Back catalogue: Psych/Garage Rock

Review: Side-1 kicks off with a raw and funky garage band jam that perfectly captures the spirit of 1967. With its dynamic energy, the track blends elements of jazz, rock, funk and blues, creating an exciting, soul-infused experience. The rhythm section drives the track with relentless energy, while the soulful melodies and infectious groove make it a standout piece. The mix of surf rock and mod influences gives it a timeless, gritty edge that resonates with both vintage and modern listeners. Side-2 takes a more experimental turn with a unique jam laden with saxophone and rich instrumental textures. The track's experimental nature is underscored by its unconventional structure, utilizing the harpsichord to create a distinctive, jazzy vibe. The saxophone adds a layer of depth, intertwining with the rhythm to produce a mood that's both introspective and lively. This track offers a refreshing, avant-garde twist that contrasts beautifully with the raw energy of the opening side.

Review: Wand returns with Vertigo, an album marked by its multichromatic complexity and innovative restructuring. Transitioning from a quintet to a quartet, Wand's new formation builds on their previous altars of experimental sound. The album is a mix of sentiment, tension, theatricality, and raw, improvised pieces reshaped into cohesive tracks. Recorded in their studio, the process was intuitive and ego-less, capturing the spontaneity of their performances. The result is a dynamic blend of folk-like simplicity with synthesisers and lush backdrops, creating a unique auditory experience. Vertigo offers a swaying, associative journey, with granular details embedded in the jams. Wand funnels energy and space, merging infinity with atmospheric reverb, delivering an album that stands your hair on end with every verse and chorus. This is Wand at their most explorative, committing to an ever-evolving sound that pushes boundaries while maintaining a forward momentum.

Review: With their sixth album in seven years, German jazz quartet Web Web return with a fresh touch: Plexus Plexus is more psychedelic and at times far "Krautier" than before, representing a speedy departure from their previous Web Max release. Special guest JJ Whitefield (The Poets Of Rhythm, Karl Hector & The Malcouns, Syrup) weaves a remarkable guitar thread throughout, gluing its sound together through solo intermissions, riffs and vamps. In his style, we hear everything from The Poets of Rhythm and Syrup to the more psychedelic vibes of Karl Hector & The Malcouns, injecting the record with the zoomed-out energy of 70s jazz-Kraut bands. Departing from their last record, Web Web have truly a back-to-basics approach through spontaneity, riffing on the back of an intense three-day recording sesh in Munich.

Review: Toronto-to-LA starlet Elyse Weinberg's debut Elyse achieved only moderate success, reaching number 31 on the ole Billboard. Her second album, now reissued via Trading Places, was never officially released due to the collapse of Tetragrammaton Records, clinching the anticlimactic career of a genius (may we add that the highest heights worth climbing aren't the most visible). This lost album, arguably the most cohesive of her entire catalogue, sported a stellar lineup, with JD Souther on drums, Kenny Edwards on bass, and Nils Lofgren on guitar. Neil Young made a precious appearance on the standout track 'Houses', perhaps helping award the song its later covering by a seemingly never-ending daisy chain of contemporary folk-psych greats: Dinosaur Jr, Vetiver, Courtney Barnett. Weinberg's delivery is cuetsy, garrulous and gallant, touting herself a "good-time girl" in chirpy spirit spilt across ten ready-steady grooves.

Review: Singing siblings from Millbrae, California, a suburb of swinging San Francisco, the Flower sisters - their actual surname - released one full length album, Genesis, in 1969, at the tail end of a decade that had transformed youth culture and society as a whole. The sound could not have been more apt, a combination of floaty surrealism, delicate pop, and floral grooves (whatever that means). Aside from a couple of other appearances - background vocals on two Cal Tjader albums, and Wendy's work on Jane Weaver's Fallen By The Watchbird LP - they vanished into the ether from which they came, only celebrated by artists who have looked to recreate and represent their work, most notably Super Furry Animals with 'By The Sea'. Diving into the quiet, calm, soothing and emotionally nourishing originals here is proof of why those who remember are still in love with what they heard.

Review: Bait's Motel is the third ever album by what is probably Finland's only longstanding successful ska and rockabilly band, Whistle Bait. Reissued on LP after its initial CD run in 2001, the record's issuance marked the rough twenty-year point of their career, and now this one marks the fortieth. Eschewing the long spate of bonus tracks present on the CD edition, this LP edition boasts a less cumbersome 14 tracks, featuring cover versions of timeless originals by the likes of the Loved Ones, as well as choice originals such as 'Another Lazy Summer' and 'Sue's Gonna Be Mad'.

Review: Entering White Hills' Brooklyn studio reveals their intense passion for music and art. Vinyl crates line the space, and guitars are scattered about as synthesisers and cables cover a purple satin bed and gouache paintings and subversive memorabilia adorn the walls. This creative hub also serves as the headquarters for their label and was the birthplace of their latest album, Beyond This Fiction. For nearly two decades, White Hills has dazzled with their blend of neo-psychedelia, art rock, and post-punk. Their cult status was cemented by their role in Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive and their new album, recorded with Martin Bisi, delves into Joseph Campbell's concept of "riding between opposites," blending shoegaze and ambient sounds with a stronger focus on vocals. Tracks like 'Throw It Up In The Air' and 'Killing Crimson' highlight their evolving sound, and make this a great addition to the band's discography.

Review: Proper Music embark on a proper reissue of White Noise's 1969 debut and power-electronics-populariser, An Electric Storm. A bastion of cult musique concrete albumry born of the triadic genii of David Vorhaus, Brian Hodgson, and Delia Derbyshire, An Electric Storm was a watershed album at the time. And given certain conservative proclivities of the music releasing landscape today, it very well still could be. Going into what would surely become a longstanding collaborative project, this LP established the trio's patented approach to recording - 'storm techniques' - which aimed to proffer to the listener sounds which, the band wagered, would've never been heard before. A natural stipule of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, the album is the sonic quintessence of the word 'tinkering' - the group combined all manner of tape loops, vocals, live percussion and weirdo-phonics - yet also works in motifs of the then popular modes of psychedelia and chamber pop; these songs are otherwise unsettlingly embedded in licentious, doomy texturescapes, comprising various groans, gulps, moans and bangs.

Review: Jack White's sixth solo album, No Name, arrives as a delightful surprise, offering a raw and invigorating return to his roots. Released with minimal fanfare and initially devoid of track titles, this album shows off White's playful and enigmatic nature. Fans of all stripes will find something to love here: diehard collectors get a rare gem for their collections, while those simply drawn to White's music can dive into 13 new tracks, now officially titled and available on vinyl. Produced at Third Man Records Studios in Nashville, No Name strips away the grandiosity of White's recent experiments, embracing a raw, unpolished sound that harks back to his White Stripes days. The album's blues-infused rock, with its razor-sharp riffs and primal drumming, feels more alive and immediate than his recent work. Songs like 'Bless Yourself' channel the heavy, bruising power of early Shellac and Led Zeppelin, while 'Terminal Archenemy Endling' blends heavy rock with spiritual uplift. White's lyrics are sharp and biting, delivering both humor and intensity. Tracks like 'Archbishop Harold Holmes' and 'What's the Rumpus?' showcase his ability to balance the sublime and the ridiculous, with catchy hooks and incisive commentary. Leaner and more focused than he's been in years, No Name is a thrilling reminder of White's genius and overall, an enjoyable rock album to listen to.

Review: To Ease My Troubled Mind: The Authorised Unauthorised History of Billy Childish is more than just a book - it's a celebration of the eclectic and unconventional journey of a true musical maverick. Compiled to complement the release of this insightful tome, the double album compilation offers a succinct yet comprehensive overview of Billy Childish's remarkable 47-year career in music. From his humble beginnings in the Medway, Kent, to his rebellious exploits in punk rock and beyond, Childish's story is one of defiance, creativity, and authenticity. Through various monikers and musical incarnations, he has remained true to his DIY ethos and uncompromising artistic vision. The compilation serves as a blueprint to Childish's enduring influence and legacy in the music world. Featuring tracks spanning his diverse repertoire and collaborations, it encapsulates the raw energy, wit, and irreverence that have defined his career. For fans and newcomers alike, this compilation is a treasure trove of sonic delights and a fitting tribute to one of music's true originals.

Review: Not to be confused with the landmark London club of the same name - one of many sorely missed spots in the UK capital - Plastic People is almost the opposite of that now-defunct electronic dance music stronghold. Wildwood's 1968 garage psyche triumph is equally determined to encourage us to escape, only in a far earthier, rawer, and rougher kind of way. With plenty of hoarse guitar riffs, Hammond organ lines and powerhouse vocals coming from the man himself, this is a wonderful reminder of a ridiculously fertile period in rock & roll history that maintained values of the decade it rounded off, but was also increasingly looking to a future in which punk and progressive were beginning to lay their own foundations. In short, it's epic and trippy and incredibly human.

Review: William Penn & His Pals (also known as William Penn Fyve) were the ultimate 60s garage band from the Bay Area. With a lineup boasting Mike Shapiro on lead guitar (author of the garage, acid-punk anthem 'Swami', which features here), Gregg Rolie (of Santana/Journey fame) on organ and vocals, and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead on drums, this is a lesser-spotted compendium of some of the band's earliest complete recordings. Also a vital sonic slice of history of San Francisco rock, the album via Guerssen here comes with a wealth of rare photos, memorabilia and inserts, courtesy of the city's foremost local rock music historian, Bruno Ceriotti.

Review: Zamrock pioneers WITCH continue their remarkable second act with Sogolo, a suitably fuzz-driven follow-up to their 2023 reunion album Zango. Recorded in Berlin during a rare break in their busy touring schedule, the album peers confidently into the future (its title drawn from a Zambian word meaning just that) without losing sight of the raw psych-funk energy they helped define in the 70s. Lead single 'Queenless King' sets the tone: perky, funky and full of bite, with frontman Jagari Chanda's powerful energy driving the band forward. The track explores the fallout of a bad marriage, anchored by a sublime bassline from producer Jacco Gardner and spaced-out synths from founding member Patrick Mwondela. WITCH are still pushing forward, turning decades of invention into something timely, vital and completely their own.

Review: This timely reissue of Zamrock's Afro-prog-psychedelic masterpiece makes its debut on vibrant yellow vinyl. WITCH was a group influenced by James Brown, the Stones, and Deep Purple and they dominated 70s Zamrock stages in their heyday. Their musical journey spanned only five years and culminated in the fifth and final rock album, which predated a split and a new disco venture in Zimbabwe. The record fuses traditional Zambian rhythms and folk melodies with progressive rock and, somewhat echoing Lukombo Vibes, it embodies the Osibas' "afro-rock" style. This release encapsulates WITCH's evolution and influence and gives a vivid glimpse into the era's musical fusion and cultural resonance.

Review: Zambian psych rock trailblazers Witch - formed in 1971 and led by Emmanuel Chanda - endured decades of dormancy but enjoyed a new lease of life over the past few years. This follow up to their 2023 reunion album, Zango, sees them continue their blossoming relationship with the Desert Daze festival's label arm and Partisan Records, which is the label that broke Fontaines D.C. A notable producer of the album is Finland's Jacco Gardner, who has dabbled in myriad projects including an impressive solo career and what he's been able to oversee here is remarkable. The rabble-rousing garage rock opener, 'Kamusale' sees fuzz-laden guitars intertwine with Chanda's raw, energetic command as a frontman and we are quickly cast into their spell. Another highlight is the eye opening 'Queenless King' where a kraut-funk bass groove sets off a free-spirited psychedelic tapestry, bursting with bright ideas and soulful charm.

Review: Zamrock, anyone? Often stylised as W.I.T.C.H, WITCH were one of the leading musical lights of post-colonial Zambia, a band that rose to prominence during the early-1970s, a particularly fertile period in the East African nation during which hopes for the future were incredibly bright. Independence leading to the blossoming of homespun ideas, culture, art and creativity. The story takes a tragic turn as the decade reached its final years, the economy collapsing and policymakers turning increasingly authoritarian. Like many in the 'scene', WITCH would fade, almost into obscurity, although the psychedelic rock-hued legacy they left survived, and then experienced a resurgence from 2012, when they reformed amid renewed interest. Kuomboka represents the group at the height of their fame, an album that still sounds packed with optimism, despite insidious changes in the air when it landed in 1976.

Review: Over two decades since their initial formation, Idag serves as the seventh full-length from Swedish occult rock/proto-doom metal legends Witchcraft, marking their follow up to 2020's sombre, acoustic dark folk, ironically titled Black Metal. Speaking on the project, founding guitarist/vocalist and sole original member Magnus Pelander states: "This album will reap souls and destroy wicked minds. And perhaps mend a couple of broken ones." Astute rock occultists quickly surmised the nod to Chicago psych rockers Coven's 1969 debut album, Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls, which marked the deepest foray into all things gloom and doom the rock scene had witnessed up until that point, even birthing the "sign of the horns", with Witchcraft doing their best to honour the pioneers with an all-encompassing work. From the monolithic, eight-minute opening title-track to the swaggery, 70s-indebted progressive rock and metal roots of 'Irreligious Flamboyant Flame', all underpinned with delicate folk pieces to provide vital respites, Witchcraft have ultimately delivered an awaited full accounting of who they are as a band.

Review: Some 20 years into their existence, Brooklyn band Woods are truly in control of their destiny. Headed up by Jeremy Earl, this twelfth studio album took shape from his loops which were then passed around the other band members to build upon, with guitarist Jarvis Taveniere piecing the end results together. It's a kaleidoscopic listen which folds in easy listening whimsy, brain-fried psychedelia and pastoral wonder - all impressive for a band more typically associated with New York. Already widely hailed as one of their finest works, this vinyl edition comes via the band's own Woodsist label.

Review: For the first outside of the US and Australia, the World Party best of is released. The band, led by late, great multi-instrumentalist ex-member of The Waterboys Karl Wallinger, who remains one of the finest musicians in British pop history. The group, which included Robbie Williams' musical director Guy Chambers for some time, dealt in the best kind of pop music, borrowing from such a diverse pool of influences to create something timeless. A standout hit on here is as relevant now as it was back in the 80s when it was first release: 'Ship of Fools' is about the greed of our leaders and is depressingly apt. Meanwhile, 'She's the One' was famously covered by Robbie Williams and it's testament to the underappreciated genius of Prestatyn-raised Wallinger that it's one of Williams' best known songs. He's a monumental talent whose legacy will resonate for generations.