Of all the albums I didn’t get to hear last year, I think Siena Root hurt the most. There were enough that I could have made a list — one only has so many ears and so much time — but I loved 2009’s Different Realities (discussed here) and did a track stream for the subsequent Root Jam in 2011, and when it came to the release of Pioneers in Nov. 2014 (Cleopatra Records in the US, Gaphals in Europe), I didn’t even know of its existence until after the album was released, and even then it was in some random Facebook post. What a bummer.

“Root Rock Pioneers” is the third video from that record, and in watching and listening, I think you can see why I might be down about missing the boat on the album, what with Siena Root‘s ultra-loose, natural vibe, taking the best parts of heavy rock and ’70s prog and putting them together in a way that both moves easily and demands audience attention. If they’ve created a genre for themselves — one assumes it’s “root rock” instead of “roots rock,” which already exists — they make a good case with the track for their distinction, their organic engagement departs some of the raga-inspired pastoralism of Different Realities in favor of a more rock-band-playing-rock approach that’s well suited to both the stage footage and the psychedelic visuals of the video for “Root Rock Pioneers,” which, true to form, gets a lot done in a little over four minutes.

Siena Root are on tour in Europe this March, and of course Pioneers is available now. It was Gaphals who sent along word of the clip and the tour (credit where it’s due), and you’ll find the PR wire pertinents after the video below. Please enjoy:

Siena Root, “Root Rock Pioneers” official video

Siena Root Root Rock Pioneers video out now!

The third video from Siena Root´s – Pioneers album is a psychadelic journey through Root Rock Land and it captures the bands intense live shows. The band will hit mainland Europe in March 2015 in support of their newly released and highly acclaimed “Pioneers” album.

Root Rock Pioneers is taken from Siena Roots album Pioneers released by Gaphals.
LP/CD: http://smarturl.it/2lmuam
Itunes: http://smarturl.it/t6o06m
Spotify: http://smarturl.it/1bmjti

Produced by Siena Root & Sascha Steinbach
Visuals by Maria Puentes Campos
Live footage by Macabre Pariah Productions
Editing by Sascha Steinbach
Words & music by Siena Root

“Pioneers” European Tour 2015
04.03.2015 – DE Rostock, Mau Club
05.03.2015 – DE Hannover, Mephisto
06.03.2015 – DE Jena, Kulturbahnhof
07.03.2015 – DE Berlin, Bassy Cowboy Club
08.03.2015 – DE Dresden, Beatpol
09.03.2015 – AT Wien, Arena
11.03.2015 – IT Padova, Circolo Mame
12.03.2015 – IT Milano, Lo-Fi
13.03.2015 – DE Esslingen, Hell Over Esslingen
14.03.2015 – DE Frankfurt/M., Das Bett
17.03.2015 – ES Donosti, Dabadaba
18.03.2015 – ES Zaragoza, La Ley Seca
19.03.2015 – ES Gijon, Sala Acapulco
21.03.2015 – ES Burgos, Estudio 27
22.03.2015 – ES Barcelona, Rocksound
23.03.2015 – FR Chambery, Brin De Zinc
24.03.2015 – CH Zürich, Kinski
25.03.2015 – DE Fürth, Kofferfabrik
26.03.2015 – DE Köln, Yard Club
27.03.2015 – BE Leuven, Sojo
28.03.2015 – DE Osnabrück, Westwerk

Other livedates:
05.06.2015 – DE Netphen, Freak Valley Festival
06.06.2015 – DE Dornstadt, Wudzog Open Air
02.08.2015 – DE Breitenbach, Burg Herzberg Festival

Siena Root is one of the most original bands in the European rock scene. The Swedish band is now releasing their fifth studio album, “Pioneers”. With over 25.000 albums sold and over four hundred packed shows performed, Siena Root is once again back from the studio with eight new tracks of pure root rock. The album is released 3th of November the Nordic Countrys, Belgium and Holland, Italy, Polen, Czech Rep, Ukraine and 7th of November in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

The record ”Pioneers” is characterized by a tasteful combination of genuine songwriting and captivating improvisations, enjoyable for anyone who wants music to be “well done”. In the spirit of keeping it real, all eight tracks are a hundred percent analog-produced, using all-vintage instruments and equipment. The music itself will remind listeners of the great rock era, yet putting a new perspective on the retrospect. Regardless if you like classic rock hits, trippy psychedelia or swinging blues, ”Pioneers” by Siena Root will be one of your favorite records!

Siena Root is well known for their variety of appearances, with many great guest artists, broad musical range and different interpretations of rock music. The various shapes of Siena Root over time can be heard on the previous albums, which each has its own unique line up.

Siena Root on Thee Facebooks

Siena Root website

Gaphals website

True to form for the Stockholm jammers’ penchant for open structures and extended spontaneous interludes, there is a whole host of guests on their new live album, Root Jam. That’s nothing new for Siena Root, who even on their own number anywhere from a four- to a six-piece band, and whose last studio offering, Different Realities (2009), lived up to its title in terms of its diversity of approach and melding heavy riffs, jams and excursions into psychedelic and subcontinental-Asian songwriting.

Root Jam leaves space for plenty of that as well, and at nearly 92-minutes, the album is a two-disc beast. A cut like the organ-heavy “Words” reaches well over 12 minutes to end the record/set’s first half, and the whole midsection of the song is Eastern instrumentation met with killer guitar leads. There are several such passages throughout, and Siena Root know how to keep it flowing and cohesive, despite the variety they bring out of the music.

Transubstans Records was kind enough to let me host the more straightforward “The Rat” for your streaming pleasure. If you’ve never heard Siena Root before, it’s a pretty good place to start, the guest vocals adding soul to the bluesy groove of the riffs. Hope you dig it:

[mp3player width=460 height=120 config=fmp_jw_widget_config.xml playlist=siena-root.xml]

Root Jam is out in October on Transubstans Records. More info available at the label’s site. Here’s what they have to say about it:

Above all else, this extensive double live album is a resume of Siena Root‘s early years. This album features all the elements of the band, from their debut up to recent days. They have managed to pour the band’s dynamic energy from the stage right into this box of 91 minutes root rock. You will for sure find the good old heavy riffs, side-by-side with psychedelic vibes and groovy jams.

But there is more, much more to experience in this magnificent album. There are no less than nine guest artists featured, with a range from classical violin by Martin Stensson from Swedish radio symphonic orchestra, to legendary blues guitarist Maxi Dread. You will also find a lot of Siena Root family from the past such as Tängman and vocalists Oskar and Sanya performing songs on a new level. On top of it all you get previously unreleased material and two rare acoustic tracks that reveal a new side of the band. The album will also be released on LP by Headspin Records.

I just popped on Different Realities, the latest and fourth full-length from Swedish analog experimentalists Siena Root (on Transubstans, if you’re curious), and not only does it rock a good deal, but the concept of the record is pretty cool as well. There are 10 tracks total, but it’s two pieces of music under the headings “We” and “The Road to Agartha.” “We” is exceptionally well done retro ’70s vibes, guitar rock, intricate and a cool listen. I knew that, I’d heard either a promo of the record or some mp3s a while back, I can’t remember which.

It’s only after I got the physical album itself — do you see, downloaders, what you could be missing? — that the full dichotomy of the release made itself known. From previous listens, I just thought it was an album that started (relatively) straightforward and morphed into a huge India-style jam. Turns out not only is that on purpose, it’s the whole point. About “The Road to Agartha,” the band writes:

“The Road to Agartha” is a musical piece in the form of a raagmala. The raags, being the melodic framework of Hundustani classical music, are here presented together with both sha’abi and baladi rythms (sic) from Northern Africa. Also, the classic rock setting is in dialogue with traditional and medieval instruments from the very same places where people throughout history have been looking for entrances to Agartha. This is not only a meeting of cultures, but also a journey through time and space.

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