SpartaKiev – SpartaKiev

SpartaKiev – SpartaKiev
Self released – 2011
Stoner, Rock
Waardering: ****

With a band name stolen from a handball association residing in the Ukraine the four amigos from the Dutch band SpartaKiev are in the possession of a powerful and yet witty name. That sentence could function as a bridge to the rest of the review; but the guys are deadly serious with their music. Although they do not take themselves too serious and they stand for fierce, robust and propelling stoner. With songs that clock around four minutes their nameless EP bulges from potency. As we all know is hard to reinvent the wheel in this genre and SpartaKiev seems to have decided to not even attempt to do that and rediscover the source. Respect to those who started it all they must have thought and therefor we are treated to sounds originating from the grandmasters of stoner printed on Zeppelin structures and diluted via jazzy King Crimson influences after inventive and tasty breaks. And all of this without sounding like a copy or a weak decoction. Delightful are also the changing between the guitar and bass parts. And with a drummer that does not play one fill too many and a haunted singer who sounds perfect on occasion but also has a lot of room to grow; this will be a formation we stand to hear a lot from. So let’s all hope we do!

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Earthlings? – Human Beans

Earthlings? – Human Beans
Man’s Ruin – 2001
Rock, Ambient, Psychedelic, Desert
Waardering: ****

In the category you ask, we play we are about to fulfill a request from a lovely little curly head from Budapest. She asked about the Human Beans record by Earthlings?. You know, the group from Palm Desert who manifested itself for the first time in 1994. Dave Catching, Fred Drake, Pete Stahl, Franz Stahl, Chris Bratton, Kirby Brownell, Josh Homme, Mark Lanegan, Dave Grohl, Barrett Martin, Victoria Williams, Petra Harden, Ted Quinn, Dave Royer, Al Bloch, Hank Kimball, Dally The D, Hutch, Jason Cohen, Abby Travis, John Dee Graham, Billy Bizeau, Barry Conley, Spot, Mary(19) and DNA(25), whoever those last two might be, lend their crafts for this album. O’ and then their is help from Robert Alexander (The guy from Come Wander With Me) as a sample in the song Lifeboat. So a very colorful selection of free spirits who gave their all on a few empty tapes. As a genuine Desert Sessions record the album was recorded over a period of a few years and during several long lasting sessions at the Rancho De La Luna. Released in five different versions but all with the warning that these subsonic frequencies have, in some cases, caused euphoria and hallucinations in listeners, the album is almost impossible to describe. It’s mysterious, heroic and full of glamour. It’s estranging, astonishing, stunning, stirring and completely deranged. A beautiful record to float to and experiment. Let the creative juices flow… Let it flow…

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Davila 666 – Tan Bajo

Davila 666 – Tan Bajo
Konkurrent / InTheRed – 2011
Rock, Garage, Psychedelica, Punk
Waardering: ****

Tan Bajo is one of those albums which sound like it was recorded between half-empty paint cans, indefinable spots and buckets full of chemicals. The Puerto Rican gentlemen of Davila 666 also let the impression exist that they might have been sniffing those fumes for quite a long time. With a hefty dose of sixties and seventies garage the freaks find themselves interlacing the whole with some blues, psychedelics and doo-wop. With an obvious love for Ramones-punk, Black Lips-blues and early Stones-rock they deliver a nice selection of fuzzed out bubblegum melodies. Their version of the six six sixties garage exhumes a sincere amount of restrained savageness by the lack of drums on one moment and only handclaps the next. Deliciously primitive, ominous and with a sense of impending doom probably due to the Spanish language. Perhaps it is after all possible to do more on the island then lose yourself in cheap lukewarm rum and cold hamburgers. Like for instance enjoy these noisy little punks who have no patience with big words like freedom, truth and honor. No, these guys just want to play and get drunk and no longer be reminded of the pain of being a man. Just dance into the night with a bottle of beer or rum while somewhere in the distance the sound of hope and the old raucous sound of a jukebox dissipates the suspicion that even on a Caribbean Island loneliness should only be tasted in moderation. No, let it go to yer head; just like the smell of those paint cans…

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Smoke Mohawk – The Dogs Are Turning Red

Smoke Mohawk – The Dogs Are Turning Red
Impeller Recordings – 2010
Rock, Psychedelica, Sixties, Garage
Waardering: ***

The Norwegian Smoke Mohawk could be categorized as a supergroup; although most of their former bands will not immediately ring a bell amongst all listeners. Though Gluecifer surely will, We perhaps and let’s hope that one of the best bands ever does too: My Midnight Creeps. They also played in a grand list of other projects; namely: Turbonegro, Smut Peddlers, Vidar Vang, The Lust-O-Rama, Astroburger, The Highrollers, Stone-O-Saurus, Asbury Park, LoveOctopus and Bela B. After only a few jam-sessions the guys decided to start playing a truckload of different styles and conquer the charts and eventually the world with their sound. The last goal will probably never come to fruition; but enchanting the listener with their stroll through musical history surely will. The Dogs Are Turning Red is a wonderful debut album which mostly just shows the enormous potential this formation possesses. And with the promise of a new album in 2011; we wait patiently in our basket like a good little doggy…

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Channel Zero – Feed’em With a Brick

Channel Zero – Feed’em With a Brick
Roadrunner – 2011
Metal
Waardering: ****

The story is known. The best metalband ever to originate from Belgium threw in the towel back in 1997 after almost ten years and four albums to never return again. That was the intention. Till there was that fan back in 2009/2010 who started demanding a reunion concert via Facebook and got a massive amount of followers to demand it with him. The result: Channel Zero played six completely sold out shows at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. The follow-up: a few festival dates, among which Graspop and Werchter. Only logical that people start thinking right? And thus Channel Zero found a new guitarist in the name of Mikey Doling (Soulfly) to replace the heavy ear-damaged Xavier Carion during the concerts and to dive into the studio with. And together with his songwriting skills we are now treated to the fifth Channel Zero album and the first Channel Zero 2.0 record called Feed’Em With A Brick. And a massive brick it is! Full throttle and tasty loud we speed through the tracks. No concessions and with a whole new fire. And when we are treated to a track like Ocean as a finisher which refers to Kyuss and makes singer Franky De Smet-Van Damme sound like vocal ace nobody has a reason to bitch about something called ‘the old’ Channel Zero. The Zero’s are ready for a new life. I for one could use another Belgian cone of brick fries!

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Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O – Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O

Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O – Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O
EMI – 2011
Rock/Garage/Psychedelic
Waardering: *****

It has little to nothing to do with anything resembling stoner; but this has to be heard by each and everyone. So bare with me... And just maybe you too will be awed... When the best Norwegian band of all time had to call it quits the remaining members both went their separate ways. Guitarist Robert Buras left this world sadly much too soon and left his friends from Madrugada to fend for their own. His own project My Midnight Creeps also had to stop. So singer Sivert Hoyem from Madrugada went solo and took with him multi-instrumentalist-magician and substitute during the Madrugada farewell tour Cato Salsa Thomassen with him. Bassplayer Frode Jacobsen took guitarist Alex Kloster Jensen who played with Ricochets and also during the final Madrugada tour with him to start a new band. That band is what has become Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O. It also features saxophone player Dag Stiberg who played with My Midnight Creeps and drummer Behzad Farazollahi who played with all bands already named at one point in time. After a few messy and dubious shows in back alley bars they released a first tour EP. This already announced what direction the band would be taking. Their self-titled full sized album has become a true ode to the sound of My Midnight Creeps and especially the direction Buras wanted to take his band. Hence the name Kitchie; which also had special meaning to the magical guitarman. So let’s quickly now get the one lesser point of the album out of the way; Alex takes on the vocal parts and does not always have a masterful approach; but somehow it luckily and often suits the complex musical events well. But that’s the only little speck of dust on the record. It is dark, brooding and sinister. It is grinding soul and hypnotic jams forged together with hot intense blues. It’s floating on ominous rhythms and being abducted by a whirlwind of pure ecstasy. There is no escape; judgment day cometh and Kitchie will be the soundtrack!

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Slaves to Gravity – Underwaterouterspace

Slaves to Gravity – Underwaterouterspace
Steamhammer/SPV – 2011
Rock, Hard, Alternative
Waardering: **

On a mopish day somewhere in London around the year of 2002 four gentlemen started a band called The Ga Ga’s. For a period of four years the four of them gave us their version of smooth hardrock without the raw edge. When guitarist Rob Willis decided to leave the band in 2006; the rest decided to dissolve the entire band. Immediately after that decision the three remaining members together with a new guitarplayer founded Slaves Of Gravity. Two years later they released their first album Scatter The Crow and now we have their second Underwaterouterspace. Recorded with a new drummer it goes forth with where they left off. They call it alternative rock but is in the vein of one present everywhere and brought to you by bands like Creed, Alter Bridge and Velvet Revolver. Add to this a dash of Soundgarden and a sniff of Stone Temple Pilots and you are left with a not very original mixture. We have heard it all before and usually better. But hey; it sure is easy listening while jig-sawing a picture of a kitty riding on a turtle…

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Waxy – Waxy

Waxy – Waxy
? – 2011
Stoner, Rock
Waardering: ****

This was actually planned as a weekend break album for the Rancho De La Luna month, since the connection is pretty obvious. But got blagged since no information can be found about it and well; life and alcohol took precedence. Anyway; let’s get back to the connection. For their second album released in 2007 was partially recorded there and featured performances by Alfredo Hernandez, John Garcia, Gary Arce, Ed Mundell and Jesse Hughes and was called Chainsaw Holiday. We are ofcourse referring to the Palm Desert stoner band called Waxy. Founded as a trio in 2004 they quickly released a self-titled record in 2005. Their new album is also called Waxy for now and also features John Garcia on the track It’s So Hard and on Now You. They’re now a five piece. Not much else is known yet for the album has not yet been released. But most of the songs have been played during their European tour opening for Kyuss Lives. It’s a pretty awesome record; much more coherent and serious as compared to their earlier two. Their archetypal Palm Desert sound is intertwined with grunge and a Deep Purple feeling. Soulful riffs and powerful rock anthems are mixed with bluesy ditties, a bit of retro and raw garage. No one style applies; but they do all of them well. Let’s hope they release this stuff soon!

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Primal Scream - Screamadalic

Classic Albums - Screamadelica (Primal Scream) .

Primal Scream’s seminal album Screamadelica was released in 1991, and synthesized the band’s rock ‘n’ roll roots with the dance culture of that time; for many, the album’s sound and imagery came to be regarded as quintessential symbols of the acid house era, perfectly catching the spirit and mood of the early 90s.

Elvis Deluxe – Favourite State of Mind

Elvis Deluxe – Favourite State of Mind
Harmony Records – 2011
Rock, Stoner, Garage
Waardering: ****

They started off just jamming somewhere around Warsaw, Poland in the year of our lord 2002. But soon enough the four long time friends grew into a full-fledged band named Elvis Deluxe. Earning their spores with bands like Ahimsa, Coalition and Afraid Of That Day they soon turned their attention to the music they loved listening to since being born: stoner rock in debt to that seventies feeling. A year later a demo appeared and in 2007 saw the release of their first full-sized album Lazy. And no we have the new record called Favourite State Of Mind to bop to. And where Lazy seemed to borrow a lot from Queens of The Stone Age and Kyuss; this one adopts more Hellacopters, Turbonegro, Black Keys and some progrock elements. It’s gritty riffs and psychedelic waves wash over you in a dirty sea of sound. With a nasty and awesome seventies production the guys have delivered a grade a follow up to Lazy. Too bad guitarist Mechu won’t be around to enjoy the fruits of their labor since Bert Trust replaced him, and because the road chosen on Favourite State of Mind is a righteous one and demands exploring. Cudos!

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HeWhoCannotBeNamed – Sunday School Massacre

HeWhoCannotBeNamed – Sunday School Massacre
No Balls – 2011
Punk
Waardering: ***

I reckon it would be absolutely awesome when you could brag to other students that your teacher is that naked guitar playing dingbat of the Dwarves. Cause many of the songs featured on the solo-debut of the axe-slinger hiding behind a mask and the name HeWhoCannotBeNamed are apparently written during the periods when he acted as teacher and counselor. On the album Sunday School Massacre he opens a can of other Dwarves members like Blag Dahlia, Andy Selway and Nick Oliveri to translate his experiences to music. The result is a record, which just as easily could be labeled as being a Dwarves one. Although it often hints at a more meaningful layer throughout the songs and has a little less infantile humor. Or is it all a joke anyway? Just like his dead in 1993? Has HeWho really ever worked as a counselor? Fact is that sir HeWho has released a decent album; and we know that his superpower lies with the guitar and not as a vocalist…

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Dwarves – The Dwarves Are Born Again

Dwarves – The Dwarves Are Born Again
MVD / Suburban – 2011
Punk
Waardering: ***

After seven years we are finally treated again to a record of the ever-lovely punk-outfit Dwarves. And as always they are still pre-occupied with taking copious amounts of drugs and abusing at least as much sluts. Raucously rude, silly sarcasm and lovely self-mockery are once again rampant on a record where all the band-members of the past twenty-five years provide a service or two. Frontman Blag Dahlia and guitarcreep HeWhoCannotBeNamed lead this merry gang which ofcourse features Nick Oliveri on their eight studio-album entitled The Dwarves Are Born Again to happy and disgusting highs. After all this years still not a mature bone in their body and thus we meander merrily along without giving a flying fuck about any thing or any consequence through their entire oeuvre of hardcore and punk with pop and rock. It is still that typical Dwarves sound; and still a Dwarves record that only the Dwarves can produce. It's gonna be a hoot again this weekend on the Gideon Festival!

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Rancho De La Luna Month

Rancho De La Luna Month

We have come to the end of this first edition of the Rancho De La Luna month. Rest assured; just like the Dutch Courage Month and the Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 at the end of each year; this themed month will also return. For I once again had fun doing it. Hope you freaks out there discovered one or two gems you had not heard before or facts you never knew. And maybe discovered a tune that lights that spark somewhere deep inside. That you too feel that extraordinary magic that stems from the Great Magnet and it’s direct connection to the Rancho De La Luna and it’s wonderful people. But before I start off on yet another ode… Here’s me saying: on with the show. And should anyone out there know of another theme that might be implemented for September; do not hesitate to say so. So let's return to some regular posting... Mahalo!