Like many of our staff, I have been a fan of Joel Gion and the Brian Jonestown Massacre (BJM) for many, many years. Seven years ago, I saw Joel play live without the BJM for the first time. He was performing as Joel Gion and The Primary Colours. The band performed in my hometown of San Jose, California at a local venue. It was a groovy night, in an intimate open space with bar and dining. I recall The Primary Colours were tight – flowing with jangly pop sounds and melodic psych vibes. I was digging Joel’s new music, and I asked him after the show, “How long had his…
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Occult Stereo – Plasma – Art Rock, Psych Rock & Electronic
Occult Stereo’s debut album Plasma is intentionally unpredictable and designed to have multiple layers of interpretation which unfold with repeated listens. Occult Stereo is art rock with atmospheric drones, psych rock, experimental and electronic music. The album is a collaborative art project with musicians as faraway as Germany.
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San Francisco’s Lee Gallagher Shines With The West Coast Cosmic Rock of ‘L.A. Yesterday’
There's not a weak track on the record, provided you appreciate soulful vocals, gospel-informed background singers, and rootsy guitar-based rock & roll. In a time of worldwide upheaval, there's a welcome note of optimism and even moments of triumph on this release.
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The Love Dimension “Tree In The Seed” is a new six-cut EP
“Tree In The Seed” is a new six-cut EP from amorphous San Francisco psych-collective The Love Dimension. A loosely-defined amalgamation of musicians, (they say they can appear with any configuration from ‘solo-acoustic’ to a full 11-member ‘expanded lineup’) this release finds The Love Dimension appearing in our cosmos as a septet. Since it’s just an EP, we’ll do a track-by-track review. “I Promise You” features The Love Dimension’s usual arrangement of male vocals with female harmonies, plus a buzzing-guitar line that darts around the track like a wasp at a picnic. Sometimes it’s buried in the background, sometimes it’s buzzing menacingly right in your face. “Find A Way” kicks off with…
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The Love Dimension Takes You to Another Dimension
The Love Dimension, San Francisco, Photo by Ellie Doyen for Pow Magazine Check out their latest album, Dream Decibels. With a complete, cohesive flow from start to finish, Dream Decibels takes you through the spectrum of human experience, to the stars and cosmos beyond, and then gently carries you back down to earth with their final song “Back Home.” Every song on this album has its own purpose and intent. The songs vary dramatically to give you different energetic vibes and feelings. They flow together seamlessly, making for a complete e(ar)-xperience. Kicking it off with “Faster Than the Speed of Light”: like the name implies, it’s a high-powered anthem that…
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Discography Biography #4: Paul Kopf
It’s time for Discography Biography, POW’s monthly look into the mind, and the record collection of a various musician. For those who aren’t familiar with how it works, here’s a quick rundown: As any music lover knows, there’s a huge difference between “desert island discs”, favorite records, most influential records, etc. The ones that interest me the most are the ones that are the most personal- the albums that define who you are, the ones that could be called the soundtrack of your life. Every month here on POW, I’ll be talking to a different musician about the top 3 albums that make up what I’ve affectionately titled their “Discography…
