COSMONAUTS - S/T 12'' LP and CASSETTE

I saw Cosmonauts while they were on a Burger Tour in the summer of 2010. They came through and played in a small art space with Cum Stain and Nobunny - unless Nobunny was some other time and it was some other time because they played with Cum Stain and Audacity that night. Anyhow, there was a bit of an issue with our PA system and the gang more or less played without vocals. Despite the setback, Cosmonauts thoroughly impressed and are now my favourite band. I put up a 7" release of theirs a couple years ago and recently found that they have most of their discography up on bandcamp (minus some limited release comps, an Italian released 7'', and any other pre-signed material). So, let's take a look at their self-titled.

They released it with Burger (BRGR049) on a limited run of 250 red cassettes. I was lucky to snag one because the cassettes are long gone by now, but they did re-release on vinyl a year later - several different versions. A few of us were lucky enough to get it on 'Easter Egg Yellow.' This self-titled is one hell of a first cassette. It's hard to pin-point tracks of interest on albums that are so solid, but if you are pressed for time (these are full length songs ladies and gents) then check out Neon Kids, Dorothy, and Yer So Rad. Actually, if you are pressed for time then wait. This album should be listened to in its entirety. Cosmonauts will gladly drag you through ups and downs of psychedelia - upbeat hip shakers, downbeat droning trance, eastern inspired instrumentals, and lazy nearly-inaudible vocals. There may be many ways to play music but they make rock and roll the way it should be made. If this album isn't something you can dig on, then don't come back to this blog because you don't belong here.

The four men of Cosmonauts are some hard working cats and are always on tour. Check out their facebook for dates because I am sure you can find them in your area soon enough. Also check out all their stuff on bandcamp. You'll need to do some extra clicking to buy things and it is worth it. Listen and love it.



cosmonautstheband@gmail.com
cosmonautstheband.bandcamp.com/
facebook.com/cosmonautstheband

SULTAN BATHERY - FIREWORX

 So, this little release is a bit over a year old and we all know that if it is older than six months and younger than 20 years then it is no longer relevant. But that isn't going  to stop anyone from sharing it with you. Sultan Bathery is a groovy little three piece from Italy. These three gents seem to be making some splashes here and  there with interviews here and there and blog shout outs here and there and some facebook fans here and there and today we listen to the band's first EP, Fireworx - released in October of 2012. They have  since been touring throughout Europe and a quick  overview of the facebook doesn't say anything about  any US shows, but if you find something out that I  didn't bother taking the time to read (let's face it, google is for information and this blog is for  music) then please throw it in the comments.

The EP starts with the title track - a little ditty with beefy guitar tone, simple and effective drums, and the oooo and ahhh sort of vocal dissonance that so many of you listeners out there have grown to love since its popular re-emergence in the early 2000s. It is a great opener that will get your attention. The second track, 'River raw', does not stray far from the jangle and dance in the first track - the entire fucking EP follows suit. Fireworx dips its toes in a lot of seemingly 1950s inspired sort of western rock and roll on the berge of psychedelic breakthrough. And for the sake of not getting all meta with this and that - these are some good psychedelic garage tunes that are all under 2:30. Who can get enough of those short punch-you-in-the-mouth-songs?

You can snag the 7'' from Slovenly for 5.25 (I donated more than that - I just thought I would let you all know that because I take philanthropy lessons from Bono). Only con to ordering from Slovenly would be the occasional e-mail that I choose not to read and then have to take time to delete. Listen. Buy. Enjoy.

sultanbathery@gmail.com
sultanbathery.bandcamp.com/
facebook.com/sultanbathery
slovenly.bandcamp.com/

UH BONES - S/T

Although not the freshest piece in their arsenal, let's take a listen to the self-titled four track release by Uh Bones. This little goodie came out a bit over a year after their debut on facebook in 2011 (which, as you know, marks the birth of a band - that and the earliest release date on bandcamp). This three piece is currently rocking in the Chicago area and working on an LP to be released in the near future - duh. We might as well dive right on in with track number one, 'Amess'; if you carry any garage or psychedelic (god forbid psychedelic-garage) sensibilities you will immediately see the credibility of this band's sound. The song is an instant winner with repetitive high-mid guitar riffs and a low pulse'd bass line. The songs continue to follow suit with tight grooves wrapped around lazy and genuine vocals. If you are looking for something that takes root in yesterday (maybe today's yesterday or maybe 50-years-ago's yesterday) while still playing a part in our post-music era then look no further - it's right here. Even though we may not see Uh Bones putting out chart-topping-billboard-success-singles, the band knows what it is doing, how it wants to do it, and they sound great doing it.

I'll also put up this video the band has of a newer song of theirs - 'Drink to Sleep.' As the title suggests, the song is a bit dreamy and will get you in the mood to take off your socks, pour a drink, grab a woman, and dance on the kitchen floor smoking a filterless cigarette and waiting for the baby-making to happen.

The band is good, so if you like that 60s influenced blues-born garage noise then take a listen and maybe spend four bucks for four songs.






uh.bones@gmail.com
uhbones.com
uhbones.bandcamp.com

GHOST WAVE - AGES

Ghost Wave, a four piece from Auckland, put out their debut full length - 'Ages' - in August of this year and you'd be lying to say it wasn't good. Depending on how hip you are you may or may not have heard of this one from the likes of Pitchfork and Vice - if you didn't then that is OK; you are not alone. Anyhow, these New Zealand musicians have been together for a few years and put together a self-titled EP (that you can find on their bandcamp) and this LP of ten easy tracks driven by a psychedelia that can identify through the decades of its history. One particularly drawing element is the large pull from rock and roll from about twenty years ago - the biting alt grunge and post-punk vibes that sit inside the first notes of the album to the last. But it would be insulting to try to pin the sound to a certain feeling from a certain era as Ghost Wave is mixing their sound with many different bits and pieces of rock and roll. For me, the points of interest lay within tracks one, two, four, and six (maybe eight, too).....shit, just listen to the entire album and you'll find out what works and where. It's heady, it's punchy, it's droning, and it definitely has a fuzzy face.

Also, check out this little video if you want to know what they look like when they play 'Here She Comes' and then you should go ahead and buy it if you want. Go.

GhostWavy@gmail.com
http://ghostwave.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/ghostwave

THE DANDELION - STRANGE CASE OF THE DANDELION

It's been too long since the last post and after a little facelift to the site and some time on the web I stumbled upon The Dandelion. The Dandelion, which may be the work of an individual musician, just released  'Strange Case of The Dandelion' a couple months ago. So right off the bat I think we can all see where this could be going - flower floating rhythms and fuzz'd vibes. To be honest, the intro to the opening track nearly had me going 'NEXT' (I'm not a fan of flute though I feel how a flute could add to make a rounded psychedelic sound) but I am glad I didn't. A few measures in when the song gets going it creates a layered nostalgia with simple bass and fuzz guitar lines on top of the unplugged sounds of acoustic guitar and flute. The songs moves on to live up to it's bandcamp tag 'paisley,' with hypnotic rhythms and ghostly vocals that fit together as timeless psychedelic puzzle pieces.

After paying more attention, turns out this six track bandcamp release is only a sample of a larger thirteen track album. I thought The Dandelion presented itself well through those six songs and there is no way one could go wrong with playing this album the next time a whole bunch of his/her quarter life hip kids came over to smoke cigarettes, snap phone photos (maybe one person will be cool enough to bring out a 35mm camera), drink, and do drugs. So, for five dollars and a few days patience, you could be prepared for that night - probably even before next weekend. Add 'Strange Case of The Dandelion' to your albums or at least dissect it for a mixtape.





followthedandelion@gmail.com
http://thedandelion.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dandelion