there is too much history and I suppose admitted fanboy-ism, for me to not be excited for a new album from Fates.

And even with their last record, Darkness in a Different Light, really not including a ton of material I've grown attached to. I do wonder though, as I mentioned in a recent Random Artist Feature about them, how given Jim Matheos (and John Arch) may have wrote the music for the Arch/Matheos Sympathetic Resonance, not too long before Darkness was written; per some of the best ideas Jim Matheos had recently for songs, may not have ended up on Darkness.

But, given it seems Jim's largest focus the last few years has been on Fates, and the band I suppose playing more together, including with Frank Aresti, may make more of a difference in this next record.

And like I wrote there, linked, bassist Joey Vera mentions they are looking to have it out in the Summer.

Fjokra

Fjokra-Twitter 

I have become a mega fan of Fjokra in less than 2 years really.And it could possibly be premature given how limited amount of material to draw from.

But, I was addicted to the Thoughtsteps EP in 2014, and even the Mellowsound Sessions and some of the covers that they have done.

And throughtout much of 2015, Fjokra posted a number of images of recording/collaborating. In NYC I recall, possibly among other places (I forget).

So, I'm hopeful something new will be released from them in 2016. And as a fanboy, I cannot be more excited for it. I would say at this point, there's not another artist who could put out a new album, I'd be more excited for sans for Kevin Gilbert or if Apes and Androids came back.

Rare Futures

I came across this name from memory, in a Reddit AMA Casey Crescenzo did like 9 months ago. I think 1 of the members (the singer?) filled in on a tour with Casey solo or TDH, I forget.

Anyway, I also came to learn of a connection or 2 with this band and the now broken up college-prog band Facing New York, who were a band I liked in the mid 2000's, but never got highly into. But fans of bands like dredg and Kaddisfly I specifically remember loving Facing New York. And then I think they broke up. But I hadn't heard about this band some years later.

And I picked up their 2010 debut disc Dreams of Water in 2015 and enjoyed a good chunk of it. Textured college prog. A bit like dredg or Woven maybe.

And I recall seeing some stuff not long before or after checking that out, about their next record being made on Facebook. So that album shouldn't be too far away.

Edit: So Happy Body Slow Brain is no more, and their new name is Rare Futures (thanks to altprogcore for the update per twitter)

Journal

I grew to love Journal's 2010 debut record Unlorja more and more. They make a really impressive style of progressive metalcore. Like Between the Buried and Me or Painted in Exile (or Native Construct).

I just haven't listened to them a lot since that year, but with fond memories, I certainly will be excited to hear a new album from them, which from some Facebook posts in 2015, it seems likely to happen soon.

Spencer Ludwig 
The trumpet specialist from electronic pop/soul/rock band Capital Cities has a solo debut record coming in 2016. Spencer's trumpet work certainly is one-of my favorite parts of Capital Cities sound, so I'm certainly curious to hear what he may do when he is the main songwriter and center of the songs.

I recall the genre listed on Facebook? was "Trumpet-Pop" which when done well, I'm very much into. I even used to play trumpet myself afterall.

Marillion

Per the latest Pledgemusic Campaign Update:


We’re now back in the studio developing the song ideas for M18 (which is still available to pre order at www.pledgemusic.com/marillion). We begin the new year in good shape, listening to the 6 current contenders currently working-titled:
The Leavers 14m 26sec
El Dorado 12m 18sec
Class 4m 58sec
Things Buried 3m 53sec
New Kings 16m 30 sec
Melt Our Guns – 5m 20 sec
If you can add, then you’ll see there’s already an hour of music on the boil. The time references are current song lengths but will lengthen or shorten depending upon creative decisions currently being taken. It’s also possible that songs will be subtracted and added to this list. Song titles may also change, so don’t write to us asking where things came from and went to!
We have another two or three strong ideas queuing up for development which we are on course to have ready for the “backing track final performance” stage which will take place at Peter Gabriel’s “Real World” studio in late February. It’s all coming together nicely now.

Being a huge fanboy, I'm excited again for a new Marillion album, their 18th studio work. Sounds That Can't Be Made and Happines is the Road, I definitely enjoy, but at the same time, don't find as addictive as some of their other recent records. But some of it is just time spent listening to them, as I likely haven't invested as much time as I wish.

The projected track list sounds interesting enough though. "El Dorado" "The Leaves" and "New Kings" all being of epic length. Might this be a double? I guess we'll see, but they have mentioned more than once, the Spring is their goal for it to be released. I guess we'll see, but it should come out in 2016 sometime.



The Mercury Tree
This Portland, Oregon based mathy/prog band won me over rather well with their record in 2014, Countenance. They combine a lot of different styles, to really work well. From mathrock, jazzrock to metal(core), to progressive rock. The dynamics really work well.

And when seeing them for a 2nd Summer in a row in Minneapolis with Brice Plays Drums, they played some of their newest music and mentioned how they had finished most of their next record and were looking to release it in the Fall.

But obviously that didn't happen, but logically it would be close to done and looking to be released sometime in 2016.

From memory, the new music was more technical and heavier at times, which I'm all for as I really was impressed by it. I recall some of it reminded me of the syncopation of early Cynic.

Moonloop

I recall being introduced to these guys a few years ago from seeing That Drummer Guy's End of Year List. This Barcelona-based band makes a very cool kind of atmospheric progressive death metal.  Their last album was in 2012, and just from going to their facebook, I recall they posted about recording and possibly even being finished with the new record.

Edit: they posted about mixing their next album in January.

So, the album probably will follow not long after.

Oddland

Like Moonloop, this is another progressive extreme metal band I was introduced to from That Drummer Guy's end of year list in 2012. They hail from Turku which I guess is in Finland. Their last album from 2012, The Treachery of the Senses I really enjoyed. Just scanning my blurb to refresh, their vocals aren't as much about growling as intensity. Sort of a mix of Opeth and Green Carnation in some ways.

When this album comes out: their most recent post on Facebook on December 1st says their album is done. They just need to get the artwork and I imagine how it will be released. But I imagine that stuff will be announced sometime in the near future.


Ours

One of my long-time favorites, which like some others on this Anticipation list, I have a large fanboy bias about. 2013's Ballet the Boxer 1 I enjoy, although not as much as any of the other Ours records.

But that's hardly a bad thing or a reason not to be highly excited for this. Probably as big of a reason being, many of the songs Jimmy's written lately, he played for the Black Card Holders on live streams, and they were of course amazing.

Some of the titles from the live streams:
Rise
Fallen Flower
New Age Heroin
Miles Away
Ring the Bell/When the Daylight Comes
Cry No More
Got a Feeling
Burn Down the Night

"Cry No More" was certainly one I recall enjoying a lot, as it had this *epic* feel to it.
I guess a word of precaution though given how sparse the info about this record has been the last 6 months. But the last bit I remember was saying the projection was to record it last Summer/Fall in the new "Echowing" studio that was setup in NYC.

However, Jimmy and in some cases, the band have done some live dates here and there, which may have impacted the timing. And just to recall some history, back in 2006, it seemed the Mercy record was going to come out, but it was pushed back for the better part of 2 years. Although that had a lot to do with the record label and possibly working with Rick Rubin's schedule. But also the fact Ballet the Boxer 1 sounded like it may have been rushed for the Pledgemusic campaign's promise, etc I'm not sure if Jimmy and the band want to go through that time-conscience process again, as they don't need to really.

In other words, a campaign may get launched again, but even if it does not, I would only hope but not expect it to be coming out early this year. But there still seems like a chance it'll come out in 2016 sometime at least. Whenever it does, I'm hoping for big things again though.


Pain of Salvation

A band I used to highly love. And I still consider incredibly important in my music taste. With the lineup changes and some style changes, my interest in their recent music isn't as high as it once was. However, I still enjoy the Road Salt records and Scarsick enough. And I recall at least 1 quote or account from a forum talking to Daniel and how the music the band are working on now is heavier and more remiscent of their early albums like Entropia and One Hour By the Concrete Lake.

Although Daniel Gildenlow has posted a ton about Star Wars of late, but that could be just mood and him being a huge fan. But if a SW reference showed up in their next record, it wouldn't be shocking.

The last thing they put out, Falling Home, which was a re-arrangement/re-recording of a number of tracks, and a couple of covers. I actually enjoyed that quite a bit. There was even 1 new track from memory, which was the title track I think.

But as far as timing, the actual PoS Facebook page has posted studio pics recently, so there certainly is a chance their next album could arrive in 2016.

Pepe Deluxe

Pepe Deluxe, a band who came out of nowhere in 2012 with their album Queen of the Wave,which totally floored me. Their style of retro psych/prog/classic pop/rock, with a heavy Dick Dale influence among a lot of others.

Their history of evolving sound, organic and analog sounds, tones, textures, etc and large gaps with albums suggests that their next album may still be a ways away. However, it has been 4 years and they have posted a fair amount on Facebook about recording new music, or about their new music, etc in the last year.

I guess I'm very hopeful something may come this year, but whenever it does, I have very high hopes for it regardless.

Tiny Giant

Chloe of Pure Reason Revolution's new band. They have released 1 or 2 singles in the last year, which impressed me a lot.

The 1st 2 singles, "Heavy Love" and the newest "Seeing Everything As Thought It Is Real" are both excellent, emotional and dynamic rock tracks.

"Dream Pop and Future Rock" is what they describe themselves on FB, which makes some sense. I suppose one thing to wonder is how different will their sound be from the last electronic-driven PRR album and even Bullet Height. And I suppose with Chloe doing the lead vocals more prominently, and maybe not so much of a prog influence but maybe more pop and other styles, I dunno.

I suppose their influences are more varied potentially.

Also the fact Mat Collis is a co-member/writer? of this group adds something, having a background playing as a multii-instrumentalist with Steven Wilson and Katatonia among others.

Kaddisfly- Horses Galloping on Sailboats (Vinyl)
This Link should indicate when it's available.

This is for the vinyl for my 2nd favorite record from 2014-2015. And maybe more importantly, a long awaited follow-up album, that having on vinyl, frankly, any Kaddisfly on vinyl, will be awesome. There was of course a few TEST PRESSINGS made that some paid a pretty penny for ($400 or more?). But when this vinyl does finally come out, it will be less than that I imagine. And the pressing is not 2 12-inches, but a 12 and a 10. And some will be colored.

I'm of course curious about the jacket/liner/notes, etc as well.

And in a perfect world, it sells incredibly well and they decide to press Set Sail the Prairie eventually as well. Baby steps, but we'll see.

Also Transatlantic and Spock's Beard vinyls are also coming/just came out which I suppose are worth adding as I just found out about them. I would guess I'll pickup the TA's and maybe some of the Spock's eventually.


Transatlantic - SMPT:e February 12th


Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever. February 12th.


Spock's Beard - Day For Night February 5th


Spock's Beard - Snow January 15th


Spock's Beard -  The Kindness of Strangers January 15th


Spock's Beard - Beware of Darkness February 5th