Habib : I don't know how much elsewhere, but on "Man Marde Tanhaye Shabam" he rocks a guitar against a psychedelic backdrop and moog synths. See video's here
Halazoon : participated in the Underground Music Competition in Teheran 2005 with a good arranged poprock/rock contribution called "Beezseed".
Hamen : participated in the Underground Music Competition in Teheran 2005 with an instrumental/ rock improvisation great electric guitar, with ok drumming & electric bass. Promising guitarist.
Hasht : participated in the Underground Music Competition in Teheran 2005 with this postpunk-danceable wavepunkrock or whatever rock track, called "Mikhandeh". (Would have received if I had the chance).
Hera : participated in the Underground Music Competition in Teheran 2005 with a fine 8 minute electric guitar and some keyboards driven track called "The Lonely Castle" with a moody progressive rock evolution.
Homayoon Majdzadeh : progressive rock musician from DNA group.
Hora : their submussion, "Under the sheets" for the Underground Music Competition 2005 was simple, warm rhythmic jazzfusion of acoustic guitar with sax and drums.
Jahleh : made an interesting and very original style mix of exotic rhythms, acoustic guitar, with an almost Afrocrossover feeling, with Persian rap and some female vocal arrangements on their Underground Music Competition 2005 submission, "Sharji o Garmaa". (I usually hate rap-like vocals but this is great, gentle, exotic and rhythmical).
Jam : funk-inspired rock band who participated in the Underground Music Competition in Teheran, with much apreciation.
Kamil Yaghmaei : electric or acoustic guitar mixed sometimes with electro-pop, often still more in poprock teritory : http://www.roxy-proxy.com/
Kaveh Yaghmaii : alternative poprock from one the sons ? or natives of Kourosh Yaghmaii.
Keyhan Kalhor : Persian/Indian Fusion
Kooch Neshin : I heard this beautiful arranged track, "Shazde Koochoolo" from the Underground Music Competition 2005 with almost classical delicate background voices, acoustic guitar picking, flute, cello.
Kourosh Yaghmaie : sweet PsychPoprock in a rather English style with Persian touch :
See review and cover at my next review page. More releases will be added soon.
Maya : beautiful acoustic jazzrockfusion with Persian touch, acoustic and electric guitars, I hear on "Moon", a track send to the Underground Music Competition 2005. Vocals are used to bring sphere to what is basically an instrumental.
End 90's "With careful maneuvering, Meera was one of the first rock acts to be able to gain state approval for album production and live performances."
Mehrpouya : with his low voice melancholic singing reminds me of some Indian records. Accompaniment is by middle eastern handbells with a jazzy soprano sax ? (with 30's-40's jazz flavour) and some great ethno jazz rhythms (that reminds me at the Ethiopian releases a bit), and fine electric guitars. Again a perfect World styles crossover which should interest worldpsych lovers.
Nabz : Persian rock band with Naeeim Meschian (Amertad) progressive & modern production based in US:
Naeem : a beautiful emotional Persian sung track , "Mahtab"was send to the TAMF 2005. The band arrangements might have been done better, but I think it still is a great folkrock track. Very promising.
Neghaab : the group prvided a good rock track, "Khaab" for the TAMF 2005
Nima & Merge : American Fusion group with Iranian member.
Niyaz : other Fusion group from Axiom of Choice singer :
Norik Misakian Band : Rock band from Teheran that tried to release an instrumental album but it was rejected by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance saying that "Western rock is the product of drug addicts". Guitarist website : http://www.norikmisakian.com
O-Hum : popular alternative Rock with some Persian elements and using lyrics from Hafez & Rumi. With their music there started the opening up of new possibilities into a personal rock expression. "Music is a global language." "music is a global movement and has nothing to do with the ideology of some particular person in the west". & "Rock is like a large container that can hold different cultures and ethnic mentalities."
Orient Express crossover prog / psych pop (Mainstream EEC Re) Group with one Iranian Percussionist, Farshid Golesorkhi, who plays electric melodica, dumbek, tympani, sings. He had been decorated by the Shah of Iran for his drumming and was interested in applying Eastern rhythms to Western music, in Iran. With Guy Duris (born in US, who plays sitar and oud) and Bruno Giet (who plays electric minitar) a Belgian pilot and guitarist they moved from Europe towards the US, where they finally settled and there they recorded this wonderful crossover psych album., and at least three singles. This album was recorded in new york at AandR studio in 1968, and released on the 22 of february 1969. Album is listed on
Oriental Silence : One of the most interesting new groups if you ask me. Unfortunately I don't have a contact e-mail. This is instrumental progressive rock /psychrock band from Teheran with definte Clapton & other great 70's rock guitarist groups & early hard rock & psych influences (Pink Floyd,..) :
Pakzad : the band performed a good Persian folkrock track, "Dat Yad" for the TAMF 2005. I wish more bands kept alive their Persian traditions, even when in an usual, rock setting. In some way this is renewing the Yaghmaie tradition, something which I like to support.
Papillon : hard alternative / underground rock. I think they are based in Germany ?
Pejvak / Pedjvak: from http://tehranavenue.com/.. :"at the time when a band like O-Hum was experimenting with Rock, turning a new page in the history of Iranian music, many took issue with the band for desecrating Hafez poetry. To critics, words of Iran’s foremost classic poet could not be made to ride on a music that belonged to a different setting and arose out of a different context. As such, they argue, O-Hum’s lyrics are void of the spirit of the poetry of Hafez. Exactly the same thing happened when Pejvak tied Rock music with Hafez and Rumi poetry in their album "Mast o Divane"."they worked a lot more on the correct articulation of the poems, although they may not have succeeded in their endeavor"
Pezhvak : cover rock band who performed instrumental music by Santana and Joe Satraini and songs by Pink Floyd, at concerts in Tehran and Kish Islandn around 2000-2002.
Pod : "as playin' cover songs always had more fans, the most famouse progressive performance, went to the band named POD,that played eleven songs of Dream Theater, including nine songs of their 99's album,Scenes from a memory. In fact,Dream Theater became one of the most famous progressive banda in Iran,mostly because of their metal elements. There's also other bands who are known for die-hard progressive fans in Iran, such as King Crimson, Rush, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes, Liquid Tension, ELP, Transtalantic, The Flower Kings, Planet X, On The Virg etc." Agah Bahari
Pouya Mahmoodi : supposed to be a progressive rock musician ? don't know more information yet.
Project Pink Purple : Project lead by Shahram Nabizadeh influenced by Pink Floyd and mostly Deep Purple. They play Deep Purple cover and their own tracks : http://www.pink-purple.com/
Pun : had a submission of a their 12 track "Jun" for the Tehran Avenue Music festival 2005. It's an almost overcalm, relaxed song, with progressive edge, with a style which is still somewhat individualistic and which I think has potential to grow out or develop to something better, perhaps with some extra driven guitars and a better drummer. This is already moody, has calm and beautiful organ keyboards and fine bluesy Gilmourish guitars.
The Rebels / Rebels 5 / Rebels Kings : Iranian group from the sixties with Siavash Ghomeishi on keyboard, Shahram Shabpareh on drums, and Kambiz Moeini on guitar. Info and pictures here and here
Revival : jazz psych fusion with fantastic flute lead by Al Basim. One of the best Iranian "psych" items. This Iranian guitarist went to US to record this album with Jews musicians in 1979. He was hanged for this by the government when he returned. Review on next review page
Reza (Derakdhani) : Persian musician living in UK. Made two albums. Review of one of both here.
Rumi Ensemble : Indian-traditional Iranian, one of the most prominent Persian groups
SDS Band : brutal/death/heavy metal (the first Death metal band performed in Iran)
Sahleh : made interesting acoustic rap for the TAMF 2005. (Would have received if I had the chance).
Sepand : The band had a submission for the Tehran Avenue Music festival 2005, of a clever modern poprock instrumental "Fereydoon" with good rhythms of keyboards and some electric guitar and modern production. It was actually a solo project contribution from Salim from Arashk Band.
Shandiz : Shandiz had a piano composition submission for the Tehran Avenue Music festival 2005. It's not easy yto judge on its qualities on just this track, but it is chosen for airplay on my radioshow.
Shidi : beautiful s/sw as a mix of western style with Iranian themes in 2 languages : http://www.shidi.ws
He used to play in progressive rock bands during the 70's, called Scorpio & Mummies. At the stage of the foundation of Mummies he was only 14,with two of his older Brothers (Farokh on Drums and Shahrokh on Bass guitar) and Farshid on rhythm guitar (see picture at website). They began to play in dance clubs, night clubs concerts and too many other places almost every night, till 1976 when the two brothers left Iran to Europe (Germany and England}. Then Shidi joined the Scorpio ,a band that already was working for about two years and because their guitar player left Iran to Italy he replaced him. They worked together until early 1978 the band collapsed. He still worked with oher musicians and singers till Revolution. These bands were two of the best available profesional bands on that time and he performed with them as a Singer and Guitar player.
Soheil : the group had a rather interesting submission for the Tehran Avenue Music festival 2005 called "Missing Piece" which sounds like a more innocent or boyish pop version of Rammstein with normal vocals and more a pop reference. Interesting is also that the guitar improvisations near the end are in Persian mode.
Taboo : the band had a fine submission of their song "Why?" for the Tehran Avenue Music festival 2005. Calm progressive rock with beautiful Dead Can Dance-like vocals, male Gothic talk in English, ethereal keyboards, with slightly soft Gothic touch and with progressive electric guitars. However they didn't make it to the 20 best choices. They will get airplay in my radioshow.
Tarantists : dark metal band with good sound. The band had a submission of their song “Momental Madness” for the Tehran Avenue Music festival 2005.
Technicolar Dream : singer-songwriter (sings in English) in a style defintely influenced by or with a voice reminiscent to Nick Drake. He had a submission of a song “Fallen Birdman” for the Tehran Avenue Music festival 2005. The percussion on the track is a bit primitive but I like his voice.
Tisias : the band delivered a metal rock instrumental for the Tehran Avenue Music festival 2005, called "Till when?". Rhythmically the track could have been better, the metal is more rock-like.
Various Artists :
Babak K.