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…
-
-
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…
-
Branching out from the Traditional Psychedelia – Daliborovo granje’s Hainin
Coming to you from Čakovec, Croatia is one of my favorite psychedelic groups: Daliborovo granje. Branching out from some of the usual psychedelic influences, Daliborovo granje creates a unique psychedelic infusion with some Balkan flair. Daliborovo granje is comprised of five members: David Lesjak on bass, Andrija Munđar on drums, Tomica Oskoruš on trumpet, and Filip Toplek and Alan Horvat on guitar. Hainin is their sophomore album, served up with a dose of Balkan folk music, which is a refreshing take on the timeless, classic psychedelic genre. To me, this instrumental album is about as close to perfection as you could possibly get. I can’t tell you how many times…
-
Electric Violin and Evocative Lyrics – Everyone Is Dirty’s Caramels For Grandpa Album Review
Oakland-based Everyone Is Dirty is best described in their own words: “violin-driven post punk”. These words could not have been better exemplified than by their 2023 release, Caramels For Grandpa. I went into this album completely blind – I was unfamiliar with the band and their sound. Their name and the album title told me two different stories, and I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from Caramels For Grandpa, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the album. Everyone Is Dirty is comprised of Sivan Lioncub (vocals and violin), Chris Daddio (guitar), and Tyler English (bass). The writing credits on this album are primarily shared by Daddio and Lioncub.…
-
Cowboy Grooves and Psychedelia – Pretty Lightning’s Night Wobble
Coming to you straight from Saarbrücken, Germany is Pretty Lightning’s newest album – Night Wobble. This new LP is the German trio’s second instrumentals-only album, but it is their sixth full-length project to date. I was offered to take a listen to this project before its official release and invited to take a sonic journey through an “oozy, woozy cowboy groove”, as described by the band. Night Wobble is a fun psychedelic fusion album – the band says the album is “dusty spaghetti-western psychedelia, Tuareg-derived desert-blues, library music and ’70s progressive”. Just based on the description alone, I was super stoked to get my headphones on and sit with the…
-
Elephant Stone: Back Into The Garage – Demos and Unreleased Tracks
The Canadian psychedelic band Elephant Stone has released a follow-up of sorts to their 2024 album Back Into The Dream – an album of the remains of “what could have been”. Back Into The Garage is comprised of the home demos that frontman Rishi Dhir created during the writing process for Back Into The Dream during Christmas 2021. Dhir calls the album a “collection of charmingly imperfect songs” and a “sneak peek into [his] creative process”. This 10-track album is a delicious display of Dhir’s composition and creative abilities. Back Into the Garage is my first introduction to Rishi Dhir and Elephant Stone. Though listening to an album of demos…
