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The Californiana Primer : Playlist
Here’s a draft I wrote on 8/16 when I started making this playlist, “What is Californiana, anyway? I don’t know, sounds made up. A true California album does not need to be made by California natives or locals, it can simply have influences of traditional sounds associated with those made in Laurel Canyon in the 60s. Working with Thom Monahan, or working with someone who has worked with Thom Monahan,…
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Bonny Light Horseman – Deep in Love : Listen
No words, really. Why am I writing about music???? How dumb to try to use words to try to describe already perfect existing words and art. Listen to this song. It’s so fucking beautiful. Every piece is perfect. Ahhhhh Listen on your favorite streaming service and pre-order the album (to be released on January 24th, 2020 on 37d03d) and see them on tour. This is really something special.
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The Blank Tapes – Look Into the Light : Album Review
The Blank Tapes released their second album of the year, available today on Bandcamp. A seasonal companion to the Superbloom EP, Look Into the Light is a heady, heavy autumnal record. The title track has a funky, tropical sound, a slight departure from their more summery, laid-back stoner jams. The Tapes’ characteristic lushness and fascinating, complex guitar work is present as always; but rather than their usual kaleidoscopic rainbow sound,…
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GospelbeacH – Let It Burn
“So the music helps, it’s everything. That’s why the album is called Let it Burn because you let those feelings burn. You don’t let the good stuff burn, you let the bad stuff burn.” When I interviewed GospelbeacH’s Brent Rademaker in July, he described Let it Burn as less PCH and more Sunset Boulevard. Let it Burn is the darker side of Hollywood – a drive after leaving a show…
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Vetiver – To Who Knows Where : Listen
Late last year, Andy Cabic and friends holed up in Yucca Valley, California to make a record that I’ve been eagerly anticipating the announcement for. Vetiver’s signature acoustic, soothing but surprising freak folk tones married with Thom Monahan’s shimmering production always equal perfection. Stoked to hear the full thing, and hopefully catch a show down the road from where the recording took place. I really need this album right now.…
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Eric D. Johnson with JRAD : Show Review
If you read my review of Gold Past Life, the shimmering, gorgeous early summer album from Fruit Bats, you know that it’s probably going to end up at the top of my albums of the year list. I missed him in Brooklyn last month and I’m going to miss him again in New York in a recently announced November date. Oh, the pains of being bi-coastal. When I’m here, he’s…
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The Obvious LA Songbook: playlist
This blog post almost seems redundant because all the music I listen to with a few exceptions could probably go onto this playlist. That’s what this whole dumb website is about, right? Anyway, I’m going to LA tomorrow and wanted to add one more playlist to my collection of 900million. I actually made the ultimate on-the-nose LA mixtape on a cassette when I was about 13 years old – Beverly…
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GospelbeacH – Dark Angel : Listen
GospelbeacH dropped their first single today, “Dark Angel” from Let it Burn, out October 4th on Alive Natural Sound Records. Can’t wait for the full album and to see these guys live in the desert. “It’s pretty plain that it’s about loss and breakups and heartbreak. But there’s a lot of redemption there. I had to really dig deep to handle all this shit.“ Make sure to read my interview…
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Moon Duo – Lost Heads : Listen
Listen to experience Moon Duo’s kaleidoscopic, celestial-psych track “Lost Heads” from the upcoming release Stars are the Light. Pre-order Stars are the Light on Bandcamp.
