NEW MUSIC: Föllakzoid
Föllakzoid hail from Santiago, Chile where the group began as a “product of a trance experience between friends, sort of a soul abduction in which they’ve been living since 2008.” Fans of the kraut genre will delight in the Zoid’s lengthy sound explorations, often channeling pioneers like Amon Düül and Ash Ra Temple along with contemporaries like Camera and the Lumerians. Listen to “Rio” off their new album, II, available now via Sacred Bones.
DGB Presents: Alex Bleeker & the Freaks // Quilt // Weyes Blood
The next DGB event is a very special one. Alex Bleeker & the Freaks, Quilt and Weyes Blood will come together on February 17 for a show at Glasslands Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Drippy Eye Projections will be providing visuals and I’ll be providing some tunes before and after each set. Come dance and partake in a night of jam-filled fun. RSVP here.
Purchase tickets via Ticket Fly.
Lowell George & the Factory – ‘Lightning Rod Man’ (1966)
Those familiar with Lowell George’s work outside of Little Feat generally seem to have a vague knowledge of his production work with The Meters and the Dead as well as a blurry account of his time spent as a guitarist in The Standelles and Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention. But far fewer seem to be aware of Lowell’s time as a budding musician on the LA psych scene during the mid 60s, where he played in a band called The Factory alongside future Little Feat member Richie Hayward. The group released at least one single during that period, and also went on to record a pair of tracks with Zappa on production duties, “Lightning Rod Man” b/w “The Loved One.” The first song is like a Captain Beefheart blues tune, ripe with George’s growls and cackles and Zappa’s eery background vocals. The second, “The Loved One,” is more of a 60s psych nugget and features Zappa on prepared piano and Stooges guitarist Warren Klein on guitar. However, these tracks didn’t see the light of day until the 1993 release of Lightning Rod Man, which gathers 15 tunes by Lowell George & The Factory recorded during 1966 and 1967. Listen to both Zappa produced tracks below.
Lowell George & The Factory – “Lightning Rod Man”
Lowell George & The Factory – “The Loved One”
Wolf People – “All Returns”
Here’s a new track from England’s Wolf People, appearing on their new album, Fain, out April 30 via Jagjaguwar. The album was recorded over a particularly rainy period at a house in the Yorkshire Dales, while the band slept in sleep in tents and caravans parked outside. Listen to the first single, “All Returns,” below.
Endless Boogie – “Taking Out The Trash”
There aren’t too many bands still holding onto the spirit of old, gritty New York as much as Endless Boogie. And there’s even fewer still making new music. The the ever more vanilla ways of rock these days just doesn’t seem to churn them out the way they used to. But there are, of course, exceptions.
Formed in 1997 by a group of Matador Records employees and a professional record collector, Endless Boogie honed their craft for years before first appearing on stage in 2001 as an opener for Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus. Since then, they’ve gone on to play some smaller tours, but mostly stick to playing shows around New York and Brooklyn—and only when they’re invited. Their music follows a simple formula–four bars of some blues rock riff repeatedly hammered into oblivion at the hands of guitarists Paul “Top Dollar” Major and Jesper Eklow–but it’s in this simplicity that the Boogie finds its magic. Like the repetitive ways of krautrock, the Boogie’s blues riffs expand into transportive journeys that can make an hour of droning rock seem like a few minutes.
On February 19 the group will release their third long player, Long Island, recorded this past summer in Brooklyn. Listen to “Taking out the Trash” below.
Pre-order the record via No Quarter.
Live: The Velvet Underground – Live at The Boston Tea Party (1969)
On a cold Friday night in January of 1969, The Velvet Underground performed the second of three shows at their home away from home, The Boston Tea Party located at 53 Berkeley Street in Boston, MA. Since its opening in 1967, The Velvets had performed numerous gigs at the venue, with ticket prices ranging between $3.00 and $3.50 a show. But this recording in particular stands out as the best of the lot, featuring highlight numbers including “Move Right In,” ”Run Run Run,” ”I Can’t Stand It,” “Beginning To See The Light,” and “Sister Ray.” Future member of the Modern Lovers Jonathan Richman, who was in attendance that night, had this to say about the show:
“Sometimes you just plain couldn’t figure out where on the stage those strange sounds and harmonics were coming from, because of the eerie calm with which they played and improvised in front of you, and because every time they’d come to town they’d introduce at least one new song that would, for better or worse, sound like nothing else that had gone before in rock music.”
Download/stream the full show below and turn your speakers to 11.
NEW MUSIC: Happy Jawbone Family Band
If you’re into the whimsy throwback sounds of bands like Foxygen, then your ears will likely bask in the the oft-similar, lo fi psych of the Happy Jawbone Family Band. Ramshackle rock I guess you could call it. It’s like if fuckin’ Mick had been more like fuckin’ Keith, you know? Rock solid fuckers these here fellas are. Here’s “Fistful of Butter” off their new album Tastes the Broom, out January 29th on Mexican Summer.
Cold Sun – “Here In The Year” (1969)
Cold Sun were a little-known band who hailed from Austin, Texas back during the town’s psychedelic heydey. In 1969, they recorded (what I believe to be their second album) Dark Shadows at the legendary Sonobeat studios, an album full of dark, mystic poetry and transcendent sound quests, drawing close comparison to Ultimate Spinach, the Grateful Dead and the 13th Floor Elevators. However, the album didn’t see a proper release until the ’90s, when Rockadelic records released a reissue, which now goes for $500. Lengthy epics like “Ra-Ma,” “Here in the Year,” and “Fall,” will send listeners on faraway journeys, through fuzzed-out guitar realms, over rivers of floaty psych and into the grips of these long forgotten recordings. Dig the nearly 9 minute “Here in the Year” below, then seek out the rest. You will be greatly rewarded.
Video: Moon Duo – “Ich Werde Sehen (I Can See)”
Here’s the invisible-man themed video for “Ich Werde Sehen”, the new single from Moon Duo, which is a German version of “I Can See” from their latest album Circles. Directed by Jovan Arsenic.
Video: Mountains – “Living Lens”
“Living Lens” is a cut off New York sound art duo Mountains’ new album, Centralia, out today on Thrill Jockey. The duo, consisting of of Koen Holtkamp and Brendon Anderegg, approached the album layer by layer, combining purely-acoustic recordings with purely-electronic sounds rather than using electronics to manipulate acoustic source material. Guitar, cello, organs, electric piano et al are seamlessly combined with modular electronics, synthesizers and other sound sources to create an engrossing, ambient listening experience. Watch the video for “Living Lens” below or download/stream the track here.
Order the album via Thrill Jockey.
NEW MUSIC: Campfires
Portland via Chicago transplant Jeff Walls will release his first full length LP, titled Tomorrow, Tomorrow, under the Campfires moniker on February 19 via Fire Talk. For fans of the the slapped together melancholy pop of The Kinks, or of contemporary bands like Woods and White Fence, this collection of lo fi janglers is likely for you. Check out “Fortune Teller” along with the title track below.
Pre-order the record here.
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Video: Woods – “Size Meets The Sound”
Check out Woods‘ new video for the standout Bend Beyond track, ”Size Meets the Sound,” directed by Adarsha Benjamin.
Frummox – “There You Go” (1969)
While on my journey through Sweden, I was introduced to this album by a talented picker living in the northern part of the country. Here to There is the 1969 album by Texas country-rock duo Frummox, which consisted of singer-guitarists Steven Fromholz and Dan McCrimmon. While much of the album is more typical country—Frumholz is said to be a founding figure of Austin’s Outlaw country music scene—one song in particular, titled “There You Go,” is a killer psych nugget with standout vocal harmonies, twangy country guitars and fiddles and sighing string arrangements. For this one I must thank my new friend Daniel and urge you all to listen at once.
The Besnard Lakes – “People Of The Sticks”
After a lengthy period of gestation, Montreal-based cosmic voyagers The Besnard Lakes return with a new album, titled Until in Excess, Imperceptiple UFO , on April 2 via Jagjaguwar. The album comes as the follow-up to one of our favorite albums from a few years back, The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night which was preceded by the similarly great …Dark Horses. Listen below as new song “People of the Sticks” transports us right back into the trademark narcotic embrace of The Besnard Lakes.
Mazhar & Fuat – “Adimiz Miskindir Bizim” (1974)
I recently stumbled across the incredible 1974 album by Turkish psych-folk duo Mazhar & Fuat, titled Türküz Türkü Çağırırız (which translates to “We are Turks, we sing Turkish folk songs”). The duo, formed in 1973, released this one album before joining up with bass guitar player Özkan Uğur to become the famous pop trio MFÖ. But before their foray into the world of Turkish pop, these fine musicians left behind what is considered to be one of the crown jewels of the Turkish psych era. The album, sung almost entirely in Turkish (as you may have gathered from the title), blends various ’60s rock and folk influences with flowing Eastern melodies referencing the traditional music of Arabia, India and beyond. The song chosen for you today is titled “Adimiz Miskindir Bizim,” which translates loosely to “Our Mix of Step.”
Mazhar ve Fuat – “Adımız Miskindir Bizim”
NEW MUSIC: Poltergeist – “Cathedral”
Poltergeist, the new band featuring Echo And The Bunnymen members Will Sergeant and Les Pattinson, have announced the release of their debut album, Your Mind Is A Box (Let Us Fill It With Wonder. “Cathedral,” the first track off the album, is now streaming below. About the album, Sergeant says:
“We create a form of rock music with its toes paddling in the progressive ocean foam of the ’60s and ’70s and its head in the bone dry air of the present day. We want to try and get away from the traditional band format of the line across the stage. There are 12 notes in a scale and we intend to use most of them.”
In other news, we have already witnessed the worst album art of the year.
Austin Psych Fest 2013 Mix
Once again, Al Lover done a great with the official Austin Psych Fest Mix. The 2013 selection includes songs by Tinariwen, Acid Mothers Temple, White Fence, King Khan & the BBQ Show, Lumerians, Goat, and lots more artists appearing at this year’s fest. Stream or download the full set via Soundcloud. See below for the full tracklist.
The 6th annual Austin Psych Fest takes place April 26-28 at Carson Creek Ranch in Austin, TX. For those who have yet to attend, here’s an idea of what last year’s festival was like: Visions of Austin Psych Fest 2012.
Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Acid Mothers Temple – Chakra 24
3. Spectrum – How you Satisfy Me
4. The Soft Moon – Alive
5. Lumerians – Black Tusk
6. White Fence – It Will Never Be
7. Al Lover – Transcendence Alchemy Interlude
8. Black Bananas – It’s Cool
9. Dead Skeletons – Kingdom Of God
10. DIIV – Air Conditioning
11. King Khan & The BBQ Show – Mind, Body & Soul
12. Al Lover – Secret Plants Interlude
13. The Growlers – Sea Lion Goth Blues
14. Black Mountains – Mary Lou
15. Boris – Sweet No. 1
16. Goat – Goatman
17. Clinic – The Equalizer
18. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Red Eyes and Tears
19. The Black Angels – Bad Vibrations
20. Warpaint – Bees
21. Tinariwen – Imidiwan Winakalin
22. Deerhunter – Don’t Cry
23. Al Lover – The Great Self Interlude
24. Quintron & Miss Pussycat – Swamp Buggy Badass
25. The Warlocks – So Paranoid
26. Man or Astro-Man? – The Sound Waves Reversing
