This week has seen the release of MIIEN, the sophomore album from MIEN – a collaborative project that brings together a group of musicians who might be termed a psych supergroup. Rishi Dhir, vocalist and songwriter with Montreal psych band Elephant Stone, ventures into darker territory alongside Alex Maas of The Black Angels, whose distinctive,…
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There‘s a groovy new single out by Papercuts – aka multi-instrumentalist and producer Jason Quever. Disillusionment with the political climate of the time (Trump) and a nonsensical conversation with a conspiracy theorist provided the triggers for the track, entitled I Want My Jacket Back. Despite its despairing themes, any melancholy is restricted to the vocals. Quever’s…
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Emerging from a misty and dreamy landscape comes the second album from Canadian outfit Absolutely Free called Aftertouch, released September 24 on Boiled Records. The band caught my attention earlier in the year with the thought-provoking single How to Paint Clouds – the second track on this new release. Absolutely Free, comprising the core trio…
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Montreal psychedelic band Elephant Stone released their latest album Hollow on February 14th. I first saw them at The Lexington in 2011 and their stunning set remains etched on my memory, the powerful and hypnotic set closer Don’t You Know cementing an ongoing love for this band, and in particular, Rishi Dhir’s thrilling sitar playing.…
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The Besnard Lakes closed the UK leg of their tour with a triumphant, beautiful and emotional performance at The Assembly Hall, Islington. The space was perfect for The Besnard Lakes. It’s a medium-sized venue with a grand feel, and that Besnard sound swirled around and filled the space, the mirrorball on the ceiling looking like an escapee from their last album cover,…
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Set against a muscular, driving bassline and wall of dense synth/guitar, Weaver’s voice adds a spacey, ethereal lightness, the two elements balancing each other, creating almost visible layers.
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Over the summer of 2014, London’s Southbank Centre held a Festival of Love, exhibiting pieces of hippy iconography which remained dotted around the complex long after the event. They created a suitably fitting portal to one particular event: an evening of psychedelic films at the BFI called Flower Children in the Blinding Light: the 60s…
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The See See were part of a swirly psychedelia night at The Lexington on Pentonville Road two years ago, and they particularly caught my attention. (Also memorable were Canadian band Elephant Stone whose music is enriched with Rishi Dhir’s mesmerising sitar playing). Fast forward two years and we were back at The Lexington last week for The…
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