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Progressive rock is often and wrongly though of as a man’s game. There’s a long-standing clich\u00e9 that paints both the artists and audiences as black t-shirt-wearing white males. But in fact the comparatively highbrow rock subgenre has a long and proud tradition of female involvement.<\/p>\n
Though her m\u00e9tier leaned more toward jazz, iconic 1960s vocalist Julie Driscoll was arguably at the forefront of prog as a member of Brian Auger’s Trinity. The prototypical lineup of King Crimson featured Judy Dyble. And two of progressive rock’s more interesting 1970s acts \u2013 Curved Air and Renaissance \u2013 featured women (Sonja Kristina and Annie Haaslam respectively) out front. More recently, Chicago’s excellent modern progressive band District 97 has built a substantial following, thanks in no small part to the top-notch vocal work of former American Idol<\/i> finalist Leslie Hunt.<\/p>\n
Against that backdrop \u2013 and with the support of a reasonably substantial coterie of progressive rock fans in and around Asheville \u2013 it’s not so surprising that the area would be home to a female-fronted prog group such as Galena. What is perhaps unexpected \u2013 and wholly<\/i> irrespective of gender \u2013 is just how good the young(ish) five-piece really is. The members draw from a number of musical traditions \u2013 math rock, pop, alternative \u2013 as they craft original material.<\/p>\n
Galena hasn’t been terribly prolific in terms of recording and releasing its music, seemingly favoring quality over quantity. A new three-song EP, Tropic of Prancer<\/i>, is to date the only official recorded document of Galena’s sound.<\/p>\n
The band sometimes downplays its prog pedigree, instead labeling itself a \u201cprogressive alternative pop rock\u201d band. Labels aside, the kinetic and constantly shifting musical underpinning of \u201cCyber Funday\u201d \u2013 the opening cut on Tropic of Prancer<\/i> \u2013 makes it clear that a balance of defiantly complex instrumentals and accessible vocals is the band’s stock in trade. Guitarists Max Miller and David Singleton spin out blindingly fast (yet melodic) guitar lines. The precision rhythm section of Casey Waters (bass) and Joel Clark (drums) executes a series of musical left-turns while keeping the group tethered to Earth. And at the center of it all is lead singer Melissa Pasciolla, soaring vocally with a mix of passion and control.<\/p>\n
As \u201cCyber Funday\u201d ends, the EP slides almost imperceptibly into the title track. With a guitar figure that recalls Andy Summers’ collaborative work with Robert Fripp, the song features a memorable, exhilarating and upbeat lead vocal from Pasciolla. Love songs are rare in the progressive rock world; \u201cTropic of Prancer\u201d is a welcome addition to that small corner of the genre.<\/p>\n
After an understated solo guitar opening, \u201cNegus\u201d explodes. The band fires on all cylinders, displaying what seems to be a Galena trademark approach: Pasciolla sings vocal lines that could easily sit atop a slow- or medium-tempo pop song, and the band charges along behind her at full speed. As described, that might seem likely to create a kind of disconnect or even dissonance. But in practice and execution, it works quite well; the overall effect is reminiscent of the approach 1980s-era King Crimson used on songs like \u201cFrame By Frame,\u201d and it’s done with more pop appeal than Crimson ever did (or wanted to do). Galena makes use of the familiar fast\/slow, loud\/quiet prog tropes, but never once on Tropic of Prancer<\/i>‘s trio of songs does the approach sound forced or unnatural.<\/p>\n
The band recently ventured north to Johnson City for a weekend gig; more typically Galena can be found playing live at any of Asheville’s more intimate music venues (The Odditorium, Boiler Room, Sly Grog Lounge, The Grey Eagle). Reportedly, more studio work is in the group’s future. \u201cWe are fortunate enough to have a composer in the band [who] requires very little sleep,\u201d Pasciolla tells me, \u201cso we are never short on new material.\u201d If that turns out to be the case, listeners can soon look forward to more original recordings from Galena.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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