There are some who want to rock, others that want some soul, the classics and tradition, then there are the worlds beyond where melody and ambience collide bursting into an aural feast for the ears. This is the place where I found Keith Hopcroft on his latest album “Something You Don't Know.” Embarking on a journey of expansive immersion mixed by Jan Printz, who now has my attention as a top…

There’s a quiet revolution underway in concert cinema: one where the sonic world feels less like it’s playing at you and more like it’s unfolding around you. HAEVN “Up Close” is a vivid example of what that can look and sound like when a thoughtful band meets a deft immersion mix. On this Blu-ray release, the newly crafted Dolby Atmos mix doesn’t just add layers, it enhances the emotional…

Now here is a super cool progressive album released via MoonJune Records in collaboration with Wandering Willow Records, “The Ballad of General Jupiter” is a complete story by Anton Roolaart who continues his steady ascent through the modern progressive landscape — not by chasing trends, but by refining craft. Entirely composed and produced by Roolaart — with the sole exception of the closing…

Where was I when Mental Notes was released back in 1975? As a fan of art rock and prog rock, the debut album from Split Enz, the band from down under hit on all these notes, plus more. Fifty years later, hearing this for the first time, I am all in and completely astounded by how unique and creative the initial incarnation of the band was. To even learn that the band formed back in 1972 and was…

There are only a few occasions when reviews are very personal for me. I have known Jon Fadem for many years and followed him as he blossomed from a young inquisitive musician to a creative master. In those earliest days I could run circles around him on the guitar, and soon he could easily jaunt up the highest musical mountain without effort, leaving me in the dust. Still, musicianship is not a…