Not to overstate it, but these are two of the best stoner rock records ever.

Both released in 1999, they’re of an era where those who played it were still cool with being called “stoner rock bands.” The genre hadn’t yet exhausted its commercial reach, and though Kyuss had already been finished a few years, Monster Magnet had hit it big with “Space Lord” only the year before, so mainstream success was still regarded as a possibility for that which was fuzzed and riffy.

Nebula and Fu Manchu. You couldn’t have one without the other — literally. Guitarist/vocalist Eddie Glass and drummer Ruben Romano split from Fu Manchu after the release of 1996′s In Search Of… and would go on to form Nebula with bassist Mark Abshire (also formerly of the Fu), releasing their first EP, Let it Burn, in 1998. Just a year later, their first full-length, To the Center, became one of the most blissed-out desert rock albums ever, striking a landmark balance between trippy indulgences and memorable hooks. In many ways, it has never been matched.

Meanwhile, Fu Manchu guitarist/vocalist Scott Hill and bassist Brad Davis joined forces with guitarist Bob Balch and drummer Brant Bjork (ex-Kyuss) to issue The Action is Go in 1997. A work of absolute stoner/surfer glory, it set a bar for tone so high that bands today still try to capture the same magic (and usually don’t). The subsequent studio outing from the same lineup was 1999′s King of the Road, on which Fu Manchu further refined their process to a perfect balance of heaviness and pop appeal, inciting many landmark choruses on tracks like “Boogie Van” and “Hell on Wheels.”

Of all the “The Debate Rages” posts so far, I’m most interested to find out how people feel about this one, as it really doesn’t feel that cut and dry to me. Whatever either of these bands has done since (both discographies have their ups and downs), there’s no denying both these records are masterpieces that have helped define what we think of as stoner rock today.

But that said, the point is to have fun with it, so please, leave a comment and let’s have some fun. Thanks in advance.

After a long week of covering bands not-at-all-related to stoner rock (Enslaved, T.O.M.B., Man’s Gin, etc.), I thought it might be prudent to end off with some Nebula. I figured life doesn’t get much more stoner rock Eddie Glass singing “Down the Highway,” whatever he might say to the contrary.

It was an interesting week, and though in actuality it was no less busy than any since I started working full-time again, I’m glad to say I managed to get more posts up. Cost me getting some homework done, but I think the tradeoff was acceptable. By me, anyway. So fuck it.

My to-do list for the day is done, so I’m checking out a little early this afternoon and heading to Connecticut once again for the weekend. Might stop at Redscroll Records if I get the chance, and I should be at the Hour of 13/The Gates of Slumber show in Brooklyn tomorrow night. Yeah, I’ll be driving all the way down I-95 to get there. That’s the kind of doom head I am.

Be safe and enjoy your weekend. See you back here Monday.

According to an in-depth Obelisk investigative report (and by that I mean a comment on the band’s MySpace page), Eddie Glass of lauded Californian heavy psychedelic rockers Nebula has allegedly said that although the band canceled several weeks’ worth of tour dates last month, including several shows at South by Southwest in Austin, TX, they’re not actually done, just on break. Of course, it could have just been someone screwing with the Nebula MySpace account, and not Glass at all (why a comment and not a blog post?). You never know, but more likely Nebula will be reforming shortly with a revamped lineup.

Wouldn’t it be nice to see Glass get together with Mark Abshire and Ruben Romano for a record? I think it would be. I keep a list of things that would be nice, and that’s on it. Unfortunately, it’s under the subheading “Don’t Count on It,” so there you go. Here’s what Glass had to say on the subject:

Hey everyone. This is Eddie Glass. Sorry for missing that last tour. We were really psyched about it. Well, we as Nebula have been touring straight without missing shows since 1999. All over the world. Thanks for all who came and helped in the experience. As of late things started getting a bit rough with the touring and I got sick of it. The last cancellation had nothing to do with us as a band. Our transportation and things outside our control got out of hand. Well, I am starting a new band. I am on drums in one band and playing guitar and vocals in another. Still putting it together. Anyone out there into jamming respond. Hey Jim Jones. Ok. Nebula is taking a break for a while. We will probably play in the future, again, as I enjoy the playing guitar. I enjoy touring. Only problem is I am human and so are the other guys. We need a break. We are all working on new stuff. I am stoked on my new songs. You will be hearing them soon. Eddie Nebula

I don’t know nothin’ about nothin’, but Brooklyn Vegan‘s down at SXSW in Austin, TX, this week, and according to them, Nebula has broken up. Here’s what they had to say about it:

Tee Pee band Nebula broke up, thus changing their plan to head to Austin to play five shows. Naturally one of those shows was a BV (Attitude Adjustment at Red 7). Replacement still TBA, and assuming the break up sticks, full tour cancellation still TBA too.

Given the hundreds and thousands of people who’ve played in the band over the course of its existence, should anyone really be surprised if Nebula called it quits? No. Should we all look forward to the original lineup reunion bound to happen in about three years? Most definitely.

More on this as I hear it. Here’s “Aphrodite” from last year’s Heavy Psych, live at The Ottobar in Baltimore.

Nebula have a buttload of touring ahead of them (and behind them, for that matter), but as they head out for their latest run of US dates, they’ll be bringing along a new split 7″ with labelmates Quest for Fire. Actually, they’ll be bringing the band too. Brooklyn Vegan was granted the honor of debuting the mp3 of the new Nebula song, “The Perfect Rapture,” and because I can, I’m posting it here. Please find it below with a whole bunch of PR wire info about Tee Pee Records‘ SXSW showcase and Nebula‘s upcoming tour.

Nebula – The Perfect Rapture

Tee Pee Records is proud to announce that our 2010 SXSW Showcase will take place on Thursday, March 18th at Habana Calle 6. This will be Tee Pee‘s biggest showcase yet and will take place on two stages and feature thirteen bands. Lineup details are below.

Stage 1 (outside): Priestess, Iron Age, Nebula, Naam, Quest for Fire, Kreisor, The Atomic Bitchwax

Stage 2 (inside): Sweet Apple, Imaad Wasif, Spindrift, Hopewell, Jason Simon (of Dead Meadow), The Main Street Gospel

Nebula will embark on a full US Tour beginning on March 16th in Houston, TX. Tee Pee Records labelmates Quest For Fire will support the band on the first leg and The Willowz and Lionize will support Nebula on the second leg of the tour.

Nebula US Tour:
03/16/10 Channel/Meridian, Houston TX w/Torche
03/18/10 Tee Pee Records SXSW Showcase @ Habana Calle 6 w/ Priestess, Iron Age and more!
03/19/10 SXSW TBA
03/20/10 SXSW TBA
03/21/10 SXSW TBA
03/22/10 Saturn Bar, New Orleans LA w/ASG
03/23/10 Lenny’s, Atlanta GA w/Quest For Fire
03/24/10 Rocket Club, Asheville NC w/Quest For Fire
03/25/10 V Club, Huntington WV w/Quest For Fire
03/26/10 Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia PA w/Quest For Fire
03/27/10 Pianos, New York NY w/Quest For Fire
03/28/10 Wreck Room, Toronto ON w/Quest For Fire
03/29/10 Bug Jar, Rochester NY w/Quest For Fire
03/30/10 Grog Shop, Cleveland OH w/Quest For Fire
03/31/10 Summit, Columbus OH w/Quest For Fire
04/01/10 Double Door, Chicago IL w/The Willowz, Quest For Fire, Lionize
04/02/10 Firebird, St. Louis MO w/The Willowz, Lionize
04/03/10 Hi Tone, Memphis TN w/The Willowz, Lionize
04/04/10 The Conservatory, Oklahoma City OK w/Lionize
04/05/10 Jackpot Saloon, Lawrence KS w/The Willowz, Lionize
04/06/10 3 Kings Tavern, Denver CO w/The Willowz, Lionize
04/07/10 Club Vegas, Salt Lake City UT w/The Willowz, Lionize
04/09/10 Studio Seven, Seattle WA w/The Willowz, Lionize
04/10/10 Dante’s, Portland OR w/The Willowz, Lionize
04/12/10 Thee Parkside, San Francisco CA w/The Willowz, Lionize
04/15/10 Spaceland, Los Angeles CA w/The Willowz, Lionize

Having already toured the shit out of their latest album, Heavy Psych (Tee Pee Records), Los Angeles stoner rock legends Nebula are heading to Europe for a month of dates over there. In addition, the band has added a new drummer, named Jimmy Sweet, since the last time I looked, and will be releasing a split 7″ with Quest for Fire March 23. Busy, busy, busy. Please find enclosed the details and dates:

Nebula will embark on a month-long European tour beginning January 27 in Madrid, Spain. The tour will be in support of Heavy Psych an album which marked the band’s return to Tee Pee Records for the first time since their debut LP Let it Burn. The band completed a massively successful US tour with The Entrance Band in September, appeared at the 2009 CMJ Music Festival and is now ready to bring their brand of “heavy psych” overseas.

Tee Pee Records is also proud to announce the release of a limited edition split 7″ with Nebula and labelmates Quest For Fire. The 7″ features brand new tracks from both bands and will be limited to 1,000 copies on color vinyl. Artwork was done by Andre Ethier (The Deadly Snakes) and is available for viewing below. Release date is set for March 23 and will be available on the bands’ soon to be announced US tour and SXSW appearances.

European Tour Dates:
1/27 La Boite – Madrid, Spain
1/28 E Studio 27 – Burgos, Spain
1/29 Psylocibena – Mondarribia, Spain
1/30 Sala Assaig – Palma de Mallorca, Spain
2/03 Nachtleben – Frankfurt, Germany
2/04 Rosenkeller – Jena, Germany
2/05 Knaack – Berlin, Germany
2/06 Cafe Nova – Essen, Germany
2/07 Logo – Hamburg, Germany
2/10 Rock City – Nottingham, UK
2/11 The Croft – Bristol, UK
2/12 Underworld – London, UK
2/14 Het Bollwerk – Sneek, NL
2/16 Rohre – Stuttgart, Germany
2/17 Gaswerk – Winterthur, CH
2/18 Bloom – Mezzago, Italy
2/19 Sinister Noise – Rome, Italy
2/20 United Club – Torino, Italy
2/21 Boa – Luzern, CH
2/22 Backstage – Munich, Germany
2/23 Arena – Vienna, Austria
2/24 TBC – Ljubiljana, Slovenia
2/25 TBC – Zagreb, Croatia

…Tee Pee Records (via the PR wire) would like you to know this is where they’ll be:

10/22 – Tee Pee Records/Chronic Youth Day Party @ The Cake Shop
Nebula plays at 4:30PM w/ Priestess, Naam, Hull and more

10/23 – Brooklyn Vegan BBG Day Party @ Fontana’s
Nebula plays at 5:30PM w/ Crystal Antlers, Naam, Ume and more

10/23 – Tee Pee Records CMJ Showcase @ Union Pool
Nebula plays at 10PM w/ Priestess, Naam, Quest for Fire and more

The band has also posted an mp3 of the song “Aphrodite” from their latest album, Heavy Psych, for your listening enjoyment. Here it is:

Aphrodite

With its release earlier this month, the full-length Heavy Psych — as opposed to the EP of the same name, artwork and most of the track list put out last year — long running and vastly influential Californian psychedelic rockers Nebula once again join forces with Tee Pee Records, the label that issued their debut, Let it Burn, back in 1997. Back then, the trio consisted of guitarist/vocalist Eddie Glass and drummer Ruben Romano (both having recently left Fu Manchu), with Mark Abshire on bass, and though it’s been Glass who’s proven to be the central figure after all this time, the sound of Heavy Psych reflects — maybe closer than anything they’ve released this decade — the original mission of the band.

Call it stoner rock and you’d be right, but Nebula could fart into a microphone and it would be stoner rock. As they’ve grown, they’ve brought the genre with them, and now, with this seemingly full circle completed, one can only wonder where they can go from here. For Heavy Psych, Glass is joined by bassist Tom Davies and drummer Rob Oswald (Karma to Burn). This being the lineup’s first recorded output, Nebula sounds reinvigorated, but like their best, most together work is yet ahead of them. Still, the album they’ve just semi-re-released is an impressive start, notably in the three newest tracks added to the back end. They bode especially well for things to come.

After much rescheduling (and a special thanks goes out to Tee Pee‘s Steve Dolcemaschio for his diligence in making this happen), Glass and I hooked up for a brief phoner to discuss the band and how his attitudes toward Nebula have changed over the years. As always, the resulting interview can be found after the jump. Enjoy.

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You don’t need me to tell you to go see Nebula, and the good thing about the dates of this US run is that by the time they get going, their new album, Heavy Psych (Tee Pee Records; reviewed here), will have already been out for a couple weeks, so you can be familiar with the new songs. Nebula. So considerate. Here are the dates:

Supported by The Entrance Band:
08/04/09 Elbo Room, San Francisco CA
08/05/09 Nocturnum, Eureka CA
08/06/09 Rotture, Portland OR
08/07/09 Chop Suey, Seattle WA
08/09/09 Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City UT
08/10/09 3 Kings Tavern, Denver CO
08/11/09 Jackpot Saloon, Lawrence KS
08/12/09 Turf Club, St. Paul MN
08/13/09 Bottom Lounge, Chicago IL
08/14/09 Ravari Room, Columbus OH
08/15/08 Club Echo, Huntington WV
08/16/09 Peabody’s, Cleveland OH
08/17/09 Bug Jar, Rochester NY
08/18/09 Call The Office, London ON
08/19/09 Casbah, Hamilton ON
08/20/09 The Wreck Room, Toronto ON
08/21/09 il Motore, Montreal QC
08/22/09 Santos, New York NY
08/23/09 Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia PA
08/24/09 Ottobar, Baltimore MD
08/25/09 Black Cat, Washington DC
08/26/09 Jewish Mother, Virginia Beach VA
08/27/09 Soapbox, Wilmington NC
08/28/09 Masquerade, Atlanta GA
08/29/09 Hi Tone Cafe, Memphis TN
08/31/09 Walters on Washington, Houston TX
09/01/09 Emo’s, Austin TX
09/02/09 Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar, San Antonio TX
09/03/09 Conservatory, Oklahoma City OK
09/05/09 The Sets, Tempe AZ
TBA???????? Los Angeles CA

Like New Jersey stoner stalwarts The Atomic Bitchwax before them, Californian mainstays Nebula find themselves aligned with Tee Pee Records for not the first time celebrating the occasion of releasing material most of which was previously available. Heavy Psych, the full-length that shares its title and artwork with the self-released EP that came before it, parts ways with TAB4 in that unlike that record, there are three new tracks on this reissue showcasing the loose garage psychedelia that Nebula have come to embody. Where their last couple albums, namely 2003′s Atomic Ritual and 2006′s Apollo sounded confused and mismanaged, there’s no doubt what Heavy Psych is setting out to do. It’s right there in the name.

Given the arrangement of the tracks on the EP version, some shifting needed to be done to make it work as a legitimate LP and not just the original release with bonus cuts or something like that. So we find that “secret track” “Running of the Bulls” rightly moves to the closing spot, separated from its original companions by the three new songs, “Crown of Thorns,” “Lead Sky” and “Little Yellow Pill,” each of which boasts the acoustic and electric guitars and laid-back stoned vocals of Eddie Glass. Karma to Burn‘s Rob Oswald, who makes his premiere on Heavy Psych, fits well in the rhythm section alongside bassist Tom Davies, and as anyone who’s ever followed the band knows, we’re a long way from the days of Nebula‘s primary appeal being that they’re an offshoot of Fu Manchu. Even more so on Heavy Psych, Nebula confirms their importance in the post-Kyuss stoner rock scene. Even though they probably wouldn’t want to be called stoner rock.

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I’ve been giving some thought the last week or so to doing an Obelisk podcast. Only thing is it would take a shitload of time and I don’t know if anyone would bother listening. Let me know what you think in the comments thread, and in the meantime, enjoy these six songs.

It was originally only going to be five, but then I figured in the fine spirit of old school C.O.C., I’d add one more. Feel free to minimize and listen that way as you go about work or whatever.

Lowrider – Dust Settlin’Lowrider – Dust Settlin’
Natas - AdolescentesNatas – Adolescentes
Alabama Thunderpussy – Three StarsAlabama Thunderpussy – Three Stars
Nebula - Anything from YouNebula – Anything from You
Sasquatch – Rattlesnake FlakeSasquatch – Rattlesnake Flake
Kyuss – Supa Scoopa and Mighty ScoopKyuss – Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop

Renowned California stoner rock icons Nebula have announced that — much like The Atomic Bitchwax – they’re re-partnering with Tee Pee Records to release their new album. I got the following press release from the label and was ultra-psyched on it:

We are pleased to announce that Nebula have returned to Tee Pee Records and will release their brand new LP Heavy Psych on July 7th as well as reissue Let it Burn (originally released on Tee Pee in 1998) on vinyl later this year.

Psyched, that is, until I read the album title. Heavy Psych was released by the band via Salt of the Earth Music in 2008. And it was pretty good. So, just like with 4 by The Bitchwax, I’m going to have to go out and buy a record I already own. Just great. Those are the purchases I love justifying to my wife most of all.

Then I did some more investigation into the email:

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As the week draws to a close and I make ready to head out to Connecticut for the next two days — Redscroll Records in Wallingford, I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon — I can only leave you this holiday?weekend (Happy Passover and Easter, whatever your version of the pagan equinox celebration might be) with the below killer video shot in France. It’s heavy psych legends Nebula doing “Long Day” in Paris last year. Enjoy and have a great weekend.