Accordo Dei Contrari (Italy), whose first album, Kinesis (AltrOck 2007), became critically acclaimed and won the Progaward for the best Italian album of progressive rock in 2007. Last year's "Kublai" made many "Best of 2011" progressive rock lists. This year the Italian band perform their Canterbury magic for the first time in the United States at ProgDay 2012.
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic (US), a four-piece electric music ensemble exploring and expanding the boundaries of contemporary music. Birdsongs has released eleven CDs of original material for the Rykodisc, Cuneiform, NEARfest, Ace of Hearts, and PEL labels. The group has extensively toured the US, Canada, and Europe in their three-decades of activity.
Jack Dupon (France), explorers of imagination, improvisers, and talespinners. The French quartet continues the story of the eye-opening Jack Dupon through music that exists outside of style and boundaries. Called "The most crazy non-commercial- prog band," they performed in France at the RIO festival in Carmaux last year, and released a two-disc live album earlier this year entitled "Bascule á Vif" that captures the band at their most exciting - performing live.
