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Yuzo Iwata :: Daylight Moon

"Waiting for the guitar to play" concludes a short written piece penned by musician Yuzo Iwata, a memory of observing a jam session outside Tokyo. This Daylight Moon insert is a perfectly suitable precursor to the album: a fascinating, whirlwind relic of the late guitarist. Spiraling, Velvets-inspired guitar textures float between seaside ambiance and complex riffs over gloomy soundscapes. The (mostly) instrumental record grips hold of you as a reminder of the essence of a true psychedelia in sound, rather than the buzzy ambiguity that the term seems to be placated in of late . . .

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Pep Laguarda & Tapineria :: Brossa D’ahir

Recorded in the Balearic Island of Mallorca at Bananamoon Observatory Studio, the-then home-studio of psych-pioneer Daevid Allen (Soft Machine, Gong), Brossa D’ahir’s sound is profoundly imbued with the bucolic, coastal atmosphere of its location. The music, dreamy and wandering, is a warm, breezy blend of guitar, bongos, flute, lute, glockenspiel, mandolin, and harmonica, swaying like a hammock in tranquil balance with Laguarda’s voice and the celestial backing vocals of Tapineria’s Joan Marí and additional players . . .

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No Way Out: An Oral History of Sunburned Hand of the Man: Loft at Sea

This week, we finish the band’s chronological story then pivot to take in Sunburned’s many artistic collaborators. We hear about the personal impact of the band’s non-stop touring and the eventual burnout that ground things to a halt. Moloney and Thomas then describe how this was followed by several “wilderness years” where the band was just there but they weren’t really doing anything with it . . .

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On the Duo Format: An Interview Series :: Chris Corsano, Bill Orcutt, and Tashi Dorjii (Pt. 2)

Bill Orcutt, Chris Corsano, and Tashi Dorji join Aquarium Drunkard to discuss the lasting appeal of the two-piece band in improv and experimental music . . .

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Jerry David DeCicca :: Lost Days

On New Shadows, the latest offering from Jerry David DeCicca, the always astonishing Texas troubadour shares what may be his most personal, internal reflections yet in a glorious left-turn of large, outward production. DeCicca’s dark, romantic, and existential ruminations are both disrupted and beautifully augmented by fat, slinky synths and drum machine beats, horns alternately dour and uplifting, and even the occasional auto tune . . .

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David Crosby :: Kids And Dogs (1971)

What more can be said about those hallowed halls of the PERRO sessions? A musical who’s who of the upper echelon of San Francisco at the height of its power. Every cornerstone of the scene was represented in the assemblage, but the ship was helmed by two wayward voyagers—pushing the outer expanses of musical ideation. Often omitted from the varied bootlegs and official releases culled from the sessions, an unsuspecting bit of guitar minimalism would finally see the light of day in 2006. With the deluxe reissue of David Crosby’s magnum opus If I Could Only Remember . . .

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Kristin Hersh :: Clear Pond Road

Thirty years ago, shortly after taking leave of Throwing Muses to start Belly, Kristin Hersh made Hips and Makers, a raw, acoustic solo album that throbbed with strings and pulsed with furiously strummed guitar, featured a notable duet with Michael Stipe, and ended up selling more copies than any of Hersh’s other records before or since. It was unamplified, but hardly quiet or well behaved, and about as passionate and stirring as a record can be. Fast forward to 2023, three years after the surprise return of Throwing Muses, and Hersh has circled back again with Clear Pond Road . . .

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The Aquarium Drunkard Show: SIRIUS/XMU (7pm PDT, Channel 35)

Dub/roots especial. Via satellite, transmitting from northeast Los Angeles — the Aquarium Drunkard Show on SIRIUS/XMU, channel 35. 7pm California time, Wednesdays.

34.1090° N, 118.2334° W . . .

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All the Days and Nights: Drew Daniel (Matmos) on Acetone, Then and Now

On November 17, Acetone releases i'm still waiting, a comprehensive boxset featuring the band's studio albums and unreleased recordings. Here, we present an exclusive excerpt from the boxset's liner notes, by Drew Daniel of Matmos. "Acetone's story is easy to miniaturize: they traded volume for space . . .

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Wildflower :: Seabirds

From the rugged coastline of Maine comes the sound of Wildflower, the music project of Adrian O'Barr. Composing gentle tunes and endearing lyrics, filled with pastoral beauty and hope, O'Barr procures the help of musician friends to augment his songs and lean into extended jams . . .

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Transmissions :: Emil Amos (Drifter’s Sympathy)

Welcome back, thanks for being here with us. Emil Amos of the Drifter's Sympathy podcast is with us today on Transmissions. Perhaps you know his work with OM, Grails, Holy Sons, or the records he releases under his own name, like Zone Black, his latest record of library style sounds, synthy 80s soundtracks, hip-hop beats, and ambient music. It evokes a mythic ‘70s—an area we linger in this conversation . . .

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Theee Retail Simps :: Live On Cool Street

Montreal’s Retail Simps know their rock ‘n’ roll history and how to mess with tradition. On their second album, the quintet led by Celluloid Lunch label boss Joe Chamandy keeps the party raging with deep fried nuggets of garage-punk funk. Whether they’re revving up into frenzied guitar freakouts or coasting through slower paced strummers, Chamandy blows out his vocal chords at every step . . .

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Neil Young & The Stray Gators :: Scope Arena, Norfolk, Virginia, January 29, 1973

As a followup to the Time Fades Away (Again) collection we shared earlier this year, break out the Jose Cuervo and get into one of the best audience tapes from Neil Young's somewhat ill-fated early 1973 North American tour.
"Neil was pretty strange on his big tour," former road manager Leo Makota told Rolling Stone. "[He] was trying to get a certain sound out of the band that he apparently could never find. The band would jam at soundchecks in the afternoon and sound great. Then they'd come in and do the show at night and never . . .

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Famous Mammals :: Instant Pop Expressionism Now!

Swell Maps are the obvious reference point for Famous Mammals—especially since they’ve already paid tribute to Nikki Sudden—but you can also describe them as a toned-down Homosexuals, or someone’s idea of a dream band with Mark E. Smith sharing the mic with Trish Keenan . . .

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No Way Out: An Oral History of Sunburned Hand of the Man: Tent City Roller

At this point in our story, Sunburned Hand of the Man morphs into a many-headed hydra with varying manifestations in the loft and on each tour. To get through this vague period of 5-8 years, we focus on the band’s tour stories. We learn how a years-long period of heavy touring was kicked off with a family-band excursion to play a wedding in Alaska. After a conjunction of high-profile press coverage, Sunburned suddenly found themselves in high demand on the international festival circuit. So we focus on stories of their extended tour of Europe . . .

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