THE ESSKAYS – HOTEL ME EP (D/L)/THE MOVING OUT SESSIONS (D/L)

Strange things are happening in Nashville………Mixing up C86 style jangle with 60s influenced psychedelia, Hotel Me is the very cool debut EP from the ever so slightly twee Indie funsters/gently psychedelic Sunshine Popsters, The Esskays.

Full of melody and a vaguely shambolic Indie charm there are some great things going on here………..echoes from great 80s UK Indie Pop ripple through all of the six tracks on this EP especially the fantastic ‘C'est La Vie’ which has more than a hint of the Orange Juice/Aztec Camera releases on the legendry Postcard label. There is strong 60s jangle pop influence on many of the songs such as ‘@ Least It's A Beautiful Day’ and ‘Sister Mary’, however it’s on the epic ‘In Love’ where The Esskays fully channel that psychedelic 60s vibe. It’s a West Coast, Sunshine Pop throwback from the ‘Summer of Love’ and without a doubt the best track on the EP, a truly gorgeous tune and totally psychedelic. It’s a groovy little EP and tracks like ‘In Love’ hint of good things to come.

Also available to download from The Esskays Bandcamp page is The Moving Out Sessions, a collection of demos, outtakes and other odds ‘n’ sods left over from various recording/rehearsal sessions. There are also some really cool tunes on this album, although some of them are a bit rough and ready they are still well worth a listen.

Both Hotel Me and The Moving Out Sessions are available to download from Bandcamp at http://thesskays.bandcamp.com/ where The Moving Out Sessions is a “name your price” freebie. Go check ‘em out People.

THEE PSYCHEDELICATESSEN    

UNMADE BED/LIPS AGAINST THE GLASS – FARFUZZY/FURFLIES (New Model Label 7” Single, D/L).

More strange things from Italy………Coming to you from the New Model Label is Furfuzzy/Furflies, a split 7” single from two great bands, Unmade Bed and LipsAgainst The Glass. Unmade Bed come from a more psychedelic and Post Rock background, having opened shows for artists like Robin Guthrie, American Music Club and Jennifer Gentle, while Lips Against The Glass are a minimal electronica/experimental duo who have  gained a reputation for their remix work and providing live soundtracks to classic silent films (they have presented live soundtracks for Cecil Hepworth’s 1903 movie Alice In Wonderland and “Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari” by Robert Wiene, in both clubs and museums).

The concept of the two bands doing split single together is to highlight the similarities of the music they both make although they are essentially coming together from two different directions, both tracks are totally psychedelic but in their own way. The A side of the single (the “Furfuzzy” side), ‘The Big Sleep’, is a fantastic slice of sparkling psychedelia from Unmade Bed, ethereal guitars gently swirl around clattering drums as the track slowly builds and then drifts back into the haze it emerged from. The flip side (“Furflies”) features the Lips Against The Glass dark, psychedelic minimal Electronica/Shoegaze tune ‘Only To’ which blends beats, bass and looping guitars to great effect. The digital download includes a further four tracks…..Unmade Bed contribute one track, ‘Dillon Haunted The Night’, which is another excellent psychedelic slowburner in the same vein as ‘The Big Sleep’. There are two additional tracks from Lips Against The Glass (‘Blue Circles’ and ‘Not/Only’) and a final track which is a collaboration between both bands and is from the Cecil Hepworth Alice In Wonderland project……these are all haunting, stripped back, minimal tunes that bring to mind early Sigur Ros and the experimental soundscapes of múm. There are some really interesting things going on here and well worth checking out.

The full digital download is available from both iTunes and Amazon. You can get a copy of the vinyl version (including download code), which is available as a limited edition pressing of only 50 copies, from  https://lipsagainstglass.bandcamp.com/.

THEE PSYCHEDELICATESSEN 

GOOD MORNING FINCH - ZERO (from "Fractals" - A Video Project Inside Gemini) PREMIERE

"Clouds are not spheres, mountains are not cones, coastlines are not circles, and bark is not smooth, nor does lightning travel in a straight line" (Benôit B. Mandelbrot).

Thee Psychedelicatessen present an exclusive premiere of 'Zero' by Good Morning Finch from the "Fractals" video project. 

"Fractals" is an experimental video project based on four songs taken from Good Morning Finch's latest album Gemini which was released on March 9th by Waves For The Masses Records. Is composed by four videos made of images, stock footages, old tapes and weird stuff mixed together to achieve a point of view above the single fragments. It's about realizing that nothing is just as simple as we see it but we can imagine everything as a combination of things repeating themselves endlessly and every time giving a different meaning to our lives, In the same way these clips made out of hundreds of different footage shot by unknown people can mix up together to make sense and recreate feelings that strictly related to the music.

'Zero' is the fourth and last video from this project. You can view the previous three videos by following these links:

'La Stanza Blu' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXTAk-UbM9c

'Gemini' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnwUAKxRdXk

'Atomite' -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ7vcwvyhkY

The album Gemini is still available from the Good Morning Finch Bandcamp page at http://goodmorningfinch.bandcamp.com/ where it is available as either a "name your price" download or a limited edition CD.   

E GONE – ADVICE FOR HILL WALKERS (Zeon Light Cassette)

Following the impressive debut All The Suns Of The Earth from 2014 and the Smokediver EP released earlier this year, Daniel Westerlund returns with a second full length E GONE album. Advice For Hill Walkers is the usual excellent E GONE mix of traditional instruments with digital technology creating a rich blend of  bubbling electronica and Eastern flavours that earnt the previous releases such critical praise, however this record is far more focused than before and Daniel has really found his groove…….this is the best E GONE release to date. Whereas All The Suns Of The Earth was a very eclectic record mixing psychedelic electric sitar headswirlers, Post Rock synth drones, far out Psych Rock and gentle Acid Folk, Advice For Hill Walkers takes its cues from the fantastic Whirled Music on the Smokediver EP. Don’t be fooled by the title………..this is not a gentle Psych Folk Sunday ramble up a few hills, but more of an epic psychedelic trek through the mountains where you may need oxygen at some point to complete your journey.

The journey starts with the elongated drones of ‘Mark the Spot Where You Leave the Injured’ guiding the listener gently into the Eastern European gypsy swirl of ‘Your Goal Is To Know Everything And Say Nothing’. Advice For Hill Walkers takes influences/inspiration from many sources……… Picking up where the Smokediver EP left off, ‘Follow Moonmilk Rivers’ has all the chaos and confusion of a Middle Eastern bazaar, ‘Build Your Camp Out Of Alpine Moss’ has the feel of early John Carpenter soundtracks while ‘Dwell In Tents By Day, Hike At Random By Night’ has the vibe of a mid-90s Trip Hop track. The wonderful ‘Find New Methods For Compass Use’ is a sweet combination of field recordings (in this case a rainstorm) and drones. There is also a huge European folk influence on many of the tracks, more so on the enthralling ‘Continue Ascent While Blindfolded’ and the whirling ‘Record The Humming Of Melodious Caves’. The record closes with the epic ‘Reach The Summit, Egg!’ which pulls together all the strands of the album to create one massive 10 minute psychedelic track which is a total mindblower. There are 10 tracks here all of the finest quality, this really is a fantastic record and if you want our advice we suggest you get yerself a copy and check it out…….this is the real deal.

At the moment Advice For Hill Walkers is currently only available on cassette in a seriously limited edition run of only 50 (which is about the number of people who still own a tape deck) from the great little Swedish boutique tape label Zeon Light…….you can get your hands on a copy (plus free download) from their Bandcamp site here https://zeonlight.bandcamp.com/album/advice-to-hill-walkers .........but no doubt someone will have the sense to make this available on either CD or vinyl in the near future as it is truly an awesome album. The Smokediver EP is still available as a "name your price" download from the E GONE Bandcamp site here https://egone.bandcamp.com.

THEEPSYCHEDELICATESSEN

MINAMI DEUTSCH – MINAMI DEUTSCH (Cardinal Fuzz LP)

 

Strange things are happening in the Far East………..Always a hotbed of outthereness, there is currently a vibrant Japanese Psych scene with many bands making waves in the West and here is another band that look like breaking out.  A Japanese band playing Krautrock???? This certainly sounds like something that would be on a Julian Cope fantasy wish list……….The debut album from Minami Deutsch is all this and more.

Taking inspiration from the classic early 70s German bands but adding a new twist to the genre, Minami Deutsch embody the ‘Endless Straight’ motorik of Neu!, La Dusseldorf and Harmonia, yet feel very part of the here and now. From the opening track, ‘Vocalism Ali - Forever Takemitsu’, Minami Deutsch lock into the groove with laser guided precision, tracks drone, while shimmering chimes coalesce into some sort of cosmic Ur-drone, punctuated by thuds and epic swooshes, resulting in a grand and gorgeous ambience. The hypnotic ‘ Futsu Ni Ikirenai’ is driven by a throbbing metronomic pulse…..somnolent vocals drift in and out of the mix until it all explodes into a cacophonous, fuzzed up, guitar wig out ala Moon Duo. Flip the disc and the awesome ‘Ubergleich Part 1’ kicks in………channelling Can’s ‘Mother Sky’ it hurtles along at a blistering pace, laying waste to everything in front of it until it is brought to an abrupt halt after 4 minutes, definitely a track you want to go on for at least another 10 minutes and some. ‘Ubergleich Part 2’ closes the album and again this has a massive Can vibe with rhythms that would not be out of place on Ege Bam Yasi and repetitive Damo Suzukiesque dream like vocals that ease you into a blissed out state. There is a lot to love on this record……..there is a mix of beauty and brutality that harks back to an era when some of the most innovative music from the last 50 years was coming out of small studios in Cologne and Dusseldorf and this is also an album that holds its own against the current wave of bands who have also been influenced by this period.

Released on 28^th September on white vinyl, Minami Deutsch’s debut album is available to pre-order now from the Cardinal Fuzz on-line store at  http://cardinalfuzz.bigcartel.com/product/minami-deutsch-s-t-white-vinyl.

THEEPSYCHEDELICATESSEN

MOONSONG – MOONSONG EP (D/L). NUVEM LEOPARDO – REVOLVER MERCURIO (D/L). THE TAILBREAKERS – THE TAILBREAKERS (D/L). ALRIGHT – ALRIGHT (Negative Fun 7” Single, D/L). THE BEATCOMBERS – TWIINS (D/L)

Strange Things Are Happening is back with a quick round up of some new and newish groovy Garage/Psych Bandcamp releases that are available for you to download for free.

First up is an absolutely fantastic EP from Moonsong (AKA Cody Nielsen from Fayetteville, Arkansas). Packed full of hook laden psychedelic ear candy, it’s an EP of gently twisted Psych Pop with echoes of early Todd Rundgren and the vibe of current records by the likes of Pond and Tame Impala.

There are five tracks of experimental but perfectly accessible, snappy 3 minute Psychedelic Pop tunes, which bring to mind A Wizard, A True Star period Rundgren, the brilliant ’Two as One’ and ‘Expansions’ are perfect examples of this. There is also a very current, neo-psychedelic feel to this EP……’Instability’ is driven by disco drums and throbbing synthesizers and ‘Start Over’ is full of sparkling guitars, both tracks would not sound out of place on the last Pond album.

You really must give this EP a listen…..there is no excuse as it is available as a “name your price” download from the Moonsong Bandcamp page http://moon-song.bandcamp.com/releases. You can also find this EP on both iTunes and Spotify.

For those of you that like your psychedelia to be of a darker hue, you need to check out Revolver Mercurio by Nuvem Leopardo (a self-recorded, mainly solo project by Brazilian psychonaut Marcel Willou). It’s an intriguing blend of Mogadon laced heavy Psych and Black Sabbath inspired dense riffing that lovers of early 70s head music will enjoy.

Break out the bong and let Nuvem Leopardo drag you down into an ocean of warm fuzz, let it wash over you while you weightlessly drift. Revolver Mercurio is a proper psychedelic Stoner Rock record and deserves your attention………the tracks ‘Narcisos’, ‘No Centro Do Sol’ and ‘Tangerina ou Romã’ are very, very heavy but also very, very heady.

You can get Revolver Mercurio from the Nuvem Leopardo Bandcamp page at https://nuvemleopardo.bandcamp.com/album/revolver-mercurio where it is available as a “name your price” download.

Next up is a 3 track download from 60s Garage Rock influenced Canadian band The Tailbreakers. Very much in the mould of bands like the Allah Las, Black Angels and The Spyrals, The Tailbreakers have a great sparse, classic Garage Rock sound that you will dig if you like the Nuggets/Pebbles era bands.

There will be a full album dropping at the end of September on Ongakubaka Records which we hope we will get to hear, but in the meantime you can wrap your ears round these groovy tunes. A “name your price” download is available from The Tailbreakers Bandcamp page at https://thetailbreakers.bandcamp.com/album/the-tailbreakers.

Coming to you from Negative Fun records is a 7” single by fuzzy Garage/Punk three piece Alright. Fizzing with energy this is a great little record and of the 3 tracks ‘Mixed Signals’ is no doubt the stand out track. Available as either a 7” single or a “name your price” digital download, go to their Bandcamp page at http://alrightnc.bandcamp.com/ and check it out, alright!

And finally, coming out of outta Wellington, New Zealand is Beatcomber……a five piece super lo-fi garage band. Twiins is a two track single/download…..whereas the track ‘Twiins’ is seriously woozy, no-fi tune with a cool Velvet Underground vibe, ‘PsyychSafari’ is a mind-blowingly good reverb drenched, swirling organ Garage/Surf mash-up, groovy floor filler that is worth the price of admission for a “name your price” download……plus you have to admire a band that has a tambourine player. Download the tracks here http://beatcomber.bandcamp.com/album/twiins

THEEPSYCHEDELICATESSEN

TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE PSYCHEDELIC BASEMENT- THEE PSYCHEDELICATESSEN on BIGJAF.NET

People.....this Saturday (15th August) we are back on Internet Radio for the first time for quite a while. We are doing a one-off 3hr Psych special with our showbiz chum the estimable Mr Geoffrey Leppard, resident Stoner Rock/Psych Rock cosmonaut at wunnerful BigJaf.net. We are going to have fun with this and will be playing lots of great tunes that we don't usually get chance to play out on our club nights.......we will be spinning a mix of newish Shoegaze, Psych Rock, Space Rock and other groovy psychedelic goodies....some you will know, others maybe not but we hope you will dig the show we have put together for broadcast. Don't forget to stock up on Rizla and Monster Munch.

Transmissions From The Psychedelic Basement goes out onwww.mixlr.com/wwwbigjafnet at 8pm GMT on 15.8.15 and will also be broadcast by our new friends from the USA Grip of Delusion Radio the next day. The full 3hrs goes out via www.gripofdelusion.com on Sunday 16.8.15 at 1pm GMT, 2pm CET and 8am EST (ideal soundtrack for a psychedelic breakfast People). No worries if you miss the original broadcasts as the show will be archived and be available for listening to at a later date (will post details about this later).

The show is going to be 3hrs of continuous music lovingly mixed together by Geoff and ourselves......there are no commercials or gabbin' between tracks, so here is a full track listing for show so you can check out the bands and buy their records......

Vibracathedral Orchestra - Es Inaceptable Para Mi
Gonjasufi - Kobwebz
Cloudland Canyon - Krautwerk
Hellstorm - Cry of the Newborn
Ultimate Spinach - (Ballad of) The Hip Death Goddess
Traffic - Freedom Rider
The Amorphous Androgynous - The Emptiness of Nothingness
White Noise Sound - (In Both) Dreams and Ecstasies
Causa Sui - Mirelle
Blitzen Trapper - Stolen Shoes & a Rifle
Chatham Rise - Autopilot,
White Glow - Unreachable Hopes,
Jetman Jet Team - Rainbow Party,
White Noise Sound - There Is No Tomorrow,
The Lucid Dream - Heading For The Waves,
The Luck of Eden Hall - A Very Large Array,
Beautify Junkyards - Radioactivity,
The Besnard Lakes - 46 Satires,
Grand Rapids - Great Shakes,
The Dalai Lama Rama Fa Fa Fa - You Make Me Crazy,
Sand Pebbles - A Thousand Flowers,
White Manna - E Shara,
Verma - Sacrifice,
Cosmic Letdown - Venera 6,
The Asteroid #4 - Rukma Vimana,
Pretty Lightning - A Gift From A Bone To A Bell,
Sun Dial - North Eastern,
Grand Rapids - Blow Up,
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Anenome,
Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions - Golden Hair,
Elephant Stone - Between The Lines,
Plastic Man - North Polar Land,
The Vickers - Love You To.

Turn On, Tune In..........er.........Trip Out