A couple
blind buys plus a few shots in the dark equals a great week here at camp. Enjoy
the latest bonanza picks scavenged by yours truly from the endless feed of
music known as bandcamp.
The Cold Stares – Head Bent Here’s an example of ordering the LP blindly with the confidence the label is giving you something special. Small Stone Records has always been that label. Although they’ve gone a little bit quiet the last few years, they are still up to speed on good taste and that is all that matters. Head Bent is a duo that screams with the signature SS Records squelch that we all love. I took a gamble and preordered this one blindly based on the description and the confidence on that signature Small Stone sound. Head Bent hits the jackpot of Rawk n' Roll. How can just two dudes crank out such hard grooving stoner/blues with such style? Push play and find out. Or better yet push play and pick up the LP.
Banditos – Visionland Here’s another album I pre-ordered without even hearing a preview track based upon not only the label being a total badass (Bloodshot Records) but the bands previous output. Banditos are a southern rock, soul, folk, alt/country, blues band that utilize a range of vocals at some point. The star of the line-up is their bombshell singer Mary Beth Richardson who also slays the tambourine. I was lucky enough to catch these guys a couple summers ago passing through town at a free outdoor show at a local bar. They were super cool and I could remember watching the folks passing by the venue which was in the Victorian Square in Sparks, NV, not having intentionally came out to see the band, do double takes and folks were stopping and gazing in awe at what they were witnessing. Not many bands have that ability, but Banditos are exquisite. Visionland is a master class of heavy, psychedelic folk rock and should put the band on the map no doubt. Check it out and snag a copy of the record.
Post 942 – Long Play If you’re looking for a wide variety of heavy tunes, check out the latest by a band called POST 942. The album ranges from high octane gritty rock and roll to a mellow alternate 90’s rock feel. About half the songs play through bringing a melodic nostalgia of 90’s rock radio hinting towards grunge territory, while the rest of the album socks you in the nuts with an AC/DC energy coated with a grizzled vocal performance. All in all, the album is quite enjoyable and should appeal to a wide range of fans. Check it out.
The Old Shack Band – The Old Shack Band How about some good old fashion Brazilian Blues? Sure, I’d be down to check it out. You don’t see blues and Brazilian in same sentence very often. The Old Shack Band had an immediate connection straight out of the get go with a nice fat stoner riff backed by yearning vocals that tickles that sweet groove induced sector of the brain. Serious grooves galore stacked with splendid stoner rock riffs, bluesy solos, and a vocal prowess that'll knock you off your shack!
Fall of an Empire – Croweater 2: The Last Wishes of Kings Last year ‘Fall of an Empire’ unleashed part one of the Croweater saga. At the time I hadn’t realized they were planning on making a part 2. With sequels its always tough living up to the prowess of the original, which Croweater: An Echo in the Bone possessed. Part 2 absolutely rises to the occasion with its soaring melodic crunch backed by authoritative vocals and progressive rhythm. This is how you eat crow people.
Allie’s Mass – Allie’s Mass This bad boy, or girl I found on the bandcamp feed and just had an intrigue that drove me into multiple listens. Upon the second listen I realized that Allie’s Mass was indeed massive and loaded with mass appeal. Be sure to give this a proper listen and let us know what you think. It doesn't take you long until you realize you got one hell of a smoking deal for 5 tracks of massive brilliance. Utterly mind soothing stoner doom in the tone of Ruby the Hatchet and executed with an impeccable groove. Holy hell this is hot!
Take a few minutes and pick up at least one of these albums to add to your collection. Take my word and go blind if you want, however, now that they’re fully released you can stream in full before you buy. Remember the ones that offer vinyl include unlimited streaming and download in your choice of format via the bandcamp platform. The best digital download option on the net mind you. Nobody else gives you the option of download type which includes FLAC, WAV, mp3, etc…. All the great options. Enjoy.
-The Huntsman
