[Powderworks] NMOC: new prog acts to check out
Laura Wolfe
Laura Wolfe" <casalobo@lightspeed.net
Thu, 4 Apr 2002 13:40:05 -0800
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Herman said there seemed to be a lot of progressive rock fans on this =
list (I'm one). If you grew up loving Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, et al. =
but think nothing has happened in prog since the late 70's, the good =
news is that there are a ton of great new prog acts out there, =
struggling to make a living.
The first rank of prog acts would include The Flower Kings (from Sweden, =
although they sing and speak in perfect English); they are the =
Yes/Genesis/Floyd of the new millenium. Roine Stolt is a musical genius =
and easily the best guitarist playing today (imagine a blend of =
Rotsey/Moginie and Floyd's David Gilmour's elegant and melodic =
Stratocaster playing). They are on tour right now in the US, playing =
the Troubadour in LA on Friday 4/5 (tickets are only $15 and they play =
over two hours). If you are at all curious, you should go see them, =
because they will knock you out. They are NOT a nostalgia act; they =
have brilliantly updated the classic prog sound and breathed new life =
into the genre. For more info, check out their website at =
www.flower-power.org.uk/.
Also worth your time are LA's Spock's Beard (more straightforward, =
rocking prog thatt blends everything from the three I mentioned in the =
first paragraph with Beatles-type pop and Gentle Giant vocal and =
instrumental counterpoint -- excellent songwriting), Transatlantic (a =
prog supergroup composed of Flower Kings' Roine Stolt, Spock's Beard's =
vocalist/keyboardist Neal Morse), Dream Theatre's drummer Mike Portnoy, =
and Marillion bassist Pete Trewavas), Porcupine Tree (more =
song-oriented, none of that epic stuff), and Isildur's Bane (a Swedish =
prog-avant garde instrumental outfit that is truly unique -- get "Live =
-- Mind, Vol. 2" to start). By the way, the new Yes album, =
"Magnification," is fantastic. It's their best work since 1977 and =
features a full symphony orchestra on every track. It's really a cross =
between their 70s prog epic sound and their 80s pop approach, and it =
works really well.
Happy listening.
Bill Wolfe
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Herman said there seemed to be a lot of =
progressive=20
rock fans on this list (I'm one). If you grew up loving Yes, =
Genesis, Pink=20
Floyd, et al. but think nothing has happened in prog since the late =
70's, the=20
good news is that there are a ton of great new prog acts out there, =
struggling=20
to make a living.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The first rank of prog acts would =
include The=20
Flower Kings (from Sweden, although they sing and speak in perfect =
English);=20
they are the Yes/Genesis/Floyd of the new millenium. Roine Stolt =
is a=20
musical genius and easily the best guitarist playing today (imagine a =
blend of=20
Rotsey/Moginie and Floyd's David Gilmour's elegant and melodic =
Stratocaster=20
playing). They are on tour right now in the US, playing the =
Troubadour in=20
LA on Friday 4/5 (tickets are only $15 and they play over two =
hours). If=20
you are at all curious, you should go see them, because they will knock =
you=20
out. They are NOT a nostalgia act; they have brilliantly updated =
the=20
classic prog sound and breathed new life into the genre. For more =
info,=20
check out their website at <A=20
href=3D"http://www.flower-power.org.uk/">www.flower-power.org.uk/</A>.</F=
ONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Also worth your time are LA's =
<STRONG>Spock's=20
Beard</STRONG> (more straightforward, rocking prog thatt blends =
everything from=20
the three I mentioned in the first paragraph with Beatles-type pop and =
Gentle=20
Giant vocal and instrumental counterpoint -- excellent songwriting),=20
<STRONG>Transatlantic</STRONG> (a prog supergroup composed of Flower =
Kings'=20
Roine Stolt, Spock's Beard's vocalist/keyboardist Neal Morse), Dream =
Theatre's=20
drummer Mike Portnoy, and Marillion bassist Pete Trewavas), =
<STRONG>Porcupine=20
Tree</STRONG> (more song-oriented, none of that epic stuff),=20
and <STRONG>Isildur's Bane</STRONG> (a Swedish prog-avant garde=20
instrumental outfit that is truly unique -- get "Live -- Mind, Vol. 2" =
to=20
start). By the way, the new Yes album, "Magnification," is=20
fantastic. It's their best work since 1977 and features a full =
symphony=20
orchestra on every track. It's really a cross between their 70s =
prog epic=20
sound and their 80s pop approach, and it works really well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Happy listening.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Bill Wolfe</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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