It’s hard to get people out to a rock concert on a Sunday night at 9 pm. It’s not necessarily a party night for everyone. However, often bands are on tour, and one plans their whole weekend around when they will be in town because they are just that good and can’t be missed. The Asteroid No. 4 and Elephant Stone show at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco was one of those shows. No matter what was happening that weekend, one had to make it out to support a band like this when it was playing a local show. The third band slated to be on the bill,…
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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…
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The Spiral Electric
A lot of bands get softer as their careers progress. Whether that’s due to the righteous anger of youth fading, record companies and producers “sanding off the rough edges” for commercial radio, or just the members getting old, it’s an annoyingly common career trajectory. The Replacements, Cheap Trick, pretty much every punk band that went “New Wave”…heck, even the mighty Led Zeppelin’s last album is pretty flaccid, if you’re willing to admit it. So it’s a pleasure to report that the San Francisco band The Spiral Electric have bucked this trend, and grown steadily heavier, in live and on record, since their earliest incarnation. While they were never exactly “soft” in their…
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POW Magazine Newsletter #6
New international shoegaze and psych releases featuring Asteroid No.4, Brian Jonestown Massacre, A Place To Bury Strangers, Muun Bato, Black Doldrums and more! Stay hip to the scene in 2024.
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Singles Round Up: The Outset, Shadow Show, Girl Tones, The Snares
The Outset- “But I Learned”/”Baker’s Husband” The newest offering from So-Cal’s The Outset features 2 tracks sounding straight out of the mid 60s. “But I Learned” is more straightforward rock n roll- think Yardbirds, Stones, early Who. The production style is perfect for this sound as well. “Baker’s Husband” leans more psych, a more 67/68-ish vibe. I love the jangle guitar, the rawness of the sound, and the more catchy, powerpop type psych going on here. A vintage sound done really well and with loads of style. https://theoutset.bandcamp.com/album/but-i-learned-bakers-husband Shadow Show: “Baba Yaga” w/ “Spy Balloon” Detroit trio Shadow Show continue to make some of the most interesting and complex psych…
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Pow Magazine Music Audio Premiere: Dead Visions | Take My Hand
Pow Magazine Music Audio Premiere: I’m excited to share that Dead Visions has just released their new single, “Take My Hand.” This is the second release from their upcoming album, “Myself,” which is set to drop at the end of the year. For those unfamiliar, Dead Visions is an Italian rock band led by the multi-talented Francesco Mandelli, also known as Nongio. While their 2020 debut LP, “A Sea Of Troubles,” had a distinctly garage punk sound, “Take My Hand” showcases a new direction for the band. This melancholic ballad, with its rich arrangements and expansive sound, hints at the more personal and inspired direction of the forthcoming album. “Take…
