Stroll On!

Of late it seems as if the world has gone a bit psych daft what with Loop touring again, festivals such Austin Psych Fest and Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia flourishing and a procession of new and old cosmic groups releasing records to great acclaim: Temples, Night Beats, The Brian Jonestown Massacre etc.. All of which would suggest that Stroll On Records' recent 4-way split 7" landed at just the right time.  It boasts a couple of lovely tracks by established acts from the janglier end of the pop-psych spectrum in The See See's "The Evil Clutch of Dawn" and The Young Sinclairs' "In This Room" to reel in the Shindig readers.  These are paired with blinding tracks by newer groups Triptides and Frankie and The Witch Fingers.  "Shaman" by Triptides has the most arresting intro in many a light year and the shady feel and messed-with vocals of The Byrds' "Natural Harmony" while Frankie and The Witch Fingers' "Revival" is a wired blast of keyboard-enhanced psych that quickens the pulse and never lets up.  There's no point playing a record like this quietly - sorry neighbours!



I got mine from Vinyl Revival on a recent visit to Manchester.  The shop's well worth a visit and the chaps talk an enthusiastic and informed game on psych, Freakbeat, garage etc..

One old, one new

Lately, there's been a distinctly classic pop flavour to the sounds emanating from Not Unloved's speakers  This is largely due to finally (it only took 13 years!) picking up Wall of Orchids' fabulous "Great Blue" cd e.p. (The Bus Stop Label) and the arrival of  The See See 's latest single, "Gold and Honey".  Across 5 superior quality songs Lane Steinberg and his fellow wallflowers demonstrate an ability to craft the kind of melodies that can part even the blackest of clouds and as if to prove the point, 2 minutes and 7 seconds into "No One's Looking At The Rain" the strings arrive like a kind of audio sun to dry up any lingering puddles.  It's a great moment which I look forward to each time it plays.

"Gold and Honey" may be much newer - it dates from the last month or so - but it, too, knows its pop history.  It's a serious-minded but thankfully never po-faced amalgam of sun-bleached mid-60s California vocals and non-wimpy, first generation Mod jangle.  Recent releases on The Great Pop Supplement label have been of a remarkably high standard and "Gold and Honey" certainly doesn't buck the trend.

(I'm guessing that it's this Paul Kelly who directed the video!)