Album Reviews
Say Psych: Album Review: Has A Shadow – Sorrow Tomorrow
South America has become the latest melting pot to produce some fantastic neo-psychedelic rock sounds and Has A Shadow from Guadalajara, Mexico, are one of the least known of these bands. However, after a slot on this years Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia, their exposure has increased exponentially, and with this comes the announcement of …
Album Review: Wojciech Golczewski – End Of Transmission
Just when you think you’ve got the year in music all wrapped up with a nice, decorative bow an album pops out from the great ether and grabs you by the lapels and says “You’re not done yet, pal!” That album for me is Wojciech Golczewski’s End Of Transmission. Golczewski is a film composer that …
Reissue: Theatre Of Hate – Westworld (3cd deluxe reissue)
The official rerelease and remaster of Westworld, Theatre of Hate`s first album. TOH came to the forefront in the early 1980`s, I was lucky enough to see them at that time at Plymouth Top Rank, supported by Southern Death Cult pre the release of this album in 1982. The distinct sound of Brandons vocals and …
Album Review: Various Artists: Action Time Vision: A Story of UK Independent Punk 1976-1979
A cracker of a new 4CD Box Set released for the 40th anniversary of Punk. Not that the anniversary should swing you into buying this, if it had come out in the last 20 years it should still be in your CD collection. There have been a few Punk Compilations over the years, some poor …
Album Review: The Emerald Down – Scream The Sound
The Emerald Down, a band who Ian Watson (Rolling Stone/NME/BBC 6 Music) ranked among “the more innovative fringes of rock and electronica”, have re-released what has been deemed a lost classic on Saint Marie Records. Its original release in 2001 (the height of shoegaze’s ‘uncool’ period) on a small label in America unfortunately saw the release sink …
Album Review: Body/Head – No Waves
I remember being pretty floored by Coming Apart, the first record by the Kim Gordon/Bill Nace avante noise band Body/Head. In fact, I can remember thinking how on the edge that album was. Piercing, jagged guitar squalls mixed with Kim Gordon’s improvised vocal belting made for a compelling listen back in 2013. The record felt …
Album Review: Dr. Dog – Abandoned Mansion
Like a friend wanting to console you after a great disappointment, Dr. Dog have emerged from the wilderness of the post-election shock and awe to give us something to ease our worried minds and pained hearts. It seems the Philly folk/soul/rock philistines entered their studio and for two weeks belted out a song a day …
Say Psych: Album Review, Junkyard Liberty – Chains
Appearing from the French undergrowth, Junkyard Liberty are a a psychedelic folk rock six-piece who draw deeply from the likes of Jefferson Airplane, The Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan and Buddy Holly and are the fifth band thrust forth from Wrong Way Records. With a politically loaded name which will resonate in these times we are …
Album Review: Battery Operated Orchestra – Radiation
Initially out in September, we hang our heads in shame that it took us until now to discover and write about Battery Operated Orchestras second album, Radiation. Much as you’d be right to be wary of well-turned-out folk touting synths these days (by now Half Man Half Biscuit’s Adam Boyle will have further ditched the …
Say Psych: Album Review, Made in the Machine by Sun Dial
It now seems a very long time ago since I last wrote a Sun Dial review, back at the beginning of January this year. To say that a lot of water, together with all sorts of flotsam and jetsam, has flown since then would be an absolute understatement. Amidst this great uncertainty I think many …