RE-UP: The Battlemen - Call To Arms (LP mono version) (USA 2008)

 

RE-UP BY REQUEST.

Described to me as 'Psychedelic medieval rock' by JoDee Purkeypile (who is also a member of PLANET RYE CO). 'Call to Arms' by THE BATTLEMEN comes along as a great psychedelic garage album with surprising lyrics and themes, musically clearly rooted in mid/late-60ies psych-garage-punk and pop-psyke.

"The Battlemen are the electric minstrels of Bastrop, Texas. Forging a unique sound comprising garage rock, folk, blues, & jazz, the group released their debut album on Emerald Wood in December 2008. Among it's musical joys are the underground hit single "Psychedelic Moat", the fire-side gem "Fire Axe", the ridiculous romp of "Gigantic Spider", and the epic oddity "Demon in the Queen's Court". The band has yet to perform live in concert, but a show has been arranged for August, 2009. Visit the Battlemen on Myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/thebattlemen for further details. Until then enjoy the mono magic of CALL TO ARMS..."

 

'Psychedelic medieval rock'? ... aahm, wait a minute!

But then, why not? Remember THE PRETTY THINGS' psych masterpiece from 1968? Those guys were singing about burning balloons and Privates in a strange turn of the century war... So why not an album full of riding knights, magic axes, demons and witches? And what an album it is! At least some of these 11 songs should be on every psych head's play list.

Recommended (not only to fans of THE DUKES OF STRATOSPHEAR, NUGGETS, RUBBLE and the like)!

Favourite tracks: 'Witch of Colors' and 'Oubliette Blues'

The Battlemen - Call To Arms

(LP mono version) (USA 2008)

(MP3-ZIP, 11 tracks, 29 min, front cover incl., 65,3 MB)

Get it here (new link 2023-09)!

The Battlemen - Call To Arms (LP mono version) (USA 2008)

Described to me as 'Psychedelic medieval rock' by JoDee Purkeypile (who is also a member of PLANET RYE CO, posted recently) 'Call to Arms' by THE BATTLEMEN comes along as a great psychedelic garage album with surprising lyrics and themes, musically clearly rooted in mid/late-60ies psych-garage-punk and pop-psyke.

"The Battlemen are the electric minstrels of Bastrop, Texas. Forging a unique sound comprising garage rock, folk, blues, & jazz, the group released their debut album on Emerald Wood in December 2008. Among it's musical joys are the underground hit single "Psychedelic Moat", the fire-side gem "Fire Axe", the ridiculous romp of "Gigantic Spider", and the epic oddity "Demon in the Queen's Court". The band has yet to perform live in concert, but a show has been arranged for August, 2009. Visit the Battlemen on Myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/thebattlemen for further details. Until then enjoy the mono magic of CALL TO ARMS..." (info from: http://emeraldwoodrecords.blogspot.com/)

'Psychedelic medieval rock'? ... aahm, wait a minute!

But then, why not? Remember THE PRETTY THINGS' psych masterpiece from 1968? Those guys were singing about burning balloons and Privates in a strange turn of the century war... So why not an album full of riding knights, magic axes, demons and witches? And what an album it is! At least some of these 11 songs should be on every psych head's play list.

Recommended (not only to fans of THE DUKES OF STRATOSPHEAR, NUGGETS, RUBBLE and the like)!

Favourite tracks: 'Witch of Colors' and 'Oubliette Blues'

The Battlemen - Call To Arms

(LP mono version) (USA 2008)

(MP3-ZIP, 11 tracks, 29 min, front cover incl., 65,3 MB)

Get it here (new link 2023-09)!

Soho Riots - EP (MEX 2009)

SOHO RIOTS are from Guadalajara, which is about 5 hours from Mexico City. The actual lineup is as follows: Lorena Quintanilla: guitar and vocals; Pilar Servín: guitar and vocals; Alberto González: drums and vocals; Bernardo Orozco: guitar; Ricardo Venegas: bass guitar and keys; Javier Orozco: vocals and keys.

"Those songs ... were recorded last summer on Bernardo's house, when Soho Riots was still a three-piece band (Lorena, Pilar and me, Alberto). We recorded them with a pretty basic setup, a macbook pro, a presonus firepod, a couple of condenser mics, and a bunch of guitar pedals (analogue delays, vintage phasers and flangers, an old casiotone keyboard etc.) in order to add an analogue flavor. Everything was mixed by the band and mastered by our much appreciated friend, Homero. When the small record was done we made some hand-crafted copies and share them with some friends of ours and later, some people would start asking for our music. One of them was Eric Gamboa, a guy who runs a netlabel called Poni Republic. That's how an alternate version of the EP got into the label's site (the only difference it has from the one we send you is that it has Bob Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man instead of Pedestrian Knows Best). - - Also, around those days, we realized that, in order to play a decent representation of the songs we recorded, we needed more people in the band, so we invited Bernardo, Ricardo and Javier to play along. That's pretty much it. - - I guess our sound can be easily labeled as psychedelic, garage music or even shoegaze. That's why it is no wonder we enjoy listening to The Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3, 13th Floor Elevators, The Black Angels, The Byrds, My Bloody Valentine..." (Alberto González)

Wow, pretty amazing stuff - a mix of garage acid punk, weird vocals and wall of sound shoegazer elements. It probably shouldn't come as a big surprise that this band is producing such great psychedelic music in Mexico (of all places), if one recalls, that Mexico has in fact quite a tradition of great psychedelic bands, that already played in the late 60ies and early 70ies (e.g. DUG DUG'S, THE FLYING KARPETS, THE SPIDERS, LA REVOLUCIÓN DE EMILIANO ZAPATA...).

Don't miss this little jewel!

Favourite song: "The Day of the Days"

http://www.myspace.com/sohoriots

http://ponirepublic.blogspot.com/2008/12/soho-riots.html

SOHO RIOTS - EP (MEX 2009)

(mp3-zip, 4 tracks, 19 min, 25,8 MB)

Get it here or here!

Blancanus - BR001-BR005 (SP 2008/9)

Excellent 60's garage-psychedelia/paisley underground from Spain - that's what's on offer here from the one-man-music-project BLANCANUS. If you like bands like PLASTICLAND, RAIN PARADE or MARSHMALLOW OVERCOAT - look no further: this is the stuff for you! Songs with unforgettable hooks, inventive playing including great fuzz and wah wah guitar and fantastic cheesy organ sounds - wow, I love that kind of stuff! Also to mind comes SYD BARRETT's PINK FLOYD (e.g.: "I've Got You in My Dreams")  - and (especially on the last song: "Mademoiselle") the mid-60s SERGE GAINSBOURG.

The song collection presented here comes in fact from 5 singles/EPs (numbered BR001-BR005 in chronological order) that all can be downloaded from BLANCANUS's website (see below). They would make a great LP though. Well, maybe some day...

My favourite track: "All Smiles" or probably "The Sea of LSD", but it's pretty hard to say: they are all very good!

By the way: BLANCANUS works also as a D.J. Wonder how that sounds...

Enjoy!

Interview with BLANCANUS, 2nd May 2009 (via email)

Where exactly are you from?

Bilbao, Spain (North Spain)

Do you want your real name mentioned? If so: What is your real name?

My real name is xxx xxx but I'm not interested in any mention. Thanks. Blancanus is enough.

How/When recorded? (at home/equipment...)?

The dates are in the covers (yyyy/mm/dd). I do my recordings in my living-room with the exception of the drums. You know, I respect my neighbourhood. I record the drums in the place where I practice with The Extended Plays, my band. (www.myspace.com/extendedplays). Blancanus is my personal project.

This is my equipment: Fender Telecaster, Mexican Jazz Bass, Synthesizer Yamaha CS2x, Multieffects Boss ME-500, Home Recording Station Yamaha 1600, Behringer C3 & Shure SM57 mics, a handful percussion items and several shakers, and I think that's all.

Who involved? Who played what?

I play all the instruments and vocals. You know, I'm busy and the people I know are busy... and I gotta rec the drums at 6.30 in the morning... difficult. But I would like some guests but I can't. Someday.

Any official releases? If so, label, record nr.?

Nope.

Since when are you into music?

Almost 20 years!!! I'm 34. I bought my first guitar when I was 15 years old. (I'm a dirty old man :D)

Any previous bands?

Blues bands, rock bands, pop bands, many bands but I quitted them cos I was getting bored, you know, no experimentation at all. Now I'm in The Extended Plays, a psychedelic rock band and I feel good with them.

Influences?

Long list here. Bands of the 60's, psychedelic bands. Especially the early Pink Floyd.

Anything that you think is interesting, that you'd like to inform the blog readers about...

Yes, I avoid with a powerful feeling computers editing. I mean copy & paste and all those kind of bloody things... (END OF INTERVIEW)

http://www.myspace.com/blancanus

http://www.blancanus.blogspot.com

http://www.myspace.com/extendedplays

Blancanus - BR001-BR005 (SP 2008/9)

(mp3 zip, 12 tracks, 38 min, 73,1 MB, front cover artwork incl.)

Blancanus - BR001-20080223

01 45 Collection - 3:10

02 I've Got You In My Dreams - 2:31

Blancanus - BR002-20080426

03 Plentiful Harvest - 3:16

04 Portuguese Queen - 2:51

Blancanus - BR003-20080624

05 Raspberries Cranberries Strawberries - 3:56

06 Little Irish Girl - 3:01

07 Lovely Witch - 2:44

08 All Smiles - 3:11

Blancanus - BR004-20081215

09 Old Chinese Woman's Magic Shop - 3:19

10 Cold Outside - 3:49

Blancanus - BR005-20090309

11 The Sea of LSD - 2:42

12 Mademoiselle - 2:59

(Links are dead! Re-Up when requested.)

Cloud Nine - Evolution of a psychedelic Band (6): The Best of the ELEDIL Tapes (GER. 1991/92)

Probably the musical highlight of my little series about the German neo psychedelic band CLOUD NINE (& THE VITAMIN C)...

CLOUD NINE - Official Bootleg Archives O.B.A.

Vol. 11-12

The Best of the ELEDIL Tapes

(mp3 zip of 2 CDR, 23 tracks, 158 min, art + info incl., 218 MB)

CD 1 (12-28-1991)

1. I'm Lost - 6.23

2. Rainfrontier - 2.50

3. Angel Of Mine - 5.03

4. Draw Down the Distance - 18.41

5. Empty And Cold - 9.39

6. Tracks Of My Tears - 4.46

7. Sunspots - 8.57

8. My Sunday on A Friday - 4.59

9. Call - 4.54

10. Black Queen - 12.07

CD 2 (02-22-1992)

1. Call (faded in) - 3.53

2. Walking My Road - 3.09

3. Tracks Of My Tears - 3.40

4. I Don't Care - 4.07

5. On An Ordinary Day - 6.14

6. Empty And Cold - 8.11

7. I'm Lost - 6.42

8. Death Blues - 5.25

9. (It Makes) No Difference - 3.22

10. Sunspots (Part 1) - 4.02

11. Draw Down The Distance - 12.31

12. Black Queen - 10.59

13. Der Sandmann ist tot - 6.38
Get it here (CD1) and here (CD2)!

CLOUD NINE was the sixth incarnation of CLOUD NINE & THE VITAMIN C, lasting from about June 1991 until February 1992 (the name was shortened before playing the ELEDIL gigs).

CN(VC #6) played only two live gigs, both at the small ELEDIL Club in Darmstadt, Germany, before the band broke up. Between the 1st gig there in December 1991 and the 2nd one in February 1992 lay many weeks of rehearsals and also the first (and only) "proper" recording session in a semi-professional studio (in fact held on only 2 days, recording 6 backing tracks live in the studio and some overdubs, until the band ran out of money – so the mixing was never really finished and the mastertapes sadly seem lost. – But finally: in December 2023 the Band released those studio recordings remasters on vinyl. Recommended!.

 

Get the LP at discogs.

Digital download from Bandcamp.

 

On these recordings here you'll find live versions of all the songs that were recorded in the studio earlier/later – and they differ very much! Just compare the live version of their psychedelic masterpiece "Draw Down The Distance" from the first gig (nearly 19 minutes spaced out jamming – b.t.w. my favourite version of that song) to the much more structured version from the 2nd ELEDIL gig (much more in the style of the studio version and much shorter).

Pete Hergo (live at the ELEDIL): g., voc.

Also of note are the relativly heavy/punk-ish sounding newer songs like "Call", "My Sunday On a Friday", "I Don't Care" or "No Difference" as well as the rearrangements of older "classics" like "Rainfrontier" or "I'm Lost" – all played pretty heavy and in strong contrast to the more psychedelic jam tracks, e.g. "Sunspots". It seems that the band, featuring the new, very competent guitar player PETE HERGO, was looking for a new direction around that time and the results sound quite promising with the newer songs showing a clear influence of bands like THE CURE ("I Don't Care"), GREEN ON RED ("Walking My Road") or even THE CHARLATANS' rave sound ("My Sunday On A Friday"). Clearly a new evolution and a welcome addition to the more Sixties oriented older CNVC sound with tracks like "I'm Lost" or "Car Car" or "Rainfrontier" (more in the mood of 60s Garage bands like THE ELECTRIC PRUNES or the acid rock of THE DOORS or early PINK FLOYD psychedelia ("Brainstorm", "Black Queen")).

Many of those songs featured here have only been played once or twice live, e.g. "Der Sandmann ist tot" (= The Sandman is dead"), a very strange song, written by keyboard player Dominik E., that wouldn't have sounded out of place in the WIM WENDERS movie "HIMMEL ÜBER BERLIN". The only CLOUD NINE song, by the way, ever sung in German...

But after that 2nd ELEDEL gig not only the sandman was dead; "Der Sandmann ist tot" was the last song the band ever played live together, afterwards the band was dead as well...

Enjoy this Requiem and check out the official vinyl recordings of CLOUD NINE & THE VITAMIN C: https://www.discogs.com/de/artist/13014570-Cloud-Nine-The-Vitamin-C

https://cloud-nine-and-the-vitamin-c.blogspot.com/

 

Glaze Of Cathexis - Tokyo Rainbow Bridge (JP/USA 2005)

When I started this blog one of the first things I posted were 2 songs by GLAZE OF CATHEXIS (namely "Reduced to Dust" and "Image Of You") from this web-only release. I always thought I posted the complete album, but I was wrong – so here it is for the first time COMPLETE on homemade-lofi-psych:

GLAZE OF CATHEXIS - TOKYO RAINBOW BRIDGE (2005)

(mp3 zip, 10 tracks, 37 min, 67 MB, cover artwork incl.)

Get it here.

I like this record a lot! Some passages remind me of the early 80s german neo psych band THE 39 CLOCKS. Does anybody remember that band? And "Pessimistic Mind" (especially the vocals) reminds me of JULIAN COPE... Not bad at all!

Of course you may check out the other GLAZE OF CATHEXIS albums here on this blog or at the DR.s own blog...
You'll also find the until then unreleased song "Drifting Concepts" on the 2nd Homemade-Lofi-Psych Sampler EMBRYO THOUGHTS. Great song, well worth checking out.

RE-UP: Orange (Family Tree) - "Magic Spell" Variations

ORANGE (ORANGE FAMILY TREE):

"Magic Spell" Variations

5 variations of a song.

(mp3 zip, 5 tracks, 31 min, 42,9 min)

Get it HERE! Re-up 2022

1. ANYONE'S DREAMCOLOUR - Magic Spell (original demo version, 1992); 4 track analog) (4:11)

2. ORANGE - Magic Spell (acoustic version; live unplugged session), Mainz 12-31-1993) (6.11)

3. ORANGE - Magic Spell (extended demo version); basic tracks recorded Frankfurt a. M., Bunker, 4 track analog 05-30 + 06-01-1994 with overdubbs added later; remixed by mike-floyd) (7.35)

4. ORANGE - Magic Spell/Rockwork Orange (live), Abensberg Open Air Festival, Germany, 07-09-1995; soundboard) (10.03)

5. POET ZERO - Magic Spell (acoustic live session) for RADIO X, Vanille Club, Frankfurt a. M.; Radio Broadcast 09-17-2002) (3.10)

 

Magic Spell is a perfect example for selfmade acid punk.

The song was written and first recorded as a demo by ANYONE'S DREAMCOLOUR, the solo project of former CLOUD NINE (& THE VITAMIN C) bassist Mike S., in 1992 and later recorded and also performed live many times by ORANGE. Many different versions exist on tape. While the early ANYONE'S DREAMCOLOUR version is more in the style of THE FEELIES perhaps, most ORANGE versions are pure acid punk with lots of fuzz guitar, feedback and psychedelic effects like backward voices, that create a strange mysterious atmosphere.

"Magic Spell" was often played as the last song at ORANGE concerts around 1993/1994, followed sometimes only by the minimalistic "Rockwork Orange", based on a repetitious bass riff from "Magic Spell" (and that continued on some occasions – in SOFT MACHINE-We-did-it-again-avantgarde-style – for over sixty minutes!).

POET ZERO was/is the post ORANGE solo project of former ORANGE guitarist Maxim Engl. This version here is taken from an one hour live solo performance, that was broadcast on RADIO X in Frankfurt a. M., Germany, in 2002. At the end you can hear a quote from the beginning of ORANGE's psychedelic Opus magnum "Neil's Elevator".

 

MAGIC SPELL

(music & lyrics by Mike S. (c) 1992)

I came to know a girl, she says she knows me well

She lives up that road some place I cannot tell

That girl, she lives there in a darkened room

with alligator teeth, the smell of old perfume

That girl I know, she says she's been through hell

She's playing with cards, knows all the magic spells

I'm sure I've seen her in another place

with eyes bright shining in her witch's face

Maybe you know her, maybe you know her

Maybe you know her, maybe you know her...

That girl I know is into magic things

I listen to her and I can spread my wings

She helps my mind to fly through time and space

Nothing but soul exists beneath the haze

(Nothing but soul exists beneath the haze...)

Maybe you know her, maybe you know her

Maybe you know her, maybe you know her

Maybe you know...

Enjoy!

Glaze of Cathexis - The Visions Surround You (JP/US 2008)

The last web-release of Dr. Schluss' GLAZE OF CATHEXIS – and what a fine one: pure 60s style garage psych, heavely influenced by our favourite Nuggets-bands with an occasional nod to the 80s neo psych garage bands. But this isn't just some retro sound. Dr. Schluss' very own, remarkable voice and singing style gives all those songs that little extra, that reveals that this here is a contemporary piece of art. Very listenable and quite remarkable! Recommended!

My favourite tracks: "Future Quake" and the somewhat Byrds-y "I've Been Flying". (Trip-o-meter: 4 out of 5.)

GLAZE OF CATHEXIS - The Visions Surround You (2008)

(mp3 zip, 11 tracks, 40 min, 72 MB)

Get it here.

New link 05/2024.

And don't forget to check out Dr. Schluss' site.

Download "Stone God" by DAMAGED TAPE (Dr. Schluss' other musical project) here.

V.A. - Variations of a song – Magic Spell by Anyone's Dreamcolour / Orange / Poet Zero (GER 1992-94, 2002)

Variations of a song – Magic Spell
(5 tracks, mp3-zip, 45,1 mb)

Get it HERE!

Here are the details:
- Version 1: original demo version by ANYONE'S DREAMCOLOUR; recorded 1992 on analog 4 track (4:11).

- Version 2: demo version by ORANGE; basic track recorded Frankfurt a.M., Bunker, 4 track analog 1994-05-30/06-01 with overdubs added later; remixed by Mike Floyd (7:35).

- Version 3: live version by ORANGE; Magic Spell->Rockwork Orange; soundboard, Abensberg Open Air Festival 1994-07-09,(complete with Rockwork Orange ending: 10:05).

While the early AD version is more in the style of perhaps The Feelies, the Orange versions are pure acid punk with fuzz guitar and (on the demo with) psychedelic effects like backward voices, that create a strange mysterious atmosphere.

– Version 4: ORANGE: accoustic version; live, unplugged Session, Mainz 1993-12-31 (6:11)

– Version 5: POET ZERO: accoustic live session, RADIO X, Vanille Club, Frankfurt a.M.; Broadcast 2002-09-17 (3:14)

Enjoy