This week I offer up a diverse helping of tunes. We’ve got a little rock, blues, country, grunge, psychedelic and even some good old fashion spaghetti western. Let me know what floats your boat.
PHANTOM HOUND – MOUNTAIN PASS These Oakland boys just took me by storm on this debut album. Combining the bluesy licks of yesteryear with grungy harmony and crunchy tone. The title track is an anthem loaded with an infectious chorus summoning a sense of nostalgia while also adding a modern progressive edge you can’t help but fall for. Excited to get to know these dudes more.
LASSE REINSTROEM – MAZA WAKAN I found myself wearing this one out in my wishlist this last week. How come I’d never heard of this band before? Probably because its rather obscure like almost all the stuff I seem to listen to. However, this one just has that IT factor for me. Bringing an abstract injection of vocal chants teaming with female vocals and an extremely sick groove through and through. Merging psychedelic rock with hard stoner punk and heavy blues for a very diverse and unique output. This one completely blows my mind. I
RAINBOWS ARE FREE – WAVES AHEAD OF THE OCEAN These guys never cease to amaze me, and they put their digital discography up for Name Your Price this last week. Although they’re not a new band to me, they may be to you, this was their last album released back in 2014 and it’s a monumental display of proto-doom and psychedelic blues. The vocals are quirky, yet infectious and the riffs and groove are out of this world. They released one of the best albums of the year in Head Pains last year, where you can still find copies of the vinyl for sale. I suggest you snag up everything you can on Bandcamp right now. You won’t be disappointed.
FIRE IN THE RADIO – MONUMENTS Gotta stay diverse I keep telling myself. This one has a modern take on that post-punk popular in the late 80’s and 90’s. I’m definitely no expert on the genre, but I know enough to say that this was a welcome change of pace for my listening pallet. Reminds me of a more pop-punk The Cure. Very melodic and crunchy with big hooks and suave chorus lines.
THE DHAZE – DEAF DUMB BLIND Just take a moment and let the sweeping groove wash over you on Deaf Dumb Blind. Wasn’t sure what to expect when these guys sent in their material to the Doom Charts, but boy was I impressed upon a full listen. There’s a lot going on here and its all killer, no filler. This is driven by a nostalgic tone of grunge, harmonious layers of metal, kaleidoscopic blues, and big fat gritty vocals. That bass tone is sharp and melodic too.
LITTLE ALBERT – SWAMP KING I’m at a loss for words with my thoughts about this album. It’s remarkable on all fronts. Progressive, heavy, trippy, and hits all the tender zones of a hard rocking, blues fiending, psychedelic searching music aficionado. Listen for yourself.
GODS & PUNKS – DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS (THE QUARANTINE SESSIONS) - EP Incredible effort for a good cause by a band I rank as top of the South American heavy underground scene. These guys never cease to amaze me. One of the best acoustic offerings I've heard in a long time. Well done gents, well done.
WHITE CACTUS – HIGH TIDE AT MEAT COVE This one, oddly enough came across my desk via a sponsored add on social media and I couldn’t help but check it out. The title was hilarious, the tags screamed rad, and I was almost sold before I even hit play. Once I hit play all expectations were confirmed. This is a super fun, groove laden, cosmic wave of riffs and groove.
NIKKI & THE PHANTOM CALLERS – EVERYBODY’S GOING TO HELL (BUT YOU AND ME) Another recommendation from the bandcamp feed by following certain genres that seem to attract my attention. This time tags like dark country, Americana, country rock, honky tonk, etc…. From the PR wire. “Nikki & the Phantom Callers’ new LP was recorded in late 2018 at Maze Studios in Atlanta. To record the album, Speake enlisted Ben Etter (Deerhunter, Cate Le Bon, Hazel English) as lead engineer and brought on Bronson Tew at Dial Back Sound (Drive-By Truckers) to master the record. The result is a crisp, expansive record with as much sonic depth as emotional resonance and an unmistakable Southern rock swagger.”
THE DETRO – WITCH DOCTOR STRANGE This short 6 songer caught my ear for a handful of listens this last week. A simple yet effective cover with dark colors and intriguing tags. I’ve been pretty into the harder garage rock bands out of Southern California and across the world really. The Detro bring it on home with jagged riffs, and rawtone and thick rhythm.
FAMILIARS – ALL IN GOOD TIME In a perfect world we'd all be familiar with Familiars. All In Good Time catapults itself straight to the top of most glorious debut LPs released in 2020. The tones are atmospheric and fuzz-laden, polished with shoegaze and a driving sense of tranquility.
-The Huntsman
