Wonderful little psychedelic melancholic folk pop songs from London for the rainy days. Astronauts are solo project of Dan Carney from Dark Captain (formerly Dark Captain Light Captain). It was born while he was in a hospital because his fractured leg.

‘Hollow Ponds’ album on Lo Recordings (UK)

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Female fronted „8-legged riff machine” in the manner of Stooges, Spacemen 3 and AC/DC form Australia.

The Daicos – Monkey’s Blood LP on Homeless Records (Aus)

LE BUTCHERETTES has started as a Mexican girl duo, but after a tempestuous discussion Teri Gender Bender stayed alone at the band. She went to LA, when recorded her first album with Omar Rodriguez Lopez (Mars Volta, At The Drive-In) on bass in 2011.  Lopez was the producer of the album also. Since then they have been working together with various drummers. It’s Lia Braswell now. It’s written on her left shoulder that „Play through the pain.” Enjoy

„Cry Is For The Flies” LP/CD on Ipecac Recordings (US) in Sept. Album preview.

„The eleven-song release had previously been available exclusively as a digital download via producer Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s label Nadie Sound’s website.”

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DEGREASER is „Psychopathic Rock’N’Roll from Brooklyn” and their sound is like the Mudhoney, Mudhoney & Mudhoney!

„Rougher Squalor”  LP / digital on Ever/Never Records (US)

Escape before the mental hospital with the aid of Rolling Stones’ ex-manager

Maximo Claps arrived in London in 2008 on a one-way ticket from Buenos Aires, aided by former Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who had produced a record by Claps’  Argentinian band, but the group had fallen apart in a mess of drugs and acrimony. In those days Claps’ family were attempting to intervene by sending him to a mental hospital. The only option seemed to be to flee the country. As Claps recalls, „The day before flying to the UK I got run over by a car and had to escape hospital in order to make it so I arrived with bandages and my head all stitched up.”
A few weeks later Max walked into the vintage clothes shop where James Hoare (guitarist of the great Scottish indie pop band Veronica Falls) sat behind the counter reading a book on The Velvet Underground, and attempted to make a diversion while his kleptomaniac girlfriend stole a pair of boots. The distraction was such successful as that since then they have been writing and playing psychedelic pop music together, taking inspiration from Berlin-era Lou Reed, Jesus and Mary Chains, Television Personalities and West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band.

The Proper Ornaments – Wooden Head on Slumberland (US) and Fortuna Pop Records (UK)

Anyway: “She didn’t steal them in the end, they weren’t her size” – says Max.

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Kraut-like psychedelic space pop by Bear In Heaven from New York

Time Is Over One Day Old LP/CD/digital on Dead Oceans (US, buy here) and Home Tapes (US)

Trouble Books are an Akron (Ohio) based experimental pop duo. Lejsovka & Freund are their side project. They play „DIY shitty classical” music with a little Michael Nyman feeling on piano, cello, clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, computer, synthesizer, and voice. „These pieces are made by and for the view from huge sunroom windows overlooking a wooded ravine. Hopefully that honesty comes through.”

Mold On Canvas LP on Bark and Hiss (US) & MIE Records (UK)

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The debut album of The Wtyhces  „Annabel Dream Reader” is among the most anticipated albums. Proto-metal grunge surf psychedelic noise rock from the English countryside

Annabel Dream Reader LP/CD/digital on Heavenly (UK), Partisan (US) & Dine Alone Records (Can). In July they are on US Tour.

Extended, almost 26 minutes long live version of The Speed Of Fear by English alternative rock band Gallon Drunk from their recent album The Soul Of The Hour is free to download. A 7 minutes long version:

SKULL DEFEKTS from Sweden love one thing
and that is the repetition
„we sound like an AC/DC loop”
in the manner of The Fall, The Ex & Fugazi with singer of Lungfish

The Known Unknown

from the album „In The Dreams…” on Thrill Jockey

One of the best European garage rock/punk label is Goodbye Boozy Records. It was founded in the late 90s in Teramo, which is a little central Italian town. The label is focusing limited edition 7″ vinyls. Some names of the roster: Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin, King Khan, BBQ, Lantern, LiveFastDie, Red Mass, Straight Arrows, Movie Star Junkies.

Some of the recent 7″ vinyls are free to download now: The Hemingers, Sick Thought, Blowtops, Cosmonauts, People’s Temple, Tight Jeans, Livids, Drags, Warm Soda.

In Detroit on a sunny Sunday afternoon Timmy Vulgar decides to mow the lawn in his little garden. Then a small rubber monster bits his hand, and commence the metamorphosis…  Of course Mr. Vulgar is a totally antisocial character, because the lawnmowing is forbidden on Sunday.

HUMAN EYE – Gettin’ Mean

from the album „Human Eye IV” on Goner Records (US)

RNR666: Mexican Slang was started as a one woman lo-fi harsh pop band in Toronto by Annabella Lee.
Ms Lee: Lo-fi is useful. Alternative rock. Some songs are punk, some a bit more noisy.

„Inside The Velvet Castle” digital EP on Buzz Records

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Tim Presley writes songs and makes recordings under the name of White Fence. He has arrived from HC-punk to rock and roll of the 60s.  His music is like a mix of Rolling Stones and Velvet Underground. And now here is the glam rock too. At least in this track. „It’s basically about that moment you leave the nest, go through college, live on your own and all of that—basically me until the present, and all of my friends, and a lot of my generation, I guess. It’s very literal, but that was kind of the point. It’s kind of tongue in cheek, too. It’s half-silly, half-serious. If you have friends who have parents who are kind of rich and you see that and you think, „Well, I’m shit poor. What would I do with that money if I was in their position? How would I live if I made a really good salary and I could afford nice cars and a nice house?” I don’t know anyone of my friends that could afford to buy a house, at least in L.A. It’s kind of like, „Am I going to live in an apartment my whole life?” There’s a little bit of envy in it, but also not really. It’s fun to dream. It’s kind of like, „What would I do if I won the lottery?” But it’s also fucking sad because, like I said, am I ever going to own a house? I doubt it. It would be cool though. I feel like everyone could relate to that song. Except for the one percent.”*

„For the Recently Found Innocent” LP/CD/Cassette on Drag City

*Read the full interview here. But what need are those awful, affected photos?

Unfortunately I have heard nothing about Doc Neeson (1947-2014)
while I haven’t seen this video in which four Australian underground bands
(Fait Accompoli, The Rumours, Lepers and Crooks, Dead Bear)
perform together one of his songs

Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again

to pay tribute to him. Yes, he really is a rock’n’roll legend in Australia.