London-based psych-soul metallers Vodun — who remain hard enough to pin down that “psych-soul metal” really is the best I can come up with — release a new single today in the form of the Superhot Records two-tracker Oya. By some amazing coincidence, the three-piece have a video for the track “Oya” that’s also just been unveiled. I mean, really, what are the chances? You’d almost swear these things were planned out in advance.

Contrary to what the name Triple A Films might tell, you, the production value on the “Oya” clip is professional grade, and there’s a pretty clear narrative ark that — as ever — really takes a turn for the weird when the eggplant gets involved. I feel like I’m still trying to get a handle on what Vodun are going for, but I know it’s fascinating. Feel free to check out the video below for “Oya” and peruse the PR wire info that follows to see if you agree.

Vodun, “Oya” official video

Vodun release video for new single, “OYA”, out now on Superhot Records

London heavy-psych-soul trio Vodun have released a mind-bending video for their new download-only single, OYA, released today through Superhot Records.

OYA can be downloaded for £1 through Bandcamp: http://vodun.bandcamp.com/

The single follows the band’s self-released Eat Up the Sun EP from earlier this year. While the technical, heavy riffing can still be heard, there’s a stronger focus on powerful, soaring vocals than the guitar driven EP.

Featuring two members of one of London’s finest underground bands, Invasion, who disbanded in 2011, Vodun have taken the basic blueprint of that band, added a huge West African voodoo influence and ramped up the intensity across the board. Chan (vocals) and Zel (drums) found a kindred spirit in Oli (guitar) and emerged as a more technically accomplished, musically aggressive and energetic band.

Vodun are touring the UK with fellow Londoners Ghold in June. Catch them live on the following dates for a truly spiritual live show.

WED 26th – MANCHESTER – Wahlbar, Fallowfield
THUR 27th – LEEDS – Santiagos
FRI 28th – NOTTINGHAM – Stuck on a Name Studios
SAT 29th – LONDON – The Windmill, Brixton

Superhot Records is run by musicians Chris West (Trippy Wicked/Groan) and Leigh Jones (Groan). They are committed to bringing the best from all ends of the underground heavy music spectrum to people’s attention in a way that makes it easy for fans to find and listen to new heavy music.

http://www.superhotrecords.com

Quick to shirk expectation, London trio Vodun are a band for the jaded bastard in us all. Their recently-released debut Eat up the Sun draws a line somewhere between the stirring wails that stand out front of an act like Witch Mountain and the Kuti-worship that has arisen in the neo-psych theatrics of Swedish mongers Goat, only with Vodun it’s heavier and peppered by start-stop intricacies and off-time rhythmic complexities that make good on the threat that anything can happen at any time. Psychedelic soul metal? Yeah, maybe. Certainly on “Aida Wedo.”

The announcement came down the PR wire today that Vodun will follow-up Eat up the Sun with a single called OYA on Superhot Records that will be out on June 10. Behold words and free downloads for the brazen of spirit:

Superhot Records to release single, OYA by heavy psych soul trio Vodun on 10th June

Vodun, the ex-Invasion heavy-psych-soul trio from London have teamed up with Superhot Records to release their upcoming single OYA, on 10th June 2013. The band are hosting a release party on 7th June at The Victoria in Dalston, London where they will also show an exclusive screening of the video for OYA. The video and digital single will be available direct from Superhot Records, Vodun, iTunes and Spotify from Monday 10th.

Featuring two members of one London’s finest underground bands, Invasion, who disbanded in 2011, Vodun have taken the basic blueprint of that band, added a huge West African voodoo influence and ramped up the intensity across the board. Chan (vocals) and Zel (drums) found a kindred spirit in Oli (guitar) and emerged as a more technically accomplished, musically aggressive and energetic band.

OYA follows on from the self released EP Eat up the Sun; 7 songs recorded over 2 days at Holy Mountain studios. The EP was launched in April earlier this year at a sold out show in London which also doubled as their first live outing as a band. The EP showcases their particularly original blend of shredding guitars, forceful drumming and soulful vocals and is currently available direct from the band’s own Bandcamp: http://vodun.bandcamp.com/.

Label: http://www.superhotrecords.com/
Band: http://www.vodunband.com

Vodun, Eat up the Sun (2013)

Sure, they look friendly enough, but UK sludgers Gurt cake on some of the filthiest downtuned mud coming out of the Isles these days. Their 2012 EP, You Ain’t from around these Parts? (video here) was a lurching slab of viciousness, and I was psyched to discover recently that Superhot Records (see also Trippy Wicked, see also Stubb) released a compilation of some of their earlier works. Dubbed Collection and limited to 50 copies hand-numbered — I got #26 — the orange tape culls together Gurt‘s 2011 full-length, Redwin, on side one, and the prior 2010 EP, Volume 1, on side two.

This is exact type of purpose I like for the tape format. Not just commodified nostalgia (is there any other kind?) for the early ’90s, but something a collector would want, a really low-key release, small, cheap, but still something cool for the people to have who want it. As I hadn’t heard either Volume 1 or Redwin when they came out, Collection was a perfect opportunity to get myself acquainted with the beginnings of the band. Starting at the start, as it were.

They don’t, though. Redwin is the second, the newer, of the two releases on Collection, and it was pretty clearly a conscious decision to put it first. Relatively speaking, it’s more realized, cleaner-sounding and more professional. Though the span between Volume 1 and Redwin had only been a year, Gurt have a more definite idea of the kind of drunken cacophony they’re shooting for on a song like “Swoffle,” which slurs out lines like “I’ll sink your battleship/She floats my boat” as a setup for the Led Zeppelin cover “Rock and Roll.”

Both sides of the tape wind up featuring covers, first Zeppelin and they tackle AD/DC‘s “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” on side two, but Gurt definitely make the classics their own, dirtying them up and treating them to vocalist Gareth Kelly‘s rasping screams. For showing the band at a more formative stage, Volume 1 is even rawer than Redwin, fatter in the low end and launching with “Fucknose,” which had shown up on side one as well, all mean and primitive. The toying with country-isms Gurt showed on You Ain’t from around these Parts? was beginning to crop up in the banjo intro to Redwin, but on the three tracks of Volume 1, they weren’t quite there yet and it was straightforward pummel and addled fuckall.

To finish, Collection delves even further into Gurt‘s primordial ooze, rounding out with a “rough mix” of the song “Soapfeast” that actually sounds more like a rehearsal room demo. Wherever this version comes from, it lives up to the “rough” part of its listing, and I mean that as a compliment. The track showed up last year alongside “Dudes with Beards and Cats” on Gurt‘s split with the since-defunct Dopefight, and it makes a fitting conclusion to Collection‘s quick, devolutionary trip. Any rawer and they probably wouldn’t be there to start with.

It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of spiked tea, but Collection is a welcome curio and a cool way for anyone who’d dare to to get indoctrinated by Gurt‘s plodding sludgeisms. The orange cassette, the limited number, that’s all really fun stuff, but in the end, the songs win out as its biggest appeal, and that’s all you can really ask of it.

Gurt on Thee Facebooks

Superhot Records

A little while back, UK fuzz rockers Stubb premiered a video for “Under a Spell,” a non-album track that was recorded after their 2012 self-titled full-length (review here). When I posted it, I said I thought the song was good enough to warrant highlighting on a 7″ single, maybe with a live track on the B-side and a Frank Kozik-style cover. Nice thought, but I didn’t imagine in a million years it would actually happen.

Lo and behold, the dudely dudes of Stubb have followed through on a new Under a Spell 7″, pressed on blue vinyl through Stallion Rex Records that also includes the new song “Bullets Rain (From the Angry Sky),” with both tracks mixed and mastered by (who else?) Tony Reed. Check out the badass motorcycle-and-puppy cover and announcement from guitarist/vocalist Jack Dickinson below:

We are excited to announce that we will have a 7″ record coming out on Stone Stallion Rex records very soon. Pressed on blue coloured vinyl with a special textured cover the record will be limited to 300 copies and contains two brand new songs, Under a Spell and Bullets Rain (from the angry sky). More details soon so you can get ordering!

Stubb, “Under a Spell”

I guess until we can get these dudes over for a run of the US East Coast, I’ll just have to make due with seeing Trippy Wicked and the Cosmic Children of the Knight at Desertfest in London. Not exactly a hardship, as it happens. Trippy Wicked released the surprisingly metallic Going Home in 2012 (review here) and I don’t know what else they might have in the works for 2013, but when I see ’em, I’ll be sure to ask.

Looking forward to this one for sure. Here’s the official announcement:

Trippy Wicked and the Cosmic Children of the Knight at DesertFest 2013

Yippee-ki-yay motherfuckers! St. Albans’ premier exponents of bluesy sludge are back for a second bite at the DesertFest cherry after packing out the WPC/h_d_p stage earlier in 2012.

Trippy’s exciting blend of grungy wrecking-ball riffage, thunderous drumming, sing-a-long-able choruses and all with a swaggering bluesy twang, has won them a strong following across the South of England and beyond. Sure to be showcasing tracks from latest release Going Home, along with fans’ favourites from their debut proper Movin’ On, get ready to chow down on equal helpings of both mosh-pit and ho-down with these modern-age masters of the groove. Like QOTSA? Like Soundgarden? Like Hank3? Get ready to rock with your new favourite band. Dig it!

words courtesy of Pete Green

I can tell it’s getting on the holidays because the escapist in me is kicking down the doors of my brain wanting to travel. As such, when I look at the list of UK trio Stubb‘s upcoming shows — brief though it is on relative terms — I can’t help but want to jump in a plane and be like, “Yeah, sorry, I know there’s a ton of weird obligation stuff to do, but uh, rock and roll,” show my passport and be gone. So it goes, and I don’t.

It’s a ways off, but apparently Stubb are going to play The Trip Out next year, which is a vintage bike show about 90 minutes north of London that looks like it kicks ass kinds of classic ass. One can only hope they bring cameras with them for a video. Hopefully closer in the pipeline is a new release the band quickly hints at. Could it be the “Under a Spell” 7″ requested earlier this year? While I cross my fingers, here’s the latest from the band:

So a little round up of what we have coming up:

Thursday 20th December- The Black Heart, Camden with XII Boar and Gurt. Money goes to cancer charity Concerts for Cures

Saturday 16th February- The Borderline, Supporting Sungrazer and The Machine

September 2013- The Trip Out custom bike/car show, Bedfordshire

We also have a special release coming up that we’ll fill you in on very soon!

I mean, seriously. The chihuahua from Mars Attacks? I don’t know whose brilliant idea that was, but I both tip my hat and wish I could be there to see it when British heavy riffers Trippy Wicked and the Cosmic Children of the Knight take on German heavy psych upstarts Wight in a cage match known as nine shows in nine days. I’d hit up a show, but there seems to be an ocean in my way. Stupid ocean. Never done nothin’ for nobody.

Been on the PR wire long enough to get stale, but it still smells fresh to me:

Fat&Holy Records is proud to present you the upcoming tour of the two Psychedelic Stonerrock bands WIGHT from Darmstadt, Germany and TRIPPY WICKED from St Albans, England…. it will be totally wicked! Both bands know how to rock, without compromises, evil and dark, but without losing humour. There are a lot of different moods and feelings and these bands totally reflect the real life in their songs.

You can listen to the new albums on bandcamp!
http://wight.bandcamp.com
http://trippywicked.bandcamp.com

The tour will be all over Germany and also in France! Check out the route:

FR 12.October – GER – Immerhin Würzburg
SAT 13.October – GER – Metzgerstraße Hanau
SUN 14.October – GER – Oetinger Villa Darmstadt
MON 15.October – GER – Radio Unerhört Marburg
TUE 16.October – FRA – Les Combustibles Paris
WED 17.October – FRA – Jimmy’s Pub Strasbourg
THU 18.October – GER – Hühnermanhattan Halle (Saale)
FR 19.October – GER – White Trash Berlin
SAT 20.October – GER – Rock The Hall Festival Mitwitz

Wight have just released their second album “Through The Woods Into Deep Water” on LP on Bilocation Records and CD on Fat&Holy Records. The feedback has been incredible with album of the day at roadburn.com, album of the summer at theobelisk.net and a lot of high rated reviews. Wight planned to write a rock album with all their influences from 70s Classic Rock to the 90s Grunge Scene and true to that have ended up with a mix of high overdriven guitars and groovy rhythms. The album was released in July 2012 and Wight had already played it live at Festivals like Desertfest Berlin, Stoned From The Underground and Misty Mountain to a great reception.

After a meeting of both bands at the beginning of the year they decided to tour together.

Trippy Wicked & the Cosmic Children of the Knight’s most recent album, Going Home, was released 30th April 2012 on CD and LP via the band’s own label Superhot Records. Going Home is the band’s second full length album and continues their alternative take on the stoner and doom genres, injecting some much needed positive vibes and generally turning expectations on their head. And of course, there are drinking songs. Lots of drinking songs.

Going Home was recorded by the band themselves in late 2011 and after a successful European tour with the USA’s Stone Axe, Tony Dallas Reed, who counts the latest Saint Vitus album among his credits, was put in charge of mixing and mastering the record (Reed also mastered the Wight album, so the triangle closes).

Not content with just working the desk for Trippy Wicked, Tony has offered to step in on drums for the upcoming October tour as drummer Chris West will be filling in for Dicky King on bass.

Charming bastards that they are, UK fuzz rock trio Stubb went ahead today and posted a video for their unreleased song “Under a Spell.” The track, which was left off their self-titled debut, released earlier this year, is a burner — with classic “rockers are diff’rent”-type lyrics, an instant hook in its chorus following the softer intro, and a rawer, half-shouted vocal from guitarist Jack Dickinson (hat above). Long story short, it sounds badass, with featured guest Hammond work from Nick Siemper to go along with the performances of Dickinson, bassist Peter Holland (pipe above) and drummer Christopher West (tea above).

As noted last week, the track appears on the new Ripple Effect digital compilation, Head Music Vol. 1, but after listening to the song a couple times on its own while watching this video, I’m thinking a 7″ single might be in order for “Under a Spell.” Not that it won’t get heard on the Ripple comp, just that I think it’s of a quality enough to be featured on its own vinyl side as well.

Even if Stubb don’t have another unreleased track to put it with, they could use, say, this version of “Scale the Mountain” with Mykey Haslip from Stone Axe doing guest vocals in the chorus as a B-side (or the Superhot Sessions version of “Hard Hearted Woman”), and they’re good to go. Put a classic Kozik-type cover on it all block letters and some grainy picture from the ’70s, and release it in limited numbers through their own Superhot Records? I’ll buy that frickin’ thing.

Check out the clip below and see if you don’t agree: