Psych

New album: Dignan Porch || Electric Threads

By / / Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Psych / Leave a Comment

Ever since I discovered Dignan Porch’s Observatory LP (2014), I’ve had a soft spot for the eclectically melodic noise pop of the UK act. Essentially the brainchild of Joe Walsh (Manchester by-the-way of South London), Dignan Porch has built quite the discography in impressive DIY fashion. That spirit also applies to the new record Electric Threads, which Walsh mostly wrote, played and recorded himself. Walsh also made video’s for each of the songs on the record, which you can find here. Of course, DIY spirit is one thing, but can become particularly interesting and impressive depending on the quality of the output. Rest assured, from the opening strum of Pictures to the fading hiss of Ancestral Trail, Electric Threads is an interesting hunk of underground pop. I am choosing that broad description purposefully, because Dignan Porch has never been easy to bog down to one specific genre. Electric Threads has gorgeous heartbreakers, jangle, psych and noise poppers, and indie swooners as well. Meanwhile, the dreamy melodies have a timeless quality, kind of like a slow wave that lifts you up only to drop you off at the end with renewed energy and a fresh perspective.

Listening to Electric Threads brought me back to the excitement of discovering this band the first time round, it’s that good, it’s that inspired. Buy the LP through Safe Suburban Home (UK), Hidden Bay Records (EU) & Repeating Cloud (US).




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Hidden Bay || Repeating Cloud

New album: Soft On Crime || New Suite

By / / Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Power Pop, Psych / Leave a Comment

The debut from Dublin three-piece Soft On Crime was “rehearsed in a damp basement, recorded in a converted swimming pool, continued in the band members’ homes, and finished in a clandestine fifteen-minute visit to the music department of a nearby college.” Although we all are suckers for underdogs, you hardly need this backstory of headwinds, set-backs, and duct tape solutions to appreciate New Suite. What an extraordinary collection of songs!

Soft On Crime namedrops Soft Boys, Feelies, Vic Godard, Hüsker Dü as influences in the press release for New Suite, and on their early singles they also reference Superchunk, Pavement, Jawbreaker and even Marked Men. The good taste of the band translates to their music, which is at times jangly powerpop, at other time psych pop, indie rock, mod, and new wave. Never too polished, always melodic, Soft On Crime keeps you on your toes, constantly curious about what comes next. There are a lot of great ideas, and interesting musical parts on New Suite and their execution matches that ambition. Who dares to say that being Soft On Crime is ineffective is very wrong indeed.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Glyders || Maria’s Hunt

By / / Alternative Rock, Country & Folk, Psych / Leave a Comment

The cover art doesn’t give much away what to expect, but Glyders are a Chicago-based trio that turn up the heat with their neo-psychedelic Americana peppered with T. Rex influences. Their full-length debut LP Maria’s Hunt contains ten atmospheric songs, dreamy and mysterious – recorded analogue at home, classic quality. Josh Condon (vocals, guitar), Eliza Weber (bass) Joe Seger (drums) have created a wonderful album full of colorful music that could be the soundtrack of a road movie through the desert.

Maria’s Hunt is out now digitally, on cassette and vinyl LP through Country Thyme/Drag City Records. You can listen to the full album via Soundcloud and the streaming services. RILY The Stands’ All Years Leaving and The Wheels’ The Year Of The Monkey.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Drag City

New album: Kacimi || Couronne d’Eph​é​m​è​res

By / / Funk & Soul, Indie Pop, Psych / Leave a Comment

Alexis Kacimi is the owner of Le Pop Club Records, but he also writes and records music under his own (sur)name. His latest LP is Couronne d’Eph​é​m​è​res, where he joins forces with La Mécréance, a freakbeat combo from Geneva. The record starts off strongly with Monter Dans Le Ciel. The song is a psychedelic garage pop treat and a perfection entrance point to the varied bunch of songs. Kacimi et al touch many corners of ’60s and ’70s pop music on Couronne d’Eph​é​m​è​res, and offers a little bit for everyone and a lot for some. It is a seductive record that makes you bop your head, shake your hips, but also allows some quiet contemplation. It is out now on CD, Tape and vinyl through Le Pop Club.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Neverland Ranch Davidians || Neverland Ranch Davidians

By / / Garage Rock, Psych, Punk / Leave a Comment

Billed as “smoldering, psychotic R’n’B like the missing link between Blues Explosion, Suicide, and Stax Records,” here’s the self-titled debut album from the Neverland Ranch Davidians. (I think we can also safely mention The Dirtbombs and The Gun Club as reference names.) That the L.A. trio mixes punk, blues, rockabilly, psych and soul doesn’t say much in itself, it’s about the who and what. We’re talking about Tex Mosley (guitar, vocals), known from The Hangmen, Will Bentley (guitar, backing vocals) and Max Hagen (drums, backing vocals), and their sound is raw, primitive, distorted and authentic. They cover Link Wray (Butts In My Beer) and Ray Charles (I Believe to My Soul) in a creditable way, but the ten original songs here are even more powerful. As far as I’m concerned, Rat Patrol and Knee On My Neck stand out, respectively a garage rock banger with doo-wop influences and a blues rocker with a message, but actually the whole record is fascinating. Those heavy guitars and screamed lyrics – breathtaking.

Neverland Ranch Davidians is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP through Heavy Medication Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Heavy Medication

New album: CVC || Get Real

By / / Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Psych / 1 Comment

To start with the inevitable comparisons, fans of the records released by JJ Cale, Todd Rundgren and Steely Dan in the 70s will feel right at home with CVC‘s music. However, they are not a pastiche, but live up to the title of their varied debut album: Get Real. CVC, or Church Village Collective in full (named after their hometown in Wales), are a six-piece chamber psych outfit featuring Francesco Orsi (vocals), Ben Thorne (bass), David Bassey (guitar, vocals), Elliot Bradfield (guitar, vocals), Daniel ‘Nanial’ Jones (keys) and Tom Fry (drums). The twelve songs here (two already known from last year’s Real To Reel EP) are sunny, luscious and rousing, and sound as amazing and colorful as the band members look.

Get Real is streaming now and will also be available on cassette, CD and vinyl LP through CVC Recordings. Also available – exclusively from Rough Trade Shops – is a CD EP with four bonus tracks featuring CVC playing live cover versions as The RagTag Wedding Band, partying with AC/DC’s It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n’ Roll).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || CVC || Discogs || Rough Trade

Music Year-End List || Dennis’ Favorite Singles and EPs of 2022

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Funk & Soul, Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Power Pop, Psych, Punk / 3 Comments

We previously shared our lists of favorite albums – here‘s Niek’s and there‘s mine – but there were also some shorter format releases that I noted as wantlist worthy. Below you can listen to the Top 50 singles and EPs that I enjoyed the most last year – quite an eclectic selection, but imho all pretty cool. I’ve excluded releases with songs that also appear on my AOTY overview, and also left out individual songs. Links point to Discogs or Bandcamp (the headings), and to previously posted reviews (in the body text) – add to your wantlist (or collection) what you like!

…

Music Year-End List || Dennis’ Favorite Singles and EPs of 2022Read More »

New album: The Point. || Berto’s Banquet

By / / Funk & Soul, Garage Rock, Psych / Leave a Comment

Now this is an interesting release, showing that boundaries don’t really exist for gifted musicians. In the recent past Austin-based duo The Point delivered jazz fusion and blues inspired hip-hop beats, but now they take inspiration from Texas psych and garage rock, Peruvian chicha, dub reggae and funk. Jack Montesinos (guitar, vocals) and Joe Roddy (organ, synth bass) recorded their new mini-album Berto’s Banquet completely live, assisted by Alberto Telo on drums. That approach works out very well, because the 7 tunes here – less than 21 minutes – rock and swing like crazy. Although they incorporate lyrics from Leadybelly and Chance the Rapper in two tracks, this is authentic music – raw, exciting and energetic.

Berto’s Banquet, produced by Nico Leophonte and Alberto Telo, is out now digitally and on CD via Seeedy Jones.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

Music Year-End List || Niek’s Favorite Albums of 2022

By / / Alternative Rock, Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Power Pop, Psych, Punk / 6 Comments

While walking and wandering through the streets of my hometown a couple of weeks ago, I had an inner dialogue questioning the tradition of creating these end of the year lists. You see, when you are busy at work (as I was), it can almost start to feel like a chore (it kinda did); just another line on your to-do list. But then I started shuffling and cutting my longlist down to a Top 50. That became a reward in itself.  I had a blast revisiting and rediscovering all the great music that’s been released in 2022. Hindsight’s 20/20, but the process offered a reminder how initial scepticism can turn into an eternal spot in a record collection. And vice versa, how love at first sight ultimately was a crush at best. 

Below, you’ll find the 50 records that meant the most to me in 2022 (with 50 additional recommendations). They are the records that made my head bop, fueled my battery, and made me feel things. Above all, these are the records that fill me with gratitude to all the bands and labels involved. Thank you all for keeping underground music alive and kicking!

Looking for a quick way to check out the list? Check out this Spotify playlist. Also make sure to check out Dennis’ AOTY list – spoiler, my top 50 has 40+ different picks, which I think perfectly reflects the different sides of our site. Reminder: More lists are on their way.

…

Music Year-End List || Niek’s Favorite Albums of 2022Read More »

Scroll to Top