Post Tagged with: "psych"

Tame Impala blew me away when I heard the "Innerspeaker" album.  I don't even know how to describe it anymore.  Is it psych-rock? Prog-rock? Dub-rock-wave (I don't even know what that is)?! AHHH! All I know is whatever this sound is that they create, I'm all over it.  So when their newest album, "Lonerism," came out, I knew it was going to be good.  No worries of them falling off, whatsoever.  And I was right. 

So yesterday on the bus I'm listening to music on my phone, and I heard "Be Above It," the opening track to Tame Impala's "Lonerism," and I started thinking about the importance of the opening track of any album.  Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of The Moon," Nas's "Illmatic," ATCQ's "Low End Theory," Michael Jackson's "Thriller," Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue."  You can pretty much go to any classic album and find that the opening track was as equally important as the album as a whole.

"Lonerism" is no exception.  Check out the opening track, and become a fan.  This is still a band who i have not seen perform live, and I regret missing every one of their Los Angeles appearances.

My man, DJ MZA, asked me to come play some jazz records on his radio show last month, and he mentioned that he was having a band called The Monophonics come through the following week.  I was not in the know, but I did some research and now I’m officially a fan!  Good timing, too, since their new album, In Your Brain, is scheduled for release in May, courtesy of Ubiquity Records (pre-order here).  A super fresh heavy soul, psych, and funk sound from this bay area outfit.

In doing my research, I was able to get a hold of this older 45, thanks to Colemine Records in Ohio (big up to Terry Cole for putting out some amazing music!).

Then I realized they performed in LONG BEACH (what?!) this past December at Harvelle’s.  Yet another example of me sleeping on some quality stuff in my own city.  Check their cover of “Love & Happiness.”

And here’s a quick look at one of their tracks from the new record.

I really dig this band.  Great compositions and super cool lyrics.  I ran into Noah Arroyo, the bassist for The Truffles, at Beat Swapmeet this past Sunday, and he gave me a copy.  It’s been in my car since.  Can’t stop playing it.  New school psych soul sounds, combined with quirky vocals, from the Inland Empire.  I love it.  Dig the guitar work by Carlos Arevalo.

Support the band directly through Bandcamp, or ask your local record stores to pick this up!