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: 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 

Interview: Sageness

It has been exactly a year since Sageness released Akme on Vinyl, and has evolved in to an album that has received some great reviews across the music scene (see review). Even though it was only their second official release, something just clicked in a recording studio in Spain, producing some musical magic. After speaking with guitarist David, he kindly answered a few questions about the band.

Q1. So how did the whole Covid-19 lockdown and social isolation work for Sageness and you as individuals? Like here in the UK, it looked as though you were all under some heavy restrictions a few weeks ago.

As you say in our country, the government made some very heavy restrictions, we were locked up at home for 3 months, only going out to buy basic things. As for the band, imagine…

I took advantage of writing new songs and riffs and recording some new ideas. Aitor, the new bassist learnt the Akme album and some songs from the first album, and Fran the drummer, he managed to get hold of a digital drum set, so as not to rust and be able to start with some ideas that I sent him.

Q2. Can you explain the meaning behind the name Sageness?

It was Koke's idea, our first bassist. At first when he said it I thought it was a kind of weed, ha ha, but it means something related to wisdom, but with common sense. Exactly the trait of utilizing knowledge and experience with common sense and insight. And we like it how it sounded.  

Q3. I remember reading an interview with you guys a while back and one of you said “music does not need words to tell” which is a good statement. As the band evolves, do you still feel the same way?

Personally, yes. I remember when I was younger and I did not understand the lyrics to songs, but they transmitted many feelings and emotions to me. But of course the voice is an instrument and I value good lyrics a lot too. After listening to a lot of music, I am left with the experiences that instrumental music gives you, due to its sound and complexity of structures, it makes me immerse myself in to it more and somehow travel. I highly value the different sounds and vibrations.

Q4. The tracks on Akme have quite a unique sound in the way that you can make songs that shouldn’t sound heavy, actually sound heavy (but not in a metal way), and other parts sound as though they have been played on almost antique equipment. Has it taken some time to refine your sound and style?

Thanks Martin, I really like that perception you have. Not having a singer, you have to take more care of the song and have to expand the sound spectrum. Personally it has taken me time to find a sound and I have been trying various pedals until I feel comfortable. The effect you refer to may be a pedal that imitates that analogue tape effect touch, or may even be a thing of the mix and the master, because Marco Lima from Herzcontrol did an incredible job, just like our friend Nacho when recording us. We are very happy with the result!

Q5. How do you all go about writing songs? Do you all come to the table with ideas or do you just jam it out for hours, feel the flow and let the music write itself?

I usually go with ideas from home, and at then when together we start shaping it. But we like jamming a lot to see where the song can go, in fact we record those jams and tried to extract the best of them.

Q6. Do you have “Jam Room” so that you can get the right vibe when recording?

We really only have one room and what we record is with mobile phones or with a single microphone. But the room is cosy, and we have a fridge there!

Q7. Can you ever see Sageness having vocals on a track? Or writing a verse/chorus/verse kind of song?

Hmmmm… I think not, but who knows. I see more the possibility of a verse/chorus/verse structure with a bit of something.

Q8. Have you started writing and demoing material for your next release?

Yes, and we are excited about it! But we want to work the tracks without haste, and we are doing that right now by sending each other demos.

Q9. Can you tell us a bit about the artwork for Akme?

Diogo Soares did a great job, with the artwork we loved it at first sight. It has many elements that we think fit with our music: the door, the desert, the space, we see it as a kind of portal. I think Diogo called it "The Healers" and that also fits us well.

Q10. Have you had a chance to get out into Europe to play live? It doesn’t look as though live music will happen much in 2020 with the ongoing worldwide pandemic, but I can see 2021 being the year of the gig and festival. What would I expect from seeing Sageness play live?

This year is going to be difficult, apart from everything that is happening in the World, Fran is still 800 km away, and is coming to visit for a few days. Maybe some concerts near our hometown. Our goal right now is to create another album. We really want to try and play a few concerts in a row soon.

Q11. What the last 3 records you have listened to?

The last ones I have purchased are Kryptograf, Heavy Trip and the last album from Slift. Awesome bands!

Q12. What does the rest of 2020 hold for Sageness? Anything else to add?

We will continue working on the new songs remotely, and if I have the time I would like to record a song on my own. It's not a big deal, but it's our turn right now, but we're excited about the new ideas.

We are trying to edit our first album on vinyl. Many people asked us if we can press it and we believe that we can do it with some help. Stay Tuned. Cheers from Spain and Stay Safe.

A big thanks goes to David for sitting down to answer these questions. Keep an eye out on their social media as their debut self-titled album looks to be getting the vinyl treatment soon, followed by new material which should be arriving not to far after that.

Bandcamp – Facebook – YouTube 

Review: Mt. Mountain – Tassels 7”

I was late to the party with the Australian Psych scene but have had some fun making the time up discovering a long line of killer bands since, with one of these being Mt. Mountain. They first hooked me in with Golden Rise and I’ve been a fan ever since and discovering that a limited 7” with 2 new tracks was imminent, being the predecessor for a new full length to be released this year. 

Knowing that the first batch of the 500 copies went on pre-sale at 7am UK time, the alarm was set just in case, and I’m glad it was as minutes after I had ordered my copy it was already sold out.

Reviewing this, I haven’t got the item in my hands yet, though it looks like a rather special package from the pictures. So thanks to Bandcamp, here we go.

Tassels starts upbeat with levels of guitars and keyboard creating an ever growing soundscape that slowly twist away in the back of your mind. Like on previous records, the vocals quite subtly sit behind the music with a warm near-hypnotic feel to them. The first half of Tassels hangs off a cool psychedelic guitar hook backed with lots of cymbals, before the song bends itself into dreamy hypnotic territory with the organs and synth and the next few minutes are like a magic carpet ride into the unknown. Tassels is the sort of song that could play out for 30 or 40 minutes live.

Deluge is much more of a laid back track like a slow and magic trip into your sub-conscious. The warm dreamy mystical guitar lines walk you out towards the light backed up with hand played drum beats and it is pure magic. You can lie back, close your eyes and feel yourself drifting away, it really is that good. My only complaint is that as quick as it starts, your journey is already over.

This has really wet my appetite for what Mt. Mountain will be bringing us later in the year. I am not sure if the band or Six Tonnes De Chair Records have any copies left, but you need to be getting this from your usual digital platforms.

Mt. Mountain - Six Tonnes De Chair Records 

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: Fever Dog – "Freewheelin’" Single

Danny Graham and Fever Dog have been hinting at some new music since the Mainframe EP came out back in 2017 and finally here have it in the form of Freewheelin’, the first song to drop as a single from the upcoming album Alpha Waves.

They did seem to be slightly moving away from the Pink Floyd psych last time round but Freewheelin’ has made a huge leap towards the world of 70’s proto rock and glam rock. Think Thin Lizzy Jamming with The Sweet, Suzi Quarto and The New York Dolls.

Four minutes built around a rockin’ riff with all sorts of memorable harmonies and some sweet synthesiser action. It starts to go “out there” but the guitars pull you along at 100mph. The vocal harmonies really are special though. Think a black backdrop, lots of lights, glitter and some strobe lights. I really hope a promo video comes out for the single.

Freewheelin’ is not the type of song that I thought I would hear from them but it’s a proper rocker. I dare you not to be tapping that foot. I am interested to see what the rest of the album does when it drops later this year. You need to own this song now.

Bandcamp – Website - Facebook – Instagram – Twitter

Review: The Whims of the Great Magnet - Good Vibes & High Tides

It was only by chance a few years back that I came across The Whims of the Great Magnet’s first CD, The Purple & Yellow album. A stripped back collection of songs put together by Sungrazer’s Sander Haagman, that, although musically quite a way from his previous band, his own unique style was sprinkled all over it. Sungrazer was a band that I was fortunate to see live a couple of times and even to this day their records are never too far away from being played. There was always a slight hope of the band coming back together but after the sad passing of Rutger Smeets, the songs will stay where they are and live on through many more people who will hopefully discover them again.

A couple of months back the bands facebook account hinted of some recording activity that quickly turned in to what I am listening to now; Good Vibes & High Tides. A collection of 10 Songs composed by Sander on guitar/base and Iwan Wijnen on drums.

This time they’ve plugged in and brought together 40+ minutes of warm fuzzy psych that feels loose, easy and takes you away to a sun drenched beach scattered with people sat jamming out whilst other are surfing waves. It’s a place you will want return again and again, so kick back and listen…..

Lose My Head rolls straight in with a warm fuzzy summer evening riff that keeps jabbing at you in a good way. There’s a laid back “loose” vibe to it that fits perfectly with Sander’s vocals which pulls together “the jam” into a song. Straight away you can feel that as a group of musicians, the band have plugged in this time and want to produce something magical. The basslines are strong and the drums have a “kick back and doin’ its thing” 70’s feel to them. 

Here to Party pulls you in straight away with its soft psychedelic mood. Again it has that laid back tone with a “sat on the beach” head nodding chorus with Sander harmonising with his guitars, summoning that magic that Sungrazer always had. The final minute has the guitar start to wander off in that Euro psych style, but only for a few seconds.

Guess it’s Time takes you back towards the 90’s alt rock scene as the guitar strums into a big wall of fuzz before it softens into something more emotive by the way the guitar jangles, the bass stops, then everything kicks in again. The chorus is warm, friendly and familiar to anyone who still listens to online 90’s grunge radio, with its unique nod to that time with their own unique touch. It almost has a film soundtrack vibe to it.

The title track Good Vibes & High Tides sums up exactly how this song feels and how you could place it any of the “Endless Summers” era surf videos. The strumming of the fuzzy sun drenched guitar conjures up the hair blowing in the wind feeling whilst driving the coastline looking out at the waves. The structure of the song is quite simple but really effective with its lo-fi mix of the drums and guitar. The sound and feel of it is something nobody else has mastered for a long time in the way it feels like it hangs together really loosely but eases a vibe that is really unique. If they haven’t already made a video full of Californian tube riders, then somebody should as it would be the perfect compliment. Oh and half way through the track it builds up to a minute of big soaring mountainous guitars that would belong on any of the Sungrazer records.

Hay is a 40 second interlude that would have fitted well on the end of any early Sub Pop singles.

Oew is probably my favourite track that magically manages to get you to nod your head and tap your foot at the same time. The riff strums its way up and down in the way Sonic Youth or Pavement did back in the 90’s and they make it sound and feel so easy. The song stops and starts with the vocal harmonies that only Sander can do with the word Oew. It’s the millisecond sound of nothing between the fuzz that makes this something special and what always had Sungrazer stand apart from most other bands. If this was released 25 years ago, College Radio would have been blasting the airwaves with Oew.

Simple starts straight off with some slide guitar work, feeling a little country but also very personal in the way the words are sung and the way the music paints a reflective picture. The chorus kicks in harder though with a Dinosaur Jr vibe to it.

Battling to be my favourite track and definitely my favourite chorus is Cocaine & Yoga. Starting with a drumbeat and bassline that hails from deep in Seattle and there’s a little Kurt Cobain in the vocals, it doesn’t take long before the riff of the chorus opens up and hooks you in. It really is a special moment on the record. Sungrazer had an extraordinary ability to write awesome riffs that sounded like they are played backwards and this is no exception. The bass keeps the song driving along before the song drifts away and returns with a way more psychedelic trippy acoustic vibe.

Wei Wu Wijen is super laid back with a pure desert feel to it. What could be born out of a blues club, the track slowly and quietly creeps along and you can feel every note played and every cymbal tapped. A good reference point would be early Brant Bjork records.

To finish the album off, Roerloze Bewegar clocks in at nearly 12 minutes and feels like a song that Sungrazer could have included on their split record with The Machine. This time round the guitar strumming is a bit more metallic and the bass thunders along harder as everything comes together to produce a song that has purpose as it drives off towards the horizon. The vocals drift along and fit over everything with such ease. The riffs begin to bend away and dive back in as for the next few minutes the song elevates itself high into the sky. At about the 7 minute mark everything stops as though the listener has reached that far away place and the next few minutes become more and more minimal as the guitar slowly drifts away peacefully into the light. 

I didn’t know what to expect from Good Vibes & High Tides but it goes beyond any expectation I had. With the laid back psych vibe and sun drenched lo-fi guitars it ticks many boxes for me, but add this to all the little nods to 90’s alt-rock and grunge and Sub Pop throughout and I’m holding a record that should be in everyone’s top 10 albums of 2019.

It’s also good to see that these songs will be getting played live as they have just booked a record release show. Let’s hope it leads to many more.

You can order the 180g black vinyl direct for 15 Euros + Postage from: thewhimsofthegreatmagnet@gmail.com or check it out at:

Bandcamp - YouTube - Spotify - Facebook