“Psychedelicatessen Review” marks a nostalgic and celebratory return to the foundational years of POW, reflecting on the era before the magazine established its dedicated website.
The journey of POW originally began on Apr 15, 2011, sparked by our founder, Dennis Gonzales inaugural radio broadcast on KFJC 89.7 FM in Los Altos, California. This broadcast served as the initial platform for the magazine concept before it transitioned into a digital format.
Between 2012 and 2016, our efforts were largely concentrated on building a presence through social media, where we focused on curating music videos, conducting in-depth interviews with emerging bands, and meticulously documenting their performances on video. Following 2016, we expanded our scope significantly, launching our comprehensive reviews of live music events and new album releases on powmagazine.org.
In an exciting development, our music reviewer, Shae Walker revisit and review the extensive archive of music and bands Dennis previously shared exclusively via social media channels. Whether you are a newcomer to the POW community or a long-time follower who remembers the original band features and video posts, we invite you to explore the “Psychedelicatessen Review” for a fresh perspective on these archival treasures.
Ancient River | Waiting For The Light (2013)
Gritty guitars, pounding drums, pummeling bass, and reverb-heavy vocals color this track from Florida’s Ancient River. “Waiting For The Light” has a pummeling drive throughout the track that’s laced with reverb, fuzz, and a pulling tension across the guitars – perfect as a featured track for the edgy British soap opera, Hollyoaks Later, that it was featured in.
You can find more from Ancient River on Facebook, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, YouTube, and X.
Poppy Seed and the Love Explosion | Melt Away [2014]
Toronto’s Poppy Seed and the Love Explosion released their album Beyond the Seventh Sun back in 2014. This track brings a mellow groove into Britpop influence and psychedelic motifs, like effects-laden guitars and reverbed vocals. I think I also detect a hammer dulcimer in the opening of the track, which adds a nice texture to the beginning.
Find Poppy Seed and the Love Explosion on Bandcamp, YouTube, and Facebook.
The Auras | Honeyflower [2013]
This song from The Auras’ 2013 release The Auras EP2 brings a very fuzzy sound and spacey vibe to this psychedelic track. The guitars are aquatic sounding in the best way – full-bodied and cool-toned playing the gentle melodies throughout the song – and the vocals are hypnotic and entrancing.
Find The Auras on Facebook, Bandcamp, and YouTube.
Night Beats – As You Want (Live at Psych Night, South Africa) [2013]
This performance of “As You Want” from Night Beats’ album, Sonic Bloom, brings some blues elements into this garage-psych track. The guitar riffs are complex and twangy, the bass is pounding, and the vocals are raw and grungy. It’s a really great live performance of this track.
You can support Night Beats on their website, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, X, Bandcamp, and Apple Music.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre / Magic Castles RSD split 12″ [2014]
This split EP supplies two tracks from each artist – the first two from The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and the second two from Magic Castles. It’s a really cohesive split EP – each track tonally fits with the next, creating a seamless transition both from track to track and from band to band. The Brian Jonestown Massacre supplies a brighter sound, while Magic Castle closes out the collaboration with a slightly cooler, darker tone and a great use of synthesizers on the track “Trembling Hands”.
You can support The Brian Jonestown Massacre on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, and their website. You can support Magic Castles on Tidal, Bandcamp, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Apple Music. You can also visit their Linktree.
The Black Marble Selection [2014]
The Netherlands’ garage-psych outfit The Black Marble Selection brings Nederbeat and blues influences to psychedelic music, with their prominent harmonica and rawer vocal qualities. This opening track from their self-titled album features twangy guitar licks that color this track with a funky twist to an old school-style jam.
You can support The Black Marble Selection on Bandcamp, YouTube, Facebook, Spotify, Last.fm, X, and Instagram.
The Future Primitives [2012]
South Africa’s The Future Primitives released This Here’s The Future Primitives back in 2012, and then third track off the album, “Fall To Pieces”, is a great example of how the band blends psychedelic, rock, and garage influences to create their sound. Using an unusually stripped-down and minimal setup, this trio creates a somewhat surf rock-y garage fusion with lo-fi vocals and tremolo picking.
You can support The Future Primitives on Facebook, Bandcamp, Vimeo, and YouTube.
The Maggie’s Marshmallows [2014]
This double-single from Prague’s garage-punk band, The Maggie’s Marshmallows features an original song, “Come Along”, and a cover of Murphy and the Mob’s “Born Loser”. Featuring fuzzed-out vocals, lo-fi recording techniques, and a gritty bassline, “Come Along” is not only a fantastic homage to 60s garage, but is also the debut of this then-teenage band.
You can support The Maggie’s Marshmallows on Facebook, YouTube, Bandcamp, and Spotify.
The Creeping Ivies | Rock N Roll Ghost [2013]
The Creeping Ivies are a garage-punk-rock group from the UK whose music feels very reminiscent of early garage music. The song “Rock N Roll Ghost” from their debut album showcases their understanding of the genre and it’s essential elements, like the fuzzed guitar melodics, usage of backbeat rhythms, and rawer vocal techniques. Out of all the tracks featured on this edition of the Psychedelicatessen Review, “Rock N Roll Ghost” has to be my favorite because of the catchy lyrics and quintessentialism of this garage track.
You can support The Creeping Ivies on Facebook, Bandcamp, YouTube, X, and Spotify.
The Merrylees | Forever More [2014]
“Forever More” opens on a country twang of a steel lap guitar – quite the different tone from the previous features on this edition of the Psychedelicatessen Review. The moody and twangy tones that color this track help The Merrylees stand out from their peers in garage music – whereas punk, blues, and rock influences coat the sonic landscape of the genre, The Merrylees take the less-beaten path and infuse country essentials – lap-steel guitar and bright, twangy guitar licks – to create a very memorable and unique take on the genre.
You can support The Merrylees on YouTube and Soundcloud.
Straight Arrows | RISING LP [2014]
Punk-y, psych-y, and a bit surf-y, the Straight Arrows’ RISING LP examines garage roots and shows how it’s done down under. Fuzzy and high-energy guitars soar over backbeat drums, reverb-heavy vocals, and old school surf-y grooves on “Petrified”, the LP’s fourth track.
You can support Straight Arrows on Facebook, Bandcamp, X, and Instagram.
The Electric Magpie [2014] LP
San Francisco’s own The Electric Magpie showcases Bay Area garage rock on their LP, Begins. The third track, “Airport Blues”, is full of fuzzed guitars, lo-fi vocals, and pummeling bass. The simple, repeated guitar melody punctuates each verse and chorus and plays off the bass riff underneath it, creating an interesting depth to a relatively simple element.
You can support The Electric Magpie on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, and YouTube.
The Mind Flowers, | Down the Line // The Roaring 420s | Blue Jay [2014]
The Sonic Dawn, who were formerly called The Mind Flowers, released a split with The Roaring 420s back in 2014. Their contribution is psychedelic, bluesy, and high-energy. Bluesy vocals with psych guitar riffs and fast-paced drumming creates a composition colored by warm tones and twangy guitars.
The Roaring 420s | Blue Jay
“Blue Jay” by The Roaring 420s feels very much like quintessiantial 60s surf-psych – the organ, “ahh-ahh” backing harmonies, and surf-y guitar licks pay homage to the early years of the psych movement. I really like the instrumentals in the bridge – it leans more towards surf rock that psych, but I think that the sound works very well with some of the more psych-essential instrumentals, like the organ.
You can support The Sonic Dawn on Facebook, Instagram, and their website. You can support The Roaring 420s on Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, and Soundcloud.
Electric Moon | Dooms Day Machine [2011]
German band Electric Moon leans into krautrock, acid rock, space rock, and psychedelia on their 2011 album THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE. The third track, “Spaceman”, leans into hypnotic and overlapping echoes of effects-laden vocals and guitars. The best way to describe the experience of listening to the song is “the soundtrack to speeding through psychedelic hyperspace” – building melodies and synthesizers create tension and a pull into the music, bringing you deeper into the track.
You can support Electric Moon on Facebook, Bandcamp, Instagram, and YouTube.
