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Big Big Train: Grand Tour
https://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/album/grand-tour
https://www.bigbigtrain.com/
Also available on Amazon
Music Editor Dr. Steve Blomerth recommends the British/Swedish/American Progressive Rock band ‘Big Big Train’ for their latest album Grand Tour. Big Big Train is a progressive rock band that covers a lot of ground musically, and thematically. With 7 core members, 4 members with lead vocal capacity and an auxiliary 5 piece brass band, Big Big Train has a full live and studio sound. They are also superbly recorded ; from Celtic flavored violin and flute passages, to jazz piano sections, to twin electric guitar rock’n’roll.
Their latest album is called ‘Grand Tour’ and may have the strongest compositions of any of their previous albums, and that is saying a lot because Big Big Train have always had an excellent balance of uplifting melody, strong rhythms, thoughtful lyrics and great solos and sectional work. The melodies, songs, stories, and ideas on Grand Tour show great variety and they are by turns uplifting, moving, and rocking as well as a sonic delight to hear on your hi-fi system.
Inspired by the 17th and 18th century custom of the Grand Tour, where young men and women travelled to broaden the mind, Big Big Train have made an album of songs set in distant lands and beyond to voyage deep into space before returning back home to the sweet river banks of home.
Swimming The Horses – Gerry O’Beirne
Your Editors in Chief’s Pick!
Singer-songwriter Gerry O’Beirne performs a new collection of songs and guitar pieces written in Dingle in West Kerry where he lives. He plays 6 and 12 string guitars, slide guitar, ukuleles, tiple, U-Bass, 5-string banjo and National steel guitar. More information at www.gerryobeirne.com
Samples: https://gerryobeirne.bandcamp.com/album/swimming-the-horses
Also available on Amazon
Telesterion – Eidolorous
https://eidolorous.bandcamp.com/album/telesterion
released May 20, 2019
Tim Rayborn presents a recording of dark orchestral themes, and ambient and electronic sounds. A descent into the darkest depths, whether literal or figurative, mythological or tangible, external or internal, but from which there may well be no hope of escape and return.
Pagania – Jan J. Močnik
released May 8, 2019
The album was created as an experiment of playing with various old instruments and sounds. The purpose is to bring the listener to the time of our forefathers.
The Hu Band: Gereg
Release Date: 13/09/2019
Your Editor in Chief has become a fan of Mongolian Rock —
https://www.thehuofficial.com/ Debut album of The Hu.
Founded in 2016 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia by their producer Dashka. The Hu is a Mongolian heavy metal band formed in 2016. With traditional Mongolian instrumentation, including the Morin khuur, and Mongolian throat singing, the band calls their style of music “hunnu rock”, hu being a Mongolian root word for “human”. Their producer’s name is Dashka. (Wikipedia) Since the formation of the band, they’ve been working on their first album, The Gereg. The word Gereg was used as the first Diplomatic “Passport” by the Mongol empire during the time of Genghis Khan. The album contains nine songs including the recently released “Yuve Yuve Yu” and “Wolf Totem”, and is slated for release in 2019 on Eleven Seven Music.
Gala / Lead Throat Singer and Morin Khuur Enkush / Lead Morin Khuur and Throat Singer Jaya / Jaw Harp, Tsuur, Flute, and Throat Singer emka / Tovshuur. Here is a sample of their music: https://youtu.be/jM8dCGIm6yc
Also available on Amazon
Heilung: Futha
Editor’s Choice!
released June 28, 2019
Recording line-up
– Kai Uwe Faust, Maria Franz, Christopher Juul
https://heilung.bandcamp.com/
Also available on Amazon
Futha is an entrancing masterstroke of profound otherworldly music.
New video from Omnia:
Kokopelli Hoka Hey! Live Video (March 2019)
https://youtu.be/T_QnQf1djNM
Directed and produced by OMNIA Music/ Pagan Scum Records
Camera and editing by Daphyd Sens
Music & lyrics by Steve Sic & Jenny Evans-van der Harten
Kokopelli written in 2014
All music, video & publishing rights ©PaganScum Records 2019
Purchase track: https://www.worldofomnia.com/webshop/digital-single-kokopelli-hoka-hey
Diluvio – Santa Muerte
Santa Muerte’s debut album
Label: Majía, August, 2019
Author Liaison Denise Dumars’ pick!
Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/somosmajia/sin-lagrimas-intro
Also available on Amazon
On Diluvio, which means “flood” in Spanish, the duo borrows elements of reggaeton, grime and baile funk, while also embracing the darkness of their namesake, the Mexican “Saint Of Holy Death.”
Just Discovered
…. and, we really like these!
Bonjour Batfrog – Frenchy and the Punk
https://frenchyandthepunk.bandcamp.com/album/bonjour-batfrog
released August 5, 2014
Imagine Siouxsie Sioux and Dee Dee Ramone had a duo that was inspired by Django Reinhardt, Toulouse Lautrec and Deepak Chopra, this is what it would sound like. One part Dresden Dolls, Sonny and Cher and one part White Stripes. A spirited flexitarian band of tree hugging, gothic, folk punks by way of Paris and New York. Doused in red wine, kale and granola, raised on punk rock and ballet, eclectic and uplifting…fun with a capital F!
Wēoh by Wēoh
released April 19, 2016
https://weoh.bandcamp.com/releases
Espen Myklebust: Great atmosphere throughout the entire release. The strings and the plucked guitar compliment each other greatly. The mix of both male and female vocals also adds vastly to the atmosphere. Favorite track: Ne Sorga.