Wand: Vertigo (2024)

You ever read a review for an album, and the reviewer makes a comparison to another band that you didn’t think of, and that becomes ALL you can hear afterward? I’ve always though of Wand as this swirling, psychedelic garage rock that started with more of a punk blast off and now with new album Vertigo have settled into this flowing, cinematic psychedelic rock that sweeps you into its currents and takes you on a journey. That all still applies, but now I can’t help but hear how much this also sounds like Radiohead. In the best possible way, of course (I love Radiohead) but it’s slightly frustrating to have that implanted in my brain. It doesn’t capture the earthiness of the songs, or the aural narrative the album leads you through.

ChrisDecember 17, 20241 Comment

Vinyl

Nolan Potter: The Perils Of Being Trapped Inside A Head (2024)

I didn’t discover the psychedelic wonder of Nolan Potter until late in 2021, after I had already done my non-metal end of year podcast over at Nine Circles. Still, Music Is Dead was was a massive sizzle to every part of my brain, and I had no choice but to make it my non-metal album of the year. Since then I vowed never to make the same mistake again, and I was right on top of things when Potter released The Perils of Being Trapped Inside A Head back in April. Once again written, recorded, and performed by Potter (with an assist by former Lake Of Fire partner Dillon Fernandez on synths, percussion, and vocals) at his home in Austin, TX, it’s a lovely, borderline-unclassifiable slab of great rock and pop, absorbing a myriad of styles in the name of confessional, DIY music that resonates with me just as much as his previous work. In other words, now it’s trapped inside my head, and I couldn’t be happier.

ChrisDecember 8, 20241 Comment

Vinyl

toe: Now I See The Light (2024)

toe (lowercase on purpose) is a beautiful reason why brick and mortar stores will always be valuable in the music community. There’s a good chance I might never have heard them if I wasn’t visiting Needle + Groove, my local shop. Amanda, the manager at the time has one of the most eclectic musical tastes I’ve ever encountered, and it was my luck she was spinning the band’s songs, ideas we forgot compilation and I was instantly hooked by their use of odd rhythms and beautiful melodies. I devoured everything, but it was years before Now I See The Light, the band’s fourth full-length and first in almost a decade was released. Far from losing a step, the record shows the band honing the songs to within an inch of their life, and the results are gorgeous and fragile, delicate as the mist in early morning.

ChrisDecember 4, 2024December 2, 20241 Comment

Vinyl

Ty Segall: Three Bells (2024)

Going to take a brief break from the grouping of albums by the same artist/band/label to focus on another theme: some of my favorite new records. It can’t all be about music from 40 and 50 years ago, not when some of my favorite current artists have released some of their strongest work to date. And there’s no better way to kick that off than with Ty Segall, who after some interesting experiments with limitations on previous records (no guitar, acoustic, film soundtracks) has returned to his progressive garage roots with the fantastic double album Three Bells. It’s Segall operating in my favorite sonic space, and sounds like a culmination of a lot of the experimentation he’s engaged in the past few years.

ChrisApril 28, 2024May 4, 20242 Comments

album art for osees - intercepted message

Vinyl

Osees: Intercepted Message (2023)

It’s weird to be starting here, with the latest burst of garage psych sweetness from John Dwyer and co., but sometimes that’s how it goes. I fell into the Osees hole (or Thee Oh Sees, or Oh Sees, or OCS, or whatever new permutation Dwyer comes up with) in 2016 with the dual release of A Weird Exits and An Odd Entrances. It was also at the same time as my discovery of Ty Segall, and like that multi-hyphenate band leader, Dwyer and his rotating cast of musicians have put out a TON of music: at least seven proper LPs, not to mention reinterpretations, 20 minute long singles, and a bevy of side project (Bent Arcana being my favorite). But I just got my sweet vinyl for Intercepted Message, the outfit’s synth-heavy pop rock hybrid and latest release, so what better time than now to start talking about one of my favorite current bands?

ChrisSeptember 12, 20231 Comment

Vinyl

Ty Segall: Ty Segall (2017)

This wasn’t the plan. The plan was to review one of the myriad of new albums coming through the door on an almost daily cadence. But here I am, late Monday night, sipping some scotch and digging through my Fanatic books by Henry Rollins building out playlists (said playlists are public and can be found here on Spotify and Apple Music for those inclined to check out some seriously great music) and the need – nay, the urge to listen to Ty Segall came over me. So here we are, with his 2017 eponymous album playing through the speakers, every gnarled guitar lead and garage soaked riff firing up my brain’s pleasure center like an fireworks display at Disney World. I’m shocked there isn’t already a Ty Segall entry on the site, but what better way to introduce the man than Ty Segall, right?

ChrisApril 6, 20221 Comment

Consuming the Tangible

We are what we consume

Tag: indie rock

Wand: Vertigo (2024)

Nolan Potter: The Perils Of Being Trapped Inside A Head (2024)

toe: Now I See The Light (2024)

Ty Segall: Three Bells (2024)

Osees: Intercepted Message (2023)

Ty Segall: Ty Segall (2017)