Big Star @ 45 RPM

HOT LUNCH (2013)

While my deepest musical love is '60's soul and rock n roll, I *do* dig branching out into different terrain when the sound and vibe moves me. Oakland, CA's Hot Lunch works in an area that brings to mind bands such as The Pink Faieries, Hawkwind, Blue Cheer, The Gun, Deep Purple (at their most balls-out) and (a name that is dropped far more often than actually relevant) Black Sabbath. Hot Lunch has a very important ingredient that they share with these bands- namely, the unstoppable GROOVE. Lots of "heavy" music loses me as a listener due to plodding grooves that get lost in the mud, lack of hooks, lack of composition and an overall lack of clarity. Not so with these bay area fellas; no matter what tricky time changes they are navigating through (these dudes are TIGHT), the band maintains this groove that makes me wanna get DOWN.

Listening to this record (and seeing the group live) reminds me of the photo inside Blue Cheer's OUTSIDEINSIDE LP where where the group pic is shot with slow film, making drummer Paul Whaley look like an octopus behind the drum kit (which, through his crazy time stopping rolls, certainly sounded like). Hot Lunch drummer Rob Alper is ALL OVER the kit, octopus-like, yet somehow keeps it rooted in that aforementioned GROOVE, as he and bassist Charlie Karr are the type of rhythm section that are seemingly sharing a brain and locked into every minute nuance of making this mother swing HARD.

Aron Nudelman (on guitar) keeps it interesting and his playing adds a surprising clarity of tone and taste while still maintaining the heavy-as-hell vibe. Glorious Fender amp reverb adds a soulful, human element to the massive riffing. Frontman Eric Shea showcases an incredible vocal style that, even at full throat-shredding throttle, stays melodic, powerful, and highly charismatic.

Side one closes with the epic "Lady of The Lake"; the band's most outwardly psychedelic track that matches vivid (and warped) lyrical imagery with the type of haunting and trippy melodies that bands such as Juicy Lucy brought to wax as the dreams of the 1960's turned into the freaked out, comedown aspect of the psychedelic trip. Other tracks include the revved up boogie of "She Wants More", the mood-shifting mind melt that is "Gold Lyre", and the no-nonsense, pure ass-whipping"Killer Smile" (hear below).


Among the excellent originals, the band takes ELP's most fiery moment ("Knife Edge") and somehow makes it their own and makes it rock HARDER.

More proof that those cynics who say the album as an art form is dead and buried are liars. This is the type of album that will reaffirm your faith in the power of rock and roll music.

Here's the band laying waste to Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco last week:

Unpublished Jimi Hendrix photos I found

Coincidentally, at the same time those amazing unpublished Rolling Stones pics turned up, I found 3 incredible shots of Hendrix (and one of opener Buddy Miles Express) that I am quite certain are also unpublished! These are original prints that the photographer rather crudely affixed to a copy of Axis: Bold As Love, and it looks as though the album cover with photos was hanging on his/ her wall for many years, as there are pin holes and very old tape on the backside. I thought about removing them from the cover, but on its own it is a remarkable piece of folk art!

These were found at The Alameda, CA Antiques Fair, and I'm quite certain the person I bought them from is a dumpster diver.

As Buddy Miles is the opening act and the region I found these, I'm nearly certain they are from Winterland, San Francisco October 1968.

Table Of Contents

The Beatles: Worldwide Picture Sleeves 1963-1964

The Beatles rarest commercial US picture sleeve: "Can't Buy Me Love b/w You Can't Do That"

The Beatles: Worldwide picture sleeves 1965

The Beatles; Worldwide Picture Sleeves 1966-1967

The Brian Jonestown Massacre: Aufheben (review)

Chicago Record Labels, Part One

The Pretty Things And Small Faces

Great labels- the San Francisco bay area

International soul picture sleeves, part one

Magic Castles (LP Review)

The See See - Fountayne Mountain (review)

MAGIC CASTLES (REVIEW)

Magic Castles (A Records)

Listing The Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3 and Galaxie 500 as influences can go either way for a band, as all three bands are incredibly influential and held with major regard; the listener is immediately set up for delight or disappointment.

Fortunately for fans of well-crafted, well-written and performed psychedelia, Minneapolis' Magic Castles delight and don't disappoint, and it's pressed up on high quality 180 gram vinyl to boot housed in a lovely gatefold cover.

The magnificent opener "Death Dreams" sets the tone from a swirling jangly bed capped with clear vocals and excellent harmonies. Fortunately, the mix doesn't bury the vocals as many bands within the genre are inclined to do. The ending guitar freakout manages to be freaky enough but soothing and groovy ala "What Goes On". The second track, "Now I'm A Little Cloud" certainly wears a strong Galaxie 500 influence on its sleeve, yet while Galaxe has not aged well for me (sorry), this track showcases once again the above-average song craft of the group highlighted by some vivid imagery in the lyrics. I really dig how this track gets a bit more out-of-tune sounding as it drifts along, yet still remains so pleasantly whimsical.

A standout track is "Imaginary Friends", which takes the opening chord progression from the Velvets "Femme Fatale" and somehow turns it into something unique thru the creative melody and unexpected chord progression change. Beautiful Sunday morning music, suited for coming down or waking up.

Spread out among four sides for maximum sonic impact, side two begins with the gorgeous "The Ballad Of The Golden Bird" which sets the mood with soothing feedback, organ and more of those pretty vocals that are reminiscent of the dark, bad trip side of Smile. Once the band kicks in just under the two minute mark we're treated with a lovely, unforgettable guitar break followed by more incredibly trippy lyrical imagery on top of a melody that reduces me to a puddle. An extraordinary track, one which is the focal point of the entire record. As "Ballad" drifts off into the ozone in a psychedelic haze, the song cross fades into "All My Prayers", which follows the drone all the way into pure drug-free tripping. Here we are, five songs into the album and each song breathes its own personality and each is also a fully realized vision. This is an album in the truest sense of the word. The man can say the album is dead, but as long as visionaries such as Magic Castles walk the earth the album lives on, and I thank them for that.

On to side three and through sequencing that is downright genius, the group lifts off again with "Songs Of The Forest", which motors along with the most gentle (though mind melting) groove this side of Easter Everywhere.

I'm hoping by this point in my rambling you have stopped reading and simply bought a copy of this masterpiece for your very own. I could write about the rest, but I've already written too many words. This record is essential. A big thanks to Magic Castles and Anton Newcombe (the A behind A records) for this remarkable release.

-Derek See

listen to "Songs Of The Forest"

Review: The See See- "Fountayne Mountain"

Hailing from London, The See See have taken the jangle of  the obvious (The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Love), a dash of early '90's Creation Records and filtered these excellent influences through their own creativity and excellent musicianship and vocal prowess. The album starts off with the vibe setting 'Waltz", which quickly gives way to "Open Up Your Door", a song that could have easily fit on "The Notorious Byrd Brothers". Gorgeous harmonies float above song craft that is genuinely on the level of the '60's greats; best of all, it's a standard which continues for the entire record.

Next up is "Automobile" which shows the more aggressive side of the band (yet still retaining the melodic edge that makes this band so downright incredible); this track is followed up by "Sweet Hands" which could be a great lost Stone Roses track with harmonies overdubbed by the spirit of Carl and Dennis Wilson. Yes, it's THAT good; as I get older and jaded, it's a great thrill to hear a band that is giving it everything they've got. After twenty years of indie rock boredom, hopefully this release from the See See will influence more bands to wake up and start delivering the goods.

Side two begins with the lovely "Sunbleached"; a groovy, in all it's organ-driven glory, that you put on and dance around the living room with your loved one taking a moment to forget about everything other than the moment in hand. In times like these, we truly NEED music like this.

The advance single (pressed on a 45, woo HOO!) is the sublime "Gold And Honey"; a perfect summertime (or any time) jam that should be an international #1 hit jam. Of course I'm biased as a fanatic of 1960's music and culture, but when a band can take elements of the '60's and inject their own personality into the sound (which The See See are top notch at achieving) without pandering to cliche THAT is success.

Coming towards the end is the title track; the epic instrumental "Fountayne Mountain". Laying down the darkest groove of the record, the band ventures deep into heavy psychedelia territory, yet still keeps the melodic jangle focused in the mix, making sure the track doesn't veer into self-indulgence. Closing track "The Day That Was The Day" reminds us that we have been listening to an ALBUM; creatively sequenced by a band that is at their stride. The heavy groove of the title track is maintained, with a dark vocal melody that is the peak of the previous half hour's worth of brilliant music, and brings the statement to a close. Just as "You Set The Scene" ends Forever Changes. Yes, it's THAT GOOD.

Vinyl is limited to a mere 750 copies (I ordered mine from Norman Records in the UK); it's bound to sell out and become a massive collectable, as this band is on to big things, me thinks.

"Sweet Hands" ripped from vinyl

Review: The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Aufheben

The common theme running through reviews of "Aufheben" is that it's the best BJM album since "...And This Is Our Music". I'm not here to argue that point, as I'm mildly obsessed with this record- but here's to hoping that those who have written that statement have HEARD the records that the BJM has released in the past ten years, as there is some incredible music contained within those grooves that I feel has been under appreciated. Have a listen to tracks such as "God Is My Girlfriend", "Feel It", "Dropping Bombs On The White House", "Monkey Powder", and "Our Time", just to name a few of the stunners that Anton Newcombe has dropped during this period.

Back to "Aufheben"; the album starts with the mood setting "Panic In Babylon", which is incredibly effective in creating a vibe for the album.  While many voices cry that the album as an art form is dead, Anton and the BJM have completely blown that theory into smithereens the moment that "Panic" dissipates into the second track, "Viholliseni maalla". The transition between these two tracks is downright staggering, not to mention the fact that at this moment as a listener I'm transported to album hypnosis. You know the condition- when an incredible record is far more than a collection of songs but stands as a WHOLE collection that sustains interest and commands repeated listening of the entire record. While many of my favorite BJM tracks of the last 8 years have been rhythm oriented (such as the incredible "Feel It"), "Aufheben" is where the rhythms meet melodies that are some of the most beautiful and haunting I've ever heard.

Take the melodies in "Viholliseni maalla" (thanks to google translate we know this is Finnish for "the enemy of my country"); I have no idea what the lyrics are or what language and it really doesn't even matter. Over a beautiful motorik groove, peppered with lush organ and guitar, the exotic lead vocal melody is punctuated with an almost subliminal vocal harmony for a sound that worms through the brain, music as drug. The translated title makes me think about the fact that we are hearing something beautiful but can't necessarily interpret what the message of the words is. Reminds me about how I feel the so-called enemy's of somebody's country are just trying to be heard and understood throughout a world in which too many people have given up listening.

With "Viholliseni maalla" still ringing in our heads, "Gaz Hilarant" comes next and takes a 60's garage rock sound and filters the sound through the gauze of the future, and in many ways continues the theme I personally hear in this album (and I could be way off base), which I interpret loosely as "try to listen deeply and you might understand, don't give up." "Illuminomi" comes next and the melodic sense continues on the beautifully haunting tip, although now we know Anton is the lead singer and the words are in English, but they are just as difficult to understand as the previous ones.

Carrying on the tradition of "classic" BJM (in my opinion, Anton wrote THE greatest songs of the 1990's, and his writing spurt c1995-2000 is the modern equal to Bob Dylan 1963-1966) comes "I Want To Hold Your Other Hand" and "Clouds Are Lies"; very 'traditional" songs (seemingly after the downright futuristic sounds of the previous tracks) but no less creative and unique. Once again, the melodic sense which carries through the vocal and guitar parts are the type of things that make me such a fanatic of music; it's music in the form of the greatest drug.

I could easily write about every song on the album (they are ALL excellent, with especially high marks given to "Stairway To The Best party In The Universe" and "Seven Kinds Of Wonderful"), but this review is already far too wordy for my taste. Being as this site is geared towards the record collector, I'll also mention that the gatefold cover and double colored vinyl (itself a VERY high quality pressing) is *the* way to enjoy this masterpiece.

"Viholliseni Maalla" (ripped from vinyl)

-Derek See