1. It Is Not Meant To Be 2. Desire Be Desire Go 3. Alter Ego 4. Lucidity 5. Make Up Your Mind 6. Solitude 7. Jeremy's Storm 8. Expectations 9. Bold Arrow Of Time 10. Runway Houses City Clouds 11. I Don't Really Mind

Tame Impala (Perth, Australia)

(2010) LP – Innerspeaker (Modular)

Psychedelic Rock / Indie Rock / Garage Rock / Stoner Rock

Kevin Parker (Guitar, Lead Vocals)

Jay Watson (Drums, Vocals)

Dominic Simper (Bass)

(Listen to ‘Solitude Is Bliss’ by Tame Impala)

Tame Impala’s debut Innerspeaker is finally here and it’s a psychedelic dream.  They released one of the best EP’s of 2008, a masterpiece in psych-pop.  They’re already signed to one of the best labels on the planet, Modular Records.  For Innerspeaker, the Aussies found a house on the beach à la MGMT and settled in to create a sonic mind-trip that might sound something like Oracular Spectacular flirting with Pet Sounds, but going to bed with Zeppelin.

You can see them open for MGMT during their upcoming US tour (May 20 – June 20).

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Cool like: MGMT, The Beatles, Wolf & Cub, Monotonix, Amazing Baby, Dead Meadow, Led Zeppelin, Rocket Science, The Morning After Girls, The Dandy Warhols, Jefferson Airplane, Colour Haze, White Denim, Beach Boys

1. Sonic Redemption 2. Smokin Louise 3. Riot Dub 4. Raise 5. Frio Ni Calor 6. New Groove 7. Out From Heaven 8. 7th Day 9. Day Break 10. Exile 11. Somethin' Down 12. Chillan 13. Shutdown

The Ganjas (Santiago, Chile)

(2007) LP - Daybreak (Algo Records)

Psychedelic Rock / Stoner Rock / Shoegaze / Dub / Britpop

Aido (Drums)

Pape (Bass, Vocals)

Sam (Guitar, Vocals)

Luife (Keyboards, Maracas)

Alvarito (Percussion)

Comegato (Guitar)

(Watch the official video for ‘Sonic Redemption’ by The Ganjas )

This awesome band from Chile mixes all kinds of great music together, sometimes it’s the black leather rock of BRMC, or the Psychedelic Britpop of The Verve and every once in awhile they break into a chilled Reggae/Dub groove.

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Cool like:  Darker My Love, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Singapore Sling, The Verve, Oasis,  The Isolation, Sublime, Black Angels, Black Ryder

1. Tyrant 2. Deerslayer 3. A Barren Cause 4. Origin Of Savagery 5. Torment Of The Metals 6. Bird Of All Faiths And None Bell From Madrone

Black Math Horseman (Los Angeles, CA)

(2009) LP - Wyllt (Tee Pee Records)

Psychedelic Rock / Progressive Rock / Stoner Rock

Sera Timms (Bass, Vocals)

Ian Barry (Guitar)

Bryan Tulao (Guitar)

Sasha Popovic (Drums)

(Listen to ‘Tyrant’ by Black Math Horseman)

Mystical Psychedelic Rock that stirs the soul, transporting the listener through their metallic time-warp of doom.  Sit back, crank up your headphones and enjoy the journey!

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Cool like: Ancestors, Kyuss, Radio Moscow, Singapore Sling, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Black Angels, Psychic Ills, Sian Alice Group, Oceansize, Bear Bones Lay Low, The Dead Weather, Russian Circles

1. Woolen Heirs 2. Prince Squid 3. Red Line Season 4. Lucifer 5. Ethric Double 6. Seven Curtains 7. Long And Lonely Step 8. Lead Beater 9. Cavity Carousel 10. Briggs

These Arms Are Snakes (Seattle, WA)

(2008) LP - Tail Swallower And Dove (Suicide Squeeze Records)

Hard Rock / Stoner Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Post Hardcore

Brian Cook (Bass, Guitar, Pump Organ, MicroKorg)

Ryan Frederiksen (Guitar, MicroKorg)

Steve Snere (Vocals, KAOSS pad)

Chris Common (Drums)

(These Arms Are Snakes ‘Red Line Season’)

There should be more bands that rock as hard as These Arms Are Snakes, live and on record they plow through their riotous tunes with enough energy to move mountains.   Their thundering rhythms are meticulously crafted to induce involuntary head-banging and a “fuck yeah”, fist-pumping rocker euphoria.  Sometimes they sound like a Psychedelic Rage Against The Machine fronted by Perry Farrell, other times they sound like Minus The Bear’s evil twin.

‘Lucifer’ opens with the MicroKorg set to destroy, it’s menacingly fuzzed synth sound is the backbone for Snere’s mental wail and Common’s machine like drum patterns.

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Cool like: Jane’s Addiction, Rage Against The Machine, At The Drive In, Gallows, Fucked Up, Botch, Kill Sadie, Russian Circles, Harkonen, The Blood Brothers, Jaguar Love

1. Beyond Yes 2. Night Weed 3. High Until We Die 4. Reception

Coin Under Tongue (Brooklyn, NY)

(2009) EP - The So Far (Death By Audio Records)

Hard Rock / Post Punk / Stoner Rock / Noise Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Post-Hardcore

Joe Kelly (Vocals, Guitar)

George Wilson (Bass)

Greg Wilson (Drums)

(Coin Under Tongue performing an Eddy Current Suppression Ring cover, wicked!)

Want some bad-ass rock with lots of personality and a hair-raising sensation of impending doom?  Coin Under Tongue have it covered and then some.  They pack an entire LP worth of twists and genre-bending turns into another four song EP, someone must be putting something in Brooklyn’s water.  The So Far EP is made up of tracks they’ve finished “So Far” for their upcoming Reception LP.

On ‘Beyond Yes’ Joe’s guitar snarls like the giant turtle Morla, from The Neverending Story, hocking up a monster loogie before being electrocuted by The Nothing, surely Death By Audio pedals are at play here.

Thanks to Death By Audio Records for giving us this tasty little EP free, Coin Under Tongue’s upcoming album will obviously kick some serious ass.

Free Download //

Cool like: A Place To Bury Strangers, Death From Above 1979, Queens Of The Stone Age, Middle Class Rut, Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave, At The Drive In, Scars, Joy Division, The Bronx

1. No One Loves Me & Neither Do I 2. Mind Eraser, No Chaser 3. New Fang 4. Dead End Friends 5. Elephants 6. Scumbag Blues 7. Bandollers 8. Reptiles 9. Interlude With Ludes 10. Warsaw Or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up 11. Caligulove 12. Gunman 13. Spinning In Daffodils

Them Crooked Vultures (Los Angeles, CA)

(2009) LP – Them Crooked Vultures (Sony Music / Interscope)

Hard Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Stoner Rock

Josh Homme (Lead Vocals, Guitar)

John Paul Jones (Bass, Keyboards, Keytar, Vocals)

Dave Grohl (Drums, Vocals)

(Them Crooked Vultures unveil ‘Gunman’)

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes! Today is my birthday, but more importantly, I just downloaded Them Crooked Vultures self-titled debut LP, a week before its release. That’s it, I’m borrowing my friend’s Shelby, packing up my camping gear and racing solo out to the desert, TCV cranked, my birthday can wait.

If you don’t already know about Them Crooked Vultures, check out my previous post on them here.  Josh Homme (Guitar, Vocals), Dave Grohl (Drums), John Paul Jones (Bass, Keys), need I say more?

(Audio Current’s Fear And Loathing in Palm Desert – The Crooked Trip)

‘No One Loves Me & Neither Do I’ is the epic beginning to a flawless album of mind-blowing Rock n’ Roll.  The perfect snappy Grohl beat, cow bell included, and Homme’s creamy toned vocals ride a slow burning train of bluesy riffage.  At about half way Homme finishes a lick with a ‘Huh’ and the song explodes, A colossal riff I could only describe as Led Zeppelin covering Rage Against The Machine, but that doesn’t even do it justice.  This is only one of about 100 moments on the album that make you want to jump up pumping both fists in the air and roaring like King Kong.

‘Elephants’ thunders like a herd of er, Elephants, with Homme firing off a massive riff that Jack White could learn a thing or two from, way past stratospheric!

‘Scumbag Blues’ is Zeppelin all the way, raucous blues rock the way it should be played, a true lesson in blue masterclass by living legends.  Jean Paul Jones hits the keys and holy shit I feel like I’m in the 70′s, bursting with joy.  Heavenly stuff!

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Cool like: Queens Of The Stone Age, Kyuss, Eagles Of Death Metal, Foo Fighters, Probot, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, The Dead Weather, Desert Sessions, Monotonix, Rage Against The Machine

1. Desire Be Desire Go 2. Skeleton Tiger 3. Half Full Glass Of Wine 4. 41 Mosquitoes Flying In Formation 5. Slide Through My Fingers

Tame Impala (Perth, Australia)

(2008) EP – Tame Impala (Modular)

Psychedelic Rock / Indie Rock  / Garage Rock / Stoner Rock

Kevin Parker (Guitar, Lead Vocals)

Jay Watson (Drums, Vocals)

Dominic Simper (Bass)

(Tame Impala flexing their Psychedelic muscles)

At the end of 2008 Tame Impala got their first big break as support for MGMT’s sold out Australian tour.  The two bands got on quite well and became fast friends, it’s understandable knowing that the kind of Psychedelia Tame Impala create is right up MGMT’s alley.

Their self title debut EP is a great showcase of their wares, Beatles style vocal melodies, raunchy guitar tones and primo Psychedelic wig-outs, what more could you want?  The tunes are so catchy yet they also have this powerful riffage like Led Zeppelin or Monotonix.

‘Desire Be Desire Go’ has great lo-fi guitar tones and an upbeat garage shuffle, the chorus has some sweet harmonies and of course a mid-song Psychedelic jam fest.

‘Half Full Glass Of Wine’ has this genius beginning, the drummer starts tapping out a quick rim shot rhythm matched by a simple two note line.  All of a sudden, they both slow to about half speed and the bass joins in to finish the line, placing the listener in a slow motion bubble.

If you like the Idea of MGMT trying to embody The Beatles or Led Zeppelin, just listen to Tame Impala instead.

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Cool like: MGMT, The Beatles, Wolf & Cub, Monotonix, Amazing Baby, Dead Meadow, Led Zeppelin, Rocket Science, The Morning After Girls, The Dandy Warhols, Jefferson Airplane, Colour Haze, White Denim

1. Coin Under Tongue 2. Roll Child 3. Shaven Clean 4. This Flag Is A Scythe

Coin Under Tongue (Brooklyn, NY)

(2008) EP - Hussies At Bay (Death By Audio Records)

Hard Rock / Post Punk / Stoner Rock / Noise Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Post-Hardcore

Joe Kelly (Vocals, Guitar)

George Wilson (Bass)

Greg Wilson (Drums)

(The sound quality is horrible, but all you need to hear is the monstrous opening riff)

When we interviewed Oliver Ackerman, guitarist/vocalist of A Place To Bury Strangers, after their recent Casbah gig, we asked him who he most wanted to take on tour.  He told us his good friends Coin Under Tongue are amazing, how right he was.

The next day I researched this new band with the kick ass name, and found out that they’re actually signed to Oliver’s own label, Death By Audio Records.  Not only that, but Oliver’s sick guitar pedal company, of the same name, makes the pedals that Coin uses.  I went on Death By Audio’s blog and found they were giving the Hussies At Bay EP away for free, my life will never be the same.

In ancient times some people used to believe that if you put a gold coin under the tongue of the recently deceased, it would help them pay the ferry toll to cross the river Styx and enter the Underworld.  If they don’t put the coin under tongue the dead man’s spirit will haunt them forever.  Coin Under Tongue might be one of the best band names ever.

The first track on Hussies At Bay has a riff that would sink the Titanic, think Rage Against The Machine crossed with Aerosmith and a touch of Tool.  Yeah, that’s right, I said it.  On this one Joe Kelly uses his mid range bark that’s raspy, punk and ballsy enough to stand up to the rest of the sonic onslaught.

Next is ‘Roll Child’, which sounds nothing like the last track.  It starts with a Post Punk beat and a guitar lick that is more reminiscent of Joy Division than anything Hard Rock.  Once Joe decides to overdrive his buttery vocals the Coin’s sound becomes more obvious.  The song quickly shifts into a more garage feel and starts uncontrollably oozing swagger.  I can’t imagine what might possibly come next.

‘Shaven Clean’, could be what the amazing Death From Above 1979 might sound like if they hadn’t broken up.  Kelly cycles through one epic fizzling guitar tone after another while the bass holds down a dope clean groove.

Finally, ‘This Flag Is A Scythe’, is the brilliant closer.  It’s got a strong shuffling Post Punk beat, with Jamie Cook guitar swats.  Again, the guitar tones are untouchable and different from the previous tracks.

A flawless EP that proves Coin Under Tongue will soon have the whole Underworld at their feet.

*//Buy It

Cool like: A Place To Bury Strangers, Death From Above 1979, Middle Class Rut, Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave, At The Drive In, Scars, Joy Division, The Bronx

1. California Queen 2. New Moon Rising 3. White Feather 4. Sundial 5. In The Morning 6. 10,000 Feet 7. Cosmic Egg 8. Far Away 9. Pilgrim 10. In The Castle 11. Phoenix 12. Violence Of The Sun

Wolfmother (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia)

(2009) LP – Cosmic Egg (Modular/Interscope)

Hard Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Stoner Rock

Andrew Stockdale (Vocals, Guitar)

Ian Peres (Bass, Keyboards)

Aidan Nemeth (Guitar)

David Atkins (Drums)

(Wolfmother play their new song, ‘New Moon Rising’, on Jools Holland)

Wolfmother are back, after surviving a major lineup overhaul.  Two of the power trio’s founding members, Chris Ross and Myles Heskett, left the band due to “irreconcilable personal and musical differences.”  Sole founding member and frontman Andrew Stockdale (Lead Guitar/Lead Vocals) decided it wasn’t over.  Instead, he continued writing new material and searched out three new members to forge ahead.

Cosmic Egg, kicks off with a stunner, ‘Caifornia Queen’, which delivers Page riffage and Plant vocals at a screaming pace, complete with a sludgy slowdown and a searing Stockdale solo.  Yes, Wolfmother are truly back.

‘New Moon Rising’, has one blistering riff after another, and is probably the most similar to the Wolfmother of old.

‘Sundial’, is the first glimmer of them pushing their sound forward.  Of course, it starts with another huge wah riff, more Audioslave than Zep, but it’s when Andrew’s vocals appear that things really get interesting.  He has this sick vocal flow that’s just plain groovin’.

On, ‘Violence Of The Sun’, they chart even more new territory.  Melodic keyboards, a drawn out descending bass line, and Andrews vocals crossing right into Oasis territory.  It becomes a fabulous concoction indeed, more relaxed and soulful than anything he has done in the past.

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Cool like: Led Zeppelin, Monotonix, Tame Impala, Black Sabbath, Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age, White Stripes, Blue Cheer, Jimmi Hendrix, Steppenwolf

Stardeath And White Dwarfs (Oklahoma, US) (2009) LP - The Birth (Wea/Reprise) (Psychedelic Rock, Stoner Rock, Indie Rock, Synthpop)

Dennis Coyne (Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards)

Casey Joseph (Bass, Keyboards)

Matt Duckworth (Drums)

James Young (Guitar)

Here is the opening track on The Birth:

Stardeath frontman, Dennis Coyne, is the nephew of Lips head honcho, Wayne Coyne.  Both bands come from Oklahoma and often share bills together.

The Birth is their debut album released on Wea/Reprise.  ‘The Sea On Fire’, sets the tone for this all out psychedelic adventure.  Like a slow jamming Amazing Baby with warbling vocals, and layers of space sounds to give it a future psychedelic flavor.

‘New Heat’ ups the pace, with a driving bass line and a slamming synth groove.

On ‘Keep Score’, they go for a breezy pop love song, and nail it, like Steve Martin’s ukulele song, in The Jerk.  It’s hard not to smile with their catchy melodies and charming vocals.

‘Those Who Are From The Sun Return To The Sun’, is like a psychedelic trip through a wormhole.  The bass twists and turns, slows down, and speeds up, it’s a roller coaster ride of fun.  After the huge bass wig out, they jump right into the lowdown funk groove of ‘I Can’t Get Away’.  Deep bass and synth lines, a gorgeous delayed guitar twinkle and an interesting xylophone melody.  Not to mention old school video game bleeps and blips, nice.

‘Age Of The Freak’, utilizes a blast of noisy feedback to entrance the listener, along with a dark commanding bass melody.  The main melody is a simple guitar strum floating aimlessly through the solar system, reminiscent of the french duo Air.

On ‘Country song’, he has the vocal fragility of Sean Lennon in his 20s.

*//Buy It

Cool like: MGMT, Amazing Baby, The Flaming Lips, Pure Reason Revolution, Pheonix, Air