ANDY MERTENS - REGYPTIAN STRUT

 

J.M. SMIG - MARY MIRROR

a message from J.M. Smig

Musical work in progress: "Mary Mirror", a virtual piano and string quintet inspired by the unpainted reflecting pool at the Christian Science Center in downtown Boston.

J. M. Smig · Mary Mirror (Work in Progress)

DIGGING DEEP WITH VAULTMEISTER JOE TRAVERS

 

MEAT LOAF - HANG COOL TEDDY BEAR

• Meat Loaf: Hang Cool Teddy Bear
      (2010, cd, --, mercury)

(The late) Meat Loaf released "Hang Cool Teddy Beer" in 2010.
Lots of guests on this typical Meat Loaf album, including Steve Vai (on ‘Love Is Not Real / Next Time You Stab Me in the Back’ and ‘Song of Madness’), and Brian May (also on 'Love Is Not Real / Next Time You Stab Me in the Back’).

BANDCAMP RE-RELEASE OF THE WRONG OBJECT'S "STORIES FROM THE SHED" HAS A BONUS TRACK

The Wrong Object's 2007 "Stories From The Shed" album has been made available on Bandcamp.
And it includes a bonus track: a 10-minute live version of 'The Unbelievable Truth' !

NEW ALBUM BY THE ECLECTIC MAYBE BAND

New album by the Eclectic Mayby Band, Guy Segers' progressive music project.

"Domestic Dragon",
out in July,
on the Discus Music record label.
Bandcamp & CD release.

Once again studio master / composer / bassist Guy Segers assembles a huge cast of progressive musicians to perform / improvise 8 new pieces. Guy's methods of composition and collage remain as before, but each new Eclectic Maybe Band release brings a new perspective to the music. This time round harder, more brittle sounds emerge from an album with a very punchy attitude. A mixture of avant pop and progressive complexity.

BEAT PLAYS BOWIE

In concert in Berlin.

SUN RA'S "EAST TWO + 7" IS OUT

 'East Two' + 7 other tracks.
The CD got released a couple of days ago.

FRENCH TV - THE SPANISH CAPER

• French TV: The Spanish Caper
      (2026, cd, USA, cuneiform rune 544/545)

The Cuneiform record label has released a beautiful 2 CD album by Louisville-born avant-prog veterans French TV.
Disc One offers complex instrumentals written in Northern Spain, while Disc Two delivers an obscure collection of late-60s/early-70s heavy-rock and psych covers.

Disc One sounds great, but check out this great list of tracks on Disc Two.
There's a lot of nice things to discover here !

Disc Two

1. 20th Century Man (R. Davies)

2. Nantucket Sleigh Ride (to Owen Coffin) (F. Pappalardi, G. Collins) = Mountain

3. Goin' a Little Crazy (B. Cummings, K. Winter) = The Guess Who

4. Fresh Garbage (J. Ferguson) - Spirit

5. Butterfly Bleu (D. Ingle, L. Dorman, R. Bushy) = Iron Butterfly

6. Deadman's Dream (G. Brooker, K. Reid) = Procol Harum

7. Take a Look Around (J. Walsh) = James Gang

8. Funky Judge (A. Williams, L. Hutton) = Bull & The Matadors

9. Freedom Rider (S. Winwood)

10. Days and Nights (S. Hill, W. Ham) = Bloodrock

11. A Million Miles Away (R. Gallagher)

12. Renegade (J. McKay, G. McJohn, G. Biondo) = Steppenwolf

CHEER-ACCIDENT - YOU SMILE - THE SONG IS OVER

• Cheer-Accident: You Smile – The Song Is Over
      (2026, download / streaming, --, bandcamp / cuneiform)
      (2026, cd, USA, cuneiform)

Cheer-Accident's "You Smile – The Song Is Over" is sprawling, hour-long avant-prog masterpiece.
It marks the Chicago group's 27th studio release, or even their 37th release if you count every album in their vast output.
Made available on the legendary Cuneiform Records, "You Smile - The Song Is Over" offers dense, adventurous math-rock next to experimental (almost pop) songs and meditative soundscapes.

While the deluxe edition of the album bundles the CD with a DVD of live performances, the Studio Album Only Bandcamp version strips the package down to its core 11-track studio narrative, adding  an edited version of 'They Won't Talk To Me' as a bonus track.

Pure Avant-Prog / RIO (Rock in Opposition) / Math-Rock.
Love it.

-- info: Danny Mathys