Pontiak - Living [2010]

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Sleepy Sun - Fever [2010]

OPENING an album with a track that sounds more like it should be a centrepiece is already par for the course for San Franciscan psych prog-rockers Sleepy Sun. The sextet did it on their debut album of last year, Embrace, with seven-minute opener New Age and  on their second release, Fever, they again make it clear from the outset that they like to think big.

Opening six-minute song Marina weaves distorted guitar lines through dreamy, cavernous verses, impassioned vocal harmonies and primal drum breakdowns. At times Sleepy Sun recalls the melodic, searing power of the Smashing Pumpkins’ Gish album as they move from the more aggressive and fuzzy-edged soundscapes of Embrace, which probably had more in common with Monster Magnet.

On songs such as the percussionless drone of Acid Love and the sleepy Desert God, the whiff of patchouli, or something stronger, is never too far away. The nine-minute closer, Sandstorm Woman, travels a predictable path from a quiet intro to a clamorous wig-out finale, but otherwise Fever shows an expanded palette from Embrace. A fair bet they’d be a mind-blowing live band.
smh.com.au
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Tame Impala - Innerspeaker [2010]

From the Vines to Wolfmother to Jet, recent Aussie rock exports have been painfully indebted to arena rock-- quick to recycle a sound but rarely succeeding in revitalizing it. Perth three-piece Tame Impala play with some of the ingredients of arena rock as well but do so in aid of more leftfield, organic sounds and interesting excursions. The result is a cleanly executed and frequently dazzling debut: Innerspeaker is a psychedelia-heavy outing that toys with paisley pop, stoner vibes, and an expansive array of swirling guitars.
On first listen, Innerspeaker provides a lot of dots to connect: There are patches of late-60s American psychedelia, buzzy Motor City riffage, and decades of British pop, ranging from the pastoral pop of the Kinks to the vivid expansiveness of the Verve to the narcotic warmth of the Stone Roses. Frontman Kevin Parker shares an eerie vocal similarity with John Lennon, both in tone and in the way he allows his voice to soar with each melodic turn or rhythmic surge. Though most of the album is a little restrained lyrically, Parker's rapturous phrasing conveys the meaning. Mixed by Flaming Lips collaborator Dave Fridmann, each component is here is set on an even plane, allowing bass lines and delay-swept guitar bursts to melt into one another, cultivating a uniform feel that's vintage, far-out, and irrepressibly cool.
By all accounts, fixing their gaze so intently on established influences should play as either disingenuous or forced. It's difficult to be so plugged-in to a vintage feel without the music seeming time-capsuled, but the band's vibrance help these songs sound very much alive. Tame Impala aren't taking a purely revisionist approach-- you aren't left with a feeling that their intention was recreate some lost Love demo or an Jimi Hendrix Experience deep cut. If anything, their record points to some of the same roads traveled recently by bands like Animal Collective or Liars, but dials back the eccentricities and difficulty level, leaning on the guitar rather than electronics, and focusing their efforts through more traditional pysch-rock prisms. They aren't as adventurous as their more offbeat peers, but because of their lazer-guided hooks and tangible pleasures, they might wind up reaching more people.
This is very much an album's album-- it sounds best as a piece, where you can get lost in its heady expanse. With the kaleidoscopic stereo-panning on "Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind?" or the maddening stomp on "Bold Arrow of Time", Innerspeaker demonstrates a subtle yet encompassing sense of control, never obstructing the grander motifs while still offering a variety of odd details that guide you back to the album's hooks. There aren't any standout singles on Innerspeaker in the sense that it's unlikely that people are going to be asking you to throw on certain tracks by name (though if in a pinch, "Expectation" and "Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind?" should suffice nicely). But when an album is able to tinker with and update familiar textures and moods without blurring the lines too much or just plain overdoing it, you can believe that psych fans will be asking for it to be thrown on regardless. If you're smart, you'll oblige them.
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ONEIDA - EACH ONE TEACH ONE [2002]

"Combining '70s-style sludge/stoner rock with arty, new wave punk and Krautrock's penchant for effective use of repetition, Each One Teach One shows Oneida both branching out and refining their already unique style of heavy rock. Disc one of this double-disc set features two lengthy songs. The first, "Sheets of Easter," tests the listener's patience by repeating a single brain-pummeling riff for over 14 minutes. "Antibiotics," the other song on disc one, features slightly more variation and a herky-jerky rhythm that isn't quite as abusive on the ears, though it does go on for more than 16 minutes. This might be a little much for the uninitiated, but anyone acclimated to the early works of Can or Amon Düül II will find merit in these two songs. If not, however, there's still disc two. Containing seven shorter songs, the second disc can easily stand alone as a complete listening experience. The title track starts things off with a simple but effective riff that explodes into a screeching swirl of keyboard effects. "People of the North," which first appeared on Anthem of the Moon, is presented here in a more polished and concise form, with a heavy space dub feel to it. "Sneak Into the Woods" slows things down with a grimy, sinister keyboard riff, and "Rugaru" plays up the band's tribal element with distant chanting atop simple percussion and toy piano. "Black Chamber" keeps this tribal vibe going while pulling it together into a more coherent song with great surrealistic lyrics (sample: "I heard them talk about me but my ears turned into jewels"). The instrumental "No Label" rounds out the album with a shambling junkyard gamelan dirge. Viewing their albums as a continuum, Each One Teach One is a bold but logical next step for Oneida. The essential sound is familiar, but the qualities setting them apart have come together in new and interesting ways." AMG
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THE FLAMING LIPS - THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON [2009]

"According to an L.A. Times report, the Flaming Lips are set to follow-up their life- (and death)-affirming LP Embryonic with a full-album redo of Pink Floyd's gazillion-selling 1973 psych-rock classic Dark Side of the Moon.
The Lips version of Dark Side is a collaboration with the band Stardeath and White Dwarfs (which includes Wayne Coyne's nephew Dennis Coyne as a member), and features guest spots from Henry Rollins and Peaches. It will most probably be an iTunes-only release.
The announcement was made last night during a Q&A session with fans at a MySpace show last night at L.A.'s Nike/Ricardo Montalbán Theater.
Other tidbits revealed: While Embryonic was the final album of the Flaming Lips' current contract with Warner Bros., they plan on sticking with the label for future releases.
Also, the video for "Watching the Planets" features a nude Wayne Coyne (as well as a bunch of nude bikers). The internet's not ready." PITCHFORK
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DEAD MEADOW - FEATHERS [2005]

"Just as Shivering King and Others was a departure from Dead Meadow's earlier work, their fourth album (and first as a quartet), Feathers, is another evolution in the band's sound. It's perhaps the most polarized-sounding Dead Meadow album yet: a few songs that recall the densely heavy trippiness of their older work, but many more are restrained and almost poppy, pushing the boundaries of the band's music. Feathers' clean production also emphasizes its duality; somehow, the psychedelic smoke swirling around tracks like "Let It All Pass" seems even thicker, while the pretty melodies and jangly guitars on "Stacy's Song" and "Such Hawks Such Hounds" make them sound like folk songs gone vaguely acid rock. Jason Simon's vocals are also much more prominent on Feathers than on any of Dead Meadow's previous albums, and tracks like the slow, strutting "Get Up On Down" sound more like typical stoner rock because of it. Though Feathers' restrained sound seems counterintuitive to the strengths the band showed on albums like Howls From the Hills and Shivering King, more often than not it works. The aforementioned "Such Hawks Such Hounds" still has plenty of Dead Meadow's eerie intensity, and "At Her Open Door" finds the perfect balance between this album's polish and the power of the band's earlier material. The song is downright pretty at the beginning, with slippery guitars that sound oddly Western and Polynesian at the same time; it gradually becomes trippier and takes flight around the four-minute mark, when Dead Meadow's trademark wah-wah pedals come into play. Feathers' second half features more of the heaviness that fans have come to expect, particularly on the final track, "Through the Gates of the Sleepy Silver Door," which closes the album with a nod to the first track on their 2001 self-titled debut album and 15 minutes of heavy but spacious sludge rock. "Eyeless Gaze All Eye/Don't Tell the Riverman," meanwhile, boasts both a lumbering, Sabbath-esque riff and nimble solos along with dreamy slide guitar interludes. This is a subdued, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling kind of album, and coming after the majestic peaks and valleys of Shivering King and Others it initially feels a little disappointing. However, after a few listens, Feathers reveals its own, mellower pleasures, as well as Dead Meadow's versatility." AMG

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THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE - WHO KILLED SGT. PEPPER? [2009]

"The Brian Jonestown Massacre was formed in San Francisco in 1990. The band has had over 40 members since then, but its driving force and main songwriter is Anton Newcombe. Prominent ex-members included Matt Hollywood, Dean Taylor, Jeff Davies, Brian Glaze, and Joel Gion. Their sound is heavily influenced by the psychedelic sounds of the 1960s, but also carries influences from shoegaze, jangle pop, garage rock, and lo-fi sonorities. The band is probably most famous from their mid-90s friendship/rivalry with The Dandy Warhols, and ensuing documentary, DiG!.
Over its decade-long history, the band has undergone a large number of personnel changes. Multi-instrumentalist and main songwriter Anton Newcombe is the only member who has stayed with the Brian Jonestown Massacre since its beginning, when it was founded by Newcombe, tambourine player Joel Gion (who stayed with him the longest), and guitarist/bassist/vocalist Matt Hollywood. There are at least two dozen musicians who have been in the BJM at one point or another.
Ex-members include: guitarist Jeff Davies; Matt Hollywood, a founding member of Portland band The Out Crowd; Peter Hayes, founding member of San Francisco rock trio Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; Joel Gion, a founding member of San Francisco band, The Dilettantes; Rob Campanella, a Los Angeles producer and engineer who has worked with The Tyde, Beachwood Sparks, Dead Meadow, Mia Doi Todd, Frausdots, Scarling., and his band The Quarter After; Bobby Hecksher, founding member of Los Angeles band The Warlocks; solo recording artist Miranda Lee Richards; Matt Tow, founding member of the Australian band The Lovetones." LAST.FM

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THE TERMINALS - TOUCH [1992]

"The original Terminals are a moody, swampy, dark rock band from New Zealand. Working from memory, the Terminals have shared members with Dadamah, Flies Inside The Sun, Victor Dimisich Band, the Renderers, and others of the Xpressway/Flying Nun universe. The early Terminals releases are fairly poppy (e.g. “Frozen Car”), though the darkness begins to emerge with “Disconnect” and then dominates subsequent releases on Xpressway, Raffmond, and Siltbreeze. Standout songs include “Native Waiter,” “Deadly Tango,” and a cover of Roxy Music’s “Both Ends Burning.” All the “similar artists” references on Last.FM are to this version of the Terminals.
There is apparently another, newer Terminals — a punk rock band from Lincoln, Nebraska, signed to Boomchick Records, and consisting of: Dave G- Vox, Guitar, Drums, Keys/Organ. LizHitt - Vox, Guitar, Drums, Keys/Organ. Brooks - Vox, Guitar, Drums. One commenter suggests “they will surely rock your face off.”

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PONTIAK - SEA VOIDS [2009]

"Baltimore/Virginia-based trio Pontiak is comprised of multi-instrumentalist brothers Van (guitar, vocals), Jennings (bass, keyboards, vocals), and Lain (drums, vocals) Carney. To date, the prolific Pontiak’s releases - two EPs, two full lengths (“Valley of Cats” and “Maker”) and a mini-LP, “Sun on Sun” have been self-produced, moody slabs of guitar-based rock. The band has grown heavier with each record; “Sun on Sun” can fairly be called a hybrid of classic- and stoner-rock, with songs running into 10-minute territory and extended instrumental breaks. 2009’s “Maker” is even heavier, noisier, and packs a Texas-sized wallop. Both of the band’s more widely-distributed records, “Sun on Sun” and “Maker,” have been critically well-received." LAST.FM

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NAAM - KINGDOM [2009]

"One of the newest signings to Tee Pee, Naam is a three-piece band from Brooklyn whose blissed-out jam-heavy pyschedella is spot lighted on the 11 minute “Kingdom”. For fans of Dead Meadow, Grails, Sleep." LAST.FM

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ANCESTORS - OF SOUND MIND [2009]

"Los Angeles-based heavy-psych quartet Ancestors have, as their name suggests, thoroughly absorbed the work of their late-'60s and early-'70s forebears. They tend to go for a doomy, psychedelic sound reminiscent of Deep Purple, Meddle-era Pink Floyd and Uriah Heep rather than the amped-up stomp of Grand Funk Railroad or Hawkwind's spacy explorations. Their first release, Neptune with Fire, contained only two songs in just under 40 minutes, and was more about mood than aggressive forward movement. This follow-up, quite clearly designed to be heard on double-vinyl as it includes four lengthy pieces, features as much organ as guitar, and the vocals are sometimes a hoarse roar and other times are delivered in a group singalong style that recalls rock bands affiliated with cults, like Ya Ho Wha 13. The drums even have that early-'70s cardboard-box sound. The long tracks are bracketed by short fragments: "Not the Last Return" is 90 seconds of aimless piano, while "A Friend" offers three minutes of synth squiggles and drones leading into the nearly 18-minute "The Trial," which starts off a Floydian guitar jam and becomes almost Mastodon-heavy toward the end. Another piano piece, this one over six minutes long, introduces the album's final cut, the aggressive "The Ambrose Law," a very Uriah Heep-like rave-up that takes the disc out on a high note. Though there are no new ideas here, Ancestors have cherry-picked the best ones from 35 years ago, and longhairs who think rock music's been on a downward slide since 1975 will love this album." AMG

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NAAM - NAAM [2009]

"One of the newest signings to Tee Pee, Naam is a three-piece band from Brooklyn whose blissed-out jam-heavy pyschedella is spot lighted on the 11 minute “Kingdom”. For fans of Dead Meadow, Grails, Sleep." LAST.FM

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MORKOBOT - MOSTRO [2006]

"Since the dawn of the first galaxies the voice of MORKOBOT resounded solemn over the saturated atmospheres of the planets in evolution. Dominator of the magnetic strengths and ancestral regulator of the conscience flows, Morkobot has returned to the Earth through his three messengers LIN,LAN,LEN brutally subdued to his will. On our planet MORKOBOT manifests himself through sonic experimentations that humans call music. Morkobot pervades the darkened minds of LIN,LAN,LEN conducting their notes in sadistic consequential deliriums. come to feed you with the supreme verb! LIN, LAN, LEN." LAST.FM

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BORIS WITH MICHIO KURIHARA - RAINBOW [2006]

"As longtime Boris fans can attest, you can always expect to be surprised by the Japanese trio. On the heels of Pink, the band's straightforwardly eager garage burner, a resurfaced Dronevil emerged, followed by Altar, their swirling/droning/drum-soloing collaboration with Sunn0))) and friends. Now Boris have thrown another curve ball with Rainbow, their collaboration with Michio Kurihara. The seminal psych guitarist played with PSF legends White Heaven, helped Damon & Naomi reach an apex, and continues shredding in Ghost. So, basically, the collection finds a few of Japan's most consistently face-melting, soul-stirring artists intersecting. They land near the late 1960s then continue onward, radiating a dusky Siltbreeze sound, Kurihara expanding Boris' reach with his gauzy, moody, fretwork.
Pink's just about always described as a rock'n'roll album (see above), but despite the critical frame, a certain strain of Jesu and Ride fans pointed toward the opener, "Farewell", as the album's sublime apex. If you're in that hanky-holding camp, Rainbow should be a treat: It not only revisits that shoegaze moment, but also includes lounge weirdness, toy-box balladry, and moody, stringed pyrotechnics. Throughout, the addition of Kurihara staggers: Opener "Rafflesia" takes what "Farewell" did so well, but pushes it even further, Kurihara managing to nail stars with hypnotic tone-benders.
There are other new sounds: Guitarist Wata handles vocals on the slinky title track. "Starship Narrator" takes off Siamese Dream-style, locating a bluesy guitar scorch before it dries out amid a flood of Can-loving amplifier worship. Continuing the haze in a gentler realm, a Loren Connors-esque guitar unwinds to full flutter on the moving, all too brief "My Rain", with tape-noise lapping up the dampness in the background.
The closest we come to Ghost's fathomless psych-folk is "Shine", its troubadour rattle eventually blooming into a somber, echo-chambered sound. There's a depth to the production here that's quite different from the upfront immediacy of Pink. Helping slightly to warm the vibe, "You Laughed Like a Water Mark" seduces downcast, stoner-friendly, monotone psychedelic rock: Kurihara's guitar steamrolls as the song continues its seven minutes, ending in a flurry, even as the rest of the band maintains a consistent doze. The hazy "Fuzzy Reactor" would've made an excellent finale: With its unidentified wind source and backward tape, it sounds like a retreat.
Inevitably, Boris keep pushing: "Sweet No. 1" closes this quiet-is-the-new-loud ramble with a rock dervish. It starts slow (much of it feels more like a strum exercise) before a stutter-step guitar strut. But this isn't Comets on Fire: It's burnt, damp, and saturated. Thing is, it also seems a bit unnecessary. And it's a solid track-- don't misunderstand-- but it comes across like a party crasher, drowning out the slow-release of what came before, only to return to the quiet toy-box mini-orchestra outro, "...And, I Want".
sick of Boris? It's easy to feel worn out amid the big-time magazine features, hectic release schedule, and endless touring (and, well, seemingly endless live sets-- sorry folks)? I was almost at the end of my own Boris rope, but Rainbow gave me a jolt, sounding a lot like something that would've set up camp on my turntable a dozen years ago when I memorized those Forced Exposure catalogues. It's vintage and totally invigorating. The immediate Pink punk-slap isn't here, but where the former nails one hue and keeps running with it, I can imagine this new, deeper set keeping me cozy for years to come. It's already eerily familiar." PITCHFORK

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不失者 (FUSHITSUSHA) - LIVE I PSF 3-4 [1989]

"Japanese guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist Keiji Haino had been a prominent figure in the Tokyo underground since the mid-'70s before forming this incredible group that stands as one of Japan's most inventive and extraordinary and powerful groups of the era. Their work draws on noise,rock, free improvisation, and psychedelia, yet they sculpt their group sound in a fashion that their music is relative to few forms. In fact, the sound of Fushitsusha could best be described as contemporary Japanese music as some of their modalities and vigorous improvisational manner reflects the Japanese folk and traditional formulas. On the other hand, the electricity and refined indulgence of their feedback drenched albums and live concerts bares similarities to early Sonic Youth and the Swans, yet is as challenging as avant-garde improvisation. Sonny Sharrock's Black Woman and Peter Brötzmann's Machine Gun are good points of reference, as are Captain Beefheart, Guru Guru, or even Can..." AMG

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SUMA - LET THE CHURCHES BURN [2006]

"The band moved into really heavy, bombastic sounding psych. Huge monumental sound picture, glancing at aspects of drone as well as noisier sludge and keeping some of the razor riffage. They practically forged a sound completely of their own, becoming one of the most interesting bands of contemporary experimental music. Maybe the most legible difference apart from the style adjustment is singer Jovan’s development. This guy can move mountains with his breath and fits the concept perfectly. The heavy effects laid over his voice make the sound trance like. Another fact contributing to this mammoth of an album, also a clearly important one, was that SUMA managed to get fresh ideas into the production by collaborating with engine ear/producer extra ordinaire Billy Anderson. His touch is noticeable throughout the album, but never takes over. A perfect match. The band come to their right when they improvise, jam it up in lengthy sound travels…through outer and inner space, hypnotizing you, making you forget everything else." LAST.FM

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BUTTHOLE SURFERS - LOCUST ABORTION TECHNICIAN [1987]

"The aural equivalent of a nightmarish acid trip and arguably the band's best album (or worst, depending on your point of view), Locust Abortion Technician tops the psychedelic, artsy sonic experimentation of Rembrandt Pussyhorse while keeping one foot planted firmly in the gutter. The record veers from heavy Sabbath sludge (even parodying that band on "Sweat Loaf") to grungy noise rock to progressive guitar and tape effects to almost folky numbers in one big, gloriously schizophrenic mess. Gibby Haynes debuts his "Gibbytronix" vocal effects unit here as well. " AMG

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BORIS - SMILE LIVE AT WOLF CREEK [2008]

"Boris are known to regularly switch musical genres between albums. Drawing from a wide variety of musical styles including psychedelic rock, punk, sludge, doom, minimalism, drone and more. Boris takes its name from a song on Bullhead by Melvins. They made their first recorded appearance on an obscure 1994 compilation entitled Take Care of Scabbard Fish, released only in Japan and now out of print. Absolutego, their full-length debut, came out in 1996 on the band’s own Fangs Anal Satan imprint but was unavailable in the U.S. for years, a situation that was remedied when the Los Angeles-based Southern Lord label reissued the album in early 2001 along with a bonus track and new packaging. Their next album, Amplifier Worship, came out on the Mangrove label in 1998 and was also unavailable in the U.S. for several years; San Francisco’s Man’s Ruin had planned to reissue it in the fall of 2001, but the label folded before that could happen. 1998 also saw the release of the Boris/Keiji Haino collaboration, a live disc entitled Black: Implication Flooding, which came out on Japan’s Inoxia Records." LAST.FM

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MAINLINER - MELLOW OUT [1996]

"Pyschedelic acid noise-band from Tokyo. Trio composed of Asahito Nanjo, Kawabata Makoto and Koji Shimura. Terminally fuzzed-out and distorted, earth moving riffage and shrieking, eviscerating extended solos with sheer brute force." LAST.FM

SIMILAR/RELATED: HIGH RISE, FUSHITSUSHA, MUSICA TRANSONIC, WHITE HEAVEN, LES RALLIZES DENUDES, KOUSOKUYA, LES RALLIZES DÉNUDÉS

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THE PSYCHIC PARAMOUNT - GAMELAN INTO THE MINK SUPERNATURAL [2005]

"With the demise of Laddio Bolocko, guitarist Drew St. Ivany and bassist Ben Armstrong felt the need to pursue further musical endeavors, and in 2002 formed the avant-garde, post-rock psych outfit the Psychic Paramount. Based in New York, the pair began work on acoustic recordings before taking the plunge on a quickly put together European tour shortly after forming. A drummer -- Tatsuya Nakatani -- was roped in for the gigs, and off they went. The tour was a success, not just in helping the outfit hone its skills, but -- mainly -- in that the Psychic Paramount came back with a live CD ready to go. The live debut, Live 2002: The Franco-Italian Tour, was released on Bewilderment and Illumination, and was paired with a handful of Super 8 footage, and would see release in 2005. While the live record wasn't technically the first official release for the Psychic Paramount -- they had already put out Origins and Primitives, Vol. 1 -- the live offering would be their first real statement of intent. Unfortunately, Nakatani left the group soon after returning from the European jaunt, and was replaced by Sabers drummer Jeff Conaway. With the new roster in place, the Paramount entered the studio to work on 2005's Gamelan into the Mink Supernatural, which would eventually see release on No Quarter. In 2006, that same label reissued the band's Origins and Primitives release, adding on a volume 2, and putting it out on vinyl and CD. In 2007, the Psychic Paramount was found touring the United States with fellow avant-rockers Trans Am. " AMG

SIMILAR/RELATED: LADDIO BOLOCKO, HIGH RISE, BLUES CONTROL, RACCOO-OO-OON, NOXAGT, PSYCHIC ILLS, FUSHITSUSHA

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