Psych

New album: Tashaki Miyaki || Castaway

By / / Indie Pop, Psych / Leave a Comment

Contrary to what their Japanese sounding name might suggest, Tashaki Miyaki is an indie rock band with “California kids” who have been playing dreamy, hazy, melodic shoegaze / psych pop for 10 years. Their new album, Castaway, has 11 original songs about love, memory and time. “Give me a reason to cry // It’s been so long since I had feeling // I don’t remember why I do anything // What am I doing here” – those are the first lines you’ll hear in the title track with which the record opens, lyrics that say a lot about this record. The band members search for meaning, as we might all do in 2021, and that doesn’t lead to unambiguous findings; when they sing about Good Times there is a dark edge to it, and doubts are expressed with I Feel Fine. The cinematic songs seem sweet and soothing at first hearing, but turn out to be exciting and ominous at the same time. Although they are dreamy, they are never dull; before your attention can wane, there’s a guitar riff or vocal harmony that will keep you on your toes. This album is a cool one, stylish in every way, an image enhanced by some videos. Watch and listen below to convince yourself.

Castaway is out now digitally and on vinyl LP through Metropolis Records. RIYL Still Corners, Mazzy Star, Dum Dum Girls. Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Metropolis

New album: Las Penas | Sin Dolor

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

Las Penas are a trilingual (Spanish, French & English) 5-piece from the San Sebastian region in Spain. The band’s psychgarage sound is informed by a love of ’60s and ’70s music. The eleven cuts (10 originals and one cover of No Exit by the Grassroots) on Sin Dolor are short, sweet, and make it near impossible to sit still. What makes Las Penas particularly stand out is their knack for writing strong melodies and memorable choruses.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Leopardo || Malcantone

By / / Country & Folk, Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Jangle Pop, Psych, Punk / Leave a Comment

If you have some time to spare for a record that upon multiple listens will ultimately grow on you and get under your skin, would you be interested in such delayed rewards? I am talking about Malcantone from Leopardo, which is a delightfully weird yet strangely accessible record. It’s the kind of record I did not expect to write about, but somehow I keep returning to. It’s also the kind of record I lack the vocabulary for to explain in full. Leopardo are from Schwitzerland, but they may just as well reside in the Chelsea Hotel (NYC) in the seventies. Comparing Leopardo to Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground is kinda lazy, but it also kinda makes sense. Malcantone is an eclectic mix of styles, including folk (Malcantone, Bitter Man), psych (Country Side Love, Hardship), punk (Tell Me, I Belong To You), garage (Put Me In Jail), and rock-‘n’- roll (Throwback in The Snow). I was quick to dismiss this record and I was wrong.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Feel It Records || SDZ Records || Le Pop Club 

New album: Die Mädchen || Wenn die Gesellschaft​.​.​.

By / / Indie Rock, Psych / Leave a Comment

To be honest, I don’t really speak the German language, but sometimes it adds a dimension to music. For example, imho David Bowie’s Heroes gained eloquence when he performed it in German (“Und wir sind dann Helden // Für einen Tag”). That said, I don’t understand most of what Die Mädchen (translated: the girls) sing and shout on their album Wenn die Gesellschaft​.​.​. (translated: ‘when the company…’), but it does get to me. The mysterious punk / krautrock / electronic artist group from Düsseldorf is inspired by the music of Kraftwerk, NEU! and CAN, but they translated that into an original sound of their own. Electronic noise isn’t necessarily a bad thing, when it’s blended so well with strong guitar, organ and drums structures and fascinating vocals. These eight songs are about solidarity, empathy, freedom and education – this is political rock that wants to change society. Die Mädchen in the role of heroes?

Out now digitally and on vinyl LP. Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Supreme Joy || Joy

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

Supreme Joy is a new project of Ryan Wong which allows him to be a bit more experimental than in his work with his main band Cool Ghouls. On Supreme Joy’s 8-song debut Joy, Wong expertly blends psych pop, surf and garage influences to create a record that oozes nostalgia and melancholy. Body Contact by Supreme Joy is a smash hit and given its topic an instant quarantine classic. It’s a perfect guitar driven garage pop track that I can keep on playing. RIYL Woolen Men, Sonny And The Sunsets.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Horseloverfat || Greetings From Nowhere

By / / Country & Folk, Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Psych, Punk / Leave a Comment

Horseloverfat is an unusual name. That also applies to their music, which is all over the place and kinda awesome. The band from Italy self-desribes as “a psichedelic (sic) krautrock group, a transnational and stateless parody that encompasses all without regards to purism and coherence.” On their new record Greetings From Nowhere, Horseloverfat goes from postpunk to psychedelic to protopunk to country to kraut to glam in their songs. Somehow, the band manages to pull it off without creating a unlistenable mess. They recorded Greetings From Nowhere in March in an old school fashion: as a live band, and with limited digital intereference. The result is a time portal to the music of the ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s. Step in, if you’d like!



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: The Haunted Youth || Coming Home

By / / Jangle Pop, Psych / 1 Comment

Belgian psych / dream pop band The Haunted Youth plays jangly shoegaze music that gets under your skin. Their debut single Teen Rebel from early this year was good, but follow-up track Coming Home is even better (the accompanying video fits the sound perfectly – watch below). What a mesmerizing and addictive song! If Joachim Liebens (vocals / guitars), Hanne Smets (keys), Tom Stokx (guitars), Nick Caers (drums), and Stef Castro (bass) could maintain this level, how good would a full-length album be? RIYL The War On Drugs, DIIV, Craft Spells.

Out now digitally via Mayway Records. Add to wantlist: Bandcamp 

New album: Night Beats || Outlaw R&B

By / / Psych / 1 Comment

Nice to see how the cover art of Night Beats’ albums reflects the development of the American psychedelic / garage rock band. The first three covers were dark and gritty, more mood-setting than sharp, just like their music was fuzzy and echoing in the period 2011-2016. A big difference with the slick portrait photo of frontman Danny Lee Blackwell on the 2019 Myth of A Man LP, of which the Dan Auerbach produced songs sounded a bit too smooth and polished. And now there’s Outlaw R&B, the fifth full-length with original tracks, on which the sole permanent band member is drawn in bright colors and sharp lines, and the sound is self-described as raucous technicolour rock’n’roll. Night Beats have returned to their roots, but they’ve added the best of their more recent soulful work: riotous, acid-fried rock’n’roll to lose your head to, but more tightly produced and with uplifting, fresh songs that could / should be hits. Stream the full album below.

“Outlaw R&B is music for the borderless, the free, the outcasts and the forgotten.” – Danny Lee Blackwell

Out digitally, on CD and vinyl LP via Fuzz Club Records. Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Fuzz Club

…

New album: Night Beats || Outlaw R&BRead More »

Gimme 5! Elli de Mon Shares 5 Albums That Influenced Her The Most

By / / Blues & Roots, Psych / 2 Comments

Photo by Simone Carollo

With ‘Gimme 5!’ we take a peek into the collections of artists we admire. The premise is simple: artists WE like share 5 records THEY love.

Now this is a good story about a unique artist. Elli de Mon (aka Elisa De Munari) is an Italian one-woman band that has released six albums since 2014 and did exciting shows on countless stages across Europe, mixing primal blues with primitive garage punk. That already sounds interesting, doesn’t it? During her pregnancy she didn’t perform for a while, but she found time to write a book about the female blues artists of the 20s: Countin’ The Blues: Indomitable Women. In tribute to these great women, she then decided to record the songs she wrote about. A great idea if you ask me. Watch and listen to Elli’s version of Bessie Smith‘s Blue Spirit Blues below, and you’ll see what I mean. Intriguing, and very cool. [post continues below]

The album Countin’ The Blues releases June 18 through Area Pirata Rec, you can pre-order it here.

When I asked Elli about five records that have been important to her, I expected a list of jazz and blues legends, but I couldn’t have been more wrong: her answer contains some unexpected, surprising treasures.

…

Gimme 5! Elli de Mon Shares 5 Albums That Influenced Her The MostRead More »

New album: Modern Haze || An LA EP

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

Let’s start this monday off right with a vintage psych pop banger from LA based Modern Haze. Grab some coffee or tea, and press play. Open your work mail, and let An LA EP be the soundtrack to your morning. With jangly guitars, soothing voice, pleasant harmonies, Modern Haze answer the age old question: What would The Zombies sound like if Mac DeMarco and Kevin Morby were in that band? Yes, this could be a pretty good week after all.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

Scroll to Top