Siena Roots Does Music the 60s and 70s Way and I Like It!
Yesterday,I was doing some organizing in my room, so I turned on Spotify. When I did a song titled “The Piper Won’t let You Stay” was playing. The longer I listened the more I thought,”Hey, I like this” And when I heard the organ solos, I knew I liked it! The song was from an album released in 2017 titled A Dream of Lasting Peace from a band named Siena Root.
I quickly googled the band name and this is what I discovered:
Siena Root is a Swedish rock band with its roots in late ’60s and ’70s rock music. The group was founded in Stockholm in the late ’90s. Their sound is based on heavy organ, howling guitars, bass riffing and big drums. It is also often enriched with bluesy soulful vocals, various guest musicians and psychedelic vibes
Wow, a band after my 60s – 70s musical heart! While I felt the band’s music could qualify as Progressive Rock. I thought maybe the short length of the songs would preclude such a designation. So when I saw a link for Progarchives on their Wikipedia page, I was surprised. But sure enough the band is classified as Heavy Prog..
About Siena Root
I read in their brief biography at Progarchives, the band formed in 1997 in Stockholm, Sweden. The band released there first album in 2004 and since then has released five additional studio albums and a live album. From Progarchives
Siena Root is a group and an experimental project with its roots in analogue old school rock music. The foundation is a trio from Stockholm that’s been around since the late ’90s. The sound is classic but yet original, founded on heavy organ, strat leads, bass riffing and big drums. It is also often enriched with bluesy soulful vocals, Indian classical instruments and psychedelic vibes.
So their music is retro old school rock and so is their equipment according to the band.
The live act came to be an uncompromising show, using all the heavy vintage equipment that most bands lack the strength and passion to carry along. Even a full size multi-track tape recorder was brought on tour during the recording of the live album. Read More
They write this about their music…..
In the sense that blues is blue, hard rock is black, and reggae is pan African coloured, this music has the colour of siena. It is a warm colour, originally from the muddy roots of the earth. Because this sound has roots that go deep, it was also natural to let root be a part of the band’s name.
A Review Layouts Why I Like Siena Root
At Progarchives, I read a review for Siena Root’s album Far From the Sun. The highlighted section cements why I like this band….
From the cover art down to the musical content, Siena Root’s Far From the Sun feels like an artifact from the psychedelic era they are out to recapture. We’re talking the more hard-rocking side of West Coast psychedelia, as represented by the likes of The Doors or the harder moments of Jefferson Airplane or maybe just a hint of Vanilla Fudge or early Deep Purple.
Bottom Line:
I really, really like the retro rock of Siena Root. In a past post, I once questioned if any bands were making the kind of rock that I love – I guess the answer is yes there are and they are in Sweden!! I know the A Dream of Lasting Peace is going to be in my music rotation for a long while! So Check It Out! As for me I have five other albums in Siena Root’s back catalog to check out!!
I’ll end with the words of Jim Rowland for Über Rock….
Siena Root may be Stockholm’s best kept secret on these shores at the moment, but all that may be about to change. On the evidence of tonight’s superb performance, I would suggest Siena Root have the goods to not only give their more ‘name’ fellow Swede retro rock contemporaries a run for their money, but actually blow them all away. Full Review
Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of Siena Root
Artist’s Website
Facebook
YouTube
Progarchives
Discogs
Here is the Official Video for the song “Tales of Independence” from the album A Dream of Lasting Peace
