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.


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Review: Luna Sol “Below the Deep”

The Colorado High Mountain heavy rockers make a welcome return with their second record “Below the Deep”. Knowing their original links to Desert Rock royalty and how good their debut album “Blood Moon” was, spending the last 3 years crafting these songs was destined to make something special.

"Black Cloud” opens the album and is proper “High Mountain Rock n Roll”. Drum roll then straight into a thick heavy riff that drives the song, giving you that feeling of a packed house bar-room gig. Dave Angstom's vocals have a dark feel to them, sounding low in the mix which works really well. Further on in the track, bassist Shannon Fahnestock also contributes to lead vocals, and between them there’s a harmony that works really well. The song closes with a full on, guitar in the air solo.

The title track “Below the Deep” keeps the riff driven rock right on track. Within the vocal harmonies this time there’s a dark Mark Lanegan vocal style in the mix. Again, a powerful mix topped with a full straight to the point solo and the use of the vocals and harmonies really elevates the song. Fans of Hermano will really dig this one.

“Along the Road” has a lot more of a darker groove to it, held perfectly at a slower pace by Justin Baier’s drum beats. Vocally it has that low end deep voice to it, adding to the Corrosion of Conformity feel to the song. The guitars of David Burke and Angstrom overlap each other, leaving time for some ripping guitar solos.

The Blue’s are all over “Man’s Worth Killin”, showing a slower southern groove mixed with some of the best vocal harmonies on the album. The chorus is a proper head nodder.

“Sometimes We Get It Right” is a mid-tempo rocker that could be out the Hermano playbook, with the vocals having a John Garcia feel to them. “The Dying Conglomerate” has the late 90’s hard desert rock feel to it. 

“Garden of the Gods” feels like a song that the band have taken time to make it just right. Its slow and emotive, sitting somewhere between Soundgarden and Audioslave and Dave is definitely channelling some inner Chris Cornell. There’s a catchy as hell baseline that makes you feel as though you are lost in the desert in the dark, completed with some awesome duel guitar work.

Followed by another rocker “Hallelujah”, that brings in some organ to compliment the Southern Blues Rock vibe. It’s a 4 minute stomper that could quite easily be a lead single. The male/female vocal harmonies work a treat, overlaid with a husky growl ala Mark Lanegan, and the guitar solo slowly lifts you up there, then boom, a classic in the making.

“Mammoth Cave” follows a lead sounding like very early Queens of the Stone Age, then a real foot tapper of a chorus that will have everyone singing along. “Wait for It” more than drives the message home, whilst the final track “Home” walks a dark brooding path, not before one final blast of twin guitar leads.

I was a big fan of the previous LP “Blood Moon” and even after only a few listens, I can guarantee “Below the Deep” is going to blow you away. The production is perfect for what they are doing and every instrument they use is comes across with some much power with a hint of fuzz behind the songs. 

"Below the Deep" is already available in the USA and comes out in Europe on August 16th (with super special packaging). It can be purchased from:

USA LP - USA CD - USA Download - Euro LP & CD - Euro (Green Vinyl) LP