San Jose, California’s Xiu Xiu were quite a heavy presence in the Los Angeles underground music scene during the early 2000s, and it seems that they’ve maintained their quality, as well as their bleak lyrical content.
Garage Rock
[Music] David Bowie – Valentine’s Day
I couldn’t resist.
[Music] Girl Band – De Bom Bom
Here’s another track from what, to these ears, is the best band in Ireland today. Girl Band sound something like a violent crashing of The Birthday Party, early Nirvana, with touches of This Heat.
[Music] The Cyclist Conspiracy – Mashallah Plan – Virility EP
I thank my old friend Mileta of the ever-stunning Serbian-language music blog valtazarzauberquelle, who turned me on to a band whom he perfectly described as a Byzantine psychedelic groove band. It’s as if Popol Vuh stumbled into Orthodoxy instead of Eastern mysticism.
To read Mileta’s review, click here.
[Music] Big Star – Jesus Christ
Big Star’s near perfect album, Third/Sister Lovers, is full of treasures, but this one is sublime, respectful of Christ, and perfect for the season.
[Music] Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath – Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath
If you ever wanted to know what Black Sabbath would sound like as a Latino-influenced metal band, now’s your chance. Brownout do a great job re-interpreting the masters.
[Music] Pink Floyd – Julia Dream
I’m not much of a fan of later Pink Floyd, but the Syd Barrett-era is very, very hard to beat.
[Music] Dead Meadow – Me and the Devil Blues
There’s an awful lot of good neo-psychedelic rock music floating about online these days. Today’s discovery is Dead Meadow, a band who have roots in Washington, D.C.
[Music] Ejwuusl Wessahqqan – Ejwuusl Wessahqqan (1975)
While working at Aron’s Records during the 1990s, I came across this disc by Ejwuusl Wessahqqan (a name you have to say stoned, I guess) and did a bit of research by asking some of my clients about the band. They considered it a true Krautrock gem, and I couldn’t agree more.
[Music] Twilight Fields – Further Up, Further In!
Never, ever allow anyone to tell you that there is no good music being made today. Ever!
Twilight Fields is a band out of Northern Canada, but you wouldn’t know it judging by the influences they’ve sponged up into their body of work. One can easily hear touches of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, the acid folk of The Incredible String Band, and more modern psychedelic fare from groups like Spacemen 3 and Spectrum.
The crisp recording adds to the pleasure of hearing this recording on a great set of headphones. A highly recommended release.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 