NEARFEST 2009 Part One: Progressing into Yesterday, Steve Hillage and Van Der Graaf Generator NEARFEST, the North East Art Rock Festival, took place this past weekend and as is the custom of this 11-year-old institution, it was a mix of progressive rockers old and new. Today, Pt 1 of The Old Guard There is a…
Tag: Progressive Rock
Reviews & Commentary
Echoes Top Ten Mellotron Albums
Echoes will run an interview with film director Dianna Dilworth about her movie Mellodrama: The Story of the Mellotron On Tuesday, June 16 . It documents the history of the Mellotron and it’s forerunner, the Chamberlin. I was starting to write a blog about it along with my 10 favorite Mellotron albums when I realized,…
Reviews & Commentary
Hugh Hopper R.I.P.: Soft Machine’s Soul
Hugh Hopper 1945-2009 The name Hugh Hopper probably wasn’t well known outside of the most progressive of progressive rock circles. As a member of The Wilde Flowers and then Soft Machine, he was one of the principal architects of the “Canterbury Sound” in progressive rock, which included Caravan, Hatfield and the North, Gong . The…
Reviews & Commentary
Echo Location: The Mandrake Project-
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http://media.blubrry.com/echoespodcast/www.xpn.org/podcasts/echoes/echoes20090415.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSThe best progressive band of the 2000s? If you’re looking for Progressive Rock that isn’t trapped in the 1970s, The Mandrake Project has some forward thinking music for you. You can hear an audio version of this blog with music from The Mandrake Project, here. With influences that…
Reviews & Commentary
Echo Location: Bill Bruford Redux
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http://media.blubrry.com/echoespodcast/www.xpn.org/podcasts/echoes/echoes20090325.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSBill Bruford brings Plays Taps to Progressive Rock. ((((( You can hear an audio version of this blog, with music ))))) No one gives the rock drummer much attention, unless he happens to be the signature progressive rock drummer of the last 4 decades. That’s the case with…
Reviews & Commentary
Mellotron from Lawrence Welk to King Crimson
There’s a new movie out called Mellodrama: The Story of the Mellotron that documents the history of the Mellotron and it’s forerunner, the Chamberlain. I haven’t seen the documentary, which just opened at a film festical, but some interesting tidbits are gleaned from the trailer and an interview with the director, Dianna Dillworth. Who’d have…
Reviews & Commentary
Drummer Bill Bruford Retires
Bill Bruford is an icon of Progressive Rock drumming. He came to renown as an original member of Yes, recording several albums with them before moving on to King Crimson. Over the years he’s spent more and more time with his cerebral jazz band Earthworks. But now he says he’s packing in live performances, concentrating…
Reviews & Commentary
It’s Progressive Rock All Over Again
This weekend I’ll be guesting on Highs in the 70s: Progressive Rock on WXPN in Philadelphia . It’s among a series of irregularly scheduled retro shows they run. It’s going to be an 8-hour marathon, from 10AM til 6PM on Saturday, January 3. I’ll be in for the first half, Chuck Van Zyl from Star’s End…
Program Highlights
Echo Location: Fernwood’s Americana World Chamber Music
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http://media.blubrry.com/echoespodcast/www.xpn.org/podcasts/echoes/echoes20081008.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSA progressive rock guitar warrior unplugs when Djam Karet’s Gayle Ellett journeys to Fernwood. (You can hear an audio version of this blog with music.) In an era of computer generated music where even the most folky, downhome pop song is electronically manipulated, a band called Fernwood wants…
Reviews & Commentary
NEARFEST 2005 REFLECTIONS
“There is no progress in Progressive Rock.” Those are words I heard over and over again during the recent NEARFest, The North East Art Rock Festival. Whether I spoke to bassist Patrick Djivas of the Italian rock group, PFM, Roger Triguaux, guitarist with Present or Paul Sears, drummer with The Muffins, they all had the…