Boredoms spit out some extras along with a fabulous live DVD of Yamakata tearing it up in style.

	Boredoms - Live at SunFlancisco Bonus Disc Ok so kind of a cheater in the Singles category but as usual the Boredoms are hard to categorize. Coming off of a DVD recording of the Boredoms live in San Francisco (or perhaps SunFlancisco), the video
was accompanied by a two track Boredoms release that's just too good not to mention. While the DVD captures the band's first ever official live recording, the bonus tracks are pure rhythmic fury unleashed as only Yamakata-EYE and co. could do it. This is credited as Yamakata's breakbeat project but it still sounds like the usual primal madman hysterics that he's perennially entrenched in. This one's a Japanese import but worth it both for the live video and the bonus disc. Download: [MP3] Boredoms - Relerer Support the artist. Buy it HERE

D. Charles Speer & The Helix

Picking up not far from where he left off on Some Forgotten Country ex No-Necker D. Charles Speer (ne Dave Shuford) lays another pull from the roots on us. With the addition of The Helix, Shuford digs less from the pscyhe bent that permeated his last release and instead leans heavy into his debt to the country folk-blues that his rusted baritone was made for. The band moves from lonesome to exuberant, but work best when prosthelitizing the worst and lowest of times. The title of After Hours brings to mind last call bar bands and the smell of stale beer in the nostrils and D. Charles and the Helix bring every bit of that into the music on this record. You can feel the beer soaked wood under your hands and the claustrophobic clutch of cigarettes at the back of your throat. Shuford has proven himself as not only a singular entity in his post NNK days but also a great American songwriter.

Download:
[MP3] D. Charles Speer & The Helix - Sit Right There
[MP3] D. Charles Speer & The Helix - Single Again

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Sun Araw

A solo outing from one of RSTB's newfound faves, Magic Lantern turns out to be just as engaging, though not quite as ear-splittingly raucous. Lantern's guitarist Cameron Stallones has released a short press CD-r in the form of Sun Araw. Burnt sea odes to forgotten gods permeate every inch of The Phynx only further endearing me to the Lanterns' camp. Death-bed blues give way to feedback drones clouds that sweat inexorable lyrics. This one is short but leaves nothing to want with two long-form murk incantations torched with the dirtiest brand of fuzz L.A. has to offer and two shorter tracks that don't let up on your senses despite their truncated times. Again Not Not Fun strikes gold and it won't last long, this one's limited to 155 so grab one while you can.

Download:
[MP3] Sun Araw - Hive Burner

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Well I am a sucker for requests so to the commenter who pointed out that it's been a while since the last RSTB mixtape, you're right, I've been delinquent in posting a new one. This time 'round the mixtape is filled with a few from the vaults (High Rise, Sleep, As Mercenarias), a few new faces (Whalebones, El Guincho, Blank Dogs, Religious Knives) along with some new music from RSTB faves Giant Skyflower Band and a collaboration between Xiu Xiu and Grouper. If you're a longtime reader you know where to head but for any new faces the mixtapes are up in the navigation section under the button marked "mixtape". It'll open in a new window. Enjoy!

Ancestors

Ancestors play a fitting homage to the grandfathers of metal on their debut album Neptune with Fire. Just as Sabbath knew that the greatest darkness didn't always lie in the murky waters of heavy riffs (you better believe Planet Caravan is pure Dark Matter), Ancestors know how to ease the fire back and stoke it with a spacey calmness before hitting hard once more with all the ferocity and pummel that come from a true two fisted metal assault. Though the album is only two tracks, each one side of an LP, both tracks work in movements from dark to light; showing just as much skill in the thunderous intonation of war as the spacey tones of retribution. It's been a while (since Sleep maybe) that a heavy band of this fortitude had come along and blown me away. Speaking of Sleep, the cover of Neptune with Fire was drawn by none other than Arik Roper, who's responsible for the cover of Dopesmoker and the equally impressive new Earth album The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull. Nice to see North Atlantic doing it right by putting the band's debut out on gatefold LP.

Download:
[MP3] Ancestors - Neptune With Fire (Edit) (Sorry for the sample but the album is only two tracks long)


Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Two Different and yet both very stirring sides to 60's British Folk. On one side a very communal and warm album radiating with togetherness that so much music from the generation attempted to capture, on the other side, a more lonesome and singular folk vision that teems with personal reflection.

	Heron - Heron Heron's self-titled debut echoes the warmth of Simon and Garfunkel quite nicely. The songs, though very personal, also ring with a very communal folk vibe that stems from the close harmonies and bittersweet melodies. That the record achieves
the closeness it does is in itself an accomplishment as it was recorded in a fashion that would almost contradict this possibility. Recorded entirely outdoors next to the River Thames, the sunny atmosphere shines through every bit of the album. This is good from start to finish, really coming together as an "album" and not just a collection of songs. Heron went on to record one other album during the early 70's and then fell very low-key releasing some music here and there but never as accomplished as they were at this time. Download: [MP3] Heron - Car Crash [MP3] Heron - Upon Reflection Support the artist. Buy it HERE
	Roy Harper - Flat Baroque and Berserk On the other side of the British folk spectrum lays Roy Harper, no communal vibes flow from him, a consummate loner known more for his long-form later works and his effect on heavier British Bands. This
release sees Harper at his most stripped down and folk oriented. Strongly personal, both sef-reflective and self-deprecating, this album is best known for the long cut "I Hate The White Man". At times evoking Dylan, or Donoavan these songs strip away much of the some of the roughness of his usual style. Focusing on Harpers guitar and strong yet gentle vocals these are probably the most heartfelt and emotional of Harper's songs, which makes them as essential to his catalog as anything on the more famous Stormcock. Download: [MP3] Roy Harper - Don't You Grieve [MP3] Roy Harper - Another Day Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Offonoff

You'd be hard pressed to find a lack of talent in a band that formed out of an earlier collaborative effort with Jim O'rourke, Thurston Moore and Mats Gustafsson. Add to that the fact that the members are also known collaborators with The Ex, Lightning Bolt and some of Europe's most prominent free jazz musicians and this seems pretty damned interesting... at least from where I stand. Smalltown Superjazz has put out a tortured soul of a debut from this trio and this thing is gonna melt speakers. Improvised and laid to tape, it locks in unimaginable grooves only kick out when you'd least expect it to while the musicians subject their instruments to a kind of strangulation I'd be pleased to steer clear of. Nihilistic vibes that will either make you dance or break bones and maybe a little bit of both. Terrie Ex and Massimo Pupillo flail at their instruments like men of intent but the real damage comes in the form of drummer Paal Nilssen-Love who must shop for drum heads more than he shops for groceries, punishment never sounded so good. Man it's been a while since I really got into a free-improv release but Clash kicks to the back of the skull like the best.

Download:
[MP3] Offonoff - Rabbit Punch (patience its a bit long)

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Earth and Sir Richard bishop prove that all good things happen on tour, things like limited edition split 12"s.

	Earth/ Sir Richard Bishop - Split Tour 12" Both bands bring things down to the meditative level on this super limited tour only release. The Earth track is parched with the same desert dust that has kept them going through the past few releases
but with a bit of high plains movement in the guitar that has only shown through on their latest. In all truth it's just the band's Dylan Carlson picking at his guitar but with a bevy of effects he sounds like he's got the whole band with him; a damn rhythmic release, at least by Earth's standards. On the flip, Bishop keeps the flurry of notes to a contemplative hush. He still tickles across the strings with his usual skill but with a sympathetic drone courtesy of Randal Dunn and a dash of sitar; the cosmic eastern flavor can't help but shine through. A real treasure from both bands here. Download: [MP3] Earth -The Peacock Angels Lament Support the artist. Buy it HERE Sorry gotta hit up a show for this one.

Dragonfrynd

Adam Kriney, the mighty whallop behind La Otricina and Owl Xounds' rhythm sections, steps out from behind the drums and joins up with Clinton Wilkins to form the amorphous Dragonfrynd. D&D name aside, the duo create a serious cloud of turquoise feedback; playing deep homage to likeminded Japanese masters like Ash Ra Temple. The album breathes with all the smoke and hot ash that the namesake conjures up, lodging itself as much in American psych as it does in the Eastern drones that would befit an album title such as Smoke Ring Mandalas. Dark, foreboding vibes permeate every inch of it, spreading out like desperate lonely caves. Wilkins' guitar shimmers and drops into endless black water encompassed in the shadowy effects of Kriney's keys. This one's pretty limited (75 copies) but it's still floating around out there so act fast.

Download:
[MP3] Dragonfrynd - Of Black and Fire
[MP3] Dragonfrynd - In the Stillness That Follows Fanfares and Bombast...

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Religous Knives

Damn, not that they haven't in the past, but lately Troubleman has just been rolling out the great releases; Meneguar, Growing, Titus Andronicus and that upcoming Blank Dogs LP, and now this; a superb release from Brooklyn's Religious Knives. The group's Maya and Michael are no newcomers to the BK noise world, operating Heavy Tapes and running in with the Double Leopards crowd but matched up Nate Nelson they really cook things up. I'd enjoyed their previous release, Remains but Its After Dark has a much looser feel to it. Deep seated synths that ebb at noise and lap at melody mixed with reverb laden vocals and that all too familiar chug vs. clatter of percussion that's endearing me to so many out of the BK psych scene. Maya's vocals are a perfect mixture of spooky and lonely; reaching like a tether out of the turbulent tide of music that writhes underneath it. Another notch in the belt of the murk-psych-synth sprout up that's gaining a much deserved momentum lately.

Download:
[MP3] Religious Knives - The Sun
[MP3] Religious Knives - The Streets

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Shameless Self-Promotion

Hey there NYC Raven fans. Last time I annoucned this a bit late so I'll give a fair warning this time. I'll be DJing this Friday at Soundfix Lounge and kicking out all the garage/ psyche classics in the process. As an added bonus the Fix has now installed a projector and a screen so there will be showings of 60's classics The Trip (starring Peter Fonda) and Psyche-Out (starring Jack Nicholson) So what have you got to lose. I'll be keeping this residency up monthly with more great Psychsploitation films to come so watch this space. Oh yeah, flyer says 10pm but it will probably start closer to 11 (yeah i'm just too lazy to change it on the img.)

Witch

The Vermont collaboration continues, with the boys from Feathers again joining J.Mascis for a lesson in the history of Metal. This time the band drop down into 4th and kick the bike in gear, making speed almost as much as a factor as heaviness. Still thick with the vapor trail of Sabbath, Paralyzed is just a further evolution down the Metal chain; springing forward out of the asphalt jungles of 1978 and straight on into the desperate early 80's. But don't fret and don't fear, the boys (well men, I guess J. is pushing his mid 40's, eh) of Witch are too well versed in Metal's past to repeat any hair/speed based theatrics and this one definitely comes from the band's love of the form. Crushing riffs and the mighty pound that Mascis unleashes on his drums should be more than enough to satiate your thirst for heaviness this spring. I must admit I'm a little bummed to see the band leave the sludgy shores of the late 70's so early as I am a fan of that sound but all good things must evolve and so Witch has turned the corner gracefully.

Download:
[MP3] Witch - Space God
[MP3] Witch - Eye

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Seems like FUZZ is the prevailing theme this week but it's not too overbearing, some Swedish pop, a Jukebox mainstay and yeah ok a whole lot of fuzz garage goodness rounding out this weeks picks.

[MP3] Pretty - Mustache In Your Face
Man I wish I had more background on this one 'cause for the record this has to have the most ridiculous lyrics of any garage track ever. Lyrics aside though its held down with a righteous dose of fuzz guitar and a swash of organ that can't be beat. "What a lie, What a lie, uh Moustache in your face!" Yeah, it gets me every time.

[MP3] SRC - Up All Night
More fuzz, this time from Michigan rockers SRC. This is much cleaner than the band's early stuff but it's got a heavy beat and bright piano line, and of course the band's trademark fuzz holding the whole thing together. Love this one!

[MP3] Instant Orange - Silent Green
Some sweet effects laden pcych from the West Coast care of Instant Orange. A pretty guttural stomper with satisfying dirty fuzz laid all over the top of it and some great early swirly ring modulation to kick it into space.

[MP3] Shocking Blue - Harley Davidson
Well it should be no secret by now that I love Shocking Blue. When the band is on they're ON, and this track is a great example of that. Killer rolling organ line and a sprightly bongo beat kick this ode to the Harley into classic territory.

[MP3] Scorpion - Hey La La La
You can always count on Sweden to bring the goods, from the 60's to the present there's just something in the water that makes good pop songs. This one's a breezy bit of pop with some production help from Kim Fowley. Can't go wrong with that?

Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno

Kawabata and the Knights of the Acid laden table once again (as if they ever stopped) lay down a furious blast of black hole thunder, this time assembling under the Cosmic Inferno masthead. The last great CI release came in the form of Starless and Bible Black but whereas that one was one long document of chaos, this latest delves into both sides of the cosmic storm. The band dabble in fits of acoustic cloud scrapings and then tear the suckers wide open (as usual) with the fury of Makoto's guitar. All in all though they maintain a nice balance between the heat and the billowing steam. Ominous From the Cosmic Inferno's tracks don't exactly steer to the short side by most band's standards but for AMT sometimes clocking in at under 20 minutes makes it a single, and quite a few are even under the 10 minute mark. The real trump for this release, aside from the sonic wonders contained therein, has to be the keen package design; mini gatefold-style package with a pop-up of the band inside, damned brilliant!! I'm not sure how limited these are but they don't exactly look like they're going to be cheap to keep around long. Pick one up while you can.

Download:
[MP3] AMT & The Cosmic Inferno - Ecstasy In Hell
[MP3] AMT & The Cosmic Inferno - Golem Rock

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Not exactly a "new" release but in the case of Vetiver I'll take what I can get.

	Vetiver - You May Be Blue Remixes Cabic and the band release two of their songs from the wonderful To Find Me Gone for remix with pretty interesting results. Though not exactly giving the tracks to foreign hands, Cabic himself is one half of Neighbors, the re-workings end up
sounding much different from the originals; and despite the baffling concept of remixing a Vetiver track it actually works. Both tracks are wrapped in a kind of Kompakt dub and the high lonesome instrumental reworking of "Been So Long" is quite soothing. Still waiting on that next full length though AC, but I guess if its to be a proper follow-up to To Find Me Gone its gonna take some time huh? Keep an eye out though as details have surfaced about the much anticipated (by me anyway) covers record coming out in May. Download: [MP3] Vetiver - Been So Long (Neighbors Remix) Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Big Blood

More great releases from the shards of Cerberus Shoal. In addition to their involvement with Fire on Fire, husband and wife team Caleb Mulkerin and Colleen Kinsella have been making some beautiful sounds as Big Blood. They've issued quite a slew of CD-r's and this, their first for Time-Lag more than lives up to the reputation that they've laid with those. Achieving a certain timelessness, the duo bounce between an exuberance that matches their Fire on Fire leanings and a homeless melancholy that feels foreign, but lost, without a country. Musically they're fairly set with just voices and guitar but the lo-fi nature of the recordings becomes a third voice, lending an indeterminate age and wafts of atmosphere to Big Blood + The Grove. Caleb and Colleen play off one another with perfect chemistry and I'm definitely keeping my ears up for more of their releases in the future.

Download:
[MP3] Big Blood - In The Light of the Moon
[MP3] Big Blood - In The Shade

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Boris

The mighty Boris return, a bit softer around the edges but that doesn't mean the band is pulling any punches. Smile, their official follow-up to Pink is the first non-collaborative release the band have put out in over two years: recently shacking up with Michio Kurhara, Merzbow and Sunn o))). However, just because they don't share the marquee with another artist this time around, doesn't mean they're exactly going it alone. Both Sunn o)))'s Stephen O'Mally and Kurihara show up on Smile's tracks and, in a brilliant turn of events the album's production was helmed by White Heaven's Hiroshi Ishihara; one of Japan's true sonic innovators. The first impression of Smile is that its in no way as up front and brash as Pink, but this brings out Boris' other true strength, mixing tenuous beauty with cataclysmic fire in equal measure. Smile is only the band's second album to feature vocals all the way through and they really expand their vision through many of the vocal passages, like the wrenching, oceanic album closers "You Put Up Your Umbrella Pt. 1 & 2". It may catch some Boris fans by surprise, but I think most will find it a pleasant one indeed.

Download:
[MP3] Boris - Message
[MP3] Boris - Next Saturn

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Atlas Sound

Bradford Cox is never one to rest on his laurels. Hell the guys got a cemented reputation with the last Deerhunter LP and is very nearly going to top it with the upcoming (and a bit superior I think) first Atlas Sound LP. Then there was talk of the Ghetto Cross project and it all gets to be too much for me to keep track of. Well on top of all that the guy is constantly throwing up tracks and EPs on his own site and at least two of these have definitely caught my ear. The 2nd virtual 7" - "Without Headlights" b/w "Middle School Instrumental" and the Orange Ohms Glow EP are both pretty solid releases (that haven't really been "released"). The latter's got some stuff that cuts the divide between Deerhunter and Atlas Sound pretty nicely; too rhythmic to really echo the AS stuff and too spacey to be DH. Anyway a nice toast of the cup to an artist who really has the spirit of giving. Check out the full versions and more at Bradford's Blog and definitely pick up a copy of the Atlas Sound record on Feb 19th below.

Download:
[MP3] Atlas Sound - Activation from Orange Ohms Glow EP
[MP3] Atlas Sound - Without Headlights from Virtual 7" #2

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Even amongst the unheralded masses of psychedelia and garage's past there still remained artists who were considered "underground" and too far outside the scope to even fall into the ranks along with every other ten minute wonder from the day. These band's proved that underground meant little in the way of long term impact on both sides of the pond though; paving the way for many outsider groups in the years to come.

	The Fugs - Second Album Representing the American underground is The Fugs, one of the first bands to adhere the "underground" moniker and just run with it. At the time it was released their music was so primal and confrontational that it turned many
off immediately. However in the end their ability to challenge convention, bouts of controversy with obscenity and some canonizing praise from the man himself, Lester Bangs helped seal them as one of the more influential bands of the time. This record is polished as hell compared to the group's debut but still keeps their offhanded humor, politics and ragged primal rock as a blueprint. Not exactly shocking when you hear it now but remember for the mid 60's this is pretty new territory. This one kick started everything from the Velvets to The Mothers of Invention and I'm damn glad it did. If you don't own this one pick it up. Download: [MP3] The Fugs - Doin' All Right [MP3] The Fugs - Kill For Peace Support the artist. Buy it HERE
	The Deviants - Ptooff! Heralding in the British side of the underground were The Deviants. Much of this band would go on to be (slightly) better known as The Pink Fairies who skewed a bit more psychedelic. The Deviants however weren't driving from the fields of
peace and flowers. Their music stemmed from a sexually charged savage guttural place that many bands at the time had left back in the garage. Truthfully the band probably owe a bit of debt to forerunners like Zappa and The Fugs but on their side of the Atlantic nobody was really coming from this perspective. Most bands of the era were digging up old blues and trying to copy the style or hitting the studio tricks in pure psychedelic fashion. That the band reached any amount of notoriety at the time is probably due to the fact that singer Mick Farren wrote for OZ magazine and featured the band in its pages. This notwithstanding the band kicked a good amount of rumble into the British underground and gladly so. This is another one to pick up if you don't currently have it in your collection. Download: [MP3] The Deviants - I'm Coming Home [MP3] The Deviants - Garbage Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Wildbirds & Peacedrums

Swedish duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums sound both out of place and right at home on Leaf. On the one hand the band trades in icy electronics with plenty of room for ambience but there are quite a number of songs that feature mostly Mariam Wallentin's soulful voice soaring solely above a clatter of sparse drums. The latter is where the band really excels. Sounding like a Motown track with most of the elements stripped away; their minimalist soul stabs straight for the temple. It's as if they took away everything unnecessary and just kept the raw beating heart of the tracks; threw it on the table and recorded that. Don't get me wrong though the rest of the album is no standard fare; still very much wrapped in the frozen still life paintings that many Leaf artists evoke. This is just another argument for the artistry of Swedish musicians; so cold but still so incredibly full of life.

Download:
[MP3] Wildbirds & Peacedrums - Doubt/ Hope
[MP3] Wildbirds & Peacedrums - The Window

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Samara Lubelski teams up with German innovators Metabolismus to create a delicate pop masterpiece.

	Metabolismis - Snowy Meadows b/w Somnia 7" Metabolismis' skewed view of instrumental pop gets a lush infusion from the voice of Samara Lubelski and in turn the collaboration brings out the best from both parties. "Snowy Meadows" brings to mind all
the delicate imagery that the title suggests, with Samara's voice floating in wisps of chilled breath over the band's charming pop sounds. Meanwhile the b-side takes the band's instrumental qualities, which while usually interesting can sometimes be haphazard, and crafts them into bittersweet cinematic focus. Again and again, this series by The Social Registry continues to bring the best and the brightest up for their shot of double sided grandeur. Download: [MP3] Metabolismus -Snowy Meadows Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Acid Eater

Veteran Japanoise-maker Masonna returns with another project that threatens the very fabric of time and space itself. Naming the band after the last Christine 23 Onna record, this time he's taken the rollicking organs to the garage and dismantled them until they burble with fuzz and crumble from static. Seriously I'm pretty sure I'm pissing off at least 6 neighbors just to review this record. But where some noise makers are content to just blast your cranium with harshities, the underbelly of Acid Eater's Virulent Fuzz Punk A.C.I.D. is a solid, sweaty-assed garage record. So the fuzz is just the frosting on the cupcake per se. He even throws in a blown out version of Christine 23 Onna's "Top of Spot," that is rendered barely recognizable, save for the organ line. This one needs volume to properly ride the torrent of spaced out garage rumble, but I'd definitely recommend leaving the headphones off. Such glorious noise, such irresistible fun!

Download:
[MP3] Acid Eater - Nothing Can Bring Me Down
[MP3] Acid Eater - Free

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Afrirampo

Another one that slipped out last year while I wasn't looking was Afrirampo. The Japanese duo known for their killer live shows, penchant for red and frantic, frenzied, flailing rock, show some signs of mellowing. Don't despair though, they don't show too many signs. The girls' latest, Suuto Breako still retains their exuberant sense of tearing life at the seams. The pace is slower on many tracks but still they pound like excited adolescents, scream to hear their own voices and pluck at instruments with equal amounts of skill and curiosity; but this time there's a ragged structure and a tatter of texture that weave themselves into the mix. The album is supposedly one long track that's been broken down into movements for the album. I have to admit the last thing I'd ever expect from these two is a concept but here it is (though the concept continues to elude my English speaking brain). Records can never do this pair justice anyhow, if you haven't seen them live it's an experience not to be missed. Also do yourself the favor of tracking down their Tzadik release Kore Ga Mayaku Da for a great taste of the old Afrirampo.

Download:
[MP3] Afrirampo - Suuto Breakor 1
[MP3] Afrirampo - Suuto Breakor 6

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Blank Dogs - Diana (The Herald) 12"

This one definitely fell between the cracks of '07. With 5 limited and pretty much already OOP releases from '07, and 12, that's Twelve upcoming releases already scheduled for '08, on labels like Troubleman, Woodsist and In The Red, I figured this one would have been worn out, over talked and passé by the time I got around to giving it a nod. But, Hype Machine and Elbo.ws run silent on this case. Kicking out a quavering synth-roasted, bleary-eyed electro sludge with a severe case of hard-nosed yet deliriously squishy vocals piled on top. Blank Dogs aren't exactly pumpin' the dance beats, yet this sucker's got way more than a pulse under its belt. Occupying serious territory between Excepter's new-wave torture techniques and the glycerin murk of Blues Control, this is definitely a band to watch in the coming months, and they've got a knack for the limited release so better keep it a close eye. A couple of cassettes and 7"s peeking early but looks like the first major player to hit will be an LP on Troubleman with some enticing artwork posted (along with the rest of the planned release schedule HERE.


Download:
[MP3] Blank Dogs - Leaving The Light On
[MP3] Blank Dogs - Water Into Ice

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Two different sides to the great hard rock movement from texas. Long known as a breeding ground for garage rock, these two bands helped turn the tide and proved influential for many more.

	The Moving Sidewalks - Flash Mostly remembered as the first output of guitarist Billy Gibbons, who would later go on to form ZZ Top, and for their anthemic garage single 99th floor; this band crystallized the transition from dirty garage rockers into more
psychedelic flair. The band opened for Hendrix as he rolled through Texas and there was a reported mutual admiration between the two guitarists. This would however, remain the band's sole LP and in the wake of its release Gibbons would veer away from the psychedelic touches to focus on the hard Texan blues that made him famous. Still this one holds quite a few notable tracks that show a transition in the southern rock temperament at the time. Definitely one worth owning. Download: [MP3] The Moving Sidewalks - 99th Floor [MP3] The Moving Sidewalks - Flashback Support the artist. Buy it HERE
	Josefus - Dead Man Josefus, on the other hand, took the burgeoning blues sound emerging out of psychedelia, 60's early hard rock and British hard rock and fused them into a much heavier sound; effectively pushing into early Proto-Metal territory. Dead Man was the
result of a long and fraught recording process. The band had recorded many of the tracks earlier on to be released as an album called Get Off My Case but problems with management stalled its release and instead the band returned to re-record many of the songs from the first session with the additional 17 minute closer "Dead Man". They released the record themselves and while it did sell well locally, it was ultimately not enough to keep their momentum. The band recorded one follow-up later the same year for Mainstream and then disbanded. Their legacy lives on through this document and the later reissued 3-CD Dead Box. Download: [MP3] Josefus - Crazy Man [MP3] Josefus - Country Boy Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Sic Alps

So I thought I'd take the opportunity this week to recap a few great releases from the end of last year that got lost between the cracks. Sometimes there are just too many to sift through when they're released, you know?


I managed to hit up a few 7"s by these SanFran mainstays, but missed out on their best release of the year until recently. Description of the Harbor landed in pretty limited release from Awesome Vistas; a perfect synthesis of the band's raw desperate gutter fuzz and their wandering noise pellets. This is yet another release that should have made much more noise in 2007, so here's damn well hoping that they make a whole lot more in '08. The 12" kicks things open with the sprawling title track before quickly turning face first into the shorter bursts of sun-strangled, street corner blues that dominate much of the rest of the platter. If nothing proved the worth of Sic Alps last year it was this crust nugget, which unfortunately has pretty much disappeared in its physical form, but if you were handy with a Google search I'd say you could probably turn it up in some form or another. Get your hands on that Strawberry Guillotine 7" while it lasts and keep ears popped for more Alps in the future.

Download:
[MP3] Sic Alps - Bells (With Tremelo and Distortion)
[MP3] Sic Alps - Hey! Sophia

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Second single from the Liars' awesome S/T record keeps in step with the dark visual approach and boasts the noisiest b-side to come outta the sessions.

	Liars - Houseclouds 7" Still loving the releases surrounding this last Liars record and the Houseclouds 7" is no exception. Houseclouds on the A-side is of course a pleaser, but as a stark contrast to what was one of the most pop oriented songs on the album,
the b-side "Dear God" is a beautiful clamor shrouded in feedback and tin-can percussion. Again, as I mentioned I'm really digging the constant B&W aesthetic of murky tour shots that make up the look of all these releases. If you haven't picked this one up already, do it now! Download: [MP3] Liars -Dear God Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Pontiak

Though they share common ground, the heavy hands of Sludge don't always mesh with the the outer flung aspirations of Space Rock. But just as with fellow compatriots White Hills, Pontiak have managed to balance the two worlds in a heady concoction that kicks just as much as it languishes in the ether. The band's latest offering Sun On Sun is as powerful as it is nebulous; trading thunder and smoke in equal measure. With a definite haunting of classic rock's ghosts peering over their shoulders the band power on through the next few decades of heaviness to create the perfect amalgam of swagger, fire and light. This one seems to have slipped through the cracks, finding its way out quietly in August, but its certainly worth revisiting.

Download:
[MP3] Pontiak - Shell Skull
[MP3] Pontiak - The Brush Burned Fast

Support the artist. Buy it HERE