I have loved Art-Rock and what many now call Prog or Progressive Rock since the late ’60s. I can still recall the day and place I discovered my first Art-rock band it was the summer of 69 I was listening to a pocket-sized AM radio while visiting relatives when I heard a song called White Bird by San Fransico based band “Its a Beautiful Day”.
Soon I would discover many other Art, Prog or Psychedelic bands such as Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, Traffic, Procol Harum and Jethro Tull, by the ’70s it was Electric Light Orchestra, Barclay James Harvest, Supertramp, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band and in the 80s I was into all styles of music from The Art of Noise,Alan Parsons Project, Tears For Fears, Kansas, Marillion, IQ, It Bites and the story continues today. Yes, I was a fan of the staple bands: Yes, Rush, Genesis, however, I seemed to have gravitated to and built a strong love for all things Melodic.
Which leads me to Pattern-Seeking Animals a fantastic new US melodic Art-rock band formed in 2018 by John Boegehold songwriter and guest musician on many Spock’s Beard albums. Starting with Feel Euphoria (2003) and including Octane (2005) Spock’s Beard (2006) and finally X (2010). Spock’s Beard not only is one of the most important US prog bands, but also one of my favorites. Pattern-Seeking Animals is rounded out by Ted Leonard, Jimmy Keegan & Dave Meros all of whom have been involved with Spock’s Beard or still are.
Boegehold comments: “My goal was to produce music that’s progressive and intricate while keeping things immediate and melodic. Whether a song is four minutes or ten minutes long, I didn’t want more than a few bars go by without some kind of instrumental or vocal hook.”
So what’s in a name? According to my wife and a google search “Humans are pattern-seeking animals and we are adept at finding patterns whether they exist or not” I have to say this seems to fit the debut very well indeed.
I will not give you a play by play of each track, but I can tell you there are no fillers on this album, the album is filled with brilliant fretwork and tasty hooks, stunning Vocals & Harmonies that remind me of the heyday of Styx, ELO as well as Flying Colors, and Spock’s Beard, the album is chalk full of memorable lyrics that you will want to sing along with: and if that’s not enough the album is rounded out by lush and majestic keyboards and a top-notch rhythm section.
As I said before, there are no fillers on this album but there a few tracks that really sealed the deal for me like; Orphans Of The Universe, These Are My Things, No One Ever Died And Made Me King, or We Write Ghost Stories
1 – No Burden Left to Carry (9:38) 2 – The Same Mistakes Again (5:10) 3 – Orphans of the Universe (10:28) 4 – No One Ever Died and Made Me King (3:54) 5 – Fall Away (4:47) 6 – These Are My Things (4:52) 7 – We Write the Ghost Stories (3:22) 8 – No Land’s Man (5:35) 9 – Stars Along the Way (10:20)
Line-up: John Boegehold (synths, keyboards) Ted Leonard (vocals & guitar) Dave Meros (bass) Jimmy Keegan (drums & vocals)
I listen to a lot of music nowadays so its sensory overload, that said… it’s refreshing when something comes across the desk that makes me go OMG what is this? P-SA is a must-have for any respectable music collection. ★★★★★ Un-qualified-Kritic
FROST*, the band masterminded by producer, keyboard player & vocalist Jem Godfrey, has announced that they have re-signed with long-time label partner InsideOutMusic (who this year celebrate their 25th anniversary).
This new deal will encompass several forthcoming releases, including 2 new studio albums, a live album (filmed at 2017’s sold out show in London), as well as reissues of the bands back catalogue. Jem had this to say: “InsideOut have been a long suffering supporter of Frost*. Unwaveringly supportive even when I was lobbing as many toys as I could find out of my pram. As time has passed, I’ve grown up and come to realise what a luxury it is to have a record company of this calibre covering your back. Many bands don’t have that luxury so I’m absolutely raring to go with the new album and the one beyond that.”
InsideOutMusic label-head Thomas Waber adds: “I am really pleased that we managed to extend our partnership with Frost* mastermind Jem Godfrey. His unpredictable nature and humour is a breath of fresh air in this genre and provides for some of the best music we have released on the label. Let’s see what mischief we can come up with in the years to come!”
More news on these forthcoming releases will be released in the coming months.
As mentioned, Frost* played the final show of the Falling Satellites campaign to a sold-out Dingwalls in London in November 2017. The evening was filmed, and will see the light of day as a brand new live release.
Falling Satellites was released in May 2016 to much critical acclaim, with Prog Magazine calling the band “one of the most entertaining and exciting bands on the block”, while Echoes & Dust called the album “essential listening” and Heavy Blog Is Heavy said: “Progressive pop is theirs, and Falling Satellites is the benchmark.”
Jem is joined on ‘Falling Satellites’ by guitarist & vocalist John Mitchell (Lonely Robot, It Bites), drummer Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson) & bassist Nathan King (Level 42). ‘Falling Satellites’ was the band’s first album in 8 years & the follow-up to the acclaimed ‘Experiments In Mass Appeal’. Comprising 11 songs, the final 6 forming a 32-minute long suite, ‘Falling Satellites’ also sees a guest appearance from Grammy-nominated guitar legend Joe Satriani who Godfrey played with on the G3 tour in 2012.
Kino have announced the release of their new album ‘Radio Voltaire’, arriving 13 years after the band’s much-loved debut ‘Picture’ back in 2005. Out on March 23rd, 2018, it sees John Mitchell (It Bites, Lonely Robot) & Pete Trewavas (Marillion) teaming up once more, with Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson) on drums & John Beck (It Bites) guesting on keyboards.
Recorded at the end of 2017, writing began at the end of that Summer. “We actually began the writing process in late August,” says John Mitchell. “Pete had a few tunes and so did I, and we went from there.” Mitchell and Trewavas were both a crucial part of the original band more than a decade ago, with the former providing lead vocals and guitar parts, while the latter played his trademark bass lines and also contributed backing vocals.
Keyboard player John Beck, who is also a bandmate of Mitchell’s in It Bites, has been brought back. But while he was fully involved on the debut album, this time his role is that of a guest musician. “Yes, I am delighted to say we’ve gone John on board. His keyboard playing is splattered throughout the album, and I’ve also done the odd keyboard part myself.” The task of drummer this time fell to Craig Blundell, as Mitchell explains: “This time around Craig was the obvious choice to be the drummer, as far as I was concerned. I have worked with him so much that there was nobody else in the frame.”
Of the album’s direction, Mitchell illustrates: “The title sounds very cool and obviously there’s a connection with the band Cabaret Voltaire. But Voltaire himself (the 18th-century French philosopher) had a fascination with death, which appealed to me. He also stood for freedom of speech and freedom of religion. On top of that, I love the idea of a radio station that would reflect his views on life and cut through the bullshit which seems to be all over politics. Now, that is the type of radio station I think would reflect what a lot of us want to hear.”
The album cover has been designed by Paul Tippett, who is one of the most in-demand artists of the modern era. “I like what he’s done with this sleeve. It reminds me of Moulin Rouge meets ‘Live And Let Die’. It is very striking, and I am sure everyone will have their own interpretation of what it reminds them of.”
The album will be available on Limited CD Digipak (including bonus tracks), Jewel Case CD, Gatefold 180g Double Vinyl (incl. CD) & Digital Download.
The tracklisting can be found below:
1.Radio Voltaire
2.The Dead Club
3.Idlewild
4.I Don’t Know Why
5.I Won’t Break So Easily Any More
6.Temple Tudor
7.Out of Time
8.Warmth of the Sun
9.Grey Shapes on Concrete Fields
10.Keep The Faith
11.The Silent Fighter Pilot
Bonus Tracks
12.Temple Tudor (Piano Mix)
13.The Dead Club (Berlin Headquarter Mix)
14.Keep The Faith (Orchestral Mix)
15.The Kino Funfair
Lonely Robot, the project masterminded by producer, guitarist and singer/songwriter John Mitchell (It Bites, Frost*, Arena), has announced that its much-anticipated second studio album ‘The Big Dream’ will be released on 28th April 2017.
Following 2015’s acclaimed debut ‘Please Come Home’, ‘The Big Dream’ has a core theme running through it – one that sees The Astronaut, the central character in the Lonely Robot adventure, emerging from a long period in stasis.
Mitchell explains: “The Astronaut wakes up from a cryogenic sleep but finds he’s no longer in space, and is instead in a woodland area surrounded by a group of strange people with animal heads! It’s a little surreal, a little ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ to some extent. This is something of a solipsistic haze, for want of a better description!”
‘The Big Dream’ will be available as a special edition digipak CD (including 3 bonus tracks), gatefold 2LP + CD, and digital download. The track listing is as follows:
1. Prologue (Deep Sleep)
2. Awakenings
3. Sigma
4. In Floral Green
5. Everglow
6. False Lights
7. Symbolic
8. The Divine Art Of Being
9. The Big Dream
10. Hello World Goodbye
11. Epilogue (Sea Beams)
Bonus Tracks:
12. In Floral Green (Acoustic Version)
13. The Divine Art Of Being (Acoustic Version)
14. Why Do We Stay? (feat. Kim Seviour)
Lonely Robot will be brought to life on stage with Craig Blundell on drums, Steve Vantsis on bass & Liam Holmes on keyboards. The following dates are currently confirmed:
Sun 5 March – Progdreams VI, Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
Thu 27 April – Sub89, Reading, UK
Fri 28 April – Marillion Convention, Leicester, UK
Sat 27 May – Trinity Live, Assembly Rooms, Leamington Spa, UK
Hey Guys, just a quick message to show you whats happening during October. Come see a show. We got house concerts galore in the UK and The Sensational Francis Dunnery Band will be performing the music of It Bites in the USA. Get your tickets now and come see the shows.
Thursday, October 6th
Mel and Pete
Chester-le-Street, UK
SOLD OUT
Friday, October 7th
Keith Glynn
Newcastle, UK
SOLD OUT
Saturday, October 8th
Mick Dickens
Nottingham, UK
SOLD OUT
Saturday, October 15th
Julia Phillips
Snettisham, Norfolk, England
SOLD OUT
Sunday, October 16th
Mike, Diane, James and Mat Rimmer
Clitheroe, England
SOLD OUT
Monday, October 17th
Rehearsals for CKDCF
Tuesday, October 18th
Travelling North
Wednesday, October 19th
Neale Doughty
Windermere, Cumbria
SOLD OUT
Saturday, October 22nd
The Annual Benefit Concert
Egremont Market Hall
Adults £25 pp/Children 12 and under £10 pp
BUY TICKETS HERE
If you require any more information, please contact [email protected]
The Sensational Francis Dunnery Electric Band / USA Shows
Tuesday, October 25th
The Cutting Room
44 E. 32nd Street (between Madison and Park)
New York, New York 10016
Cutting Room website
212-691-1900
TICKETS
Thursday, October 27th
Kennett Flash
7:00 doors, 8:00 show
102 Sycamore Alley
Kennett Square, PA 19348-3395
Venue: (484) 732-8295
Buy Tickets www.kennettflash.org
Friday, October 28th
Volume Live Music Cafe
5600 Rt 42
Turnersville NJ 08012
waiting for BUY TICKET button to be active
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Hey Guys, just a quick message to show you whats happening during October. Come see a show. We got house concerts galore in the UK and The Sensational Francis Dunnery Band will be performing the music of It Bites in the USA. Get your tickets now and come see the shows.