Filed under: Single/EP Reviews
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Self-Released.
Miriam in Siberia are in a bit of a spot. Since their 2005 debut, the Italian’s enthusiastic psych-rock worshipping, has fallen on deaf ears.
Remaining unsigned – how Go Down Records’ missed the opportunity to market these guys is a mystery – the Campania four-piece are living proof of just how difficult It is for a band with retro ideals, to be noticed and heard, without the right backing.
Venturing through a space-rock journey, that provides an engaging snapshot of early ‘70s AOR, the band’s Day-Glo fusion of: cosmic-metal and weightless, chemical highs, is a winning formula; however, like previous releases, the problem with Miriam in Siberia has never been the music itself; it’s always been more to do with the band’s lack of self-promotion. Here’s hoping that Vol. 2 will be their breakthrough, billboard ad.
Filed under: Single/EP Reviews
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Unsigned.
Here we go again: One Inch Giant, an unsigned Gothenburg four-piece plays – yes, you’ve guessed it – pummelling stoner-metal.
Typically reckless; the young Swedes wear their influences on their stone-washed sleeves; combining mammoth-fuzz and psychedelic grooves with timely, soulful howls. As debut’s go, there’re plenty of positives, however, there’re also plenty of negatives. For instance: One Inch Giant is in danger of suffering from the same fate as Demon Cleaner and Poland’s Palm Desert: Overindulgence.
Few bands can conjure up a groove as deep and dirty as Kyuss: anything close – and inevitably not as good – will instantly be regarded as shameless worshipping. In fact, let this be a message to all the talented young stoner’s out there: Imitation isn’t always the sincerest form of flattery.
Filed under: Single/EP Reviews
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Humble Recordings.
Unlike many of their contemporises, Greenhaven is a desert-rock band that – shock horror – actually has an affiliation with the desert.
Together since 2001, the Phoenix, Arizona four-piece – ok, so how many of you expected Greenhaven to reside in Riverside County? – Play a hard-hitting blend of snarling boogie and sleaze that is part-Clutch, part-Goatsnake. As is the case with the majority of stoner-rock – or in this case, desert-rock – releases in the last ten years, Greenhaven stay true to the genres widely accepted blueprint: gruff vocals, greasy licks and heady tales of booze and women.
Initially released as a downloadable single, this expanded edition of In Memory of Bull Angus acts as an introductory EP to a band that has been lying low in the Sonoran dunes for quite some time; featuring four songs from past releases, not to mention a good-time cover of Van Halen’s ‘Romeo Delight’; proving that there is more to this band, than just a fashionable location.
Filed under: Single/EP Reviews
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Self-Released.
Playing it straight: One-Eyed King stays true to their “thought-provoking” stoner-groove roots, with six tracks of: ballsy, no-frills rock.
The prelude to their soon-to-be-announced full-length, Santa Carla – the fictional setting of the horror-comedy flick, The Lost Boys; not to mention an indirect reference to their Bay Area roots – manages to maintain its gritty, diamond-edged charm, without losing focus on the job-in-hand: providing passionate, hook-laden tunes, to the whiskey-clutching masses.
Filed under: Single/EP Reviews
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Phonosphera Records.
The Wisdom’s debut is all about simplicity and acceptance. Signed to Phonosphera Records in 2011, the Italian trio casually explore the groundwork left by their doom-ridden forebears with relative ease: slow, oppressive riffs, that wind and chug through lengthy compositions at maximum volume and minimum pace. Recommended for fans of: Earth and Sleep.
Filed under: Single/EP Reviews
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Self-Released.
Comprised of improvised jam sessions, Dead Widows’ are hell-bent on making 70s-blues-orientated-rock cool again. Influenced by the greats (Cream, Led Zeppelin etc.), the German trio of: Kai Peifer (bass and voclas), Moritz Czarny (guitar) and Patrick Alt (drums) saunter through 31 minutes of: heavy power chords, woozy riffing and blissful psychedelic bridges. A bright future beckons.
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Self-Released.
It’s no secret that the Ghost Wolves’ owe part of their following to the vision and talent of post-millennial blues-rocker Jack White.
As White Blood Cells made the Delta blues ‘cool’ again – albeit by way of Led Zeppelin – Carley ‘Carazy’ Wolf was channelling her own inner blues. Born into a musical Texan family, Wolf quickly mastered the piano and the acoustic; and seeking “something more electric” – thanks to the influence of rockabilly musician Johnny Falstaff – set to work on a sound that compliments Jonathan ‘Little Hammer’ Konya’s “Del McCoury-meets-John Bonham,” style of playing.
From the opening, bluegrass twang of ‘Gonna Live’, to the gorgeous live recording of ‘First Love’, it is clear that the duo’s relentless gigging – as well as their strong musical heritage – has produced a collection of tracks that is both exhilarating and infectious.
The stop-start sleaze of ‘Broke Joke’ ebbs and flows with the sneering attitude of PJ Harvey, while the shimmy of ‘The Snake and Jake Shake’ is fun-filled garage. Stylised and sexually-charged, Wolf and Konya’s chemistry is, at times, electric; and just like the White Stripes before them, the Ghost Wolves are bringing authentic blues-rock to a new generation of followers.
Filed under: Single/EP Reviews
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Unsigned.
Gunk: an appropriate onomatopoeic phrase, to describe the thick, sludgy deluge, that engulfs Steel Trees’ wild-limbed whoosh of clattering, bass-heavy punk and rousing, angst-ridden grunge.
The young Yorkshire trio, who have already supported the likes of Dinosaur Jr. on tour, have a consistent knack of locating – and hitting – the sweet spot of every genre that they come into contact with; while churning out short, pulsating anthem’s with reckless intent. From the moment ‘Awesome Welles’ starts to quake, to the closing, chaotic moments of ‘Sucker Punch’, there’s no escaping this record’s gunk-held grip.
Filed under: Single/EP Reviews
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Unsigned.
While Swedish classic rock is fast becoming a recognised sub-genre in its own right; Stockholm’s Mud Walk is the latest band to be added to its illustrious alumni.
Differing slightly from the likes of: Asteroid and Lemon Bird, this blues-orientated six-piece is an all-female ensemble that rocks just as hard as their sweaty, testosterone-fuelled counterparts. Powered by banshee cries and harmonica-led grooves; Barefoot Band marries playful garage-rock with the blazing swagger of CBGB’s punk. Wearing their hearts on their sleeves throughout; the band’s compelling sense of urgency – as well as their underlying vulnerability – is gently chaotic.
Filed under: Single/EP Reviews
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Self-Released.
Crimson Stone are predictable: let’s get that one of the way. Inspired by the usual stoner suspects, the Gran Canaria trio plays fast and heavy Mediterranean rock.
Like 2008’s From Hell They Came, this four-track EP is loud, proud and downright raw; as fuzzed-out, head-nodding grooves are fuelled by alcohol-fuelled intensity and classic ‘70s jams. As with most latter-day releases in this often crowded genre, Rock Marshals isn’t offering anything new; instead, it is keeping the traditions of no-frills rock & roll alive, with a familiar combination of monolithic riffs and raucous energy.
