Review: Electric Moon – Cellar Overdose Live LP

Cellar Overdose is one of several CD-R’s release by the band that are like gold dust now for collectors. Released back in 2012 as CD-R on Sulatron Records and then an extended double vinyl version on the same label, it is now released again on a lovely white slab of wax on Komet Lulu’s (Electric Moon bassist) new label Worst Bassist Records.

Having already listened to versions of the show many times, it does feel a little strange reviewing this as a re-release, so I am basically going to wax lyrical about how good it is.

If you want a record that will literally blow your mind with its dark brooding outer space psych rock, this is it. Look no further. Set the controls towards the outer limits of your mind.

The Soul Feeder drifts through time and space slowly as the track evolves again and again. The bassline slowly creeps along with the guitar quietly soaring in and out, hooked with some wah-wah before a raw, almost magnetic sounding riff begins to take shape. Your journey through space continues at a head-nodding, rhythmic chanting pace as your sense of cosmic being turns darker and heavier. At around the eleven minute mark, the bass line that has now well and truly warped your mind, makes a slight shift and totally blows your mind. Lightening off for a few more minutes you can see yourself being drawn towards something else in the sky before you come hurtling back into the atmosphere. No matter how many times you listen to this song, the trip never follows the same path twice. 

The Idle Glance starts lighter as a more spacious track, feeling as though both feet are still on planet Earth even though you are still moving at a fast pace. The drums and cymbals crash whilst guitar riff soar above it and the bass takes off and everything is launched into the cosmos and beyond. At around twelve minutes you feel as though you have reached your planetary destination, and circumnavigate its atmosphere to realise what has brought you there. After that you will need to draw your own conclusion to where the journey ends.

On the CD and digital version only you get the bonus track Lost and Found Souls which is another sonic trip through the heights of German space rock and its trance inducing finest.

This is the first release on Worst Bassist Records and you have to check out the next few releases and re-issues as they all look rather special.

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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.

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Review: OKO – Haze EP

There is always something special about the moment you check out a band blindly and within two minutes they’ve already ticked every box, your foot is tapping and a riff has implanted itself in your brain for the foreseeable future.

Hailing from Adelaide Australia, OKO are an instrumental 3-piece that have already set their bar high with the one track EP Haze. You don’t often hear the term one track EP, but the 15 minute epic is my kind of one track.

The players are Nick Nancarrow (Guitar), Tyson Ruch (Bass) and Ash Matthews (Drums) and they bring you a long winding heavy psych jam.

Haze drifts in slowly and softly as though you’re floating out to see under the stars. Over the light percussion, the guitar takes you away, then back, then away again like the waves of the tide would, with Colour Haze being a good point of reference. Everything starts to build with an increase of cymbals before the introduction to one of the main riffs the song is built round, and as the riff really kicks in with its warm fuzzy power for the first time, I defy anyone not to be blown away by it.

Haze keeps rolling with the riff before it breaks for an alternative riff before launching back in. This is a trick that Elder have perfected and what you have here stands up with the best of them.

From here the deep fuzzy warmth of the song keeps rolling along before various musical interludes with breaks and musical depth that has the emotive feel that Rotor have delivered over the years. 

As Haze comes to a close, the last couple of minutes brings you some big soaring guitar solos which live, no doubt, would bring some heavy amplifier worship. 

For a debut song, this is already head and shoulders above what many others have tried to perfect and if this was on a full record, Haze would be their Dead Roots Stirring.

I also have to mention the quality production of the song, mixed by Justin Pizzoferrato (mixer of Elder and Dinosaur Jr).

Haze is available on all the digital platforms and hopefully it appears on something vinyl in the future as its one of those songs that made to be played at 33rpm.

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Review: Lowrider – Refractions

I remember getting a mixtape done for me around 1999 with all sorts of new music on that was loud, fuzzy and Black Sabbath related, and whoever did it ran a highlighter over the Lowrider tracks written in the letter they sent with it. I’m sure that tape is in my house still somewhere, if only I could find it. Anyway, that’s what turned me on to the Swedish sound and in particular Lowrider.

A million listens later, getting to see them in 2013 at Desertfest and in London in 2014 was quite a treat and the talk of new material kept coming up. It may have taken a few more years after that, but here it is, Refractions, in all its Postwax release version glory.

Red River takes ten seconds before the drumstick hits the snare drum and you are confronted with a huge wall of fuzz that comes at you from both sides. The groove to it is apparent straight away with its huge mid-paced “head nodding” riff that makes me remember why I loved the band so much the first time around. Everything sounds pure Lowrider but with a killer production and the vocals sound as unique as they ever did, and there’s even a shredding guitar solo half way through!

It doesn’t take long for the guitars to start talking to you in a darker way as Ode to Ganymede takes off. The drums begin to build with the bassline and the guitar riff sounds almost haunting as it winds in and out with the vocals before the big fuzz n roll riffs kick in to the mix. A single guitar line then steps in to pull the song in a different direction before everything slowly builds and makes you think of huge open roads surrounded by massive mountains topped with a sea of slow moving wind turbines. Some 70’s Hammond organ work crosses your path as the song keeps driving before handing off to more big riffs and groovin’ guitar work. Wow!

Sernanders Krog starts with a lighter positive sound to it and a cool bassline/drumbeat combined with vocals that sounds like a song I’m sure Dave Grohl would love to have written. Everything moves along at a slower pace which melts in to soaring guitar work the heads into the land of heavy psych and takes you way up there above the sky and out beyond the atmosphere. I cannot wait to see or hear a live version of this.  

Ol’ Mule Pepe is a perfect example of the band doing massive Swedish stoner rock. It has a stomping riff for nearly 5 minutes, loads of big drums and cymbals crashing, lots of “yeah” vocals, wah-wah guitars and killer solos. I can see many a crowd going wild to this later on in the night, bodies all over, drinks spilled, denim, hair…..you know what I mean!

I thought we may have some quiet time after that, but Sun Devil /M87* strums in before another huge wall of sound completely floors you. The guitars go big again and again, more wah-wah, crashing cymbals and the super heavy riff machine just won’t let up. I know they’ve had 20 years to collect a wealth of riffs and it shows here as they just keep coming.

The album ends on the 11 minute opus Pipe Rider that takes you on a long epic journey in to the unknown. From the start everything is big, bright and taking you off through the mountains and in to the dusk of the desert. This time round it sounds more expansive with every instrument adding to what turns in to a “jam” that starts to kick back more as the journey continues on through the night. As the song concludes everything ramps up again just to remind you that Lowrider have returned to reclaim their crown.

This is the album that many bands wanted to write. It really is that special. The band have returned and taken that special thing they always had and raised it to a whole new level. Yes, when listening to Lowrider I still think of desert roads, 70’s cars and fields full of wind turbines, but this record is so much more and it deserves all the plaudits it will probably get over the next few months. Let’s hope that 2020 sees more live action again as well. 

If you have the Postwax version you will know about the extra special packaging, the liner notes, the playing cards, the killer artwork, special vinyl and the bright orange flexi disk with a demo version of Leaning Times from back in 2003. If you don’t then February 21^st is the day when it should be everywhere on Blues Funeral.

Blues Funeral - Lowrider 

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:

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Review: Swan Valley Heights – The Heavy Seed

It had been a couple of years since I had picked up Swan Valley Height’s first record, and seeing that they had struck a deal with Fuzzorama Records, you knew something special was in the works.

The Heavy Seed kicks off the album and when you see the opening track is over 13 minutes, you know only good things will happen. It starts from a distance and floats in and out with a trippy vibe, conjuring the outdoor feeling under the night sky. The drumming has an organic feel as though it is being played out by hand and the bassline roles in and out ala Yawning Man. Three minutes in the fuzz laden guitars really open up as the songs main riff picks you up and kicks you right out there. The big rolling sound of the song has that European heavy psych feel to it and how it is written. As it moves on, you witness some big crisp pedal action as the odd solo dives in and we hit Elder territory, not in a clone like way but in the way the song structure speeds up then slows down before pulling in some huge post metal riffs. It’s quite a journey that ends up finishing with big fuzzy stoner rock riffs as it closes.

Vaporizer Woman comes in more melodic with an uplifting feel to it. The percussion drives everything along with some more intricate near acoustic guitar work before the fuzz pedal kicks in with a monster of a riff. Some vocals again make me think of Sungrazer whilst the song build and builds to lots of cymbals and some killer guitar work that take you “out there” and beyond.

Take a Swim in God’s Washing Machine is a more metallic complex 8 minutes. It starts of space like and trippy, like your drifting through the clouds and towards the night sky. The cymbals role in and out alongside some intricate drum work and a rolling bassline. From an almost dreamlike state with the drifting vocals, the song bursts out to some big fuzzy riffs that are meant to be played live and loud. I like the way it switched back and forth with the intensity before they pull out a grungy riff from nowhere, turn the vocals a little more haunting, then off they stomp.

My First Knife Fight is three minutes of riff after riff. Think The Machine with the fuzz pedal turned up. Its big, abrasive, the bassline thunders throughout, the cymbals keep crashing and like I said, its riff after riff.

Finishing off with the 10+ minute epic Teeth & Waves, I’m back off into a psychedelic dreamland amongst the clouds for the first few minutes prior to the guitars kicking in with that emotive soaring guitar style that takes you on an atmospheric rollercoaster of a ride. It feels like a really good song that has been “jammed out” even more live as the band are “feeling it” as the song develops and takes on a life of its own.

Overall, this is a really good record. The band have taken their time in developing their sound and the song writing ability shines through. Germany (and Europe) has produced a lot of good heavy psych and stoner bands over the last few years and Swan Valley Heights are right up there with the best. My only disappointment is that I didn’t get to witness their debut UK show supporting Truckfighters last month, but hopefully they’ll be back soon.

Another good looking package put together by Fuzzorama Records with some cool colored vinyl editions.

Website - Bandcamp - Fuzzorama Records 

Review: All Them Witches – 1x1

A new singe from All Them Witches wasn’t on anyone’s radar, but as its Halloween, anything can happen, and it certainly does here. 1x1 is the heaviest five minutes the Nashville three-piece have put out in some time.

A repetitive riff twists and turns into something darker before everything explodes into life with the haunting vocal harmonies of Charles Michael Parks Jr’s vocals rooted deeply within. The sound is a heavy groove with a raw fuzzy edge that sounds huge. After seeing them play The Roundhouse in London last year, the three-piece managed to create something that was delicate one minute but was huge the next and manage to fill the huge venue perfectly. Here, 1x1 feels like this could do exactly that. The next five minutes is pure musical magic. The vocals that are also harmonised with guitarist Ben McLeod and drummer Robby Staebler creating melodies that are almost a mantra chant in parts. It’s a dark song and if you look up the lyrics, there is definitely something wicked and sinister about them.

As far as I know there is no album imminent and this song is something of a teaser for their European support run with Ghost, which I am sure they will gain a few new fans from.

All Them Witches like to change, evolve and never sound familiar for very long, which is part of their magic. You know what to do next.

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