REVIEWS: Bat Lenny - "Shadowland" and "The Atomic Toybox" CDs

Bat Lenny - Shadowland CD, 2008

BAT LENNY
Shadowland EP
CD, 2008
http://batlenny.com
Progressive pop that is equal parts Yes and XTC, and no, I don't just mean ELO. In days of old, the "Shadowland" suite would merely have been known as side four of the new LP, a 17-minute theme in 5 parts. Bat Lenny is the King Crimson of the underground.
Ian C Stewart

Bat Lenny - The Atomic Toybox CD, 2009

BAT LENNY
The Atomic Toybox
CD, 2009
Massive prog-pop a la Mike Kenneally. I really enjoyed this one. "Gravity" opens with a single synthesizer note being filtered, kind of like any old song by the Human League. The song starts with a minimial drum beat, which is vamped on and reacted to by the other instruments, gradually building up into a groove like the Police. Primus meets E.L.O. This album is Marillionesque (I guess, Genesisesque would make more sense) in its scope. Repeated listenings required and rewarded.
Ian C Stewart

INTERVIEW: Greg Mathieson of Bat Lenny, Limpid (the) Green, Stegor, etc.

Stegor

AUTOreverse #14, Summer 2011
Greg Mathieson
of Bat Lenny, Limpid (the) Green, Stegor, etc.
interview by Ian C Stewart

Right up front, let's talk about your musical influences. Who are your biggest influences and why?
Classic Prog Rock, like Genesis, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Jethro Tull… I just keep going back to that stuff. As much as I love the multitude of musical styles and directions that have developed since then I’ll never forget the mysterious feelings I got when I was a kid listening to that stuff. And then there’s Bowie, XTC, Talking Heads, Kraftwerk…