This planet abounds with an almost infinite number of progressive-music artists – some great, some good and some not-so-good. Fortunately, many of the better ones mingle with progressive-music fans in the virtual Progressive Ears online community. The site's series of Earsongs CDs (actually, they're CDRs, but why nitpick?) boast a diverse array of songs with varying audio quality from many of the great and good artists. The second volume of Earsongs is no exception, as 12 artists bare their musical souls.
Earsongs II kicks off with the upbeat "Upping the Ante" from the North Carolina-based quartet Land of Chocolate. Featuring Progression magazine columnist John Covach on guitars, the band takes a Steely Dan-meets-Toy Matinee approach that's both refreshing and retro.
Next, Alias Eye, a German band on the rise that just signed its first U.S. distribution deal, offers the low-key "Just Another Tragic Song," which builds to Kansas and Marillion proportions and is among the most melodic and accessible tracks on Earssongs II.
"Galaxy Rodeo," meanwhile, is a spry space-rock hoedown (if you can imagine that), courtesy of Gary Jibilian, a guy from Michigan who plays the NS Stick, an 8-stringed instrument that combines elements of bass and guitar.
At the opposite end of the musical spectrum, "The Role of the Bagel" by Notallwhowander and John Curtis is a one-minute-and-24-second spoken-word analysis of the almighty "roll with a hole" (or is it a "hole with a roll") set to a lounge-lizard loop that borders on jazzy hip-hop.
New Hampshire's Dreadnaught plays what the band likes to call "progabilly," an apt description for this instrumental trio's fusion of old-school progressive rock and Americana with a dose of jazz and classical music. "Ballbuster" is a metallic nut-slammer that's quirky, smirky and reeks of eclecticism.
Then comes Georgia's Mindworm, whose neoprogressive "Moving In Moving Out," with vocals reminiscent of classic Alan Parsons Project songs, demonstrates a savvy knack for accessible melodies wrapped around psychedelic jamming.
Earsongs II enters its second half with an edited version of "Call to Whoever" from England's Thieves' Kitchen (probably the best-known band here, having played ProgDay '02). The band's sound is buoyed by a hypnotic blend of male and female vocals set against deceptively challenging structures.
"Andraiad," from English multi-instrumentalist Richard Wileman's Karda Estra project, plays out like progressive chamber music, with gothic elements of experimental and atmospheric space music slow dancing around a mournful, hymn-like arrangement.
Contrasting sharply with Karda Estra is Pennsylvania's female-fronted avant-rock band The Red Masque, whose style has been described as both angular and eerie, accented by freeform space-rock improvisations, intricate acoustics, dark atmospherics and chunky riffs. All those elements are in supply on the chaotic "Birdbrain."
In another sharp (I daresay jarring contrast), New Jersey multi-instrumentalist Ron Imhoff follows The Red Masque and creates lovely aural images on the synth-heavy "Midnight Rain," which retains its relaxing vibe even after Imhoff slips into David Gilmour mode with moody and soaring guitar flights of fancy.
The three-minute "Ka-os" by Fire Monkey, the one-man-band project from Pennsylvania's Lyle Holdahl, takes listeners on a journey into a world characterized by the song's title, one filled with bizarre effects, Eighties dance grooves and vocals that sound like they're being sung from deep within a hole. It's actually catchy stuff.
Earsongs II closes with the album's longest track, the 10-minute-plus "Perfect Picture in Reverse" by Phil McKenna, another multi-instrumentalist from Pennsylvania, who goes by the name The Owl Watches. The jazz-influenced song actually plays out like several shorter pieces, each one showcasing McKenna's skills, instrument by instrument. Some passages are sketchy while others are quite full, making "Perfect Picture in Reverse" a picture-perfect way, aurally speaking, to conclude Earsongs II.
Most of these artists have their own web sites that are deserving of curious listeners' attention. Go ahead and check 'em out. You know at least one of the dozen here have piqued your interest …
Track Listing:
1) Upping the Ante-Land of Chocolate (5:27)
2) Just Another Tragic Song-Alias Eye (6:18)
3) Galaxy Rodeo-Gary Jibilian (4:28)
4) The Role of the Bagel-notallwhowander & John Curtis (1:24)
5) Ballbuster-Dreadnaught (4:29)
6) Moving In Moving Out -Mindworm (5:57)
7) Call to Whoever (edit)-Thieve's Kitchen (7:19)
8) Andraiad-Karda Estra (8:28)
9) Birdbrain-The Red Masque (7:40
10) Midnight Rain-Ron Imhoff (6:00)
11) Ka-os-Fire Monkey (2:58)
12) Perfect Picture in Reverse-The Owl Watches (10:22)
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
