by Markmon40 | May 15, 2017 | News
Night of the Prog, the yearly festival that takes place in Germany and is now in its 12th year had a bit of a last minute shake last week when it was announced that Kansas had to be replaced. Kansas were set to be the last night headliner. Marillion have been scheduled as the new headliner for the 3rd and final night of the festival which already includes Yes featuring Anderson, Rabin, and Wakeman, and Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress as the other 2 headliners. The festival takes place July 14-16th. For more information visit: http://www.nightoftheprogfestival.com/index.eng.html
by Markmon40 | Mar 7, 2017 | News
Please make sure that you click one of the 6 listening links on the top of this page to hear the new stream.
Or enter this address into your player. http://74.82.59.197:8264
by Markmon40 | Sep 11, 2016 | News
We had an amazingly strong response from new.progrock.com/’s first official listener survey with over 200 respondents, so thanks everyone for participating. We really appreciate the feedback. As we update and rebrand the station website, we will be incorporating your feedback to improve your experience with the station.
And now, for the long promised results in bullet form….
- Two-thirds of respondents listen to the station at least once per week.
new.progrock.com/ LISTENERS
- Respondents listen to prog rock in a variety of formats. Respondents who listen to the station least are primarily splitting their time between Podcasts, Other Internet Radio Stations and Streaming Services.
- Over half of respondents listen to the live stream (no DJ). Many respondents have the stream going all day, at work or whenever they are at home.
- Top live shows listened to are Check it Out w/ DJ Peter Prog, Music in Widescreen w/ DJs Mark & Rayna, When Prog & Power Unite w/ DJ Nick and Throwback Thursday
- We asked about future audio options for an improved listening experience. The station currently broadcasts at 128 kbs.
- Almost 2/3 of listeners are interested in a higher-quality stream (192 kbs)
- Only 10% of respondents are interested in a lower-quality stream (64 kbs)
- new.progrock.com/ website -Latest Prog Related News, New Music and New Additions to the Station are top interests to include on the new.progrock.com/ website beyond what respondents currently see.
- We also got some good write-ins on this one including – links to DJ podcasts, notification for “DJ now on AIR!”, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame petitions, and spot to requests artists not currently in the station library.
NON-PROGROCK.COM LISTENERS
- Respondents not listening to new.progrock.com/ are more likely to be listening via their own music collection via media player/CD/record, etc.
- Respondents who don’t listen to the station either have never heard of new.progrock.com/ or do not listen to internet radio. Several write-ins that respondents will listen now that they are aware of the station.
DEMOGRAPHICS
- Most respondents are long-time listeners of prog rock – Almost 40% have been listening since the 70s
- A significant number of listeners, however, are newer to the genre, with 20% listening since 2000 or later.
- Not surprisingly, most respondents (about ¾) who listen to the station are also over the age of 45
- About 10% of listeners who responded are female.
by Markmon40 | Mar 31, 2016 | News
Band: Tiles
Albums: Pretending 2 Run
Available: April 15th, 2016 via Laser’s Edge
Reviewer: Mason from When Prog and Power Unite
Audio Review
Tiles Website
Order the Album
Tiles has always seemed to be one band where the expression “your mileage may vary” seems to apply. Those of you that follow the show know that I’ve always been a huge fan of the band, and they are one the first bands I will suggest to someone when they are ready to look beyond the established names – particularly if they show an interest in Rush. Their sound can be very Rush like at times, and they’ve got some other contributing factors as well. We’ve seen Alex Lifeson throwing down a guest spot on Fly Paper, Hugh Syme doing the cover art for the fourth straight album, and having Terry Brown producing his third straight Tiles album. But there is enough differentiation from Rush for Tiles for them carve out their own piece of the prog pie.
If you are already familiar with Tiles and like them, then Pretending 2 Run is likely going to be a welcome addition to your collection, as their signature style is all over the album, with a few new welcome additions. If you’re not familiar with them, and my word isn’t good enough for you, I will name-drop a list of musicians who have agreed to lend their talents to this album: Ian Anderson, Mike Portnoy, Colin Edwin, Adam Holzman, Kim Mitchell, Matthew Parmenter, and Mike Stern – and if that last name doesn’t mean much to you now, I’ll explain later.
Pretending 2 Run is Tiles first album of original material since 2008, and given the amount of time that has passed since Fly Paper was released, they generated enough material to release a double album. If you’ve never listened to a Tiles album before, here is what you can expect – well controlled higher pitched vocals that possess a satisfying smoothness by Paul Rarick; catchy guitar riffs provided by Chris Herin; and a rhythm section that has crunchy bass and some well-timed keyboard work provided by Jeff Whittle, and solid work on the skins by Mike Evans. Another hallmark of the Tiles formula is the large number of instrumental tracks compared to other bands that have a vocalist. While those all hold true for Pretending 2 Run, the band has done some tinkering with the formula for this album, including some jazz instrumental sections, utilizing guests such as Mike Stern, who was Miles Davis’s guitarist. The band also used a string section on many songs, providing another new dimension not previously found in their sound.
Pretending 2 Run is a nice new extension in the Tiles catalog. It brings back a familiar sound to those who waited eight long years like I have, and it has the potential to get a neophyte to explore their back catalog. My biggest kudo is that this is the most diverse sounding and most exploratory album by the band yet, without losing sight of their signature sound. My biggest complaint is probably an obvious one, and that is the length. While I would have a hard time pinpointing as individual song as a weak spot, I have found that my interest wanes on disc 2 when listened back to back, yet if I start at disc 2, it is a much more enjoyable listen. I’m sure I could make some cuts to the track list without a huge loss, but seeing as the price is the same as a single album, I don’t think complaining about the extra material is fair. A second nitpick is that while I don’t think the album has any weak points, with 21 tracks total, there are only 3 that really shine, those being “Shelter In Place”, “Drops of Rain”, and stashed away in the middle of disc 2, “The Disappearing Floor”.
While I’m pleased with this album and have already preordered it, I’m also quite aware of where is stands in both their catalog and my catalog as a whole. It’s a nice, solid offering that is enjoyable, but probably isn’t going to send anyone over the moon.
