Spring Springly

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Curiosity for Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble

Miller’s newest album, “Curiosity for Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble”, was released Feb.28 on Cuneiform Records. Reviews are coming in:

DUSTED Magazine:
“The long finale, ‘Curiosity on Mars’, is said to have been prompted by NASA photographs of the Mars Rover, five visuals for five sections of the piece. The cut follows a mechanical, metallic clank through swirling clouds of wonder, the tin-can fragility of the interplanetary explorer set in contrast with the grandeur of the universe.” – Jennifer Kelly.

Chain D.L.K., March 2025:  “His compositions emerge like carefully constructed hallucinations – somewhere between 20th-century avant-garde, post-punk experimentalism, and a tape-delay séance with the ghost of Morton Feldman… It’s part science fiction, part lucid dream, and entirely Roger Clark Miller.” – Vito Camarretta

The Arts Fuse, March 2025:  “Miller is in top form, crafting wild sounding pieces that blend avant-garde experimentation with familiar textures of guitar rock… (‘Curiosity on Mars’) is an especially welcome exercise in innocent appreciation, given that so many today are consumed by aspirations of conquest.” – Scott McLennan

WBUR (Boston NPR), April 2025: “Like his prior album, this recording features four pieces that originate from his dreams. The genesis of his compositions may be why his experimental instrumental soundscapes still offer the careful listener remarkably coherent musical stories.” – Noah Schaffer

Here are upcoming shows in support of this album:

Thurs., May 8: Normals, Baltimore, MD
Fri., May 9: Rhizome DC, Washington DC
Sat., May 10: Pageant: Soloveev, Philadelphia, PA
Thurs., May 15: Myrtle, Providence, RI
Fri., May 16: Thing in the Spring Festival, Keene, NH
Sat., May 17: Lilypad, Cambridge, MA
Sat., May 31: Francis Kite Club, New York, NY
Sun., June 1: House Concert, Hamden, CT

The Anvil Orchestra

The first two shows of “The Adventures of Prince Achmed” resulted in standing ovations for both – that’s how Anvil rolls. We’ll see if they are three for three when they perform it at the Roger Ebert Film Festival.

They have a new CD out, available at shows: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, recorded live at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD. The duo was definitely “on” and it was excellently recorded by the sound person. And given the film, the music is ambient, swirling, morphing and dark. 

March 28: The Dundee Theater (Film Streams), Omaha, Nebraska.
7:00pm: METROPOLIS.
Apr.18: The Mark Theater, Saugerties NY
7:00pm: Blackmail, by Alfred Hitchcock
Apr.26: Roger Ebert Film Festival, Champaign, IL.
The Adventures of Prince Achmed
Apr.28: Milwaukee Film Festival, Milwaukee, WI
Nosferatu (new score as of December, 2024)

Does Roger still write songs?

Miller has been focusing on his “Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble” and The Anvil Orchestra for some time now. But for some reason, beginning fall 2024 and crescendoing into 2025, songs have been falling out of his head at an increasing rate. He has been performing some of these songs in his “Unplugged (from a band)” shows and, according to attendance response, it has worked quite well. Miller finds this new thing quite curious and is not certain what to make of it. But time heals confusion… and sometimes will tell.

BANDCAMP

Miller’s Bandcamp site is a repository for his past work that may not be available 3D, and so has been made downloadable. See below for available albums. Plans for new uploads: The three Binary System albums; Xylyl and a Woman in Half; “The odd 45’s”; and more as time allows.

Guitar Lessons

Of course Miller continues teaching guitar, mostly via Skype/Zoom, and finds it fun and interesting. Nothing like seeing ideas develop to keep one interested.