Desert rock progenitors Yawning Man have announced reissues through Heavy Psych Sounds for 2016’s Historical Graffiti (review here), 2010’s Nomadic Pursuits (review here) and the 2007 tape demo compilation, The Birth of Sol (discussed here), continuing a stretch of catalog deep-diving that has also seen them issue their 2005 debut album, Rock Formations (discussed here), on Ripple Music, as well as the Live at Giant Rock LP, also on Heavy Psych Sounds. Can a reissue of the 2013 Euro tour split between Yawning Man and Fatso Jetson (discussed here) be far behind? Only time and the PR wire will tell.

Plenty to chew on, either way. Nomadic Pursuits, which gets new art here, stands as a sentimental favorite for me personally, while Historical Graffiti marked a moment of departure for the long-running instrumentalist three-piece, recording in Buenos Aires with an expanded lineup to produce something distinct even within Yawning Man‘s varied discography. The Birth of Sol is rough in its actual sound — as a collection of ’80s and/or ’90s-era demos might be — but has a cult following even within that of the band itself, and was previously released on a double-cassette in 2018. I bought that shit. No regrets.

Might buy this version too, because, well, it’s Yawning Man, and the more you get this, the more likely they are to make another new record, and that’s how this thing works.

So work it:

YAWNING MAN – THE BIRTH OF SOL + HISTORICAL GRAFFITI + NOMADIC PURUSITS

Today we are stoked to start the presale of 3 YAWNING MAN reissues: The Birth Of Sol, Historical Graffiti and Nomadic Pursuits !!!

ALBUMs PRESALE:
https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop-usa.htm

USA PRESALE:
https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop-usa.htm

HPS201 *** YAWNING MAN – THE BIRTH OF SOL ***

REISSUE of the legendary album with brand new cover and coloured vinyls

RELEASED IN DOUBLE GATEFOLD VINYL:

10 ULTRA LTD TEST PRESS VINYLS
100 ULTRA LTD TRANSPARENT BACK. SPLATTER BLACK AND RED VINYLS
400 LTD RED VINYLS
BLACK VINYLS
DIGIPAK

PRESALE STARTS:
AUGUST 24th

RELEASE DATE:
OCTOBER 14th

TRACKLIST

SIDE A
Tuff Dude
Dots, Lines And Mesh
Faith Cakes
Devil’s Ladder
Sour Glaze
Kone Of Meet
Menso
Sinkhole

SIDE B
SLAB
Fires Of Pap’s Chile
Saucey And Saggy
Paseo Lindo
Change For A Beggar
Bet I’ll Six

SIDE C
Sweet Nuggat
Saco
Three Legged Table
Deaf Conductor

SIDE D
Catamaran
Crack, Harden & Dry
Friends Of Me
The Lonely Rancher

ALBUM DESCRITPION
Heavy Psych Sounds is reissuing the Yawning Man old demo recordings The Birth Of Sol in brand new coloured vinyls and new cover.

Dating back to 1986, these demo recordings by Yawning Man were originally only spread amongst close friends of the band. They were released on iTunes in 2009. Today you can have them on brand new coloured vinyls in gatefold sleeve.

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HPS202 *** YAWNING MAN – HISTORICAL GRAFFITI ***

REISSUE of the legendary album with brand new cover and coloured vinyls

RELEASED IN:

10 ULTRA LTD TEST PRESS VINYL
100 ULTRA LTD 3 COLORS STRIPED VINYL
400 LTD PINK VINYL
BLACK VINYL
DIGIPAK

PRESALE STARTS:
AUGUST 24th

RELEASE DATE:
OCTOBER 14th

TRACKLIST

SIDE A
The Wind Cries Edalyn – 8:32
Her Phantom Finger Of Copenhagen – 6:58
Naomi Crayola – 3:05

SIDE B
The Secret Language Of Elephants – 6:27
Historical Graffiti – 7:49

ALBUM DESCRITPION
Heavy Psych Sounds is reissuing the Yawning Man legendary album Historical Graffiti in brand new coloured vinyls.

Historical Graffiti is the band’s fourth full-length, out in 2016. Gary Arce, the guitarist, seems comfortable sitting on a single vamp throughout the opener ‘The Wind Cries Edalyn’, allowing the additions of violin and bandoleon accordion (played by the tango musicians Sara Ryan and Adolfo Trepiana, respectively) to weave melodies in between. Despite the titular connection to the Jimi Hendrix song, it bears no discernible resemblance to ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ and it is a deceptive number; what seems such a simple, almost easy-listening song reveals more colour with every listen.

‘Her Phantom Finger of Copenhagen’ is slightly darker and almost sounds, with the slight distortion on Arce’s guitar, as if it could have come from Pot Head, the EP the band released in 2005. Mario Lalli, the bass player, begins the third song, ‘Naomi Crayola’ with a throbbing single note, aided by Bill Stimson’s metronomic drumming. Imagine if Can grew up near the beach, it’s that sort of vibe. The only problem with the song – and the album, as it happens – is that it is too short. Ryan’s violin returns in ‘The Secret Language of Elephants’, this time playing the role of keeping the main vamp alive while Arce’s guitar generates an evocative soundscape that opens in your mind a wide, violet sky like that above a desert the moment after the sun disappears for the night.

The closing song and title track is the most free of the five on the album, with Stimson’s beat conjuring memories of Kyuss’s more mellow moments from Welcome to Sky Valley, Lalli’s bass marking the simplest of bottom ends and Arce having a ball over the top.
(taken from the band’s Bandcamp)

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HPS203 *** YAWNING MAN – NOMADIC PURSUITS ***

REISSUE of the legendary album with brand new cover and coloured vinyls

RELEASED IN:

10 ULTRA LTD TEST PRESS VINYL
100 ULTRA LTD TRANSPARENT BACK. SPLATTER BLUE/ORANGE VINYL
400 LTD GREEN VINYL
BLACK VINIYL
DIGIPAK

PRESALE STARTS:
AUGUST 24th

RELEASE DATE:
OCTOBER 21st

TRACKLIST

SIDE A
CAMEL TOW 5:02
SAND WHIP 6:54
FAR-OFF ADVENTURE 8:28

SIDE B
BLUE FOAM 4:31
GROUND SWELL 6:16
CAMEL TOW TWO 5:00
LASTER ARTE 4:28

ALBUM DESCRIPTION

Heavy Psych Sounds is reissuing the Yawning Man legendary album Nomadic Pursuits in brand new coloured vinyls and new cover. Nomadic Pursuits is the second Yawning Man studio album, released in 2010. With a five-year gap between the first album and this one, the band had time to further expand on their freeform desert sound. Heavy Psych Sounds is now giving new life to this psychedelic gem with a new special edition!

YAWNING MAN IS:
Gary Arce – Guitar
Mario Lalli – Bass
Bill Stinson – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/yawningmanofficial/
https://yawningman.bandcamp.com
http://www.yawningman.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com

Yawning Man, Historical Graffiti (2016)

Yawning Man, Nomadic Pursuits (2010)

Yawning Man, The Birth of Sol – The Demo Tapes (2009)

Has it been a full 24 hours since the last bit of news around here about Heavy Psych Sounds went up? Maybe not every record that’s being re-pressed, even with new artwork, is worth posting about — if it were, I wouldn’t have time to post about anything else — but I dig Brant Bjork & the Bros.‘ Somera Sól (discussed here) a lot, so I’m just happy to have the excuse to put it on and vibe out for a bit.

Originally released in 2007, it was the final offering for Brant Bjork & the Bros. — see also 2005’s Saved by Magic — and it shared “Love is Revolution” with the acoustic-based Tres Dias (reissue review here), which sort of marks out that era of his work for me. The aughts, man. Simpler times. Remember when all we had to worry about was being at war for the rest of our lives? Alas.

Before I get too far off track, here’s info from the PR wire. Preorders are up, but even if they weren’t, you know how to get to Heavy Psych Sounds‘ store by now. If not, it’s super-easy:

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS Records is really proud to presale the repress of the mighty album “SOMERA SOL” of the Lord of Coolness Brant Bjork

The release will see the light May 6th on Heavy Psych Sounds !!!

ALBUM PRESALE:
https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS221

USA PRESALE:
https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop-usa.htm

RELEASED IN
15 TEST PRESS
150 SIDE A SIDE B = YELLOW + BLACK + RED
400 YELLOW
BLACK
DIGIPACK

Somera Sól is the second album from the stoner rock band Brant Bjork and the Bros. It features former Kyuss drummer Alfredo Hernandez and guest appearances by Sean Wheeler of Throw Rag and Mario Lalli of Fatso Jetson. This is the second LP released by Brant Bjork in 2007 following the solo acoustic Tres Dias.

Tracklisting:
SIDE A
Turn Yourself On – 4:28
Love Is Revolution – 5:02
Shrine Communications – 4:03
Oblivion – 2:55
The Native Tongue – 5:04

SIDE B
Freaks Of Nature – 5:49
Ultimate Kickback – 5:33
Chinarosa – 4:40
Lion Wings – 6:30

THE NEW INCEDIBLE ARTWORK HAS BEEN DONE BY BRANCA STUDIO.

***IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ***

THE PRESALE OF SOMERA SOL SUPPOSED TO START TOGETHER WITH “STONER-TOTALLY…” UNTIL THIS MORNING PRESSING PLANT TOLD US IT WOULDN’T MAKE IN TIME FOR THE SAME DATE BUT THE MIRACLE HAPPENED AND WE CAN FORTUNATELY PRESALE NOW TOGETHER

***FOR WHOM HAS PREORDERED ALREADY “STONER-TOTALLY…” YESTERDAY AND TODAY WE WILL CONTACT YOU BACK SOON AND WE WILL GIVE INSTRUCTIONS TO COMPLETE THE ORDER IF YOU WANT TO ADD THIS SUPER TITLE TO YOUR PURCHASE!***

https://www.facebook.com/BrantBjorkOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/brant_bjork
http://www.brantbjork.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com

Brant Bjork & the Bros., Somera Sól (2007)

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Zach Huskey of Dali’s Llama

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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

Well, I’m basically a songwriter first. I’m also a guitarist and singer (vocalist). I started playing guitar when I was around 11 years old. About two years later I was playing in bands. The music scene that I grew up in was all about punk rock or at least the punk ethic of writing and playing original music. This was around the (early ’80s) in the Palm Springs / Palm Desert area. Early on I noticed that there were a ton of guitar players but not a lot of guitarists who could sing and write songs, so that’s what I worked on getting better at.

Describe your first musical memory.

As a little kid I remember listening to Elvis Presley and Hank Williams records. As a teenager there were a few things that blew my mind. First, I listened to The Who’s Live at Leeds album (AMAZING). The second thing was watching that old show on TV called Night Flight and they played the Neil Young with Crazy Horse concert film Rust Never Sleeps. I thought the guitar on “Hey Hey My My” was the heaviest thing I’d ever heard. Finally, my first concert I went to when I was about 14 or 15 was The Plasmatics at Perkins Palace in L.A. The energy and the sex, man that was it for me. I was hooked!

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Opening for White Zombie or Robin Trower. Also, the tour we did a couple years ago of the Southwest was a blast! Maybe it’s just when I write a song, show it to the band and then playing it live and people come up and say they dig it. Maybe that’s the best of all.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

Like most people I have trouble processing acts of senseless cruelty and violence.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

Art should make us feel, and feeling anything at all means we’re alive, and that alone should make us happy. It’s better than the alternative.

How do you define success?

Finding something positive you really enjoy and then doing it to the best of your ability.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

Sammy Hagar.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I’d like to write a soundtrack for a film and I would like to “create” a Dali’s Llama tour in Europe.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

To create some kind of emotion in the listener, reader, viewer, etc.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Retiring from the library and eventually getting a house in the woods, next to a lake. My wife and I have lived in the desert for most of our lives.

http://www.facebook.com/dalisllama
https://dalisllama.bandcamp.com/
http://www.dalisllamarecords.com/

Dali’s Llama, Dune Lung EP (2021)

Imagine taking nearly 20 years to put out your debut album and still being ahead of your time. As Yawning Man have steadily grown into a touring and recording act over the last 15 years, the trio-sometimes-more have gradually come to be recognized for their work among the progenitors of desert rock. At the time they first released Rock Formations (discussed here) in 2005 through Alone Records, that was hardly the case. The album was a soundscaping curio, marked out by the guitar tone of Gary Arce and defining pieces like “Perpetual Oyster” and its title-track, but still not really received with the due respect it deserved. One expects a forthcoming LP reissue through Ripple Music will work to change that.

Yawning Man working with Ripple is notable. The band had been and may still be for all I know signed to Heavy Psych Sounds, but it was Ripple that put out the Arce-inclusive Yawning Sons album this year, so following up with a Yawning Man reissue may be a precursor to working a next studio full-length or it may not. Either way, as I said, notable.

And as far as the record goes, at this point it’s inarguable. Reissue it every week until the entire planet has a copy. It’s the ‘Bright Side of the Sun’ of desert rock.

From the PR wire:

Ripple Music to reissue YAWNING MAN’s cornerstone debut ‘Rock Formations’ on vinyl this August 6th; preorder available now!

Ripple Music teams up desert rock godfathers YAWNING MAN to reissue their long sold-out cornerstone debut album ‘Rock Formations’ on vinyl this summer. It will be available on black vinyl and limited colored vinyl on August 6th, 2021, with preorder up now!

Ripple Music presents the much-demanded re-release of the first album from the legendary Palm Desert band YAWNING MAN, once known as the favorite band of Brant Bjork and among the biggest influences on Kyuss. Although formed in 1986 by Mario Lalli on bass, Gary Arce on guitar, Alfredo Hernandez on drums, the band only released their debut full-length in 2005 on Alone Records. ‘Rock Formations’ has been called “a melancholic mix of acoustic space rock with elements of surf music as well as middle eastern guitar style,” and it represents the primordial statement from one of the most important bands ever to emerge from the California desert.

YAWNING MAN bassist Mario Lalli declares: “This album truly reflects a point in our evolution as musicians where we touched on a sound that resonated with us to this day, while the band has been together since 1986 this album was essential to our growth and is very dear to us, we are very excited to be working with Ripple Music on this reissue.”

‘Rock Formations’ will be reissued on August 6th via Ripple Music, and available to preorder on:
– Limited Edition Gatefold LP (200 copies pressed on pure white and royal blue color-in-color vinyl with gold splatter + 8-page art book included)
– Worldwide Edition Gatefold LP (black vinyl + 8-page art book included)

YAWNING MAN ‘Rock Formations’ reissue
Out August 6th on Ripple Music –
PREORDER: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/rock-formations

TRACK LISTING:
1. Rock Formations
2. Perpetual Oyster
3. Stoney Lonesome
4. Split Tooth Thunder
5. Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
6. Airport Boulevard
7. Advanced Darkness
8. She Scares Me
9. Crater Lake
10. Buffalo Chips

YAWNING MAN is:
Gary Arce – guitar
Mario Lalli – bass
Bill Stinson – drums

https://www.facebook.com/yawningmanofficial/
https://yawningman.bandcamp.com
http://www.yawningman.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Yawning Man, Rock Formations (2005)

The Spring 2021 Quarterly Review begins here, and as our long winter of plague-addled discontent is made glorious spring by this son of York Beach, I can hardly wait to dig in. You know the drill. 50 records between now and Friday, 10 per day. It’s a lot. It’s always a lot. That’s the point.

Words on the page. If I have a writing philosophy, that’s it. Head down, keep working. And that’s the challenge here. Can you get over your own crap and say what you need to say about 10 records every day for five days straight out? I’ll be exhausted by the end of the week for sure. I’ll let you know when we get there if it feels any different. Till then, let’s roll.

Quarterly Review #1-10:

Wolvennest, Temple

The second full-length offering — and I mean that: ‘offering’ — from Belgium’s Wolvennest is an expansive and immersive follow-up to their 2018 debut, Void, as the Brussels six-piece offers next-stage extreme cult rock. Across 77 willfully-unmanageable and mind-altering minutes, the troupe caroms between (actual) psychedelic black metal and sheer sonic ritualism, and the intent is made plain from 12:26 opener/longest track (immediate points) “Mantra” onward. Wolvennest are enacting a ceremony and it’s up to the listener to be willing to engage with the material on that level. Their command is unwavering as the the heft and wash of “Alecto” and the ethereal swirl and dual vocal arrangement of “All that Black” show, but while King Dude himself shows up on “Succubus,” and that’s fun, especially followed by the penultimate downward march of “Disappear,” the greatest consumption is saved for “Souffle de Mort” (“breath of death,” in English; it’s not about eggs). In that 10-minute finale, marked out by the French-language declarations of Shazzula Vultura, Wolvennest not only make it plain just how far they’ve brought you, but that they intend to leave you there as well.

Wolvennest on Thee Facebooks

Ván Records website

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Lammping, New Jaws EP

A 15-minute playful jaunt into the funk-grooving max-fuzzed whatever-works garage headtrip if Toronto’s Lammping is right on the money. The four-piece start channel-spanning and mellow with “Jaws of Life” — which is a righteous preach, even though I don’t know the lyrics — and follow with the complementary vibe of “The Funkiest,” which would seem to be titled in honor of its bassline and conjures out-there’est Masters of Reality in its face-painted BlueBoy lysergics over roughly traditional songwriting. Is “Neverbeen” weirder? You know it. Dreamily so, and it’s followed by the genuinely-experimental 40 seconds of “Big Time the Big Boss” and the closer “Other Shoe,” which if it doesn’t make you look forward to the next Lammping album, I’m sorry to say it, but you might be dead. Sorry for your loss. Of you. This shit is killer and deserves all the ears it can get with its early ’90s weirdness that’s somehow also from the late ’60s and still the future too because what is time anyway and screw it we’re all lost let’s ride.

Lammping on Instagram

Nasoni Records website

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Lykantropi, Tales to Be Told

Tales to Be Told is the late-2020 third long-player from Swedish classicists Lykantropi, following 2019’s Spirituosa (review here) with a warmth of tone that’s derived from ’70s folk rock and vaguely retro in its tones and drum sounds, but remains modern in its hookmaking and it’s not exactly like they’re trying to hide where they’re coming from when they break out the flute sounds. Harmonies in “Mother of Envy” make that song a passionate highlight, while the respective side-endings in “Kom Ta Mig Ut” and “Världen Går Vidare” add to the exploratory and roots-proggy listening experience, the album’s finale dropping its drums before the three-minute mark to allow for a drifting midsection en route to a class finish that answers the choruses of “Spell of Me” and “Axis of Margaret” earlier with due spaciousness. Clean and clear and wanting nothing aesthetically or emotionally, Tales to Be Told is very much a third album in how realized it feels.

Lykantropi on Thee Facebooks

Despotz Records website

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Mainliner, Dual Myths

Japanese trio Mainliner — comprised of guitarist Kawabata Makoto (Acid Mothers Temple), bassist/vocalist Kawabe Taigen (Bo Ningen) and drummer Koji Shimura (Acid Mothers Temple) — are gentle at the outset of Dual Myths but don’t wait all that long before unveiling their true freak-psych intention in the obliterating 20 minutes of “Blasphemy Hunter,” the opener/longest track (immediate points) that’s followed by the likewise side-consuming left-the-air-lock-behind-and-found-antimatter-was-made-of-feedback “Hibernator’s Dream” (18:38), the noisier, harsher fuckall spread of “Silver Guck” (19:28) and the gut-riffed/duly scorched jazz shredder “Dunamist Zero” (20:08), which culminates the 2LP beast about as well as anything could, earning the gatefold with sheer force of intent to be and to harness the far-out into some loosely tangible thing. Stare into the face of the void and the void doesn’t so much stare back as turn your lungs into party balloons.

Mainliner on Thee Facebooks

Riot Season Records website

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DayGlo Mourning, Dead Star

On a certain level, what you see is what you get with the Orion slavegirl warriors, alien mushrooms and caithan beast that adorn DayGlo Mourning‘s debut album, the six-song/35-minute Dead Star, in that they’re suitably nestled into the sonic paraphernalia of stoner-doom as well as the visual. With bassist Jerimy McNeil and guitarist Joseph Mills sharing vocal duties over Ray Miner‘s drums, variety of melody and throatier shouts are added to the deep-toned largesse of riff, and the Atlanta trio most assuredly have their heads on when it comes to knowing what they want to do sound-wise. The hard-hit hi-hat of “Faithful Demise” comes with some open spaces after the fuzzy lumber that caps “Bloodghast,” and as “Ashwhore” and “Witch’s Ladder” remind a bit of the misogyny inherent in witchy folklore — at the end of the day it was all about killing pretty girls — the grooves remain fervent and the forward potential on the part of the band likewise. It’s a sound big enough that there isn’t really any room left for bullshit.

DayGlo Mourning on Thee Facebooks

Black Doomba Records webstore

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Chamán, Maleza

Issued in the waning hours of Dec. 2020, Chamán‘s 70-minute, six-song debut album, Maleza, is a psicodelico cornucopia of organic-toned delights, from the more forward-fuzz of “Poliforme” — which is a mere six and a half minutes long but squeezes in a drum solo — to the 13-plus-minute out-there salvo that is “Malezo,” “Concreto” and “Temazcal,” gorgeously trippy and drifting and building on what the Mendozza, Argentina, three-piece conjure early in the proceedings with “Despierta” and “Ganesh,” each over 10 minutes as well. Even in Maleza‘s most lucid moments, the spirit of improv and live recording remains vibrant, and however these songs were built out to their current form, I’m just glad they were. Whether you put it on headphones and bliss out for 70 minutes or you end up using it as a backdrop for whatever your day might bring, Chamán‘s sprawling and melted soundscapes are ready to embrace and enfold you.

Chamán on The Facebooks

Chamán on Bandcamp

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Sonic Demon, Vendetta

Italian duo Sonic Demon bring a lethal dose of post-Electric Wizard grit fuzz and druggy echoed snarl to their debut full-length, Vendetta, hitting a particularly nasty low end vibe early on “Black Smoke” and proving willing to ride that out for the duration with bouts of spacier fare in “Fire Meteorite” and side A capper “Cosmic Eyes” before the second half of the 40-minute outing renews the buzz with “FreakTrip.” Deep-mixed drums make the guitar and bass sound even bigger, and such is the morass Sonic Demon make that even their faster material seems slow; that means “Hxxxn” must be extra crawling to feel as nodded-out as it does. Closing duo “Blood and Fire” and “Serpent Witch” don’t have much to say that hasn’t already been said, style-wise, but they feel no less purposeful in sealing the hypnosis cast by the songs before them. If you can’t hang with repetition, you can’t hang, and the filth in the speedier-ish last section of “Serpent Witch” isn’t enough to stop it from being catchy.

Sonic Demon on Thee Facebooks

The Swamp Records on Bandcamp

Forbidden Place Records website

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Sow Discord, Quiet Earth

Sow Discord is the solo industrial doom/experimentalist project of David Coen, also known for his work in Whitehorse, and the bleak feel that pervades his debut full-length under the moniker, Quiet Earth, is resonant and affecting. Channeling blowout beats and speaker-throbbing crush on “Ruler,” Coen elsewhere welcomes Many Blessings (aka Ethan Lee McCarthy, also of Primitive Man) and The Body as guests for purposefully disturbing conjurations. Cuts like “Desalination” and “Functionally Extinct” churn with an atmosphere that feels born of a modern real-world apocalypse, and it’s hard to tell ultimately whether closer “The World Looks on with Pity and Scorn” is offering condolence or condemnation, but either way you go, the bitter harshness that carries over is the thread that weaves all this punishment together, and as industrial music pushes toward new extremes, even “Everything Has Been Exhausted” manages to feel fresh in its pummel.

David Coen on Instagram

AR53 Productions on Bandcamp

Tartarus Records on Bandcamp

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Cerbère, Cerbère

Formed by members of Lord Humungus, Frank Sabbath and Carpet Burns, Cerbère offer three tracks of buried-alive extreme sludge on their self-titled debut EP, recorded live in the band’s native Paris during a pandemic summer when it was illegal to leave the house. Someone left the house, anyhow, and the resultant three cuts are absolutely unabashed in their grating approach, enough so to warrant in-league status with masters of misanthropy like Grief or Khanate, even if Cerbère move more throughout the 15-minute closing title-track, and dare to add some trippy guitar later on. The two prior cuts, “Julia” — the sample at the beginning feels especially relevant in light of the ongoing Notre Dame rebuild — and “Aliéné” are no less brutal if perhaps more compact. I can’t be sure, because I just can’t, but it’s entirely possible “Aliéné” is the only word in the song that bears its name. That wouldn’t work in every context. Here it feels earned, along with the doomier lead that follows.

Cerbère on Thee Facebooks

Cerbère on Bandcamp

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Dali’s Llama, Dune Lung

They’ve cooled down a bit from the tear they were on for a few years there, but Dali’s Llama‘s new Dune Lung EP is no less welcome for that. The desert-dwelling four-piece founded by guitarist/vocalist Zach and bassist Erica Huskey bring a laid back roll to the nonetheless palpably heavy “Nothing Special,” backing the opener with the fuzzy sneer of “Complete Animal,” the broader-soundscape soloing of “Merricat Blackwood,” and the more severe groove of “STD (Suits),” all of which hit with a fullness of sound that feels natural while giving the band their due as a studio unit. Dali’s Llama have been and continue to be significantly undervalued when it comes to desert rock, and Dune Lung is another example of why that is and how characteristic they are in sound and execution. Good band, and they’re edging ever closer to the 30-year mark. Seems like as good a time as any to be appreciated for the work they’ve done and do.

Dali’s Llama on Thee Facebooks

Dali’s Llama on Bandcamp

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Last month, desert rock progenitors Yawning Man issued the audio version of Live at Giant Rock through Heavy Psych Sounds, and on Nov. 20, they’ll follow-up with the video from which that soundtrack was taken. Filmed in the Coachella Valley in front of — you guessed it — a very big rock, the project helmed by Ryan Jones (see also: Stoned & Dusted) and the band is clearly intended to highlight the ties between the desert scenery and the music itself. Shots are fluid and languid, but like the graffiti on the rocks, there’s a sense of life throughout that goes beyond the trio of guitarist Gary Arce, bassist Mario Lalli and drummer Bill Stinson playing in the foreground.

Yawning Man‘s decades-spanning legacy and influence need not be recounted here. Suffice it to say that desert rock as it exists now would not without them. The three-piece were to have had a busy 2020 as they continued to support their 2019 studio album, Macedonian Lines (review here). In addition to having been booked for the Californian editions of the Heavy Psych Sounds Fest, they were set to appear at Monolith on the Mesa, Stoned & Dusted, they did manage to tour in Australia and New Zealand, but were to appear at Keep it Low in Munich, Germany, which no doubt would’ve been part of a European tour and coincided with other festivals.

As an answer to that, Live at Giant Rock finds Yawning Man doing what many other acts have done in trying to make the most of what they’ve got. In the interview that follows, Lalli talks of course about this strange year, the process of making this unorthodox concert film, the creative process for Yawning Man in particular, his work in this band and Fatso Jetson, and more.

Thanks for reading and watching if you do.

Yawning Man, Live at Giant Rock Interview with Mario Lalli, Nov. 19, 2020

Yawning Man‘s Live at Giant Rock video is out Nov. 20. The audio is available now and streaming below.

Yawning Man, Live at Giant Rock (2020)

Yawning Man on Thee Facebooks

Yawning Man on Bandcamp

Yawning Man website

Heavy Psych Sounds on Thee Facebooks

Heavy Psych Sounds website

Heavy Psych Sounds on Bandcamp

No brainer. Duh. Yawning Man performing live in the desert. Yes. Again, duh.

Preorders up. Fine. Take my money.

To answer your first and likely only question concerning this release, no Giant Rock is not where Kirk fought the Gorn. That was Vasquez Rocks. Two and a half hours east, according to the googlies.

Maybe you saw this performance air as part of the Stoned and Dusted virtual fest. If you did, you don’t need me to say anymore. If you didn’t, I’ll refer you to the first paragraph above.

From the PR wire:

YAWNING MAN: “Live At Giant Rock” album pre-sale available!

Following their recent and memorable performance in the desert, Palm Springs instrumental rock giants YAWNING MAN have announced the release of their “Live At Giant Rock” album and DVD this October 30th, with preorder available now on Heavy Psych Sounds.

A longtime dream has been to capture YAWNING MAN performing in the very environment that so inspired their music. The opportunity arose in 2020 from the challenges artists and musicians faced during the Covid-19 Pandemic, social distancing forcing artists to creatively adapt to alternatives to express themselves musically and visually. Yawning Man ‘s answer to this calling is “Live at Giant Rock”.

This cinematic concert experience is intimately and beautifully captured by videographer Sam Grant in the environment that inspires Yawning Man’s spacious, expansive and cinematic music. Filmed live in the early morning hours of May 18th, 2020 in the visually stunning and mysterious landscape of Giant Rock.

In the spirit of Pink Floyd’s “Live at Pompeii” the performance is shot on location with no audience, just the band performing their instrumental meditations in the rugged beauty of the Mojave Desert. Giant Rock in Landers California has attracted Native American Nomads, Scientists, UFO Researchers, and travelers from all over the world, drawn by its magnetic spiritual energy.

“Live At Giant Rock” will be available on October 30th via Heavy Psych Sounds, and can be preordered now in the following formats:
– Ultra LTD Test Press vinyl
– Ultra LTD White/Blue vinyl (w/ alternative cover)
– LTD Neon Yellow vinyl
– Black vinyl
– Digital
– LTD edition DVD

YAWNING MAN “Live At Giant Rock”
Out October 30th on Heavy Psych Sounds

Preorder US: https://plasticactus.com/yawning-man-live-at-giant-rock/
Preorder EU: http://www.heavypsychsounds.com

TRACKLIST
1. Tumbleweeds In The Snow – 14:53
2. The Last Summer Eye – 8:58
3. Nazi Synthesizer – 7:37
4. Blowhole Sunrise – 17:41
5. Space Finger (CD bonus track)

YAWNING MAN IS:
Gary Arce – Guitar
Mario Lalli – Bass
Bill Stinson – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/yawningmanofficial/
https://yawningman.bandcamp.com
http://www.yawningman.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com

Yawning Man, Live at Giant Rock trailer

I’ve heard the Big Scenic Nowhere EP that was put together for Blues Funeral Recordings‘ PostWax vinyl subscription series. It’s awesome. All over the place and united through its sense of creative freedom. I wrote the liner notes for it, if that tells you anything, and I might do the same for the album. I’m pretty sure that looking at the below that the bio is adapted from those liner notes, which, hey, is fine by me if it’s fine by everyone else, I guess. Either way, the album — which I haven’t heard yet — will be one to look forward to, and since preorders are starting next frickin’ week, I’m going to guess it’s already in the can, named, signed, sealed, delivered, and so on. That’ll work too. Early 2020? Sounds great. This year’s already been packed to the gills and then some.

From the PR wire:

Heavy Psych Sounds Records&Booking is really stoked to announce a new band signing: *** BIG SCENIC NOWHERE ***

Feat. members of Fu Manchu, Kyuss, Opeth, Qotsa, Yawning Man , Them Crooked Vultures, The Well, Monolord, Mos Generator and more.

We are so proud to welcome a new member to our roster and family: American “super-band” Big Scenic Nowhere !!! A debut album is coming in early 2020..

PRESALE STARTS:
OCTOBER 3rd

SAYS THE BAND: “We are super excited to be working with Heavy Psych Sounds Records. We practically know everyone on the label already. When it comes to this style of music they have a big presence and we feel fortunate to become part of that.”

Anyone familiar with the terms “Stoner Rock” or “Desert Rock” have surely heard the names FU MANCHU or YAWNING MAN. If you’re a die hard fan of the genre, or a causal observer, you know that both bands have been dishing out quality material since the beginning. While stylistically different, both bands occupy legendary status. FU MANCHU’s sun-drenched, stratospheric, fuzz worship sound and YAWNING MAN’s ethereal, ambient delay have never been crossbred until now. It’s certainty a good time to be alive if you’re a fan of either band. We bring you BIG SCENIC NOWHERE…

Like many of the best things in life, the root collaboration behind Big Scenic Nowhere between guitarists Gary Arce of Yawning Man and Bob Balch of Fu Manchu started with tacos.

Bob and Gary have been acquainted since the ‘90s, when Fu Manchu would practice in the garage of the house Gary lived in with other members of the desert scene. Gary remembers coming home from his construction job at the time, working outside in the desert summer, ready to kick back and crack a beer, only to be unable to watch television because Fu Manchu were so loud.

They’d bump into each other over the years periodically and Bob eventually brought Gary in to film a piece for his instructional guitar series, PlayThisRiff.com. After the above-mentioned Del Taco post, it was Gary – whose collaborative efforts have been myriad in outfits like WaterWays, Zun, Ten East, etc. – who finally called Bob to jam.

While the project would grow soon enough to encompass players like Tony Reed (Mos Generator), Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man), Per Wiberg (Spiritual Beggars, ex-Opeth), Bill Stinson (Yawning Man), Nick Oliveri (Mondo Generator, ex-Kyuss, etc.), Lisa Alley and Ian Graham (both of The Well), Alain Johannes (Them Crooked Vultures, Chris Cornell, Eleven) and Thomas V. Jäger (Monolord), Big Scenic Nowhere is founded on Balch and Arce tossing guitar riffs and leads back and forth, piecing together song parts one movement at a time. Jamming. Sharing music. Developing a chemistry to build something new based on their individual experiences. In this way, Big Scenic Nowhere is the heart of what collaboration should manifest. Something that grows stronger for the cohesion between those who make it happen.

BIG SCENIC NOWHERE is:
Bob Balch (Guitar, Bass)
Gary Arce (Guitar)
Tony Reed (Vocals, Keys, Drums)
Mario Lalli (Bass)
Per Wiberg (Keys)
Bill Stinson (Drums)
Nick Oliveri (Bass)
Lisa Alley (Vocals)
Ian Graham (Vocals)
Alain Johannes (Vocals, Guitar)

https://www.facebook.com/bigscenicnowhere/
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/
www.heavypsychsounds.com/