Woodland- Go Nowhere (Crispin Glover Records WOOD1CGR071)

Woodland is band from Trondheim, Norway. The five piece band recorded the record back in 2015 but it is finally out now. Tbis is the bands 2^nd record (the first was in 2014). The record features 10 tracks (LP also comes with a CD). The band play pretty straight up rock and roll with a fun vibe, sing along choruses, a bit bluesy at times, maybe even a little country thrown in. Got me Wrong starts things off and reminds me of the Danish band Bite the Bullet’s last record. Dead Set is a really great track with some acoustic track, animated vocals and a bit of piano thrown in. All in my Head is bluesy one with a bit of an effect on the vocal and a raw guitar sound.  The singer is a lot like the guy from Bite the Bullet. Funny. I bet these bands have never heard each other? Wild Eyes is a foot stomping blues track.  Very inspired by the American jam bands for sure.  Luck¨s Gone Bad ends side A with a nice passionately sung piano lead track that could have been recorded by the stoned hippies in Topanga Valley in the early 70s.. Side B starts with Dust Bowl (hear below) a nice bluesy foot stomper with some nice guitar playing. A song for a smokey bar with sawdust on the floor. Set me Free is a bit more hard hitting. I really like the slow stoney vibe of Long Gone and the slow patient vibe, just wish the song was longer. Great song. No Shinning Light has a quite cool hook to it and a whole chorus of backing vocals on this one! The title track closes this really cool record. A lot of great songs.

http://www.crispingloverrecords.com/

Sendelica/Superfjord- Zappa 7” (Fruits de Mer Crustacean 78)

Peaches en Regalia by Superfjord starts things off.  They stick pretty close to the original with adding one new section and all the melodies, etc.. are intact. I enjoyed it. Sendelica, on the other hand, really make this cover of Don’t eat the Yellow Snow, a new track.  A very cool 7”. YOu can hear a sample of both tunes below. Enjoy....

http://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com

Spidergawd- What you have become 7” (Crispin Glover Records VODU9CGR075)

This is the first single from Spidergawd 4. It is limited to 300, I think. Very cool green coloured vinyl and a heat sensitive sleeve that when you warm up the sleeves a new pattern appears. Unique!  What you have become is the first track on side B of the IV record and it reminds me so much of another song (what is that melody???). Anyway, it is a fast paced rocker (with a chorus section that I recognize but can’t place). Powerful singing as well.  The B-side of the 7” is an unreleased track called Starfighter (Going over the top with heavy metal Sprulf). It has a sort of a HM guitar shuffle to it and a blast of saxophone here and there. Great song.

http://www.crispingloverrecords.com/

Expo Seventy- America Here and Now Sessions (Essence Music ESS025)

This four piece band I thought was from the 70s but this was actually recorded in the summer of 2012. The album starts of with a slow building jam with a lot of really cool delay guitar. By 8mins it is getting sort of doomy and spacey with some cool synth like sounds. Very hypnotic and towards the end of the first movement (over 20mins), the guitar takes a more relaxed and floating atmosphere with some more percussive interplay and synths. Justin, who plays the guitar, also does the synths so they are not played at the same time. Second movement is a long track based on bass and synth drones. After 8 ½ mins the drums and percussion kick in and the track gains some new energy. The guitar enters as a sort of totally freakout and then as the track is changing directions around 20mins, he starts to solo but it never really jams out. Track ends around 26mins. The third and final movement starts with a drum solo for the first 3-4 mins before the synth kicks in and then the track ends before it really goes anywhere special. I enjoyed the CD but the first Movement was by far the best.

http://essence-music.com

Brutal Kuk- 2016 (Crispin Glover Records SODD2CGR070)

Brutal Kuk is a Norwegian punk band from Trondheim. They have been around for some years and sing in Norwegian. This record comes in a couple of editions with some very cool silk screen sleeve work and a heavy plastic cover with the band’s name printed on it.  Transparent green or black vinyl. You also get a CD and an insert with the lyrics and other information (but no website info). The music, well, it is punk rock but not super short songs. There are only 10 songs and I can’t understand what they sing about. Pretty intense at times with the occasional guitar solo. I liked the faster tracks like Parasitta.  If you understand Norwegian and punk rock, you will probably like this. Enjoy.

http://www.crispingloverrecords.com/

GONG- Polyfeen- Måneskjold- Stengade, CPH March 8th, 2017

What a great night this was. The show was sold out and I showed up early and talked with Johnny from GAS, and my friend Ulrik , while Måneskjold finished their sound check. It was great to talk and see the Måneskjold guys as well. They were happy and back playing again after a break. They would play two new songs tonight.  I also met many friends on this night- Sven, Lone, Aussi, Magnus, Nick, Claus, Jan, and many others.

Måneskjold hit the stage at 20:30 and rocked the place for about 35mins. A very powerful, sort of one-dimensional set but great, after a bit of a rocky start. The new song they opened with was very Hawkwind inspired (the guitar riff and tempo).  The three guitar attack was in full scale and they gave it 100%. Crowd really dug it and the room stayed full for the entire set. IT was a lot of older folks tonight, most who had probably not seen the band.

Polyfeen, an old Danish band from the early 70s, who has been back playing again, were next. This was my 3^rd time to see them and they are great. 3 of the 5 guys are the original members and they play a mix of new songs and songs from their album recorded in 1972.  A friend of theirs did a sort of poetic opening monologue before the band hit the stage. The highlight of the set tonight for me was the excellent new songs called Silhouette. Wow.. Such a great interaction between the organ with leslie and the guitar player. This band has groove, lots of nice feeling and great 70s style playing. New album will be out before summer but I am not sure how is releasing it.

GONG.  Most people thought GONG would die after both Daevid and Gilli passed on in the last two years but a group of talented younger folks is keeping the flame alive. I bought the deluxe version of the new album last year (Rejoice, I’m Dead), which features some of the last recordings of Daevid Allen with these musicians. Anyway, the show had great visuals, great sound and a super vibe with a mix of new and old songs.  The audience was really into it and the singer, he could really tell and the band seem to have a great time as well. They played about 90mins. It was a fantastic night of music.

Set List: The thing that should be, You can’t Kill Me, Stoned, Kaptial, Rejoice, I’m Dead, OM Riff, Glid, Visions, The Unspeakable stands revealed, You never blow yr Trip-Tropical Fish-Selene, Tried so Hard

Encore: Prophecy