Does this kind of life look interesting to you? Apparently, for an American Idol alum, the answer is “Yes”

Posted on July 14, 2010 by mpomy

I wouldn’t know an American Idol alum if he or she were biting my ass at this very moment. And, while I am glad that is not the case, I have, for the first time in my sheltered life, some reason to be interested in that monstrosity of foolishness that passes for entertainment.

Leslie Hunt, the nice young lady featured in the video above, was apparently a finalist and performed to an audience of millions. I suppose she would have preferred to win and become the next Kelly Clarkson or Taylor Hicks, but considering the abusive sounds those two artists have created (similar to fingernails on a chalkboard), I am glad that she lost.

Through some stroke of good fortune she has become connected to a Chicago-based instrumental outfit that fancied itself to be a junior version Liquid Tension Experiment. Great music to aspire to, but nothing that would pay the bills. But, if there is a way to bring a bit of sex appeal to the nerd-tastic sounds of District 97‘s modern prog, then these folks might have a tiger by the tail. Judging from the video, I am interested. The record is due out later this year, and I’m sure I’ll give it a listen.

Is this the record I’ve been waiting for all my life? Based on the early snippets, probably not. But I don’t have anything against popularity. And if a prog band can sell a million records in this decade, then all the better.

Special thank you to Bill’s Prog Blog, which brought District 97 to my attention. He’s featuring a Q&A with the band’s drummer at his wonderful site.

A loving tribute to electric Miles, GET THIS NOW!! Mederic Colignon – Shangri-Tunkashi-La

Posted on July 12, 2010 by admin

I came across this gifted artist quite randomly, and yet he has a shocking affinity for some of my favorite music ever recorded. Time has been kind to Miles Davis’ electric period (1969-1975), even though that body of work was not well thought of upon release. During my college career (1990-1994), that era of music became the most important signpost on a musical journey that continues to this day. What I learned from listing to ‘In a Silent Way’, ‘Jack Johnson’ and ‘Dark Magus’ shaped the person I have become, both musically and otherwise. I still routinely return to those and other recordings and find more undiscovered nuance of melody, rhythm and groove.

And in much the same way that Simone Rosetti’s The Watch has absolutely nailed the Gabriel-era Genesis, Collignon has uncovered a similar resonance with that extraordinary time in the career of Miles Davis. His latest release is Shangri-Tunkashi-La and it is a pure delight. Firstly, it is readily available on iTunes, which surprised and delighted me. Second, the renditions of Bitches Brew, Billy Preston, It’s About That Time, and others are not replicas of the originals, but incorporate the jubilant spirit of improvisation which was such an important part of how those compositions came into the world.

The record is now favorably reviewed in English, has gorgeous cover art and can be downloaded by anyone with an iTunes account. All that remains is a North American tour schedule. Hope springs eternal.

Give “Billy Preston” a listen below.

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Paul Gilbert – Fuzz Universe on sale in U.S. in August

Posted on June 28, 2010 by mpomy

Paul Gilbert is the shredder extraordinaire. His licks take no prisoners, and they just keep coming at you like a barrage, an arpeggio assault. And, of course, what I like is the unabashed prog influence. There is even a video of him playing Emerson Lake and Palmer on guitar, and he provided breathtaking pyrotechnics on Neal Morse’s epic Sola Scriptura.

Despite his ability and obvious discipline, Gilbert seems very loos and good-natured, like he doesn’t take himself too seriously. This promo video gives a good example:

So, although the album is already delighting junior shredders in Japan, those of us stateside will have to wait till the heat of August before partaking of Mr. Gilbert’s instrumental delights. In the meantime, I may have to console myself with his earlier instrumental effort ‘Get Out Of My Yard’, which sounds something like this:

I’m listening to the new Elephant9 album – Walk the Nile

Posted on February 22, 2010 by mpomy

Just downloaded this sucker from iTunes, which is interesting because it came out today. Why is that interesting? Because, in the United States, music comes out on a Tuesday. Amazon.co.uk had this release al ready for download and old-style delivery, but not Amazon.com. I have had issues with European release dates not being honored by my iTunes account (surely iTunes knows I’m in the US), but today, no problem. So, if you are ready for over-the-top keyboard madness from Storloekken et al, go have at it. So far, sounds like another monstrous effort.

New Gungfly single!!

Posted on February 2, 2010 by mpomy

Rikard is har at work with the next release – this one will be under the ‘Gungfly’ banner. And while last year’s ‘Please Be Quiet’ was a tremendous dose of cowboy prog, the first release from the upcoming record has a decidedly heavier vibe. Check out the single over at Gungfly.net. Am I hearing more metal in the man’s guitar solo? Also, he says that the new Beardfish album is coming along nicely. Music to my ears!

And we’re off….!

Posted on January 3, 2010 by mpomy

I take a few days off and the next thing you know, I’ve got about three hundred unread items in Google Reader. Some of these items are from that haul and some of them have whiskers on them (meaning older than three days) and some of this isn’t related to anything at all.

Let’s start with a topic that I’ve had rattling around the old coconut for a few decades now. It was nice to see Stephen Goldmeier raise the issue over at io9, but i think his discussion only begins to scratch the surface. The issue is aliens who, as Goldmeier puts it, are truly alien. Forget the whole to arms, two legs, two eyes deal (Avatar – looking at you right now). In fact, forget the whole corporeal existence. Let’s get into something really strange. Noticeably absent from Goldmeier’s list is 2001: A Space Odyssey (although Rendezvous with Rama is discussed).
One of the most consistently original and authentic voices in music is gathering steam for a new Release. From Never Get Out of the Boat, I learned this morning that the Latin Playboys (Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo and Louis Perez) are gearing up for a release and tour. Here is a little sample of the good work they do:

And, if you are a Battlestar Galactica fan, and you miss your favorite post-apocalyptic series, this should help cure you:

I mentioned this story over at Tumblr about the possible shortcomings of iPhone, but it’s so preposterous that I need to post it again. In short, there may not be anything wrong with AT&T’s network.
And, speaking of cell phones, since it is now officially the first half of 2010, may I have an update for my HTC Hero, please?
For my classmates who were in Providence, RI back in the early 90’s, it has been exciting to watch the meteoric rise of RISD grad Shepard Fairey. Although my local baseball squad couldn’t close the deal in the World Series, we had some great fan-sourced (unlicensed) shirts come along the way. Mr. Fairey’s work was the inspiration for my favorite of these, and it’s good to know that he’s not intending any litigation.

Now I’m going back to sitting on my ass for one more day, getting ready to listen to the Eagles (vs. Dallas) on the radio and walking my big puppy in the sub-zero wind chills.

Zio is ready!

Posted on December 8, 2009 by mpomy

It’s time for your iPhone to do something beautiful. Synthtopia calls is an “eyegasm”. Glenn Marshall is a visual genius who can make computers and music do beautiful things together. I first mentioned this back in early September, and now the patience has paid off.

Woah! It’s almost the end of 2009 – what the hell have I been listening to this year?

Posted on November 10, 2009 by mpomy

This post is more of a reminder to me to make a comprehensive review of books and music that did me right over the past twelve months.

The music part is easy, since most of the goods came on board over the past couple months. In no particular order (yet…)

Transatlantic – The Whirlwind
Beardfish – Destined Solitaire
Black Bonzo – Guillotine Drama
Gungfly – Please Be Quiet
Squarepusher – Solo Electric Bass
Marillion – Less is More
U2 – No Line On the Horizon
Trilok Gurtu – Massical
SBB – Iron Curtain
Riverside Anno Domini High Definition
Neil Young – Fork In The Road
Joe Zawinul – 75
Heartless Bastards – The Mountain
Glenn Tilbrook – Pandemonium Ensues
Flaming Lips – Embryonic
Dream Theater – Black Clouds and Silver Linings
The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
Chick COrea & John McLaughlin – 5 Peace Band
Bruce Springsteen – Workin On A Dream
Bob Dylan – Together Through Life
Liam Finn – Champagne In Seashells
Ronnie Earl – Living In The Light
Duke Robillard – Stomp The Blues Tonight

I maybe wasn’t nuts for everything on this list, but that’s pretty much the new stuff I heard in 2009. Rankings and capsule reviews to come later. Just looking at the list, it was a pretty good year for music.

“We’re looking back. We’re counting down.” –every dopey radio DJ and TV host starting in about three weeks!

First thoughts on Transatlantic – ‘The Whirlwind’ (promo version)

Posted on September 29, 2009 by mpomy

While getting ready for various Court appearances preparing documents to be filed, I’m not in the best environment to evaluate the ‘promo copy’ of Transatlantic’s The Whilrwind, but I am able to make the following observations:

I happy to say that I already paid for the album and bonus disc, so I have no hesitation about enjoying this promo version nearly a month before the album comes out. It should be noted that this copy does not have the bonus material, although those of us who pre-ordered got an advance download of ‘Giant Hogweed’ and it’s just great, extra giant.
The promo copy is separated into 12 separate tracks. That’s not supposed to be the case with this record, and I’ll be pretty disappointed if that’s how the official version turns out. The whole deal was that they were going to hit us with a 70+ minute single track. In my mind that’s exactly what they should be doing – go BIG or go home! Is it kind of a dick move that forces you to by the ‘bonus disc’? Sure, but everyone’s free to pass on the extra expense and just make themselves comfortable for over an hour every time they want to listen to any part of this new work. Personally, I admire their prodigious marketing ability
Which brings us to the promo copy itself; they have ingeniously ‘watermarked’ it with vocal interruptions that remind the listener this is a promo copy and not the real deal. This is a great example of how to front load all your marketing and hold on tight to the finished product until the last minute. These guys know that, once it’s out there, it’s gonna get passed around like a hot potato, and that’s just the way life is right now. I’m not going to be the guy to put it on bittorrent or rapidshare, but I’m pretty sure I know exactly who will, and I don’t begrudge them that conduct. Until the artists can find a way get their fans to actually want to pay for music, the file sharing and downloads will continue. Transatlantic have done a great job – they’ve got my money, don’t they?

So, those are my thoughts for now, or my meta-thoughts. The audio reminders are annoying, but they are strategically positioned to cause minimal interruption to the flow of music. I’ll hold off on any deep thoughts and observations about the drama, the poetry and the goosebumps, but, knowing this crew, that’s coming soon with the real copy of The Whirlwind, touching down on October 27.

Give me forty-three minutes and twenty seconds: Mixtape 01 is here

Posted on September 27, 2009 by mpomy

This is a project I have been thinking about ever since I started to collect the incredible mixes available over at ParisDJs. And while those folks have mad performance skills behind the turntable, I have had to settle for a very deliberate (and slow) process of compilation and tweaking using Apple Logic 8. I am, however quite pleased with the overall sequence, levels and imaging of the music. I’ve only taken liberties to enliven some of the older recordings and keep overall volume constant.

The good folks at ParisDJs present their mixes as a single file, and I’ve done the same here. In selecting these tracks, the only unifying theme was to have ‘all killer, no filler’, and hopefully to present you with things you mostly have not heard. The selections span forty years and come from numerous styles (Jazz, Prog, Rock, Electronica, etc.) and regions (Canada, Brazil, France, India, UK, US, Poland, Sweden). Future mixes will be more focused by genre and/or artist. There are definitely Zappa and Tangerine Dream mixes in the pipeline.

Feel free to stream right here (Hostrocket has hooked me up with LOTS of bandwith) or download and enjoy at your leisure. Two of these titles are found on full length items posted at Blogerantz, so I’ve included the links. Here’s what we got:

1. Invocation/nonsense – Mpomy (2009)
2. 10538 Overture – Electric Light Orchestra (from The Electric Light Orchestra (No Answer) 1971)
3. Get Your Snack On – Amon Tobin (from Supermodified 2000)
4. Hummin’ – Cannonball Adderley (from The Country Preacher 1969)
5. Willie – Cat Power (from FM broadcast of Cat Power & the Memphis Rhythm Band, Berlin June 11, 2006)
6. Malandro Quando Vaza – The Ipanemas (from the collection Gilles Peterson Brazilika 2009)
7. Transfert – Sylbat (from Mara 2008)
8. Sunrise – SBB (from Iron Curtain 2009)
9. On and On – Gungfly (from Please Be Quiet 2009)
10. Pasanana’s Love – Trilok Gurtu (from broadcast (?) of North Sea Jazz Festival, July 2002)
11. High Water (For Charley Patton) – Bob Dylan (from the collection Tell Tale Signs 2008, but the recording is from 2003)

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