National Health

Recorded in April and May 1981, this album contains some of Alan Gowen's last sessions (he died in 1982). Different in many ways than the core corpus of the Canterbury progressive rock movement (Soft Machine, Caravan, National Health), this quartet album moves deeper into jazz - jazz by rock musicians, yet not blatantly jazz-rock. Jazz has always been part of the Canterbury essence, in Richard Sinclair's melodic basslines and in Phil Miller's blues guitar background. Gowen continues to explore the dreamy mood exposed in Two Rainbows Daily, his collaboration with Hugh Hopper dominated by sad, subtle Moog melodies…

Maxïmo Park are set to release new live project 'As Long We Keep Moving' in 2019. The band are a potent live force, and decided to focus on this for a new in-the-studio film, due to be released next year. Out on February 22nd, the film was shot at Vada Studios with the final mixdown handled by Adrian Bushby. Lead singer Paul Smith comments: "It's been over a decade since our only live DVD, Found On Film. We thought we would make an audio-visual document of our band in its current incarnation, especially because we feel like we are at our most dynamic in a live setting."

French TV is a Louisville, Kentucky based progressive rock band that has been in existence since 1983. Over the years, members have come and gone, but founder, bassist and main composer Mike Sary continues to drag the band into the next millennium. The band deftly nod to prog-masters like National Health, Soft Machine, Zappa, Brudford, Brand X, Happy the Man, and Samla Mammas Manna, among others. The history of French TV is complex, filled with lineup changes, missed opportunities, delays, and disillusions. And yet, a growing body of work testifies to one man's sagacity and stubbornness. Blending elements of progressive rock, fusion, cartoon music, and Rock in Opposition (RIO), the music of his group has been described as being "simultaneously hilarious and highly challenging, making it one of the most original American prog rock outfits."

French TV's newest CD, A Ghastly State Of Affairs is their 15th in their long history. It is also their first album not to be self-released. Headed up by charter member bassist/composer Mike Sary, he is joined again by guitarist Kasumi Yoneda (also from the Japanese band TEE), keyboardist Patrick Strawser (best known for his work in the 90's band Volare), and now by the original drummer from FTV's first three abums, Fenner Castner.

A year and 5 albums after he has brought the Manna/Mirage project to a close, ex-Muffins musician / composer Dave Newhouse has produced a new album under the moniker of 'Dave Newhouse', this one titled “Natura Morta”, Latin for Still Life. Many of the same musical suspects (guest musicians) from around the world are involved, this one is a bit longer than the aforementioned Manna/Mirage albums clocking in at around 43 minutes. It still has that signature AmeriCanterbury / Muffins compositional ethic as well as fast and furious examples of fusion / jazz rock, RIO, World Music, Americana, and alt-jazz. Even John Greaves (Henry Cow / Kew Rhône / National Health) makes a lovely appearance here. as does Guy Segers (Univers Zero / Eclectic Maybe Band).

A year and 5 albums after he has brought the Manna/Mirage project to a close, ex-Muffins musician / composer Dave Newhouse has produced a new album under the moniker of 'Dave Newhouse', this one titled “Natura Morta”, Latin for Still Life. Many of the same musical suspects (guest musicians) from around the world are involved, this one is a bit longer than the aforementioned Manna/Mirage albums clocking in at around 43 minutes. It still has that signature AmeriCanterbury / Muffins compositional ethic as well as fast and furious examples of fusion / jazz rock, RIO, World Music, Americana, and alt-jazz. Even John Greaves (Henry Cow / Kew Rhône / National Health) makes a lovely appearance here. as does Guy Segers (Univers Zero / Eclectic Maybe Band).

French based multi-instrumentalist and composer Tom Penaguin presents his spectacular self-titled debut album. The album showcases some of the most impressive Canterbury Scene progressive rock sounds since the genre’s inception in the 1970s. Tom (guitarist of Djiin and former keyboardist of Orgöne), began playing guitar at the age of 6 and later learnt how to play drums, piano and organ to a professional standard by the age of 15. Influenced by the likes of Frank Zappa and the Canterbury Scene, Tom set out to build an analog music studio in his house in 2020, where he recorded the entire album using a plethora of vintage studio hardware and equipment. The result is a masterful ode to bands like Egg and National Health. The songs are complex in structure, with Stravinsky-inspired patterns, glorious melodies, whilst allowing room for lengthy improvisations akin to the fusion scene of the early 70s.

Even though Tales From the Lush Attic was IQ's first LP, the band had self-released a cassette in October 1982 entitled Seven Stories Into Eight. Recorded on a domestic four-track machine, this collection of songs shows the band in its formative months, as members were trying to agree on the musical direction they wanted to follow. The cassette was sold at shows and via mail order until 1984, when it was deleted. Each copy was packaged with handmade artwork by singer Peter Nicholls. The album opens with "Capital Letters (In Surgical Spirit Land)," an atypical high-octane fusion number à la Brand X or National Health.

Almost stereotypically overreaching early-'70s progressive rock; quasi-operatic vocals, spinning guitar solos, lengthy suite-like tracks on the order of "Stargazers" and "Hollow Stone (incl. Escape of the Space Pilots)." The highlight is Stewart's effervescent organ work during the gentle and meditative passages. An obscure footnote of early-'70s British art rock, Khan featured guitarist Steve Hillage, keyboardist Dave Stewart, and ex-Crazy World of Arthur Brown bassist Nick Greenwood. Their sole album from 1972 was dominated by Hillage's lengthy, ambitious compositions and Stewart's organ, which owed much to the Canterbury Scene of British prog rock. The group didn't offer much to distinguish themselves from the many other British outfits exploring similar territory, and disbanded after one LP. Hillage went on to join Kevin Ayers and Gong before establishing a solo career; Stewart played with Hatfield & the North and National Health.