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Greg Loiacono – Mystic Traces
Whatever project Greg Loiacono’s involved with sounds quintessentially Californian. Mystic Traces is no different. Loungey and open with a laid-back sound, the album cruises and coasts like a drive down the 1. It’s easy listening in the best and truest sense of the phrase. Between his work with the Mother Hips, the Green Leaf Rustlers, and collaborating with countless other Bay Area musicians, it’s no wonder this album sounds so effortlessly cool. Mystic Traces nods to various genres, from bossa nova to country rock. Recorded in Ojai at Scott Hirsch’s (Hiss Golden Messenger) studio with friends like Kyle Field, Bary…
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Pacific Range : Tune In
Pacific Range is possibly the platonic ideal of a Californiana band – not in name alone, but their psychedelic combination of surf, country, and jammy sounds that peak and crest like the waves depicted in the imagery that reflects their origins (Chico State) and chosen home (the Santa Monica Mountains). The band released their excellent album High Upon the Mountain in March through our favorite label Curation Records. Their high energy shows, as well as their rigorous schedule, have helped Pacific Range cultivate quite a following. Unfortunately, the pandemic made the tour originally planned to promote their record an impossibility,…
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Pacific Range – Studio Walk : Video Premiere
Curation Records isn’t only purveying cool Californiana canciones, but curating a community. To repeat Pacific Range labelmate Farmer Dave’s statement from a past interview, “the emphasis [in music] going forward is on family… You want to be with your community.” In that spirit, I asked some friends and fans to help write this article. It’s hard to imagine that only a few weeks ago, Curation Records was putting on a hell of an end-of-the-world party. Pacific Range grooved for almost two hours, putting their all into the last concert before the day the earth stood still. Today, in the midst of…
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Pacific Range – High Upon the Mountain
High crested mountain peaks giving way to arid, sweeping, open horizons; lush, ancient forests; hurtling through a canyon before the road breaks open to a vast and sparkling sunlit surf – Pacific Range’s debut full-length LP High Upon the Mountain is Curation Records’ first official release. The album takes listeners on a sonic tour of West Coast sound, the array of landscapes and sensations California offers mirrored by the band’s broad scope of sounds and influences. The four-piece, consisting of singer/guitarist Seamus Turner, bassist Cameron Wehrle, drummer Nate Ward, and keyboardist and guitarist Stewart Forgey, is the latest thread in…
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Farmer Dave Scher
Farmer Dave called me and immediately the call dropped. I called back. “I’m in a canyon!” he pronounced. Of course he was. With roots in California dating back to the mid-1800s, Farmer Dave admits that California is an easy place to fall in love with, whether you have roots or not. He speaks like an ancient person from the future. I had a feeling he might be able to shed some light on what makes California so magical, sounds and visions rippling through time. Sure enough, he seemed to, although his answers lead to more questions, a fractal-like investigation of…
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GospelbeacH : On Tour
GospelbeacH is bringing the sunshine to Europe this February. You can’t miss it, especially if you’ve never seen them. They’re the reason I go to shows in an almost insatiable, they brought me to so many other artists I love, Brent is probably the reason you’re reading this website! I’m listening to Let It Burn while I relay this story. After seeing hundreds of whoever came through my small town when I was a teenager, I’d been burned out from music for a while. For years I wasn’t curious or excited about new music and I went to see a…
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Mapache – Life On Fire
Hell yeah. Some summery seventies vibes bringin’ some sun on a winter’s day. Mapache’s self-titled debut was an instant California classic, and this tune promises that their upcoming release will demonstrate their detailed historical knowledge and maturing musical prowess with effortless rhythms and intricate guitar playing that’ll have you flying past the palm trees on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park, the Hollywood sign in view on a sun-lit day in your mind. Pre-order From Liberty Street on Bandcamp.
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Vetiver : On Tour
In the wake of the release of the astonishingly gorgeous Up On High, Vetiver just announced their east coast tour dates. Andy Cabic and his band, a tight-knit 😉 four-piece, put on a stellar show, one that I rearranged massive plans and traveled state lines to see again. Understated but intricate, they perform a lovely blend of old and new material. Despite Vetiver’s mellow, laid-back melodies, the band certainly rocks out and the new material translates into a mesmerizing performance of both enchanting, quieter down-tempo moments interlaced with danceable, up-beat foot-stompers. Don’t miss them!
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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, seems to help add a shimmering, sun-lit quality. It can be sad but there’s gotta be hope. Direct references to Los Angeles, beaches, surfing, canyons, boulevard, etc. aren’t necessary but…
