Another Saturday night in San Francisco, and another great psych show. DJ Mr. Robinson spun all vinyl throughout the night, starting out with some chill Ravi Shankar at door time, and building throughout the night through an eclectic mix of classic psych and modern rock music. The projections were provided by White Light Prism, a mix of post-modern collage art and optical art moires throughout all the sets. Each band got their own visual pallet, making each song unique and different looking. Often there were two smaller split screens behind the bands, juxtaposing imagery with flashing strobes of nature visuals, classic 60s psych imagery, surf imagery, and film-grain urban landscapes…
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Knockout 10.27.23 – Psyched! Fest 2023. Reckling, Annabelle Chairlegs, Daydream Twins, The Grizzled Mighty and WIFE
I attended Psyched! Fest 2023 show at the Knockout on October 27th, one of multiple shows sponsored by Psyched! Radio SF. This was the sixth show in their series of shows in San Francisco. This was the smallest of all the shows, showcasing bands in a smaller and more intimate venue, where they could interact with the crowd in all their Halloween costumes. There was a DJ set by 13 Angels, playing some good standards like The Smiths and others, to set the mood of the show in between sets, “spinning melodic enchantments that will transport you to otherworldly dimensions,” but it’s also hard to hear the DJ at the…
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Fuzz Club’s Helicon – God Intentions
Following the success of their previous two albums, Glasgow psych outfit Helicon have released their latest album God Intentions on the Fuzz Club label. Recorded at Dystopia, Glasgow with producers Luigi Pasquini and Jason Shaw, God Intentions was mastered by RIDE’s Mark Gardener and includes contributions from the Rhona MacFarlane String Quartet, Lavinia Blackwall (Trembling Bells), Mark O’Donnell (Tomorrow Syndicate), Sotho Houle (French avant-garde violinist) and Anna McCracken. Formed in 2011 by brothers John-Paul and Gary Hughes in Glasgow, who were appalled by the mundane mediocrity of mainstream music, the brothers set out to “channel the cosmic noise of their Scottish homeland and sitar-led opium tainted sounds of India with…
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The Black Angels – “Wilderness of Mirrors”
The Black Angels are back with their newest album in five years, Wilderness of Mirrors. Recorded over the course of two years during the pandemic, these 15 songs are a sonic rock attack, with a sense of urgency heard within. Post-apocalyptic scenarios, environmental destruction, and the falling of empires and institutions are mirrored in the lyrics and themes of each song. The album is a psychedelic editorial on the state of the world today as seen from a band who has toured internationally, but still stays true to their roots in Austin, Texas. Just like the haunting electric sounds associated with The 13th Floor Elevators before them, The Black Angels…
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Fringed jackets and far out pop sounds: Gabriel’s Dawn’s self titled debut
"Gabriel’s Dawn are one of the most exciting bands born of the Covid lockdowns- this month, they are releasing their first full length album and I can’t get enough of their twangy jangle pop."
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THE BLACK ANGELS AT PORTLAND, OREGON’S REVOLUTION HALL
"There is a reason this is called Psych Rock and The Black Angels define and epitomize exactly what this genre and sound is."
