The latest from these German Space/Psych rockers is a vinyl single from Fruits de Mer with a trio of killer covers. The Monkees’ (I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone is treated in true Vibravoid power Psych rocking fashion. It’s got a brief but awesome instrumental jam in the middle. We also get a multi-colored and whimsically fun and freaky take on Traffic’s Hole In My Shoe. Crystal Jacqueline & The Honey Pot also did a very cool cover of this a few months back. And who can forget (Young One’s) Neil’s fun cover on his Heavy Concept album. But I digress… Finally, and this is my hands down favorite, Vibravoid let their freak flag fly high on a cover of H.P. Lovecraft’s 1967 song, The White Ship. The band retain the core sound of the original but really take it into totally trippy yet hauntingly alien spectral space. Absolutely fantastic. Everything by Vibravoid is always well produced and arranged which really makes a difference.

The single is scheduled for release in September. For more information visit the Fruits de Mer Records web site at: http://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com
Visit the Vibravoid web site at: http://www.stonedkarma.com/vibravoid

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

The latest from Nick Nicely is a 4-song vinyl single from Fruits de Mer. 49 Cigars was originally the flip side to Nick’s 1982 Hilly Fields and opens this new 7″ (an earlier FdM single featured Hilly Fields). It’s a beautifully crafted 60s styled Pop-Psych song that smacks of Arnold Layne and includes lots of Tomorrow Never Knows styled effects and general freakiness. We’re also treated to a live version that’s about twice as long and much heavier acid freakout Psych rocking. Wow, I’d love to hear the entire show this was taken from.

The other two songs are very much in the spirit of the experimentalism that characterized Nick’s 2014 Space Of A Second album. Well… one, Lobster Dobbs, is from that album. Belinda is a totally spaced out Pop-Psych tune that takes all kinds of wild twists and turns as it roams from accessible song to avant-garde surrealism. Lobtser Dobbs is similar, being a cool and strange blend of song and wigged out lysergic freakiness. I like the groovy Jazz flavor, though the song ends too quickly and abruptly. Consider this my wishlist request for Nick to flesh the song out a bit more on an upcoming album.

The single is scheduled for release in September. For more information visit the Fruits de Mer Records web site at: http://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Magic Bus are new to me, though they have two full length albums out to date. Don’t confuse them with the Psych band of the same name from Michigan. These guys are UK based. We’ve got two songs, one original and one cover.

Seven Wonders starts off with a tasty blend of gentle Folk infused Prog-Psych, with nice vocals and beautiful harmonies, acoustic and electric guitars, flute and organ. Then just past the halfway mark the band take off on a Prog instrumental that sounds like a lost gem from the 70s. The flip side consists of Magic Bus putting their own spin on The Byrds classic Eight Miles High. The song opens in droney drifty Psychedelic mode for an intro and then takes off into a cool grooving Prog-Jazz flavored take on the song that includes lots of instrumental segments and a fuzzed out Mike Ratledge styled organ melody. Great stuff. I’ll have to check out their previous albums.

The single is scheduled for release in September. For more information visit the Fruits de Mer Records web site at: http://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com
Visit the Magic Bus web site at: http://magicbusband.co.uk

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Hot on the heels of their first new full length album in 42 years is this 2-song single from Fruits de Mer. Both Acid-Folk and Prog-Folk are terms that been used in reference to this Irish duo and both hit the nail smack on the head. Ricochet is a song from the band’s latest album, The Dark Dance, and is a spirited tune that incorporates Arabian influences and would be equally at home in both Pub and far flung Eastern souk. The flip side features a previously unreleased live version of the song Tir na nOg, which first appeared on their 1971 self-titled album. I love the combination of Celtic Folk flavored vocals, hypnotic drone, Psych guitar melody, and periodically animated percussion, which together create a mystical blend of both traditional and Acid-Folk trippy vibes. This vinyl single would make an great companion to The Dark Dance.

The single is scheduled for release in September. For more information visit the Fruits de Mer Records web site at: http://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com
Visit the Tir na nOg web site at: http://www.tirnanog-progfolk.com
CLICK HERE to read my review of The Dark Dance

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

It’s been almost five years since the last album from Dutch Space Rock/Stoner/Metal band Stone Oak Cosmonaut. The Cosmonauts are a quartet of dual guitars, bass, drums, synths and electronics, and One Evening In The Desert includes both shorter songs and longer stretched out jam tunes.

Among the shorter songs is the punky, Hawkwind styled space rocking title track. Cosmic Messenger and The Sun are both heavy hitting stoned Space-Metal tunes. Stone And Light is similar but totally Psychedelic demonic with killer guitars. The band go all Motorhead on our asses on the fast and furious Outside. Festival is a little different, being a more straightforward rocker, though it’s got a catchy melody and cool guitar licks.

Among my favorite tracks is the 13 minute Mind Full Of Capsules, which is a darkly heavy rocking blend of Sabbath-in-space Stoner-Metal and heavy tripped out hard Psych Rock. But it also has a drifty Space-Ambient transitional segment with Bluesy trip guitar, spaced out synth washes, electronic effects and quietly threatening vocals that gradually build back up the intensity level as the music thunders along on its cosmic offensive before the explosive Psychedelic Space-Metal finale. The 12 minute Voyagers is another highlight, with an impressive sequence of thematic variations, transitioning from drifting spaced out hard Prog-Psych excursions to music that brings to mind a Satan worshipping ritual in space. And the instrumental Incident In Galaxy Nine features heavy Psych Space Rock with a tasty melodic Metal edge, loads of fun alien electronics, and various thematic twists and turns. I think this is the first time Stone Oak Cosmonaut have had two guitarists and I’m hearing some of the best playing from the band yet on this album.

CLICK HERE to purchase Stone Oak Cosmonaut CDs from Clearspot
You’ll also find Stone Oak Cosmonaut on Facebook

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

The latest from Finnish space rockers Deep Space Destructors is a 2-song EP that was a (now sold out) cassette and is also available for streaming and downloading from their Bandcamp site, AND a 10″ vinyl is due for release by Space Rock Productions (see links below).

The first track is Journey To The Space Mountain, which features 8 minutes of heavy duty Space Rock ‘n’ Roll. Actually this reminds me a bit of Litmus but with a more down and dirty fuzzed out sound. It’s got a song portion but this sucker blasts off into space for some seriously intense jamming. Damn, I’ll bet these guys kick ass live. The 11 minute Where Space Ends Time Begins is a little different, being a sonic monster rocking exploration jam with crashing drums, alien effects flittering about, screaming spaced out guitar licks, mission control voice samples and chant/narrative vocals. It’s like one big massive Hawkwind/Metal buildup that maintains an edge-of-your-seat intensity from start to finish. Check these guys out. They’ve got three previous albums at their Bandcamp site too.

To stream and download visit the Deep Space Destructors Bandcamp site at: http://deepspacedestructors.bandcamp.com
Order the vinyl from Space Rock Productions at: http://spacerockproductions.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Though new to me, Honey Barbara have released two previous albums in 2001 and 1993, and core member James Sidlo has come to Aural Innovations in various projects over the years in such bands as Transcollaboration, Pseudo Buddha, Dreamland, and others I’m probably forgetting.

There’s a lot happening on these 15 songs, which despite their accessibility are difficult to describe due to the cool and strange variety of styles and influences. A lot of the tracks would be right at home on various types of 60s movie soundtracks. Vivoras D’oro has a bouncy 60’s Beat-Pop feel and brings to mind a Henry Mancini score. Only one word can describe this tune – GROOVY! Other songs travel a similar path, some with a more Prog-like instrumental and compositional complexity and others with an ambient-soundscape vibe and, like Mystery Of The Plain, combine freaky electronic effects and groovy 60s doo-doo-doo vocalizations. The Magician’s Wife accomplishes a lot in only 2 minutes, sounding perfect for a Frankie and Annette beach movie, but it goes off into all kinds of Ambient-Jazz and Mancini with a Prog twist territory. We’ve got pleasant acoustic melodic tunes bordering on Exotica and melodic orchestrated tunes with a beautiful ambience and 60s vibe. I like the lysergically sultry Baobab, and really dig the mixture of 60s Beat-Pop and Exotica on Unseen Girl, with its Psychedelic vibe and nifty ambient guitar fills.

And The Sea Will Give Up Its Dead is a standout, being a Prog-Psych vocal number with cool ripping fuzz guitar and effects, but also a deeply ambient quality. She Guides Us Toward The Sun is similar, being beautifully melodic and dreamily trippy (as are the lyrics) but also has a Prog Rock quality, though it’s very subtle and flowing. White Mountain is a dreamily melodic and pastoral Ambient-Psychedelic song with soaring trip guitar embellishments, beautifully playful piano melody, light electro orchestration and hypnotic vocals. And Late In The Day is psychedelically surreal, with moods that wander from playful to intense, plus film soundtrack Eastern vibes and spaced out orchestration and effects.

In summary, and it’s tough to tidily summarize this album, but imagine Henry Mancini and Ennio Morricone dropping a tab or two and then rolling up their sleeves for a Prog-Psych soundtrack collaboration and you might… you just MIGHT… get something like Wave Grass.

Download and purchase the CD at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/honeybarbara
The promo sheet says a vinyl LP edition is in the works

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Quttinirpaaq are an Austin, TX based noise/drone/space/sludge-psych combo led by Matt Turner, the band being named after a Canadian national park. Dead September is their third album, following two from 2013 (I heard the first one, No Visitors).

This is an aggressive, varied and compelling set of art damaged Psychedelic mind-fuckery. Side 1 begins with Bleed Out, which is like a Helios Creed and Keiji Haino collaboration, spewing out blistering layers of Acid-Industrial Noise-Psych guitars and soaring washes of factory floor machinery, all against punky Chrome styled drumming. White Witch is slightly more subdued, adding a dancey Industrial groove to the sonic assault. Teen Cop maintains an elusive rhythmic pulse that anchors the cacophonous Psychedelic pandemonium. The guitars are densely layered but not so much that you can’t make out the sound of each of the thousands of molten lava needles and various effects that are hurtling through Quttinirpaaq’s brand of boisterous tripped out space. Dead Birds is a little different, being a Punk-Psych Rock ‘n’ Roll jam with spaced out effects, ocean wave synth washes, and the weirdly efx’d vocals that permeate most of the songs. As the music develops the noise-soundscapes and freaky effects increasingly come to the forefront until an abrupt cut out for the finale.

Side 2 kicks off with the 11 minute Lifestyles USSR. A low key repetitive ambient-fuzzed electronic rhythmic pattern serves as the foundation for this soundscapes and effects space exploration, which incorporates elements of Industrial machine shop grind and Alien Soundtracks era Chrome meets Hawkwind Space Ritual effects fun. LOTS happening on this boisterous yet creatively concocted Space-Psych cauldron of sound. Spine Tree follows a similar path, being a howling Noise-Psych guitars and effects soundtrack to an active volcano eruption, set to a robotic dance Industrial beat. Finally, Walk Into The Sea is a simmering stew of Boris-like stoner sludge, ear piercing guitars and deep space effects.

If you like Chrome/Helios Creed, Keiji Haino, Throbbing Gristle, Les Rallizes Denudes, and the thought of them all being tossed together for some free-wheeling fun, then Quttinirpaaq are for you. Recommended to those who like to live on the Psychedelic edge.

Stream, download and purchase the LP at: http://quttinirpaaq.bandcamp.com
Note that the LP comes in an edition of 300 copies pressed on white vinyl

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Dubbal is the trio of Kev Ellis on vocals, Andy Radburn on synths and programming, and Nick May on guitar. Ellis and Radburn have a long history together, from the great Psych-Blues-Rock band Dr. Brown, and on to Sonic Arcana and Bubbledubble. May’s main band is Whimwise and he also did time in The Enid in the 80s.

Dubbal is not unlike Bubbledubble and Sonic Arcana, being a Space-Dub-Blues-Electronica blend that brings together a wild diversity of styles in very cool ways. Throat consists of spaced out grooving and flowing Trance-Dub electronica with trippy vocals and Blues harmonica from Kev and ripping guitar leads, sounds and effects from Nick. The guitar and harmonica are a killer combo, making for an extra oomph and outside the box embellishment not typically heard in Trance music. Mr Policeman is a Space-Dub-Rock and electronica song with a Dr. Brown edge and awesome dueling guitar and harmonica. Seriously, the guitar work is monstrous. Wolverine alternates between dance floor pounding Acid-Dub Rock ‘n’ Roll and Blues inflected Reggae grooves. Ice Melts The Sun is a whimsical Ska infused Psychedelic electronica tune, and includes Blues harmonica leads and a very cool and strange sound from the guitar lead (I “think” it’s guitar!!). Lots of freaky fun on this rug cuttin’ hip shaker. We’ve got more totally trippy Trance-Dub grooves on Rise And Fall. I like the multiple cosmic sequenced patterns and Space-Prog keys on Reality Suspend. And Third Eye wraps up the set with cosmic flowing, grooving and effects laced Space-Dub. VERY tasty set and, once again, I have to emphasize the Rock, Prog and Blues edge that the guitar and harmonica inject. Nice…

Dubbal 1 is available for download from iTunes, Amazon and Google, as well as streaming via Spotify. Kev did a run of 100 CDs which will be available at gigs, though if there are any left at the end of the summer they will be available at: http://kevellis.bandcamp.com
Go to Kev’s Bandcamp page anyway as his Space Cadet albums and other music is available there.

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Formed in 1970 by the Irish duo of Sonny Condell and Leo O’Kelly, Tir na nOg recorded three albums for the Chrysalis label (1971-73), and then that was it for new music until a 4-song vinyl single on the Fruits de Mer Records label last year. Now, 42 years after their last full length, the duo have released the 10-song The Dark Dance.

The trademark Tir na nOg sound is that of gentle, acoustic driven Folk music, but with a mystical quality, and both Psychedelic and even Prog influences can be detected throughout. I was already acquainted with five of the songs, four of which appeared on the Fruits de Mer single and one, the Pop-Folk and Jazz flavored Andria which was a bonus for reviewers of that single. A standout from that single and included here is a cover of The Silver Apples’ I Have Known Love, which though at first may seem an odd choice for treatment by a Folk band, if you listen closely to the original you’ll hear, buried among all the strangeness, a simple and very pleasant song. Tir Na Nog zero in on that song element and make it their own.

Tir na nOg transcend a simple Folk categorization on songs like You In Yellow, on which the guitar and fiddle combination feels like the kind of magic carpet ride that is typically achieved with synths and other electric instruments. The dual vocals and harmonies on The Angelus are hypnotic and uplifting, and the fiddle dances about with leads that are as inspiring as the vocals. I love the subtle drones and single intermittent note that adds so much character to the short but concise I Pick Up Birds At Funerals. Ricochet is a spirited tune that incorporates Arabian influences and would be equally at home in both Pub and far flung Eastern souk. Sympathetic Love has an elusive theme shifting Prog complexity as well as a 60s Folk-Pop-Psych quality. Maybe it’s the vocals, but The Gangway has a Simon and Garfunkel character, though within the tender Tir na nOg Folk context. Time Is Gone is a merry feel good tune. And the title track is an instrumental with the most traditional Celtic influences of the set, though it’s underscored by an incessant drone that infuses the music with a hypnotic Pied Piper feel.

In summary, this is a beautiful set of Folk songs that has far more to offer than the Folk categorization would typically imply. I’ll repeat my comment from last year’s Fruits de Mer single that if you’re unfamiliar with these guys but are a dedicated FdM patron who enjoys Soft Hearted Scientists, then you’re sure to dig Tir na nOg. They’re more stripped down and not as “out there” as the Scientists can get, but definitely in the same general realm.

For more information visit the Tir na nOg web site at: http://www.tirnanog-progfolk.com
Note that a vinyl LP version of The Dark Dance is planned for release on Fruits de Mer Records later this year. Keep your eyes peeled to http://fruitsdemerrecords.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz