James Ferraro

James Ferraro gets increasingly harder to pin down with each subsequent release.  Drone, analog synthesizer fetishism, pop muzak, and on and on.  His latest album "NYC, Hell 3:00 AM" continues in that grand tradition, this time around creating murky, druggy experiments with lo-fi, nocturnal R&B.  Calling it R&B is a stretch, but that's what i've got.  Take a listen to "Eternal Condition / Stuck 2" below and get the album from Hippos in Tanks.

Found Vinyl: Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band - The Eggplant that Ate Chicago

Strange little psych oddities are one of the reasons i go record crate digging whenever possible.  A recent one turned up the 1967 album "The Eggplant that Ate Chicago" by Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band.  The group mixed psych rock, folk, and even elements of bluegrass into their sound for a goofy and clunky, yet highly enjoyable mix.  Take a listen to the title track below.



I think one of my favorite things about this record is how prominently the kazoo plays into some of the music.  The production is really interesting as well, with what gets brought the foreground, and what gets buried in the mix.  Listen to "Summer Love Song."



And here's one more called "Modern Day Fish."



Until next time.

Vatican Shadow

Dominick Fernow's Vatican Shadow project follows a much different path than his work as Prurient.  The noise and aggression are stripped away, leaving a backbone of processed industrial beats interwoven with somber and haunting synthetic sounds, hums, and textures.  What's left is something dark, ominous, brooding, and foreboding.  New album "Remember Your Black Day" uses the backdrop of the Iraqi occupation for mood and theme, which only serves to make the music all the more bleak.  Listen to the throbbing and hypnotic "Contractor Corpses Hung over the Euphrates River" below and get the album from Hospital Productions.

Purple Pilgrims

Recorded in Hong Kong with Gary War at the boards, New Zealand's Purple Pilgrims blend the ethereal, echoed chamber-drone with the far-out and hushed vocals of the some psych-folk anarchists.  The effect is delirium.  Take a listen to "Earthly Heaven / Joon" below and get the duo's split LP (with Gary War) from Upset The Rhythm.

Mohammad

As long as we're all in agreement that drone music is the thing to do right now in order to make our eyelids heavy, and our breathing deeper, and our heart rate slower, so that we all may enjoy the rapture of our bed sheets' warm embrace, here's another calming, hypnotic artist from PAN Records, Mohammad.  Hailing from Greece, the three piece band use bass, oscillators, and cello to craft a swirl of texture and sound perfect for the insomniac dead of night.  Get the "Som Sakrifis" LP here and listen to "Lapli Tero" below.

Rene Hell

I should not be up this late, but it's a time change night, so it's actually an hour earlier which means i'm just fine.  Maybe i should have another beer.  Anyway, here's a noisy, yet intoxicating little experimental drone number from Rene Hell called "Var_len."  It comes from the very recent "Vanilla Call Option" LP on PAN Records.  Listen below.

Eyedress

I probably should have posted this creepy video two days ago.  Eyedress hails from the Philippines, and creates haunting synth-pop.  Watch the equally haunting "Nature Trips" video below and be on the lookout for a proper release on Abeano in the future.

Action Bronson and Party Supplies - Blue Chips 2

Even though i'm a shade irritated that he cancelled his Fun Fun Fun Fest appearance next weekend, i'm always down to support the work of ugly, slimeball Action Bronson.  Compound that with the fact that the man has re-teamed with producer Party Supplies for the "Blue Chips 2" mixtape, the sequel to 2012's fantastic "Blue Chips."  You can stream the whole thing below and download the whole mixtape here.

Androgynous Mind

One of my favorite act of the last few years was the criminally underrated Women, and was pretty bummed when they broke up.  But good news everyone.  Former singer/guitarist Patrick Flegel has a new project called Androgynous Mind, and is releasing a 7" EP called "Nightstalker" in December on Faux Discx.  Take a listen to the haunting, lo-fi "Knock on my Door" below.

New Dum Dum Girls

Dum Dum Girls are back next year with a new album of reverb-drenched, Jesus and Mary Chain-worshiping garage rock.  "Too True" is out in January on Sub Pop, but listen to the head-nodding thrum of "Lost Boys and Girls Club" below.