2019 Covers

Blank Manuskript is an ArtRock project from Salzburg, Austria. Typical long songs ornamented with a high level of symphonic density and elaborate polyphonic structures as well as extended improvised sections lead their audience through an entire musical adventure. Their compositional approach seeks to combine all sorts of different styles and traditions needed to serve the initial concept of their works. Hence, the arrangements are carefully structured with complex rhythmical patterns and establish a sound-scape that can hardly be found in music nowadays. The lyrical elements are picturesque with a worked out mystic touch and though at a first glance arcane, they always address current social issues in an implicit way. As the music always follows the narrated concept, one might label it contemporary rock program music.

On March 1st, Weezer are set to release The Black Album. To tide fans over until then, Rivers Cuomo and co. have just unveiled a surprise 10-track covers LP which they’ve dubbed, The Teal Album. The tracklist comprises mainly of 80s-themed covers, kicking off with the band’s chart-topping version of Toto’s “Africa” and also featuring renditions of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, The Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)”, a-ha’s “Take On Me”, and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”. Other notable covers include Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky”, Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”, and TLC’s “No Scrubs”.

Splash was a jazz rock group from Söderhamn which was active from 1969 until 1979, whose roots began in the early 60's where several band members met as a part of a pop group Why. By the year 1973 the group has released its first album (similar to brass rock of the likes of Chicago) and stabilized the line-up which lasted up to the end of 70's where Splash evolved their sound over longer and more instrumental compositions which bore more similarities with fusion influenced by folk music.

Presented on DOUBLE-CD are no less than 29 radio and tv broadcast live tracks from The Who, all dating back to the period 1965-1967. Included are cool versions of classic tracks s.a. 'Substitute', 'I Can See For Miles', 'My Generation', 'Happy Jack', 'Pictures Of Lily, 'Boris The Spider', a.s.o.

An album as an opera. Pop music is theatrical, it lives on stories, constantly creating new characters of art. In addition, no other style has changed and influenced music reception as enduringly as pop music. Most people can draw biographical references on the map of pop mu-sic. So, it seems high time to open the doors of the opera to a new visitor. With its symphonic elements, dramatic singing lines and ethereal choir vocals, Vespertine seems to be the perfect model for the complex project. OehmsClassics begins the new partnership with the Nationaltheater Mannheim (NTM Edition) with a bang. Rarely has a premiere in Germany experienced such a press echo as this, in May 2018.

No ordinary artist. No ordinary covers album. From the day he conceived the project to the moment he counted off the first song in the studio, Walter Trout had a bolder plan for Survivor Blues. "I'm riding in my car sometimes," says the US blues titan. "I've got a blues station on – and here's another band doing Got My Mojo Workin'. And there's a little voice in me that says, 'Does the world need another version of that song?' So I came up with an idea. I didn't want to do Stormy Monday or Messin' With The Kid. I didn't want to do the blues greatest hits. I wanted to do old, obscure songs that have hardly been covered. And that's how Survivor Blues started…"

No ordinary artist. No ordinary covers album. From the day he conceived the project to the moment he counted off the first song in the studio, Walter Trout had a bolder plan for Survivor Blues. "I'm riding in my car sometimes," says the US blues titan. "I've got a blues station on – and here's another band doing Got My Mojo Workin'. And there's a little voice in me that says, 'Does the world need another version of that song?' So I came up with an idea. I didn't want to do Stormy Monday or Messin' With The Kid. I didn't want to do the blues greatest hits. I wanted to do old, obscure songs that have hardly been covered. And that's how Survivor Blues started…"

Melting Clock came to life in Genoa in 2001 to play progressive rock covers of bands such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, PFM, Porcupine Tree, Riverside, Opeth or Ayreon just to name a few. After many years spent honing their skills and some line up changes, in 2019 the band released an excellent debut album, entitled "Destinazioni", on the Black Widow Records. According to the band, it's a concept album sui generis with pieces revolving about the theme of travel in all its meanings and the art cover by Matteo Anselmo gives a clue of its musical and lyrical content. The melodic style is a relatively accessible combination of vocal oriented, calm pop rock and 70's inspired symphonic rock. Even the least proggy songs are enjoyable, and none of them actually is following the verse/chorus structure. This is a band worth keeping an eye on!