Amon Düül was originally a collective that emerged from a far-left commune in Germany, the more musically talented members of this group formed the band Amon Düül II, arguably the most psychedelic band of the Krautrock scene, led by Chris Karrer on guitar, violin, and vocals and featuring John Weinzierl on guitar and vocals, Renate …
Mark Lager’s Desert CDs: Agitation Free – Malesch (1972)
Best listened to on a CD in your car stereo while driving down a desert highway, the psychedelic rock band Agitation Free had returned from an eye-opening and mind-expanding two week trip through Egypt, Lebanon, Cyprus, Greece, the band’s contact with other cultures captured on tapes that they interspersed throughout the seven tracks of Malesch …
Mark Lager’s Desert CDs: Kyuss – Blues for the Red Sun (1992)
Best listened to on CD in your car stereo with the volume cranked up while speeding down a desert highway, Blues for the Red Sun is the band’s best (alongside Welcome to Sky Valley) and not only one of the greatest heavy metal albums of the 1990s, arguably one of the greatest heavy metal albums …
Kyuss – Welcome to Sky Valley (1994)
It would be a fair comment to say that music lovers are lovers of music because the bands that they love, no one else really understands. A feeling the fans of bands such as Kyuss must love getting. Yes, to those uneducated in this field, Kyuss may well sound like another rock ‘n’ roll band. …
Mark Lager’s Summer Vinyl: Brainticket – Psychonaut (1972)
June – the longest daylight of the year, the summer solstice. Brainticket’s Psychonaut was released 50 years ago (June 1972). The back cover of the record contains cumulus clouds drifting across blue skies – a portrait of summertime. The front cover of the record (my vinyl copy is the most recent picture disc reissue by …
The Record That Changed My Life: Dave Mustaine on AC/DC – Let There Be Rock (1977)
I was 16 and made a living from selling dope. My Mom left me alone pretty often back then and I had to figure out for myself how to get along. One of my customers was a guy from a record store. He recommended Let There Be Rock to me, and I think he even …
Justine and the Victorian Punks – Beautiful Dreamer / Still You (1979)
It’s a relief that music like this is still there to be discovered, lurking just out of arm’s reach in the digital pre-history. At a time when every shred of avant-disco’s shadowiest past would seem to have been aired out on YouTube and Facebook, DFA came up with some mind-blowing archival dance music from late …
DAF – Gabi Delgado: The Last Interview
Gabi Delgado has passed away a few hours after publishing this interview. He meant the world to me, and he will be terribly missed by his fans. Things indeed can come to a certain end. Gabi Delgado, March 2020 For me, you are without a question the most influental German band. Many people would name …
Beach House Breakup: How I Finally Fell Out of Love with Legrand & Scally
October 2010I wandered in my loneliness through falling autumn leaves in St. Louis, Missouri. My headphones were playing Teen Dream. I felt the heartbreak in Victoria Legrand’s voice as she sang “Walk in the Park”. I felt my own lost love in her lyrics. Beach House – Walk in the Park – Special Presentation Summer …
A Darkly Romantic Apocalypse: GAS – Der Lange Marsch (2021)
Do you not then hear this horrible scream all around you that people usually call silence. Werner Herzog Anticipations are high when a new GAS record is being released, as they are addictively cinematic and fuel our defrauded cravings for inspiration. Not only does Der Lange Marsch (“The Long March“) not disappoint these anticipations, but …