Crown Larks - Catalytic Conversion (2013)

Not many folks say “did you get a load of that clarinet solo on that track?” It is odd that many of the old European instruments that were once a staple of music and culture have been abandoned by popular music in this part of the world. I saw a Banda act play the other day, and I was reminded that in certain countries (and parts of this one for that matter), horns and brass are still featured prominently in music. 

Crown Larks from Chicago are a band that has found useful and exciting ways to use instruments outside of the familiar rock canon.  They put together what could accurately be described as Post-Rock, with long form songs that build to expressive highs and explode all over any basement apartment that's being channeled through.  What really helps this group stand out from their contemporaries is the creative instrumentation provided by Lorraine Bailey, the group’s member responsible for flute, keys, and clarinet. A track like “Pt. 4 Satrap” elevates these kids above the mere noodeling of music geeks with too much magnetic tape on their hands, and justifies a peek into just what is going on in the Windy City. 

They are heading out on a massive 40+ day tour soon, so check them out when they come to your town or regret it forever. 

Get it here:
Crown Larks - Catalytic Conversion (2013)

EP Grab Bag vol.30

Hugo Clarence – Boogie-Woogie Blues (2012)

No, you have not been magically transported to a run down honky-tonk in 1957, you have just put on the newest release from Lyon’s own Hugo Clarence. In two short songs, the sounds of the American south are processed through a Frenchman’s film and vinyl fused mind resulting in some very “old school” sounds that remain unsettling as they are satisfying. 

Girls on the Beach – Splif Tape (2013)

More strong surf revival jams from Orlando’s Girls on the Beach. Their newest piece is something you can put your finger on but can’t exactly pin down to any era or location. This is fuzzy surf rock put to cassette and may be enjoyed by ironic hipsters traveling with their fat old uncle to a Jimmy Buffet concert. Without knowing it, tracks like “.45” may very well end the fights you have been having with your relatives over what to put on while on a road trip in your old sedan.

Sea Lions – Cassette Tape (2010)

When I think of Oxnard, California the bubbling punk and skating culture comes to mind, but the city has produced a good number of fuzzy pop acts that were likely not as tough as that aforementioned scene. Bands like the Sea Lions were likely rocking Pavement while playing D&D. Neotomic Records has re-released this tape after it sat in obscurity for a few years, it is just too bad they don’t offer a digital copy for those of us not lucky enough to pick up these pop gems when it was available on tape.

Baby Ghosts – Let’s Always Hang Out Together, ok? (2012)

Don’t always judge a book by its cover. Well, this record you can, but there have been times when folks have submitted covers with cutesy anime characters that featured brutal drill-and-bass music. Nothing like that here on Baby Ghost’s first full length. Pop-punk melodies wrapped together with dueling female/male harmonies, this Salt Lake band’s sound may not be world-shattering, but they have crafted some fun music that would have possibly made it on to a mainstream alternative rock station if they still played music that was an “alternative” to the corporate music scene’s dictation.  I really enjoyed the track “Ghost School,” but I’ll understand if you find your own pop connection on this 12 track LP.

The Spyrals - ST (2012)

The Spyrals are from San Francisco have been making ever so small (yet persistent) ripples throughout the Bay Area music scene over the last year. They look the part, they have the sound, and as the cover to the right demonstrates, they come from another time. They rock out that lo-fi psychedelic garage rock sound that has been gaining prominence in the garage rock scene over the last year, and the Spyrals do it very well. "Disguise" is the standout track on their full length record, and warrants repeated listens, but there are few throw-aways on this 9 track adventure.

The digital download is not free, but it is worth listening to on their Bandcamp and then plopping down the 12 dollars for a slab of vinyl.

Get it here:
The Spyrals - ST (2012)

Coyotes in the Room - Violence (2013)

I love this band, not because they faithfully let me know of their new releases but because they each release is unbelievably enjoyable especially considering their prolific production of music. Almost seems like they've been able to make music faster than I've been able to post as of late, which is my bad; shit's been horrid in Detroit (who'd have guess, right?) but I'm gonna try to post more. This release is fine reminder why I ever started doing this blog to being with. Mildly washed out, folksy and harmonic it is a great example of modern psychedelic sound. I've been trending towards music that isn't overwhelming lately (the occasional listen to King Blood on a hungover morning excluded), and this is the sort of finely done songs I can really get down with listening to during work, reading or most any other mundane task required to occupy my time and bring it, even if every so slightly, to a more sublimely peaceful experience.

To be had here:
Coyotes in the Room - Violence

Werewolf Police - The Moderation Blues (2013)

I lived in Connecticut for some time back in 2005. I worked around New Britain, which is just a stone’s throw from the town of Berlin. A beautiful place with lots of lovely buildings, and a dreadfully humid summer buttressed by an icy winter. It’s the state that has houses between larger, more important communities to the north and the south, and has had to live with that reputation for as long as it has existed. 

Thankfully, some good acts do come out of the state. I heard plenty at house shows 8 years ago, and I get a slow (but constant) stream of submissions from Connecticut. The newest of which is one featured at SpaceRock previously: a band called Werewolf Police. Sharp hooks and reverb soaked vocals combined with a healthy love from the 90s lo-fi culture have resulted in their superb The Moderation Blues.  The record has the same aesthetic of their previous releases, but this set pushes their songwriting techniques and recording strategies to new levels. Undesired Raincloud captures my personal feelings about my time in Connecticut precisely, while Difficult Liquids so perfectly mimics the sound of the region that it could be taught at Wesleyan University. 

This is great stuff, and since it is free to download, there should be no reason you don’t check it out.

Get it here:

Werewolf Police - The Moderation Blues (2013)

Fatal Jamz - Vol. 1 (2013)

GNAR Tapes has been putting out an impressive number of out-there pop records over the last few years. They had a SXSW showcase this year, and have released splits with the always awesome Burger Records. Fatal Jamz is just one of those releases.

This tape is the work of Marion Belle of Bowery Beasts and Dan Horne of Beachwood Sparks, so you know the pop pedigree here is top-notch. Take out the Beach Boys inspired surf-rock used in some 50s summer flick and throw Fatal Jamz in its place, and you will have a workable soundtrack with just a tad more psychedelia. It’s polished, laid back, and I dare say timeless in its execution. 

Download it it here:

Fatal Jamz - Vol. 1 (2013)

Buy the tape:

GNAR Tapes

Ttotals – Spectrums of Light (2013)

Nashville’s country music scene is world renowned, and takes up most of the ink used when discussing the city’s soundscape. Yet, this southern jewel has had a simmering southern psychedelic scene bubbling just underneath the city’s denim and leather exterior. If you happen to take the wrong right on your way to the Grand Ole Opry, you may just end up in a dank basement bar with a pummeling wall of acid drenched riffs ripping out any Carter Family lyrics attached to your tongue.

Ttotals play to this subversive mold. You hear a love for classic Southern Rock in this band’s work, but they won’t be playing any state fairs with this sound. This two piece puts together a solid resonance for a two piece that isn’t worried to slip into destructive hallucinations when the time requires. They happen to be on tour, and can be found playing a slew of shows in the south during April, including the always awesome Austin Psych Fest.

Get the stuff here:
Ttotals – Spectrums of Light (2013)

T.E.A.M.S - Sierra City Center (2013)

Sense of beat: troubled
An Epic distant reverb 
To build peace and bliss

Get it here:
T.E.A.M.S - Sierra City Center (2013)