Video of the Day: 'Misty Maker Stomp' by Jouis

This track found its way onto my radar via the excellent new service from Flying Vinyl. For your monthly subscription they'll send you a box of 5 singles, all new music from emerging artists.

This excellently trippy number is reminiscent of '60s Pink Floyd and other psych nuggets from that era. Meanwhile the animated video reminds me a bit of some of the cartons created for Floyd's 'The Wall', especially the way the plants grow.Take a look and see what you think of it.

Jouis - Misty Maker Stomp (Official Video) from Lucky Bozu on Vimeo.

Recommended music: 'Shadow of the Sun' by Moon Duo

Back with their third album proper (or 6th if you count the 2 remix albums and 'Live in Ravenna') the futuristic psyche-rock pairing of Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada might be treading familiar paths, but maybe in different shoes. There's fuzzed up garage rock on 'Wilding', goth-punk on lead single 'Animal' and foot-stomping surf rock on 'Zero', but that's not all that's on offer. 'In A Cloud' is a more gentle and melancholic take on psychedelia, while 'Slow Down Low' includes acoustic guitars and some whirly organ in its armoury. 'Ice' meanwhile is a hypnotic and throbbing way to end the album (or the vinyl version of it at least).

Talking of vinyl, this is one of those releases that cries out to be bought in this format. Not only does it look resplendent in red vinyl but it comes with a bonus 7" featuring 'Animal' and a bonus non-album track (it sounds better too of course).

With a solar eclipse due next week this would be the ideal album to zone out to as you sit in the shadow of the sun.

Track of the Day: 'Multi-Love' by Unknown Mortal Orchestra

The first track from UMO's third album (also to be called 'Multi-Love') sees their sound develop further into a hazy, summery, dance-tinged affair. The result is definitely something that will be soundtracking my trip to Ibiza in the summer, it's kinda like a more laid-back version of Tame Impala. The new album is out at the end of May and there's a short tour around the same time too.

Remix of the Day: The Throw (Dreems Sounds of the Universe Remix) by Jagwar Ma

So I'm back from my trip to New York (more of that another time maybe) with this massive remix for you, both literally and metaphorically.You'll have noticed from previous posts that I love pretty much everything Jagwar Ma have put out, both their original tracks and the remixes that have been done of them. On this version of 'The Throw'  Dreems works his magic on the already impressive original, turning into something like on of the Amorphous Androgynous psychedelic trips. Over 21 minutes you're gradually lifted up and then brought back down to earth on a heady, whirlwind ride. Apparently this will only be available on vinyl so get in quick if you want to order one from here.

Recommended music: 'The Time and Space Machine presents The Way Out Sound From In'

This collection of remixes from Richard Norris is well overdue as he's put out some crackers in his Time and Space Machine guise over the past year or so. If you're not familiar with Norris in this guise then you might know him from being one half of both The Grid (with Soft Cell's Dave Ball) or Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve (with Erol Alkan). The eight tracks here all adhere to Norris' ethos of "...staying true to my favourite artists while adding technicolor and hypnosis to the mix", giving a psychedelic feel to the songs (in places similar to the Future Sound of London's Amorphous Androgynous offshoot) and resulting in a coherent sound throughout the record.

So what (or who) do you get on the record? For me the T&SM remixes of Jagwar Ma's album Howlin' last year were even better than the original, turning it into a modern-day Screamadelica, so it's no surprise to find 'Uncertainty' is one of the stand-out tracks on here. Almost as good is the mix of 'Mesmerize' by Temples, which I already had and have played to death (there's a whole remix of Temples' 'Sun' album on the way from Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve in November which will be worth hearing). Of the remaining 6 tracks I must confess that I've only heard one of the originals, by Warpaint, which here becomes a bit of a pulsing, throbbing beat. It can be hard to judge a remix when you've not heard the source material, as you're never sure whether the good bits (or bad bits) are down to the original artist or the remixer. By far my favourite of the remaining tracks is the mix of 'Ride' by A Mountain of One. In the interests of study I guess I should go away and find out more about this but I kind of don't want to destroy the picture I've build up in my head, which is that Norris has discovered a rare track from the late 60s  or early 70s and worked his magic on it. Somehow combining a Jean-Michel Jarre-type riff, some Pink Floyd vibes, Spanish guitar and Eastern drums, he's produced a monster of a mix that I could listen to over and over. (Update: I've just been off and listened to the original on Spotify. It's good, but nowhere near as good as this mix).

The rest are maybe not quite as good, but overall it's a great combination of tracks that's well worth your money. You can order a copy of the limited-edition vinyl here or get it on download from the usual suspects (but preferably not tax-dodgers Amazon). Here's the tracklist:

1. Warpaint - Disco // Very 
2. Jagwar Ma - Uncertainty - The Time and Space Machine Dub
3. Temples - Mesmerize - The Time and Space Machine Remix
4. Cheval Sombre - Couldn't Do - The Time and Space Machine Remix
5. The Sufis - Sri Sai Flora - The Time and Space Machine Remix
6. The Lucid Dream - Devil Rides Out - The Time and Space Machine Remix
7. A Mountain of One - Ride - The Time and Space Machine Remix
8. Psychemagik - Valley of Paradise - The Time and Space Machine Remix

New music: 'Centre Straight Atom' by Kassassin Street

Another local Portsmouth Band that I caught at last weekend's Victorious Festival, and one that looks destined for bigger and better things - they've already secured themselves a slot on the Bestival bill next week. Although they describe themselves as a 'psychedelic' band on their website, live they sounded a lot more like Kasabian fronted by Placebo's Brian Molko (I guess you could spot the Kasabian influence from their name). They seem to have a pretty healthy following locally if the number of Kassassin Street t-shirts I saw last Sunday are anything to go on. As a bonus there's a video below for their only single released so far, although personally I prefer the first track.

Remix of the Day: 'Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark) (Little Dragon Remix) by Unknown Mortal Orchestra

So, it appears that this actually came out about a year ago, but I've only just found it, and it's great, so I thought I'd share it with you. There's not a huge amount of the original track left to be honest, mostly just the title refrain, but who cares when what they've done with it is this good? Listen and download for free below.

Remix of the Day: 'Mesmerise (The Time and Space Machine Remix)' by Temples

After working his magic on most of the tracks from Jagwar Ma's debut, Richard Norris has moved his time and space machine onto Temples' sonic structures. The result is a fantastic stream of sunny psychedelia, brimming with melodies and guitars, which is guaranteed to banish the rainy blues. As they celebrate their album entering the charts at number 7, this is the perfect way for you to join the Temples party. Let's hope they set him loose on the rest of the album...


PS If you've not heard the Time and Space Machine dubs of Jagwar Ma's Howlin' you really should try and track them down. To my mind the finished set is a better experience than the original album, it really moves it into 'Screamadelica' territory.

Remix of the Day: 'Join The Dots (Leo Zero remix)' by Toy

'Join The Dots', the new album by Toy, will be out in just over a week's time, and while that will make it to late to feature on any of those 'albums of 2013' lists I'm sure it would've been a contender for anyone who likes their music laced with a high quantity of Krautrock and psychedelia. Ahead of that album you can listen to this 13 minute remix of the title track in all its glory. It keeps that driving motorik sound while heading for a more contemporary vibe, and for some reason has just made me wonder what a Micheal Rother album produced by James Murphy would sound like (if you know either of those two can you please put them in touch with each other?).

Track of the Day: 'It All Feels Right' by Washed Out

Perfect for the summer (if we ever see it in the UK) this slice of dreamy, gently psychedelic pop marks a change of style for Washed Out. The new album 'Paracosm' is out on August, and hopefully it'll be full of this sort of quality, melodic music.

New podcast - Austerity Audio vol. 3

It's been a few weeks since the last one, due to the fact that my laptop was in the menders for 10 days. Because of that I've forgotten where some of these tracks actually came from - the rules are still the same though, each one has been downloaded free and legally from the internet.

Left click on the picture to listen to the podcast, or right click to download it for free. It's another genre-hopping selection that should prove to you that there's good free music out there for you, whatever style you're into. And remember - if you hear something you really like then why not buy a track or two from that artist next time you have some spare cash - everyone needs to make a living.

1. Yong Yong - Bzzzr (available on Soundcloud)
2. Paul White - Watch The Ants
3. The Jet Age Of Tomorrow - De-Generic (from The Jellyfish Mentality bonus tracks EP)
4. Hodgy Beats - Years (from the new EP, get it on the Odd Future site)
5. Fenech-Soler - Magnetic (Sane Beats Remix) (available on Soundcloud)
6. Rustie - Slasherr (Flume Edit)
7. Grumbling Fur - Dancing Light
8. Thunder Tracks - Graffiti (available on Soundcloud)
9. Old Pretender - I'm Alright
10. White Hills - Forever In Space (Enlightened) (details here)

New music: 'Forever In Space (Enlightened)' by White Hills

It's Friday afternoon, and what you really need in your life is an 8-minute psych-rock freak-out - am I right? Well here's the perfect thing to hit the spot, and better yet it's free.



It's taken from an album that's being released track by track to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Scion AV, so you should probably seek out the rest of the tracks as well. Click here for the full set.

Video of the Day: 'Bluebell Fields' by Money

New signings to Bella Union, four-piece Money have delivered this gorgeous slice of warm, melodic psychedelia. If the whole of their album can live up to this then it looks like Simon Raymonde has got a bona-fide set of musical wizards on his books.

Recommended music: 'Second Amendment EP' by Pinkunoizu

Danish band Pinkunoizu are one of the most creative and original bands to have emerged in the past couple of years. Following their own path of lo-fi psychedelia while tipping their collective hats towards Eastern influences, their 'Peep EP' and 'Free Time!' albums have frequently graced my turntable. Now their back with an EP which frankly shames many a band's album efforts. 32 minutes, 5 songs, and each one a mini-epic.

The EP starts magnificently with 'The Abyss Part II', the sister track to a song from their debut album, which shares that song's great guitar ending. 'Moped', up next, is a bit like Japanees Krautrock (Japrock?) with some suitably scary shouting.

'I Chi' calms the mood down and is probably the most conventional track on the EP - it's a short and sweet centrepiece that anchors the other songs in reality. The 'Gospel of John' steps up the psych factor again - it's a long, throbbing brooding piece over which layers of sung and sampled vocals are loving piled. The wonders end with 'Tin Can Valley', which is a 60s surf-guitar track sent via the Middle East to rock your world. You can download this last one for free here.

'Second Amendment' is out on May 6th on Full Time Hobby - buy it then, but listen to it now here:

Track of the Day: 'The Throw' by Jagwar Ma

I know I'm not the first to say it, but Jagwar Ma could well be massive by the summer. After last year's excellent 'Come Save Me' they're back with this track, which is even bigger and even better. Managing to combine 60s psychedelia with late 80s dance and a heavy dose of 'Screamadelica', even at just under 7 minutes long you wish it went further. The album can't come soon enough!

Track of the Day: 'Thumper' by Dan Friel

The first track to appear from Friel's début album on Thrill Jockey is this awesome slab of noise, rhythm and energy; fuzzed up, fucked up and powered up, it's impossible to sit still when you hear it. Listen or download it above.

The album 'Total Folklore' is released on February 19th - click here to order direct from the label and you'll also get the chance to win and hand-crafted music box that plays the melody to 'Thumper' over and over and over...

Recommended music: 'Trans Am Summer Blues' by John Wesley Coleman III & 'Twins' by Ty Segall

Occasionally a guitar-based 'rock' album comes along that for a minute makes me want to throw out all my electronic records, pick my electric guitar back up and just rock out. In the past few weeks not one but two albums have had that effect on me.

The first is 'Trans Am Summer Blues' by John Wesley Coleman III, a name that's new to me but who'll I'll definitely be looking to see on tour if he comes to the UK. It's a proper balls out rock'n'roll record that wears its heart on its sleeve and its soul in a glass of bourbon. Recorded during a time of personal loss (and I'd imagine a few 'lost weekends' as well), this is the antithesis of pretentiousness.

The two standout tracks are the 2 longest (by far) on here. 'Million Faces' sees Coleman singing his heart out and sound not dissimilar to Axl Rose, and ends with the best guitar solo I've heard on a record this year. The title track 'Trans Am Summer Blues' sees him with his tongue in his cheek as he name-checks the likes of Dennis Hopper, Sailor Jerry & R. Stevie Moore, along with a (possibly genuine) request to open for the Fiery Furnaces. It's a brilliant contemporary blues track that even manages to pay homage to / take the piss out of  'The End' by The Doors (I'm not sure which).

With the exception of closer 'Box O' Donuts' (a surprisingly heartfelt acoustic ballad) the remaining tracks are all sub 3 minute rock'n'roll songs which will undoubtedly engender much dancing / po-going when he plays them live.

The second album is 'Twins' by Ty Segall. This is not the first album I've bought by Segall (hell, it's not even the first I've bought this year, this is the third album he's put out in 2012) but it's by far the best thing he's done in ages. Segall's album is a slightly darker, more menacing affair then Coleman's, but there's a good balance of light and shade on display here. The inclusion of Brigid Dawson on vocals on 'The Hill' adds a 60s vibe to the proceedings while 'You're The Doctor' channels The Ramones. Elsewhere there are hints of Iggy Pop and glam rock (and even Lenny Kravitz on 'Who Are You), while my favourite track 'Handglams' is a downbeat bluesy rocker straight out of the early seventies with a scorching guitar ending.

Both of these albums are guaranteed to blow away the cobwebs, so grab one or (preferably) both and play them LOUD!

'Trans Am Summer Blues' is out now on Tic Tac Totally records and 'Twins' is on Drag City.

Recommended music: 'Lonerism' by Tame Impala

It's going to be difficult to review this album without mentioning The Beatles, so let's get it out of the way now - 'Lonerism' sounds a lot like the post 1966 psychedelic era Fab Four i.e. when they were at their most interesting. But that's not its only influence - from The Flaming Lips to glam rock there's a bag full of references here that never overwhelm the songs that Kevin Parker has created here. Instead they combine to create something that feels warmly familiar that you can luxuriate in, as the trippy guitars, harmonies and melodies dive out of your speakers and into your cerebral cortex. Don't get me wrong - this is not a record that sounds nostalgic - it's forward thinking and of its time. 'Lonerism' doesn't sound like a record that was made in the late '60s or early '70s - it's more like Parker has brought all of his favourite musicians from that era forward in time to see what they kind of songs they would make in 2012.

So what if 'Why Won't They Talk To Me' sounds like it was produced by Jeff Lynne (of E.L.O. fame)? Or if 'Elephant' matches the Super Furry Animals 'Golden Retriever' spliced with the instrumental section of Pink Floyd's 'Money' with some stuff off 'Animals' thrown in for good measure? Wonder instead at how one man in a studio in Perth, Australia, has made such a brilliant record, which matches fantastic music with lyrics about failed love, failed lives, and the general hopelessness of living. If 'Lonerism' is a lifestyle choice then expect many more people to be sucked into its cult of solo living if it results in this much creativity.

Possibly the best album ever to come out of Australia (can you suggest anything better?) and certain to feature on the end of year 'Top 10' lists of most discerning music critics - make sure it's on yours too.

You can listen to a couple of tracks from the album below.