I love finding new music.  I try to listen to a new band every day!  I’m always thinking that my new favorite band is just around the corner.  Like a lot of people I am “multi-genre”  Give me Classic Rock, Jam Bands, 80’s on 8 or any mixture of Old School Country and Bluegrass.  I can find my way around a Classical playlist or one of my retro rock bands from back in the day.  But… my mostly unknown love… my “get in the car and drive for hours” … my biggest appreciation for the craft of musicianship is in the Prog World.  There is something about those epic arrangements with complex time signatures, those concept albums that make you appreciate world class musicianship.  Prog.. I love it.

Before you give up on me and say all prog is the same give me a second.  Like all other genres there are many styles within prog.  Metal, Fusion, Smart Rock, HIppie and the list goes on.

Here are three upcoming releases from some of my favorite bands that fall in to the “Prog” category.  I am pumped to get these projects in my hands.  Just think, your next favorite band might just be listed below!

September 16th

 

An Endless Sporadic

• Magic Machine

Joining Zach Kamins on this album is a world class roster & special guests including Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment), Roine Stolt and Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings), Michael Iago Mellender (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum) and Navene K (Animals as Leaders, Entheos) to name just a few!

 

This album is a 10 track instrumental adventure that is touted as conceptual & movie score’ish.

Comments Zach: “I feel that Magic Machine was created out of a strong desire to bring out the true intention of the name, An Endless Sporadic. I have always had a passion for music that was part of a bigger story, where ideas can take time to develop and be presented in many different ways. “

FANS OF KANSAS, CHON, JOHN PRETUCCI, DREAM THEATER

PREORDER HERE –> PREORDER
Check out Track 8. for FREE!

November 10th

Umphrey’s McGee

• ZONKEY

Umphrey’s McGee falls easily into the Jam Band/Hippie Rock category of Prog.  They are as goofy as they are musical phenoms and ZONKEY doesn’t disappoint.  A studio album made entirely of mashups just had to happen.  U.M. is famous for sprinkling classic mashups and covers into there set over the last nearly two decades.

 

I dare anyone to look over this track listing and not want to have this CD in there collection.

PREORDER HERE –>  ZONKEY PREORDER

ZONKEY Track Listing

“National Loser Anthem”
“National Anthem” (Radiohead) + “Loser” (Beck) + “In The Air Tonight” (Phil Collins)

“Life During Exodus”
“Life During Wartime” (Talking Heads) + “Exodus” (Bob Marley) + “City of Tiny Lites” (Frank Zappa) + “25 or 6 to 4” (Chicago)

“Can’t Rock My Dream Face”
“Rock With You” (Michael Jackson) + “Can’t Feel My Face” (The Weeknd) + “Dreams” (Fleetwood Mac)

“Sad Clint Eastwood”
“Sad But True” (Metallica) + “Clint Eastwood” (Gorillaz)

“Electric Avenue To Hell”
“Highway To Hell” (AC/DC) + “Electric Avenue” (Eddy Grant) + “The Triple Wide” (Umphrey’s McGee)

“Ace Of Long Nights”
“Ace of Spades” (Motörhead) + “It’s Gonna Be a Long Night” (Ween)

“Sweet Sunglasses”
“Sweet Dreams” (Eurythmics) + “Sunglasses at Night” (Corey Hart) + “Electric Feel” (MGMT)

“Strangletage”
“Stranglehold” (Ted Nugent) + “Sabotage” (Beastie Boys)

“Come As Your Kids”
“Kids” (MGMT) + “Come As You Are” (Nirvana) + “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” (Dead or Alive)

“Frankie Zombie”
“Thunder Kiss ’65” (White Zombie) + “Relax” (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) + “Have a Cigar” (Pink Floyd)

“Bulls On The Bus”
“Bulls On Parade” (Rage Against the Machine) + “Mark On the Bus” (Beastie Boys)

“Bittersweet Haj”
“Hajimemashite” (Umphrey’s McGee) + “Bitter Sweet Symphony” (The Verve)

 

November 11th

The Neil Morse Band

• The Similitude Of A Dream

Made up of prog legends Neil Morse & Mike Portnoy along with Randy George, Eric Gillette and Bill Hubauer this project is being held as a career triumph.  Portnoy said it best….

“OMG…I am BLOWN AWAY.. I am completely FLOORED…By the time I was rounding the album’s grand finale, the goosebumps were so overwhelming I actually uncontrollably wept like a baby!!! (I swear…..) In my 30+ year career, I consider myself to have made 2 masterpiece concept albums: Dream Theater’s Scenes From A Memory & Transatlantic’s The Whirlwind…

Ladies & Gentlemen, In my opinion, we have ABSOLUTELY TOPPED them both! THIS is THE ALBUM of mine (& Neal’s) careers…it’s so monumentally EPIC and perfect in every way….”

This project is over 100 minutes on 2 CD’s with 23 tracks!  Described as a musical journey that will leave you inspired as only music can.  As a musician this project inspires me to write better, to arrange better and to strive for more.  Check out this FREE song.. LongDay/Overture

Preorder this here –>PREORDER