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Monday, June 1, 2026

Cuneiform Records JUNE 2026 Newsletter

Cuneiform Records June 2026 Newsletter: new release by HENRIK OLSSON'S ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE; CHEER-ACCIDENT, FRENCH TV, BOOK out now; Sneak Peeks

CUNEIFORM RECORDS

JUNE 2026 NEWSLETTER
New Releases & Concerts

read this newsletter online 
 
LAPTOP/ COMPUTER:
navigate email via colored links or scroll down

 MOBILE:  scroll email or read online if images don't open

~~~~~~
 
COMING OUT JUNE 26, 2026:
HENRIK OLSSON'S ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE  
 ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE

AVANT JAZZ / EXPERIMENTAL / AVANT PROGRESSIVE
Composer / guitarist Henrik Olsson leads his 7-piece Antumbra Ensemble through complex structures recalling Henry Threadgill’s Very Very Circus band and such Rock In Opposition artists as Henry Cow. [DENMARK]
VIDEO by Nespy5euro, featuring "Homeshredder" by Henrik Olssen's Antumbra Ensemble
~~~~~

 OUT NOW!  RELEASED MAY 29, 2026:
CHEER-ACCIDENT  
 YOU SMILE – THE SONG IS OVER

PROGRESSIVE ROCK
Chicago's fave longstanding alt-rock / post-pop group's new studio album - their 27th! - and their first-ever DVD, featuring live performances from 2022 and 2023 [USA]
Official video trailer for You Smile– The Song Is Over

Additional CHEER–ACCIDENT releases on Cuneiform Records
~~~~

OUT NOW!  RELEASED APRIL 30, 2026
CUNEIFORM RECORDS' FIRST-EVER BOOK PUBLICATION: 
AYMERIC LEROY  
 LEGENDS IN THEIR OWN LUNCHTIME:
AN EXPLORATION OF THE CANTERBURY SCENE

CANTERBURY MUSIC / ROCK / PROGRESSIVE ROCK
First English translation of  L'ECOLE DE CANTERBURY – THE definitive book on the Canterbury music scene, England's international contribution to progressive rock, by world Canterbury expert Aymeric Leroy
~~~~

OUT NOW!   RELEASED APRIL 24, 2026:
FRENCH TV  
 THE SPANISH CAPER

PROGRESSIVE ROCK
A new double album by the prolific American progressive rock group French TV [USA]

~~~~~

SNEAK PEEKS WITH SOUNDS
5 DIGITAL RELEASES COMING OUT JULY 31, 2026:


CHRIS COCHRANE / KEVIN BUD JONES  LIVE IN SEATTLE
ELECTRONIC / EXPERIMENTAL / DARK AMBIENT / INSTRUMENTAL / CINEMATIC
Brooding, powerful, and terrifyingly prescient music performed in Seattle and augmented in studio by Chris Cochrane, composer/guitarist, and Kevin Bud Jones, composer/keyboardist/ electronic musician. Composed for choreographer Linda Austin's "In Preparation for Disappearances to Come," which premiered in Portland in the early weeks of Trump's 2nd term. [USA]
~~~

LUCAS & LUKAS  OMNIDIRECTIONAL
INSTRUMENTAL / AMBIENT / CINEMATIC / EXPERIMENTAL 
Stunning improvised studio collaboration by Gary Lucas, Grammy nominated songwriter & American guitar legend (Captain Beefheart Magic Band) & award-winning Austrian composer / drummer Lukas Ligeti. [USA/AUSTRIA]
~~~

MICHAEL COLUMBIA  MIRRORS, SHAPES, OBJECTS
POST-GENRE / POST-ROCK / PSYCHEDELIC / AVANT PROGRESSIVE
Chicago post-genre trio Michael Columbia, composed of multi-instrumentalists David McDonnell, Christopher Kalis, and Dylan Ryan, create a sound-world of compelling tunes infused with post-rock, jazz, electronica and more .  [USA]
~~~

HONEY RIDE ME A GOAT  HORNS & HOOVES
AVANT ROCK / AVANT PROGRESSIVE
First album on Cuneiform by longstanding British quartet Honey Ride Me a Goat, Canterbury College alumns whose math rock and jazz punk recordings capture the attention (& collaboration) of musicians ranging from Hugh Hopper to Upsilon Acrux. [UK] 
~~~

BOUD DEUN  PRONOUNCED BOOED DEE-UN: CHURCHES: LIVE BOUD DEUN AT ORION APRIL 5, 1997
ALTERNATIVE ROCK / AVANT PROGRESSIVE
Previously unreleased live concert recordings by '90s avant progressive fusion quartet (guitar/violin/bass/drums) from rural Warrenton VA, outside Washington DC, led by guitarist/composer Shawn Persinger [USA] 
~~~~~

SNEAK PEEKS  OF WHAT'S COMING OUT LATER IN 2026 & BEYOND:
A LIST OF UPCOMING JAZZ , ROCK, & EXPERIMENTAL / ELECTRONIC RELEASES
~~~~~

CUNEIFORM ARTISTS ON TOUR: LIVE CONCERTS & TOURS  
~~~~~

ENJOY A WORLD OF MUSICAL ADVENTURE with 
CUNEIFORM RECORDS ONLINE:
  
• EXPLORE Cuneiform Records'  SOCIAL MEDIA // 
BANDCAMP PAGE // YOUTUBE CHANNEL //  SOUNDCLOUD PAGE

~~~~~
 Purchase music from 100s of labels at WAYSIDE MUSIC, our sister store, estab.1980
~~~~~
• Missed seeing a CUNEIFORM NEWSLETTER? Access prior issues at
cuneiformrecord.blogspot.com/  


~~~~~~
                                                                                   read this newsletter online
~~~~~~
 
COMING OUT

June 26, 2026

ON

CUNEIFORM RECORDS


HENRIK OLSSON


ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE


Bio information: HENRIK OLSSON
Title: ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE (Cuneiform Rune 548)
Format: CD  / DIGITAL
Record Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS www.cuneiformrecords.com
Release Date: June 26, 2026 
FILE UNDER: JAZZ / AVANT-PROGRESSIVE
 
RIYL: Henry Cow, Henry Threadgill, Sun Ra, Blast, Marc Ribot, Frank Zappa

 
Guitarist / Composer / Improvisor
HENRIK OLSSON
scours the Musical Universe for Road Maps
– from Henry Threadgill to Henry Cow,
Incredible String Band and Zappa
to Sun Ra and far beyond –
to Sculpt Highly Energized & Cohesive Jazz / Rock Pieces
for 
his 7-Piece, Denmark-based
ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE



listen to/ share "Homeshredder" on Soundcloud, by Henry Olsson's Antumbra Ensemble
           
 
When we open the box to a jigsaw puzzle, we see a pile of disparate pieces, each with their own identifying characteristics. To assemble, we need to understand the logic of the shapes and how they might fit together. Eventually we need to zoom out and consider the big picture. For guitarist Henrik Olsson, composition works in a similar way.

His process is intuitive, playing until he finds the right musical figure, then tossing it about in repetition to discover everything it has to offer. “I constantly have to ask a piece what comes before or what comes after,” he explains. Slowly, the pieces reveal themselves, and the composition assembles.
 
On his Cuneiform Records debut, Antumbra Ensemble, Olsson has created eight musical puzzles, each unique in form and function. Joined with a group that includes fellow artists from the Copenhagen scene—a horn section of Michaela Turcerová on alto sax, Erik Kimestad Pedersen on trumpet, Petter Hängsel on trombone and recorder, and Kristian Tangvik on tuba, with a rhythm section of bassist Jeppe Skovbakke and drummer Rune Lohse—he draws on a seemingly unending well of sounds to form his songs, each serving as single pieces to form the record’s whole.
 
Olsson’s approach references artists like Henry Threadgill’s groundbreaking Very Very Circus band—a unit that remains instantly identifiable through labyrinthine structures—and Rock In Opposition artists, namely Henry Cow, who essentially made unpredictability their vocabulary. In each, it is a unique vision and framework that holds those groups’ sound together. The same can certainly be said for Olsson. “When I was a kid and really got into a record,” he explains, “I wanted to live in this world, where I could smell and taste and discover new things. Thats the kind of experience I want to give the listener.”
 
 
 
While those groups inform the intent of Olsson’s compositions, he also draws inspiration from Sun Ra, who forged a forward-thinking sound based on melodically focused tunes. Outrageous as it might seem to seek accessibility in such an avant-garde landscape, he aspires toward a perfect musical world for any curious listener, balancing his references to artists like the psychedelic Incredible String Band with the more pop-minded Astrud Gilberto, and draws on old-school R&B (as on “El Excavador de mi Corazon”) just as casually as he skronks out a deeply angular no-wave-inspired guitar solo (on “Homeshredder”).
 
If it sounds ambitious, it is. But he succeeds. Olsson’s knack for a catchy melody is strong—dig the winding riffage of “Will Sommers”—as is his propensity to fuel his compositional ambition with a healthy dose of groove. (“Hey Pedro, it’s just cosmic dust” will easily reel you in with its almost Caribbean-informed feel before heading to more sinister destinations.) Intrepid listeners will be all about the juxtaposition, but it’s pulsing beats and inclination to rock that makes Antumbra Ensemble welcoming to ears of all varieties.
 
Though Olsson sees himself as a composer first on Antumbra Ensemble—“It’s almost like the composer side of me gives the guitar side of me a role to stick to the composition,” he attests—his guitar playing is a major part of the record that both sets the tone and injects it with a shot of his distinct musical energy. Definitively not a pedal-tweaking gearhead, Olsson uses his sonic toolbox wisely, as his plunky single-coil twang and occasional noise-filled excursions nod toward Marc Ribot while his warbly vibrato-heavy melodies can evoke a modern-cumbia-guitar flavor à la Eblis Alvarez of Meridian Brothers.
 
Antumbra Ensemble is a wild adventure that blends an ever-evolving palette with a strong penchant for deep, shifting grooves and melodies that are both varied and catchy. It all centers around Olsson’s fearless musical voice, his kaleidoscopic compositions at the forefront, supported by his bold guitar flavors and a well-oiled, highly versatile band who are committed to the cause. Together, they put together a puzzle you’ll want to hear.
 
Antumbra Ensemble, featuring Olsson's 7-piece Copenhagen Antumbra Ensemble, is the Swedish-born, Denmark-based musician's debut on US-based Cuneiform Records. His previous releases under his own name include several well-received recordings with his projects Hand of Benediction and Penumbra Ensemble, released on Denmark's Barefoot Records. Besides leading his own groups, Olsson also plays in OLSSON/ RUBIN, EHM, Ytterlandet, Jeppe Zeeberg & The Absolute Pinnacle of Human Achievement, and others.
 


CREDITS for ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE
Henrik Olsson - electric guitar, additional synths/sounds
Michaela Turcerová - alto sax
Erik Kimestad Pedersen - trumpet
Petter Hängsel - trombone & recorder
Kristian Tangvik - tuba
Jeppe Skovbakke - electric bass
Rune Lohse - drums

Compositions and arrangements by Henrik Olsson.

 

PRE-ORDER / LISTEN on BANDCAMP:
 
         Pre-order CD or Digital                         Pre-order Digital  [HD 24/96] 
 
















"Olsson displays his own musical vocabulary which is full of surprising sounds and unpredictable explorations. He never plays the expected and somehow his sidemen follow him closely even when the music is at its freest..."
–  Scott Yanow, LA Jazz Scene
 
“Olsson is apt to terrorize his guitar on a nanosecond´s notice”
– Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz


"With 'Hand of Benediction' Olsson is pushing forward the idiom of avant rock, making it more wild... For sure here is somebody at work with a very outspoken vision and drive. It is a lovely madness and a very remarkable statement by this composer and guitarist of whom I hope to hear more."
– Dolf Mulder, Vital Weekly

'Homeshredder' from HENRIK OLSSON'S ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE 
Video by Nespy5euro

!! OUT NOW !!

RELEASED MAY 29, 2026

ON

CUNEIFORM RECORDS


CHEER-ACCIDENT


YOU SMILE – THE SONG IS OVER


Bio information: CHEER-ACCIDENT
Title: YOU SMILE – THE SONG IS OVER (Cuneiform Rune 546 / 547)
Format: CD + [NTSC - ALL REGION] DVD / DIGITAL
Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS  www.cuneiformrecords.com
Release Date: MAY 29, 2026 
FILE UNDER: ART ROCK / ALT ROCK / ROCK
 
Chicago's fave longstanding art rock / alt-rock / post-pop group
CHEER-ACCIDENT
release 

YOU SMILE – THE SONG IS OVER
on
CUNEIFORM RECORDS,
as a double disc package
containing the prolific band's
27th!!! studio album
AND
the Dada-ist live performers' first-ever live release and first-ever DVD,
featuring live shows from 2022 and 2023


listen to/ share "They Won't Talk To Me [edit]" on Soundcloud, by CHEER-ACCIDENT
 
           
"Music scenes come and go, but the Accident persist, reminding us that they’re still one of the greatest, most challenging, and most fun bands that Chicago has ever produced—and that their music will always transcend genre and hype.”
– The Chicago Reader

 
Over the past four decades as staples of Chicago's indie scene, CHEER-ACCIDENT [always capitalized and always with a hyphen] have performed hundreds of shows all over the USA and Europe and have released dozens of albums.

While they have always been a band with a ‘floating membership’, the last few years have seen the band very impressively touring with a expanded line-up of between 7-10 members.

This release includes their new studio album [their 27th] and two live concerts from 2022 and 2023 [with that expanded personnel] on the group’s first-ever DVD [also their first-ever live release].


~ ~ ~ ~
And now, a few words from Thymme Jones, the enigmatic CHEER leader behind CHEER-ACCIDENT: 
 
    "You Smile — The Song Is Over is CHEER-ACCIDENT’s 27th full-length release, out on the most-singular / most-still-standing Cuneiform Records label.
 
It is an ambitious little monster, with lots of density and lots of sprawl, and it’s the perfect catalyst to force you out of your idiotic, culturally imposed ADD stupor. You Smile is, by turns, both meditative and adventurous, and we don’t see why you would want to leave your couch and/or headphones for a very long time.
 
We’ve been Enduring The American Dream for three decades now, so — surely — we are better at it… probably because the Dream has gotten so much bigger and there’s so much more to Endure.
 
You Smile — The Song Is Over, an hourlong investment of your time, is perhaps the most potent example in recent memory of a work that oscillates between the poles of “When will it end?” and “I hope it never ends.”
 
And, so, it’s quite possible that, after the hour is up, you will decide to play it again. And it will be a mistake. And then it will be the best decision you ever made. And so on.
 
Just to pile on some more “embarrassment of riches,” this package also includes a DVD with live performances from the CheerAx Basement (2022) and Reggie’s (2023). This is the first time that any live video or audio material by CHEER-ACCIDENT has been officially released.
 
*** Conspicuous Assets ***
 
• Performances and/or writing by many familiar faces in the CHEER-ACCIDENT world, such as Thymme Jones, Jeff Libersher, Alex Perkolup, Mike Hagedorn, Scott Rutledge, Laura Boton, Ross Feller, Eleanor Schumacher, Wyatt, Cory Bengtsen and Bethany Smoker.
 
John Bruce Yeh, Assistant Principal Clarinet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, is featured on a song.
 
• Recorded (in part) and mastered (in full) by Todd Rittmann (US Maple and Dead Rider).
 
• Eclectically rendered and tightly conceived in The Music Capital Of The World: Chicago, IL."
Thymme Jones
 

THEY WON'T TALK TO ME – THE SONG IS OVER is available in two different versions:
– DELUXE package, containing the studio album and two live shows (filmed 
April 2, 2022 at CheerAx Basement, Chicago and on September 16, 2023 at Reggie's, Chicago) and available as a CD+DVD set;
– DIGITAL ONLY:  STUDIO ALBUM ONLY version, and audio of LIVE SHOWS ONLY
 
BUY / LISTEN to 
CHEER-ACCIDENT'S

THEY WON'T TALK TO ME – THE SONG IS OVER

DELUXE VERSION  (CD+DVD set: STUDIO album + VIDEO of live shows) on BANDCAMP:
 
 
DIGITAL-ONLY VERSIONS of STUDIO ALBUM or AUDIO OF LIVE SHOWS on BANDCAMP:
STUDIO ALBUM ONLY (Digital)                             LIVE SHOWS ONLY (Digital)
BUY – STUDIO ALBUM ONLY                                       BUY– LIVE SHOWS ONLY







 







 




CREDITS
 
YOU SMILE – THE SONG IS OVER [studio album]

MUSICIANS (in alphabetical order):

Carmen Armillas / Cory Bengsten / Laura Boton /
 Ross Feller / Kimberley Gilbert / Mike Hagedorn /
 Thymme Jones / Carla Kihlstedt / Candice Latimer /
 Jeff Libersher / Alex Perkolup / Ana Raba /
 Bethany Smoker
 / Wyatt / John Ye

INSTRUMENTS (in no particular order):
clarinet / trumpet / baritone sax / violin / vocals / drums / guitar / background vocals / slide trumpet / bass / piano / moog / radio / keyboards / cymbals / tenor sax / organ / handclaps / autoharp / found sound / acoustic guitar
 

CHEER-ACCIDENT BASEMENT CONCERT  - Chicago : April 2, 2022

Jeff Libersher : guitar, trumpet, vocals, stuff
Alex Perkolup : bass, drums, marimba
Eleanor Schumacher : keys, vocals, mic standing, stuff
Mike Hagedorn : brass, vocals, stuff
Angie Mead : vocals, autoharp
Laura Bolton : vocals, tambourine
Josh Johannpeter : drums
Cory Bengtsen : everything, but especially turntables
Thymme Jones : drums, piano, vocals, stuff


CHEER-ACCIDENT CONCERT AT REGGIE'S - Chicago : September 16, 2023'

Laura Bolton : vocals
Mike Hagedorn : trombone, slide trumpet b-vox
Cory Bengtsent : baritone sax, keys, e-sax, drums
Eleanor Schumacher : vocals, keys
Alex Perkolup : bass
Jeff Libersher - guitar, trumpet, b-vox
Thymme Jones - drums, vocals, keys

Official trailer for CHEER-ACCIDENT's You Smile – The Song is Over
Additional releases by

CHEER-ACCIDENT
on
Cuneiform Records




click on album art / name to BUY / LISTEN
via BANDCAMP

 
 
"Given that Thymme grew up on a heavy diet of Herb Alpert before discovering Burt Bacharach, it is somewhat of a surprise that it has taken him this long to undertake his own version of the genre, but there again the band have never been content to follow any sort of normal path. ... Steve Albini has again worked with them on this album, ...and together they have created something truly magical. Apart from Thymme and Jeff there are 16 musicians listed on this album, and the result is something which sounds huge, with Thymme’s trumpet incredibly important to the overall proceedings. ... Sometimes based on piano, sometimes gentle guitar, there are an amazing number of layers here on an album which really does sound inspired by Bacharach, The Carpenters, Dionne Warwick and more. I love it. 5/6 stars."
– 
Progtector, Progressor

...it had been the band’s ambition for some twenty-five years to make a Burt Bacharach-styled ‘easy listening’ record. Jones... parents’ Herb Alpert records...got the composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist Jones to become a trumpet player himself....
...refusing to make cheesy music...they highlight some of the real artistry that came from music labeled as easy listening and do so in the Cheer-Accident way. It’s an ‘easy listening’ record that deserves close listening." 
– S. Victor Aaron, Something Else


 
"There is a lot to amuse and delight about Cheer-Accident...and Chicago XX continues the band's apparent mission to fold as many abstruse styles into their songs as possible...without collapsing into a nightmare tangle. Chicago XX strikes a keen balance between angularity and tunefulness, neither comforting nor intimidating, but performed with incredible skill and precision."  
The Wire, May 2020
 
“Cheer-Accident have just released their 20th album, Chicago XX, whose cover pays terry-cloth tribute to the band once known as the Chicago Transit Authority....
Founded in 1981...these indefatigable weirdos have hit a hot streak late in the fourth decade of their career. Jones tells me he was delighted by a comment from a fan at a recent show who insisted that the band combine Chicago with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. It’s as accurate an elevator pitch as anything I could come up with, honestly, except that Cheer-Accident are far funnier than either.”

– Monica Kendrick, Chicago Reader 

 
"After three decades, many long-running acts have long run out of ideas. Cheer-Accident...sounds like a band that’s barely dug into its...ingenuity and daring." – Something Else!
 
"Making a career of being radically experimental is tough. ...recording album after album of wildly experimental tracks, let alone coherent ones, isn’t easy. For this reason bands like Cardiacs are rightly revered, and on this, their 18th album, Chicago’s Cheer-Accident show that Tim Smith’s group do not hold a monopoly.
Sprawling opener Language Is masquerades as downtempo indie rock with some jazzy tendencies before degenerating into looped white noise, much like some of Steven Wilson’s early solo sketches. Immanence is an almost St Vincent-like fusion.. Album highlight Lifetime Guarantee offers something more recognizably rocky, even evoking early Yes...The Krautrock-y final section, immediately following a vocal break that reaches Knifeworld levels of excess, is a peak..." 

– Alex Lynham, Prog Magazine / Louder

Putting Off Death contains adventurous but accessible music made by a band that displays an easy confidence and a wilful stoicism to go its own way in the face of an increasingly inward and backward looking prog world. If, like me, you yearn for the genuinely progressive and the different this is most certainly for you.
Robert Trenwith, The Progressive Aspect

 
 
"Tons of weird rock records have streamed out of Chicago over the past two decades, but none have blended pop smarts and avant-garde impulses as skillfully as this marvelous brainteaser of an album..."– Time Out New York
 
"Cheer-Accident are the quintessential Chicago post-rock band that, sadly, you may have never heard of. Too bad. They've been exploring head-scratching, creatively fucked-up time signatures and sideways guitar shenanigans for 20 years now, leaving a pronounced influence on the Windy City's art-rock scene. Their playful musical approach is a ripe aesthetic of absurdist humor." – D. Shawn Bosler, Pitchfork

 
"I could easily fill a page talking about any given minute of this album, but suffice it to say that if you’ve ever loved Magma’s apocalypticisms, Neu!’s ghosts in the machine, or Beefheart’s Dada boogie—or at least dreamed of watching the Mormon Tabernacle Choir fall down a very long flight of stairs—it might be for you." –  Monica Kendrick, Chicago Reader

"...[Cheer-Accident] meld difficult, angular rock with absurdist lunacy in intentionally disturbing ways that are just brilliant."Alternative Press

"There are few ensembles that can make noise sound both as mysterious and as strangely inviting as Cheer-Accident."Delusions of Adequacy

!! OUT NOW !!

RELEASED


APRIL 30, 2026

ON

CUNEIFORM RECORDS


AYMERIC LEROY


LEGENDS IN THEIR OWN LUNCHTIME
AN EXPLORATION OF THE CANTERBURY SCENE



Bio information: AYMERIC LEROY
Title: LEGENDS IN THEIR OWN LUNCHTIME (Cuneiform Rune 550)
Format: 648 PAGE, HARD BOUND BOOK
Book Publisher: CUNEIFORM RECORDS  www.cuneiformrecords.com
ISBN:9798993722306‬
UPC‭9798993722306‬
Release Date: APRIL 30, 2026 
FILE UNDER: ROCK / PROGRESSIVE ROCK
 
CUNEIFORM RECORDS
IS THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THE  INTERNATIONAL RECORD LABEL'S
FIRST-EVER BOOK RELEASE:


AYMERIC LEROY'S
LEGENDS IN THEIR OWN LUNCHTIME:

AN EXPLORATION OF THE CANTERBURY SCENE


This is the first English translation of
Aymeric Leroy's 
L'ECOLE DE CANTERBURY
– THE definitive book on the Canterbury music scene, England's influential contribution to international progressive rock. 
The world expert on Canterbury music, music historian Leroy has written books on King Crimson, Yes, and Pink Floyd
and countless magazine articles, published in France.



FINALLY – a 648 page, hardbound, English translation of L'Ecole Canterbury, noted Canterbury historian Aymeric Leroy’s IN DEPTH HISTORY of the Canterbury School of progressive rock. Legends in their Own Lunchtime includes a forward by celebrated English novelist Jonathan Coe, author of The Rotters' Club (named after a Hatfield & the North album, The Closed Circle, Middle England and numerous other books.

Legends in their Own Lunchtime provides an exhaustive 680-page account of the uniquely vital and playful music scene that emerged out of Canterbury, Kent in the late 1960s, spearheaded by Soft Machine and Caravan and their various offshoots, including Gong, Kevin Ayers and the Whole World, Robert Wyatt's Matching Mole, Hatfield and the North and National Health, and related bands like Egg and Gilgamesh.

Author Aymeric Leroy founded Calyx, a website devoted to the Canterbury Scene, in 1996, and has written liner notes for many archival releases on Cuneiform Records and other labels. In his native France, he has so far published five books on progressive rock, on Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Yes, and this, his fourth, is the product of 15 years of research and interviews with many of the scene’s protagonists.


Aymeric Leroy explains his book's contents:

"This book looks back on the golden years of the music scene that emerged out of Canterbury, Kent, England in the late 1960s, spearheaded by Soft Machine and Caravan and their various offshoots and relations, including Daevid Allen, Gong, Kevin Ayers and the Whole World, Matching Mole, Hatfield and the North and National Health, Elton Dean, Arzachel, Egg, Khan, Gilgamesh and more.

Musically at the meeting point between pop, progressive rock, electric jazz and modern classical, it brought together musicians from very diverse backgroun, who together produced a unique musical blend of complexity and melody, perfectionism and British humour, carefully structured compositions and forays into joyous anarchy."

 
 
buy LEGENDS IN THEIR OWN LUNCHTIME


"Definitive account of prog's outsiders. ...This exemplary English translation... really is the definitive account of the subject. Focusing on the period between the early 1960s up to 1982, the meandering, interconnected histories of Soft Machine, Caravan, Gong, Egg, Matching Mole, Hatfield and the North, Egg, National Health and other, Leroy does a superb job in often marshalling the complex interactions of personnel and their interacting timelines into a seamless narrative. ...a remarkably satisfying read.
Sid Smith, Prog Magazine April 2026


                              in NORTH AMERICA: BUY via BANDCAMP:                                               
 
 
!! OUT NOW !!

RELEASED


APRIL 24, 2026

ON

CUNEIFORM RECORDS


FRENCH TV


THE SPANISH CAPER


Bio information: FRENCH TV
Title: THE SPANISH CAPER (Cuneiform Rune 544/545)
Format: 2 x CD / DIGITAL
Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS  www.cuneiformrecords.com
Release Date: APRIL 24, 2026 
FILE UNDER: ROCK / PROGRESSIVE ROCK
 
American Progressive Band FRENCH TV
Unveils THE SPANISH CAPER, Fulfilling 
Founder/ Bassist MIKE SARY's Bucket List Dream and
Celebrating the Band's Prolific, Four Decades+ Run


Released as Double Album on CUNEIFORM RECORDS,
THE SPANISH CAPER features
One Disc of New FRENCH TV Compositions Conceived on an
Idyllic Residency in Northern Spain,
and
One Disc of Covers of Long-Cherished, Unsung
'60s and '70s "deep-cuts" 


listen to/ share "The Spanish Caper" on Soundcloud, from FRENCH TV's THE SPANISH CAPER

          French TV's latest release, The Spanish Caper, is a double feature: a two-disc set of something old and something new.  Its release marks the longstanding band's (founded in 1983) 16th release, and its second for Cuneiform Records
 
            Disc One features new songs recorded in Spain featuring charter member bassist/ composer Mike Sary, guitarist Kasumi Yoneda (also from the Japanese band TEE), long-time drummer Jeff Gard, plus members of the French band Mentat Routage (who also make up French TV's line-up when touring Europe). The second disc is a collection of somewhat-obscure rock covers from the late 60s-early 70s. The line-up on this includes Sary, Yoneda, Gard, plus keyboardist Patrick Strawser (best known for his work in the 90's band Volare).

Blending elements of progressive rock, fusion, cartoon music, and Rock-in-Opposition, the music of French TV can be simultaneously hilarious and highly challenging, making it one of the most original American prog rock outfits. It is also one of the longest lived, having created 16 albums, toured Europe and the US several times, along with many major festivals.
 
            The band's current lineup [trajectory] began roughly five albums ago with their 2016 release Ambassadors Of Good Health And Clean Living, when Sary was joined by guitarist Katsumi Yoneda. Pat Strawser signed up for their following album, Operation: MOCKINGBIRD and brought more ‘clarity’ to Sary's slightly-less-than-coherent arrangements, as well as bringing in his own pieces.

            Now, over 40 years after it was founded, French TV are still here and better than ever!  French TV founder Mike Sary stubbornly refuses to quit the adventures and, with The Spanish Caper, continues to drag the band into the next millennium.


photo: French TV in Spain 2024

Mike Sary discussesThe Spanish Caper :
 
            “Now that I'm well into “bucket list territory” age-wise, this new French TV album, The Spanish Caper, knocks a couple items off that collection of chores.
 
            CD1: Throughout the 70s as a starry-eyed bass acolyte I would pour over lp liner notes and try to picture what it was like to hole up in some remote farmhouse in the country and crank out a masterpiece like my heroes. 50 years later, my cohorts and I finally took the plunge and ensconced ourselves in a small village in beautiful Northern Spain for two weeks in July 2024. In that not-so-distant future when I'm in a hospital bed surrounded by overworked nurses and machines that go PING! I'm certain I'll be dreaming about that music-and-merriment-filled half-month as they fluff my pillow.
 
            CD2: Yet more nostalgia: I've also been wanting to record a covers record for quite some time and devised the following criteria:
1) deep cut rock music from my sweet spot, the aforementioned late 60s-early 70s,
2) bands/musicians who haven't been active (or breathing) for a few decades, and
3) tunes with instrumental sections that could be argued as to be “progressive” in nature, in most cases songs that were a little outside the more well-known pop tunes those artists were known for.
I look at these cover-song recordings as performing a public service, as the notion that the cultural evaporation of these gems from me younger days is an inevitability I find disturbing, and hopefully this delays it slightly. My suggestion for an optimal listening experience would be listening to this around 10:30 at night on a transistor radio (preferably with the album introduced by a DJ named  Doctor Danger) while in bed on a school night.”

 
– Mike Sary, 2026
 
BUY / LISTEN TO THE SPANISH CAPER ON BANDCAMP:
BUY CD or Digital                                                                             BUY HD 24/96
 


 












CREDITS: DISC ONE
Musicians:
Mike Sary: bass
Katsumi Yoneda: guitar
Jeff Gard: drums
Nico Fabre: keyboards
Ludo Fabre: violin
Karl Ledus: sax, weirdophone
Emma Gobin: vocals on “The Eyes Roll for Thee”

All compositions by Mike Sary, Katsumi Yoneda, Nico Fabre, Ludo Fabre, and Karl Ledus.
 

 
Disc One majority tracking at Pen De Ceros Studios, Oviedo, Spain, July 2024.
Recorded by Luigi Avocado.

Additional keyboards, percussion, editing, mixing and mastering at Louisville Recording Arts, Louisville, KY by Howie Gano, August 2024–May 2025.
 


CREDITS: DISC TWO
Covers:
1. 20th Century Man [Ray Davies]
2. Nantucket Sleigh Ride (to Owen Coffin) [Felix Pappalardi/Gail Collins]
3. Goin' a Little Crazy [Burton Cummings/Kurt Winter]
4. Fresh Garbage [Jay Ferguson]
5. Butterfly Bleu [Lee Dorman/Ron Bushy/Douglas Ingle]
6. Dead Man's Dream [Keith Reid/Gary Brooker]
7. Take a Look Around [Joseph F. Walsh]
8. Funky Judge [Andre Williams/Leo Hutton]
9. Freedom Rider [Steve Winwood/Jim Capaldi]
10. Days and Nights [Steve Hill/Warren Ham]
11. A Million Miles Away [Rory Gallagher]
12. Renegade [George Biondo, Goldy McJohn, John Kay]
 


Musicians:

Mike Sary: bass, vocals
Katsumi Yoneda: guitars
Pat Strawser: keyboards
Jeff “The Funky Judge” Gard: drums
Gregory Acker: sax, flute


Recording, mixing and mastering at Louisville Recording Arts, Louisville, KY by Howie Gano 2023–2024.


 

 
ADDITIONAL FRENCH TV RELEASES ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS

A GHASTLY STATE OF AFFAIRS
 
"4/5 stars  ...FTV are one of the few bands that don't decline with age. In fact, they just get better.
Progarchives

(click cover image to buy / hear on Bandcamp)
CD / DIGITAL                                               DIGITAL HD 24/96









 

 
". A Ghastly State of Affairs is nothing short of superb."  – Peter Thelen, Exposé

"This album highlights French TV’s unparalleled ability to weave intricate arrangements, ignite with blazing solos, and embark on unexpected musical tangents, all while skillfully narrating musical tales sans lyrics. A Ghastly State Of Affairs introduces a masterful mix of progressive rock with symphonic and Canterbury airs; jazz fusion; and Rock-in-Opposition.
...One standout gem from the album is the mesmerizing 18-minute suite, “Every Morning I Wake Up and Take My Hat Off to All The Beauty in the World.” Here, French TV artfully blend elements of classic ’70s progressive rock with Canterbury charm, interspersed with jazz-infused interludes, unveiling virtuosic guitar and flute performances.
" –Margarita Gabaldon, Progressive Rock Central

!! SNEAK PEEKS WITH SOUNDS !!

FIVE DIGITAL RELEASES

COMING OUT

JULY 31, 2026

ON

CUNEIFORM RECORDS


(CLICK ON ALBUM COVERS TO JUMP TO MORE INFO)

CHRIS COCHRANE / KEVIN BUD JONES         LUCAS & LUKAS                             MICHAEL COLUMBIA 
.        
 
 
            HONEY RIDE ME A GOAT                                                                                 BOUD DEUN 
          .    . 
 

     
! SNEAK PEEKS WITH SOUNDS!

COMING OUT
July 31, 2026
ON
CUNEIFORM RECORDS



CHRIS COCHRANE / KEVIN BUD JONES

LIVE IN SEATTLE
JANUARY 31, 2025 AT CHAPEL PERFORMANCE SPACE …  




LIVE IN SEATTLE  features music performed January 31, 2025 by
CHRIS COCHRANE (composer / guitarist) and KEVIN BUD JONES (composer/ keyboardist/ electronic musician) at Seattle WA's Chapel Performance Space, and later augmented in studio. 

The duo had composed the Seattle music for choreographer Linda Austin's dance work “In Preparation for Disappearances to Come,” which would premiere February 2025 in Portland, OR. Performed during the first two months of Trump's second term in office, the music was prescient of "Disappearances to Come."



listen to/ share "PART 1" on Soundcloud, from
CHRIS COCHRANE/ KEVIN BUD JONES'
 
LIVE IN SEATTLE

CREDITS:
Chris Cochrane - Composer, Producer, Electric guitar
Kevin Bud Jones - Composer, Producer, Electronics and Keyboards
 

! SNEAK PEEKS WITH SOUNDS!

COMING OUT
July 31, 2026
ON
CUNEIFORM RECORDS



LUCAS & LUKAS

OMNIDIRECTIONAL




World-class guitar hero, Grammy-nominated songwriter, international recording artist and film soundtrack composer
GARY LUCAS
teams up in the studio with
LUKAS LIGETI,
an Austrian/American drummer and award-winning
composer whose works are commissioned & performed
by orchestras worldwide
to create this stunning live improvised album,
OMNIDIRECTIONAL



“I have enormous respect for percussionist / composer /
sonic adventurer Lukas Ligeti and have enjoyed playing
with him over the years in various situations,
including my longtime band Gods and Monsters.
This live-in-the-studio date was totally improvised
 and contains moments of transcendent beauty
as well as sonic maelstroms of rabid noise.
Lukas is my kind of collaborator!” — Gary Lucas 



listen to/ share "Journey in Satchidanada" on Soundcloud, from
Lucas & Lukas' Omnidirectional

CREDITS:
Gary Lucas — guitars and FX
Lukas Ligeti — drums and percussion

"Journey in Satchidanada" composed by Alice Coltrane
 

! SNEAK PEEKS WITH SOUNDS!

COMING OUT
July 31, 2026
ON
CUNEIFORM RECORDS



MICHAEL COLUMBIA

MIRRORS, SHAPES, OBJECTS




Born out of the co-mingling experimental, free-jazz, and
post-rock scenes of CHICAGO, IL, the trio called

MICHAEL COLUMBIA 
operates in the shared zones of those sonic worlds.
The album
MIRRORS, SHAPES, OBJECTS,
the trio's newest release and first on CUNEIFORM RECORDS,

embraces an unbridled compound of electronic and acoustic

textures that intersect in a distinctive aural universe of 
magnetically compelling tunes.


listen to/ share "Diana" on Soundcloud, from
Michael Columbia's Mirrors, Shapes, Objects

CREDITS:
David McDonnell:  synthesizers, bass, soprano & alto saxophones, vocals
Christopher Kalis: synthesizers, guitar, bass
Dylan Ryan: drums, percussion, vocals

! SNEAK PEEKS WITH SOUNDS!

COMING OUT
July 31, 2026
ON
CUNEIFORM RECORDS



HONEY RIDE ME A GOAT

HORNS & HOOVES




Since forming at Canterbury College in the early 2000s, British quartet
HONEY RIDE ME A GOAT
has blazed a brazen path, releasing numerous widely acclaimed math-rock recordings and capturing the attention (and musicial collaboration)
of artists ranging from Hugh Hopper to Upsilon Acrux.

Their first album for Cuneiform,
HORNS & HOOVES,
marks a sonic departure,
with song structures fully formed, and space for horns to breathe and improvise.



listen to/ share "Spacedocker" on Soundcloud, from
H
orns & Hooves by Honey Ride Me a Goat

CREDITS:
Jonny Shoults - Drums
Michael Pike - Bass
Patrick Shiroishi – Sax
Ryan Simpson - Guitars

! SNEAK PEEKS WITH SOUNDS!

COMING OUT
July 31, 2026
ON
CUNEIFORM RECORDS



BOUD DEUN

PRONOUNCED BOOED DEE-UN : CHURCHES :
LIVE BOUD DEUN AT ORION APRIL 5, 1997






Between their founding in 1994 in Washington DC's Virginia suburbs and their last show in 1998, the instrumental guitar/ bass/ violin/ drum quartet led
by composer/ guitarist SHAWN PERSINGER and called

BOUD DEUN
toured the East Coast incessantly, performing at clubs and festivals and opening for such progressive acts as Gong, The Aquarium Rescue Unit and Porcupine Tree. This live recording of one of their shows at Orion Sound Studios spotlights the band in all their Mahavishnu-Orchestra-On-Steroids splendor


listen to/ share 4 excerpts from on Soundcloud, from
Boud Deun's Pronounced Booed Dee-Un

CREDITS:
Shawn Persinger
- guitar
Greg Hiser - violin
Matt Eiland - bass
Rocky Cancelose - drums

Recorded live at Orion Studios, Baltimore, MD on April 5, 1997


SNEAK PEEKS OF DISTANT TREASURES
 
COMING OUT LATER IN 2026 & BEYOND ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS
(Listed in alphabetical order. Sound samples to come out in future newsletters)
~~~~~

JAZZ

~~~~~
A LOVE SUPREME ELECTRIC THE BEAUTY AND THE TERROR : A LOVE SUPREME ELECTRIC PLAYS THE MUSIC OF SONNY SHARROCK
(Studio album by all-star, 6-piece, California-based electric jazz ensemble) [USA]

~~~~~
GHOST RHYTHMS MISSING TIMES 
(New studio album by young French avant progressive ensemble) [FRANCE]

~~~~~
HEAT ON 150 SWIRL 
(Second studio album by Chicago composer/drummer Lily Finnegan's jazz ensemble with Ed Wilkerson Jr., Fred Jackson Jr. and Nick Macri[USA]

~~~~~~
 



ELECTRONIC / ROCK

~~~~~~
HIRO KAWAHAWA / HERETIC BE HERE NOW
(The final studio album by synth/guitar project Heretic, Japan's answer to Heldon) [JAPAN]


 

ROCK

~~~~~~
DAEVID ALLEN / UNIVERSITY OF ERRORS TBC
(Previously unreleased live recordings by the late, great pataphysical guitarist and Gong founder Daevid Allen's USA-based band) [USA]

~~~~~~
BINARY SYSTEM – FROM THE EPICENTER
(Reissue of album by guitarist/ keyboardist/ composer Roger Clark Miller's post-classical/ chamber rock/ avant progressive  piano & percussion duo with drummer Larry Dersch) [USA]

~~~~~~
BINARY SYSTEM – INVENTION BOX
(Reissue of album by guitarist/ keyboardist/ composer Roger Clark Miller's post-classical/ chamber rock/ avant progressive piano & percussion duo with drummer Larry Dersch) [USA]

~~~~~~
BINARY SYSTEM – LIVE AT THE IDEA ROOM
(Reissue of album by guitarist/ keyboardist/ composer Roger Clark Miller's post-classical/ chamber rock/ avant progressive piano & percussion duo with drummer Larry Dersch) [USA]

~~~~~~
PATRICK FORGAS ART D'ECHO
(Reissue of French composer/ multi-instrumentalist Patrick Forgas' 3rd album) [FRANCE]

~~~~~~
PATRICK FORGAS L'OEILL
(Reissue of French composer/ multi-instrumentalist Patrick Forgas' 2nd album) [FRANCE]

~~~~~~
HAPPY FAMILYTBC
(Japanese avant progressive / post-rock/ Zeuhl ensemble Happy Family release a new studio recording!) [UK]

~~~~~~
HENRY KAISER / GLENN PHILLIPS  – GUITAR PARTY
(Reissue of 1990 studio album featuring Henry Kaiser & Glenn Phillips, two uniquely great, American rock guitarists) [USA]

~~~~~~
NEBELNEST THE LOST ALBUM  
(Nebelnest's previously unreleased 4th album - an exciting find!) [FRANCE]

~~~~~~
PRESENT BABARO (MA NON TROPO)
(Reissue of the 9th album by Belgian composer Roger Trigaux's powerful rock-in-opposition/ chamber rock group Present) [BELGIUM]

~~~~~~
PRESENT NO 6 
(Reissue of the 6th album by Belgian composer Roger Trigaux's powerful rock-in-opposition/ chamber rock group Present) [BELGIUM]

~~~~~~
PRESENT HIGH FIDELITY
(Reissue of the 8th album by Belgian composer Roger Trigaux's powerful rock-in-opposition/ chamber rock group Present) [BELGIUM]

~~~~~~
RAY RUSSELL DANGEROUS BIRDS 
(New studio recording by British guitar-hero Ray Russell, who has played with EVERYONE, his distinctive guitar on countless albums and James Bond films....) [UK]

~~~~~~
SCHNELLERTOLLERMEIER  SHADOW WEB
(6th studio album by Swiss experimental-avant-psych-minimal / post-jazz/ rock trio) [SWITZERLAND]

~~~~~~
THE LUCK PUSHERS – TBC
(New studio recording by guitarist/ composer Shawn Persinger’s current, Connecticut-based band) [USA]

~~~~~~
YANG TBC
(Sixth studio album by French composer/ guitarist Frederick L'Epee's longstanding progressive ensemble) [FRANCE]

~~~~~~
 

CUNEIFORM ARTISTS ON TOUR

2026 - 2027 - 2028 CALENDAR

IMPORTANT REMINDER:
In an evolving (and now endemic) COVID-19 world, and with adverse weather and political "events" happening in increasing frequency, these dates are ALL tentative. Please check with venues, close to the concert date, to confirm. We're ecstatic that live concerts are happening worldwide, but we remain aware that emergent variants - as well as severe weather - can unexpectedly affect schedules.

See also the Tours Page at Cuneiform Records.

b. mez

b.mez is a improvising project developed by members of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic: Michael Bierylo, Ken Field, Rick Scott, and for Under Circuitous Skies, their just-released debut recording on Cuneiform, Roger Miller, the original co-founder of Birdsongs.

                
"9 fascinating pieces of instrumental music, including soundscapes, electronics and melodic loops.... All the music on "Under Circuitous Skies" was completely improvised, which makes it even more remarkable."
United Mutations

_______________________________


June 12 - Menino Arts Center - 26 Central Ave - Hyde Park, MA 02136

July 20 - Epsilon Spires - 190 Main St - Brattleboro, VT
 

 

CHEER–ACCIDENT

 

Chicago's venerated art-rock ensemble CHEER-ACCIDENT propel their prolific and uncompromising career forward by embarking on an extensive US tour after releasing a double-disc album+dvd set (studio album & first-ever LIVE  release) on May 29, 2026 on Cuneiform.


listen to & buy
YOU SMILE – THE SONG ENDS

                
"...one of the most impressive concerts I saw was the Dragon Drop/Cheer Accident/Free Salamander Exhibit show in Indianapolis. ...Cheer Accident blew me away... The music was innovative and powerful and brave and everything I’d hoped it would be."
Proglodytes

"Cheer-Accident are the quintessential Chicago post-rock band... They've been exploring head-scratching, creatively fucked-up time signatures and sideways guitar shenanigans for 20 years now, leaving a pronounced influence on the Windy City's art-rock scene. Their playful musical approach is a ripe aesthetic of absurdist humor."
– Pitchfork

_______________________________

July 10 - Whirling Tiger - Louisville, KY [with Richi, Giant Dunes]

July 11 - Mexicains Sans Frontieres - Grand Rapids, MI [with THV]

July 12 - Credit Union - Muskegon, MI [The Mollusks]

July 13 - Secret Studio - Columbus, OH [with Snake Men]

July 14 - Westside Bowl - Youngstown, OH

July 15 - The Rotunda - Philadelphia, PA [with George Korein and the Spleen]

July 16 - Avalon Lounge - Catskill, NY [with Ava Mendoza]

July 17 - Tonal Park - 7014-C Westmoreland Ave - Takoma Park, MD 20912 [$20.00 at the door (cash only)]

July 18 - Avenue B - Wilmington, NC [with Forced Fun]

July 19 - Shadowbox Studio - Durham, NC [with Forced Fun]

July 20 - Drunken Unicorn - Atlanta, GA [with Yefdaas, Cameron Wilson]

July 21 - Uncle Fester's - Columbia, SC

July 22 - Nowhere Bar - Athens, GA [with Goodhost]

July 23 - The Pilot Light - 106 E Jackson Ave - Knoxville, TN

July 24 - Northside Tavern - 4163 Hamilton Ave - Cincinnati, OH 45223

July 25 - Martys' - 3855 N Lincoln Ave,  - Chicago, IL
 

Listen to & buy


You Smile
- The Song Is Over 

Vacate 







Chicago XX     //  Putting Off Death
       

No Ifs, Ands or Dogs  //  Fear Draws Misfortune 
   

"Tons of weird rock records have streamed out of Chicago over the past two decades, but none have blended pop smarts and avant-garde impulses as skillfully as this marvelous brainteaser..."
– Time Out New York


Louisville, KY progressive rock ensemble French TV release The Spanish Caper, a double-disc set, on Cuneiform in late April 2026, and in May played at Baltimore's iconic Orion Studios, renown for its progressive music concerts. In  September, French TV perform at ProgDay in North Carolina, the world's longest running festival of progressive music, and then tour northern Europe.

Listen to & buy
The Spanish Caper
 

September 5 & 6 - ProgDay Festival - Storybook Farm - Chapel Hill, NC

September 18 - Encore - Sundbyberg, Sweden

September 19 - Linkoping. Sweden

September 20 - MIR - Grunerlkka - Oslo, Norway [with Panzerpappa]
 

Listen to & buy:
 
THE SPANISH CAPER                             A GHASTLY STATE OF AFFAIRS
    

Chicago drummer and composer Lily Finnegan’s powerhouse, multi-generational inside-out Heat On quartet featuring legendary Chicago tenor saxophonist Ed Wilkerson Jr., Chi-town alto sax great Fred Jackson Jr., and consummately versatile Nick Macri on upright and electric bass.

"Lily Finnegan isn’t just joining the story of Jazz; she’s showing us how to keep writing it." – Chain D.L.K.
 

June 3 - Ann Arbor Third Place Music Festival - Ann Arbor, MI

September 4 - Chicago Jazz Festival - Von Freeman Stage - Chicago, IL
 

Listen to & buy:
 

Washington DC's premier music power duo, Janel & Anthony individually are internationally acclaimed master players and composers who lead their own ensembles. 
 
"Janel & Anthony - guitars and 'cello respectively - play a haunting and humbly virtuosic form of music wherein the elements of electronics, looping, and lo-fi timbres live both in intimacy and in majesty in the same house as acoustic instruments and folk/blues-inspired melodies. As such, it is both timely and timeless..." – Nels Cline
 


June 6 - Rhoneymeade Festival - State College, PA
 

Listen to & buy:          


 
                  Where Is Home
  
"The result is a marvelous surprise at every turn, as the duo...two absolute virtuosos...create atmospheres that at times evoke the music of Steve Tibbetts, Brian Eno, even soundtrack music"
– DownBeat

 

HENRY KAISER

Grammy winner Henry Kaiser is widely recognized as one of the most creative and innovative guitarists, improvisers, and producers in the fields of rock, jazz, world, and contemporary experimental musics.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

THE HENRY KAISER QUARTERLY SHOW is presented on a regular basis, exclusively on the CUNEIFORM RECORDS YouTube Channel

 When Covid pandemic lockdowns began in 2020, Henry Kaiser began curating & presenting a series of pre-recorded music videos exclusively on Cuneiform's YouTube Channel for music lovers isolating at home. These "live" concerts – which initially were released on a WEEKLY basis – were taped beforehand and not streamed; Henry discusses the process in a Guitar Moderne interview, "The New "Live"".  Many videos in the series depicted duets and larger bands, despite the program then being called the "HENRY KAISER WEEKLY SOLO SERIES".  While many depicted new or recent performances, other videos in this series are vintage footage of performances not available elsewhere (The Valentines' 1994 concert in the Fukuoka Dome).

Kaiser continued presenting his popular video series on Cuneiform Records' YouTube Channel after the pandemic, but on a new schedule; it is now THE HENRY KAISER QUARTERLY SHOW. In addition to these quarterly releases, he presents additional videos marking special events or tributes.  All 52 videos from the initial HENRY KAISER WEEKLY SERIES + the entire two year MONTHLY SERIES + the ongoing QUARTERLY SHOW videos are available on CUNEIFORM RECORD'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

We invite you to visit and follow Cuneiform Record's YouTube Channel to see new videos that Kaiser regularly presents, as well as to explore Kaiser's video archives.
Kaiser's most recent quarterly video WINTER 2026 is HENRY KAISER QUARTERLY SHOW #12 : THE RISE AND FALL OF TREMOLO, featuring Henry firing up a variety of guitar tremolo bridges with Scott Amendola, John French, Scott Colby, Bob Weir, Bill Murray, Jimmy Ã…gren, Tore Elgarøy, and more. Dive into Cuneiform's YouTube archives to view previous essential shows, such as the HENRY KAISER QUARTERLY #4: BARITONE GUITAR SPECIAL, featuring Kaiser's guitar work along with special guests Luciana Bass, Jim Clark, Janet Feder, Sandy Ewen, Vanessa Gould, Sandor Nagyszalancy, Anthony Pirog, Gregory Stephen, Sid Stephen, & Carl Weingarten. Numerous Kaiser quarterly videos provide free guitar lessons, sometimes focusing on tunes associated with legendary guitarists. His video for 2025's 1st quarter, HENRY KAISER QUARTERLY SHOW #8 : THE BACKWARDS GUITAR SOLOS LESSON, is both instructional for players and highly entertaining for non-musicians. An earlier video focuses on Sonny Sharrock: The Whole Tone Scale! Sonny Sharrock’s DICK DOGS lesson with Henry Kaiser. 

In addition to his Quarterly series, Kaiser occasionally presents additional, special videos. Some are memorial tributes, such as FULL MOON FAIR, HENRY KAISER'S MEMORIAL FOR ALAN SENAUKE, which features Kaiser with musicians Ed Pettersen, Danny Carnahan, Ngoc Lam, & Robin Petrie. Others are celebrations of living music legends and contemporary events, such as CURVED AIR FOR TERRY RILEY'S 90TH BIRTHDAY, a video by Kaiser and Vanessa Gould featuring both a performance by the expansive 23-member Curved Air Chorale and an interview with Terry Riley by Kaiser. 

Besides his work as a musician, Kaiser is also a scientific diver and underwater videographer in the U.S. Antarctic program. Several of his Solo Series videos on the Cuneiform channel feature Henry's stunning underwater videography in addition to his guitar playing, as in this stunning video from May 2020:  HENRY KAISER : Cuneiform Weekly Solo #2 : UNDER THE ICE AGAIN .

Because all videos are archived on the Cuneiform Records' YouTube Channel, you can watch anything in the series at any time.
 


Listen to & buy:
Albums by Henry Kaiser & Friends  on Cuneiform


A Love Supreme Electric [Vinny Golia / John Hanrahan / Henry Kaiser / Wayne Peet / Mike Watt]:
A Love Supreme Electric: A Love Supreme and Meditations 



Yo Miles!: Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo Smith: Sky Garden & Upriver
   

Five Times Surprise [Henry Kaiser / Anthony Pirog / Tracy Silverman / Jeff Sipe / Andy West]: 
Five Times Surprise



Henry Kaiser & Ray Russell: 
The Celestial Squid



Henry Kaiser: Lemon Fish Tweezer;
Fred Frith & Henry Kaiser: Friends & Enemies 

  

Healing Force [Vinny Golia • Aurora Josephson • Henry Kaiser • Mike Keneally • Joe Morris • Damon Smith • Weasel Walter]:
Healing Force:  The Songs of Albert Ayler        
     
       

V.A.: 156 Strings: Nineteen Totally Original Acoustic Guitarists

JANEL LEPPIN

A composer and cellist who’s honed a singular synthesis of composition, orchestration and improvisation, Janel Leppin is an avant-jazz luminary. Besides performing solo on cello & electronics in various contexts - including opening on an extensive Mdou Moctar tour – she performs as half of the experimental duo Janel and Anthony, which she co-leads with her husband guitarist Anthony Pirog. In addition, she leads the chamber-jazz Ensemble Volcanic Ash, as well as performing and recording with other jazz, rock, and experimental  groups. On March 27, 2026, Cuneiform released a new solo album by Leppin, called Slowly Melting, as well as the third Ensemble Volcanic Ash album, Pluto in Aquarius.

"Leppin is a rarity..ahhh-vant garde at its finest." - Capital Bop
 

Janel Leppin – Slowly Melting


 

Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash – Pluto in Aquarius

 


2026

JANEL LEPPIN

September 26 - Henry Miller Memorial Library - 48603 Hwy 1 - Big Sur, CA 93920

October 15 - Roulette - 509 Atlantic Avenue - Brooklyn, NY [The Art of the Solo]


JANEL & ANTHONY

Janel Leppin with Anthony Pirog


June 6 - Rhoneymeade Festival - State College, PA
 


2027

JANEL LEPPIN RESIDENCY AT THE STONE, NYC

May 19, 2027 - The Stone - Stone Residency - 55 West 13th St - NYC, NY

May 20, 2027 - The Stone - Stone Residency - 55 West 13th St - NYC, NY

May 21, 2027 - The Stone - Stone Residency - 55 West 13th St - NYC, NY

May 22, 2027 - The Stone - Stone Residency - 55 West 13th St - NYC, NY

 



Listen to & buy:

Janel Leppin Ensemble Volcanic Ash

 To March Is To Love


             

 

Ensemble Volcanic Ash



Janel & Anthony
New Moon In the Evil Age,   Where Is Home
     


Skullcap
Snakes of Albuquerque

LED BIB

Described as “a lean, mean, improv-rocking jazz machine” by Time Out, Led Bib’s ability to blend groove, improvisation, thrash and everything in-between means that live shows by these UK 2014 Mercury Prize nominees have become renowned for carrying along their audiences with an infectious energy.  

“This is the sound of a band having fun… like a hot chainsaw through butter." — The Wire

"You’ll be hard pressed to keep the lid on this explosive tour de force of ensemble intelligence"
– 
The Independent

"One of the UK’s most adventurous groups" – Jazzwise

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


 
June 24 - The Lighthouse - Deal, UK

June 25 - Free Range - Canterbury, UK

June 28 - The Globe - Newcastle, UK

June 29 - The Cockpit Theatre - London, UK
 

 

Listen to & buy
---------

Hotel Pupik

 

The Good Egg

  



 


The People In Your Neighborhood

 

Bring Your Own      Sensible Shoes

MICHAEL COLUMBIA

Michael Columbia is Dylan Ryan's Chicago-based synth-pop trio with Christopher Kalis and David McDonnell. Their 1st release on Cuneiform, Mirrors, Shapes, Objects, comes out on June 26, 2026.

Mirrors, Shapes, Objects

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
 
 
June 18 - The Lounge Northside - Cincinnati, OH

June 19 - Spot Tavern - Lafayette, IN

June 20 - Tone Deaf Records - Chicago, IL

ROGER CLARK MILLER

Roger Clark Miller is a guitarist, pianist, bassist, composer, singer, percussionist and occasional cornet player. His career officially began in 1979 when he co-founded the influential post-punk band Mission of Burma on guitar and vocals. He formed Birdsongs of the Mesozoic on piano in 1981, and from 1983-1989 he began his Maximum Electric Piano work. Miller joined the Alloy Orchestra in 1998 - "the best [orchestra] in the world at accompanying silent film" says Roger Ebert – which continues today as The Anvil Orchestra. In recent years, he's released two Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble albums on Cuneiform - his highly acclaimed solo project featuring live looping and electric guitar, as well as an album with his new rock group, Trinary System


Boston Globe: "Less a recital than a musical minefield... Miller is a man in constant motion, a one-man symphony."

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
 
 
ROGER CLARK MILLER
with ANVIL ORCHESTRA 
[new music for silent films]

 

August 1 - Oak Cliff Film Festival - Dallas, TX

August 29 - Middlebury Film Festival - Middlebury, VT

September 12 - George Eastman Museum - Rochester, NY

September 13 - Hamilton College - Clinton, NY

September 29 - Dundee Theater - Omaha, NE

October 21 - Keene University - Keene, NH

October 30 - The Ross Theater - Lincoln, NE

October 31 - The Ross Theater - Lincoln, NE

November 6 - AFI Silver Theater - Silver Spring, MD

November 7 - AFI Silver Theater - Silver Spring, MD

December 13 - The National Gallery - Washington, DC
 

 

Listen to & buy
---------

Roger Clark Miller's
Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble

Curiosity for Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble

   




Eight Dream Interpretations for Electric Guitar Ensemble   

---------

Trinary System
The Hard Machine

---------

The Fourth World Quartet

1975

---------

Birdsongs of the Mesozoic
Dawn of the Cycads // The Fossil Record
     

HENRIK OLSSON'S ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE

 Guitarist/ composer/ improvisor Henrik Olsson's jazz/avant rock Antumbra Ensemble release their 1st album for Cuneiform Records and play at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival.

 Antumbra Ensemble

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
 
 
July 7 - Copenhagen Jazz Festival - H15 - Halmtorvet 15 - Copenhagen, Denmark

 

THE ED PALERMO BIG BAND

"Twenty-first century big-band music doesn’t get more exciting
and impressive than this."
– Jazz Times

An astounding 18 piece jazz ensemble of five woodwind players, four trumpeters, three trombonists, two keyboardists, guitar, violin, bass and drums, led by arranger, composer & saxophonist Ed Palermo, one of America's most singular arrangers who draws on jazz, pop and rock tunes for his top-notch band. There are a number of ensembles performing the music of Frank Zappa, one of the greatest American composers of the 20th century, but no one does it with the ease, skill and originality that Ed and his band do!
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Don't miss seeing the ED PALERMO BIG BAND live!  THEIR SHOWS SELL OUT, so buy your tickets well in advance.
~~~~

June 13 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542

August 29 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542

October 31 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 [Halloween show!]

December 19 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542
  

 

Listen to & buy
Ed Palermo Big Band albums on Cuneiform:

The Adventures of Zoyd Zundgren //
The Great Un-American Songbook Vols. 1&2  //
One Child Left Behind //

Oh No! Not Jazz!!  //
Eddy Loves Frank. // 
Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance


                         

 

 

ANTHONY PIROG

"[Palo Colorado Dream] covers a sprawling musical terrain–avant jazz, atmospheric soundscapes, earthy Americana, math-rock...with an arsenal of effects hardware and studio production techniques..."
– JazzTimes


"One of jazz’s most reliable conduits to a living, breathing audience is electric-guitar heroism, and Anthony Pirog, from Washington...seems poised to become a hero of the instrument."
– The New York Times

________________________________


JANEL & ANTHONY
Anthony Pirog with Janel Leppin 

June 6 - Rhoneymeade Festival - State College, PA
 

Anthony Pirog with

THE MESSTHETICS featuring JAMES BRANDON LEWIS

June 8 - Soda Bar - San Diego, CA

June 9 - Pappy & Harriet's - Pioneertown, CA

June 10 - Sid The Cat Auditorium - South Pasadena, CA

June 11 - Alex's Bar - Long Beach, CA

June 12 - Deer Lodge - Ojai, CA

June 13 - Club Car Bar - Templeton, CA

June 14 - The Rickshaw Stop - San Francisco, CA

June 26-28 - Solid Sound Festival - Mass Moca - North Adams, MA

October 25 - Le Grand Mix - Coing, France

October 26 - tba

October 27 - tba

October 28 - tba

October 29 - tba

October 30 - tba

October 31 - Metropolink's - Heidelberg, Germanya

November 3 - tba

November 4 - tba - Bergan, Norway

November 7 - tba - Milano, Italy

November 8 - tba

November 10 - tba

November 11 - Jazzclub Tonne - Dresden, Germany

November 13 - Pogy & Bess - Wien, Austria

November 14 - Altes Hallenbad Gallneukirchen Kulturpool - Gallneukirchen, Austria

 


Listen to & buy:

Anthony Pirog:

Pocket Poem  // Palo Colorado Dream

.      

Janel & Anthony:

   New Moon in the Evil Age //     Where Is Home
     
    

in other groupings:

Skullcap: Snakes of Albuquerque


Location Location Location: Damaged Goods


Five Times Surprise: Five Times Surprise


The Spellcasters, Music from the Anacostia Delta

 

Janel Leppin/ Ensemble Volcanic Ash
Pluto in Aquarius


To March Is to Love  //  Ensemble Volcanic Ash
        

TOMEKA REID QUARTET


No artist over the past decade has done more to bring the cello from the margins to the center of the contemporary jazz scene than Tomeka Reid. The 2022 MacArthur Award winning cellist has recorded prolifically, and released two albums on Cuneiform with her all-star Quartet  (Jason Roebke-bass,Tomas Fujiwara-drums, 2019 MacArthur Award recipient Mary Halvorson-guitar, Reid-cello).

"4/4 stars... Reid’s thematic material is abundantly rich and her longstanding quartet is an exemplary vehicle for bringing it to life, partly because of the astute choice of instrumentation, in which Reid’s cello, Jason Roebke’s double bass and Mary Halvorson’s guitar form a kind of alternative string section, such are their cohesion, smart dovetailing and tight counterpoint. Yet the individual sounds are strong within the ensemble voice."
– Kevin Le Gendre, Jazzwise

 


TOMEKA REID QUARTET

July 10 - tba

July 11 - Porgy & Bess Jazz Club - Wien, Austria

July 13 - Cafe Oto - London, UK

July 17 - tba

July 18 - tba - Lublin, Poland


 

Listen to & buy:
3+3                                Old New
     

 

REVOLUTIONARY SNAKE ENSEMBLE


Since 1990, Boston's fun & fantastic
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble has expanded the parameters of brass band with influences ranging from free jazz to New Orleans second line to contemporary funk to experimental. 

"What’s refreshing here is the dual nature: yes, you can stomp your feet - because the grooves land hard - but you should think too, because the arrangements and improvisations carry weight. ... If you’re expecting restful jazz, this isn’t it. If you welcome brass bands that can rumble like storms and whisper like ghosts, this is delightful."
- Vito Camarretta, Chain D.L.K.
 


June 4 - Arts at the Armory - Somerville, MA

July 18 - Somerville ArtBeat Festival - Davis Square - Somerville, MA
 


Listen to & buy:
Serpentine          Forked Tongue

      

 

To set up press and radio interviews with Cuneiform Artists while on tour or at home, please contact:

promo@cuneiformrecords.com


SPEND 2026



WITH





EXPLORE COUNTLESS HOURS OF GREAT

MUSIC & VIDEOS

BY SOME OF THE BEST MUSICIANS  

IN THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD OF

AVANT-GARDE & POST-GENRE MUSIC

 
 

CUNEIFORM RECORDS has a treasure chest of interesting music to serve as soundtrack, inspiration and solace during these evolving and challenging times. Our mammoth catalogue of over 500 releases by artists from around the world includes many of avant music's most esteemed icons as well as young rising stars, and is available for purchase in digital and physical formats at the CUNEIFORM RECORDS BANDCAMP store, and in physical formats at one of our sister companies, WAYSIDE MUSIC as well as in RECORD SHOPS worldwide (see our DISTRIBUTORS).  Your purchases of our CDs, LPs, and digital downloads supports or indie musicians, indie labels, and small businesses. 
 

VISIT the official CUNEIFORM RECORDS WEBSITE  for extensive information on the artists and recordings on our label,  upcoming concerts & much more.  

• WATCH VIDEOS on Cuneiform Records' YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Cuneiform Records has an extremely active YouTube Channel which you should bookmark as a favorite:  free music videos, videos of live shows, & samples from 500+ adventurous releases!   And we began expanding our video content during the pandemic, most notably with an ongoing video series curated  and produced by guitarist Henry Kaiser. 

• PURCHASE & LISTEN to releases on CUNEIFORM RECORDS BANDCAMP PAGE 
Discover new music on our Bandcamp Page, and support artists & our indie label by purchasing music.  

• PURCHASE music from100s of LABELS from around the world at  
WAYSIDE MUSIC, our sister store.  At our internet store, WaysideMusic.com (established in 1980!), you can purchase hard-to-find CDs and LPs from ALL your favorite labels! 

• ENJOY and SHARE SAMPLES of music by releases of countless Cuneiform artists on the Cuneiform Records' SoundCloud Site.

• VISIT, LIKE & FOLLOW  Cuneiform Records' Official FACEBOOK PAGE. 

• JOIN the Cuneiform Records FACEBOOK GROUP:  FANS Of Cuneiform Records

 FOLLOW @CuneiformRecord on TWITTER (now X)


• LICENSE music from Cuneiform for movies, ads etc via our sister site TheMusicOutpost.com.

SIGN UP for the CUNEIFORM RECORDS NEWSLETTER if you're not already one of our subscribers, and  get BOTH this monthly newsletter in your email box AND receive notices for Cuneiform's weekly "$5 Friday" offers – Cuneiform selects a special album from its archive each weekend,  to be sold in download format via Bandcamp, that weekend only,  for half price.
• VISIT our TOURS PAGE for upcoming concerts WORLDWIDE by our artists.
 
ACCESS PRIOR ISSUES of the CUNEIFORM RECORDS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER at cuneiformrecord.blogspot.com/     Cuneiform Records' Monthly Newsletter announces and gives in-depth info on ALL of the label's NEW RELEASES - both physical and digital formats - and also provides TOUR / CONCERT info from its artists.
 
~ ~ ~
CUNEIFORM RECORDS SOCIAL ONLINE
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Cuneiform YouTube
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Email Cuneiform
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.                                                                       return to top
Cuneiform Records' Monthly Newsletter is compiled by
Joyce (Joy) [Nalewajk] Feigenbaum,
DIRECTOR OF THE MUSIC OUTPOST – PUBLICITY
EMAIL: joyce@themusicoutpost.com

FACEBOOK PAGE: MusicOutpostPublicityAndLicensing

TWITTER: @TheMusicOutpost
 
 
STOP WARS


 



     




Photo on left of Ceasefire Now banner unveiled 1/24/2024 by Greenpeace & Unmute Gaza at Madrid's Reina Sofia Museum. Poster image by US visual artist Shepard Fairey "Obey" based on photo by Palestinian photojournalist Belal Khaled. Museo Reina Sofia is the home of Picasso's iconic 1937 Guernica painting, photo above.
Bottom left photos: Gaza 2025 & Lebanon 2026







 


 
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Washington, DC // Silver Spring, MD

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