Friday, April 25, 2014

There's a Reason Popeye Liked Spinach

While I've been on the psychedelic music roller coaster as of late, it's important to remember that the current trend of amazing bands bringing back this special genre got their influence from those who came before them. One such group is Boston's short-lived Ultimate Spinach. Their 1968 debut album included many goodies, including the standout opener, "Ballad of the Hip Dead Goddess." It's a romp that includes all the elements that make a great psych song: drony, tribal, and soaked with reverb, featuring lyrics that could be from a Slayer song in their prime such as, "Touch my hand and you will know / Touch my hand your heart will cold."


Remember to eat your veggies. 


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Night Beats Bring the Ruckus to Lo-Fi

I'm still reeling from seeing Night Beats on Friday evening. Best show I've seen in a decade, easily. Those Seattleites by way of Texas are the real deal. Small venue, rowdy crowd, witnessing a band in their prime. It was so good I even had a 4-foot plastic Santa Claus statue bounce off my forehead at one point and helped Tarek, the bass player, levitate over our heads. Do not miss this band when they come to your city/town/street/basement/garage, etc. All-time.