Instrumental Rock Fusion-Jazz-Blues Review: Nic Weatherly-Home Again

Release Date: August 30, 2024

Label: Independent

Website

Nic Weatherly is a diverse guitar player who released his EP Home Again a month ago. His website explained what to expect, and he promised a varied listen of instrumental guitar work.

"Redemption" starts the album with a jazzy acoustic sound and a good backing rhythm. It has a great feel and makes your feet move without thinking. Some of the picking is extraordinary in between the main leads and melody. 

"I Do" starts at a much softer, slower pace than the previous opening track, allowing the listener to flip the mood to the other side of the coin. Some lovely acoustic playing fills the air with well-defined notes. Nic's playing is precise but unpredictable, which I particularly enjoy because I already realized the man's talent from the start. It's a slow mover and some excellent playing once again.

"Blind" kicks off with some jazzy, funky licks. It is energetic and complex, with some great tone and changes throughout the track, albeit some fast pick work. Some strong bass and timely drums accompany the dazzling fretwork. It was a great way to get momentum and continuity, sparking anticipation and leaving the listener eager for what's next. It is the kind of instrumental jazz-rock fusion that keeps you on your toes!

"O Jul Med Din Glede" translates as "O Christmas with your joy," and the tempo and sound surely match what the title is saying. It sounded like hints of Celtic music at times to me, but it is a Norwegian song. It is a very upbeat tune, yet it also brings comfort and spirituality that washes over you nearly instantly. It's a great tune to mix into this varied EP, leaving you feeling uplifted and serene.

"LaVonne" is likely about a woman in his life, so I am anticipating something special. Possibly the lady on the front of the cover artwork, I will guess his mother or grandmother. Once again, we get a touching presentation of acoustic string expertise with some violin for more feeling and a very subtle drum to keep the pace. The emotional depth in this track is palpable, making it clear that this person was extraordinary in his life.

Nic Weatherly is an excellent guitar player, and if this is a sample of what he can do, I would love to hear a full album. His talents are far-reaching within those strings on a guitar. It is readily apparent from beginning to end that he plays any style of music that he wants, and Home Again is a window into those capabilities.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-MuzikMan.net Reviews Founder

October 5, 2024

Tracks:

1. Redemption 3:17

2. I Do 3:56

3. Blind 3:35

4. O Jul Med Din Glede 3:07

5. LaVonne

KING CRIMSON “Red 50th Anniversary Edition” 2CD / 2Blu-ray & 2LP 200-gram Audiophile Vinyl Available October 25, 2024

• 50th Anniversary editions of King Crimson’s classic 1974 album
• 4 disc boxed set with 2 x Blu-ray & 2CDs
• 2 x Blu-rays featuring completely new mixes of the album in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 DTS-HD MA Surround & Hi-Res Stereo by Steven Wilson, New Elemental Mixes in Hi-Res Stereo by David Singleton, a number of extra tracks drawn from the existing sessions reels mixed by David Singleton, all three mixes of the live album USA in Hi-Res Stereo, 5 audio restored bootleg concert recordings from the 1974 US tour making their debut on disc & the audio restored bootleg of the band’s final US show in Central Park NYC on July 1st, 1974
• 2 x CDs feature new Stereo + instrumental mixes by Steven Wilson & new Elemental Mixes & a sequence of studio recordings detailing the making of ‘Starless’ mixed by David Singleton
• Presented as two vinyl replica sleeves in a rigid slipcase with booklet including photos & new sleeve-notes by King Crimson Biographer Sid Smith

King Crimson:
Robert Fripp: Guitar and Mellotron
John Wetton: Bass and Voice
William Bruford: Percussives
With: David Cross, Mel Collins, Ian McDonald, Robin Miller, Mark Charig

DGM & Panegyric proudly present the 50th anniversary edition of the King Crimson classic album “Red”. A 2 Blu-ray + 2 CD edition features completely new Dolby Atmos, 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Surround & Stereo mixes by Steven Wilson taking the music to new levels of clarity & power. “Red” was one of the earliest mixes undertaken by Steven Wilson in 2009 & King Crimson was the first of a number of classic bands & artists to be mixed by Steven so it’s entirely appropriate that he return, some 15 years later, to take the album into the Dolby Atmos era.

“What I hear on ‘Red’ is the best representation of 72-74 era line-up in the studio. In effect this is a power trio record and their sound is just huge.” – Steven Wilson

Also featured are a complete album’s worth of Elemental Mixes by long-time King Crimson producer (& band manager) David Singleton – using the original multi-track recordings to present a very different audio picture of the album, with greater separation of instruments & utilizing many recorded elements recorded for, but not included in, the original mixes.

As King Crimson biographer Sid Smith puts it in his new notes for the album: “David Singleton’s elemental mixes pull the veil aside on the original sessions and act as a kind of alternative account, a ‘Red’ that could have been, revealing the different passes and takes that the band undertook as well as those Collins, Charig and McDonald as they engaged with the material”.

Multiple new to disc tracks & studio takes – representing all material to survive from the recording sessions have also been mixed &/or mastered for inclusion, making this the most comprehensive overview of the album to be released.

“Red” was recorded immediately after King Crimson’s final US tour of 1974 & the anniversary edition reflects that by including all three Hi-Res Stereo mixes of the live album “USA” in its full concert versions. Also included are a quintet of audio restored bootlegs being issued on disc for the first time, alongside a bootleg of the band’s final US concert in New York in 1974 which Robert Fripp claimed was: “the first gig since the 1969 Crimson where the bottom of my spine registered ‘out of this world’ to the same degree.”

In the decades since its release, “Red” has gone from being an album that was, upon release, under-promoted – as the band had already split up, to being one of the most lauded albums of its era & (after “In The Court of the Crimson King”), King Crimson’s biggest selling album. Writing in The Mojo Collection in 2000, John Bungey assessed “Red” as, “That rarest of records, the sound of a line-up quitting while ahead”.

By the time King Crimson entered the studio in July 74, the band had spent the best part of two years on the road, recorded two albums along the way (“Larks’ Tongues In Aspic” & “Starless & Bible Black”) & shed two band members en route; percussionist Jamie Muir having quit early 1973, and violin/mellotron player David Cross at the end of the US tour just a week prior to the recording of “Red”.

Crimson had built a reputation as one of the tightest, most powerful bands on the rock circuit. Recording as a trio in Olympic studios in London, with one improv piece (Providence) drawn from that final US tour & with contributions from former members & friends on saxophones, violin, and oboe, the group produced the last Crimson studio album of the 70s & one of the decade’s masterpieces – “Red”.

“Red” emerged as a distillation of everything Crimson had been working towards live & in the studio between 72 and 74. In the half century since its release it has built an enviable, enduring reputation among fans & professional musicians alike – with bands from each succeeding decade citing it as an important influence.

“Red - The 50th Anniversary Edition”

Disc 1 CD 2024 mixes and Additional Material
1 Red
2 Fallen Angel
3 One More Red Nightmare
4 Providence
5 Starless
Additional Material
2024 Instrumental Mixes
6 Fallen Angel
7 One More Red Nightmare
8 Starless - Edit
Produced and Mixed by Steven Wilson
* 9 Providence - Complete Track
Produced and Mixed by Robert Fripp and David Singleton

Disc 2 CD Elemental Mixes and Session Material
Elemental Mixes
1 Red
2 Fallen Angel
3 One More Red Nightmare
4 Starless - Percussion
5 Starless
The Making of Starless
6 Starless - Mellotron
7 Starless - Three Saxophones
8 Starless - Basic Take
9 Starless - Sax Solos
10 Starless - Cornet and Guitar Solos
11 Starless - Cornet takes
Produced and Mixed by David Singleton

Disc 3 Blu-Ray
USA
I * 1 June 28th, 1974, Casino Arena, NJ
DTS-HD MA 24/192 Stereo, 2013 Mix
Mixed by Robert Fripp, David Singleton and Tony Arnold
* 2 June 28th, 1974, Casino Arena, NJ
24/48 Stereo, 2005 Mix
Mixed by Ronan Chris Murphy
24/96 Stereo, 30th Anniversary Mix
* 3 June 28th, 1974, Casino Arena, NJ
24/48 Stereo, Original album mix
A Crimson Production, Remastered by Simon Heyworth and Robert Fripp, 2001
II USA Tour Concerts
24/48 Stereo
1 April 17th, 1974, Muthers, Nashville, TN
2 April 20th, 1974, Hollywood Sportatorium, Miami, FL
3 May 1st, 1974, Felt Forum, New York, NY
4 June 4th, 1974, Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, Texas, TX
5 June 19th, 1974, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, CA
The Final US Concert
24/48 Stereo
* 6 July 1st, 1974, Central Park, New York, NY

Disc 4 Blu-Ray
I Red
2024 mixes and Additional Material

Dolby Atmos/DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround/24/96 Stereo
1 Red
2 Fallen Angel
3 One More Red Nightmare
4 Providence
5 Starless
Produced and Mixed by Steven Wilson
II Elemental Mixes and Session Recordings, 24/192 DTS-HD MA Stereo
Elemental Mixes
1 Red
2 Fallen Angel
3 One More Red Nightmare
4 Starless - Percussion
5 Starless
Three More Red Nightmares
1 One More Red Nightmare - Early Guide Vox Section
2 One More Red Nightmare - Saxophone Overdub Section
3 One More Red Nightmare - Bass and Drums
The Making of Starless
1 Starless - Mellotron
2 Starless - Three Saxophones
3 Starless - Basic Take
4 Starless - Sax Solos
5 Starless - Percussion
6 Starless - Cornet and Guitar Solos
* 7 Starless - Cornet takes ~
Produced and Mixed by David Singleton except 7 ~ Produced and Mixed by Alex R Mundy sourced
at 24/48
* 1 Providence - Complete Track
Produced and Mixed by Robert Fripp and David Singleton
2 Think Again - Fragment
Mastered by Alex R Mundy from a John Wetton 1/4" file tape
III 2024 Instrumental Mixes, 24/96 Stereo
1 Fallen Angel
2 One More Red Nightmare
3 Starless (edit)
Produced and Mixed by Steven Wilson
IV * Original Masters, 24/96 Stereo
30th Anniversary Master
1 Red
2 Fallen Angel
3 One More Red Nightmare
4 Providence
5 Starless
* Indicates material previously available on disc
All other material newly mixed/new to disc

“Red” 2024 Steven Wilson Mixes & 2024 David Singleton Elemental Mixes
2 x 200gm vinyl
• 50th Anniversary editions of King Crimson’s classic 1974 album
• 2LP set pressed on 200-gram audiophile vinyl
• LP1 features all new 2024 stereo mixes by Steven Wilson
• LP2 features all new 2024 elemental mixes by David Singleton
• Cut by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering

Whilst mixing the album for Dolby Atmos, Steven Wilson also prepared new stereo & 5.1 mixes. Those new stereo mixes are what appears as LP1 of this 2LP set. LP2 consists of a complete album’s worth of Elemental Mixes by long-time King Crimson producer (& band manager) David Singleton – using the original multi-track recordings to present a very different audio picture of the album, with greater separation of instruments & utilizing many recorded elements recorded for, but not included in, the original mixes.

To pre-order:
2CD/2Blu-ray - https://burningshed.com/kingcrimson/king-crimson_red_2cd_2blu-ray
2LP - https://burningshed.com/kingcrimson/king-crimson_red_double-vinyl

For more information:
http://www.dgmlive.com

For further information, please contact: info@panegyric.net

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Rick Derringer Produced Colour Radio Guitarist Jim Eannelli To Release New Solo Album “Just Deserts”

Album due out in both digital and physical formats September 27, 2024

Producer and multi-instrumentalist Jim Eannelli has been in every sort of band from hard rock to synth pop; he worked with Rick Derringer on the Colour Radio record, played guitar, performed and recorded with both former BoDean Sam Llanas and the Shivvers, the ‘80s power-pop band that finally gained international recognition in recent years. He is a legendary supporting player in his hometown, Milwaukee, and he steps onto center stage for his first album, “Just Deserts.”

Dipping into a trove of original songs written over the years, Eannelli’s “Just Deserts” encapsulates his experiences in life as well as music. The songs are deeply rooted in his years as a member of diverse bands. Just Deserts opens with a ferocious depiction of war’s casualties, “29 Women,” delivered by a rockabilly rhythm with punk attitude and a knife-slashing guitar solo. Eannelli segues easily into “Where I’ve Been,” a ballad of heartbreak and loss. His musical sources are wide, from the sullen blues of “Train from Chicago” to the Beatlesque pop of “Waitin’” and the soaring Americana rock of “Christine.” As a producer, Eannelli reaches for the soul of each song, catching the bright spark of their creation. And as a lyricist, he records the tragedy, confusion and despair of rootless lives, as well as moments of epiphany and spiritual yearning.

“Just Deserts” will be released on Happy Growl Records September 27 via web streaming and download services. CD’s will be for sale at local record shops and through Ebay.com

For more information please visit: facebook.com/JimEannelli

Contact: Gary Tanin, Daystorm Music, PH: 414-321-9956(US), GaryTanin@gmail.com

For press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Progressive Rock Band Mile Marker Zero to Release Third Full Length Album “Coming of Age” on October 4, 2024

“Coming of Age” is the third full length album from Progressive Rock Band Mile Marker Zero. Following up on their previous album “The Fifth Row”, Mile Marker Zero has shifted from a concept album focused on technology about the exponential growth of AI, to a more human reflection on growing up and the nostalgic experiences of childhood.

“Coming of Age” is eight tracks of new music which is the band’s most mature material to date. To go with the theme of nostalgia, the full album was only released in physical form (CD) on July 6, 2024. The band played a hugely successful album release show and made the album available only via live shows, their website and Bandcamp.

Throughout 2024, Mile Marker Zero released three singles to all streaming platforms: “Best Is Yet To Come”, “Towns to Grow Up In” and an edited version of “Bizarre”. The songs were well received, helping the band reach nearly 30,000 monthly listeners on Spotify at the time of release. The album will now be released via all streaming platforms on October 4, 2024.

Mile Marker Zero, has garnered a dedicated fan base and achieved remarkable milestones since the band’s formation. With their dynamic sound and captivating storytelling, they’ve made a lasting impact on the music scene. Their last studio album, The Fifth Row, has resonated with listeners worldwide through strategic projects. Mile Marker Zero’s song “The Architect” was featured in the acclaimed “NASCAR Heat 4” video game, introducing their music to a wide audience of racing enthusiasts. Furthermore, the band broke new ground as the first unsigned artist to be featured in the popular Harmonix/MTV Games video game series, Rock Band, which enjoyed massive success on the Xbox platform. Through their unwavering commitment to musical excellence and their ability to connect deeply with listeners, Mile Marker Zero continues to push boundaries and carve their own path in rock.

With “Coming of Age” they are widening that path and reaching ever-growing audiences. The band features Dave Alley (Vocals), John Tuohy (Guitars), Mark Focarile (Keyboards), Jaco Lindito (Bass) and Doug Alley (Drums). Mile Marker Zero is from New Haven, Connecticut, USA , and has shared the stage with diverse artists such as Porcupine Tree, Riverside, Periphery, Underoath, Spocks Beard, Adrenaline Mob and many others. They have also performed at RosFest and Progstock Festivals.

Says Mark, “Our hope is that these songs strike a personal chord with listeners, bringing their own life experiences to the surface. We want this music to take them back to moments that mattered and in the end shaped who they've become. We're incredibly excited to let this music out into the wild, and look forward to everyone experiencing it.”

“Mile Marker Zero’s dynamic mix of a modern Steven Wilson/Riverside gloss built upon classic Rush and Yes influences has the necessary bite to engage, and enough creative decisions to earn your attention.” - Progressive Subway

“Cool prog flourishes throughout the record...but grounded in the great melodic rock style.” - Nathan on Shuffle

“These five Americans know how to write expansive, exciting and at the same time outrageously catchy songs” - Powemetal.de

To support their new release, the band will focus on playing shows regionally through the rest of this year and doing festivals and broader touring next year.

Says Mark, “Our hope is that listeners hear these songs and they resonate within their own life experiences. We hope the sounds and imagery connect them to a time and place in their lives which made a lasting impact. Looking back can help propel you forward with an inspired view to find better days ahead.”

To purchase:
mmzofficial.bandcamp.com
www.milemarkerzero.com
https://justforkicks.de/shop/progressive/18073/coming-of-age (Europe)
iTunes, Amazon Music

For more information:
www.milemarkerzero.com
facebook.com/milemarkerzero
Instagram, tiktok @mmzofficial
youtube.com/mmzofficial

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Prog Artist Leon Alvarado Announces New Video For “The Changing Tide”

Acclaimed musician Leon Alvarado is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of the official video for the title track of his critically praised album, “The Changing Tide.” Set to premiere on Friday, September 20th, the video showcases mesmerizing visual sequences created by video artist Nuutti Kataja, marking an exciting collaboration between the two artists.

Reflecting on the new project, Alvarado shares, “In my previous video, we explored some really immersive imagery, where viewers felt as though they were stepping into a surrealistic painting. For this new video, I wanted to push the boundaries even further by blending a more realistic feel within a fantastical setting. Nuutti and I worked closely on gathering reference material and discussing different approaches to bring the scenes to life. When we ran some initial tests, I knew we were onto something special. The final sequences are stunning and flow seamlessly with the music. Nuutti did an outstanding job translating our vision into a visual masterpiece.”

Alvarado also commented on the use of modern technology in the creative process: “There’s a lot of debate around artificial intelligence, but I believe that when used properly, it can enable incredible visuals that might otherwise be prohibitively expensive to achieve. In the right hands, it can be a powerful tool for creativity.”

Musically, the video highlights Alvarado takes on drums, keyboards, and bass, while Edoardo Scordo, guitarist from Brit Floyd, lends his skill on guitar and slide guitar. The track was mixed and produced by Alvarado, with final mastering by renowned engineer Maor Appelbaum.

Fans of Alvarado and new listeners alike can look forward to the innovative blend of music and visuals in this highly anticipated video release.

You can view the video over at: https://www.youtube.com/@leonalvarado

THE CHANGING TIDE Video Release date: September 20, 2024

Credits:
Leon Alvarado: Drums, Keyboards Bass & Effects
Edoardo Scordo: Guitars and slide Guitar
Produced and mixed by Leon Alvarado
Mastered by Maor Appelbaum
A.I. Video sequences by Nuutti Kataja.
Editing by Nuutti Kataja and Leon Alvarado
Titles by Synergy Design
Record on: Melodic Revolution Records

About Leon Alvarado:
Leon Alvarado is a progressive rock artist known for his innovative fusion of electronic and rock music. Over the course of more than two decades, Alvarado has consistently demonstrated his ingenuity as a musician, constantly expanding the horizons of his artistic vision with each successive project. His repertoire boasts collaborations with esteemed figures in the Prog rock scene, earning him widespread acclaim and nurturing a devoted fanbase worldwide. Beyond his own musical creations, Leon frequently collaborates with bands and promoters, channeling his artistic skills into crafting fascinating album covers and promotional tour materials.

For more information:
https://leonalvarado.bandcamp.com
or follow Leon Alvarado on https://www.instagram.com/leonalvarado80/

For press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com