Electric Citizen streaming album via Noisey ahead of release, tour w/ Monster Magnet starts tomorrow

"Going from one riff-filled masterpiece to the next, Electric Citizen go well beyond anything that they accomplished with 2014's Sateen. The band is coming into their own, and they know it." -- Metal Injection

"Electric Citizen's greasy pop hooks come buried under layers of swaggering stoner licks, hot rock leads, and vocalist Laura Dolan's sinewy yowl, keeping things good and dirty even as they let a little sparkle peek out." -- Noisey

"With songs this good, they deserve to blow up." -- Consequence of Sound

Electric Citizen are streaming their forthcoming third album Helltown (RidingEasy Records) in its entirety today via Noisey ahead Friday's release. Hear and share Helltown HERE. (Direct YouTube.)

The band also launch North American tour dates supporting heavy psych favorites Monster Magnet tomorrow, September 28th. Please see complete dates below. 

Helltown, the forthcoming third album by Electric Citizen is, in many ways, a homecoming. 

While the title may seem fittingly metal (if not exceedingly so), it actually has real relevance. Helltown (all one word), while also multidimensional, is named after the Cincinnati, OH neighborhood in which the band lives, practices, and where the album was written, recorded and mixed. Now known more prosaically as Northside, Helltown earned its name in the 1800s due to its reputation for rowdy taverns frequented by the neighborhood of factory workers and immigrants. 

Inasmuch as Helltown is an ode to the band's home and its buried past, it also represents a return to the grittier sound of their 2014 debut, Sateen. Furthermore, it marks the return of original bassist Nick Vogelpohl, who rejoins vocalist Laura Dolan, guitarist Ross Dolan and drummer Nate Wagner. It's a fun, tough, dirty rock n' roll album. 

"In many ways this album is a realignment to the first," Laura says. "We experimented a lot on the second album, some of which we learned we didn't like." Electric Citizen's 2016 album Higher Time was an expansive and somewhat cleaner effort mixed by Black Keys engineer Collin Dupuis at Easy Eye in Nashville, TN. It was a landmark moment for the band earning considerable press praise - Consequence of Sound named it in the 20 Most Anticipated Albums of 2016 with "the most breakout potential of all the young bands on this list." And, the band's endless touring since the first album earned them stints opening for acts like Pentagram, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Fu Manchu, Budos Band, Wolfmother and playing renowned festivals like Psycho Las Vegas, Psycho California and Desert Fest Belgium.

What sets Electric Citizen apart from contemporary heavy counterparts is their song writing. The band writes concise, 3-minute, heavy rock songs. While others might now be following suit, when they started, most bands of their ilk were content writing drawn-out slow doom dirges. Regardless, none can deliver quite like Electric Citizen: Laura's captivating star-power, Ross' perfect tone and riffs, Nate's pugilistic and swinging beats, glued together by Nick's gliding bass lines. 

"Heart Attack" opens the album with a furious galloping rhythm, crunching guitar with a monolithic scooped midrange tone and Laura's signature wail, double-tracked to create a haunting effect. From the first 10 seconds, you'll be headbanging ferociously, ecstatic to have Electric Citizen back, and back to basics. "Ripper" is exactly that, a shredding 3-minute ripper, "The Pawn" boasts subtle pop hooks deftly tucked into a bashing tune. "New Earth" shows why the band continues to garner high praise for Laura's dramatic vocals and the band's skill at penning bonafide songs, rather than just a collection of riffs. 

Helltown will be available on LP, CD and download on September 28th, 2018 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available HERE. 

ELECTRIC CITIZEN // MONSTER MAGNET TOUR 2018:

09/28  Toronto, ON @ Lee's Place

09/29  Mt. Clemens, MI @ Emerald Theatre 

10/02  Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge 

10/03  Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze

10/05  Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater

10/06  Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge

10/08  Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater

10/09  Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom

10/10  Seattle, WA @ El Corazon

10/12  San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside

10/15  Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory

10/16  San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick

10/17  Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge

10/19  San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger

10/20  Dallas, TX @ Canton Hall

10/21  Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
10/22  New Orleans, LA @ Santos Bar (EC only)

10/23  Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade

10/24  Nashville, TN @ Basement East

10/26  Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage

10/27  New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre

10/28  Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair

Artist: Electric Citizen Album: Helltown Label: RidingEasy Records Release Date: September 28th, 2018 01. Heart Attack 02. Hide It In The Night 03. Cold Blooded Blue 04. Father Time 05. Ripper 06. The Pawn 07. New Earth 08. Lunch 09. Mother’s Little Reject On The Web: www.electriccitizenband.com www.facebook.com/ElectricCitizen electriccitizenband.bandcamp.com twitter.com/electriccitizN

CHERUBS premiere "Orange Julius" via Revolver Magazine from forthcoming collection Short of Popular

"Cherubs perfected something that broke free of the boundaries firmly set in place by the band’s chosen mini-movement: the noisiest pop music on the planet. Short of Popular was like a Singles Going Steady of noise rock-and was as crucial to the Cherubs' legacy as the proper album that preceded it." -- Pitchfork

"The record stands tall in its own right, and fans of the band's AmRep-influenced sound will enjoy it in all its pummeling grimy glory." -- Revolver Magazine

Austin, TX trio Cherubs premiere a new track from their forthcoming album Short of Popular today via Revolver Magazine. It's the first time ever on vinyl for the collection of singles, outtakes and compilation tracks originally released on Trance Syndicate in 1996. This release on Austin label Sonic Surgery Records (a division of Super Secret Records) is remastered with new art and pressed on beautiful 3-colored vinyl. Releases on October 12th. Hear and share "Orange Julius" HERE. (Direct Soundcloud.)

The Daily Dot also recently shared the first track from the album, "Carjack Fairy" HERE. (Direct Soundcloud.)

"Perhaps ironically referring to the breakthrough that never quite occurred for Austin, TX, band the Cherubs, Short of Popular compiles the various singles, compilation tracks, rejected session pieces from Heroin Man, plus an assortment of other sonic odds and ends, and ties them neatly into this send-off album, indicating that the band's break-up was indeed an untimely one. Kevin Whitley's signature nasal vocals, barely audible over the distorted wash of bass and guitar, are like that of a small child attempting to be heard over a steamroller. Beyond the signature roar and wallop of the Cherubs' rhythm section, a noise rock staple, it was the particulars that truly mattered: the undeniable pop melodies articulated throughout the redlined volume, and yes, the oddball Butthole Surfer-isms found here and there. The cover of Blondie's "Dreaming" is rollicking fun. A fine send-off for a band that burned brightly for a few records, then shuffled off." -- All Music Guide.

Another critic observed of the Cherubs "Nobody has made music as loud, noisy and evil as the infernal racket they produced. (Forget death metal). This is pure, heavy, intense, in-the-red punk noise which will melt your face off. It's beautiful. Heroin Man is a classic, but the tracks on Short of Popular up the ante even further. One of the most vital underground bands of the 90s."

This 2018 reissue of Short of Popular is completely remastered with all new art designed by band member Kevin Whitley. Some selections from the original compact disc release have been removed to improve the overall energy and live within the constraints of the vinyl format. The overall sound has a fuller and warmer feel without losing the cutting impact of the Cherubs style of music.

The Cherubs have been actively playing live both in the states and in europe since 2014 following a long hiatus that saw the members follow other interest both musical (bass player Owen McMahon toured with the Butthole Surfers) and artistic.

Sonic Surgery Records is honored to bring back this amazing collection of Cherubs magic and share it with the whole wide world. Play it loud it'll never be as loud as the actual band)! Pre-orders are available via Sonic Surgery/Big Cartel. 

Artist: Cherubs Album: Short of Popular Record Label: Sonic Surgery Records Release Date: October 12th, 2018 01. Pixie Stix 02. Carjack Fairy 03. Chanukka 04. Orange Julius 05. Quitter 06. Hakkeboffer 07. Zip-Up Boots 08. Little Candy Hearts 09. Oh 10. Dazy 11. I Want Candy 12. Dreaming 13. How Little We Know On the Web: facebook.com/CherubsTX www.supersecretrecords.com

Tera Melos share new song feat. Rob Crow (Pinback) on vocals, tour w/ Minus The Bear and headlining Nov-Dec

"A refreshing step forward for Tera Melos." -- NPR

Tera Melos share a new song from their forthcoming EP today. The track "Lemon Grove" features Rob Crow (Pinback) sharing vocals with vocalist/guitarist Nick Reinhart. The song is culled from the forthcoming 3-song Treasures and Trolls EP on Sargent House. Hear and share "Lemon Grove" via YouTube HERE. 

Tera Melos also launch extensive North American tour dates in November, first headlining with support from Mouse On The Keys, followed by the main support slot on the farewell tour of Minus The Bear. Please see dates below. 

Treasures and Trolls will be available November 2nd, 2018 on 7" vinyl and download via Sargent House. Pre-orders are available HERE (all store & streaming links) and via HelloMerch and Bandcamp. 

TERA MELOS TOUR 2018

NOV 02 SLC, UT @ Kilby Court *

NOV 03 Denver, CO @ Larmier Lounge * 

NOV 05 Chicago, IL @ Chop Shop & 1st Ward *

NOV 06 Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room *

NOV 15 Cambridge, MA @ Sonia Nightclub *

NOV 16 Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle *

NOV 17 Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere - Hall *

NOV 18 Washington, DC @ DC9 *

NOV 20 Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle - Back Room *

NOV 21 Nashville, TN @ The High Watt *

NOV 23 Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight

NOV 24 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade - Purgatory

NOV 25 Orlando, FL @ Soundbar

NOV 27 Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor +

NOV 29 New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues - New Orleans +

NOV 30 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater +

DEC 01 Austin, TX @ Emo's Austin +

DEC 03 Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theatre +

DEC 04 Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre +

DEC 05 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex - Grand Room +

DEC 07 Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee +

DEC 08 Pomona, CA @ The Glass House + SOLD OUT

DEC 09 Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre + SOLD OUT

DEC 11 San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom +

DEC 12 Sacramento, CA @ Ace Of Spades +

DEC 13 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre + SOLD OUT

DEC 14 Seattle, WA @ The Showbox + SOLD OUT

DEC 15 Seattle, WA @ The Showbox +

w/ Mouse on the Keys *

w/ Minus the Bear + 

Artist: Tera Melos Album: Treasures and Trolls 7" Record Label: Sargent House Release date: November 2nd, 2018 01. Treasures and Trolls 02. Lemon Grove 03. Super Fxx (digital only) On the Web: teramelos.net sargenthouse.com/tera-melos facebook.com/teramelosmusic teramelos.bandcamp.com instagram.com/teramelos twitter.com/teramelos

Graham Reynolds (Richard Linklater film composer, Golden Arm Trio) streaming expanded LP w/ remixes: DJ Spooky, Octopus Project, Demian Galvez

"The Difference Engine carried Reynolds into the practice of marrying sound and science while sharing the culture of inquiry central to both disciplines." -- PopMatters

Austin, TX composer Graham Reynolds is streaming in full today the reissue of The Difference Engine: A Triple Concerto via PopMatters. Hear and share at PopMatters and Spotify. 

The album is remastered for the first time ever on vinyl. This release on Austin label Sonic Surgery Records (a division of Super Secret Records) includes never-before-released remixes from The Octopus Project, Demián Gálvez, Adrian Quesada, Peter Stopchinski, DJ Spooky, and Orión Garcia. The Difference Engine is available on 2xLP and download from Sonic Surgery. 

Called "the quintessential modern composer" by the London Independent, Austin-based composer-bandleader-improviser Graham Reynolds creates, performs, and records music for film, theater, dance, rock clubs, and concert halls, with a wide range of collaborators across a multitude of disciplines. He recently scored Richard Linklater's Last Flag Flying with Steve CareII, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne for Amazon Studios, the Rude Mechs' Stop Hitting Yourself for Lincoln Center Theater, Ballet Austin's Belle Redux, and a multi-year commission from Ballroom Marfa, The Marfa Triptych. His Creative Capital Award winning project, Pancho Villa from a Safe Distance, is a bilingual cross-border opera created with librettists Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol (Mexico City) and director Shawn Sides (Rude Mechs). Amidst touring with this opera and other endeavors, Reynolds is currently at work on Golden Hornet's The Sound of Science as both curator and composer.

The Difference Engine was Reynolds' first foray connecting sound and science, celebrating the shared culture of inquiry in the art and science disciplines. Infusing a loose concerto format with the story of Charles Babbage and his invention "the difference engine," Reynolds' composing voice finds itself in a work that is intense and driving, beautiful and intimate, personally expressive and broadly accessible all at the same time. Developed over a course of years, the initial ideas for each movement were introduced and inspired separately before being woven into this one piece. The musical onslaught of the opening movement came to Reynolds during a lecture by LB Deyo on Babbage and his work, inspired by the ferocious pace of both Babbage's thinking and the calculating speed of his invention. Not fully realized in his lifetime, "the difference engine" was the masterwork of the 19th century inventor and mathematician - and attempt to create the world's first computer.

The completed concerto The Difference Engine premiered in 2010 as a 35-piece orchestral performance presented by Golden Hornet in Austin, TX. Soloists Leah Zeger on violin, Jonathan Dexter on cello, and the composer himself on piano fronted the debut, with parts written specifically for their skill set and personal voices. Those voices were then captured for the recordings originally released in 2011. Beyond the original triple concerto and remixes of each movement -- by DJ Spooky, Octopus Project, Grammy-award winning producer Adrian Quesada, Peter Stopschinski, and Reynolds himself -- the vinyl release includes two brand new remixes contributed by Orion Garcia (Peligrosa) and Demian Galvez (Centavrvs). Both artists are driving forces leading the charge on re-energizing the sounds of Latin America's past, present, and future. The newly re-mastered vinyl fosters an incredible listening experience, whether hearing The Difference Engine for the first time, or re-discovering with a fresh perspective.

Graham Reynolds - Piano 

Leah Zeger - Violin 

Jonathan Dexter - Cello

Artist: Graham Reynolds

Album: The Difference Engine

Record Label: Sonic Surgery Records

Release Date: September 21, 2018

The Concerto 

01) Movement I: The Cogwheel Brain 

02) Movement II: Ada 

03) Movement Ill: Cam Stack & Crank Handle 

04) Movement IV: Late at Night/ The Astronomer 

05) Movement V: The Difference Engine

The Remixes 

06) The Cogwheel Brain (Octopus Project remix) 

07) Cam Stack & Crank Handle (Graham Reynolds remix) 

08) The Difference Engine (Demian Galvez remix) 

09) The Astronomer (Adrian Quesada remix) 

10) The Difference Engine (Peter Stopschinski remix) 

11) Ada (DJ Spooky remix) 

12) Cam Stack & Crank Handle (Orion Garcia I Peligrosa remix)

On the Web:

www.grahamreynolds.com

www.supersecretrecords.com

Constant Lovers (Helms Alee, Harkonen, Damien Jurado mbrs) share chaotic, fun first track from forthcoming album 'Pangs'

"A curve ball...A barely contained explosion of rock n’ roll riffs and potential, shaking off bonds that lay at the base of why rock n’ roll is so good." -- Heavy Blog Is Heavy

Seattle, WA quartet Constant Lovers premiere the first track from their forthcoming sophomore album, Pangs today via Heavy Blog is Heavy. Hear and share "You Are Dinner" HERE. (Direct Soundcloud and Bandcamp.)

It's like we've all forgotten what a great rock 'n' roll band should sound like. Everything's been subdivided into narrower and narrower genres. The idea of a loud, fun, sometimes heavy, other times chaotic, brash and unfettered rock band seems completely alien today. Constant Lovers is one of those - like how the MC5 sounded completely different on every album, yet always unparalleled in rhythmic, propulsive force. 

Considering that Constant Lovers is a coterie of Seattle musicians from a mixed musical background, their collision of styles makes perfect sense. Drummer Ben Verellen plays guitar and sings in celebrated crunchers Helms Alee (Sargent House), guitarist Eric Fisher played with Sub Pop songwriter Damien Jurado, guitarist/vocalist Joel Cuplin played in Murder City Devils offshoot Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive To Death and bassist/vocalist Gavin Tull-Esterbrook in murder balladeers Suffering and The Hideous Thieves. The entire band's members have generally vacillated across the board of musical convention over the years. 

Hearkening to the late-60s/early-70s boundary pushing of proto-punk, Constant Lovers have added saxophone and the use of improvisation in both recording and their live shows. Some tunes are as taut and wiry as Television, others are heavy as modern doom metal, most of them are just loud and fun and less than serious -- aside from delivering the goods to the good people. Of course, more modern comparisons are equally fitting, like early aughts chameleons and fellow Seattleites The Blood Brothers, rock iconoclasts Cloud Nothings, and a more playful amalgam of the band members' other outfits. 

At once a celebration of the heavier sounds featured in their last album, Experience Feelings, Pangs also signals a turn towards a more exploratory nature. Pangs opens with a slow fade in to the propulsive skree of "The Wound Up Get Down" reminiscent of The Birthday Party. "You Are Dinner" repeats an urgent, chirping guitar line before erupting in a heavy, slinking riff. "Meow Meow Meow" takes a rock'n'roll swagger, chopped into jagged slashes of guitar over syncopated drums. Elsewhere, "Bone Shard Fashion" and "Lullabye" serve up low end fury and frantic vocals. Throughout, while it's an aggressive and wild ride, Pangs never abandons melody for the sake of crunch.

Pangs will be available on LP and download on October 26th, 2018. Preorders are available HERE.

Artist: Constant Lovers Album: Pangs Record Label: Self-released Release Date: October 26th, 2018 01. The Wound Up Get Down 02. Meow Meow Meow 03. Ceiling Sweats 04. It's Electric 05. You Are Dinner 06. Bone Shard Fashion 07. Know The Knot 08. Rally Cry For The Pang In Your  09. Lullabye 10. Amuse Bouche 11. Pang Time On the Web: constantlovers.com facebook.com/constantloversband constantlovers.bandcamp.com

Domkraft share hypnotic, heavy doom track from forthcoming sophomore album via Metal Injection

“If you like your doom on the heavy and groovy side, this band will blow you away." -- CVLT Nation (Top 10 Doom Releases of 2016)

"A lot like what I'd imagine Neurosis would sound like if they attempted to be Sleep in the early 2000s. The vocals are more throat-shredding than the latter's, and the music is certainly more in the vein of Neurosis' swirling brand of sludge." -- Metal Injection

"Domkraft have a red-hot sound that cuts through mountains like some mutated version of the guitar-fueled war machines of Mad Max: Fury Road. -- The Doom Charts

Swedish trio Domkraft share the first track from their forthcoming sophomore album Flood today via Metal Injection. Hear and share "The Watchers" HERE. (Direct Bandcamp and Soundcloud.)

The album will be the first release on new label Blues Funeral Recordings, founded by former MeteorCity (Truckfighters, Nebula, The Obsessed) cofounder Jadd Shickler.

Domkraft will also appear on Magnetic Eye Records' massive Pink Floyd homage, THE WALL [REDUX]. Out in November, the song-by-song recreation and reimagining of the iconic Floyd double album features recognizable artists including The Melvins, Mark Lanegan, ASG, Pallbearer, Ruby the Hatchet and Scott Reeder, and includes Domkraft's rendition of the song, "Empty Spaces." 

Musically, Sweden has always been exceptional at sensing and seizing upon significant moments.  And at a time when political chaos and societal unrest have deadened our senses, it takes a band with monolithic, hypnotic power to secure our attention and offer a mollifying score to civilization's decline. Domkraft are that gloriously massive and land-levelling band.

If debut album The End of Electricity was the soundtrack to the impending apocalypse, then follow-up Flood provides the musical backdrop to armageddon in full, The Purge-style swing. A strong contender to dominate a style some are calling the New Wave of Swedish Doom Metal, Domkraft wield a mindbending soundscape of obeliskian riff-majesty, layer upon layer of crushing fury weaving through the wormhole punctures of spacetime in defiance of beginnings and endings.  

Majestic, annihilating, reductive and roaring, Flood merges blackwater tributaries from Neurois, YOB, Monolord, and Windhand into an all-encompassing torrent of nothingness and resignation, but in the most singable, appealing way imaginable. There is no fan of blistering, melodic doom on earth who should be without this record.

DOMKRAFT. Their name combines the Swedish "DOM" for judgement and "KRAFT" for power.

The seeds for this monolithic Stockholm band were planted in Gothenburg, where bassist/singer Martin Wegeland, guitarist Martin Widholm and drummer Anders Dahlgren met while playing in various musical constellations.

Bonding over the likes of Spacemen 3, Monster Magnet, Sleep and Hawkwind, plus a fascination with trudging, 10-minute/three chord songs, they finally came together after each relocated to Stockholm. Drawing from the heaviest of their combined influences, the three spent spent years shaping and crafting a sound that blends towering dirges of annihilating doom, mindbending psychedelia, and hypnotic minimalism.

"Our songs build from one riff, played LOUD, then we add and lose parts to mold it into something powerful," says bassist/vocalist Martin Wegeland. "Focusing on the dramaturgy of the songs, we have clear images in mind when writing, often inspired by films like Jake Paltrow's Young Ones, Stephen Fingleton's The Survivalist and (of course) The Road Warrior, though we never let it interfere with the groove and energy. The results of our songwriting method may differ in shape from one song to the next, but the foundation is always the same -- repetition and volume! You'll eventually get sick of every melody, but grooves are forever."

Flood will be available on LP and download on October 19th, 2018 via Blues Funeral Recordings. 

Artist: Domkraft

Album: Flood

Record Label: Blues Funeral Records

Release Date: October 19th, 2018

01. Landslide

02. The Watchers

03. Flood

04. They Appear To Be Alive

05. Sandwalker

06. Octopus

07. Dead Eyes, Red Skies

On the Web:

domkraft.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/domkraftband

facebook.com/bluesfuneral

'Brown Acid' series of rare 60s-70s pre-metal singles drops new track from Seventh Trip

"So rare that diehard fuzz junkies say you'd have a better chance of winning the lottery than finding a physical 45 rpm single by one of the bands featured on their latest installment." -- Dangerous Minds

"Will do for hard rock, proto-metal and heavy psych what Nuggets did for garage rock, and bring it to a wider audience of collectors and music fans." -- The Guardian

"We're huge fans of the Brown Acid series... Think of it as a companion to the essential Nuggets compilation but covering artists and records that never made it out of their hometowns." -- Ultimate Classic Rock

The forthcoming seventh edition of the popular compilation series featuring long-lost vintage 60s-70s proto-metal and stoner rock singles, Brown Acid: The Seventh Trip is set for release on Halloween 2018. Hear and share a new track, "The Sorcerer" by Pegasus via YouTube HERE. 

Loudwire recently premiered the first single, "Peace of Mind" by Blizzard from 1973 HERE. (Direct YouTube.)

About Brown Acid: The Seventh Trip: Everybody's favorite source for the hard stuff is back in business, with ten more lethal doses of rare hard rock, heavy psych and proto-metal! These obscure tracks have all been licensed, the bands have been paid, and the sources are all analog. The quality of tracks seems to increase along with the number of Trips and this cohesive collection comes outta the gate with both guns blazing!   Pegasus recorded one single in Baltimore in 1972 and they made it count. "The Sorcerer" is a throbbing ripper that prior to this was basically unknown. However, it doesn't seem too far fetched to speculate that Black Flag lifted the riff for "No Values" from this track eight years later. Unlikely, but possible, especially considering how big a Black Sabbath fan Greg Ginn is. Pegasus was lauded back in the day for "how much they delivered that Black Sabbath feel." You may not already be familiar with Schizo, but you should know at least one of the French freaks behind this short-lived group.  Richard Pinhas was the co-writer and uncredited, wah-wah abusing guitarist in Schizo after his stint in Blues Convention. Schizo recorded just two singles, the first being the heavier of the two, before Pinhas went on to record with Heldon and then going solo. The band had a unique vibe that didn't sound unlike Lemmy fronting a gang of stoned Martians. Youngstown, Ohio is the most commonly referred to city of the entire Brown Acid series. This town of just under 150,000 people may've had the highest (literally and figuratively) per capita output of heavy 45s. Blue Amber recorded this in 1971 at Gary Rhamy's analog Mecca, Peppermint Recording Studios. This two-riff boneheaded banger sounds like a caveman protest song with an extraordinary amount of delay on the vocals. No wonder this 45 fetches three-figures on the rare occasion it comes up for sale. Batting clean-up, we have Negative Space, the only LP sourced track on this album. This crunchy jam comes off the band's 1970 record entitled Hard, Heavy, Mean, & Evil. At over six and a half minutes, "The Calm After the Storm" is the longest track included on this volume, but it never gets dull. Fun fact: before changing the name to Negative Space, Rob Russen called his band Snow and released the "Sunflower" 45 in 1969 - you might recall that groover from the First Trip. We generally stick with American artists for this series, but every now and again something foreign grabs us and shakes us to the core. One example is the Schizo record from France, another is this Swedish 45 by Zane. These crazy Swedes did one incredibly damaged (hence the title) record on the MM label in 1976. These proto-punkers relied heavily on synth for this tune and mixed the drums so obnoxiously loud, you might think the kit is in the room with you. This is a weird one that somehow sounds like Zolar X covering Wicked Lady. Brown Acid material all the way! B must be short for Bangers, 'cuz this side is full of 'em! The flip of this Trip begins with a virtually unknown Oklahoma record from 1973. Blizzard was Rod McClure's high school band, but you couldn't possibly guess that teenagers recorded this heavy slab on the Token (should've been Toking) label. It's one of the best we've comped and it sounds like a hypothetical MC5/Hendrix collaboration. The "Under the Ice" level drum fills will knock your socks off if the heavy shred doesn't first. OOOOk-lahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain and apparently where the fuzz goes seepin' in your brain! Third World is the second Okie inclusion on this Trip and we couldn't be more stOOOOOked to be sharing this very obscure single with y'all. If the heavily distorted two-note riff doesn't grab ya, the apocalyptic Grand Funk vibes will. Once they get their mitts on ya, Third World will take you back to 1971 and leave ya there. Can we hitch a ride too? Ever heard of Virginia, Minnesota? We hadn't either until we got in touch with Calvin Haluptzok and got the back story on his band Sweet Wine. This bitchin' one-off 45 must've melted the snow off the roofs of the households brave enough to play it when it came out in 1970 and it's still red hot nearly 50 years later. This vino may be sugary, but it packs an incendiary punch! Sadly, Calvin passed before we could get his music re-released, but it was nice to have reached him before it was too late. The Sweet Wine legacy lives on thanks to the Brown Acid archivists. C.T. Pilferhogg wins the award for most puzzling band name in our series. What's not puzzling is how righteous both sides of their self-released 1973 single are! Featured here is the A-side "You Haul" which is one of the best examples of a poor man's Deep Heep (Deep Purple meets Uriah Heep) we've ever heard and the demonic Echoplex-laden laughs mixed into this track are out of control. The band was touted as "Southwest Virginia's Finest Boogie Band", but don't let that fool ya.vThey could bang heads with the best of 'em. The closer on the Seventh Trip is one we hold very near and dear. Not only is this record the one that's taken us the longest to secure the rights to, it's also one of the very best examples of heavy psych you'll ever hear. The track rings your bell (literally) straight out of the gate and the dank psychedelic vibes kick in immediately. Summit's "The Darkness" was recorded in a basement studio in Kansas City in 1969 when the lead guitarist was only 16. The band was from a rural Missouri town, played only one impromptu gig in Clinton, and pressed only 125 copies of this, their only single. It should come as no surprise that it sells for hundreds of dollars when it's offered. That's a small price to pay for such greatness.   About the Brown Acid series: Some of the best thrills of the Internet music revolution is the ability to find extremely rare music with great ease. But even with such vast archives to draw from, quite a lot of great songs have gone undiscovered for nearly half a century -- particularly in genres that lacked hifalutin arty pretense. Previously, only the most extremely dedicated and passionate record collectors had the stamina and prowess to hunt down long forgotten wonders in dusty record bins -- often hoarding them in private collections, or selling at ridiculous collector's prices. Legendary compilations like Nuggets, Pebbles, ad nauseum, have exhausted the mines of early garage rock and proto-punk, keeping alive a large cross-section of underground ephemera. However, few have delved into and expertly archived the wealth of proto-metal, pre-stoner rock tracks collected on  Brown Acid.  Lance Barresi, co-owner of L.A./Chicago retailer Permanent Records has shown incredible persistence in tracking down a stellar collection of rare singles from the 60s and 70s for the growing compilation series. Partnered with Daniel Hall of RidingEasy Records, the two have assembled a selection of songs that's hard to believe have remained unheard for so long.  "I essentially go through hell and high water just to find these records," Barresi says. "Once I find a record worthy of tracking, I begin the (sometimes) extremely arduous process of contacting the band members and encouraging them to take part. Daniel and I agree that licensing all the tracks we're using for Brown Acid is best for everyone involved," rather than simply bootlegging the tracks. When all of the bands and labels haven't existed for 30-40 years or more, tracking down the creators gives all of these tunes a real second chance at success.  "There's a long list of songs that we'd love to include," Barresi says. "But we just can't track the bands down. I like the idea that Brown Acid is getting so much attention, so people might reach out to us." Brown Acid: The Seventh Trip will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download on October 31st, 2018 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available for digital (with immediate download of the first single) at Bandcamp, physical pre-orders at RidingEasy Records.

Artist: Various Artists Album: Brown Acid: The Seventh Trip  Label: RidingEasy Records Release Date: October 31, 2018 01. Pegasus "The Sorcerer" 02. Nobody's Children "Good Times" 03. Blue Amber "We Got Love" 04. Negative Space "The Calm After The Storm" 05. Zane "Damage" 06. Blizzard "Peace of Mind" 07. Third World "End of Time" 08. Sweet Wine "Things You Told Me" 09. C.T. Pilferhogg "You Haul" 10. Summit "The Darkness" On The Web: www.ridingeasyrecords.com