Bad Indians - Sounds from the Big Room

Really fucking good tunes out of Ypsilanti, MI. Laid back folk/psych/garage/twang. "Babydoll" is an instant classic. Check their bandcamp for more cassette releases and free downloads.

- Dan

Download Sounds from the Big Room

VIDEO: Hear Hums - Toward Above

Gainesville's Hear Hums are embarking on a 3 week tour beginning next week in support of their most recent release, Pyche Cycles. They've also got a full length in the works that should see a release by the end of this year. There are intricacies in the above track that don't really come through in the video, so I highly suggest downloading Psyche Cycles if you haven't already and/or ordering a copy of their limited edition of 100 CD from their bandcamp, and, of course, hit up one of these dates below. Looking forward to their stop in Richmond.

5/6 - Charleston, South Carolina w/ Coma Cinema (House Show) 
5/7 - Wilmington, North Carolina w/ Libraries, Gross Ghost (Gravity Records) 
Presented by Get Off The Coast
5/8 - Greensboro, North Carolina w/ Andrew Weathers, Three Brained Robot (House Show) 
5/9 - Charlottesville, Virginia w/ Teen Dreams, Funland Superquest (Magnolia) 
5/10 - Richmond, Virginia w/ Tungs, Floating Colors, Seamonster, Everybody Yay (Sprout) 
5/11 - Baltimore, Maryland w/ Moss of Aura, Dead Drums, and Say "No!" To Architecture (Metro Gallery) 
Presented by Friends Records 
5/12 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania w/ BAnana Symphony, Moral Crayfish, Tim Conley Trio 
5/13 - Boston w/ MMOSS, Dark Sea of Awareness, and Mutual Benefit 
5/14 - Boston w/ Dark Sea of Awareness 
5/15 - New York w/ Soft Circle, Yvette, and Hunters (Death By Audio) 
5/16 - Brooklyn, New York w/ Psychic Reality, Slowdance and Tooth Ache (Cameo) 
5/17 - New York w/ Yanqui, Island's Eyelids, and Giant Steps (Bruar Falls) 
5/18 - Queens, New York w/ Dustin Wong, Emily Reo, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Dark Sea of Awareness (Silent Barn) 
5/20 - Montreal, Quebec w/ Miracle Fortress, and Mozart's Sister (Torn Curtain) 
Presented by Arbutus Records 
5/21 - Toronto, Quebec w/ Foxes in Fiction, Heartbeat Hotel, and Blood Rexdale & The Walls Are Blonde 
Presented by Snakes + Ladders 
5/22 - Athens, Ohio w/ Blithe Field 
5/23 - Nashville, Tennessee w/ Conestyle 
5/24 - Knoxville, Tennessee w/ Coolrunnings, Persona La Ave (Pilot Light) 
5/25 - Asheville, North Carolina w/ Aswara, Alligator Indian, and Doc Aquatic (BoBo Gallery) 
5/27 - Atlanta, Georgia w/ New Animal, and Dark Sea of Awareness
Presented by Little Advances 
5/28 - Athens, Georgia w/ Green Gerry, and Dark Sea of Awareness 

Honeycomb Bones - Evil Age EP

UK-based duo with an extremely accessible sound buried beneath the fuzz and delay. Danceable West Coast surf/garage meets The Cramps rockabillity with some pretty thick riffs in the mix. Thanks to Craig for hooking us up.

- Dan

Download Evil Age EP

Broken Water - Peripheral Star

Pretty excited to check these guy/gals out at a house show here in Richmond this upcoming Friday. Their last release made our Top 10 Albums of 2010 list, and this new 12" sees the band picking up the pace a bit on a few of the tracks. Higher-fi, rawer-ish than Whet. Still sonicyouthgaze. I dare you to not "awoohoo" along with the track below. I'll be picking this up at the show hopefully, but you can grab yours from Perennial Death.

- Dan

Download Peripheral Star

Wett Nurse - Worships the Devil

I was incredibly surprised to see that this 3-piece is from Marquette, which is waaaaay up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and although they're still battling snow and 30 degree weather in mid-April up there, this band is still able to churn out some great West Coast guy/girl garage surf noise pop. I was also surprised to learn that this is one of their first attempts at recording. Sound like seasoned veterans already.  Thanks to Matt for dropping this one in the shoutbox.

- Dan

Download Worships the Devil

The Cosmic Dead - Cozmik Tape I

Incredibly good cassette to be released later this month via German label Who Can You Trust? Records. The Cosmic Dead are a drone/psych/kraut/space and time collective from Glasgow, Scotland that spawns epic 40 minute long Acid Mothers Temple type jams to lose yourself in. It's got Ongakubaka written all over it. They've also got some free releases on their bandcamp worth checking.

- Dan

Download Cozmik Tape I

The Dirty Lungs - Deregulate Your Heart

The Dirty Lungs are primarily a dirty south psychedelic rock and roll 5-some out of Birmingham, AL, although this 4 track EP shows a bit more range beyond potent spliff-worthy riffs. From the accessibility of its first track, to the dark but danceable future sounds of the third track, to the slow-burning closing track, it's hard to pigeonhole these guys as yet another psychedelic rock collective.  I really enjoyed "Your Wrong" and hope to hear more tracks like that from them in the future. Thanks for the submission.

- Dan

Download Deregulate Your Heart

Seven Feathers Rainwater - 15 Apple Musicians

These guys sent this one our way a few weeks back. Lush naturegaze out of Salt Lake City. Looping samples, tribal rhythms, subtle synths, and Nag Champa. Good stuff. Pick up the LP from Moondial Records.

- Dan

Download 15 Apple Musicians

King Bee - Demos

I'm embarrassed to admit it's almost been one year since I came across this. King Bee is a one-man-psychedelic-band out of Charlottesville, VA with virtually no information anywhere on the internet. In my searches for some recordings last year, I happened to download a folder labeled "king bee - masters" on Soulseek. Turns out the folder contained some of the tracks from an upcoming LP which is slated for a summer 2011 release on a new label out of Richmond called Dead Wizard. He also has a cassette on Terrible Transmission Tapes from 2009, which I have yet to find. This is some pretty genuine 60s British psychedelia, and I'm pretty excited to hear the LP in its entirety later this year. Lava lamp and tab of acid required. 

- Dan

Download King Bee Demos

Mock Duck - Altars of Radness EP

Wipers, Hot Snakes, Mudhoney-loving punk rock two piece out of Tokyo/L.A. It's hard to pick up my 40oz with my fists clenched this tiiight.

- Dan

Download Altars of Radness EP

Capital Animal - Earth Egg Testicle Sun

An improvised mixture of ambient drone and feedback freakouts with some shades of kraut from this California duo/trio. Heavy on the mind, body, and soul. Coincidentally, this album is syncing incredibly well with Apocalypto on mute right now.

- Dan

Download Earth Egg Testicle Sun

Sunflare - Young Love

Loud, heavy, and completely blown out swirling psychedelic rock and roll out of Portugal. An Acid Mothers Temple sound recorded at a Boris/High Rise volume. Highly recommended. Only 250 copies pressed. Pick it up from Cubic Pyramid.

- Dan

Download Young Love

The Solar System - Drawing A Blank

The Solar System is the solo vehicle for the music of Chris Oliver, a talented multi-instrumentalist from the Detroit area. I've known Chris for close to decade now (fuck I'm old) and I've always admired not only his talent but his dedication. He's the type of guy that eats, sleeps, and breathes music, and it really shines through on his recordings. Chris is also probably the only guy I know that constantly plays and records music and somehow manages to make great records that don't come off as stale rehashes of what he's done before. I don't think he has any intention of getting comfortable with what he's doing, which is why I always look forward to hearing a new song from him. His latest release, Drawing A Blank, flirts with bedroom pop, 60's psyche, glitch pop, and a plethora of other genres. Each track almost begs you to try to pigeonhole him, just so he can can give you the middle finger when he completely switches things up on the next track. Hit up his Bandcamp page if you like what you hear and buy a couple of things so this motherfucker can pay his rent.

- Steve

Download Drawing A Blank