Following the success of their previous two albums, Glasgow psych outfit Helicon have released their latest album God Intentions on the Fuzz Club label. Recorded at Dystopia, Glasgow with producers Luigi Pasquini and Jason Shaw, God Intentions was mastered by RIDE’s Mark Gardener and includes contributions from the Rhona MacFarlane String Quartet, Lavinia Blackwall (Trembling Bells), Mark O’Donnell (Tomorrow Syndicate), Sotho Houle (French avant-garde violinist) and Anna McCracken. Formed in 2011 by brothers John-Paul and Gary Hughes in Glasgow, who were appalled by the mundane mediocrity of mainstream music, the brothers set out to “channel the cosmic noise of their Scottish homeland and sitar-led opium tainted sounds of India with…
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Music Box Presents – Kilowatt Bar 4.1.23
Everyone was on the guest list for this event, and it wasn’t just an April fool’s joke. Music Box Presents hosted an amazing night of psychedelic and new wave rock music at the Kilowatt Bar on this past April 1st , 2023. It’s amazing the amount of people that come out of the woodwork for a free rock show in San Francisco. Not only did lots of denizens of the SF psych scene make an appearance, lots of just average people going out on a Saturday night in the Mission District also got to be exposed to some really good original music from two really talented new bands. Alongside friends…
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THE CHAPEL 2.4.23
The event at the Chapel on February 4th, 2023 was one of the most lively and exciting events I’ve attended in a long time. Produced by Lucky Recording Company, and co-sponsored by Prime Time entertainment, GHS Guitar Strings, and Guitar Player. The showcase was a selection of the artists who have recorded at the Grammy nominated studio over this past year by music producers Travis Kasperbauer and Mikel Ross. The concert drew a multi-generational group of people, with attendees ranging from ages 18 to 80. There was a great mix of people in the crowd from all around the San Francisco Bay Area. I think this is one of the…
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The Black Angels – “Wilderness of Mirrors”
The Black Angels are back with their newest album in five years, Wilderness of Mirrors. Recorded over the course of two years during the pandemic, these 15 songs are a sonic rock attack, with a sense of urgency heard within. Post-apocalyptic scenarios, environmental destruction, and the falling of empires and institutions are mirrored in the lyrics and themes of each song. The album is a psychedelic editorial on the state of the world today as seen from a band who has toured internationally, but still stays true to their roots in Austin, Texas. Just like the haunting electric sounds associated with The 13th Floor Elevators before them, The Black Angels…
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The Stargazer Lillies – “Cosmic Tidal Wave”
Starting “Lit like the Sun,” Kim Field’s lush vocals wash over the stratospheric mood of this opening track, like they’re emanating from the source of the center of this solar system. “Any color can be bright, but it takes all to produce daylight.” Vast expanses of space and time transverse perfectly, reflecting the album’s title “Cosmic Tidal Wave.” An epic album opener, it set the stage for the rest of the astral journey over the course of the solid nine song album. “Bending the lines” is the second track, having more of a bounce, and creating a nice low-key dance vibe after the cosmic voyage of the album opener. Smooth…
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Aoife Nessa Frances has returned with a new album, Protector
Aoife Nessa Frances has returned with a new album, Protector, on Partisan records. Starting off the album is the calm track, “Way to Say Goodbye.” The soothing vocals are mixed over a mid-tempo beat, with a creative use of brass and strings that softly creep up in the mix, which opens the door to the rest of the album. “This Still Life” has a similar vibe and production. “Emptiness Follows” has a fantasy acoustic-type vibe with shimmering keyboards and/or mellotron. Harps and Brass accentuate the chorus, giving it a timeless feel and the hearing of music on a grand scale. The next track, “Only Child” features a toe-tapping minimal beat,…
