New Band to Burn One To: PUSSYCAT AND THE DIRTY JOHNSONS

Directly from the sandy beaches and hot sun of...London, England...comes a raunchy, bawdy, in your face trio of rockers who deliver a high energy brand of rockabilly retro skate surf punk fuzz. The wailing, confrontational, all out vocals of frontwoman Puss Johnson (She's going to have to marry a Hampton, I think) are reminiscent of Sleater-Kinney's incredible Corinne Tucker. The dual guitars of Johnson and lead riff-meister Dirty Jake are a colossal sonic concoction of blistering be-bop and monstrous, memorable melodies. Filfy Antz drives it all forward in breakneck crescendo and perilous climax. This trio isn't climbing into any typical box of the usual fuzz labels, but the retro punk vibe is loud, raucous, and diabolically fun.

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Quick Hit: THE ELECTRIC SHAKES - "ELECTROHYPNOSIS"

Europe gives us a TON of great underground rock bands that run the gamut of styles we lump into stoner/doom/psychedelic/desert/retro/blues rock (even the genre lump is sizeable), and the UK is no exception. The trio The Electric Shakes, out of Bournemouth, are another of an impressive group of UK fuzz monsters.

Most trios are set up as one member doing double duty as the vocalist in addition to playing an instrument, but one impressive aspect of The Electric Shakes, in addition to their awesome fucking moniker, is that each brandisher of a musical apparatus performs vocal duties as well. The more vocals the better, whether it's a sharing of song leads, furnishing backup service, or in harmony, and these guys sweep all obligations.

The music they make is infectious, rawking, and fun. It's heavy on the riff and quick on the tempo. The drums are virulent and catchy, engaging head and hips in a dance of infectious rhythm. Monstrous basswork bolsters the heaviness of tracks that otherwise rocket and zoom in gravity defying exhilaration. The guitar brings all the highlights expected of excellence and quality, with a colossal fuzz enclosure punctuated by searing, soaring solos. The songs themselves are melodic masterpieces of amalgamated rock standards with traits of punk, stoner, garage, blues, and 70s era rock. The Electric Shakes' approach to music is a brilliant combination of those great rock sounds of past and present without any direct reflection of one legend over another, which allows them to forge something exciting and new and wholly their own.

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New Band To Burn One To: MASTEROID - "HOLLOWED BEINGS"

MegaStonerRetroPunkFuzz has been quite brilliantly captured on this raw, garage rock of an album from a threesome of young and imaginative musicians out of Phoenix. It's a simple sound, yet for all the novice hallmarks of this album it manages to bestow an elegance in that simplicity as well as near genius in its melodic composition. The magnitude of the riffs is towering, brutal, and primordial while the dexterity displayed in the hooks and simple interludes is addicting. The drummers display a magnificent proficiency of timing, power, and heart. The bass is savage, ruthless, and unyielding in its driving rhythms.

These young musicians seem to be ramping up for a career in the low, dark arts of stoner/doom style music. Their inaugural oblations indicate more brilliance to come if they can manage enough notoriety. Here's to hoping that is indeed their fate, and ours.

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New Band To Burn One To: SUNDERFEET

A potent sound of high energy, agile vocals, bruising drums, brawling bass, and riffs galore are the hallmarks of this threesome from the north of France. They have mastered the art of combining great melodies with a massive sound, full of razor sharp hooks, skull stomping drums, bone crushing guitar from bass and six string, and dusky, ragged vocals. The music is stonerish and grungy, but uniquely their own as they play with relish and ferocity.

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DOUBLE TOKE: The Darts - Self-Titled LP / Mad Monkees - Self-Titled LP

I have 2 artists' works to share with you today, so this'll be two Quick Hits in one, which surely can be classified as a double toke, right? The theme today is a punky, garage-y, grungey assault with stoner rock fuzz bombs.



When I listen to The Darts I envision uber-slick rockers from somewhere in Britain, but these nimble rock warriors hail instead from Phoenix and Los Angeles. They display the full battery of stoner assault weaponry with a relentless bass, massive drums, and gargantuan guitar, blasting missiles of massive fuzz, but what sets them apart are the blitzkrieg of vocals from each of the four band members and the razor sharp melodies upon which the assault is laid. It's a formidable vehicle upon which is built an array of quality pieces, all of it erupting with heart and sweat and not a little bit of innate ability, making for music that is thoroughly pleasurable, deeply satisfying, and massively fun.

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Hailing from Fortaleza, Brazil this band of four very special primates delivers a whopping load of fuzz and fun on their self-titled LP, released a year and a half after their self-titled EP. If you're coming across these high octane rockers for the first time then together the EP and LP offer up 14 roaring tracks of imaginative assonance, designed to be played in the loudest mode you can muster.

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Album Review: Ruff Majik - "The Fox"

Whew! Where are my asbestos gloves? This album is HOT!! Searing through the ionosphere from Pretoria, South Africa, screaming towards us cloaked in fuzz stuffed riffs, raucous runs, and joyous melody comes the latest release by one of Stoner Rock's new breed of jam masters, Ruff Majik. "The Fox" delivers six fibrous, rollicking delicacies of amplified fuzz close on the heels of their 2015 offering of "The Bear", itself bursting forth with six jagged metal edges of sharp and smoky stoner standards.

Ruff Majik are comprised of:

Johni Holliday - Guitars, vocals, and narratives
Benni Manchino - Drums and narratives
Jimi Glass - Bass guitar

As an EP of six, "The Fox" has little room and little time to waste in solidifying a sound that will attract the ear of discerning stonerheads. I can safely and securely report they have been quite successful in utilizing every bit, every note, every riff, every run, every song on this astounding release.

"King of the Badgers"  This opening track begins with what would appear to be a setup for a psychedelic riff trip, but before the initial minute has closed the band has unleashed fuzzy hell on our senses, and all out distortion through melodic amplification. Fittingly, Glass's bass begins the riffslaught, followed closely by Holiday's dextrous riff-fire and then Manchino's undertow of power. The tenor of the song is pure stoner bliss, with low tuned distortion and filtered fierceness throughout, before closing on a short, melancholy acoustic coda.

"Wax Wizard" begins with heads tilted simultaneously to the sky at the gargantuan sound and straight downward to the dark abyss of low tuned stoner perfection. This song is deliberate, dank, and darkly determined in its steady onslaught of hammer blows and husky sound detonations.

Third in line is "Canned Fruit Bats", which utilizes a very cool opening couple of minutes. The fidelity at the outset is low, simple, and melodically beautiful, almost as if being played through your portable hi-fi at the beach back in the day. But very cool soon gives way to awesome. Awesome in scope, delivery, and emotion. The band's now customary onslaught begins with, and sustains an up-tempo flow of fuzzy chords and dusty laser riffs wrapped in a vocal and lyrical masterstroke. This song is a treasure.

"Sodoom and Gomorah" is a dirge of dark delight, gloomy and certain in its trudging tempo through melodic muck before revving up its outboard amplifiers to cut a quick and deadly swath toward its riff laden conclusion.

Opening with a poetic reading that is a prelude to what's to come is "Coffin Dragger", another beautifully crafted up-tempo onslaught of fuzz and distortion in the same vein Ruff Majik have perfectly established to this point, but offering up something new and immensely compelling, burying your experience deep into exquisite riffs of bass, string, and skin.

The closer is an emotional ride told in two parts, each equally adept at portraying the darkness of emotion and loss. "Royal Forest" is a beautifully haunting tale, perfectly accentuated through low wailing riffs and woeful vocals.

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New Band To Burn One To: ODDHUMS

This is the debut EP from Jaén, Spain’s, ODDHUMS. The band only formed earlier this year and have already created a record which blows many of their peers out of the water. The band (Freg on Guitar, Keke on Drums, and Will on Bass and Vocals) combine a few different styles over these four tracks, from stoner and sludge riffing, to post-rock dalliances with grunge overtones, making them hard to predict but exciting to listen to.

Grab a hold of this EP while you can from their bandcamp, and play on repeat until their first full length comes out; we think you’ll be as excited as we are for it. 

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Band Submission: Magic Chicken Fudgetoe Sludge, Stoner, Grunge, Noise From Perth, Australia

Band Name: Magic Chicken Fudgetoe
Genre: Sludge, Stoner, Grunge, Noise
Location: Perth, Australia
Brief Bio/Description: Magic Chicken Fudgetoe are a Perth (Australia) based metal band. They play their unique style of metal taking influences from the heaviest, hookiest and darkest bands from the 70s, 80s and 90s.
Band Members:
Josh - Vocals, Bass
Andy - Guitar
Rory - Drums
Links: Facebook | Bandcamp

Band Submission: Polanski-Grunge/Stoner Rock/Punk From Helsinki, Finland

Band Name: Polanski
Genre: Grunge stoner rock punk
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Brief Bio/Description: Polanski is a 4-piece rockstonergrunge -band from the drunken neighbourhoods of Helsinki. Founded in 2011, slowly but unreliably expanding the exposure to fellow citizens of earth. Newest release Medicine EP (2016) available now. Usually muddled up but always sincere.
Band Members: 
Anttoni Pikkarainen - Vocals & Guitar
Kalle Loimula - Guitar
Miika Kyyrö - Bass
Tyko Haapala - Drums
Links: Medicine EP/Bandcamp/Soundcloud/Facebook

Stoner Spotlight: Killer Gandhi

Hailing from that stoner rock n' roll mecca, Oklahoma City, Killer Gandhi recently managed 2 releases in 4 months, between December, 2014 and February, 2015. The initial drop was the self titled, 10 track LP Killer Gandhi soon followed by the 5 track EP Digital Messiah.

Expressing an edgy, scratchy, rocky sound deeply seated in both the 90s grunge and desert sounds, as well as a raw garage hillbilly boogie, these Okie gents crank out some raucous fun. The first album sets the stage nicely with a cool range of sounds in the LP's ten songs, from the opening Roadsaw-like sound of "Nasty Bastard", the haunting, desperate "In the Sun", the heavy, loud, and delightfully funky "Filthy Nickel", and the emotionally deep "All the Time in the World" to pinpoint a few. The vocals are beautifully edgy and raw, never overwhelmed in range or effort, fitting beautifully with the huge, jagged guitar, deep, driving bass, and piercing, pointed drumwork.

The 5 track second album ups the stakes significantly, never backsliding in quality or imagination, and instead grabbing and gripping with tight melodies, tight performances, and an oh so right rock sound jam packed with fuzz, fun, history, and a bit of uncharted territory.  "Laugh Now, Die Later" is a song for the ages, giving us a tune that should make anyone's playlist of favorites. "It's Gonna Break" is reminiscent of great grunge tunes mashed up with huge fuzzy stoner guitars creating a sound of fierceness and joy. The album closes out with the raucous, rollicking rocker "Hostile Takeover"

These 2 albums are quite the treat, seeming to languish in that big pile of wonderful stoner/fuzz sound out in the world, but hopefully, here, they will be able to provide a bit of rock n' fuzz respite from the harshness of horrible news everywhere you turn these days, a treat that can move your soul as it does the corners of you mouth, tickling your fuzz receptors in the process.

Killer Gandhi has mainly consisted of 4 members. On the EP, the latest release, Levi Dickerson deftly manned the drums, Josh Griffin and Steve Macanally shared shredding duties on guitar, and Brad Reed carried the heavy load on bass. In addition to his guitar work, Macanally was front and center with those righteous vocals. Since the release of Digital Messiah the band has been reduced to Macanally and Reed, but that is 50% of the song writing chops and 100% of the matchless and laudable crooning, so there remains huge potential  for future stoner grunge boogie. We can only hope.

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Song of the Day-King Ghidora-"Dust"

"Dust" is taken off of the first release from this band consisting of members from Tricorn, Contra, Dragon Eye Morrison and Arcachnotaur. With doomy layering and nineties grunge influences, this song weaves in and out of your psyche with strong melody, intricate beauty and unbridled passion. I dig it! For more information, please check out the following links: Facebook | Bandcamp

Song of the Day-Mother Mooch-"Misery Hill"

"Misery Hill" is taken off of the band's latest release "Nocturnes". Some of you may have caught on to the band earlier this year with their killer 3-song sampler release "Preludes". Well, the full-length has finally arrived and it does not disappoint. Many would tend to lump the band into the female-fronted occult rock trending right now, but I think otherwise. The band has a "classic rock" sound that blends many different styles from heavy psych to 90's grunge. If you ask me, I think the vocal sounds a bit like Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders, which is a good thing. That artwork is astonishing! For more information, please check out the following links: Facebook | Bandcamp

New Band To Burn One To: Tradish

This Welsh trio first came to our attention late last year with their debut offering The Garden of Bliss and Murder, showing a band searching for their standout sound, playing with doomy elements mixed in with slabs of stoner and 70s hard rock, and at times it was a invigorating listen. Now with the release of their follow up effort, The Garden of Bliss and Murder Vol. 2, it was the right time to let you guys know all about the newest heavy rockers from Cwmbran, Wales, or from henceforth known as the valleys of Tradish!

The three guys (Kane Barker on guitar and vocals, Luke Proudman on drums and vocals, and Ben Hughes on bass) have grown up on a diet of grunge and alternative stoner, culminating in a sound glorifying the greatest elements from all their beloved genres, and with Vol. 2, the band seem to have cemented the musical path which they want to head down for their debut record; a fuzzy psychedelic stoner juggernaut of a sound that will win the band legions of followers the world over. Check out the band’s two releases so far and get on board what could very well be your next new favourite band.

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EP Review: Wychhound by Wychhound

There’s an almighty sound coming from London stoner/grunge/doom outfit Wychhound that is heavy to the point of suffocation, just enough to get you to the edge of your life, knowing that for the past 20 minutes you’ve actually lived. The crushing down-tuned guitars, pounding drums, and coarse vocals don’t obey to genres, frequently playing with the rule book, crossing between stoner, grunge, doom, metal and classic rock elements.

There’s no letting up from start to finish over the three tracks on offer here, as the five-piece have not come to fuck around. Opener ‘Cold Temple’ carries stoner/psychedelic vocals over crushing metal-esque deeply driven guitar riffs that is the heart and soul of this band. With each track being around seven minutes long, the band get to flow across not just different genres, but also different speeds of playing, frequently slowing things to a crawling doom pace, before unleashing minute-long thrashy guitar solos. ‘House of Cards’ gently builds to an almighty explosions of meaty riffs with vocalist Jimmy Holifield ripping the speakers apart, yelling, “I AM THE WIND THAT BLOWS DOWN THE HOUSE OF CARDS” with a thousand horse power behind him.

The London boys end on riff heavy closer ‘Truant Mind’ with its wall of guitars driving the song ever forwards, like waves constantly battering your eardrums. With their self-titled debut EP, Wychhound have opened to door to a world of possibilities of where they could go from here, but with the evidence on show, their future is going to be loud, big, and heavy as hell. We can’t wait!

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