Oh yeah!! You might feel funny walking around with this bright, flashy yellow album, but not when you know the true awesome power of The Remains! It's hard not to judge a book by its cover though, which is why I was so surprised when this album so thoroughly rocked me the first time I heard it. Barry Tashian and The Remains used to cook it up for Boston audiences back in the mid 60s, and this record, though none of it recorded live, is still proof. The beauty is in their by-the-book formula: loud rhythm guitars, electric [...]
Hot Wacks is unquestionably the Wackers best album. Although at times a bit derivative of Abbey Road era Beatles (there's even a side 2 suite), Hot Wacks is really a lost power pop gem. In 1971, the Wackers released a strong debut, lushly produced by Gary Usher. While Usher was no doubt a great producer, some may find his production on Hot Wacks a little too slick. The songs and performances save the day though, and show the band maturing at a rapid rate. Bob Segarini, one of the band's founders, had been in Family Tree and Roxy [...]
Kaleidoscope ( UK ) makes me think of nothing but sunny day goodness. I happened on this band about a year ago in a cabin in Big Sur , CA . I was at a little music festival and "The Sky Children" came on. Immediately, my ears perked, many thoughts went through my head: "who is this, is this a new band that sounds like an old band or an old hidden gem; did I bring enough [...]
Farewell Aldebaran was one of the key albums that signified the end of the 60's. It's one of the great cult rock records with a beautiful meloncholy edge that few artists have equaled since. Farewell Aldebaran was released by the fabled Straight label in 1969. Both Judy Henske (folk) and Jerry Yester (production) had been in the music business for years before cutting this astonishing record. It's actually unbelievable that few people picked up on the great music this duo produced. After almost 40 years, this album comes off like a well worn classic. Every song is uniformly strong and [...]
Ok, I'll be honest with you here. And that's not to say that we're not honest folks at the rising storm. We try to recommend you only the best of what you may have missed. But... Montage just isn't for everybody, I think. Michael Brown, though not credited really, is the man behind this strange, beautiful album. His work with The Left Banke will go unmentioned for this review, as there's probably gonna be a storm, rising or not, regarding that miraculous group, from us sooner or later. But if you don't know the Left Banke, think The [...]
I remember, the first day I bought this album, I couldn't listen to it right away, I was at a party for something. But I clutched it and stared at it all night, because I knew I had something special in my hands. And I did. Smiley Smile usually gets the cold shoulder because it wasn't Smile , Brian's "teenage symphony to God" that never materialized ( oh, but it did a year or so ago ). However, if you would like to care more about what Smiley Smile is rather [...]
The Watersons are to English folk what the Carter Family are to American Country & Western music, an institution. Bright Phoebus is the white elephant in their great catalog, an album of original material (not one traditional cover amongst it's 12 songs!!). Mike and Lal Waterson wrote these compositions and trade off vocal duties throughout the album. A superstar cast of musicians (Martin Charthy and Richard Thompson handle guitars and backup vocals) assist them throughout, creating what some have called the Sgt. Pepper of the English folk scene. Bright Phoebus was released in 1972, [...]
This was Som Imaginario's (Imaginary Sound) debut album from 1970. A brazilian band that often backed the great Milton Nascrimento just as Os Mutantes had backed Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso on their early albums. In fact, this album could be seen as the perfect companion piece to Os Mutante's 1969 masterpiece, A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado . The band's name is very fitting, Som Imaginario is an invigorating blend of folk, soul, psychedelia, brit influenced pop, rock and brazilian homeland music. [...]
If you are a fan of British humor, Monty Python, John Cleese & Monty Python and all that stuff, than I highly highly highly highly highly highly highly highly HIGHLY highly highly highly highly recommend recommend that you check out THE BONZO DOG BAND. It's the subtlety, I think, that makes these bits of dialogue, silly orchestrations, and bizarre lyrics and song topics so growingly hilarious. It's better with each listen, and I can't recommend enough that you try this one out on a road trip (where more than one person is actually listening intently to an album, [...]
The Blue Things were a great band from the Midwest. They had a Beau Brummels Volume 2/From The Vaults sound crossed with some Gene Clark era Byrds. While they were extremely popular in the Midwest, the Blue Things never reached fame at a national level despite a great folk-rock album and some groundbreaking early psychedelic singles. The band started out releasing singles on independent (private) labels around 1964/65 with a strong Searchers or early Beatles flavor. Some of these singles such as Pretty Things-Oh! were very strong and deserved more attention. Eventually [...]
Though few would recognize them on the street today, these guys were the REAL rock stars of the summer of love (1967). First things first, this record is an explosion. It encapsulates the frantic power and inspired genius of this group in the brief moment that it existed. All members contributed songs to the record, giving each song a fresh feel within the triple-guitar rock/country/psych Grape sound. The songs are quick, great, and perfect illustrators of the San Fransisco sound from whence they came. So what gives? Well... they were rock stars. But let's just tell [...]
Though few would recognize them on the street today, these guys were the REAL rock stars of the summer of love (1967). First things first, this record is an explosion. It encapsulates the frantic power and inspired genius of this group in the brief moment that it existed. All members contributed songs to the record, giving each song a fresh feel within the triple-guitar rock/country/psych Grape sound. The songs are quick, great, and perfect illustrators of the San Fransisco sound from whence they came. So what gives? Well... they were rock stars. But let's just tell [...]
Maxfield Parrish's only album was released in 1972, well after the band had split up. Members from the great California band Kaleidoscope produced and played on this underappreciated record which was originally recorded in early 1969. Had this album seen release in 1969, it would have been regarded today, as an early, innovative slab of country-rock. It's A Cinch strongly recalls the Byrds' Notorious Byrd Brothers/Easy Rider era or even the New Riders early material (great stuff!!), with strong songwriting, superb musicianship and a few nifty psych/space rock moves. There are some great, catchy accoustic [...]
Maxfield Parrish's only album was released in 1972, well after the band had split up. Members from the great California band Kaleidoscope produced and played on this underappreciated record which was originally recorded in early 1969. Had this album seen release in 1969, it would have been regarded today, as an early, innovative slab of country-rock. It's A Cinch strongly recalls the Byrds' Notorious Byrd Brothers/Easy Rider era or even the New Riders early material (great stuff!!), with strong songwriting, superb musicianship and a few nifty psych/space rock moves. There are some great, catchy accoustic [...]
Few bands have had such an influence on modern underground and electronic music as krautrock heroes The Can, subsequently named just Can. I can't tell you how many times I have heard a song called "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" by Wilco, from their Ghost Is Born record come on at a friend's place, and jumped up saying "allrriight, Can!!" temporarily thinking my friend was much cooler than they were. If you know this song, and you love it, just know that it is the exact sound of Can, and a nice tribute in fact. The Can today is [...]
Few bands have had such an influence on modern underground and electronic music as krautrock heroes The Can, subsequently named just Can. I can't tell you how many times I have heard a song called "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" by Wilco, from their Ghost Is Born record come on at a friend's place, and jumped up saying "allrriight, Can!!" temporarily thinking my friend was much cooler than they were. If you know this song, and you love it, just know that it is the exact sound of Can, and a nice tribute in fact. The Can today is [...]
AHHH! I was listening to a Paul McCartney album the other day, thinking about how when you listen to his solo work, you can then go back and hear just what his contributions were to the Beatles. More likely, you can just tell when you hear the solo work, if the Beatles albums are as ingrained into your head as they should be. Similarly, we get that same opportunity with John Cale and the Velvet Underground, listening to Cale's brilliant Vintage Violence . Granted, Cale left the VU after their finishing their second album, but [...]
AHHH! I was listening to a Paul McCartney album the other day, thinking about how when you listen to his solo work, you can then go back and hear just what his contributions were to the Beatles. More likely, you don't even have to go back, if the Beatles albums are as ingrained into your head as they should be. We get that same opportunity with John Cale and the Velvet Underground, listening to Cale's brilliant Vintage Violence . Granted, John Davies (Day-viz, remember?) Cale left the VU after their finishing their second album, but [...]
The Insect Trust's only two albums are a great example of what would be called today, wyrd America . Back then, they did not have such terms and even still, it's unfair to label this individualistic band. They were often compared to San Fransisco bands such as the pioneering Jefferson Airplane, although this comparison really doesn't do them justice. Hoboken Saturday Night (1970), the band's sophomore effort usually gets the nod, or at least the most attention. Though it must be mentioned that most fans forget about this startling, groundbreaking debut. [...]
The Insect Trust's only two albums are a great example of what would be called today, wyrd America . Back then, they did not have such terms and even still, it's unfair to label this individualistic band. They were often compared to San Fransisco bands such as the pioneering Jefferson Airplane, although this comparison really doesn't do them justice. Hoboken Saturday Night (1970), the band's sophomore effort usually gets the nod, or at least the most attention. Though it must be mentioned that most fans forget about this startling, groundbreaking debut. [...]
The Rising Storm
Bison - Quill
Neutral Milk Hotel- Aeroplane Over the Sea
Shinichi Osawa – Big Beach Mix 2012
Mr Fogg - Eleven
