Citay - Citay [2006]

Citay's debut album has been spinning madly through my regular rotation lately. While it may be the middle of Winter over here in Australia, Citay unleash the feeling of the finest summer you could ever dream of. This was but another one of the fine San Fran' groups i discovered on the same bill as bands like Sleepy Sun, Assemble Head, etc. Don't get it twisted though, Citay's debut is a whole different animal to those mentioned. Gone is all the Fuzz, gone is all the heavy. Think the epic acoustic side of Zeppelin, maybe something from Zep III.

The sound is rounded out by the Byrds/Beach Boys-like vocal harmony, adding a blissed-out flavor to the blend, and the result is something entirely refreshing. Throw in some lovely flute-work, lush guitar leads and a pair of out of whack bongos - you're in for some pleasant summer listening, regardless of the actual season. Enjoy!

Try It - But It - Myspace

Sumner Mckane - Two If By Sea [2006]

.. And I'm back again. Decided i would share one of my favourite hidden gems with you folks today. Sumner McKane, the incredibly talented guitarist/composer from Maine has very quietly put together an outstanding body of work over the years, which sadly will probably never receive the attention it truly deserves. His way of playing draws influence from various kinds of Country & Jazz, but he really has his own unique thing going on that i absolutely love!

It's kind of odd to say, but if i had to use a non-musical term to describe Mckane's music it would simply be "home". From the very first moment you hear his amazing chord progressions and layered guitar melodies you immediately feel that "homing" sense of nostalgia throughout. Does that even make sense or am i talking complete shit? Either way, it's incredibly powerful, and very relaxing. Each sound has been very carefully put together by McKane himself, hell he plays every instrument present except the bass.

The production is another one of the selling points here. The effect and reverb pedals are used sparingly, but always tastefully throughout the entire record and add to the wonderful ambience. Over-lapping the fine finger-picking guitar work is the various sounds of bells, waves gently crashing on the rocks and all kinds of things McKane himself likes to describe as "Ambient Americana".

It may take a few listens to sink in but once that lovely nostalgic pull has you, it will draw you in every time!

Try it - Buy it - Myspace

Witch - Witch [2006]

The group Witch was born from a marriage of apparently contradictory influences. J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. renown and his long time friend Dave Sweetapple were interested in forming a hard rock band. They found willing and able conspirators in Kyle Thomas and Asa Irons, members New England avant-folk outfit Feathers. On their eponymous debut album, this line-up mounts a mighty sonic tumult that harkens back to classic heavy metal sound of early 70's outfits while still sounding modern in it's assault.

In Witch, Mascis returns to his first love, drums, playing with an unbridled passion that recalls his work with Deep Wound, his early 80's hardcore band. Meanwhile, Kyle sings and writes the group's supernatural-oriented lyrics, exploring the juxtapositions between age and youth, the paradox of meeting yourself, and the dilemma of falling asleep on a mountaintop and waking up a hundred years year. Asa weaves a dense texture of rhythm and lead guitar lines that ebb and flow over the basic monolithic, trundling riff-rock song structure. Dave adds additional weight to Witch's sound with massive, crunching bass lines, returning this his instrument of choice when he played in Newfoundland punk bands back in the early 80s.

Witch headed into the studio and recorded their debut album for Tee Pee Records with engineer John Agnello, immediately following an extensive Dinosaur Jr. reunion tour this past Summer. Agnello had already recorded Dinosaur Jr., J Mascis + The Fog, Early Man, Son Volt and Screaming Trees to name a few.

Link: http://sharebee.com/0ffc91a4

Mammatus - Mammatus [2006]

Taking their name from one of the coolest looking cloud forms on planet Earth, this four-piece Santa Cruz band cites Sabbath and Hawkwind as their biggest influences, like most bands of the Stoner Rock genre. They were formed in early 2005 and started playing in pubs and living rooms. They then recorded their debut in their own garage with no money and little resources. Their sound caught the attention of several record companies and released their self titled debut in 2006.

With an album out people around the world got a taste of what Mammatus has to deliver. Heavy guitar riffs, improvisations, psychedelic passages, forest, dragons ie. Check this stuff out, if you can handle it.

Link: http://sharebee.com/a870b878

Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third [2006] + NEARfest [2007 Live]

Pure Reason Revolution is probably one of the most interesting prog related bands of today. On one hand they are a modern day rock band with lovely vocal harmonies, on the flip side they smack you in the face with their mesmerizing brand of Floyd-style space rock! Take The Beach Boys poppish tunes for example, and mix it all up with some heavy guitar riffs, complex song structures and otherworldly concepts. The result is a beautifully flowing record produced by Paul Northfield, who also worked with Rush, Porcupine Tree & Gentle Giant.

It seems there has been a different tracklist for every country this was released in. The version i am posting is the Euro release, which is actually the entire US release as well as 5 bonus tracks.

Link P1: http://sharebee.com/e00623f1
Link P2: http://sharebee.com/03ba9d27



Two years after the release of "The Dark Third", PRR offers a livesession recorded at the NEARfest festival in 2007. The sound quality is absolutely amazing. They play majority of their material from "The Dark Third" as well as a few new tracks. These sound somewhat heavier and even a little more electronic, perhaps this is an early example of what their future work will sound like?

The melodic and atmospheric passages somehow find their way between the sonic guitar explosions, sounding like something Steven Wilson would be happy to call his own. Their highly anticipated sophomore album is expected to drop sometime in March this year. Keep your eyes out for that one!

Link: http://sharebee.com/9acd8a8b

October Equus - October Equus [2006]

Now get this.. they took their name from a pagan festival celebrated in ancient Rome in the middle of October. During the festival, the two groups of people who lived in the city would go to another city and have a chariot race, two horses per chariot. The winning team's fastest horse was then beheaded, and the head put on a pole. The two sides would then violently fight each other to try to get the head. The winning side would go back to the city victoriously and mount the head in the tower or palace, where the skull would remain until they started the festival over the following year. Essential information right?

This is an awesome debut album by a Spanish band that reveals itself as a mature avant-garde prog force. The repertoire is full of sinister motifs and moods, usually with the guitar taking center stage while the keys lay disturbing orchestrations and ambiences (mixing the likes of Univers Zero, Gentle Giant, KC & VDGG.) It is all held together by a rhythm section that moves proficiently through the complex dynamics of all ten tracks.

This group has their second album out this year and i can't actually find it. If anyone could post it in the chatbox or in the comments section for me i'd gladly post it for everyone. Very interested in hearing it after this amazing debut!

Link: http://sharebee.com/31deea93