TEE: THE EARTH EXPLORER

TEE is a five piece flute front progressive rock band from Tokyo, Japan. Their so-called 'European' sound is unique considering their far-east origin. The imaginative tunes with complex ensembles and rhythms will definitely catch the attention of prog lovers all over the world. Their sound will remind you bands like Camel, King Crimson, Asia Minor or even Frank Zappa on some parts... more

NICK BARRETT

Our current interview guest is Nick Barrett of Pendragon. He took the time out from his busy schedule to answer our questions...more

MIKE KENEALLY / BRYAN BELLER

On May 18, 2009 we had lunch at the Flat Top Grill with Mike Keneally, Bryan Beller and his wife Kira Small in Peoria, IL right before their guitar clinic. The duo was on the road again for Taylor Guitars, after a 3 year break...more

FRIGHT PIG Barque At The Lune *** REVERSAL OF GRAVITY Scuba Gear ***

KEVIN BARTLETT / GLOW IN THE DARK

Before you start playing this CD make sure you turn the lights off and light a few candles, get a glass of your favorite drink and either put your headphones on or crank up the sub-woofer. Do not listen to it in the car (at least for the first time) or on a portable stereo, because this only means you have not listened to it. If you have all these things ready, press play and close your eyes despite the fact that the rest of the household might think you are a freak, you are now beginning your 80 minute long space journey where you will witness the Earth‘s end times and the beginning of a new life. As Kevin paints this picture with his notes he invites the listener to take a look into themselves as well as the universe and discover the “glowing light” amidst of fear and darkness.

"Nothing Really"... Really? Contemplate the title, it almost feels like there are no signs of life and you are looking at apocalypse. With a big mechanic sound, as if a giant spaceship lands on the planet, you tremble. It is a feeling of total emptiness and nothingness for the most part but here and there you hear some sounds alike little flashing lights that invite you to further investigate, because there is actually something there. This is the atmosphere you dive right into from the beginning. The sound of the synths make you float in the space. "The Sorrow, The Fish and Glastonbury Hill" starts with Irish female vocals and the time signature keeps going back and forth between 7/8 and 4/4 flawlessly. If you are not familiar with Kevin's spacey guitar sound you might find yourself asking "Is this guitar or synths that I am hearing?" This piece feels like a flash back to where you can visualize what had happened recently and how it all came to end… almost like a requiem. Audibly zoom in as if you are in control of the angle and see a little more with "God's Little Do-Over" to better witness the situation: the passage from darkness to light with a prog rock sound highlighted with Kevin’s bass, slowly going down to an ambient atmosphere, giving way to new life... "Chauncey Saucer Survives 2012". One of the most uplifting moments on the CD with even more of a prog rock sound. You are looking at the future… 2012 and the new life begins.

Kevin prefers the ups and downs between songs as much as within songs. Just when you think the sound will go a certain direction he likes to surprise you with plentiful stops and starts, speeding up and slowing down, relaxation and anxiety. They are all intertwined throughout this album. "Moon v. Moon" is one of those moments where you think "Is this good or bad?” It is like a Carl Sagan moment on your TV screen on which you see distant planets, two moons facing each other... You see your old self and your new self and try to figure things out. And while you do that, "Stethoscope" will only confuse you more as you keep asking "Did we really make it?" It is probably the darkest piece of the album. It is so “still” that you can’t even stress out about it and say ”Come on! Bring him back to life!“ But you will take a deep breath with "Resuscitation" as it kicks off with drums and guitars. The title track "Glow In The Dark" has a tribal sound mixed with prog rock elements. Middle Eastern and Indian spices poured onto synths, vocals and drums. This is the moment of celebration. It slows down towards the middle to give you a feeling of relaxation… you need to breathe a sigh of relief before you go back up again.

But wait a minute... Was this whole thing just a dream? "Something Probably" and "Next Life... Let's Wave To Each Other" are unexpected turns for the listener but not for Bartlett as he tells you “Well we still have so much more to do“. The first one has a Beethoven type beginning that later becomes very ambient whereas the ladder has more of a sad sound with synths and piano. As you can tell from the song titles, the weight is on our shoulders to make “life”, whether on Earth or elsewhere, a better experience.

Kevin's new CD "Glow In The Dark" is like a follow up to his first solo CD "Near Life Experience" which was released in 2003. The intriguing thing about his music is that he doesn't give you a CD full of soundscapes that don't make any sense. He literally nails you down to your seat and makes your imagination run wild. You can't get enough of his unique guitar and singing bass riffs intertwined with genres like ambient, rock, classical and electronic. The way he plays with the sound samples and gives them a brand new texture will fascinate you. Listening to his music is like watching a riveting movie or watching an accomplished artist paint… and you are

Hande BURDG