A Swamp Room Happening 2000 (Swamp Room Records 2000, Bestell-Nr. 301136, LP)
A Swamp Room Happening 2000 (Swamp Room Records 2000, Bestell-Nr. 301136, LP)
From Aural Innovations #12 (September 2000)
Swamp Room Happening 2000 was a festival held in Germany earlier this year and this LP compiles one track each from all the bands that performed. I hadn't heard of several of these bands and so I ended up with a small list to be sure and get further info on.
Among the standout bands is Liquid Visions. The music blazes out of the starting gate as an almost punkish rocker with mind melting acid guitar. But after only moments it shifts gears and turns into a 60's San Francisco flower power tune. Whoaah! The gist of the song is that it keeps alternating between the two styles making this one killer, if somewhat confusing, tune. Mandra Gora Lightshow Society's track features the debut of their new singer Timothy, and the track will appear on the band's upcoming "Beyond The Mushroom Gate" CD (Brainticket/Liquid Sound). Mucho trippy space freakout! The song is continually changing moving from pop-psych madness to instrumental freakiness, but is all around just mad. Can't wait to hear the new CD. Other heavies include The Bevis Frond who are in standard acidic form. The Alchemysths & Simeon play a kick ass trip-out rocker. It's gorgeously raw and guaranteed to shear right through your brain. Spids Noegenheads play trippy psychedelia with an Eastern flavor and lots of cool shimmering freakout guitars.
On the less psychedelic, but just as rockin' side, are Thee Ultra Bimboos who play cool head-boppin' rock music with, as the band name suggests, female singers. Bluesy pub rock with traces of psych guitar. The Satteliters crank out 60's pop-psych that recalls The Rolling Stones and The Animals. It's really well done. If this showed up on a Nuggets album I'd really think it was a lost classic from the 60's. And the Copy Cocks are just as kick ass rockin' as The Satteliters. Honorable mentions also go to Velvetone, Hal 9000, Liquid Laughter Lounge Quartet, and especially The Lucky Bishops for their individual brands of pop-psych.
A round of applause goes out to the folks who put on this festival for including a diversity of bands. Topping my 'need to check out' list of bands previously unknown to me are Liquid Visions and Spids Noegenheads.
Swamp Room Happening 2000 is available for $18 postage paid from Germany to the US from Swamp Room Records; Auf Dem Loh 18; 30167 Hannover; Germany
You can visit Swamp Room Records at their web site.