Daily Archives: June 6, 2020

Life is rarely straightforward as weve all been reminded lately and its even less so on the road. Pre-lockdown, Melbourne band Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever singer-songwriters and guitarists Tom Russo, Joe White and Fran Keaney and bassist Joe Russo and drummer Marcel Tussie spent 18 months on a gruelling world tour, and it seems that endless staring out of plane windows left them questioning their identities.

This is surprising when you consider the quintets first two EPs, 2016s Talk Tight and 2017s The French Press, which seemed so in-tune with who the band are. These records offered danceable, guitar-driven indie, their laid-back harmonies and louche lyrics putting a golden filter on the world.

The beauty lay in the simplicity of Rolling Blackouts sound. There were no fanciful tricks just masterful songwriting. 2018 debut album Hope Downs furthered this approach, sounding like a group of friends enjoying lifes simple pleasures. But second album Sideways To New Italy is a bit more complicated.

This 10-track collection sees the band returning home and rediscovering themselves. The albums title references New Italy, a village near Tussies childhood home in Bellingen, New South Wales. The idyllic destination has become something of a symbol of refuge for these young men; it was home to Venetian immigrants in the 1800s and the landscape is dotted with replica Roman statues. Russo has explained: These are the expressions of people trying to find home somewhere alien, trying to create utopia in a turbulent and imperfect world.

Musically, the euphoria remains. Opener The Second Of The First nestles back into the bands reclined, jangly groove and theres a real sense of togetherness as Russo, White and Keaney share vocal duties. Despite the sunny sounds, though, Whites partner makes an appearance to deliver a spoken-word monologue steeped in confusion and displacement: Nothing is the same, the street hasnt changed / There is a light feeling in the back of my head and my mind is somersaulting.

The jangly Cars In Space, which already feels like a familiar favourite, finds Rolling Blackouts reflecting on the sickly excitement of life on the road: You trace your hands around the wheel / Your face it shines. The Only One, with its blasts of harmonica, offers even more intimacy, dissecting the strange, bittersweet relief of returning home from an adventure: Back into the new world / That looks exactly the same / When I walk through the gate / Cold sweat on my face. Not Tonight features a wistful refrain that would make Elliott Smith proud, replete with aching lyrics: Im burning all my candles down.

Sideways To New Italy might sound like sun-splashed indie for good times, but theres a great deal of angst buried within. Yet this is clearly also the sound of a band excited to be in the studio together; warmth and friendship seeps through every note. Rolling Blackouts have obviously been reflecting heavily on home recently who hasnt? and here it seems that theyve found it in one another.

Originally posted here:

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Sideways To New Italy review: sunny indie hints at melancholia within - NME

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever has crafted a little piece of home to carry with them on their second record, the cheerfully summery 'Sideways to New Italy'.It's no secret that the grueling touring schedules bands often embark on can take a serious toll on both their physical and emotional health. For Rolling Blackouts, their time spent away from home while they were on tour for their critically-acclaimed debut 'Hope Downs' left them grasping for something reliable.

The relentless schedule had them feeling ungrounded, to the point that even the familiar started to seem foreign.Led by singer-songwriter-guitarists Tom Russo, Joe White and Fran Keaney (and rounded out by bassist Joe Russo and drummer Marcel Tussie), the guitar-pop five-piece, upon returning to Melbourne after long stretches looking out at the world through the windows of airplanes and tour vans, felt an intense sense of dislocation, something they describe as "being like the knot in the middle of a game of tug-o-war."

"I felt completely rudderless on tour," Keaney says. "It's fun but you get to a point where youre like, Who am I anymore? You feel like youre everywhere and nowhere at the same time. And no one in particular." Russo adds, "We saw a lot of the world, which was such a privilege, but it was kind of like looking through the window at other people's lives, and then also reflecting on our own."

But rather than dwell in the displacement, Keaney was determined to channel how he was feeling into something optimistic. "I wanted to write songs that I could use as some sort of bedrock of hopefulness to stand on, something to be proud of. A lot of the songs on the new record are reaching forward and trying to imagine an idyll of home and love."And out of this creative space comes Rolling Blackouts' second record that sees the band interrogate their individual pasts and the places that inform them. In clicking the scattered pieces back into place, they crafted for themselves a new totem of home to carry with them no matter where they end up.

Home, for Russo, manifests in different ways: there's Melbourne, where he and brother Joe grew up, but also Southern Italy where the forebears of their family originated. The eponymous New Italy is a village near New South Waless Northern Rivers the area Tussie is from. A blink-and-you'll-miss-it pit-stop of a place with fewer than 200 residents, it was founded by Venetian immigrants in the late-1800s and now serves as something of a living monument to Italians' contribution to Australia, with replica Roman statues dotted like souvenirs on the otherwise rural landscape.

As members of the band individually visited the Mediterranean and returned home to Melbourne's inner-north, where waves of European migrants forged a sense of home since the 1950s, they realized the emotional distance between the two was minuscule. The prominent and romantic Greco-Roman statues that sit outside tidy brick homes in Brunswick represent, for Russo, an attempt to "build a utopia of where your hearts from."

The parallel between these remnants of home and the band's own attempts to maintain connections and create familiarity during their disorienting time on the road was not lost on Russo. "These are the expressions of people trying to find home somewhere alien; trying to create utopia in a turbulent and imperfect world."

This emotion is the underlying theme on 'Sideways to New Italy', which essentially is the band's attempt to reconcile the physical feeling of home with the emotional experience of home being 'wherever you lay your hat'. And in keeping with the emotional crux of the album, Whites early attempts at writing big, high-concept songs were abandoned in favor of love songs like 'She's There' and 'The Only One'. Additionally, the band wove in bits of their personal lives into the songs with familiar voices and characters filtering in and out, allowing the record to serve as the anchor that grounds the band's members.

On 'Second of the First' the voice of a close friend joins White's partner in delivering a spoken word passage. The chorus from 'Cool Change' began its life in a song the trio played in an early band, over a decade ago. The chords from 'Cameo' were once in an eventually abandoned song called 'Hope Downs'. And an early version of 'Falling Thunder' featured a reference that only the trio's friends would recognize."We tried to make these little nods to our friends and loved ones, to stay loyal to our old selves," Russo explains. "I think we were trying to recapture some of the innocent weirdness of our very first recordings," Keaney adds of the 'Cool Change' chorus.

The inclusion of such personal notes hidden within the cheerfully melodic and uplifting pop/rock melodies on 'Sideways to New Italy' serves as a totem of sorts, something the band can take with them on the road, something they can seek solace and comfort in as they find themselves buffeted from stage to stage around the world. They'll be taking the voices of their loved ones with them, following cues from their neighbors and ancestors and anyone else who responded to their newfound displacement by crafting a utopia in their own backyard.

And in their highly personal and comforting record, listeners may also find a piece of home to carry with them amidst these disorienting times.Follow Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, or Bandcamp, or via RollingBlackoutsBand.com or SubPop.com for more.

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'Sideways to New Italy': Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever craft a piece of home on their latest record - MEAWW

This weekend, the blues duo of James Montgomery and Bruce Marshall will be doing the one thing every musician in the area wishes they could do: playing a live show, with an audience, in the open air.

Three weeks ago, the Tupelo Music Hall became the first venue in America to experiment with drive-in concerts. Dover, N.H., native Tim Theriault was officially the first to play, followed by the first national name: prog-rock singer/bassist Kasim Sulton of Utopia, in a show that got some national coverage.

The experience is, of course, different from a pre-pandemic club show. Patrons are changed by the carful so you can get a bargain by packing your family in, but large RVs arent allowed. Drinking is also out since youre in a car, though the club will be selling food. Bands play outside the clubs entrance, and patrons either set up outside their cars or listen through their radio. And of course, theres no interacting with the band or the rest of the crowd and with a 6 p.m. start time, it ends well before pre-shutdown concerts usually began. But above all, its still live music, in as safe as a setting as it currently gets.

For singer/guitarist Marshall, the moment couldnt have come too soon. Ive literally been doing this as a pro for 46 years, and this is by far the longest I have ever gone without a show. James and I will be standing six feet apart but well be interacting; and Im going to have to watch out because hes got some serious lung power when he plays harmonica. But we wont be off in separate capsules. Ill have a mask on but Ill keep it around my neck when Im singing. Its a gigging mask, if you will.

Longtime mainstays of the local blues and roots scene, Montgomery and Marshall have already played every other kind of gig there is. They put their duo together 26 years ago, to fill space when their regular bands had a night off. Its a pretty high-energy duo; I like to tell people its an eight-piece R&B revue except that its only James and me. I used a looper on my acoustic guitar and he likes the big kicks and the long endings, so we do that. We play our originals and dip into our well of post-war blues, with Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters songs. I can see that for this show well have to animate a little more, maybe sell it a little harder. Its probably not the best time to pull off a crooning kind of ballad.

Marshall expects to play more drive-in shows over the summer as more venues start opening up. Ive talked to some people who are stick in the muds about it, theyll say I need that direct audience to musician connection and this just isnt for me. But look, this is what weve got right now. Its better than not playing at all, and things are going to get better. Im not saying this is the new normal because things will get back to the way they were. But I think this will translate well in the meantime.

James Montgomery and Bruce Marshall at the Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, N.H. Friday, at 6 p.m.; tickets $75 (per car) at tupelomusichall.com.

More here:

Drive up & park for live blues by Montgomery and Marshall - Boston Herald

In The 1990s, We All Became Free: In Conversation with Jiakun Liu of Jiakun Architects

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Jiakun Liu was born in 1956 in Chengdu, China. Architecture was not his first choice to pursue at school, as he originally wanted to be an artist. He heard that architecture had something to do with drawing, so he applied to Chongqing Institute of Architecture and Engineering, not fully understanding what his role as an architect would be. After his graduation in 1982, Liu worked at the Chengdu Architectural Design Academy for two years, the experience he did not enjoy. So, he set out on a self-searching journey that lasted for over a decade, spending time in Tibet and Xinjiang in West China where he practiced meditation, painting, and writing, producing several works of fiction, while officially working at the Literature Academy as a writer.

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In 1993, Liu was invited to attend an architectural exhibition by his former classmate. Encountering those projects suddenly rekindled his interest in architecture and he decided to give his dormant passion another chance. He finally started his practice, Jiakun Architects in 1999, in his hometown. Since then his work attracted universal acclaim that brought prestigious awards, including the 2003 Chinese Architecture and Art Prize. The architects work was exhibited both at Art and Architecture Venice Biennales and his solo exhibition at AEDES Gallery in Berlin was held in 2017. In 2018, Liu presented his inaugural Serpentine Pavilion Beijing. His architecture is rooted in social and vernacular traditions, oriental aesthetics, close observation of everyday life, refinement of folk skills and wisdom, and is characterized as being fully integrated with nature. The following conversation, a full version of which will be published in the upcoming book China Dialogues, was recorded as I spoke with Jiakun Liu over WeChat video call. Singapore-based graduate student Weili Zhang helped us with live translation.

Vladimir Belogolovsky: Your architecture is about making, building, and revealing the everyday, and what is authentic about living in China. What else is your work about? What is your main goal as an architect?

Jiakun Liu: There are many issues that I am very concerned about, particularly with the juxtaposition of the utopian and the everyday, modernity and traditions, collective memories and personal memory, as well as sustainability. In every one of my projects, I try to focus on all of these issues. Although each project will face comprehensive problems, the focus of each project will be different. Again, going back to one of my first projects, the Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum, my key focus was on lyricism, on the poetry of space itself. But if you look at my West Village project here in Chengdu, you will find that the focus is much more on the social engagement of people. And not only those living there, but even those who live all around it. In fact, many of my projects pay particular attention to how they fit into their surroundings. If Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum is the poetry, then West Village is sociology.

VB: Could you talk about your design process? In one of your lectures, you said that in most cases you work with unskilled laborers and before initiating your design you meet with them to discuss what they are capable of. I heard that you do that even before starting your design. You said in one of your lectures, Once I understand what the workers can do, then I can design my building. Is that right?

JL: This is true, but not in the very beginning. In the beginning, I will still have a basic conception of the overall design. Of course, I want to know what builders are capable of, so I dont design something they cant build. But in the very beginning, I spend time to discover various issues. First, I need to investigate the site and fully understand the context. During this stage, I would decide on what the problems are and how to tackle them.

VB: Ever since the 2008 Sichuan earthquake you initiated the use of brick or cement block reconstructed from the rubble of the demolished buildings to facilitate rebirth of culture and place. Due to the use of this technique you are referred to as the architect of memory. Could you talk about this technique and do you rely on it in your other projects since then?

JL: The origin of that rebirth brick idea was, of course, the fact that the earthquake left so much destruction and rubble. The immediate problem was all about rebuilding. So, it was important to come up with a creative and fast way to rebuild. And this technique proved to be very sustainable. I am very proud of being able to create a so-called building block for producing my own kind of architecture. And I kept using it for a while in a number of subsequent projects, even years after the earthquake. To this day I sometimes use this technique, but the source, the rubble from the earthquake has become very limited over the years and there is not much left of it.

VB: So, your idea of the rebirth brick did not merge into your iconic and unique way of building? Isnt there enough rubble from widespread demolition in China to keep this idea going?

JL: First, I dont consider this technique as my unique architectural gesture because I dont want to be tied to a single architectural element and be recognized for just one kind of attitude. The idea is to use this technique strategically where it is appropriate. The other reason is very mundane, which is the cost of such a process. Initially, right after the earthquake, there was a lot of readily available rubble and, therefore, the cost was very low. Whereas, now, if I want to continue using the same technique, I have to spend a lot of money and effort to find the rubble from a particular demolition. So now it has become more challenging and from the standpoint of sustainability, it no longer makes as much sense as before.

VB: What do you think about the notion of authorship in architecture? Are you at all concerned with how to leave a particular trace, your own mark, as an author? For example, would you say that your reliance on using the rebirth brick, even if strategic and not universal, is what makes your architecture distinctive, unique, and identifiable with you personally?

JL: I do care about authorship and personal character, and unique identity, but I dont think it needs to be conscious or contrived. It should come subconsciously and spontaneously, not deliberately. Of course, there are architects who are known for inventing their own formally recognizable language. But I dont belong to that camp. What I want to follow is not a fixed symbol or style, but a consolidated methodology and common spiritual temperament. Having a style is like a double-edged sword, it is beneficial for being recognized, but it puts a lot of limitations on what is possible.

VB: What single-term words would you use to describe your work most accurately or the kind of architecture you strive to achieve?

JL: I am not good at making conclusions with single words. Quite the opposite, as I like things to be inconclusive. Let me refer to Martin Heideggers poem Poetically Man Dwells. I like to think that poetry lies at the core of my work.

VB: What is a good building for you?

JL: I often question this myself What is a good building? What can we expect from good architecture? Well, it is like defining oneself, which is a very difficult task. I like different buildings for different reasons. But what I particularly like about any building is when I stand in front of it and experience an emotional sensation. At the same time, I like certain unsettledness. Speaking of my own buildings, I like it when I feel that I might have done something wrong. In other words, I like buildings that welcome alternative readings. I dont like architecture that pretends to be perfect. For example, my West Village is a maxi-courtyard that occupies an entire city block to maximize the inner area with sports activities and park, welcoming a diverse public life. Its key feature is that the entire courtyard was built along the streets, and the elevated walkways along the perimeter, floating above the rooftops. This constant change of altitude is unique, and it activates a dynamic flow of energy within the entire neighborhood. I see this project as a typological innovation, a new way of living together, a new social structure, even an attempt to build a new kind of urban utopia.

VB: In other words, what you are saying is that architecture has reached a certain level of relevance and creativity about a decade ago and since then it has not evolved much besides adjusting itself here and there, and it has turned into a formulaic style with all its rigidity and expectations, right?

JL: You can say that.

VB: Here is my perception so many independent architects in China are focused on the issue of regional identity. This offers a great alternative to so-called global architecture, but dont you think this predominant focus on history, traditions, materiality, and regionalism limits architects possibilities? There seems to be no such liberating and necessary premise that architecture could really be anything.

JL: I agree that there needs to be a balance. Nowadays we pay a great deal of attention to our history. However, we need to derive our ideas and inspirations from both our local culture and from whatever is learned and developed around the world. In fact, I disagree with the view that globalization needs to be resisted. That would lead to a closure of ideas and attitudes. Ideas should be shared and multiplied. We should take what is quintessential about different cultures to enrich our own. Architecture should benefit from creative ideas no matter where they come from.

VB: Together with such architects as Yung Ho Chang, Wang Shu, Li Xiaodong, and Zhu Pei you belong to the first generation of independent architects in China. I wonder how you see them as moving in one direction and sharing a particular common ground or do you perceive your work differently, and if so, in what way?

JL: Compare to some of the architects you mentioned I see myself as a latecomer. I went away for more than a decade and rekindled my interest in architecture when these architects were already practicing for quite some time. I think what we all have in common is a certain hunger for learning and opening up to many ideas that were out of reach before. And most of these architects were exposed to living and studying abroad for many years before coming back, so their work was infused by what they have learned overseas. And there was a kind of urgency to innovate and build after a long period of official government-approved style. Then in the 1990s, we all became free. I relate more to Wang Shu because his focus is on analyzing and reproaching our own culture and utilizing traditions in new and innovative ways. One fundamental difference between my work and Wang Shus is that I would never directly recycle ancient materials as entities. I respect tradition. I hope my work carries the spirit of Chinese traditions, but I dont want to bring ready-made traditional techniques and materials into my architecture, preferring to use contemporary techniques and materials. There is no ambiguity about what is contemporary and what is not.

VB: I read that in one of your interviews you pointed out that Many contemporary buildings dont have shadows. What did you mean by that?

JL: Let me correct that. I must have talked about the necessity for buildings to have what can be described as an atmosphere. Let me refer to the notion of shadows in In Praise of Shadows written by Japanese novelist Junichiro Tanizaki, not typical shadows we find in nature. A shadow is a physical phenomenon, but I referred to qualities that may not be quite visible. Yet, they are very important, nevertheless. For buildings to project a particular atmosphere or aura is very difficult to achieve. It is important for buildings to contain stories, even secrets.

Originally posted here:

In The 1990s, We All Became Free: In Conversation with Jiakun Liu of Jiakun Architects - ArchDaily

If history has taught us anything, its that music has played an integral part in the pursuit of social justice for a long time. James Browns Say It Loud Im Black And Im Proud, U2s Sunday Bloody Sunday, Rage Against The Machines Killing In The Name and more recently Kendrick Lamars Alright are just a few of the songs that have soundtracked revolutionary action over the years.

Over the past week, thousands of people have taken to the streets in the US and across the world to protest following the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who was killed on May 25 when a white police officer, who has now been charged with second-degree murder, knelt on Floyds neck for almost nine minute as he lay on the ground during an arrest (his alleged crime? Possession of a counterfeit $20). Floyds horrendous killing has reignited widespread Black Lives Matter protests, online and in the streets.

Run The Jewels 4, the much-anticipated new album from hip-hop duo Run The Jewels comprised of rapper Killer Mike and producer/rapper El-P couldnt be more appropriate for the times were living in. And you so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me/ Until my voice goes from a shriek to whisper, I cant breathe, raps Killer Mike, RTJs beloved social activist, on the defiant walking in the snow. Its a track that also sees them question the school system, biased news reporting and unruly religious mobs.

Mike is no stranger to speaking out on social issues. Just last week the community leader delivered an impassioned speech during a press conference in Atlanta in which he pleaded with the protesting residents of his home city to not burn your own house down for anger with an enemy. Instead, he suggested it was time to plot, plan, strategise, organise and mobilise.

El-P and Killer Mike of Run The Jewels (Picture: Timothy Saccenti / Press)

As with their previous three releases all self-titled and numbered theres a lot to unpack on Run The Jewels fourth outing. Whether its police brutality, fear-mongering media outlets, pseudo-Christians or inner spiritual conflict, no stone is left unturned. They announce that theyre back at it like a crack addict and theres no treading lightly as Mike and El-P go full-on with brazen declarations such as: Look at all these slave masters posing on your dollar.

They take listeners to church at a rapid-fire pace; blink and youll miss a lot of whats being said on RTJ4. They usher in chaos over the haunting Wu-Tang Clan-inspired keys of Ooh La La and condemn social medias superficially woke folk on album standout Goonies vs. E.T.. To merely skim Mike and El-Ps latest sermon would be to do yourself a real disservice.

On the ground below, El-P spits: We just gave you inspiration for free/ The money never meant much. Its an admirable statement on its own, but now holds far greater weight, since the duo announced that they would be releasing RTJ4 for free in light of recent events. As El-P put it on Instagram: We hope it brings you some joy.

The heart-pounding pulling the pin, featuring legendary R&B singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples and Queen Of The Stone Ages Josh Homme, sees RTJ wonder if theyll ever arrive at spiritual utopia without being tempted by the devils charm. Mike feels conflicted: I promised my mama that I would stay honest, but I want it all in the physical. Rage Against the Machines Zack de la Rocha appears on the tightly coiled, Pharrell-featuring JU$T, as if to underline the fact that the record is a modern protest classic.The breath in me is weaponry, he boasts.

Mike and El-P even find time to visit the confession booth on the high-powered a few words for the firing squad (radiation). Manoeuvring through a sea of gorgeous strings and beautifully drawn out synths which are complemented by an empowering sax arrangement reminiscent of J. Coles Let Nas Down Mike and El-P revisit their journey to becoming musical crusaders who fight injustice on raps frontlines. Black child in America/ The fact that I made its magic, Mike raps.

RTJ4 isnt all about social consciousness or spiritual awareness. Sometimes its simply a stage for Mike and El to puff out their chests and drop some witty bars while juiced up on bravado. On out of sight El-P styles out the smoking of a cigarette the wrong way round: Man, I smoke a bogie backwards with a thumb up like its fine. Mike, on the other hand, prefers to throw a haymaker punchline at his fellow MCs on the menacing holy calamafuck: Youre a common cold and my flows are cancerous.

Easily Mike and El-Ps best work to date, RTJ4 is protest music for a new generation; theyre armed in the uprising with a torrent of spirited rallying calls. And they are fearless in their approach to holding middle America and its apathetic leaders accountable. This is less Whats Going On and more It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back although theres no doubt that Marvin Gaye would enjoy hearing Killer Mikes last words for the firing squad: Fuck you, too.

Release date:June 3

Record label: Jewel Runners / BMG

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Run The Jewels Run The Jewels 4 review: a modern protest classic and their best work yet - NME

Todd Rundgrens Utopia, Jon Anderson, Gary Husband and Markus Reuter are part of the latest edition of Five for the Road, an occasional look at music thats been in my car lately

JON ANDERSON 1000 HANDS (PROG ROCK): Previously available in limited release, Jon Andersons eclectic 1000 Hands album sees thewidespread release on Blue Elan Records on July 31. The former Yes frontman delivers his most diverse collection of songs since his solo debut, 1976s Olias of Sunhillow. The lead-off single Ramalama reminds me of We Have Heaven from Yes Fragile with a more international flair. Certainly, the positivity reminiscent of Andersons best lyrics is present. The album also contains touches out jazz, progressive rock, and world music. Activate and 1000 Hands (Come Up) are excellent examples of how Jon Anderson continues to progress musically. Producer Michael T. Franklin (Brian Wilson) does a stellar job managing the diverse talent which includes such icons as Steve Morse, Steve Howe, Billy Cobham, and Jean Luc Ponty. 1000 Hands is one of Andersons most cohesive solo albums.

THE DARK MONARCHY THE DARK MONARCHY (PROG ROCK): Mark Anthony K and Joe Bailey conspire to take listeners on a powerful hard-rocking joy ride. Their single Fools Gold came out in April and provided listeners with a no-holds-barred dose of contemporary hard rock. Now, the self-titled album is in the queue for release on June 12 via Reficul Records, with a digital version also available on Bandcamp. Joyride kicks things into gear with soaring guitar work by K and powerful drumming and bass playing from Bailey. The vocal contrast between the two works well in this setting. Mother Earth burns with the intensity of a supernova as 80s-era keyboard sounds meld with the powerful rhythm section and Ks distorted lead guitars. The subject matter is timely, but lyrically the song is never preachy. Broken Kingdom is my favorite song on The Dark Monarchy, combining 70s-style prog keyboards with Joe Baileys bleak and descriptive lyrics. Melodically powerful and musically uncompromising, the Dark Monarchy gives you 45 minutes of compelling music.

GARY HUSBAND & MARKUS REUTER MUSIC OF OUR TIME (JAZZ): As a long time fan of Stick Men featuring Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto and Markus Reuter), I was looking forward to their summer 2020 tour. That obviously wont be happening, yet there is still plenty of new music from them collectively and individually to explore. One of my favorite discoveries is the collaboration between the multi-talented Gary Husband and Markus Reuter. Music of Our Time came together after the cancellation of Stick Men dates in Japan and China. Recorded live on March 3, 2020, and produced by Reuter and Leonardo Pavkovic, this recording is one of the best of 2020. Husband adds warmth to everything on his grand piano, while allowing ample space for Reuters Touch Guitar. The six joint compositions are simply beautiful. The starkness of Colour of Sorrow creates shapes which change with every listening. White Horses (for Allan) is simply memorizing. The tones and shades Markus Reuter creates on his Touch Guitar and electronics conjure images that are otherworldly yet and grounded by Husband. The contrast and sonics between the two are fascinating. Its is all the more remarkable given this musical landscape was created in just one day.

TODD RUNDGRENS UTOPIA BENEFIT FOR MOOGY KINGMAN (ROCK): Coming on the heels of Utopias 2019 release Live at the Chicago Theatre, one might think this release is redundant. Thats not the case. Taken from January 2011 shows held as a benefit for Utopias original Utopia keyboardist, Benefit for Moogy Klingman is quite a time capsule. Crying In the Sun contains all the charm and theatrics of the original. There are well-worn Utopia classics here too (Utopia Theme, Do Ya), all of which contain the zeal youd expect. The box set also contains two DVDs along with four audio discs and extensive liner notes. Benefit for Moogy Klingman is not to be missed by Utopia fans.

BRIAN TARQUIN PROJECT VEGAS BLUE (ROCK) No stranger to assembling talented musicians for television and film, Brian Tarquin produced, engineered, and wrote this project to honor the victims of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. This mostly instrumental effort includes noticeable heavyweights including Steve Morse, Trey Gunn, and former Dire Straits guitarist Hal Lindes. Songs like Evil Men Do and Run For Cover are heavy, matching the subject matter. However, Brian Tarquins writing provides enough energy and nuance to make listening interesting and never overwrought. Many of the sings on Vegas Blue could easily stand alone without the central theme around the album. This in itself makes for compelling music.

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Utopia, Jon Anderson, Gary Husband and Markus Reuter + Others: Five for the Road - Something Else! Reviews

Eddy Lee Ryder has announced her forthcoming debut EP, Expected to Fly, with the release of the new single, "There In Dreams." A ready and willing mistress of everything from murder ballads to love songs and upbeat party tunes, Eddy's unconventional, theatrical approach to songwriting mingles contagious '70s good-time rock riffs and pop beats with complex poetry and layers that sparkle through her well-crafted recordings.

Listen below!

"There In Dreams" is deeply personal for Eddy, written about her father who passed away when she was 16 years old, who she describes as "a larger than life marathon runner who qualified for the 1980 Olympics." She says, "When I was struggling in the world he built for me, I was trying to get to him in my dreams. When everyone thought I was insane and it felt like life around me was crumbling, I would go to sleep and hope to see my dad to tell me it would all be ok. This song is about both loving and hating the nights when I see him, because it's as great as it is painful."

A classically trained musician and opera singer, Eddy was trapped in a world of made-for-TV pop music and light rock in her youth until she heard Peter Gabriel's "Solsberry Hill" and never looked back. She soon found herself hooked on Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush and even Spinal Tap. To date, Eddy has put out a series of singles in collaboration with Kevin Killen, who has mixed and engineered some of her favorite albums, including Peter Gabriel's So and Elvis Costello's Spike.

Those singles will appear on Expected to Fly, which pays homage to the musical style and spirit of the 60s and 70s, complete with big themes, haunting melodies and interesting storytelling. "Those styles represented a freedom and wandering life that I always related to; a quest for utopia on the open road," Eddy explains. "I was writing while holding on to that sentiment but realizing there might actually be a more dystopian future ahead, so I wrote about trying to find the beauty and comfort in this strange future ahead, so the songs are a blend of a bit hopeful but dark."

Expected to Fly will be released on July 10, 2020. For more information, please visit EddyLeeRyder.com.

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Eddy Lee Ryder New Single 'There In Dreams' - Broadway World