The first time I tried slivovitz I was not sure if I had picked up a bottle of paint-thinner by mistake, but after a four year wait it is good to see a new album from the band of the…
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Author: Roger Trenwith
A founding member of TPA, Roger is TPA's HR man and all-round attack dog. When not straining at the leash, he has been known to scribble a bit.
Roger keeps his own blog called "Astounded by Sound"
Big Hogg – Big Hogg
Big Hogg hail from Glasgow, and as far as I can tell are a relatively new band. Their self-titled debut album came out last summer, and is a fetching mix of styles. The syncopated jazz-pop of opener When We Were…
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Ampledeed – BYOB
Any album that includes a track entitled You’re a Libra…and She’s a Bitch is setting the expectation bar pretty high before the listener has even heard a note. Me? Arachnia, since you asked… . BYOB is the second album from…
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Homunculus Res – Come si diventa ciò si era
Prog (adj.) A style of music that contains easily recognisable tropes from the original era of classic progressive rock. If my definition of the genre “Prog” in the 21st century is right – as, of course, it is – then…
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Taylor’s Universe – Across The Universe: An Introduction To Taylor’s Universe
There are some folk who will run many a mile as soon as they espy the word “jazz”, and you would be right to surmise that obviously I am about to make reference to it. “Jazz”, when it comes down…
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Todd Rundgren & Utopia – Live At The Electric Ballroom, Milwaukee, 23rd October 1978 / Live At The Old Waldorf
The one and only time I saw Todd Rundgren live was on the 4th August 1979 supporting Led Zeppelin at what would turn out to be the mighty Zep’s penultimate gig on home soil. Back then I knew nothing about…
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Ulver – ATGCLVLSSCAP
Mostly Norwegian sonic explorers Ulver have over the two decades and more of their existence steadily built a reputation for never standing still, of always looking to see where that rugged path over there – yes, that one disappearing into…
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Karda Estra – Future Sounds EP
It is always a treat to be reviewing anything beamed down from the rarefied world of Karda Estra, and the new(ish) EP Future Sounds is no exception to that rule. Karda Estra, aka Richard Wileman, has followed up their last…
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Ikarus – Echo
Ikarus are based in Zurich and variously describe themselves as “minimal groove”, “Nordic soundscape”, and “prog jazz”, and they are indeed all of these and more. Chief among the self-penned descriptions on their Facebook page is “EVOCATIVE MUSIC”. The uppercase…
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Firefly Burning – Skeleton Hill
Three years on from their first album, Lightships, London avant-folk band Firefly have struck a match and become Firefly Burning for their second album Skeleton Hill. The resulting sulphurous heat produced has warmed their sound with an added urgency and…
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