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Weird Owl Premiere “Diamond Mist” Video; New Album Wet Telepathy Available to Preorder

Posted in Bootleg Theater, Whathaveyou on July 29th, 2019 by JJ Koczan

The new Weird Owl full-length, Wet Telepathy, has been given a Sept. 20 release date through Little Cloud Records — preorders are up now, if you’re the think-ahead type — and I can hardly think of a better time than the end of summer for its shimmering orange psychedelic haze. As the nights begin to turn cool in respite from the humidity of the Northeast, to have Weird Owl belting out live-in-the-moment jams like “Phantom Physician,” “Death Necklace” and the garagedelic “Diamond Mist” — the video for which is premiering at the bottom of this post — will be nothing but welcome, as the Brooklynite outfit follow 2017’s Bubblegum Brainwaves (review here) with a likewise expanded-mind melodic wash, all “far out, man” and not a bummer in the bunch, even the 90-second organ stretch “Headless Horsemen” and the closer “Let Each Man Decompose (At His Own Speed),” which takes Help!-era Beatles — that tambourine is a tell — to dreamier places only after the more fully-fuzzed “Nailed to the Ceiling” has run your grunge childhood through a lysergic spin cycle. You put in white sheets. They came out tie-dye. So it goes.

That’s how these cats do, and they do it well and they’ve been doing it long enough at this point that their sense of space is immediate. Returning once again to the studio with Jeff Berner at Galuminum Foil means their adventure happens in familiar climes, and in some ways, Wet Telepathy feels like a strong, more song-minded sequel to Bubblegum Brainwaves, but as the maybe-sitar and definitely-keyboards of “P.U.M.P.” roll out crumbling mountain landscapes, it’s as much a fresh vibe as it is a classic one, and Weird Owl invite the listener to their wavelength at the same time they make a compelling case to undertake the journey. All I’m saying is that if you feel like maybe your blood just got awesome, it’s probably working.

Wet Telepathy is out Sept. 20. You’ll find the video for “Diamond Mist” below, but here’s art and info first, courtesy of the PR wire:

weird owl wet telepathy

Weird Owl – Wet Telepathy

New album out 9/20/19 on Little Cloud Records.

NYC psych rock veterans Weird Owl are set to release Wet Telepathy, their seventh studio album, on September 20, 2019 on Little Cloud Records. Taking off from the psychedelic yet concise songwriting established on 2017’s Bubblegum Brainwaves, this new album showcases the unpredictable and idiosyncratic nature of the band’s musical output. Songs about phantoms, psychic demons, bad trips and time travel all find a home in the off-kilter and slightly wobbly sci-fi universe created by Weird Owl. Wet Telepathy marks the fourth consecutive record on which the band has partnered with Jeffrey Berner (Psychic TV) in the role of engineer, mixer and producer. Together they have achieved a vision that is totally unlike any other band in the contemporary psych rock scene.

Preorder here: https://littlecloudrec.com/collections/frontpage/products/weird-owl-wet-telepathy-pre-order

Recorded, mixed and produced by Jeffrey Berner at Galuminum Foil, Brooklyn, NY.
Mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering.
Artwork by Killer Acid.

Since releasing their debut album in 2007, Weird Owl have firmly cemented their place in the international psychedelic underground. Championed by none other than legendary Brian Jonestown Massacre frontman Anton Newcombe (who released two of the band’s albums on his personal label). One of the band’s tunes, “White Hidden Fire”, has been viewed on YouTube over 2.6 million times at the time of writing. Weird Owl have performed at such renowned festivals as Austin Psych Fest, Eindhoven Psych Fest (Netherlands) and The Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia (UK).

https://weirdowl.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Weird.owl.ny/
http://www.weirdowl.net/
https://soundcloud.com/weird-owl
https://www.facebook.com/littlecloudrecords
https://www.instagram.com/littlecloudrecords
https://littlecloudrec.com/

Weird Owl, “Diamond Mist” official video premiere

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Here are 40+ New Releases to Look for in the Next Three Weeks

Posted in Features on September 21st, 2017 by JJ Koczan

Starting tomorrow, the next three weeks are absolutely stupid with new albums. Over-the-top, ridiculous. An immediately-go-broke amount of music. Nothing less than an onslaught. We’re under attack.

Far be it from me to tell you how to spend your money — also far be it from me not to — but there’s some really killer stuff in here. As to why it’s all landing now? Some of it of course has to do with the timing of when it was recorded, bands hitting the studio in Spring before heading out on the road over the summer, but Fall releases also line up nicely for tours in October and November, heading into the holiday season, when the music industry basically shuts down. This is the last chance for releases to come out in 2017 and be considered for best-of-year lists.

I doubt the likes of Chelsea Wolfe or Godspeed You! Black Emperor or even Kadavar would cop to that as a motivating factor, instead pointing to the timing of Fall touring and so on, but these things are rarely coincidental. You know how there aren’t any blockbusters in January but every movie feels like it’s trying to win an Oscar? Same kind of deal.

Nonetheless, 2017 is laying it on particularly thick these next couple weeks, and as you can see in the lists below, if you’ve got cash to spend, you can pretty much choose your rock and roll adventure. I’ll add to this as need be as well, so keep an eye for changes:

Sept. 22:

Alcest, Souveinirs d’un Autre Monde (10th Anniversary Edition)
Brant Bjork, Europe ’16
Chelsea Wolfe, Hiss Spunthe-flying-eyes-burning-of-the-season
Epitaph, Claws
Faces of the Bog, Ego Death
The Flying Eyes, Burning of the Season
Fvzz Popvli, Fvzz Dei
Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Luciferian Towers
Jarboe & Father Murphy, Jarboe & Father Murphy
Monarch, Never Forever
Nibiru, Qaal Babalon
Process of Guilt, Black Earth
Satyricon, Deep Calleth Upon Deep
Spelljammer, Inches from the Sun (Reissue)
Thonian Horde, Inconnu
Trash Titan, Welcome to the Banana Party
Ufomammut, 8
With the Dead, Love from With the Dead
Wolves in the Throne Room, Thrice Woven

Sept. 29:

monolord rust
Cities of Mars, Temporal Rifts
Deadsmoke, Mountain Legacy
A Devil’s Din, One Hallucination Under God
Disastroid, Missiles
Jim Healey, Just a Minute More (Sept. 26)
Idylls, The Barn
Kadavar, Rough Times
Lucifer’s Chalice, The Pact
Monolord, Rust
Outsideinside, Sniff a Hot Rock
Radio Moscow, New Beginnings
Scream of the Butterfly, Ignition
Tronald, Tronald (Sept. 30)
Unsane, Sterilize
Wucan, Reap the Storm

Oct. 6:

fireball-ministry-remember-the-storyElder Druid, Carmina Satanae
Fireball Ministry, Remember the Story
Frank Sabbath, Are You Waiting? (Oct. 2)
Himmellegeme, Myth of Earth
House of Broken Promises, Twisted EP
O.R.B., Naturality
Primitive Man, Caustic
Spirit Adrift, Curse of Conception
Spotlights, Seismic
Sumokem, The Guardian of Yosemite
Torso, Limbs
White Manna, Bleeding Eyes

Also:

Oct. 13: Enslaved, Firebreather, I Klatus, R.I.P., Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats (reissue), Weird Owl, etc.

Oct. 20: Iron Monkey, Spectral Haze, Bell Witch, The Spacelords, etc.

Something I forgot?

Invariably, right? If you know of something not seen above that should be, then by all means, please leave a comment letting me know. My only ask is that you keep it civil and not call me a fucking idiot or anything like that. I write these posts very early in the day, and if something has been neglected, I assure you it’s not on purpose and I’m happy to correct any and all oversights.

Thanks for reading and happy shopping. Support local record stores.

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Review & Video Premiere: Weird Owl, Bubblegum Brainwaves

Posted in Bootleg Theater, Reviews on September 20th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

weird-owl-bubblegum-brainwaves

[Click play above to stream the premiere of Weird Owl’s video for ‘War.’ Their album, Bubblegum Brainwaves, is out Oct. 13 and up for preorder here.]

To their credit, Weird Owl do seem to take particular delight in living up to their name. Not so much the owl part, I suppose, but definitely the weird. The Brooklynite four-piece are a decade out from the release of their first EP, Nuclear Psychology, and after three full-lengths in 2008’s Ever the Silver Cord be Loosed, 2011’s Build Your Beast a Fire (discussed here) and 2015’s Interstellar Skeletal, as well as the Healing EP in 2013 that was their introduction through A Recordings, the imprint helmed by Anton Newcombe of Brian Jonestown Massacre, they’ve become the kind of band for whom predictions sonic or otherwise are largely irrelevant. Thinking you know what you’re going to get from a Weird Owl release is an act of self-delusion.

It’s probably going to be psychedelic one way or another, fair enough, but as to the actual shape and tone that will take, that’s a much more open prospect, and it’s one the band plays to with the bright, crisp melodies of their fourth LP, Bubblegum Brainwaves. At times brazenly poppy and elsewhere dug into a sense of exploration that feels born of space rocking impulses, it’s a record of varied sensibilities that, by the time it’s into its second side, turns even its own methods on their head in favor of heading somewhere else. To wit, that’s the eight-minute, spoken-word-topped “Bartholomew Iris,” on which Genesis Breyer P’Orridge of Psychic TV and Throbbing Gristle steps in to recite a sci-fi narrative about a protagonist who chooses the means of his own death. To say the least, it’s a distinct moment of departure.

And not necessarily the first on the album, which opens its easily-manageable nine-track/41-minute run with the proverbial ‘Drink Me’ potion in the form of a keyboard line, drum intro and fuzzy shuffle met with echoing vocals on “Invisibility Cloak.” With “You (Sometimes Not You)” and “Black Never White” immediately following, “Invisibility Cloak” is the first part of a three-song launch salvo from the lineup of guitarist/vocalist Trevor Tyrrell, bassist/keyboardist John Cassidy, keyboardist Dave Nugent and drummer Sean Reynolds that boasts some of Bubblegum Brainwaves‘ most standout hooks, but also three strikingly different takes. Immediately, Weird Owl set a broad sonic context for themselves and flow between the high-energy cosmic soak of the opener, into the key-focused dreamgaze synth-pop of “You (Sometimes Not You)” — the otherworldliness of which comes through all the more thanks to its lyrics — and the urbane post-punk swagger and unabashed fun of “Black Never White.”

Taken as a set, these songs don’t top 13 minutes, and side A will continue to unfurl a diverse personality in the acoustic-led “Such a Myth” before resolving itself in the sweet, semi-Beatlesian melody of “The Lizard and the Owl,” but the cue to the listener to adjust their expectations to be as broad as possible is a hard one to miss, and as skillfully drawn together as the pieces are via their underlying structures and catchiness, it makes the shifting character of Bubblegum Brainwaves more fluid and accessible, allowing for the move into the politically-minded cynicism and comment on appropriation in “Such a Myth” — lyrics like, “Oh it’s my war too/Oh it’s my body too,” seeming to offer a general take on a social media-driven propensity for ego-tizing larger issues — to happen without any hiccup. Keyboards/organ do some of that tie-in work as well, and though he’s never particularly showy as a vocalist, Tyrrell‘s voice provides a steady and human presence across side A that only helps to further guide the listener through what might otherwise be a bumpier course. As it is, tracks are memorable enough in themselves so as not to simply be a hypnotic wash, but still satisfyingly lysergic in their tone and atmosphere. As “The Lizard and the Owl” rounds out the first half of Bubblegum Brainwaves with a subtle apocryphal feel in its storytelling, its linear build underscores the grace with which Weird Owl have been delivering their material all along. It is natural and warm, and so clearly it’s time for the LP to make another turn.

weird-owl-photo-Hal-Horowitz

Side B brings four tracks in “War,” the aforementioned “Bartholomew Iris,” “Many Things I Saw in the Coffin” and closer “Tired Old Sun,” and like the material on the album’s first half, each one has its own take, working further to the band’s accomplishment and that of producer Jeff Berner (also guitar in Psychic TV) at Galuminum Foil Studios in constructing Bubblegum Brainwaves with such overarching ethereality of spirit. The feel, however, is darker. “War” is more active and doesn’t quite mirror the push of “Invisibility Cloak” at the start of the record, but is definitely working off some of the same intent, but the low end feels denser and the vocals are rawer and more forward. These things are relative, of course, but while “War” has a hook still very much working in its favor, the titular subject — whether metaphor or literal — represents a marked shift from the bulk of side A’s brightness. That will continue on “Bartholomew Iris,” which, as the band steps back to allow P’Orridge‘s audiobook-style narrative recitation, is the unquestionable odd-cut-out in the tracklisting.

Purposefully so. The only song over five minutes long, it’s meant to leave standard songwriting behind, and while I don’t know the origin of the plot being told — that is, if it’s by Tyrrell, P’Orridge, or sourced elsewhere — the elements of genre fiction and the narrative itself are compelling. Not to be understated, however, is the effect “Bartholomew Iris” has on the tone of Bubblegum Brainwaves. It is such a moment of arrival that it bleeds into the songs before as well as after, and while “Many Things I Saw in the Coffin,” with its folkish acoustic strum, synth flourish, and simple punctuating drums, has more in common with “Such a Myth” early as it moves toward its molten post-midpoint wash, there remains the lingering presence of “Bartholomew Iris” all the while. And when it comes around, “Tired Old Sun” — in which the sun itself seems to resign itself to fatigue in the way one might reading the news every day — works to reengage the dreaminess of the album’s earlier going, but is nonetheless sadder in sound as well as theme. Even for laid back, drift-prone psychedelic progressive rockers, it would seem, the times can feel weighing.

That’s not to say Bubblegum Brainwaves doesn’t offer plenty of float. It does. And I won’t discount the joy with which “right!” is tossed into “Black Never White” to playfully affirm the lines, “We seek the truth, we speak light/And you know we do it every night/Right?” either, but there’s a melancholy in Weird Owl circa 2017 as well, and that turns out to be as much a part of their rendering here as the momentum launched by “Invisibility Cloak” or the depth of the arrangement mounted in “Many Things I Saw in the Coffin.” Fortunately, this variable mood is complemented by likewise malleability of songcraft, and Weird Owl no more lose themselves in discourse than they do instrumentally. This speaks to the maturity taken hold in their approach over their years together, but more important, it makes Bubblegum Brainwaves a work of depth that can feel light or weighted depending on how its audience wants to interact with it. And that it’s open to that interaction, weird, unpredictable and swerving as it is, means there’s still some hope in there as well.

Weird Owl on Bandcamp

Weird Owl on Thee Facebooks

Weird Owl on Twitter

Weird Owl website

Weird Owl on Soundcloud

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Weird Owl to Release New Album Bubblegum Brainwaves in October; Single Streaming & Preorders up Now

Posted in Whathaveyou on August 22nd, 2017 by JJ Koczan

weird owl photo hal horowitz

Brooklyn psychedelic rockers Weird Owl have set an Oct. release for their new album, Bubblegum Brainwaves. Following-up on 2015’s Interstellar Skeletal, the vibe-heavy explorers worked with Jeff Berner at Galuminum Foil Studios on the new one, and with their long-established habit of making their way overseas for fests, it seems like the intended Oct. 13 issue puts them in good stead heading into next Spring. Not that I’ve heard anything — to be clear, I haven’t — I’m just saying. They’ve also moved from A Recordings to releasing on their own, which seems like it can only further suit their ongoing will to do whatever the hell they want sonically.

Among the assets working toward that endeavor this time around? A guest appearance from Genesis Breyer P’Orridge (Psychic TV, Throbbing Gristle, etc.). Should be interesting to say the least.

The PR wire has the cover art, preorder info and more particulars on the subject of Bubblegum Brainwaves:

weird-owl-bubblegum-brainwaves

Brooklyn psych band Weird Owl has announced a new album, Bubblegum Brainwaves, due out October 13th. The band’s sixth release in a decade, it’s an album about cognitive dissonance, darkness, and uncertainty, condensed into consumable song formats and structures. Touching on themes of war, dystopias, and crumbling reality structures, it’s highly informed by the current political climate and finds the band continuing to push themselves into new realms.

Lead single “You (Sometimes Not You)” has an otherworldly quality, pairing bright synths with catchy but unexpected vocal melodies.

Since forming in 2004, Weird Owl has kept busy putting out a steady stream of new music and touring the US and UK. After self-releasing their first few albums, 2009’s Ever the Silver Cord Be Loosed and 2011’s Build Your Beast a Fire (recorded by Justin Pizzoferrato and Bishop Allen’s Justin Rice) were released by Tee Pee Records. Later demos caught the attention of The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe, who released the band’s 2013 EP, Healing, and 2015’s Interstellar Skeletal on his own A Recordings, Ltd.

Live, Weird Owl has supported BJM on tour in both the US and Europe and performed at various festivals, including the Black Angels-curated Austin Psych Fest, The Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia, and The Netherlands’ Incubate Festival.

Bubblegum Brainwaves was recorded and produced by Psychic TV guitarist Jeffrey Berner and features a guest appearance by the legendary Genesis Breyer P-Orridge. It’s currently available for pre-order digitally and on CD & limited-edition pink vinyl.

Bubblegum Brainwaves Track Listing:
1. Invisibility Cloak
2. You (Sometimes Not You)
3. Black Never White
4. Such A Myth
5. The Lizard & The Owl
6. War
7. Bartholomew Iris (ft. Genesis Breyer P’Orridge)
8. Many Things I Saw in the Coffin
9. Tired Old Sun

Weird Owl is:
Trevor Tyrrell – Vocals, Guitar
John Cassidy – Bass, Keyboards
Sean Reynolds – Drums
Dave Nugent – Keyboards

https://weirdowl.bandcamp.com/album/bubblegum-brainwaves
https://www.facebook.com/Weird.owl.ny/
https://twitter.com/weirdowlchemy
http://www.weirdowl.net/
https://soundcloud.com/weird-owl

Weird Owl, “You (Sometimes Not You)”

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Wooden Shjips, Gnod, The Cosmic Dead, Weird Owl and More to Play Eindhoven Psych Lab on June 6 & 7

Posted in Whathaveyou on May 20th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

Call me a glutton for self-punishment for constantly dangling kickass European festivals in front of my own face that I’ll never in a million years be able to attend if you want, I doubt it’ll stop me from doing it. Whilst I torture myself with visions of being able to catch the jammy likes of The Cosmic Dead or Wooden Shjips at the Effenaar in beautiful Eindhoven, you can get the rest of the info from theEindhoven Psych Labfest, which will kick off its first installment on June 6.

Two days, much swirl:

EINDHOVEN PSYCH LAB

6 + 7 JUNE 2014 – EFFENAAR / EINDHOVEN / THE NETHERLANDS
2 DAYS / 30+ BANDS / 2 INDOOR STAGES AND A GARDEN
PRESENTED BY LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF PSYCHEDELIA & EFFENAAR

Eindhoven’s Effenaar music venue and Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia and are thrilled to announce EINDHOVEN PSYCH LAB on 6 + 7 June 2014. Eindhoven Psych Lab is a new European festival, located in the Netherlands and established to explore and showcase the futuristic sights and sounds of the modern psychedelic condition.

Line up:

Friday:
Friday (doors open at 4.30 pm untill 4.00 am):
Cosmonauts (USA) / Crows (UK) / Great Ytene (UK) / Hookworms (UK) / Nisennenmondai (JAP) / Peter J Taylor (UK) / Spectrum (UK) / The Oscillation (UK) / Wooden Shjips (USA) / Gnod (UK) / Teeth of The Sea (UK) / Lay Llamas (IT) / Anthroprophh (UK) / Terminal Cheesecake (UK)
DJ’s: Liverpool Pzyk Pzoundsystem / Bernie Connor’s Sound of Music / Chris Rocket / Walter Roadburn

Saturday:
Saturday (doors open at 2.00 pm until 4.00 am):
Dans Dans (B) / Disappears (USA) / Elephant Stone (CAN) / Föllakzoid (Chile) / Mugstar (UK) / Night Beats (USA) / Pink Mountaintops (USA) / Suuns (CAN) / Terakaft (Mali) / The Growlers (USA) / Weird Owl (USA) / Sonic Jesus (IT) / Cosmic Dead (UK) / Wall of Death (FR) / Radar Men From the Moon (NL) / The Underground Youth (UK) / The Wands (DK) / The Woken Trees (DK)
DJ’s: Al Lover (USA) / DJ Fitz (IE) / Wiekes (Le Guess Who) / dj .bOb / Pomponette
http://www.eindhovenpsychlab.com/line-up

Tickets:
Weekend tickets: € 62,50 or £52,-
Day tickets: € 35,00
Weekend including hotel for two people early bird: € 235,- or £195
Weekend including hotel for two people € 270,- or £225,-
http://www.eindhovenpsychlab.com/tickets-accomodation/

Website: http://www.eindhovenpsychlab.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eindhovenpsychlab

Wooden Shjips, “Back to Land” official video

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Live Review: The Golden Grass, Weird Owl and Worthless in Brooklyn, 12.06.13

Posted in Reviews on December 9th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

It was like someone dared the weather to be as miserable as possible. Just an awful night. Cold, bordering on freezing rain falling more or less in buckets, city wind blowing in your face. Visibility was pretty low as I drove over the Brooklyn Bridge to get to Hank’s Saloon, but screw it, I was going. My curiosity about The Golden Grass had been piqued by their debut single, and having managed to sneak a little family time in after the workday on what was a short post-Thanksgiving trip south, I made sure that even with the rain I got to Brooklyn in plenty of time to see them share the stage with fellow locals Weird Owl and Worthless.

The latter were on first, playing an engaging shoegazey psychedelic rock in a five-piece congregation that made the small stage at Hank’s — one of the room’s assets, in my opinion — appear even more crowded than usual. Flourishes of synth/organ from Nicole Zamfes and effects gave suitable echo and swirl to their material, with a current of guitar, bass and drums at the core to keep material fluid but anchored in a light, contemplative feel. Bassist Skyler Toski‘s vocals came through with an English accent, while guitarist Curtis Godino had more of an indie delivery, and the blend worked well, the drums not crashing so much as keeping a steady beat to ground the complexity around them in songs like “Slumber Time Blues” and “Summer of Love” from Worthless‘ debut tape. The only issue was the P.A.

Godino‘s mic had a persistent crackle, and the right side of the P.A. cut out on more than one occasion. It happened to Toski too and frustration was evident. Soon enough it would be the running theme of the night, which was twice a bummer since the downshift in mood didn’t exactly mesh with the sunshine in Worthless‘ jams. Still, they made the most of what they had, and while they sounded and seemed on stage as though they were still sorting out the dynamic between players in creating their sonic texture, the late ’60s vibe was appreciably realized. I dug it. The obvious thing to say would be they didn’t at all live up to their name, but there you go.

I wasn’t sure where all the people had come from when I turned around following the end of Worthless‘ last song, but Weird Owl pulled in a good crowd. The Tee Pee Records veterans released an EP this fall called Healing through Anton Newcombe of Brian Jonestown Massacre‘s A Recordings (info here), and “Change Your Mind” from it was a recognizable highlight of their set. The tracks for that were recorded by Jeff Berner (Naam, La Otracina, etc.), and as he’d also recently worked with The Golden Grass on an upcoming release, he turned out to see the two bands play. Weird Owl, who upped the synth level even from Worthless‘ material, with John Cassidy trading off between bass and keys (and tambourine), and J. David Nugent furthering the slowed-down space rock feel with an array of synth as guitarist/vocalist Trevor Tyrrell added an effects wash of his own.

Both the exploratory drift of their performance and the stretches wherein drummer Sean Reynolds stepped up to drive the material forward were welcome, but technical problems persisted. More P.A. crackling and cutting out. Watching them play, it was kind of hard to get lost in the groove with the interruptions, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind. Of more concern to me standing in front of the stage was the incense burning on the floor. I guess for a while I was standing right where the smell was coming up and hadn’t realized it and then it hit me all at once. I had to move to the back of Hank’s and wound up staying there for the rest of Weird Owl‘s set, though for what it’s worth, a new song that Tyrrell later referred to as “Craft” when I asked was a standout jam no matter where you were standing at the time. Weird Owl have been around a while at this point and this was the first time I’d seen them. It made me want to pay another visit to Healing and their two Tee Pee outings, 2009’s Ever the Silver Cord be Loosed and 2011’s Build Your Beast a Fire (track stream here).

And as for The Golden Grass, well, part of what made me want to catch their live show so badly was the sense of positivity that bleeds through the songs on their first single, One More Time b/w Tornado. There’s no shortage the world over of rock acts paying homage to the style and substance of the heavy ’70s era, but there is a shortage of those who are willing to let themselves look like they’re having fun doing it. The Golden Grass do not suffer from this if-we-don’t-seem-miserable-we-won’t-be-artsy phobia either on the single or their 456th Div. tape (review here), and I was pleased to find that the same applied to their stage presence, whether it was guitarist/vocalist Michael Rafalowich boogieing down as he took a solo in “Please Man,” drummer Adam Kriney propelling a shuffle all his own on drums while simultaneously contributing a major of the singing, including harmonies with Rafalowich on “Stuck on a Mountain” and others, or bassist Joe Noval grinning, satisfied, as he held down yet another warm, engaging groove. The Golden Grass were a damn good time, and that was the whole point.

Only trouble? They got it the worst when it came to the night’s technical problems. It turned out there was something wrong with one of the power bars that everything was plugged into, and Rafalowich‘s guitar (along with the Xmas lights on stage) cut out a few times early on. Kriney called for tape, but it had already been taped. Some kind soul swapped out for a different outlet a few songs in, but the toll was taken on the mood and the crowd. Having come from a ways away, it was a bummer to see, but the songs themselves were still right on, even through the technical problems. They opened with the B-side of the 7″, “Tornado,” and played the memorable “Stuck on a Mountain” and “Please Man” from the 456th Div. tape, hit “One More Time” — their signature cut as yet — jammed with a drum solo on “Wheels” and finished up with a song I hadn’t heard yet, “Sugar and Spice,” which nailed the lighthearted vibe perfectly. I can’t imagine it wouldn’t, but I hope it makes it onto the album when that arrives.

It was a rough night technically, I think probably most of all for The Golden Grass, but none of the three bands let that derail them. I picked up a copy of One More Time b/w Tornado and said a quick-enough goodnight before heading out into the rain. It was around one in the morning. I was fortunate enough to have been offered a place to crash in Manhattan, and woke up a bit before 6:30AM to start the drive back north. No regrets for the travel, no regrets for the weather, no regrets for the P.A. I had wanted to see if The Golden Grass would be able to convey the same sense of positivity in their live show as they do on the studio versions of their songs, and even in rough circumstances, the answer was a resounding yes.

More pics after the jump. Thanks for reading.

Read more »

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Weird Owl to Release Healing on Oct. 15

Posted in Whathaveyou on August 16th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

After two impressive and increasingly exploratory full-lengths on NYC’s Tee Pee Records, Brooklyn-based psychotomimeticists Weird Owl have announced they’ll unfurl a new 10″ on A Recordings, Ltd., the label owned by Anton Newcombe of The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The new release — kind of an album, kind of an EP, from what I can gather; “why you gotta put everything in a box, man?” — will be out Oct. 15 and Weird Owl will herald its arrival with a weekender Oct. 3-5 in the Northeast.

Dig it:

WEIRD OWL RELEASE NEW ALBUM OCT 15, 2013

East Coast Tour Confirmed

Weird Owl will release Healing on October 15, 2013 through A Recordings, Ltd (Redeye Distribution).

Weird Owl formed in Brooklyn, NY in 2004 and has released two full-length LPs as well as several EPs. Their presence and longevity in the New York psych scene has garnered international attention and they have shared stages with bands such as White Hills, NAAM, La Otracina, Hopewell, Earthless, Sleepy Sun, Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, Quest for Fire, Spindrift and The Black Angels, including at the 2011 Austin Psych Fest.

Healing proves that Weird Owl to be a constantly evolving musical entity, striving to present itself in a continually fresh light. The fuzzed-out guitar tones that were once synonymous with the band have fallen into the background, and a more ambient, textured sound found its place in the forefront. This alchemical marriage of elements new and old resulted in a novel iteration of the Weird Owl identity, bringing the band even closer to the interstellar flight that has always been its objective. Recorded and mixed by Jeffrey Berner (NAAM, Heliotropes, La Otracina) at Galuminum Foil Studio in Brooklyn in April and May of 2013, Weird Owl’s new musical direction revealed itself as an exciting and unique mind blast.
Singer, Trevor Tyrrell posted rough mixes online which caught the ear of legendary Brian Jonestown Massacre founder Anton Newcombe, who offered to release Healing on his personal label, A Recordings, Ltd.

Anton Newcombe states (via email):
THE MESSAGE IS ONE OF COSMIC HARMONY AND SIMPLICITY.
THE PERFECTION OF GEOMETRY AND ABOVE ALL, BEAUTY.
SOMETIMES THE MESSENGER IS A MAN AND SOMETIMES THE MESSENGER IS AN OWL.

Weird Owl is currently John Cassidy (organ, synth, bass guitar), J. David Nugent (synth, vocals), Sean Reynolds (drums) and Trevor Tyrrell (vocals, guitar, synth).

WEIRD OWL TOUR
THU OCT 3 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Upstairs
FRI OCT 4 Brooklyn, NY @ Death By Audio
SAT OCT 5 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie (Upstairs Gallery)

Healing Tracklisting (available digitally, CD and Double 10” day-glo pink and yellow color vinyl)
1. Change Your Mind
2. Stars on a Coffin Lid
3. Seventh of Seven Sundays (777)
4. Master of the Mysteries
5. Healing

https://www.facebook.com/WEIRDOWLCHEMY
https://twitter.com/WeirdOwlchemy

Weird Owl, “Healing” from Healing

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Hudson Valley Psych Fest Set for this Saturday

Posted in Whathaveyou on May 7th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

Some are coming from the north, some from the south, but this Saturday at BSP Lounge in Kingston, NY, the first-ever Hudson Valley Psych Fest will unite seven acts each with a different take on the traditions of psychedelia. The fest was put together by instrumentalists It’s Not Night: It’s Space, who are natives of New Paltz and who recently signed to Small Stone, and whose latest album, 2012’s Bowing Not Knowing to What, you can hear below.

Get grooved:

Three years after their humble beginnings, It’s Not Night: It’s Space decided it was high time to bring together all the heady friends they have made along the way for the very first episode of Hudson Valley Psych Fest.

BSP Lounge in Kingston, a beautiful venue coming up fast, will host seven bands for the evening-long festival. The lineup mixes true locals, B.B. Rebozo & Shana Falana, with some of Brooklyn’s finest: Weird Owl, Ancient Sky and Eidetic Seeing. Wildcard, Black Norse, will come down from the stoney shores of Maine.

Besides mixing locals and travelers, the lineup mixes a great array of stylings from the vast spectrum of what is considered psych: heavy hitters and dreamy wanderers (and all that lies between) will represent in a delightfully disorienting display. Along those lines, INN:IS producer Rick Birmingham will helm some interactive live visual projections.

Advanced tickets are available at hudsonvalleypsychfest.com. All who buy advanced tickets will be automatically entered to win a 2ft x 3ft copy of the beautiful flier done by INN:IS album artist Travis Lawrence of Infinity Prints.

May 11th||7pm||18+

It’s Not Night: It’s Space, Bowing Not Knowing to What

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