Open Mind Records proudly presents the second album I’d Much Rather Be with the Noise from the mighty poptastic noise machine and rock’n’roller Råttanson. The self-produced, low-budget, high-ambition album contains 14 sizzling original cuts. There’s a shalalala here, a hand clap there, Diddley and Wilko rhythms, snotty nasal vocals, pop á la Undertones and Spector, garage rock reminiscent of Lyres and suddenly a cowpunk banjo. Sure, there are vibes of 60s and Swedish 80s-garage but this funtastic noise expedition is way more diversified and thrilling than that. Råttanson is a Swedish garage rock/power pop/rock’n’roll DIY solo project. For I’d Much Rather Be with the Noise he has brought in a…
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Get Hypnotized! 2 New Releases From Hypnotic Bridge Records
This week brings us 2 new releases from Hypnotic Bridge records. Devoted to the 7-inch, vinyl, 45-rpm format, the label specializes in bringing glorious psych-pop singles to fans, DJs, and collectors of psychedelic artifacts. Records are pressed in limited-edition quantities of 500 per single and often represent a band’s most psychedelic, 1960s-inspired sounds. The Black Watch: “Crying all The Time!” b/w “One Hundred Million Times Around The Sun” & “Much of Muchness” The Black Watch have been creating their unique blend of post-punk psychedelia for nearly 3 decades. This latest single from Hypnotic Bridge is a testament to their sound. The A side is “Crying All The Time!” (psych mix),…
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New Week, New Release: Redd Kross’ “Beyond The Door”
Redd Kross has been a part of my life for literally as long as I can remember- born in 1990 to extremely hip parents, my dad was a Redd Kross fan even before my time. My parents saw the band play with The Go-Go’s in Oakland a few months after my birth, and throughout my entire childhood the promotional poster for the Neurotica album was up on our living room wall and Redd Kross tunes were constantly on the stereo. In high school, my brothers and I covered “Annies Gone” in our band, though we were never quite as cool as brothers Jeff and Steven Mcdonald. Jeff and Steven Mcdonald…
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King Khan Re-Khan
POW/WCSB King Khan is no newcomer to the garage psych revival, but his new release, Turkey Ride (Khannibalism / Ernest Jenning) is sleek peek into his auspicious origins. Turkey Ride is the work of then kid, King Khan, recorded some 18 years ago in Europe. But the kid King is not playing on Turkey Ride. This is a perfectly produced, 13-song gem, packed with wah-wah pedal rockers, punk ravers, and soul-soaked psych-outs. Think Black Lips versus Elephant Stone in a James Brown bareknuckle rockdown. In short, I dig it. King Khan is known for his stage-packed, clowning send-up revue, but Turkey Ride is a serious rocker, even if replete in madcap madness.…
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New Week, New Release: Omicron J Trauma
I’m a sucker for cute young guys making good music. Alright, mostly I’m just a sucker for good music, but cute guys are also a plus. As I absent-mindedly searched through new releases tagged “powerpop” on Bandcamp, I happened across a cool looking album cover by a band with a weird name, and well, here we are. Omicron J Trauma are 2 young guys from Dallas (plus a veteran drummer/producer) who have just released their first album, You Should Have Thought About That. Here’s why it’s worth your time The first track on the release, “Good Conversation”, has been stuck in my head for several weeks now. Catchy, straight forward…
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New Week, New Release: Juju’s “Maps & Territory”
It’s very rare that I’m sent a release that I have great difficulty writing about because I just can’t put what I’m hearing into words accurately. However this is the exactly the situation I’ve been put into with Juju’s Maps & Territory, out this Friday May 31st on Fuzz Club records. These 7 tracks are something I can crudely describe as atmospheric, exotic stoner rock- yet reducing the music to simply that is doing it a great disservice. Maybe I’m out of my element here. But trust me when I say that Maps & Territory is worth a listen- so spend your Monday off kicking back, maybe sparking up a…
