Hooveriii – A Round of Applause

I’m fond of a really good psych album. One that has direction, drive and hooks I can really get my teeth into. You can imagine my delight when the latest album from LA psych rockers Hooveriii dropped into my inbox. Pronounced Hoover Three, the band was created by founder Bert Hoover. Hooveriii has grown to include Gabe Flores (lead guitar and vocals), Kaz Mirblouk (bass and synths), James Novick (synths), and Owen Barrett (drums). Hoover describes A Round of Applause as the bands pop record. I’ll let him explain further.

“I am not really a playlist guy or a singles guy, I’m really into the album experience.

So yeah, we made a pop record. But also, to me, this record is very progressive as well, and I think that that provides a nice balance.” 

Psych Pop sounds right up my street so let’s dive in and see what the album has to offer.

We open on the sunny and exuberant ‘See’. A track that comes with bonus spring in its step. This optimism comes bounding out the speakers that you can’t help but be swept up in. There’s some nimble bass work on show working hand in hand with the groove the drums are laying down. A song of two halves ‘See’ evolves into this edgy and frenetic freakout which each time I listen it makes me want to jump about the room like a man possessed. This is how you open a record. Check out the fun video that accompanies this track.

We segue into the cacophonous intro to ‘Out Of My Time’. I love the build of tension over the verses that builds and builds keeping our attention firmly focused. The key guitar riff played throughout is deceptively simple but oh so important as it’s the foundation the band build this amazing soundscape on.  Check out how the song unfolds in its second half. All members completely in simpatico giving everything to the music. It’s a joy to behold.

‘Water Lily’ is this double time wig out that revolves around a central guitar lick that slowly blossoms into this prog like vocal melody. This song just won’t sit still for a moment, seeming to scream KEEP UP to the listener. If you aren’t breathless by the end then I envy your constitution.

‘Twisted & Vile’ has the coolest intro on the album for sure. Bursting out the gates with that joyous abandon we’re slowly enjoying getting used to.  The rhythm section is on fire throughout, bass filling gaps with these flourishes that have you punching the air. The lead guitar tracks the vocal melody adding a serpentine quality making it all appear effortless. Hoovers vocal is as always smooth and slickly delivered making him instantly likeable.

The band switch up their tack for ‘Time’. Channelling The Small Faces and amping up their attack to the max. Painting time as “the famous outlaw” Hoover tells us a tale set to the paisley patterned backdrop of soaring guitars and a pulsing backbeat. Do yourself a favour and really tune in to the drums on this one. The shuffle on the verses is just divine.

This leads us into my album highlight. The stomping sound of ‘My Directive’. Drums lead us in as the band slowly file in to take their place on the soundstage. That really appeals to my musical sensibilities. It’s over a minute before Hoover bursts in with the title refrain. By that time, we are taken by surprise and, in turn, conquered by the hook. Meantime the guitars have gone walking about creating this tight ass groove that opens up on the vocal lines to great effect. I literally could talk about this song alone for the whole review.

We head into the English folk/ heavy rock sound of ‘Stone Men’ next. The howling guitars bring to mind the winds across the moors at midnight. Before the sounds of battle in the morning drowns everything else out. There are a few Sabbath-like moments pleasing my ear no end but it’s those guitars that’ll stay with you. Utterly haunting.

‘Iguana’ really threw me for a loop. It amps up the sound of early Orange Juice not just in the stabbing and simplistic guitar lines but also in the affected vocal attack. This track should be called chameleon as this band can absorb pretty much any influence and present their unique take on it. This is no cheap pastiche or parlour shop trickery though. Let’s be clear here. Hooveriii are incredibly adept at creating their own sound from advancing the sonics of their musical predecessors. When the screeching saxophones come in on the closing notes it just seals it all up nicely. What a breath of fresh air.

‘The Runner’ is another pacey number complementing the song title perfectly. The harmonising lead guitars opening and setting the scene for the vocals to come in chanting the title refrain. The guitars and vocals do this nice call and response thing which really catches the ear. In the closing section it’s the bass that seems to countdown to the end of the song like a harbinger. Damn cool!

Next up is jam based around a couple of key riffs. In ‘Cruisin’ the band keep our attention laser focused by slowly moving the melody forward with an extra lick here an organ motif there. It’s quite subdued compared to what’s come before perhaps to prepare us for the end of the album. Whilst it may be more contemplative it’s no less engaging and enjoyable for it.

We close out the album on the ‘The Pearl’. The lyrics suggest this is a musical retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale. It’s a balladlike, lighters in the air kinda track all played with a knowing wink. This is a band having fun and including us, the listener, in that fun. What a great way to sign off.

 With A Round of Applause Hooveriii have created a psych pop odyssey that grabs you from song one and doesn’t let go until its very final note. They’ve carefully balanced the out-there aspects of psych rock with the more familiar pop tropes in a really clever way. The way the album has been track listed with the utmost care really comes across too. This was my introduction to the band, and it’s made me really curious to explore their back catalogue and keep an eye out for future releases. Album of the year? I’d say we have a contender on our hands.

A Round of Applause is available now from The Reverberation Appreciation Society and Fuzz Club.

You can follow Hooveriii on social media here…

Header Photo by Alex Bulli

Fir Cone Children – Today There’s No Tomorrow

A new Fir Cone Children album is a cause to celebrate at the Static Sounds Clubhouse. Alexander Donat’s shoegaze punk project has always produced the most uplifting, optimistic music. Given that this is one of many musical projects he’s involved with I’m constantly in awe of his work ethic. Not only that, but his ability also to maintain such a high level of quality. Today There’s No Tomorrow is Fir Cone Children’s eighth album to date. Donat made it his goal to dedicate each of his Fir Cone Children albums to the lives of his two daughters (now aged 7 and 9), releasing one album every year. I asked Donat what the title of this album refers to.

“The record’s title is a two-bladed sword. It does refer to having a good time and getting lost in the moment, but it also says that we live in troubling times, and it seems like we have to take action now and today, in order to still have a planet to live on tomorrow. It’s a now-or-never situation.”

Looks like we are in for an evolution in the sound of Fir Cone Children. Let’s dive in.

We open on the joyous abandon of ‘Pull It Out’. An ode to a wobbly tooth that just won’t fall out. First impressions are that Donat is going harder at these tunes than ever before. He uses the scuzziest, scratchiest guitar tones whilst the drums are going hell for leather. The dreamy notes are left to the vocals. Put together, it’s that signature uplifting FCC feel but delivered in a totally new medium.

‘Way Up North’ delivers us no respite in pace. In fact, we up the bpm’s considerably. This is exhilarating listening. Donat has really changed up his modus operandi and it’s gloriously successful. He’s really going for it on this one, frantic but precision drumming, dreamy glide guitar thrashed out and vocals that mirror the fun we, as the listener, are having.

‘Head In The Clouds’ is wonderfully dynamic. Each verse does its own thing which keeps you on your toes. Vocally he’s at his most outlandish which for me is when he’s at his best. It really baffles me how he can use all these out there techniques yet at the core is a fantastic and catchy song. That always shines through.

Donat’s kids are obviously fans of school from listening to ‘Quite Okay With Mondays’. I love the stop start sections in this one. Couple with that “ba ba ba” hook he has going on and I’m smiling ear to ear.

The pace drops for a moment on the sprawling post punk, almost goth track ‘An Inch At A Time”. Donat illustrating how much of a musical chameleon he is capable of being. This is a dark number undoubtedly but, wow! You still feel that energy and drive and that ever present buoyant vibe that pervades all of his music.

Next up we dive headlong into up-tempo ‘No Mercy’. Once again proving he has choruses for days Donat produces another lesson in how to write hooks that grab you and don’t let go. Wait until you hear the last 15 seconds. Vocal harmonies like you’ve never heard before! Breathtaking stuff.

‘But Does It Break’ kicks off like a Blur song from their self-titled album era. It lurches along magnificently all angular and spiky. Then halfway through it blossoms into this ever shifting and evolving psychedelic maelstrom. It’s amazing how much this guy can cram into three minutes.

I can hear another nineties band in the following track, ‘Travelling Dune’. If you listen at a certain angle there’s something of latter-day Supergrass in there. A more sedate pace is the order of the day as a rolling guitar riff and syncopated drums lay out the path before us. There’s a real understated cool to this song, both is style and substance. It feels like this has been an idea that Donat has brought to full fruition through a few incarnations. It just feels fully realised.

The eco anthem ‘If You Don’t Get Words’ follows. Dealing with the confusion that his kids feel when faced with ongoing environmental damage, caused by adults who know the damage they are causing, but do it anyway. The frustration is evident in the fevered pace and spat lyrics.

The album closes on ‘Certified in Purple’, from I can tell, about his kids sporting achievements. He sounds proud as punch in the lyrics and has wrapped this song in a gossamer haze and packed it with interesting nuances at every turn. A stunning end to this crazy sonic journey.

I’ve listened to Today There’s No Tomorrow loads over the past week. Each time I reach the end I always feel exhausted, energised and elated. That for me is a Fir Cone Children album in a nutshell. There has been a radical revolution in his sound since his previous album, It Chooses You. The speed and intensity of his playing, the layers to his vocals are really amped up this time around. What hasn’t changed is the unbridled joy in each and every track. Long may that continue.

Today There’s No Tomorrow is available now on Cassette, CD and digital from Blackjack Illuminists Bandcamp Page.

You can follow Fir Cone Children on social media here…

Holy Springs – E.A.T

I’ve been craving some new shoegaze sounds which my good friends over at the label Up In Her Room were only too happy to help me out with.

They are releasing the debut album from London based three-piece, Holy Springs. Consisting of Neil Atkinson Jr, Maria Bellucci and Suzanne Sims the band have released a teaser single already this year which I heard courtesy of my DKFM sistah Amber Crain on her When The Sun Hits show back in February. ‘E.A.T’ is the title track from the album and it stopped me dead in my tracks. It also kicks off the album, so let’s dive in.

‘E.A.T’ has a really propulsive backbeat driving those glorious guitars. I love how massive and deep these relatively simple chords sound. It shows massive restraint and a confidence that what they are playing is enough. Something that a lot of bands fall down at. It’s a great start and bodes well for the rest of the album.

There’s a really ominous bass intro to ‘What I’m Supposed to Do’ next. This soon blossoms into the riff led refrain that peppers this track. The half sung half spoken delivery of the vocals adds to the dark and looming atmosphere of the song. For three people they create such a big sound you’d think they were a five piece.

‘Surprise’ comes in slow and steady with interlacing and complimentary guitar riffs which provide the perfect foil to the hushed vocal delivery. What is becoming apparent is this band have hooks for days. You can’t help but nod along or tap your foot to a track like this.

We venture into the sonic landscape of ‘Optimistic’ next. A sound experiment which captures that sound of a stuck needle on a record and turns it into a luscious listen.

‘Believe It’ has a garage rock swagger about it. You can close your eyes and smell the cigarette smoke and black leather jackets. It oozes cool and wouldn’t be out of place in a dingy New York club in the sixties.

Things lighten up considerably for ‘I Can’t Wait’. The reverse guitar is sparkly, like sunlight on a rippling stream. I love how it starts to feedback in a loop with itself creating this gloriously psychedelic effect. My only complaint is it only lasts two minutes. I wanted much more of this track.

‘Fold’ is the bands second tone poem of the album. This time a more monotone affair making me think of the intro to the Boo Radleys Giant Steps album. I can’t think of a higher compliment than that.

Next up is my album highlight; ‘Listen’. Once again, the band keep it simple and really make the most of the chords they’re using. The drums make this song for me, lifting those instrumental passages and settling back to hold the song together before dropping out completely. Man, when they come back in! Goosebumps!

‘I Want You’ utilises a drone effect which rather than bringing to mind a latter-day psych outfit takes me back to the early 2000’s. This track has the same kinda vibe in places as Joy Zipper and would easily fit in on their American Whip album. Tune into the bass guitar and you are in for a treat. Lovely, melodic walking bass adding a lightness to the dark moodiness of the song.

Switching back to the guitar leading the melody on ‘All The Time’ is a neat trick to keep us on our toes. The organ providing the more moody and atmospheric tones which only enhances the vocal delivery. It’s a really even paced and calm track and I can imagine chilling out to this track after a night out.  

For our final instrumental of the album ‘Drift’ is a stuttering yet graceful piece. The angelic swoosh of the organ contrasting with the punishing and relentless guitar pulsing arrhythmically. It certainly catches your ear.

The album closes on ‘If I Had A Reason’. I wasn’t ready for this at all. Gospel tones that Jason Pierce would kill for coupled with an assured and, frankly, cool as fuck vocal delivery make this the perfect way to round out this perfect album.

Debut albums can sometimes feel a bit disparate as bands fling all the songs they’ve been working on together with no real thought as to how they all hang together as an album. Not so with E.A.T. The effort and thought that has gone into writing a cohesive and well-structured album is evident on every note played. I particularly enjoyed the instrumental interludes which play a pivotal role in neatly segueing between tracks. If this is the band just starting out imagine what their next album will sound like, and the one after that. I hope Holy Springs are ready, because this album is about to blow up.

E.A.T. will be available from this Friday, 7th October, from the Up In Her Room Bandcamp page. I predict this one will sell out in record time so set your alarm for 9am GMT so you don’t miss out.

You can follow Holy Springs on social media here …

Korb – Korb III

I am a relative late comer to the cosmic sounds of Korb. I received their self-titled debut album as a gift and was blown away by the vivid journey that the music took me on. I then discovered their seminal second album, Korb II. Again, the space rock sounds took me away and had me hooked. Now they return with their third album called, wait for it, Korb III. I’m once again booking my ticket on the good ship Korb, ready to blast off into space to discover new worlds and galaxies.

Who are the captains of this space ship you may ask? The duo of Alec Wood and Jonathan Parkes are Korb and will be our pilots for the next forty minutes or so.

Before we launch off into the stars, I asked the lads how they work together to create the sounds we hear on the albums.

“The music comes first, then we see what kind of imagery it conjures up for us, which leads to the track titles. We’ve been making music together for over 20 years so the interaction between us is fluid and each track grows organically. There isn’t really much difference between how we approach each Korb album, we just go where it takes us.”

They sound like my kinda tour guides. So, with seatbelts fastened and tray tables in the upright position it’s time for take-off.

The album opens on the exploratory piece, ‘Remote Viewer’. There’s a peaceful serenity to this track whilst at the same time being ominous and foreboding. A short but great start to the journey.

As is traditional, we next meet this albums android. ‘Korb’s Third Android’ is a restrained affair. The modulated synth flutters while the guitar jams and the rhythm section hold it down like clockwork. Like the internal workings of the android itself.

We soar on through the galaxy and encounter ‘Hunter’. We’re picking up pace now with real retro Arkanoid vibe. The drums hold down a driving groove for the pulsing synth and bass to play over. The mega fuzzed out guitar adds splashes of colour and texture lifting the track, sending us soaring.

Following this is my album highlight. ‘Lords of Nazca’ is one of the coolest instrumentals I’ve ever heard. It has this confident swagger about it, coming from that groove. That awesome groove. This part of the journey feels like flying through hyperspace, multicoloured streams of light peeling past as we travel on towards galaxies new.

We emerge bleary eyed above the ‘Temples of Mars’. Droning synths trade blows with rolling electronic waveforms. It’s almost like we are moving slowly over the surface of the red planet scanning for life.

Now in the temple its time to offer our ‘Ritual for the Gods’. Our intergalactic overlords demand their offering and luckily the Korb boys have us covered. The slow and pulsing sounds mirror our slow advance to the altar. Building in complexity, one layer at a time until reaching the feet of the Gods themselves. Check out the cool video for this one below.

We are on the move again with the duelling guitars of ‘Infrared’. In my head this is the sound of the giant Gods chasing us from the temple across the plains of Mars. Proper solid riffs on show here aping the huge footsteps of our pursuers.

All is not lost, to our aid come the ‘Robots of the Ancient World’. There’s an air of triumph to the synths and particularly the drums on this piece. The distance between us and the danger becomes too great to comprehend. We are flying.

When all of a sudden comes ‘A Rare Bird’, swooping on the solar winds. This track is so poised and deliberate it takes you away, chasing that bird through the heavens. When I close my eyes, I see the fiery phoenix from Battle of the Planets flying into the never-ending night.

Until the ‘Cosmic Dawn’. Where peace embraces us at the end of our journey across the cosmos. Our brave pilots say their goodbyes and take the good ship Korb off on another adventure to star systems new.

There’s something magical about a Korb album. It fires my imagination and sends me places beyond my comprehension. For me that’s down to how these guys play the music. One minute your hearing sounds that remind you of a 50’s sci-fi B-movie, then synths harking back to the BBC Radiophonic Workshop creations from the late 70’s. All the while though you feel like you are listening to some far-off future where Ulysses is still searching for Earth or Esteban is still searching for those seven cities of gold.

If you seek a truly immersive listening experience then all you need do is pop Korb III on the turntable, close your eyes and let Messrs Woods and Parke take you off on journey you’ll never forget.

Korb III is available now from Bandcamp digitally and on a very limited vinyl run.

You can follow Korb on social media here….

    Label Focus – Fuzzed Up & Astromoon Records

    The psyche scene couldn’t be more buoyant with more and more excellent bands emerging all the time. This makes it all the more important that there are amazing record labels out there to make sure we get to hear them. Over the last few months, I’ve fallen head over heels for Dublin-based Fuzzed Up & Astromoon Records. Run by two top blokes called Ian McGlynn and Andy Marke the label has been releasing some of the finest psych music around.

    I asked Ian how they came to choose the name for the label.

    “Andy already had Fuzzed Up. He used the name for his club nights and radio show.

    He felt I needed an identity in the name, so I thought hard, was listening to a lot of Electric Moon and hey presto…..Astromoon was born.

    Glad nobody else picked it anywhere!”

    As Ian mentioned, Andy runs a successful indie night in Dublin by the name Fuzzed Up. He also DJ’s a radio show with the same name on Dublin’s Near FM and Barrelhouse Radio. With Ian’s passion for vinyl and live music, they were always destined to team up and start a label. The ethos behind the label is about amplifying the psychedelic soul of the bands on their roster. Whilst Andy and Ian have their own unique tastes in music, psyche is what unites them and is the starting point for all their releases.

    With that in mind let’s explore some of the bands that the label has brought to us so far.

    Crome Yellow

    Hailing from Waterford, Crome Yellow brew a heady blend of psychedelia with a pinch of funk, a sprinkle of 60’s mod vibes and a knowing drizzle of 90’s baggy. It’s a potent recipe for sure. The band released their No Friends or Mirrors album back in 2021 on Fuzzed Up & Astromoon and you can read my full breakdown of the album over here.

    Tibetan Miracle Seeds

    Tibetan Miracle Seeds is the recording project of Scottish musician, Jack McAfee (from Dundee). The music is inspired primarily by 1960’s Psych but also draws influence from a variety of traditional and indigenous music from around the world. The label put out his Inca Missiles album this year. It was one of the scenes’ most anticipated releases which thankfully exceeded expectations by a country mile.

    Krypton Bulb

    Dublin garage legends Krypton Bulb deliver high octane, gutsy rock ‘n’ roll. They have developed a reputation for incendiary live performances which led to Fuzzed Up & Astromoon releasing a double A-side lathe cut 7” single. That single, ‘Let Me Tell Ya / Come On Over’ remains a firm favourite of mine to this day.

    Thee UFO

    An enigma wrapped in a riddle, Dublin-based Thee UFO ply their trade in out-there motorik killer jams.

    So far, they have featured on two Fuzzed Up & Astromoon releases which should give you an idea about how highly thought of they are.

    Astral Magic

    Astral Magic is a new solo project by ex-Dark Sun bass player Santtu also known as Dj Astro. During the covid-19 lockdown he had the idea to do something creative to kill the extra time and get seriously into home-recording. Santtu plays everything by himself, but some guests have been called in to help on drums, guitar etc. Musical styles vary from electronic/ambient/experimental to heavy space rock, kraut, psych rock, prog and even pop.

    Soundwire

    Soundwire are a psychedelic/ alternative / alt. noise band formed in 2011 by singer Simon Court and guitarist Peter Moore. Based in South Wales, they have previously collaborated with Tim Holmes (Death in Vegas), who produced and contributed to their first EP, as well as Thighpaulsandra (Spiritualized / Coil) who mixed and produced their self-titled debut album and is currently working on their follow-up LP.

    Sun Mahshene

    Sun Mahshene are Ireland’s premiere indie-psych rock band. Weaving a perfect storm of shoegaze guitars, memorable melodies, and insightful lyrics, this Dublin quintet is a must-see live experience. Releases to date include self-published EP, Drones That Don’t Kill. Followed by four critically acclaimed singles on Reckless Records IE. Fuzzed Up & Astromoon are set to release a vinyl collection of these tracks called Space Echoes: The Ep on transparent red vinyl. Release date is Friday September 30 so set those calendar reminders; these will fly!

    This is certainly not an exhaustive list of all the acts on Fuzzed Up & Astromoon Records, but I hope it’s given you a taste of what they have on offer. Make sure you follow Fuzzed Up & Astromoon Records on Bandcamp to check out all these amazing acts and much more.

    I’d just like to say a massive thank you to Ian and Andy for all the hard work they pour into the label. Here’s to many more years of sonic exploration!

    You can follow Fuzzed Up & Astromoon Records on social media here…

    The Stargazer Lilies – Vibes of Love

    My favourite psychedelic gazers are back with a second teaser for their new album Cosmic Tidal Wave. The Stargazer Lilies return to spread the ‘Vibes of Love’. My mind was spinning after hearing the previous single, ‘Bending the Lines’, so I literally had to be scraped off the ceiling to write this.

    ‘Vibes of Love’ is classic Stargazer Lilies. It harks back to that otherworldly sound they created back on Occabot. It opens with that off-kilter synth sound against Kim Fields’ ethereal vocals. Then we take off to that corner of the galaxy where only they exist.

    As always, it’s John Ceps’ guitars that create the mystic mist in which the song exists. It’s hard to comprehend that it’s four people making this mountainous wall of sound. I use that word deliberately. Every time I listen to The Stargazer Lilies their music takes me away to some alien mountain top, in a psychedelic, multi-coloured blizzard. It’s so rare that I’m transported so vividly in my head that I cherish my time listening to this band and I know you will too.

    You can check out their self-shot and produced video below. It’s almost like they read my mind.

    Head on over to Bandcamp to buy the single ‘Vibes of Love’ now or catch it on your favourite streaming platform.

    The album is available to pre-order from The Stargazer Lilies Bandcamp page and Floravinyl Records now.

    You can follow The Stargazer Lilies on social media here …

    Mark Peters – Red Sunset Dream

    Back in July, I posted my first impressions of the new track from Mark Peters, ‘Switch On The Sky’. It was a beautiful mantra to the sun sung by One Doves Dot Allison. I’ve now been living with the album it comes from for a couple of months now and I think it’s about time I tell you all about it.

    The album opens on ‘Switch on the Sky’, a perfect introduction to the chilled Americana about to unfold. Please do go check out my earlier blog to find out my thoughts in more depth.

    We then neatly segue into ‘Golden Cloud’. A gloriously airy instrumental in which it feels like you’re being basked in the golden rays of the morning sun. A gently picked banjo plays off against some stunning pedal steel.

    On that subject, the album features the pedal steel playing of BJ Cole. On the subject of Cole agreeing to play on the album, Peters had this to say.

    “I became obsessed with finding tracks where pedal steel guitar was the main, if not the only instrument,” he explains. “People like Chuck Johnson, Buddy Emmons and Luke Schneider. I really enjoyed incorporating these instruments into my own tracks and just exploring the tones of them rather than trying to attempt authentic country playing. Having BJ play on the record crystallized the whole concept,” Mark explains. “I love his playing on things like ‘Silver Moon Over Sleeping Steeples’ by David Sylvian. He’s possibly the UK’s greatest living country musician.”

    We emerge into ‘Silver River’ next. The track slowly reveals itself. The pedal steel flutters, like the sunlight dappling the water. It’s a peaceful meditation in musical form and, for me, demonstrates the imagination Peters possesses. Leveraging the sweeping tones of Coles playing by wrapping it layers of reverb is a genius move!

    Things pick up pace next with ‘Dusty Road Ramble’. There’s a real swagger in the duelling guitars which will get your foot tapping. The title is a nod to the group originally put together by Hank Walters, the late father of country music in Liverpool. This, however, stretches that country motif to its limit pulling the song into another genre entirely. However, could I nail down what genre that is? Not sure I could. Again, a sign we are listening to a genius at work.

    ‘The Musical Box’ continues that genre-defying work by deftly weaving some electronica through the luscious guitars. It’s not long before the banjo reappears reminding us, that we are in American skies. Soaring over the desert roads below. I love how this album triggers images in your head, feelings and emotions that tie you to the US.

    There’s something about the next track, ‘Tamaroa’ that sends my mind straight to Brian Wilson’s work on the lost Beach Boys album, Smile. Like Peters, he too was writing a love letter to the USA. It’s the almost pastoral feel of the music or is it the modular approach to the song’s construction perhaps. Whatever it is, it’s Wonderful and it’s definitely giving me Good Vibrations.

    The title track is up next and from the off delivers a hallucinatory experience. It almost feels like you’re listening to two songs at the same time yet they are completely in simpatico, lifting and augmenting the other. It’s simply stunning.

    The album closes out with the exultant tones of ‘Sundowning’. Emerging slowly from a dream state the song blooms from almost nothing into this celebratory chant. The feeling of joy in this song is quite overwhelming. It feels like coming home. Like remembering who you really are and what you need to do. It’s such a powerfully beautiful way to end this experience.

    I say experience because in Red Sunset Dream Peters has created a place for the listener to disappear for a while. An album so deftly woven together that it feels like one continuous piece rather than songs put together in order. Many have attempted what Peters makes look so easy. But it’s rare that it is pulled off in such a way that grabs you by the heart and leads you, gently on a journey. A journey into the sky and over landscapes you never thought you’d ever see. This album has won my heart and, if you give it a chance, it will win yours too.

    Red Sunset Dreams is available now on a variety of coloured vinyl options and CD from Mark Peters Bandcamp, Sonic Cathedral and Rough Trade.

    Follow Mark Peters on social media here…

    Photos courtesy of Robin Clewley.

    Virgins – Signalling

    Back in August last year Irelands Virgins burst into our consciousness with their epic debut single ‘Vows’. It was an instant hit with me, the perfect blend of dreamy rock and head on gaze. The band’s formed around main man Michael Smyth with David Sloan on guitar, James Foy on drums and Brendy McCann of Hand Models on bass. Since the release of ‘Vows’ the band have touring all over Ireland spreading the word.

    Now they’re back with their new single ‘Signalling’. I asked Smyth how he would describe this release?

    “The track is a mix of long ambient reverbs, fuzzy riffs that wouldn’t be out of place on any 90’s Sub Pop record and a haunting ethereal vocal that cries of an unsatiated wanton desire.”

    I couldn’t wait to dive in. The track comes in slow and steady with atmospheric vocals and guitar. It soon explodes over the speakers really grabbing your attention. The songwriting is on point here. The vocal melody is never compromised only augmented and lifted by the killer riffs. There’s a glorious section of glide guitar about half way in that I look forward to each time I play the song. If, like me, you like your gaze to have structure, hooks and a great chorus then this track is for you. ‘Signalling’ is the perfect successor to ‘Vows’ and is going to win this band a legion of new fans. Check out the video for the single below.

    There’s even more great news as the band have announced they’re releasing both these tracks as part of their upcoming Transmit A Little Heaven EP via Blowtorch Records. It’ll be released on October 14th and you can pre-order it now over on the Virgins Bandcamp page. It’s going to be available on a very limited pink vinyl release as well so don’t sleep on this one.

    You can follow Virgins on social media here…

    Floorshow – How Long

    If you were tuned into my DKFM Shoegaze Radio show this week you would’ve heard a first play of the third single from Dublin based gazers Floorshow. I have been a massive fan of this band since they reached out to me back in April with their first tracks ‘Walls’ and my favourite, ‘Come Home’.  

    Floorshow are Jessi Howell (vocals), Sean Day (guitar), Andrew Kelly (bass) and Sean McGinley (drums). I asked the band how they would describe their sound.

    We draw musical inspiration from artists such as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Drop Nineteens and American Shoegazers Ringo Deathstarr, as well as any new artists that we are currently listening to. Floorshow aim to pay homage to seminal artists of the shoegaze, dreampop and noise rock genres, while also adding and elaborating as best we can to create something new.

    ‘How Long’ is the sound of the band venturing into harsher more noisy territory, a sound they pull off with consummate ease. The track opens with Day’s harsh metallic guitar tones contrasting with Howells angelic tones. One thing that really jumped at me about this track is how in sync the bass and drums are. Oh, and the drums are massive sounding. Like Bonham loud! Kelly’s bass leaping around like in a fever dream in the closing section is a genius touch to close out the track.

    I’m absolutely besotted with this band’s sound and I’m cannot wait until they get around to recording their debut album! Rest assured I’ll be here with a track-by-track breakdown when that happens. Until then, get on over to Bandcamp and check out ‘How Long’ now!

    You can follow Floorshow on social media here…

    Whiteout – Bite It

    1995 was quite a year in music. Oasis were building their ‘Wonderwall’, the Manic’s Richey Edwards went missing, The Beatles returned with ‘Free As A Bird, The Smashing Pumpkins released their sprawling masterpiece Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and a band from my home town released their debut album on the same label as The Stone Roses.

    Whiteout had been a fixture on the Greenock music scene for years prior to this. Featuring a number of different line ups over the years they finally settled on Andrew Caldwell (Jones) on vocals, Eric Lindsay on guitar, Paul Carroll on bass and Stuart Smith on drums. This period of the band produced five amazing singles and, of course, their debut album, Bite It.

    If you were around at the time your first introduction to the band may have been on Channel 4’s late night music and mayhem show, The Word. The band turned in a statement of intent performance of lead single ‘No Time’. This was down to all the hard work put in playing live up and down the country honing their skills ready for the spotlight. Including a co-headlining tour with a certain up and coming five-piece from Manchester.

    ‘Starrclub’ with its T-Rex swagger and jubilant chorus hooked us in to the bands sound even more. By the time ‘Detroit’ and ‘Jackie’s Racing’ came out we were ready for an album. Now, over 25 years later Bite It and Young Tribe Rule, previously a Japanese exclusive CD, are getting the vinyl reissue treatment they deserve.

    This led me to dig out my old battered copy of Bite It to revisit those songs of my youth. I thought it would be fun to write about them as if they were just releasing the album today.

    It also got me thinking about what the writing process for the album was like and what the bands main musical influences at the time were. Who better to tell us than Whiteout’s guitarist, Eric Lindsay.

    “The album was recorded over a couple of years over three or four sessions in three different studios with three different engineers! The songs tended to be written by Andrew and Paul who would then bring them to rehearsal where we would arrange them together. Inspiration came in many forms but Jackie’s Racing , for example, was inspired by a newspaper headline about BBC legend Jackie Bird!!”

    “Paul was really the musical director of the band and had a vast knowledge (and record collection) of all shades. He tended to be in charge of the tour bus playlist!! We listened to a lot of what you would expect in the way of 60s and 70s psychedelic pop and rock, but also lots of jazz, soul, R&B and rap.”

    So with that knowledge let’s stick the record on and give it a spin.

    The album opens on the stuttering, stop start riff of ‘Thirty Eight’. A real party song if ever there was one. It’s a perfect way to start. Between Caldwell’s ebullient vocal delivery and Lindsay’s call and response guitar lines it kicks thing off at pace, setting the scene nicely.

    The single ‘No Time’ is next with its uber optimistic lyric and energetic delivery this should’ve been a much bigger hit. Really pay attention to the melodic bass on this one. Carroll picking out a counter to Lindsay’s lead. It’s pop perfection. You can enjoy that classic performance from The Word here.

    We get a slight change in pace for the acoustic led ‘We Should Stick Together’. The country style licks on show here giving a nod to the Faces whilst the melody, clearly Chilton inspired, providing a neat foil.

    Side B starts with the latter-day ‘Maggie May’, ‘Jackie’s Racing’. It’s rare you hear an acoustic lead guitar line these days, never mind one this good. The lad’s harmony vocals are on point here and no wonder it was their highest performing single.

    We head off into cosmic rock territory with ‘Shine on You’ next. The descending chords of the chorus are absolutely devastating. Especially after the drone-like bassline in the verses. Again, check out the fingerboard gymnastics Carroll is demonstrating. This track wouldn’t be out of place on Dr Byrds & Mr Hyde, from me that’s as high a compliment as it gets.

    The side closes out with ‘No More Tears’, an epic ballad. Hewn from the same rock as Richards and Jagger it builds slowly to its anthemic refrain of “you’ve got to get someone in your life”. Smith’s sympathetic stick work is superb as is Lindsay’s guitar, in perpetual motion. Fret work rivalling anything his label mate John Squire produced.

    The second disc moves on with the light and shade of the rockier ‘Altogether’. This song makes a great use of trading the lighter sound of the acoustic with the more bass heavy tones of the chugging electric guitar. Result being it’s incredibly catchy and a real earworm. Man, this band had hooks for weeks.

    The sleazy drawl intro of ‘You Drag Me’ sounds like the guitar trying to have a drunken conversation in a dark and dingy night club. Again, it’s Smith’s steady rhythm that keeps this one on track with the band swaggering around their instruments in a quite heady way.

    After all that we’re ready to chill out a bit. Thankfully the band agrees and they treat us to the ballad ‘Baby, Don’t Give Up On Me Yet’.  How are we this far into the album and the songwriting quality just keeps going up? Lindsay is on fire throughout with his deft lead being the counter to Caldwell’s vocal.

    The closing side opens with the beautiful ‘You Left Me Seeing Stars’. The Chiltonesque guitars soar over Caldwell’s longing vocal. The bass providing a potent counter melody that cuts through in the instrumental breaks. This allows Lindsay the room to create a wall of guitars in the closing section that slowly fades from view.

    ‘Everyday’ does that amazing trick Whiteout do so well. The verses move along all languid and serpentine before the choruses explode. With the addition of a brass section courtesy of the NFL Horns this is a serious explosion of hooks and licks.

    That leaves the final cut on the album to be ‘Untitled’. A string laden ballad that comes straight from the heart. Fans of Big Star will find a lot to love here. The complex verse structure and chord changes into the aaaahs that lead us into the next verse are sublime. This is the perfect way to round out this incredible collection of songs.

    Unlike like a lot of their 90’s alumni, Whiteout’s debut album remains as vital and refreshing to listen to as it did back in 1995. There’s a timeless quality to the songwriting and performances in these grooves that will endear their sound to all the generations to come.

     Bite It and Young Tribe Rule are available now on vinyl from Demon Music Group and from your favourite record shops.

    Follow Whiteout on social media here…