4 posts tagged “prog”
I picked this because I recently was listening to some Gavin Harrison instructional material on subdividing beats, and because their latest album,
, is fast becoming my favorite Porcupine Tree album.
Dream Theater side projects = ok to pretty good
Dream theater = fair to muddling (and thats being kind).
Jughead
Jughead
2002 Inside Out
I purchased this initially, sound unheard when it came out. And while I never disliked it, it took me half a decade to really appreciate the charm and sublime joy in this album. Why so long? I had to get around my expectations of what a band led by Ty Tabor (King's X, Platypus, Jelly Jam) and Derik Sherinian (Dream Theater, Planet X) were going to sound like. I do not know why it took so long, but at this point, its moot.
Jughead does have impeccable musicianship, and thanks to Tabor's songwriting skills, hummable melodies and great multipart harmonies. But it is all subsumed into a rather pithy, solid package of very accessible alt-rock (an oxymoron I know) that instead of strip mining the vogue pop-punk then emerging when it was released, mixes the sound up with Beatle's catchiness, and 70s guitar rock. The result is something that could just as eaily fit on a tour with anyone from Blink 182, Stone Temple Pilots, and Matchbox 20 to King's X, Spock's Beard and and fellow prog-pop supergroup Kino. It's quirky enough to be interesting (especially on the odd and whimsical Paging Willie Mays) but doesn't have a pretentious note in its body.
Apparently this was a simple one off project to let a bunch of guys who normally rip and shred through intricate compositions to just have an easy, lighthearted, fun ride. And it works.It is a terribly catchy track filled album, with the standout cuts being Halfway Home to Elvis, Bullet Train, Yesterday I found Myself, and closer Paging Willie Mays.
Jughead
2002 Inside Out
I purchased this initially, sound unheard when it came out. And while I never disliked it, it took me half a decade to really appreciate the charm and sublime joy in this album. Why so long? I had to get around my expectations of what a band led by Ty Tabor (King's X, Platypus, Jelly Jam) and Derik Sherinian (Dream Theater, Planet X) were going to sound like. I do not know why it took so long, but at this point, its moot.
Jughead does have impeccable musicianship, and thanks to Tabor's songwriting skills, hummable melodies and great multipart harmonies. But it is all subsumed into a rather pithy, solid package of very accessible alt-rock (an oxymoron I know) that instead of strip mining the vogue pop-punk then emerging when it was released, mixes the sound up with Beatle's catchiness, and 70s guitar rock. The result is something that could just as eaily fit on a tour with anyone from Blink 182, Stone Temple Pilots, and Matchbox 20 to King's X, Spock's Beard and and fellow prog-pop supergroup Kino. It's quirky enough to be interesting (especially on the odd and whimsical Paging Willie Mays) but doesn't have a pretentious note in its body.
Apparently this was a simple one off project to let a bunch of guys who normally rip and shred through intricate compositions to just have an easy, lighthearted, fun ride. And it works.It is a terribly catchy track filled album, with the standout cuts being Halfway Home to Elvis, Bullet Train, Yesterday I found Myself, and closer Paging Willie Mays.
Trey Gunn & Pat Mastellotto
TU
2003 - Inner Knot
TU is Trey Gunn and Pat Mastellotto. Both were/are in King Crimson, and both have worked in various side projects together. This is just them as a duo and the results are interesting.
Basically this is instrumental art-rock and ambient electronica run through an Aphex Twin and Squarepusher like bi-polar sonic splicer. Passages of erratic noise fade into soothing washes of synths and crash into tribal polyrythmic pounding and ear shredding riffs. It has some great build ups of tension, then release. The production is crisp without losing the immediacy of the material. An excellent compliment to another Pat Mastellotto side project, Tuner.
This is not for the n00b. It is pretty demanding, even by art-rock standards. It is rewarding though.
TU
2003 - Inner Knot
TU is Trey Gunn and Pat Mastellotto. Both were/are in King Crimson, and both have worked in various side projects together. This is just them as a duo and the results are interesting.
Basically this is instrumental art-rock and ambient electronica run through an Aphex Twin and Squarepusher like bi-polar sonic splicer. Passages of erratic noise fade into soothing washes of synths and crash into tribal polyrythmic pounding and ear shredding riffs. It has some great build ups of tension, then release. The production is crisp without losing the immediacy of the material. An excellent compliment to another Pat Mastellotto side project, Tuner.
This is not for the n00b. It is pretty demanding, even by art-rock standards. It is rewarding though.
