PSP- Cowboy Cathedral (Revolution Coast Records RCR001)

PSP is a new group by Jens (The Spacious Mind) and his partner. It was not at all what I had expected. Jens released a solo album many years ago with some really great tracks and this is what I thought but boy was I mistaken!  The album features 5 tracks and starts off with Wicked (See the video below).  Hard to describe song but it has the vocal line Wicked repeated over and over, with a steady drum beat and haunting organ. There is also a guitar line and then finally mixed into this is a very strange fuzz guitar that cuts right into your brain. Later a male vocal enters in to compliment the organ line. Reminds me a bit of Der Blutharsch And The Infinite Church Of The Leading Hand.

https://vimeo.com/159683794

The 2^nd track, Talkin’ to the Heather Blues (also has a video) and starts off a bit like Voodoo Chile by jimi Hendrix but with a strong political message. After 4 mins of intense psych, the track desolves into space with some nice organ and one last freakout at the end. Great track.

Woke up in a Ditch n’ This is what I Had, is an old school 40s style blues song after you had a couple of cups of mushroom tea!  Side B starts with So you want to be a Rock n Roll Star (The Byrds had a song called this but they don’t credit them anywhere on the sleeve so maybe they just took the title!).  This track is totally different and mainly an organ drone with some spacey guitar and other effects. It is very creepy at times and all instrumental. Mother in the Mud has a freaky vibe and a drum machine rhythm over which, the spacey music is layered. Almost a club mix but just too strange. What a far out and cool record.. Go discover it!

            What a special record. Comes with an insert with some of the lyrics and some drawings on a thick cardboard print.  Made in 300 copies

http://www.beautifullies.se/revolution-coast-records

Datura4- Blessed is the Boogie (Alive Records 0204-2)

The killer Australian hard rocking quartet are back with their 3^rd full length record and it is another great set of tracks, starting off with the song, Black Dog Keep Running. This track has all the bands signature elements, a great riff, some killer guitar solos and a catchy groove! Blessed is the Boogie for sure has that Status Quo groove and features some harmonica as well. This one gets your head shaking! Looper is a bit slower with a heavier guitar riff, reminds me of a slower Atomic Bitchwax (they also have a track with this chorus- Shitkicker!). Run with Lucy (Check it out below) brings back the boogie and a bit of southern rock feel with the slide guitar and nice harmony guitar parts as well. Last track on side A, the band do a cover of an old song by Jessie Hill, which has been covered by a lot of folks including Wilson Picket, Ike and Tina, Paul Revere, etc.. This version stands out with a great organ solo by Bob Patient.  Sounds of Gold kicks in with the drums followed by the main riff and then the rest of the band joins the groove and off we go. One of the more catchy tracks and quite short. Evil People Pt. 2 does indeed have a darker vibe and is complimented by the organ and at 3 mins it gets down and funky with a great bass groove and nice bluesy solo. I wish they had extended this out a lot longer but sadly it fades out. Damn.. Not for Me is a sort of slower ballad like track with a more laid back vocal and a nice guitar solo. 

Cat on a Roof follows and is in a similar vein to the previous track and a lot like their more mellow tracks on other records. Nice wah guitar solo. The City of Lights closes out another set of excellent songs. I just really love this band. I really hope they get over to Europe to play one day. It is time!!

http://alive-records.com

https://www.facebook.com/Datura4/

Mandrake Paddle Steamer- Pandemonium Shadow Show (Guerssen SOMMCD045)

MPS was a London band that existed between 1967 and 1970 (later shortened their name to Mandrake). These recordings are all unreleased and taken from session between in 1968 and 1970.  The title track starts things off with a rock track that features some keys a bit like the Nice but a more heavy guitar. Solitair Husk starts off with organ and guitar and is inspired by 1967-68 Deep Purple for sure.  Drumming is quite frantic on this one. Stella Mermaid is from 1970 has a quite different sound production on this 7min track. Nice organ playing on this track, which has a mysterious feel to it, like it could have been in a Hammer Horror film but then it has this nice melodic side to it. The World Whistles By has a funny lyric and voice style at the start. This track gets quite psyched out with some cool guitar as well. Upminster Windows has a bit of Syd Barrett and early Floyd inspiration but then it changes quite a bit. Doris the Piper (hear track below) takes us back to that horror film start but then it gets more dramatic but then flows with some beauty but still heavy at times (even though the audio is a bit deteriorated).  Great song.  The Doorway to January is instrumental and features some very nice organ and guitar work. Simple Song has a drone organ and guitar to start and a heavy build up, in what is another instrumental track. The October Country is the last track on a pretty damn cool and eclectic collection of songs. Good find Guerssen!

Tracklist: 1. Pandemonium Shadow Show – 2. Solitair Husk – 3. Stella Mermaid – 4. The World Whistles By – 5. Upminster Windows – 6. Doris The Piper – 7. The Doorway To January – 8. Simple Song – 9. The October Country

http://guerssen.com

One of Hours- When you hear the Music, It’s Yours (Out-Sider OSR074)

 One of Hours was a 60s band from Lexington, Kentucky. They released a single 7” record in 1967.  Later in 67 and into 1968, the band worked on a full length record. The band had changed it’s name to Dandelion Wine by this time. The record was sent to Liberty but a deal never came through. Later the master tapes would be destroyed in a warehouse fire. Guerssen has managed to salvage this record from band member, Bob Willcutt, who had a first generation tape.  All 12 tracks are presented on this deluxe vinyl record.

I found this pretty tough to get into. The opening track is the longest at 5.35 and also probably the best and most interesting, with some fuzzy guitars, a mix of singing and some spoken words (like the Beatles) in the background, some samples, etc.. Mother Said is a strange one with kazoo, effected voice and a guitar line a bit like In a gadda da vida by Iron Butterfly.  Love is Real is a short strange track.  Mary Jane like a Woman features some piano and a laid back vocal but also a sort of trippy vibe with a haunting falsetto vocal at times. Cry is more a rock and roll number sung in a totally funny style and so different from the last track. Within my Garden sees the band experimenting quite a bit and is one of the strangest tracks. Little Willie has a bop bop backing vocal on a sort of 50s rock and roll take on 60s psych (the mid section). Kazoo Man (hear it below). Sweet Dragonfly has this sort of ethnic feel to it and sounds like a track I heard in a movie once! Cool organ on this track. Incense C-19x is more a rocker. A way to leave at Last closes the record with a more relaxed track with a strange vocal in the background here and there for the first part, then at just before a minute, it goes into the sea and the keys start a new theme. Nice..

The band apparently used some unusual techniques and experimented with backwards recording, etc.. but I did find the music a bit dated.  The promo sheet says place next to West Coast Pop Art Experimental band but these guys were no where near as interesting and did not have as good songs, although there are some great numbers in this collection. Check it out for yourself below.

http://guerssen.com