High Desert Queen & Dunes - Trillians, Newcastle 30.05.2022

I could wax lyrical about how good both sets from High Desert Queen and Dunes from their gig together in Newcastle, but both videos below more than do that!

Khan: Live at Al’s Juke Bar Bradford 22.05.2022

If you managed to catch Khan on their recent "Monsoons" UK/European tour, then you know how good a band they are live. If not, then enjoy the following.....

Review: Big Scenic Nowhere - Lavender Blues

Big Scenic Nowhere released their full length Vision Beyond Horizon only months after their debut EP Dying on The Mountain, and less than a year after that they return with a new EP Lavender Blues. With the band being more of a project between members of other bands, you would think that getting everyone together and writing would only happen a couple of times a year, but even if it is, Big Scenic Nowhere have a magic sixth sense between them and just turn on the tape over a long weekend, and a wealth of creativity and musicianship just spills out every time.

Towards the end of 2019 the four continuing members: Bob Balch (Fu Manchu), Gary Arce (Yawning Man), Tony Reed (Mos Generator) and Bill Stinson (Yawning Man) were joined this time with: Per Wiberg (Kamchatka, Opeth), Daniel Mongrain (Voivod) and the legend that is Chris Goss (Masters of Reality), and have managed to put down on tape 3 songs that have the distinctive Big Scenic Nowhere sound, but this time

The whole of side A contains the 13+ minute title track Lavender Blues, which starts like a slow meander into some place warm and distant. There is a real feeling that Lavender Blues has been jammed out and evolved into something so unique right in front of the players with the warm psychedelic feel it gives out, their inner-prog just blossoms.

As the first real synthesizer solo kicks and lifts you up to the next level, I am getting that feeling like I’m being pulled away into one of those vast Roger Dean paintings, with all its organic world within another world complexities. It’s like taking desert musicians out of the warm dusty sun soaked open sprawl of the low desert and putting them into a world of blue and green with long winding rivers and upside down trees.

As a song, Lavender Blues has that much through the 13+ minutes, every time I listen to it, I hear something different.

Like a complete contrast to side A, Blink of an Eye is your favorite soundtrack from a 70’s movie that you used to dig in your teenage years. The opening chords have the feeling of closing a door for the final time and heading off to pastures new. With a mid-paced hook that is extremely catchy, there a positive vibe to it, as though you’re nodding at that person you recognise as your walking off into the evening sunshine.

I wouldn’t say it has the radio rock feel, but it’s a close as Big Scenic Nowhere have come to giving you an upbeat catchy track that will be stuck in your head all day. It is though, the kind of song that Tony’s voice is made for, be it the rich vocal strength he has or the ability to fit perfectly in harmonies.

As Blink of an Eye concludes, the guitars start to pick up and drift towards a place that they can soar into those huge open spaces, before the synthesizers take over and spill out a range of 70’s prog power which will make each and every one of us remember how to rock the air keyboard.

Labyrinths Fade starts with a fade-in, something I haven’t head in a while, but it works well as the riff rolls in a repeats with more of a classic rock feel to it. There is some truly epic solos that intertwine some technical mastery over the big soaring layers of guitar, that sound like they have input from the fingers of Daniel Mongrain. When the vocals do appear that have a deep hypnotic chant to them, which play well off solo after solo. The big synthesizers appear again so that you know they’re still about, before the rest of Labyrinths Fade shows off a bunch of killer musicians coming together and producing something quite magic.

At the time of writing this, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have already turned the tape on again in the studio and pressed record. It’s just a shame that the ongoing pandemic halted their planned live shows, but you know that something good will be just around the corner. Roll on 2021.

Big Scenic Nowhere – Bandcamp – Heavy Psych Sounds

Review: Yawning Man - Live At Giant Rock

After the cancelation of this years Stoned and Dusted festival due to the worldwide pandemic, the organiser's curated the online streaming party, Couchlock and Rock. With their chance to really raise the bar and produce a live cinematic experience in the style of what Pink Floyd did with Live at Pompeii, Yawning Man took their instruments and amps out to Giant Rock in the Mojave Desert and played a 52 minute soundtrack that’s as big as the atmosphere that surrounded them.

On the film, you follow the 3 band members walk towards the rock and the sound of sand and dirt crunching under foot takes me straight back to watching this live online in the middle of the night, and then seeing Mario start up the generator seemed very symbolic in the way it played its part in kick starting the music of so many good musicians.

Tumbleweeds In The Snow starts high up in the sky as Gary’s guitar feels like its walking on the very edge before Mario’s bass plays out its first few chords, the oh so high riff begins, Bill’s drumbeat kicks in and your 15 minute descent begins. It drifts, it floats, it soars through the huge skies above the Mojave, and the clarity of the production makes you feel as though you are right there with them. You can truly lose yourself in Tumbleweeds In The Snow as it rolls from side to side whilst slowly pulling you towards the warm feeling of the light. Like other songs Yawning Man songs, they have the ability to write music that is hypnotic through its feeling of repetitiveness, but if you actually dissect it, very few lines are the same. What Gary does with his pedals and guitar to produce such sounds is still a mystery to me, which adds to the magic of it all, so instead of wondering, it’s good just to close your eyes, kick back and embrace the jam before you.

The Last Summer Eye starts with an epic sounding riff that takes me back to a world of 80’s/90’s surf video’s. It has a slightly loose distant feel that drifts away into the sky before expanding itself back into that epic riff that entwines itself over the rolling bassline. If I hadn’t seen the concert film and its huge overhead camera shots before hearing this, I would have pictured huge scenery shots of coastline and boards riding the endless crashing waves.

The tongue in cheek titled Nazi Synthesizer takes you out into the sun to remind you why you fell in love with the music of Yawning Man. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but it takes me back to a place when I first discovered Rock Formations and Pot Head, with that expansive feel to the guitar sound that seems to have no outer limits. Both guitar and bass play there part as they create a warm, slightly fuzzy onward motion and I can picture Gary, Mario and Bill sat back in a car, windows down, the warm breeze flowing past them as they drive off into the desert, completely content, not saying a word.

Blowhole Sunrise/Space Finger is another 17+ minutes of desert rock at its finest. It floats, it glides, it holds you in a trance as you can literally feel all 3 members musically connect somewhere beyond the realm.

What more can I say? I pained a few rooms at home and I must have listened to this 40+ times and it gets better and better every play. The sonics of the recording are absolutely huge and it deserves to be played live and loud.

They could have played live in a rehearsal room or a dark empty venue, but no, only Yawning Man could play the biggest open space you could ever find, and fill it.

I have seen them live on many occasions over the years, but now I can only imagine the 3 piece playing to the desert background and the awesome sun drenched massive blue sky, hence next time I will have to close my eyes when I’m stood in a dark club on a dark UK winters evening.

Thanks to the fine folk at Heavy Psych Sounds Records, you have a selection of vinyl versions to compliment the DVD. Shout out to how good the special edition limited cover vinyl is and would the USA postal service hurray up and deliver my DVD (damn you Covid-19!!).

All I can say is you have to own this record.

Yawning Man – Plastic Cactus – Bandcamp - Heavy Psych Sounds 

Review: ElonMusk - …As Your Wanderer Taps At The Invisible Gate LP

I had previously reviewed …As Your Wanderer Taps At The Invisible Gate when the band self-released it, but thought I would put the review up again as Worst Bassist Records have given it the vinyl treatment on some cool looking purple wax.

Nothing sparks my interest in music more than the sentence “new album that consists of one 37+ minute song” and it’s a journey in to space that not even the Space X entrepreneur could wrap his brain around.

Previous offerings from the Nashville 3-piece have clocked in at 9 and 16 minutes but this truly is a trip into the minds of a band that are taking you to realms beyond. This time the vinyl version splits the 37:35 over both sides of the record.

Everything starts feeling high up amongst the clouds as the guitar strums and the slow drum rhythms hypnotically hold you out there. There’s some keyboards moving in and out of the mix and the guitar begins to take flight and walk in to the distance reminding me in parts of Sons of Alpha Centauri and Yawning Man. At around 6 minutes the guitars really kick in and you feel the deep space like stomping groove as the instruments bend together slowly over the outer space keyboard effects. Add some soaring guitars to the mix and you can picture the kaleidoscopes of light in your mind as though they were playing right in front of you.

The eerie keyboards continue on as the guitar and bass output gets fuzzier, the elevated guitar work takes on another level and sounds huge, and they all intertwine for quite some time. The soaring guitars over the hypnotic drone like wall of fuzz is reminiscent of Electric Moon and Black Moon Circle, and how they take you from there to an almost dreamy landscape of what sounds like the sounds behind the atmosphere.

From here on you need to close your eyes and enjoy the trip as you take a heavy psych ride through the planets of space rock, accompanied by Ryan Westover (Bass/Synth), Frank Hand (guitar) and Kate Haldrup (Drums).

To add to the mind trip of an experience, an accompanying video has been produced by Stan Brakhage/Terrence Malick Films that lasts the full 37:35.

I highly recommend that you check out ElonMusk as they really have something special in the making here.

ElonMusk - Worst Bassist Records 

Review: Electric Moon - Live at Freak Valley Festival 2019

Many bands have tried recreating what they do live on vinyl or CD, and as good as many bands have done, there is only a handful that manage to “take you there” with the recording, and then there is Electric Moon, the true kings & queen of the live record. Looking back through their catalogue of releases, you are spoilt for choice with live recordings for a space jam mood or trip out mood or a heavy psych mood.

Recorded at 2019’s Freak Valley Festival in Germany late into the evening of a moody stormy day, Sula, Lulu and Pablo take you on four long cosmic journeys through the night sky and onwards towards the vortex that create a kaleidoscope of colours in the listeners mind.

Having previously watched the performance that was filmed by Rockpalast several times on YouTube, the use of deep rich blue lighting is what sets the mood for what the next 65+ minutes inserts into your subconscious.

Increase begins and evolves in what sounds like the magnetic fields between the Earth’s atmosphere and the edge of spaces gravitational pull. The keyboards and effects float in and out and attach themselves to one another as the atmospheric twist starts to take control. The cymbals start to crash and the bassline hooks everything to it, creating the soundwaves for the guitar to lock into and start your journey into the cosmos. As you hit the ten minute mark you are well and truly travelling through the asteroid belt at speed with a drum/bass rhythm that is hypnotic whilst constantly hurtling forwards, space rock style. Played loud and you can feel the intensity force itself through the sound waves and out towards the outer reaches. After one final solar blast, the rocket defuses and everything starts to reduce back to its former self and the satellite falls into its flight path and the mission is complete.

If Increase has taken the satellite to its destination, then 777 is the satellite kicking into the orbital mission that it was designed to complete. 777 is hypnotic, fuzzy and moves like a satellite that is hurtling round its designated planet at speed whilst battling the elements of a meteor shower. With many an Electric Moon song, the spaces between the sounds creates an added atmosphere, but not in the first ten minutes here as its all intensity. Think an updated revamped version on London’s UFO club from the 60’s/70’s with liquid lightshows and strobe lighting. The final third of 777 see’s the satellite’s booster’s kick in to slow everything back down and conserve what solar energy is left before the sun’s power vanishes behind the moon. Within the 20 minutes of 777 all 3 members push their instruments to another level and beyond.

The Picture is an epic 19 minute hypnotic space rock epic. The trance inducing rhythm section is time perfect and pulls you deep into the darkest parts of the universe beyond any solar system. Guitars soar, cymbals crash and a multitude of electronics and feedback make the intergalactic journey even more abrasive. At around 14 minutes you reach probably the furthest point away from home as all goes quiet before something pulls you back in rather abruptly.

A shorter version of D-Tune has its warm Middle Eastern feel to it as it builds up layer upon layer to create a rich fuzzy feel to it. The way D-Tune rolls along and evolves is like a mystical orb that your brain tunes in to, especially when witnessing this type of musical live. If you know what I mean by this, then you just know. It’s no special club or musical gang, it’s just something that happens (usually in a dark room full of strobe lighting) and a 5 minute song can turn in to a couple of hours.

To finish is the addition of Der Mondsenator auf dem Weg zur Erde, an acoustic track performed as an extra session back stage. It feels up close and personal with the organic unplugged vibe that feels delicate but is still busting with power. If you look out there, the visual version is quite easy to find.

What else can I say? Electric Moon hit a rich vein of form several years back and it continues with a healthy stream of studio albums, live records and re-releases that never disappoint.

If you were at Freak Valley in 2019 then this is the perfect way to freeze the memory in time, and if you weren’t there then headphones on, lights off, kick back and nod.

Rock Freaks Records have released a limited run of vinyl on a couple of different colours and Sulatron Records have released the CD version.

Electric Moon – Bandcamp - Rock Freaks Records - Sulatron Records 

Review: Psychlona – Venus Skytrip

Psychlona turned some heads back in 2018 with their debut Mojo Rising and have been gigging away to build up a loyal following ever since. Returning again on Ripple Music and Cursed Tongue Records, the Bradford 4-piece have well and truly returned on another level with Venus Skytrip.

Blast Off starts trippy and space like with some astronaut dialogue in the distance and I’m thinking have they psyched out for this record, but no, the drum beat pulls the track up over the repetitive guitar line that moulds itself around the wall of fuzz that quickly follows. It’s not too fast and not too slow and just grooves along like the vehicle of your choice with a speed gauge that is getting pushed to the limit. I can see why people have made the Fu Manchu comparisons but I’m thinking more of the 90’s Swedish bands (Dozer, Lowrider etc.) in the way the song sounds like a variety of big heavy soundscapes.

I’m sure I heard 10,000 Volts being played last time I saw them live as I remember the song starting slow and moody with a load of early Sabbath doomy blues rock in there. It’s a definite slow burner that swings back and forth, making it a real head nodder. The last few minutes have the guitars taking control and walking you off into the night sky after throwing the listener a few wah-wah’s. 10,000 Volts is made for a dark festival venue full of drunken punters.

Blow has a bluesy swagger to it from the start and stomps along like The Sword with a bit of Clutch moulded into the background.

If you worship at the altar of Fu Manchu or Nebula, Star will be your stand out “go to” song on the album. From the opening riff to the first solo action, Psychlona work through the gears of their (insert your 70’s muscle car of choice here) and it doesn’t let up. Cutting through the big wall of fuzz after a couple of minutes is the introduction of some classic cow bell that kick starts even more epic soloing. Star ticks all the right boxes for the Stoner Rock party jam!

Edge of the Universe feels like the band are pushing their boundaries further with some darker doomier riffs, a big rumbling bassline and sliding guitar chords with a southern twist that warps the mind.

Resin is easily my favourite song on the album. Starting all laid back and trippy, the single drum track and bassline set the tone as the guitars float in and out to create an ambience before a wave of guitars crash over you. It does feel like they’ve managed to catch a point in time that reminds me of what Unida did with songs like You Wish and Last Day, when they let the instruments take the listener to a place somewhere between the end of the horizon and the beginning of space. Played live I can see Resin turning into a 20+ minute jam. The band have done a video for Resin that’s full of old 50’s and 60’s surfing clips and it all fits together really well with the music complementing the culture and vice versa.

Tijuana kicks the throttle back in again and feels like you’re on board the rocket that’s taking you on the Venus Skytrip, and The Owl takes you on a 9+ minute psychedelic doom jam that builds with a deep hypnotic riff that marches you through the dark red skies before floating away towards the light.

Psychlona will win over a lot of new fans with Venus Skytrip and when the pandemic subsides and gigs can actually happen again, I am looking forward to seeing them rock this out live.

I also have to mention the production quality of the mix and production done by Andy Hawkins and the cool psychedelic artwork done by Kyrre Bjurling.

As quick as it was pressed on vinyl Venus Skytrip had already sold out, but they have already repressed it on sun star yellow.

Website – Bandcamp – YouTube – Ripple Music – Cursed Tongue Records