Acid Mothers Temple | Are We Experimental? | CD
The world’s premier psychedelic warriors have blasted out an album that distills their weird world into 11 tracks of sonic mayhem.
Acid Mothers Temple | La Novia | LP
The sprawling 40 minute title track is based on an Occitanian folk tune, and the unearthly acoustic opening with its overtone singing sounds like something that might have made its way on to a Werner Herzog soundtrack. Indeed once the guitars come in and the band stoke up their mighty drone, the effect is that of an amped up Popul Vuh, the German band who soundtracked many Herzog films. Ashra Tempel or Amon Duul are other reference points. At times, it’s impossible to believe that this wasn’t recorded in Berlin in 1972, such is the authenticity of the enterprise. But Kawabata’s crew aren’t merely K-tel Krautrockers; La Novia shows a deep respect for the traditional folk form and integrates it completely with the long forays into deep space that the leader’s fuzz
American Speedway | Howl Ya Doin?/20Th Century Boy | 7in
“this 7″ is most notable for taking the elegant, almost feminine glam of Marc Bolan and savaging it, scaring the hell out of it, and brutally beating it on a rock like a bear killing a trout”
American Speedway | A Bigger Boat | CD
The beer guzzlin punk rock n roll foursome from the Philadelphia-area have completed their sophomore album A Bigger Boat. Released on vinyl and CD. Philly filth rock in the vein of Nashville Pussy, but trashier and louder, if that s possible. Drunken, rampaging, f**k-you-core rock n roll music made by a band featuring a female guitarist with what appears to be the biggest biceps on any dame since Zap from American Galdiators. Shredding will do that for you!
American Speedway | A Bigger Boat | LP
Limited edition of 500 in heavy gatefold jacket on 160g swirled red and gray vinyl!
The beer guzzlin punk rock n roll foursome from the Philadelphia-area have completed their sophomore album A Bigger Boat. Released on vinyl and CD. Philly filth rock in the vein of Nashville Pussy, but trashier and louder, if that s possible. Drunken, rampaging, f**k-you-core rock n roll music made by a band featuring a female guitarist with what appears to be the biggest biceps on any dame since Zap from American Galdiators. Shredding will do that for you!
American Speedway | Ship Of Fools | CD
The title and opening track to Ship of Fools by American Speedway is a no-nonsense, hard-hitting Ramones-gone-metal blitzkrieg moment that blends into a two-and-a-half-minute track they call…”American Speedway.” With both the CD title and group name branding the first two solid efforts/tracks, the album continues with a consistent and relentless high energy mix of sizzling guitars and spitfire vocals. Though stylistically a light year or two away from the aforementioned Ramones, this quartet faces the same dilemma that venerable punk band experienced — as good as this material is, and it is very good, it is firmly locked into one style with little hope for a Top 40 hit and no chance of playing to anyone outside of its realm. Which isn’t a bad thing, of course, a little integrity in the music leaves them to their own devices and “One Foot In, One Foot Out” delivers the goods — slam, bang, a no-let-up assault with vocals that Lemmy from Motörhead would probably comprehend and appreciate. “Far Behind” takes the Stooges‘ “No Fun” riff and ratchets it up a few notches. This is metal/punk, make no doubt about it, and fun is the top priority in its mission statement. “Make Some Noise” is the third of four titles marked “explicit”…”T. Rex in the tape deck…no way we’re (expletive) turning down” is not Bob Dylan, but the Beastie Boys can sure agree with the sentiment. Johnny Griswold comes in with a vintage early Alice Cooper guitar solo on an anthem in need of a good dance remix à la the Rolling Stones‘ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (the 2008 version from the film 21). Something needs to break the boys out of their formula because punk and metal vets have heard these riffs a thousand times before. That’s not to say that the recycle isn’t worthwhile — it is — and their song “Don’t Tread on Me” could be the bands of yore telling them something they already know. “Drinkin’ & Drivin'” is said to be explicit but lead singer Michael Thursby‘s growl is indiscernible to the point where vulgarities fuse with the grunge. The song is pretty irresponsible, but part of the youth movement of any generation is to be as un-P.C. as humanly possible, a fact which doesn’t vindicate the lyrics from being totally irresponsible. There are some alternative live versions of the music here if you hunt around on the web, which is an element and luxury their predecessors never got to enjoy. Nothing goes over four minutes mark and the tongue-in-cheek nature of the attitude at play makes it all very clear, the tenth and closing track spelling it out and titled, appropriately enough, “Same Old, Same Old.” All the music on Ship of Fools is the same old, same old, and Lou Reed in his song “Hangin’ Round” might admonish “You’re still doing things I gave up years ago,” but American Speedway could care less and maintain that all-important element of fun. If the listener keeps that in mind, Ship of Fools works.
AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione
Dark Sea Dream | Dark Sea Dream | CD
On Dark Sea Dream the group s full-length debut on Prophase Music the sprawling epic approach of post-punk and avant-metal pioneers Savage Republic and Neurosis undoubtedly set a precedent for Dark Sea Dream’s explorations. Though recent recordings have shown the band wisely and tastefully incorporating new and unpredictable elements into their brain-rattling textures. While always extant the shimmering spacey melodicism of early Pink Floyd and the rambling balls-to-the-wall conviction of Neil Young and Crazy Horse has become more apparent colliding with the frazzled psychedelic skronk of Japanese freaks like White Heaven Mainliner and Flower Travelin Band. Throw in a healthy brown-acid dose of Glenn Branca and Sonic Youth and you re getting close to the scalding core of this already strongly realized band.
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“This self-titled debut from Washington, DC psychedelic shoe-gaze black metal band from is one of the most unique and ground-breaking albums of the year. Three band members. Three endless songs on the whole album. Dark and stunning landscapes painted in various shades of loud. DSD defies description.”
“mind-manifesting proto-metal doom-plod trepans my cranium in a highly ‘Gnowing’ manner, and molto baby”
“guitar tones like the HARP SONAR Array…levels of genius and horror…ungodly and unearthly…beyond anything I have ever heard..”
“an oppressive atmosphere that would snuff out the fire of even the most eternal optimist.”
Dark Sea Dream | Dark Sea Dream | LP
On Dark Sea Dream the group s full-length debut on Prophase Music the sprawling epic approach of post-punk and avant-metal pioneers Savage Republic and Neurosis undoubtedly set a precedent for Dark Sea Dream’s explorations. Though recent recordings have shown the band wisely and tastefully incorporating new and unpredictable elements into their brain-rattling textures. While always extant the shimmering spacey melodicism of early Pink Floyd and the rambling balls-to-the-wall conviction of Neil Young and Crazy Horse has become more apparent colliding with the frazzled psychedelic skronk of Japanese freaks like White Heaven Mainliner and Flower Travelin Band. Throw in a healthy brown-acid dose of Glenn Branca and Sonic Youth and you re getting close to the scalding core of this already strongly realized band.
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“This self-titled debut from Washington, DC psychedelic shoe-gaze black metal band from is one of the most unique and ground-breaking albums of the year. Three band members. Three endless songs on the whole album. Dark and stunning landscapes painted in various shades of loud. DSD defies description.”
“mind-manifesting proto-metal doom-plod trepans my cranium in a highly ‘Gnowing’ manner, and molto baby”
“guitar tones like the HARP SONAR Array…levels of genius and horror…ungodly and unearthly…beyond anything I have ever heard..”
“an oppressive atmosphere that would snuff out the fire of even the most eternal optimist.”
Djin Aquarian & Plastic Crimewave Sound | Save The World | LP
Over 3 years in the making, at last the Djin Aquarian and Plastic Crimewave Sound Save The World LP is ready to be unleashed on this troubled planet. Djin Aquarian (Yahowha 13) joins Plastic Crimewave Sound in an epic psych Crusade!
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Since their earlier collaboration, released on cassette by Plustapes and now sold out, I’ve been waiting for the full-length album from former Ya Ho Wa 13 guitarist Djin Aquarian and Chicago’s Steven “Sir Plastic Crimewave” Krakow, and it’s even better than the high expectations I had for it. Aquarian is a key figure in the history of psychedelia, pioneering the higher-key “tribal psych” sound with the early 70’s recordings and performances of the Ya Ho Wa family, a raw organic music that had its roots in spiritual practice and in ritual. You can’t fake or pre-plan this kind of music. You have to get into that zone, that sacred space, and explore. It grows, slowly, it evolves, it sinks roots and extends its branches, it pulls you in and gets all over you until you are one with the music. In some ways, this is the purest kind of psychedelic music, and it’s great to say that this new album has the same dense organic tribal sound one would want from such a collaboration. Plastic Crimewave Sound are the perfect partners for Mr. Aquarian and totally “get” what the “higherkey” experience is about. If this kind of precious and rich psychedelia is what you desire, dip into SAVE THE WORLD. I hope it’s not yet sold out…if the label is out, check dealers. It’s worth finding!!! –Kendra Steiner Editions
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If you are going to save the world, don’t arrive to the party without glistening trichomes. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief 🙂
BEST OF 2012
Save the World, the duo of Djin Aquarian and Plastic Crimewave Sound on Prophase, is representative of the reason i love music. Prior to picking this up on a whim from the mighty Ed Eclipse, I had no prior experience listening to Djin’s projects, and I had heard only a few things from Plastic Crimewave Sound and Hands of Hydra. Rather, i relied on a nicely composed description in Ed’s regular e-mail update – no sound clips either. When one is willing to take a chance and submit themselves to new experiences, beautiful things enter your life. Unequivocally, this is one of the best psych rock records of the year. holy kief!
As soon as the needle dropped, i was hooked. Save the Worldpresents mindful, expansive psych that is a celebration of the breath, awareness and sound. Over two sides of wax, these masters of psych promulgate lucid zoners of the next-level variety. ‘Ascend, Ascending, Ascension’ drips with spirituality as Djin’s vocals – backed by the band – lift one from the malaise of the day. Track 2, ‘Ride My Merkabah’ is one of the jams of the year. Mystical, howling guitars, bass and percussion create a cosmic groove, over which Djin briefly sings. The track slows down, keeping a nice beat, then gradually ascends through the haze, which is signified by the pounding percussion and heavy guitars; and then Djin praises the breath – the mighty breath. When listening to this lp, I think about breathing and awareness. The sounds that these guys emit from their equipment is so heavy that having other stimuli present – books, computer, etc.. – while listening is counterproductive.
Restrained desert vibes – in the vein of Barn Owl – commence the flipside. Things change quickly as chugging guitars, bass and percussion progressively become louder as Djin’s voice covers the expanse. ‘Dinosaur Revisited’ has a kraut feel that gradually locks into a nice groove – one of the best jams of the five extended tracks. This track, much like the others, is evidence of the kinship between the musicians. ‘Ethereal Pastures’, is the last track of the lp and it’s time to reload the bong. The track features spacey, sprawling guitars, bass and percussion punctuated by heavy guitar interludes.
Keeping with the aura of the blog, Save the World has the nug luvin jams that will regulate your temperature in the high heat of summer. Everything was captured live, save for the sitar parts, which were added by Hands of Hydra. Besides some of the heaviest jams of the year, the lp also has some of the nicest artwork of 2012, created by Plastic Crimewave. Housed in a beautiful gatefold sleeve and limited to 500 lps on Gold and Blue vinyl, buy these heavy jams from Eclipse. Also, the lp is available from Prophase. I recommend reading the Prophase description for more background information. No soundclips, but sometimes you have to trust the smokehound. i will not lead you awry.
peace to you, friends 🙂
Griswolds | Godzilla vs America | CD
We hate boring albums and cds, so along with 10 great songs, you get a lot of great bonus reading/viewing material! Second release from PA hard rockers.
I Will I | Pope’s Ring Is Made Of Stolen Gold | CD
I Will I were a Gothic Rock/Experimental band that played live shows from 1996 to 2002. They were based out of Philadelphia and released one cassette demo (Grasping The Unculture) and one CD (The Pope’s Ring Is Made Of Stolen Gold). Other releases they are featured on include, The Unquiet Grave, The Goth Box DVD, Beneath The Tides Compilation, and The Tongue Achieves The Dialect (Rozz Williams Tribute). Bassist and vocalist John Begley was also known as Philadelphia Radio Y100’s “Goth Guy”. During the same period he played recorded with other Philadelphia based artists such as Live Not On Evil, David E Williams and Necromantik Sunshine. I Will I side projects include Vasarian’s Dream and The Stem Cells. In August 2008 I Will I filmed a video for their track “Wilted Love”. Their second CD “Resurfaced Faces” has yet to be released. The band had two female singers, Brenda Dodd and Kai Altair of Circle Of Hearts. Mike Demonte and Tito Altamar played guitar and John’s twin brother Joe played drums. The band was also joined periodically on stage by experimental painter Rain of brokenumbrella.com.
Janina Angel Bath | Gypsy Woman | 2xLP
Keying off of Indian traditional music, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Janina Angel Bath creates contemplative soundscapes on Gypsy Woman, sometimes singing impressionistic lyrics over extended melodies in the disembodied manner of Björk or wailing moodily like a becalmed Yoko Ono.Bath handles most of the instruments herself, among them guitars, keyboards, flutes, percussion, and tambura and bansuri. Joss Jaffe’s tabla adds a particularly Indian flavor to the early track “Everyday Is Different,” but Indian music is the basis of much of the sound, particularly the drone effects characteristic of it. Although Bath sings in English, she adopts the phrasing and cadences of Eastern music, so that her voice becomes an instrument even when it is intoning recognizable words. The music may be useful in meditation for Westerners, representing as it does a hybrid style in which East meets West.
AllMusic Review by William Ruhlmann
Janina Angel Bath | Gypsy Woman | CD
This is the music of Now… potent magic of unspecific era and dimension… The Love child of Eastern-tinged folk Raga roots meeting the lysergic depth of Psychedelic free jazz only to arrive at its own unique voice… as iconoclastic as it is immersed in tradition, spontaneous as it is rehearsed, ephemeral as it is eternal. And that voice belongs to Janina Angel Bath, who is that rare breed of magician – a sonic high priestess who resonates with her place in the spotlight as if it were her own personal ziggurat. Time bends under the trance of her musical spell; from the swell of nomadic chants to flights of fantasy lore to ancient cries of goddess invocation
Kawabata Makoto & Michishita Shinsuke | Maru Sankaku Shikaku(Circle Triangle Square) | LP
This is the third collaboration between Acid Mothers Temple guitar guru Makoto Kawabata and LSD March fuzz wizz Michishita Shinsuke. “Maru Mankaru Shikaku” means “Circle Triangle Square,” the three words describing the figure appearing on the album cover. The album consists of two 20-minute improvisations featuring small percussion instruments (various gongs, cymbals, shakers, and singing bowls, mostly at the beginning of “Rock of Fate”) and an impressive array of traditional string instruments, from lute and hurdy-gurdy to sitar, bouzouki, and mandocello — an in-studio photograph of the musicians and their combined arsenal shows 14 string instruments, and not a conventional guitar among them. Both tracks are long, inner-searching pieces, rhythm-less and mostly tone-less. These are drones; quiet though not peaceful, as they are ripe with dissonances, full of delicate mood swings like moments of doubt and philosophical turmoil. The tracks are echo-drenched, but one can easily hear both musicians switch back and forth between instruments, constantly keeping the music moving forward in a sedate chaotic state, even though there’s no real momentum to speak of. This is meditative music, but here meditation is seen as a dynamic, uncertain process, not a new-agey beatific practice.Maru Mankaru Shikaku is one of Kawabata’s most artistically successful releases in this vein, and will appeal to fans of his Inui series. This album first came out in a stunning LP edition on Prophase Music, on white-spotted green vinyl in a thick gatefold sleeve.
Kawabata Makoto And The Mothers Of Invasion | Hot Rattlesnakes | CD
The onslaught continues. Makoto Kawabata, lead guitarist for the Japanese freakout collective Acid Mothers Temple, has issued yet another side project — it seems there is either an Acid Mothers or solo record coming out every month (maybe more than one). In any case, it hardly matters, because this is one of the strongest things ever released by Kawabata. Accompanied by bassist Tsuyama Atsushi and drummer Ichiraku Yoshimitsu, Kawabata wastes no time in taking the exploration to the stratosphere on the 27-minute opener, “Theme of Hot Rattlesnakes.” Right, it’s all jamming. And what sublime jamming it is. Kawabata and his counterparts never take the easy way out. There is no constant riffing here to get a groove and move from there, no song structures to be used as easy backdrops for liftoff points. It’s all exploration and it’s all rock. While the Acid Mothers can be extreme to the point of unlistenability at times, this music is extreme in another way, in the way Jimi Hendrix was extreme — in dynamics, sonic texture, space, and in his use of time slippage. Kawabata and his Mothers of Invasion use the studio as a mirror, and create a live performance within it. Yoshimitsu’s unreal drumming carries the weight in this ensemble, as Mitch Mitchell did with Hendrix, yet keeps both Kawabata and Atsushi moving in concentric circles ever outward, weaving the two instruments in the middle of the jam so tightly that they cease to have individual identities. On the humorously titled solo guitar piece, “Frippian Flipped Over Niffy Their King of Frippery,” a multi-note repetitive pattern (only remotely similar to something the guy whose name gets played on here would ever actually play) becomes something else almost immediately; the mirror image of tape delay becomes the bedrock for a host of lush sonics that all but swallow the guitar’s sound inside itself, becoming a blur of texture and low-end blissed-out choruses. The final track, “French Sweet Sugar House,” brings back the trio and the assault is on the unknown, on the boundaries of rock, jazz, and free improvisation, all played with such mastery and toughness that it’s almost unbearable for 15 minutes. This is acid music. This is music as acid. This is acid as music. This is music.
– AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek
Kohoutek | Lossless Loss | LP
Improvised experimental psych-rock excursion infused with traces of Free Jazz Krautrock and electronic fizzle. Limited pressing on two color vinyl (orange and white!) gatefold packaging! HOT!
Lossless Loss, the second studio album from Mid-Atlantic improv collective Kohoutek, covers most of the dynamic stylistic range Kohoutek is known for: abstract and textural sound, atmospheric rock, harsh noise freakouts, clattering percussion, guitar heroics, and alien electronics congealing to form a multihued psychedelic extravaganza. Recorded deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in September 2007, the five members embarked on a psilocybic twilight journey, and this 44-minute aural excursion is the result. No overdubs and minimal editing create an experience as close as possible to a Kohoutek performance. With longtime core members Scott Verrastro (percussion, flute), Craig Garrett (bass) and Scott Allison (electronics) augmented by Vic Salazar (electric guitar) and Damian Languell (vocals, harmonica, clarinet, didgeridoo, Space Echo), Kohoutek forge their own path in the improv universe, and Lossless Loss is another burning fragment of this fleeting sonic comet.
Los Griswolds | Bring The Rock | CD
Notekillers | We’re Here To Help | CD
The Notekillers who originally slugged it out during the punk wars of the late 1970’s continue their improbable reincarnation march with this barely-hinged celebration of rock n roll noise. Woefully under-documented back in the day their only official recording – The Zipper a self-released 7- was a favorite amongst the cognoscenti in the experimental underground and a secret influence on some of the most important avant-bands of the past 30 years. Now following an acclaimed archival release on Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace! label the Notekillers complete their leap out of the shadows and land solidly in the present with We’re Here to Help – a brand new LP with material developed exclusively during their second life. This is the CD version which includes a bonus track not found on the vinyl. Rich with tuneful neck-snapping hooks that explode at any and all times this album will connect deeply with anyone who lives for the dizzying defibrillating power of positive audio aggression.
Notekillers | We’re Here To Help | LP
The Notekillers who originally slugged it out during the punk wars of the late 1970’s continue their improbable reincarnation march with this barely-hinged celebration of rock n roll noise. Woefully under-documented back in the day their only official recording – The Zipper a self-released 7- was a favorite amongst the cognoscenti in the experimental underground and a secret influence on some of the most important avant-bands of the past 30 years. Now following an acclaimed archival release on Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace! label the Notekillers complete their leap out of the shadows and land solidly in the present with We’re Here to Help – a brand new LP with material developed exclusively during their second life. This is the CD version which includes a bonus track not found on the vinyl. Rich with tuneful neck-snapping hooks that explode at any and all times this album will connect deeply with anyone who lives for the dizzying defibrillating power of positive audio aggression.
Oblivion Sun | Oblivion Sun | CD
Let’s cut to the chase: the music produced by Oblivion Sun for its debut release is as good, if not better, than anything Happy The Man ever produced, and leaves little doubt that this album belongs among the best releases of 2007. Formed by Happy the Man alumni Stan Whitaker (guitars) and Frank Wyatt (keyboards), Oblivion Sun retains the best elements of previous incarnation Pedal Giant Animals and fine tunes its fusion of progressive rock, jazz, metal and funk. The compositions are uniformly excellent, recalling vintage Happy the Man without succumbing to pure homage, finding a delightful balance between retro and progressive. The band explores various genres with great aplomb, from the crunchy Crimson-like delivery of No Surprises to a bouncy nod to William Collins on Bootsy Magically working the keys alongside Wyatt is newcomer Bill Plummer, who fits the mold perfectly, while bassist Dave DeMarco and drummer Chris Mack give the music some needed punch. This is one crack band of musicians; they have, without doubt, created an instant classic. -Mark Newman Progression Magazine (spring 2008)
Oblivion Sun | The High Places | CD
Oblivion Sun proudly presents the much anticipated release of The High Places, featuring founding members of progressive rock’s legendary Happy the Man. The band’s second offering is loaded with complex and daring musical twists, along with lush symphonic dimensions and tightly crafted vocals. This is musical storytelling at its best! Founding Happy The Man members Frank Wyatt and Stanley Whitaker re-emerge with a revamped lineup including bassist David Hughes and drummer Bill Brasso, and an exciting new album, The High Places
Oblivion Sun | The High Places | LP
Limited pressing of 500. Oblivion Sun proudly presents the much anticipated release of The High Places, featuring founding members of progressive rock’s legendary Happy the Man. The band’s second offering is loaded with complex and daring musical twists, along with lush symphonic dimensions and tightly crafted vocals. This is musical storytelling at its best! Founding Happy The Man members Frank Wyatt and Stanley Whitaker re-emerge with a revamped lineup including bassist David Hughes and drummer Bill Brasso, and an exciting new album, The High Places
Peter Pan Speedrock | Spread Eagle | CD
Spread Eagle is the first domestic release (and 5th album overall) from Dutch rockers Peter Pan Speedrock. Big heavy rock in the spirit of Motorhead, AC/DC, the MC5, Turbonegro, Nashville Pussy, Antiseen and so on. Produced by Tom Skogsberg of the Helicopters. Heavy duty kick ass rock and roll, what else could you possibly want?
Plastic Crimewave Sound | No Wonderland | CD
For No Wonderland, one of the group’s most sprawling and enjoyable albums to date, Plastic Crimewave Sound got in some special guests (including Josephine Foster and some of the Spires That in the Sunset Rise crew as well as spoken word snippets from folks like Devendra Banhart, Tara Burke, and Chris Connelly) and otherwise continued with the understandable principle that there’s nothing so good in life as great huge zone/space rock epics informed by the power of acid, feedback, and strutting like a mofo. (And they might be right at that, but one hopes they have good medical insurance.) With the slow-burn rise of “Korean Ghost Ship” setting the tone, moving from slow bass-led moodout to full-on guitar howl charge, No Wonderland takes a full CD length’s trip through, well, trips — a few bummers but mostly successful ones that more often than not assume “Let X = Hawkwind” and then get converted into new equations. The distorted vocals on “Far In/Out” ride over an energetic blast that only gets even more gone later on “Rolling Seas,” while the compressed Can-like bass kick of “Into the Future” and “Following Orders” shows that the band can give up the funk in its own way. “Nil, Null & Void” is a fantastic penultimate track, slowing down just a touch to let the core riff assume near death metal impact even while following a classic boogie sound, with the final strings adding a concluding glaze of their own. Then there’s the full-on chaotic freakout of “Shake Your Dying Cowboy Mind,” which if not quite Frank Zappa is still a great rant. Not everything is a total rampage — it can just as much be about folky zoning as anything else, as the strum and chant of “Moving Just Fine” shows.
AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett
Plastic Crimewave Sound | Plastic Crimewave Sound | CD
From the masters of American Psych punk. This one finds Chicago’s Plastic Crimewave Sound taking a more song oriented take on psychedelia after their double album adventure, No Wonderland. Mind burning guitars mix with throbbing bass and a propulsive drummer. A very 21st Century mix of psych, Krautrock, acid folk and prog rock that pushes all of those genres forward in technicolor.
Review(s)
Rating: 5 stars A great jam band is never, technically speaking, the most profound situation for technical players…a jam band can be sloppy, seem like things don’t fit at times, & in all honesty, if you’ve ever played music, you know that a jam band is ALL about having fun..that’s what Plastic Crimewave’s new cd proves..the band is jamming, there’s random guitar doodles all over the place & at time I feel like the songs are poetry that’s had abstract music written to them ala Patti Smith’s first venture into music! What you get with this cd is pure musical expression, often times it’s not always coming together, but it all works…there’s definite musical talent & ability in this band, but they are very free-form, they let it all flow & it all works when you listen to the playback of this jam-fest that they call “Sound” appropriately enough! I might be called crazy, but I vaguely get reminded of the non-stop jams that the Greatful Dead were known for during their live shows…it’s that kinda thing for sure going on with this band! – Bob Suehs –angelfire com november2008
In the last episode I said this; Drone stroke psyche drawing heavily from the hidden ’70’s wave of psychedelia; the stuff that started with David Thomas’ statement that,Pere Ubu are the second wave of psychedelia. Listening to this new one I’d say well, I was right. I’ll also say on these guys ignore the Velvet Undergrounds, sister ray about as much as Can did. So to put’m at the head of a whole school of mean retro-art+dirt= grumble may be kinda careless/presumptuous but look- I’ve eaten a months worth of some kids Ritalin in a long weekend, so I’m not totally hooked on making linear sense. Yeah, I still place these guys as gobbling Pere Ubu’s pre-lp stuff as well as other crudeaggo-outsider s**t from the fair city of Cleveland when Carter was President- The Electric Eels, X_X, Mirrors, and joints smoked through old copies of CLE magazine. This time out the sticks a little more pointed and you keep expecting’m to bust into Hawkwinds, silver machine via the Melvins version of intersteller overdrive with the delicacy of a crack head hacking into a candy machine with a golf club. The second cut, (in my Universe this one has hit single written on each little brown tab), has a rumbling propulsion copped from Captain Beefheart and The Edgar Broughton Band jacked through some sorta perverted language the Fall upchucked in the glorious time before the savage jaw clamped the f— down. In the end it all comes down to music; the liberating soothing sound that makes s**t ok. If sandpaper doesn’t wear off the jagged edges and disrupted surfaces of your day, stay away- for me this stuff makes the world good for a bit. Hope to see’m some day- no reason they couldn’t float down to Columbus and play with Psychedelic Horses**t or Times New Viking. If yr gonna get zonked and lay on the floor for six or seven hours soon play this disc along with Helios Creed, Fuzzhead , White Heaven, The Apes, Th’Faithhealers, Fuzzface/Brother JT and PSF’s Tokyo Flashback samplers. Myspace and prophasemusic.com Craig Regala –Lollipop
Serpent Throne | Brother Lucifer | CD
Serpent Throne | Brother Lucifer | LP
Serpent Throne | White Summer Black Winter | LP
Say there was a heavy rock festival in like ’72 where Black Sabbath, Wishbone Ash, the Scorpions, Budgie, and like Cactus are supposed to play, but then, due to a series of plane crashes and natural disasters, only 1 surviving member from each band can make it. In order to calm down the crowd of heavy rockers, Iommi grabs a couple dudes from the other bands and puts together an emergency band. And then Uli Roth says, “We don’t need a singer because he’ll just get in the way of the riffs; I think that’s what Serpent Throne is aiming for. Whether we get there or not is another story, but we’ll drink some beer and rip some guitar harmonies along the way. –myspacemusic
Speed Guru (Acid Mothers Temple) vs Plastic Crimewave | Psychedelic Showdown | 7 + Comic Book
In the works for almost 3 years, ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE vs. PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE comic book/7in record set on prophase music & film! Yes, plotted/written by Makoto Kawabata and Sir Crimewave and drawn by Plastic Crimewave, this cataclysmic tale of aliens, magic, and psychedelia is actually somewhat autobiographical, and packaged just like the 70s ‘Power’ book/record sets of his youth. The ‘soundtrack’ on the 33 1/3 7in is collaborative as well!
Yahowha 13 | 2009 Tour Poster | poster and download code
Short run, Limited Edition 8.5×17 3 color print of the still talked about 2009 Yahowha 13 tour. Comes with a download code for the entire Fire album. A must have for any psych collector. Limited to 50 prints. Hand numbered and signed by artist Ben Brand
Yahowha 13 | 2013 |DVD+CDx2
This triple disc digi-pack is from a limited pressing of ONLY 474 copies. Disc 1 CD: Recorded live in Washington DC and Baltimore MD March 2009 by Steve Sanford. Disc 2 CD: Recorded March 2009 at the Welfare Line Studios by Mike Kerchner.
Disc 3 DVD: A film by Robert Hoffman documented during their March 2009 East Coast tour. Includes bonus psychedelic wallpaper!
Yahowha 13 | Softball Team Yahowha 13 Tshirt | Red
Yahowha 13 | Sonic Portation | CD
…L.A. Times sagely observed that the band makes Devendra Banhart look like Don Rumsfeld… the surviving members of the group reformed Friday night at the Echoplex and proudly revisited an era when belonging to the counter-culture took a bit more commitment than joining a Facebook group.Ya Ho Wa 13’s music is purposefully obtuse and hypnotic — tribal drums sawing violins and group chanting made up on the spot — but it’s nothing you can’t get from Animal Collective or Soft Circle today. The difference is that Yahowha13 really really mean it. –Fred Mills Blurt Magazine
Yahowha 13 | Sonic Portation | LP
…L.A. Times sagely observed that the band makes Devendra Banhart look like Don Rumsfeld… the surviving members of the group reformed Friday night at the Echoplex and proudly revisited an era when belonging to the counter-culture took a bit more commitment than joining a Facebook group.Ya Ho Wa 13’s music is purposefully obtuse and hypnotic — tribal drums sawing violins and group chanting made up on the spot — but it’s nothing you can’t get from Animal Collective or Soft Circle today. The difference is that Yahowha13 really really mean it. –Fred Mills Blurt Magazine
Yahowha13 | 2008 West Coast Tour TShirt | Black
Yahowha13 | 2009 East Coast Tour TShirt | Black
