Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:03:31 — 347.4MB)

The main feature in this week’s European Perspective is an interview with Darran Charles and Steve Roberts from Godsticks, the Welsh band who made such a hit on the progressive scene with the release of their first full-length album, Spiral Vendetta, a few weeks back. It’s always a pleasure to chat to the guys, and I hope you all enjoy the interview, which is accompanied as ever, with clips from the album. You can buy the CD from the band website at:

http://www.godsticks.co.uk/

Elsewhere there’s the usual mixture of stuff you’ve come to expect from the show – the remaster of IQ’s era-defining second album, The Wake; new music from Wally and Acute Mind as well as four very different takes on the blanket term ‘Rock Progressivo Italiano’

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:56:31 — 339.4MB)

2010 is half-way through, and it’s already been a bumper year for progressive rock. In this episode of The European Perspective Huw and I take a break-neck tour through the progressive sounds of the year so far, including – for the very first time on the show – some music originating outside Europe or the UK.

Included in the show, and hot off the press, are three tracks from Godsticks’ debut album ‘Spiral Vendetta’. Godsticks are a band from Wales, old friends of TEP, and very much worth supporting for their unique brand of quality music – their album is now available from the band website at http://www.godsticks.co.uk/ and is well-worth a purchase. You certainly won’t regret it!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:11:33 — 219.3MB)

In this episode of The European Perspective I interview Darran Charles and Jason Marsh from the new Welsh progressive rock group Godsticks, as well as playing extracts from their debut EP, released last year. The lads and I discussed matters musical from songwriting, Zappa and the difficulty of getting gigs in in the UK to the ideal number of tracks on an album, Rufus Wainwright and a definition of progressive rock, which I feel is worth quoting here:

“Rock-based music featuring harmonic and rhythmic complexity, strong musicianship, unpredictability, and use of stylistic elements from other genres”

- Darran Charles, 2009

Works for me! Anyway – check out the interview, and also Godsticks’ Myspace site -  and buy their EP!

The remainder of the show is the usual mix you’ve come to expect from a mind as sick as mine – ‘old’ in the guise of Van Der Graaf Generator, ‘new’ from the quite-possibly-no-longer-in-existence Spektrum, and loads more besides.