WAMR Radio: Mid-Spring 2005 New Releases Playlist

 

sElf - Summersound 3:35

Klimt 1918 - They Were Wed By the Sea 4:35

The Receiving End of Sirens - This Armistice 5:55

Shaman - Reason 4:46

Gospel - Congratulations...You've Hit Bottom! 3:41

Shadow Gallery - The Andromeda Strain 6:46

dredg - Hung Over on a Tuesday 4:05

Dream Theater - These Walls 7:36

The Chap - Oozing Emotion 2:41

Time of Orchids - All We Ever Wish 8:06

Subterranean Masquerade - Six Strings to Cover Fear 6:48

Cloud Cult - Transistor Radio 4:08

Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country 5:11

The Most Serene Republic - Where Cedar Nouns and Adverbs Walk 4:32

Ulver - It Is Not Sound 4:37

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

This is a beta test/dry-run deal. That's a playlist for May/Mid Spring 2005. 

15 Songs/Tracks 2 hours, 11 minutes exactly or 131 minutes.

Script? haven't done it yet or for this one, but I may try. I would estimate if this is the 2 hours 11 minutes it is, with talking, the Podcast would go maybe but not quite 3 hours, but close.

REACT TO: The Prog Report's Dream Theater Albums Ranked

The Prog Report's List of Dream Theater albums ranked


Writing maybe later, here's my rankings and a video I made earlier this year with what is close to the same order.

1. Awake
2. Images and Words
3. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
4. Scenes from a Memory
5. A Change of Seasons
6. Falling Into Infinity
7. When Dream and Day Unite
8. Train of Thought
9. Octavarium
10. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
11. A Dramatic Turn of Events
12. Systematic Chaos
13. Distance Over Time
14. Dream Theater
15. The Astonishing

First Avenue's 50th Anniversary Exhibit (MN History Center + First Avenue?)

I'm sharing this little trailer (at the bottom) for this upcoming exhibit at the Minnesota History Center in St.Paul about First Avenue's 50th Anniversary.

-I'm learning about this per my wife who works at MHC, and is going to be WORKING ON this project soon, per she mentioned about it to me, and shared the below trailer on Facebook.

-First Avenue launched in 1970 (I believe it was Joe Cocker who played the 1st concert per there's a photo on the wall at The Depot restaurant that shows/notes this). So the 50th Anniversary is actually in 2020, but I guess technically 2019 is the 50th Year. Although if you include the period of time they were closed in the 2000's. not quite.

May 4th it opens, which beyond being Star Wars day, is also my wife's Birthday (and she hates Star Wars by the way, and was born before Star Wars existed).

The Exhibit will be at The Minnesota History Center, but I'm not sure if there also will be something else held at First Avenue itself (or it may just be advertised there, and there may be something else actually there for the 50th Anniversary).

First Avenue, a venue I have very mixed feelings about at best, but will admit in the last decade, I do prefer sometimes over other venues.

The History?

well my personal History is, I've probably attended 100 or more concerts there, maybe more like 200+ if you include The Entry.

I'm pretty sure The 1st time I did attend a concert there was seeing Dream Theater with Big Wreck in 1997. My 1st Dream Theater concert actually, which made it a rather big deal.

But before that, I was highly repulsed by the vibe, social, clique-ish/dance-night nature of First Avenue. Maybe that was a little premature, but why I have and probably always will have mixed feelings about this place.

But I can't argue with First Avenue being Minnesota's most well known and history music venue at least at the Club level and beyond maybe Paisley Park and maybe some Bob Dylan thing is the most iconic place to celebrate the history of  Rock and Pop Music in Minnesota (Purple Rain  the film and Prince probably have a lot to do with that).

So my wife is going to get to see a ton of the stuff that will go into this exhibit before it opens in May. It made me think or at least wonder what were my favorite shows ever there and what shows happened there that I did not get to see?

Of course my choices will be Prog shows mostly and First Avenue and its hipster approach and part of why I have had issues with First Avenue beyond their recently monopolizing the ownership/promotion and buying out other venues in this town, is their lack of respect for Prog and Metal; per bands like dredg, Porcupine Tree (+ Steven Wilson) and Fair to Midland never played The Main Room when they could and should have.

But that being said, here's my lists of favorites and missed.

Favorite 22 Concerts at First Avenue/7th Street Entry(that I can think of/find right now)

-Mutemath (3) 10/17/09, 2/18/12 (with As Tall as Lions), 4/3/16
-Foals  5/20/13
-Local Natives (2) 10/1/10, 3/23/13
-Victor Wooten Band 8/26/02
-School of Seven Bells (3) 7th Street Entry 10/13/09, 9/19/10, 1/24/11
-Cloud Cult 11/18/2010
-The Dear Hunter (3) First Ave/7th Street Entry 4/23/07, 4/14/13, 3/03/18 (with Coheed and Cambria)
-Mayer Hawthorne (2) 5/18/12, 2/13/14
-The Family Crest (2) 7th Street Entry 6/6/14 (with Mother Falcon) ,7/6/15
-Godspeed You Black Emperor 2/11/16
-Dream Theater 11/2/97 (with Big Wreck)
-King's X 11/05/01
-St. Vincent  7th Street Entry 7/24/07

Top 5 Concerts that happened that I didn't get to attend

-Marillion September 26, 1987 (the last time they played in Minnesota)
-Jellyfish July 6, 1993
-Oceansize June 13, 2004 (7th Street Entry)
-Spock's Beard May 23,1999
-Silverchair August 5, 2007

U2 among others also could be considered.



http://www.mnhs.org/historycenter/activities/museum/first-avenue... First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota's Mainroom is an exhibit that opens at the Minnesota History Center on May 4, 2019.  Since 1970, First Avenue and 7th Street Entry have been at the heart of the Minnesota music scene. The First Avenue Exhibit takes you inside the scenes, sounds, and stories of a landmark club that put Minneapolis music on the map. Through the lens of music, discover how First Avenue, its staff, and the Minneapolis music scene have changed over five decades. First Avenue venue video used in this trailer by Minnesota Public Radio.  © 2019 Minnesota Public Radio®.  Used with permission.   All rights reserved.

Dream Theater - Distance Over Time (2018-2019)

2/9/19

"Paralyzed" video below.

only heard/watched it once. I don't like it as much as Fall Into the Light, but it's still not bad. It's short, concise, gets-to-the-point, etc.

The video reminds me of among other Man vs Machine movies/tv, the INTRO TO HBO's WESTWORLD. That and maybe a little bit of the style of I, Robot along with Ex Machina.


1/11/19

New track "Fall Into the Light"

Pretty good. Relatively tight, concise, but still virtuosoic.

I'm not falling for the whole "they're back!" really but it is refreshing to enjoy a new tune from the guys again. We'll see how the rest of the record compares, but I suppose potentially this could be an album I could enjoy as much as A Dramatic Turn of Events at least.

The piano section made me think of Six Degrees, but also I do hear a bit of Octavarium in this track as well.


12/7/18
yeah, haven't heard it the 1st single below "Untethered Angel". Comments support again how a producer could do them world's of good.

Or the idea, make 2 versions of the album

1) the album with JP producing
2) a version of the album with a producer. hell, at this point, I would take them writing and/or at least RECORDING a song with a producer.

Not happening..probably a much better chance the next Opeth album is purely death metal.

but, art is justifiably selfish, if they are happy making albums this way since SFAM (or even say Octavarium), than I am glad they are.

But I can only say  per the track list below, I will listen to this album more times than The Astonishing (which I listend to about 1/3-of once, lol), but I might predict this album will end where the new Janelle Monae album did this past year, on my list next November.

I do want to see them in March at The Ordway play SFAM again.

1	Untethered Angel	6:14
2	Paralyzed	4:17
3	Fall into the Light	7:04
4	Barstool Warrior	6:43
5	Room 137	4:23
6	S2n	6:21
7	At Wit's End	9:20
8	Out of Reach	4:04
9	Pale Blue Dot	8:25

11/8/18

Release date is February 22nd.

St.Paul, MN concert is at of all places, The Ordway, lol.

New album Distance Over Time coming in February 2019.


11/2/18
Tour dates below including St.Paul, MN on March 28th. The tour is the complete Scenes from a Memory I imagine. And the album cover is the same as the image below with the tour dates.

The clip below? ..doesn't bad, but also sounds like about 20 or 30 other songs from them in the past.

The whole game thing I honestly probably couldn't care less for at this point, but I know many fans will probably get into it.

I guess I just hope it is more back to their roots in some ways. But did they demo or have an outside producer come in? very unlikely, which based on that alone, I don't expect a ton from this album, but maybe they'll surprise me. At least they did SPEND MORE TIME MAKING THIS ONE, which was probably over a year, which may mean they may have demo-ed or refined, edited, re-recorded some stuff.








For Immediate Release

Dream Theater's upcoming release, "Distance Over Time", comes out in February, 2019. To announce the details of the band's most recent offering, Dream Theater has enlisted the help of fans to spread the word about the release and even to break the news of the record release date, cover artwork, and to share the first taste of never before heard music. With this album, a return to the band's roots, Dream Theater hoped to create a fan engagement experience unlike any previously undertaken.

To lead into the initial release of material, an Alternate Reality Game was launched. This game encompassed a "treasure hunt" whereby fans were able to search for clues hidden in various photos, video, social media posts, and more. Cooperation to host the Alternate Reality Game focused on various fan communities. The band's fan club, forum members and Reddit each brought in technical expertise to create puzzles for the participants. Each and every week, a new puzzle would be released, often in the form of a candid photo or video from the studio where Dream Theater recorded their latest album. This would contain a piece of the puzzle - a clue to be used in the process of solving that week's mystery. The puzzles were usually based on some encryption scheme or hiding information in the files, such as hiding a zipped file with text in an image file, or hiding text within the spectrogram of an audio file. One puzzle had the fans decoding Morse Code on a light diode of recording equipment, while another had the fans decoding a touch tone number from a phone call. Fans had to solve a sonogram, Sudoku puzzle, reverse engineer an encryption scheme to find a key that would decrypt a specific text. They had to solve crosswords and trivia games. Fans were eager to participate, and often worked together to collectively solve the puzzles within hours of their release.

Ultimately, there would be one person - one fan who would be the first to solve the final clue. As their prize, this fan would be the first person to possess previously unreleased Dream Theater content. The very first person outside the band to have possession of any new music, new artwork, new album title. It would be the fans who would solve the puzzle, complete the game and break the news of the release, disseminating this brand new Dream Theater news to the world from their personal online presence.

It is the hope of Dream Theater to have created a fun and engaging fan experience. A unique manner to amp up the excitement for the new release, and to involve the band's fanbase in a new and interesting way. On behalf of Dream Theater - congratulations to the winner, and thank you to everyone who participated. 

Freddy Jacobi was: James LaBrie, Jordan Rudess, John Petrucci, John Myung, Mike Mangini, Maddi Schieferstein, James T. Meslin, Jake Solomon, Kim Arthur Sakariassen, Victoria Montenegro Martinez, Jessica Lausen, Sean Arnold, Freddy Palmer, Roie Avin, mods of r/dreamtheater, dreamtheaterforums.org and Dream Theater World

SIMILAR BITS: Dirt Poor Robins & Dream Theater

So I would say pretty early-on in my consumption of Dirt Poor Robins music last year, I concluded "Solemn Dream" was a favorite piece among a large number of songs I enjoyed.
And after listening to it a few times, I enjoyed the last/climax section maybe most. But also there was something familiar about the crescendo.

The vocal chanting especially reminded me a lot of maybe sections of multiple songs I knew, but the one that stood out the most was a Dream Theater song that I was pretty certain was from Images and Words, where James LaBrie did a similar vocal chanting climax.

I gave Metropolis Part 1 and Learning to Live a listen a few months ago but failed to notice it, but finally just a few minutes ago I found it.

A section in the middle of Learning to Live has the bit that is similar to the ending of Solemn Dream from DPR.

Now mind you, these 2 songs overall are still quite different, but I don't think I will ever be able to not think of Learning to Live while listening to the ending of Solemn Dream again.


Dirt Poor Robins - Solemn Dream
4:57-on, and especially the section that the vocal chants/harmonies and build/climax that comes in at 5:22-6:11



Dream Theater - Learning to Live

5:31 similar feel and rhythm
6:00 also more similarities building rhythm
6:58-7:40 the Chanted Vocal and instrumental Climax. Especially the WHOA OH OH, OH-OH-OH WAHHHHHHH!

New Videos: ALBUM RATINGS: Dream Theater and Pink Floyd

New Video series I'm trying out.

I will try and do some of the more popular bands/artists 1st as I mention, it seems that is what people like/want/click-on.

I may try doing them all in chronological order, or ratings order (less likely).

The point being, they are specific and not too long. And may create a little contraversy, assuming they reach enough people.

And as I mentioned maybe a year or 2 ago, if these work out, I may also try another new series for the Retro Albums of the Year. But like these, I don't anticipate at least initially going through the trouble to show physical copies. But just verbally going through them.

I do have an idea though which may be not so time and financially consuming, of Printing 10x10 (or 8 1/2 x 11) Paper Images of Album Covers and put them in like those sleeves in a large 3-ring binder to get at Staples or Office Max, etc.

And just pull them out when needed to do a Top 10+ albums list from a year from the past.

I'm not sure, if it may help/work and avoid the hassle of finding the physical vinyl or cd and/or having to edit-in those images into the videos and have it take twice as long to edit+finish, etc.

I dunno, it may not work, but it's an idea. And the Top 10 albums of year could be a really fun video series to make; given I have the time of course.

Meaningful Songs: Toy Matinee - Funeral for a Friend (Love Lies Bleeding)

Toy Matinee - Funeral for a Friend (Love Lies Bleeding, Live)

One of Kevin Gilbert's shining moments recorded live, on the Live at the Roxy May 1, 1991.

Today would have been Kevin's 52nd birthday.

There just a magical vibe about this cover that while I enjoy Dream Theater's, Kevin and the live Toy Matinee made it in some ways their own.

Happy Birthday Kevin..I have a lot of his other tracks rolling through my head and play list tonight.

Meaningful Songs: Dream Theater - Scarred

New series, which given it hopefully will be short in length and detail. Sometimes I may just write 1 sentence or less, I dunno. I just thought about this the other day, as a way to post more often quickly.

So I may post 10 or more of these per week. No certainty, but at least from a time stand point, they may not require as much as albums and artist anecdotes, etc.

Dream Theater - Scarred

Short and sweet. Probably my go-to as a favorite Dream Theater song. Lyrically and musically. It's perfect. It's dark prog metal with more than 1 message or emotional side to it.

The section with the lyrics
And how come you don't understand me?
And how come I don't understand you?
Thirty years say we're in this together
So open your eyes.

People in prayer for me
Everyone there for me
Sometimes I feel I should face this alone
My soul exposed
It calms me to know that I won't

This is gut-wrenching as any lyrics I've ever heard. And you combine it with the intensity and goosebumps just come in faster than a speeding bullet.

Band/Artist and What Album-Generation Fan Are You? (Pt 1)

I was thinking about this in a discussion with the wife about her generation of being a fan of The Monkees. How she came along when The Monkees hit MTV and Nick at Nite in the mid 80's ('86-87) and the new studio album at that time was Pool It! for her.

It's not exactly a "1st Generation, 2nd Generation, 3rd Generation" (or 1st, 2nd or 3rd Wave, etc) exactly, but more based on the newest album released.

The 1st new album that comes out either after you become a fan, or I suppose it works best, before if it is relatively recently.



There were some fans that reacted to The Monkees album Good Times! in 2016 as being not nearly as good as Justus, which it was based on partially at least, Justus was the new/1st/most-recent album from The Monkees at-the-time they became a fan.

Mind you, some actually did or do prefer Justus, but my wife and many others thought that album sucked. And many like her and myself really liked Good Times!.



And she also likes Pool It more than Justus, maybe a lot of it just based on how much she likes the music, but also she says based on nostalgia for when it came out around the time she became a fan.

So she's a Pool It!-generation fan of The Monkees. Maybe consider 3rd generation or wave by some, but it seems easiest to just label per the album that was out or came out around the time she became a fan.




So I'm gonna make some more of these entries per time/discipline, etc. But here's 10 artists and the Generation I fall under.

Off the top of my head, I think only 2 or 3 artists I would be in the 1st release/album generation (The Dear Hunter, Kimbra, Janelle Monae kind of..and a few others..Hotel of the Laughing Tree).

Oddly enough though, I told her the whole nostalgia for the new/most recent when I got into the artist doesn't always work for me. Open Your Eyes and Calling All Stations are 2 perfect examples of that. 2 of my least favorite albums from those artists.

Kevin Gilbert: (2004) The Kaviar Demo-generation
Marillion: (1995) Afraid of Sunlight-generation
Fates Warning: (1995) Inside Out-generation
Rush: (1992) Roll the Bones-generation
Dream Theater: (1995) Awake-generation
King's X: (1996) Ear Candy-generation
The Dear Hunter: (2007) Act I: The Lake South, the River North-generation
Yes: (1996 or 1997) The Open Your Eyes-generation
Genesis: (1997) Calling All Stations-generation
Pink Floyd: (1991 or 1992) A Momentary Lapse of Reason-generation

893 Essential Songs (89.3 The Current) TOP 10

Well my prediction was correct

But one other thing that crossed my mind about this, in thinking about the likely, pretty eye-rolling list that I anticipate, is that in 2016 it was 893 albums, 2017 893 Artists, so in 2018 it might be 893 songs, if they haven't already done one for Songs (I somehow think they did, but maybe it wasn't in this so called voting process? I can't remember).

https://cloud.connect.mpr.org/essential_songs

893 Essential Songs

Submit your Top 10 Essential Songs — your favorite songs of all time!

Use this form to submit your 10 essential songs and enter the 893 Essential Songs giveaway between Tuesday, April 3 at 2 p.m. CDT and 11:59 p.m. CDT Monday, April 16, 2018.

One (1) winner will receive one (1) gift certificate redeemable at Amazon.com for $893.00. Winner must provide a signed prize acceptance and a W-9 before receiving prize. Three (3) back up names will be drawn.

Items with a red asteristk (*) are required.

Same deal as last year; per I don't pay attention nor listen to 89.3 for obvious reasons, I didn't realize they were doing another 1 of these for these dates, although per last year it began on April 4th, I suppose that would have been something to remember/plan.

So for 2019, it'll probably be April 1st or April 8th 2019 which are both Mondays. But Albums, Artists, Songs. 2019???? Career Discographies? Live Albums? although Career Discographies is basically the same thing as Artists.

I still think the thing to do is my idea posted last year. 89 minutes and 30 seconds for people who win a contest. Hell, even just 1 listener, although that doesn't occupy more than 1 day and just an isolated amount of time for that matter. If it were like 10 winners or more, than it could at least be done for those 90 minutes once-a-day. It would give reason to tune in then. Their issue would be, 24 hours in the day, and only 1.5 for the special reason to tune-in. Which might suggest more than once-per-day. Say like 10 times per day, and like 100 winners or something, lol.

Maybe that sounds far-fetched, but I know i would be interested in those playlists.

I suppose though if they are doing the Pledge Drive, the winner might get 89 minutes of music or even time for their own, per they would have to talk and beg for money they do during the Pledge Drive. Although I dunno if they could do it where the winners would have their 89 minutes AFTER THE PLEDGE DRIVE IS OVER, etc.

Anyway, that all being said, like the previous submissions, none of my songs or artists likely will end up in their 893 list. Well, not sure, but the only ones would be the obvious classic rock names, but the songs I picked, there's next to no chance for, other than maybe Zeppelin and Queen.

Link for MY list (below)

0. Judy Garland - Somewhere Over the Rainbow 

1. Rush - Cygnus X-1: Book Two: Hemispheres
2. Yes - The Gates of Delirium
3. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
4. Marillion - Grendel
5. Genesis - The Cinema Show
6. Dream Theater - Scarred
7. Fates Warning - Still Remains
8. Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element
9. Queen - The Prophet's Song
10. Led Zeppelin - Achilles Last Stand


11. Toy Matinee - Last Plane Out
12. Ours - The Worst Things Beautiful
13. dredg - The Canyon Behind Her
14. The Dear Hunter - His Hands Matched His Tongue
15. Oceansize - The Frame
16. Pink Floyd - Dogs

edit: Gonna publish this now and then Edit in more later I think per time right now.

edit 2:
So I suppose 1 idea as a Reaction-To the list of 893 Songs that I'm sure less than 30% will be
a) Songs I like
b) Artists I even think are okay or like

So what I may do is come up with I dunno, 500 SONGS let's say, with the interest to never repeat an Artist Twice. Although I suppose if I struggle to find 500 Artists with 1 song, which now thinking about it, shouldn't be all that hard, just time-consuming of course, I may consider more than 1 song per artist.

I kind of suspect 89.3 will do more than 1 song per artist, especially if they truly use the Voting results, which I'm pretty sure they do not 100%.

But as far as my vote, honestly I just threw it together to not invest hours upon days on it up until the deadline next week. Are those 10 or 15 songs above MY DEFINITIVE TOP 10 OR 15 SONGS??? HELL TO THE NO. But they certainly are 10 or 15 songs I love, and if I ever really made as close to a definitive Favorite Songs List, all of them would be very high.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow has been and likely always will remain my favorite song of all-time, largely pure childhood sentimentality and nostalgia. But I didn't vote for it per it probably will get more than enough votes to make it anyway. And it kind of goes into a different category for me, more like most cherished childhood song, etc.

The others though, and the rankings?..meh, I just threw them down and the numbers don't really mean a lot. Hemispheres over Gates of Delirium? lol..why maybe if I ever make a close-to definitive list, it'll just be UNRANKED or tiered or something. Will the React-To be THAT close-to-definitive list? Unlikely.

I suppose maybe 2 lists, if somehow time permits it. 1 being the 500+ Songs with only 1 artist? and the other is just honestly? taking as many favorite artists and puting 5-25 songs in a hat and see where the number goes. And then the whole issue of artist who have 1 amazing song, or 2 amazing songs, etc like Under the Influence of Giants or Aviatic or whatever.

The Year 1996 Albums Calendar and Rankings

1996 was a year that I was amidst in listening to progressive metal and getting my 1st taste of progressive rock beyond Rush. Although it was odd how '96, '97, '98 I did check out a lot of it, to mixed success. But I guess 1996 maybe was best known for waiting for the next Dream Theater album after being obsessed with them, buying bootlegs and loving their new EP from 1995, despite the departure of Kevin Moore.

King's X and Fates Warning were the other go-to's around that time. Ear Candy came out in May, but it was actually in July or August I 1st checked them out and did enjoy their newest album quite a bit after initially thinking they were a Lenny Kravitz wannabe band.

I went on to see King's X live in 1996 along with Galactic Cowboys, another new band to me. And their new album Machine Fish was a record I enjoyed and have since.

Rush of course released their 1st album in 3 years in Test For Echo, which I can't say was a huge disappointment, but ultimately, seems a bit sad given it was really the 1st new album they released after me being an addicted fan (I suppose 2nd, but when Counterparts came out in 1993, I didn't even know it was coming out, and I was still digesting some of their massive catalog).

But I guess when I was only luke warm about the new Rush album, and my almost impatience waiting for a new Dream Theater album. A couple of things filled that void for me.

1) The Rush tribute album  from Magna Carta Working Man. It had a bunch of musicians I enjoyed including I recall all of the Dream Theater guys aside from Derek Sherinian I think.Plus it was co-produced by Mike Portnoy, lol.

But the likes of Fates Warning, Shadow Gallery, Devin Townsend and some others.

2) Victor, the Alex Lifeson side/solo project, which I later came to learn about the singer being Edwin from I Mother Earth

3) The underground progressive rock and metal scene. "Neoprog" and Power Metal along with labels like Magna Carta and these Import prog and metal companies like Impulse music which I came across selling cds at Record Shows and they were originally based in the Twin Cities, but eventually moved to Roselle, IL.

And it was through Impulse I first hear about Angra, a brazilian band who played incredible fast and technical, and had this soaring singer named Andre Matos that I absolute loved. And their album Holy Land I eventually came to love the most.

Another one I read about 1st on the Ytsejam through the Dream Theater fans, and eventually purchased the debut album Behind, from Germany's Superior.

Oddly Andre even later went on to sing on a Superior tune on their next album.

The other records from 1996, Spock's Beard, I Mother Earth, DJ Shadow, Porcupine Tree, Eric Johnson among others actually make 1996 a pretty deep year that also is somewhat top heavy. I mean Holy Land is an all-time classic, but after that there's just a long list of very good records that extend into the 20's or more.

1. Angra - Holy Land
2. Superior - Behind
3. Spock's Beard - Beware of Darkness
4. King's X - Ear Candy
5. I Mother Earth - Scenery and Fish
6. Victor - Victor
7. Galactic Cowboys - Machine Fish
8. DJ Shadow - Entroducing....
9. Eric Johnson - Venus Isle
10. Porcupine Tree - Signify
11. Enchant - Wounded
12. Marillion - Made Again
13. The Tea Party - Alhambra [EP]
14. Various Artists - Working Man: A Show of Bands
15. The Flower Kings - Retropolis
16. Super 8 - Super 8
17. Galactic Cowboys - Feel the Rage [EP]
18. Lemur Voice - Insights
19. Jason Falkner - Presents Author Unknown
20. Rush - Test for Echo
21. sElf - The Half-Baked Serenade
22. Orphaned Land - El Norra Alla
23. Screaming Headless Torsos - Live!!
24. Altura - Mercy
25. Visionary - Visionary
26. Yes - Keys 2 Ascension
27. 24-7 Spyz - Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound
28. Fountains of Wayne - Fountains of Wayne
29. George Michael - Older
30. Paula Cole - This Fire
31. dredg - Conscious [EP]
32. The Wondermints - Wonderful World of the Wondermints
33. The Wishing Tree - Carnival of Souls
34. Archive - Londium

Tony Williams - Wilderness
Afro Celt Sound System; Volume 1: Sound Magic
Psychotic Waltz - Bleeding
Visionary - Visionary
dredg - Conscious [EP]





Landberk - Indian Summer
rel January 1, 1996


Victor - Victor
rel January 9, 1996


Galactic Cowboys - Machine Fish
rel January 30, 1996


Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die
rel January 30, 1996


Spock's Beard - Beware of Darkness
rel January 1996

Miriodor - Jongleries Élastiques

rel February 13, 1996

In Flames - The Jester Race
rel February 20, 1996


Helloween - The Time of the Oath
rel March 1, 1996


The Tea Party - Alhambra
rel March 1, 1996


Freak Kitchen - Spanking Hour
rel March 12, 1996


Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup
rel March 18, 1996



Angra - Holy Land
rel March 23, 1996


Marillion - Made Again
rel March 25, 1996


Stone Temple Pilots - Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop
rel March 26, 1996


Ulver - Kveldssanger
rel March 1996


Edge of Sanity - Crimson
rel April 2, 1996


Steve Morse Band - StressFest
rel April 9, 1996


Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire
rel April 16, 1996


I Mother Earth - Scenery and Fish
rel April 23, 1996


Dave Mathews Band - Crash
rel April 30, 1996


Super 8 - Super 8
rel May 7, 1996


George Michael - Older
rel May 13, 1996


Amorphis - Elegy
rel May 14, 1996


Vernon Reid - Mistaken Identity
rel May 14, 1996


King's X - Ear Candy
rel May 20, 1996


Jason Becker - Perspective
rel May 21, 1996


The Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse
rel May 21, 1996


The Flower Kings - Retropolis
rel May 25, 1996


Porno for Pyros - Good God's Urge
rel May 28, 1996


Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk
rel June 6, 1996


Cardiacs - Sing to God
rel June 11, 1996


Sloan - One Chord to Another
rel June 12, 1996


Beck - Odelay!
rel June 18, 1996


Opeth - Morningrise
rel June 24, 1996


Ars Nova - The Goddess of Darkness
rel June 1996


Psychotic Waltz - Bleeding
rel July 1, 1996


Orphaned Land - El Norra Alla
rel July 18, 1996


Altura - Mercy
rel July 23, 1996



Various Artists - Working Man: A Show of Bands
rel August 2, 1996


Olivia Tremor Control - Music From the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle
rel August 6, 1996


Failure - Fantastic Planet
rel August 13, 1996


Jason Falkner - Presents Author Unknown
rel August 13, 1996


At the Drive-In - Acrobatic Tenement
rel August 18, 1996


Theatre of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear
rel August 18, 1996


The Church - Magician Among the Spirits
rel August 19, 1996


Enchant - Wounded
rel August 27, 1996


Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
rel August 28, 1996


Eric Johnson - Venus Isle
rel September 3, 1996


Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Live Art
rel September 10, 1996


Lemur Voice - Insights
rel September 10, 1996


Rush - Test for Echo
rel September 10, 1996


dEUS - In a Bar, Under the Sea
rel September 14, 1996


DJ Shadow - Entroducing....
rel September 16, 1996


Kula Shaker - K
rel September 16, 1996


The Cardigans - First Band on the Moon
rel September 17, 1996


Tool - Ænima
rel September 17, 1996


Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and Mark O'Connor - Appalachia Waltz
rel September 17, 1996


Archive - Londium
rel September 23, 1996


24-7 Spyz - Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound
rel September 24, 1996


Afro Celt Sound System; Volume 1: Sound Magic
rel September 24, 1996


Adrian Belew - Op Zop Too Wah
rel September 24, 1996


Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
rel September 24, 1996


Alan Parsons - On Air
rel September 24, 1996


John Scofield - Quiet
rel September 24, 1996


Weezer - Pinkerton
rel September 24, 1996


Lamb - Lamb
rel September 30, 1996


No-Man - Wild Opera
rel September 1996


Porcupine Tree - Signify
rel September 1996


The Wishing Tree - Carnival of Souls
rel September 1996


Fountains of Wayne - Fountains of Wayne
rel October 1, 1996


Galactic Cowboys - Feel the Rage [EP]
rel October 8, 1996


Paula Cole - This Fire
rel October 15, 1996


Yes - Keys 2 Ascension
rel October 28, 1996


Jerry Garcia and Dave Grisman - Shady Grove
rel October 29, 1996


Superior - Behind
rel October 1996


X Japan - Dahlia
rel November 4, 1996


The Wondermints - Wonderful World of the Wondermints
rel November 5, 1996


Anathema - Eternity
rel November 11, 1996


Pat Metheny - Quartet
rel November 19, 1996


Rick Wright - Broken China
rel November 26, 1996

sElf - The Half-Baked Serenade
rel November 1996


Tony Williams - Wilderness
rel December 1996


Anglagard - Buried Alive
rel 1996


Michael Brecker - Tales from the Hudson
rel 1996


dredg - Conscious [EP]
rel 1996


Steve Hackett - Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
rel 1996


Screaming Headless Torsos - Live!!
rel 1996


Somnambulist - Somnambulist
rel 1996


Tipsy - Trip Tease
rel 1996


Visionary - Visionary
rel 1996