Up-Tight- The Night Is Yours (Sloow Tapes, 2011)

"Wow. Heavy, reverb-drenched, fuzz-stained, pot-smoke-infested acid-trip slice of “Tokyo psychedelica”...Up-Tight have been responsible for a buncha the most memorable releases to come out of the post-PSF underground but this has to be their recorded pinnacle, the perfect balance of two chord Velvet downers and strung-out post-Rallizes string violence. One of our records of the year so far!...highly recommended!“ (Michale Lavorgna, Twittering Machines)

Released this past June, The Night Is Yours was pressed in a run of just 300 and has already sold out. After reading some hype, I scrounged up a solid DL from another spot called Wine Women & Song. Totally feeling Up-Tight's strain of heavy-dirge psych reverb. This is of those rare new albums that I'm actually inclined to let play from beginning to end. Turns out that the balance in that rip was a bit off, though: One channel was barely coming through. So, I went ahead and busted out a mono version that won't hurt your feelings if you're listening with headphones. Now we just need to Sloow Tapes to rock a crucial repress. I'd buy it.



Up-Tight : The Night Is yours (Sloow Tapes, 2011)


Side A: Blow Away --She's So Heavy--After My Dream
Side B: So Alone--The Night Is Yours

Ahmad Zahir- Hip 70's Afghan Beats! (Guerssen, 2011)

A major star in Afghanistan in the 70s until his death, and a legend today, Ahmad Zahir has something impressive to offer to all Western ears open to exotic rock & pop sounds. Compiled from his vast discography, here’s a selection with some of his best tracks, an astounding set showing his unique, distinct psychedelic sound. All moving around his deep voice, and with the use of electric guitar (incl. some wah- wah), stunning reverbered drums, some sitar and tabla, organ, flutes and bass, he made it to record some incredible folk- pop tunes that will now meet another world. First time ever out of Afghanistan, listen to the hypnotic, psychedelic folk- pop sounds of Ahmad Zahir! Remastered from the original mastertapes and including extensive linernotes. (Guerssen)

Classic Afghan psychedelic groove. Talk about a lost genre... Ahmad Zahir's voice is all soul and elegance. A heartbreaker. And his band is smoking hot! An incredible new LP from Guerssen Records. Right up there with the best of Sublime Frequencies. While clearly a very different song style, the overall vibe is somewhat reminiscent of their Algerian Proto-Rai release. This is the kind of thing I live for. A total must. 320 vinyl rip by yours truly.

Buy it! (Forced Exposure)



Download Link: Removed by polite request

A1 Instrumental
A2 Dar Kunj Dilam Eshqi Kasi
A3 Uoba Darta Rawarem
A4 Laily Laily
A5 Awaleen Eshqam Tu Boodi
B1 Che Kelaf Sar Zad Az Mah
B2 Nishe Garzom
B3 Qawl Qarar
B4 Az Tangna E Mahbas Tarrikey

V/A- Persian Underground: Garage Rock, Beat and Psychedelic Sounds from The Iranian 60's & 70's Scene (Persianna, 2010)

"[An] Amazing collection that gathers some of the rarest Persian 45s, totally unknown outside of Iran until now. Here you'll find an eclectic mix of styles, from garage nuggets to cool Persian beat, exotic rock&roll and prog/psych. Featuring female drummer & singer Zangoleah with some killer garage / rockin' tracks, obscure bands like Takkhalha doing a fab cover of the Stones 'Play With Fire' and an amazing take on the Persian traditional song 'Mastom, Mastom', Golden Ring-styled beat by Big Boys, exotic Persian beat by Saeed and Tigers, terrific garage-beat by Ojubeha and the two sides of the Kambiz 45, probably the major discovery from Iran in the recent years and one of the few, if not the only truly Persian prog/psych 45s ever recorded. Remastered sound, liner notes and pictures."

I must opine that "amazing" is sort of off-the-mark for this comp. Believe me, I wanted it to be...And while it has its moments, the selection is far too bizarre to fully qualify. Although the handful of garage rave-ups definitely appeal to my own voracious appetite for rare psych-beat, almost none are out-and-out amazing. 2 or 3 of them, maybe. And the inclusion of the easy-rock prog stylings of Kambiz is completely mystifying. Beyond their perhaps apparent rarity, those songs seem to make no sense on this comp. They ruin any semblance of coherence or flow, they're pretty weak and, in all honesty, they just plain give me the weirds. But, hey, don't take my word for it...



Download Link: V/A- Persian Underground: Garage Rock, Beat and Psychedelic Sounds from The Iranian 60's & 70's Scene (Persianna, 2010)

Wara- El Inca

Wara's El Inca is a cult Bolivian psych-prog album from 1973.

"El Inca"

"Wara"

"Realidad"


Mediafire Download Link: Wara- El Inca (1973)

1 El Inca 7:04
2 Realidad 5:06
3 Canción para una Niña Triste 5:23
4 Wara 8:25
5 Kenko 6:18

Index- Index (1967)

Raw, reverb-heavy psychedelic garage punk from Michigan circa 1967. Index sounds to me like a total precursor to Clinic or The Clean. Originally released on DC records, reissued in limited quantity on Lp by Valord Records.
"Fire Eyes"

"Shock Wave"

"You Keep Me Hanging On"


Mediafire Download Link: Index- Index (1967)