Tycoon Machete is a four-piece psych-rock/post-grunge band from Salt Lake City, Utah, that’s sailing the dark waters of the 21st century guided by the ghosts of Sixties psychedelia, Eighties electronica, Nineties grunge, and Thirties blues. That’s quite the mash-up of styles, and after listening to their new album, I can say it works, and it’s an interesting mix. Tycoon Machete is also the first band I’ve written about from Salt Lake City, so I’ll count that as a new one, too.
The band is set to release a new album, The Great Machine, on July 18th. The Great Machine explores some weighty topics, such as the fragile machinery of love, music, and society. It’s a rather dark album, describing “the fraying of the relationships that hold the world together.” For example, “Don’t Call Me That” speaks of rural vs. urban societies, while “Everything’s Fine on Wall Street” explores capitalism vs. humanity.
“Islands” touches on social media vs. IRL, “Apocalypse is Such a Bore” is about lost connections, and “Gasoline” is about man vs. nature. These are ambitious takes on some of the thorniest issues of our time, and the music is also downbeat enough to match their weighty quality. In other words, this could be your new soundtrack for doomscrolling this summer.
The video for “Everything’s Fine on Wall Street” is also pretty creepy, so I would describe this album as in the nightmare psych genre. The experimental electronic sounds mixed with the psychedelia are interesting, making for fascinating listening. It reminds me of “hypogenic pop” that was part of a mild craze in the early 2010s, though Tycoon Machete’s is much darker.
Overall, The Great Machine is a cool album you may want to check out. The lyrical themes and thematic elements may get you down, but for some people, it may be the type of music to help you think and vent about the world’s problems. As I mentioned, the album comes out on July 18th, so keep your eyes peeled for the Bandcamp release. In the meantime, check out the band’s debut album from 2020, Wedding Cake.
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