1. FLYING COLORS - Cadence (7:40) Album
: Third Degree (2019) (Release: 04.10.) Label/Distribution
: Music Theories/Mascot/Rough Trade
www.flyingcolorsmusic.com
On "Cadence" from the third FLYING COLORS album, classical elements and medieval-folky chord sequences, for which guitarist Steve Morse has a weakness, lead to a wild prog ride. This is underlaid by a Deep Purple-like Hammond organ and ends in a dramatic finale - typically Flying Colors.
2. KADAVAR - Children Of The Night (5:59) Album
: For The Dead Travel Fast (2019) (Release: 11.10.) Label/Distribution
: Nuclear Blast/Warnerwww.kadavar.com
The Berlin-based KADAVAR have seldom performed as atmospherically dense as on "Children Of The Night". Chords may end and spread horror mood. Right, the band was at Dracula Castle and then got into horror movies. A song and album with double bottom.
3. NEW MODEL ARMY - Conversation (4:12) Album
: From Here (2019) Label/Distribution
: earMusic/Edelwww.newmodelarmy.org
On "From Here" NEW MODEL ARMY again show their whole sound spectrum: from emotionally charged, folk-influenced hard rock and shamanic rhythms to balladesque goose bumps moments like here with "Conversation". And as always, Justin Sullivan's socially critical and very personal texts occupy a special position.
4. ONE SENTENCE. SUPERVISOR - *** (7:07) Album
: Acedia (2019) Label/Distribution
: Irascible Records/Irascible Distribution
www.onesentencesupervisor.com
A new producer, enthusiastic about sound experiments, an oud virtuoso as a new band member, plus the already cosmopolitan and Krautrock grounded spirit of the Swiss ONE SENTENCE. SUPERVISOR, and you have a herb-rocky-poppy, exotic, melodic and weird album.
5. THE TEA CLUB - Sinking Ship (3:17) Album
: If/When (2019) Label/Distribution
: Tea Club Music/Just For Kickswww.theteaclub.net
On "If/When" THE TEA CLUB combine art and pro rock with sophisticated singer-songwriting in a way you rarely hear. The fact that Folk, Westcoast, Alternative and Electronica also resonate makes it all the more exciting. Those who patiently listen to the US boys will be rewarded with sustainable sound art.
6. THE BABE RAINBOW - Electrocuted (9:03) Album
: Today (2019) Label/Distribution
: 30th Century Records
thebaberainbow.bandcamp.com
The country needs young hippies! At least when they present such a fluffy mix like THE BABE RAINBOW. The Australians mix psych with Beatles/Beach-Boys-like melodies in a lounge-like easy-listening garb. A nice example: the longtrack "Electrocuted", where Flower Power is staged as Salsa-Jam.
7. MARS RED SKY - Collector (4:13) Album
: The Task Eternal Label/Distribution
: Listenable/Edelwww.marsredsky.net
MARS RED SKY succeeds on her current album to equalize and keep in check the now and then appearing aggressions with harmonic, almost pop moments. As the shortest song "Collector" possesses single suitable advantages, apart from the almost lovely singing of Julian Pras.
8. VVLVA - Night By Night (7:31) Album
: Silhouettes (2019) (Release: 25.10.) Label/Distribution
: World In Sound/Rough Trade
www.vvlva.de
Retrorock made in Germany. The five musicians of VVLVA were not even born when the musical style they passionately pursue was at its peak: rock whipped by heavy Hammond organs in the early 70s. And yet everything sounds quite authentic on the album "Night By Night".
9. APE AMPLITUDE - A Long Painful Path - Chapter 3: The Coast Of Europe (8:23) Album
: Escape Routes (2019) Label/Distribution
: Mindmovie Music Service/Just For Kickswww.mindmovie.org
On their debut album "Escape Routes" Achim Wierschem and Peter Zahn, the makers behind APE AMPLITUDE, offer 80 minutes of perfectly produced instrumental prog with depth. The four-part "A Long Painful Path" uses musical means to describe the journey of an African migrant to Europe.
10. TONBRUKET - The Pavlova Murders (4:55) Album
: Masters Of Fog (2019) Label/Distribution
: ACT/edel:Kultur
www.actmusic.com/Kuenstler/Tonbruket
On "The Pavlova Murders" by TONBRUKET you first hear stoic Kraftwerk rhythms. These change into Jan Garbarek melancholy, John Coltrane avant-garde, cheerful Nils-Landgren bums and scarce Oceanside mysticism. All this in five minutes. Astonishing. As amazing as the album "Masters Of Fog".
