Sister Crystals: “For So Long”

Exciting times! Sister Crystals (formerly Magic City), along with our partner label, Walk-In Records, have officially released the first single off their debut LP, due out in May. “For So Long” glistens with the rays of the cold winter light.

Sister Crystals on […]

[Abby’s Road] California Dreaming

So. It’s been a while.

Holidaymaking. Flying. Travel. Hurricanes. Not necessarily a time when one wants to be writing anything but a handful of postcards. Moreover, I was (also) cursed with a five-alarm case of writer’s block. Everything swimming around in my noodle was non-music related (far from it). I needed music’s medicinal value, yes, but I didn’t feel like mulling it over or jotting anything down about it. I just wanted to listen. Simple, really. Anyone would have been bored with what I had to say. So thanks for hanging around and reading again. Right.

While I was off exploring the cradle of western civilization and, later, revisiting my roots (read: lazing about in a cheap rented flat on the beaches of Crete and then drinking copious amounts of wine in my hometown for a 3-week visit) I listened to a lot of music, read some books and relaxed. Perfect. There was, however, despite locale and continent, one resounding musical thread throughout my autumnal journeying: Allah-Las.

Continue reading [Abby’s Road] California Dreaming

[MP3] Birds & Batteries: “The Golden Age of Dreams”

Psychedelic with a trace of Phil Collins? Yes, please. “The Golden Age of Dreams” puts my mind at ease on this mundane Monday. If only every week could start off with such optimism.

Birds & Batteries, out of San Fran, are set to drop their new album, Stray Light, August 7 via Eightmaps.

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Royal Canoe, I love you

Empty out a swimming pool. Spray paint it in neon colors. Learn to ride a skateboard better than Tony Hawk. Ride your skateboard around the empty, painted pool. If you did this, the song you would need to listen to while doing so would be “Hold On To The Metal” by Royal Canoe. […]

Dance to new ARMS: “Summer Skills (Bump in the Night Version)”

Good friend Todd Goldstein is back with his latest ARMS single, “Summer Skills (Bump in the Night Version),” which builds upon and re-imagines the title track to the much-ballyhooed Summer Skills album amidst head bopping psychedelica. The percussion will floor you in the best way possible.

ARMS, a four-piece, premiered the track on […]

The genre of Plankton Wat’s Spirits? Who cares.

When not sharing the stage with Nick Bindeman in Eternal Tapestry, Dewey Mahood creates his own sonic adventures as Plankton Wat. The arrival of fresh sounds from Plankton Wat is always cause for anticipation. Typically a Plankton Wat album is delivered on cassette, or sometimes CD-R, so having an LP release is even more special.

Plankton Wat rides […]

Pontiak’s Echo Ono is a road trip record with a heavy emphasis on trip

One of the first great rock records of 2012 has landed in the form of Pontiak’s latest, Echo Ono. The nine tracks that make up this record have only one purpose: to take you on a room-shaking, mind-altering, jaw-dropping trip to anywhere but here. Echo Ono is a magical mystery tour for heavy […]

[soundscape] so much for so long

photo: ‘party crashers’

song: 13th floor elevators – “may the circle remain unbroken” [stream only] (buy) [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

‘we don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.’ – anais nin

pain is an amazing thing, really. obviously it’s terrible in a lot of ways; […]

Races

You know what I like about CMJ? It lets me talk about bands I’ve missed and should have written about in the past. One of those bands is LA’s Races, whom I saw the final night of CMJ before Hands (who rocked, by the way). Races had charisma and chemistry on stage, and […]

IKE.

Weird grammar notwithstanding, the kids behind Pittsburgh experimental quartet, IKE., (including RIVKA‘s Reggie Wilkins) know what they’re doing. Oftentimes it’s difficult to tell when a band is actually having fun making music, but with IKE. it’s apparent from the very start; I can see them smiling through my speakers.

IKE.’s sound is sincere to […]