Category Archives: Psych-Pop

The Good Water ‘Mansaid’

Birmingham-based garage-psych-rockers The Good Water have released their new single ‘Mansaid’. The track comes hot on the heels of their previous single ‘See Your Light’ which received airplay with Steve Lamacq, Mary-Anne Hobbes and Shaun Keaveny at BBC 6Music as well as tastemakers at Amazing Radio and influential LA stations KROQ and Indie 1031). Since forming in early 2015, The Good Water have been busy. The boys quickly picked up loyal support from Brum Radio with their drone-rock debut single ‘Everything Is’,  They have gained new fans at raucous shows around the Midlands and blew away audiences supporting Mercury Rev, Super Furry Animals and Bill Ryder-Jones at Lunar Festival. The duo’s brand of psychedelic rock grooves, obscure lyrics and nimble riffs is streamlined into tight garage-pop frameworks and press has been quick to spot their talents, with rave reviews from Soundsphere Magazine, Ear To The Ground Music, Slap Magazine, Diamond Deposits, Born Music Online and Mytacism Music amongst many others.
‘Mansaid’ is red hot fiery garage rock smothered in a gritty fuzzed mind trip of psych-pop. Its a strutting frantic rush of effortless cool puzzlement that exudes swagger and blistering slick flamboyance. Blazing riffs give the track a scorching intensity while the psychedelic pop harmonies soothe and cool the track down before it kicks into the shredding frenzied mosh worthy chorus. With verses that glide in with liquid fluidity backed by feverish flaming guitar riffs and a driving punch on drums its insanely addictive. These guys are ones to watch.

Stream ‘Mansaid’ below

Eugene Twist ‘Stuntman’

Scottish artist, Eugene Twist is back with his newest single ‘Stuntman’ from his highly-anticipated album of the same name. With a lyrical arena that boasts whistleblowers, extraterrestrials and self-consuming psychonauts, Scotland’s Eugene Twist is not your everyday songwriter. After two years in the musical wilderness, his second album ‘The Stuntman’ has arrived on the back of one mission, to let the storyteller run riot inside the song. Taking time to build a makeshift studio and learning how to record and mix allowed Eugene time to breathe with his arrangements.
‘Stuntman’ is a trippy funky flex of cool swagger teamed with dark bewilderment. With a slippery sway of greasy fluidity this track exudes panache with a hit of sleazy thrown in. The charming spoken vocals add a punk vibe to the verse as they flicker with shards of detest while they become velvety smooth for the chorus adding a luring melty quality. The slick shredding guitar adds a glossy enticing allurement before it builds into a distortion of psychedelic wobbly opiate perplexity. The deep elastic bass adds a tone of seduction and bewitchment that gives the track a fluid abstruse structure. ‘Stuntman’ is a shimmy and a sway of fun cloaked in darkened eerie danger that creeps with chilling mystery.
Watch the video for ‘Stuntman’ below

Carnivals ‘City of Skulls’.

Carnivals are a four-piece psychedelic band from South East London. Band members Joe Hannen (Lead Guitar & Synth), Harry Wood (Drums), Cal Green (Lead Vocals/Guitar) and George Brimble (Bass/Backing Vocals) have developed a sound that embraces the odd psychedelia of the unknown, whilst keeping themselves tightly gripped to their roots of indie-pop. 2016 saw them release the single ‘Shadows’ which was recorded at Liverpool’s legendary Parr Street Studios, gain Radio play from the likes of Radio X whilst recruiting a budding fanbase on the road playing UK festival slots including Isle Of Wight Festival.
The Psych-Pop quartet have released their latest demo ‘City of Skulls’. This kaleidoscopic of darkened gritty hallucinogenic rock shows the band delving further into the realm of 60’s Psychedelia. The mind bending guitar glitters and flashes with narcotic effects that shimmer like glass facets catching your eye. The track races through at a frantic pace taking time out for the slick shredding kick ass guitar solo. Punchy drums drives the track into this rapid pace adding a heavy manic mosh effect that is perfect for the pit at a live show. Flexible sensual bass slaps with a malleable elastic texture adding an enticing luring quality to the track. The Joy Division- esque vocals exude swagger and charisma. ‘City of Skulls’ takes you on the most thrilling opiate trip of 60s psychedelia mixed with gritty frenzied rock that I can imagine is insane live. When asked about the track the band said “our intentions were to channel a frantic pace with an insight into the live experience, with the lyrics we tried to release the strain of the daily grind”.
Can’t wait to hear more from these guys keep an eye out for Carnivals in 2017.
If you want to catch the lads live you can see them at
January 27th- The Rocksteady, London (Independent venue week)
February 4th- Paper Dress Vintage, London
Follow the band on social media here
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/carnivalsofficial/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/CarnivalsBand?lang=en
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/carnivalsofficial/
https://musicglue.com/carnivalsofficial/about

Stream ‘City of Skulls’ below

Desert Fevers ‘Raindrops’

Desert Fevers are Jake Rutter, Zac Blow, Joe Roberts, and Sam Roberts. They play a unique blend of raw, soul flavoured surf tinged garage. This new unique band have released this sweet little track ‘Raindrops’. Its an old school reverb drenched jangle of utter bliss mixed with lo-fi psych pop. Its the perfect recipe for success. The sweet honeyed melody glides with effortless flow creating a sound that is pure delight. A strut worthy jangle on guitar adds a swanky prance and flamboyance to the oh so sleek track. The hip shaking groovy beat coaxes you to move with a funky bounce and vitality. This track exudes swagger and panache from it very core spreading syrupy pop mixed with psychedelic euphoria like sticky sap oozing from every note. It gentle delicate mind numbing psychedelic vibes contrast with the sunny energetic upbeat spring creating a sublime bubble of heavenly elation. The vocals soothe, coated in reverb alongside the instrumentation but not as the main focus they act more like an accompaniment to the rippling elastic oh so cool instrumentation.
Stream ‘Raindrops’ below

Ten Fé ‘Twist Your Arm’

London-based duo Ten Fé have released their new single ‘Twist Your Arm’ which was produced by Ewan Pearson (Jagwar Ma, M83, The Rapture). It is a taste of whats to come from their upcoming debut album ‘Hit The Light’ which is due out February 3rd. Ben Moorhouse and Leo Duncan have already given us the acclaimed singles ‘Make Me Better’, ‘In The Air’, ‘Elodie’ and ‘Turn’ which accumulated over 6 million streams on Spotify. ‘Twist Your Arm’ is a relaxed bouncy pop track with trippy swirling electronics chilled with breezy natural tones and soaked in effortlessly cool funky swagger. Your heart skips a beat in time with the pulsating punchy beat as the melody sweeps you up into a fluffy cloud of psychedelic bliss. This deeply yearning track twirls with loose floaty ecstasy while pulling you into its depths with the propulsive strong beat and elastic bass. The funky guitar adds an infectious groove and energetic refreshing lift to the track while the velvety smooth vocals soothe and coo with hair raisingly creamy richness and lush falsetto in the chorus. The track builds to a massive Gospel like crescendo that compels you to sing along and sway back and forth clapping along.
Each track Ten Fé have released brings something new to the table displaying fine musicianship and diversity. Their debut album ‘Hit The Light’ is going to be one satisfying feast of juicy tunes that will brighten up 2017.
Stream ‘Twist Your Arm’ below

Ivory Wave ‘Paradise’

Ivory Wave are a 5 piece band hailing from Birmingham. This unique indie band caught our attention earlier this week. Their recent single ‘Paradise’ is a floaty track that creates a bubbling fizzing world of its own. With sprinkles of psychedelia in swirling synths and sweet lush backing vocals its a fluffy trippy cloud of narcotic ecstasy. Bliss and euphoria ooze from every pulse of the track. With perky indie beats adding a gritty sandy pull to the track and infectious groove its effortlessly cool and chic with a dreamland anaesthetic thrown in. Raspy attitude soaked vocals tie the track up nicely relaying authentic lyrics. These guys have a strong steady impressive sound creating their own little Utopian hypnotic pocket in the indie scene. Once you hear this track you will be addicted.

Stream ‘Paradise’ below

Dia ‘Gambling Girl’

Dia is the stunning project of composer and performer, Danielle Birrittella. The Indie folk/baroque pop artist has released the beautiful, cinematic music video for her latest single, ‘Gambling Girl’ off her debut EP ‘Tiny Ocean’, which was released with Manimal Records and features songs produced by Joey Waronker (Beck, REM, Atoms for Peace), Tim Carr (The Americans, HAIM) and Frankie Siragusa (theLAB). Raised on a Hindu ashram, Dia sang ceremonial ragas as a child, which led to training and performing as an opera singer throughout the U.S. and Europe. Along these travels, she began experimenting with music and writing song fragments on a ukulele, which was gifted to her by her brother. Dia’s practice as a classically trained opera singer induced an incredibly critical ear. Her influences of classical music, such as Baroque and French Romantics are beautifully infused with modern experimental cinematic folk on her debut EP. A native of New England, and graduate of New York University (BA) and California Institute of the Arts (MFA), she has lived and worked as an artist in New York, France, and Italy. Highlighted performances have included Disney Hall’s REDCAT – Los Angeles, La Musica Lirica – Italy, The Chautauqua Institute – New York, La Main d’Or – Paris, and The Ludwig Foundation – Cuba.
‘Gambling Girl’ is a moody cinematic dream pop swirl that is more sticky than honey. The dark stuffy atmosphere suffocates you in a spiralling dreamy haze. The steady thump beat teamed with sultry bewitching lull on vocals give a narcotic hypnotic effect that draws you further and further into the calming opiate illusion. Dia’s vocals act as a sedative or tranquilliser cooing with soft mind numbing qualities. Driven by a seductive sway-like flow ‘Gambling Girl’ lures and entices with graceful delicate charm and daydream obscurity.
Watch the video for ‘Gambling Girl’ which portrays Dia and a cowboy beneath a sunset, riding horses and dancing in the desert below.

Sad Palace ‘Breeze/ Rainbow Melt’

 

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Sad Palace are a really smooth effortlessly cool indie band I stumbled upon, don’t you just love when that happens. Sad Palace present us with coastal fresh indie pop bursting with rich juicy melodies and slick musicianship while spacing us out with hints of psychedelia.
‘Rainbow Melt’ gives us a sensual sway-like groove and tender velvety vocals wrapped up in edgy indie pop. The razor sharp sting on guitar adds spice and zest to the track while the ripply rhythm keeps the track bouncing along in an almost 70s psychedelic groove. With luring tempting bass and vocals that ooze panache and swagger this track will coax and sweet talk you into pressing repeat. Rich luscious textures and layers gives the track depth and showcases this band’s solid musicianship. While the brazen flashy guitar licks whip and flatter the flaunting track pulling you further into the groove.
‘Breeze’ lulls you into its melodic funky strut almost instantly. With velvety vocals to start cooing and soothing right into the hook driven feet shuffling riff. With psychedelic entrancing instrumentals, this track swirls you into a dreamy blissful euphoric stupor before slapping you back into the rapid bouncy slice of indie pop. The vocals smoothly glide from creamy dreamy haze to bright and bubbly effortlessly, as the guitar illuminates the track with zealous licks and peppy bounce. This track is infectiously catchy and like honey to the ears. Sad Palace know how to write and craft earworm melodies, mix and blend them with fantastic instrumentation. Watch out for these guys.
Stream ‘Rainbow Melt’ and ‘Breeze’ below

 

Robert Loud ‘Intentional’

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Robert Loud is the electro solo-project from Robert Connolly (lead guitar/vocalist of Fictionist). He has released his first track ‘Intentional’ from his forthcoming EP set for release early 2017. The track features guest vocals by Janessa Smith (Goldmyth). ‘Intentional’ creates a room-shaking body grooving dance-music moment with a heavy electronic beat, driving and orbiting swirling synths with sweet vocal melodies. Having distorted vocals and tropical undertones this track will get you on your feet and dancing like a Daft Punk robot. Easing us into the sound to start, Robert Loud lures us with infectious beats and honeyed melodies. Once you are drawn in queue the swirling hypnotic elements contrasting heavy fuzzed psychedelia and your trapped in a hazy concoction of electronic pop and edgy indie that commands you to dance.
Stream ‘Intentional’ below

Worth A Listen

Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From Temples

Psychedelic indie rock band Temples have made their triumphant return with their new single ‘Certainty’. This is their first new music since 2014’s Sun Structures. The single was produced by frontman James Bagshaw and is taken from their much anticipated second album ‘Volcano’ which will be released on Friday 3rd March, 2017. ‘Certainty’ features a floaty “castles in the air” dreamlike vibe smothered in a playful feathery light harmonious melody. Sweet honeyed vocals soothe and coax you down a path of dancing toys and joyous shimmering synths. With darkened eerie and unsettling undertones, Temples give you that candy coated flighty euphoria with a darkened twist. Fuzzed guitar lines and thumping bass adds a bite and edge to this syrupy trip. The infectious melody and elevated sugar rush keeps you craving more and more of this fantastically composed track.
Watch the video for ‘Certainty’ below