Review: Campus Christy is a new collaboration between Stones Throw Records founder Chris Manak (aka Peanut Butter Wolf) and musician Brian Ellis. Nearly 25 years after his 1999 debut My Vinyl Weighs a Ton, Manak revisits his high school garage band roots by forming this project to reinterpret lesser-known tracks from the late 60s to early 80s. With Manak on vocals and Ellis providing instruments, Campus Christy is a nostalgic nod to the past that blends influences from an era that shaped Manak's musical journey. It's both a personal tribute and a fresh exploration of forgotten gems.
Review: Hidden in the liner notes of Causa Sui's new live album lies an invitation to join the Danish purveyors of expansive psychedelic jams for a midnight feast at Copenhagen's legendary Loppen venue. Recorded in the heart of freetown Christiania, a place where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur like the edges of a particularly good dream, the band's performance is a testament to their two decades of sonic exploration. The setlist is a treasure trove for long-time fans, a heady mix of fan favourites and deep cuts, including the sprawling seven-part suite 'Visions of a New Horizon' - a track that unfolds like a sonic tapestry, weaving together psychedelic riffs, soaring melodies, and hypnotic rhythms. But the real highlight is a previously unreleased live rendition of 'Red Sun in June', where the band stretches out and explores their improvisational prowess, venturing into Grateful Dead-esque jams that could fill a stadium. Elsewhere, they channel the spirit of Miles Davis' electric period on 'The Spot', all jazzy interplay and free-flowing improvisation, before unleashing their inner Black Sabbath on the monstrous riffola of 'Soledad' and 'Boozehound'. This is Causa Sui at their most free-flowing and spontaneous, a band that's clearly as comfortable in the live setting as they are in the studio. It's a reminder that sometimes, the best music is the kind that's created in the moment.
Review: Primarily known for his sprawling LA-based psych/garage/punk/all of the above work as Osees aka Thee Oh Sees aka Oh Sees, John Dwyer links up with experienced percussionist Dave Barbarossa (Fine Young Cannibals, Adam & The Ants) for the retro bratty glam-punk experience of the year - Chime Oblivion. Their self-titled debut is packed full of squelchy synths, jagged minimalist guitar lines and high-pitched eccentric vocals, paying clear homage to classic acts such as The Slits and Bow Wow Wow. Chock full of bite-sized bangers including 'Neighbourhood Dog' and 'Kiss Her Or Be Her', both of which scoff at the notion of a three-minute track, this is retrofitted throwback dance-punk in the stylised era before it even had such a moniker.
Review: Author and musician Julian Cope, formerly of Teardrop Explodes, is a leftfield national treasure. His books contain some of the funniest and most imaginative stories ever printed and as a musician he is the essence of rock n' roll. This latest album - the follow-up to 2023's excellent Robin Hood - is Cope at his most melodic. It contains nods to the likes of spook rocker Joe Meek, Velvet Underground and Krautrock, with a smorgasbord of guitar tones, mellotron and loose Moe Tucker-esque drumming. Cope's lyrics, with plenty of humour and off-kilter references, are a joy to dive into as they're cloaked in some of the best music he's ever composed.
Review: Taking their cues and inspiration from their earlier peers in The Nomads, Stockholm, Sweden's psychedelic garage rockers Cornflake Zoo were active for a brief period in the mid to late-1980s, releasing just a small handful of singles and EPs during their short tenure. Knights Of Fuzz offers up a definitive compilation of the (unfairly) lesser-known garage gurus, including their Hey Conductor and Just A Game 7" singles, released in 1985 and 1987 respectively, while also featuring their 1986 The End Of The Beginning 12" EP in its entirety, along with a few unearthed bonus cuts for good measure. Jagged, bluesy, chaotic buzzing guitars twisted into jangle-pop refrains, Cornflake Zoo truly were the Scandinavian knights of fuzz that time forgot.
Review: Dantalian's Chariot was Zoot Money's brief foray into the psychedelic world, fronted by a young Andy Somers, later known as Andy Summers of The Police. This 1967 project emerged from the remnants of Zoot Money's r&b group, Zoot Money's Big Roll Band and ventured into the experimental sounds of the psychedelic era. The band's only single, 'Madman Running Through The Fields', became an underground classic, blending West Coast influences and trippy Eastern sounds with inventive use of backward tapes and a swirling organ. The album "Chariot Rising" encapsulates the spirit of British psychedelia, with tracks like 'Sun Came Bursting Through My Cloud' and 'Soma' that showcase sitar-driven melodies and hypnotic rhythms. The band's sound is an eclectic mix of fuzzed-out guitar, jazz-inflected organ, and light Eastern touches, clearly influenced by both the British underground scene and the West Coast of the US. Tracks like 'World War Three' and 'High Flying Bird' explore darker, socially-conscious themes while maintaining the colorful sonic palette that defines this album. Although Dantalian's Chariot disbanded after just one single and an unreleased album, this record offers a fascinating glimpse into the psychedelic era and demonstrates the raw creativity of its members. Chariot Rising stands as an essential artifact of late 1960s British psych-rock.
Review: Darkside - the duo of visionary producer Nicolas Jaar and guitarist Dave Harrington - have brought their touring drummer Tlacael Esparza into the recording process for this third album of theirs and he's now a full-time member. The songs for this album, which were recorded in Los Angeles, the south of France and Paris, came out of a series of improvisational jam sessions and they transport you into their swaggering and inventive universe where anything goes. The sheer joy of 'S.N.C' brings to mind Jaco Pastorius in terms of taking the bass guitar to new heights and the funk keyboard is a throwback to the 80s Casio era. 'Graucha Max' is a lot darker and twisted, delving into psychedelic rock with distorted lines, but then splicing it with sub-heavy bass that would ignite any club dancefloor. Darkside are right up there with the best the Los Angeles scene has to offer right now.
Review: Dead Meadow's latest offering marks a major leap forward for the legendary American psychedelic trio, blending their signature sound with new emotional depth. While their past albums have dazzled with expansive, mind-melting riffs and heavy cosmic grooves, this release brings a raw, introspective energy that highlights their lasting presence in the psych-rock world. Tracks like 'The Space Between' and 'A Wave Away' show the band experimenting with softer, more reflective moments, balancing their traditionally heavy sound with delicate, expansive textures. Drummer Mark Laughlin delivers some of his best performances yet, especially on 'Dead Tree Shake,' while the influence of late bassist Steve Kille is strongly felt throughout. His final contributions are heard in the powerful closing track, 'Voyager to Voyager,' where his artistry resonates deeply. This album proves Dead Meadow are evolving i not just in their sound, but in the essence of what continues to make them a standout act in modern psychedelic rock.
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