The "AllMediaReviews Music Essentials" Series

[SoundscapeMN]

I was going to hold off on posting something here public about this, at least until I could share a few more names, but I've been slightly occupied more than I figured I'd be with another Blog Project ("Psychic Crapfest: A Psych Fans Podcast") that has pushed the progress back a bit. But that project is almost done, so I anticipate this one to be given a lot more of my time quite soon.

But until then, I'll post the 1st one in the series
link

My history with music and listening to music began when I was little. My parents used to play Don McLean's American Pie to me. But around that time or shortly after, the 80's pop music is what I fell into. The Rocky III Soundtrack (and Survivor's song "The Eye of the Tiger") and Weird Al's In 3D I recall being the very 1st music I ever bought, on cassette tape. And then some of my friends and I got into Huey Lewis and the News, along with my brother's favorite band at the time Duran Duran. Michael Jackson's Thriller and Prince's Purple Rain of course were two other cassette tapes I bought and was into like most people around that time.

I would also enjoy both Friday Night Videos and The Casey Casem Top 40 on Sunday mornings. And even those years I was starting to like The Beatles of course. The very 1st vinyl record I ever bought was Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1987, the same Summer I recall I picked up Rolling Stone's 1967-1987 "100 most influential albums of the last 20 years" issue (the title of the issue may not be exactly that, but loosely similar).

It was also around that time I started playing music in School, from the "Honor Band" at my elementary school and then later the Concert and Jazz Bands in Junior High School. My instrument was trumpet.

But then the Fall of my freshman year of High School something changed when my friends who I rode to school with every morning started playing Led Zeppelin in their car. My interest in Rock Music and I suppose music in general became something significantly different at that point.

I like to think of my taste as being ever expanding and as open-ended and open-minded as I can be. The "Essentials" are artists I consider *essential* to the formation of my personal taste up to this point. These are artists that are all rather significant and made a strong impression on me as a fan of music and things in my life in general.

These are artists whose music seems almost more like religion to me, rather than just something made to listen to recreation-ally. Their music has stood the test of time for me; whether it be still music I listen to frequently to this day, or at least quite frequently for a good period of time within the last 20 years. And it holds a very strong sense of nostalgia and memory to me, that it's significant for my life.

If I were creating some kind of dream festival, I would be in awe to put any 5 or 10 of these "essentials" on the same bill.

Following the completion of this series of artists, I shall give a list of artists that may be featured in the next series. In other words, the so-called "honorable mention" or "just missing the cut" this time around, that very well may be included in the near future.

The Mars Volta



Their name I 1st saw when I recall seeing it show up on some of the Dream Theater and progressive rock-related forums in 2003, not too long after the release of their debut record De-Loused In the Comatorium. Some people called them a punk-prog band initially. Some called them a new kind of "prog metal." I remember checking them out initially and liking a lot about them. For one, their singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala had a higher-pitched voice that reminded me of singers like Jon Anderson and especially Geddy Lee to a point. But they also had these layers of tracks in their music. Guitar tracks, a lot of percussion, and even some piano and keys. The 2nd track on their debut album "Interiatic ESP" really sounded proggy, and it was funny how even though I liked them, I was kind of shy about it, and their fan base. They didn't sound like Marillion or Dream Theater, or even Spock's Beard. But they were prog somehow still. It was kind of chaotic and also energetic at the same time. The guitar lines were, and later a comparison to Led Zeppelin I saw, and the more I listened to them and their subsequent work, the more that comparison along with comparisons to Carlos Santana made a lot of sense, just from a reminding and vague approach to blues influence and their live shows.

But a big part of the experience of becoming a fan of them was their background and fans background. Of course singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez were pretty much The Mars Volta, but they had been in a previous band called At the Drive-In along with 2 other musicians before breaking off. The other two went on to form Sparta, a band who I don't recall thinking all that much of, but the truth is, I never spent a ton time listening to in fact. But At the Drive-In as non-typical as I came to learn they were, and also how they had a devoted, hardcore fan base, were still stylistically a punk band. And punk, especially at that point, I was repulsed by for the most part. I did enjoy The Ramones and The Clash, and yes even The Sex Pistols for a brief period in High School. And someone like Elvis Costello I respected and have since come to enjoy a bit of. But overall, punk is a very low % for me. But as it turned out, ATDI were not so typical for punk, and more a crossover of punk with latin and even some psychedelic influences. They even once covered a Pink Floyd tune, which in some circles, would be rather anti-punk to do.



So with TMV, Cedric and Omar did desire to do something different, obviously than ATDI, but inevitably their sound still included some of that raw, punk edge to it. And their fan base of course had a lot of punk ties still. A lot of younger kids were into punk, into ATDI and thus (at least a percentage) became into TMV.

So, their sound was frankly, a lot different than any of the other music I enjoyed, even with the Zeppelin and Santana comparisons. I saw them live in the Fall of 2003, in fact the same evening the Minnesota Gophers football team blew a 35-14 lead to Michigan in the 4th quarter, on a special Friday night game. I remember driving home from the concert hearing them meltdown.

That show at The Quest was frankly, almost pure noise. It was just jam after jam really, with almost no structure. And while I still remained a fan, I saw them a bit differently live.

I did enjoy De-Loused still around that time and the Tremulant EP as well, which after getting into them, I found that to be more interesting. it was rather unstructured as well, but I just remember being into them and really
liking it then. Sadly, I have not revisited it in many years for some reason.



Then in early 2005, their new album Frances the Mute was released, and I kind of saw them going to a new level. It was different, full of long sections, but I ultimately felt were worth going through for the climaxes on a few of the songs. They were some of the best builds and huge segues I'd ever heard before. They used more latin and jazz elements namely. Even I felt as unorthodox the vocal effects Cedric used at times, they still worked with the whole 77 minute record. When the album came out, Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater posted one of his "Heroes of the Day" about the album and band, and the comparison he made to Yes's Tales From Topographic Oceans really made sense, and still makes sense. Even though structurally, FTM was different in that it didn't have exactly four 20 minute songs, but what Tales and FTM share among many things, were how much of the album seemed to take you on a/the cliche-d "journey" or maybe simply put, the songs were unpredictable and seemed to roller-coaster with many different moods, colors, flavors, emotions and other ranges of ideas. That I found it to be why it worked even more than De-Loused did. Although over time, I did find a lot of the length-ly slow sections killed my ability to get addicted to it, and I felt by the end of the year, it would easily been the best or my favorite record and album-of-the-year for 2005, but the lack of addiction prevented that.

But it still was very forward-thinking, original, influential and a really good next direction for them that had my optimism for what they would do next.



Of course, that optimism can be hurt by lack of fulfillment. Which is a lot of what I felt about their next album 2006's Amputechture which would be their original drummer Jon Theodore's last. Simply put, the album had a ton of filler in it, and more or less what worked with FTM, did not so much with AMP. They continued with the epics of course on it, but many of the sections seemed to be repeated chord progressions and in similar keys. Cedric's vocals frankly, were not as good. He seemed more nasal or whiny in some ways. I suppose at that point, I was getting into a lot of bands into more song-oriented music, dredg, Pure Reason Revolution namely, that the filler stood out more in a negative way on this album. I always struggled with it, although some years later now, I'm not sure if I shouldn't try and re-assess it for a 3rd or 4th time again.



Their next album, The Bedlam in Goliath from 2008, didn't have any 13+ minute epics on it, and so I was kind of optimistic again when it came out, thinking that AMP was just a bump in the road for what I thought of as progressive rock's proof that it can be commercial, viable, known etc. And they had this new drummer named Thomas Pridgen who was a prodigy in jazz. His youtube videos made him look like he could play circles around Jon Theodore. And he very well could. However, on this album, his drums, namely with the cymbals, it didn't really matter how impressive the playing was, because what I have come to call 4C Syndrome. This was the album that really reeked the most of it, and I could not stand listening to it. Although, it wasn't the only thing I found wrong with it. The production and layers seem overdone. The production was too hot. The good parts of it got totally ruined by the 4C and what sounded at times like overindulgence/overlayered/overproduced, in tracks in the studio.

It's sad, because in a lot of ways, they fixed or went away from what was wrong with AMP. There weren't a ton of extended or pointless sections, and in fact there was at least a reasonable amount of varied sounds and kinds of songs, including some new kinds of things like on "Ouroboros" for example. But it just didn't matter. Live, I never caught them on that tour, and didn't make an effort to check out some of the live recordings and videos to know how much better the songs came across.

It also was clear that along with all the solo and side projects that Omar Rodriguez-Lopez did, it seemed like he and the band were more into or at least satisfied with quantity. At least given how much work they put out and odds are how little time they spent refining their music. They used a producer on their 1st 2 albums I recall; Rick Rubin on De-Loused, but now they more or less were not taking any outside voices. A bit like Dream Theater. And I'd say it showed in the finished results.



So when they announced they had a new album coming out in 2009 called Octahedron, it was more or less an afterthought to me. Even though it was billed as an acoustic-type album. I was just not going to be all that enthusiastic about them and it. Their 5th album in 6 years.

And in 2009, I did listen to it and kind of considered it okay, but not really something I needed to go out and buy anytime soon. But come the end of the year, in revisiting it, I enjoyed it a bit more. And with that, I've come to hold a little more optimism about them. Sure, they will do their own thing and they will continue to put out more material than I'd prefer instead of demo-ing and re-working and refining, that may lead them back to the level they were at with De-Loused and Frances. But with lower expectations, anything better than their last work is gravy and fine by me.

They still are the face of progressive rock now, and a new breed or style, and for that I will always be a fan and regard them as important. And who knows, perhaps one day they will grab me as much if not more than they did when I 1st got into them. They certainly have enough ambition and talent to do so.

Albums: Frances the Mute, De-Loused in the Comatorium, Octahedron
Songs: Inertiatic ESP, Cassandra Gemini, Viscera Eyes, Televators, L'via L'Viaquez, Cygnus...Vismund Cygnus, Ourboros, Copernicus

I could add as I mentioned in the little 10min audio stream on the blog, this is not really going to be done in any backwards or exact  chronological order or ranking really. It's more vague.

[MetalManiac666]

Interesting write-up.

[skydivingninja]

I completely forgot to comment on this.  Fun read, and is kind of my experience with TMV as well, though I didn't start back in 2003 like you did.  De-Loused, Frances, and Octahedron are the best.  Goliath has plenty of great songs, and Amp is kind of a clusterfuck.

[SoundscapeMN]

bump.

blog posting

Mahavishnu Orchestra/Solo side projects

When I was 1st introduced to "fusion" or more so known as "jazz-rock" around 2000 or 2001, Mahavishnu Orchestra along with Return to Forever and Weather Report were the 3 names stressed to me to be essential. And their classic period when they had the lineup of John McLaughlin (guitar), Jan Hammer (keys), Jerry Goodman (violin), Rick Laird (bass) and Billy Cobham (drums). That lineup was maybe best known for 2 records in particular. Birds of Fire and The Inner Mounting Flame. And it's funny how while I did like those albums, I never was as grabbed by them quite as much as by a couple of the others. For starters, one of the people who introduced me to Mahavishnu and most of the jazz-rock initially was also the cohost of the radio show I did on KFAI around that time. He also on 1 show, ended up playing some music from my favorite jazz (or related to jazz) record of all-time, Jerry Goodman and Jan Hammer's Like Children.



That show he played some of the stuff off that album really impressed me. He actually was so excited of finding a copy at the time, he didn't even announce what the artist was on the air until after playing several cuts off it. One of the tracks he played was the fat, lead bass melody track "Country and Eastern Music" which totally got my attention on what kind of album it was. So much so, I seek-ed it out only to find it was never issued on cd. I found a couple of tracks from a Jeff Beck Group live cd, and a Jan Hammer compilation, but finally around 2005 or 2006 Jan Hammer's back catalog was being issued or reissued on cd, and it was made available. The percussion and production stood out. It really flowed well, and unlike the other MO records, it really seemed to be less-is-more.



I recall not long after hearing some Like Children, my co-host brought in and played some music off the recently released disc The Lost Trident Sessions. I for some reason, enjoyed that album more than any of the actual MO albums I'd heard. I suppose part of that had to do with the fact it included some of the LC songs,"I Wonder" and "Stepping Tones" namely.

But over time, I just found that material, better, and the whole album working better as a whole. Not too long after, I picked up their live record Between Nothingness and Eternity which included a lot of that music as well, although I won't deny, that live album I haven't ever got too into, really nearly as much as like Weather Report's Live and Unreleased.



However, one live album I have got into, and enjoy a fair amount, just like, Goodman/Hammer's Like Children, is not an actual Mahavishnu album, but included their magnificent drummer Billy Cobham along with Frank Zappa alum George Duke, simply titled Live in Europe. While they didn't play any of the MO music, they were doing a cool, funky kind of jazz-rock. And one of the biggest things about that album, was actually the cover art. The drawings with their heads suspended by disembodied hands, was just too freaky and wacked-out for me to ignore. And it remains one of my favorite album covers to this day. Plus it looks really cool on vinyl.

Of course there were other sideprojects I came to enjoy. One being Billy's solo record Spectrum which by many is regarded as essential as any of the Mahavishnu albums, and any in jazz-rock.

And then John McLaughlin and his East-Indian-styled Shakti project. And while I have never been consumed by that, I have always considered it among, if not the best *fusing* of jazz and ethnic music. Plus the live experience seeing it is as unique a live experience I've ever had. I had known Zakir Hussein from seeing him play live with some different noteworthy performers. Fareed Haque, Kai Eckhardt and Steve Smith in the band "East Meets Jazz" along namely. So hearing Zakir play with McLaughlin was certainly as enjoyable as it sounds. With Shakti, it was in some ways the opposite of what McLaughlin was doing with MO. It was more flowing and free-form. Which admittedly, is best heard live, but the album I have, is still as good of a mood album that I have listened to in my music listening experience.

Another part of my experience with MO was how I have seen some people cover their music live. Probably most notably, Dean Magraw's band Eight-Head once played "Dance of Maya" at the Dakota Jazz club, and I was floored. Which part of that I'm not surprised since it's Dean and Eight-Head, but also part of that makes me wonder if my appreciation for these guys might be closer to many of their big fans, if I ever had the chance to see them live. I can say something similar about finally seeing Return to Forever back in 2008, but I'm skeptical if a true classic lineup reunion will ever happen. But who knows since a RTF reunion was often doubted as well.

But in the mean time, I hope more folks can discover them, and especially those related releases like Like Children and Live In Europe namely.

Albums: Like Children, The Lost Trident Sessions, Live In Europe, The Inner Mounting Flame
Songs: I Wonder, Stepping Tones, The Noonward Race, Country and Eastern Music
Sister Andrea, Full Moon Boogie, Dance of Maya, Earth (Still Our Home), Giving In Gently/I Wonder

[SoundscapeMN]

Superior
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Sometime in 1996 or '97, back when the "Ytsejam email list" was set up, this band's debut album "Behind" for some reason got praised to no end for maybe a month or more. Ironically, I wasn't actually a subscriber to it, but I recall finding archives of "The Jam" as they called it and saw all the worshiping emails. So I took the plunge and ordered it from Impulse Music, my favorite new import company who also introduced me to prog metal/bands-for-dream-theater-fans Without Warning, Metropolis and later Angra.



I gave it maybe one or two listenings, and while I liked some of it, I didn't really follow all the heavy words or even comparisons to Dream Theater. I remember thinking the band Metropolis (who ere also from Germany) were so much better than these guys, yet nobody on the jam/online prog/dream theater fan-base knew Metropolis.

Well Metropolis, I kind of lost some of my passion for, but one day after thinking/saying Superior were annoying thrash with piano, I decided to give Superior another shot. And I began to appreciate their differences to Dream Theater. They really didn't sound much like Dream Theater. Their singer Michael Tangerman had a deeper voice than LaBrie. They used piano as a texture mainly. And their music was darker. Even the guitar work, while dense and versatile like Petrucci really was not nearly as focused on shredding and technicality, as power and force.



So then I began to really love Behind, namely the 1st couple of tracks "The Truth Ain't Kind" especially "Why" which is probably one of the best "progressive metal" songs ever written. So, I eventually checked out their 2nd album Younique which was quite different in a lot of ways. Incorporating lounge-y jazz and latin elements among other differences. But ultimately, it became a record I preferred over Behind.

My favorite track probably being "Nothing" which is one of those songs that sounds like it ends, but then repeats a section in a great way. Younique even had my favorite singer (especially at the time) Andre Matos of Angra on the track "Detect: Myself"

A year or 2 after enjoying both records a fair amount, I saw them at ProgPowerUSA live, which was kind of a big deal. They were the 1st band of the weekend to play, and really impressed most who caught their performance. Enough, the founder had a video of "Why" uploaded to the festival site I recall.



They ended up playing some new music at that show, that wound up on their 3rd and final album Ultima Ratio. Ultima Ratio was kind of a concept or even rock opera of sorts about an apocalypse with a deity coming to save the world. it was a bit religious in tone. Some comments mentioned it to almost be like a sequel to Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime. And that comparison both conceptually and musically, wasn't far off. Although like O:M, the concept never sucked me in enough to get attached to it. And that's why I regard it as the worst of Superior's three lps. However, it still has a number of good songs on it. "Fallen," and "Broken" come to mind. It was certainly ambitious and at least different, and it could be seen as them being "progressive" in some ways I suppose.

The band had a 4th record in the titled "New World Order" that was expected to come out sometime around 2007 or 2008. But the ole money issue killed it and the band's existence sadly. Insideout Music never even picked them up like they should have.

They did at least put out a double live disc and a rarities/demos that go back to the late 80's. So at least for fans there is more than just the 3 lps worth of material to have.

Superior were one of a number of interesting bands doing "progressive metal" that came after Dream Theater. And it's sad to know and see many other bands around who are far more blatantly derivative of Dream Theater, than them. They were unique (no pun intended) in many ways. And to this day, I feel it's pretty fucking sad how little recognition and familiarity they have, even among Dream Theater fans. Many of those fans, probably were not around in the late 90's when they were kind of the cat's ass. But their music is still out there to hear, so perhaps they'll find some new fans at some point like many disbanded bands seem to do.

Albums: Younique, Behind
Songs: Why, Nothing, Free-Minded, Broken, Detect: Myself, The Truth Ain't Kind

[Ultimetalhead]

Superior is an awesome band. I can't believe only about 5 people here know about them.

[pogoowner]

Superior is an awesome band. I can't believe only about 5 people here know about them.

I know of them, but I've never listened to them, aside from that time years ago when one of their tracks was floating around as a supposed leak from the new DT album.

[SoundscapeMN]

blog

Apes and Androids/Call Florence Pow

The short-lived "Kokoro" blog is responsible for bringing the name Apes and Androids up to me I believe it was in February 2008, not too long before or after the official release date of Blood Moon.



I was just thinking earlier, in the 2+ years or so I've found myself attached to their album Blood Moon I've really never waiver-ed or doubted it's brilliance. I've probably never been so consumed by a band and their 1 single release like this (save for Soundscape's Discovery perhaps). Is it due to it's originality? perhaps. Is it due to it's obscurity? probably as well.

When I heard this album at 1st, well at 1st actually I was never able to get through it all, mainly due to bad timing. I'd put it on and get interrupted. I probably put it on five or six times between February/March and early May of 2008 without making it more than half way through. From memory, I believe that was only due to purely timing. I'd have something I needed to do at work, when in the middle of it.

And one other factor may have not helped, due to the fact the version I was playing was tagged inaccurately. The track numbers were labeled incorrectly.

But come May, I had found it had enough on it, that I wanted to make sure to give it more time. And even (not aware of) my playing it out of sequence, I was shocked and totally had my world turned upside down at exactly what this band was doing.

Was it humor? yeah it was. Was it subtle? yes, definitely. Did it have very well thought-out, fine-tuned melodies? yep. Somehow, these elements, along with using synthesizers with rock in a very trippy, hypnotic way, totally got my attention after about 3 times through. Their vocal harmonies went from what the fuck, to holy shit these guys can totally write and sing falsettos! Like Queen and David Bowie and Prince and even Pink Floyd.

Then the whole story/concept approach began to increase how much I began to consume this thing. It was some kind of futuristic Scifi space opera, that took what I perceived to be an influence of 80's Scifi cinema. "Apes and Androids" the ole Man vs Machine. The Terminator, The Matrix, Battlestar Galactica and some other stories crept into my mind as I tried to decipher any and all things from it.

Along with that, the rest of 2008, into 2009, this album just was one of those go-to records. Energy albums. The energy from track to track. The flow. It really was as much an escape and therapy album as anything else.

I probably played it 100 times over the course of 9 months. I still play it regularly. For one thing, it's still pathetically sad how few people know of the band, or have caught on to them. And in 2009, word came out they had to call it a day, at least for now. Blood Moon had been in the making for many years. Really going back to when David Tobias and Brian Jacobs were doing Call Florence Pow around 2002 or 2003.



I eventually started seeking any and all information and resources about Apes and Androids and especially the main 2 masterminds/songwriters David Tobias and Brian Jacobs. I came to learn they had a band under the name Call Florence Pow that released a debut lp called These Are the Plans... in 2000, and then a follow-up ep titled The Strange Situation in 2002.



Call Florence Pow wasn't exactly like Apes and Androids, but it was still music I enjoyed. It was less electronic and more humorous I guess. But the music still had a lot of thought put into it. And it was definitely something I followed how those 2 guys evolved into the sound on Blood Moon.

Two other big things also came to light at that point about Apes and Androids.

For one, Call Florence Pow's 1st lp These Are the Plans... was released on "Spongebath Records" which was a record label founded by Matt Mahaffey. Mahaffey was a musical genius in a lot of ways himself, and actually worked with Apes and Androids and CFP on their music. He mixed and played drums on a little of Blood Moon for example. But Matt also had this project/band called sElf which as it turns out, seemed to be quite influential on the guys in A&A's, especially the CFP material. But one of the things about sElf was they had a rather extensive catalog of albums and songs. However, they were also rather hard to find hard-copies of. I would eventually track down most of the discs that were printed luckily. Gizmodgery, Breakfast With Girls, Subliminal Plastic Motives and Half-Baked Serenade. sElf also had a bevvy of songs and albums that were made available exclusively online.

I think sElf, truly had a big part in the foundation of Apes and Androids and the 1st CFP album. Although I've grown to love These Are the Plans... and The Strange Situation, probably even more than any sElf album at this point. But sElf have so much music, that still less than 2 years in, I am continuing to learn how much I enjoy their music as well.

But the other big part of what Apes and Androids and sElf to an extent, is it introduced me to a so-called genre of music that I 1st would describe as just electronic/electro experimental power-pop. But it's become more commonly known as "Indietronica." I suppose music that has or is thought-of as "Indie Rock" ("College Rock") but also features to varying degrees electronic elements.

Now some groups I had been a fan of before this like Mute Math, Pure Reason Revolution, Muse, Men Women, and Children, and even Chroma Key (or OSI) could be regarded as this style. And certainly those bands on paper kind of do have much of this sound. But where Apes and Androids differ is they kind of created an almost over- the-top cool way to use synthesizers within rock. They took more post-punk and 80's elements I suppose, with modern production standards. Thomas Dolby and The Talking Heads they could be compared to, as well Cafe Jacques and even a large glam side, that gave them comparisons to Sparks and of course David Bowie, along with a contemporary of theirs in of Montreal and certainly a big influence upon them in Beck.

But what I came to find is there were and continue to be many bands who have a similar approach in this style. Some of the better ones being bands like The Age of Rockets, The Chap, Emmanuel & the Fear and Late of the Pier. Sadly, as good as some of the bands who I've found doing this kind of music, none of them have come close to comparing to Apes and Androids. Which in a way sort of makes them stand out even more.



To add to all that, they came to be known as an outrageously unusual live band. At their concerts would feature the members dressing up in face-paint, have cheerleaders, props, tribal drummers, strobe lights, etc the whole 9 yards. Very much in the spirit of David Bowie's glammiest and Pink Floyd along with a Danny Elfman 80's horror element. The CFP track "Creepy Girls" was a staple piece especially. Sadly, they wouldn't play incredibly often, especially after the release of Blood Moon. So that made their concerts all the more special. One of the members was once quoted about their live approach "There isn't a ton left to do with Recorded music, so trying to be as original live is where an artist still can standout, and give their fans their money's worth."

Unfortunately I never got to experience that, but some of the live videos at least support how important their shows were to what they were about.

Albums: Blood Moon, These Are the Plans..., The Strange Situation EP
Songs: Riverside, Hot Kathy, Golden Prize, Johnny and Sarah, We Don't Understand You, Make Forever Last Forever, Periodic Table, Preparation For Battle, the Great 3 & 4 Part Tones

[SoundscapeMN]

Bend Sinister

blog

One of Canada's biggest secrets, that perhaps now in 2010 may finally see some due recognition and exposure, after number of years in sad obscurity. I can trace 1st seeing their name I recall the Summer of 2006. On the Porcupine Tree message board, a topic titled "Something interesting out of Canada."



This band had released what is technically their 2nd album in 2005 Through the Broken City and their website had a neat design that went with the artwork.

Their style of music could be vaguely described as if Jeff Buckley were singing with The Mars Volta. However, I often hear a strong influence from Queen as well as even The Guess Who or Elton John. Although as I came to take in their music more and more, I realized they had somewhat of their own sound, and that description might not be 100% accurate. They had these great crescendos that I found myself loving, on that album. They also at times could be incredibly catchy or include one or two really fun hooks that would not leave my head for hours. And despite some lower fidelity production values, it became and still is a record that stands the test of time, as whenever I put it on still, I enjoy it as much if not more than when I 1st got into it.

And along with the music, Broken City has always had a somewhat of a deep, mystical concept behind it. I kind of think of post-apocalyptic stories (Scifi) when listening to it. Even with the closing cut "Under the Ground" the lyrics "a man came to me and said I'm better than you...better than you" which sort meant to me, kind of a adversarial mindset about how the people or lifeforms from above had made living above the surface un-live-able and they now needed to go under ground to try and survive. And given the man had lived under the ground, with it's different (if not extremely worse) conditions, he was in fact better or more tolerant/a-survivor than the main character in the story. There was a cheesy early 90's tv show starring Kate Hodge called "Shewolf of London" I recall which had an episode a bit like that with mole-people. And recently on Dr.Who there was something kind of similar. And I'm sure there have been plenty of other stories written in Hollywood and in literature (The Time Machine? a movie of the original George Reeves Superman?)

I got so into them, and the fact I could not find anyone else who really liked or would really check them out, it frustrated me, similarly to what went on soon after with another great band doing modern prog in North Carolina's House of Fools. It also hurt their ability to tour, at least in the States. I wished and still feel if I had the money (i.e. if I won the lottery) I would be interested in help funding a tour across the States for Bend Sinister.



So in 2007 after the band put up some new songs on their myspace page, a new ep was in the works. As it turns out, it was self-titled. It was around this time I was struggling with hearing compressed, clipping cymbals. And the new EP, like Broken City, pretty much was without a poor track. However, the cymbals clipping kind of hurt how much I enjoyed it. Three of the tracks, "Time Breaks Down," "Julianna" and "Yours Truly" it stuck out. Although songs like "TV War" and "High Horses" the compression problems didn't seem to be there or as notice-able. So while this new batch of songs I couldn't find myself in love with entirely, I still held a lot of optimism about them and the music they were writing.

But like it has become, obscure bands and how often they are heard from can be limited, even online. 2008 seemed to be a pretty quiet year for the band, as the new ep's release didn't lend to much more touring than I hoped to see. Nor news online about their next record. But then suddenly 1 day in late August I recall it was, they announced they had a brand new concept album coming out within a few weeks. It was to be a record they said was meant to be heard all at once. Very much in the tradition of concept albums they enjoyed. It was titled Stories of Brothers, Tales of Lovers.



And it did not disappoint. It was different than Broken City. More piano, more of a retro tone and texture to it. But it was still very well written music, and the band ultimately pulled off what they set out to do, as it does work better as one full listening. Much like Side 2 of <i>Abbey Road</i> for example. "I read the news today oh boy" The classic rock references/tributes were there, which came across very much part of it's charm. They weren't sounding like Wolfmother though, as they still sounded like the Bend Sinister I loved, but it was a nice change and an example how they were being progressive. They ended up playing the whole thing live as well, but sadly their tour never came across the border.

So then news came at the end of 2009, they ended up entering and winning 3rd place and $50,000 in a non-profit contest in British Columbia called the "Peak Performance Project."  And now they are (at the time I wrote this) in the process of making their next record, in Toronto, which is far from their home in Vancouver. But they are starting to receive more exposure than ever before. Playing at the Rush Induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (with both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush in attendance). And just a few weeks back, they did a showcase gig in New York City, which chances are, some record label people were in attendance.



Plus a new EP was released Spring Romance which includes 5 brand new tracks, very much in the vein and of the quality of the Stories of Brothers work. So, as it seems, the many years of enjoyment and optimism for this great band from Canada may finally be paying off for me as a fan. The near future sounds like it should be rather promising.

The only regret as fan thus far, beyond never seeing them live, is the fact their debut album <i>The Warped Pane</i> has been so elusive, I've never heard it, nor encountered anyone who has. I have read that it's an all instrumental album so, my sadness for that fact isn't maybe what it may be. But I still hope to hear it one day, as I at times can't get enough of this band.

Albums: Through the Broken City, Stories of Brothers, Tales of Lovers
Songs: Truth or Truth, Tough Love, Demise, High Horses, Hell or Shelter, Give Into the Night, Dr.Lee, Time Breaks Down, Through the Broken City/When Your Skin Makes Your Crawl

All Media Reviews Music Essential - Bend Sinister
All Media Reviews Music Essential - Apes and Androids/Call Florence Pow
All Media Reviews Music Essential - Superior
All Media Reviews Music Essential - Mavahishnu Orchestra/Related Projects
All Media Reviews Music Essential - The Mars Volta

[SoundscapeMN]

bump.

Galactic Cowboys

https://allmediareviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/all-media-reviews-music-essential.html

Galactic Cowboys


Galactic Cowboys I first heard about, basically the day or at least the week-of the 1st ]King's X concert I saw at "The Mirage" in Minneapolis. I recall it being July or August of 1996. King's X had just come under my radar at that time too. But the Galactic Cowboys were opening for them, but they weren't a typical opening act I found. I just recall going to Cheapo a few hours before hand and listening to one or two of their cassette tapes. In 1996, I was still in the mode of buying tapes 1st, just to evaluate how much I liked a band or an album. I also recall distinctly listening to a Faith No More cd (or two) that very same trip and kind of liking it but not enough to buy it.




But I know I picked up Space in Your Face and I believe the Self-titled album that very trip to the Minneapolis Cheapo, which I also recall at that time being located down the block from where it is now on Lake Street.

So then I saw them open for King' X. I actually recall getting in to the show late or the club not letting everyone inside for the start of TGC's set. And years later being rather pissed about that.

King's X blew me away that night, so the Cowboys impression were not as high as 1 of my newest favorite bands were. But I remember sometime soon after that, stumbling upon a small live photo of them ibn an issue of Metal Edge with some notes from their tour. And now thinking about it, I may have actually had that issue before the concert, and actually read it. It said  something about how The Galactic Cowboys "and their great harmonies" and some other things that weren't as typical in hard rock/heavy metal. And almost sounded more of a progressive rock element.

A few years after I picked up Martin Popoff's 1997 book A Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal that had like 10,000 reviews in it, and at least one or more of the Cowboys reviews said "The Beatles meets Metallica" which really sounded cool to me.





So, they went on to release two albums and an EP after that, one that I caught them on tour again with King's X. I believe it was in 1998 at the Medina Ballroom, one cold winter night.

edit: actually, it may have been two more times. Once on tour supporting The Horse that Bud Bought at Ground Zero in Minneapolis, and once supporting At the End of the Day. But everytime was with King's X. I came to almost expect those two bands together.

And that was over the course of 3+ years really. 1996 to 1999. I really loved Space in Your Face and the s/t debut album was another one I enjoyed. SIYF had these cool harmonies, and even the Beatles elements that I loved. They actually had some grunge sound to them, but it was only one side to their music. Really being progressive in a lot of ways. How many bands really were influenced, quite obviously, by Metallica and The Beatles? You could say Dream Theater, but not nearly as blatantly. Machine Fish and AtEotD were also both solid records. And after some years, I actually think The Horse that Bud Bought is actually not nearly as bad as I found it when it came out.





I don't recall how long after, but sometime in the year 2000, King's X went on tour, but not with the Cowboys. And not long after that, I found out about the new album Let It Go which would be their last. I do remember specifically reading either online or in Metal Edge that they parted on good terms, and certainly did not rule out the idea of a reunion some day.



And sadly, Let it Go I never got totally into, at least at the time. It was really, a lot different than any of their other albums. But I kind of felt it was in some ways, a good thing it was. But it also often seemed like the band throwing any and all ideas they had into it. It was a lot more diverse stylistically. They used more synths and frankly, free-form jams in it.

Ultimately, I have revisited it and enjoyed it more in recent years.

A few other notes about these guys that cannot be forgotten. Around 1990 or 1991, a record label representative was scouting talent, looking to sign a new band. And somehow the same representative ended up looking at Nirvana and perhaps one other band, along with The Galactic Cowboys. There have been quotes about the fact the only reason Nirvana was signed over The Galactic Cowboys was due to their name being more market-able. And Kurt Cobain was quoted as being surprised by that after hearing The Galactic Cowboys. Saying something of the effect "I don't know why they signed us over that band The Galactic Cowboys. Afterall, they actually CAN sing.

So myself and many of the longtime Cowboys fans think about that and what could have been.

The Galactic Cowboys did end up opening for Dream Theater around 1992 or '93. And I don't recall if I realized it before or after I saw them open for King's X, but of course the clip that shows some of the guys in Dream Theater's Music In Progress: Live in Tokyo video with them singing "Take the Time" is priceless. I guess they joined the band on stage for that one, maybe on more than one occasion. They also opened for Savatage around that time, either the s/t or Space In Your Face period. Of course I wasn't aware of any of those bands at the time so I never caught a show from either of those tours.

Awful Truth was a band Monty Colvin and Alan Doss were in in the late 1980's, that released one full-length cd. For many years I wanted to hear it, and I remember Impulse Music or Wild Side Records having it for sale, but I never got around to buying it. But thankfully about two years ago I found a copy on ebay. That along with some of the bootlegs and bootleg videos I have are among my most cherished Cowboys items, from a rarity and collectors stand point.

They were a brilliant band, who maybe even Beatallica fans owe something too now, given what Beatallica are (and TGC's style in a lot ways was), but sadly never were truly understood. Although more so than fellow Texas d-tuned prog band Atomic Opera. They just never fully got the break they deserved. Maybe one reason why I admire their work even more in some ways, some 15 years later. The reunion shows that happened last Summer would have been sweet to see but money and some other factors made it a bit too hard for me to attend. I did see them three times at least, and perhaps they'll do another reunion eventually. Maybe with King's X again.

I've always felt they were better than pretty much every one of the grunge bands of their time. better songwriters, better at writing melodies, funnier, and better technical players. And definitely much better singers.

Albums: Space In Your Face, The Galactic Cowboys, At the End of the Day, Machine Fish
Songs: Blind, Sea of Tranquillity, Still Life of Peace, You Make Me Smile, Where Are You Now?, No Problems, Feel the Rage, Ranch On Mars, My Old School, Tiltawhirl

[pogoowner]

Galactic Cowboys FTW. As is probably the case with most people, I also got into them after first loving King's X.