Gothtober - The Tear Garden : "Astral Elevator"

 

The long-running project of cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy fame and Edward Ka-Spel of the Legendary Pink Dots continues to hold its seemingly timeless appeal as the kind of dark psychedelic music unfolds with an electronic pulse. The second song has more of a Skinny Puppy-like groove, as Ka-Spel's surreal musing sounds great at 71. Not far removed from what Psychic TV used to do that it feels like drug music with little of the hippie trappings. Lyrically, the abstraction proves interesting. 

Things percolate further with 'Lady Fate." It does some darkly atmospheric sing-song pondering that floats away with you. "Square Root" engages in some odd theatrics before stirring to mechanical life. The electronic groove is the focus of "It Just Ain't So". It throbs with a hypnotic drone, with the vocals providing enough of a narrative to make it a song. Things ebb down to a darker introspection for "In the Name of", then the album begins to drift off into a more ambient pulse until " War Crier" finds its spectral groove.  

Things take a weird experimental turn on "Swallow the Leader," moving into a surreal interlude called "Ureal" about AI, before coming back into focus for " A Developing World," when it's declared that we don't always have the power. Even in the drugged-out bliss of this album's vibe, there is still an awareness of the current dystopia. This leads to darker speculation on "Always Take the Highway". "Chow Mein" is another atmospheric exploration into a trippy deconstruction of social narratives.  The album closes with more atmosphere, but even when taking these excursions, it takes us back to the encompassing trips albums used to weave and immerse the listener in that died in the late 90s. I will give this album a 9.5, for crafting the balance of experimental sounds and stories to tell through songs. 

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Midnight Rodeo : "Chaos Era"

 

This is an interesting band that is not sure what direction they are going, though all of them involve drugs. We are getting varied levels of disco and funk combined with country elements running through an indie rock reverb. The first song tricks you into thinking this album is going to be about groove na dancing, but it is not. They sound more like they are from San Francisco in the 60s than they sound like they are from England. There is a little British about this band, and that is a success considering the inspiration they are drawing from.

Things get to grooving again on "Daisy." It feels a little like "Radar Love" meets Kacey Musgraves. There is a mellower feel to "Captain's Table"; the vocals stay in the alto purr that prowls the bulk of the songs. The guitars carry more of a jangle. The first song I feel a darker vibe lurking around is "I Can Say Anything." It makes me think of Death Valley Girls. "El Medina" has more movement thanks to the jazz fusion bass line, but wanders around. 

This band's bass player has it going on as they really get "Strange Eyes" moving, and the album continues to slowly move in a more October-minded direction.  "Vulture Vulture" has more of a drugged-out '60s vibe, that is sunshine with a shadowy underbelly.  The Summer of Love finds "Buggin Out' taking a scenic walk through its seedy back alleys. The album closes with "Nothing to You," which finds the band jamming a little more, as they wander through a more relaxed vibe with the dreamy riffs ringing out I will give this album a 9, it is fun and excels at capturing the mood of an era while adding their own sense of sonic adventure..  It was released on FatCat Records. 

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the Melvins : "Tarantula Heart"

\After making more than 30 albums you have to switch things up. Buzz Osbourne did this by switching up the songwriting process and having two drummers come in and jam, then took the by-product of those sessions and wrote new songs to them. Starts off sounding like a "Vol 4" era Black Sabbath b-side, then things get weird at the six-minute mark, and it is like they shift into an entirely different song. Things continue to morph throughout the twenty-minute opening track,. It is not unlike free jazz at times in the abstract way things wander. They regain their momentum and solidify the sound by eventually locking back into a driving chug. I can appreciate the experimental nature of what they do, but in terms of songwriting, some parts of this sonic monolith work better than others. 

"Workin' the Ditch" is effective with its sludge-dense riff that moves with a great deal of power. However the bulk of the song just drones off this one riff and does not lend itself to much in the way of dynamics. On the other side of the sonic spectrum is "She's Got Weird Arms" which sounds more like a Devo song than something you might expect from these guys. I am not opposed to them breaking away from heavy. It is not the catchiest song and has a long and winding angular riff as its wobbly backbone. They meet in the background when it comes to the broad contrast of the two previous songs with "Allergic to Food". This brings them closer to what the Butthole Surfers did, but without the dropping acid in the trailer park feel. 

"Smiler" has enough of their more sludgy side to satisfy their more metal-minded segment of the fanbase. It feels like something Jell Biafra might do as a side project, though less industrial than say Lard. It works for what you want from them, while there is a more experimental jammy feel, it's not a huge departure for the band, not their greatest album when it comes to songwriting, but they are still trying which is more than many bands do these days, and given the context this was created in it's a cool concept that worked well. I will give this an 8.5, as the jammy nature does not always create hooky songs that draw you back in but is a fun journey to explore as is. 

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Hawkwind : "the Future Never Waits"

 

With 81-year-old Dave Brock as the sole surviving member of the band, I was not sure what to expect. Nik Turner is the member I am sure to miss the most, but it seems keyboardist Thighpaulsandra who has played with Spiritualized, is making huge contributions to the sound, as it is more focused on the space part of the space rock equation and rocking less. Though I am not sure how heavy I want an 81-year-old man to rock it. Brock answers this to a certain extent on "the End" . There is a more fuzzed out guitar tone that comes in though it is whisked off into the cosmos with the swirl of synths around it that are jostling for position in the mix. It did benefit when I put my headphones on, this brought up the bass in the mix, and things gained more beef. If you are a smoker of the weed, this would be an album to do that to. The bass and drums do their job of anchoring the song down. 

The 3rd song is named after " the Doors of Perception " author Aldous Huxley. I suppose it's his voice that is sampled for this trip into weirdness. If you do things like eat mushrooms or drop acid this would be an album to do that to. As would most of Hawkwind's catalogue, which this album makes me want to jump back into the earlier album I have not listened to in some time. The song take an odd jazz like turn. The narrative shifts to news reels of his death. They go even further into a jazz feel with "They are So Easily Distracted" which becomes actual jazz and not just a band influenced by it, with the more surreal sounds blowing like wind around it. They return to a more rock sound with "Rama". Brock's voice sounds good for his age. 

This album sounds great, but in terms of songwriting midway into the album is drifts off into jams. This still feels pretty true to who they are as a band and does not besmirch the legacy of their music. "Outside of Time" does eventually find vocals breaking the through the cloud of smoke, but they just kind of hesitate to really give things more structure. For me what makes the difference of a cool album versus ab excellent one is if they place more value on songs over sounds. This does happen but not consistently. When they head into a more rock direction with "I'm Learning to Live Today' , it's heading in a more effective direction. If it sounds like I am only wanting these guys to be a rock band, well that is because they are, and well I heard about them from Lemmy, but I dug the jazz parts just fine. Jam all you want with guitars and lock into a groove that is fine. 

The take you on a journey into the future on "the Beginning". The real question here is at 81, how is he doing these drugs. Listen to how the guitars are mixed on this one then tell me that he is not. After going into the future it ends up in the past with 60s folk-tinged psychedelic sounds. They stay on this hippier frame of mind on the last song. But it's a song not a jam. I will give this album a 9, it's a solid effort where they are at with one solitary member who is 81, but still jams pretty good. 

Death Valley Girls : "Islands in the Sky"

I was looking forward to this one as all of their albums u[p to this point have been highly enjoyable and a fun adventure hearing how their sound continues to evolve. The opening intro piece starts things off with a darker ambiance that is closer to goth than what we have heard from this band in some time. This darker vibe carries over into the first actual song "Magic Powers".  There is still a little of the 60s feel that ran through the previous album, but there is less flower power sentiment. There is also a catchier groove to the song that might work more at goth night than for go-go dancing. The title track does step back toward the 60's girl group pop feel. There is a more soulful wandering to "Sunday" which feels more like ballad. Her vocals are belted out with more power and passion than we have heard from her in the past. Though musically it sways in more conventional simplicity. 

"What are the Odds" highlights the fact that their is a rawer production to this album. I like the lyrics that speculate how we are living in a simulated world. There is almost more of a punk edge to this song. When it comes to darker trippy sounds they conjure just what I want from them on "Journey to Dog Star". It slithers with a more minor key feel. The layered vocals on the chorus are not what I expected to rouse the listener from the hypnosis the verses induce. It works , but takes some repeat listens to get used to. They firmly adhere to creating astounding layers of sounds, but still serving the songs with them. They combine the 60s pop ballad feel with their more psychedelic pondering on "Say it Too" , which creates something closer to Siouxsie and the Banshees than you might expect. 

The pace picking up into a coasting groove with "Watch the Sky".  This album sounds best when listened to with head phones. The bass becomes more present in the mix and the hovering vocals find their place in the middle of this. They stand shoulder to shoulder with any rock band in how these arrangements are layered . The vocals take the spotlight with the psychedelic pop of "When I'm Free". It is a little more upbeat than what I prefer from them, but it might just take a little getting use to. It feels like there is more of a Doors influence this time around. There is a haunted melancholy underneath the sugar coated melody of "All That is Not of Me". This brings it back toward a more goth adjacent zip code. There is also more nuanced guitar playing which is really cool. 

They close the album with "It's All Really Kind of Amazing" which is not as dark as the previous song. There is a more jammy meandering to it, like if Grace Slick was fronted the Great Dead and Phil Spector stepped in to produce. Though it does not adhere to his wall of sound but is allowed to carry a looser live sound. I will round this up to a 10, as I suspect it will continue to grow on me with more listens. Fans of the band will find this goes in the most logical direction given the band's trajectory but is a far cry from selling out, which works for me. 

November Doom- Ecstatic Vision :" For the Masses"

Doom is a color these guys trade in, the other genres they encompass are all next door neighbors to doom, stoner rock & psychedelic so they belong here. They remind me of Monster Magnet more often then not. A little warmer and  more organic sound than Monster Magnet but in the same sonic sphere. They boogie and groove along, often making me wish I did not quit smoking pot as they would sound great high.. "Like a Freak" is pretty straight up rock n roll and too much of a Camaro party to make me want to give it a ton of replays. The vocals are pretty manic, they come forward in the mix where on the previous song they were buried further in the mix.

The title track is mainly trippy noise . It is not until "the Magic Touch" that they actually get back in the business of songs. I appreciate the darker hypnotic atmosphere the song works off of. The slinking bass gives it a slithering groove befitting of the mood This is a common theme of the album for the bass to really set the bass. The bass player must be the main songwriter as it feels like all of the songs are written around the bass line. This is not a complaint as I am more of a bass player than guitarist myself . In fact I think it is the bass and drums that actually makes music heavy and it's the guitars and vocals that make it metal. This also is reason that these guys might not meet the hard and fast definition of metal as the vocals are not aggressive and the guitar is warm and retro owing more to perhaps garage rock than Black Sabbath. On this song it proves this point as the vocals are  lower and ore Tom Waits like it their ranting rasp.

A fuzzed out bass propels the seven minute "Grasping the Void" . The guitar holds a static riff to bring the tension to more of a boil. The vocals take on the throaty sneer that really makes me think of Monster Magnet. I like it's ballsy attitude that adds some heft to some of the other whacked out hippie vibes they have going.I will give this album a 9. As far as the actual songs go the only one that did not fully click with me is the one that is also the most garage rock, so it might just be a matter of personal taste with that one, but for the most part me and this band are on the same page. This was released on Relapse Records.

Medicine : "Scarred For Life"

On the more poppy  side of shoe gaze, this band formed back in 1990 and I could go into a tangent on the hole history of the genre, but  I do not have time for that so we will fast forward to what is going on with this this album . It is an album of cover which I did not realize going into this  until I got to the Fran Zappa song. I aam not sure this is the first thing I wanted when I downloaded this album,. To say I should not go into this album hoping for a sense of nostalgia when in fact these guys are basking in the nostalgia of an entirely different decade, makes it a mute point.  There is groove and melody not just opaque droning and a wash of effects. They are still surreal.An ample does of influences from the tripping years of the Beatles can be heard on "Sentimental Lady" .  This is a song made famous by Fleetwood Mac. They prove pretty clearly they are not hiding behind effects and can play guitar as good as any rock band on the Judee Sill song " Deadtime Bummer Blues". This song also shows they are perhaps more psychedelic than purely shoe gaze.

This point is further driven home on Neil Young's " Expecting to Fly". The lazy 60s vocal harmonies contribute to this . It is hazy , but not as dark and depressing as I typically prefer , but the feel of the song still works. The strum of the guitar also question how shoe gazy this really is.  I get that these are covers , but the original versions lean more toward folk. We are both feet in committing to psychedelic on Zappa's "Absolutely Free". There is no way at this point it can be denied.This could have come from England in 1966. I think this might be my favorite song on the album as they did a commendable job. Covering Zappa  proves to be more daunting than when they cover Miles Davis. The clang of guitar and ambling bass line accents the more retro tone  with  the Monkee's"Listen to the Band". There is a much rawer  feel than what Davey Jones and company originally came out with.

Similar is done with the pop of the Jaynettes, "Sally Go Round the Roses" which comes across more like "Tomorrow Never Knows". I am not sure covering Miles Davis is in their best interest, but they do go weird with "Black Satin" and come closer to the original than I expected. I will give this album an 8. If you are showing up for the shoe gaze  drop some acid and then you might get what is going on here. I have done enough acid in my lifetime that I will always get it.

the Psychotic Monks : "Silence Slowly and Madly Shines"

This French band's moody and hypnotic style of indie rock that has elements of shoe gaze and post -punk in them . There is some psychedelics in the mix too if we are talking about early Pink Floyd as it also has a 60s garage feel.I get to working on something else and the album loses my attention. They have a similar static strum to many of the songs, but I went from the first song to the 5th without batting an eye or being aware this was not them jamming out the first song.The second song melted into the throb , with "Wanna Be Damned" as the first song that jumps ou like Sonic Youth Youth covering the Stoogers. At 11 minutes "Sink" is very indulgent. The vocals are an improvement as they have more feeling behind their whine. There are so cool Pink Floyd like guitar moments later in the song. But cool riffs alone does not a good song make.

"Midway into "How I Feel" things come together. This s how a dark dreamy groove should be done. "The Bad and the City Solution" has the thump of a distorted bass to carry it. It almost gets as heavy as metal. Though run through a filter of garage rock noise. Not straying for instrumental interludes, they wrap the album with the last song called 'walk By The Wild Lands" . This also has a darker sound that reminds me a little of early Pink Floyd. When the synths come in wit ha 60s organ sound this Pink Floyd thing is only given m,ore credence. It sounds really good but this is not the album I thought I was signing on for , so it takes a little adjustment.

This album is weird. I like that it is moody and hides it's heart under gray clouds. It is however no punk punk, but more of a [psychedelic garage rock.  The nods to the 60s are numerous. I will give this album an 8.5. I bet these guys are a great deal of fun live. The album can be on the obtuse abnd cumbersome side but they eventually come out on top and make it engaging. 

Black Mountain : "Destroyer"

The opener is pretty much standard stoner rock fare. It is not util the second song that things get interesting as there is a robotic pitch-shifted harmonizing effect on the vocals that gives them a robotic sound that contrasts the more organic 70s rock of the instrumentation.  Granted an entire album with that effect would be tedious, but it works for this song. When the normal vocals come in it provides a more dynamic contrast even before the acoustic break down. There still strong psychedelic undertones to "Closer to the Edge". The retro synth sounds work well. This bleed into the next song "High Rise" which makes it feel like a transition in a longer song. The approach to the vocals feels more Psychic Tv. It is not as good as the previous song , but still pretty much finds this tapping into it's own sound.

"Pretty Little Lazies" combines elements of the Rolling Stones with Blue Oyster Cult and Hawkwind. Maybe there is a dash of T-rex in as well. Though this feels like it is coming from indie rock musicians rather than stoner rockers. There are hard moments , but it doesn't really cross over into metal. If you think it does that is because you are a pussy. That is not to say it is totally devoid of any and all Sabbath influence as some exists on "Boogie Lover" , but this is tempered with more psychedelics. "Licensed to Drive" reminds me of Alice  Cooper set against a Judas Priest riff/
. Rather than having Halford range the more often dead pan vocals are layered with a woman's who can sing. There is a Brian Eno era Bowie feel to the last song. This is even winked at as their is a reference to the man who fell to earth.

I will round this one up to a 9 . It barrows from elements of music that I like so the fact their influences are sometimes worn on their sleeves is ok with me. This album sounds great. But unlike my complaint this year that there are many albums where they have a good sound , but not good songs. This is not the case here and shows what a good balance of this should be. This album comes out at the end of May.
 

the Brian Jonestown Massacre : "s/t"

If you don't know who these guys are then this is Anton Newcombe from the Dandy Warhols. There is a moody almost post-rock feel to the strummed opener like a less goth version of the Cure. Anton makes up for what he lacks in vocal prowess with attitude. The arrangements are fairly simplistic rock n roll, darker than the Rolling Stones, but also less dangerous. Mick Jagger is never this depressed. Rather than go on any long winding roads the songs jam off a singular vibe. At times there is more of a 90s alternative vibe, which the Dandy Warhols certainly sprang out of.  Female vocals take over on the second song. This gives things a more dreamy feel. The bass player stay in motion while holding things down. "My Mind is Filled With Stuff" is a jammy instrumental that drones more than goes anywhere.

Th acoustic strum of guitar leads into the weird wonder of "A Word" which gets the whole 60s psychedelic vibe better than most bands. There is a drugged sluggishness to it despite the fact Newcombe no longer gets high. "We Never Had a Chance" falls on the more down trodden side of Brit pop. Lyrically things are bitter and bleak. "To Sad To Tell You" continues to explore the band's =more depressive side . As they rain on your parade there is some tasteful guitar and a great tone on every instrument . I prefer this to their more straight ahead rock n roll side that they indulge on " Remember Me This".

It's back to a more garage rock style strum on "What Can I Say". I suppose if the Monkees had hung out with Charles Manson, instead of the Beach Boys , they might have made this kind of music. I'll round this up to a 9 as it taps into the hazy kind of thing that the Stone Roses used to do , which I liked to get stoned to in high school.

Hexvessel : 'All Tree"

Had to take a break from black metal to check out this Finnish neo folk acts new album. Since Kvohst is singing they do have a black metal history, but this album is so hippy I could not file it under black history month. This is spurned more by my love for Grave Pleasures / Beastmilk . Not as tense as those post-punk projects, there is more melancholy than flower power. "Son of the sky" has a darker 60s rock sway to it . A neo folk strum running through it. Kvohst's voice sounds great as it always does. There is still that melancholy tremble to it , though it he keeps a very clean folk vocal tone on "Old Tree". The darker vibes carry over into the smooth flow of songs like "Changeling" even with a flute dancing around it. There is a heavier strum to "Ancient Astronaut" . The chorus is a little lighter than what I expected going into the song.

There are some instrumental interludes that I am for the purpose of the review not going to get into. Sure they sound cool, but are not actual songs. There is a very relaxed folk vibe to " A Slyvan Sign".They have some of the best acoustic guitar tones on this album. The guitars are very well layered.I like how groove is blended with the frolicking folk of "Wilderness Spirit". There is a more Pink Floyd feel to "Birthmark". The chorus to this one might have the most feeling to it so far. I obviously like the fact tht "Liminal Night: is about Halloween. There is a similar vibe to the last song, though musically it is much more minimal. It has a more solemn drone to it.

I will give this album a 9.5 ,as in terms of song writing and the over all sound they have expanded their scope on many levels. It's a great sounding album. This could help tip them over to more mainstream audiences as I  can see how indie rock kids might get into them, but then again it still might require more thinking than the average millennial hipster can muster,

Megaton Leviathan : "Mage"

Things have changed. When I heard the first track off this album, I thought "Oh My God , they have turned into Jesu" . I am fine with this as I miss Jesu and the last album I heard by them they did not sound like the same band that made "Sliver" . In other words there is more of a dreamy  shoe gaze haze over this album and it barely touches upon metal at least on the opening track. "Take the Fire" opens with electronic drugs and a narcotic atmosphere. Vocal ease in around this to add to the trance like ambiance. This feels more like some kinda of space age shoe gaze more than it does doom. Not that I am married to doom, this band can feel free to grow in any way they deem fit.

The title track is heavier. Calling it metal might be presumptuous. It has more of a Led Zeppelin throb, if we are talking "No Quarter" or "When the Levee" breaks, though the drums don't boom in the same way as the latter. The vocal layer works for this song in a way that doesn't make it fee like it's idly droning on. Then things begin to really get weird on the synth driven "Belldog". It is almost like kraut Rock at first until the drums find their way in then it carries more of an "Obscured By Clouds" Pink Floyd kind of feel.

The first six minutes of the 15 minute "Within the Threshold" that ends the album is electronic synth wave kraut rock. It does made for some compelling soundtrack music, but is this doom even when the guitar kicks in ? Not likely. This album feels more like prog rock. Nothing is wrong with that. In the final two minutes of this massive instrumental it begins to ebb down to a gentle melody. This is well layered and produced. All the sounds in place are great, it is a jarring change from what fans of this band might be expecting. I'll give this album an 8.5, it's certainly fine for what it is and they certainly get props for going on this surreal adventure.

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats : " Wasteland"

When it comes to the retro style of stoner rock these guys feel like the Rob Zombie version of that as things have had a pulp horror feel to them. Their hippy side tends to win out, but this album finds the normally hard rock band leaning into a more Sabbath style of metal. The first two songs have a catchier swagger and chug to them, the second one a little more of an attack. Then things change as They get darker when they slow down for the creepier "No Return". They have more of a harmonized guitar attack that takes you back to the NWOBHM , with the upbeat "Blood Runner" calling Iron Maiden. I guess if you are a band that comes anywhere near metal and are from Britain Maiden is hard to ignore. So far this is their most aggressive album to date.

They revert back to the more go-go 60s garage rock I remember these guys by. It's a well enough written song and very energetic it just doesn't have anything that stands out to me so I am glad it's not an entire album of this. I was not expecting the title track to be a strummed psychedelic song, but for what it is , they do the job pretty well falling somewhere between Pink Floyd and T-rex. "Bedouin" is in some ways more upbeat, up it has a bigger more sweeping sound and is an incredibly well written song and probably the best not only of the album, but that I can recall hearing from these guys.

The last song "Exodus" reminds me of a slowed down narcotic version of Black Sabbath's" Hole in the Sky". The previous song is so good it impacts this one and dulls the effect it might have had if placed earlier in the album. I'll give this one a 9. It might be the strongest effort yet from the band. If you are a fan you might even round it up, but I will have to see if I am going to really give it the chance to fully grow on me.

Vanishing Kids : " Heavy Dreamer"

These kids might not be the first band that has flirted with doom metal elements while embarking on another path. Bands like Messa and King Woman come to mind in this regard. This band features former members of Jex Thoth and draws influences from a wider web. The over driven guitar waking sluggishly from the hazy murk that is "Creation" recalls the retro vibe of  occult rock while bathing with lusher atmosphere. Despite the occasional rock god guitar solo that puts it's foot upon on the monitor to remind you where they came from, both the title track and "Without a Sun" both sound like they could have come from 4AD's catalog in the late 80s. The latter being darker while carrying a serpentine groove.

There is a burlier more metallic tone to the guitar that kicks up "Mockingbird". This is not the heaviest doom album you have ever heard. There is no reason to use the words crushing to describe anything going on here. But these are really well written songs that have a great mood to them. Much like artists Chelsea Wolfe or Emma Ruth Rundle, who appeal to fans of metal, I think these guys are on the harder rock end of that spectrum. I can hear traces of Siouxsie in the vocals as much as I can here Stevie Nicks or Grace Slick, so the cauldron of influences has been well stirred to create a brew of their own making. The doom undercurrent of what they do can be felt more on "Eyes of Secrets" ..

The first hint of anything Sabbath like does not surface until "Reaper". It's mainly in the hammer on of the guitar, with other more traditional doom nuances scattered. This is also the first time it winds into something that is more of a jam than a song with a clear cut direction. The vocals kind of soar and float more than form hooks. The tempo changes in one section, but is not really defined. It sounds good and as far a guitar solos go they are pretty great if you are into that kind of thing. It's like a weird cross between Sade and Jimmy Hendrix meeting over an acid trip on "Rainbows'.. There is a lighter dreamier tone to "Magnetic Magenta Blue" . The song begins to take form following a collage of trippy sounds. It's a little darker when the vocals come in. Three minutes in things get doomy again.

This album has heavy moments, and the guitar solos shoot for a more metal mark in how they aggressively go big. I would not call this a metal album it is a piece of dark psychedelic rock that occupies its own interesting space I'll round this one up to a 10 as the pieces of songs that did not click on first listen will grow on me as the over all mood of the album and the picture they paint here is pretty remarkable. .Svart Records is releasing this November 30

Ghost World : "Spin"

Pop doesn't have to be an ugly word. This band from Finland draws from what it meant in both the 70s and 90s. Either that or this is what it sounds like to get stoned and play pop songs with actual instruments. The vocals have a touch of Stevie Nicks in how they warble with vibrato slightly. The guitar melodies glide with single notes in a manner that owe props to the Cure. "Nice Sunglasses" might be about the summer, but the melodies remain layered with moodiness. There is more of a upbeat jangle to "Green Sixteen". There is a lighter floating atmosphere to "Pale & Blue".  This creates a very dream like haze to what would otherwise be more sugary. I can also hear some country influence mixed in here.

The indie rock side of the band gathers more momentum on "Vegetable State" to try to actual rock with blown out guitar solos. The country hints return but from a more Neil Young angle on "Gutter of Hearts". Her trembling vocals are still as delicate as always. The droning atmosphere of this song, allows theme to float over the songs pulse. The song builds up in a way that brings older Arcade  Fire to mind. "Coming Over" the first song thus far that doesn't fully connect with me. There is a brighter guitar tone to "Nightgown", that might bring the Beatles to mind. But this doesn't mean that they are fully committed to the psychedelic thing.  At times the vocals make me think of what it might sound like if Courtney Love decided she wasn't to make an album of psychedelic garage rock. Two and a half minutes in the song begins to take a weirder turn.

There's a 60s psychedelic feel to "Leave a Trace" that closes the album. It ebbs down into something with almost more of a country feel. The Stevie Nicks comparison is more prominent when it breaks down to something that leaves the vocals more exposed with less layers of sound for them to hide within.The flowing chorus of this song is one of the album's strongest moments. There is another oddly retro distorted guitar solo on this song as well though it doesn't summon the ghost of Jimi Hendrix like the first one did. I'll give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me it's very well done solid effort.

Desert Graves :"Nobody Gets Out Alive"

On one of my Bandcamp searches for death-rock I came across this band out of Idaho. They are not death rock, but an angular blend of noise rock and post-hardcore. There is more of a creepy punk vibe to "Demons". But the emphasis seems to be the angular twisting of the riff against the angry shouts of the vocals. Everything is lo-fi and bombastically blown out. They reign things in slightly for "Sleazy D" also includes more of a call and response between the male vocals and the snotty female vocals that chime in. There is a more melodic section heading toward the end of the song, as it escalates into a more psychedelic journey.

They ease into a darker more sublime dream of a melody on "Echo". The female vocals lead the way in and the angry male vocals take over when they used the expand and contract dynamic of loud to soft on what would be the chorus. So far this is my favorite song, because it is the darkest thus far. The girl has a pretty sexy sounding voice, I'll have to stalk their Facebook and see if the sound of it measures up.  "Waves" is more of a shoe-gazing affair. As an instrumental it is pleasing, but I think they would have been better served by having included an actual song as it seems like more of a passing outro.

The album is a name your price deal on their Bandcamp. I think this album's strongest songs balance out the more noisy songs, which sometimes work better than others. At the end of the day I thing this band is successful at what they wanted to do, unless that was to make a death-rock album, which it is not. But for psyche-garage rock with an angular post-hard core edge to it. In someways it reminds me of if Murder City Devils had a bizarre drug orgy with A Place to Bury Strangers and Sonic Youth. I'll give the album a 9 as I am strongly considering downloading it.

Jess and the Ancient Ones : "Horse and Other Weird Tales"

While not tremendously impressed when I saw this band open for King Diamond a few years ago, I think they have potential so have some hope fore their new album "the Horse and Other Weird Tales " . I continues to find the band steeped in groovy 60's rock almost like Coven with go-go dancers. So keyboards play a huge role. There is also a very jammy quality, not unlike some of the Doors more upbeat moments. The vocals are strong and soulful , but far from doing anything new. Combining elements of both Momma Cass and Janis Joplin, the results are not largely different from a band like Shocking Blue. So full of flower power that aside from the lyrics it's hard to find the more up tempo songs dark.It's three songs in before we come across something that is darker with the song "Your Exploding Heads" . This is has more of a blues soaked swing to it.

One thing I can say this album has going for it is the song are not long drawn out jams like the Devils Blood could sometime wander off into . "You and Eyes" starts of with a great groove and then spaces out into more of a Pink Floyd place, but it works well dynamically. 'Return to Hallucinate" breezed by me the first so perhaps I was having a flash back. Upon second listen it finds it on par with the with rest of the psychedelic flavored rock presented thus far, the chorus having a little more drive than some of the other songs. "Rainbow Mouth" is not unlike sped version of  "Inna Gadda Davida" . 'Minotaure" starts off much slower and builds back into the pace that dominates most of this album.

On of the album's longest journeys is the closer "Anyway the Mind Flows" which is darker . This mood wise comes closer to doom. The chord progressions give more of a wink in that direction. While this song would go over well with fans of doom, I think the album is generally too upbeat for those who are into slow, deep and harder music. Some of the more progressive passages step back from the tension. This album is easy to put on and let fade into the background. It's well played and they have recreated the sound they are going for. I think the way this music can be a slave to the time period they are trying to take you back to is what causes it to falter in the originality department. I will give it an 8 as it has some strong moments in terms of song writing and fans of this sort of thing will enjoy it.

Tear Garden "the Brown Acid Caveat"

Edward Ka-Spel of the Legendary Pink Dots and Cevin Key of Skinny Puppy have re-united after 8 years as Tear Garden. The album opens up more up beat than what I remember from them. Though over the span of their 31 years together they have covered a lot of dark and trippy ground, often wandering in the same sonic neighborhoods as Psychic Tv. I like how things get darker for "Stars on the Sidewalk" and when I hear this I think, I really hope these guys go on tour, so that's  a positive sign. "Amy's Personality" is more plodding in it's swirl of intangible mesmerism. A more electronic pulse is added to "Calling Time" . The more whispered English narrative of the vocals continues its chant like meandering on the more free form "On With the Show"  . I can hear Key's influence on the glitch filled atmosphere than I remember hearing on their previous albums that struck me as being more organic in its psychedelic pursuits.

There is a dark electronic throb to "Sinister Science".  Strings come in to give it a lusher sense of melodrama despite the continued understated vocal. "Lola's Rock" is more of a narration that makes me think of one of the interludes on Bowie's "Outside" album. Guitar returns on 'Kiss Don't Tell" to give a more organic feel, along with the sing song vocal that goes into a more Syd Barrett like cadence. There is a Stranger Things like vibe to the eerie moving the mood of "A Private Parade". This finds the song taking on a drone until it breaks down at the midway point and jumps back into the same droning groove. The synth melody wavers into weirdness toward the end so the song goes somewhere.

It sounds like more organic instruments are introduced once more on "Seven Veils". The vocals occupy a more conventional spot and finds them once again in the zip code of early Pink Floyd. This is prime real estate if you are psychedelic so it means they are doing something right for this comparison to be drawn. "Object" comes close to being a neo-folk ditty. Which is fine by me. Then some near Kraut rock weirdness with the closing "the Sound of Space Escaping". It's clear this requires more drugs than Pink Floyd was on for "Obscured By Clouds". While the first few songs are the best before the drugged lethargy sets in over this album I have no problem rounding it up to an 8.5 . I am sure would have scored higher if I still did drugs.

You can check out videos they made on their crowd funding page ....thanks Pledgers!, Here's a little video treat for you http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/theteargarden/updates/72374?utm_campaign=project13527 via @pledgemusic

Elder : "Reflections of a Floating World"

The Boston stoner rock band is back. This is their third album. The guitar heroics really take the spot light three and half minutes in. The layered production is very lush and it's clear these guys are not far removed from progressive rock.

Roger Waters : " Is This the Life We Really Want"

Right from the first song it's obvious Roger Water's has more Pink Floyd in his pinkie than the other three did when left to their own devices. I have only flirted with his solo stuff giving albums like 'the Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking" and "Amused to Death" only passing listens. While Waters sounds aged in his mid range , he sounds pretty great in his lower register and most surprising his upper register which is what age normally takes first. At times in his middle register he sounds like Bob Dylan, but "Deja Vu" is still a solid first song. Odd radio samples riddle the mellow tones he unfolds.As the album progresses, Waters retain his familiar sense of dramatics with "the Last Refugee " sounds like warmed up left overs from "the Final Cut". There is a more  "Wall" like tension to "Picture That". Musically he summons ghosts from every era of Floyd here. Lyrically he casts a sardonic shadow over current events. So if you wondered what Roger Waters thinks about things today...well now you know.

He goes back to campfire folk on "Broken Bones". When it got to the ballads on "the Wall" aside from "Comfortably Numb" they hit and miss for me, though in some ways this owes more to "Pigs on A Wing". He knows his dynamics and doesn't just let it sit in the acoustic strum but builds it up to Broad Way proportions. Waters is approaching his first solo album in 11 years with a lot of smarts by bringing in  Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich to help out. It's hard to argue against the smooth groove of the title track. The grooves keep coming with the atmospheric pulse of "Bird in a Gale". Water's voice sounds great here and it's not surprising he keeps the grooves going as a bass player. "The Most Beautiful Girl" falls into the ballad zone that I am not as enthralled by.  I need something more like the "Dark side" funk of "Smell the Roses".

He drops back into introspection on "Wait For Her". Which is well done for what it is, it's just not what I like the most from him. However I am good with him keeping the acoustic guitar out for "Oceans Apart". I think it's the more melancholy tone that works for me, There is a similar tone for the closing "A Part of Me Died" . So the 3rd act of the album ends with him getting a little too mellow for me, but I also don't smoke pot. If you do then go ahead and round this up to a 9, I'm giving it a very respectable 8.5. So next time you hear someone complaining about their favorite rock stars sucking because they have gotten old , point them in the direction of this album.