Illegal Aliens "The Round Window"

Country: USA
Genre(s): Instrumental Avant Prog
Format: CD-R, digital
Release date: March 5, 2021
Tracklist

1. Seeing The Angels (2:57) 

2. Spontaneous Vaudeville (4:25) 

3. Roomette (2:02) 

4. Double King (4:43) 

5. The Witch Who Floats (1:29) 

6. Last Say (3:04) 

7. Working Backward (5:45) 

8. 2 Luckies (1:25) 

9. Abstract Of America (3:01) 

10. Little Toledo (1:59) 

11. Tin Can Man (0:58) 

12. Portrait In A Spoon (3:02) 

13. Bazooka (4:56) 

14. Square Ball Jazz (4:26) 

15. March Of The Muffoons (2:57) 

16. Hurrah Boys (2:01) 

Total Time 49:10

Line-up

Dave Newhouse (The Muffins, Manna/Mirage, Moon Men, Diratz) - keys, woodwinds, drums, xylophone

Billy Swann (The Muffins) - bass, guitar

Paul Sears (The Muffins) - drums, bass

Tom Scott (The Muffins, Toto) - flute, alto clarinet (6)

Steve Feigenbaum - guitar

Scott Raffel - alto and baritone saxes, bass clarinet, drums

Mike Bass - drums, vibraphone

Gary Mayne - drums (6)

Scott Giambusso - double bass (13)

Luis Odria - guitar (14)

Description/Reviews:

This is basically The Muffins with friends. When The Muffins weren't rehearsing, they were jamming and recording with friends. Illegal Aliens became one of the offshoot groups that they used as a vehicle for stretching out in the music, having fun with it. These are live and studio recordings from 1974 - 1981 from both the original Buba Flirf Muffin house in Gaithersburg, Maryland where Chronometers was recorded and the Portree house in Rockville, Maryland where Manna/Mirage was recorded.

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

Links (The Muffins):
Facebook
Progarchives
Proggnosis

Manna/Mirage "Blue Dogs"

Country: USA
Genre(s): Instrumental Canterbury
Format: CD
Release date: November 2015
Tracklist: 
1. Canterbury Bells (4:50)
2. Duke Street (4:47)
3. Muffin Man Redux (7:23)
4. Lost In A Photograph (4:21)
5. Blind Eye (4:56)
6. Shwang Time (4:58)
7. Rovian Cue (4:10)

Total time 35:25

Line-up: 
Dave Newhouse (The Muffins) – keyboards, woodwinds, drums (2, 4, 6, 7)
Billy Swann (The Muffins) – bass
Paul Sears (The Muffins) – drums (3)
Mark Stanley – guitar (3, 5)
George Newhouse – drums (1, 5)
Steve Pastena – French horn (6)

Description/Reviews: 

As related in detail on Manna/Mirage’s website, Blue Dogs was originally meant as half of a big- band album by The Muffins. Clocking in at a mere 35 minutes, the album is such a rewarding listen that it almost feels like the appetizer before a full meal – jam-packed with buoyant horns and woodwinds, energetic yet stylish drumming, multilayered keyboards and keen-edged guitar. While the imprint of Newhouse’s mother band is clearly stamped all over it, Blue Dogs goes one step further, bearing witness to the artist’s love of classic jazz, as well as the Canterbury sound’s trademark blend of elegance and whimsy.

Read the full review by Raffaella Berry at progmistress.com

Media/Samples 
Blind Eye  

Links:
Web page

The Muffins "Mother Tongue"

Country: USA
Sub Genre: Jazz Rock/Fusion, Avant Prog, Canterbury
Label: Hobart Films & Records
Release date: September 10, 2012
Tracklist: 
1. Little Squares 03:25
2. Trench Mouth 04:57
3. Sure Thing 03:34
4. Going Softly 05:25
5. Never Slap A Monkey 03:18
6. Illegal Aliens 04:33
7. 6 Dozen Names 03:31
8. Parade March 04:06
9. Beat 10 04:31
10. In The Ghost Light 03:28
11. Tribute To Percy 00:14

Line-up: 
- Billy Swann / bass, E-bow guitar, acoustic guitar, double bass
- Tom Frasier Scott / soprano & alto Saxophones, flute, clarinets, oboe, bassoon, keyboards, trumpet, voice
- Dave Newhouse / keyboards, tenor & baritone saxophones, bass clarinet, accordion
- Paul Sears / drums, percussion

Description/Reviews: 

This album is over-all a little bit looser than the very highly arranged and produced Double Negative, but it also has a bit more of a 'live feel', even though it isn't a live in the studio recording by any means. It's said it fits somewhere between Bandwidth and Double Negative stylistically.

Links:
Web page
Facebook
ProgArchives
Proggnosis