24. I bless the rains down in Africa

BEST

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Happy Holidays!

23. But Amelia is asleep in winter. There are only prayers in a secret house

maudlin Of The Well is an American avant-garde metal group which has become well-known among connoisseurs of music for their unique, progressive, challenging and daring musical style. Their companion concept albums Bath and Leaving Your Body Map (2001) are their ageless legacy. We have on numerous occasions wondered how come their composition, entitled brilliantly Birth Pains of Astral Projection, is such a perfect single piece of music that we have ever heard. It is a perfect demonstration of the compositional ingenious and stunning imaginative originality of the band’s leader Toby Driver. The track opens with a smooth segment with hints to blues and jazz and features also a nice saxophone solo. The song takes a surprising turn as it jumps in to a exciting esoteric heavy metal mood with a mysterious guitar pattern, whispers and growl vocals. Again, the track takes a unexpected turn when it goes back to more peaceful pop/rock mode featuring the soothing vocal performance by Toby Driver and one the best guitar solos of all time! It is not just the guitar solo and how it evolves but also the musical frame which the band creates for the solo, that gives it a gorgeous dramatic power. As a cherry on top of the cake we have the cryptic lyrics of Jason Byron. You just has to hear the composition to fully appreciate its’ magnitude.

22. And tears that fall are blood from the heart, from the moment that we part

Mostly Autumn is a celtic-influenced progressive pop/rock band. The guitarist and singer of the band Bryan Josh wrote and dedicated this song, along with the rest of their of first album, for his father who had recently past away. We see the song as a perfectly appropriate for the last Advent Sunday when some people take the time to remember and honor those loved ones who have left this world for the next one. In this song you can hear the sincerity of the grief but also the love for a passed away relative. In addition, song closes up with a epic and gorgeous guitar solo.

21. We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.

Nowadays there is on-going discussion about whether or not video games are a form of art or do they at least the qualities of being art. One recent game that certainly speaks in favor of this argument is the fantastic adventure/fantasy game Journey developed by Thatgamecompany in 2012. Game lacks of any specific plot and features a robed figure traveling in a desert as he or she travels towards a distant mountain. The game has no text nor dialogue and the only way of communication and interaction between the character and its’ surroundings is a musical chime. The game has both extraordinary visual and conceptual beauty in it and to accompany that, Austin Wintory has composed a stunning soundtrack. This is the first track, Nascence which is also featured on the menu screen and it captures perfectly the tone, and above all, the beauty of the game.

20. Traspasar los siete mares, espejismo tatuado, laberinto de conciencia y nacen cantes.

It is the last weekend before Christmas and if you still have something to do which requires energy, whether it be partying, shopping for presents, decorating the house, cooking... whatever, we are guessing you need a little zest in the form of music. To the coldness and darkness of the winter we will bring you a glimpse of the sun and the warmth from Spain. Ojos de Brujo (The Eyes of the Wizard) is band from Barcelona which fuses hip hop with flamenco along with various other musical styles. They have had always such a great energy both on record and live that it is absolutely stunning. Here we give you one their best songs, Todo Tiende which has also a nice eastern influence in it mixed with flamenco, hip hop and all the other elements that the band is known for. Enjoy and have a nice weekend!

19. OK that's it, I'm leaving now, I quit. I was unwise, so don't apologize

The member of our team who wanted to include this track on the Calendar was logically to come up with the description for the tune and this was all he could summon up: “Supertramp is a British, progressive pop and rock band and their composition Cannonball is some groovy stuff, a great track. I don’t know at all what I should say about Cannonball since I’m not so familiar with the band neither. Anyways, a hell of a song.” So, take a listen all of you and judge it for yourselves. 

18. Just believe in yourself and go there. The gift of hope on Christmas day

Shadow Gallery is a slightly underrated band, at least when it comes to technical and musical proficiency of the musicians, as well as for the compositions they have created before the unfortunate passing away of Mike Baker, their lead singer, in 2008. Christmas Day fits pretty well to the theme of this calendar, obviously and it is all a week to the big day! This is so much more than a piano ballad with incredibly beautiful melodies that tells a Christmas love story. It is an epic ride in the musical world of Shadow Gallery with progressive rock and tenderness combined with a good taste.

17. And let then be for lights in the firmament to give light upon the earth

The Ocean, also known as The Ocean collective, is a Swiss/German sludge metal band that published an album of huge success this year. Pelagial has gotten great reviews, receiving almost top scores in every one. This phenomenon has raised the band to the general knowledge of heavy metal audience. Firmament is the opening track of Heliocentric (2009) after the intro track and is one of their earlier gems. The track is by their main composer, German guitarist Robin Staps, and has almost all the typical elements of band’s signature style: Groovy progressive metal, variety of vocals, sludge metal head banging, calm and mysterious soundscapes, dynamic drumming and mid-tempo guitar work with amazing solos.

16. Yaaaaa, ya-ya yaa ya. Sing it every hour, sing it

So it is the last week before Christmas. If you still have some errands, work, studying... whatever obligations before you can kick it and start chilling on the Holidays, we will try and give you that one extra motivation through this absolutely grooving instrumental version of a funk classic. Armed with an organ, a guitar, a bass and drums The Meters from New Orleans take Sing a Simple Song and show a very concrete example what is groove. It is the last track of their debut album from which the majority remember the classic Cissy Strut, but here the band definitely show that they formed one the most meanest rhythm machines in the rhythm and blues history. Get your groove on and boogie woogie!

15. Music should enrich the soul; it should teach spirituality by showing a person a portion of himself that he would not discover otherwise

Pat Metheny is one the most commercially successful jazz artists to enter the scene since the 70’s and among his unique playing style, his body of work has a lot of variety. Probably his most progressive side can be heard on interestingly named As Falls Wichita Falls, So Falls Wichita Falls which is a duo album with the pianist Lyle Mays. The album features a beautiful ballad dedicated to the great jazz pianist Bill Evans and the name of the track, September Fifteenth, is the date of his passing. The song features gorgeous solos by both Metheny on acoustic guitar and Lyle Mays naturally on piano. They capture here perfectly the mood and the style from which Bill Evans was known, but still at the same time this composition has clearly some tasteful originality in it. Let us all have a moment this Sunday to remember one the greatest jazz musicians and composers of all time.

14. Walk me across the water and maybe you'll understand

We have all here in the Aural Obscurities team been at one point of your lives big fans of Dream Theater. Nowadays our opinions may vary about the band and their newest material, but their classic albums have some significance to all of us. Nevertheless, lately we have all agreed on how a quality album their criminally underrated Falling into Infinity album is. The majority of people probably shun the album for its’ more popish material, but we find it refreshing and showcase for the general song writing and melodic abilities of the band. The fourth track, Hollow Years, has always been one of our favorites. When you think about, it is a very basic pop song without any the progressive and technical gimmicks or long instrumental solos for which Dream Theater is largely known. So for a different side of Dream Theater check out Hollow Years.

13. The music has generated all the techniques I use

Pat Martino is one of the great legends of the jazz guitar. His rose to fame in the 60’s and 70’s but in the 80’s he unfortunately underwent a surgery as a result of dangerous brain aneurysm which left him with amnesia. Among other things he forgot how to play the guitar but stunningly he learnt it all over again which is beyond amazing. Not only that, but in the 2000’s he has recorded his best material and he plays like the champion. To get you in to the Friday mood, we present the grooving and cool Mac Tough from the absolutely mind blowing live album, Live at Yoshi’s where Marino joins forces with Joey DeFrancesco on organ and Billy Hart on drums as they play one hell of a concert.. Let this serve you all as reminder also on Friday the 13th that no matter how bad luck you might have, you can still overcome your troubles and obstacles.

12. Dedicated to my friend from childhood

Argentine tango is one of the “world music” genres which is dominated by one name on the international market: Astor Piazzolla. However, since the 1980’s one of the most important vanguardists of the tango nuevo has been the composer and bandoneon player Dino Saluzzi who has continued to developing the genre mixing with jazz and chamber music. On Cité de la Musique we find Dino in a very intimate setting with himself on bandoneon, his son José M. Saluzzi on acoustic guitar and the American Marc Johnson on bass. The album closes with a beautiful Coral para mi Pequeño y Lejano Pueblo (choral for my little and distant village). Johnson and José Saluzzi both deliver very subtle but emotionally powerful solo over Dino’s bandoneon which also plays the perfect intro and outro melodies. Perfect music to smooth your mind. 

11. Beneath the wind turned wave infinite peace islands join hands beneath heaven's sea

King Crimson is without a doubt the great mammoth of progressive rock: band that has been progressive and experimental with its’ sound from 1969 to the present day, always searching between the sounds to take the next step in their never ending musical development. The band has released 13 studio albums along with numerous live albums and countless official bootlegs. However, there are couple of good quality studio albums that for some reason have been forgotten by the bigger audience. Their fourth album Islands falls in to that category. The closing track - which is also the title track - is one of their most stunning compositions. A 12-minute long symphonic ballad with graceful piano, luxurious brass and woodwinds and who could be left cold by the poetic lyrics by Peter Sinfield. A true gem.

10. I should be sorry if I have only succeeded in entertaining them; I wished to make them better

Baroque music sets the mood perfectly for Christmas - at least we see it fitting for the Holidays. It would be the easy choice to include something from Johann Sebastian Bach here but that would be against our principal of trying to introduce some lesser known quality music to you all. So we picked the first movement, Adagio of the D minor organ concerto by Georg Friedrich Händel which has in it a delicate and deep sense of spiritual beauty. The organ brings Christmas to mind as it is still deep down a christian holiday and many connect the organ with the church. The main theme is simple but effective and the treatment it gets in the end makes it even more gorgeous.

9. A darkness carried in the heart can’t be cured by moving the body from one place to another

How wide and open taste of music you might have, there is always some genres that are being neglected. In our case one of those is hip hop. It is partially because we have not yet looked in to the genre and there are also some common attributes of hip hop that we do not generally find enjoyable. There is always exception to rule and in our case it is a group called CunninLynguists. Particularly their album A Piece of Strange is a really great hip hop album which at least one of us enjoys enormously. The third track Nothing to Give is a perfect example of what is great about the group: good composition, real instruments, nice flow, great beats and especially insightful and meaningful lyrics. The lyrics here deal with the phenomenon how one is more eager to commit crime and horrible deeds in general during the night time when the evil actions do not seem so bad.

8. I wonder what Aeris felt...When she was up on that altar...

In our modern digital times video games have become essential part of our popular culture. We value certain games as we do with the movies and books that have a place in our heart. One of the most important titles in video game history - as seen in so many best video games of all time lists and personal favorite to so many - is Final Fantasy VII by Square. Along with great game mechanics, massive length and original and intriguing story, the music composed by Noboe Uematsu is definitely unforgettable. The theme of the character named Aeris gives us goosebumps highly charged with childhood nostalgia. The unexpected turn in the story gives this theme also an additional special meaning...

7. I turn to face an empty space where once you used to lie, and look for a spark that lights the night through a teardrop in my eye

Sometimes on rather a rare occasion you come across a song that you really like but somehow rest of the material by the artist is not enjoyable - not even remotely. In our case one of the incidents took place with Irish celtic metal band Cruachan. Since during the Christmas times one should focus more on the positive things we will share their awesome power ballad Ride On with all of you. The song opens with a majestic flute melody and shortly the gorgeous female vocals enter. We also really enjoy the vocal performance by Shane McGowans who sounds like a Irish drunkard with his deep voice. The development of the song is also very satisfying as it gets constantly more epic with the guitar solo and all the heavy metal.

6. You say you've gone away from me, but I can feel you when you breathe

Well, if you have not lived your whole lifetime under a rock then you probably know Leonard Cohen at least by name. Cohen is a prolific singer-songwriter whose career spans over a half a decade. Songs of Love and Hate is one of his most praised albums and also our personal favorite. However, the one song that everyone remembers from the record is the beautiful Famous Blue Raincoat while the opening track Avalanche is often left in the shadows. Avalanche sets perfectly the dark mood - both musically and lyrically - for the rest of the record and showcases that Cohen is truly one of the undisputed geniuses of pop music lyricism.

5. Yo aprendí a descansar sobre tus hombros y a descender por ríos y laderas, a entrelazarme en las tendidas ramas y a hacer del sueño mi más dulce muerte

Vicente Amigo is the most important and innovative flamenco guitarists and composers of his generation. Since his first record in 1991 he has pushed the envelope in flamenco music fusing it with modern jazz harmonies and other music genres. Poeta is mix of flamenco and classical music as it features Vicente on flamenco guitar among with other flamenco musicians with a symphony orchestra. The concept and the tone of the record has echoes of the famous guitar concerto Concierto de Aranjuez by the Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo. The concept of Poeta revolves around the poetry of Rafael Alberti, thus the name Poeta. Amor, Dulce Puerte is a great piece demonstrating how poetic beauty can be translated into music.

4. I want to look at life in the available light

Rush is undoubtedly known worldwide but it could be argued that general public is familiar mostly with the material they did from the mid 70’s to the early 80’s. Even tough the band moved further away from their more ambiguous progressive sound to more straightforward pop/rock idiom they always kept their songwriting pen sharp. One of these “lost” gems that showcases this brilliantly is the last track on the 1989 album Presto titled Available Light. The song features the singer/bassist Geddy Lee on piano this time around while Neal Peart plays the drums tight as always and Alex Lifeson delivers a nice guitar solo. The strength of the song lies in the composition and the dynamics between the more emotional verse and the energetic chorus works like a charm. In the darkest time of the year we surely need all the Available Light we can get.

3. Laisse-moi devenir l'ombre de ton ombre

Ne me quitte pas (Don’t leave me in English) is well known 1959 French song by the famous chanson singer Jacques Brel which has been covered countless times and translated and performed in various other languages. Of all those covers that I have heard so far my favorite has to be interpretation of the Spanish flamenco singer Estrella Morente. Accompanied by very gorgeous piano playing Estrella sings the song (in French) with deep and genuine pathos with that rootsy flamenco nuance.

2. In my church, we don't believe in Mormons

Angels in America is one of my favorite television shows and its’ emotional core evokes feelings in me that I personally associate with the Holiday spirit as well. Everybody who is familiar with the show probably remembers the gorgeous main theme. This theme is spectacular and epic in itself, but there is a subtler chamber music arrangement of the composition titled The Mormons which has truly something of a mesmerizing intimacy. Spare two minutes of your Monday and allow this tune to enthrall you.

1. Astaroth is the Crowned Prince of Hell named after the Canaanite goddess Ashtoreth

For the first day of December we will quite down for some poetic serenity in the realm of modern jazz. Here we have American avant-garde composer and saxophonist John Zorn, who is usually known for his out-there antics, avant-garde mayhems and saxophone freak outs, proving that he is capable of composing of beautiful and rather simple (in a good way) modal jazz tunes. Lelabel was first interpreted by the Jamie Saft Trio on the Astaroth album, first in the Book of Angels songbook series, with Jamie Saft on piano, Greg Cohen on bass and Ben Perowsky on drums. The trio plays the tune with the intimacy that is required and Saft and Cohen both deliver very sober and lyrical solos while Perowsky provides a very subtle and stylish accompaniment.

Aural Advent Calendar 2013

Hello to you all readers. We are hoping that you are getting in to the holiday spirit as the Christmas and the holidays are approaching. We here in the Aural Obscurities team decided to do something special this December and share the anticipation of festive celebrations by doing our very own Aural Advent Calendar! So for the 24 days of December we will post one song that is very special to us and write a little something about it. Hopefully we will share the joy of these aural marvels with you.