Progressive Palaver

Episode 181 – Porcupine Tree Part 12, The Incident For a long time, The Incident was the finale of Porcupine Tree. It’s an album that may or may not be reviled by the band themselves. As with many records in the genre, there are outstanding moments and there are confounding moments, a situation that is exacerbated by the presentation on streaming services. Such is life in the modern prog world. We...

Topographic Topics – June 2026 Rarely does a single episode pack in Rush's triumphant return, the latest release from Prog cornerstone Yes, a sprawling Devin Townsend epic, and a children's book about stage fright, but here we are. Joe and Paul dive deep into Rush's recent Los Angeles concerts featuring new drummer Annika Niles, whose Neil Peart-honoring performances have sent social media into a...

Episode 180 – Porcupine Tree Part 11, Fear of a Blank Planet Rarely does an album get called a band's *true apex* when the world has already crowned a different record their masterpiece. That tension sits at the heart of this conversation about Porcupine Tree's "Fear of a Blank Planet," and it makes for a genuinely compelling listen. From the moment we dig into Steven Wilson's guitar work and Rich...

Episode 179 – Porcupine Tree Part 10, Deadwing The Palaver returns with an exhaustive exploration of Porcupine Tree's eighth studio album, Deadwing (2005). The group dissects this often-overlooked masterpiece, often unfairly shadowed between In Absentia and Fear of the Blank Planet. The episode opens with fascinating context: Stephen Wilson's recent remix projects on Frankie Goes to Hollywood and...

Episode 178 – Porcupine Tree Part 9, In Absentia At long last, the beginning of the “main sequence” for Porcupine Tree, In Absentia! Enter Gavin Harrison and larger-than-life riffs. In Absentia is an album that heralds a new phase of the band’s development. From the last-minute drummer change to the macabre sources we explore what makes this record such a game-changer. BlueSky: @progpala.bsky.soci...

SCS43 – Nine Inch Nails in Austin TX, March 2026 Joe recounts attending a Nine Inch Nails concert at Austin's Moody Center on March 1st, 2025 with Paul and Ken. He delivers a detailed breakdown of the production: Trent Reznor's vocal performance remains *remarkably fresh*, the rotating band (featuring Robin Finck, Stu Brooks, and Josh Freeze) delivered exceptional musicianship, and the innovative...

Episode 177 – Porcupine Tree Part 8, Lightbulb Sun Progressive Palaver returns with a deep dive into Porcupine Tree's Lightbulb Sun —the 2000 landmark that shifted the band toward melodic, pop-influenced progressive rock. The group explores an album that initially sparked skepticism but revealed surprising depths on repeated listens. The Palaver dissects each track, celebrating Chris Maitland's ph...

Topographic Topics – May 2026 Rarely does a single episode pack in studio obsessions, art world acquisitions, and a 19-minute prog epic all at once. The group sits down for a genuinely exciting conversation that covers a lot of ground in just 65 minutes. At the heart of the episode is Marillion's May visit to Real World Studios, where they were spotted recording new material. Joe's deep fascinatio...

Episode 176 – Porcupine Tree Part 7, Stupid Dream Things are heating up here on the Palaver. Stupid Dream shows us Porcupine Tree as a band that is on the very verge of realizing their potential. Song-driven. Direct. Unmistakably different. This is the moment the band steps into a new identity—and opens the door to a much wider audience. BlueSky: @progpala.bsky.social X: @progpala Instagram: www.i...

Episode 175 – Porcupine Tree Part 6, Signify Signify presents Porcupine Tree taking another step toward their ultimate identity. Songwriting and recording begin to materialize and point the way forward. From Signify we all see the future and we like what we see. Enjoy this palaver as we enjoy this record. BlueSky: @progpala.bsky.social X: @progpala Instagram: www.instagram.com/progressivepalaver/...

SCS42 – The Hooters in Glenside PA, Oct 2025 Rarely does a concert fulfill decades of anticipation, but Ken's long-awaited bucket list experience seeing the Hooters at the Keswick Theater in Glenside, Pennsylvania did exactly that, and it delivered in every possible way. Ken joins Joe and Paul to break down a performance that closed out the Hooters' European tour with a genuine homecoming celebrat...

Episode 174 – Porcupine Tree Part 5, The Sky Moves Sideways This episode dissects an album that divides opinion. Joe warmed to it despite feeling it stepped back from *Up the Downstair*. Paul and Ken acknowledge early sketches of the band's future sound—Steven Wilson's compositions show promise—yet the record often fades into background music rather than commanding attention. The group examines th...

SCS41 – Asia ft John Payne and Stratospheerius, Sellersville PA, Oct 2025 What happens when you walk into a concert expecting one thing and leave with a completely different perspective? That's exactly what happened to me recently at Sellersville Theater. I attended an Asia show featuring John Payne, and I'll be honest—I initially felt like I'd crashed someone else's party. But what unfolded was g...

Episode 173 – Porcupine Tree Part 4, Up the Downstair Our exploration of Porcupine Tree continues with this sophomore effort which is a huge leap forward while still finding the Porcupine Tree path. Up the Downstair is an intriguing album with a compelling idea sitting underneath. Songwriting and musicianship advance while maintaining a balance with the best parts of their previous record. There a...

Topographic Topics – April 2026 We start a new type of episode here at Progressive Palaver, Topographic Topics. We actually attempt to spend a few minutes discussing topics that are NOT years old, but only weeks or months. We plan to try this from time to time when interesting things happen in the prog world. For this episode, we consider four main topics, the sale of the Jim Irsay Collection, Rus...

Episode 172 – Porcupine Tree Part 3, On the Sunday of Life A Palaver for Two! Ken and Joe take some time to explore the origins of Porcupine Tree with On the Sunday of Life. A broad collection of songs spanning Steven Wilson’s early explorations. This album provides a deep pool for discovery of different aspects of what will eventually blossom into the full-grown glory of the band. Ken and Joe fin...

Episode 171 – Porcupine Tree Part 2, Preamble and Introduction The time has finally come. The Palaver tackles Porcupine Tree in a full segment. We covered Closure/Continuation earlier as a one-off, but we now return to the cover the full PT catalog. A segment this important deserves iits own Preamble and we present that here. How did we all discover Porcupine Tree? What are our experiences with th...

Episode 170 – Prog Algorithm Mixed Bag, 2025 Algorithm Adventures: Discovering Hidden Gems in Progressive Rock **Discovering Progressive Rock Through Unexpected Pathways** What happens when a streaming algorithm becomes your guide through the world of progressive rock? On this episode, Joe shares his serendipitous journey that began with Haunt the Woods and spiraled into an exploration of both new...

SCS40 – ProgStock 2025 A little late in releasing, but the Palaver gets to share our thoughts on ProgStock 2025 along with some help from Bleeding Edge’s Dave Ayers. Paul, Ken, and Dave were able to attend the annual festival in Rutherford NJ in 2025. As usual, there was a full schedule of prog acts from the full spectrum. The Cyberium, IO Earth, Beer with Dolphins, SerenGazer, and, of course, h n...

Episode 169 – Steven Wilson Part 7, The Harmony Codex The Palaver group convenes for an in-depth track-by-track analysis of Wilson's ambitious pandemic-era project. What initially seemed derivative revealed itself as something entirely original upon closer inspection. The Harmony Codex requires *intentional listening*—passive background consumption misses the intricate layering, jazz harmonies, an...

Bonus Episode – Genesis Revisited, March 2026 What began as a spring break car ride listening to *Invisible Touch* evolved into a comprehensive reexamination of Genesis's entire catalog. Joe candidly explores how his podcast preparation has fundamentally changed his listening habits, replacing spontaneous months-long binges with more critical, intentional engagement. But here's what makes this epi...

Episode 168 – Yes Steel Cage Match Three eras. Three visions. One band’s legacy. On this special episode of Progressive Palaver, we step into a Yes Steel Cage Match — comparing: • True (Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks) • Rio (Trevor Rabin) • Mirror to the Sky (Yes) Different lineups. Different sounds. Same DNA. We break down the music, the identity of each project, and what it all means for the lega...

After years of hearing his co-hosts rave about Styx, Joe Boclair finally made it to see them live at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater in Austin—the one built right into the Circuit of the Americas Formula One racetrack. He even bought a Mr. Roboto shirt as a playful nod to Paul Zotter, Ken Gregory, and Tom Corkran. (His wife Sarah came along too, naturally.) The triple bill featured Don Felder...

Episode 167 – Peter Gabriel Part 11, i/O Peter Gabriel's I.O. is a masterclass in production and artistry, but the release strategy nearly derailed it. On Progressive Palaver, we break down why this 17-year recording journey matters and where Gabriel's vision shines brightest. BlueSky: @progpala.bsky.social X: @progpala Instagram: www.instagram.com/progressivepalaver/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/Pr...

Bonus Episode – Apple TV’s Foundation Season 3 Recap Joe and Sarah take some time to recap the third season of Foundation on Apple TV. The adaptation of this book series continues to surprise and amaze. This show is able to present all the important aspects of the original story in new and fascinating ways. It feels fresh in ways that likely won’t alienate longtime fans. We cover the story, the ac...