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Helga Arvesten - Don't Speak (digital single)
Review by Gary Hill
I've reviewed two other singles from this artist in this issue of Music Street Journal. This is the second of the three to be released.
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Helga Arvesten - Lightning Strike (digital single)
Review by Gary Hill
The first of three singles from this artist, this song is not progressive rock in a traditional sense. However, it is art rock.
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Helga Arvesten - Naked (digital single)
Review by Gary Hill
"Progressive music" clearly works as a description of this piece. It's perhaps a bit lacking in the rock department, but this is art-music for sure.
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Cairo (UK) - Say
Review by Gary Hill
The first thing to get out of the way here is that this is not the Mark Robertson led band of the same name. While that band hails from the USA, this act is based in the UK.
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Joe Deninzon - Joe Deninzon and Stratospheerius - Guilty of Innocence
Review by Gary Hill
Joe Deninzon's music is always both entertaining and creative. I have to say that this might very well be the best Stratospheerius album.
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Downes Braide Association - Skyscraper Souls
Review by Gary Hill
I have to admit that I was initially drawn to this act because of Geoff Downes. As a fan of Yes and The Buggles, I follow his work.
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Keith Emerson - Emerson Plays Emerson
Review by Gary Hill
Perhaps in some circles the late great Keith Emerson is known primarily for his synthesizer work. The man was an incredible piano player, though.
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Fischer’s Flicker - Open 28 Hours
Review by Gary Hill
These guys are considered a progressive rock band, and I've reviewed a couple other albums that fit pretty tightly under that heading. This one isn't as tight a fit, but it still fits as prog.
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Focus - The Focus Family Album
Review by Gary Hill
I'm often skeptical of the "Family Album" or "Friend and Relatives" or "Friends and Relations" albums.
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Galapaghost - Pulse
Review by Gary Hill
This is not an entirely tight fit under progressive rock. That said, it is definitely art rock.
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Heaven & Earth - Hard to Kill
Review by Gary Hill
Let's get the classification question out of the way right at the start here.
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Dave Kerzner - Static
Review by Gary Hill
Dave Kerzner is perhaps best known as one of the co-founders of the progressive rock band Sound of Contact. This is his latest solo release, and I suppose the best comparison here would be to Pink Floyd.
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Sonja Kristina - Sonja Kristina: Anthology
Review by Gary Hill
I've put this under Sonja Kristina solo, but technically speaking, it's part of the Curved Air rarities series. This double disc set has some intriguing stuff.
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Mabel Greer's Toyshop - The Secret
Review by Gary Hill
It could be said that Mabel Greer's Toyshop became Yes. In fact, that's essentially what happened.
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Melting Mergers - Melting Mergers
Review by Larry Toering
Melting Mergers is an album that fuses EDM, electronica, funk and world samples together by keyboardist/composer David Lee Bassett, drummer/percussionist Vinnie Bargas, and dancer Emily Paris.
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Native - Native Meets Lee Scratch Perry - Black Ark Showcase 1977
Review by Gary Hill
This isn't a tidy fit under progressive rock. It's not a tidy fit under reggae, either, though.
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Nattefrost - Skaldic Themes (limited edition colored vinyl LP)
Review by Gary Hill
I've reviewed several releases from this act before. The music created by Nattefrost is electronic and lands in similar territory to acts ranging from Kraftwerk to Synergy.
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Bill Nelson - Dreamy Screens (Soundtracks from the Echo Observatory)
Review by Gary Hill
This box set houses three CDs from Bill Nelson. Two of the albums were recorded as soundtracks.
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The Ed Palermo Big Band - The Adventures of Zodd Zundgren
Review by Gary Hill
I reviewed an earlier disc from this outfit and loved it. Well, this keeps up that tradition.
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Yvan Poisson - Blind Experiment
Review by Gary Hill
This is listed as "instrumental trip hop." Well, honestly, I don't see how this any less prog oriented than any number of electronic styles that get lumped under the prog heading.
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Rausch - Book II
Review by Gary Hill
It's been about eight years since the debut album from Rausch. This follow-up is a real powerhouse.
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Reflexson - It's Broken
Review by Gary Hill
Perhaps this doesn't fit under progressive rock. The electronic vibe on this can be seen as almost a modernized, more fun-loving, take on acts like Kraftwerk.
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Jordan Rudess - Jordan Rudess / Steve Horelick - InterSonic
Review by Gary Hill
This would land under progressive rock under just about any circumstance at MSJ because of the fact that it's a project by Jordan Rudess. That said, while this is not rock music, it is progressive.
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Sarah Schonert - Penguin Party
Review by Gary Hill
This is clearly not progressive rock by a conventional definition. It is art rock, though. This has a lot in common with Kate Bush.
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Matt Siffert - Gallatin
Review by Gary Hill
This is definitely not a tight fit under progressive rock, but there is enough of the moody modern prog sound that I think it fits. The set works through a variety of textures, but does lean toward the mellower end of the equation.
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Alan Simon - Excalibur IV: The Dark Age of the Dragon
Review by Gary Hill
This is the newest CD from Alan Simon. Simon is a French artist who has been releasing powerful rock operas like this one for a long time.
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Alan Simon - Songwriter
Review by Gary Hill
I don't think I had heard of Alan Simon until recently. This double disc set captures a lot of his previous work.
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Sinoptik - Standalone Syndrome (digital single)
Review by Gary Hill
I guess these guys are billed as stoner rock. I tend to think of stoner rock as more slow, plodding, Sabbath-like heavy stuff.
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Snoozy Moon - Said the Squirrel
Review by Gary Hill
Like with their previous release, I'm perhaps stretching the boundaries to include this under progressive rock. I think that's a worthy cause, though.
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Vie Jester - All in Jest
Review by Gary Hill
I previously landed these guys under progressive rock. I'm going to stick with that decision here.
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John Wetton - Akustika: Live in Amerika / Akustika II: Return to Amerika
Review by Gary Hill
This is a two CD set combining two John Wetton live albums into one release. The two shows were performed about ten years apart.
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Wingfield - Reuter - Sirkis - Lighthouse
Review by Gary Hill
If you like instrumental music that's experimental and challenging, you should give this a try. There a real freeform vibe to a lot of it.
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Joshua Worden - Cinders
Review by Gary Hill
I reviewed another release from this artist a while ago. I didn't land that one under progressive rock.
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Yes - Topographic Drama: Live Across America
Review by Gary Hill
This brand new live album from Yes is cool stuff. For one thing, it's great to get live recordings of all the Drama songs.
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Thomas Abban - A Sheik's Legacy
Review by Gary Hill
Thomas Abban's music provides an intriguing mix of modern alternative sounds and classic rock elements. His singing is dominated by a falsetto delivery that while effective, gets a bit old at times.
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Acting Natural - Acting Natural
Review by Gary Hill
If you take one look at the cover to this EP you will have a good idea of what the music is like. This group's sound is based on the pop rock of the 1960s.
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Amera - Amera
Review by Gary Hill
According to this group's press materials, they are focused on live performance. Given the material here, it's a good bet that their live shows are intense.
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Luca Bash - Keys of Mine
Review by Gary Hill
The vocals on this set have a definite reggae element, but the music for the most part is not set in that style. The music is also not confined to any one style, except the wide ranging pop rock heading.
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Lindsay Bellows - Wake to Dream
Review by Gary Hill
The vocals are the real driving element to this set. Each song features multiple layers of singing that showcases so much talent and style.
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Big Country - We're Not in Kansas (The Live Bootleg Box Set 1993-1998)
Review by Gary Hill
It's a pretty safe bet that for a lot of people out there Big Country is represented by one song - their big hit "In a Big Country." This new collection shows that the band had more than one trick up their sleeves.
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Black Bluebirds - Like Blood For Music
Review by Gary Hill
This album is unique and a bit hard to pin down. I suppose the easiest reference is to say "Gothic rock," but there is a lot of range and stylistic alteration within that description.
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Blue Apollo - Circles (digital single)
Review by Gary Hill
I also reviewed an EP from this artist in this issue. This is the new single leading up to their next album.
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Blue Apollo - Light-Footed Hours
Review by Gary Hill
There is nothing Earth-shattering or decidedly original here. Instead, this is effective modern pop music, cut from much the same cloth as a lot of similar music.
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J. Briozo - Deep in the Waves
Review by Gary Hill
It's not easy to pin a label on this set. It could almost land under progressive rock, though.
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Eliot Bronson - James
Review by Gary Hill
There seems to be a big movement towards roots music and folk based sounds these days. This album fits in that category.
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Ben Brookes - The Motor Car & The Weather Balloon
Review by Gary Hill
Ben Brookes' style of music seems most closely tied to Cat Stevens, but there is also plenty of reference here to acts like Al Stewart and Donovan. All these songs are well written and performed.
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Johnny Cash - Greatest Hits: The Sun Record Years (half speed mastered vinyl LP)
Review by Gary Hill
This is a classy release. To me, these songs were meant to be heard on vinyl, so this is the natural format.
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Colvin - Nightmare
Review by Gary Hill
This set is intended to be dark. I think it mostly succeeds in that quest.
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Philippe DeBarge with The Pretty Things - Rock St. Trop
Review by Gary Hill
This is an intriguing album. It was recorded in 1969, but released only recently.
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Delta Deep - East Coast Live
Review by Gary Hill
Phil Collen of Def Leppard assembled this band. The other members of the group are Rob DeLeo, Forrest Robinson and Debbi Blackwell-Cook.
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The Droogs - Young Gun
Review by Gary Hill
These guys originally formed in the early 1970, with a sound derived from psychedelia and garage band texture of the 1960s. This is their newest disc and really has a great fuzz-driven texture.
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Hope Dunbar - Three Black Crows
Review by Gary Hill
This is a cool disc. I would say that Hope Dunbar's biggest strength is her ability to write great lyrics.
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The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers - No Glory
Review by Gary Hill
I was expecting gospel music here. For the most part that's not what you get.
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Arthur Fowler - Here I Am Again
Review by Gary Hill
The mix of retro stylings with jazz and other sounds here is quite cool. This short set is diverse and effective.
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Peter Galperin - This Burning Sun
Review by Gary Hill
Combining elements of 80s pop music with Americana and more, this is an entertaining set. Some of the lyrics get quite topical, but it never loses its sense of fun musically.
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The Green Door - Wolf in the Fold
Review by Gary Hill
There is a shared territory between punk rock, psychedelia and stoner rock. These guys live within that space.
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Zaine Griff - Collectors Premium
Review by Gary Hill
I've not heard of this artist before, but apparently he was a big part of the Europop, new wave, new romantic movement. That sound is well tied to the 80s.
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Geff Harrison - Collectors Premium
Review by Gary Hill
Geff Harrison is probably best known for his work in the bands King Ping Meh and Twenty Sixty Six And Then.
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Glenn Hughes - Building the Machine 2CD Edition
Review by Gary Hill
This is one in a series of new Glenn Hughes reissues. The first CD is a studio album (with one bonus track).
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Glenn Hughes - Songs in the Key of Rock 3 CD Edition
Review by Gary Hill
This is a new release in a series of Glenn Hughes reissues. The bulk of the discs in this series are two-CD editions. This one has three.
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Joshua Ketchmark - Under Plastic Stars
Review by Gary Hill
Sometimes less can be more. I think that if there were maybe two or three less songs on this album it would be stronger.
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Gilbert Lee - Magic through the Static
Review by Gary Hill
This is quite an intriguing set. More than anything else, it falls in the neighborhood of modern pop rock, but it actually leans toward modern progressive rock a lot of the time.
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Sarah Morris - Hearts in Need of Repair
Review by Gary Hill
This set leans well toward the country music end of the spectrum. The main selling point here is the vocal delivery.
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Chris Murphy - Water Under the Bridge
Review by Gary Hill
Chris Murphy puts out consistently solid releases. His musical styles tend to vary quite a bit, from Celtic music to things like this.
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Meanr Mynr - The Sacrifice
Review by Gary Hill
A lot of times electronic music is strictly keyboard based. This set makes good use of guitar, too.
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Nocturnal Animals - Dark Lit Places
Review by Gary Hill
I like this EP a lot. Given that it draws heavily on Green Day-like emo, that says a lot because I don't really like that type of music.
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NYDTyson - If You're So Smart, Why Are You So Sad?
Review by Gary Hill
This band has a very diverse sound. They go from grunge and punk to alternative rock with jazzy elements to progressive rock and more.
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Otis - Eyes of the Sun
Review by Gary Hill
If you dig a classic blues rock sound, there is plenty to like here. These guys almost feel like they should have been around in the 1970s.
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Perfect Defect - Perfect Defect
Review by Gary Hill
The argument could be made to call this heavy metal. Honestly, I think it's a bit more on the mainstream hard rock end of the spectrum, but I wouldn't argue with that classification.
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Joel Phil - Raise Up EP
Review by Gary Hill
This new EP has four versions of the same song. The first one is the original take.
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Melissa Plett - Ghost Town
Review by Gary Hill
There is a lot of down-home, old-school country music in the mix here. The music ranges from evocative ballads to bluesy tunes and rockers.
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Psychocide - Alcohol & Bad Decisions
Review by Gary Hill
It's definitely hard to land a label on these guys. As close as you can come is "hard rock."
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Andrew Reed - If All The World Were Right
Review by Gary Hill
Andrew Reed is probably best known as part of the band Space Apaches. This new solo set doesn't share much ground with that outfit.
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Rejectionist Front - Evolve
Review by Gary Hill
If you were to combine Pearl Jam with DOA you might come up with something really close to the sound of this album. There is a great range of sounds here.
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Rhett Repko - Thnx For The Ride
Review by Gary Hill
I reviewed a previous set from Repko. On that one I talked about the vocals being a bit too much like Green Day (I find Billy Joe Armstrong's voice to be too whiny and don't like his band because of it).
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J.W. Schuller - No Mud in Joyville
Review by Gary Hill
This is a very interesting set. It's odd, but also very entertaining. It's just a lot of fun.
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Seneko - True Dimension
Review by Gary Hill
The sound here is certainly unique. This music seems to blend modern alternative rock based stuff with country and more.
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Sky Orchid - Oculus
Review by Gary Hill
If you like alternative rock based styled sounds, there is plenty to like about this. It's a mainstream rock set with a good range of texture.
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Billie Jo Spears - C'est La Vie
Review by Gary Hill
This is a new release of an album that was recorded in 1982. You really don't have to know that when you listen to it because the sound makes it clear that this is a product of a previous decade.
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Gavin Sutherland - Wireless Connection
Review by Gary Hill
This is an album that feels like it could have been released on the late 1960s or early 1970s. It's set in a folk music style that definite calls to mind artists like The Band and Bob Dylan and others of that ilk.
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Undercover Rabbis - Andromeda
Review by Gary Hill
Do you like noisy, fuzz drenched music? If so, you will love this.
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Uriah Heep - Raging Through the Silence: 20th Anniversary
Review by Gary Hill
Uriah Heep are on a quest to get their back catalog all out in official releases. This was available only on VHS before.
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Weathered Man - C-30 Duets Vol. 1
Review by Gary Hill
This EP is quite cool. It has a great blend of classic soul and jazz sounds with modern music.
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Wiccid - By Design
Review by Gary Hill
I like this album quite a bit. It mixes techno, industrial and electronic dance music textures.
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Yaysh - Daep (single)
Review by Gary Hill
The genre label of "hip hop" tends to create a lot of pre-conceived notions. Get rid of those.
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Zaritza - Zaritza
Review by Gary Hill
The music on this set is a bit hard to nail down. Zaritza herself plays keys and handles the vocals.
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