I tried to get into Big Big Train a while back but the albums I got were their earlier ones before they'd really gotten hyped up. What's a good starting point, or should I just not bother?
Flower Kings are another group I tried to get into...I mean, they sounded like a dream come true, with double-disc albums every year, tons of epics, and a bunch of musicians whose names I recognized even without knowing the band. And then I heard 'em, and...yeah. I actually think they do okay when they go more pop, but when it comes to the proggier stuff they write themselves into corners over and over again. And that voice! Christ. I had one called "Stardust We Are" that was kinda nice. It's 2 hours long.
― frogbs, Thursday, 9 August 2018 19:57 (five years ago) link
for me all of these bands fall down when the compositions aren't interesting enough. Porcupine Tree was great because Wilson is an excellent songwriter. It's not enough to follow prog templates if you can't write an interesting melody or aren't doing something really interesting and experimental.
― akm, Thursday, 9 August 2018 20:01 (five years ago) link
What's a good starting point
my favorite three are grimspound, folklore, and the second brightest star. all way better than anything i've heard by flower kings (even roine's album with jon anderson), on par with vintage kaipa
― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 9 August 2018 20:06 (five years ago) link
yea that's the long and short of it. FKs definitely have a few memorable tunes but they usually tend to be the more novelty-oriented stuff that draws from "Harold the Barrel" or "Benny the Bouncer". BBT on the other hand, I listened to the one album I've got nearly a dozen times and I remember like, two small vocal melodies. it was Gathering Speed, dunno how representative that is of their other work. I assume they got better.
― frogbs, Thursday, 9 August 2018 20:18 (five years ago) link
those three i listed are all new-ish
― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 9 August 2018 20:33 (five years ago) link
alright I'll check 'em out. some people are absolutely nuts about the band so I figure I owe it another try
the only bands like that I really have time for are Glass Hammer and The Tangent. GH is the first "Christian prog" group I've ever heard of, which is actually kind of neat since they take a lot of influence from church music and the like. They definitely try to make their music sound as "big" as possible which is neat. The Tangent have a lot of the same issues as the FKs (Roine Stolt was a member for a while) but I think Tillison is a much more interesting songwriter. plus his lyrics are way better.
― frogbs, Thursday, 9 August 2018 20:37 (five years ago) link
i've never taken to the tangent but i haven't heard much, either. there are moments in glass hammer as good as classic yes imho. also don't wanna overhype big big train; if you dig the strawbs' vibe you might hear something in them too
― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 9 August 2018 20:45 (five years ago) link
― frogbs
wait you've heard of glass hammer but not, like, kansas?
― Arch Bacon (rushomancy), Thursday, 9 August 2018 23:19 (five years ago) link
was gonna say yes but it turns out I was thinking of Camel
I do have one Kansas album though.
― frogbs, Friday, 10 August 2018 14:01 (five years ago) link
I need to get Frost's third album someday. I thought they might have more so I'm slightly relieved.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 10 August 2018 19:11 (five years ago) link
you should, it rules. the opening track has a pretty unique reference point - "Synchronicity I" by the Police. really wish there were more bands like that out there.
― frogbs, Friday, 10 August 2018 19:52 (five years ago) link
Have just discovered Major Parkinson. Based on their latest album, wow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvMPkt_ZFss
^^^Ten-minute song called Baseball that can fairly be described as early Cardiacs and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum fighting over who gets to cosplay Muse
― imago, Monday, 13 August 2018 10:30 (five years ago) link
i don't know that i've ever heard muse but i do like it!
― Arch Bacon (rushomancy), Tuesday, 14 August 2018 00:00 (five years ago) link
grohl grows up?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=e05H80-k0mY
― reggie (qualmsley), Tuesday, 14 August 2018 01:43 (five years ago) link
https://www.loudersound.com/news/voivod-the-wake-is-one-of-the-most-intricate-albums-weve-ever-done
“It’s definitely one of the most intricate albums we’ve done. The songs are pretty long, very complicated and have lots of prog rock moments and a bit of psychedelia. Of course the punk/thrash metal signature is still there."
― reggie (qualmsley), Wednesday, 5 September 2018 10:34 (five years ago) link
y'all the new bubu record is the bomb, and i don't even really _like_ the first bubu record
https://bubuprog.bandcamp.com/album/bubu
― milkshake duck george bernard shaw (rushomancy), Tuesday, 11 September 2018 13:41 (five years ago) link
I had a fear the EP Bubu released was ghoing to be some kind of anomaly, really pleased they have a new one out. I do like their first album too though!
It took me years to get into Voivod and still haven't heard anything they've done after '97 but this new one sounds cool
― obnoxious pun (ultros ultros-ghali), Tuesday, 11 September 2018 14:03 (five years ago) link
folks,
it's nearly Thumpermonkey time
https://thumpermonkey.bandcamp.com/album/make-me-young-etc
dauntingly kickass opening track previewing
― imago, Tuesday, 11 September 2018 20:44 (five years ago) link
look, it has a video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4GKEoaq6ig
― imago, Thursday, 13 September 2018 08:15 (five years ago) link
nice. friday neo-canterburyexpialodocious
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKOjOqbHpY4
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 14 September 2018 15:19 (five years ago) link
i was wondering to myself when the new guerilla toss record was coming out. turns out it's today! i liked "gt ultra" but i think they've hit a new high on this one.
― milkshake duck george bernard shaw (rushomancy), Friday, 14 September 2018 15:41 (five years ago) link
another Glass Hammer album coming soon, this time focusing on a time traveler who started a prog band in the 80's and tried to go back to the golden age of prog, a de-facto sequel to their 2000 record Chronomotree. gotta say that concept is quite fitting for a band like this.
― frogbs, Friday, 14 September 2018 15:54 (five years ago) link
the time traveler himself appears to have materialized
http://www.progressiveears.org/forum/showthread.php/22697-Glass-Hammer-Chronomonaut-Tapes-Tom-is-back-or-at-least-he-was
good call on that bubu album. i had no clue. new guerilla toss slays. magic is easy indeed. the edge of the ice cube . . .
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 14 September 2018 15:59 (five years ago) link
new Vennart album worth a mention here too
― imago, Friday, 14 September 2018 20:28 (five years ago) link
Seen a poster for a band called Free Salamander Exhibit. Was intrigued by the "rock in opposition" tag.
Sounds quite funny.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo4mftLYgHoSome of the other tracks have metal in them.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 15 September 2018 12:43 (five years ago) link
I think they're a band made up of former Sleepytime Gorilla Museum members - a band worth checking out if you haven't
― imago, Saturday, 15 September 2018 13:07 (five years ago) link
yeah, free salamander exhibit is nils' new(ish) "metal" band. i saw them on a triple bill earlier this year with faun fables and cheer-accident. they're pretty good, of course a fine live show, really into the druid thing, but i don't know, they don't grab me the way sgm did. lately i'm definitely more into faun fables.
― milkshake duck george bernard shaw (rushomancy), Saturday, 15 September 2018 14:19 (five years ago) link
this is dope (note: not the vintage british band)
https://thedruidofficial.bandcamp.com/album/the-seven-scrolls
― reggie (qualmsley), Saturday, 15 September 2018 23:06 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxzLU7UvkrE
― reggie (qualmsley), Monday, 17 September 2018 22:56 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZm2QIIo-JE
― reggie (qualmsley), Monday, 24 September 2018 21:53 (five years ago) link
bob drake has a new one !!!
https://bobdrake.bandcamp.com/album/lisola-dei-lupi
― dub pilates (rushomancy), Sunday, 7 October 2018 04:06 (five years ago) link
Anyone a fan of Beardfish? Overlooked these dudes the first three or four times but I'm listening to Destined Solitaire right now and it's pretty much everything I want out of a 'retro' prog record. Their lead singer is charismatic and actually quite funny which is quite rare in this genre. Great voice too.
― frogbs, Monday, 15 October 2018 13:43 (five years ago) link
Let's shout out Sterbus on this thread too - https://sterbus.bandcamp.com/ new record is rather lovely guitarry Prog Pop
― MaresNest, Monday, 15 October 2018 13:50 (five years ago) link
:)
i'm waiting for the Thumpermonkey to come out properly so I can advertise its title track to all ILX's progheads - some of the best prog of this century so far
― imago, Monday, 15 October 2018 14:34 (five years ago) link
I'm currently in the process of selling off a mega CD collection for someone on Ebay, large amounts of which is contemporary prog. It's been an eye-opener! Here's the prog-related acts I've encountered to date I'd never even heard of, there are massive worlds of this stuff filled with people like Billy Sherwood and Christian Bruin who release uncountable numbers of records:
Believe – Brasse – Blind Owl – Cliffhanger – Canamii – Casino – Cosmograf - Comedy Of Errors - Combination Head – Chris - Alex Carpani – Cairo – Collage - Different Trains – Discus – Edith - Egdon Heath – Fonya - Fatal Fusion - Final Conflict - Fission Trip - For Absent Friends – Galleon – Jeremy - A.C.T. - Ad Infinitum - Adventure - Alpha III - Ancient Vision – Aragon – Ayreon – Circa – Conception – Cyan - Cryptic Vision - Crystal Maze - Different Light - Echo Park - Dr Coenobite – Karfagen – Maestoso - Steve Adams - Lands End – Legend - Shadow Merchant – Phaesis – Overdrive – Abraxas – Arion – Atlantis - Chimpan A - Jack Foster III – Harvest - The Winter Tree - Nice Beaver – Eurhybia – Fields - Sean Filkins - Flamborough Head – Glacier – Jupiter - K2 – Morild – Tunefish – Wyzards - Leap Day - Solar Project - Tempus Fugit - This Oceanic Feeling – Synesthesia - Sky Architect - Perona Non Grata - Persephone's Dream – Darling – Silhouette – Satellite - Unbroken Spirit - Tea For The Wicked - Nad Sylvan – Shakary – Tantalus - Moria Falls - Josh & Co Limited – Sahara - Ergo Sum - Dave Bainbridge - Cloud Atlas – Cavalli / Cocchi / Lanzetti / Roversi – Darius - Tea In The Sahara - Fabio Liberatori - Alfonso Vidales – Octopehra - Violeta De Outone - Seasons Of Time - Light Damage - Fossil Evolution - Hasse Froberg - Red Sand – Eyesburg - Fish On Friday - Rikard Sjöblom - Tiger Moth Tales - The D Project
― GG Allin: The Musical (Matt #2), Monday, 15 October 2018 14:52 (five years ago) link
i like violeta de outono
most of the rest of it i've heard of isn't my cup of tea
― dub pilates (rushomancy), Monday, 15 October 2018 23:34 (five years ago) link
frogbs, care to recommend a destined solitaire jam?
― reggie (qualmsley), Monday, 15 October 2018 23:45 (five years ago) link
title track is pretty good. here's a live version - its great if you can get past the fact that they look and sound like Jack Black fronting a prog band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ-KYaBQGRY
― frogbs, Tuesday, 16 October 2018 14:30 (five years ago) link
A good quarter of Tenacious D is kind of prog tbf
― imago, Tuesday, 16 October 2018 15:42 (five years ago) link
THE ASTEROID HAS LANDED
The title-track is one of the most breathtaking prog compositions of the century so far in my extremely cool opinion
― imago, Friday, 26 October 2018 15:33 (five years ago) link
Oh I said that already. That must mean it's super-true
― imago, Friday, 26 October 2018 15:39 (five years ago) link
is the title-track as good as "woadscrivened"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4goBiAGYyQ
thanks frogbs for that beardfish. super-dope. could care less what "good" musicians look like tbqh!
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 26 October 2018 16:42 (five years ago) link
Woadscrivened was a stunner but this is even more ambitious imo
― imago, Friday, 26 October 2018 17:01 (five years ago) link
xp well most of their albums have at least one "Tenacious D gone prog" track so I was pretty amused to see the singer did actually resemble him
― frogbs, Friday, 26 October 2018 17:11 (five years ago) link
thank you for recommending this because otherwise there is no way in hell i would listen to bands with names like "beardfish" or "thumpermonkey"
― dub pilates (rushomancy), Saturday, 27 October 2018 00:00 (five years ago) link
Can I tell u about the Flower Kings
― frogbs, Saturday, 27 October 2018 00:07 (five years ago) link
no
― dub pilates (rushomancy), Saturday, 27 October 2018 00:48 (five years ago) link
I don't know much about them but I am digging these guys a great deal at the moment -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEzWPMflmdw
― MaresNest, Thursday, 22 November 2018 15:52 (five years ago) link
this is so good
https://www.orgaan.ch/storkk/
― reggie (qualmsley), Saturday, 24 November 2018 13:58 (five years ago) link
there's a new anglagard side project out, "all traps on earth". this one has more of a zeuhl flavor. but what i love about it is that that they're _still_ copping riffs from schicke fuhrs frohling in 2018. i don't hold it against them at all, there's obviously way more to anglagard than "pictures" imitation, but it made me laugh so hard.
― dub pilates (rushomancy), Thursday, 6 December 2018 02:34 (five years ago) link