Nickie’s Niches #47: November 2025

Podcast | ProgRock.com PodCasts

Start	Artist	Song	Time	Album	Year
	1 Takeda NN 11_04_2025
0:02:07	Takeda	Reynardine	5:27	In Venus’ Train	2025
	2 Raphael Weinroth-Browne NN 11_04_2025
0:07:55	Raphael Weinroth-Browne	Pyre	3:05	Lifeblood	2025
	3 Badlands NN 11_04_2025
0:11:25	Badlands	The Sun	3:33	Nobody Dies	2025
	4 Roxane Genot NN 11_04_2025
0:15:16	Roxane Genot	The Old Mage In The Tower	3:24	Tavern Tales From The West	2023
	5 GoGo Penguin NN 11_05_2025
0:19:08	GoGo Penguin	Luminous Giants	5:02	Necessary Fictions	2025
	6 Emma NN 11_04_2025
0:24:30	Emma	Angel	4:02	Halidome	2025
	7 Astorg NN 11_04_2025
0:28:54	Astorg	Gazing At The Hypnotic Water Gleams	4:34	Shelter	2025
	8 Ashley Reaks NN 11_04_2025
0:34:16	Ashley Reaks	Her Gorgeous Tiny Highway	5:13	At Night the World Belongs to Me	2025
	9 Toby Hay NN 11_04_2025
0:39:54	Toby Hay	Coed_Trees	5:39	Pentwyn EP	2025
	10 Širom NN 11_04_2025
0:46:04	Širom	Hope in an All-Sufficient Space of Calm	3:33	In the Wind of Night, Hard-Fallen Incantations Whisper	2025
	11 Robert Plant NN 11_04_2025
0:50:01	Robert Plant	Everybody’s Song	4:09	Saving Grace	2025

1. 

   In Venus’ Train

   by Takeda

   favorite track

   Reynardine

   Garage Folk band from Norwich (home of the feisty terriers), that blends folk and garage elements, tossing in some post-rock and drone sensibilities.Tortured vocalist Josh Harrison hits all the right notes in a most compelling way. In a battle for my favourite track, Reynardine won. It is not a trad cover, just borrows a few lines, but utilizes the sly trickster fox motif of folklore in a cautionary tale, that ends with a sort of ensorcellment.

   1. 

      Lifeblood

      by Raphael Weinroth-Browne

      favorite track

      Pyre

      Finally, the full release. Canadian composer and cellist brings his signature sound of looping cello, in Middle Eastern, progressive and classical motifs. Each track varies splendidly, full of the fire and force we’ve come to expect from him. My favourite track, Pyre, is melancholic, yet also conveys a sense of hope.

      1. 

         Nobody Dies

         by Badlands

         favorite track

         The Sun

         Badlands is the brainchild of Catharina Jaunviksna, Swedish multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer. It’s primarily in a folktronica vein, with a bit of an Americana tinge. She brings very washy vocals with mandolin, bass, various guitars, banjo, cajun, cello, pedal steel, piano and synthesizers.

         1. 

            Tavern Tales From The West

            by Roxane Genot

            favorite track

            The Old Mage In The Tower

            French cellist Roxane Genot also plays Medieval fiddles and the Renaissance viol. Indeed, her original music draws from Medieval and Renaissance motifs and tosses in some Celtic seasoning here.

            

            GoGo Penguin “Necessary Fictions” 2025 GoGo Penguin bring jazz fusion, with classical and electronic influences, typically in a gradually layered, hypnotic, and decidedly addictive fashion. Instrumentation of the trio is piano, double bass, and drums, with this release even sporting a track with vocals, albeit softly in the mix. Favourite Track: Luminous Ghosts (feat. Rakhi Singh & Manchester Collective) (5:08)

            1. 

               Halidome

               by Emma

               favorite track

               Angel

               Debut outing for this avant/experimental folk band from Iceland, who liberally dose their sound with psych and shoegaze elements. They are comprised of two brothers on vocals, guitar, drums and harmonica, with other instrumentation being additional drums, cello, trumpet, and keyboards

               1. 

                  Shelter

                  by Astorg

                  favorite track

                  Gazing At The Hypnotic Water Gleams

                  Victor Navaz brings us acoustic dark folk from Zaragoza, Spain. The pieces are inspired by Dick Proenneke, who lived most of his life as a hermit in very un-Spanish-like Twin Lakes, Alaska. Victor plays all guitars and keyboards on this lovely escape into the wilds.

                  1. 

                     At Night The World Belongs To Me

                     by Ashley Reaks

                     favorite track

                     Her Gorgeous Tiny Highway

                     Shimmery, ultra-layered, yet forceful music emanates from the picturesque town of Harrogate. It’s really hard to not sound like anyone else, but Ashley has got this covered. Hypnotic…the plinkiness can disguise the dark lyrics of this artist’s world. Eerie and addicting.

                     1. 

                        Pentwyn EP

                        by Toby Hay

                        favorite track

                        Coed_Trees

                        Master guitarist Toby Hay composed these four pieces inspired by the Pentwyn, Wales countryside. Indeed, most of it was recorded on location, for a perfect pastoral ambience, including bird and water sounds. All proceeds go to the Radnorshire Wildlife Trust. Impeccably elegant.

                        1. 

                           In the Wind of Night, Hard-Fallen Incantations Whisper

                           by Širom

                           favorite track

                           Hope in an All-Sufficient Space of Calm

                           Another fabulous outing from Širom. Experimental/world/folk/improve act from Slovenia play everything and the kitchen sink. Hypnotic, whimsical, and dron-y, they really shine on their epic pieces. Truly exotic and esoteric, there is a strong sense of Oriental music in many of their pieces.

                           1. 

                              Saving Grace

                              by Robert Plant

                              favorite track

                              Everybody’s Song

                              A pleasure all through, blending Americana, blues, gospel, and world music at times. He is joined by vocalist Suzi Dian on many of the tracks, and the support musicians are stellar. Love the resurrection of a Moby Grape tune, too.