Occult Stereo is a self-produced project from Alex Eliopoulos, previously of the San Francisco band, Impuritan. Recorded over three years in Athens, Greece, but with songs written in San Francisco before the pandemic, this is truly a unique album with high levels of experimentation and creativity. This project is an open collaboration with other artists as well, adding to ’its complex tapestry of “Occult” sounds. The band “embraces aural freedom in many forms, from ambient soundscapes to fuzz-guitar freak outs and drone-like psychedelic oceans.” Abrasive, yet soothing at the same time, the record speaks to the whole spectrum of musical tone, a yin yang of styles that can’t be described…
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LSD & The Search for God. Kraus. Launder. 5.2.2025
“Shoe-gaze” as a genre of music has been around since the 1990s. I like to refer to the genre as “Dream-gaze,” and I’ve also heard it referred to as “Sea-gaze. Both of which are less condescending names, while they more accurately describe the sound and appeal of the genre. The genre made a revival in the early 2000s, making it more well known to a wider international audience. And now it seems it’s making an even bigger comeback as a popular genre with the Generation Z crowd. This was evident at this concert at Great American Music Hall San Francisco, where the line to get in the door was wrapped…
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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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Pink Breath Of Heaven New Record ‘Colors Make A Sound’
The band shows incredible promise with their modern approach to blissed-out psych-rock music. The unique vision for the band goes beyond traditional shoegaze with flavors of psych, alternative and goth. The grit and rawness in their songs that is contained in an opalescent living atmosphere.
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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…
