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!

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: Nick Oliveri and The Black Armada – Up and Down Under

Australia’s The Black Armada have barely been together a year and have already been dishing out their big groove driven stoner rock supporting the likes of John Garcia & The Band of Gold, Earthless and 1000 Mods. It looked as though music was to be put to tape until the departure of their vocalist a few months back and the current situation around the world has obviously adjusted their plans a bit. I have no doubt through, that after watching their latest live recordings, good things will be coming out The Gold Coast soon.

Back to the song on hand, a twist of fate saw them cross paths and play with a certain Nick Oliveri as he toured Australia last year and a musical friendship was formed, which turned into the track we have here, Up and Down Under.

Starting with a few formidable punk rock chords backed with Nick’s in your face vocals, the riffs kick in early and don’t let up for the next three minutes. Switching between Christian Tryhorn’s big “hit the pedal” driving guitar grooves and the more melodic guitar work entwined with the driving basslines. Up and Down Under tells the tale of Jekyll and Hide which is very fitting for the two musical styles coming together so well, and hearing Nick scream the words is oh so him. Everything is held together with some big drum work from Liam Burgan and the production/mix only makes it sound bigger. I also have to mention how Nick’s voice seems to be getting stronger with every new recording he does lately. 

Head over to Bandcamp to get yourself a digital copy for the collection.

Review: Earthlings? - Untitled 7"

Once every few years the axis of the Earth rotates at exactly the right degree, the planets align, something magical is conjured up in the Californian desert and the Earthlings? appear.

Dave Catching, Pete Stahl, Molly McGuire, Adam Maples, Matthias Schneeberger and Julian Goldwhite take you out into the night and sit you round a small fire that slowly burns away as you lie back and watch the millions and millions of stars that cross the night sky and blow your mind. So here we have it, new Earthlings? material.....

The Clapper slowly glides in from the distance as every instrument entwines to create what is the riff that sticks in your head for the rest of the day. The bass slowly reverberates, joined with the ever so slight drum beat and deep space like keyboards before the guitars pick their way in sync with Pete’s ever so distinctive vocals that are as warm as they are powerful.

The guitars kick in for the first time with the keyboards and The Clapper sounds huge, as though a burst of light has flared up and turned the darkness in to a deep shade of purple or orange. The harmonies of Pete and Molly and maybe more starts here and becomes more and more haunting as well as mystical as the song evolves. As the song quietens off again, an atmosphere is created where you feel you can almost reach out and touch it.

As they tell you to “listen closely you can hear it disappear” you can feel everything and everyone vanish into that moment in time, the dust catches the wind and the moment has passed.

On side B, Off My Nut starts with a load of voice samples which makes me think of the last time I saw Pete/Dave perform as Earthlings? in Manchester. From there onwards the next couple of minutes turn into the band doing their own unique twist on something between a Wild West and Folk Rock good time song. Again, the harmonies flow and the endless little samples fall into place.

Hopefully there is more to come after this 7” as I can hands down say that The Clapper is one of the best songs Earthlings? have written and released. It is also housed in some cool Bad Otis artwork.

Released via Last Hurrah Records, the limited 500 run is split between 5 desert related colours.

Website – Bandcamp - Last Hurrah Records

Review: Desertfest Vol. 6 – Avon / Waxy 7”

German label H42 Records thought up the idea of releasing a 2-band split single for the Desertfest a few years back and already they are up to volume 6. Like previous years, it’s a limited run on vinyl and they’re not around for long. What makes this one even more unique is the fact that the festival fell victim to the Covid-19 pandemic and never actually happened.

Like previous years singles, I have no real idea how they pick the bands and neither of them were actually playing the festival this year, but when you mention the bands Avon and Waxy, you cannot but think of the Californian desert.

Avon’s track Men of Medan starts with a catchy hook of a riff that keeps returning throughout the next 3 minutes. They have that stoner rock vibe to the songs but their twist on it has a stripped back feeling as though it’s been jammed out there and then. The now 5-piece have the ability to write a song in the classic rock style, backed up with some cool vocal harmonies and when they throw in some guitar solo work, its top draw stuff. Let’s hope the follow up to Dave’s Dungeon isn’t too far away

Flip the record and you have a new song from Waxy, “It’s No Mistake”. Waxy manage to give off a laid back vibe whilst still having that more dangerous punk edge to them. The vocals have a certain harmony to them that is distinctly Californian desert and they flow nicely with what I can best describe as garage rock mixed with very early Queen of the Stone Age. Waxy have worked and played alongside many of the legends of the desert, and you can feel all these influences mixed with their own unique twist. They released their 5^th album, Better on Forgetting, last year and it didn’t get the push or recognition it deserved, so make sure you also get looking for that too.

Again, H42 Records have produced a cool looking package that follows on again with Alexander von Weiding’s killer artwork. The press included 150 red Waxy edition, 150 gold Avon edition and 25 test presses on black. Get to it as I doubt they will be available for long.

H42 Records – Avon – Waxy

Review: Black Rainbows - Cosmic Ritual Supertrip

It feels to me as though Black Rainbows have been around for forever, and as time moves on they seem to get more and more productive with new records and touring, and the more they do it, the better they get. Stellar Prophecy and Pandaemonium raised the bar for the band and the subsequent live shows blew me away every time I witnessed them. With the constant touring, successful side projects and record label, I wonder how they get time to sit down and craft out more killer songs at such a pace, but here we are, Cosmic Ritual Supertrip.

It takes about 20 seconds before At Midnight You Cry kicks in, and kicks in it does. The song has all the structure of a Black Sabbath track with the open ended riffs to the full on rockin’ ones, but that fuzz n’ roll sound that is quite unique to Black Rainbows is all over it. The vocals fit perfectly round the hook of the riff that steam rollers itself through just under three minutes and doesn’t let up. Defiantly a song that will open a show and get the crowd going.

Universal Phase slows it down a bit with a big stomping monolithic-like riff that roles across the plains. Add in some Sci-Fi film quotes in the background and the track conjures up the images of the Earth under attack. The vocals are more hypnotic this time and Gabriele has this great ability to let his voice drift away at the end of a line, adding to the magic. As the song speeds up, the cymbals keep crashing, the guitars keep buzzing and the song finishes as powerful as it started.

You can see why Radio 666 was used as a single/promo video as it has that laid back California vibe to it. Starting off with the strumming guitars and cleaner vocals that have me thinking of 60’s/70’s psychedelia in the way that Monster Magnet always excel at, it creates that easy going feel to it. Whenever I think of Black Rainbows its always bad ass motorbikes, but this time they’ve swapped that for an open top Chevy or Mustang, and the riff hook roll’s on and on likes it’s tearing up the asphalt. I really dig the retro sound here.

You cannot but feel the 70’s groove of Isolation. Opening with a blue’s riff that gets the head nodding instantly, the lead guitar work over the riff is something rather special. After this the track tempo builds and builds with soaring vocals and some water tight percussion and half way through the song just opens up, jams along and doesn’t stop.

Hypnotized By The Solenoid keeps the fuzz but drifts into a warmer trippy psychedelic world. Drifting in with a hypnotic vibe, there’s lots of 60’s coloured lights that drift into Pink Floyd and Hawkwind territory, but still sound distinctly Black Rainbows. Gabriele’s vocals soar throughout, really making this one of the stand out tracks and the awesome solo at the end takes you high in to the sky.

The Great Design is a 2 minute trip through the mind and in to your sub-conscious, building a trippy atmosphere behind a mesmerizing guitar that walks you in to the light. 

Master Rocket Power Blast pulls you straight back from the sub-conscious with a full force assault of big fuzzy guitars. It’s loud, straight to the point and rocks with a slightly punk edge to it. 

Snowball has a huge groove that swings back and forth, soaring vocals, crashing cymbals and lots of guitar soloing and blues work.

Glittereyzed pulls away from the fuzz and creates an atmosphere built up on the strumming guitar work and rolls along with a hypnotic rhythm to it before everything turns to 11 and the song explodes. This is Black Rainbows showing many a band how to do stoner rock.

Sacred Graal closes out the album with more full force stoner rock that many bands only wish they could play. Again, Gabriele’s vocals are absolutely superb.

Now if you have the special edition record or digital version, your journey doesn’t end here, as you have 2 bonus tracks, starting with Searching For Satellites Part I & II, a mystical up-tempo acoustic trip that must have been created whilst sat round a fire under the stars of the night sky. Add in some sci-fi effects in the background and maybe we aren’t alone in the universe.

Fire Breather starts with the line “If you see this big bird, it’s the sign that you’re going to die real soon” which could be very true with the way the world is right now. Lyrics aside, Fire Breather is another rocker of a song that motors down the highway and out in to the desert sun.

Cosmic Ritual Supertrip is quite a ride and Black Rainbows are again on top of their game. The huge fuzzy songs get fuzzier and the psychedelic outings become more trippier. With various special edition versions provided by Heavy Psych Sounds, you know what to do.

Website – Bandcamp – Heavy Psych Sounds 

Hetouht – "Planet B" Review and Interview

Hot on the heels of the Kinetic EP earlier this year, Hetouht appear with two new tracks already.

XXXX starts big and fuzzy then kicks in to thick driving stoner rock. Its upbeat and the guitar drives all over before it soars in and out and never really lets up for the next 3 minutes. For two members they make one of hell of a fuzzy racket that could be the soundtrack here to a good desert car chase.

Planet B kicks off with a killer guitar riff with a darker side to it that pulls you away into the big fuzzy planes populated by the likes of Dozer and Lowrider. Lots of big drum work, crashing cymbals and wah-wah guitars. The song sounds huge as it rolls through a big open space before the ongoing riff builds and builds to massive proportions. The back end of the track starts to drift in a few different directions, which can only mean an even more pic jammed version of it live. They’ve even complimented this awesome track with a promo video.

Following on from this, the band where kind enough to answer a few questions about life at the moment.....

Q. So how is lockdown and social isolation working for Hetouht and the people of Belgium? Have you had to spend time in complete isolation?

We have been isolated for 6 weeks until today and we should get some news soon. It means that we can’t play together or see each other since the quarantine. We have kept in contact through social media as well and try to make this particular situation is easy as possible with all the changes in our habits and freedom.

Q. For anyone who is unaware of Hetout, can you tell us a bit about how the band have evolved from the beginning?

A few years ago we played in different bands in the same rehearsal rooms place and heard, with interest, each other’s playing through the doors. Shortly after we played with the same band "Molk" (Sludge/Stoner). After one of our rehearsals, we decided that we wanted to play more jamming and try something else. We were immediately amazed to see how fast and creative we were together and we decided to try and to start with a new band. So, from the beginning we recorded everything, rehearsals and shows, we bought everything to be able to record good decent quality demos with the great help of our sound engineer Gabriel Hanquet (Opack Records) who has followed us since the beginning.

Q. You have just dropped a new two track single “Planet B”, tell us about both songs and the journey you took to release it?

Well actually, as usual we recorded a full session before the quarantine, and only kept these two songs because they were more effective. We always try to play something different. So, we just had to wait for Gabriel to mix and master the songs. In the meantime, as we are locked in quarantine, we still wanted to share it and made the video as a bit of fun. To go with the story, we remember that late on that evening, “XXXX” seems to be lost and not saved on the PC and during the breaks we had listened to, among others, Mos Generator (Shadowlands album and Isaak split), Desert Sessions (Vol 5/6), Lowrider (Refraction) and discovered Holy Monitor (II). 

Q. And tell us about the official “Planet B” video?

Considering the situation, we wanted to shoot something a bit funny, with what we realised we had available. With our taste, we thought of something that reminded us of Red Fang or Black Flag music videos, the kind of videos we like. But in fact, this is what we do when we write our songs in the studio! Have a beer, a smoke, and as time passes between the recording and the final mix we usually forget a bit what we played. So the video sort of puts us in the same place as our fans. 

Q. What’s the song writing process for Hetouht? Do you plan songs or do you just create from your improvised jams?

It's always been improvised jams since the beginning. The important thing to know about us is that we are very influenced by everything around us. When we play in our rehearsal room sometimes we just plug in the amps. Sometimes we play for 5 hours straight or sometimes we only play for 2 hours because we're not in the mood but that doesn’t happen very often. For example if we are alone in the warehouse where we practice, it's easier to dive into ourselves and what we do without having some cover bands playing near us. When playing gigs, it's a bit different but basically anything happens and will influence our show.

Q. Hetouht has a unique way of releasing music. Sometimes it’s an EP or a single on Bandcamp then next it’s new songs or a jam on YouTube. Do you plan how and when you release new music, or does it just evolve and you want to get it out to people before you’re on to the next idea?

Our main idea is to try to record everything we play, because after playing this or that, it could be doomed to be played only once. We take time to reflect on our selections and it also depends on the situation at the time, like how we are living at the moment or any recording problems. With these kind of things, so we just go with the flow.

Q. Do you see the next few releases being singles and EP’s or is there another full length album in the making? 

We would love to make a full length album definitely, so yeah, maybe we'll think about releasing one in 2020, but in the meantime we'll keep it this way and we'll see where it take us. We have got a lot of ideas for the next record.

Q. Are there any plans to release new or previous material physically, on vinyl, CD or cassette? 

That is something we talk about a lot, we really need some physical products, and to find a way to finance them and make good quality interesting products and a decent quantity of them. About the cassettes, we had a few of them made which was really fun, made out of real beer cans, we probably should do that again. This quarantine and isolation has given us the motivation to get back on track and to go further, so stay in touch and watch out.

Q. Tell us about the Hetouht live experience and what people can expect?

Every show is different, if we play for 30 minutes or 2 hours, people can expect some good fun on stage with both heavy riffs and the quiet parts trying to put peoples and ourselves into an another state of mind and push all of us through to introspection in a special kind of way. We also often use projections, incense and other things that touch the crowd’s senses.

Q. Finally, what’s next for Hetouht? What does the rest of 2020 hold for the band?

It really depends on the current situation, about shows, and the rest, but the goal is to keep going further. All we know is that when the nearest possible time comes, we will have good new music for people, some merchandise for the fans and we will keep improvising for all of this. Thanks again.

YouTube – Bandcamp - Facebook 

Incoming: New All Souls songs/video

The thing I like about LA-based rockers All Souls is that however I try to describe them to someone, I just can’t. They have a unique way of mixing 90 Alt Rock with 80’s Post Punk whilst adding all their own twists and turns from their respective bands (Totimoshi, Fatso Jetson and Black Elk) and in the live environment they really know how to rock out.

After the success of their debut self-titled album and a string of high profile touring, they have a new upcoming album Songs for the End of the World, that should be out soon. Right now, there probably couldn’t be a more aptly titled record.

As a warm up for this they have released two new songs, You Just Can’t Win and Death Becomes Us. One’s a bit moody and the other is a real rocker. Check them out, keep an eye out for the new record and if you get the chance to see them live, make sure you go. Below is also some footage I took from their UK tour a couple of years back.




Facebook - Instagram - Bandcamp - YouTube 

Review: Moontoy - s/t

Polish instrumentalists Moontoy return with their first official release containing five new tracks that span well over 40 minutes, which is always a good thing. Recorded at the end of 2019 it appeared on bandcamp and immediately sparked lots of interest on Facebook groups due to their long laid back spacey jams.

The drum work at the beginning of Mega Chrabaszcz shows straight away that the 3 piece know their instruments and as the guitar meanders through the night sky interlocking with the percussion, you can almost feel the laid back warmth of the desert. The drums have a jazz swing feel to them and take the song towards the distance and almost silence before it brings you back in and the songs most memorable riff hooks you in and repeats itself again and again, and all three members really let go and rock out. Then almost instantly they take you back into the wilderness to near silence. As a reference point, think Yawning Man.

B.C.O is slow, more psychedelic and dreamy and takes you up passed the stars and out into the cosmos, reminding me of some of the slower/quieter times of Sungrazer. Again, the drums and bass float in complete harmony as the guitar work takes you on a warm instrumental journey that could be endless in time. I will be playing this again and again. 

There is more of an atmosphere building in Kosimazaki which make me think of Colour Haze with how the track is structured. Whether recorded in a studio or in a live setting, all three members show a real awareness of each other and how their music keeps evolving.

Swinder has a lot more distortion in the guitar sound at the beginning and it feels more like a song that vocals would fit with, but not for long as we are off into jam territory again before the structure of the song builds and builds back up and evolves into soaring guitars and lots of cymbals crashing. 

You can immerse yourself in the atmospheric warmth of final track, Miedzygaz. Probably the most laid back song on the album, it picks you up and as you close your eyes you’re drifting away into another dimension in time, before everything concludes with a final rock out.

Overall, Moontoy really do shine here with their psychedelic instrumental jams that travel between the desert and the stars, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what other trips they will be taking us on in the future.

The band have released the album digitally and Galactic SmokeHouse have just pressed a run on CD digipack.

Bandcamp - Facebook - Galactic SmokeHouse 

Review: Gorm – Elysium

It only seems like a few months since I reviewed their first record, yet Gorm are back already with their latest offering Elysium. Split into Part I and Part II both running at 12+ minutes each, the German 3 piece are progressing nicely and refining their heavy psych craft into some aural magic.

Elysium Part I doesn’t take long to kick in as the song begins to build like the launch into space Gorm are about to take you on. Guitars dive in and out and create big atmospheric soundscapes that build layer upon layer as the journey into the cosmos unfolds.

To make musical comparisons, the obvious are Elder, Rotor and My Sleeping Karma, but Gorm are forging their own path throughout the planetary systems. With this style of instrumental rock, bands can either travel into the desert or the night sky and Gorm sit well up within the comets and the nebulas.

Elysium Part II feels more of an upbeat track that has its interstellar course already set. There’s lots of rolling drum beats and crashing of cymbals before the song takes a different course and the bassline ramps up (ala Pink Floyd) and the guitars float in and out as you feel the gradual descent back towards land. 

With the endless cancellation of shows right now due to Covid-19, we are just going to have to wait a little longer to witness the whole of Elysium being played live.

After several listens to this already, I have no doubt that they will have their own “Dead Roots Stirring” epic in the making soon, hopefully in the next record.

The digital version is already out there to consume on all the usual platforms and the two vinyl versions (White/Blue Smash and Blue Translucent) which look rather special, will be available any day now.

Also, if you didn't manage to see their livestream session on Saturday night, I have included it here as it was rather good!


 
Bandcamp - YouTube - Facebook - Instagram 

Review: The Fizz Fuzz – Palmyra

After years of playing in bands such as Hermano and Orquestra del Desierto, Dandy Brown released his first solo album Scattered Days in 2018, a collection of songs covered in blues and desert rock with a twist of Southern California. I must still play this album once a week as it sounds as fresh today as when the songs were written and I still think someone needs to give it the magic vinyl re-release treatment.

So, role on a couple of years and Dandy is back with a collaboration of songs with Dawn Brown (nee Rich), now his wife, under the title The Fizz Fuzz.

Hereby roles in like a classic 70’s convertible heading out into the heat of the Californian desert. With that laid back grooving guitar riff that Dandy is so good at writing mixed with Dawn’s more intricate guitar work and solo’s that really elevate the first four minutes of the album. If I didn’t already know this was to be the single/video to promote the album, I would have picked it straight out as the warm fuzzy classic to get people’s heads nodding.

Collapse continues with the fuzzy guitars and slowly drifts through the warm night sky with a more trippy psychedelic feel to it. Both guitars soar in and out, and if you close your eyes you can picture the oil mixed with coloured water effect as you’re taken out to that place and beyond. Like in Hereby, you instantly know Dandy’s vocals as they are so distinctive on their own and when harmonised here sound so good.

If Dark Horse II sounds familiar, that’s because it was original recorded as a Hermano track. It still has that raw dark feel to it, which would sit well on a film soundtrack with its acoustic strum that holds the verse’s together. You can make the comparisons with John Garcia’s vocals, but the vocal harmonies with Dawn over the chorus really tops the track off. Everything about the song has you thinking dark grey filmography work.

Following on in the same slow meandering mood is Shame. Starting off with just vocals and distant guitars, Shame builds into a slow moody affair with a simple but affective guitar line that goes up then down over the chorus and vocal harmonies. Then just as you think you know the lay of the song, both guitars kick the saloon doors open and let rip in style for 90 seconds, before Shame slowly drifts off into the night.

Conditional Love flips a totally different switch with a lighter, cleaner, uplifting sound with Dawn taking vocal duties. It sounds positive and paints a picture of new beginnings. Midway through there’s a really good lighter psych solo that strums along nicely.

I’m really digging Dawn’s vocal whaling throughout Dear Old that has that desert sound and mixes well over Dandy’s voice. The track has that warm fuzzy feel again but this time the guitars feel a lot more powerful and the leading riff really hooks you in and hold’s everything together and is, again, a real head nodder.

The album closes with Loose Lips and its big soaring guitar work then the dreamy drifting psychedelic Sunkissed.

I hope I am already preaching to the converted, but if not Palmyra stands up as a really good album that has that desert sound to it, but is a variation that is unique to what Dandy and Dawn are doing. They have managed to mix that gritty “Sons of Anarchy” biker soundtrack feel with a warm red fuzzy sunshine element to it which to me at least, has that Southern California big open road feel. The stand out bright red album artwork (produced by Dawn) may have contributed to this feeling.

The Fizz Fuzz also features performances from David Angstrom (Hermano/Luna Sol), Steve Earl (Afghan Whigs), Mike Callahan (Hermano/Earshot), Alice Albertazzi and Gianfranco Romanelli (Alice Tambourine Lover) and Mark Engel (Orquesta del Desierto).

Palmyra is being released on CD and digitally in Europe by Taxi Driver Records and Slush Fund Recordings Worldwide. Hopefully a vinyl version will be coming in the future as it more than deserves it.


Website - Facebook - Instagram - Sonicbids 

Review: Jesus The Snake – Black Acid, Pink Rain

I have no recollection how Portugal’s Jesus The Snake came to my attention as I had never heard their earlier material but I am stoked that we have now crossed paths. My first thoughts that come to mind are the laid back vibes of a hot sunny day somewhere out in the fields of Portugal and that infamous Pink Floyd video in Pompeii.

They have a rich fuzzy sound that melts away to a classic 70’s sprawl backed up with a lot of keyboards and each track is around 10 minutes long which is just how I like it.

The first track Karma opens slowly and drifts in with each instrument floating along together. The keyboards start and there’s a 70’s proggy jazz feel to it as it builds and builds until it stops, then starts again and begins to walk along giving you that feeling of looking out the car window whilst driving out into the desert. Then the guitar kicks in with a really raw fuzzy sound and duals with the keyboards for a few minutes for your aural pleasure. Then everything drops off and the band show their ability to create that sound that fits in with the near silence which I can imagine really holds the audience when played live. Following that I’m treated to a build-up of fuzz and keyboards that really takes you out there.

Floyds I starts with 4 minutes of rolling waves of 70’s prog and makes me think of a certain Pink Floyd track (you can decide which one) with some awesome guitar work. You can almost feel that warm sunshine setting at dusk with every chord played. Then the bass and keyboards do their bit to build the song up that has a jazzy feel to it but I can definitely feel some surf rock in there as the guitar goes off again. At 6 minutes the driving fuzzy guitars kick again and backed with the keyboards they really start to do their thing. I also have to mention that the guitars manage a few times to do that deep fuzzy “do do do do” sound ala Colour Haze (you must know what I mean).

Floyds II starts with a slow Sunday morning “kick back and relax” vibe. The drums have a jazzy feel to them, the bassline really pulls everything together, the keyboards in the background are always just there and the guitar slowly walks away at its own pace. After this the song really enhances how good the band are as musicians and manage to do their Pink Floyd thing but with their own twist on it. As it draws to a close it gets heavier and heavier showing that they’re not afraid to rock out.

Duna is a slow winding song that has a deep sound to it and a slight jazzy feel as it drifts about (think those soaring videos over the mountains, lakes and beaches) before an awesome riff drops in, then out, then it’s back again. This time everything has a slightly darker feel to how the song is composed, but you really do feel that deep fuzzy sound again. Now unlike the other tracks, Duna gets more mellow as it goes on and the keyboard work towards the end feels like lounge music from an American city in the mid 70’s, which fits perfectly with the vibe.

Black Acid, Pink Rain kicks straight in and the percussion really drives the song with a much faster pace before the fuzzy end of the guitar opens up with the keyboards before the guitar goes walking off sky high again to counteract the pounding bassline. Then that deep silence thing happens again and the band manage to create that up close and personal with the instrument feel which illustrated how well this has been recorded in the studio.

I know that I have talked about the guitars taking you out there before dropping back in with the fuzz and how good the keyboards are, but I have to mention how well the drums and bass just keep this thing going throughout.

If you have bought the CD of Black Acid, Pink Rain then you will have every song except Karma as the recording is too long for the CD but the digital version has everything. I have read that a vinyl version is coming in the future which is good as this recording deserves its place on record as I’m sure the crackle of the needle will only add to the magic. 

If you haven’t already checked this out, I cannot urge you enough to buy it. It has that 70’s feel with a lot of Pink Floyd influences mixed with the sleepy drifting feel of My Sleeping Karma and Sungrazer mixed with the heavier fuzzy feel of a band like The Samsara Blues Experiment.

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Review: Northern Haze Cassettes

I know that that cassette tape’s never went away but I am definitely a “champion” for their resurgence of late as my youth was spent dubbing cassettes and doing mix tapes, and it often seems like a practice that was gone and could have been forgotten.  

Canadian label Northern Haze have started releasing cassette versions of albums and with their two latest two releases they’ve brought to us all something rather special.

If you said to me, “pick two records from the world of desert rock that kick started things and changed the way you listened to music”, then there is no doubt these two would be at the top of most people’s lists. 

Yawning Man’s first album Rock Formations and Fatso Jetson’s classic Mans Ruin Records release Flames for All get the cassette makeover in cool little packages.

I would be very surprised if you haven’t heard these albums at least 100 times each over the years hence I’m not going to review them both track by track, but for some reason you know little about them, then you’re in for a treat.

Both cassettes come in oversized boxes that remind me of 90’s computer games, with the original artwork adapted to fit and you will see that the iconic Fatso Jetson Planet of The Apes image looks as good today as it did back in 1999. The Yawning Man cassette is a deep dark blue with a corresponding button badge that matches the albums sky above the rock formation. The Fatso Jetson cassette is a bright pink that matches the album artwork and there is also a neat little inlay card and a cool square apes badge.

Hopefully Northern Haze have a few more surprises lined up in the future, but for now check the link below before they’re gone forever. 

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Review: Sageness "Akme"

Spanish Psych Rock Instrumentalists Sageness are back with six new songs in the form of Akme. If I set the scene for those who may be unfamiliar with them, they have a laid back spacey psych feel to them that mixes a little Elder, some Yawning Man and a sound that is distinctly European sounding but in their own special way that makes me think of surf films like "The Endless Summer". I can’t quite put my finger on it but, when listening, my mind keeps wondering back to watching 90’s surf videos with the slowed down wave barrel’s crashing down towards the camera. Maybe it’s because I’m sat looking at the sea whilst I’m reviewing this, but probably not as a dark grey North of England sea is a long way from Maui. I’d like to think you get the idea of what I’m thinking though.

Opening the record, Andromeda slowly drifts in as the guitar soar and the instruments work together to create a soundscape that has you floating in and out, back and forth. As the songs moves along, the song keeps dropping back to a riff that grows and evolves through the song (think Dead Roots Stirring) building and building until the full riff kicks in for the last 90 seconds and gives that “hairs stand up on the back of your neck” feeling that Colour Haze specialise in.

The Thought starts a bit prog that turns funky with the bassline and drumbeat but still makes me think of space travel with the repetitiveness of it and the way the guitar layers itself over and over. The song then starts to mellow and shows the signs that it’s building up to something, which it does with a couple of big guitar riffs, then it slides away in to more of a jam then its guitar, bass and drums in loud driving harmony for the final 3 minutes. I’m sure the ghost of Dick Dale (RIP) is playing a few riffs in there as well.

Sizigia feels like a song written from a happy place with its softer opening and guitar riffs that are constantly on the upturn. If you sit back and close your eyes, the hooks and riffs will make you think of an ever transcending kaleidoscope with its light and patterns. 

The albums longest song Ephemeral has Sageness really showing their skills and what the band is good at. The song works between parts that remind of Rotor and how they bring a song to the edge, then cymbal crash and the magic seems to happen with one of those riffs. The drums are big throughout and pull everything together again and again whilst the song transcends between the loud and the space like drifting when the song fades away.

Mindbender crawls along more that it floats reminding me of later Colour Haze and then half way through the drums kick in and they dive into a stomping stoner rock workout to finish off.

Hydro closes the record with the feeling of desert rock being played in space that drives along at quiet a fast pace. Building up with cymbals crashing, the bass kicks in to change the songs feel and the guitars begin to soar in and out to close the 43 minutes of a really good album.



This is a really good record that will easily fall in peoples top 20 lists at the end of the year. I have yet to see them live (apart from YouTube) and hope they make it over to the UK one day. 

After its release on digital formats and CD, the vinyl version has been released and it is a thing of beauty that is the perfect complement to the songs they have written. Check it out on the links below.

Bandcamp - Facebook - YouTube 

Live: Yawning Man in Manchester

Looking back (probably too) many years, living in the UK and getting to see Yawning Man often seemed like a mirage. Many hours of time and travel have gone under the belt over the years, but as time has moved on and Desert Rock hero’s hitting a rich vein of form lately, I kind of expect to see them play the UK at least once a year. And after last night I can honestly say that they just get better and better.

After 4 hours of traffic hell covering close to 170 miles I manage to just get to the venue as the band are tuning up. Again, a decent rabble of the weird and wonderful turn out in the usual Mancunian summer rain, with them all knowing they made a better choice than the 50 thousand down the road watching Metallica.

I have managed a couple of full listens of “Macedonian Lines” which I’m halfway through trying to review and knowing how good it sounds, live they should be a real treat.

With Bill Stinson back behind the drums, keeping the chemistry going with Gary Arce and Mario Lalli, “Macedonian Lines” kicks of the evening with its guitar that elevates and takes you to places above and beyond and the familiar live jam of the desert takes over. “Melancholy Sadie” follows with such an awesome baseline that helps expand the track and it builds and builds into one of those spine tingling moments already.

“Skyline Pressure” starts off with that hypnotic baseline that hooks you in and carries you away, followed by two more new tracks, “Bowies Last Breath” crawling along with the drums and such a good baseline that compliments Gary’s guitar that dances and slides all around it, unlike anything other bands can do, and “I Make Weird Choices” that dips and roles and glides in that classic Yawning Man style.

“Ghost Beach” follows and stands out as such a magical and float away sounding track which is deservedly a song that’s always on their set list now.

“The Black Kite” roles in and lifts the crowd towards another level, sounding better than ever live.

After a few technical issues with Gary’s pedal board, most of it is disconnected so that the show can go on, and on it does with the final 15 minutes of the meandering “The Revolt Against Tired Noises”. Again, as a 3 piece playing in harmony with everything melting together. With this, the night drive back home didn’t seem so long.

With the band already hitting their groove and this being show number 5 of a huge European tour, if you’re seeing them in the next few weeks, you’re in for quite an evening. Hopefully the recording of the show does it some justice.

Yawning Man Interview: Gary Arce

I did this interview with Gary Arce at the end of 2017 when Yawning Man did a week of shows in the UK. It was supposed to be published in something else I did which never happened, so here it is. 
It was mid December in Newcastle and we were in the middle of some really bad winter weather. It took some doing getting through all the snow and ice to get to the Cluny in Newcastle and as I got out the car the temperature was -6. It didn’t stop people from showing up though. In a lot warmer bar with a couple of drinks, Gary was kind enough to give me a half hour of his time.

TH: When you think of a Yawning Man show, this is not the weather you imagine?

GA: No I did not expect this weather but I’m kind of liking it actually. Back home in the high desert we get snow every couple of years but it's nothing like this.

TH: At least you managed to get over from Manchester due to the snow drifts.

GA: Yeah, luckily we didn’t get stuck and the travelling has been good at the moment.

TH: It’s good to see Yawning Man all over the UK this time.

GA: We’ve played the UK on the last few tours and usually we’d only play London and everyone kept asking us, when are you playing more shows in the UK and we kind of went outside of our usual booking circle and talked to some friends and booking agents and kind of did it ourselves with little help and did it punk rock DIY stile. The audiences have been really good and the shows have been packed the last few nights. I think last night in Coventry there was around 150 people there on a cold Sunday night which was really cool.

TH: So your back to being a 3 piece on this tour.

GA: Well we’ve always really been a trio but last time we had a fourth person which was Dino which was cool but this time he’s in college and we had our friend Justine (Ruiz) play which was cool but we feel as a trio we have much more time and room to jam and experiment live together.

TH: Like the other day with your early jam session in London at The Dev?

GA: Yeah, that was trippy because we started at like 5:30 in the day and it just went from there and I think people really appreciated what we did there. I think we often feel a bit more afraid when there is a fourth person and I kind of find myself not playing as much but when it’s a trio it’s like a wheel to me with the bass, drums and guitar and it just flows and flows and flows.

TH: So have you had a chance to take in much of the UK?

GA: Manchester was really beautiful and was probably the one place I got the most to check out. London to me is cool because there is a lot of people, and being from the desert, I’m not used to it seeing people running about all over and in front of the cars and just the general mayhem. The thing I do like about the UK is that everyone is super nice, cool and everyone is so chilled out and friendly. There’s no attitude. Even people who aren’t at the shows but just in the streets and shops are super friendly.


TH: Now I know that you like English music and punk rock.

GA: Yeah I love punk rock. Amebix, Discharge are one of my favorite bands. I remember from the first time I saw them as a kid they were my favorite punk band. I also really like Bauhaus.

TH: The Beatles?

GA: No, I’m not a fan.

TH: Morrissey?

GA: I really like The Smiths but not so much the solo Morrissey stuff. I remember when that record “Meat is Murder” came out and I was really digging the guitar player (Jonny Marr) and the stuff he was playing. But punk rock to me has always been close to my heart.

TH: You’ve been few a few venues this week which most of these bands have probably played.

GA: I’ve seen quite a few old punks around that look like they’ve been here since the 70s that look like they’ve played in the UK Subs. I remember seeing The Exploited back in 82 in Los Angeles and there was a huge riot and I think Wattie was the one who incited it. It was scary but cool at the same time.

TH: Ha, you still see him wandering the street of Glasgow walking his dog with a bottle of cider!

TH: You’ve been touring a lot lately. The US, South America, Canada. You’ve certainly done some miles over the last 12 months.

GA: Yeah, we toured the US twice this last year. The US can be a tough gig and I probably like Europe better and I really like Canada. Canada is beautiful and the people are like the UK. Super cool, super friendly, great music scene. You hit the US and it gets a little different. Some parts, well you get to the south and it gets interesting. The south is a hard fuckin place to tour.

TH: Have you been to Australia yet?

GA: Not with Yawning Man but with my other band Ten East which was me, Billy Cordell, Bill from Yawning Man and Bryan Giles.



TH: And you played as Ten East the other night?

GA: Yeah we did but Ten East is a project I started that was usually more an improv thing and to be honest I wasn’t even sure who was playing. My friends in the Netherlands were like “hey dude do you wanna do Ten East tonight?” and I’m like “sure” so they just brought their guitar amps and bass and off we went. It kind of just evolves every time.

TH: Any more plans for Yawning Sons?

GA: Yeah, with Yawning Sons we actually recorded the other day but I’m not sure what’s happening with it yet.

TH: What about doing it live again? It’s been a few years since the Desertfest thing happened.

GA: Yeah I remember that, it was cool but my amp kept going out and the sound guy was being all weird and shit.

TH: I remember watching Mario saving the day though.

GA: Yeah, Mario basically took over and acted as my roadie. It could have been a real disaster but the crowd seemed to dig it.



TH: There’s enough people here that want to see it here again, or even Ten East playing a Desertfest?

GA: Ten East is fun, the version I liked was, well there’s been so many versions, but the first one was be and Brant and Mario and Bill, and the second version was me and Bill and we brought in Scott Reeder, the guy from Red Fang Brian Giles played guitar and Greg Ginn played guitar and bass, from Black Flag. And the third version was me and friends from the Netherlands and that was the version we played the other night as I was in the Netherlands.

TH: You probably just missed the Red Fang guys as they’ve been in Europe the last few weeks.

GA: Yeah, they are such good musicians live.

TH: So a new song dropped the other day.

GA: Yeah, “Ghost Beach” came out the other day. We went into the studio as we got some free time.

TH: Was it intentional or a spur of the moment thing with the free studio time?

GA: Well what happened was, somebody offered us a few hours in the studio and we had the day off so we went in there, very Yawning Man style, very natural, Mario started a bass line and I came up with a guitar melody and it just flowed out live. It was written there and then in the studio. We just pieced together everything. Part 1 then part 2, pressed record then off we go.

TH: And where are you at with a new album?

GA: We’re in the process of coming up with new songs. There’s three new ones written. One is very different for Yawning Man which you’ll hear tonight. It’s got a very repetitive riff, quite an up paced one. I’m not sure when we’ll record yet. When we get back to California everybody is busy with their families and jobs and getting back to regular life. But it will be coming sooner rather than later.

TH: What about Zun, any more plans for that?

GA: I really want to try and do more Zun. Me and Sera keep in contact and John lives where I live. It’s just a matter of trying to get everyone on the same page at the same time. It’s usually me actually getting off my ass and doing it.

TH: You must have been happy with finally seeing the record get released as “Burial Sunrise”?

GA: Yeah, what it was, was Yawning Man songs that never got release so we worked more on them and the label dug what we did.

TH: The actual release also just appeared out the blue with no build up.

GA: What happened was that me and Bill got in the studio to start a new Yawning Man record and I recorded like 6 songs on guitar and then Bill wrote his bit and we had it all there with no bass. We had it sat there for 2 months and Mario was busy, so the engineer was like you have to come down, these songs are really good and you just play bass on it. So I went in there and I started playing bass on some of the songs and Mario got in there finally and played bass on one songs and I played bass on the rest. Then we did some keyboards and experimenting with it, then he goes “let’s call John” and I go, “I got a friend called Sera from Black Math Horseman, let’s call her”, so like everybody’s like yeah this is cool. John says he can do 3 and Sera says she can do 3, perfect and it worked.

TH: Do you ever think you’ll have a chance to play it live?

GA: I tried to and we got offered some tours and some big festivals, especially the European ones. The minute the record came out I was getting emails. I contacted Sera who was busy with her own band and John was busy so it was unfortunate we couldn’t as Zun is one of the better albums that I would have loved to play live. Sera’s schedule was more lenient but John has music and work and family, so is always super busy.

TH: You’ve also been doing some stuff with Toby Wrecker who has put out a series of 4 EP’s over the last few months.

GA: I met Toby when I travelled Australia with Ten East. Him and his brother have a band who played with us as a duo and they were really good, the Hotel Wrecking City Traders. I did stuff on a couple of their records and Toby’s solo album.

TH: Did you record over there or vice versa?

GA: No, it was through files which was kind of weird for me as I’m so used to just jamming it out live. They sent me the files whilst in the middle of another album and the engineer was cool to say I’ll give you like 4 hours for free. So for the next 4 hours Toby and his brother sat drinking beer sending file after file through. It was a strange experience doing it but it came out really cool.

TH: You must now look back at the last 4 or 5 years to see the desert music scene take off. As you’re one of the first names on the Desert Rock team sheet you must get all sorts of requests?

GA: Haha, i’m so busy when at home as I got my own life to the point, sometime I won’t even play my guitar for weeks as I just get wrapped up in normal life stuff. The emails come and go and I know Mario looks after that stuff more than I do, and someone will contact me going “hey dude did you read that email” and I’ll be like “err no” and they’re like “it’s super important that you have to read your email”.

TH: What’s coming up after this tour?

GA: Well we’re going to finish up a few more shows then start properly writing a new Yawning Man record which is the number 1 priority as we need one (**Note - This interview was done just before "Revolt Against Tired Noises" was released**). We’re than planning on going to South America. We have some festivals coming up next year but I can’t really say anything about them yet.

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