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Album Review – The Aaron Clift Experiment – "The Age of Misinformation"
On January 29, 2023 By Bryan MoreyIn jazz, progressive rockLeave a comment
The Aaron Clift Experiment, The Age of Misinformation, 2023
Tracks: The Age of Misinformation (4:57), L.I.A.R. (5:14), Bet on Zero (10:43), Dark Secrets (3:35), Rise (5:55), The Color of Flight (5:45), Málaga (4:49), Weight of the World (5:47)
Players: Aaron Clift (vocals and keyboards), Anthony Basini (guitar), Clif Warren (bass), Pablo Ranlett-López (drums and percussion)
The Aaron Clift Experiment has gradually built themselves a solid following and growing respect in the prog world since their debut in 2012. The Austin-Texas proggers now have four studio albums and two live EPs under their belt.
On The Age of Misinformation, there are some glimpses of Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree, 80s Rush, and Southern Empire. There are a variety of styles on the album, from heavy protest rock ("The Age of Misinformation") to jazz fusion-ey rock ("Bet on Zero").
The political nature of the opening track is a little in your face, which jarred me a bit at first, but the album pretty quickly settles down, and the melodies and musicianship promptly overrode my initial misgivings. It also helped to realize this record is more of a response to the overall experience of the last few years, rather than a political screed. I guess I've been so shaken by the same sorts of things the band is singing about that I've come to be repelled by any mention of it! Ha. But in the end, music is probably the best way to deal with these sorts of emotions. And what better way to do it than with a blend of hard rock, jazz, drum solos, and big band horns?
Oh yeah, did I mention there's a drum solo on "Bet on Zero"? I can't remember the last time I heard an extended drum solo on a new studio album. Great to hear. It reminded me a bit of Jethro Tull. In fact, musically the band reminds me a lot of Tull. Not because they necessarily sound just like Tull, but because they have that same approach of "we'll try anything" to making music. There are lots of sounds used to wonderful effect. And lyrically they aren't afraid to tackle difficult subjects, a fear Ian Anderson also has never had.
"The Color of Flight" is a quieter track with dense layering. Simple percussion, layered keyboards, violin. It's a nice break from the heavier rock found on much of the rest of the album. "Málaga" has a strong Porcupine Tree influence, with a steady beat and keyboard atmospherics.
The variety on the record keeps this one interesting throughout. The album is under 50 minutes, but the different sounds and styles takes the listener on an exciting journey. The production value is high on the album, along with a very clear mix. The melodies and vocal lines are backed by intelligently placed guitar lines and backing instrumentation like the horns and violins. The result is very polished, making The Age of Misinformation certainly worth checking out.
https://www.aaronclift.com
https://theaaroncliftexperiment.bandcamp.com/album/the-age-of-misinformation
https://www.facebook.com/AaronCliftMusic/
Rick's Quick Takes for January
On January 23, 2023 January 22, 2023 By kruekuttIn Andy Tillison, art rock, avant-garde, grunge rock, hard rock, Insideout Music, jazz, post punk, progressive rock, punk rockLeave a comment
Starting out with a burner from 2022 that just arrived due to the ongoing vagaries of overseas shipping: Norwegian guitarist Hedvig Mollestad connects with the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra for the conceptual Maternity Beat. As on her previous collaborative jazz-rock projects Ekhidna and Tempest Revisited, Mollestad's writing runs the gamut, from thrusting dash through tribal fusion getdowns and chamber interplay to a glorious finale that ratchets up to a blazing climax. And her playing is as creative and involving as ever, ranging from the gutbucket blues and skronky feedback of "Do Re Mi Ma Ma" to the gliding, Jeff Beck-ish boogie of "All Flights Cancelled" and beyond. Another winner from this impressive musician that grows more immersive the more you listen.
Even with his relocation from New York City to Toledo, Spain this year, impresario Leonardo Pavkovic has kept MoonJune Records churning out first rate albums that consistently ride the cutting edge of possible musics. In the most recent batch of MoonJune releases, Sonar guitarist Stephan Thelen returns with Fractal Guitar 3, another winning album of intriguing compositions that create harmony and structure via the interaction of cyclic time and minimalist melodies; touch guitarist Markus Reuter teams with multi-instrumentalist Tim Motzer and drummer Kenny Growhoski for Bleed, a bold, grungy set of abstract pieces drawn from free improvisation; Anchor & Burden (Reuter's "European supergroup" featuring drummer extraordinaire Asaf Sirkis) weighs in with Kosmonautik Pilgrimage, monumentally turbulent full improv with Lovecraftian artwork and titles to match its swirling, heavy vibe; and Duo Atanatovski (a Slovenian father and son on guitar/cello and winds) team with a rhythm section for the radiant Liberté Toujours, an album of soaring, propulsive jazz that I guarantee will lift your spirits. The best way to catch all the action on MoonJune is a yearly subscription at Bandcamp.
On a whim (admittedly nudged by a recommendation from allmusic.com), I checked out Guided by Voices' brand new La La Land and was instantly captivated. The brainchild and main musical vehicle of Dayton Ohio guitarist and singer Robert Pollard, the band is known for its insanely prolific output (the current lineup has released 14 albums in the last 5 years), slamming home musical earworms laced with whimsical, elusive lyrics aplenty in a devil-may-care blend of the British invasion, low-fi punk-pop and just the right amount of psych-prog garnish. In the past, GbV's releases lacked a certain quality control, but recent albums seem to be all killer, no filler: here the air-tight riffs lodge directly in your pleasure centers; Pollard reels off irresistible chorus after irresistible chorus in a delightfully mannered, indeterminate accent; and expansive efforts like the pretty acoustic tune "Queen of Spaces" and the off-kilter, multi-part build of "Slowly On the Wheel" offset the short, sharp shocks of the opening "Another Day to Heal" and the Beatlesque "Ballroom Etiquette". Well worth exploring, but mind stepping too far into the whirlpool …
I've got to agree with Bryan that Riverside's latest, ID.Entity, is a strong contender for "best of the year" status, even this early in the game. This is hooky, hard art-rock (metallic around the edges) with a compelling sense of ebb and flow — not to mention plenty of high-power guitar and keyboard heroics. What makes the blend especially savory here is Mariusz Duda's vocals; wistfully edgy, drily sardonic and bluntly dismissive by turns, his melancholy meditations on a divided world with no place left to hide grab and shake you, whether you want to see the pictures he's painting or not. Definitely up to Progarchy's favorite Polish proggers' high standards, with the potential to rope in fans of a recent vintage — like me — as well. (Need to catch up on Duda and company? The 2021 online compilation 20 – The Shorts and the Longs might be your ticket.)
Always ready to bring a bit of reconfigured retro flash into here and now, Andy Tillison has opened wide The Tangent's vaults for an old-school "triple-live" album, Pyramids, Stars and Other Stories. The release kicks off with a soul-stirring 2004 set, as the original lineup (including Roine Stolt) powers through early classics like "The World That We Drive Through" and "The Music That Died Alone". Add a substantial serving of later songs and instrumentals performed by equally gifted lineups on the 2012 UK and the 2017 US tours (the last of which I was privileged to see at Chicago's Progtoberfest), and you have 2 1/2 hours of back-catalog gems delivered in grand style. I gleefully gulped down the whole thing in one sitting; Tillison's non-stop compositional eclecticism and his unquenchable penchant for speaking (well, singing) his mind delight from beginning to end, and his compatriots step up to match his commitment throughout. On their game, The Tangent's devotion to music and their appeal to our consciences point us to the best of what we are and what we can be; here, they hit peak form throughout, with any rough edges only adding to their appeal. This generous set is both a first-rate introduction for new listeners and an essential item for hard core fans. In addition to purchasing the album through the usual outlets, you can still support the band directly and pre-order a limited number of signed copies here.
Kruekutt's 2022 Favorites
On December 28, 2022 December 28, 2022 By kruekuttIn afro beat, americana, art rock, avant-garde, Big Big Train, books, Cosmograf, electronic, Insideout Music, jazz, jazz rock, pop, progressive rock, Robin Armstrong, vernacular music2 Comments
A few notes before I dive in: items I've reviewed here are linked to the relevant Progarchy article via the artist/album title; If I didn't review an item here or elsewhere, it's marked with an asterisk (*) — but I hope the capsule description and listening/order links will encourage you to check it out!
My favorite new music of 2022:
Dave Bainbridge, To The Far Away: A thrilling, ravishingly beautiful album about love, longing, hope and a future. Lyrics of rich simplicity cradled in a lush orchestral blend of rock, prog and Celtic folk. My interview with Bainbridge is here.
Big Big Train, Welcome to the Planet: what turned out to be BBT's final effort with the late David Longdon consolidates the widened horizons of Grand Tour and the intimate subjects of Common Ground, casting an epic light on the everyday glory of family, community, joy and loss.
Cosmograf, Heroic Materials: Elegiac in its evocation of past achievements, urgent in its contemporary call to action, breathtaking in its poised blend of fragility and strength, Robin Armstrong's latest is a riveting listen.
The Flower Kings, By Royal Decree: TFK's third double album in a row, this is the sound of Roine Stolt and company refreshed and revisiting their optimistic roots, soaring on the wings of one marvelous melody after another. As much a joy to hear as it must have been to create.
Mary Halvorson, Amaryllis & Belladonna: free jazz guitarist Halvorson hits a major label with two albums — teaming with a boisterously simpatico sextet on Amaryllis, then dancing atop and around modern classical textures from the Mivos Quartet on Belladonna. Audacious and engrossing, this music will open your ears real good!
Dave Kerzner, The Traveller: confident, appealing songwriting with hooky yet sophisticated melodies and structures, Kerzner's best, widest ranging vocals to date and perfectly judged contributions from a stellar guest list. Letting his new songs sell themselves and keeping proceedings to the point, he both satisfies us and leaves us wanting more.
The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Cold As Weiss: An immediately accessible reboot of a classic jazz trio format. Organist Lamarr, guitarist Jimmy James and drummer Daniel Weiss are thrilling players who never fail to make their instruments sing. Funky, catchy bite-size tracks with great individual playing and razor sharp ensemble.
Marillion, An Hour Before It's Dark: The front half of Los Marillos' latest has more swagger than they've mustered in a while; the back half's meditative downshift climaxes with the sweeping smashcut finale "Care," as power chords and massed choirs climb heavenward. Unique as anything in their catalog, and another thoroughbred winner.
Pure Reason Revolution, Above Cirrus: this fifth album reveals PRR at their best, consistently upping their game to the next level. For every moment of blissful harmonies and glidepath atmospherics, there's an equal and opposite moment of feral guitar/drum slammin' — and when they layer the two together, look out! Well worth buckling up for the ride.
The Smile, A Light For Attracting Attention: A Radiohead side project worth your while. Thom Yorke overflows with apocalyptic dread; Jonny Greenwood's off-kilter instrumental instincts are keener than ever; Tom Skinner's skittering beats relentlessly drive the grim, lush soundscapes forward. Music for our contemporary dystopia, irresistibly sucking you in.
Tears For Fears, The Tipping Point: Roland Orzbaal & Curtis Smith's catchy-as-always comeback goes for catharsis via unstoppable rhythms, unforgettable choruses and naked vulnerability on every single track, Devastatingly gorgeous, uncompromising art-pop that will haunt you long after every listen.
And my Top Favorite of the year — Wilco, Cruel Country. A double set that detours from Jeff Tweedy's thoughtful dad-rock toward Nashville and Bakersfield, the tactile interplay of the band and Tweedy's quizzical, empathetic probes of societal alienation elevate this to an album of genuine tenderness and subtlety, gathering strength and heart as it unrolls. After a digital-only release this year, it's finally coming out on LP and CD January 20!
My favorite reissues of 2022:
The Beatles, Revolver Special Edition*: No Revolver, no Sergeant Pepper — no prog? Regardless of what ifs, the Fabs' great leap forward of 1966 was brilliant in its own right, dragging pop headlong toward the avant-garde. Here it gets a subtle yet effective remix, with fascinating studio outtakes framing the cutting-edge results.
Tim Bowness & Giancarlo Erra, Memories of Machines: an irresistible mix of unflinchingly intimate art-rock and lowering ambient backdrops. Ten years on, original arrangements and track lengths are restored, Erra's textural work is inched forward — and as always, Bowness breaks your heart with his ringing couplets and his stoic voice.
My Top Favorite Reissue of the year: Robert Fripp, Exposure/Exposures. The guitarist's 1979 return to active duty after a post-King Crimson sabbatical, binding together a disparate set of songs and guest artists with his innovative ambient Frippertronics. Whether by itself or as part of a gargantuan box set that chronicles Fripp's entire "Drive to 1981," it's a wild, worthwhile listen in and of itself, while providing distinctive previews of coming attractions.
Marillion, Holidays in Eden Deluxe Edition*: my introduction to the band (I first saw them live on the US tour promoting the album), Holidays was partially a product of record company pressure for hit singles, but it also has plenty of Marillion's trademark ambition, power and lyricism. A fresh remix complemented by exciting live shows on both audio and video.
Soft Machine, Bundles*: Add blazing young guitarist Allan Holdsworth to one of the pioneering British jazz-rock bands, stir in quirky compositions by keyboardists Karl Jenkins and Mike Ratledge, and stand by for fireworks! This fresh reissue also includes a hot live set featuring Holdsworth's successor John Ethridge (still active with the Softs today).
Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Super Deluxe Edition*: The album that put Wilco on the map (after they were dropped by their label), YHF mutated from Americana through dream-pop to electronica-tinged folk-rock as band members and producers came and went. Eight discs that copiously chronicle the recording process, plus blistering two live sets.
My favorite (re)discoveries of 2022:
Battles, Mirrored & Gloss Drop: I discovered this duo when they opened for Primus on this year's A Tribute to Kings tour. Glitchy electronica that defies predictability with every asymmetric loop, candy-coated melody, whipsaw rhythmic shift, and whomping backbeat, with each of their first two albums meant to be experienced in one go. As proggy as dance music gets!
Anything released by Chicago's International Anthem Recording Company! For starters, check out these beauties on Bandcamp: drummer/producer Makaya McCraven's In These Times*; cornetist/composer Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra, Dimensional Stardust*; and guitarist/improviser Jeff Parker's The New Breed*. Hoping to write more about this amazing label and the music released on it in the new year!
Tears For Fears, Everybody Loves A Happy Ending: TFF's 2004 reunion lives up to the same high standards as their latest; unstoppable riffs and hooks abound.
Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life & Original Musiquarium I: On his groundbreaking 1970s albums, Wonder blended heavenly melodies, sophisticated chord structures, groundbreaking synthesizer work and heaping helpings of funk rhythms for one innovative, irresistible breakthrough after another. Songs in the Key of Life remains Wonder's most expansive, fascinating and welcoming classic; Musiquarium is a double-disc highlights compilation from that golden decade.
My favorite live album of 2022: Big Big Train, Summer Shall Not Fade*. Equal parts power and grace, BBT's 2018 headlining gig at Germany's Night of the Prog may be their best live release yet. Playing to their largest crowd ever, David Longdon commands the stage; Greg Spawton and Nick D'Virgilio provide a muscular foundation; Dave Gregory, Rikard Sjobom, Danny Manners and Rachel Hall serve up one delightful moment after another. Bryan Morey's review nails it; this is indispensable.
My favorite rock documentary of 2022: In The Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50*. The most unconventional band of the last five decades gets the most unconventional documentary possible. Crims past and present weigh in on "living, dying, laughing, playing and rocking out", with Robert Fripp providing the ever-present focal point in a particularly puckish fashion. There's also a deluxe edition with live Crimson video (both in the studio and at 2019's Rock in Rio festival) and four bonus CDs of soundtrack cuts, rarities, etc.
My favorite books about music of 2022:
Vashti Bunyan, Wayward: Just Another Life to Live. Singer-songwriter Bunyan's unlikely late-60s odyssey from Swinging London to the Hebrides forms the heart of this evocative narrative. Laboriously traversing the heart of England, she gains understanding of the natural world, of human kindness and cruelty — and of her own sturdy inner core.
Dan Charnas (with musical analysis by Jeff Peretz), Dilla Time: The Life And Afterlife Of J Dilla, The Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm*. In Charnas' telling, Dilla emerges as an innovator who laid down new paths for neo-soul and conceptual hip-hop, via his subtle yet unsettling variations on previously straight-up rhythms. Peretz's equally innovative graphic depictions of rhythmic innovations across the decades buttress the page-turning narrative.
Robert Fripp, The Guitar Circle*. More a philosophical tome than a how-to book, though still remarkably practical, Fripp's highly conceptual explanation of his process (as unfolded in Guitar Craft courses and Guitar Circles) won't be for everyone. But those who dig in will grasp where this eternally questing musician is coming from better than ever before.
David Leaf, God Only Knows: The Story of Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys And The California Myth*. The third edition of Leaf's lifework chronicles The Beach Boys' journey from surf-rock through eccentric art-pop to the dead end of nostalgia, then sidesteps to Wilson's solo comeback, culminating in the completion of his masterwork Smile. Not in the least objective, but comprehensive, even-handed toward the rest of The Beach Boys, and heartfelt.
Grant Moon, Big Big Train – Between The Lines: The Story Of A Rock Band. How BBT became a prog powerhouse — through sheer bloody-mindedness, growth in craft and a keen ear for musical contributors — is the tale told in this richly detailed bio/coffee table tome. Both a celebration of the music made and an unflinching look at the price paid for a dream.
And in closing . . .
If you're interested, check out these recordings I played or sang on that were released in 2022:
The Bardic Depths, Promises of Hope (keyboards on two tracks). My interview with TBD mastermind Dave Bandana is here.
Avner Dorman, Dialogues of Love (with the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus)
Strauss & Villa-Lobos (with the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus)
Rick's Best of the Decade
On October 21, 2022 October 30, 2022 By kruekuttIn electronic, jazz, progressive metal, progressive rock3 Comments
I've kept a spiral-bound notebook titled "Core Discs: The Honor Roll" since the mid-1990s, when I was deeply into a classical music binge at the height of that genre's last recording boom. Over the years, as I migrated through jazz (courtesy of the Ken Burns documentary) and country/folk (blame Johnny Cash & Leonard Cohen) back into my earlier love of rock, I find it intriguing that my picks started shifting in tandem with the prog revival of the 21st century, long before I started writing for this site in 2017. But unlike Bryan's methodology for finalizing his excellent list, when I sat down to pick my ten favorite albums of the last ten years, I looked at my top favorite for each year and said, "yeah, those are all still up there." Which is why I also decided to just list them by the year of their release (not always the year I first heard them) instead of ranking them from 10 to 1. (Oh, and links to my original reviews are embedded in the artist/album listing from 2017 onward.)
It's true that, in more recent years, my picks have been busting out of genre boundaries — but, if you've been generous enough to sample my wares before, you've probably figured that out. And hey, if such a tendency isn't progressive, then what is? Whether the following list confirms or challenges your preconceptions of "what's prog", I fervently believe that every one of these albums is worth checking out — but be warned, your mileage may vary!
So, without further adieu:
2012 – Flying Colors: gotta agree with Time Lord here — this one's a total winner from start to finish. Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy had captivated me long before this with the first three Transatlantic releases and Morse's two Testimony albums, but Flying Colors showcased an even broader stylistic range, from the Beatlesque "Fool In My Heart" through the retro-80s prog-pop vibe of "Blue Ocean" and "Kayla" to the cutting-edge Museings of "Shoulda Coulda Woulda" and "All Fall Down". The album also proved that Morse and Portnoy know how to pick collaborators! Guitarist Steve Morse applied his unique mix of Southern-fried chicken pickin', fusion a la Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and Purpleish power riffs to winning effect (solidly supported by his longtime bassist Dave LaRue), and vocalist Casey McPherson proved he could run with the big boys, stirring fresh melodic and lyrical flavors into every track, including more familiar constructions like the inspirational "The Storm" and the epic finale "Infinite Fire". This one also gets nostalgia points for being available at Best Buy stores back in the day (remember when you could get CDs there?).
2013 – Big Big Train, English Electric Full Power: OK, I actually didn't discover this one until 2016, when the BBT bug finally bit me — more on this in a future post. And while I sort of wish I had done so earlier, maybe hearing EEFP on the British trip my wife and I took the year it was released would have been too much of a good thing! Steeped in a love of their native land and affectionate empathy for its people, Greg Spawton and David Longdon doubled down on the longform approach of 2009's The Underfall Yard to probe forgotten milestones of British history ("The First Rebreather", the heart-stopping "East Coast Racer") and portray unforgettable characters ("Uncle Jack", "Curator of Butterflies") against a bucolic landscape ("Upton Heath", "The Permanent Way"), along with the perennial challenges of the heart ("The Lovers") and the soul ("A Boy in Darkness", "Judas Unrepentant"). All in a style that recalled original prog touchstones (looking at you, Gabriel-era Genesis) but blended in the dizzying guitar of Dave Gregory and the wicked drum grooves of Nick D'Virgilio to awesome effect. The two separate volumes of English Electric and the Make Some Noise EP certainly have their charms, but in the scope and sequence of this complete package, Spawton, Longdon and company touched on perfection.
2014 – Dave Kerzner, New World: another late arrival in my collection, this is the album that convinced me a genuine prog-rock revival was afoot beyond the continuing efforts of Morse/Portnoy and Steven Wilson. Kerzner's mastery of cinematic soundscapes was evident from the first Floydian flourish of "Stranded" to the closing upward spiral of "Redemption"; his ability to involve guest stars like Steve Hackett and Keith Emerson, as well as quality players like guitarist Fernando Perdomo and Nick D'Virgilio (him again!), bore impressive results; and his intuitive grasp of pop hooks proved a solid foundation for irresistible shorter songs like "The Lie" and "Nothing". Stir in longer, brooding tracks "Into the Sun", "Under Control" and "My Old Friend" (in memory of performer/producer/polymath Kevin Gilbert), and you had a consistently gripping effort. Whether in its single-disc or deluxe double-disc format, New World aimed high and hit every target that a latter-day concept album could — thoroughly immersive, richly compelling and a breakthrough kick-off for Kerzner's ongoing solo career.
2015 – Steven Wilson, Hand. Cannot. Erase: speaking of latter-day concept albums . . . Seems like *everyone*, especially the ex-SW fans who think he lost the plot with To The Bone and The Future Bites now cite this as his best effort; me, I remember the online ruckus when "Perfect Life" became the pre-release single. ("IT'S! TOO! POP!" As I've said before, if only they had known . . .) But as Bryan mentions in his article, Wilson struck conceptual paydirt with the true story of Joyce Carol Vincent's lonely death, unearthing both the bleakness and the beauty inherent in a life of urban isolation. His sharp, highly committed writing met its match in the blistering playing of his band: guitarist Guthrie Govan ("Regret #9), keyboardist Adam Holzman ("Home Invasion") and singer Ninet Tayeb ("Routine") all have some of their best recorded moments featured here. HCE's enduring appeal does partially stem from its similarity to Porcupine Tree in their prime — but both Wilson's musical growth in the intervening years and his return to a humane lyrical vision after the voyeurism of Insurgentes and Grace for Drowning were what made the difference then, and now. The melancholy inherent in the final track "Happy Returns" still feels like we're mourning a life, lived and lost, for real.
2016 – Marillion, FEAR: that rare example of a band hitting a creative and commercial peak simultaneously. Marillion as a band got even more serious about musical substance here, with lush, detailed sonic backdrops adding depth and resonance to their smash-cut collages. All of which fused seamlessly with Steve Hogarth's lyrical concerns — for example, the opener "El Dorado" built from self-satisfied, affluent peace to twitchy paranoia, as the lyrics and music stewed in the pressure cooker of an over-connected, unsettled world. The heartfelt road narrative of "The Leavers" made a consummate live epic that captured the special relationship between the band and its fans, while ominous closer "The New Kings" (capped by H's heartbroken refrain, "Why is nothing ever true?") still seems way too spooky — and way too relevant six years later. Since its release, FEAR's success has enabled Marillion to go from strength to strength both live (as I witnessed in 2018) and with their equally powerful follow-up, this year's superb An Hour Before It's Dark. Which testifies to its ongoing impact, then and now.
Continue reading "Rick's Best of the Decade" →
Arnaud Quevedo & Friends – Double Album Review
On September 2, 2022 September 2, 2022 By Bryan MoreyIn jazz, jazz rock, progressive rock1 Comment
Arnaud Quevedo & Friends, Electric Tales, 2020
Tracks: Electric Overture (1:32), The Dark Jester (7:24), The Electric Princess Part 1 (9:06), The Electric Princess Part 2 (9:02), Entering… (Impro) (4:11) Mushi's Forest (6:21), Flower Fields (Impro) (3:26), The Hypothetical Knight (6:24), Hope (5:07), Electric Dreamer (3:49)
Arnaud Quevedo & Friends, Roan, Bad Dog Promotions, 2021
Tracks: Aube (1:33), Prologue (4:33) Découverte (8:48), Curiosité (2:26), Féerie (3:22), Dépassement (3:17), Nostalgie (1:56), Ryoko (12:33), Fardeau (1:51), Chrysalide (4:41), Métamorphose (5:50), Épilogue (3:30)
For the second in my series of reviews of French artists (see number 1 here), we have Arnaud Quevedo & Friends, a guitar-centered jazz fusion outfit based in La Rochelle, France. The group centers around Arnaud Quevedo, a guitarist and music teacher at Conservatoire La Rochelle. Bassist Noé Russeil joins Quevedo on both records, as does double bassist Éva Tribolles. Both also provide vocals. Lucille Mille plays flute and sings on Electric Tales, Julien Gomila plays saxophone on that record. There is a much larger cast on Roan, composed of more stringed and blown instruments. While Quevedo plays drums on Electric Tales, that duty is expertly handled by Anthony Raynal on Roan.
One of the primary differences between the two records is the lyrics on Electric Tales are in English while they are in French on Roan. I prefer the French vocals because they sound more natural to both the music and for the singers. Some of the English lyrics, like on "The Dark Jester," are really difficult to understand.
Jazz is the name of the game here, but it remains tied to the rock world throughout. Electric Tales periodically reminded me of The Tangent, another band that heavily leans on jazz. "The Electric Princess" Parts 1 and 2 are almost entirely instrumental, with some more easily understandable lyrics near the end of part 2. The guitar and flute are prominent throughout, balancing the jazz with a rock feel. Continue reading "Arnaud Quevedo & Friends – Double Album Review" →
Rick's Quick Takes for April
On April 21, 2022 April 19, 2022 By kruekuttIn goth rock, jazz, Kscope, progressive metal, progressive rock, Rock and Roll, Rush2 Comments
Short, sharp shocks this month: all albums and EPs reviewed below come in under the old school LP limit of 45 minutes! Purchasing links are embedded in each artist/title listing; album playlists or samples follow each review.
Entransient, Ghosts in the Halls: My hometown's very own prog-metal band lays out the cards for all to see on their Facebook page: "Melodic neo/post-prog rock from Michigan. Influenced by Anathema, Alcest, and Porcupine Tree." The good news is that guitarists Matt Schrauben & Doug Murray, bassist Nick Hagen, drummer Jeremy Hyde and vocalist/keyboardist Scott Murray refine those influences into a distinctive blend, marked by rich atmosphere and a towering core sound. The opening epic "Parasite" grabs hold immediately with its games of acoustic/electric musical chairs; "Synergize" and "Last Strawman" drive forward without mercy, as Murray testifies fiercely over bare grooves and fuzzed chords alike. More reflective moments like the title track, "Misplaced" and "Where the Shadows Lie" dial down the tempos and the lyrical angst while keeping the edge intact as the band prowls lush, more aerated soundscapes. (Kudos for Hagen's mixing and engineering, as well as for the mastering work of The Pineapple Thief's Steve Kitch; the band's dynamic and textural range is captured with crystalline clarity throughout.) Entransient has an open, readily appealing touch to their music; as they blaze a fresh trail in a style that easily collapses into cliché, they're well worth a listen.
Envy of None: No, this sounds nothing like Rush, even with Alex Lifeson's guitar work in the mix. (If that's what you want, the new anniversary edition of Moving Pictures is now available — and getting glowing reviews from unlikely sources like Pitchfork, for pete's sake.) Lifeson does provide satisfying crunch, acoustic contrast, and creative lead work in spades, bedding in seamlessly with fellow core players Andy Curran (bass & guitar) and Alfio Annibalini (guitar and keys). They weave a darkly enticing aural mesh that cradles the understated, seductive singing of Maiah Wynne; her breathily fragile volleys, playing off the sticky minimalist hooks embedded in EoN's web, are what might really ensnare you. Musically, this is all about basic song forms deployed in ambient/industrial/goth/post-rock styles; the seasoned instrumental interplay and Wynne's preternaturally mature vocal work are what elevate the album above the obvious genre markers. So it's old-fashioned chemistry and star quality, from veterans and newcomer alike, that turn out to be key to Envy of None's appeal. Try it on that basis and see if it grabs you.
Continue reading "Rick's Quick Takes for April" →
Rick's Quick Takes for March
On March 18, 2022 March 20, 2022 By kruekuttIn art rock, Insideout Music, jazz, jazz rock, pop, progressive rock3 Comments
Lots of great music has crossed the metaphorical Progarchy transom this month! Purchasing links are embedded in each artist/title listing; album playlists or samples follow each review.
The Flower Kings, By Royal Decree: Fun fact: this is the third double album in a row from king of Kings Roine Stolt and his merry band. And like 2019's Waiting for Miracles (which started the streak) it's compulsively listenable from start to finish. Fresh out of lockdown, Stolt, singer Hasse Fröberg, keyboardist Zach Kamins, drummer Mirko deMaio and alternating bassists Jonas Reingold & Michael Stolt laid down 18 songs in the studio, negotiating the twists and turns of wildly varied material (some of which dates back to the early 1990s) with energy, precision and evident delight. Not a trace of metal here, and I hear much more psychedelia, fusion and Eurofunk in the mix than stereotypical "prog" — but to my ears, that's what makes goodies like the unpredictable opener "The Great Pretender", the ravishing ballads "A Million Stars" and "Silent Ways", and the off-kilter eccentricity "Letter" so fresh and fun. There are plenty of serious lyrical moments too, as in "The Soldier" and "Revolution"; but, by and large, By Royal Decree is the sound of Stolt and company refreshed and revisiting their optimistic roots, soaring on the wings of one marvelous melody after another. It's as much a joy to hear as it must have been to create.
Continue reading "Rick's Quick Takes for March" →
Kruekutt's 2021 Favorites!
On December 29, 2021 December 28, 2021 By kruekuttIn Ambient, art rock, avant-garde, Big Big Train, classical, Discipline, electronic, Insideout Music, jazz, jazz rock, krautrock, Kscope, Neal Morse, progressive metal, progressive rock, Radiant Records, Rock and Roll2 Comments
I thought I didn't have a big list of favorites from this year's listening — until I revisited my six-month survey from back in June and added in the good stuff I've heard since then! The listing below incorporates links to full or capsule reviews, or other relevant pieces on Progarchy and elsewhere; albums I haven't written about yet get brief comments, along with my Top Favorites of the year. Most of these are available to check out online in some form; if you find yourself especially enjoying something, use that Christmas cash and support your choice with a purchase! And the winners are . . .
Continue reading "Kruekutt's 2021 Favorites!" →
Rob Koral's "Wild Hearts" – Jazz Rock At Its Purest
On December 1, 2021 By Bryan MoreyIn blues, jazz, jazz rock, progressive rockLeave a comment
Rob Koral – Wild Hearts – 2021
Tracks: Show Me The Way (5:46), Funky "D" (7:14), Summer (8:12), Take Me Back (4:40), Saving Grace (7:18), The Showdown (5:17), The Beyond (5:00), Hold Tight (5:37)
Part jazz, part classic rock, part blues, and all with a sprinkling of prog over the top for good measure. That's probably the best way to describe Rob Koral's new album, Wild Hearts. Rob has played on over 30 records, and he is most well known for his work with the band Sketch. He is also a founding member of the band Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion.
The songs on Wild Hearts are very upbeat, reminding me a little of the first Jethro Tull record and of Blodwyn Pig. The music is relatively simple – guitars by Rob Koral, Hammond organ by Pete Whittaker, and drums by Jeremy Stacey. The album sounds extremely fresh, which is likely due to the group recording the songs live in studio on one day in December 2020. I think that approach is best for this kind of jazz-blues instrumental music. It begs for improvisation. Rob wrote all the music, but he says that he didn't tell Pete and Jeremy what to play. The result is music with form that still breathes. You can even hear the little hand movements on the guitar strings and the little natural noises you would get playing live. There's even a sense of space from the room the recorded the music in. These elements add warmth to the recording, as well as bring a vintage feel to the music.
The Hammond organ really makes this record stand out for me. It adds such a rich atmosphere to the songs, even when the guitar is taking center stage. The drums have a jazzy improv feel that sets the perfect stage for the guitars and organ. My only really critique is perhaps a little bit of repetition throughout, but that also may be a result of the album being recorded live in a day. As such it's quite an achievement. In a way it feels like a live jazz show. A song like "The Beyond" especially has that feel of anticipation as the soloing switches back and forth between guitar and organ. The longer guitar solo builds gradually over a very simple but effective drum beat. It's smooth with a little bit of grit on the lower ends.
Wild Hearts' strength as an album is it takes jazz and rock and strips them down to the basics. There's nothing overly complicated here, but the extended jamming gives the songs room to grow and breath. It's a solid album that has a positive and upbeat tone to it, sure to please on repeated listens.
http://www.robkoral.co.uk
Order the CD here: https://www.zoeschwarzmusic.com/music/wild-hearts-rob-koral.html


text:
Велилья-де-лос-Ахос ()  —  муниципалитет в Испании, входит в провинцию Сория в составе автономного сообщества Кастилия и Леон. Муниципалитет находится в составе района (комарки) Альмасан. Занимает площадь 19,68 км². Население 34 человека (на 2010 год).

Население

Примечания

Муниципалитеты Сории

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


For me (and probably everyone else!) that's sympathy. I hate having to make this kind of card because it means I need to send one too. I don't really keep these cards made up as luckily I don't have to use too many. My husband needed a card to give to a friend who lost a loved one. I recently purchased the Through the trees stamp set by Papertrey Ink. It came with a sympathy sentiment and the trees seemed appropriate and masculine enough for his friend. Normally I rely on Roses in Winter to fulfill my sympathy needs.
I really like the new stamp set. This tree came in two pieces for ease of stamping and the leaves lined right up with the tree limbs.
Yes, definitely the cards we don't want to make! Love your card though, it's gorgeous!


text:
Eastbourne Town is the oldest senior football club in Sussex having been founded on 29 October 1880 when two existing clubs in Eastbourne, Eastbourne FC and Eastbourne Rovers both merged to become Eastbourne United. The club briefly changed its name to Eastbourne Football Club at a meeting on 5 October 1881. Having failed to secure the use of a ground in South Fields, near to Gildredge Park, permission was sought to play on the grounds of Devonshire Park. Part of the deal was to change the name to Devonshire Park in return the Park Company would supply all match materials and pay travelling expenses to away games. At a meeting on the 19 October 1881, it was agreed that the club would be known as Devonshire Park F.C.
Being named after it's first home ground – A venue now know for staging one of the pre-Wimbledon tennis tournaments. In fact, it was the arrival of the tennis at the ground which ultimately was to lead it becoming the predominant sport and the subsequent relocation of both cricket and football. After five years of playing at the Park, the club moved to the newly opened "Saffrons Field" colourfully named after the variety of crocus which had been cultivated on the site for use in the preparation of medicines.
In 1889 the club changed its name to Eastbourne FC and fielding a side of 'gentlemen amateurs' began to play a dominant role in county football winning the Sussex Senior Cup eight times, and being runners-up on a further three occasions, up to 1907. In 1904 the club won it's first international trophy, The Paris New Years Tournament (Tournoi du Nouvel An Paris). In 1905 the club joined the South Eastern League. Originally entered by Eastbourne Swifts, it was a agreed with the league that Eastbourne would take their place in the league after they withdrew after playing and losing 7 games. Eastbourne played mostly reserve teams of Woolwich Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in Division 1. Eastbourne played out the remaining season, winning just one game and were relegated into Division 2 for the 1906/07 season.
In 1907 the club aligned itself with the then Amateur Football Alliance and split from the Football Association becoming founder members of the Southern Amateur League where they remained until after World War II. In 1909 Eastbourne won another international trophy, The "Challenge International du Nord", was a competition played predominantly between French and Belgian amateur teams it was later opened up to Dutch, Swiss and English amateur teams. Eastbourne won the final 5-1 against Racing Club du Roubaix.
During the 1920's the club won two League Championships, reached the final of the national AFA Senior Cup in for consecutive seasons, winning on two occasions, and made five further Sussex Senior Cup Final appearances albeit with only one success. The following decade did see a further two Senior Cup victories and a success at the first attempt in the RUR Charity Cup. Good attendances saw the 'popular' Town Hall side of the ground asphalted and a new wooden grandstand erected behind the goal at the Larkins Field end.
The ground survived World War II intact with friendly matches regularly being played there. In the summer of 1946 the pitch was moved closer to the cricket ground to facilitate the Town Hall side being terraced, the Meads Road end section being covered in 1962. Following one post-war season in the Southern Amateur League, the club joined the Corinthian League in 1946 where they remained until the competition merged with the Athenian League in 1963. In the immediate post-war years the Saffrons attendances averaged 3,000 with the ground record of 7,378 being set when the Southern League side Hastings United visited in an F.A. Cup tie on the 10th October, 1953. During this era there were further Charity Cup successes, a Sussex Senior Cup win in 1953 and an AFA Invitation Cup success in 1970. Two years later, after more than eighty years of being known as the "Town Club", the clubs name was changed to its present form. In March 1969 the wooden grandstand was destroyed by an arsonist and although temporary cover was provided, it was twenty-five years before a replacement was opened; the stand being named of the club stalwarts Sid Myall and Taffy Jones.
Failing attendances made it uneconomic to continue in the Athenian League and in 1976 Town resigned, their final match being in the League's Cup Final where they lost 1-2 away to Cheshunt. Accepted into the Sussex County League the newcomers lifted the Championship at the first attempt and in the following year reached the final of the Sussex Senior Cup. Thereafter the first team's best finishing position was third on two occasions but generally the trend was downwards. The installation of floodlights for the 1994/95 season saw a resurgence of results, therefore, it was a shock when after finishing ninth in 2000, a year later they found themselves relegated after dropping ten places and finishing next to bottom. An immediate return to Division One was almost achieved in 2002; however, promotion was won in 2003.
On their return to Division One, Town were fifth in 2004 and, after two further seasons of consolation, the League Championship was again secured in 2007 and with it came promotion into Division One (South) of the Ryman Isthmian League, the club having to complete minor works having pursued a programme of ground developments. The club, who hold the prestigious F.A. Community Club status, received a reprieve from relegation in 2010. Subsequently, the club strived to retain its place in the Ryman League but despite finishing eleventh place in 2013 a bottom place finish in 2014 saw them relegated back to the County League. A spirited attempt to make an immediate return was thwarted when the side failed to reproduce their good early form after a long mid-season lay-off and they eventually finished fourth but did have the satisfaction of lifting the Sussex RUR Charity Cup for the sixth time moving them to within one victory of being the fourth most successful club in the competition.
Good starts were made in the past few Senior Cup competitions but had no success until reaching the quarter finals in 2019, losing to a strong Brighton and Hove Albion under-23 side. Town have finished in the top five of the league since leaving the Isthmian League. In 2022 a change of management saw John Lambert stepping down after 8 years and being replaced by former Whitehawk manager, Jude Macdonald.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is out now on Steam in three different versions!
Earlier this week Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT finally made it's way to the Steam storefront, being it's first time appearing on PC. Along with this release, there was also a Free-to-Play edition launched on the PS4 and Steam. Though the Free-to-Play edition is the only way you can start off with your Steam purchase, you can then purchase two version upgrades through it.
The first is the Standard Edition upgrade, which pretty much gives you full access to the base game, with none of the Season Pass content. While if you pay a little more you can get the Deluxe Edition upgrade, which gives you the base game and all the first Season Pass content. If you decide to stick with the Free-to-Play edition, you'll have access to most of the basic fighting game modes, along with a rotation of four characters every month.
With the struggle between order and chaos quelled by saviours from beyond, the realm was destined to fade from existence. Instead, an arcane power has breathed new life into it—bestowing these decaying remains with purpose once more. The fight has begun anew, and the world is your arena.
Over twenty-four of FINAL FANTASY's most recognisable faces have assembled to take part in interdimensional fisticuffs. Face off against other teams in action-packed, three-on-three melees that require sense as well as strength to win. Each combatant can be one of four types: vanguard, assassin, marksman, or specialist; play off your allies' fighting styles, master the bravery system, and emerge triumphant from the clash of steel and sorcery!
In addition to standard battles, there will be skirmishes that employ special rulesets, along with cutscenes that tell the story of this reborn world, the gods that rule it, and the warriors who fight for it.
If you have yet to dive into the title, now is the best opportunity, as you can enjoy a lot of it for free on either PS4 or Steam, and if you enjoy it enough you can put in some extra money to get the full experience.
Have you tried the free-to-play version out yet? Have you given the Steam version a go? Let us know in those comments!
>> Check out the Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Steam Store Page now!
The Free Edition of Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT arrives West in March!
Late last year a free-to-play version of Dissida: Final Fantasy NT arrived on PS4 in Japan. Now Square-Enix has released information showing that now the free version will be arriving in the West on March 12th.
As well as this, Square-Enix also announced that the game will be launching on PC via Steam on the same day with the Free Edition, which will allow you to purchase the Standard edition (the base game) and Deluxe Edition (base game + season pass) through it. This will mark the first time Dissidia series has arrived on PC.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Free Edition offers players the opportunity to try out a limited roster of characters on a weekly basis. A variety of characters and weapons are also available for individual purchase. This ensures that favourite characters can be a permanent member of a player's roster. Players of the free edition can also play online against existing players of the full game.
Developed in partnership with veteran fighting game studio Team Ninja from Koei Tecmo Games, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is a unique three-versus-three team-based brawler, where players work together to overcome their rivals and dominate the battlefield. Featuring legendary characters from throughout the Final Fantasy NT series, powerful summons, online and offline play modes, character skins, and a new original story, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT welcomes players of all types to enter the arena. With Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Free Edition, players can enjoy a sample of the full game and discover the epic multiplayer encounters only available in its unique online arena.
So if you have been undecided if the game is for you, or perhaps you want to get in on the increased player spike for online games, there's no better time than when this launches!
What are your thoughts on the free-to-play version of the game launching in the West? Are you up for giving the game a try on PC? Let us know in those comments!
>> Check out our Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT game page now!
>> Check out the Steam Store Page for Dissidia Final Fantasy NT now!
Snow Villiers is now available for Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT!
During last month's anniversary event for Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT it was announced that the final DLC character for the Season Pass was Snow Villiers, and he would be coming out in February. Now he is available to purchase separately or get him free with the Season Pass.
More post-release content is planned for the game, so stay tuned for more information on that. What we know so far for definite is a new character is planned to be revealed at the end of March.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is out exclusively for Playstation 4.
What are your thoughts on Snow being in Dissidia? Are you happy to give him a go? Let us know in those comments!
Dragon Quest Builders 2 secures itself a July release date on Nintendo Switch and PS4 in the West!
Dragon Quest Builders 2 was yet another title mentioned during the Nintendo Direct last week, showing some footage for the western release of the title and a locked in release date. Though the Direct only showed off the Switch version, Square-Enix soon after confirmed the same release date for the PS4 version of the title.
As the follow up title to the critically acclaimed 2016 game, Dragon Quest Builders, Dragon Quest Builders 2 packs in even more content and unlimited building combinations in an all-new original story with new characters, world, and gameplay to satisfy longtime fans and newcomers alike.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 will be launching July 12th in both US and EU for PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
Are you excited to get in some Dragon Quest shenanigans with friends this July? Let us know in those comments!
>> Check out the official Dragon Quest Builders site now!
Snow Villiers joins the fight as Dissidia Final Fantasy NT's last DLC character!
In a livestream earlier in the week, Square-Enix and Team Ninja announced their last DLC character for Dissidia Final Fantasy NT on PS4 and it's Arcade incarnation. The new character is Snow Villiers of Final Fantasy XIII fame, though more specifically seems to be his Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII form, as he is also pegged as a villain.
Alongside Snow's addition, more BGM tracks have been added to the game which will also arrive the same time as Snow.
As for release dates, Snow is out today in the Arcade version of the title and will be releasing sometime during February for PS4. He is the last of the planned DLC characters for the Dissidia Final Fantasy NT season pass, so if you have it be sure to download him when he releases. You can also buy him separately on his own if you so desire.
Square-Enix has also announced it's future plans for continued support of the game. All summons will be refreshed at the end of February, and in late March a new mystery character will be added to the roster. In the same month 3rd Forms, 5th Weapons and character performance tweaks are planned to go in motion.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is out now exclusively on Playstation 4.
What do you think of Snow being the final character? Who do you think this mystery character will be? Let us know in those comments!
A beefy Dragon Quest Builders 2 gameplay trailer has launched along with more details on post-launch content!
As we have reported before, KOEI Tecmo is working alongside Square-Enix on their upcoming Dragon Quest Builders 2 game, focusing on their "action segment" gameplay. The game itself launches this week (20th December to be precise) in Japan, and is planned to release in the West sometime during 2019.
What the item recipes and system additions are specifically we will have to wait and see for Square-Enix to reveal more information about them.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 is scheduled to arrive sometime in 2019 for Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
What are your thoughts on Dragon Quest Builders 2? Are you up for it's 4 player co-op mayhem? Let us know in those comments!
>> Check out the Dragon Quest Builders 2 official site now!


PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia police have charged a city man with assaulting an Associated Press photographer during street celebrations after the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
Philadelphia police have charged a city man with assaulting an Associated Press photographer during street celebrations after the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
The arrest was one of eight announced Wednesday stemming from violence and vandalism late Sunday and early Monday.
Police say the AP photographer was struck in the face with his own camera and punched multiple times in the head, suffering cuts, bruises and other injuries. They say the AP photographer was attacked after telling the man he was too busy taking photos to talk with him.
The man was charged with aggravated assault and other counts.
Among the other arrests were a man accused of helping flip a car and two men who police say threw bottles at police vehicles.
Philadelphia is gearing up and shutting down for its first-ever Super Bowl parade, with universities, schools and city offices all shuttering and mass transit being shifted to serve the needs of parade-going Eagles fans.
Practically the entire city will be closed for business for Thursday's celebrations, including all museums, the Philadelphia Zoo and city courts.
The parade starts near the stadium and ends at the art museum steps that Sylvester Stallone climbed in the "Rocky" movies.
Officials say fans should expect dramatic surprises.
Meanwhile, police have begun making more arrests for vandalism that broke out after the Eagles won their first Super Bowl by beating the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Among the new wave of arrests was a 20-year-old accused of flipping over a car.


Add convenience and a little bit of style with this kitchen size Pop-Up trash bin! With minimal assembly (simply snap the supports into place), you can have strategically-placed trash bins all throughout the party without needing to buy or borrow reusable cans. And when the party is over, simply pull the drawstrings and dispose of like a normal bag of trash!


Please join us October 11th in Las Vegas for a special all-day training on Life After SBS.
Note: The price of this seminar goes up September 1st!
You can register right now for only $199. Register Now!
This is the third article in the mini-series on backups. See Part 1: Defining Your Client Backup and Part 2: Backup Philosophies and Client Communication.
Those articles walk through the basics of monitoring backups. Here we're going to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. When you manage the backups for several companies, you should have a systematic way of keeping track of what's going on - and documenting it.
Monitoring backups can be totally manual, totally automatic, or somewhere in the middle. I strongly favor somewhere in the middle. A totally manual backup monitoring means that you either sit down at the server or connect remotely and verify that the job ran, job finished, and job was successful. This is a very old-school way of doing things.
Totally automatic monitoring means that you trust some system to verify that a job started, job finished, and job finished successfully. This sounds like the super-cool future we all want. But it's very dangerous. Last time we talked about how How Pixar Almost Lost Toy Story 2. That was possible because they had a super-cool automated backup system . . . that failed for a month and no one noticed.
Backups (and restores) are absolutely critical and therefore need more attention than that. Good enough isn't.
We highly recommend that you use a professional backup solution such as Backup Exec, which has rich reporting. We have never relied on the backup system built into Windows Server, but you could use that. Just make sure that you check those backups! If you're running SBS, you can get reports on backups via the built-in backup but not other solutions. Other solutions need to provide their own reporting.
If you have an RMM (remote monitoring and management) tool, you should find a backup that integrates with that tool so you can monitor backups automatically and remotely. As strange as it sounds, you will get false positive and false negative reports from all these tools. Backups will report a failure because they couldn't open a temporary file that just happened to be in use when the backup occurred but is unimportant and has since been removed by the system. Grrrr. And backups will report success even when they don't finish. Happily, this is rare.
The bottom line is: You need to actively monitor these systems. In truth, a well-designed backup system with good hardware and good software will work very well. Human error is the culprit 99% of the time when there's a failed backup. So you're monitoring your clients as well as their systems.
Create an automated system, but check it regularly. Trust but verify.
We recommend the process defined in the article Daily Monitoring of Client Machines.
We certainly do not do a test restore every day, but we DO schedule a test restore every month along with monthly maintenance. As mentioned before, we restore the system state, something from each drive that was backed up (e.g., C:, D:, x:), something from each medium used (e.g., disc 1, disc 2), and from within key databases (e.g., a few mails within the Exchange database).
This takes time. And it may mean that you're on site to perform these tasks. It's good for the client to see you doing some work rather than being 100% remote. It's also good for them to see you when it's not an emergency. It breaks them of the habit of saying "Oh no" every time you walk in the door.
Your overall management of backups is arguably the most important thing your company does. It is the one thing that is guaranteed to keep your clients in business when disaster strikes. Maintenance is critical, but backups are more critical. Clients don't always see the importance here, but they will assume you're taking care of it when something goes bad.
In the big picture, managing backups is really a big sub-system of your managed service operation. That's why you need an overall philosophy that can be applied across all your clients. That's why you need standardized processes and procedures. That's why you need to train all of your staff to understand your philosophies and how they're implemented. That's why you do regularly daily monitoring and monthly restores.
If you have enough clients, you might actually have one or two technicians who specialize in monitoring and managing client backups.
This is a great example of that. Af few minutes spent on backups every day can save many hours and dollars when something goes wrong down the road.
And OF COURSE we'll show you how to do this with Zero Downtime. More details are at http://www.smbpreday.com. This is a $399 seminar - and we think you save WAY more than that with the first client you migrate off SBS.
Maybe it's because I've been doing a series on Backups (See this post, this post, this post, and this post), but I've heard some horror stories this week.
This morning, one of my coaching clients told me about a prospect who has consistent disc errors on their server. He doesn't know whether the backup images are any good because the IT support company that "manages" the system only shows up when something breaks.
So . . . the sequence will be 1) Drive fails, and then 2) We test to see whether we have good backups. If good, then 3) We restore the data.
I'm not kidding. This stuff keeps me awake at night. As my friend reported, "This guy doesn't know that he has an imminent hard drive failure on his hands." Luckily, he gets to meet with the prospect tomorrow and report these findings. Let's home the hard drive doesn't crash in the next 24 hours.
Luckily for this small business, my friend called him to offer a free network health checkup. With a little more luck, they can save this business and put a good system in place before it dies.
The funny thing is, businesses should care about the system that keeps them in business. And at some level they do. But too many businesses have never taken this seriously. And year after year, businesses fail due to data. There's no excuse for this!
You can't take care of all the people out there who haven't invested in protecting their own businesses. But you CAN make backups - and testing backups - a high priority in your business. You CAN audit every client backup in the next month and give them a report on their systems. And you CAN make regular testing part of your monthly maintenance process.
Remember the mantra: If you don't test your backup, you don't have a backup!


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text:
Q: https redirect in .htaccess doesn't work on homepage I've recently activated SSL on a website (https://ledertid.com)
I use this in my .htaccess to redirect everything from http:// to https://.
This is my original .htaccess
# BEGIN WordPress

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>

# END WordPress

Then I tried this (Option A)
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /

RewriteCond %{ENV:HTTPS} !=on
RewriteRule ^.*$ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [R,L]

# BEGIN WordPress

RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>

# END WordPress

The above option A returned the following error in the browser:
"ledertid.com redirected you too many times."
Then I tried this (Option B)
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
RewriteRule ^.*$ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [R,L]

# BEGIN WordPress

RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>

# END WordPress

Option C
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

# BEGIN WordPress
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>

It works like a charm on all url's except for the homepage. So if you visit http:// ledertid.com it doesn't redirect you to the https:// version.
Is something wrong with my Rewrite rules in .htaccess or am I missing something else causing this problem?
Thanks a bunch in advance.

A: You can use this in your .htaccess:
RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
RewriteRule ^.*$ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [R,L]

This will force HTTPs on every page including your homepage.

A: Please give this a try
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule (.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R,L]

Also try putting the entire block before the wordpress stuff. Not inside it.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


On an early June morning, I found Jessi Johnson and her hunting partner loading up a bright red pickup, deep in discussion about the best spot to scout for bedded-down deer.
On a summer day in 2011, biologist Neil Perry was checking on prairie dogs he had translocated to a remote canyon in Mesa Verde, National Park, not far from the Four Corners region.
As the sun sets over the stark Skull Creek Rim, I sit in the sand and take a swig from my water bottle. I am lucky to have portable water in this barren landscape.
In November 2014 the Douglas Core Area Restoration Team was all set to plant 16,000 sagebrush seedlings in a wildfire burn area east of Douglas, Wyoming.
Can the Endangered Species Act protect wildlife in a changing climate?
Just like the creature she studies, Embere Hall spends much of the winter beneath the snow. Her office is tucked in a network of hallways beneath the University of Wyoming's older science buildings.
No longer federally protected, is the great bear ready to strike out on its own?
In the early 20th century, tourists gathered around dump pits in Yellowstone National Park to watch grizzlies devour trash.
Lenox Baker's hands gripped the steering wheel, and the large silver ring on his finger glinted, revealing an outline of a black-footed ferret.
On a crisp March morning in 1995, wolf biologist Doug Smith and colleagues from the National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service made their way toward a makeshift pen in Yellowstone National Park's northern range.
From his Chevy Silverado, Phil Fine watched heavy rain fill up an irrigation ditch on his family farm in central Oregon.
Alarms wake the researchers, students, and technicians living in "Chicken Camp" at 3:45 a.m. this chilly April morning.
It was shaping up to be a brutal winter.
No more northern white rhinos live in the wild, and the three in captivity are too old to reproduce.
I met Peter John Camino in the lobby of the Johnson County Public Library in Buffalo, Wyoming.


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N:N
RecNY
I am a Swiss / Vietnamese documentary filmmaker based in New York City since 1999. I make films about music, art & culture. I love inspiring and uplifting stories.
My Swiss/Japanese feature documentary "Negative: Nothing" had a 3 years theatrical run in Japan, Germany and Switzerland and been licensed among others by SWISS Airlines and the UPLINK theater in Tokyo. Before that I was on the roaster of the music show "Newtown Sessions" (*VICE/NOISEY). My most recent project "Record New York" is a music series featuring impromptu performances around New York City.
I have also extensively worked as editor and director of photography over the past 20 years. My work has been featured on The Creators Project, VICE, NOISEY and The New York Times. The most recent project I shot is the comedy "The Nobodies" by Greg Bratman and Dusty Brown featuring comedian Jim Gaffigan, Ellie Kemper (The Office) and Jack McBrayer (30 Rock).
I currently produce exhibition related videos for the Guggenheim Museum.
I am a director, camera person (DP) and editor. I am also director and co-founder of production company Thom Pictures.
COMPANIES AND WONDERFUL ARTISTS I'VE WORKED WITH
The Guggenheim Museum, History Channel, FujiTV, Asahi Shimbun, Museum of the City of New York, Rubin Museum of Art New York, Rocky The Broadway Musical, Warner Music Group, Museum Rietberg & The Howard Hughes Corporation.
Sky Ferreira, Tim & Puma Mimi, The Clox, Japanther, Fort Lean, DIIV, , Total Slacker, Allies, J. Allen, PIMO, Dusty Brown, Cameron Orr, Tica Douglas, Momotsubaki, Kris Kelly & Salome Scheidegger.
Cai Guo-Qiang, Ai Weiwei, Simone Leigh, Jenny Holzer, Richard Prince, Carrie Mae Weems, Julie Mehretu, David Heald and Danh Vo.
Brian Cox, Leonard Nimoy, Stanley Tucci, Oscar Isaac, Jim Gaffigan, Ellie Kemper, Jack McBrayer, Tony Hale, Liev Schreiber.
Resume (.pdf)
(Photo Credit: Steven Ebling)


My brother had an accident yesterday whilst helping a friend move and fell from a 3 story building.
However he is in the carribean and has no health insurance. The hospital will not carry on with the treatment untill they recieve £50,000, they will then air ambulance him to an appropriate hospital where they can operate immediatly. He will then require intensive care untill he is fit enough to fly home back to england. The costs just continue to increase. Any kind donations would be very much appreciated in helping us fund his health care needs.
Physically kurt is doing really well, he is now able to walk around his room and up the ward with assistance. He is developing his motor skills well and the doctors are really pleased with him. His brain injury is taking much longer to repair itself and is a much slower progression. As he cannot yet comprehend or understand many things. His memory and is severly effected but the doctors have reasured us that this should just be a matter of time.
Good luck raising the target amount and best wishes to Kurt.
donate to the air ambulance.


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Dozer operator killed in crash en route to Calif. wildfire
Tony Flores, a bulldozer operator assigned to the 1,120-acre wildfire burning at Tahoe National Forest, died in a crash on the way to an incident command post
By Michael McGough
The Sacramento Bee
LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — A private contractor hired to assist containment efforts on the North Fire died in a car crash on his way to the incident, Tahoe National Forest said in a news release.
Tony Flores, a 37-year-old employee of Kent Siller Trucking who had worked for the company over 20 years, was a bulldozer operator assigned to the 1,120-acre wildfire burning at Tahoe National Forest, according to the news release.
More than 260 fire personnel are currently assigned to the North Fire, which stood at 1,120 acres and 85 percent containment. (Photo/US Forest Service)
Flores died in a collision on westbound Interstate 80 near Blue Canyon shortly before 6 a.m. Tuesday, while he was driving to an incident command post at Blue Canyon Airport, Tahoe National Forest officials said.
Flores was a lifelong resident of Yuba City, the news release said, the same city where Kent Siller Trucking is based. It is about 65 miles between Yuba City and Blue Canyon Airport.
He is survived by a wife of 18 years and four children ages 9 through 16, the news release said.
More than 260 fire personnel are currently assigned to the North Fire, which stood at 1,120 acres and 85 percent containment, the U.S. Forest Service reported Tuesday night.
Bulldozers are frequently used in containment efforts for large and fast-spreading wildfires in California.
"This has been an extremely tough fire season for our firefighters both physically and emotionally," Northern California Interagency Incident Team 1 Commander Curtis Coots said in a statement Tuesday night.
Neil Siller of Kent Siller Trucking told U.S. Forest Service officials that Flores had an "outstanding work ethic," according to the news release.
The California Highway Patrol and Placer County Sheriff's Office continue to investigate the cause of the fatal accident.
The North Fire sparked last Monday, and quickly prompted the evacuation and closure of at least six campgrounds and surrounding areas, as well as the closure of two I-80 offramps near Emigrant Gap.
Copyright 2018 The Sacramento Bee
A Yuba City man dies while on his way to work, fighting the North Fire in Placer County.
Officials tell reporters 37 year old Tony Flores was heading to the Blue Canyon area on I 80 when a car accident claimed his life on Tuesday. DETAILS 1600am/98.1FM KUBA pic.twitter.com/ybumLDTF2v
— KUBA 98.1 - Yuba Sutter's News Leader (@KUBAnews981) September 13, 2018
Line of Duty Death
Agency boosts efforts to help prevent wildland firefighter suicides
Alaska fire department responds to 25 fires in 1 day
Grant enables Calif. department to lease helicopters, technology for night firefighting
NIFC: 2019 fire season off to slow start, but increased fire activity ahead
US releases review on removing vegetation to stop wildfires
911 calls released for Calif. wildfires
'Fighting Fire with Fire:' An homage to the U.S. Forest Service
Firefighters face hot, dry, windy weather in Calif. wildifre


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As you may know, we celebrated the Jewish New Year last week. I always love the idea that we can start the new year twice.
As I was walking to work in one of these beautiful, dehumidified September days in DC – I realized we have the opportunity to start over every day, every hour even. Every conversation or meeting can be paused for a reset if needed.
I really enjoy my walks to the office on fresh, clear days. My mind is open and as clear as the weather. During the holiday I was contemplating fresh starts personally and professionally.
As fundraisers, this time of year often kicks off another season for events and end of the year solicitations. I was thinking about how to make it different and better than in years past. Maybe less events, more individual major gift effort. More work with our Board members in this same area. I believe Board members and donors don't know what they don't know – why is that? I think it's because we don't find or take the time to talk, even train, with them about best fundraising practices. And that's why Board members always suggest another event to close a budget deficit and/or avoid their personal giving or outreach to individual donors. So my starting over is to be sure Board members are as educated as they can take on individual giving, how they can help and they offer our bestest (sic) stewardship of their personal giving. My mantra, "treat your Board members as your best major donors" – whether they are or not. We can all start over by aspiration, right?
Personally the starting over is an ongoing process. All I can tell you I try to be a better person every day – for myself and toward others. I am back to writing personal notes (not email or texts). I know old fashioned, but something about taking the time to write to someone I care about – and knowing they will receive it and read how I feel about them, I hope makes our connection stronger.
Now this is not a commercial – but in conjunction with writing notes – I found FotoBar at Union Station in DC. Polaroid has set up a few retail locations and online at www.fotobar.com where you can download your photos and print them to look a Polaroid photo. Remember those? I have always thought sharing photos on Facebook and through email or text was instant gratification, but there are a few worth sharing in hard copy. Fotobar combined the desire to share the moment in time via photo with a personal note. I admit, I am obsessed and it has solved my challenge around literally thousands of digital photos that capture moments – held captive in the cloud. And not wanting to print at home, take to a shop or those flimsy 4×6 photos. FotoBar is instant printing and sending the photos with a short or long note gives me an opportunity to start over, reconnect and remember a moment we shared.
Entry filed under: A Better You, Nonprofit fundraising. Tags: Board fundraising, FotoBar, Fundraising, Starting Over, writing personal notes.


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Don Jazzy, Young Jonn, Pheelz… five producers transitioning into singers
By Kunle Daramola
For so long, the conversation on if record producers are rightly compensated or not continues to linger in the minds of players and observers in the music industry.
Some people believe that singers should remain the face of the art while the producers — who are the real 'cookers' — should be more concerned about the creativity and quality of projects in the studio.
But others have come out to say producers should also be given their flowers. The ensuing debate largely informed producers diversifying their crafts to include singing.
In the Nigerian music landscape, there are producers who are bracing the odds. They have produced numerous hit songs for mainstream artistes both locally and internationally while they are also raving melodically and getting recognition as musicians.
TheCable Lifestyle examines five music producers who have transcended the world of mix, beats, and percussion to grooving on the stage and accruing contracts with major labels across the globe.
Young Jonn
He started as a producer with Hit Factory Studio in 2012. His sobriquet 'Young Jonn the wicked producer' became prevalent in the Nigerian music scene, particularly in Olamide's songs.
Churning out hit after hit, Young Jonn also produced five tracks off 'Street OT', Olamide's fourth album.
The songs include 'Blood Money', 'Falila Ketan', 'The Real MVP', 'Prayer For Client', and 'Story For The Gods'.
Other artistes that the 27-year-old has produced tracks for include Davido, Phyno, Lil Kesh, Flavour, Kizz Daniel, and Davolee.
In 2016, he won the 'Producer of the year' at the Headies. The following year, Soundcity MVP Awards Festival crowned him 'African producer of the year.'
In rebranding himself, the producer, whose real name is Udomboso John, signed with Chocolate City in March 2022, and released 'Dada' the lead single off 'Love Is Not Enough', his debut extended play (EP) in April.
In a chat with Trace, the entertainment company, Young Jonn said he had incubated the desire to become a musician for a long while. He also said he had made a couple of songs but didn't release them until recently.
Pheelz
Pheelz, whose real name is Phillip Moses, has established his name as one of the dexterous producers of this Afrobeats dispensation.
From working with I.D Cabassa, the veteran record producer, to producing multiple hit tracks for Olamide, Pheelz has continued to climb the ladder of fame.
He started to attract attention when his artistic vibe was sensed by many music enthusiasts in 'First of All' and 'Fucking with the Devil' — off Olamide's YBNL body of work.
Pheelz also produced all but one song in Olamide's 'Baddest Guy Ever Liveth' and was nominated for The Headies in 2013 and 2014 — but without a win.
In 2020, he won the producer of the year at The Headies for his heroics on Teni's 'Billionaire'.
Last year, the 27-year-old commenced his transition into a musician when he released 'Hear Me Out', his debut EP.
'Finesse', his 2022 collaborative single with BNXN, further provides him a proper channel of transition. Almost immediately after the song's release, Pheelz was signed by Warner Records.
Olakira
In an interview with TheCable Lifestyle, Olakira said before he sang 'Maserati', the song that fetched him fame, he had been working with U&I, a Nigerian record label as a record producer and a songwriter.
Before releasing his own music, the multi-talented entertainer produced beats to hit songs like 'Akube' and 'My Woman' for Dotman, the Nigerian rapper.
After the recognition accorded him by 'Maserati', the record producer, born Adelusola Femi, dropped '4 play', a six-track extended play (EP).
The full project, which comes on the back of 'Sere', the Afro-Pop and dancehall singer's teaser track, included songs such as 'Gotchu', 'Call on Me', 'For Life', and 'Sumner Time'.
The body of work sees Olakira deploy his lyrical prowess towards showcasing his overall musical dexterity.
Maleek Berry
The British-Nigerian producer turned singer came through with 'Your Matter', his breakthrough track in 2013, in which he featured Wizkid, the Grammy-winning singer.
He has gone ahead to release multiple single and body of works.
Due to his consistency in the studio as a singer — rather than a producer — Maleek Shoyebi was nominated in the 'Best Male' category and 'Best African Act' of the annual MOBO Awards in 2017.
Before then, he had scored a nomination as 'Music Producer of the Year' at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.
Berry produced 'Baby Hello', 'African Lady', 'Plenty Love' for Wande Coal; 'Video' and 'Enter the Center' for Davido; 'Love You', 'Murder', and 'Amin' for Wizkid.
He has also produced for Naeto C, Banky W, Iyanya, Sauce Kid, Runtown, and many other A-list musicians.
Don Jazzy was first known as a producer, then a musician, a label owner, and recently as a social media influencer.
The music mogul transitioned from the defunct Mo'hits to building the musical empire known as Mavin Records.
The 39-year-old sound engineer was credited for the production of D'banj's albums: 'No Long Thing' (2005); 'RunDown Funk U Up' (2006), 'The Entertainer' in 2008; and Mo' Hits All Stars' album 'Curriculum Vitae in 2007.
He has production credits for Wande Coal, D'Prince, Tiwa Savage, Rema, DR SID, Ikechukwu, and Burna Boy.
Don Jazzy was also involved in the production of 'Lift Off' by Kanye West & Jay Z featuring Beyonce.
In 2006, he won the 'Producer of the Year' at the Nigerian Music Awards, followed by 'Music Producer of the Year' at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards in 2007.
He won the Headies in 2011 and subsequently in 2014 for the production of 'Dorobucci'.
He has also collaborated on songs with a plethora of music heavyweights in Nigeria.
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Just a staircase away from my very best friend.
They made me who I am and taught me well.
How could I forget Mrs. Brothers, Mrs. O'Malley and Miss Melissa?
I'm from my sweet loving mother, and my flat out brilliant father.
They gave me my little princess Julianna, the apple of my eye.
I only spoil her a little bit, maybe a lot.
And Sam, he drives me crazy but I still love him.
And Sarah, not just my sister, but my family and my friend.
I'm from Erikson's ice cream, so many flavors.
Mocha chip on your wedding day.
Marry a man like my dad.
And travel the world, writing every book imaginable.
Red breasted robins in my grandmother's back yard.
Don't intend to any time soon.
When Lilli and Sarah spend the night.
Sneak chocolate under our shirts.
It's so much fun watching her grow up into who she's meant to be.