Smokey Mirror Sign to Rise Above Records; Self-Titled Debut Out May 5
If you’re a heavy boogie rock band getting signed to Rise Above Records, that’s some boogie I want to hear. Congrats to Smokey Mirror out of Dallas for signing to said ultra-respected purveyor to deliver their self-titled debut full-length on May 5. First single, “Magick Circle,” indeed is a burner shuffle, and if you want a preview of a couple of the other tunes, the band’s Bandcamp has “A Thousand Days in the Desert” as a standalone single and their 2017 self-titled first EP had “Invisible Hand” and “Magick Circle” too, so at least that should give some idea of where they’re coming from.
And the video below is kind of charming. Maybe that sounds smarmy and I don’t really mean it that way, but yeah, I went to shows in garages and shit when I was young and it was as much about being with the people you were with as it was about anything else and it was a party. I think that happened to me once. Or maybe it was a movie. I don’t know. Look, sometimes you get stoned in the afternoon.
The PR wire has details on Smokey Mirror‘s Smokey Mirror (LP), which is out, once again, on May 5, once again, on friggin’ Rise Above Records. Nice one:
Groovy Psych Rockers SMOKEY MIRROR Announce Self Titled Album to be Released May 5th on Rise Above Records!
Share Single “Magick Circle” & Music Video
There are times in the life of every temporal traveller when thunderous electric boogie rock is the only thing that makes any sense at all. Formed in Dallas, Texas, amid the dying embers of 2015, Smokey Mirror have dedicated themselves to spreading a gospel of scorched-earth riff worship and wild, psychedelic abandon. Led by vocalist/guitarist Mario Rodriguez, they have steadily nurtured their untameable sound, building toward the impending release of their self-titled debut album. Completed by bassist Tyler Davis, guitarist Caleb Hollowed and drummer Cam Martin, Smokey Mirror are only just beginning their trip…
“Our musical masterplan was to write songs that blend energetic heavy blues rock with elements of progressive and freeform styles of music,” says Mario, “We wanted to make music that is engaging to both casual listeners and the refined ears of musicians. We performed around Texas as a trio [with former drummer Josh Miller] for a few years and began collaborating with Cam in the spring of 2018, just before SXSW. A few months later, we met our guitarist Caleb at Charley’s Guitar Shop [in Dallas], where he works as a repairman. We started playing as a quartet and began finalizing material for our first full-length shortly thereafter.”
Capturing the fiery, hypnotic chaos of Smokey Mirror on tape was always going to require some expertise. Initial sessions took place at Palmyra Studios in the small town of Palmer, Texas, with Paul Middleton in the engineer’s chair, and a whole load of classic, vintage gear.
“Our engineer, Paul Middleton, was the bassist and singer for the late 70’s heavy rock band Blackhorse,” says Mario, “He also spent decades working as a touring sound engineer for the likes of Bonnie Raitt and Julio Iglesias, during the peaks of their careers! Palmyra uses all vintage, analogue recording equipment, including two-inch tape machines and a 1969 Neive console formerly owned by Abbey Road studios.”
Originally due to be recorded in early 2020, Smokey Mirror’s debut faced the same delays that scuppered everyone’s best laid plans back in that accursed year, along even more unforeseen obstacles to contend with. Nonetheless, rock ‘n’ roll simply refuses to be stopped.
‘Smokey Mirror’ Track List:
1. Invisible Hand
2. Pathless Forest
3. Magick Circle
4. Alpha-State Dissociative Trance
5. Fried Vanilla Spider Trapeze
6. Sacrificial Altar
7. A Thousand Days in the Desert
8. Who’s To Say
9. Recurring Nightmare
Album Art and Pre-Orders Will Be Available SOON!
Mario finishes, “Our shows are raw, loud, energetic, spontaneous! Amps screeching, cymbals crashing, bodies dancing, beer spilling, glass breaking, smoke filling the air, and people living in the moment. Our plan is to continue writing music that pushes and inspires us, and to produce more recorded works that expand upon the creative path we’ve set on our first album. We want to travel the world as much as possible and share our music with as many crowds as we can reach!”
In a world that makes no sense at all, only rock ‘n’ roll can still ring true. Smokey Mirror have tapped into some kind of new magic on their first full-length album, and the results rock with more power, passion and psychedelic fervour than any album, debut or otherwise, in recent memory.
Take a look in the Smokey Mirror and you will see kaleidoscopic multitudes grinning back at you. Embrace the electric boogie. It’s coming for us all.
Smokey Mirror:
Mario Rodriguez – guitar/vocals
Tyler Davis – bass
Caleb Hollowed – guitar
Cam Martin – drums
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