Psychic Ills – Hazed Dream (2011) Opening on a jaw harp solo, this album follows a downtempo trend, featuring a plethora of unexpected and interesting elements. Beyond the jaw harp, you can hear an organ, a cabasa or wooden sounder, something similar to an alarm tone, and a shruti box. These elements add interesting tonal variation to the songs off of this EP and create an interesting sonic contrast to the guitars and bass that form a large portion of the soundscape. Facebook, Bandcamp, and Apple Music pages of Psychic Ills The Out Key Hole – Dreams in a Waking State (2010) The debut record of The Out Key Hole…
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Neo-krautrock and Psychedelic – Vibravoid’s REMOVE THE TIES
Dusseldorf neo-krautrock and psychedelic outfit Vibravoid released their most recent album, REMOVE THE TIES, in late September. I was really looking forward to give this LP a listen. Dusseldorf has always been a big hub for artists and creatives in Germany, and is home to a number of well-known German acts, including electronic/krautrock giant Kraftwerk. I always prefer to talk about a select few of the tracks from each release; I feel this allows you, the reader, to be better acquainted with each one. The sonic journey we go on with this album is really interesting, and it’s definitely a journey you want to take. That said, let’s get into…
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Psychedelicatessen Review
Fungi Girls – Some Easy Magic (2011) This rock fusion LP boasts a spunky sound across this album. The instrumentals on this album, especially the guitars and the bass, are really fantastic. The surf rock influence is quite prevalent throughout the whole album, with certain licks and riffs feeling like they’re straight out of the 60s. The slacker rock influence is also felt throughout the album, with the fuzzed-out guitars taking center-stage on many of the tracks. Bandcamp, Blogspot, Facebook, and X pages of Fungi Girls Shapes Have Fangs – Dinner in the Dark (2012) This release from the Austin-based rock band, Shapes Have Fangs, is a great example of…
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The Love Dimension – Balance Album Review
San Francisco has long produced great psychedelic music, and The Love Dimension’s newest album – Balance – is no exception. A little blues-rocky, a bit surf-rocky, and a whole lot of psychedelic, Balance is a journey into the San Francisco soundscape of the 60s through a modern lens. The journey through Balance was really enjoyable – all of the tracks are fantastic in their own right. However, I feel it’s better to take time to go into depth on a few select highlights of the album rather than each song on the album. This album had really unexpected opening and closing tracks: Frogs of Meadow Creek and Frogs of Meadow…
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Dream Pop and Shoegaze — Dream Aloud by HEAVEN Review
Back in April, NYC-based shoegaze band, HEAVEN, released an LP on Little Cloud Records called Dream Aloud, which is filled with elements of rock, dream pop, and synthpop. HEAVEN engages a sense of nostalgia in this album, reminding me of some of my favorite shoegaze records from the mid-90s to early 2000s. I really enjoyed the journey that this album took me on, but I’d really love to highlight some of the best tracks off the record. Starting off with the LP’s title track, Dream Aloud, we’re brought along a more gentle ride. Leaning more into dream pop than shoegaze, Dream Aloud is the most nostalgic-sounding track. I love the…
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LSD and the Search for God – Double EP Review
No need to search very far for standout shoegaze – LSD and the Search for God calls San Francisco home. LSD and the Search for God have zeroed in on what makes good shoegaze good shoegaze. LSD and the Search for God currently has two EPs out – their self-titled EP and Heaven Is a Place – released in 2007 and 2016, respectively. I’ve had the pleasure of having LSD and the Search for God in my rotations since 2023, but this was my first listen of Heaven Is a Place. Both of these EPs are definitely staying in my rotations going forward. The first song I’d like to dive…
