NewReviews

Scroll down for new reviews:

Acetate * The Bevis Frond * Circus Devils/Robert Pollard with Todd Tobias * (American) Dipsomaniacs *
Free City's own Further Adventures of the Telepathic Explorers * Green Pajamas * The Gris Gris * Kinski *
Liquorette * Mellow * RockFour * Adrian Shaw * Simply Saucer * The Sunshine Fix * Tungsten 74 *
Ultraviolet Makes Me Sick * The Unintended * Vinyl Soup * The Visitations * and a Who tribute.

More reviews follow after the new additions.

ACETATE - This Band Makes Me Feel (self-released)

Acetate is an Athens, GA supergroup made up of Kevin Sweeney (The Sunshine Fix, Hayride), Dave Schools (Widespread Panic, Brute) and Ben Mize (Counting Crows, plus session work with The Martini's, Beth Waters, and Jars Of Clay). This band plays good old rock & roll that could be a less punky version of Hayride. Acetate has the same crispness as the new Sunshine Fix CD without the psychedelic overtones. Dave Schools' phenomenal bass work, probably the main reason that Widespread Panic is one of the few jam bands still in my CD collection, is quite restrained here. He sounds relieved to have the chance to just rock out. About the only thing Acetate has in common with Counting Crows is that they both play songs with lyrics in English.

"Can't You Can't You" roars out of the gate like a great lost track from Cheap Trick's heyday. It's apparent that the band consists of musicians' musicians as the cues are right on target and the guitar solo is effortlessly lyrical. Acetate channels a perfect vintage ZZ Top sound on "Things Goin' Down" - the riff transports me to a smoky customized van in the '70s. "The Money's Clean" starts out with some nimble beats from Ben Mize and then settles into more classic rock riffing. There is an easy reggae feeling to "Balance" that nicely complements the smooth vocal line. "Pungeoned Again" sounds a bit like Foo Fighters but rises above the comparison with some tasty slide guitar and a solid instrumental break. The balance between hard-edged guitar and vocal subtlety on "Jacob's Ladder" is typical of Acetate's approach. The lovable riffs keep on coming with "Good Riddance". The angular chords and sweet harmonies of "Time To Let You Go" and "I'm In Hell" remind me a bit of Alice In Chains, though the latter becomes mellower than anything AIC ever put out. "Captain Bringdown" has a funky Southern blues-rock feeling with unexpected chord changes. The wah wah guitar and tape reverse give "Out Of My Hands" a slightly psychedelic quality. "Nothin's Still Going On" ends the CD with a nod to Metallica though the chorus is more of an indie rock anthem than metal. This song also features what may be Kevin Sweeney's best lead guitar on this guitar-heavy album, kind of like the Allman Bros. during a brief psychotic episode.

The first impression I got from this CD is that Acetate really ROCKS. Upon repeated listenings, the meticulous planning and excellent musicianship are revealed on a deeper level. The song sequencing is perfect and the band manages to cover a lot of ideas and styles within the straight-ahead rock format. This Band Makes Me Feel can be ordered at www.widespreadpanic.com in the merch area, and the band has secured the domain www.acetateband.com but the site hasn't been built the site yet.

THE BEVIS FROND - Hit Squad (Woronzow/Rubric)

Over the course of nineteen Bevis Frond albums, not counting side projects and expanded reissues, Nick Saloman has consistently added new layers to his original combination of jangle pop, heavy blues and space epics. Hit Squad finds the king of the psychedelic underground in fine form. This is a full-band album with Adrian Shaw on bass and Jules Fenton on drums throughout, with appearances on some tracks by Paul Simmons (guitar), Debbie Saloman (vocals) and Roddy Lorimer (trumpet). The recording quality is excellent - crisp digital studio sound with enough distinctive effects to keep things weird. As hi-fi as Hit Squad may be, Nick Saloman and Colin Andrews made sure that the soft parts were quiet and the hard parts were loud without the excessive use of normalization and compression so common in current digital mastering.

Bevis Frond albums have the sense of being grouped into sets of twos or threes, defined by new musical directions, track sequencing approach, and graphic style. In some ways Hit Squad is a bookend to the previous release What Did For The Dinosaurs; both CDs feature clever retro pulp cover art and both have eighteen songs, beginning with acoustic parts and ending with long brooding tracks. In this case, the acoustic opener is the charming "All Set?", starting with whisper soft acoustic guitar and vocals and growing into shimmering Britpop bliss. The hard-rocking "Dragons" and "Am I Burning?" boast some of the heaviest riffing from Nick and Ade in the recent Bevis Frond catalog. Jules Fenton leaves his mark on these tracks with his cascading rhythmic fills. "Through The Hedge" revisits the Bevis Frond's early days with tape loops, the good old Vox Continental organ and variable-speed tremolo guitar (regulated by Mark Burgess according to the album credits). The instrumental sections have a mesmerizing quality that makes the song's nine minutes seem like no more than four. "Alpha Waves" and "Flood Warning", with many guitars and melancholy vocal melodies, also have an early to mid-Bevis Frond sound. Starting out with a "Come Together" bass line, "I Feel Bad About You" turns into a soulful mid-tempo rocker. The title track is a good bit of campy fun using a "Batman"-style riff in a theme song for a middle-aged indie music superhero fighting the Tin Pan Alley fat cats. A cartoon on the CD insert has a glamorous woman thinking "He always seems so gentle when he drones on about getting older, London, and the human condition. If only they realised how angry he gets…". The humor works well and provides relief from the very serious sentiments of many of the songs on the album. The ballads such as "Way Back When" and "High Point" continue Nick Saloman's fairly recent trend away from folk to an easygoing '60s R & B influence on the lighter songs. On the barbed rockers "Mission Completed", "Your Little Point" and "Doing Nothing", Nick Saloman's lyrics conjure different levels of meaning, addressing personal, social and political issues at the same time. "Crumbs" was originally supposed to feature a guitar solo by Sundial's Gary Ramon. When a family situation prevented Gary from making the session, Nick Saloman laid down two lead tracks that weave in and out of each other's space in a most haunting way. "It's A Gut Thing" playfully grafts a complicated guitar riff to a Motown tempo. "No Attempt" has sort of a Zombies feeling until the stunning trumpet solo takes over. The long and resonant "Fast Falls The Eventide" ends the album on a sad, graceful note.

A new Bevis Frond album is a big event around here at Free City, and Hit Squad certainly doesn't disappoint. This new album shows that Nick Saloman isn't even close to running out of ideas. Hit Squad is a welcome addition for long-time fans and an excellent starting point for new fans. Unless something completely amazing happens in the next few weeks, this is bound to be my pick for album of the year. Go to www.woronzow.co.uk and www.rubricrecords.com.

CIRCUS DEVILS - Pinball Mars (#29 in the Fading Captain Series)
ROBERT POLLARD with TODD TOBIAS - Fiction Man (#30 in the Fading Captain Series)

Since I spoke with Bob Pollard for a Free City interview last year, he has announced that his band Guided by Voices is breaking up. GbV is currently playing a final "electrifying conclusion" tour (don't miss your last chance to see the one of the greatest indie bands ever live on stage). Before the last new Guided by Voices album Half Smiles Of The Decomposed came out this summer, the Fading Captain Series put out two releases that reinforce the hope for more top-quality Bob Pollard music in the post-GbV era.

The Circus Devils (Todd Tobias - instrumentation and noises, Tim Tobias - guitar, and Bob Pollard - vocals) play some of the most extreme music in the Fading Captain Series. It's also notable that Bob Pollard is very much a member of the band here rather than a solo artist being backed by the other players. Pinball Mars is a foreboding angular concept album in the tradition of the previous Circus Devils release The Harold Pig Memorial with the added punk/progressive spirit of Bob Pollard's Beard Of Lightning album with Phantom Tollbooth. Of the tracks on Pinball Mars, "Sick Color" sounds the most like Guided by Voices in terms of tune, rhythm and structure. "Don't Be Late" and "Glass Boots" are especially good hard rock songs. The latter even has a cowbell grooving along with the rhythm guitar. The experimental guitar sounds in the background of the ballad "Inkster And King" give the song a distant sinister feeling. "(No) Hell For Humor" features some of Bob Pollard's most impassioned crooning ever. The concluding "Raw Reaction" suite is just way out there. Overall, Pinball Mars could almost be Chrome reworking Bowie's album The Man Who Sold The World or the minutemen taking on The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.

Fiction Man is, by contrast, an album of Robert Pollard songs with Todd Tobias playing the instruments. There are a few tracks ("Run Son Run", "I Expect A Kill" and "Trial Of Affliction And Light Sleeping") that continue the harsh progressive sound of Pinball Mars but mostly Todd Tobias leaves his mark on Bob's songs with relatively subtle production touches. "Sea Of Dead" doesn't seem to have anything in common with the instrumental of the same name that Bob Pollard and Doug Gillard did on their Lifeguards CD Mist King Urth. Instead it's a charming ethereal song that relieves the tension of the two furious opening tracks. Given his pyrotechnic arrangements on Pinball Mars, Todd Tobias shows a lot of atmospheric restraint in his light treatment of ballads such as "Children Come On", "Conspiracy Of Owls", "Every Word In The World" and "Night Of The Golden Underground". "Losing Usage" is the only lo-fi track on Fiction Man, a Bob Pollard demo that would have fit in on Bob's early solo album Not In My Airforce. After Bob Pollard's acoustic opening to "Built To Improve", Todd Tobias doesn't hold back on the dirge-like heaviness. All of the instruments are grindingly slow and recorded at beyond peak levels. Frenzied Keith Moon-style drumming really works with the vintage GbV sound of "Paradise Style". Two of the best songs from this consistently strong bunch are "It's Only Natural" and "Their Biggest Win", both classic Bob Pollard anthems driven deep into the listener's subconscious by Todd Tobias' saturated, distorted guitars, keyboards and percussion. My favorite thing on the album is "The Louis Armstrong Of Rock And Roll". The song shuffles along wearily almost like a punk rock sea shanty. Bob Pollard doesn't swear all that much on his thousands of songs but he does it really well when he does. The crowning line of "Louis Armstrong…" is "that motherf***er could sleep…and smoke", driven home perfectly by a wild lead line that's so processed I can't tell for sure if it's a guitar or a keyboard. The sound transports the listener right onto the tour bus pushing on through the night.

Pinball Mars should appeal to dedicated fans and those with a taste for industrial, punk, hardcore and progressive styles. Fiction Man is more of a general Bob Pollard showcase, and a great one at that. Though it's sad that Guided by Voices won't be around next year, I'm sure that a compulsive songwriter of Bob Pollard's caliber won't be able to stop himself from giving us a lot more music to enjoy in the future. For information on Robert Pollard's various projects, go to www.gbv.com and www.lunamusic.net.

(American) DIPSOMANIACS - Freakin Eureka (Face Down Records/Jam Records)

The Burlington, New Jersey band the Dipsomaniacs is made up of Mick Chorba (vocals, guitars, keyboards and Theremin), Ron Mitchell (guitars and backing vocals), Matt Maciolek (bass and backing vocals) and Tom O'Grady (drums and backing vocals). They are not to be confused with the Norwegian Dipsomaniacs, a great psychedelic pop band long associated with Free City - not to mention one of our very favorite groups. Both bands started using the name around the same time in the early '90s and both built reputations within their respective local scenes before going global. If Art DeFuria from the Photon Band can work with both Dipsomaniacs, there must be room in the world for two bands of that name. Art did a track for Mick Chorba's Who tribute and has collaborated with Øyvind Holm of the Norwegian Dipsomaniacs on several songs (see Praying Winter and Who's Not Forgotten reviews below). Now that we have that bit of confusion out of the way, I can say that Freakin Eureka is a really enjoyable garage rock album, both loose and precise in the proper measure, and full of killer hooks.

The opening track "Black Cloud" captures the excitement and hope of The Replacements circa Pleased To Meet Me. "Sun Shine Through" continues the Paul Westerberg feeling and "Calvin" touches on early Elvis Costello, while showing that Mick Chorba is the kind of songwriter who can knock out three perfect bar band singles in a row before settling into an album. A bit more introspective and restrained, "Low Level Search For God" sounds like Wilco crossed with later Hüsker Dü. Impressively, this song also features the fourth memorable chorus in a row plus a nice guitar solo from Ron Mitchell. "Beautiful Outside" has a soulful garage ballad style that reminds me of Art DeFuria's band, though the clever verses are not equaled by the obvious metaphor of the chorus. "Always Forgetting Something" and "Worthless" slow things down but are still belted out with the band's customary intensity. "Prince Harry" and "Little One" blend traditional rock and indie moves like The Replacements playing Chuck Berry. "Sleepy Joe" is a countryish "King Of The Road" sort of number that works well as a break from the more insistent rock. The ballad "Loneliness" ends the album with lighters held high.

Freakin Eureka brings back some of the happy optimistic feelings from the time around 1985-86 when the indie bands were on the cusp of going big time. Since this music is new, it has the added benefit of not being tainted by the implosion that followed that brief period. The American Dipsomaniacs are good at taking the passion of garage rock and making it more accessible…and Mick Chorba seems to have melodies to spare. Go to www.facedown.net or www.dipsomaniacs.net.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Further Adventures of the Telepathic Explorers (Free City Media)

Further Adventures of the Telepathic Explorers, Free City Media's second compilation of various artists in the psych underground, picks up just about where the well received International League of Telepathic Explorers comp left off last year. There are some familiar names, and a few less familiar ones, some new and some old--all exploring a compelling range of pop and noisier psych possibilities, and it all coheres into one genuinely mind-expanding set from start to finish.

This comp draws from a pool where new voices are just as important as the more established ones, and that's a good thing when folks like The Bevis Frond, Anton Barbeau and England's The Heads are involved. All three meet the standard criteria for cult status, releasing a limited but steady flow of indispensable records that are without question inspired by late 60s psych and acid mayhem, but each injects his/their own unique personality into the proceedings. The 'Frond's "Under the London Wall" is a classic example with Nick Saloman's lyrics meeting his usual standard of cutting observation on a chorus that intentionally or not recalls the last great tragedy on American soil. The combination of seasoned songwriting, good old fashioned honesty and psych guitar virtuosity is staggering by any standard, and as refreshing as it is dependable in this age of manufactured angst. The same could be said for Sacramento musician Anton Barbeau's down-tempo lurcher "Motor" which rocks and sways on a chord of hypnotic discontent and burns deeply in the process. The Heads churn out one of their awesome psych-punk scorchers in the MC5/Pink Fairies mode on "Stodgy (Coke's Gone Flat)" and make walls crumble. These tracks are reason enough to hunt this beauty down, but then snuggled alongside and in between are more brilliant numbers by some of the current darlings of the psych pop underground subset (Dipsomaniacs, Impossible Shapes, The Sunshine Fix, The Bitter Little Cider Apples), and a few newer acts, including AqPop, a Norwegian duo in the tradition of the aforementioned Dipsos, that gets some harmony help from head Dipso Øyvind Holm on the opening ditty, "Caught By This Feeling", a slow, shuffling bit of mid period Byrdsian country-folk tailor-made to keep you warm on those howling Winter nights. And there's more, from the haunted folk/psych rush of one woman wonder Kable to the Lucky Bishops' bouncing infectiousness on "She's Breaking Up", continuing to evince their mastery of mid-late 60s mod/psych moves to stunning effect.

There's also label head Nick Bensen and Jeff Sanders' (of Mountain Mirrors) trek through blasted acid-psych on "Summit", Patrick Porter's haunting slow pop mystery "A Better Thing" and Troll's shimmering sound dream of "Shattered Venus" before Joe Turner's (Abunai!) celebratory "Turn Me Upside Down", serves as a defiant call to arms and a worthy closing number, easily rivaling the work of his previous folk/space ensemble, but this is decidedly more acid-poppy and damn catchy too.

All in all, this is an album that will appeal to fans of fully formed psychedelic and power pop splendor as well as the more adventurous side of indie pop. There are detours and tangents that defy expectation thrown in, yet each song easily rivals any of the artists' best work. Just listen to The Impossible Shapes' seemingly throwaway "Shake a Sound" to see what I mean. It's easily as whimsical and moving as anything I've heard on their official albums and sort of unconventional at the same time with its shuffling beat and shakers molding the perfect trance-inducing groove. That's what Free City (the label and the e-zine) is all about, and that's what these telepathic explorers do best. Can't wait for the next volume! [See our Further Adventures page for details.]

Review © 2004 by Lee Jackson.

GREEN PAJAMAS - Essence Of Carol EP (Mr. Whiggs/Luna)

This rarities EP fills in some gaps for Green Pajamas fans and also serves as a condensed introduction for those unfamiliar with the band. Seattle's refined psychedelic favorites show off their strengths and trademark characteristics on this six-song set. Four of the six tracks contain women's names in their titles (a GPs trademark) and each of the tracks adds something slightly new to the band's folk rock style.

The previously unreleased lead off track "Essence Of Carol" layers fuzzed-out guitars over a traditional country song structure, giving it the easy but gritty flow of electric Neil Young. The Earworm label compilation track "Missing Miss MacColl" has a memorable chorus and some nice flourishes in the arrangement. The Earworm single "In A Lonely Way"/"Dreams Of Rhonda" stands as one of the Green Pajamas' finest recent releases so it's great to have it on CD. The Bevis Frond riff and trippy Beatles-style chorus of "In A Lonely Way" make this song a must for fans of psychedelic pop. "Dreams Of Rhonda" sounds like the Byrds really jamming out with Joe Ross doing an uncanny Paul McCartney on bass. The new Eric Lichter-penned track "What We Have" (the only one here not written by Jeff Kelly) infuses a laid-back folk tune with sizzling electric fills and melancholy tremolo accents. The Green Pajamas can be much louder and more dynamic live than they are on most of their studio tracks. A KCMU radio recording of "Matilda", a song from the Woronzow Records CD This Is Where We Disappear, is no exception. The insistent drumming, expressive vocals and extended guitar parts take the song beyond the original version.

The Green Pajamas are usually known for their full-length albums and compilation tracks. Essence Of Carol demonstrates that their sound holds up very well in the middle ground of the EP format. In fact, this selection of six songs does an excellent job of showing off the band's personality. Go to www.lunamusic.net.

THE GRIS GRIS - Self-titled (Birdman)

The Oakland-based band The Gris Gris is made up of Greg Ashley (guitars and vocals), Oscar Michel (bass) and Joe Haener (drums). Originally from Texas, Ashley has already made a bit of a stir as a solo artist in the eccentric tradition of Skip Spence and Roky Erickson. Michel and Haener provide a rock-solid rhythm framework for Ashley's ever changing songs on this new CD. The band is joined by Carlos Bermudez (sax on "Me Queda Um Bejou"), Shavon Hutchinson (bass on the same track) and Amy Blaustein (mic feedback on "Raygun").

The opening track "Raygun" starts out like a quiet Pixies song for more than three minutes before getting caught up in a Jesus and Mary Chain-style wash of fuzz and feedback. "Everytime" sounds like the Velvet Underground playing '60s spy music. There's even a nice Del Shannon organ to add to the atmosphere. The minor-key number "Mary #38" reminds me of The Brian Jonestown Massacre's acoustic album Thank God For Mental Illness. Greg Ashley displays a very wide range of guitar techniques from subtle acoustic strumming to full-out screeching feedback. This is best illustrated on the long sprawling linear tracks such as "Me Queda Um Bejou" and "Best Regards". Ashley's vocals recall Billy Corgan on the former, though thankfully Ashley doesn't have the coy abrasive whine that tends to pop up in Corgan's vocals. "Plain Vanilla" builds to a definitive psychedelic freakout like A Saucerful Of Secrets blended with Sonic Youth. "Necessary Separation" could be a lost Nuggets track by a vintage Detroit garage band. Unconventional tunings and muffled tom tom beats give the gentle "Medication #3" a somber power. The loose campfire country song "Winter Weather" brings up memories of pre-Odelay Beck, the Palace Brothers and Pavement.

The Gris Gris' debut is the kind of CD that bears repeated listening before you form a conclusive opinion. There is so much going on that you are bound to find a part of each song that you like even if you are put off by other parts. Greg Ashley's songwriting is constructed in phases that highlight a sense of narrative movement. Influence-tallying indie fans can amuse themselves puzzling over this album for some time. Go to www.thebirdmangroup.com.

KINSKI - Don't Climb On and Take the Holy Water (Strange Attractors Audio House)

Billed as the next Kinski record but not the NEXT Kinski record, Don't Climb On and Take the Holy Water is actually a collection of recordings by Kinski's even more experimental alter-ego Herzog. The Herzog line-up, Lucy Atkinson (bass and Roland JX-3P), Chris Martin (guitar, oscillator and Roland JP-8000) and Matthew Reid-Schwartz (guitar, flute and voice), is Kinski minus drummer Barrett Wilke. Don't Climb On and Take the Holy Water ranges from pastoral to noisy but stays away from Kinski's trademark monumental crescendos and super-heavy guitar riffs. The sounds here are closer to Kinski's contributions to split CDs with Acid Mothers Temple and Paik/Surface of Eceyon.

"Never Compete with Small Girls" begins the CD with delicate tonal waves, forming more of a wash than a steady drone. The fascinating centerpiece "The Misprint in the Gutenberg Print Shop" follows. This 29-minute live epic ebbs and flows with a wide scope of sounds and ideas touching on Acid Mothers Temple, Current 93, vintage Pink Floyd, Sonic Youth and Tangerine Dream while highlighting Kinski's own distinctive sense of flow and dynamics. "Crepes the Cheap" has an updated Fripp & Eno quality, layering glitchy synth effects with backwards tapes and serene guitar tones. This same structure is used with much more raucous guitars on the thundering "Bulky Knit Cheerleader Sweater". A simple pleasing psychedelic drone, "There's Nothing Sexy about Time", closes the disc.

Fans of any of Kinski's other music should not miss Don't Climb On and Take the Holy Water. If you enjoy experimental music in general, this CD is well worth hearing. These improvised tracks show that the musical intuition shared by the Kinski guitarists is bordering on telepathic at this point. Go to www.strange-attractors.com and www.kinski.net.

LIQUORETTE - When You Work I Sleep (Mud)

This CD by the Champagne, IL band Liquorette came out in 1996 but Parasol is giving it another promotional round to get it out to people who would like it but missed it the first time around. On When You Work I Sleep, Liquorette is a trio made up of M Dmitri (vocals and bass), Angie Heaton (drums and vocals) and Wendy (guitar). Wendy and Angie Heaton were in Corndolly, and Angie has a few solo albums out. The band plays straight-ahead lo-fi rock that should please fans of early Superchunk and Superdrag (or is the correct stylistic usage "early Supers -chunk and -drag"? It's never come up before).

Nearly all of When You Work I Sleep sticks to the format of loud, fuzzy rhythm guitar with a few simple lead breaks, and minimalist bass and drums. There are plenty of cool eight-to-the-bar indie anthems here, and the lyrics and hooks differentiate the songs from one another. We get a lot of music for a lo-fi album, 21 songs filling a whole hour. The opening tracks "Don't Quit Your Job Joan" and "I Work At A Mall" have that particular populist rock streak and irresistible tunes that bring Guided by Voices to mind. "Once Mommy Would Buy Me New Shirts" has a more angular Gang Of Four/Mission Of Burma sound. There is a bit of early Pavement in "Video Game", but this is hammered out really heavily. M Dmitri and Angie Heaton share the vocals on "Oh Sheila", giving this retro rock track a Pixies/Minders feeling. "Seventy-Two Hours" has a melancholy chord progression that stands out. "Trinket Land" follows with an even sadder slow, crushing guitar line. Later in the album, there are some apparent theme sections in the sequence of tracks: three songs in a row about women "Molly McGarvey", "Cindianapolis" and "Margaret Los", and "Santa Claus" followed by "Prancer And Dancer". These clusters work to refresh the focus toward the end of the CD. The final track "What Is Purchased Is What Is Pure And Chaste" is a perfect closer, a memorable standout in a style similar to Built To Spill circa 1994.

When You Work I Sleep is well worth checking out if you enjoy the melodic lo-fi rock sound. I hope this CD gets a wider audience this time around. Yet another thing indies have over the majors is that an indie CD can grow over the years rather than being abandoned after a two-week push. Go to www.indies.com and www.cu-online.com/~parasol/.

MELLOW THE BAND - Bliss (Global Impact)

Singer/songwriter Rex Essex is the main force behind Mellow The Band. I'm not sure where the band is from but the Global Impact label is based in Coral Springs, Florida. No other musicians are credited on the CD packaging, the press sheet or the band's web site, leading me to suspect that this may be a one-man show. Bliss and Mellow are fitting words to go with the shiny, weightless electro-psych music on this CD. Essex has a light touch and an obvious love of psychedelic pop and glam rock.

Bliss is a short blast with eight songs covering 25 minutes. "Something", "Wonderful Life", "Velvet" and "Shine On" each bring back long forgotten memories of Tony Banks' Fugitive album. That pleasant solo aside from the Genesis keyboardist captured a new balance between modern technology and '60s Britpop, and Rex Essex taps into the style nicely. "Higher Then" sounds like T-Rex playing an irresistible bubblegum single. "Teen Years" has a warm, fuzzy Discolor feeling, as well as some of the best lyrics and song structure among this collection of songs. The title track ("Mellow" on the CD cover, "Mellow Lane" on the CD itself) breaks the mood with some very white rapping. You can't blame Rex Essex for trying something different but it really doesn't fit the spirit of the rest of the music here. "Santa Barbara" ends the CD on a more successful note, adding a heavier beat and wah-wah guitar to the style of the earlier tracks.

There is a lot to like on Mellow The Band's debut and I do look forward to hearing the next CD from Rex Essex, hoping that he expands on his strong points and jettisons the rap. Bliss can be ordered at www.indiemusic.co.uk. Check out the especially trippy graphics on the band's web page at www.mellowtheband.com.

ROCKFOUR - Nationwide (Rainbow Quartz)

The Israeli band RockFour first came to my attention when I heard their excellent cover of The Churchills' "Song From The Sea" on the compilation Pull Up The Paisley Covers. Holon, Israel is not, to my knowledge anyway, a hotbed of underground rock but RockFour is certainly a world-class band that would be one of the leading groups in any of the large indie centers in the U.S. or Europe. Eli Lulai (vocals and guitars), Baruch Ben Izhak (guitars, vocals and keyboards), Marc Lazare (bass, guitar, vocals and keyboards) and Issar Tennenbaum (drums) made four albums in Hebrew before switching to English. The band's latest English-language CD Nationwide was recorded in Detroit with producer Jim Diamond. The sound is big and bold, and the songs are so dense with ideas that I found it necessary to get to know the first half of the CD pretty well before I could take in the rest of the tracks.

The opening track "Honey" comes on like a measured Cars-style power pop track but the completely wild and noisy guitar break shows that we are in for something more than faithful nostalgia. The title song features the irresistible refrain "…and I see a small Best Western in the dark" along with some masterful surf noir guitar lines. "Next Monroe" is a mid-seventies take on Britpop in the tradition of Badfinger and Big Star, further distinguished by evocative 12-string picking and harmonies that capture the positive aspects of ELO (minus the foppish falsettos). The stinging guitar solo reminds me of Motorpsycho, another band skilled at the kitchen sink approach to rock glory. "Candlelight" serves as a change up as the heavy rhythms of the previous songs are replaced by a gentle arrangement centered around harmonies akin to The Pretty Things circa Parachute or The Beatles' "Sun King". The emphatic guitars and melodic twists of "To The End" and "Mad Routine" bring the great lost '80s band The Red Rockers to mind. "Have A Good One" is a fine ballad with a chorus that would make Alex Chilton proud. On "You Said", RockFour's precise harmonies hold their own with an even heavier than usual rhythm section and smoking guitars that could be Motorpsycho and Sonic Youth jamming out together. Then everything quiets down momentarily, leaving just the 12-string guitars to carry the intensity before the rest of the instruments come back seamlessly. "Fuzzy White" starts out quietly and grows into the most massive groove on the album. "I Can Read You Now" has the sweetest vocal hooks on a CD full of lovely harmonies. The strange combination of Byrds-style 12-string leads and distorted vocals makes "Crush On Subtitles" unique before we even get to the Utopian chorus and the angular guitar fills. "Moving Fast" draws an unlikely commonality between Cheap Trick and Yes. The closing track "Much More To Offer" features a charming melody and some easy strumming, providing a cool down from the busy and emphatic qualities of many of the other songs.

One important measure of a current band is the ability to grab up a wide variety of influences and recast them in totally original ways. RockFour succeeds incredibly well at bringing up unexpected references and presenting them in fresh combinations that make you think about classic rock icons in new terms. Nationwide is a stunning monument to an accomplished, talented and restlessly inventive band. For more information, go to www.rockfour.com and www.rainbowquartz.com.

ADRIAN SHAW - String Theory (Woronzow)

Veteran English bass player Adrian Shaw's credits include The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Hawkwind, Keith Christmas, Atomic Rooster and Magic Muscle. He currently plays bass in The Bevis Frond. Ade's abilities beyond the bass are highlighted on his solo releases. String Theory, the fifth Adrian Shaw solo CD on Woronzow, further confirms that Ade is just as creative with guitars, keyboards, vocals, lyrics and arrangements as he is with the bass. He also enlisted some amazing guitarists to sit in for pyrotechnic solos on his new album.

"Mirrors" kicks off the CD with a murky blast of hard riffing with distant melodic vocals. This song shows why Ade is fan of Dirt by Alice In Chains. Most of the Outskirts Of Infinity (Bari Watts -guitar and Ric Gunther - drums) give "Mirrors" a heavy space metal feeling while Brendan Quinn (formerly of Abunai!) adds some progressive organ. "Thirty-Two" is a multi-part song that somehow seamlessly slides between sci-fi synth rock, a folky bridge with a melody like a descending spiral, and a classic rock verse that culminates in a mind-blowing solo from Paul Simmons of The Alchemysts and the live Bevis Frond line-up. The country-tinged "Do It Again" serves as a very nice breather from the intense mood. Ade expands his stylistic reach with "Cotham Hill" and "Oak And Brass", two actual ballads with (synth) string parts. His meticulous ear for arrangements is clearly evident on these tracks. They also work to give Ade more room to get even heavier and darker on the other tracks. "Bide My Time" rides an insistent beat behind a wistful melody. Bari Watts colors the song with his wah-wah fills and sharp bursts of shredding lead guitar. Ade's Hammond organ solo on this track is among his best. "Lost For Words" is a slower, spacey number that would fit in on Adrian Shaw's previous few solo albums. Ade takes a well-deserved swipe at the fox hunting set on the vitriolic "Stirrup Cup". Ade has his own fiery turn on the lead guitar on this track as well. You might expect a song called "Non-Stop Dancing" to be a mod rave up - I think the Jam had a song along those lines. However, Ade's song by that name is grimly ironic. He describes the idea behind this track as "a macabre dance towards death, an unsettling metaphor for later life itself. All set to a 7/4 beat." John Perry from The Only Ones adds some incredible leads to the track, giving the loping rhythm a cool unity. The final track "Saving Grace" has to be Adrian Shaw's most massive epic of all time. Beginning with a psychedelic Indian intro broken by a pastiche of strange spoken samples, it takes three minutes for the main part of the song to appear. Ade's heartfelt singing about life in a band is accompanied by a tight rhythmic keyboard figure and a percolating bass line. On top of that, Nick Saloman, John Perry, Aaron Shaw and Bari Watts get mixed up in a world-class battle of guitar superheroes.

String Theory strikes me as the heaviest and most diverse of Adrian Shaw's solo albums. The lead guitars and overall mood stand out first but the subtleties of the songcraft keep hitting me as I listen to the CD more. You can really hear the passion that Ade put into the arranging and production. While the whole album comes highly recommended, I want to emphasize that fans of rock lead guitar should not for any reason miss out on the essential "Saving Grace". Go to www.woronzow.co.uk.

SIMPLY SAUCER - Cyborgs Revisited (Sonic Unyon)

Hamilton, Ontario's Simply Saucer was cut from the same cloth as The Stooges and The New York Dolls, but set apart by a more experimental space rock side. Cyborgs was recorded in 1974 and remained unreleased until it was issued as Cyborgs Revisited by Mole Sound Recording in 1989. The new Sonic Unyon reissue features live bonus tracks, rehearsal tapes and the Pig Records 45 "I Can Change My Mind"/"She's A Dog". Edgar Breau (vocals, guitar and Theremin) and Kevin Christoff (bass and vocals) were the constants in Simply Saucer. The original Cyborgs album line-up included Ping Romney (electronics) while the drumming was split between Neil DeMerchant and Tony Cutaia. Don Cramer played drums on all of the bonus material. Alex Pollington played guitar on the practice recordings and Steve Park played guitar on the live tracks and the Pig Records single.

I think the shock that such innovative and confrontational music emerged from the nondescript industrial city of Hamilton and the fact that the word spread about Cyborgs long before most people could hear it were largely responsible for the mythical cult status that grew up around this album. Alternative Press and Forced Exposure both dubbed Cyborgs Revisited "the greatest Canadian record ever" but that seems a bit dismissive of all the other top-quality music recorded by Canadian musicians. The hyperbole also puts undue pressure on the listener's expectations of this interesting but imperfect album. Cyborgs is a compelling proto-punk snapshot. These songs come from a period when outrageousness and shock value were the lyrical cutting edge, before people like The Clash and minutemen elevated the discourse and consciousness of punk music. That means that, with hindsight, it's a little tough to go along with the words of songs such as "Instant Pleasure", "Nazi Apocalypse" and "She's A Dog". The main appeal of Cyborgs for me is the space rock jamming on tracks like "Mole Machine" and the two-part suite "Here Come The Cyborgs". Simply Saucer did a great job of combining the jittery raw edges of The Velvet Underground with the atmospherics of Pink Floyd and the outer-space electronics of Hawkwind. As far as the bonus materials are concerned, the practice demos sound pretty good but the live tracks are kind of rough in terms of sound quality. The songs are good though so it's a positive thing that Sonic Unyon added the tracks. The single "I Can Change My Mind" is a spirited hybrid of Merseybeat pop and the Modern Lovers.

The passage of time and the evolution of indie music since the recording of Cyborgs make this CD a historical curio. It's odd to finally hear an album that has been so often named-checked in the indie press over the years. I would have really liked this album when I was a teenager, and the more psychedelic parts make it well worth checking out today. Go to www.sonicunyon.com.

THE SUNSHINE FIX - Green Imagination (SpinART)

Consisting of former Olivia Tremor Control singer/guitarist Bill Doss, Acetate/Hayride guitarist Kevin Sweeney, Sam Mixon (bass, vocals) and Dave Gerow (drums), The Sunshine Fix is one of the best indie psychedelic bands working today. While the previous Sunshine Fix CD Age Of The Sun was a self-contained psychedelic pop concept album with reoccurring themes, the new release Green Imagination shows a broad range of styles and ideas. The production is varied and adventurous, and the songs are as good as anything previously recorded by anyone involved.

"Statues And Glue" opens the CD with a bright mix of Motown drums and slide accents that would have made George Harrison smile. The glorious Beach Boys-in-space feeling of Age Of The Sun is present on "What Do You Know?", which was previewed on our own Further Adventures of the Telepathic Explorers compilation. The new wave beat and backing vocals on "Ordinary" recall XTC but the horns give the song a loose ska feeling, too. "Papers Fall" could almost be an improbably animated and dynamic track from the early '70s Dead. "Innerstates" has the quiet spacey quality of devotional music from the future. The gospel piano and soulful harmonies on "Rx" and the killer harmonica on "Afterglow" add a new Southern flavor to The Sunshine Fix's music (a regional touch missing from most Athens, GA bands). The sparse piano and cello arrangement of the first two minutes of "Enjoy The Teeth" gives Bill Doss a chance to show off his lovely voice before the song goes from sounding like an early John Lennon solo record to a slick mid-'70s Todd Rundgren production. "Face The Ghost" combines the glam feeling of T Rex with a head-nodding Southern rock riff. Kevin Sweeney really rocks out on the solo, too - where's my lighter?! "Run Away Run" starts out as a quiet acoustic song but grows exponentially to the point where the sonic space is filled with guitars, drums, horns and the ethereal voices of the Ensemble from The Georgia Children's Choir, then eventually recedes before ending. The closing track "Sunday Afternoon" is a rousing pop-rocker, vaguely reminding us that there were some good things about Wings in spite of it all.

Green Imagination opens up new horizons for an already accomplished band. Bill Doss and company, having perfected psychedelic pop on Age Of The Sun, are now in command of a wider palette of musical forms. This album is just really fun to hear since you can follow the band's exchange of ideas, musical references and in-jokes from the process of arranging their best CD yet. For more information, go to www.thesunshinefix.com and www.spinartrecords.com. Read my interview with Bill and Kevin on our Sunshine Fix page.

TUNGSTEN74 - Aleatory Element (Technical Echo)

Tungsten74's experimental post-rock is really something special. This band of anonymous musicians (credited simply as "guitar, bass and drums") based between Amarillo, TX and Brooklyn, NY plays some of the most fascinating instrumental music being made today. The double CD set Aleatory Element carries on the standards of impatient creativity set by the band's previous disc Await Further Instructions, but the sprawling two-disc format allows Tungsten74 to veer off in many new directions.

The massive scope of Aleatory Element puts it in a class with Round Wound by Abunai! and Formula Orange by Sh'mantra. Shades of Kinski, Neu!, Sonic Youth and Subarachnoid Space can also be heard throughout. While some current instrumental bands ride serene drones for long stretches before getting gaining momentum, Tungsten74 is more interested in going from peak to peak with extreme dynamics and evolving sonic textures. The first CD opens appropriately enough with a sample of a preacher denouncing the sinful nature of musicians. The band answers this over-the-top criticism eloquently with the brutal rock onslaught of "Trojan Carjacker". There are several more inspiring rock jams ("The Revolution Will Begin Next Semester", "Guyzilla" and the particularly blissful "Mating Habits Of The North American Finless Brown Trout"). The chill-out breaks ("Grab The Slider" and "N.G.") provide a welcome contrast and add to the overall "storyline" of Aleatory Element. "Robot Sample Argument" begins and ends as a rock instrumental, but the title is chillingly illustrated during a few minutes in the middle. "The Third Song The Aliens Gave Us" also lives up to its name with a disquieting combination of tribal rhythms and sci-fi effects. Tungsten74 has some lighter fun with the song titles as well: "Drum Solo" is mainly piano and feedback while "Bass Solo" consists of over-modulated percussion, distant keyboards and subtle acoustic guitar. "Guitar Solo" may be all guitars but lots of them at any rate, none of them soloing, and it sounds like there are some keyboards in the mix too. "Get Awesome" makes fun of traditional guitar solos as a bunch of guitars noodle away badly on purpose to a loop of a few people clapping and one woman exclaiming "Get Awesome!" over and over. The lovely epic "We Didn't Know It Was A Mutiny Until It Failed" shows that melody and movement can make instrumental music just as touching as any song lyric. After a glitchy segue, the closing track "Live At The Greenhouse" thunders in, showing that the band has saved the heaviest noise for last.

While the general public may run screaming (their loss), fans of instrumental/experimental rock will love the new double CD set from Tungsten74. The inventive songwriting, effective emotional vocabulary, clever use of sampled voices, and visionary pacing make Aleatory Element an instant classic of the genre. This is easily one of my favorite releases of 2004. Go to www.technicalecho.com or www.tungsten74.com.

ULTRAVIOLET MAKES ME SICK - …No Freeway, No Plan, No Trees, No Ghosts (Camera Obscura)

Yet another fine release from the Australian Camera Obscura label, …No Freeway, No Plan, No Trees, No Ghosts is the second full-length CD by the Italian band Ultraviolet Makes Me Sick. This mostly instrumental post-rock group is made up of Gianmaria Aprile (guitars and harmonica), Alberto Anadone (guitar and bass) and Davide Impellizzeri (drums and vibes). …No Freeway, No Plan, No Trees, No Ghosts expands on the style of the previous CD Soundproof with the addition of vocals on a few tracks and more diverse instrumentation. Vocals, spoken-word parts and keyboards are provided by Andrea Ferraris of Deep End and One By One We're All Becoming Shades. Massimiliano Grassi plays accordion on "Hearts And Minds Out Of Tune And Reversed" and Emanuele Lovati plays cello on "A Two-Headed Coin".

On paper, Ultraviolet Makes Me Sick plays a kind of risky music that is prone to backfire. Poetic, almost Beatnik lyrics, spoken readings and jazz-rock fusion in general can easily go wrong. On first listening, I was wary about the possibilities of embarrassing poetry, unlistenable free skronking or cheesy jazz jams. Thankfully (and a bit remarkably), UMMS completely succeeds at bucking the cliches and forming a new style of brooding cinematic music. The opening track "This Is The Season For Rest, She Said" merges the respective emotional qualities of indie rock and ECM jazz in a way I've never heard before. "Hearts And Minds Out Of Tune And Reversed" also has this alternately warm and icy sense. The high-desert guitars and understated spoken part of "Counter-clockwise" remind me of Dunlavy, but then the rousing over-amped chorus comes as a complete surprise. The band's restraint is offset by the exaggerated recording levels on "Intimacy Is Jazz, Disturbance Is Art". The song sounds very loud even at low volume. The haunting melodic instrumentals "Overexposed" and "Brothers Fallen Near Allen" share a grand sweeping quality with Camera Obscura recordings by The Sand Pebbles and Greyscale. Oddly enough, "A Two-Headed Coin" sounds a bit like something from Sting's jazzy period, though Sting never recorded anything with this kind of raw emotion or simple credibility (maybe Pat Orchard and the gentle side of Motorpsycho are better comparisons in spite of the initial star association). The straightforward rock as jazz approach of "I Think I Feel The Night Comin' On" brings the English band Lomo to mind. The title track is a soft guitar meditation with harmonica counterpoint. The final improvised track "[…]" serves as a unifying conclusion, meditating on the themes of the rest of the CD while stretching the boundaries.

…No Freeway, No Plan, No Trees, No Ghosts creates its own distinctive space. From the purple cover art of a light with mysterious trails (wires, branches?) arranged to give the impression of a jellyfish seen from underwater to the hyper-poetic song titles to the supreme sense of taste throughout the music, Ultraviolet Makes Me Sick achieves a singular personality. Thoughtfully nuanced and serene yet dynamic, this album holds a great appeal for fans of fusion, post-rock and experimental music. Go to www.uvmms.com and www.cameraobscura.com.au.

THE UNINTENDED - Self-titled (Bluefog/Sonic Unyon)

The Unintended consists of members of several prominent Canadian bands: Rick White (vocals, guitars and percussion) from Elevator, Elevator To Hell and Eric's Trip; Greg Keelor (vocals and acoustic guitar) from Blue Rodeo; and all of The Sadies - Dallas Good (vocals, guitar and organ), Travis Good (vocals and guitars), Sean Dean (bass) and Mike Belitsky (drums). Regardless of the supergroup pedigree, The Unintended has the feeling of informal inspiration. This album is the sound of some friends hunkered down in a house in winter, catching a particular psychedelic groove.

"The Collapse" starts things off with dark echoing guitars, organ drones and hushed vocals, an early Pink Floyd-influenced sound somewhat similar to Bipolaroid. The second track "Stay Calm" has a country backbeat like the quieter moments of The Meat Puppets' Up On The Sun. The space waltz "The Light" is bathed in gentle reverb punctuated by clean acoustic runs. The minor key acoustic picking on "Angel" has its roots in mid-'60s Simon & Garfunkel. The Unintended's dark but gentle approach is typified by the dream-like "Bells Of War" and "A Quiet Getaway". "Controller Aware" has a heavier psychedelic tension with a feeling that the instruments are waiting to burst out away from the subdued vocals. "The Truth" revisits the early post-Barrett Pink Floyd style but is given a singular personality by the tricky blend of rhythms on the chorus. The ballad "No Curse Of Time" has a haunting texture of drones against acoustic fills. "So Long Goodbye" is an excellent, understated psychedelic blues mood piece. The closing track "Beautiful Things" shuffles along in 3/4 time, ending in an elegiac organ coda.

The Unintended really masters the subtle, minor key psych-folk style. The fact that you can hear how much fun it was to make these somewhat desolate sounds is a testament to the extensive musical credentials of all involved as well as the easy-going spirit they brought to the project. What could be more perfectly iconic of the Canadian music scene than The Sadies being snowed in at Greg Keelor's house with Rick White and an eight-track recorder? Find details at www.sonicunyon.com.

VINYL SOUP - Chasing Yesterday (Creek Slide Records)

By definition, jam bands tend to be unpredictable. This obviously has its pluses and minuses, as raw energy and enthusiasm can sound great on stage, and merely unprofessional in the studio. Criticism of this type dogged the Grateful Dead, particularly during the Arista years, and I've known Phish fans who merely shake their heads in sorrow at the mention of Billy Breathes and Rift. In other words, you never know what you are going to get with a band that describes itself, as Vinyl Soup does, as "a progressive alternative jam band that fuses styles of jazz, folk, blues, reggae, bluegrass, and classical music for a unique recipe of their own."

I'm happy to report that bandmates Andrew Hooker (guitar, vox), Evan Brewer (bass) and Paul Allen (drums) have pulled it off pretty well on this album. The band is nimble and creative, and while the arrangements are very tight, they never feel sterile or academic. Almost every song suggests a different influence, from the early Dead-style psychedelia of "Cold Jaded Jane" to the Eddie Hazel-like guitar ballad "In and Out of Touch", although the one over-riding precursor is certainly Phish. Vinyl Soup likes to change key, tempo, arrangement, and style not only between songs, but throughout them. This is sometimes awkward, as in "Nozer Hozer", where they never seem to find a groove that they like, but also results in some fine turns in "Fog", "Lightfuse", and "Bugs in the Vent." Every song on the album is worth a listen, and Hooker's guitar shines throughout.

Based in Nashville, Vinyl Soup has yet to do much touring outside of their immediate environment. I for one will be checking their website (www.vinylsoup.com) on a regular basis, in the hopes that I can catch them live during this period of their development. Keep your eye on these guys; they have something here.

THE VISITATIONS - Propaganda (independent release)

Okay, so the election is over…but that certainly doesn't mean that everything is cool now. The Visitations come out strongly against the political ills of society with eloquence and a solid backing of acoustic flavored indie rock. While mainstream artists are dealing with a vicious backlash for expressing the most basic aspects of their views, The Visitations have the fearless conviction of the underground, allowing them to speak their minds without pulling any punches.

Davey Wrathgabar, long associated with the vast Elephant 6 collective and known for his neo-psych work with Fablefactory, is the main force behind The Visitations. The band also includes Caspar Fandango and Alexei Gural. Wrathgabar manages to clearly articulate his perspectives on corrupt government, corporate greed and media complicity without preaching. He even sounds patriotic, in the genuine sense of caring enough to want to fix what's broken about our system rather than ignoring our problems. "Television", "Questionable Intelligence" and "Florida" start off the album as a triple threat of convincing logical arguments. Alexei Gural's Bush sample pastiche "Dubya Speaks" is at once hilarious and chilling. "Talkin' Hate Radio Blues" effectively takes on the hypocrisy of Rush Limbaugh while "Milk The Bull" personalizes the Enron scandal. "Burn A Flag" and "Euthanize Yourself" go a bit wide of the mark, slightly reducing the impact of the other songs, but the final track "Be Not Afraid" redeems the main points with an optimistic conclusion.

The intensity of the subject matter makes Propaganda both depressing and exhilarating. The Visitations' CD is not likely to attract converts to the left but it may solidify the resolve of the intended audience. Though political ideas are the main focus of Propaganda, the music is truly enjoyable and effective in its own right. The excellent cover art featuring cartoons by Bees Knees writers Eric Hernandez and Mike Turner fits the music perfectly. For more information or to order, go to www.thevisitations.com.

V/A - Who's Not Forgotten (Face Down Records/Jam Records)

Mick Chorba, of Burlington, NJ's Dipsomaniacs (reviewed above), has put together a Who tribute CD for the benefit of the San Francisco non-profit H.E.A.R. (Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers). Most of the artists on Who's Not Forgotten are from the New Jersey/Philadelphia indie rock scene. Some of the bands and solo acts on the CD are fairly well known while others were new to me. Together, they have come up with one of the best Who tributes I've heard.

The Photon Band kicks things off with a fiery reading of "Heaven And Hell". This track alone is easily worth the price of the CD. Bastards of Melody take on "The Real Me", and they show they have the bass skills and vocal chops to pull off this technically difficult song. Mick Chorba and the Dipsomaniacs do a really nice reading of "Bargain", and they are just amazing backing Tommy Conwell on a bar-rock extravaganza version of "Long Live Rock". We get two live tracks from better-known artists: Pat Dinizio from Smithereens does a riveting acoustic version of "Behind Blue Eyes"; Guided by Voices contributes a rather loose lo-fi version of "Baba O'Riley". It's fun but not quite up to the level of some other live GbV recordings of the same song. Jeremy makes a strong case for the overlooked classic "Circles" from The Who's first album with barbed layers of fuzz guitar. While many of the best recordings on the CD are pretty close to the Who originals, some of the artists take the songs in completely new directions. The Commons play the 1975 song "Squeeze Box" like a younger version of The Who, with all the guitar noise and wild drumming of the band circa 1969. Steve Brown adds a condensed take on "A Quick One While He's Away" to his cover of "So Sad About Us". The track also ends with a clever bass nod to "Happy Jack". "1921" takes on a brand new life in the hands of Nancy Falkow. Falkow's version actually sparked my interest in going back to check out the original again. The Contractions recast "My Generation" in a weird No Wave style and then Glowfriends end the disc with a slowed-down mellow arrangement of "I Can't Explain" that works unexpectedly well. Other people on Who's Not Forgotten include The Lolas, Bigger Lovers, Cordalene, Taggart, Grandfabric, Chris Richards, Jim Basnight, Black Pages, and J Horndog. Everyone does a fine job; I've just run out of room in this paragraph to detail all of the songs.

The problem with some other Who tributes is that they amount to little more than famous people going through the motions on the usual bunch of hits. Who's Not Forgotten stands out due to the varied song selection (digging deep into The Who's catalog) and the enthusiastic performances by independent artists. This is a very enjoyable CD that helps out a worthy cause. For more information on H.E.A.R., go to www.hearnet.com. For details on Who's Not Forgotten, go to www.facedownrecords.com and www.jamrecordings.com.

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Abunai!, The Allman Brothers Band, Anton Barbeau, The Bevis Frond, Bipolaroid, Black Sun Ensemble, Brando, Calvin Don't Jump, Comets On Fire/Major Stars, the Copenhagen Space Rock Festival compilation, Todd Dillingham, (Norwegian) Dipsomaniacs, ElscientistO, 4EVER21, Gas Giant, Ghost, Hamfatter, Hayride, The Iditarod, Kinski, The Lazily Spun, Lifesmyth, The Liquid Sound Company, Lomo, Major Stars, The Minders, Mountain Mirrors, No-Fly Zone, OOIOO, Pat Orchard, Photon Band, Robert Pollard, Patrick Porter, Project Grimm, Pseudo Buddha, Salamander, Santana, Seid, Adrian Shaw, Sidonie, The Special Pillow, The Special Pillow, Tobin Sprout, St. Thomas, Sun Dial, THTX, Troll, The Unicorns, Upstate/Wicked Immigrant, Urban Warrior, Why Make Clocks? and Michael Yonkers Band.

ABUNAI! - Two Brothers 12" EP (Camera Lucida)

Long a staple of the Terrastock festivals and the Boston music scene, Abunai! decided to call it quits last year. The notable psychedelic folk rock band did not go out quietly. The new vinyl release Two Brothers on Camera Obscura subsidiary Camera Lucida adds a fitting final chapter to the band's legacy and even breaks some new ground.

The A side consists of two lilting minor-key murder ballads ("Two Brothers" and a live recording of "Lord Hampton" from Terrastock IV) that feel appropriately somber for the occasion. The B side is taken up by the sprawling multihued 15-minute remix "Two Brothers (Version)", a track unlike any of the band's previous work. The usual line up of Dan Parmenter (bass, percussion, keyboards, vocals), Brendan Quinn (guitar, vocals), Kris Thompson (keyboards, percussion, vocals) and Joe Turner (drums, mandolin, dub guitar, keyboards, vocals) is expanded here to include Scott Campanella (acoustic guitar), Ajda Snyder (flute), Cheryl Wanner (vocals) and James Whitaker (spoken word). The result is striking and highly original - when has a track reminded you simultaneously of Lee Scratch Perry, Pink Floyd and Renaissance?!

Although Abunai! is no longer a band, we can look forward to more new music from former members. Blue Caboose, The Lothars, Squall, and Joe Turner (and probably some other Abunai!-related acts) are all working on interesting projects. Joe is even doing a track for Free City's upcoming second compilation. The Two Brothers EP is essential for Abunai! fans and should bring in some new converts after the fact. Hurry if you want a copy - this is a limited edition of 350. Go to www.cameraobscura.com.au or www.abunai.com for further details.

THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND - American University, Washington D.C. 12/13/70 and SUNY at Stonybrook, Stonybrook, NY 9/19/71 (Allman Brothers Recording Co.)

These are the first two volumes in what promises to be a series of archival releases from the ABB vaults. You've heard it all before, but if you carry the torch for Duane, you'll want both of these albums, but especially volume two, which is both longer and more diverse than volume one. As you might expect, the recording quality is, shall we say, uneven at best, but it hardly matters. In fact, I kind of like it that way, as it reinforces the overall effect of opening a door into a long unused room where the boys are throwin' it down. Check out the dueling guitars on "Leave My Blues at Home" on volume one, or the massive "Blue Sky" on volume two, and hear Duane Allman and Dicky Betts bobbing and weaving at their absolute best.

One of the things that separated the Allmans from their contemporaries and fellow jam band pioneers the Grateful Dead during this period is that their set list hardly varied from night to night. One went to a show expecting to hear "Statesboro Blues" as the opener, and there it is leading off both volume one and two. In fact, the first three tracks on these discs are identical, at least on paper. In the hands of a less dynamic and creative band, this repetition would quickly become a stale parade of "hits," but it seems more appropriate to think of these tunes the way jazz players think of Standards: pieces well known to the audience, but never played the same way twice by the performers. You may have heard "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" on Live at Fillmore East or the underrated Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas, but you haven't heard it like it sounds here on volume two; majestic, passionate, and a full nineteen and a half minutes long.

In recent years, the Allmans have become a sort of extended family band, both literally (with Derek Trucks, nephew of drummer Butch, doing stints on guitar) and figuratively, by offering a whole new generation of wonderfully talented musicians (Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, Oteil Burbridge, to name just a few) opportunities to put their own stamp on the old standards. By cultivating the new, and keeping the connection to the past alive through releases like these, the Allmans keep the lifeblood pumping through the franchise. Info and all ABB merch is available at www.hittinthenote.com.

ANTON BARBEAU - Guladong (Pink Hedgehog)

Sacramento, CA cult hero Anton Barbeau has been a Free City favorite for some time (he even contributed the track "Motor" to our Further Adventures compilation). It's quite pleasing to see Anton doing an album for another Free City favorite, Simon Felton's Pink Hedgehog Records (home of The Bitter Little Cider Apples, Cheese and Garfield's Birthday). Anton's good-natured pop hooks and the optimism within his surreal slices of life make him a perfect match for the Pink Hedgehog label's trademark catchy but deep style.

Following the big hi-fi rock sound of King Of Missouri, last year's collaboration with The Bevis Frond, Anton Barbeau serves up a homespun collection of new songs on Guladong. There are a number of songs fully developed to Anton's usual exacting standards here but the album is really given its special character by the fragmented ditties, home studio experiments and tangential instrumental tracks. Starting with "Telephones and Singalongs", which comes across like a snippet of a lost White Album ballad, Guladong launches into the robust country rock and lyrical cleverness of "You Look Good In Yellow". "Grapes On A Plate" and "Stewart Mason" find Anton restraining his urge to come up with multiple verses and instead concentrate on the word-play possibilities of simple, slightly changing phrases. "It Won't Be Long Till The Banjo Patrol Comes Along" and "The Prince Of Chairs Has The Happiest Dream In The Universe" are excellent examples of Anton's signature frantic yet literate songwriting. "Ruth From Leeds" provides an uncanny glimpse into how Anton puts his affable madcap stage persona to use in flirting. The persuasive excitement contained in the delivery of the line "Froom - it's an American word!" (after name dropping Mitchell Froom goes nowhere in chatting up an English girl) is staggering. "Keep My Face Clean", by contrast, suggests an obsessive seriousness. "I'm Just A Country Girl" is told from the perspective of a proudly provincial Sacramento resident. Though it's a satire, the tone stays above becoming mean-spirited or condescending. You can draw your own conclusions about the intent of the Ronald Reagan samples at the end of the track. The album's best tongue-twisting word play can be found in the chorus of "Mahjong Dijon". "Chinese Boots Of Spanish Leather" carries on the tradition of the incongruous world music fusions of early Camper Van Beethoven. The heavy bass line and synth blurps also touch on vintage Hawkwind. The short title track is barely there, just a quiet drone. "King Of Missouri 2" recasts the familiar tune as a crackling dynamic roots rock anthem. The CD ends with "K's Wet Whistle", another short instrumental consisting of splashing water, whistling and a few triangle-like tones on a juicer.

Guladong is an appealing collection with a pace and variety of material that recall some of Anton Barbeau's earlier albums (especially his Antology discs). The tracks here, both the songs and the incidental numbers, are very strong and well-executed, perhaps applying lessons learned while working with The Bevis Frond on King Of Missouri as well as showing the general mastery of Anton's having been at this for quite a while now. Anton Barbeau's current project in the works is an ambitious psychedelic album entitled In The Village Of The Apples Sun - I'm really looking forward to hearing that one. To learn more about Guladong and Anton's world in general, go to www.antonbarbeau.com, www.pinkhedgehog.com and www.125records.com.

THE BEVIS FROND - New River Head Expanded 2-CD Reissue (Rubric)

The Bevis Frond's seventh album New River Head stands as one of the finest documents of modern psychedelic rock. The new remastered two-disc version features nine bonus tracks and fresh notes from Nick Saloman himself. This is the first time all of the tracks from the original double LP set have appeared together on CD. The 1990 single-CD version jettisoned six songs, which later turned up on A Gathering Of Fronds. The songs are not presented entirely in the original LP running order on the Rubric reissue (most of side four is on the first disc and side three is on the second disc) but they are all here and the track sequence works well.

In the intro to New River Head, a vintage recording of a humorously upper-class voice intones "To show how lovely modern records sound on a modern radio gramophone, here are extracts of records of varying character." That fairly sums up The Bevis Frond's intentions for this project. This is the album that saw the full bloom of Nick Saloman's impressive range of talents, both musically and lyrically. Starting with the bracing jazz of "White Sun", the songs explore a wealth of styles including folk ("Waving", "Thankless Task"), laid-back blues ("Drowned"), heavy acid rock ("She's Entitled To", "Blurred Vision", "Son Of Many Mothers"), grunge ("Down In The Well", "Undertaker"), ballads ("Stain On The Sun", "God Speed You To Earth"), and space jams ("Solar Marmalade" and the massive "Mistakatonic Variations II"). Also included is the often-covered Merseybeat charmer "He'd Be A Diamond". Other highlights are the sad, stately title track, here presented in full multi-guitar rock form, and the rollicking "Wild Jack Hammer". "Cuvie" is a serene abstract tape-reverse piece while "Chinese Burn" has the retro feel of side project The Fred Bison Five. New River Head features some excellent Jimi Hendrix/Cream soloing from Bari Watts and also marks the first appearance by bassist Adrian Shaw on a Bevis Frond studio album. Martin Crowley plays the drums throughout, and violinist Barry Dransfield and Current 93's David Tibet drop in for cameos.

The bonus tracks start with the haunting Vox Continental-based slow blues "Snow" and the thrashing "My Little Empire", both from a 7" single contained in the first pressings of the double LP. An early version of "A Most Singular Hole" from that 7" is not among the tracks here but I suppose Nick Saloman may be saving that one for the London Stone reissue. "Cracked Universe" is a burbling space rock gem, the only track recorded for a collaboration with Alan Kidd called Red Socket Exit. The blistering lament "Ageing Freak" sounds like a companion to "Son Of Many Mothers". "Heavy On You" is a great lost song featuring an outstanding backwards guitar solo. We are also treated to demo versions of three album tracks. The final song on disc two is one of the best, the epic "High In A Flat", originally recorded for Bucketful Of Brains magazine.

The music on New River Head still involves me as deeply and evokes moods as powerfully as it did when I first heard it. Having the perspective of knowing where Nick Saloman took these musical directions on subsequent releases makes New River Head all the more endearing. If you missed New River Head the first time around, go straight to www.rubricrecords.com. Of course, even die-hard Bevis Frond fans will want this one for the rarities and the improved sound quality. This is the album that restored my belief in the possibilities of new music at a point when I was just listening to old Grateful Dead and Hendrix tapes. What more can I say?

BIPOLAROID - Transparent Make-believe (Surreal But Kind)

New Orleans-based Bipolaroid is one of the past year's big surprises in psychedelic music. Bipolaroid's CD Transparent Make-believe conjures early Pink Floyd with the addition of strong, distinctive original material. The core line-up is made up of Ben Glover (vocals and guitar), Ben Sumner (guitars and keyboards), Tom Stevens (bass) and Wallace Lester (drums), augmented on some tracks by Judith Armistead (violin), Richard Woehrle (viola) and Jonathan Gerhardt (cello) of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Bipolaroid is not a Syd Barrett tribute act but rather, like the very best of new psychedelic music, a band that takes the conventions of the mid to late '60s and expands on the genre's unrealized possibilities.

"Farewell And Godspeed" starts the album in a brooding "Astromony Domine" mood with Ben Glover's lyrics and vocals also bringing Bob Pollard of Guided by Voices to mind. As if that weren't cool enough, the second track "King Of Cabbages" is a chamber psych masterpiece that leaves me wondering why Pink Floyd or The Pretty Things never came up with something quite so stunning. "Callous Affair With Lady Godiva" continues the hitting streak with more clever surreal lyrics and a sense that you have heard this before but then again never quite in this way. The mellotron comes out on "Insect Religion", providing a creepy slow counterpoint to the nimble acoustic guitar and vocals. "Looking Glass" and "Galileo's Son" could be outtakes from the post-Barrett Pink Floyd's Obscured By Clouds (and in fact they would be among the highlights on that venerable album). The tremolo guitar and tape reverse of "Dimension 5" make it arguably the most psychedelic song on a very psychedelic album. I guess you could say that the vocals sound kind of weary and a touch flat on "Old Witch" and "Madeline". Then again, this detached delivery is not really flaw as it may actually add to the sense of timeless authenticity. You can certainly find some laconic vocals on the original '60s classics of the genre. "Sympathy For The Swine" has a beat like The Stones' "Heart Of Stone" and a sing-song melody that goes takes the track in a different direction. The sweeping vocal refrain is also very satisfying. "Time Machine" is a fitting epic closer, bringing together mellotron, tape reverse and vintage electronics with fantastic drumming and lyrics that tie together historical images in an ingenious, off-handed way.

Bipolaroid succeeds in presenting a fresh personality while also offering an embellished memory of the original psychedelic period. Although I didn't hear Transparent Make-believe until late December, I just had to make room for this gem on my best of 2003 lists. This band really grabbed my attention. For more info, go to www.bipolaroid.com.

BLACK SUN ENSEMBLE - Starlight (Camera Obscura)

This is the third release on the excellent Camera Obscura label from the resurrected Black Sun Ensemble, and one is pleased to report that Jesus Acedo is alive and well, and still playing the kind of guitar most of us only ever dream about. I'm also happy to say that he is no longer referring to himself as "Dagon Acedo Phillistinian Fish Monster," as he did in the liner notes of the 1992 release Tragic Magic. I lost track of the band after that, and figured that they had sunk under the weight of their own pretensions. As it turns out, Acedo had serious health problems throughout the 1990s, and the band was on hiatus between 1994 and 1998.

At its best, Starlight recaptures the unique hybrid between heavy metal, prog rock and Middle Eastern modality that characterized the band's self titled debut from 1988, along with both Lambent Flame and Elemental Forces. The opening track, "Jewel of the Seven Stars," is lush and evocative, somehow suggesting both Arabic melodies and Camper van Beethoven over its nine minutes. Other highlights include "Loki's Monstrous Brood", "The Lycian" and "Mascara Moon", all of which recall the King Crimson of the 1970s with their complex structures, driving melodies, and Acedo's churning, ferocious guitar. The band is tight, and musicians Duane Norman, Brian Maloney, and Eric Johnson acquit themselves admirably on multiple instruments, while someone calling himself Otto Terrorist plays sturdy drums.

This album works pretty nicely, until they start singing. This takes two forms: Rush-style pop tunes like "I Am I Was", "Angel of Light", and "Sun Beam Angel", and atmospheric pieces with stream-of-consciousness musings. The latter, represented by "Arabic Satori" and "Starlight", aim to sound spooky and mystical, but end up suggesting Beat poetry night at a Dungeons and Dragons gamers convention. It is understandable that a band in the process of rediscovering itself would try out new modes of expression, but the mark of a great band is to recognize what it does well, and evolve from its strengths, not its weaknesses. Still, the instrumental pieces are first rate, and if you ever liked this band, this one is worth having. Go to www.cameraobscura.com.au.

BRANDO - 943 Recluse (Luna/Mr. Whiggs/Recordhead)

Brando started out in the early '90s in Bloomington, IN. The line-up has gone through many changes, the one constant being songwriter Derek Richey. On Brando's fourth full-length release 943 Recluse, Richey sings and plays most of the instruments, joined on some tracks by Kenny Childers (guitar), Josh Bennett (bass), Dan Solero (drums and guitar), Daniel Touw (drums) and Tony Whitlock (guitar). 943 Recluse is a step back from the full-blown psychedelic Britpop production of the two previous albums The Headless Horseman Is A Preacher and Single Crown Postcard. The minimal yet inventive homemade style of the Instantly Spaceships EP collection is revived here, with the added benefit of Derek Richey's maturity as an experienced producer. The arrangements have been simplified but this is not a lo-fi album.

The song titles are thrown randomly at odd angles across the back tray card of 943 Recluse - 16 listed tracks plus two more mentioned only inside the cover. To make things more obtuse yet at the same time more integrated, the lyrics of some songs allude to the titles and themes of other songs on the CD. This makes it hard to keep track of the individual songs but helps to build the album's character quite dramatically. The opening song "Brooklyn" has a Pavement-like intro and vocals that have the lonesome twang of Built To Spill's Doug Martsch. The gentle verse is pounded away by a heavy guitar and bass interlude that could be from the loudest of Motorpsycho's progressive excursions. "Flamethrowerz" and "Seamstress At Night" make a case for a dormant connection between lo-fi master Bob Pollard and the more experimental (less overly commercial) side of Blur. "Weave In Your Hair" is more easy-going indie pop along the lines of a chill-out song by Stephen Malkmus or The Minders. "Abby Laine" combines a "This Boy" triplet '50s ballad rhythm with a more modern Britpop sweep. "Goblin Market" and "Guarded Thieves" bring up the Built To Spill comparison again, the latter also tapping the spirit of Nirvana's "Something In The Way". "Natural" is a particularly compelling track suggesting an old friend as new lover dynamic as Derek Richey speaks with off-handed precisely-informed intimacy. "Seine To The Rhine" is probably the most complicated song on the album, alternating between quiet, sketched verses and breaks, and a ripping Bowie/Stones anthem of a chorus. "Designed For Operations" has a subtle melancholy similar to label mate Tobin Sprout's solo albums. Other highlights include the persistent rock of "Short Wave" and the following ballads "The Verse Begins To Float" and "Planes By Delta" (rhymed with "Cards she dealt ya"). A reworking of "Virtuous", a song originally on the bonus EP included with Single Crown Postcard, is also very nice. "Nothing Doing" has the ethereal gravity of the Dipsomaniacs' Øyvind Holm channeling John Lennon. The comparisons to other artists are just for descriptive purposes; the music here is absolutely Derek Richey's own sound.

Brando plays a style that manages to aptly reference most of the best indie styles of recent times while adding a dose of '70s rock dreaming. Derek Richey's vivid, personal songwriting makes this already cool music meaningful. 943 Recluse offers Brando's strongest collection of songs so far and conveys the band's personality with eloquence. If you haven't heard Brando yet, I would recommend starting with the new album and then working your way back to through the earlier releases to see how Derek Richey and company arrived at their current peak. Start your explorations at http://lunamusic.net/brando/.

CALVIN DON'T JUMP - A Way With Birds (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)

Calvin Don't Jump is the band name used by singer/musician J. Kirk Pleasant. A former Athens, GA musician now living in Vancouver, BC, J. Kirk Pleasant was a member of The Gerbils and Macha, and toured as part of the live line-up of Olivia Tremor Control. On A Way With Birds, Pleasant is joined on various tracks by Paul Walker (stand-up bass), Roxanne Martin (drums), Gretchen Elsner (viola) and Zosia McKinney (piano).

The Calvin Don't Jump CD alternates melancholy indie singer/songwriter pop songs with a wide range of instrumentals. On the opening track, Kirk Pleasant conveys the delicate persistence of "Triumphant Snow" with two intertwined dulcimer lines. "Adding Up" is an odd mix of sad trombone, accordion and clarinet. Other stand-out instrumentals include the Eastern European folk of "Mi Om Scale" and the engrossing crowd-noise field recording "Intermission". Vocal tracks such as "Cockle", "Cesar Chavez" and "O Mar" bear the Elephant 6 stamp, with comparisons to Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel unavoidable. Still, J. Kirk Pleasant holds his own in that excellent company. Paul Walker's bowed bass gives "Away With Birds" a moving depth of feeling. The simple tune and instrumental eccentricity of "Wisteria" bring together the album's two sides.

The split personality between the style of the vocal songs and the eclectic instrumental material gives this album a distinctive quality but also makes it kind of hard to sort out at first. I listened to the CD quite a few times before the details really registered. This is a well-crafted album that reveals its finer points over time but will appeal to fans of light psych pop right away. Find out more at www.hhbtm.com or www.calvindontjump.com.

Review © 2004 by Nick Bensen.

COMETS ON FIRE and MAJOR STARS Live In Europa LP (Plastic Records)

There are still some who attempt to negotiate the sub-pop terrain without the aid of a turntable, but for people who value overdriven, mind-flaying psych, that very well may be about to change. Two of the nation's finest practitioners grace alternate sides of this clear blue wax, molded by the head doctors at Plastic Records. Boston's Major Stars are rightly revered as the masters (and mistress) of skull-scraping, stadium sized rock bombast, but Santa Cruz's Comets on Fire are rapidly climbing to the top of the same cosmic shit heap, surveying the ruins scattered below.

The limited, vinyl only Live in Europa is what one hippie might term a cosmic aural alignment of the spheres, or I might call the soundtrack to the expedition to the shit heap summit described above, but in reality it's simply a recording culled from a rock show at the Club Europa where both bands shared a bill in 2003. Neither of these groups really write songs as much as chart improvised flight paths. These paths can take on the form of a straight line, involve just an arch from point a to point b, or weave complex trails between dense storm banks in sprawling polymorphic zigzagging patterns. There are melodies, maybe a verse or two of lyrics, but really the whole song thing is just an excuse to crank out some of the most tectonic, shape-shifting psychedelic noise rock heard this side of the almighty High Rise. The Japanese masters are a noticeable influence on both bands here, but in the case of the 'Stars, guitarist Wayne Rogers (not the guy in M*A*S*H*) has his own post Richard Thompson by way of Jimi Hendrix electric vocabulary that never fails to mystify lovers of explosive acid guitar squalls. If anything can be knocked, it's Rogers' somewhat limited vocal range, which in studio can be tweaked and layered, but live barely registers audible over the shockwave of distortion the quartet (rounded out at the time of this recording by David Lynch on heavy metal hammers, Tom Leonard on bass, Kate Village on second guitar) musters from beginning to end. So, I'm not sure if that's a viable critique. Who ever really listened to those old Dino Jr. albums for the vocals? OK, J's voice grows on you, and if you want to hear a more impressive vocal performance from Mr. Rogers, you could do worse than Magic Hour's blissful Will They Turn You On or Will They Turn On You? (Twisted Village), but what grabs me about Major Stars is not so much what or how the guy sings. It's the visceral lunge of the pummeling rhythm section and the staggering gymnastics of Rogers' dazzling fretwork, supported and complimented every step of the way by Kate's rabid rhythm playing. This is the music of a band not turned off by the endless side-long jams that comprise a bulk of the records put out on Brain in the early 70s, delivered with an attention to detail more expected from a Joe Boyd production, only it's live.

Don't get the wrong impression. As structured as Major Stars can be, they're definitely from the Dylan school: No song is ever played the same way twice. The epic "Elephant" is a prime example of this exploded pop cum improv action with a plaintive, folky opening, an endless shoegazing maelstrom of a midsection and an ultimate heavy psych fuzz climax. I have no doubt it's a monster every time they play it, but it's very hard to imagine a more vital or cathartic performance than the one found here.

Comets on Fire practice their chosen musical operandi with a similar feral devotion, but this young quintet sounds a lot more drunkenly in debt to the early primitive blues psych of Blue Cheer and the Stooges. This is post death metal acid punk that singes eyebrows and melts teeth at extreme volumes. Rhythmic flows shift and buckle, kicking into overdrive at the drop of a dime, and downshifting into maniacal doom sludge before the smoke clears. High Rise, Mudhoney and a few others have traversed such jagged high altitude terrain, but Comets on Fire live up to their name and leave gravity behind. Ben Chasny and Ethan Miller's ferocious, but complimentary, guitar playing is another parallel that can be drawn with Kate and Wayne of Major Stars, but these guys offer up an altogether more sloppy beast that feeds on lighting bolts and shits high voltage lava streams. What's that you say? You don't have a turntable???

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Copenhagen Space Rock Festival 2002
(Burnt Hippie Recordings)

The Danish Burnt Hippie label brings us a collection of previously unreleased live and studio tracks by bands on the line up of last year's festival. It would have been fantastic to see all of these space rock masters perform on one bill. Unfortunately, the festival never took place. The CD is quite good regardless.

Finland's Dark Sun starts the CD with two tracks of futuristic space featuring a synthetic gloss with shades of David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Tangerine Dream. "The Epic World Of Captain Gizmo" has a funny faux-stadium ending - was that applause lifted from Frampton Comes Alive? As an added plus, Hawkwind's Nik Turner sits in on sax. Turner can also be heard on one of the rawboned, organic live tracks from Pseudo Sun. Hawkwind is definitely one of the primary inspirations for the Copenhagen Festival's branch of space rock. DarXtar pays proper tribute by belting it out in classic Hawkwind style on "Warriors/Aberrant Station". The Spacious Mind channels the other guiding spirit of the festival ('69-'71 Pink Floyd) on the stunning closer "Floating' Down The River Whistlin' On A Tune". Mantric Muse is a new discovery for me; I really enjoy their groovy funk fusion track "Cinope" included on this compilation. The highlight of this impressive comp has to be Gas Giant's "Deep Space Flight With Jim On Board", seventeen minutes of pure doom-space glory pummeled along by a stoned-out bass line as heavy as it is boundless. This is the track I can't stop playing over and over.

Usually festival-related comps are promotional tools consisting of rehashed tracks by bands that don't really have much to do with each other. Copenhagen Space Rock Festival 2002 is an obvious exception, the work of like-minded bands with a shared passion. CD creates a vivid impression of what the live event could have been. For further information, go to www.burnthippie.dk or e-mail burnthippie@hotmail.com.

TODD DILLINGHAM - Crimson Spires (advance promo)

English psychedelic stalwart Todd Dillingham has released an infrequent sequence of solo albums, all of them worth hearing and each better than the last. Crimson Spires continues the upward trend as his best album yet. The combination of new songs along with reworked versions of familiar Todd Dillingham numbers makes for a nice collection, short on filler and long on personality. Todd plays nearly everything himself, with the exception of guest appearances by members of the Bevis Frond (Nick Saloman - sitar, bass and keyboards, Adrian Shaw - bass, and Andy Ward - drums) and former King Crimson member Peter Giles on keyboards. You couldn't ask for better company.

The album starts of in complete psychedelic overdrive with "Arthur Woodcote (LSD Remix)", full of backwards twinges and shifting levels over a catchy Syd Barrett-like melody. "Girl Of The Scene" is a Britpop love song featuring the unmistakable sitar and keyboard sounds of Nick Saloman. The breezy acoustic arrangement of "Distant Meadows" has Flyte Reaction mood. New versions of "Oh Wot A Bore" and "Lakeside Down" take the songs in a groovy hard-psych direction. "My Terrafirma Baby Doll" melds a sinister minor-key rhythm guitar and bursts of trebly fuzz, feedback and tape reverse into a blistering workout. Never one to spare the backwards guitar, Todd includes a subtle reversed counterpoint in the following lighter track "The Chosen Few". "Triangular Squares" is a crunchy rock song with processed vocals and revved up percussion. The lilting over-enunciated vocal lines on "Blissfully Waiting" give way to shredding lead guitar. Later the song fades into an Eastern jam with a weird repeating guitar note that sounds rather like a cat meowing (or is it a cat meowing that sounds rather like a weird repeated guitar note?). "Carpet Throne" is a laid-back folk song with a cheerful synth trumpet line. The title track is a highly tuneful burst of psychedelic pop. The closer "Can You Ever" sounds like a simple Merseybeat single enshrouded in heavy wah-wah filtering.

Crimson Spires captures Todd Dillingham's singular sound like never before. Pick up any of Todd's rare releases if you find them but look for this one in particular when it comes out. Fleece Records should be putting out the CD at some point. I'll add release details as I hear about them. Check out Todd's site at http://mysite.freeserve.com/todddillingham

Review © 2004 by Nick Bensen.

(Norwegian) DIPSOMANIACS - Praying Winter (Camera Obscura)

Before I get started, I should say that Trondheim, Norway's Dipsomaniacs are very good friends of Free City. They have done tracks for both of our Telepathic Explorers compilations, and Free City put out their amazing change-of-pace CD The Tremolo of Her Mind…The Strings of Her Soul last year. Bringing me even closer to the brink of a conflict of interest, several of our other good friends (including Aq Pop, Håkon Gebhardt, Art DiFuria and Amy Nyman) share writing or performance credits on the new Dipsomaniacs CD Praying Winter. That said, the reason I became friendly with the Dipsomaniacs is that I was already a huge fan of their music. Plus, the new album is so good that I hear it primarily as a fan. Praying Winter, the Dipsos' six full-length album, is as fine a psych pop album as you are likely to hear this year, bringing the special qualities of their previous releases such as Braid Of Knees and Stethoscopic Notion to full maturity.

One thing that distinguishes the Dipsomaniacs' sound is Øyvind Holm's voice. Naturally a bit high and reedy, Holm has developed his vocal skills to expertly capture emotional nuances reminiscent of great singers such as John Lennon, George Harrison, Phil Everley and Roy Orbison. His singing has never sounded better than it does on Praying Winter. The opening "Dear Mrs. Widdercomb" is instantly charming, sweeping along on the strum of an acoustic guitar and counterpoint from a string quartet. A remake of "How To Fall" from The International League of Telepathic Explorers gives the song a darker mood. The same can be said of the Dipsomaniacs' version of "Caught By This Feeling", a new take of a song performed by AqPop and Øyvind Holm on Further Adventures of the Telepathic Explorers. Gøran Olsen's trombone remains a fixture of the former and Jade Hasselgård's vocal harmonies are reprised from the AqPop version of the latter. "Feel The Travel" has a hard rock urgency, pushed along by Arve Gulbrandsen's reverse cymbal crashes. Holm's lead guitar is also particularly cool on this song. Melancholy tape reverse adds to the resonance of the ballad "Don't Think You're Safe". Motorpsycho drummer Håkon Gebhardt contributes a cheerful banjo part to "No. 2 Ventricle Road", which otherwise has a strong Revolver vibe. Thomas Henriksen's delicate keyboards introduce the sad and stately title track. Two remakes of early compilation tracks take divergent approaches; the new recording of "Beyond Repair" is more laid-back that the original while "read My Mind (And Tell Me)" is more amped up that the version on The Broken Face collection Urban Meadows. "Someday Soon" has the impact of a sweet mid-'60s ballad, again making good use of a string section. You can tell by the rocking guitar riffs and quick melodic changes of "One Good Cry" that Art DiFuria of Photon Band had a hand in writing this song. "She Weighs Her Time" signals the beginning of Praying Winter's final phase, a cycle of bittersweet quieter songs. The string quartet ending is quite evocative and serves as a bridge to "Caught By This Feeling". There is a light jazzy movement to "Dead Men Free", a song that reminds me of "Change Has Come" by The Byrds. The beautiful "Songbird (Without You Knowing)", co-written by Broken Face writer Amy Nyman, closes the album on a gentle note as Robert Skjærvik follows the melody of Gøran Olsen's trombone with a subtle bass line.

Praying Winter is the kind of album that would surely be a smash if the music industry judged songs on their merits rather than simply as marketing tools. The fact that this CD was done by people I know and like personally makes it all the more triumphant. This is a must for fans of indie psych and '60s-style pop. Check out www.dipsomaniacs.com and www.cameraobscura.com.au.

ELSCIENTISTO - Moonsick EP (self-released)

Moonsick consists of three instrumental tracks by Beverly, MA musician/producer Shawn Michael Ross. Ross has been working on his solo musical project ElscientistO for more than two years. On this EP, he crafts the rhythm tracks and then jams layered parts over the top.

Intricate lead guitars are set against slightly funky rhythms and keyboard backgrounds on "Space Rake". Right away, you can tell that Ross is up to something worth hearing. The first part of "Trapezium" is dominated by a slow wah-wah guitar line grooving to an insistent 4/4 beat. Spacey synths whirl through the mix as a more modal lead guitar takes over. Another interesting part of this song is the John Fahey-like texture gently plucked on an unadorned incidental electric guitar. "Miles" rides a steady laid-back beat punctuated by multiple crunchy fuzz guitars that form a network of counter-patterns with conversational outbursts. The guitar style is highly varied and original on this propulsive nine-minute track.

These three songs may not be enough to give the listener a complete idea of ElscientistO's musical personality but they certainly show talent and promise. While the general approach is common to many home recorders (my own early solo period included), Moonsick doesn't immediately remind me of anyone else's music in particular. I take that as a good sign. I'm also curious to hear some of the vocal tracks Shawn Michael Ross has recorded. For info, go to elscientisto.com.

Review © 2003 by Nick Bensen.

4EVER21 - The 38°C Laundrette Session EP (Low-Fi/High Fi)

In spite of a group name that sounds like a manufactured boy band targeting the wrong demographic, 4EVER21 is actually a credible and innovative Italian psychedelic rock band. The new EP from the line-up of Luisa (vocals), Michele (vocals and rhythm guitar), Federica (lead guitar), Alessandro (bass) and Stefano (drums) is bit more reined in than the highly eccentric 1999 album That's All…Psychedelic Folks but it's still pretty outrageous. The songs have a lot of energy, dependable levels of wah-wah guitar and interesting vocal arrangements.

"Green Apple Power (#1)" begins with a loopy guitar squall, cleverly mimicking the agitation of washing machine, then develops into what sounds like a poppier version of a song by The Heads. "R.Eal E.Xplosion D.Ay" starts with frenetic rapping and eventually slows down into a mellow acid rock groove. There is a bouncy Pixies feeling to the fast tempo and male/female vocal interplay of "My Sweetest Sin". "Wash And Dry" beings the vocal call and response into the areas of heavy stoner riffing and Hendrix-influenced blues rock. A hidden acoustic song at the end sounds oddly like a frantic Bob Dylan with a thick Italian accent.

Exuberant and willfully chaotic, 4EVER21 is worth checking out. The psychedelic details and '80s indie spirit make The 38°C Laundrette Session work out well. 4EVER21's way of fusing unlikely elements is quite unusual. The band's web site is www.4ever21.it.

GAS GIANT - Mana (Elektrohasch)

The latest CD from Danish space-metal band Gas Giant is as heavy a slab of rock as you are likely to hear this year. The brand of metal at employed here is the groovy mid-Deep Purple highway boogie, only the bass is monumental and there are guitars everywhere in the mix. There are enough compelling guitar segues, synth flourishes and mellow moments to keep the "space" half of the bargain. The line-up (no last names, please) for this release consists of Tommy (drums), Thomas (bass), Stefan (guitar), Jesper (vocals) and Scott (synthesizer).

With Jesper's vocals, a soulful baritone somewhere between Mark Lanegan and a deeper Chris Cornell, Gas Giant sounds a bit like Audio Slave with more imagination and artistic freedom. The opener "There's One" starts a barrage of hard rockers including "Moonshake", "Not A Man" and "Back On The Headless Track". "Orange Fender" keeps the power going but gets more intricate and textured as it develops. The lighter but still resonant title track spins a web of crisp guitars. All the instruments, even the acoustic rhythm guitars, are mixed for maximum clarity and impact - a very accomplished job. "Dragon's Cave" stretches in more of a progressive direction before things get loud again on "Green Valley". "Phantom Tanker" conveys the cold depth of the sea with detuned doom bass of an incredible weight. "New Day Rising" is not the Hüsker Dü classic but rather a catchy straight-ahead '70s rock anthem with excellent guitar riffing. If the balance seemed more toward metal than space on the album, the closer "Safe Haven" tips the scales back with more than 13 minutes of ethereal guitars, mournful vocals, and an ever-changing sequence of different parts that fade in and out of each other with hallucinogenic results.

Mana is one of the best recent examples of hard rock with acid overtones. The fact that Gas Giant is also a cerebral endeavor keeps the band from being a guilty pleasure. This is what grunge might sound like if it had stayed a steadier course without mutating into rap rock and a wave of Christian posers in Vedder's clothing. Keyboard player Scott Heller also happens to be one of the best interviewers in the indie psych scene. Go to www.gasgiant.dk or www.elektrohasch.de for more information.

GHOST - Hypnotic Underworld (Drag City)

Ghost is one of the most revered modern psych bands, but would your average Floyd freak or Deadhead be familiar? No sir. Good thing, too. These people aren't really tuned to receive such a sound. This is psychedelia in the Gnostic sense, with rhythms cast from a more primordial cloth.

From the beginning Ghost's music was as much about genuine Buddhist spirituality as songcraft--arguably more so, and just as they celebrate the life of the spirit, they mourn its death. Listening back now to their debut, and the more free form live display of Temple Stone, they had a feral intensity that felt more immediate and incantatory than any other "neo-psych rockers" of the time, and these days even downright prophetic of the whole developing folk/improv scene. The first albums of Amon Düül I are a good reference point, and just as Chris Karrar and John Weinzierl grew more ambitious and technically adept, striking out on their own as Amon Düül II and achieving massive creative success, Ghost matured and coalesced into a more conventional classic rock ensemble, but that is classic rock in the ultimate realization of such a loaded phrase. Albums like LamiRabiRabi and Snuffbox Immanence (both Drag City) define modern guitar psych excellence in the last 10 years, and feature one of the best axemen alive in Michio Kurihara, along with an always revolving, talented cast of supporters. Those who've seen their live shows can attest to their hypnotic power. The two times I've seen them, I felt the kind of awe that might've been reserved for Hendrix or Can on a really good night. No exaggeration.

Enter Hypnotic Underworld (Drag City), the first Ghost album in five years. I was almost caught offguard by the extended title suite that opens the first side. Its first part, "God Takes a Picture of His Illness on the Ground" plays like the murky psych/jazz soundtrack to post WWII Japanese devastation, or more recent atrocities. Alienation bleeds through the shadows for a good 13 minutes, but with each new part of the journey, the soul of the piece approaches a sort of metamorphosis. "Aramiac barbarous Dawn" captures this moment with surging defiance in just under three minutes of prime galloping prog/folk, before the manic snare blast of "Leave the World" renders the transformation complete. What's left are seven of Ghost's most literate psych folk/prog hybrids to date. "Hazy Paradise" sounds like a bit of mid period Tim Buckley and early Floyd, but mostly classic Ghost. "Piper" has more than a hint of Zeppelin's literary folk/psych grit, but this is decidedly more willowy--light as air but firmly planted. There's the heart-pounding crescendo of acoustic guitars, sliding electric leads and piano of "Feed" and the two-part album closer of Syd Barrett's "Dominoes - Celebration for the Gray Days"--climaxing with a striking wall of pipe organ that slowly fades on a near religious note. This is arguably Ghost's finest studio moment. The musicianship, especially key member Kazuo Ogino's keyboard work, is stunning and magical throughout. When I first heard this well over a month ago, I wasn't sure it was good as some people were saying. Now, there can be no doubt: an early and worthy contender for the best of '04. Go to http://www.dragcity.com/bands/ghost.html and the Ghost Home Page: http://www.ab.cyberhome.ne.jp/~pochamal/.

Review © 2004 by Lee Jackson.

HAMFATTER - Fireworks (Pink Hedgehog)

Although Hamfatter's CD Fireworks is broadly identifiable as Britpop, it doesn't really sound like anything I recall having heard before. I take that as a positive sign - I don't quite know what to make of all this but I like it. In the Pink Hedgehog tradition, Hamfatter's music is accessible but reveals a darker layer below. Not every cheerful pop band has a song called "You May(Take Drugs In The Day)". Few bands could carry it off with such conviction.

Eoin (vocals, bass, keys and guitar), Mark: (drums), Emilie (vocals) and James (vocals and guitar) obviously have odd collective ideas about pop music. Their concept of what constitutes "Bluesy Grooves" is completely different from my understanding of the term but I can go with their interpretation. "Fireworks", the glitchy "My Name" and "Soundcheck Saturday" feature fast, word-filled syncopated vocal lines that I would have thought to include in Britpop. "We Never Know", "This Is Entertainment" and "Pyramid Song" are more traditional ballads that have a bit of the light side of early Blur and Suede as well as a kinship to label mate Suicide Cat. "Soundcheck Saturday" and "John Peel (On My Phone)" Hamfatter provide a very personal account of the ups and downs of being in a band struggling to get noticed. The quiet arrangement and sweet harmonies of "Bad Karma" add up to a strange sense of a '50s easy listening ballad reworked for The Grateful Dead's American Beauty (yes, you heard me - that's what I meant to say). "Another Your Brave" begins like an understated Gorky's folk song until it really comes to life with an unexpected blistering psychedelic fuzz guitar. The CD concludes with "Bonus", a dainty piano solo.

Though Fireworks is a bit poppy overall for my usual taste, I find it quite compelling. Each time I hear this disc, it hits me in a somewhat different way. There is not a point at which you can say "Oh, right, that's the formula. Now, I've figured it all out". A band that can keep you guessing over the course of a CD without taking any obvious missteps is a band that should be heard. More info can be found at www.pinkhedgehog.com and www.hamfatter.net.

HAYRIDE - Curses II (self-released)

Billed on their website as "America's Only Athens Georgia Rock 'n' Roll Band", Hayride is a real blast. Their previous albums include Elfin Magic and Smelly Old Cat (and the monumental bootleg Quit Stealing The Covers). You may know guitarist Kevin Sweeney from his other band The Sunshine Fix. Kevin and Nick Bielli (bass) have played together for nearly twenty years. The sound they've developed over that span of time shows a love of '80s indie rock combined with '70s technical proficiency. There is an easy, playful feeling to their collaborations. New drummer Ballard Lessemann provides plenty of heavy beats and tricky rhythms.

Curses II is the revised version of an album that has been buried in label problems for years. Most of the CD consists of new recordings from 1999's Curses, which was sucked into the vortex of troubles at Capricorn Records. Hayride's sound can roughly be described as current hard rock with hardcore and classic rock touches. Imagine the Foo Fighters with better guitars and a down to earth sense of humor. The songs here have great choruses with catch phrases ("Move Over", "Live Long And Prosper", "Peace Out", "Let's Hear It For Me") that make you want to sing along and pump your fist in the air. "I Dare You To Do Things" strikes a more serious note about the headaches with Capricorn. Ballard Lessemann takes the lead vocals on the full-on thrasher "Congregation". A cover of Huey "Piano" Smith's "Don't You Just Know It" feels like Animal House remembered through an SST lens. The band's acknowledged heroes the minutemen come to mind on the heavy jam "Polka Tulk" and the spoken word part of "Book About It". The CD gets really hardcore at the end with "Nothing But Trouble" and "Blue Lagoon".

Hayride hits the spot for people who love SST and Twin Tone bands from the '80s but still think Led Zeppelin is the coolest. Curses II has a full, modern sound that could also hold mass appeal. Let's hope it gets out to a wider audience. For a good time, go to www.hayride.org. Don't miss the "Cars Of The Stars" page while you're there.

Review © 2003 by Nick Bensen.

THE IDITAROD - Yuletide (Camera Obscura)

Rhode Island musicians Carin Wagner and Jeffrey Alexander formed the core of The Iditarod, a group that combined traditional English folk with gently psychedelic sounds. As the band's name indicates, The Iditarod was drawn to images of winter, manifested in annual limited-release Yuletide cassettes and CD-Rs given as gifts to family and friends. The 2002 -2003 Yuletide (recorded with Sharron Kraus and released by Elsie and Jack Records) was the first official CD in the series. This two-disc set is the ultimate Yuletide collection, a compendium of nearly all the previous private-edition recordings with a few of the songs appearing in new versions. A handful of previously unreleased songs also appear. The songs from the Elsie and Jack release are not included but you can still find that CD. Since the Iditarod is no longer performing, this definitive set serves as a fond farewell.

The Camera Obscura Yuletide collection is front-loaded with the astounding "Winter Suite" based around the song "Winter" from the first Yuletide CD-R. The song is haunting and the new additional parts of the suite perfectly convey the sense of a cold expanse. The final part pits what sounds like Russian classical cello played by Miriam Goldberg against eerie tape reverse sounds. The first track may be the highlight of the this set but the songs never lose their focus and purpose throughout 24 tracks covering 175 minutes. Some of the songs are barely there, overhead folk tunes such as "The Snow It Melts The Soonest". "In The Bleak Midwinter" is the first of several traditional lyrics given new and wholly appropriate musical accompaniment. "A Footprint In The Ashes On New Year's Day" reworks "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" in a style that brings Tinsel and the more meditative side of Six Organs Of Admittance to mind. The spaces between ringing bell tones and mournful distant keyboard chords define the opening of "The Crofter's Christmas Eve Lullaby" before acoustic guitar, vocals and violin come to the fore. A number of the tracks were recorded live. The first disc ends with versions of "Darkness, Darkness" and "Night's Candles Are Burnt Out" from a WMBR session and "Y'Cwps", a live track from Aberystwyth, Wales. Disc Two begins with "The Trees Are All Bare", a track I heard live at Terrastock V. I recall thinking at the time of the performance that this song did a great job of illustrating the connection between Medieval folk and the acid drone of Pink Floyd's "Careful With That Axe, Eugene". "Scandinavian Instrumental/The Rowan" is another standout track, as is a cover of The Grateful Dead's "Mountains Of The Moon". "Boat" is one of Carin Wagner's early compositions and it showcases her lovely voice nicely. Whenever things get a little too dainty, as on "There Was A Pig Went Out To Dig", icy noise and lo-fi techniques change the mood. In different places on the album, tape glitches are turned into intentional musical elements, environmental drones add subtle color, and vinyl static is used as a stand-in for a crackling fire. The final track "Thierna Na Oge" may be familiar from The Poor Minstrels Of Song, Vol. 1 compilation but it makes a very fitting closer to this set.

Yuletide is such a massive collection concentrating on a single theme that I didn't quite expect to listen to it all the way through in one sitting the first time. However, I just never found a natural break point. Jeffrey Alexander, Carin Wagner and friends commanded my attention completely throughout both discs. Not a holiday album per se, Yuletide captures the alternating bleak landscapes and warm interiors of winter. Go to www.cameraobscura.com.au for details.

Review © 2003 by Nick Bensen.

KINSKI - Airs Above Your Stations (CD on SubPop/LP on Strange Attractors Audio House)

Airs Above Your Stations is the third full-length release from Seattle's post-rock heroes Kinski. Following up on the incredible dynamics of last year's Semaphore EP, the new album is Kinski's most definitive statement of purpose so far. Chris Martin (guitar, keyboards), Lucy Atkinson (bass, vocals), Matthew Reid-Schwartz (guitar, flute) and Dave Weeks (drums) don't so much add their individual parts but get into a singular mindset to build a focused whole. Their majestic live set with new drummer Barrett Wilke was one of the highlights of the final day of Terrastock 5.

The ten-minute opening track "Steve's Basement" develops slowly as delicate layers of keyboard and flute are joined by dreamy guitars, finally growing into a bombastic grind like an even heavier Bardo Pond. Eerie effects and an elliptical beat and wrapped around a jerky mechanical guitar line, then everything is resolved into a comforting wall of '70s fuzz guitars on "Semaphore". Lucy Atkinson adeptly pays homage to Kim Gordon on the only vocal track "Rhode Island Freakout". The epic "Schedule For Using Pillows & Beanbags" goes through a wide spectrum of imaginative sounds and moods, putting Mogwai's basic quiet to loud formula to shame. "I Think I Blew It" and "I Think I Blew It Again" are more subtle in their growth with no breakout rock sections but the details are constantly being compounded, reinforced and enriched. "Your Lights Are (Out Or) Burning Badly" takes tentative steps for more than five minutes before paying off with a sweeping powerhouse of melodic rock triumph. "Waves Of Second Guessing" is similarly plotted but the soft parts have more of a sci-fi feeling and the heavy part is like a super-amped Mike Gunn jam.

Airs Above Your Stations is a good starting point for newcomers to the band's work and also more than satisfies the expectations of long-time fans. The primal rock tension release contained within the avant post-rock explorations is probably responsible for Kinski's appeal to more than a strictly indie audience. It's really cool to see Kinski breaking through the underground without taking a single step toward pop structure or commercial considerations. Check out www.subpop.com, www.strange-attractors.com and www.kinski.net.

THE LAZILY SPUN - Self-titled (Camera Obscura)

Although early supporters of this band included members of The Stone Roses and The Inspiral Carpets, The Lazily Spun has nothing in common with the typical baggy Manchester sound. Neither are they prone to grafting the occasional backwards guitar onto standard indie rock and calling the result psychedelic. Matt Woolham (vocals, guitars, percussion, soundscapes), Harry Sumnall (bass, keyboards, sitars, and a variety of other instruments, samples and effects), James Pagella (drums) and Juan Bercial-Velez (lead guitar) play dead-on authentic psychedelic music, pretty and calming one moment, uncomfortable and disorienting the next. The band's self-titled CD on Camera Obscura is not a reissue of their eponymous record but a set of new songs with a few new versions of songs from the first LP.

Matt Woolham's bold crooning vocals and the band's seemingly endless supply of instrumental accents bring an updated version of The Moody Blues (at their very best) to mind. The CD starts out normally enough with the crisp descending acoustic chords and stinging leads of "Algebra Of Need", followed by two engrossing ballads "New Kneads" and "My Alibi", but the twinges of altered consciousness begin to pop up between the focused main parts of the songs. Some calm after the initial onset can be felt in the nearly new romantic rhythm of "Neither Dreaming" and the gorgeous melody of "Cubic Zirconia Smile". "Equals" starts to pour on the head-twisting effects behind a psych-folk tune. "Doziac Escapes" is even more mind bending, beginning with nearly two minutes of drums, tabla (courtesy of Sunny Singh), effects and guitars before the main song is revealed. "Halcyon Days" at first sounds like Pink Floyd's More soundtrack and then develops an uncanny resemblance to The Moody Blues' Seventh Sojourn. The 15-minute centerpiece of the album, "Psurreality Psong", is one of the more bizarre things I've heard in recent memory. At first, a pastoral instrumental section passes into a sonic freakout (partially lifted from the earlier Lazily Spun track "Forest Of Spores") . Then a sped up alien voice gives a detailed lesson on the differences between voluntary and involuntary muscles. This is followed by a burp - quite a clever touch as it falls within the gray area between voluntary and involuntary. As if all that was not enough, we then get a perfectly charming vocal song at the end of the track. "Big Laughing Gym" sounds kind of like pre-Aqualung Jethro Tull. A sweet ballad is given a sinister twisted echo on "Sea Of Me". The paranoid intensity of "Non-Ionic Sufflicants" is staggering. The listener is left at the peak of the experience with the closing abstract but linear instrumental "Blue Mask Of Pan".

Even in the company of Camera Obscura's considerably bright artist roster, The Lazily Spun is a hyper-intellectual brain trust. Though psilocybin seems to be the main subject at hand here, Dr. Harry Sumnall's PhD in the psychopharmacology of MDMA adds an authoritative weight to the production of a psychedelic album. The compounding strangeness, journeys into corporeal fixations, and the queasy sense of a point of no return should be familiar to the initiated. This is a fascinating and powerful CD. To learn more, go to www.cameraobscura.com.au and www.lazilyspun.co.uk. Look for my interview with the band in Ptolemaic Terrascope #34.

LIFESMYTH - Music for the Third Ear (Camera Obscura)

Yet another worthy discovery from the Camera Obscura label, Lifesmyth is the one-man-band name used by New York State musician Scott Smith. On Music for the Third Ear, Smith forges a style touching on progressive, folk and psychedelic music but combines the elements with originality. This could be considered the first decidedly unpretentious prog concept album. Though the songs share lyrical themes and work as a larger suite, Smith's laid-back vocals and the organic richness of his acoustic guitars keep the music down to earth.

The introductory fanfare of "Approaching" recalls the post-Camper Van Beethoven band The Monks Of Doom, a fairly obscure influence that crops up again throughout the CD in the tempo changes and guitar solos. The slide guitar on "We Have Come From The Earth" in particular vividly brings the Monks' spacey, melancholy version of progressive to mind. The vocal part on "Being Alive" could be a particularly focused Six Organs of Admittance. The guitar picking on "The Ride" has the visionary tone of the Meat Puppets' Up On The Sun album, lightly kinetic music perfect for either desert or snow. The song's conclusion sounds a bit like The Pretty Things circa S.F. Sorrow. "Alone We Go" is the major opus on the album, starting and ending with a strong bass figure and peaking in a groovy jam between Smith's lead guitar and Rashad Arram's sitar. The piano and guitar on "It's All The Same Forever You Know" rival anything by Spirit in their prime. "What I Came With" continues the Dr. Sardonicus vibe. Rebecca Wyatt contributes a moving cello part to the neo-traditional chamber piece "The Polish Question". The somber keyboards and vocals of "Beyond The Star" recall the expressive prog rock of Van Der Graaf Generator, the first line-up of King Crimson, and early Genesis. Oddly enough, the following song is called "Watcher Of The Skies", not the Genesis classic but a new downbeat blues-folk number. "Sailing On The Way Home" rocks with a more modern energy in the same vein as Oneida or Seid. The buzzing acoustic low notes, slap-happy beats and triumphant lead guitars make "Last Chance" a rousing closer.

Music for the Third Ear really impressed me as something new and as a clear statement of the artist's personality. It's rare that the first CD I hear by a solo artist is so fully realized and successful on its own terms. The bonus good news is that this is only one of six completed Lifesmyth cassette/CD-R albums awaiting official release. Find out more at www.cameraobscura.com.au and www.lifesmyth.com.

THE LIQUID SOUND COMPANY - Inside The Acid Temple (Brainticket)

Here we go. Now, this is the real stuff. Sit on the couch and let it happen to you. The Liquid Sound Company cuts right to the heart of space on this second release. Guitarist/singer John Perez of the Texas cult metal band Solitude Aeturnus started The Liquid Sound Company in 1995 with Jason Spradlin (drums) and Teri Pritchard (bass) from the really heavy doom band Last Chapter, as an outlet for their more psychedelic tendencies. David Fargason (formerly of Vas Deferens Organization) replaced Pritchard on bass before the recording of Inside The Acid Temple. Guest Matt Miller adds some outstanding sitar throughout the new CD.

The album meanders along on a path of acid rock bliss. The quiet parts of songs like "The League For Spiritual Discovery Lives", "Free!" and "Unfolding" kind of sound like Dunlavy. The faster rock ragas such as "Cubehead" and "Inside The Acid Temple" have more in common musically with Black Sun Ensemble, Krom Lek and Ozric Tentacles, though the vocals are along the lines of Skye Klad. The moody "Preparation For The Psychedelic Eucharist" could almost be a lost track from Pink Floyd's More soundtrack. "The Art Of Ecstasy" catches the spirit of old San Francisco with a Spanish jam that instrumentally name-checks Santana, The Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service, with Buffalo Springfield up from L.A., too. The vocals on the album are generally limited to a few occasional deep mystical verses. The exception is "The Gospel According To Robot A. Hull" which is a more focused garage vocal song, similar to the song-oriented side of Mandra Gora Lightshow Society.

Inside The Acid Temple lives up to its ambitious name. Immobilizing drones, propulsive modal jams, mind-bending leads, and otherworldly voices form a seamless tripped-out experience. This is recommended listening for fans of any psychedelic music. Check www.brainticket.com for details about The Liquid Sound Company and John Perez's Brainticket label.

Review © 2003 by Nick Bensen.

LOMO - Painkiller (Hammerhead)

Despite Lomo's rock power trio configuration of guitar, bass and drums, this English band explores jazz-funk fusion. Their CD Painkiller is unfamiliar yet it seems like it's always been there in the back of your mind. The songs have an urbane sheen perfect for a night on the town and a warmth suited to relaxing at home. Mark Preston (guitar), Simon Pearson (drums) and Diego Kovadloff (bass) are joined by Guy Barker (trumpet and flugelhorn), Jean Toussaint (soprano sax), Juanjo Mosalini (bandoneon), Darren Morris (piano) and Gareth Williams (piano). Together, these musicians rekindle the spirit of great moments in jazz fusion from '50s Blue Note styles to the Miles Davis Electric Band to late '70s ECM to trip hop.

"The Surge" begins the album with an immediately fresh approach. Pearson and Kovadloff make up a nimble, intellectually curious rhythm section, providing the backing for Preston's light guitar touches. Most of the first half of the album, from the strutting "Present Climate" and "Cold March" to the gently reflective "Blind Pew", is structured so that the band introduces the theme and then invites a featured guest musician to take over the lead. Any worries that Lomo might primarily be a backing band are removed on the second half of Painkiller, devoted to the trio setting. "Centerfold" stands out with electric guitar daydreams carried along by a fluid jungle beat. The subtle intricate guitar on "Verao Preto" brings both Andy Summers and Pat Metheny to mind before a wah-wah solo recalls Peter Banks of early Yes. Lomo manages to put forth many compelling original ideas while keeping things tasteful. There is nothing difficult or static about Lomo's brand of post-modern jazz. "Reprise" is particularly soothing in a Wes Montgomery way.

I can't say for sure whether Lomo plays rock for jazz fans or jazz for rock fans. Either way, the grooves are irresistible. A CD of Painkiller remixes, alternate takes and live tracks should be available soon. A second album is also in the works. To order Painkiller and to learn more about the band, go to www.lomo.org.uk.

MAJOR STARS - Distant Effects (Squealer)

Guitarist Wayne Rogers has a long history with Crystallized Movements, Vermonster, Wormdoom and B.O.R.B., as well as several solo albums to his credit. Wayne and Kate Biggar (a.k.a. Kate Village) were half of the legendary Magic Hour with Damon and Naomi. Wayne and Kate also run the Twisted Village label and store in Cambridge, MA. Though I'd read a lot of good things about the bands mentioned above, it wasn't until the Terrastock 5 in Boston last October that I caught on to the glory of Major Stars. Their Terrastock performance was a real highlight of an excellent festival. Wayne and Kate's friendly, unassuming appearance made it all the more impressive when they broke into some of the heaviest guitar duels I've heard in years. I was so moved that I picked up whatever I could from the Twisted Village catalog and started making up for lost time. Though I found plenty of cool music in the back titles, the current Distant Effects, showcased in the Terrastock set, is among the best.

The new Major Stars CD opens with "No Higher Meaning", the most traditionally structured song of the four tracks on Distant Effects. Wayne Rogers' melodic sensibilities and restrained yet resonant vocals on the lead-off track bring some of my favorites (Hüsker Dü, Yo La Tengo and Guided by Voices) to mind right away. "Hardly Mention" and "Are We" start out as gentle vocal songs and then develop into monster jams. Tom Leonard (bass) and Dave Lynch (drums) set up powerful grooves, fitting anchors for Kate's cutting Sterling Morrison rhythms and Wayne's emphatic conversational leads. Wayne's singular guitar technique combines the visionary lyrical command of Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana with the updated harmonic freedom of early Pavement and Sonic Youth. The final track "Elephant" subtly builds for more than ten minutes before receding into a sweet feedback drone. Just under six and a half minutes into the track, Wayne and Kate lock into an alternating bend and open chord sequence that completely blows me away with its outrageous heaviness.

Distant Effects rocks with supreme authority but offers far more sonic interest than just power. Wayne Rogers is among the most original and eloquent guitarists working today. My only possible complaint would be that the album is a little short at 34 minutes. On the other hand, the concise length makes the CD feel more like a record; it may be wise to portion out such complicated, emotionally charged music in manageable doses. Highly recommended. Naomi Yang's beautiful cover art also deserves a mention for the way she successfully expresses the melodic/abstract feeling of the music with sunlight playing down between trees over a stark fence. For more information, go to www.twistedvillage.com.

Review © 2003 by Nick Bensen.

THE MINDERS - The Future Is Always Perfect (Future Farmer Recordings)

The Minders, led by one of indie rock's most gracious couples, Martyn Leaper and Rebecca Cole, are back with eight new songs for a new label. The arrangements on The Future Is Always Perfect reflect the Portland, OR-based band's economical live configuration as a trio with drummer Joel Burrows. Earlier Minders releases had echoes of the mid '60s, and they got into more of an early to mid '70s feeling on the previous full-length Golden Street and on comp tracks for Off's Colonel Jeffrey Pumpernickel album and Free City's International League of Telepathic Explorers. Rebecca Cole's keyboard playing is brought to the forefront on the new CD, moving the band's retro tendencies into late '70s new wave. The songs are as cheerful and charming as ever.

At 26 minutes long, The Future Is Always Perfect falls somewhere in between an EP and an album. The first two songs, "It's So Hard" and "Tearaway", sound instantly familiar with the trademark melodic bounce and gleeful harmonies but Martyn Leaper's fuzzed vocals and Rebecca Cole's keyboards offer new twists to The Minders' style. On "Here Goes Nothing", Leaper and Neil Gust pile up layers of groovy acid guitars over Cole's burbling synth tones and Burrows' driving beat. "Go Wave Your Wand" has a Britpop strut reminiscent of the band's Cul de Sacs and Dead Ends singles collection. Rebecca Cole shows off her vocal personality, taking the lead parts on the sing-song "Hahaha", the spacey "28x" and the moody "Jealous Baby". The closer "All The Way Around" begins as a quiet ballad but grows into an impassioned guitar and keyboard duel.

The Future Is Always Perfect is a teaser for a long-form album to be released next year on the Future Farmer label. Until that one comes out, we can play this mini-album over and over, and marvel at how the band manages to pull off being so nice yet so cool. The Minders' brand of pure retro pop never lets you down. Take a look at www.futurefarmer.com and www.theminders.com.

MOUNTAIN MIRRORS - Lunar Ecstasy (self-released)

I don't really think it's intended as such but I can't help but to think of Jeff Sanders' latest sonic document as a political statement of sorts. Maybe that's because of the psychedelia-tinged opener "A Short Burst of Clarity" but I have a feeling it more has to do with the general vibe of the record. Whatever road Sanders chooses to walk it's one paved with reflection and surrounded by things greater than he is. But I might as well be dreaming things up and that's just fine as there is also some pretty great music to be found on Lunar Ecstasy. The title track starts on a warm note, like the soundtrack to one of those all too rare summer evenings when everyone seems to be at peace with themselves. But then the whole thing transforms into a heavy Texan riff explosion which is complete with the addition of a heavily distorted violin, or as Sanders describes it: "a violin from hell". Then "Apparition" is something else entirely with its mysterious, sci-fi inspired soundscapes but I guess that one more should be seen as the exception that verifies the rule. The rest is rather a spacey, hypnotic and hazy take on psychedelic songwriting, delivered with gentle ease and great appreciation for soulful melodies. It's a fairly bleak listen but it's also a beautiful one, which I know that I will keep coming back to. Go to www.mountainmirrors.com.

NO-FLY ZONE - Fear of Pain EP (self-released)

You might expect a CD entitled Fear of Pain by a band called No-Fly Zone to be some sort of aggressive reactionary metal. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that No-Fly Zone's music defied my preconceptions. It's true that this Sicilian band has head-banging guitar riffs to spare, but the main focus of NFZ's style is melodic alternative rock. Consisting of Raimondo Alaimo (vocals, guitars), Emiliano Santoro (guitars, vocals, songs), Salvatore Pellegrino (guitars, vocals), Ilario Ferrara (bass) and Ivan Alaimo (drums), NFZ produces a full sound that has shades of '80s rock enhanced by modern guitars.

The seven tracks on Fear of Pain cover a lot of stylistic ground. The opening song "Mirror Milkin'" introduces NFZ's consistently original genre blending, as huge guitar riffs roar over a tune that could be by The Smiths. The title track floats along nicely like a really tripped-out version of early U2. The ballads "Yellow" and "Where The Rail Leads To" are structurally close to Pearl Jam but Raimondo Alaimo's vocals have a smooth European quality that is nothing like Eddie Vedder's mannered intensity. "Tonight" reminds me of both Hüsker Dü and INXS (when has that ever happened?!). The noir roots rock of "Nothing Is (Nothing)" constructs an unlikely bridge from The Alchemysts to Blur. The foreboding "Welcome... Me" is a high point of the CD, making full use of NFZ's expressive vocals, a tight powerful rhythm section, and all those guitars.

No-Fly Zone shows a lot of promise on this debut - good songs, good production and a knack for bringing up distant musical memories in brand new settings. A 3-track EP non-U is coming soon. You can learn more about the band by going to www.no-flyzone.com.

Review © 2003 by Nick Bensen.

OOIOO - Kila Kila Kila (Thrill Jockey)

Is Yoshimi P-We a household name yet? Didn't I see that adorable smile shilling Revlon on FOX a few days ago? I'm just having a little fun with Ms. We since she recently turned in a sweet cameo on The Flaming Lips' last opus. I've seriously been infatuated with the woman ever since catching her amazing band (this one, not the other one) live in Austin a couple years ago. Kila Kila Kila is the Boredoms drummer's 4th album with her ethereal space/art punk unit--she sings and plays guitar here--and it's a regular kaleidoscope of abstract sound designs.

As with every OOIOO album I've heard, (and I've not heard 'em all), there's a schizophrenic, jerky tendency from the opening title track. Some keyboards and bass flutter and skronk beneath whispered vocals for just over a minute before the more dynamic, and quite breathtaking "Ene Soda": Bells shake beneath vibes. A lone guitar is plucked romantically before a thunderclap of noise blows everything apart and slowly reforms again, following the same pattern with slight variations for a good 4 and a half minutes. Things really start to smoke though with ten minute "Sizuki Ring Neng," starting with a destructed intro of stumbling random crashes, drones and obfuscating yelps before slowly building into a stiff funk/post punk jam on par with the Slits or A Simple Ratio, only this is OOIOO, which gives the whole mess its own enchanting charm. "On Mano" posits bass/drums against dulcet cello, where the more extensive "Northern Lights" has a bubbling prog sheen with cycling guitar masses and trancy synth drones. But it's the 15 min drone/noise serenity of "Aster" that truly delivers the meditative goods and proves that these ladies have lost none of their gift for expansive progidelic workouts with a strong Eastern edge. File alongside the Slits, Boredoms, Beefheart and my trembling heart. Simply beautiful, if not slightly inaccessible to your best emo pal. Go to www.thrilljockey.com.

PAT ORCHARD - Outside (Sad Tiger Music)

Pat Orchard's second album trades in the lo-fi acoustic experiments of his debut Shabby Road for a smooth full-band sound. The music on Outside is not particularly psychedelic, not hard rock, not quite folk. Pat himself has wondered how he, as a singer of sophisticated pop songs, has been welcomed into the indie psych camp. The answer lies in his charisma as an artist and the quality of his songwriting.

The musicians on Outside are Pat Orchard (vocals, guitars, mandolin), Richard Bell and Tony Lowe (keyboards), Shaun Farrenden (didgeredoo), Nick Pynn (violin, dulcimer), Mal Darwen (bass), Buj (drums) and Gareth Redfarn (programming). The opening title track is a wispy bit of cool jazz built around the interplay of tremolo guitar chords and piano runs. Orchard's breathy vocals shine on "Stoned, Cold, Crazy". "Part Of Your Magic" and "Beautiful Poison" are mid-tempo, slightly spacy love songs. "Earthbound" jams along gently for more than four minutes before the vocals begin. This song has a light jazz feel like an extended arrangement of a Sade song. The playful hi hat and fluid stand-up bass frame the upper and lower boundaries of the song nicely. The heaviest track on the album is "Praying To The Wrong One", a blues rock scorcher on which Pat Orchard reveals a louder rough edge to his usually subdued vocals. The cheerful rhythms and interplay between musicians on "The Fish" reflect the influences of Orchard's African childhood. With its irresistible chorus, "Still Flowing" is an obvious choice for a single. "Rains Falls On Down" gives Orchard an opportunity to display the intricate guitar picking that characterized Shabby Road. The last track "Mindwalker" is ethereal to the point of barely being there but the substance within the restrained tones comes through.

It's always a risky proposition when an artist with a distinctive solo style records with a full band. The results can seem too standardized in comparison to the eccentric self-made songs. Pat Orchard has the personality to make the transition a positive thing. Outside is an album you can put on when your more sensitive friends come over and still enjoy yourself. Go to www.patorchard.com or e-mail info@patorchard.com.

Review © 2003 by Nick Bensen.

PHOTON BAND - It's A Lonely Planet (Darla)

The fourth full-length CD from Philadelphia's Photon Band elaborates on the feelings of isolation and, well, planetary loneliness singer/guitarist Art Di Furia expressed on the previous vinyl-only gem Alone On The Moon. On this new album, concise tuneful garage pop songs carry the resolute emotions. The masterfully disconnected psychedelic production makes it clear that these melodic nuggets are much deeper statements in disguise.

The opening piece "Re-entry Burn" sets up a disorienting tension with maniacal laughter and a tapestry of cold space effects. The title track is a gentle song wrapped in backwards mechanical sounds and haunting melancholy lyrics. "OuterSpace" has a new wave momentum marked by jittery tremolo guitar that explodes on the breaks. Art Di Furia's sweet vocal tones over the descending melody of "Out Of Synch, Out Of Season, Out Of Rhyme, Out Of Reason" conjure an impression of Buddy Holly surviving into the psychedelic era. The punchy rock of "Indirection (School)" is distinguished by a long, rhythmic T. Rex coda. "Paper Plane" recalls the bright-eyed psych pop of The Minders' early albums. The wordless vocals on "Dreamin II" sound like the later Yardbirds filtered through Big Star. "If It's A Beautiful Day" brings up both memories of Lou Reed's Transformer and Something Else by The Kinks at the same time. Never boringly predictable in terms of influences, Art Di Furia makes "Closer" sound almost like a tape-reverse version of "Stay" from Jackson Browne's Running On Empty. The result is a very graceful, moving song. The CD ends with "We Don't Care Anymore", a campfire anthem for the disillusioned.

There is a cathartic release in the contrast between the dark sentiments and bright melodies on It's A Lonely Planet. These songs can be either pleasantly breezy or quite heavy depending on how closely you listen. With the space metaphors found throughout, the album works sort of like a hyper-personal Ziggy Stardust containing all of the style and impact of Bowie' classic without the glam excess. Since It's A Lonely Planet feels like the second installment of a trilogy started by Alone On The Moon, I am very anxious to hear the conclusion. Check out www.darla.com for details or to order.

Motel Of Fools is the 26th release from Guided by Voices frontman Bob Pollard's Fading Captain Series, an outlet for his solo work and side bands. Known for fast, short rock songs, Pollard keeps things interesting with a collection of longer, slower tracks. However, this is not a CD of nice ballads. Things are kept weird (and I mean Vampire On Titus weird) with the use of found spoken word sections and a variety of unexpected sound effects. The use of sound collage here is Pollard's most abstract since the early '90s GbV albums.

Motel Of Fools begins with more than a minute of stark a cappella singing before the main section of "In The House Of Queen Charles Augustus" launches into flanged layers of guitar and dreamy vocals. "Captain Black" is a charming down-tempo guitar song with an otherworldly bar room piano solo by John Slough. The intro of "Red Ink Superman" is a slowed down recording of the song "Farmer Says" by 3 Dream Bag. "Red Ink Superman" itself is a minor key rocker in the tradition of mid to late '90s GbV. Tobin Sprout provides a great backwards guitar. Pollard also shows his uncanny ability to find the tones between the tones on his vocals on this song. "The Vault Of Moons" is mostly acoustic and sounds similar to Bob Pollard's early solo stuff. Tuneful lo-fi electric guitars join in for a soothing cosmic finish. The rock ballad "Saga Of The Elk" moves along sadly on the sharp edges of the rhythm guitar chords. The most unusual track on Motel Of Fools is "The Spanish Hammer". Since Bob Pollard is associated with short songs, I've often wondered what he would do if he stretched out beyond a few minutes. What I didn't expect was anything like "The Spanish Hammer". With the assistance of Rat Bastard on guitars and radio static, and Chris Slusarenko on piano, Pollard concocts a multi-part suite like nothing I've heard before. The vocals are slowed and cloaked in reverse sounds, next they are defiant and impassioned over the claustrophobic white noise, and then they are delicate against a distant piano. The cycle is repeated and varied until, eventually, the song blends into a snippet of a live jam by The Original Anacrusis. "Harrison Adams" ends the album with a serious song featuring an affecting chorus, all bracketed between mad found conversation.

Motel Of Fools is highly original and especially impressive as a largely new musical setting for such a versatile artist as Bob Pollard. It may take some time for listeners to get where Pollard is going here as the expectations set up by longer, more involved songs are confounded by the creative details and general sense of deconstruction. In the end, this is a rewarding and challenging EP and another step forward for Bob Pollard. Go to www.gbv.com for more info on this and Bob Pollard's massive catalog of other worthwhile releases.

Review © 2003 by Nick Bensen.

PATRICK PORTER - Lisha Kill Home Recordings Vols. 1 & 2, Maybe Waltz LP (advance promos)

These two new CDs collect the songs young Colorado musician/poet Patrick Porter recorded while living in Schenectady, NY. Judging by the bleak isolation of the music, Schenectady was about as much fun as you'd expect. Maybe the detour upstate was just what Patrick Porter needed to give his recordings the same kind of bracing depth found in his poetry. Compared to the Camera Obscura release Reverb Saved My Life and the excellent track "A Better Thing" from our own Further Adventures compilation, Patrick Porter's new songs are stripped-down and even more quietly intense.

Lisha Kill Home Recordings Vols. 1 & 2 begins with "goodpeoplew/badcredit", a portrait of nagging post-modern anxiety that could be the mellow end of early Brian Jonestown Massacre. The mostly acoustic settings are occasionally punctuated with the sounds of birds, sirens, otherworldly electric guitar noise and recorded voices, creating a tension of the outside world breaking into the privacy of the songs. The arrangement of "Hospital" is particularly effective, beginning with a loop of "please select your method of payment" and ending with a heavy, fuzzy guitar solo. "Lisha Kill" has a great melody and is moved along by a pleasantly insistent beat. "Beak" feels like a dark sketch of a low-key soul song. "Old Words" is wrapped in thick layers of atmospheric sound. The airy mood and folk rock harmonies of "Window Seat" are like a break in the clouds. The synth solo on this song is pretty cool, too. The echoing country guitar fills on "Free Kittens" make me think of both Pavement and David Gilmour. "Alarm Clock Song" is processed in a way that makes it sound kind of like the clock is performing the song. After an arty percussion opening, "Mermaid" turns into a dreamy pop song with a '60s-noir twang. We get an instrumental run through of "Slow Torpedo" before the finished version, in which the guitar, piano and drum machine are joined by vocals and bass. Lisha Kill ends with the straightforward country song "A Wound Can't Time Can't Erase", featuring backing vocals by Amber Curtis.

The Maybe Waltz LP is possibly even more subtly powerful that Lisha Kill. "Kolorado" is so full of anger that it's amazing to hear Patrick Porter maintain his calm and composed delivery. "Maybe Waltz" is a wisp of a song that flows into a haunting instrumental part. "The Sea Goes To Crags" may be my favorite song on both CDs, with both a memorable tune and a beautiful flow of imagery. "Cordwood & Spark" is a lyrical and musical highlight as well, an honest assessment of options coupled with a shredding guitar. The light samba jazz/rock of "Sharon Needles" seems like an odd pairing with the lyrics at first but then perfectly illustrates the weariness and resigned longing. "Toppy" shimmers gently in the distance before "On Yr Hands" moves into a punky guitar and keyboard groove with detached wordless voices. The lack of drums on this track keeps the mood restrained. "Back Of A Promise" closes the CD with a low-acoustic guitar resonance that sticks in your head.

Lisha Kill and Maybe Waltz show the already accomplished Porter's development as a songwriter and a producer. The occasional flurries of electric guitar hint at his emergence as an original and gifted lead guitarist. Both of these new CDs should be out on indie labels in 2004. For release details and information on Patrick's CDs and books, go to www.nervoushalo.com. Check out Patrick Porter's Free City interview, too.

PROJECT GRIMM - Huge Beings (Camera Lucida)

Huge Beings contains the last recordings of John Cramer's post-Mike Gunn band Project Grimm. Camera Lucida has offered up this album in an edition of 500 CDs in handsome cardboard gate-fold covers. The line-up on this CD consists of John Cramer (guitar, vocals, synth), Drew Calhoun (bass) and Rick Costello (drums). Second guitarist Jim Otterson quit in 1997, disillusioned by the South by Southwest conference. Costello left after Huge Beings was recorded and was replaced by Bo Morris for the band's remaining days. Having grown tired of the rock club scene, the band broke up in 2000.

The Mike Gunn was a truly great early '90s indie band, among the pioneers of new Texas psych. Their album Almaron is surely one of the finest examples of the genre. The former members' releases are often unfairly compared to the brilliance of The Mike Gunn. Sure it would be great to hear what Cramer, Scott Grimm and Tom Carter could come up with together these days but that shouldn't take anything away from the fine quality of Charalambides, Dunlavy and Project Grimm. Huge Beings is quite remarkable, a leap above Project Grimm's respectable debut Lying Down. This is a very "normal" sounding album compared to most post-Mike Gunn releases. The tracks are medium-length rock songs, more straightforward than experimental. Though John Cramer's vocals strain a bit in the high end on songs like "Living Without It", his general vocal range is strong and expressive. There is an honest sadness to songs like "No Touch To Lose" and "Don't Really Mind". This is clearly the work of a band searching for a reason to keep going. The riffing is especially satisfying on Fish King". The slower parts of songs like "Seven Long Years", "When Systems Break Down" and "Frankly Dan" have a melancholy appeal that stands up to any of Cramer's earlier work. "Cane" goes right for the heart of the Led Zeppelin ethos with unparalleled heaviness and lines quoted from blues standards. The guitars on "Lifetime Of Goodness" and "Melville" are crisp, with a Physical Graffiti lilt. "Realized" in particular features a lovely, understated lead line. The closer "Durian" is perhaps the best track on the CD, combining a sinisterly restrained verse with an all-out Kurt Cobain chorus and some serious modal jamming.

It's a shame that Project Grimm is no longer playing but I can understand the frustration of making such outstanding music that no one seems to really get. Thanks to Camera Lucida for releasing Huge Beings as a posthumous document of a band that deserved (and still deserves) to be heard. Camera Lucida's parent label Camera Obscura also has a Mike Gunn retrospective box set in the works. For details, go to www.projectgrimm.com and www.cameraobscura.com.au.

PSEUDO BUDDHA - 3 Months in Fat City! - Hooka-Jooka Vol. IV (DogFingers)

The San Antonio, TX improv collective Pseudo Buddha includes members of the progressive fusion band Six-Fing Thing. The players on this fourth volume of the Hooka-Jooka live jam series are Bob Dog (Eng/Cheng, veena, lap steel guitar and devices), James Cobb (flute, sax, bass clarinet, sawblade, etc.), Quinn (Mac G3/software), Don Stewart (percussion), John Cortez (bass), Stephanie Key (bass clarinet and ocarina), Gilly Gonzales (percussion), Joe Reyes (Oudcaster®), James H. Sidlo (guitar) and Qudrod (Black Wilson). The eclectic instrumentation gives Pseudo Buddha a distinctive sound that makes this CD stand out from the usual spontaneous instrumental album.

While Six-Fing Thing's recordings are obsessively arranged and sonically complicated, Pseudo Buddha rides a simple droning "om" laid down by thundering low percussion (and sometimes bass) on the one beat every couple of measures. This basic framework allows the musicians to stay grounded while going off in any direction. The om continues throughout the album with the exception of a few minutes of wispy outer space here and there. 3 Months in Fat City! doesn't present a collection of live documents the way that the previous Hooka-Jooka recordings have; rather the four segments (titled with the dates of the performances) are condensed and combined into one hour-long linear piece. However, I should point out that the music itself is all live, without overdubs, just edited and blended together.

The travel metaphor is overused in reviewing psych jams but this album really does feel like a rail ride through some exotic countryside. There is a consistent momentum adorned with fleeting dramatic wonders and subtly building regional changes. Highly recommended for spacing out. Check out www.dogfingers.com.

SALAMANDER - Birds Of Appetite (Camera Obscura)

Salamander's third album was originally released as couple of years ago as a double-LP. The songs have been remastered for the CD reissue. Featuring Erik Wivinus from Skye Klad (guitars, loops, percussion, shenai and vocals) and Sean Connaughty from The Vortex Navigation Company along with Doug Morman (bass) and Matthew Zaun (drums), Salamander takes an atmospheric approach to psychedelic drone rock on Birds Of Appetite. The subjects and content are somewhat similar to recent Dunlavy but Salamander uses more acoustic textures.

The opening track "Vessel Is Vacant" is like beatnik music hinting at the late '60s. Erik Wivinus makes his vocal debut with Salamander here with his somber intonations. "Ithsmus" (sic) is the first of several droning minor chord jams that occupy a mostly mellow but sinister place. "Sadhu" is bracketed by "Yomin Pt. 1 & Pt. 2", short mood pieces with samples of Leonard Nemoy (backwards: Yomin) reading Ray Bradbury. The 20-minute "Trench Of Fire" is the most impressive of the low-key jams, consisting of two improvised takes layered on top of each other. "Mumpsimus' Lament" heats up the electric guitar soloing against a more animated rhythm. The album ends with the very strange song "The Wreck Of Old 99" which contains samples of a conversation between the engineer of a runaway train and the railroad control tower from a crash that took place in New Brunswick, Canada in 1948.

Birds Of Appetite is excellent music for getting you deep into your own headspace. A fair comparison might be a toned-down more acoustic version of the live disc from Pink Floyd's Ummagumma. The lightness of the arrangements belies a dark heaviness permeating the feeling of the jams. The remastering sounds great. Anyone into drone rock who missed the original vinyl should make a point of checking out the CD. For more information, go to www.cameraobscura.com.au.

Santana and I go back a long way. Their distinctly urban West Coast sound was a key component in the formation of my rock-'n-roll consciousness in the '70s, and I consider their first three albums, along with the majestic live Lotus to be among the all-time greats by any standard. Of course, the trouble was that they didn't stop there, and two whole generations have had to sift through 32-count 'em-32 subsequent releases to find nuggets to match those early efforts. Personally, I got tired of trying, as it seemed to me that all the good ideas pioneered by the original lineup of Carlos Santana (guitar), Gregg Rolie (keyboards, vocals), David Brown (bass), Michael Shrieve (drums), Jose "Chepito" Areas (percussion), and Michael Carabello (congas) had pretty much run their course by about 1973. One could make much the same argument about Eric Clapton, come to think of it.

Not surprisingly, there have always been a sizeable number of bootleg collections floating around representing the early years of the band. My personal favorite was an Italian import with the wonderfully apt title The Sound of Carlos Santana. Now along comes the official release of two discs of demos and rehearsal jams from 1969, featuring the original lineup as they were getting ready to record their first album, and one disc recorded live at the Fillmore in 1968. It is a fascinating historical document, filled with both great moments and absolute clunkers as the band learns its way around the material, and learns to communicate with one another. The best pieces (one cannot really call them songs yet) feature Carlos' guitar in all its soaring, wailing majesty, and the tastefully raucus rhythm section of Brown, Shrieve, Areas and Carabello holding down the fort and providing richly textured fills. The jams are slow-to-medium pace for the most part, the thunder of "Incident at Neshabur" and "Toussaint l'Overture" is still a couple of years away.

The collection sounds from the liner notes like it was a labor of love to produce, but that doesn't stop it from sounding like it was recorded underwater in a few places, nor does it help to explain some truly strange editing decisions, such as placing two long versions of "Fried Neckbones" (one titled "La Puesta Del Sol") back-to -back on disc one, or abruptly fading out "Acapulco Sunrise" in the middle of the tune. Old collections are prone to these sort of head-scratchers, and it won't bother a fan of the band too much, although I would sure like to have a word with whoever decided to put the truly god-awful version of "With a Little Help From My Friends" on disc two. Still, there is plenty here for the Santana enthusiast to chew on, and it slips onto the shelf very nicely next to the Live At The Fillmore'68 release from 1997.

SEID - Among The Monster Flowers Again (Luftwaffel)

Further evidence that Trondheim, Norway is just bursting with talented bands, Seid roars onto the scene with a confident, well-executed album of hard progressive psychedelic rock. Among The Monster Flowers Again took a while to win me over since it is stylistically ambitious and complex beyond the usual heavy psych credo of catching the E-chord groove and staying there all night. Burt Rocket (bass, vocals), Don Kosmos (guitars, vocals), Janis (guitars), Cpt. Lazer (drums, replaced by Jan Spaice after the CD was recorded) and Organ Morgan (you guessed it - keyboards) pull out all the sonic stops with burbling analog synths, crisp sitars and doomy mellotrons. The bass-heavy mix is fluid and powerful. The band seems determined to get across as many ideas as possible within the confines of a single CD.

Seid does not sound much like their Trondheim contemporaries though the minimalist "(Intermission)" and the soft to bombastic prog epic "Sleep" share some common ground with mid-'90s Motorpsycho. The album's instrumental bookends "The Monster Flowers" and "Among The Monster Flowers… Again" are unabashed retro organ rave-ups that work quite well. "Fire Song" is a pleasing stoner rock anthem while "Jellyfish" gets into the more difficult time signatures and harsh tempo changes of Oneida. "King Leon" uses moody Floydian organs in a way similar to Mandra Gora Lightshow Society. "5/4" and "Lois Loona" have an overwrought theatrical sound that approximates the uneasy dramatics of Faith No More's The Real Thing. The modal tune and somber space jamming of "The Tale Of The King Of The Hill" bring Black Sun Ensemble to mind but in a heavier setting. "Red Planet" sounds playfully sinister like The Stranglers at their best.

All in all, Seid brings up a lot of worthwhile ideas and offers original perspectives on the psychedelic genre. Burt Rocket and producer Mickey Moog play some of the most tasteful mellotron since the late Doug Ferguson of Ohm. Among The Monster Flowers Again may take a few listens to sink in and make sense, but I encourage you to stick with it. Contact organmorgan@kosmonautes.com or take a look at www.flying.to/seid.

Look Out is the fourth Woronzow solo CD from longtime Bevis Frond bass player Adrian Shaw. As his bandmate Nick Saloman does on the new Bevis Frond CD What Did For The Dinosaurs (see review above), Ade concentrates here on the personal and universal effects of the passage of time. Ade Shaw's mellow voice and taste for solid rhythms give his music the initial impression of being normal but it's not long before you become aware of the weirdness around the margins.

Ade pulls out the big guns right away on the opening track "I Don't Think So" which features eloquent solos from guitar giants Nick Saloman and Tony Hill (of High Tide). Ade's son Aaron Shaw is not at all in over his head providing the acoustic guitar in such distinguished company. Another of the psychedelic revival's leading guitarists, Bari Watts, channels Hendrix and vintage Clapton for his amazing solo on "Father's Day". The spacey drone of "Another Face" and the playfully dark ska sound of "Few Are Called" highlight Ade's keyboard playing and penchant for odd samples. "Rhododendron Mile" has the feel of a sturdy folk song, enhanced by an irresistible looped violin figure. "The Chosen" is a cool retro organ song with great vocal harmonies on the chorus. "A Modern Man" and "Remembrance of Things Past" have a slow-burning psychedelic inertia similar to late Pink Floyd or Radiohead. "Remembrance…" also shows that Ade is an inventive guitarist. His lovely volume pedal guitar as string section technique from that song is further developed on the charming twangy instrumental "Oh, To Be Young" (as in Neil Young, circa 1968?). The distorted vocals, heavy beats and tasty wah-wah guitar on "Cool Blue Reminder" give the song an industrial David Bowie mood. The closing ballad "Childhood's End" works as a fitting summary of the album's themes.

Given Adrian Shaw's solid background as a bass player, the fact that the bass is often the last instrument you notice on these songs is a testament to the range of musical ideas at work here. Ade's unassuming likeable persona gives him the opportunity to make his production really interesting without turning the music difficult or ugly. Do look out for this one. Check www.woronzow.co.uk or www.rubricrecords.com for more information. An exclusive remix of Ade Shaw's song "Symbiosis" from Head Cleaner can be found on the Free City compilation CD The International League of Telepathic Explorers.

Unashamedly commercial, blissfully hedonistic Barcelona band Sidonie plays light psychedelic rock with a European party vibe. This spirit is reflected in the band's clever recreation of a notorious late-'60s Rolling Stones photo inside the tray card of the CD Let It Flow. On this debut CD, Marc Ros (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion), Jesus Senra (vocals, bass, sitar, guitars, keyboards, percussion) and Axel Pi (percussion, keyboards) seamlessly blend pop, '60s sounds, dance music and Indian touches. The results are quite sunny and pleasant, bringing to mind such diverse references as the Dipsomaniacs, Kula Shaker, Blur and The Chemical Brothers.

Let It Flow has nothing much in common with today's dark lo-fi psych revival movement except for a genuine affection for '60s music. "Love" starts the album with a breezy sense of whimsy. A line in the relatively serious "Cry" speaks about "decrying the cancer rate in our golden state", reminding me of the similarities between my home in California and Sidonie's Mediterranean region. The title track is a joyous gentle slice of psychedelic celebration. A cover of the Madonna hit "Beautiful Stranger" fits in better than one might expect and certainly blows away the original, emphasizing on the irresistible keyboard hook. "(Ahora entiendo a) Gene Clark" grooves like Kula Shaker jamming with The Stone Roses. The mostly instrumental travelogues "Sidonie Goes To Varanasi" and "Sidonie Goes To London" pay homage to William Orbit's Strange Cargo series. "Curious Change" sets a subtle tremolo guitar and funky bass against hushed call and response vocals and sitar drones, culminating in a baggy Manchester-sound chorus. The synth pop of "All Is Cool In The Evening" sounds oddly like a Moby remix of a Beatles pastiche. "Through The Hole" has the atmospheric quality of an early Blur b-side set to a persistent mechanical beat. The electronic arrangement of "Entertainment" makes the track sound like a collaboration between The Charlatans and The Chemical Brothers.

Psychedelic rock purists may shy away from this overtly happy and admittedly ambitious album but it should appeal to a wider audience less concerned with the finer points of indie cred. This is music that says "Let's all get really wasted in Ibiza and hang out with the beautiful people". Okay, then - sounds like a nice change of pace as long as we can return to our worn flannels and anguished guitar solos once the party gets to be a bit much. Check out www.rainbowquartz.com.

THE SPECIAL PILLOW - Inside The Special Pillow (Zofko)

The second full-length CD from this Hoboken, NJ band offers a pleasing selection of light psychedelic moods, indie pop melodies and unsentimental string arrangements. The Special Pillow features past and current members of notable indie bands including Hypnolovewheel, Antietam, Run On and Splendora. Dave Rick (King Missile/Phantom Tollbooth) and James McNew (Yo La Tengo/Dump) were also in earlier versions of A Special Pillow. The line up on Inside The Special Pillow consists of Peter Walsh (drums, percussion, keyboards and vocals), Katie Gentile (violin and vocals), Dan Cuddy (bass, vocals, slide guitar and keyboards), Carey Burtt (guitar, bass and vocals) and Cindy Brolsma (cello and vocals), with Timothy Noel Harris playing cello on some tracks.

After a minute of storm atmospherics, "Please Come to Our Séance" begins in earnest with twangy guitar chords soon joined by an effervescent club rhythm. The Special Pillow is very good at pairing contemporary beats with classic rock styles (especially on the updated T-Rex-in-space sound of "Internet Pet"). "Poison Apples" could be a single by The Apples In Stereo aside from the comfortably intricate strings and the free noise feedback solo. "You Can Do It (Just Do It Wrong)" is the first of several songs that carry the mantle of styles set out by The Feelies, Camper Van Beethoven and Yo La Tengo. "Automatic Doom", "One Finger" and "New Best Friend" are also good examples of soft '60s-style guitar pop with strings and irresistible harmonies. "Nothing Important" has this perfect high guitar riff set against an atomic bass. "The Whole Thing" is aptly named, being a showcase for all of the band's defining characteristics, not to mention a great prog-psych epic. The guitars and strings triumph on "A Prime Example". The wordplay on "Tiny Honey Sea" kind of reminds me of They Might Be Giants but this song rocks more. The electric guitars really come out for an encore with the fuzzed strings on "Open Wide", a song that makes me think of a sunny day answer to the Screaming Trees' foggy rain. The CD ends with the slow meditative space of "Fantastic Light".

Inside The Special Pillow sounded good the first time I put it on - a fine example of a genre I enjoy a lot - but it took several listens to really get the full impact of the songs. I appreciate the particularly well-conceived musical touches more each time I hear the CD. The laid back happy energy of this album feels very refreshing. For more information, go to www.specialpillow.com and www.fanaticpromotion.com.

TOBIN SPROUT - Lost Planets & Phantom Voices (Recordhead/Wigwam/Luna)

I consider Tobin Sprout an extremely dependable songwriter. You can always count on him for the kind of timeless laid-back garage rock that provided contrast to Bob Pollard's more angular material on classic Guided by Voices albums. As a solo artist, Sprout has continued to develop his penchant for familiar yet fresh melodies. The new album Lost Planets & Phantom Voices contains a wealth of songs in the established Tobin Sprout style but it also branches out further in other directions than his previous solo releases.

The gently cheerful refrains of songs like "Indian Ink", "All Those Things We've Done", "Courage The Tack" and "As Lovely As You" are just what we hope for from a Tobin Sprout CD - great melodies that seem to have always been there waiting for Sprout to capture them. The Impossible Shapes (Chris Barth, Aaron Deer, Jason Groth and Mark Rice, see review above) sent Sprout the backing instrumental tracks for a new version of "Doctor #8". The 'Shapes give the song a loose immediacy very different from the piano demo version on Tobin Sprout's Sentimental Stations EP. The post-rock/country breakdown at the end reminds me of Pavement. Backing players Nick Kizirnis (lead guitar), John Peterson (drums) and Dan Toohey (bass) infuse "Catch The Sun" with a shambling Neil Young and Crazy Horse confidence. Two instrumentals, "Martini" and "Fortunes Theme No. 1", break new ground, the former with a cool '60s spy theme sound and the latter with a simple kind of loopy organ grinder tune. "Rub Your Buddha Tummy" is a mostly instrumental track on which Sprout shows his skills on multiple lead guitars. "Earth Links" sensitively and effectively presents love in a cold technological context. "Shirley The Rainbow" is a bright folk rock tune with a persistently harmonious chorus. "Cleansing From The Storm" is lyrically weightier but still light and pretty. The excellent vinyl single track "Let Go Of My Beautiful Balloon" rounds the album out nicely.

Tobin Sprout is so unassuming and affable that the depth of his music sneaks up over time. Lost Planets & Phantom Voices reminds us not to take Tobin Sprout's considerable talents for granted just because his songs feel easy and comfortable. This may be his best solo album to date. For more details, go to www.tobinsprout.com and www.lunamusic.net.

Norwegian troubadour St. Thomas won me over with the innocent kindness and quirky observations in his lyrics. At first, I found it a bit hard to take the wide-eyed campfire nature of St. Thomas' music; there are a few more "tweedle deedle deedle dee"s in his songs than I am used to enjoying and his voice can get pretty high and reedy in places. However, St. Thomas is extremely endearing and welcoming.

Hey Harmony is St. Thomas' latest CD on the very cool Racing Jr. label. Musically, St. Thomas is somewhat like Neil Young without the intense noisy edges. His acoustic-based folk rock is light and pleasant, making the wistful, melancholy sentiments about coming of age all the more poignant. The musical settings behind the guitar and vocals on Hey Harmony include analog synth, electric piano, accordion, bass, and light but insistent percussion. You just can't help liking a guy who tosses off lines like "We're having a Sunday party, Come on over and be our friends, There's wine and cookies all over, Heroes making dinner from the outer space" (from "Heroes Making Dinner") and "Be cool, Be nice, Get sponsored by Levi's" (from "Be Cool Be Nice"). The single "A Long, Long Time" is a memorable sing-along with a great chorus. Heavier material such as "Falling Down" stands out from the lighter mood of the rest of the album. "New Apartment" is an affecting narrative about leaving home. St. Thomas nails the small details, in this case making himself dinner and listening to The Hives, with skilled precision. By the time the final hidden track comes around, things have gotten decidedly silly - but that's okay, it's all in good fun and there are enough serious points during the album to warrant letting off a little steam.

A note inside the cover of St. Thomas' previous CD I'm Coming Home reads "This is St. Thomas. He was born in Oslo. His heart gets warm if you appreciate his music. Please take care of him." Rather an odd thing to print on a CD but it somehow makes sense. This kind of vulnerable, highly personal folk rock yearns for attention and acceptance while warmly drawing the listener into the musician's metaphorical inner circle of friends. The CD single of "A Long, Long Time", also on Racing Jr., is worth checking out, too. Some of the b-sides get into harder rock territory that suits St. Thomas well. To find out more, go to www.racingjunior.com.

SUN DIAL - Zen For Sale (Acme)

Guitarist/singer Gary Ramon started out making creative post-punk/new wave/garage rock tapes with The Modern Art in the '80s. His first album under the name Sun Dial was the psychedelic masterpiece Other Way Out. That near perfect burst of inspiration set the standards awfully high for future releases. Sun Dial later incorporated more modern sounds, countering accusations of purist revivalism. Fazer and Libertine moved into an electronic dance style while 1995's Acid Yantra combined metal with progressive ballads. The first new Sun Dial studio CD in eight years, Zen For Sale balances acid guitar virtuosity with melodic songs and contemporary rock production.

On Zen For Sale, Gary Ramon (vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards) plays with a new band made up of Laurence O'Toole (acoustic guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Joolie Woods (violin, recorders, keyboards) and Lee Moon (bass, percussion, backing vocals). This group displays an exceptional musical intuition, providing Gary Ramon with his best musical foils since the original Sun Dial line up with Anthony Clough on keyboards and bass. The CD opens with "You're Still Wondering", an easy-floating combination of acoustic strumming and electric slide. "Open Your Eyes" features the heaviest bass this side of Gas Giant and gives Gary a chance to show off his e-bow skills. The song also includes a great Piper At The Gates Of Dawn sidebar. On "Believe In The Spaceman", an eloquent wah-wah lead guitar rides a raunchy Steppenwolf-style organ riff until the song melts into slow-motion space. "Tumbling Down" is an acoustic pop song that makes good use of Joolie Woods' violin and recorder. If some of the lyrics are a bit more mainstream rock than the poetic brilliance of Other Way Out, the stately arrangement compensates. Spaced-out effects are draped over Lee Moon's super-fuzz bass on the instrumental "Acid Test". It's a bit odd to include a song called "Supernatural Man" here when the last album had "Are You Supernatural?" but that was eight years ago, and the new "Supernatural" song is quite nice in its own right. It has a light but foreboding groove that gives way to a cool keyboard solo. The vintage garage swagger of "Out Of Space Out Of Time" journeys to peaks of early Pink Floyd on the breaks. "Blue Sugar" is an eerie, quiet song that fades into white noise. The closer "Reflections" has as expansive gentle but intense feeling and several outstanding melodic parts. The arrangement highlights the contributions of each member of the band within a lovely mix of mellotron, recorders, bass, viola, and many different guitar sounds.

Zen For Sale is a welcome return. It's nice to find Sun Dial in such a comfortable, productive new musical space after a long absence. O'Toole, Woods and Moon complement Gary Ramon's talents very well. In addition to the new album, Acme has just reissued the classic Sun Dial debut Other Way Out, remastered with seven bonus tracks worth having even if you bought the original. Go to www.sundial.org.uk and contact sundial@acmerecords.co.uk.

THTX - Albums 1-4 (From a Self-Produced CD-R Series)

Detroit musician/producer Matthew Smith glides between genres, taking on completely different musical personas. Hearing the psychedelic rock of Outrageous Cherry side by side with the rawboned Americana of The Volebeats without album credits in hand, you would be hard pressed to guess that the same singer and guitarist was involved in both. The eccentric world-folk experiments of Monster Island are a whole other thing, too. THTX is Smith's collaboration with veteran percussionist Kerry Gluckman, an eight CD-R series resulting from a prolific year's worth of recording and mixing. Smith plays guitar, bass, keyboards and trumpet. Though only Matthew Smith and Kerry Gluckman are listed in the notes, Smith told me that guest musicians on THTX recordings include free-jazz saxophonist Len Bukowski (Faruq Z. Bey, Monster Island), Keir McDonald (Medusa Cyclone, Viv Akauldren), Cary Loren (Destroy All Monsters, Monster Island), Erika Hoffmann (Godzuki, Saturday Looks Good to Me), and Larry Ray (Outrageous Cherry).

Matthew Smith sent me Albums 1-4 to introduce the band's work. The THTX sound can be likened to a massive Acid Jam. The brooding hypnotic spirit of the early Bevis Frond is present on tracks such as "Outer Levitations" (from #1), "Ha Ha" (from #4), and "Application For Explosion Of Time" (from #2) on which the trumpet seems to morph into a guitar and back. The overall style is mainly instrumental experimental psychedelic music. The tracks range from the spaced-out drones of "Supersonic Phoenix" (#2) and "15 Minutes" (#4) to the subdued lyricism of "Seventh Eye Of The Scorpion" and "The Holland Michigan Spacecraft Ceremony" (both from #1) to the hard rocking riffs of "Atomic Hammer" (#3) and "The Great Transfixer" (#4). Since Matthew Smith's voice (fortunately) does not have the grating quality of Peter Hammill, a cover of "Darkness" comes off sounding a bit like David Bowie circa The Man Who Sold The World. "Osidia" (#3) combines Latin jazz with psychedelic organ (remember Gregg Rolie from early Santana?) and "The Exploding Piano" lives up to its title using only angular guitars and lopsided drum rhythms. The highlight of this encyclopedic set is the 23-minute masterpiece "Ultimately", a perfect psychedelic guitar jam that picks up where Outrageous Cherry's "There's No Escape From The Infinite" left off.

None of this is officially available yet but I thought Matthew Smith fans would like a heads up on his intriguing new band. Personally, I think I enjoy THTX the most out of all of Matthew Smith's various musical entities (which is saying a lot). I look forward to hearing the other four volumes. Get in touch with matthewsmithdetroit@yahoo.com for updates on release plans.

TROLL - Pathless Land EP (ORANGEsun Records)

The first Troll album ¿Que Son Los Trolls Y En Que Nos Ayudan? was a joyful Hawkwind meets The Pixies hybrid with a global flavor. Lotte Svennigsen (vocals, theremin, keyboards), John Koch (vocals, guitar), Scott Hewicker (guitar, piano, organ), Marina Moreno (vocals, bass) and Cliff Hengst (vocals, percussion, organ) take full advantage of their uncommon international heritage to create a brand new kind of psychedelic-influenced rock. This time the San Francisco-based band plays up the atmospherics on a new five-song EP. The results are quite pleasing if a little more subtle than the previous CD.

The specter of Enrico Morricone is ever present on these echoing, high desert tracks. The vocals are sung in a combination of languages against a backdrop of spacious guitars, deep bass, tight rhythms and burbling keyboards. "Mexicana" and "Western" don't particularly sound more Mexican or Western than the rest of the tracks but they sure are fun. "I Walk On Water" is a breathy Latin pop interlude. The darkly brooding "Li'l Lisa Slurry" uses its Simpsons-reference title for equal parts humor and repulsion (Li'l Lisa Slurry was the barreled product Mr. Burns produced by sweeping the ocean clean of all animals and grinding them into a pink sludge). "Tex Bossa Redux" gets into a heavy dub vibe new to Troll, and I smiled hearing my friend Marina warn the listener "Look out for those chilies - they're hot!".

Pathless Land is a worthy and enjoyable next step from Troll. Scott Hewicker's insert collage of western landmarks is about the coolest thing I've seen this year, too. Check out www.trolltrolltroll.com. Another new Troll song, the great Velvet Underground and Nico-style track "Shattered Venus", appears on our own Further Adventures compilation.

THE UNICORNS - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone (Alien8 Recordings)

Montreal's The Unicorns are here to remind the world that the New Pornographers are not the only Canadian pop band that's actually worth hearing. This funky homemade psych glam pop is quite the treat across the span of their Alien8 debut, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone, with a semi-fractured whimsy that sounds visionary despite its meager origins. There are few bands who've hit me like this in recent years. Olivia Tremor Control is one. Guided By Voices is another before them, and Captain Beefheart before them. This album plays like a dime store carousel, freshly dusted, polished and retrofitted with new sparkly lights. There's vitality to burn on tracks like opener, "I Don't Want to Die," with its Zombies-like piano bounce, the slow-burning organ groove of "Tuff Ghost" and the Guided By Voices worthy pop crunch of "The Clap," but what pushes the whole affair up a notch, aside from the occasional Beefheart freakout, are the warm and silly sing-alongs like "Child Star" and the absurdly infectious "I Was Born (a Unicorn)" which offer a great deal of pop smarts, intelligence and a camaraderie worthy of your favorite tag-team freak pop ensembles while sounding kind of fresh and unique at the same time with a production that screams for volume. This CD quite simply makes me feel lucky to be alive. If you don't have enough records like that in your collection, Who Will Cut Our Hair might just fill the void. Go to www.theunicorns.net and www.alien8recordings.com.

Review © 2004 by Lee Jackson.

UPSTATE - Missing - The Official Soundtrack (Friendly Psychics Music)
WICKED IMMIGRANT - Reunion Of Cynics (Friendly Psychics Music)

The Friendly Psychics Music Collective revolves around John Wenzel (guitar, synths and vocals) in Denver, Colorado and Chris Jones (bass) in Dayton, Ohio. They don't practice or record together in person but rather collaborate long-distance by sending zip discs back and forth, adding parts to each other's tracks. The first virtual band they were in together was the Dishwater Psychics. Currently Wenzel and Jones are working as Upstate and Wicked Immigrant. Upstate also includes Dan Miller (guitar, keyboards and backing vocals), James Focht (guitar) and Jamie Heaps (drums). In Wicked Immigrant, Wenzel and Jones are joined on some tracks by James Focht (guitar), Sarah Arnold (cello), John Metzger (guitar) and Buddy Watson (piano).

Upstate's first release is the soundtrack to Joe Bargdill's film Missing (info at www.brokenlamp.net). This five-song EP is just about a perfect set of imaginative modern folk rock. The opening "Falling Missiles" sets the tone for the band's work with shades of Neil Young, Bob Pollard and Patrick Porter. "Orange At Night" has a great melody and delicate acoustic leads that hint at the warmth of the Gipsy Kings. "The Static" has a somber mood and pop hooks that remind me of our good friends AqPop. The slack beat, acoustic strumming and Leslied lead on "Immune Like Me" create an original sound that touches off a distant feeling of Pavement-like melancholy. "Shaking Badly Anthem" has a verse that sounds like the cooler cousin of America's "Sandman". The progressive acoustic guitar breaks and tape-reverse effects turn the song into something else entirely.

As consistent as Upstate's Missing is varied, Wicked Immigrant's Reunion of Cynics keeps more to the low-key side of John Wenzel and Chris Jones' music. This is a collection of beautiful folky indie rock, with subdued but emotional vocals and understated arrangements. The melodies, lyrics and instrumentation keep the songs from sounding too similar to each other. "Myth Of Beds" features a low-end guitar solo that could be early Robert Fripp. Buddy Watson's atmospheric piano gives "White Concrete" a dream-like setting. Sarah Arnold's cello parts add a graceful dimension to songs like "The Implied Fraction", "More Or Less Intact" and "Pyramid Law" There's not a bad song out of the fourteen here.

It doesn't get much more underground than musicians mailing each other song parts, but that doesn't mean that the Friendly Psychics Collective bands are lo-fi. John Wenzel, Chris Jones and friends record homemade music that sounds at least as good as most studio productions. Upstate and Wicked Immigrant have a laid-back and moody style with irresistible hooks to spare. Find out more about the various projects involving John and Chris at www.friendlypsychicsmusic.com.

URBAN WARRIOR - The Subtle Revolution (SRS)

When I heard Neil Young's brilliant, scathing new album Greendale, I was shocked to realize that it was the first thing I'd heard in some time that really takes on the current state of the world. Where are the younger people? Should Neil really have to take the responsibility for being the voice of yet another generation? With the exception of a few courageous songwriters such as our good friend Øyvind Holm of the Dipsomaniacs, the peace and justice contingent among musicians has been strangely quiet in the face of the Neo-conservative unraveling. San Francisco's Urban Warrior steps up admirably to help fill the artistic political void with a manifesto of progressive values.

The revolution on this concept album is indeed subtle. This is not The Clash, minutemen or Rage Against The Machine. The music is somewhat like late '70s progressive rock on the edge of going new wave. Renaissance made an album in this vein, and Tim Jones and Terri B. of Stone Premonitions have explored similar styles in their recordings with Body Full of Stars and The Rabbit's Hat. The relative accessibility of the music here adds weight to the band's point that the "urban warriors" are normal people trying to make it through life in the city while attempting to hang on to civil rights and ideals of freedom. Brocton Funke's agile, inventive percussion provides the momentum beneath the dramatic yet pure vocals of Kevin and Josephine Amman. Kevin Amman plays guitars, bass and harmonica while Josephine plays keyboards. The songs on The Subtle Revolution form an album-long sequence with repeated themes so I won't go into a full track by track exercise. The everyday weary resignation of "Market" is particularly well observed, as is the song's clever intertwining of personal and global concerns. Some of the other highlights include the twisted circus waltz of "City", Kevin Amman's lyrical guitar solo on "Ego System", and Gregg Dessen's melancholy trumpet and flugelhorn parts on "Inner Mission". A light, jazzy bass and piano counterpoint erupts into a heavy, Rush-like chorus on "Propaganda". "The War at Home" and ""Trance End" are detailed with touches of spacey dub.

The Subtle Revolution gets a little didactic in places like an impassioned graduate thesis and the melodies tend to venture toward the overwrought. However, those small quibbles don't get in the way of this being a worthy and cohesive statement. Urban Warrior presents a rock solid anti-corporate, anti-war position accompanied by varied, tuneful arrangements. The government wouldn't want you to hear this album. Isn't that a pretty good reason to go to www.urbanwarrior.org?

WHY MAKE CLOCKS - Fifteen Feet And Twenty Degrees (Rubric)

Iowa's Why Make Clocks chills your bones and makes you feel alone as if stranded on a flat, snow covered expanse. This kind of Midwestern alt country hits me as endlessly stark, almost too emotionally honest. However, hope still lies in the validating guitars. Started in 1998 as the songwriting duo of Dan Hutchison (vocals, guitars) and Brian Wiksell (keyboards, vibes, accordion, guitar), Why Make Clocks grew into a full band with Karl Siemers (guitar), Boonie (bass) and Pat Curtis (drums). Fifteen Feet And Twenty Degrees is the group's first full-length release.

Fifteen Feet And Twenty Degrees begins with "Revolver", which sounds rather like The Jayhawks covering Neil Young's "Old Country Waltz". "I Think The Answer's No" and "Forcing My Hand" have a blend of mainstream country-ish rock of bands like Counting Crows and The Wallflowers with inventive guitar work reminiscent of Built To Spill's Doug Martsch. "Sink Or Swim" is more fully on the heavy guitar indie band side of things. "Feedback" and the title track have hushed lo-fi arrangements that would fit on a Will Oldham album. Dan Hutchison's lyrics go from downcast almost unbearably sad on "You Never Knew This Kid" and "Baby Fingers" - very powerful, uncomfortable songs. Rising from the depths of devastation, "Spotlight" starts out quietly before growing into a serious ten-minute power ballad along the lines of a No Depression take on "Purple Rain". The lighter-worthy guitar solo doesn't even come in until after the seven-minute mark. The epilogue "Winner Takes All" has a distant Guided by Voices feeling while retaining its country twang.

The debut CD from Why Make Clocks artfully adds modern indie guitar ideas to the traditional country/folk rock structure. There are enough creative touches to keep the interest of the adventurous without scaring away the general population. The emotions are what make this album a bit draining, but also bleakly beautiful. Wilco (an obvious influence) started with the sad, embittered breakup album A.M. but then headed out in different directions on the brilliant follow-up Being There. I hope that Why Make Clocks also broadens the emotional tone and subjects covered on their next one. Fifteen Feet And Twenty Degrees contains some very fine songs but the level of personal intensity is relentless. This kind of music is very rewarding when you are feeling either very good or very bad. Find out more at www.whymakeclocks.com and www.rubricrecords.com.

MICHAEL YONKERS BAND - Microminiature Love (SubPop)

Minnesota eccentric musician Michael Yonkers started out in the '60s playing with Michael & The Mumbles. As Yonkers developed his innovative guitar style, the band grew into The Michael Yonkers Band, with Michael's brother Jim Yunker on drums and Tom Wallfred on bass. Microminiature Love was the band's first album for a deal with Sire Records that fell through before the record was released. The recordings sat in the vaults from 1968 until Clint Simonson's De Stijl Records put out a limited-edition vinyl version in 2002. SubPop has released the first CD version including a generous selection of bonus tracks.

Michael Yonkers was way ahead of his time as a guitarist. His recordings from the '60s have a confrontational attack unheard of at the time, as well as feedback manipulation, instrument modifications and strange tunings that would not be heard again until Sonic Youth fifteen years later. The brutal blues primitivism on Microminiature Love can be compared to Jon Spencer and even The White Stripes. On songs like "Jasontown" and "Returning", Yonkers' quavering baritone sounds unbelievably dated, making the album somewhat more of a fascinating time capsule than something I'd put on for pleasure. However, Michael Yonkers wrote compelling grim lyrics about war ("Boy In The Sandbox" and "Kill The Enemy") and materialism ("Puppeting" and "Sold America") that sadly apply more than ever to our current times. He also knows how to belt out a tortured howl that breaks the odd formality of his usual vocal delivery. Yonkers' groundbreaking guitar is the real star attraction here and it is showcased well throughout the CD. The stand out among the bonus tracks is "Scat Jam", basically a savage deconstruction of the riff from Led Zeppelin's "How Many More Times".

Yonkers has released several solo albums through the years and continues to play and perform in spite of a 1971 injury that has resulted in chronic pain and a debilitating spinal condition. He has played shows with Low and Six Organs Of Admittance. Microminiature Love should be of great interest to '60s archivists and serious record collectors, as well as fans of Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, no wave, post-hardcore and lo-fi rock. Go to www.subpop.com.

Go to Free City's Review Archive page for more reviews:

Abunai!, Acid Jam 2, Analogue II, Aquarium Poppers, Anton Barbeau, Bardo Pond/Subarachnoid Space, Nick Bensen, The Bevis Frond, Bitter Little Cider Apples, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Blur (plus side projects), Boom Boom Satellites, Don Campau & MJB, Katy Carr, Cheese, Keith Christmas, Cibo Matto, The Clash, Client/Server, Creeper Lagoon, Cypress Hill, (Norwegian) Dipsomaniacs, Discolor, Donovan's Brain, Dunlavy, Effetto Doppler, The Electric Crayon Set, Film School, Floorian, The Floreans, Garfield's Birthday, The Grateful Dead, Green Pajamas, The Heads, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Hill, Hybrid Kid, The Impossible Shapes, Infra, KingBathmat, The Kinks, Kryptästhesie, The Lucky Bishops, Luscious Jackson, Mac Arthur Parker, Dare Mason, Matty & Mossy, Metropolitan, Mountain Mirrors, Tim Mungenast, Murmurs Of Irma, Olivia Tremor Control, Outrageous Cherry, Photon Band, Robert Pollard, Ptolemaic Terrascope #31, The Sand Pebbles, Scorces, Bill Streett, Tinsel, Wales and Garcia, The Who, Wake Up Your Windows... Zombies tribute, Walter Ghoul's Lavender Brigade, and The Warlocks.