Monday, December 30, 2013

Salome No Kutibiru (2012) -Owari



Artist: Salome No Kutibiru 
Albums: Owari
Release date: 2012
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 108 MB





Wednesday, December 25, 2013

The Ding-Dongs (2013) -Rang Tang Ding Dong


Artist: The Ding-Dongs
Albums: Rang Tang Ding Dong
Release date:  2013
Quality:  mp3 CBR 224  
Size:  57 MB

“The Ding-Dongs are Mark Sultan and Bloodshot Bill, two heavyweights of rock’n'roll, old friends both hailing from Montreal . Bloodshot Bill has been wowing crowds across the world with his incredibly authentic (but not cheesy) rockabilly sounds as a one-man band and beyond. Mark Sultan (BBQ) has been touring incessantly with a soulful voice commandeering his own one-man band, based in chaos and RnR/RnB of the most sincere kind. Together as the Ding-Dongs, they make rock’n'roll of the highest caliber. The real shit.” @ marksultan.com  

P.S. Great thanks for the album to Nothing But Trash



Thursday, November 28, 2013

The Routers (2012) -A-Ooga!!! Stamp & Shake With The Routers



Artist: The Routers 
Albums: A-Ooga!!! Stamp & Shake With The Routers
Release date: 2012
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 142 MB

“Remembered by Mr. and Ms. Average Listener solely for their 1962 Top 20 instrumental "Let's Go (Pony)," the Routers rode that hit to record a surprising wealth of material in the early to mid-'60s, including four albums and numerous singles. This 27-track compilation lives up to the promise of its subtitle "The Best, The Rarest & the Unreleased," including their chart hits (they did have a mild one after "Let's Go (Pony)", "Sting Ray"), some singles that make their CD debut, and four previously unreleased tracks. "Let's Go (Pony)" was a simple but memorable tune built around crackling surf-ish guitar, soaring sax, and cheerleader-friendly clapping, yet they never did manage anything else as catchy, despite the era's top Hollywood session men playing on their records. While you've got to love liner notes that start off by declaring "it's fair to say that the Routers were never about high-minded cerebral matters," these largely instrumental tracks -- singing and chanting are periodically heard -- are mostly hasty if energetic throwaways, often sounding like a cross between a sports marching band and a rock & roll combo with one foot in R&B and the other in surf. They're kind of fun to party to if you're not demanding much, and capture the innocence of the Los Angeles rock scene at a time when few aspired to do anything more than enjoy themselves and sell records, but they're not very interesting. More interesting, to be blunt, are the extensive liner notes, which explain the Routers' tangled evolution and connections to key Hollywood session rockers, who were so tight that only one member of the band touring under the Routers' name actually played on the records. Oddly, however, they don't mention that two tracks, "Snap, Crackle, and Pop" and "Amoeba" were written by future Redbone leaders Pat and Lolly Vegas, or that one of the touring Routers, Scott Engel (who's seen in one of the photos), became star singer Scott Walker of the Walker Brothers. ~ by Richie Unterberger @ allmusic.com




Sunday, October 27, 2013

Liquid Laughter Lounge Quartet - 3 albums


Albums: Yonder...Chickens Get Lonely / Liquid Laughter Lounge Quartet / May You Always Live With Laughter 
Released:  1999 / 2001 / 2004
Quality: mp3 VBR / CBR 320
Size: 73 / 70 / 100 MB

"The Liquid Laughter Lounge Quartet plays cocktail music, a bitter-sweet liquid concoction that sticks in your throat leaving an aftertaste that is somewhere between pretty and pretty ugly. These four gentlemen of Freiburg borrow, alienate and counterfeit country and western, Rockabilly, an immense blues rendered with austere arrangements and an emotive and often hysterical voice. Anyone who finds themselves thinking about David Lynch films has hit the nail squarely on the head. With upright bass, drums. guitar a voice and a suitcase stuffed with sounds, Liquid Laughter Lounge Quartet are just as much a part of the furniture as the dilapidated sofa in the corner at The Heartbreak Hotel. And, the music matches the decor: pretty but also quick to unsettle and in places somewhat divergent and diffused, its contours washed smooth in deep swathes of red and blue. Ghosts whisper to rockabilly skeletons; this sotto voce country and western accompanied by a besotted Brian Ferryesque refrain. The far-flung and two-left-footed tango receives a jolt and a wry blues shuffle is danced until the glasses become stuck to the tabletops. The ice has long melted and the drink now tastes more bitter than sweet- just like the memories. Lyrics about angels, drugs, strange neighbours, forgetting and disappearance are morbid yet tender. The songs often hang in the air in much the same way a photograph from better days hangs on the wall.".
©



  






Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Fuzz Manta (2013) -The Stonewolf



Artist:  Fuzz Manta
Albums: The Stonewolf
Released:  2013
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 145 MB

”It is an understatement that the new album from Danish band Fuzz Manta is captivating! After several listenings after “The Stonewolf” I can only congratulate the quartet have matured and knew refine his compositions that combine sounds big heavy rock, psychedelic atmo-spheres and especially beautiful vintage flights truly original. I think the group has reached a new milestone with this fourth LP since their last album “Vortex Memplex” including the production of its centerpiece: the title – “The Stonewolf”, a piece of more than 34 minutes agglomerates several subsets to prog / retro rock / heavy psych and kraut in a cheerful tone swarming maelstrom of creativity and groove. There is also all boosted energy on tracks like “My Baby in Vain” or “Mind Reader” on which the riffs and the voice of Freddy Lene still do wonders. Highly recommended!”  -  (c)




Monday, September 16, 2013

Left Lane Cruiser (2013) -Rock Them Back To Hell



Albums: Rock Them Back To Hell
Release date:  2013
Quality:  mp3 CBR 320  
Size:  100 MB

“Freddy J. IV and Brenn Beck of Indiana’s roots rock and hillbilly blues duo Left Lane Cruiser are back with a follow-up to their 2011 release “Junkyard Speed Ball,” titled “Rock Them Back to Hell!” Still on Alive Records, this brand new full-length by Left Lane Cruiser consists of ten original songs of rousing sonic mastery. With Brenn’s dynamic drumming on his kit, along with the peculiar clank n’ bang of his occasional trash percussion, and with Freddy’s wildly nimble finger-pickin’ and dirty note progressions on his guitar, and of course his smoky, boozy stream of dirty-throated vocals, they especially rock the hell out of you on this one.” REAF THE FULL REVIEW



Wednesday, September 11, 2013

TRACK OF THE DAY - Janis Joplin


Various Artists (1990, 1992, 1995) -Alligator Stomp Vol.1-5: Cajun & Zydeco



Artist: various
Albums: Alligator Stomp Vol. 1-5
Release date:  1990-1995
Quality:  mp3 CBR 320  
Size:  108 / 117 / 148 /118 /133 MB

“Alligator Stomp is a stellar collection of zydeco, featuring stars and lesser-known musicians. The disc is filled with great, rollicking music -- there simply isn't a weak moment on the disc, and it provides an excellent introduction to one of America's most distinctive musics.” ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

” If you're exploring the pleasures of Louisiana's zydeco and Cajun music, one of the best starting points is Rhino's excellent Alligator Stomp series of the 1990s. Vol. 2's main flaw is its failure to list recording dates -- even if Rhino couldn't find exact recording dates for all of its 18 songs, couldn't the label have at least given the years or approximate years? But the sound quality is fine, Mary Katherine Alden's liner notes are informative, and Rhino's selections are excellent. For high-energy zydeco, it's hard to go wrong with Queen Ida ("My Girl Josephine"), Buckwheat Zydeco ("Zydeco Boogaloo") or the late Clifton Chenier ("Choo Choo Ch-Boogie," "Mama Told Papa"). And for traditional Cajun music, listeners won't be disappointed by Iry LeJeune's "Evangeline Special," the Balfa Brothers' version of the familiar "Jolie Blond" or Jo-El Sonnier's hit remake of "Jambalaya," which was originally a hit for country legend Hank Williams, but has become a Cajun standard. Spanning the '40s to the '80s, this gem-laden CD shouldn't be missed.” ~ Alex Henderson

“The response to Alligator Stomp's first two volumes was so favorable that in 1992, Rhino gave us Volume 3 of the fine series. Regrettably, the CD (which runs from the 1960s to the 1980s) doesn't list either exact or appropriate recording dates. But the sound quality, detailed essay by Chuck Taggart and choice of material aren't anything to complain about. The CD illustrates are the differences between zydeco and traditional Cajun music. While Eddie LeJeune's version of "La Valse de Pont D'Amour," the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band's arrangement of "High Point Two-Step" and Lawrence "Black" Ardoin's interpretation of "You Used To Call Me" are examples of Cajun traditionalism, gems by Buckwheat Zydeco ("Hot Tamale Baby"), Clifton Chenier ("S'Mappel Fou") and his son C.J. Chenier ("My Baby Don't Wear No Shoes") show us exactly what zydeco is -- Cajun music combined with R&B/soul, blues and Creole music. When French-speaking African-Americans with Creole heritage were influenced by French-speaking Cajun-Americans with Anglo-French heritage, the potent result was zydeco. And when one plays this disc, the richness of those cultures comes alive in a major way.” ~ Alex Henderson

“If you're throwin' a Yule dance party, there isn't a better seasonal collection that features two-steps and waltzes. Of the 17 tracks, 15 were licensed from THE Cajun label, Swallow Records. Beausoleil recorded two songs especially for this compilation, the original "Christmas Bayou" and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," performed as an instrumental Cajun waltz. Four tracks are drawn from Beausoleil's fiddler/singer/leader Michael Doucet's Swallow Christmas Bayou CD, including this CD's closer, "Auld Lang Syne," which starts out traditionally slow before finishing off as a spirited two-step. Other highlights include Belton Richard's versions of "Blue Christmas" and "Please Come Home for Christmas," both sung in Cajun French: Richard's mournful vocals and the accompanying steel guitar give both songs added depth. Caveat emptor: if you hate accordions, fiddles, or just having a good time, do not buy this CD.” ~ Dennis MacDonald

“Alligator Stomp, Vol. 5 Cajun & Zydeco: the Next Generation showcases the best artists from the contemporary Cajun and zydeco scenes, including Terrance Simien, Wayne Toups, and David Doucet. Tracks from acts popular with the mainstream, such as Beausoleil's "Zydeco X," Jimmy Breaux' "Perrodin Two-Step," and Clifton Chenier's "My Baby Don't Wear No Shoes," mix with performances from newer artists and purists' favorites like Tasso's "Mon 'Tee Canaille (My Little Sly One)," Bruce Daigrepont's "Mains du Bon Dieu (The Hands of God)," and Robert Jardell's "Waltz of the Broken Family." Balfa Toujours, the Basin Brothers, Zydeco Force, and John Delafose & the Eunice Playboys round out this sampler of Cajun and zydeco music, making it a fine introduction to -- or a welcome reminder of -- the pleasures of both of these vibrant styles. “ ~ Heather Phares



Monday, August 26, 2013

Various Artists (2000) - Wildsville! / Wowsville! / Weirdsville!



Artist:  various artists
Album:  Wildsville! / Wowsville! / Weirdsville!
Release date: 2000
Quality: mp3 VBR ~200
Size: 71 + 85 +93 MB  

Wildsville brings together a collection of some of the choicest, craziest and (of course) wildest tracks from the 50s and 60s. Buckle up gang, you’re in for a wild ride!

“…the world needs more rock’n’roll albums full of congs about some of the important things in life – sex, drinking, eating, TV, horror movies, motorcycles etc… Welcome to Wowsville! Where the party never ends.

“Sick of sanitary and safe sounds of today? Wanna sample the insane and zany? Weirdsville proudly delivers the goods with this collection of inspired strangeness from the 50s and 60s. Stand by for take-off!” © linear notes


Thursday, August 22, 2013

Various Artists (2005) -Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found: One Kiss Can Lead To Another [4 CD]



Artist: various
Albums: Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found: One Kiss Can Lead To Another [4 CD]
Released: 2005
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 172+168+166+167 MB



Sunday, August 11, 2013

Mark Sultan (2012) -War On Rock’N’Roll


 

Artist:  Mark Sultan
Album: War On Rock’N’Roll
Release date:  2012
Quality:  mp3 CBR 320 [vinyl rip]
Size:  105 MB

“Mark Sultan... Have you heard this name before? One half of the King Khan & BBQ Show and the infamous BBQ one man band. Singer/guitarist of Mind Controls. Drummer/singer of Les Sexareenos. Singer of The Spaceshits. Collaborator with The Deadly Snakes, Jack Oblivian and The Demon's Claws. Treasurer of the Death Cult (along with Khan, the Demon's Claws, The Black Lips, The Spits and The Gris Gris). Owner of Sultan Records. He's toured the world several times over as a musical vagabond of missionary proportions. Ring a bell? He's been called everything from 'our generation's Gerry Roslie' to 'a visionary with the voice of an angel' and 'a true rock'n'roll hero'." © In The Red Records

"In The Red Records has decided to release this recording on vinyl to celebrate Record Store Day, and I am thrilled. While you listen to this recording, keep in mind that it is one take, live, and that the sides of the LP split the recording, obviously due to vinyl's time limitations upon pressing. At the time of this recording, yes, I was hellbent on converting my live sound to what you hear on this LP. It had been my first and only attempt at this sound, and while I am myself curious how I pulled it off in that one take, and while I really enjoy how it sounds, I never tried doing it again. Maybe I will for some of these upcoming shows." © Mark Sultan








Sunday, August 4, 2013

The Sufis - two albums


 

Artist:  The Sufis
Albums: The Sufis / Inventions
Release date:  2012 / 2013
Quality:  mp3 CBR 320
Size:  120 MB

“Imagine you have just popped round to mum and dad’s to help them clear some stuff from the attic. You stumble across a very old looking cardboard box marked; ‘dads trip kit’ and you have a peek inside. You find he has a bag of questionable looking vitamins, a strange picture book, a marathon bar (to keep the party going) and a record called the Sufis.
 This may puzzle you considering this album is not out until June 2012, but that’s where it was born in the past. It’s a brilliant album that needs to be praised all over."
READ FULL REVIEW
  



Thursday, August 1, 2013

King Khan & the Shrines (2013) -Idle No More



Artist:  King Khan & the Shrines 
Albums:  Idle No More
Release date: 2013
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 94 MB  

“Six years in the making since the release of the band’s last album What Is?!, Idle No More is full of sweat-drenched, ass-shaking, groovy, psyched-out numbers complete with rip-roaring horn lines, southern-fried guitar riffs, and lysergic melodies. Imagine Roky Erickson backed by the Sun Ra Arkestra or Wilson Pickett and The Velvet Underground, or picture the love child of Anubis and Kali. King Khan & The Shrines are more than a psychedelic soul band with a spectacle of a stage show—they are a cult musical phenomenon and simply one of the most entertaining groups the world has seen and heard since the days of Ike & Tina.”  ©






Monday, July 29, 2013

Ghost Box Orchestra (2013) -Vanished



Artist: Ghost Box Orchestra
Albums: Vanished
Release date:  2013
Quality:  mp3 CBR 320  
Size:  134 MB

“… Vanished is ostensibly a psych record, as much as TOLO is, but both have a more artful approach that makes them as progressive in that field as it does hard-hitting and elevating. Some of Vanished veers into more outright space rock–the hyperdrive screw of Into the Light a shining example–while keeping a backbone of rhythm that runs right through the heart of Vanished. A tribal, marching thump encouraged by mostly wordless vocals/chants infuses Vanished with a mystical, sweeping vibe that borders on exotic and gives the album an epic feel. It’s a big record … packed and solid, but GBO have enough twisty dynamics and detours that come in and out–some forcefully, others that shimmer and snake in–that there’s plenty of room to breathe.” READ FULL REVIEW by mr. atavist




Friday, July 19, 2013

Various Artists (2009) -Hiram and Huddie Vol.1 & Vol.2



Artist:  various
Albums:  Hiram and Huddie
Release date: 2009
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 134 MB  

“This isn’t the typical throw-away compilation you’ll find in the two-dollar bins of your local CD outlet. Four years in the making, this Hillgrass Bluebilly recording brings together some of the best young talent to pay homage to the masters Hank Williams Sr. and Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter. The Hiram and Huddie double tribute CD brings true authenticity, while feeling like a trip down memory lane via a Twilight Zone episode of Hee Haw! The vast archives of Hank and Huddie have provided some scratchy vinyl stimulus to these bluebilly/punkabilly/psychobilly musicians who seem hell-bent on raising those legendary spirits from the ground and giving us renewed faith in real American music. You may have to go to a back-alley club, vintage hot-rod meet, or some other nostalgia event to hear them, but that’s where you’ll find these bands that are so heavily influenced by great American traditional music.”  READ FULL REVIEW by Elliott Morehardt







Friday, July 12, 2013

Pig Fat Pigs (1997) -Jabberwocky



Artist: Pig Fat Pigs
Albums: Jabber Wocky
Release date:  1997
Quality: m4a ~270  
Size:  88 MB

“I found this beauty in the treasure trove of weird and rare records that is Forever Records. Besides the great band name what caught my eye about this record was a blurb that said something about "punkish lounge music" and a reference to the Lounge Lizards. I inquired further with Taro the owner of Forever Records and Osaka's No.1 source on obscure music and he described it as "junk jazz" and name dropped Tom Waits which was enough to make me drop some cash on this mysterious find.

 Turns out my intuition payed dividends. Unfortunatley despite scowering the net I've managed to turn up almost no information on the band so all I've got to go on are the scraps of info contained in the liner notes. The band were (are...?) a Kyoto 5 piece (guit, bass, drums, organ, sax) who as was promised play some excellent Tom Waits-esque Junk Jazz. It seems most of the songs were composed by bassist Shimizu Kosuke (Who now plays in accordion/contrabass duo Milk!Mama who are also well worth checking out.) while the lyrics and vocals are handled by Shiraishi Takahide. The vocals are mostly sung in a gravely, jibberish approximation of what I asume is supposed to sound like English with occasional sentences and phrases emerging from the cacophony of harsh, slightly off-tune and out of time guitars, sax and clinking-clanking junkyard percussion. "Life's too short to fuck your mom" is one that springs out from the opening track "Bore Bore" a twisted, elephant man like bastardisation of the Pink Panther theme. It's the exact sort of thing I can imagine Tom Waits sitting around tapping his crusty, yellow tabacco stained toes to while sipping on a bottle of illuminous green moonshine. You would be advised to do likewise.” © Begone Dull Care!

GREAT THANX to Capuchin, who found and shared this awesome record!


Friday, July 5, 2013

Verma (2013) -Coltan



Artist:  Verma
Albums:  Coltan
Release date: 2013
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 93 MB  

“‘Coltan’ (short for Columbite-Tantalite) is a dull, black, metallic ore used in the manufacture of tantalum capacitors, which you’ll nd in just about EVERY electronic device & the mining of which has caused a “resource curse” in The Congo. “Coltan” perfectly captures the intensity & desperation of the situation in the four extended improvisations, which take the listener on a hazy, sun-baked journey from the mellow shadows of opening track ‘Tantalite’ all the way to the synth-drenched buzz of closer ‘Wolframite’. “Coltan” veers slightly from Verma’s previous efforts, the band’s motorik krautrock drive has been tamed in favour of more atmospheric & abstract soundscapes.”© Trouble In Mind




Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (2013) -Diamond In Your Heart


 

Album: Diamond In Your Heart
Release date:  2013
Quality:  mp3 CBR 320
Size:  82 MB

“Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ Tōkyō Suka Paradaisu Ōkesutora?), commonly abbreviated by fans as Skapara or TSPO, is a Japanese ska and jazz band officially formed in 1988 by the percussionist Asa-Chang, and initially composed of over 10 veterans of Tokyo's underground scene. At the time, the band's sound was unlike that of any of its contemporaries in the then fledgling Japanese ska scene, and over the course of the past 21 years, their innovation has proved to have been very influential on Japanese music as a whole. Its sound, the product of the musical influences of its numerous members, is an eclectic mix of traditional ska, jazz, and rock. In the vein of many other more traditional ska acts, many of Skapara's songs are purely instrumental. Since its inception, the band has gone on several nationwide tours of Japan, and have toured extensively worldwide. They have collaborated with several vocalists outside of their band, including Shiina Ringo, Akira Kobayashi, Kyōko Koizumi, Schadaraparr, PUFFY, Yoshie Nakano and Tamio Okuda. They also performed the Japanese theme song to the PlayStation 2 game Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, entitled Black Jack."© wiki





Thursday, July 4, 2013

Various Artists (2012) -Trash Blues – Old School Sudamericass Monobandas



Artist: various
Albums: Trash Blues – Old School Sudamericass Monobandas
Release date:  2012
Quality: mp3 CBR 128 (cassette rip)
Size:  28 MB

 Great compilation of one man bands from Chile, Argentina, Brasil and Uruguay  
 


Saturday, June 22, 2013

Friday, June 21, 2013

Wall Of Death (2013) -Main Obsession



Artist:  Wall Of Death
Albums:  Main Obsession
Release date: 2013
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 120 MB

”At long last, Parisian trio Wall of Death will release their debut LP Main Obsession on June 11th, Main Obsession was produced and mastered by Brett Orrison, and featuring guest spots from The Black Angels' Christian Bland and Alex Maas. The band just finished a North American tour with The Black Angels, which kicked off with a performance at Austin Psych Fest 2013. With roots extending from America to old-world European culture, Wall of Death creates a sound that is powerful, heavy, haunting and visionary." @ soundcloud.com





Friday, June 14, 2013

VA (2010) -Slap That Bass! The Story Of Finnish Rockabilly & 50's Style Rock'n'Roll 1979-2009




Artist: various
Albums: Slap That Bass! The Story Of Finnish Rockabilly & 50's Style Rock'n'Roll 1979-2009
Release date:  2010
Quality: mp3 VBR
Size:  188 + 195 MB





Sunday, June 9, 2013

Vibravoid (2013) -Delirio Dei Sensi



Artist:  Vibravoid
Album:  Delirio Dei Sensi
Release date: 2013
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 140 MB  

“Vibravoid is one of those bands that give off a quite distinct vibe when listening to them. Throughout their latest album “Delirio Dei Sensi” I caught the vibe of a band trying to embrace the vast heritage of prog-rock and psychedelia while trying to compress it into the form of yet another studio album. While both being spaced out and incredibly focused, Vibravoid is one of those bands that I can’t quite decide where to put in my little categorization boxes – and 
as such, let’s just stick to the tunes they produce as they are of far greater importance here. Let’s start with the slightly quirky opening track that is a rendition of Serge Gainsbourg’s “Poupée De Cire”. The track is mainly driven by the organ/synth sounds and the hazy slightly stoned-sounding vocals. This upbeat track greatly reminds me of the Danish folk-psych band Elevatorfører because of the similarly upbeat and ‘happy-go-lucky’ approach to the psyche genre. As the album progresses, so does the runtime of the tracks as we reach the longest running track “The Golden Escalator” which clocks in at just about 13 minutes. This psychedelic journey, dominated by tremolo guitar, ping-ponging echoes, what seems to be a sitar and a vast array of other psychedelic musical textures, is like a small journey through an eastern part of your minds darkest depths. The journey is long and confusing, but in the end you feel satisfied and, well, mentally exhausted. But the journey doesn’t end there as the album once again picks up the pace for the last tracks of the album. The eastern influence continues on “Nearby Shiras” which rings with a familiar sound as the quiet whispers echo through my speakers to the sound of drumming and sounds vastly reminiscent to Pink Floyd’s “Set The Controls Heart For The Heart Of The Sun”. As the track evolves into an organ based jam filled with the banging of gongs and echoing sounds I am once again being reminded of the similarities between this track and the early 70’s version of Pink Floyd, prior to the Dark Side of the Moon. – Which really isn’t a bad thing; to be exact it’s actually just the kind of thing that I dig the most about albums like this. So, while Vibravoid actually never manages to reinvent music as we know it, they have created a masterful piece of progressive psych reminiscent of the greats in the genre, and I am happy about the fact that I actually took the time necessary to acquire this album. Vibravoid just got themselves a new fan, I can tell you that much.” ~ © BV @ ROCKFREAKS.NET





Friday, May 31, 2013

Jacco Gardner (2013) -Cabinet of Curiosities



Artist: Jacco Gardner
Albums: Cabinet of Curiosities
Release date:  2013
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size:  110 MB

”Jacco Gardner's debut album, Cabinet of Curiosities, is an impressive re-creation of late-'60s pop psych, especially coming from someone who's only in his mid-twenties. The Dutch studio wiz plays everything but the drums, and his music is full of harpsichords, organs, flutes, and Mellotron, taking in elements of the Left Banke, Sagittarius, the Zombies, and a thousand oddly named bands with at least one guy sporting a frilly mustache. The first track alone is like an encyclopedia entry for the sound -- "Clear the Air" is a frilly trifle with swooning Mellotrons, twinkling harpsichords, lyrics that take in ecological distress, war, and trippy dislocation, swirling background vocals, and minor-key melancholy. For extra psych points, Gardner uses the trick of singing in a deep, stilted voice in the chorus just like the Strawberry Alarm Clock might. The rest of the album follows suit with Gardner crafting pristine versions of gently pastoral psych that lend themselves to a healthy round of "spot the influence," but have enough of his own vision involved to turn out to be more than just pale imitations of a bygone era. The songs are more like Left Banke album tracks or cuts buried deep on a later volume of Rubble: they have the sound down perfectly and are mysteriously intriguing, but lack the hooks necessary to make the them stand out the way "Pretty Ballerina" or "She's Not There" do. That's a pretty tall order, though, and it's no mark of failure to say that Gardner isn't writing hits that will linger in brains and ring up sales. It's enough that he's made an album that sounds so good and authentically psych-like, and one that wraps the listener up in a warm embrace of misty melodies and cobwebbed arrangements. Play Cabinet of Curiosities back to back with a Nirvana (the paisley-clad U.K. version, of course) album and it will sound just right. That seems to be what Gardner is aiming for, and he succeeds. All he needs now is a mustache to go with the top hat he sports in the fuzzy photo that adorns the inside of the album." ~ by Tim Sendra @ allmusic.com


                                                                          


Monday, May 27, 2013

Various Artists (2007/2013) -MOJO Presents: Heavy Nuggets Vol. 1 & 2



Artist: various
Albums: MOJO presents: Heavy Nuggets Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
Release date:  2007 / 2013
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size:  155 / 175 MB

A great compilations of lost and well-known heavy psych bands from 60s-70s presented by MOJO Magazine. Enjoy!  
                                                                          


Sunday, May 5, 2013

Various Artists (2005/2011) - Bosporous Bridges Vol.1 & 2


Artist: various
Albums: Bosporous Bridges Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 – A Wide Selection Of Turkish Jazz And Funk 1969-1978
Release date:  2005 / 2011
Quality: mp3 CBR 320 / VBR
Size:  99 /69 MB

”I don’t know all that much about Turkish jazz-funk music, but the good thing about an album like this is that you don’t really need to know the stories behind the (in this case proggy-soul) bands before they went a whole different direction, broke up, or descended into relative obscurity. The songs stand on their own without context. Or maybe the lack of context just makes the whole listening experience better, by casting that sense of mystery and myth that eludes some bands you already “know.” ~ read full review @ tinymixtapes
                                                                          




Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Ceramic Dog (2013) -Your Turn



Artist:  Ceramic Dog
Album: Your Turn
Release date: April 30, 2013
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 118MB

”Second records are a bitch (or, if “bitch” is too offensive, “notoriously hard to nail down,” No? We thought about this one for 2 years - and even tried to make it a few times. Finally we got it right - meaning, we got it to sound wrong exactly like us.If you listen closely, you can hear the rage, hope, disappointment, ritual excess, love and anarchy that were in our personal and collective airspace during those years. There were (and - we hope - will continue to be) several kinds of riots going on (“Lies My Body Told Me,” “Bread and Roses”). And yes, the CD is “political,” (see “Avanti Popolo,” “Ain't Gonna Let Them Turn Me ‘Round”). But what fun is raging against the machine if you can't also rage against the bar line and the tonal system (“Take Five,” “Ritual Slaughter” “Your Turn”)? The astute listener will note our wry comment on the contradictions of producing a recording during the collapse of the industry which once paid for recordings to be produced ("We Are the Professionals,” “Masters of the Internet” and the attached manifesto). The very astute listener with really expensive headphones may hear the water pipes in the basement on Rivington and Allen where we recorded about half the tracks (the guitar amp isolation booth looked a lot like a bathroom). Those searching for rigorously applied formal constraints may have to wait. Ceramic Dogs just wanna have fun.” ~ ~ Marc Ribot





Sunday, March 31, 2013

Big Tubba Mista (2002) -Behind the Scenes



Artist:  Big Tubba Mista
Albums:  Behind the Scenes
Release date: 2002
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 117 MB  

“Without really looking, I've found the heirs-apparent to Royal Crown Revue. And while I'm not ready for that legendary band to step away from their microphones, it's encouraging to know that a septet from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is waiting in the wings. Big Tubba Mista has edge, energy, wit and chops to spare. They delve into Latin rhythms and Western style. And when it comes to "get up and dance", they've got it down to a science. Behind the Scenes, their third album, starts with "Los Caballeros Social Club", a Latin number less sultry than grotty with its slow, staccato rhythm. Next up is a slow swing-blues of rejection and remorse, the sonic 'Dear John letter' of "Walk Right Out". But where the album really takes off is the blistering, brassy "Two-Faced", featuring the horns of saxmen Shawn Snavely and Mikey Malone and trumpeter Matt Bowman. "If You Only Knew" saddles up for a ride into the country style, and is followed by perennial band favorite "Set 'em Up". Next up is "Come Dance With Me", an energetic tango disguised by Snavely's serpentine clarinet. Guitarist Eric Keptner gets a moment in the sun on the blues-drenched "Perfect Stranger", adding yet another genre to the band's list of accomplishments. "Gorgeous Hog" is the other side of the blues, a pre-war stride of double-entendre that's a personal favorite. The album also includes five live tracks that challenge the energy of Royal Crown's Caught in the Act, leading off with the uptempo swing of "Drive By". The pace stays hot through the jumpin' blues of "Baby, No More", and keeps rolling through an unusually jivin' rendition of the classic "St. James Infirmary". Then there's the still-hoppin' swing of "1, 2, 3", and if you haven't had a coronary yet, try to keep pace with "Killer On 37th Street". It's all top-notch dance fuel, and a fitting close to a very solid album.” ~ ~ by Dante Murphy



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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

The Growlers (2013) -Hung At Heart



Artist:  The Growlers
Albums: Hung At Heart
Release date:  2013
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size:  115 MB

”The phrase “burned out” has such bad connotations. When you consider the surfy, crunchy, entirely burned out party rock in the vein of The Growlers, that might just be something to aspire to. The So-Cal five-piece sound so comfortable being the stoned philosopher on Hung at Heart, hopping from party to party, delivering gems of lyrical wisdom in the midst of the thoroughly kicked out jams.
…Though much of the musical fun inherent in Hung at Heart comes easily, a few well-placed flourishes push out of complacency. The simplicity of loping bass and keyboard flutters on “One Million Lovers” battles with growing echo and outbursts of percussive ephemera. Falsetto backing vocals on “Pet Shop Eyes” complete the ’60s pop vibe, and the organ-heavy “It’s No Use” drifts occasionally into psychedelic red.
In every scenario, Nielsen delivers words of wisdom to the assembled onlookers without seeming to notice they’re looking. Whether they’re taking you to a rager at a beach house with the dance floor packed with revelers looking to hook up, or a crumbling studio apartment where a few scattered dudes settle in corners, The Growlers know how to deliver it precisely and then kick the scruff up a notch.”
~ read full review @ CoS