MAD TIMOTHY - A Very Snug Joiner LP [USA hard psych late ’60s early ’70s] 2018 Out-sider OSR068

This is the first-ever release for this previously unknown late '60s/early '70s acetate, rescued from a thrift store in Chicago. Damaged heavy blooz-psych in the vein of Blue Cheer, Majic Ship, Mount Rushmore, Houston Fearless, Apryl Fool, Sweet Slag, Mutzie, Aum, Screw, or a wasted teenage Canned Heat. 

Mad

THE ABSTRACTS - Hey Let's Go Now [USA garage 1964-66] 2013 Break-A-Way Records

Excellent Beat Garage LP featuring 1964-1965 rare and unissued recordings. Typical of the British invasion sound, The Abstracts were a band from New York (Long Island).

Abstracts

THE ELECTRIC NUBIANS - The Electric Nubians [USA psychedelic 1994] Distortions Records DR-1019

Psychedelic rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.

Kimba (guitar, vocals), Dr.Superbone [H.Levin Hill "The Jammer"] (bass, vocals), Dave "Dr.Psych" Brown (drums)


Electric

CEMENT - Utmaningen [Sweden hard rock 1977] 2018 Shadoks Music SHADOKS 192

Cement is from the island of Gotland, 200 miles east of Sweden's mainland. This island has always been different from the rest of Sweden in many ways, with their own strong dialect and mythology. The local mythology about Gotland, which dates back to the year 1350, holds that Gotland remained underwater during the daylight hours and only surfaced during the night because of a mysterious spell cast upon the island. Cement was formed during the autumn of 1973 by two guitar players (Björn Jonsson and Anders Åström) and two drummers (Ulf Abrahamsson and Thomas Harlevi). They were influenced by such bands as Mountain, Grand Funk Railroad, and of course the Swedish power trio November. They recorded Utmaningen in 1977 and released it in a limited run of 100 cassette tapes. This is the first LP release of the album. Instrumentally, Utmaningen is a tour de force, every bit as excellent as any of the better-known heavy rock album from the Swedish '70s. Heavy dual guitars, powerful bass, amazing drums, with fantastic production.

 

Cement

YURI MOROZOV - Cherry Garden Of Jimi Hendrix [Russia psychedelic rock 1973-76] 2014 Shadoks Music 167

Morozov may be Russia’s most prolific artist, with estimates of more than 100 albums in his discography before his passing in 2006. This reissue of his 1973 masterpiece (hailed as “Russia’s first psychedelic album”) appends a healthy selection of bonus tracks from the same period (ca. ’74-’76). The variety of musical styles is staggering, from Beatlesque pop (McCartney is rumoured to contribute drums to one track!) to experimental musique concrete to avant garde jazzy skronk to eerie, haunted house organs (most of which are present in the offbeat opener “The Day Will Come”. Morozov recorded everything himself in his homegrown studio, often with homemade mixers and other recording equipment. Like Bevis Frond, Balduin, and Rick Corcoran, Morozov squeezes as much as possible out of his primitive surroundings, often dropping every sound effect he could muster into the proceedings.

 

Yuri

MANDRAKE PADDLE STEAMER - Pandemonium Shadow Show [UK psychedelic prog 1968-70] 2019 Sommor SOMM045

Previously unreleased recordings, 1968/1970, by British quintessential psychedelic / progressive band Mandrake Paddle Steamer / Mandrake, culled from the band’s archive of reel tapes and acetates.

Pure late 60s UK psychedelic sound with early prog moves, plenty of Hammond and fuzzed out guitar, powerful vocals...Including such lost gems as the Barrett–Floyd sounding "The World Whistles By", killer psych–rockers like "Pandemonium Shadow Show" or "Doris The Piper", the mellotron fuelled "October Country" and more!

Mandrake

TONY HILL - Inexactness [UK psychedelic 2001] Rubric Records RUB27

Tony Hill specializes in the kind of garage rock noodling that was an underground force in the late '60s/early '70s. His psychedelic arrangements and dark vocal lines are actually quite interesting, as he obviously has a knack for making the dark rumblings that he does. There are really only two things wrong with this album, but both of them are very apparent. First of all, the awkward use of violin and viola makes the album an uncomfortable venture, as the J. Mascis-style noise that Hill pours from his guitar directly goes against the sweet sound of the violin strings. Second, his voice simply lacks the passion and drive that this brand of music needs. He sounds tired and depressed, but not in a catchy/grungy kind of way. What this music needs is an Iggy Pop or Roky Erikson type of singer, not Hill's bland vocals. There is some surprisingly good music to be found on this album if the listener can overlook the vocals, but overlooking the vocals may be too much of a chore for most. 

Tony