Albert Marcoeur

Nemo was a French collective formed in 1972. Their line-up included François Bréant, the keyboardist and lead vocalist, already acclaimed musician on French prog scene (often collaborating with various members of Magma); Marc Perru on guitars and vocal duties, Pascal Arroyo on bass and piano, Clement Bailly on drums, Emmanuel Lacordaire on percussion and guitar, Ronnie James on trumpet, Albert Marcoeur on saxophones and clarinets (another unique avant artist), Claude Samard on dobro, Arthur Young on trumpet and José Bartel on tumbas and gongs. The band released two albums, ''Nemo'' and ''Doin' Nuthin''' in '73 and '74 respectively. Their music will be appealing to one who like 70's funk and jazz rock, but with edgy experimentation meandering from avant overtones to classical harmonies. They disbanded in 1975.

Very obscure and unknown, strictly short-lived and super rare to spot, but worth mentioning in the end, Plat du Jour mark a dot on the French eclectic Prog map, somewhere near Rouen apparently, during the year 1977. Their self-titled LP was released under the label Speedball, five compositions (or six, depending on how the first two-part epic is regarded) lasting around 35 minutes. The music can be placed either in jazz-rock, either in avant-prog, but with those two essences clustering and a bit of extra fuzzy psychedelism, cold bass Zeuhl and straight progressive rock being heard, it's wiser to take in account all the nuances.

itting squarely in the Rock In Opposition mold, Stop Motion Orchestra is an Austin, Texas-based instrumental chamber rock band orchestrated with sax, violin, guitar, synth-bass, drums, here in their second album bringing a bright and melodic force that reminds of Hamster Theatre, Debile Menthol or L'Ensemble Raye; sophisticated, charming and knowledgeable music.