The Dandy Warhols - This Machine (2012)

I don’t claim to understand the Dandy Warhols most of the time, I just sit back and enjoy the ride. This Machine offers some familiarity, with the pulsating baselines and laid-back attitude of “Sad Vacation” or the hypnotic rhythm and breathy vocals of “Autumn Carnival”. However, as always, there is something new and interesting. This Machine is heavier, exposing an often grinding and violently strummed guitar. The upbeat “Enjoy Yourself”, along with “SETI vs. the WOW signal”, playfully bringing together an almost mocking tone in the lyrics with pounding and often rough instrumentation. A couple of surprising combinations are the haunting ballad “Well They’re Gone” which easily sets the mind to wander, which contrasts inquisitively with the uplifting guitar and horns combo of “I Am Free”. But what would be a Warhols' album without the psychedelic meditative trance and lighter-than-air vocals of “Don’t Shoot She Cried”, chased by a strong dose of the Dandy 'weird' in "Side" to finish off the album, right? As a whole, This Machine has is paired-down with less synth and less of the catchy hooks present in previous albums, but it still exudes a great energy.

Scotch Howard - "Hit the Wall" Music Video

The long awaited, much anticipated debut music video for Scotch Howard's single "Hit the Wall" has hit the airwaves. We discussed the tantalizing elements of Scotch Howard's  psychedelic electro-rock release some time ago here, and even still the album hasn't lost its je ne sais quoi. Shot in Los Angeles and directed by Scotch Howard himself, the video takes you on a psychedelic journey into the depths of a... rambunctious backyard dance party. The video is a winner -- not only capturing the trippy, hand-clappin' drive of the "Hit the Wall" song, but the feel-good tone of the entire album as well. Have a look and listen...

Portugal. The Man - In The Mountain In The Cloud (2011)

In The Mountain In The Clouds opens with the super catchy “So American” -- a blast of falsetto driven psychedelic rock n’ roll announcing that Portugal. The Man is back. They may now be on Atlantic Records, after stints with Equal Vision and Fearless Records, but the major label hasn’t disrupted the quality of their songwriting that made them a QuickCrit favorite. As with all of their recent albums, their sound continues to evolve. In The Mountain is not as sexy or funky as last year’s American Ghetto, ditching its glitchy electronic buzz and replacing the psychedelic soul of the Satanic Satanist, with cosmic glam. It all makes for even greater sonic grandeur on songs like the anthemic “Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now)" or the soaring “Everything You See (Kids Count Hallelujahs).” Guitars swirl and ring while the vocals alter pitch and pace. Lyrically, singer/guitarist John Gourley is still grappling with life in 21st century America. He seems to accept that we may all be fucked, but that’s just fate, and we might as well “be cool with it.” The songs build, crash and flow together nicely, closing with the "Sleep Forever", which escalates slowly into a wonderfully epic ballad -- a perfect closer to a fantastic album.

The Cave Singers - No Witch (2011)

I really like The Cave Singers, but it doesn’t take much of a listen to realize that they are not for everyone. Abrasive at times, they shift from blusey to psychedelic, raw to spiritual from track to track, with the primary constant being Pete Quirk’s nasally rasp. The primarily folk rock trio features connections to Murder City Devils and Pretty Girls Make Graves, but don’t expect to recognize too many similarities with those two well-known Seattle flavors on No Witch. The bulk of the album is solid with a broad range of influences that pull the folk base in different directions and although repetitious and relatively simplistic, The Cave Singers bring a truly original sound, devoid of immediate comparisons. The bluesy, foot-stomping of “Black Leaf” may be the most rollicking and accessible of the tracks simply because its thumping pace forces one to dance much like a Hillstomp hoedown. In contrast, the remainder of the album (with the exception of "No Prosecution If We Bail") saunters along in a much more subdued fashion. If you are like me and enjoy Quirk's raspy vocal stylings, then this is a release that is not to be missed.

Currently on tour, they will be playing The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on March 10th.

The Dandy Warhols - "This Is The Tide"

I've been a fan of The Dandy Warhols for a long time. Although I definitely loved and listened to Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia the most, every album has a couple songs I latch onto. Although I've seen them a couple times, I've actually never seen them in Portland. Lucky for me, they are playing the Crystal Ballroom on Sunday with Blue Giant. It should be a great show, especially since they are out on tour promoting their recently released greatest hits album, which actually does actually contain many of my favorite songs. Of course, being the Dandies you can expect them find plenty of room to jam and bliss out on hypnotic rhythms.

"This Is The Tide" is the only new song off The Capitol Years 1995-2007.

Portugal. The Man - "Guns And Dogs" Video

It seems weird to me that Portugal. The Man keeps releasing videos for songs off The Satanic Satanist. Granted, it was a great album, one of my favorites, but American Ghetto was pretty damn good too and it came out this year. I wonder if those videos wills start coming out after their next album.

Top 5 Portugal. The Man Songs

This list is for a friend who, although she reads this blog, has never listened to Portugal. The Man.

While I had heard a couple Portugal. The Man songs before The Satanic Satanist, that album made me a fan. I liked it so much, I was sure I was going to be disappointed by American Ghetto. I was wrong; it's just as awesome. I could have chosen 5 songs from either of those albums.

5. "Lay Me Back Down" (Censored Colors)
This is the sole representative from their earlier, wilder and darker sound. Like two songs pasted together, psychedelic visions and hard metallic riffs are juxtaposed against a light and bouncy piano.



4. "60 Years" (American Ghetto)
The song drifts in a funky haze until it is lifted out of the sludge by the sweet and lilting chorus.



3. "Do You" (The Satanic Satanist)
A perfect merging of fuzzed-out classic rock riffs and soulful, imploring vocals. So good.



2. "The Dead Dog" (American Ghetto)
Funky electronic swirls surround dark musings on America's economic divisions. It makes bottoming out sound bad ass.



1. "People Say" (The Satanic Satanist)
A couple sweet guitar lines and a great sing along chorus raise what could be a dour meditation on war and loss into a killer lead single and what should be a future rock anthem.

Slabtown Bender 2010 Lineup

Since I didn't know most of the lineup for this year's Bender, I had to hit up MySpace to help plan my weekend. I've included the band's rough genre, based on the few songs I heard, and their hometown, which was necessary for some of the most Google-unfriendly bands. After listening my way through the list I'm pretty amped and I know I'm going to have to bring plenty of extra cash for albums.

Friday 2/5 (Doors at 5, show at 6)
Howie and the Hotknives (Portland) garage rock
Idle Times (Seattle) psychedelic rock/garage rock
Blank-its (Seattle) punk rock
The Bugs (Portland) punk rock
Bipolaroid (New Orleans) psychedelic rock
The Girls (Seattle) post punk/synth rock
Ty Segall (San Francisco) garage rock/lo-fi
Coconut Coolouts (Seattle) garage rock
Bare Wires (Oakland) 70's punk rock/power pop
Head (Seattle) pop punk

Saturday 2/6 Matinee (Doors at Noon, show at 2)
East Wenatchee Iowa/Cougar? (Portland) indie punk/lo-fi
Foxgloves (Portland) boy-girl indie pop/power pop
Junior’s Gang (Portland)
Old Growth (Portland) punk rock/hard rock

Saturday 2/6 (Doors at 5, show at 6)
Thee Headliners (Portland) garage blues
Sons of Bitches (Portland) country punk
The Sandwitches (San Francisco) female-fronted garage pop/indie
Shannon and the Clams - (Oakland) female-fronted punk
Lord Von Raven (Oakland) glam/garage rock
Greg Ashley (Oakland) psychedelic folk
King Louie and the Missing Monuments (New Orleans) garage rock
Cheap Flight (Portland) Steve Turner of Mudhoney's brand new band
The Teutonics (Germany) retro garage rock

Sunday 2/7 Matinee (Doors at Noon, show at 2)
Denizenz (Portland) punk rock
Timecopz (Vancouver, BC) punk rock
Burning Yellows (Portland) indie pop/lo-fi
Nectarine Pie (Oakland) psychedelic rock/garage rock

Sunday 2/7 (Doors at 5, show at 6)
TherapistS (Portland) punk
Indian Wars (Vancouver, BC) garage rock
Manic Attracts (Vancouver, BC) punk rock/lo-fi
Dirty Cupcakes (San Francisco) female-fronted punk rock
Pity Fucks (Portland) garage rock/punk rock
Dead Ghosts (Vancouver, BC) garage rock
The Leaders (Portland) psychedelic rock
Pure Country Gold (Portland) garage blues
The Mean Jeans (Portland) Ramones-style punk rock
Spider Babies (Portland) punk rock
Pierced Arrows (Portland) hard rock/garage rock

The Horrors - Primary Colours (2009)

Recommended highly by a trusted musical resource/friend who told me I would love The Horrors, especially this record since it touches upon every musical genre I live for. Not worth the hype, not brilliant, not a fan. I was so excited to immerse myself in this album, but it was such a big disappointment. This one makes Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" seem like a successful concept album. I don't even want to talk about it.

Empire Of The Sun - “Eclipse Broadcast” Video

Jeff The Brotherhood - Heavy Days (2009)

Just as rumors about an October garage festival here in Portland, featuring just about every band I love, have kicked me off on a serious fuzzbox bender, along come Jeff The Brotherhood, pumping out catchy lo-fi rock n' roll. Like the Japandroids, this two man band includes plenty of psychedelic-tinged and fuzzed-out jamming, "Heavy Krishna" being a stellar example. The real standouts, however, are the title track, with its clipped punk vocals and sweet classic rock riffs, and "Bone Jam" with it's bashing drums and surf oooh-uh-oooh's. Overall, the songs are simple, the lyrics indiscernible, and the guitar distorted and awesome.

Check out the video – they spent a ton on special affects. I like to think that the third man is playing the leaf blower.

Amazing Baby - Rewild (2009)

Amazing Baby's Rewild has all the elements that I love in an indie psych album: space rock guitars, chugga-chugga drums, abstract chants, dance beats, and layered vocals. The songs perfectly balance the shimmering experimental jams of the Secrete Machines with the all-but-the-kitchen-sink glam pop of MGMT. Best of all, the songs remain tight and catchy. Of course, my immediate favorites were the ones I loved off their free Infinite Fucking Cross EP — "Headdress", "The Narwhal" and "Pump Your Breaks" — but the new additions are just as good. I especially like the astral and glittery "Bayonets", the tambourine bashing and echo laden "Kankra", and the propulsive and slinking guitar riddled "Deerripper". "Roverfrenz" even features clattering beats that recall recent Animal Collective. Somehow they pull it all together and live up the high expectations set by the EP.

Hopewell - Good Good Desperation (2009)

I absolutely loved Hopewells last two albums, so I'm a bit bummed that Good Good Desperation doesn't consistently reach the same heights as Beautiful Targets. However, they seem to be going in a slightly different direction, opening up the songs, slowing some of them down, and incorporating more found sounds. Although the album is a bit of a mixed bag, the standouts still kick ass. The title track builds and crashes behind a chaotic mix of shouted lyrics, random yelps and ticking clocks, making for a epic and awesome psychedelic jam. Throughout the album tom heavy drum beats propel songs, sometimes into beautiful vocal choruses, like on "Islands", and other times into a massive guitar freakouts, like on the "Stranger". "Realms Of Gold" and "Over The Mountain" are also pretty sweet.

Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound - When Sweet Sleep...

Like Howlin' Rain, the Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound play psychedelic rock I can get into. Probably because, for all the jamming, the songs on When Sweet Sleep Returned never slip into a dirge or get bogged down in slow muddy riffs. Sure, there's a hell of a lot of wailing guitars and pounding drums -- and listening to this album will likely get you stoned -- but even at 7 minutes, songs like "Two Birds Sang" keep me interested. It and "Kolob Canyon", one my other favorites, both incorporate in bits of Gram Parson and the Byrds' country sound of Southern California. The songs ebb and flow between harder and lighter fare creating a very cohesive album.

Soundtrack of our Lives - Communion (2009)

24 songs is a lot of songs, but hey, TSOOL make some of the most consistently enjoyable retro psych garage rock and 2002's Behind The Music was awesome. With that many songs, there was bound to be a couple clunkers, but overall, it's another solid album in a genre I seem never to get tired of listening to. It's full of power chords, chanted choruses and, well, rocking out - or at least those are the songs I like best. If you hate Oasis or Ocean Colour Scene, this probably isn't for you. What the hell is up with that album art?

Surf City - Surf CIty EP (2008)

"Headin' Inside" kicks things off with ringing surf guitars, and boisterous party vocals. It's a short burst of melodic energy that announces this short 6 song EP is going to be awesome. The guitars sound like the Velvet Underground covering surf classics with a light haze distortion, which is another way to say it is indebted to shoegaze. However, the tone is really different – these guys have a lot more energy and don't ever come across as morose. This is music for a good time. On "Heading Inside" and "Dickshakers Union" the vocals have similar clipped phrasing to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The beat coupled with the vocal repetition in "Canned Food" reminds me of a bit of New Order. Throughout the EP lyrics are shouted over building chord progressions, chimes ring, and drum beats keep the pace poppy and fun. Seriously, I love every song.

Amazing Baby - Infinite Fucking Cross EP (2008)

All four songs on this EP are great and although they all more or less can be described as psychedelic rock, they cover a broad spectrum touching on glam, indie, and garage rock. Like MGMT, the band plays with sound textures, layering guitars, sound effects and choruses, while never loosing sight of the song and hook. "Pump Yr Brakes" rides heavy rough-edged guitar riffs, but the vocals and chorus keep it out of the sludge. "The Narwal" starts with hypnotic rhythmic guitar and drum beat and then introduces wordless backing vocals that recall the recent glam rock of Pop Levi or David Vandervelde. "Supreme Being" is dreamy, with chiming guitars, and chanted/sung vocals. "Head Dress" speeds things up, reminding me of All Night Radio with its low level-distortion shimmering over a beat that gets you nodding with it's ebb and flow. All in all, it is a solid four songs. I can't wait to hear more from them. Oh, and you can get it free on their website. Sweet.

School Of Seven Bells - Alpinisms (2008)

School of Seven Bells play dreamy, but not too sleepy electronica. It's fronted by two sisters - their similar voices overlapping and creating harmonies as the beats chug along. I don't usually follow this type of music, but the guitarist from the Secret Machines quit that band to join this one and that got me interested. Some songs incorporate exotic and sometimes slightly discordant world instrumentation in a way that reminds me of music on the Theivery Corporation's ESL label. Songs like "Face To Face On High Places" and "Wired For Light" are beautifully hypnotic, the lyrics chanted and sung over the clickity click of electronic beats. However, like a quite a bit electronic music, it can get a little repetitive after a while, especially on the 12 minute "Sempiternal/Amaranth". Overall, the album would be the perfect soundtrack for a chill urban lounge.

The Upsidedown - Human Destination (2008)

How you feel about the Dandy Warhols will probably influence how you feel about the Upsidedown. Like the Dandies and Brian Jonestown Massacre they mostly play psychedelic garage rock indebted to Lou Reed and the sweeter side of shoegaze bands. Hushed guy-girl vocals float over alternating rock solid and tranquil grooves, rather than being submerged in waves of distortion. This is music for chilling out - it's low on hooks, but still gets you to nod along. For the most part they avoid tedious jams by reigning the songs in around 3 minutes and mixing in a couple of solid singles: "If You Are Hell Girl" is mostly a simple but catchy chorus and "Halo" chugs along with some sweet Nugget riffs.

The Dandy Warhols - Earth To The Dandy Warhols (2008)

The Dandy Warhols have always had a knack for writing catchy rock 'n roll, however, they also love burying the hooks in 7 minute guitar squall. Fortunately, this albums keeps the overly long and pointless jams to a minimum. "The World And People Together (Come On)" kicks things off with a hip shake ready for the dance floor. The album still grooves and jams, they just contain it this time and keep it movin'. Most of the time I can't tell what the hell they are saying, let alone singing about, but they're having fun and I'm having fun, so who cares. After a few disappointing albums sprinkled with good singles, they finally create a cool album again. Although it doesn't have a knockdown awesome single like "Last High", this might be their best album since 13 Tales from Urban Bohemia. Also check out "Talk Radio" and "Mis Amigos".