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Ian Anderson - Thick as a Brick 2
Review by Gary Hill
I like this disc a lot.
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Antioquia - Viajero
Review by Gary Hill
The blend of sounds here might not be a perfect fit for progressive rock, but it’s definitely a fit.
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Auburn - Indian Summer
Review by Gary Hill
While the vocals on this album sound like rather Macy Gray, the music combines world music, symphonic elements and progressive rock along with some jazz.
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Greg Baker - Subversion
Review by Gary Hill
The music Greg Baker makes will surely not appeal to everyone.
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Blackmore's Night - Under A Violet Moon
Review by Larry Toering
This is the second coming of Ritchie Blackmore's pet project that started off as if it wouldn't last so long, but has proceeded to find no end in sight.
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J.R. Blackmore - & Friends – Voices Part 1
Review by Larry Toering
This is a fantastic concept album, released on import in October 2011.
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Centrozoon - Boner
Review by Gary Hill
It would be easy to just classify this disc as strange atmospheric music.
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Crazy Mary - Dreaming in Brilliant Color
Review by Gary Hill
This is quite a cool release.
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Paul D’Adamo - Tell Me Something
Review by Gary Hill
There are quite a few Phil Collins and Genesis covers on this disc.
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Troy Donockley - Messages: A collection of music 1998-2001
Review by Gary Hill
Well, with a compilation like this, one might not anticipate a lot of consistency and cohesiveness.
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Martina Downey - Sign Post
Review by Gary Hill
Martina Downey has produced an intriguing album with Sign Post.
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Dymaxion Vehicle - Redesign: Fun in Strobes
Review by Gary Hill
As one might guess from the title, this album is made up of remixes.
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Earthshine - Cold Night
Review by Gary Hill
I like this disc quite a bit.
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Lauren Edman - It’s Always the Quiet One
Review by Gary Hill
Electronic music merged with progressive rock along the lines of Kate Bush makes up the bulk of this.
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Electric Outlet - ON!
Review by Larry Toering
This is a great prog fusion band from Finland, and this import is from 2006.
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Chris Field - Sub-Conscious
Review by Gary Hill
The music on Sub-Conscious fits somewhere along the intersection of progressive rock, new age and electronic music.
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Hasse Fröberg and the Musical Companion - Powerplay
Review by Gary Hill
Hasse Fröberg is probably best known for his work with The Flower Kings, but he’s done quite a bit of other stuff over the years.
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Peter Gabriel - Live Blood
Review by Gary Hill
This live album is rather unusual.
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Galahad - Battle Scars
Review by Gary Hill
Combining classic with modern progressive rock, the new disc from Galahad is a strong one.
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Gazpacho - March of Ghosts
Review by Gary Hill
This is likely to make a lot of people’s best of 2012 list.
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Gavin Harrison - & 05RIC – The Man Who Sold Himself
Review by Gary Hill
Best known as the drummer for Porcupine Tree, Gavin Harrison has produced a strong disc here.
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Hawkwind - Onward
Review by Gary Hill
The latest Hawkwind release is a double disc set.
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David Hayes - Out with the New
Review by Gary Hill
This second disc from Hayes is great.
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Frank Herzberg - Handmade
Review by Gary Hill
Perhaps this disc isn’t the best fit for progressive rock.
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Allan Holdsworth - Hard Hat Area
Review by Gary Hill
Originally released in 1993, this is getting a reissue here.
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Allan Holdsworth - None Too Soon
Review by Gary Hill
Originally released in 1996, I’m putting this under progressive rock because Holdsworth has been in prog bands (most notably UK) and because we often land fusion under that heading.
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It Bites - Map of the Past
Review by Alison Reijman
It Bites first exploded onto the British music scene back in the 80s, when, having formed in 1982, they had a huge commercial hit with their second single, the anthemic “Calling All The Heroes” four years later.
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Marco Machera - One Time, Somewhere
Review by Grant Hill
Italian progressive music intrigues me, and while I cannot claim great expertise from much knowledge of the European progressive community, I can tell you this one thing for certain: Marco Machera is a very intriguing, insightful composer and performer.
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Magellan - Dust in the Wind (Digital Single)
Review by Josh Turner
What Magellan has produced should slacken the stickiest fan from the mud as they’ve created something new and fresh while keeping its best parts.
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Magellan - Hello, Goodbye (Digital Single)
Review by Vivian Lee
"You say goodbye / and I say hello/ hello, hello / I don't know why you say goodbye / I say hello.."
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Motometer - Motometer
Review by Gary Hill
This debut disc should appeal to a lot of people.
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Nektar - Man in the Moon/Evolution
Review by Gary Hill
This new release features remastered versions of two previously released Nektar discs with some bonus tracks.
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Nineteentwelve - Waiting for No One
Review by Gary Hill
These guys are considered a progressive rock band, but if you just sampled the first couple songs, you’d probably not believe that.
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Ohmphrey - Posthaste
Review by Gary Hill
The name comes from combining “Ohm” with part of “Umphrey’s McGee.”
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Omenopus - The Plague
Review by Gary Hill
Since this project includes Bridget Wishart, one might expect it to be space rock.
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Mimi Page - Breathe Me In
Review by Gary Hill
This might wind up as one of my favorites for the year.
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Dave Painchaud - Tales Told & Journeys Imagined
Review by Gary Hill
We generally include fusion under progressive rock at Music Street Journal.
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The Secret City - The Secret City
Review by Gary Hill
With their eponymous titled debut disc, The Secret City have created a piece of art that speaks on many levels.
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Adam Sivitz - Under a Blueberry Moon
Review by Gary Hill
Adam Sivitz is the drummer for the rock band Mercury.
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Judge Smith - Orfeas: A Song Story
Review by Gary Hill
While this album didn’t completely blow me away in terms of being something I’d listen to a lot, I was quite taken by the artistic nature of it.
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Soniq Theater - A Second of Action
Review by Gary Hill
While each and every Soniq Theater album presents a form of progressive rock, variants exist within the catalog.
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Soniq Theater - Life Seeker
Review by Gary Hill
While each Soniq Theater has similarities, it seems that they also all have unique flavors.
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Soniq Theater - Pandromania
Review by Gary Hill
While there are generally connections binding all the Soniq Theater discs together, each seems to manage to create a sound unique to itself. .
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Soniq Theater - Seventh Heaven
Review by Gary Hill
In some ways this 2007 release continues the basic musical concepts so familiar from Soniq Theater, but in other ways it is a game changer.
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Soniq Theater - Soniq Theater
Review by Gary Hill
Released in 2000, this is the eponymous Soniq Theater disc.
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Soniq Theater - The Third Eye
Review by Gary Hill
The third disc from Soniq Theater, this one seems more guitar oriented than a lot of the catalog.
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Soniq Theater - This Mortal Coil
Review by Gary Hill
While the overall Soniq Theater concept is in place here, variants like some Celtic music are heard.
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Soniq Theater - Vision Quest
Review by Gary Hill
Each album from Soniq Theater continues the general musical concept of progressive rock mixed with fusion. Still, each one has a rather unique identity.
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Spirits Burning - With Thom the World Poet – Golden Age Orchestra
Review by Gary Hill
Spirits Burning general make music that fits along the lines of space rock.
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Spirits Burning & Bridget Wishart - Bloodlines
Review by Gary Hill
It seems that Spirits Burning’s sound is a very diverse thing. With this album the more familiar space rock elements are joined with jazz, psychedelia and even dance club music.
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Stratospheerius - The Next World
Review by Gary Hill
You just can’t go wrong with this outfit.
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These Curious Thoughts - Building Mountains from the Ground
Review by Gary Hill
I reviewed the previous release from this act, and liked it quite a bit.
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Tohpati - Tohpati Bertiga – Riot
Review by Gary Hill
Previously I thought that Tohpati’s name was “Tohpati Ethnomission” because of a previous release, but since this one came out under the name “Tohpati Bertiga,” I’m guessing it’s just “Tohpati.”
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Wally - Montpellier
Review by Gary Hill
The most likely candidates for comparison here are Pink Floyd and David Bowie.
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Abandon Jalopy - Death & Joy
Review by Gary Hill
This is the solo project of the bassist for Blind Melon. It is likely to make my list of best discs of the year.
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Rob Barteletti’s Shakers' Session - Shakers' Session
Review by Larry Toering
Rob Barteletti is the brainchild of this great compilation of northwest singers who were invited to the project to put the icing on the cake, and a solid effort was made by all.
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Buoy LaRue - Lover By Proxy
Review by Larry Toering
This is Buoy LaRue's second helping.
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Candlebox - Love Stories & Other Musings
Review by Larry Toering
Candlebox are back with a killer album and some re-recorded bonus tracks to show they still have it and then some.
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Canto - Ha Ha Ha
Review by Gary Hill
Here’s an alternative rock album that covers several types of sound. Most of the disc works pretty well, but there are a couple songs that could have stood to be left off the set.
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Brandi Carlile - Bear Creek
Review by Mark Johnson
This is a wonderful album full of mixed genres, ranging from country rock, blues, soft rock and folk.
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Floyd Cruse & Darkstar Band - Album Of The Year
Review by Larry Toering
Floyd Cruse is a Portland artist who's been kicking around a while, although this was the first I’d heard him.
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Deep Purple - Total Abandon: Australia '99
Review by Gary Hill
This live album from Deep Purple finds the band in a killer performance.
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Electrik Emily - Radio Active
Review by Gary Hill
With a real indie rock feeling, this EP is a little rough in terms of songwriting, performance and production.
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Electrik Emily - Stiletto Rock
Review by Gary Hill
There is a real garage band sound to a lot of this album.
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Ned Evett - Treehouse
Review by Gary Hill
Ned Evett has an intriguing blend of sounds.
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Groove Thief - A Thief In The Night
Review by Larry Toering
This is one awesome piece of work by a northwest rock outfit that combines current alternative stylings with classic rock and other old school factors.
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Jackson Webber - What It Is
Review by Gary Hill
Here we have an intriguing album that sits somewhere in the neighborhood of country with classic rock and pop music in the mix.
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Midwest Hype - Dayglo
Review by Gary Hill
This is an intriguing set.
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New Riders of the Purple Sage - 17 Pine Avenue
Review by Gary Hill
I remember these guys from the 1970s.
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T. J. Nix and Paul Plumeri - Blues in Disguise
Review by Gary Hill
Blues is, of course, the main feature here.
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No Sky Today - No Sky Today
Review by Larry Toering
This is the brainchild of Wayne Findlay, the longest running band member of MSG (Michael Schenker Group).
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Lisa Marie Presley - Storm & Grace
Review by Diane Hill
Not being an Elvis fan, I didn’t expect too much from this CD.
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The Quick & Easy Boys - Red Light Rabbit
Review by Larry Toering
This is a trio from Portland, Oregon that will make you dance and rock at the same time.
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San Francisco Music Club - Love & Freedom
Review by Gary Hill
The blend of music on this album is pretty awesome.
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Kenny Selcer - Don’t Forget About Me
Review by Gary Hill
There’s a cool blend of music on this disc.
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The Steepwater Band - Clava
Review by Greg Olma
I have had the good fortune of seeing The Steepwater Band in a live setting on multiple occasions.
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Also Eden - Live in Bristol, England, April 2012
Review by Alison Reijman
For a band that has come through so many trials and tribulations in recent times, seeing Also Eden performing with such power and conviction - in front of (it has to be said) a criminally small turn-out in the West country venue on their home turf, was nothing short of a miracle.
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Rob Barteletti’s Shakers' Session - 7th Annual Shakers’ Ball – Portland, Oregon, March 2012
Review by Larry Toering
The Shakers Ball is a benefit for Parkinson's disease with donations going to the Brian Grant Foundation.
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Lindsey Buckingham - Live in Portland, Oregon, May 2012
Review by Larry Toering
One thing that was unexpected in getting out to see Lindsey Buckingham wasn't a sell out crowd.
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Clutch - Live in Madison, Wisconsin, April 2012
Review by Mike Heitzman
This was one hell of show… to say the least.
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Floyd Cruse & Darkstar Band - Live in Portland, Oregon, May 2012
Review by Larry Toering
Floyd Cruse Dark Star Band is one smooth R&B outfit with everything including soul, funk, reggae, blues and even jazz factors. There’s a pop groove to some of it, as well.
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Leigh Marble - Live in Portland, Oregon, March 2012
Review by Larry Toering
After only seeing Leigh Marble once, I can say he translates his music to the stage with an effortless approach that all comes off so naturally.
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Overkill - Live in Chicago, April 2012
Review by Mike Heitzman
It’s never a disappointment when the Jersey White boys come to town.
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Geoff Tate - Live in Lincolnshire, Illinois, May 2012
Review by Greg Olma
It has been quite a while since Geoff Tate (of Queensryche fame) hit this area of the country as a solo artist.
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