Get Lost In Ivan The Tolerable’s “Gold Hat”; ‘White Tears’ Out 4/2

Man, leave it to Tom McDowell and his Library of the Occult record label to lay some serious musical mojo on my brain. McDowell, in less than a year, has turned his label into a musical breeding ground of dark synth and forward-thinking musical escapades. Records that run the gamut from haunted drones to psych […]

Carlton Melton : Where This Leads

California psych rock purveyors Carlton Melton have been putting out wobbly, gauzy, far out rock and roll for well over a decade now. Recording in a geodesic dome in northern California amidst redwoods and the faint crashing of waves on a Pacific Ocean coastline, Andy Duvall, Clint Golden, and Rich Millman make music as more […]

The Budos Band : Long In The Tooth

When I first heard The Budos Band I thought I’d come across some long lost relic from the 70s. Super tight and funky rhythm section, jazz-inflected horns, Latin percussion, and slinky guitar all coming together to give the impression that James Bond could’ve been a lot cooler had he been spying to this soundtrack. Imagine […]

Dream Division : Death Walks On Nitrate

It’s been a stellar year for Dream Division’s Tom McDowell. Not only has he released two new Dream Division albums, he started his own record label this past July called Library of the Occult. Releasing The Devil Rides Out on his own label, followed by Beyond The Mirror’s Image on Burning Witches Records, he also […]

Causa Sui : Szabodelico

The world has been upside down and topsy turvy since the beginning of 2020. Health crisis, political turmoil, racial and civil unrest in city streets, and common sense being replaced by clickbait and conspiracy theories, the world seems to be in one hell of a sorry state. The one constant light throughout this year for […]

Step Out Of Reality With The Psychic Circle; Listen To “View From The Magicians Window Part 1”

UK-based record label Library Of The Occult has been offering up dark, synth-driven music since its introduction this past summer. New music from Dream Division, Ogre, and Timothy Fife has delved into classic Gothic literature, occult themes, D&D, and contact with worlds beyond our own. LOTO has made it its mission to keep the spirit […]

Ellis Munk Ensemble : San Diego Sessions

There’s a mysticism about southern California; from the sun-soaked surfer souls that haunt its coastline, to the teenage loners writing the DNA of what would become modern skateboarding in abandoned backyard swimming pools, to the music scene that blossomed amongst all of it. Southern California was the mecca for true freedom in artistry and rebellion, […]

Psych Rock and Sunday Jazz : A Conversation With Glass Parallels’ Justin Pinkerton

Justin Pinkerton is a musician’s musician. Playing in bands as diverse as Golden Void, Planes of Satori, The Roots of Orchis, Eyes, The Finches, Moholy Nagy and with such artists as Rafter Roberts and Scott Pinkmountain over the last 20 years, Pinkerton has built a reputation as a go-to collaborator. Firmly entrenched in the California […]

Glass Parallels : Aisle Of Light

The name Justin Pinkerton is synonymous with California psych. He’s played in Golden Void, Roots of Orchis, and Corsic, and in 2018 Pinkerton released and album as Futuropaco, an amazing Italio/psych groovefest. That record was this time capsule to mid-to-late-60s Italy and European countrysides, slathered in masterful drums, fuzz guitars, and the feeling of losing […]

Martin Rude & Jakob Skøtt Duo’s ‘The Discipline Of Assent’ Arrives August 7th; Listen To “A New Arrival”

New album announcements are pretty hard to come by these days, and vinyl releases even more so. With the way things are I can only imagine it’s become harder and harder for small, independent record labels to plan physical releases. Not only that, but with artists not being able to tour and promote releases that […]