Weekend Music Roundup

 

It's another weekend, the first official post-Trump weekend. It's been a rainy week around my parts and I've been trying to match my listening to the soundtrack to the weather. As a result, there is a lot of psychedelic folk and metal on here, two genres that I often turn toward in the fall. Some of them are new, some not so new, but all new to me over the past several weeks. Enjoy.

Big Blood - Operate Spaceship Earth Properly: I don't know how I missed this album when it came out two years ago. I'm usually on top of everything this husband/wife from Maine release. They are one of the most original psychedelic folk outfits today and having been consistently tapping into my wave length for well over a decade. This is one of their more experimental albums, expanding the psychedelic aspects and sinking the folk into the undertones.  Another fantastic record.

 

A Blaze of Feather - Labyrinth: The second album from the British indie band is equal parts indie folk and equal parts mellow experimental rock, a combination that creates a nice sound. The guitarist was in a band called Haven about twenty years ago, a band who I really enjoyed. This is a very melodic and ethereal album, the kind that I really enjoy hearing while I'm working. "Witching Hour," "Fields," and "Clock Hands" are my personal favorites.  

 

Dungeon Weed - Mind Palace of the Mushroom God: The debut album from the Oakland sludge metal band was released at the end of summer. The moment I saw the cover and read the title, I simply had to give it a listen. As one might expect, it's heavy stoner metal. As one may not suspect from the comical name and title is that it's a competent rock record. Very Sabbath influenced, and very much in line with Electric Wizard. "Beholder Gonna Fuck You Up," "Lumbering Hell," and "Mind Palace" are stand out tracks. 

 

Big Black Cloud - Dark Age: The 2010 first album under this name from the band formerly known as Here Comes a Big Black Cloud from the Portland lo-fi noise rock band is an album I picked up on a whim during the local shop's used vinyl sale on Record Store Day. It's their third album. This definitely has an 80's dark punk sound, something akin to Christian Death but much more lo-fi. It's chaotic and frenzied, and that's the appeal. 

 

Night - High Tides - Distant Skies: The fourth album from the Swedish band is their first in three years. This is a power metal throwback to the late 80s and NWOBHM bands. There's been a lot of these bands over the past half-decade, bands like The Sword and others, some which nail it and other that don't. I wouldn't say Night nails it, but they do a decent job of capturing the energy of the sound. "Give Me to the Night" and "Under the Moonlight Sky" are the real standout tracks for me.

 

Grin - Gone Crazy: The forth and final album from Nils Lofgren's early 70s band formed after he left Crazy Horse and years before joining the E-Street Band. Released in '73, this album is very much blues based rock of the time, but Nils is an exceptional guitarist and this album really show that. My local shop was having a 30% sale on used vinyl and I picked up a white label promo of this one for under $10. Money well spent.