This is a rare chance
to hear new music without
any biases.
Silhouette's album Beyond the Seventh Wave landed in my mailbox one day a couple of weeks ago completely unsolicited. In fact, I knew absolutely nothing about the band prior to receiving the CD.
So I decided to have a little fun with this. I would refrain from any and all research on the band, its members, or this album. Instead I would just listen and let my ears do the talking.
Prologue (2:32): OK, this sounds like it's contemporary progressive rock. Nice guitar solo layered over keyboards. Some wind instruments too.
Betrayed (1:42): No doubt. This is prog.
Web of Lies, Part I - The Vow (8:20): The mix is a little too light. Needs a bit more low end. Oh no, the vocals remind me of Al Yankovic. That's gonna be hard to get out of my head. If I had to guess, the vocalist is not a native English speaker; not in a bad way, but there's something in his annunciation.
Web of Lies, Part II - The Plot (4:31): Hits all the prog requisites.
In Solitary (6:16): Opening keyboard bit gives me a Tony Banks vibe. OK, this sounds like a concept album based on the story in the lyrics. It's hard to resist the urge to Google.
Escape (5:14): Ah, nice buzzy edge and pounding guitars to start this one. Nice build with keys. Probably my favorite track thus far.
Lost Paradise (10:19): Vocals and acoustic guitar to start. I'm wondering why the heavier tracks don't have vocals too.
Betrayed Again (1:25): Dang. Strong Genesis "Watcher of the Skies" sound.
Devil's Island (8:55): Al Yankovic is back. I knew I wouldn't forget that mental image. Speaking of images, I'm trying to figure out the significance of the butterfly on the cover which has been mentioned a couple of times in the lyrics.(Yes, I am looking at the CD's front and back covers but not reading any of the details or looking at the inside.)
Beyond the Seventh Wave (7:39): The title track ought to reveal something. This pulls together all the best bits of the other tracks - orchestration, keyboards, rumbling guitars. The bit with the violin gave me a Kansas flashback.
Wings to Fly (5:09): Just one more track and I can find out who these guys are. Drums sound kinda flat in this recording, especially the snare. Are they a new band with young folks? Prog vets come together for something new?
There's a lot of music on this album as you can tell from the track timings. And overall, this is a solid prog rock album. Admittedly, I haven't kept up with modern prog so I don't have a good basis for comparison. And therefore, I thank my mystery friend for sharing this fine bit of work.
And now, off to my Googling.
I received no compensation of any kind for this review. However, I did receive the CD at no cost.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Red Hope by J.J. Dreese
Images from Mars
then darkness. Who will we send
to discover hope?
It's cool and unique to personally know someone who has authored and published a book. J.J. Dreese is the latest with Red Hope, a sci-fi tale of portentous images beamed back to earth by the Mars rover Curiosity - right before the rover goes dark.
I recommend you give it a try.
I received no compensation of any kind for this review.
then darkness. Who will we send
to discover hope?
It's cool and unique to personally know someone who has authored and published a book. J.J. Dreese is the latest with Red Hope, a sci-fi tale of portentous images beamed back to earth by the Mars rover Curiosity - right before the rover goes dark.
I recommend you give it a try.
I received no compensation of any kind for this review.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Confidence in others' honesty...
A "Hidden Mickey" is the deliberate placement of a Mickey Mouse head and ears (i.e. 3 circles) in obscure places. Books have been published about all the Hidden Mickeys at the Disneyland and Disney World parks. But they're in Disney movies too as revealed by the animators themselves.
If you need to get caught up on your reading of Newton's works, checkout the Newton Project.
Here's a behind-the-scenes preview of how 20 Go-Pro cameras were used to capture The Aristocrats live performance in Tokyo for their upcoming DVD.
An extensive interview from Innerviews with bassist Colin Edwin, "a serial collaborator."
RANT
When Malcom Gladwell quotes from Steven Brill's Obamacare book "It [Obamacare] did heroic [emphasis mine] work in broadening coverage and redistributing wealth from the haves to the have-nots." I feel only disgust and anger. The review describes a psuedo-intellectual exercise in social engineering that is contemptuous and vacuous and leaves one feeling stained by its deceit.
On a related note, read how America's intelligentsia at Harvard feel about things when they're on the receiving end.
Mr. Gladwell should stick to writing pop-psychology du jour masquerading as business text. That's just for this review. God knows what Brill's book is actually like.
/RANT
They've discovered a new antibiotic (in dirt) that seems to be effective and resistant to resistance.
Remember Ebola? If so, your computer can help in the fight against this disease via World Community Grid.
Damp derrieres leads to diaper rash. Hence the Baby Butt Fan. My only question: do they have an adult version?
...is no light testimony of one's own integrity. ~Michel de Montaigne
 |
| Richard Diebenkorn, Ocean Park #54, 1972. source. Today seemed like a good day for something especially beautiful. |
Here's a behind-the-scenes preview of how 20 Go-Pro cameras were used to capture The Aristocrats live performance in Tokyo for their upcoming DVD.
An extensive interview from Innerviews with bassist Colin Edwin, "a serial collaborator."
 |
| The Hubble Space Telescope retook this image of the Eagle Nebula (aka The Pillars of Creation) with spectacular results. I have the original 1995 image framed at the office. |
When Malcom Gladwell quotes from Steven Brill's Obamacare book "It [Obamacare] did heroic [emphasis mine] work in broadening coverage and redistributing wealth from the haves to the have-nots." I feel only disgust and anger. The review describes a psuedo-intellectual exercise in social engineering that is contemptuous and vacuous and leaves one feeling stained by its deceit.
On a related note, read how America's intelligentsia at Harvard feel about things when they're on the receiving end.
Mr. Gladwell should stick to writing pop-psychology du jour masquerading as business text. That's just for this review. God knows what Brill's book is actually like.
/RANT
They've discovered a new antibiotic (in dirt) that seems to be effective and resistant to resistance.
Remember Ebola? If so, your computer can help in the fight against this disease via World Community Grid.
Damp derrieres leads to diaper rash. Hence the Baby Butt Fan. My only question: do they have an adult version?
...is no light testimony of one's own integrity. ~Michel de Montaigne
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Candylion by Harold Budd & Clive Wright
Oh Candylion,
your sweet roar whispers to me
mysteriously.
Released only seven months apart, Candylion is the sequel to the previous collaboration between Harold Budd and Clive Wright, A Song for Lost Blossoms. (You can read my thoughts on that album here.)
Unlike its predecessor's longer tracks, Candylion features shorter, more structured, and perhaps more conventional tracks that approach almost soundtrack-ish quality. (I may be influenced by my recent listening to Budd's collaboration with Robin Guthrie on the soundtrack to White Bird in a Blizzard.)
The title track (clocking in at 5:41) is a perfect example of the interplay of Wright's guitar and Budd's keyboards, gliding in waves over and around each other. You can hear it yourself here.
Down to the cover art for both albums that features a heart nested within boxes, Candylion and Lost Blossoms are a superb ambient pairing.
Now all that remains is to add the third work in this trio: Little Windows.
I received no compensation of any kind for this review.
your sweet roar whispers to me
mysteriously.
Released only seven months apart, Candylion is the sequel to the previous collaboration between Harold Budd and Clive Wright, A Song for Lost Blossoms. (You can read my thoughts on that album here.)
Unlike its predecessor's longer tracks, Candylion features shorter, more structured, and perhaps more conventional tracks that approach almost soundtrack-ish quality. (I may be influenced by my recent listening to Budd's collaboration with Robin Guthrie on the soundtrack to White Bird in a Blizzard.)
The title track (clocking in at 5:41) is a perfect example of the interplay of Wright's guitar and Budd's keyboards, gliding in waves over and around each other. You can hear it yourself here.
Down to the cover art for both albums that features a heart nested within boxes, Candylion and Lost Blossoms are a superb ambient pairing.
Now all that remains is to add the third work in this trio: Little Windows.
I received no compensation of any kind for this review.
Monday, January 5, 2015
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann
The secret to success is giving, not getting. Hence the title's play on words: be a go-giver not a go-getter.
Here are the laws of stratospheric success, as illustrated in Bob Burg and John David Mann's The Go-Giver.
The Law of Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment. Less a strategy and more a way of life. Have a greater passion for what you're giving than what you're getting.
The Law of Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them. Your compensation is directly proportional to how many lives you touch.
The Law of Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first. Forget win-win; focus on the other person's win.
The Law of Authenticity: The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself. Be a real person.
The Law of Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving. It's better to give than receive but each gift requires a recipient.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Real generosity to the future...
Craft pr0n of the week: making a carved candle and taking apart a Rolex.
The patience required to create stop-motion animation is well beyond my ability to comprehend. Check out this clip from the closing credits of The Boxtrolls.
Cooking for one? Here's your weekly grocery list.
In case you didn't read teh interwebs last year you missed learning that early risers are more unethical at night and 99 other factoids.
Here's another perspective on the passage of time. What does it mean that it's 2015? For one thing, The Empire Strikes Back was released closer to WWII than today. Put that, and these other facts about 2015, in your pipe and smoke it.
For a taste of what Rare Noise Records was up to last year, checkout their playlist RareNoise Anno 2014 on Soundcloud.
When you only have 20 B-2 stealth bombers at $2.1 billion each, you don't hesitate to spend $100 million to fix one that crashes and burns.
Here's a quiz on baseball slang. I got 9 of 14 correct.
Genesis keyboard player Tony Banks talks about this, that, and the other.
In which we learn that mathematicians don't have a rigorous definition for hole.
...lies in giving all to the present. ~Albert Camus
The patience required to create stop-motion animation is well beyond my ability to comprehend. Check out this clip from the closing credits of The Boxtrolls.
Cooking for one? Here's your weekly grocery list.
In case you didn't read teh interwebs last year you missed learning that early risers are more unethical at night and 99 other factoids.
Here's another perspective on the passage of time. What does it mean that it's 2015? For one thing, The Empire Strikes Back was released closer to WWII than today. Put that, and these other facts about 2015, in your pipe and smoke it.
 |
| Clyfford Still, PH-1039, 1977. source |
When you only have 20 B-2 stealth bombers at $2.1 billion each, you don't hesitate to spend $100 million to fix one that crashes and burns.
Here's a quiz on baseball slang. I got 9 of 14 correct.
 |
| Sunspot activity via x-rays superimposed on an ultraviolet image of the sun's surface. source |
In which we learn that mathematicians don't have a rigorous definition for hole.
...lies in giving all to the present. ~Albert Camus
Friday, January 2, 2015
My Favorite Music of 2014
And now the other shoe drops with the alluded-to second year-end post, this one about the music I enjoyed the most during 2014. Please note that I am not implying this music is new (i.e. released in 2014) just that it's new to me.
The highlight of 2014 for me in music was the remastered version of 1993's live album damage by David Sylvian. An absolutely enthralling performance featuring Robert Fripp's bright guitar accenting and slicing like the proverbial hot knife through the buttery richness of Sylvian's lyrics and vocal performance.
I must've been living under a rock to have not heard about this recording for 20 years. Thank goodness Trey Gunn (or was it Pat Mastelotto?) posted about it on Facebook. The two of them were in the band with Fripp and Sylvian along with Michael Brook on Guitar.
I could listen to this for days and in fact I did when I discovered it on YouTube before buying the CD.
Wave may be my favorite track on the album. Here it is.
Another live (or at least partly live) performance that made itself at home in my brain this year was Supercollider by Stick Men.
As I wrote at the time, this is the album to purchase if you are new to Stick Men (Tony Levin, Markus Reuter, Pat Mastelotto). As indicated by the album's subtitle (Anthology: 2010-2014) the first disc consists of a "best of compilation" of tracks from their previous albums.
But the gem for me was disc 2, a collection of live improvisations by the band from their DEEP tour in 2013. "My God - it's full of stars!"
In the live performance below of their song Whale Watch you will experience what I characterize as their elegant power.
Which brings me to these lovable knuckleheads, The Aristocrats, and their Culture Clash album.
In the same way that Monty Python can effortlessly and seamlessly blend absurd physical comedy, Schopenhauer, and Cardinal Richelieu into an iconic performance that stands the test of time, Guthrie Govan, Marco Minnemann, and Bryan Beller perform some of the best instrumental jazz, rock, blues, pop, metal progressive I've ever heard and do so with equally high degrees of musicianship, aplomb, and humor. (Wait until you see/hear them performing on squeaky rubber toy animals and cell phones.)
I could have listened to their performances for days and each time pick out a new riff that I never noticed before. They manage to play complex music in a way that doesn't sound complicated and is, in fact, incredibly pleasing.
Here for example, is the band performing the song Culture Clash live.
Honorable mention goes to the Elements box set from King Crimson's recent tour.
Lest you think I'm short-changing the godfather of all progressive rock bands (Mr. Fripp) by relegating this work to only "honorable mention" status, I enjoy a good compilation of alternate tracks from a band's career as much as the next guy. But what I yearn for is new stuff.
The highlight of 2014 for me in music was the remastered version of 1993's live album damage by David Sylvian. An absolutely enthralling performance featuring Robert Fripp's bright guitar accenting and slicing like the proverbial hot knife through the buttery richness of Sylvian's lyrics and vocal performance.
I must've been living under a rock to have not heard about this recording for 20 years. Thank goodness Trey Gunn (or was it Pat Mastelotto?) posted about it on Facebook. The two of them were in the band with Fripp and Sylvian along with Michael Brook on Guitar.
I could listen to this for days and in fact I did when I discovered it on YouTube before buying the CD.
Wave may be my favorite track on the album. Here it is.
Another live (or at least partly live) performance that made itself at home in my brain this year was Supercollider by Stick Men.
As I wrote at the time, this is the album to purchase if you are new to Stick Men (Tony Levin, Markus Reuter, Pat Mastelotto). As indicated by the album's subtitle (Anthology: 2010-2014) the first disc consists of a "best of compilation" of tracks from their previous albums.
But the gem for me was disc 2, a collection of live improvisations by the band from their DEEP tour in 2013. "My God - it's full of stars!"
In the live performance below of their song Whale Watch you will experience what I characterize as their elegant power.
Which brings me to these lovable knuckleheads, The Aristocrats, and their Culture Clash album.
In the same way that Monty Python can effortlessly and seamlessly blend absurd physical comedy, Schopenhauer, and Cardinal Richelieu into an iconic performance that stands the test of time, Guthrie Govan, Marco Minnemann, and Bryan Beller perform some of the best instrumental jazz, rock, blues, pop, metal progressive I've ever heard and do so with equally high degrees of musicianship, aplomb, and humor. (Wait until you see/hear them performing on squeaky rubber toy animals and cell phones.)
I could have listened to their performances for days and each time pick out a new riff that I never noticed before. They manage to play complex music in a way that doesn't sound complicated and is, in fact, incredibly pleasing.
Here for example, is the band performing the song Culture Clash live.
Honorable mention goes to the Elements box set from King Crimson's recent tour.
Lest you think I'm short-changing the godfather of all progressive rock bands (Mr. Fripp) by relegating this work to only "honorable mention" status, I enjoy a good compilation of alternate tracks from a band's career as much as the next guy. But what I yearn for is new stuff.
What's Coming in 2015
On the topic of new stuff, I hear that many new things are coming in 2015. In late January King Crimson's Live at the Orpheum from their recent tour will be released. I've already pre-ordered The Aristocrats' Culture Clash Live. Steven Wilson's Hand. Cannot. Erase. is due out in February. It looks like the 3rd album from Naked Truth is coming in September. Who knows what else the new year will bring?
On the topic of new stuff, I hear that many new things are coming in 2015. In late January King Crimson's Live at the Orpheum from their recent tour will be released. I've already pre-ordered The Aristocrats' Culture Clash Live. Steven Wilson's Hand. Cannot. Erase. is due out in February. It looks like the 3rd album from Naked Truth is coming in September. Who knows what else the new year will bring?
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