Cuneiform Records MAY 2026 Newsletter

CUNEIFORM RECORDS MAY 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 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 influential contribution to international progressive rock, by renown historian 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] ~~~ OUT NOW!  2 ALBUMS RELEASED MARCH 27, 2026: JANEL LEPPIN  – SLOWLY MELTING CINEMATIC INSTRUMENTAL / POST-GENRE / CONTEMPORY COMPOSITION / POST-ROCK / POST-JAZZ / INDIE ART / FUZZTONE Cellist & composer Janel Leppin's 2nd solo album of genre-defying music [USA] – Additional Cuneiform Records releases w/ Janel Leppin, + concerts by Janel Leppin solo & in Janel & Anthony at Big Ears Festival 2026 ~~~ JANEL LEPPIN / ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH – PLUTO IN AQUARIUS AVANT JAZZ / CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION / IMPROVISATION Third release by composer / cellist Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash, a jazz ensemble featuring Washington DC avant jazz stars Brian Settles, Anthony Pirog, Luke Stewart, Larry Ferguson [USA] – Additional releases by Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash on Cuneiform Records ~~~~~ SNEAK PEEKS WITH SOUNDS COMING OUT JUNE 26, 2026: HENRIK OLSSON'S ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE  – ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE AVANT PROGRESSIVE ROCK Danish 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 ideo by Nespy5euro, featuring "Homshredder" by Henrik Olssen's Antumbra Ensemble ~~~~~ 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 ~~~~~~   return to top COMING OUT 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+DC set; – DIGITAL ONLY:  STUDIO ALBUM ONLY version, and audio of LIVE SHOWS ONLY   PRE-ORDER / 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: PRE-ORDER – DELUXE VERSION CD+DVD SET– STUDIO ALBUM + TWO LIVE SHOWS     DIGITAL-ONLY VERSIONS of STUDIO ALBUM or AUDIO OF LIVE SHOWS on BANDCAMP: STUDIO ALBUM ONLY (Digital)                             LIVE SHOWS ONLY (Digital) PRE-ORDER – STUDIO ALBUM ONLY                                       PRE-ORDER – 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 return to top Additional releases by CHEER-ACCIDENT on Cuneiform Records click on album art / name to BUY / LISTEN via BANDCAMP     VACATE "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   CHICAGO XX "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    PUTTING OFF DEATH "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     NO IFS, ANDS OR DOGS "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   FEAR DRAWS MISFORTUNE "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 return to top !! 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, Leroy is a renown music historian whose publications include books on King Crimson, Yes, and Pink Floyd and numerous magazines articles published in his native 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:                                                https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/merch/legends-in-their-own-lunchtime-an-exploration-of-the-canterbury-scene-648-page-book-hardbound in the UK: BUY via BURNING SHED: https://burningshed.com/aymeric-leroy_legends-in-their-own-lunchtime_book?filter_name=aymeric&filter_sub_category=true   in EUROPE: BUY via MANDAI: https://mandai.be/leroy-aymeric-legends-in-their-own-lunchtime-an-exploration-of-the-canterburry-scene_53201 GLOBALLY: BUY via WAYSIDE MUSIC (please note: shipping costs for outside North America are extremely high) https://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Products/Leroy-Aymeric-%e2%80%93-Legends-In-Their-Own-Lunchtime-An-Exploration-of-the-Canterbury-Scene-648-page-hardbound-book-(not-for-sale-outside-of-the-USA)__Rune-spc-550.aspx     return to top !! 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 return to top !! OUT NOW !! TWO NEW RELEASES by JANEL LEPPIN                          JANEL LEPPIN : SLOWLY MELTING                                                     JANEL LEPPIN'S ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH :   PLUTO IN AQUARIUS    ON  CUNEIFORM RECORDS                       "Janel Leppin is one of the most restlessly creative forces                                           in 21st century jazz and rock." – AllMusic                Cellist-Composer JANEL LEPPIN  Presents Two Stunning New Projects That Reflect Her Expansive Vision — Both Out March 27th, 2026 on CUNEIFORM RECORDS. Bio information: JANEL LEPPIN Title: SLOWLY MELTING  (Cuneiform Rune 559) Format: CD  / VINYL / DIGITAL  File Under:  CINEMATIC INSTRUMENTAL / POST-GENRE / POST-ROCK / POST-JAZZ / CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION / FUZZTONE / Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS www.cuneiformrecords.com   Fuzztone and melody collide on the solo release SLOWLY MELTING, while PLUTO IN AQUARIUS, by her long-running avant-jazz unit ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH, speaks to this precarious political moment.                  Bio information: JANEL LEPPIN / ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH Title: PLUTO IN AQUARIUS (Cuneiform Rune 558) Format: CD  / VINYL / DIGITAL File Under: JAZZ / CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION / IMPROVISATION Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS www.cuneiformrecords.com   Over the past two decades, the cellist and multi-instrumentalist Janel Leppin has worked steadily to become one of the most compelling composers and improvisers of her generation. With her beloved Washington, D.C. scene as her home base, she has earned renown among fans of new and experimental music worldwide. Her astonishing range of projects includes Janel and Anthony, the duo she shares with her spouse, Messthetics guitarist Anthony Pirog; the extraordinary pop-tinged singer-songwriter music she makes as Mellow Diamond; and music with Marissa Nadler, PRIESTS, Rose Windows and many others.   Now at the peak of her powers as both a bandleader and a solo performer, she’s released two new projects of staggering beauty as well as vast personal and political insight. Pluto in Aquarius features her longstanding avant-jazz chamber unit, Ensemble Volcanic Ash, with a lineup of her most trusted collaborators including Pirog, bassist Luke Stewart, saxophonist Brian Settles and drummer Larry Ferguson. Slowly Melting  is a riveting solo program that puts Leppin’s fuzz-saturated cello at the fore. She also contributes her accompaniment, crafting expansive soundscapes through guitar, bass, piano and Prophet-5 synthesizer.    Taken together, these Cuneiform Records releases highlight the duality at the core of her life as an artist, and as a person. In Ensemble Volcanic Ash, she’s once again an orchestra kid, relishing the camaraderie of making music with her friends. As a solo performer, especially onstage, she continues to marvel at how affecting the sound of her cello can be — how her centuries-old instrument, when thoughtfully filtered through analog technology, can bring a contemporary audience to tears.    These two albums also represent a triumph over adversity for Leppin, namely the physical hurdles she’s battled since college, when she severely injured her upper body and had to refrain from playing her instrument for more than a year. In the decades that followed, both setbacks and progress ensued, in addition to plenty of physical therapy.    Along the way, she learned to fulfill her musical passions by discovering new traditions, learning additional instruments that wouldn’t cause her pain, and delving into composition and arranging. As Pluto in Aquarius and Slowly Melting attest, today she’s a far more interesting musical personality than she would’ve become by staying put in a practice room. “Physically I cannot practice the way that classical cellists practice,” she explains. “So I knew I needed to expand. If I was going to stay in music, I needed to expand. And that’s what I’ve done.”    Moreover, both albums underscore Leppin’s vision as a composer — an aesthetic that balances her great gift for moving, ear-catching melody with a penchant for fearless improvisation. It’s a concept that comes into crystalline focus whenever Leppin discusses her favorite musicians, from the stalwarts of free jazz to a colleague Eyvind Kang to Dungen. “Tchaikovsky is another favorite,” she says, “he writes so many gorgeous melodies especially for the cello. I think that’s what I like about pop music; you have to write something strong that will resonate with an audience.     Gorgeous melodies, and equally gorgeous improvisations spun out from those melodies, define Slowly Melting.  But alongside those lyrical themes, the project’s major breakthrough is sonic and textural. Or, as Leppin puts it, “This is my love letter to fuzz.” That’s fuzz as in fuzzbox, the compact analog devices that Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, Kevin Parker and other voyagers have used to innovate the sound of rock ’n’ roll. “Adding fuzz really changes everything on my instrument, in terms of its capabilities, the sustain, the richness of certain notes,” Leppin says. “There’s a lot of surprising moments that happen that you could never plan for — and I love that, especially live. I’ve been playing with electronics for 20-plus years, but I’d never really gone down that rabbit hole — and it is a rabbit hole.”    listen to/ share "ZONK" on Soundcloud, from JANEL LEPPIN's SLOWLY MELTING   Today, Leppin explains, “There’s a whole culture around fuzz, in terms of people who make and design the pedals, and the people who collect them.” Like any self-respecting fuzzhead, Leppin is cagey about the DIY builders she works with to fill out her pedalboard. But Slowly Melting is in part a testament to their circuitry prowess, and fuzz devotees will recognize totems of their culture in the track titles: “Zonk,” “Dizzy,” “Mk1,” “Germanium.”    Other tracks reference Leppin’s life in music. “Kaffa House,” an unaccompanied, fuzz-free solo piece, pays homage to the now-defunct D.C. venue where Leppin checked out punk and hardcore shows in high school. Another sans-fuzz performance, “L.A. Land,” reflects on a particularly inspired bill Leppin appeared on at Zebulon, with Pirog and harpist Mary Lattimore. “The Brink Is Home” celebrates engineer/producer Mike Reina and his Virginia studio, the Brink. Reina’s in-studio guidance, both technical and creative, has been invaluable to Leppin throughout her career. (Leppin’s previous solo album, which reveled more in the pure, unaffected timbre of the cello, was titled simply The Brink.)   Alongside “The Brink Is Home,” another of the album’s boldest performances is “Slowly Melting,” which Leppin performed as her nightly closer when she opened for the brilliant West African guitarist Mdou Moctar on tour. In concert, as on record, the track filled the room with robust overtones that underscored the poignant melody and created a physical, tangible presence. “Slowly Melting,” like most of the album it names, has the interpretive appeal of summer clouds: You’ll hear a lot of your favorite music in its oozing, morphing sonics — searing free jazz, My Bloody Valentine, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sonny Sharrock, the list goes on. “Everyone was asking about this piece after the sets, asking me where they could buy it,” she recalls. Now they have a document to return to, and Leppin has a thrilling new solo concept to tour. “I can’t wait to perform this music for people,” she says. “I was completely amazed by how much the cello connected with people on that Mdou tour.”    Listen to/ share "Pluto In Aquarius" on Soundcloud, from PLUTO IN AQUARIOUS by Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash Pluto in Aquarius, from Leppin’s long-running avant-chamber-jazz unit Ensemble Volcanic Ash, finds the cellist further exploring new sonic terrain, in a program of 13 relatively compact tracks ranging from collective free improvisation to rocking, tightly composed earworms. While Pluto in Aquarius is, like all of Leppin’s music, a deeply personal work, it’s also intensely political. Leppin wrote about half of the music in the months leading up to the 2024 presidential election, and the remaining half after the inauguration that followed.    “So you’ll hear a lot of hopefulness here,” Leppin says, “as well as, of course, a lot of tension.” The album title signifies a momentous astrological transition, believed to bring radical change by reshaping power dynamics, technology, inequality and more. The music amplifies this inspiring message of optimistic struggle and resolve, and celebrates artists who’ve lived that fight. Shot through with Herrmann-esque anxiety, “We See Dark Money” is an appreciation for the transparency we’ve gained in our era of media omnipresence. “When politicians offer a word salad and can’t answer a question, it’s because they got a bunch of money from somebody,” Leppin says — and we’re all able to witness the chicanery in real time. It also nods to Shostakovich, a favorite composer of Leppin’s whose boundary-breaking art made him a constant target of the Russian secret police.    Equally sweet and aching, “Susan Was a Warrior” is named for the pedal-steel visionary Susan Alcorn, who died in January 2025. She was a dear friend, mentor and collaborator to Leppin, who arranged Alcorn’s music at album length for the 2020 release The Heart Sutra. “It’s a mournful piece,” Leppin says, “because I’m still processing this loss.” The post-punk-tinged “Jazz Is Resistance” borrows its title from a phrase associated with the D.C.-based arts non-profit CapitalBop. “Cruel Motherfuckers” is a noisy free-improv offensive against ICE. “Deerhoof Is God,” built around a bristly, hard-angled riff that evokes the art-punk institution, is a paean to a band Leppin calls “one of the most fearless in the world.”  “I just really respect them,” she adds. “I love that they say what they mean, in both politics and music.”    Throughout Pluto in Aquarius, the group’s language and interplay might seem leaner, meaner and grittier to veteran Ensemble Volcanic Ash fans. Longtime EVA saxophonist Sarah Hughes is absent here, simply because she relocated during the album’s writing and production. But in that absence Leppin found a new pared-back feel for the ensemble — often less like a midsize chamber ensemble and more like a scrappy, skronky free-jazz combo. “It’s a really raw sound and I love that,” Leppin says. “We had played some shows in this format and it was like, ‘Wow, this is a whole other thing now.’”   Hughes last appeared with Ensemble Volcanic Ash on To March Is to Love, a protest-themed work released just a few months before the ’24 election. Unfortunately, the thematic mission of that project is even more urgent today. “The most important thing then was that people were marching and making their voices heard,” Leppin says. “And now this is the follow-up, the marathon. That’s why one of the tracks is called ‘Hope Marathon.’ This is it. This is where we listen to each other. This is where we start forgiving each other because we need each other. This is where we remember our humanity.” ~ ~ ~  Janel Leppin performed solo at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville TN on March 26, 2026 at PostModern Sound Exchange BUY / LISTEN to Janel Leppin's SLOWLY MELTING  via BANDCAMP CD / LP / Digital formats     ALBUM CREDITS: Janel Leppin - Cello, guitar, bass, Prophet-5, piano Compositions: Janel Leppin Album art & Photography: Janel Leppin Cover photo: Shervin Lainez Engineering, mixing, mastering & production by Mike Reina Recorded at The Brink, Richmond, VA "Kaffa House" recorded at Janel's Room Studio BUY / LISTEN to PLUTO IN AQUARIUS by Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash via BANDCAMP CD / LP / Digital formats   ALBUM CREDITS Larry Ferguson - drums Janel Leppin - cello, CP-70 Anthony Pirog - guitar Brian Settles - tenor saxophone Luke Stewart - bass Composed by Janel Leppin Engineered by Mike Reina & Curtis Fye Mixed & mastered by Janel Leppin Produced by Mike Reina Recorded at The Brink, Richmond, VA Cover photo by Dennine Knox Album art &photos by Janel Leppin return to top Additional releases featuring JANEL LEPPIN on Cuneiform Records click on album art / name to BUY / LISTEN via BANDCAMP   JANEL & ANTHONY "Most musicians spend a lifetime mastering one or two styles, but apparently when these two work together, their talent knows no bounds." – Todd Manning, Burning Ambulance     Janel & Anthony performed at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville TN on March 27, 2026 at First Presbyterian Church NEW MOON IN THE EVIL AGE "New Moon in the Evil Age is a sprawling, ambitious work. Leppin's cello and Pirog's guitar form the core, their interplay a well-oiled machine after years of collaboration. ... In a world full of noise, this album stands out as a symphony of thoughtful rebellion and heartfelt soul-searching—truly, a soundtrack for both the revolution and the reflection." – Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz "On the first half of New Moon, the pair engage in a series of cinematic, predominantly cello-guitar duets whose cloudy atmospheres evoke Mogwai's soundtrack for...Les Revenants. Wistful expressions are drawn from folk, post-rock and ambient music... The second half turns the tables dramatically, featuring...sensuous pop pieces led by Leppin's yearning voice awash in drum machines and humming synths. ..a complimentary aesthetic and shared soul - an indivisibe whole formed by the album's two sides." – Antonio Poscic, The Wire   "#3 in THE TOP 5 D.C. JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2024 ...Their double-album possesses a distinct dichotomy. Its first half comprises gorgeous, cinematic instrumental work that variously echoes psych-folk (“New Moon”), post-rock (“Rain Falls in San Francisco”), chamber music (“Pacific Grove Monarch”)  and ‘80s sci-fi films (“Crystal Wish”). The second disc holds a collection of catchy, electronica-drenched indie-pop songs." – CapitalBop   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. ...Exquisite...4 stars" - DownBeat "Best Albums of 2013: 4 stars – New Albums" – DownBeat   "Leppin and Pirog, who play a broad range of stringed, percussion and electronic instruments, have studied and played in numerous, widely varied genres... But whatever heading you try and file Where Is Home under proves inadequate. The opening track, ‘Big Sur’, evokes the jazz-rock Mahavishnu Orchestra, before we are taken into ‘The Clearing’, surrounded by electroacoustic sounds harking back to musique concrète, conjuring the spirit of French composer Pierre Schaeffer. ...a beguiling and thoughtfully crafted album... Our rating: 4/5 stars " – Barry Witherden,  BBC Music Magazine – Classical Music  Where Is Home received the 2012 WAMMIE (Washington Area Music Association) Award for Best Modern Rock Recording   JANEL LEPPIN'S ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH     TO MARCH IS TO LOVE "4/5 stars. ... To March Is to Love reveals what's possible when top-shelf players communicate in carefully articulated compositions; they allow for individual freedoms that add weight and dimension to the EVA's utterly original sound." – Thom Jurek, Allmusic "....Leppin is a cellist creating music you must hear. The sextet here plays gritty, super-smart New Jazz that features guitarist Anthony Pirog (...Messthetics...), two saxophonists (Brian Settles on tenor and Sarah Hughes on alto), plus bassist Luke Stewart, and drummer Larry Ferguson. The band’s sound is rubbery and danceable, making it 21st-century jazz that is both “free” and remarkably accessible. ....The band has a wide range of gears, from ominous balladry that can move into sustained chaos to wide open spaces of shivering impressionism." — Will Layman, The 18 Best Jazz Albums of 2024, Popmatters   ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH "Leppin leans into a jazz-centric vision on the majestic and occasionally abrasive Ensemble Volcanic Ash, which affirms her place as a boundless musician who constantly leaves the listener intrigued. ...jazz, chamber music, contemporary classical, and punk seamlessly coalesce with bracing results.  Ensemble Volcanic Ash, comprising Leppin, bassist Luke Stewart, harpist Kim Sator, guitarist Anthony Pirog, alto saxophonist Sarah Hughes, tenor saxophonist Brian Settles, and drummer Larry Ferguson, exquisitely captures strings-driven melody, harmony, and noise at a furious clip. They both tug at the heartstrings and bust ears." – Brad Cohan, Jazz Times   SKULLCAP SNAKES OF ALBUQUERQUE "4/5 Stars. ...Cellist Janel Leppin and guitarist Anthony Pirog...in Washington...Baltimore-based drummer/percussionist Mike Kuhl   i.e. Skullcap... Their music is born from basic ideas, introduced with only minimal information and completed collectively. On Snakes of Albuquerque, that process sounds and feels organic and holistic. ...Snakes of Albuquerque offers top-shelf creativity and serious musical skill by the canny Skullcap. So much so, in fact, that their multivalent musical approach exists on its own plain."  – Thom Jurek, AllMusic return to top Janel Leppin opening solo performances on Mdou Moctar Tour; photo by Jared William Bowers return to top ! SNEAK PEEKS WITH SOUNDS! COMING OUT June 26, 2026 ON CUNEIFORM RECORDS HENRIK OLSSON'S ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE Danish composer / guitarist HENRIK OLSSEN leads his 7-piece avant-progressive ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE through an album of multifacted, rigrously complex works – his first release on Cuneiform Records – that recall Henry Threadgill's Very Very Circus band and such Rock In Opposition artists as Henry Cow, utilyzing elements, instruments and approaches from rock and jazz  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 is a puzzle you’ll want to hear. listen to/ share "Homeshredder" on Soundcloud, from Henrik Olsson's Antumbra Ensemble CREDITS: 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 ● RIYL: Henry Cow, Henry Threadgill, Sun Ra, Blast, Marc Ribot, Frank Zappa 'Homeshredder' from HENRIK OLSSON'S ANTUMBRA ENSEMBLE  Video by Nespy5euro return to top 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 TERROR AND THE BEAUTY : A LOVE SUPREME ELECTRIC PLAY SONNY SHARROCK (Studio album by 6-piece San Francisco based jazz ensemble) [USA] ~~~~~ GHOST RHYTHMS – MISSING TIMES  (New studio album by young French avant progressive ensemble) [FRANCE] ~~~~~~ SCHNELLERTOLLERMEIER – 6 (6th studio album by Swiss experimental-avant-psych-minimal / post-jazz/ rock trio) [SWITZERLAND]   ROCK ~~~~~~ ACCORDO DEI CONTRARI – TBC (A new studio album by the acclaimed Italian avant -progressive ensemble) [ITALY] ~~~~~~ BOUD DEUN – LIVE ORION APRIL 5, 1997 (Previously unreleased live concert recordings by '90s DMV/ suburban Washington DC avant progressive fusion quartet led by Shawn Persinger) [USA] ~~~~~~ HONEY RIDE ME A GOAT – HORNS AND HOOVES (British improvising rock trio who have worked with Upsilon Acrux, Hugh Hopper and others release their first new studio work in a decade on Cuneiform) [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] ~~~~~~ SCHNELLERTOLLERMEIER –  6 (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 (Fifth studio album by French composer/ guitarist Frederick L'Epee's longstanding progressive ensemble) [FRANCE] ~~~~~~ return to top 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   Listen to & buy UNDER CIRCUITOUS SKIES     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. pre-order / 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 - tba 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 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 FRENCH TV Louisville, KY progressive rock ensemble French TV release The Spanish Caper, a double-disc set, on Cuneiform in late April 2026 – and then embark on a series of live shows, beginning with Baltimore's iconic Orion Studios, renown for its progressive music concerts. In September, the group tours Europe.     May 30 - Orion Studios - 2903 Whittington Ave - Baltimore, MD [doors 7pm / music 8pm $20.00 at the door (cash only)] 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      HEAT ON 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:   Heat On JANEL & ANTHONY 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   2026 May 22 - Comet Ping Pong - 5037 Connecticut Ave, N.W. - Washington, DC   June 6 - Rhoneymeade Festival - State College, PA   Listen to & buy:   New Moon In the Evil Age                                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 Ågren, 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 LEPPIN'S ENSEMBLE VOLCANIC ASH May 22 - Comet Ping Pong - 5037 Connecticut Ave, N.W. - Washington JANEL & ANTHONY Janel Leppin with Anthony Pirog May 22 - Comet Ping Pong - 5037 Connecticut Ave, N.W. - Washington June 6 - Rhoneymeade Festival - State College, PA SKULLCAP Janel Leppin with Anthony Pirog and Mike Kuhl April 8 - Hank Dietle's - Rockville, MD   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 MICHAEL COLUMBIA Michael Columbia is the name of Dylan Ryan's synth-pop trio, which has an upcoming release on Cuneiform. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––     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]   May 26 - Coolidge Corner Theater - Brookline, MA 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       LAURENCE MILLER / TINN PARROW   Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Laurence Bond Miller comes from a family of siblings with creative musical careers. He's been a defining member or leader over 50 years in the  groups: Sproton Layer, The 4th World Quartet, Empool, Destroy All Monsters, Nonfiction, The Empty Set, Larynx Zillion’s Novelty Shop, The Mister Laurence Experience, Exploded View, Laurence Miller and The Love Maniacs, Tinn Parrow and his Clapfold Platune, etc.  "Tinn Parrow is Miller's Dada-esque mashup of hot jazz and experimental chamber music, with hints of British Invasion psych-rock..." – Pulp: Arts Around Ann Arbor –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Laurence Miller / Tinn Parrow with his Clapford Platune   May 7 - Ziggy's - Ypsilanti, Michigan     7pm $10 May 8 - Trinosophes - Detroit, MI      7:30pm $20 May 21- Zal Gaz Grotto Club - Ann Arbor, MI     Listen to & buy --------- TINN PARROW & COMPANY / LAURENCE BOND MILLER My Gymnasium Museum ------- THE FOURTH WORLD QUARTET 1975 // Grand Bland Vapid Rapids ------- THE MILLER TWINS Early Compositions 1973-1976 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. ~~~~ April 25 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 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  May 22 - Comet Ping Pong - 5037 Connecticut Ave, N.W. - Washington, DC June 6 - Rhoneymeade Festival - State College, PA   Anthony Pirog with THE MESSTHETICS featuring JAMES BRANDON LEWIS May 1 - Third Man Records Cass Corridor - 441 W Canfield St - Detroit, MI 48201 May 2 - 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media and Education - 918 Bathurst St - Toronto, Canada May 3 - Centennial Hall - 145 W 11th St - Erie, PA 16501 May 5 - City Winery Boston - 80 Beverly St - Boston, MA 02114 May 6 - Le Poisson Rouge - 158 Bleecker St - New York, NY 10012 May 7 - Alphabet City - 40 W North Ave - Pittsburgh, PA 15212 May 8 - Solar Myth - 1131 S Broad St - Philadelphia, PA 19147 May 9 - Black Cat - 1811 14th St, NW - Washington, DC  [with Trinary System] 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   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          TRINARY SYSTEM Trinary System is guitarist, composer & singer Roger Clark Miller’s (Mission of Burma) current rock band, a trio with Larry Dersch (Binary System, A.K.A.C.O.D.) and P. Andrew Willis (the Web, Crappy Nightmareville).  “Trinary System brings back the take-no-prisoners anthemic experimental-minded rock attack that made Burma such a beloved and influential force on the aptly titled The Hard Machine. Miller—propelled by the dialed-in and malleable beast of a rhythm section made up of bassist/synth player P. Andrew Willis and drummer Larry Dersch—puts on a master class in guitar sonics and Mellotron fury, unleashing a torrent of fuzz-drenched strings stabs, bends and scrapes.” Brad Cohen, Treble Magazine   listen to & buy Trinary System The Hard Machine   May 5 - City Winery Boston - 80 Beverly St - Boston, MA 02114 [with The Messthetics] May 6 - Le Poisson Rouge - NY, NY [with The Messthetics] May 8 - Nova Arts - Keene, NH May 9 - Black Cat - 1811 14th St, NW - Washington, DC  [with The Messthetics] “Trinary System continues the elegant, abstract, agitated firestorm tradition of Miller’s Burma songs, with an unmistakable swagger…" – Dusted Magazine   To set up press and radio interviews with Cuneiform Artists while on tour or at home, please contact: promo@cuneiformrecords.com return to top 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.   ~ ~ ~ return to top CUNEIFORM RECORDS SOCIAL ONLINE Cuneiform YouTube Cuneiform Website Facebook FanGroup Facebook Page Cuneiform Twitter Cuneiform SoundCloud Cuneiform Bandcamp Instagram Email Cuneiform .                                                                       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.     return to top Copyright © 2026 Cuneiform Records, All rights reserved.   Washington, DC // Silver Spring, MD Our mailing address is: Cuneiform Records P.O. Box 8427 Silver Spring, MD 20907 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Was this email forwarded to you from a friend? Subscribe to the Cuneiform Records Newsletter. Read this email online   return to top