If Thousands are the Duluth, Minnesota based duo of Christian McShane and Aaron Molina. I’ve not heard anything by these guys in years and the promo sheet says this is their first album in nearly a decade.
The experience of this 13 track set is simultaneously Psychedelic and Ambient. It’s minimal, yet melodic. The music is typically played at a drugged, droning pace, yet is also meditative and inspiring. The acoustic instruments and haunting organ are hypnotically dreamy and I like the way they combine with soundscapes and drones to create a flowing wave of slowly evolving Ambient-Psych. A variety of influences inform the music – Eastern/Indian, mind-bending avant-Mediterranean, at times I detected a stripped down Velvet Underground dissonant quality, as well as meditatively drugged acoustic/soundscape/drone passages, Valium dosed Country-Folk, and one part brought to mind a droning Bluesy yet Psychedelically surreal John Fahey. A trumpet on 9 was slowly jazz gyrating against spacey atmospherics. And I like the pulsating drones on ten that create a foundation for trippy guitar and the drum bashing that provides an oddly interesting contrast. There’s also a cinematic quality, both musically and the way the music flows, that reminds me of the soundtrack to the Jim Jarmusch film Only Lovers Left Alive that I was so taken with earlier this year. And it’s all beautifully recorded, making for a luscious headphones experience. Quite a pleasant journey indeed.
For more information and to download visit the Silber Records web site at: http://www.silbermedia.com
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz
Finnish band Deep Space Destructors are back with their third album, a 5 track 45 minute set of kick ass Space Rock. Beyond The Black Star kicks things off, being a rocker with a swinging groove plus acid Psych and Hawkwind Space Ritual effects. Spaceship Earth rocks hard in Hawkwind circa Electric Teepee space and has a punchy Alan Davey styled bass that makes my head want to BANG. About halfway through this 9 minute track the music transitions to an easier paced melodic rocking section with one slowly soloing and one strumming guitar, before launching into a stoned yet still spaced out Hard Rock blast that leads to the finale. Lots happening on this tune. Cosmic Burial is also in the 9 minute range and is a blend of cosmic Black Sabbath Stoner Space Rock and trippy deep space dreamy excursions with a narrative sense that a story is being told. The narrative development continues on the 15 minute An Ode to Indifferent Universe, which evolves through heavy Space-Prog and cosmic Hard Rock constructions. This track reminded me a lot of early Darxtar. Nothing sits still for long as the Destructors continually shift gears and the track is loaded with non-flashy yet cool and interesting dual guitar work. Finally, Ikuinen Alku has a high powered Hawk rocking vibe similar to Spaceship Earth. Deep Destructors switch to their native Finnish for this one (lyrics on the rest of the album are in English). Overall a damn good set of potent Space Rock.
New albums from Brooklyn, New York based Sky Picnic are always a treat and Her Dawn Wardrobe is yet another winner from this Psychedelic trio. This may be the band’s third full length, but they’ve also released some EPs and contributed to compilations, including several on the Fruits de Mer Records label.
Sauer Adler are the Polish duo of Kacper Wojaczek on keyboards and vocals and A.J. Kaufmann on guitars and vocals, with assistance from Agata Grzeskowiak on vocals. Their latest album, The Trips and Dreams of Stephen Adler, continues in the spirit of last year’s debut album, Revelation.