Psychedelic – Page 21 – 7th Level Music

A Place to Bury Strangers to release “Live at Levitation” on June 30, 2023.

New York City’s loudest band A Place to Bury Strangers have had their intense live performance captured and immortalized directly to 12” wax. The post-punk legends are the 9th & latest entry in the Live at Levitation archival vinyl series. Live at Levitation ends with “Have You Ever Been In Love?” – a brand new song from APTBS only available on this record, written and performed by the current lineup.

“Levitation 2021 was our second show as a new band and I felt so psyched to bring the new band members to such an epic festival. It was like a homecoming for me. Bob Mustachio was doing lights and playing with Ringo Deathstarr, Kikagaku Moyo & the Black Angels all on the same bill had me so rev’d up and excited. I knew it had to be an epic show. I remember right when we started I was flailing around so much like a freak on speed that I almost flung my guitar off the stage. By the time we got out into the crowd I thought I was gonna pass out. I remember we rented this PA speaker from Rock N Roll Rentals and for some reason they trusted us with this top of the line like $5000 12” monitor that we rolled around in the crowd while I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I love Levitation and Austin Psych Fest shows, they are always a UFO of a good time.” – Oliver Ackermann (APTBS)

LEVITATION and the LIVE AT LEVITATION Vinyl Series

The first Austin Psych Fest was held in March 2008, and expanded to a 3 day event the following year. The event quickly developed into an international destination for psychedelic rock fans, with lineups spanning the fringes of indie rock, from up-and-comers to vintage legends, and capped off with headline performances from co-founders The Black Angels, along with Tame Impala, The Flaming Lips, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Thee Oh Sees (in various forms) and many more. LEVITATION helped spark a movement, inspiring the creation of similar events across the globe and a burgeoning psych scene that would soon ignite. The series captures key moments in psychedelic rock history, and live music in Austin, Texas, pressed on beautiful limited edition colorful vinyl pressings – each an eye popping visual representation of the music contained within.

The artists and sets showcased on Live at LEVITATION have been chosen from over a decade of recordings at the world-renowned event, and document key artists in the scene performing for a crowd of their peers and fans who gather at LEVITATION annually from all over the world.

This 9th release follows Live at Levitation releases from Kikagaku Moyo, The Black Angels, Primal Scream, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Moon Duo, Psychic Ills, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Thee Oh Sees.

A Place to Bury Strangers – Live at LEVITATION is out in stores on Friday, June 30, 2023.

Get a taste of the LP with a live cut of “Let’s See Each Other” filmed at LEVITATION 2021. Watch and share below.

“Let’s See Each Other”

Keep your mind open.

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Get ready to meet The Courettes with their new compilation album – “Boom! Dynamite (An Introduction to the Fabulous Courettes).”

The Courettes (lead guitarist/singer Flavia Couri and drummer Martin Couri) are an explosive (husband and wife) rock duo from Denmark and Brazil who have been touring nonstop throughout Europe since 2015, bringing their perfect blend of garage rock, 60s Girl Groups, Wall of Sound, surf music and doo wop to the delight of any audience even remotely interested in rock ‘n’ roll. Now, the “hardest working band in showbiz” are thrilled to tour the USA for the first time. Expect excitement, danger, sweat, explosive performances, and most importantly, GREAT tunes!

To coincide with their first US shows, and as an introduction to the band, a special US/Canada-only compilation, Boom! Dynamite (An Introduction To The Fabulous Courettes), will be released May 12th.The duo has released four fantastic albums on the legendary label Damaged Goods Records, each one praised by magazines such as MOJO and Shindig!, most notably the Back In Mono album in 2021, a true milestone in their career and featured in countless Best Albums of 2021 lists.

Watch video for Misfits & Freaks

Watch video for Hop The Twig

This new compilation, released exclusively for the US, guides you through their albums from the very beginning, from the early raw power garage rock onto their present Spector/Levine Wall of Sound Gold Star sound, made using complex recording techniques at StarrSound Studios in Denmark with top producer Søren Christensen and mixing genius Seiki Sato from Japan.

From Here Are The Courettes, their debut album from 2015, you ́ll find ‘I’ve Been Walking’, ‘Push It Too Hard’ (a duet with Kim Kix of Powersolo), both raw and rocking, along with a 2021 re-recording of ‘The Boy I Love’, which heads deep down the ‘60s Girl Group alley. On We Are The Courettes, their second album, the duo began using overdubs in the studio. You can hear Flavia singing harmonies and playing piano and organ on the swinging tracks ‘Time is Ticking’ and ‘Strawberry Boy’. The album also contained the garage nerve of ‘Hoodoo Hop’ and ‘Voodoo Doll’, featuring legendary Brazilian Horror icon Coffin Joe on spells.

The brilliant Back in Mono album found the duo on top songwriting form and is represented on the compilation by ‘Hop The Twig’, ‘Want You! Like a Cigarette’, ‘Night Time (The Boy of Mine)’, ‘R.I.N.G.O’ and ‘Misfits & Freaks’. ‘Only Happy When You’re Gone’ is a hidden gem from Back in Mono (B-Sides & Outtakes), and the fantastic single ‘Christmas (I Can Hardly Wait)’ is included for the first time on an album.

The first pressing is on sunny orange vinyl and is limited to 1000 copies. The band hit the West Coast in May for select dates, as well as Gonerfest in the fall and will be announcing more US shows in the near future. The Courettes are pure dynamite! Turn up the volume and fuzz out! BOOM!

US DATES

May 8 The Sardine – San Pedro, CA *

May 9 Transplants Brewing Company – Lancaster, CA *

May 10 Cellar Door – Visalia, CA *

May 11 Moe’s Alley – Santa Cruz, CA *

May 12 Bottom of The Hill – San Francisco, CA *

May 13 The Wheelhouse – Nevada City, CA *

May 14 Cafe Colonial – Sacramento, CA *

September 30 Gonerfest – Memphis, TN

* w/ The Schizophonics

More dates to be announced

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jo Murray!]

Mong Tong bring Taiwanese psych with “Forest Show.”

Mong Tong 夢東 is a Taiwanese psychedelic music band formed by brothers Hom Yu and Jiun Chi. The name “Mong Tong” is derived from the brothers’ childhood nickname, which can mean something totally different in different languages from Burmese, Cantonese to Chinese. Today they are announcing their new album ‘Tao Fire 道火‘ is set for release June 30th via Guruguru Brain and are sharing the first single from the record “Forest Show”.

Listen to “Forest Show” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ahXNBCnO2o

Mong Tong’s music is heavily influenced by Southeast Asian culture, including its mythology and folklore, as well as 60s and 70s psychedelic music. Their sound is characterized by hypnotic rhythms, dreamy melodies, and otherworldly atmospheres.

Their latest album, “Tao Fire 道火”, not only continues the idea behind their previous work, “Indies 印”, but also incorporates more local elements such as gamelan music, phin guitar, tabla drums, and Taiwan sisomi.

While sampling more sounds from the street of Southeast Asia, including weddings, funerals, and traditional celebrations, Mong Tong again explores different folk sounds around Austronesia.

Different their last Guruguru Brain release “Mystery 秘神”, “Tao Fire 道火” will take us to a land that is both familiar and fresh. Feel the hot, the crowd, humidity, and ecstasy. This time, welcome to Mong Tong’s subtropical world.

Mong Tong has been described as part of a new wave of Taiwanese music that draws on the country’s rich cultural heritage while pushing boundaries and exploring new sonic territory. They have also been noted for their visually striking album artwork, music videos and special outfits. Overall, Mong Tong is a unique and exciting addition to the global psychedelic music scene, offering a fresh perspective and a fascinating blend of musical and cultural influences.

Pre-order album here: https://snipfeed.co/gurugurubrainsalesxlh6og7ab

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Frankie at Stereo Sanctity.]

Live: King Buffalo and Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor – Bell’s Eccentric Café – Kalamazoo, MI – April 22, 2023

It was a cool night in Kalamazoo, and the music venue at Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Bell’s Eccentric Café, was packed with fans of heavy psychedelic rock. Thankfully, both power trios performing that night were ready to blast out heavy sets of it.

First were Detroit’s Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor, three lads I’ve known for a while and who never disappoint with their sets. They played a combination of stuff from their last couple albums and some new material from an album they just finished recording and will soon be mastering for release. The new material has industrial influences that mix well with their “Doors meet early Pink Floyd” sound and bring a new powerful energy to their music. Bassist Eric Oppitz (playing in a chair due to having a leg brace thanks to a hockey accident) told me they plan to tour for a couple months once the new album is finished.

King Buffalo, all the way from Rochester, New York (and SOYSV) had just played the night before at a small venue in Whitestown, Indiana, and I overheard multiple people saying they’d followed both bands from there to Kalamazoo. King Buffalo were wrapping up their North American tour and didn’t skimp on anything just because it was their last show before heading to Europe. The crowd was enthusiastic for the entire set, with many singing along with every song they played.

The crowd was still buzzing after King Buffalo’s powerful set, feeling like they’d been levitating for the last hour. Venues in Europe are going to love their sets. Also, both bands don’t overprice their merchandise, so load up on their stuff whenever you see them.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Black Helium – UM

You might look at the track listing of Black Helium‘s new album, UM, and initially think, “Five tracks? Why isn’t this considered an EP?” It’s because it’s five tracks of wild London psych-rock with two tracks that are over ten minutes long…and one of those is over fifteen minutes long.

The first of the double-digit tracks is the album’s opener, “Another Heaven,” which unloads on you like cosmic cannon fire and then settles down into a groove as trippy as the album’s cover. Their love of Black Sabbath is evident in the second half of the track when it goes from weird psychedelia into bass-heavy (thanks to Beck Harvey) doom sludge (which I love).

“I Saw God” (at only eight minutes and nine seconds in length) brings in some garage rock and, dare I say it, some pop-like beats for a good blend of genres resulting in a toe-tapping rocker. “Dungeon Head,” at under three minutes, is a mantra-like appetizer for “Summer of Hair” – which is a great name for a track that harkens back to the swinging 1960s of London with its trippy sound and the 1990s of London with its electro-bass thumps and beats.

Ending with the fifteen-plus-minute “The Keys to Red Skeleton’s House (Open the Door),” Black Helium go for broke and unleash everything from cosmic guitar roars from Stuart Gray and Rush-like rhythms from Diogo Gomes to more of that heavy sludge that brings with it slow head-banging and a sense of menace.

The menace doesn’t overpower UM, leaving you with lots of cool grooves and powerful vibes. They could’ve named this album OM just from the way it vibrates in your chest, but instead named it UM, possibly to make you contemplate it and the rest of the cosmos.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Beck Harvey of Black Helium!]

French psych-rockers Decasia release two singles from “An Endless Feast for Hyenas” and announce a new tour.

DECASIA is a heavy psych rock trio who released its debut album “An Endless Feast for Hyenas” on last April. The band is coming up with an explosive cocktail mixing stoner, doom, psych rock and grunge. Inspired by what heavy rock scene does best (All Them Witches, Colour Haze, Elder…), DECASIA stands out with its own recipe. The band also has a really rock’n’roll energy, especially on stage where they offer supercharged and immersive shows.

This summer, the frenchies shot a music video in the middle of Auvergne’s countryside, not far from the barn where they recorded the album. The video features not one but two songs from the album : “Ilion” and outro “Hyenas At The Gates”. A clip shot in total DIY over 4 days in the countryside, written and directed by the band with the help of audiovisual students. Spoiler : a very special old car is featured in the music video 😉

Meanwhile, the band has just announced tour dates in France, Belgium and Germany from April 7 to 22. DECASIA will be playing at Hellfest, on Saturday June 17 (Valley Stage, 10am).

Gardez votre esprit ouvert.

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[Grâce à NRV.]

Mephis’ Gonerfest announces initial 2023 lineup.

Gonerfest returns for its 20th edition and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of prominent rock label Goner Records who have shaped punk, garage, soul and beyond for two decades! The gonzo independent music festival hosted by the label and iconic Tennessean storefront takes place in Memphis’ Railgarten from Thursday, September 28 through Sunday, October 1, 2023.

Today, Gonerfest 20 announces its initial lineup which so far includes performances by headliners Osees (Thursday), The Gories (Friday) and The Mummies (Saturday). Spanning genres and generations, Gonerfest 20 will showcase another unique and wide-ranging bill featuring bands, MCs, and DJs from around the world. Highlights include a number of acts coming from overseas, including performances by UK artists Chubby & the Gang and Vivron Vavron, Australian bands CIVIC, Dippers, 1-800-Mikey, TV Repairmann, Vintage Crop and C.O.F.F.I.N., Denmark’s The Courettes, Japan’s The Smog, and Lewsberg from the Netherlands, among others.

Gonerfest 20 tickets go on sale now. Golden Passes, which allow entry to all official GF20 events, are $130. Single-day passes will be available at the door, according to venue capacity. For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.

Since The King Khan & BBQ Show headlined Gonerfest 1 back in January 2005, the festival has grown to become an exciting and eclectic collision of four days of non-stop action that welcomes bands and fans from around the world. With a round-the-clock schedule of official shows, afterparties, art events, and more – at Gonerfest, the concept of community is truly at the heart of the event.

Goner Records’ co-founder Eric Friedl says, “There’s not a whole lot of separation between fans and bands and everything else in Gonerfest. It gives it a different feel, rather than seeing someone up on stage that isn’t interacting with the people at all.”

With the publication of an annual program guide, Gonerfest also works to support local business while promoting the music, arts, and culture of Memphis to its attendees. “Gonerfest has become a rite of passage,” says Goner Records co-owner Zac Ives. “It allows us to showcase our city and celebrate our little part of the music world in front of an extremely wide audience.” More than 1,000 tourists make the pilgrimage to Memphis for Gonerfest, which culminates in a substantial economic impact for its city. Gonerfest attendees eat at locally-owned restaurants like Payne’s BBQ and Cozy Corner, drink Goner-inspired beer brewed at Memphis Made, and visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Graceland, and the National Civil Rights Museum.

GONERFEST 20 INITIAL LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT INCLUDES:

The Mummies, Osees, The Gories, Marked Men, Chubby & the Gang, Sweeping Promises, Ibex Clone, CIVIC, The Cool Jerks, Bill Orcutt / Chris Corsano, The Courettes, C.O.F.F.I.N, Alien Nosejob, Dippers, Virvon Varvon, Cheater Slicks, Lewsberg, 1-800-Mikey, TV Repairmann, Vintage Crop, The Smog, Laundry Bats, Turnt

Additional artists, DJs, MCs and more TBA!

Over the last two decades, Gonerfest has featured a dazzlingly international array of performers including Jay Reatard, Thee Oh Sees, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Mudhoney, Cobra Man, Lydia Lunch, Wreckless Eric, Simply Saucer, The Black Lips, The Carbonas, Rev. John Wilkins, Negative Approach, Shannon & the Clams, Cosmic Psychos, Amyl & the Sniffers, Robyn Hitchcock, The Mummies, Ty Segall, Fred Lane, The Spits, The Gizmos, Guitar Wolf, and more.

Recalling the first year of Gonerfest, Friedl says, “It was amazing that people wanted to come to Memphis to see this music. The first time I realized we were doing something more than just putting on a show was when we saw this guy from Italy walking down Cleveland Street in the middle of the day. I was like, ‘Okay, if people are willing to come from Italy to watch these bands over a weekend in Memphis, we might be doing something interesting here.’”

More About Goner Records: An independent music label and record store, Goner Records is based in Memphis, Tennessee and co-owned by Eric Friedl and Zac Ives. Goner Records is internationally recognized for its roster of artists including Oblivians, Jay Reatard, The King Khan & BBQ Show, Cobra Man, the Carbonas, NOTS, Ty Segall, and Eddy Current Suppression Ring. Goner Records has been named a top 10 record shop in the U.S. by SPIN and Rolling Stone, and a top 3 independent label by Billboard.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Bailey at Another Side.]

Review: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava

You might expect King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard‘s album Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava to start out with some sort of massive cosmic metal track when you look at the album’s cover, but KGATLW are well-known for doing the unexpected, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the album starts off with a groovy, saxophone-tooting jam track (“Mycelium”) instead.

It’s a big jam album. The whole thing was recorded in a week with almost no planning. The band started each track with a tempo, a title, and a key signature. That’s it. They’d just improvise on those things for a few hours, and then frontman Stuart Mackenzie would later go back and arrange the jams into songs, and the band would write lyrics to fit them. Yeah, it’s nuts, but it’s just the kind of thing KGATLW love to do (and make look easy).

“Ice V” (pronounced “Ice Five”) is one of the best cuts on the record. It’s a snappy psych-funk song about aliens, crop circles, and other cosmic entities that’s helped along by Michael Cavanagh‘s wickedly tight snare hits. The subtle use of Ambrose Kenny-Smith‘s saxophone in the background is another nice touch.

“Magma” dips a bit into the cosmic rock you expect from the album cover, and it also dips into the band’s love of microtonal instrumentation. “Lava”is a psychedelic trip that ripples and flows like its namesake as Mackenzie sings about life and death and what can represent each.

“Hell’s Itch” is the longest track on the album at over thirteen minutes (which can be considered a warm-up for KGATLW by this point in their career). It floats along (and fills your lungs) like a playful butterfly (3000) along some muddy water and each band member gets time to shine. “Iron Lung” sounds like a lost 1970s crime film soundtrack cut with Joey Walker‘s bass work, and then a krautrock jam when the guitar solo blasts through your speakers. “Gilese 710” tackles one of KGATLW’s favorite subjects – the environment (and what we’ve been doing to it for decades). It’s wild, slightly heavy, and seems to be all over the place while actually keeping within a tight structure. Imagine Captain Beefheart started a krautrock band and you’ll get the idea.

It’s an album that shouldn’t work (“Let’s just jam a lot based on a tempo, key, and title, and we’ll figure it out later.”), but it does quite well. The level of talent in KGATLW is baffling, they sell out shows all over the world, and yet so many people say, “Who?” when you mention them. I think they like it that way.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: King Buffalo – The Burden of Restlessness (2021)

It’s a bit surprising that I didn’t own a copy of King Buffalo‘s The Burden of Restlessness until now, because they were touring with this album when I first saw them live (playing with Clutch and Stöner) in 2021. I was blown away by their performance and became an immediate fan. I instead bought their first album (and a shirt) at their merchandise table, and this album has somehow eluded me until now.

It’s a shame, because the opening track, “Burning,” alone is a massive slice of cosmic rock that hits as hard as any All Them Witches track but in more of a “Silver Surfer zipping past a collapsing dwarf star” feel than an occult-psychedelic feel. Dan Reynolds bass on “Hebetation” will pick you up, rattle you, and inspire Herculean strength in you for whatever task you’re doing at that moment. The breakdown around the two-minute mark is sublime. Sean McVay sings about contemplating his mortality, but he never sounds frightened by it. He’s too busy shredding his guitar to worry about what comes after death.

McVay’s guitar ripples across “Locusts” like the titular insects bouncing across a wheat field. “Silverfish” is a stand-out on the album with McVay’s guitar sounding like a space probe, Scott Donaldson‘s precision drumming mixed with thunderous fills now and then, and Reynolds bass moving like a cat around the room waiting to either curl up on your lap or attack your ankle. It chooses the latter.

McVay cranks the fuzz on “Grifter,” which might flatten you if you’re not prepared for it. McVay explores depression on “The Knocks” (“Every day I wake up on the floor. Another useless day like every one that’s come before.”). It’s a slow burn to a powerful explosion of sound, like McVay has finally decided to kick open his barricaded door from the inside and woe betide anyone who’s on the other side. “Loam” closes the album with over seven minutes of head-trip rock with McVay says he’s “shedding the burden of restlessness to rise from the loam of the nothingness.” You’ll always get a thumbs-up from me if you close your album with a Zen lesson.

Keep your mind open (This album will help.).

[I’ll be restless until you subscribe.]

Austin Psych Fest announces its 2023 lineup.

Austin Psych Fest is returning, and it’s bringing another great Austin music festival lineup with it. Saturday’s lineup alone is worth the weekend pass…and this isn’t even the full lineup. The festival will be held at The Far Out on two different stages throughout the day, and tickets are already on sale. Don’t miss it.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to the Reverberation Appreciation Society.]