Category: garage rock

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Party and Fuck Around with Madrid’s Indie Rock Sensations The Parrots

Recorded at Paco Loco Studios in El Puerto de Santa Maria in Cadiz, Southern Spain, The Parrots’ latest single is reportedly inspired by the members of the band drinking beers and Horchata, eating Moroccan delicacies and feelings of deep friendship and loyalty and as a result the song possesses a shuffling, intoxicated feel of elation and adventure — the sort that would come about when you’ve drunkenly stumbled along a new best friend. Sonically, the song will further cement the Spanish trio’s growing reputation for raw and shaggy garage rock as Garcia’s passionate howls are paired with a shuffling and jangling garage rock chords, propulsive drumming and a throbbing bass line, and in some way the song sounds as though it could have easily been released in 1962 or so.

Directed by Pablo Amores, the recently released music video features the members of the Spanish quartet drinking 40s, looking for the next party and goofing off in the streets — and it serves as a reminder that the Spanish quartet are a wild, rollicking party.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Death Valley Girls Go-Go Inspired Take on Troma Films

“Disco,” the latest single off Glow In The Dark is a jangling and propulsive bit of psych rock, complete with droning organs that sounds as though it were indebted to The Jesus and Mary Chain but with a sneering, punk rock air — and a badass, in your face, self assuredness. Interestingly, the recently released music video was directed by Kansas Bowling, who recently directed BC Butcher, the latest release from proprietors of all things low budget gore and horror, Troma Films. As a result, the video is a proper send off to all things go-go but with a Satanic murderess, who kills people with records.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Hot Flash Heat Wave Returns with a Swaggering, New Single and Sleazy Visuals

The band’s latest single “Bye Bye Baby,” which will appear OIM Records’ OIM Records Volume 2 compilation and the single will further cement their reputation for blistering garage rock with infectious and anthemic hooks; however, the song find the band playing with a larger-than-life swaggering self-assuredness that subtly nods towards a gritty, sleazy psych rock — all while being a kiss off to a tepid, unfaithful lover.

The recently released music video emphasizes the song’s sleaziness while nodding at 80s porn, cheap art flicks, 80s horror movies and features sequences shot on grainy VHS tape.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Featuring primary and founding members Courtney Ewan (singer/songwriter) and frequent collaborator Andy Bishop,  Twin River wrote the material of their soon-to-be released sophomore effort Passing Shade, an effort whose name draws from a lengthy dream sequence in Patti Smith‘s memoir M Train while they were over 3,00 miles apart — Ewan had relocated to Montreal while Bishop remained in his hometown of Vancouver. Initially, the material took the form of stripped-down, heartbroken ballads about lost love and as Ewan explains in press notes “I always write on an acoustic guitar, which I think is the vestigial influence of being 15 and playing acoustic guitar in the basement because my mom wouldn’t let me have an amp. Nine times out of ten, when we get the band together, we end up increasing the tempo.” In fact, when Ewan and Bishop got together to flesh out the original demos, the material turned into a barn-burning rock numbers with infectious pop hooks with a subtle hint of atmospherics — and done in way that manages to channel both 60s psych pop and garage rock and the contemporary fascination with that sound.

“Knife,” Passing Shade‘s latest single is a jangling and muscular garage rock song featuring gorgeous shimmering guitar chords and a classic psych rock guitar solo and a propulsive rhythm section paired with Ewan’s vocals which evoke vulnerability and heartbreak simultaneously. From this single, I think the act will throw themselves into a growing list of contemporary garage rock and psych rock acts including High Waisted, Raccoon Fighter, The Coathangers and several others — and the band does so with a cool, swaggering self-assuredness that belies the heartache, yearning and badassery at the core of the song.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Diego Garcia (vocals, guitar), Alejandro de Lucas (bass) and Daniel “Larry” Balboa (drums), Madrid, Spain-based trio The Parrots quickly became an DIY underground sensation with the release of a demo, which was released without much promotion and little fanfare; in fact, the video for “I Did Something Wrong” off their Aden Arabie EP initially received over 15,000 YouTube hits — and caught the attention of music bloggers across Europe and the rest of the world for a sound that drew from old school, garage rock and psych  rock but with a loose, boozy feel. And unsurprisingly, the band’s sound compares favorably to the likes of Thee Oh Sees,  Black Lips, Raccoon Fighter, High Waisted, White Mystery and others.

Last year, NME named the Spanish trio as one of SXSW‘s “buzziest bands” and since then the members of The Parrots have been incredibly busy — they’ve released a critically applauded EP Weed for The Parrots, have toured relentlessly and played an incredible 14 shows at this year’s SXSW (in which they were later signed by renowned indie label Heavenly Recordings). Building on the growing buzz, the trio will be releasing their latest single “Let’s Do It Again.”

Recorded at Paco Loco Studios in El Puerto de Santa Maria in Cadiz, Southern Spain, The Parrots’ latest single is reportedly inspired by the members of the band drinking beers and Horchata, eating Moroccan delicacies and feelings of deep friendship and loyalty and as a result the song possesses a shuffling, intoxicated feel of elation and adventure — the sort that would come about when you’ve drunkenly stumbled along a new best friend. Sonically, the song will further cement the Spanish trio’s growing reputation for raw and shaggy garage rock as Garcia’s passionate howls are paired with a shuffling and jangling garage rock chords, propulsive drumming and a throbbing bass line, and in some way the song sounds as though it could have easily been released in 1962 or so.

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Ellie English, Sade Sanchez and Irita Pai, Los Angeles, CA-based trio L.A. Witch have developed a reputation local for a garage rock-based sound that draws from the likes of The Pleasure Seekers, The Sonics, The Black Angels, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and others. “Drive Your Car,” off the trio’s “Drive Your Car” 7 inch single will further cement the their reputation in specializing in grungy, old-timey garage and psych  rock as layers of chugging and jangling guitar chords played through tons of reverb and delay pedal, paired with a propulsive rhythm and Sanchez’s sneering vocals in song that possess a murderous and malicious intent.

If you’re out in the West Coast or Southwest, you can catch L.A. Witch live. Check out tour dates below.

TOUR DATES
03.11 – San Diego Art Institute – San Diego, CA
03.12 – Firecreek – Flagstaff, AZ
03.13 – Highlife Tavern – Tucson, AZ
03.14 – Exit 19 Music Festival – El Paso, TX
03.15 – Hot Burrito Boat Show Boogie – SXSW
03.15 – Desert Daze x NRMAL @ Hotel Vegas – SXSW
03.16 – She Shreds @ Hotel Vegas – SXSW
03.17 – Levitation Showcase @ Hotel Vegas – SXSW
03.18 – Spillover Fest @ Club Dada – Dallas, TX
03.19 – Entheo Sound @ The Shed – SXSW
03.20 – Burger Hangover @ Paper Tiger – San Antonio, TX
03.22 – House: The Venue – Albuquerque, NM
03.23 – Mesa Brewing – Taos, NM
03.24 – Time Out Lounge – Tempe, AZ
03.25 – Beauty Bar – Las Vegas, NV

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Check Out A Digital 45 from Daptone Records’ First Old School/Lo-Fi Rock-Leaning Signing

Comprised of Mike Brandon (guitar and vocals), L.A. Solano (guitar), Alex Q. Amini (bass) and Kevin Harris (organ), New York-based quartet The Mystery Lights specialize in old timey garage rock and psych rock sound that’s […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Comprised of siblings Kyle Davis (drums) and Tyler Davis (guitar, vocals), who were actually share the same birthday, two years apart, along with Jota Ese (bass) and Ric Alessio (organ and vocals), Nashville, TN-based quartet Chrome Pony have developed a growing profile for a fuzzy and heavily indebted 60s psych and garage rock sound. And with the release of Illegal Smiles, You Are the Pisces, Lazy Bones and their latest effort Past Lives, the Nashville-based quartet have added themselves to a  growing list of artists that includes contemporary artists like Cool Ghouls, Raccoon Fighter,  The Black Angels, Elephant Stone, Sleepy Sun and others.

Past Lives’  latest single “Ragged Child” has the quartet pairing twisting and tumbling organ chords, a rolling bass line and shimmering and chiming guitar chords with propulsive drumming, a trippy guitar solo and anthemic hooks, and the result is a shuffling and shambling, seemingly jam-based song that subtly meshes elements of grunge rock with 60s psych rock.

Chrome Pony is currently on tour with Cage the Elephant across both the European Union and the UK, and when the quartet returns to the States in March, they’ll be playing a series of US dates including stops at Savannah Stopover Festival and the Sweetwater 420 Festival. Check out tour dates here: http://www.bandsintown.com/ChromePony?came_from=198&mc_cid=528c75bfcc&mc_eid=c74f701724

 

 

 

 

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: High Waisted’s Sexy, Girl-Powered Party Video for “Party In The Back”

Fronted by Jessica Louise Dye, the NYC-based indie rock quartet High Waisted formed in 2014 and have quickly developed a reputation for a sound that possesses elements of old school surf rock,  lo-fi garage rock […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Originating as the solo recording project of David Miller, the Chicago, IL-based lo-fi/punk/psych rock quartet Strange Faces expanded to a quartet when Miller recruited Taylor Walters (guitar), Philip Valdez (bass) and Ben Leach (drums) to flesh out and complete the project’s sound. “Brand New Way,” off the quartet’s soon-to-be released debut effort Stonerism is a swaggering, scuzzy bit of psychedelic  lo-fi reminiscent of Crocodiles and Raccoon Fighter as the album’s first single pairs buzzing guitar chords, a tight and propulsive rhythm section, big hooks and vocals fed through layers of distortion. And despite it’s swaggering nature, at its core is a bruised and aching heart as the song’s narrator talks about moving on from crushing loneliness while capturing the youthful restlessness and rebellion that’s always been the rock ‘n’ roll spirit.

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Youthful, Rebellious Rock ‘N’ Roll Sound of Hot Flash Heat Wave’s “Homecoming”

San Francisco-based quartet Hot Flash Heat Wave is comprised of four high school friends — Ted, Adam, Nathaniel and Nick — who all met while playing in a variety of bands in the Bay Area’s […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Warmly 60s Sounding Psychedelic, Garage Rock Sound of Cool Ghouls’ Latest Single “The Creature That I Am”

With the release of A Swirling Fire Burning Through The Rye, earlier this year, the San Francisco-based quartet Cool Ghouls have received attention and praise for a sound that channels the classic 60s rock sound of acts like […]