‘Land Animal’ Available June 23 via InsideOutMusic/Sony.
“It’s very rare that an artist or band comes along that changes your perspective on music and art…Bent Knee have done just that.” – Substream
“Mind boggling… the grandest and subtlest ideas are on the table” -NPR
“The silo-smashing Bent Knee’s unique mix is equal parts ingenuity and deliciousness” – The Wall Street Journal
“Bent Knee breaks new stylistic and temperamental ground” – The Boston Globe
Genre-bending art-rock band Bent Knee have revealed a gripping live video for their single “Holy Ghost”. The track is the second to be released from their forthcoming album, Land Animal, out June 23rd via InsideOutMusic/Sony. The collection combines myriad influences from across the rock, pop, minimalist, and avant-garde spectrums into a seamless, thrilling whole.
You can watch the video here:
Following a North American tour supporting Thank You Scientist, Bent Knee will embark on a select run of tour dates in June, beginning in Brooklyn, NY and making stops in Washington DC, Philadelphia, Chicago and more.
The Pineapple Thief have announced the second leg of their European tour in support of the critically-acclaimed album Your Wilderness. The new dates will see the band venture into Poland and Switzerland along with shows in Germany, Czech Republic, The Netherlands and UK. See a full list below.
The band will again be joined by virtuoso Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson) on drums and Darran Charles (Godsticks) on guitar. As anyone who witnessed the shows earlier this year will attest, the new five-piece line-up has allowed Bruce, Steve and Jon to expand upon their signature sound, enabling the band to truly shine on stage.
For a glimpse of what to expect, fans can watch clips of the band’s sparkling performance at London’s Islington Assembly Hall here:
Tour dates
Wednesday, 6 September 2017 – Dresden, Alter Schlachtof
Thursday, 7 September 2017 – Warsaw, Progesja Music Zone
Friday, 8 September 2017 – Krakow, Kwadrat Music Club
Saturday, 9 September 2017 – Czech Republic Brno – Melodka
Sunday, 10 September 2017 – Munich, Backstage Halle
Monday, 11 September 2017 – Zurich, Dynamo
Tuesday, 12 September 2017 – Stuttgart, Universum
Wednesday, 13 September 2017 – Cologne, Luxor
Thursday, 14 September 2017 – Zoetermeer, De Boerderij
Following a triumphant first leg, with several sold out shows, The Pineapple Thief has emerged as one of the most exciting live progressive rock acts on the circuit and a force to be reckoned with. Prog Magazine described the show as “a dynamic, dramatic experience” while Manchester Rocks commented that it’s “The Pineapple Thief, like you’ve never heard them before”.
“We can’t wait to get back on the road again!” explains band leader Bruce Soord. “Personally, I am really excited that people will have another opportunity to see and hear this fantastic line-up. Darran and Gavin have brought a whole new dimension to this band.”
The band will be performing Your Wilderness plus a string of re-imagined favourites from their back catalogue. These will be the last tour dates this year, and the final opportunity for fans to witness this line-up performing Your Wilderness in its entirety. Special guest support is from Kscope label mates Godsticks, who will be performing brand new material from their upcoming fourth album.
Your Wilderness is the 11th studio album from The Pineapple Thief. For the first time, the band brought in several special guest performers: Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree) contributed drums throughout the album, John Helliwell (Supertramp) some beautiful clarinet parts, and Geoffrey Richardson (Caravan) provided a string quartet. They were also joined by a 4-piece choir and to cap it all off, Darran Charles (Godsticks) added some jaw dropping guitar playing.
One of the most exciting bands to come out of the UK progressive rock scene in recent times, The Pineapple Thief was formed in 1999 by founder and chief songwriter Bruce Soord. The band has steadily evolved and refined its sound with the bass playing of Jon Sykes and the production and keyboards of Steve Kitch vital ingredients of the unmistakable TPT sound.
UK Progressive Rock act, Gandalf’s Fist, have announced a special one-off headlining performance which they have coined simply as “Fistival”.
Commandeering the Carnegie Theatre in Workington, Cumbria, the 4th August show marks a homecoming for the band, capping off a hugely successful 12 months which has heralded the release of their acclaimed triple album, ‘The Clockwork Fable’; the Abbey Road mastered Vinyl release of ‘The Lamplighter’s Tale’; an unplugged session on ‘BBC Introducing’ and a blistering headline performance of the 2nd Stage at HRH Prog Festival.
Fistivalpromises to be a unique experience, with ‘the Fist’ promising to build on their “prog-roc-pantomime” with further theatrical shenanigans and full-stage projections.
The band are also offering a free digital download of ‘The Clockwork Fable’; with every ticket purchase. The free download, which features guest appearances from the likes of Arjen Lucassen,Blaze Bayley, Dr Who cast members and even Zach “Billy Peltzer” Galligan from Gremlins, is a stunning 3 hour window into the wacky world of Gandalf’s Fist and is surely the ideal preparation for what is sure to be a memorable performance.
Steven Wilson has announced details of To The Bone – his expansive, brilliant fifth album – and a major 2018 UK tour including a return to one of the country’s most iconic venues, the Royal Albert Hall. Pre-order the album here.
A gloriously dynamic modernist pop record as imagined by the UK’s biggest underground artist,
To The Bone is released August 18th via Caroline International on CD / 2 x 12” / Blu-Ray / super deluxe box set and all digital platforms.
Fusing driving futurist rock and spectral electronics to elegiac hyper-space ambience and dizzying, squalling guitars, To The Bone is Steven Wilson’s hat-tip to the hugely ambitious progressive pop records of his youth (think Peter Gabriel’s So, Talk Talk’s Colour of Spring, Tears for Fears Seeds of Love).
Lyrically, the album’s eleven tracks veer from the paranoid chaos of the post-truth era and the creeping self-loathing of the technology age to steely fly-on-the-wall observations of the everyday lives of religious fundamentalists with a welcome shot or two of wide-eyed escapism. Sonically and melodically stunning, To The Bone is a high definition snapshot of the disconcerting times we live in.
The follow up to 2015’s Hand. Cannot. Erase.(“a smart, soulful and immersive work of art” the Guardian 5*),To The Bone is Steven Wilson’s first album since signing with Caroline International (Iggy Pop, Underworld, Thurston Moore, Glass Animals). Formerly the founder and mainstay of outsider rock band Porcupine Tree, Steven released his first record under his own name – Insurgentes – in 2008. He has been resolutely independent throughout a three-decade career that’s made him the most successful British artist you’ve never heard of.
Listen to ‘Pariah’ from the new album here:
Steven Wilson has announced details of a huge global tour that takes in over one hundred shows across all five continents including a 25 date US tour that sees him return to the renowned Beacon Theatre, NY after last year’s sell out there. His European dates are:
Wed 31st Jan Portugal, Lisbon, Sala Tejo at the MEO Arena
Thu 1st Feb Spain, Madrid, Wiznik Centre
Sat 3rd Feb Spain, Barcelona, L’Auditori
Sun 4th Feb France, Marseille, Silo
Tue 6th Feb France, Lyon, Le Transbordeur
Wed 7th Feb Switzerland, Zurich, Halle 622
Fri 9th Feb Italy, Milan, Teatro Degli Arcimboldi
Sat 10th Feb Italy, Rome, Atlantico
Mon 12th Feb Germany, Frankfurt, Alte Oper
Tue 13th Feb Germany, Ravensburg, Oberachwabenhalle
Wed 14th Feb Austria, Vienna, Gasometer
Thu 15th Feb Germany, Berlin, Admiralpalast
Sat 17th Feb Poland, Zabrze, House of Music and Dance
Sun 18th Feb Poland, Poznan, Earth Hall
Tue 20th Feb Germany, Hamburg, Mehr Theatre
Sat 24th Feb Finland, Helsinki, The Circus
Mon 26th Feb Sweden, Stockholm, Cirkus
Tue 27th Feb Norway, Oslo, Oslo Concert House
Wed 28th Feb Norway, Bergen, USF Verftet
Thu 1st Mar Norway, Stavanger, Konserthuset – Zetlitz
Sat 3rd Mar Denmark, Copenhagen, Vega Main Hall
Mon 5th Mar Germany, Essen, Colosseum
Wed 7th Mar The Netherlands, Amsterdam, Heineken Music Hall
Fri 9th Mar Belgium, Brussels, AB
Sat 10th Mar Luxembourg, Rockhal Club
Mon 12th Mar France, Paris, The Olympia
Tue 13th Mar France, Lille, Theatre Sebastopol
Sat 17th Mar Belfast Mandela Hall
Mon 19th Mar Dublin Olympia Theatre
Wed 21st Mar Cardiff St David’s Hall
Thu 22nd Mar Birmingham Symphony Hall
Sat 24th Mar Glasgow Clyde Auditorium
Sun 25th Mar Gateshead Sage 1
Tue 27th Mar London Royal Albert Hall
Sat 31st Mar Manchester Bridgewater Hall
Tickets for the UK tour are on sale from 10am Friday 12th May (with a fan only pre-sale on Wednesday 10th May).
To The Bone tracklisting:
To The Bone
Nowhere Now
Pariah
The Same Asylum As Before
Refuge
Permanating
Blank Tapes
People Who Eat Darkness
Song of I
Detonation
Song of Unborn
The super deluxe box set features the album, a CD of outtakes and demos, a Blu Ray, a DVD, a fully illustrated book and a one-sided 7” single featuring non-album track.
For more information, contact Robin at Turner Hall.
The Tangent, the progressive rock group led by Andy Tillison, have announced the release of the first new music since 2015. Their new ninth studio album ‘The Slow Rust of Forgotten Machinery’ is set for release on 21st July 2017. The line-up for this album once again features Tillison on keyboards, vocals (and for the first time on a Tangent record – drums), Jonas Reingold on bass, Luke Machin on guitars and vocals, and Theo Travis on sax and flutes plus new member Marie-Eve de Gaultier on keys and vocals. There are also guest appearances from author/playwright and Chumbawamba founder Boff Whalley on vocals, and upcoming DJ/producer Matt Farrow.
Band leader Andy Tillison had this to say: “Roger Waters did prove the ability of Progressive Music to act as a vehicle to communicate ideas about the current world scene. In both Pink Floyd’s “The Final Cut” and his “Amused To Death” albums, Waters set a challenge to others in the genre. A challenge which has not been frequently accepted.”
The album sees The Tangent in political commentary mode once again – this time often focussing on the horrendous plight of refugees from war torn parts of the world – and the way in which they are treated by the West, and in particular by the tabloid press. The album laments the new trend in building walls and defending borders across the world yet takes time to look at the breakup of friendships and other more personal issues – along with a song about the fate of wildlife in the modern consumer world.
And it’s a Progressive Rock Record. Full of intricacies, long developed pieces, challenging arrangements and virtuoso playing from all members. New sounds and styles (the band have brought a DJ on board for some sections) – new voices and techniques (first female vocals in The Tangent since the “Not As Good As The Book” album 10 years ago). A new producer in the form of Luke Machin whose open and deep/clear sound is a major factor of this album, a new drummer in the form of Andy Tillison who decided at long last (after drumming for 30 years) to let his own performances guide the rest of the band rather than adding another musician later. And after 13 years of asking, Jonas finally agreed to play some double bass in a song where Luke also plays some Scat guitar and Andy does a full on drum solo.
“The Slow Rust Of Forgotten Machinery” also features stellar artwork from Marvel / DC Comics artist Mark Buckingham. The sleeve of the album is totally based on the music it contains and was especially created for this project.
The album will be available on limited digipak CD, gatefold 2LP + CD, and digital download, and you can find the full track-listing below:
Two Rope Swings
Doctor Livingstone (I Presume)
Slow Rust
The Sad Story of Lead and Astatine
A Few Steps Down the Wrong Road
Basildonxit
The band will head out on tour in support of the new record, once again joining forces with Sweden’s Karmakanic to present albums by both bands. The full list of dates is as follows:
Aug 26th 2017 – Bierkeller, Reichenbach, DE
Sept 1st 2017 – 2 days of Prog +1 Festival, Veruno, Italy
Sept 9th 2017 – The Boerderij, Zoetermeer
Oct 8th 2017 – SUMMERS END Festival, Chepstow, UK
Oct 21st 2017 – Progtoberfest, Chicago, USA
Oct 22nd 2017 – Shank Hall, Milwaukee WI, USA
Oct 24th 2017 – Token Lounge, Westland MI, USA
Oct 26th 2017 – Roxy & Dukes, Dunellen NJ, USA
Oct 27th 2017 – The Regent Theatre, Arlington MA, USA
Only Echoes Remain are a London-based 4-piece that blend the classic ‘wall of guitar’ sound of This Will Destroy You with post-metal elements a la Russian Circles/If These Trees Could Talk, the atmospheric prog-y math of Karnivool with the emotions of Sigur Ros or Yndi Halda.
Within their first year of forming Only Echoes Remain have already had the pleasure of sharing the stage with the Her Name is Calla, Totorro, Vasa, Poly-Math, Toska, Dialects, A-Sun Amissa and Waking Aida, to name but a few.
Debut album ’The Exigent’ is set for release on June 16th. Recorded at the Abbey Road Institute ‘The Exigent’ is very much a concept record with a full narrative running throughout. The band comment; ‘being a concept album, ‘The Exigent’follows a cohesive narrative throughout, telling a story both physical and deeply emotional.’
‘Aurora’ is the first track to be shared from the record and on the simplest level it speaks of both the grand majesty of space, and the perils that space travel brings. The band add, ‘we tend to look at it more on an emotional level – the complexities of human emotions, how quickly awe and joy can turn into fear or panic, are themes explored throughout the album but are introduced properly in ‘Aurora’.’
Through their enchantingly dark and evocative melodies, expansive arrangements and empowered orchestral sound Beatrix Players tell stories of real life and fantasy. Citing influences as diverse as Michael Nyman and Regina Spektor and drawing comparisons to the likes of Kate Bush and Einaudi Ludovico, this London-based, all female trio combine elements of Folk, Jazz, Progressive and Classical music. In 2015 the band took their unique sound – a beautiful combination of vocals, piano and cello – into the studio to record their self-produced debut album, which has been mixed by two-time BBC Folk Award winner, Jim Moray. That album, titled Magnified, is now brought to you in an evening with musicians from the album with support from King of the Opera.
When purchasing tickets you have the option to buy the Beatrix Players Magnified Vinyl + Magnified CD for a discounted price of £10, available to pick up after the show where the Beatrix Players will be signing copies.
Progradar’s own Rob Fisher:
“With the release of ‘Magnified’, Beatrix Players have created a truly stunning and enchanting collection of musical experiences to delight the soul and feed the mind. Call it bewitching, call it sublime, I thoroughly recommend sharing time with it and succumbing to all the enchanting journeys on which it will take you.”
Tickets can be bought direct from Hoxton Hall here:
Detroit prog rock icons DISCIPLINE, advancing their fifth studio full-length and first for Laser’s Edge, Captives Of The Wine Dark Sea, have issued a new trailer for the album, as the label sets the record for July 7th worldwide release.
DISCIPLINE has performed and recorded together since 1987, and remains one of the top bands in the American progressive rock scene. The band’s current lineup, including drummer Paul Dzendzel, bassist Mathew Kennedy, lead guitarist Chris Herin (Tiles), and vocalist/keyboardist Matthew Parmenter, worked with veteran music producer Terry Brown (Rush, Fate’s Warning) for the mixing of their newest opus, Captives Of The Wine Dark Sea, which Parmenter describes as, “an escape to ameliorate the workaday world.”
Laser’s Edge will release Captives Of The Wine Dark Sea worldwide on CD, LP, and digital formats on July 7th; stand by for more expansive audio samples, preorders, and more on the album to be posted in the days ahead.
Band picture by Studiostead Photography
DISCIPLINE will perform several concerts in Europe this Summer, with a show in Madrid, Spain on August 30th, followed by a solo show from vocalist Matthew Parmenter show in Rome, Italy the following evening. September 2nd sees the band playing at Novara, Italy’s 2Days Prog+1 Festival on September 2nd before returning stateside. DISCIPLINE also plays September 23rd as part of the NJ Proghouse Series in New Jersey with Galactic Cowboy Orchestra, and October sees the band playing in Ferndale, Michigan with Necromonkey, and taking part in Progtoberfest III in Chicago. Additional tour dates supporting the new album are to be expected.
DISCIPLINE Tour Dates:
8/30/2017 Galileo Galilei – Madrid, ES w/ Kotobel [info]
8/31/2017 TBA – Rome, IT (Matthew Parmenter solo show)
9/02/2017 Piazzetta della Musica – Novara, IT @ 2Days Prog+1 Festival [info]
9/23/2017 NJ Proghouse – Dunellen, NJ w/ Galactic Cowboy Orchestra [info]
10/19/2017 The Loving Touch – Ferndale, MI w/ Necromonkey
10/20-22/2017 Reggies – Chicago, IL @ Progtoberfest III [info]
Captives Of The Wine Dark Sea Track Listing:
1. The Body Yearns
2. Life Imitates Art
3. S
4. Love Songs
5. Here There Is No Soul
6. The Roaring Game
7. Burn The Fire Upon The Rocks
Bent Knee Announce New Album ‘Land Animal’ – out June 23 via InsideOutMusic/Sony – On Tour With Thank You Scientist + Headlining Tour Dates Announced.
“Mind boggling… the grandest and subtlest ideas are on the table” -NPR
“The silo-smashing Bent Knee’s unique mix is equal parts ingenuity and deliciousness” – The Wall Street Journal
“Bent Knee breaks new stylistic and temperamental ground” – The Boston Globe
Bent Knee is unlike any band you’ve ever heard. Its borderless sound combines myriad influences from across the rock, pop, minimalist, and avant-garde spectrums into a seamless, thrilling whole. Its forthcoming album Land Animal-Bent Knee’s first for InsideOutMusic/Sony, released on June 23, 2017 -takes its sound to a new level. It offers a suite of songs full of addictive hooks, lush melodies and enthralling twists and turns that capture the reality of life in the 21st Century-a reality of people and nations in the midst of tumultuous change. It also communicates a ray of hope and desire for listeners to embrace the fact that they’re not alone in their struggles.
You can watch the beautiful, provocative video for “Land Animal.” Directed by Greg Bowan, the video explores the inner conflicts people have as they endure daily stresses and lose the big picture view on what really matters in life.
Bent Knee formed in 2009 as a democratic collective determined to push the boundaries of pop and rock. Lead singer and keyboardist Courtney Swain’s soaring vocals are instantly arresting. Guitarist Ben Levin is one of the most dynamic and versatile guitarists around, shifting between the raging and raucous to the sublime and meditative. Bassist Jessica Kion and drummer Gavin Wallace-Ailsworth combine into an enthralling rhythm section that’s equal parts powerhouse and nuance. Violinist Chris Baum’s kinetic violin work provides drama, grace and intrigue. World-class producer and live sound designer Vince Welch weaves it all together with a captivating, expert touch.
The band has gone from strength to strength in recent years. Its last two albums, 2016’s Say Soand 2014’s Shiny Eyed Babies, were hailed as significant art-rock achievements. The group has performed hundreds of shows across the world to date. During the fall of 2016, the band played for ecstatic audiences as an opener for the U.S. leg of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s farewell tour ahead of signing with InsideOutMusic/Sony.
“We’re very excited to be working with InsideOutMusic/Sony,” said Swain. “It’s wonderful to have our music reach a lot of new ears across the globe through them. It’s an honor to join their roster of prestigious artists and we look forward to a long relationship with the label.”
The band is now on tour in America. During April and May, it opens for the expansive rock act Thank You Scientist, known for its combination of progressive and jazz influences. Bent Knee then continues in June with a headlining tour. See full routing below.
Pre-order Land Animal on iTunes today, with instant download of the title track. Further preordering information coming soon.
Airbag co-founder, songwriter and lead guitarist, Bjørn Riis will release his second solo album, ‘Forever Comes to an End’, in May 2017. The album is the follow-up to the highly acclaimed and awarded debut, ‘Lullabies in a Car Crash’. ‘Forever Comes to an End’ feature seven songs, with inspiration from classic rock, prog and movie scores. Bjørn’s unique guitar playing has a centre role, with soaring leads, heavy riffs and beautiful textures.
Lyrically, the album deals with broken relationships and loss and the emotional duality between resentment and forgiving.
The album is very much a tribute to all of Bjørn’s musical influences. From the dark and dirty riffs of Toni Iommi and Zakk Wylde, to the emotional playing of David Gilmour and Steven Rothery. The melodic and sombre voice of Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness and the cinematic landscapes of composers like Thomas Newman and John Barry.
‘Forever Comes to an End’ feature appearances from Airbag’sHenrik Fossum (drums) and Asle Tostrup (programming), Simen Valldal Johannessen from Oak (piano) and Norwegian singer, Sichelle Mcmeo Aksum (vocals).
Norwegian photographer Kjetil Karlsen, has provided the front cover image, taken in beautiful Beisfjord near Narvik in Northern Norway. Design and layout is by Asle Tostrup.
DISCOGRAPHY “Lullabies in a Car Crash” (CD/VINYL, Karisma Records, 2014) “Forever Comes to an End” (CD/VINYL, Karisma Records, 2017)
TRACKLIST
1. Forever Comes to an End
2. Absence
3. The Waves
4. Getaway
5. Calm
6. Winter
7. Where are You Now
