Gang of Four Announce New Disc (First w/o Jon King) 'What Happens Next' / Show at Irving Plaza on March 7th

UK's legendary post-punk Gang of Four will release a new album, What Happens Next, on February 24, 2015 on Metropolis Records in the USA and Canada, and Membran in Europe. The follow-up to the band's 2011 album Content, What Happens Next features collaborations with Alison Mosshart from The Kills, Robbie Furze from The Big Pink, Gail Ann Dorsey, German superstar Herbert Grönemeyer and Japanese superstar Hotei. Gang of Four's lineup for this album is Andy Gill (guitar), John "Gaoler" Sterry (vocals), Thomas McNiece (bass) and Jonny Finnegan (drums).

The first album without vocalist Jon King, What Happens Next refers to both the outside world and the band itself: an emphatic commitment to the future. "The focus is more on universal issues, like how individuals behave in certain ways or how our world is constructed, than local issues or current affairs," says founding guitarist and songwriter Andy Gill. "Gang of Four is anything but parochial." When King left the project, a reinvigorated Gill seized the opportunity to re-imagine Gang of Four from the ground up. The new album is an unexpected twist that still operates as the next logical step for the legendary post-punk band.



Sandwiched between Joy Division's landmark album Unknown Pleasures and Led Zeppelin's iconic IV, Gang of Four's debut Entertainment! sits at #8 on Pitchfork's Top 100 of the 1970s, proclaiming it "caustic and bursting with disgust for unethical capitalism, opportunist politicians and consumer society, among other things, but it's also crafted with amazing pop sensibility - and is, of course, remarkably danceable." Earlier this year, that same album was found on Kurt Cobain's handwritten list of favorite albums. Echoing the singular importance of the band's impact on music, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello told Rolling Stone this past July 2014 that "there's no one more influential on my guitar playing than Andy Gill." Having been named a massive influence by many artists including Bloc Party, R.E.M., The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, The Rapture, Franz Ferdinand and LCD Soundsystem, among hundreds of others, Gang of Four's legacy continues not by being frozen in a moment in time, but by constant evolution while remaining true to the original spirit of the band.

The band will tour in North America in March 2015 - current tour dates follow:
03-03 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
03-04 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
03-06 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
03-07 New York, NY - Irving Plaza (Tickets are $35)
03-09 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace
03-10 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
03-12 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
03-13 Chicago, IL - Park West
03-14 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
03-15 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
03-17 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Studio
03-18 Dallas, TX - Trees
03-23 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
03-24 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
03-25 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
03-28 Santa Ana, CA - Burgerama @ The Observatory

Links:
Gang of Four

Animal Years (Brooklyn Roots Rock) Open for Robert Randolph and The Family Band @ Brooklyn Bowl on Nov. 28th

Brooklyn’s Animal Years play indie roots rock with influences ranging from early Kings of Leon and My Morning Jacket to Young The Giant and The Avett Brothers. The band is the brain child of Baltimore-to-Brooklyn transplant Mike McFadden (lead vocals, guitar, and banjo), who adopted the moniker Animal Years to break out of the solo singer/songwriter category. McFadden is backed by Anthony Saladino (bass) and Anthony Spinnato (drums) and this three-piece lineup released their debut record, Sun Will Rise, in May which Deli Magazine described as "anthemic and powerful; a passionate work of thrilling crescendos fueled by bright and expansive guitar".

Animal Years is filming a song for Charged.fm Live on Tuesday, Nov. 25th. This taping is at 1PM @ 10 Jay Street, Suite 206 and the website to RSVP is CHARGED.FM/LIVE. The band is then opening for Robert Randolph and The Family Band at Brooklyn Bowl on Nov. 28th. For the Brooklyn Bowl show, advance tickets are $20. Doors are at 6PM and the show starts at 8PM.





Links:
Animal Years

Los Campesinos! (Indie/Twee Pop) Announce New Festive EP 'A Los Campesinos! Christmas'

Effervescent malcontents Los Campesinos! have temporarily removed themselves from the balmy fireside to release this limited edition slice of hot seasonal wax, A Los Campesinos! Christmas. The EP and 12-inch feature five Los Campesinos! carols, as well as a cover of Mud's #1 holiday hit "Lonely This Christmas." Produced by Tom Campesinos! and mixed by long-time collaborator John Goodmanson, A Los Campesinos! Christmas is an instant classic, ready-made to enter the limited canon of great seasonal releases.

Track List:
1. When Christmas Comes
2. A Doe To A Deer
3. The Holly and The Ivy
4. Kindle A Flame In Her Heart
5. The Trains Don't Run (It's Christmas Day)
6. Lonely This Christmas

A Los Campesinos! Christmas will be in select record shops beginning December 8th via Turnstile/Heart Swells, or available to pre-order direct from the band at http://loscampesinos.inktankmerch.com from 2pm ET. All pre-orders from Los Campesinos!' site will come with an especially designed Los Campesinos! Christmas Card, hand-signed by the band.

Los Campesinos! have a handful of UK gigs scheduled this month into next:
NOV. 23 -- BIRMINGHAM, UK -- THE FLAPPER (Sold Out)
DEC. 04 -- MANCHESTER, UK -- SOUND CONTROL*
DEC. 05 -- LEEDS, UK -- BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB* (Sold Out)
DEC. 06 -- NORWICH, UK -- ARTS CENTRE*
DEC. 07 -- LONDON, UK -- VILLAGE UNDERGROUND* (Sold Out)
*with support from Trust Fund

Links:
Los Campesinos!

X-Drive - 'Get Your Rock On' CD Review (Frontiers Records)

When I was growing up, 80’s arena rock was the staple of FM radio so it was very easy to enjoy the debut release from California’s X-Drive, Get Your Rock On (Frontiers Records), The band’s sound is comparable to Night Ranger and both the Paul Rodgers and Brian Howe fronted lineups of Bad Company – most of the disc is comprised of bluesy hard-rock songs with melodic hooks, killer guitar solos and big harmonies on the choruses.

X-Drive is the brain child of previously unknown guitarist Jeremy Brunner and he has brought an all-star cast of musicians along to the party. The other members of X-Drive are vocalist Keith St. John (x-Montrose, Quiet Riot), bassist James Lomenzo (both he and St. John were in Lynch Mob at the time they came on-board) and drummer Fred Fischer (from the grunge band Midline). The disc was co-produced by Andy Johns (along with Brunner), who is well familiar with the sound of this era having produced/engineered bands that ranged from Led Zeppelin and Free to Van Halen and L.A. Guns.

The disc starts with a swaggering, hard-rock number “Love’s A Bitch” where St. John’s vocals bear more than a passing resemblance to Paul Rodgers and Brunner tosses off licks that sound like they could have come out of Eddie Van Halen’s playbook. Changing the groove a bit on the third track, “Steppin’ On The Rock” is a darker, grungy song whose sound falls somewhere between Krokus and Alice in Chains.

X-Drive switches gears with the obligatory rock ballad, “Baby Bye Bye”, which, thankfully, still has a bit of ‘teeth’. “Baby Bye Bye” is a breakup song which features emotive vocals from St. John along with a nice guitar solo toward the end of the track and sounds a bit like something Bon Jovi would have written. Bringing the tempo back up, this number is followed by the disc’s first single, “California”. This track is a laid-back, ‘summer’ number which prominently features big, big hooks and melodic vocals with big harmonies on the chorus (you’ll likely be thinking of Night Ranger after listening to this one).



The back-half of the disc picks the pace back up with some hard-rockers that bring to mind bands such as Whitesnake, Foreigner and Bad Company. Some of the highlights include the power ballad “Fly Beyond the Angels”, where Brunner’s soaring guitar line and St. John’s emotive vocals carry the song. “Just Can’t Stay” is a Whitesnake style blues-rocker with a slow, driving beat which are broken up by tempo changes on the chorus. The disc ends with the wailing blues rocker, “Love Breaks the Fool”, which brings to mind old-school Bad Co.

It is somewhat funny to think that that – 30 years after the fact – someone (Brunner) could solidly nail the sounds of 80’s arena rock. James Lomenzo said “It was such a pleasure to contribute to Jeremy's effort! He has written and crafted an incredible homage to the style of the 80's rock, a style that I cut my teeth on back in the day…His love for the era and style really comes through in a surprisingly satisfying way.”

Links:
X-Drive

Red Fang Releases Animated Video for "Crows in Swine" / Show at Terminal 5 on Dec. 18th with Opeth and In Flames

Last week, Red Fang premiered their new video for “Crows In Swine,” the third single off the Portland-based rock group’s critically acclaimed third album Whales and Leeches (Relapse).

For this new animated video, Red Fang was looking to move away from doing the same type of clips they’ve been known for in the past and create something different this time around. For the “Crows In Swine” video, the group teamed with renowned animator Adam Avilla to direct. Adam came up with the barbarian concept and each band member came up with their own secret weapons for the clip.

“I am blown away by the video Adam made for us,” says Red Fang guitarist/vocalist Bryan Giles. “It's brutally cute. I wish I was as cool as the character I am in it in real life. Recliners, sausage, guitars and kittens!!”

Red Fang also announced they’ll join the “Communion of Sirens” tour with Opeth and In Flames and the tour will kick off December 3 in Chicago. The local tour stop is at Terminal 5 on Dec. 18th. Tickets are $35 and doors are at 6:30PM.

Red Fang Tour Dates:
*Dec 3 - 21 with Opeth & In Flames*

Dec 03 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater
Dec 04 - Minneapolis, MN - Mill City Nights
Dec 05 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium
Dec 06 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
Dec 08 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater
Dec 09 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium
Dec 10 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee
Dec 12 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Ballroom
Dec 13 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live
Dec 14 - Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone Cafe (Red Fang only)
Dec 15 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
Dec 16 - Raleigh, NC - King’s Barcade (Red Fang only)
Dec 17 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
Dec 18 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
Dec 19 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
Dec 20 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis
Dec 21 - Toronto, ON - Kool Haus
Jan 01 - Leavenworth, WA - Timbrrr! Winter Music Festival

Links:
Red Fang

Militia Vox (Judas Priestess) Plays Black Rock Coalition Show at Littlefield on Friday, Nov. 21st along with Members of The Roots, Fishbone and Earl Greyhound

"Also known as MilitiA., this ferocious female is a solo artist, frontwoman of JUDAS PRIESTESS- the world's only all girl tribute to the metal gods Judas Priest, lead singer/songwriter of progressive hard rock band SWEAR ON YOUR LIFE, leading lady of DEE SNIDER's heavy metal horror orchestra "VAN HELSING'S CURSE" and known as the "Rock Goddess" of the Brooklyn based AFROPUNK movement." -- from Militia's bio.

Militia released an EP of covers last month, "Bait", that features reinterpretations of songs from artists that range from Ozzy and Nine Inch Nail to Tool and PJ Harvey. In a recent interview with Vents Magazine, Vox described "Bait" as "the 1st half of my concept project called “The Villainess.” Bait is my poison apple to the public, a way to entice and seduce listeners via songs and artists that they already know and love… As well being a form of flattery to the artists that I’ve covered and admire. I’ve been in original bands since 1997 and always had much more of a reaction doing covers, especially with Judas Priestess. So this is my way to warm up listeners to prepare for my next album (The Villainess) which is all originals. That’ll happen in 2015."



Militia Vox is playing the Black Rock Coalition showcase at Littlefield in Brooklyn on Friday, Nov. 21st. This show also includes The Dust Rays (Kirk Douglas, Mark Kelley and Ricc Sheridan) and Year of the Dragon (feat. Dirty Walt from Fishbone). Tickets are $12, doors are at 10:30PM and Vox takes the stage at 11PM.

Links:
Militia Vox

CANCELED: Kai Altair and The Mermaids (Electronic Rock) Are Hosting the 5th Annual Mermaid Lagoon Ocean Benefit in Williamsburg on 12/4

Nov. 18 Update: This show has been canceled due to architectural issues at the venue.  The benefit will be rescheduled for sometime early next year.

"Backed by deep beats, percussion, and resonant frequencies, Kai Altair’s voice weaves rich melodies through electronics and live instrumentation. With music called ‘hypnotic’ by SoundCloud, and hailed by CBS News as a ‘modern day mermaid,’ Kai is influenced by transformational culture, myth, and dreams when creating music and multimedia stage shows." -- Kai Altair's bio

Brooklyn atmospheric electronic rock artist Kai Altair and The Mermaids of NYC will be hosting their 5th annual Mermaid Lagoon ocean benefit show in Williamsburg on 12/4. Proceeds will be donated to Riverkeeper and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation organization.



The ocean benefit variety show features musicians, dancers, circus performers, and interactive art installations. All cast members are from NYC and share a talent for telling stories through performance - many of them are members of Lady Circus and hail from Brooklyn's circus venue House of Yes. This event is co-produced with Dr. Debra Tillinger (climate change educator at the American Natural History Museum) and Ali Luminescent (one of the official "Mermaids of Coney Island").

The show is Thursday, December 4th (Doors @ 9PM) and will be held at The Muse in Williamsburg (32D South 1st St). Tickets are available now and range between $15 - $25.

Links:
Mermaid Lagoon Ocean Benefit
Kai Altair

Led Zeppelin IV (Zoso) - Deluxe Edition CD Review (Rhino)

I’m generally suspicious of reissues as, too often, it seems as an excuse to sell the musically obsessive a second copy of a disc by slapping on some random bonus tracks on to the end of the album. Putting my pre-conceived bias aside, I found the reissue of Led Zeppelin IV to be somewhat of a mixed bag – though I may in a small minority with this opinion as this disc is currently #7 on the Billboard sales chart.

The 2CD deluxe edition of Led Zeppelin IV is similar to many of the other Zeppelin reissues where the original album is on Disc 1 and an ‘alternate’ version of the album is on Disc 2. In comparing the original album to a previous version of this CD, this new release sounds brighter. One of the key differentiators with this new release is that the instruments and separation between the instruments sounds clearer - the crisp sound of the bass and drums is immediately noticeable.

My reservation with this reissue is the bonus disc as there just isn’t a “wow” factor. This second disc runs 41 minutes (as compared to the main disc’s 43 minutes) which is comprised of 6 full-band alternate versions of songs from the main disc and two instrumentals. I can’t figure out the point of the instrumentals as why would someone want to listen to “The Battle of Evermore” and “Going to California” without Plant’s vocals? (Karaoke anyone?) Aside for 1+ minutes being chopped out “The Battle of Evermore”, there really isn’t a noticeable difference between these versions and the finished versions. Things get a bit more interesting with the Sunset Sound mix of “Stairway to Heaven”. This version was recorded at Los Angeles’ Sunset Sound Recorders during the summer of 1971 and the mix brings out some subtle nuances in the instrumentation.



The demo version of “Four Sticks” is noticeably different than the finalized version as this demo version ‘pops’ with an energy and rawness. While the differences aren’t quite as noticeable, this same rawness can also be heard on “When the Levee Breaks”. The basic take of “Black Dog” is also noticeable different than the final studio version as this version is clearly unmixed, has a different, more sustained guitar line and seems to include some additional vocals (including some bum notes). For the remaining songs, my ears couldn’t tell the difference between the two versions.



Links:
Led Zeppelin

Bugs In The Dark Announces New EP 'Cross My Heart Little Death' Out Nov. 18th / Release Party at Union Pool on Nov. 21st

Affixing a genre label to a band is always a dubious proposition as there really isn't a clear definition of what labels like (i.e.) indie-rock and post-rock mean. About 20 years ago, I heard an interview with Perry Farrell and he was asked what he thought of comparisons between Jane's Addiction and The Doors. His response was that he didn't hear the comparison but he understood that writers have to give the reader a reference point for them to 'achor' their expectations for a given band's sound. With that in mind, in previous posts, I had labeled Brooklyn's Bugs in the Dark as 'art-punk' (sort of Pylon meets early Hole), though there was a bit of dark wave on the band's 2011 release Hang It on the Wall. With Bugs in the Dark's new disc, I found it interesting to read that PopMatters described the band's sound as being "at the intersection of indie rock and occult rock".

Having toured with bands such as Jeff The Brotherhood, J. Roddy Walston & The Business, and Japanther, Bugs in the Dark has been described as "The future of New York City music" by The Deli Magazine. The band is playing release show for the new EP on Nov. 21st at Union Pool. Cover for this show is $8 and Bugs in the Dark are sharing the bill with Brooklyn's Haybaby ("Weird and magnetic stuff" - Time Out New York).



Links:
Bugs in the Dark

Cursive Releases Deluxe Edition of 'The Ugly Organ' on Nov. 24th / Shows at Bowery Ballroom in March '15

Cursive has announced additional dates of their Winter 2015 tour that begins on February 10th in Denver, CO and includes a two-night stop at Bowery Ballroom on March 10 and 11th.

The tour will follow the November 24, 2014 release of an expanded, deluxe edition reissue of Cursive's 2003 breakthrough album The Ugly Organ via Saddle Creek, and each night's setlist will feature songs culled from across the band's seven albums - including their most recent, 2012's I Am Gemini - in addition to drawing heavily from The Ugly Organ. A cellist will also accompany the band throughout the tour to perform on all songs from that album's era. A current itinerary is below.

The Ugly Organ (Deluxe Edition) [Remastered] will be available on 2xCD and 2xLP 180-gram vinyl, with eight additional tracks on the accompanying disc. These tracks - written during the same sessions as and originally intended for The Ugly Organ - were previously found across the band's 2002 split with Eastern Youth, 8 Teeth To Eat You, their 'Art Is Hard' and 'The Recluse' singles, and the Saddle Creek 50 compilation. The packaging for both the 2xCD and 2xLP includes a booklet with extensive liner notes comprised of rare photos, original artwork drafts, handwritten lyrics, a list of all tour dates from the era, and an introduction written by Kyle Ryan of The AV Club. A pre-order is now available via the Saddle Creek webstore, while a stream of "Am I Not Yours? [Remastered]," first released on 8 Teeth To Eat You, can now be heard and is shared above.

From the maniacal opening notes and carnival barker howl that launch the album, The Ugly Organ wasted no time searing itself into a listener's ears and quickly established Cursive as a musical force with which to be reckoned. The album arrived three years after the underground success of their 2000 LP Cursive's Domestica, which introduced frontman Tim Kasher's particularly confessional and conceptual songwriting style, and saw him delving even further into and refining that craft. A self-aware examination of artistic constraints (or lack thereof), relationships, sex, and the intersection of all three, The Ugly Organ wowed critics and audiences alike with its cerebral, cathartic blend of songs that are alternately hushed and restrained, riotous and dissonant. Fiercely intelligent and cohesive - the liner notes laid the songs out like a play, complete with stage directions - across its diverse sonic landscape, the album landed Cursive on the Sunday Arts and Leisure section cover of The New York Times (which also called it "a marvelous collection of riddles and left turns, conceived as a single piece of musical theater") and earned accolades from Rolling Stone ("a brilliant leap forward"), Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, Alternative Press (★★★★★), MAGNET ("The best punk record you'll hear all year"), Esquire, and SPIN, among many others, as well as a place on numerous year-end best lists.

The Ugly Organ feels as vibrant and vital today as it did upon release more than 10 years ago. A landmark album, it not only catapulted Cursive from the simmering indie underground to the forefront of a genre, and was the second Saddle Creek album to break the 100,000 sold mark, but also served to inspire a host of young bands in its wake.

Cursive Tour Dates:
FEB. 10 - DENVER, CO BLUEBIRD THEATER
FEB. 12 - SALT LAKE CTY, UT URBAN LOUNGE
FEB. 13 - BOISE, ID NEUROLUX
FEB. 14 - SEATTLE, WA NEUMOS
FEB. 15 - PORTLAND, OR DOUG FIR LOUNGE
FEB. 17 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL
FEB. 20 - LOS ANGELES, CA ECHOPLEX
FEB. 21 - POMONA, CA GLASSHOUSE
FEB. 22 - SAN DIEGO, CA THE CASBAH
FEB. 23 - PHOENIX, AZ CRESCENT BALLROOM
FEB. 24 - ALBUQUERQUE, NM SISTER
FEB. 25 - EL PASO, TX TRICKY FALLS
FEB. 27 - AUSTIN, TX THE MOHAWK
FEB. 28 - DALLAS, TX TREES
MAR. 1 - HOUSTON, TX FITZGERALD'S
MAR. 3 - ORLANDO, FL THE SOCIAL
MAR. 4 - ATLANTA, GA THE EARL
MAR. 5 - CARRBORO, NC CAT'S CRADLE
MAR. 6 - WASHINGTON, DC BLACK CAT
MAR. 7 - PHILADELPHIA, PA UNION TRANSFER
MAR. 8 - ASBURY PARK, NJ ASBURY LANES
MAR. 10 - NEW YORK, NY BOWERY BALLROOM
MAR. 11 - NEW YORK, NY BOWERY BALLROOM
MAR. 13 - AMITYVILLE, NY REVOLUTION BAR AND MUSIC HALL
MAR. 14 - CAMBRIDGE, MA THE SINCLAIR
MAR. 16 - CLEVELAND, OH THE GROG SHOP
MAR. 17 - FERNDALE, MI LOVING TOUCH
MAR. 18 - CHICAGO, IL LINCOLN HALL
MAR. 20 - MINNEAPOLIS, MN TRIPLE ROCK SOCIAL CLUB
MAR. 21 - OMAHA, NE THE WAITING ROOM

Links:
Cursive

Roger Hodgson (Supertramp Co-Founder) Announces Fall Tour / Deluxe Edition of 'Crime of the Century' Out Dec. 9th

Roger Hodgson, vocalist and singer-songwriter from Supertramp, is heading back to North America for a series of fall dates. Following extensive tours of Europe and Brazil, Hodgson kicks off his North America tour on November 4 in Wabash, Indiana and hits New York on November 11th.

Hodgson co-founded the progressive rock band Supertramp in 1969 and was the driving force behind what fans call the "golden years" of the band that made Supertramp a worldwide phenomenon. He wrote, sang, and arranged the enduring rock standards such as "Breakfast in America," "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home," "The Logical Song," "Dreamer," "It's Raining Again," "School," and "Fool's Overture."



Accompanied by a four-piece band, Roger Hodgson continues to perform all his hits he wrote and later recorded with Supertramp plus other classics of his such as "Child of Vision," "Hide in Your Shell," "Sister Moonshine," and "Even in the Quietest Moments," plus favorites from his solo albums - "Only Because of You," "Lovers in the Wind," and "In Jeopardy" - many of which can be found on his current CD release, Classics Live.

Uniting generations, Hodgson is transporting baby boomers back to their youth while giving younger concertgoers a taste of why his heartfelt songs have endured. In fact, this year marks the 40th Anniversary of Crime of the Century, released in September 1974. Hodgson's song, "Dreamer," became Supertramp's first international runaway hit, driving the album to the top of the charts. "School," "Hide in Your Shell," and "If Everyone Was Listening" are also fan favorites from the album that Hodgson wrote and composed and often plays in concert.

Roger's shows give North American audiences the opportunity to once again experience the magic and spirit that Hodgson created with Supertramp.

Roger Hodgson North America Tour Dates:
November 4 - Wabash, IN - Honeywell Center
November 6 - Detroit, MI - MotorCity Casino Hotel
November 7 - Niagara Falls, NY - Seneca Niagara Falls Casino and Resort
November 8 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse
November 9 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Bethlehem Event Center
November 11 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount (Tickets range between $40 and $120)
November 14 and 15 - Rama, ON, Canada - Casino Rama

ABOUT SUPERTRAMP'S CRIME OF THE CENTURY:
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary since its release in 1974, Crime of the Century features the cream of Rick Davies' and Roger Hodgson's songwriting, and was the first of the many peaks in Supertramp's illustrious career; an album that had everything to prove and tunes that effortlessly straddled the world of pure pop and progressive rock. The significant change that happened with Supertramp on this album was that Hodgson and Davies had each found their strength as songwriters and were writing alone. With the unmistakable blend of the two songwriters – Davies' and Hodgson's work, it married the sweetness of Hodgson's "Dreamer" -- the band's first big hit single -- with the grit of Davies' similarly beloved "Bloody Well Right".

This 40th Anniversary edition will be released December 9 in the US and contains the classic original album, remastered by Ray Staff at Air Studios, and a second disc features the band’s 1975 Hammersmith Odeon concert, mixed from the original tapes by original on-the-night engineer Ken Scott. It captures the band on the verge of stardom, showcasing all of Crime, and also previewing tracks from the then-as-yet-unreleased follow-up, Crisis? What Crisis? The LP eventually peaked at Number 4 on the UK charts and saw the band on the US Top 40 for the first time.

Dreamer also became the band's first hit single. "I'm fortunate to have written songs that have become hits without ever trying to write one," Hodgson says. "I've never sat down and said 'OK I'm going to write a hit song.' Inspiration comes in many different ways. Usually it comes when I get out of the way losing myself in the sound of the instrument I am playing – it's almost like being in a meditative state. With Dreamer, the inspiration was born out of excitement and just erupted out of me." Hodgson continues, "Looking back, it was quite serendipitous that as a young songwriter with so many dreams I had my first hit with a song named Dreamer. It was certainly a thrill to hear it being played all over the radio. Creating our reality, I've since realised, often starts with our dreams."

Links:
Roger Hodgson

Nero Di Marte - 'Derivae' CD Review (Prosthetic Records) [Post-Rock/Atmospheric Metal]

Even though I’ve got a large stack of releases that I’m hoping to get through before the end of the year, Italian post-rock/atmospheric metal band Nero Di Marte’s sophomore release, Derivae (released Oct. 28th – Prosthetic), has already earned a spot on my ‘best of’ list for this year.

Nero Di Marte’s sound falls somewhere between The Ocean, Isis and early Pink Floyd. Derivae was recorded 100% in analog which allows the band sonic space to build their epic soundscapes – most of which clock in around the eight minute mark. The band chose to record in analog so “we could develop and commit to atmospheres and sounds while recording instead of thinking about how this guitar effect or that part should sound while mixing. It makes it a little bit more true to how we are when we actually play as a band, without the challenges of doing a live recording”. (from interview with Invisible Oranges).

The disc starts with “L’Eclisse”, which starts with crashing dark and ominous guitar chords which build up to a claustrophobic wave of sound over which drummer Marco Bolognini adds powerful drum fills. Guitarist/vocalist Sean Worrell utilizes a range of vocals across this disc and, on this song, his Italian baritone sounds a bit like Moonspell vocalist Fernando Ribeiro. The band shifts gears with the third track, “Pulsar”, where Worrell’s whaling vocals are featured up-front in the mix and Bolognini’s drumming takes on a tribal beat. There are a number of rises and falls in the music, including one where Worrell’s vocals are whispered over this tribal beat and the song closes with a moody, “Pink Floydish” outro.

Some of the other highlights on the disc are “Il Diluvio” and the 10+ minute final track “Those Who Leave”. “Il Diluvio” is a dark, almost doom number with a big post-rock sound. This song features big, crashing guitar chords and vocals beneath the wall of sound. This sonic swirl slows down toward the end to get more atmospheric. “Il Diluvio” is very “Pink Floydish” with its electronic burble of sounds. The guitar is slowly added in and vocals are a chant below the instrumentation. A major portion of this song is instrumental and this number ends where it started, with an instrumental outro.



Links:
Nero Di Marte