Click the image for animation I love Spotify. Its collection of songs and instrumentals is vast. The Spotify app looks good, and it works beautifully well. It has even made a good stab at learning what I like. My only gripe is that its recommendations pull me towards the most popular artists (which almost invariably…Read more Another Sweep of the Radar
Oath Breaker
It's been a while since I used the track-of-the-week tag. I guess that's because there have been plenty of albums worthy of a spell in the spotlight here, and no one track has stood out above the rest. But, today, I'm going to feature a band called Alo̱r that, as far as I can see,…Read more Oath Breaker
Tom Penaguin
If you are wondering what a penguin has to do with a Zeppelin, read that title again. There's an 'a' in Tom Penaguin, and he's French, so his name is pronounced more like penaga than penagwin. And the airship is from the artwork for his experimental project, Soundtrack for Places I've Never Been Vol 1.…Read more Tom Penaguin
Strange Medicine
Get your snake oil here! Everyone who reads a music blog must know the pleasure that comes from listening to your favourite music. Some people even think that music is an effective therapy for a wide range of mental illnesses. But is it a miraculous cure for all your ills, or is it just snake…Read more Strange Medicine
Nina Simone – Resonances
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bRneoY4sYk A concert in tribute to Nina Simone. If you have a soul, you won't want to miss this 35-minute video.
Rising
Icarus Rising The stars must be perfectly aligned just now for London-based jazz saxophonist, Jasmine Myra. She released her second album earlier this month; she is currently on tour in the UK1; and (this is the clincher) one of my sources played an extract from the album for me a couple of weeks ago on…Read more Rising
Entelecheia
As far as I can make out, 'entelecheia' means "the realisation of potential". The idea is that many things in nature have potential, but it can only be realised when the conditions are right. So, for example, an acorn has the potential to become a mighty oak tree, but it can only fulfil that potential…Read more Entelecheia
White Wolf
There is a legend in several European countries that revolves around a white wolf. It has a number of variations, but the gist of it is this: When the king goes on a journey, he asks his three daughters what they would like him to bring back as a present. The elder two ask for…Read more White Wolf
The New Normal
There's an important prerequisite for readers of this post: you must have a Good Sense Of Humour. You will need to take track titles such as Stroboscopic Fennel, Bach Stabber and Stupid Pop Song in your stride if you are going to enjoy this latest collection of prog/fusion pieces from Trifecta. We met Trifecta in…Read more The New Normal
Tilt
If you are Don Quixote, windmills are monsters, and a good knight is compelled to take a tilt at them. The success of such a campaign is not guaranteed, of course, but if you fail, at least you will go down in history as a valiant loser. In 1974, the Italian band, Arti e Mestieri,…Read more Tilt
Crotchety Man 