So much music, so little time. That’s a predicament I find myself in often, and I imagine the rest of you feel that, too. It’s a good problem to have, though.
I’ve been getting many more emails lately from psych bands and musicians, and I often feel guilty that I can’t write about them all. So, I frequently devise ways to cover more of the emails I get. One of these ways is a round-up – or psych-jams of the week. It’s not the full-fledged article or review I think many bands would like or deserve, but it at least gets the names and tunes out there for many bands and artists I feel are worthy of your eventual listening time.
In this week’s edition, we have psychedelic shoegazers from Australia, Seventies-inspired heavy psych from France, whimsical space rock from Italy, cosmic country from California, and an extra-weird dose of “drug pop” jams from Orlando, Florida. Enjoy!
Pin Drops by The Black Heart Death Cult
Release Date: October 27th
Subgenre: Shoegaze
Bandcamp Link
The Black Heart Death Cult are psychedelic shoegazers from Melbourne, Australia that returned in October with a new 12” EP, Pin Drops. Self-released via their own imprint, Death Cult Records, the EP revolves around the title track with five additional outtakes from recording sessions for their upcoming third LP release.
The title track on this gem from Australia is a “raging slab of Ninetines-era grunge guitars, slicing octave lead with heavy gaze overtones, pounding drums, fuzzed-out bass, and dark and dreamy vocal delivery.” Hot damn!
The band says the new EP gives a strong indication of what’s to come on the next album, and I liked what I heard (I think you will, too). Vocalist Sash L. Smith envisions a brave new dark age of droney bliss in this sonic bazaar, according to the Bandcamp bio, and she’s joined by fret wizard Domenic Evans, sub-sonic bass dealer Donovan Pill, and human time machine Andy Nunns. All together, they’re on the dreary magic bus they call The Black Heart Death Cult.
First off – the band name rules. Secondly, the music is even better – foreboding, bad-trip-psychedelia-type stuff. I sensed some Black Angels vibes on Pin Drops but with a shoegaze edge. The vinyl is sold out, so you’ll have to settle for a digital copy of this one on Bandcamp.
The Revenge of The Blue Nut by Fuzzy Grass
Release Date: October 6th
Subgenre: Heavy Psych/Stoner
Bandcamp Link
Fuzzy Grass is a band that takes Seventies music seriously. The heavy psych/stoner act from Toulouse, France, says they bring Seventies energy into the 21st century with Zeppelin-style drumming, Kyuss-sounding bass, Hendrixian guitar, and vintage lyrical vocals. Their second LP, The Revenge of the Blue Nut, dropped in October, and it comes with an interesting idea.
I couldn’t follow what kind of story Fuzzy Grass is trying to tell on their new record, but it has something to do with “the psychedelic adventure of a peanut man.” Perhaps this is from a vision seen during a recent trip. Fuzzy Grass is currently on tour, as they started in May 2023 with gigs in France and will soon announce more for spring and summer 2024.
The Revenge of the Blue Nut is hard-driving, fast-paced psych rock that sees the band developing more of a prog-rock facet, too. There are also touches of the blues on the record here and there, such as in “I’m Alright,” where I almost heard the echoes of The Allman Brothers. Fans of Birds of Nazca, Bismut, and Stoned Void should like the tripped-out stoner rock on this album.
Intergalactic Tales Of a Wandering Cephalopod by Octonaut
Release Date: May 13th
Subgenre: Stoner Rock/Space Rock
Bandcamp Link
Octonaut is a whimsical group of stoner/space rockers from Rome, Italy that formed in 2017 and released its debut record in May 2023. Intergalactic Tales of a Wandering Cephalopod is a fun, riff-filled adventure with plenty of heavy psychedelic influences and a goofy backstory.
As the band tells me, the album is “the story of a space-flying octopus who escapes from his home planet because the conditions for living are no longer there. He goes around space looking for a planet where he can relocate his entire race. This octopus can enter the body and mind of any living species and each song (or group of songs) is set on a different planet.
“The octopus enters the mind of a member of the dominant species and tries to steal information, which is delirious and confusing for most of the time because it’s hard to step into the shoes of another living species, especially if you’re a damn space octopus! There is also a set of songs from an astronaut in the space station around the Earth.”
Whether you like the story of a space-flying octopus or not, the music itself will keep you coming back. The prog-rock-infused record may remind you of King Crimson or The Mars Volta, a sprawling space-rock sound that bursts at the seams with creative energy. Many songs are longer, including “Octonaut,” an eleven-plus minute epic track.
Two Perched by Aquamarine
Release Date: August 28th
Subgenre: Cosmic Country/Neo-Psychedelia
Bandcamp Link
Sonoma, California-based Aquamarine consists of multi-instrumentalists Tyler Meloan and Aaron Marcus-Willers, who’ve released music under the Aquamarine moniker since a 2017 debut EP, Bluesberry Jam. The California duo say their sound builds on traditions in psychedelia and Americana, weaving introspective, dreamlike narratives in their musical and lyrical exploration. It’s good stuff.
Aquamarine’s second full-length album, Two Perched, arrived over the summer (August 28th) and comprised 14 tracks and 45-plus-minutes of dreamy, folksy psychedelic melodies. Compared to the other bands on this list, Aquamarine is much more chill, making relaxed psych ballads good for daydreaming.
Work Free Drug Place by Timothy Eerie
Release Date: October 13th
Subgenre: Drug Pop/Neo-Psychedelia
Bandcamp Link
And now for the weird stuff. Lastly, let me introduce you to Timothy Eerie, the Orlando, Florida-based psychedelic pop group that makes music with “deep grooves and endless ego deaths.” The band uses the genre tag “drug pop” on Bandcamp; the first time I’ve ever seen it – and I like it.
Starting as a bedroom project, Timothy Eerie is now a full rock ‘n roll band that, like many psych acts, has a revolving door of players and contributors that only adds to their mystique. The band’s newest LP, Work Free Drug Place, dropped in October and features the super-duper trippy “Toad Venom,” a sonic labyrinth of joustling guitars, rampant percussions, and ethereal vocal echoes.
“The song’s title is based on the venom of the Sonoran desert toad, which contains 5meo-dmt- the strongest psychedelic known to man. The lyrics are about dealing with uncomfortable experiences,” says Eerie.
Timothy Eerie has drawn comparisons to Thee Oh Sees and shared the stage with some great bands, including L.A. Witch, Surfer Blood, Dead Meadow, Of Montreal, and Kikagaku Moyo.
The PR description of the band is excellent, too: “It’s no accident that the name Timothy Eerie is so close to Timothy Leary; this is the aural equivalent of two tabs and a trip down the rabbit hole. Where the ethereal meets the visceral is where you will find Timothy Eerie, with dreamy, hazy melodies accompanied by thick tones and rock’n’roll noise.”
I couldn’t locate Timothy Eerie’s new record on Bandcamp, so check out the new record on Spotify below or find it on other streaming platforms.
That’s it for this week’s psych jams list. If you are a band/musician and want to be featured, drop me an email with your stuff at 3rdeyepsych[at]gmail.com.
If you want to try these records before you buy, check out the Spotify playlist below, where you can find the music:
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