(Un)Focused Definition Ep. 80: The Luxury of Time
…is something I can’t see to find. Funeral this morning, birthday this afternoon, four-hour drive upstate to pick up my son from college tonight. So we’re using conditional logic this week: I went to my music library and filtered all the songs with the word “time” in them. Then based on that created this week’s playlist.
Which is below.
Continue reading “(Un)Focused Definition Ep. 80: The Luxury of Time”
The Vintage Caravan: Portals (2025)
The Vintage Caravan would never have popped up on my radar were it not for Mikael Åkerfeldt’s appearance. And truth be told, his contribution is my favorite thing about Portals, the Icelandic trio’s sixth full-length of stoner progressive rock. I mean, you took one look at the band’s photo, saw that hat, and probably guessed the vibe from that, right? But if you guessed that, you probably also know that’s my weakness, my comfort food. Happily, even though the Åkerfeldt track is the highlight, the rest of the album ain’t too shabby, either.
Continue reading “The Vintage Caravan: Portals (2025)”
Osees: Abomination Revealed At Last (2025)
Another year, another batch of releases from John Dwyer under various names and organizations. But he’s most known for the garage/psych/kitchen rock juggernaut Osees, a killer band who changes styles almost as often as they do band names. But the latest name seems to have stuck, being in place for six years. The style, for better or worse, has also stayed largely the same: a mix of harsh bursts of punk that after a while all roll into each other, making Abomination Revealed At Last an album I gave one or two listens before shrugging it aside. Maybe it’s the times, but coming back to it I can still see my issues, but I also see many little things that bring the songs to life in a way I ignored, to my detriment.
Continue reading “Osees: Abomination Revealed At Last (2025)”
King Witch: III (2025)
Simple tastes. Tight riffs. Big snares and plenty of cymbal sizzle, with the bass holding it all together in conjunction with the Almighty Kick. Stretch beyond pentatonic scales at your peril and, best of all, make sure the vocals can settle a hummingbird one moment, and rip the shingles off a house the next. I don’t know that I was expecting it to blow in from Scotland, but it’s no matter when King Witch get practically everything right about what I love in heavy music on III, their (you guessed it) third full length. All the above criteria are met, there are a few surprises, and best of all, this baby comes in at a lean 44 minutes. I always said, if it can’t fit on one side of 90-min cassette, it can probably be cut.
Continue reading “King Witch: III (2025)”
Yoo Doo Right, Population II & Nolan Potter: Yoo II avec Nolan Potter (2025)
Ever have one of those workdays that beat you down to the point you can’t remember your name, let alone whatever you had planned when you got home? Today was one of those days, and with only two hours to go I’m going to be very brief about my love for Yoo II avec Nolan Potter, the (possibly) sole output from a two-hour live jam session between Austin, TX psych rocker Nolan Potter and the experimental explorers from Québec: Yoo Doo Right and Population II. TL;DR? Hawkwind circa Space Ritual meets garage groove for some sweet extended jams, perfect for settling down into a better headspace.
Continue reading “Yoo Doo Right, Population II & Nolan Potter: Yoo II avec Nolan Potter (2025)”
Dwellers: Corrupt Translation Machine (2025)
There was a moment during the opening of Corrupt Translation Machine, the third full-length from Salt Lake City’s Dwellers where, returning from a moment of distraction, I could have sworn I was listening to an Alice in Chains song. That’s a huge compliment, because outside of the actual AiC (themselves evolving past their ’90s roots) I can’t think of anyone else embodying this blend of psychedelic doom, grunge, and Americana folk and blues so cohesively. A real surprise of a discovery, but no surprise to have found them on Small Stone Records, fast becoming one of my favorite and most dependable labels for heavy, progressive, and psychedelic rock albums. Add this one to an already impressive list of great releases.
Continue reading “Dwellers: Corrupt Translation Machine (2025)”
Consuming the Tangible 