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…
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Mediterranean Meets Middle East – La Piramide di Sangue’s Tebe
The psychedelic music of Italy has a certain flair that you can’t find anywhere else. The Italian psychedelic scene of Psichedelia occulta italiana (Italian occult psychedelic), or POI, boasts a unique blend of genre influences, including krautrock, post-punk, and Italian progressive rock. This blend sets itself apart from the massive soundscape of the psychedelic genre, with a foundational sound that can be a bit more structured in comparison to other psychedelic subgenres. Psychedelic music tends to have a musical influence from some type of traditional or folk music, with many acts being inspired by Carnatic music or Hindustani classical music, some even citing Ravi Shankar specifically as a main source…
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Sun Atoms – Live Show and Everything Forever Album Review
Portland, Oregon’s own Sun Atoms came through the Bay Area circuit a little while back, stopping by Kilowatt in San Francisco to give an unforgettable performance. I love being introduced to bands by seeing them live, and this was an introduction to remember. Sun Atoms were the 3rd and final act to grace the stage that night, following performances by Rykarda Parasol and Ardent Sons. Sun Atoms were absolutely incredible to watch. Prior to seeing them live, I’d never seen a darkwave artist live. They were completely locked-in on their performance. Their passion for their music was deeply evident throughout their set. Lead singer Jsun Atoms really commanded the room…
