Bruxas - “Más Profundo” (2017) review

Bruxas’ debut EP, Más Profundo, is a psychedelic romp through bewitching Balearic house music. Portuguese for witches, Bruxas is enchanting yet playful. After performing as backup artists together, Jacco Gardner and Nic Mauscoviçunited in Portugal to form Bruxas, a duo inspired by Balearic house, ‘70s funk, and Brazilian tropicália. Jacco Gardner is a Dutch multi-instrumentalist known for his baroque psych pop, in a similar style to ‘60s classics like The Zombies and Sagittarius. Nic Mauscoviç is a producer, drummer, and DJ with a fondness for Latin music and Afrobeat.

Anti-Friends David Ivar Herman Dune and Jeffrey Lewis, Part One: On Bob Dylan

© Jeffrey Lewis

I forgot to make mention of the French band Herman Dune in that article, “How I Met Anti-folk”. At first, I thought Herman Dune was one guy’s name, then I learned it was a surname, and for a few weeks, I went around telling everyone, “They’re like the Van Halen of Switzerland,” having fallen prey myself to a common misunderstanding about the outfit. In an old interview in the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet Néman Herman Dune states unequivocally: “The band is French.” “Yes, the confusion about our origin is because people are good at making things up,” continues brother David Ivar Herman Dune, in the same mossy article: “And we have never fought the rumors. I lived in the U.S.A. for a while, and all of a sudden the band was American.” I thought they were Swiss because one of their albums is titled Swiss Heritage. “Coffee and Fries,” one of the songs on that disc, is one of my favorites. Another Herman Dune diamond, “Your Name/My Game”, from an album called Giant, narrating the singular experience of love from the alternating perspectives of a baboon that no one can tame, and the crowd at the game, and the scientists who feel no shame, all “shouting your name” in that way big feelings have of seeming universal to all people and places, and even how the weather feels when you’re in love, closes gracefully with David Ivar’s decision, “Let’s call it a song.” I also forgot to mention Defiance, Ohio in that article, an anti-folk band named after their hometown who came to prominence during Bush II’s tenure as a modernized form of the same energy put across by progenitors Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. They may never even have claimed anti-folk, but their souped-up acoustic approach on “Share What Ya Got” made me think of them as a likely example.

Hiele Martens - “Lips” (2017) review

Hiele Martens - Lips (Ultra Eczema, 2017)

Dennis Tyfus must have a short concentration span because the best Ultra Eczema releases are the single sided LPs: Marcel Van Maele, Georg Toet Smits, Blaastaal, and this one by Hiele Martens. 

Hiele Martens is the duo of Roman Hiele and Lieven Martens. The music they make together sounds pretty random at first. The same impression you got when you first listen to a Spencer Clark record: as if there’s been spreading around with the sound in a nonchalant and playful way. In Hiele Marten’s case: often ‘little sounds’, ‘small sounds’, non-sounds, maybe. Everyday sounds brought together in a non-academic way. So yes, you could see Roman Hiele and Lieven Martens as a younger version of Adam and Jonathan Bohman. Or as a double version of Idm Theft Able. Or as a duo version of Dinosaurs With Horns. That all would make sense, after a first brief listen. 

The War on Drugs - “A Deeper Understanding” (2017) review

The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding (Atlantic, 2017)

With summer winding down there’s nothing like something exceptional to move you into the fall, and carry a bit of that August warmth through the winter … hence the fourth album from War On Drugs A Deeper Understanding, which is a forward looking intoxicating step into the future with just enough of those elegant sonically laden guitar chords you’ve come to know and love to hold your attention as you once again get lost in the dreams of Adam Granduciel and his merry band of top notch pranksters.

The 2017 Royal Room Psychedelic Festival Day One: 1967

The 2017 Royal Room Psychedelic Festival Day One: 1967

Seattle, Thursday 6 July

John Coltrane Expression

For 2017, the Royal Room Psychedelic Festival focused on themes for each of its four days over the weekend of Thursday-Sunday July 6-9. The theme for Day One was the year 1967, the first set John Coltrane’s final album Expression. The group who performed what was perhaps Coltrane’s most adventurous studio recording consisted of players who have set the standard for creative jazz in the Northwest through painfully hard work over many years: Neil Welch – saxophones, flutes and small percussion; Dick Valentine – saxophones and flutes; Carol Levin – harp; Ryan Kotler – bass; and Gregg Keplinger – drums and small percussion.

Bad Liquor Pond - “Let the River Come” / “Electric Splash” (2009) review

Released in 2009, “Let The River Come” is the only bit of wax you’re ever going to get from the now defunct Bad Liquor Pond, which is still available on their Bandcamp shop; and vanishing quickly. With the flip side “Electric Splash” being found on their most profound album Blue Smoke Orange Sky [which is out of print], this single in many ways can be seen as a prelude to that album, and encompasses all of the hazy reverb soaked deliciousness you could possibly hope for.

Humble Pie - “Official Bootleg Box Set Volume 1” (2017) review

“A great document of a great band at its very best: LIVE”

Humble Pie “Official Bootleg Box Set Volume 1” (Cherry Red Records, 2017)

Gathered from various sources by drummer Jerry Shirley, Official Bootleg Series Box Set Volume 1 is a wonderful 3 CD collection of bootlegged recordings by one of the best bands to see live in the 1970s. To make it even more special all these recordings are taken from the band’s heyday 1972-1974 and includes tracks taken from four of their most memorable gigs. Originally formed by members coming from legendary British bands, Humble Pie was indeed a most formidable force to reckon with in concert and this, its definitive lineup, rarely, if ever, failed to impress the audience.

Heirs Of Fortune - “Circus Of Mirth” (2017) review

Heirs Of Fortune - Circus Of Mirth (Counterfeit Records, 2017)

Prior to the birth of Heirs Of Fortune, Terry Carolan (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums) and Robert Woodrich (vocals, bass) played in a pair of noted bands, Just Boys and New Movies, while Ralph Smith (vocals, guitar, keyboards) and Robert Watkins (bass) were members of the equally praised Amnesia. With so much talent occupying a single space, it’s only expected Heirs Of Fortune would produce something special.

Collector’s corner: René Debot

René Debot is owning some of the most unique records ranging from obscure experimental music to underground German rock.

Do you remember your first record?

My first records was a present from my parents in 1968 together with my first record player. They were 2 singles which were in the pop charts at that time. Yes I remember exactly. It was ‘Congratulation’ from Cliff Richard which was at that moment second on the Eurovision Song Contest in London, UK. The other single I got was from Johan Stolz - ‘Concerto voor Natasha’ which was a popular song in the hit charts from Flanders.

New Moon Rising - “Bohemia Nervosa” (2014) review

New Moon Rising - Bohemia Nervosa (2014)

https://newmoonrising.bandcamp.com/releases

Literally stumbling across New Moon Rising’s song “Child Of The Moon”, I was instantly rocked back by this gracious little neo-psychedelic track filled with wasted longing and inspired couch-bound intoxication. The track is filled with lovely harmonies that are sonically interwoven with meandering guitar work that ebbs lusciously forward, where they create a superb wake & bake number that will ride effortlessly in your back pocket, a song sounding fresh, yet inspired from the late 60's & early 70’s, and at over nine minutes, will certainly give you every reason to drift.

MSB - “Nope” (2017) review

MSB - Nope (2017)

https://brownbass.bandcamp.com/album/nope

The appearance of jazz in the early 1900s – with its inconsistency-as-structure whereby uncertain melodic propositions are driven to ideal resolution via brave curiosity and explorative interest pursuing the line of inquiry and expression, with Trust or Bust and lack of ego to ensure its accuracy - might be seen as symptomatic of a societal communication breakdown, not a dysfunction but an adaptation to generalized psychoemotional fragmentation after the First World War.