‘Have The Sun Lick Your Mind‘ is the fantastic new indie-rock psychedelia song from Sweden’s Marble Mammoth and this raises the standard in 2020.
Marble Mammoth are part of Sweden’s labyrinth psych scene. This Stockholm-based quartet, with members from bands such as garage rock act Dollhouse, wanders seamlessly and with style between classic genres in a dynamic mix of riff based rock and dreamy psychedelia.
Their progressive sound is characterized by swinging drums and bongos, fuzzy guitars, vintage organs and energetic vocals. I love the sound here and this a band that seems perfectly at sync.
Released off Klorofyll Records, ‘Have The Sun Lick Your Mind‘ from Marble Mammoth is a marvelous journey about going for your dreams. You want to reach so high that the sun can lick your mind so you feel free. With such a melodic rhythm that keeps you interested all the way through. This is such a gem.
On January 31st, 2020 Brexiters insipidly celebrated the prospect of monoculturalism. Meanwhile, I embraced the cultural diversity found in another stellar line up curated by Manchester-based promoter Astral Elevator.
With Noisy Italian Psych Post-Punks Kill Your Boyfriend headlining and support from Manchester’s Hey Bulldog and the Dee Vees along with Dublin’s finest Psych Garage Rock act Glossolalia, there was a sticky-sweet melange of Psych-driven noise to delve into.
Hey Bulldog’s socialist approach to Psych Blues Garage Rock left me mesmerised once more; their sound was as tight as the government’s welfare budget. The momentous tensile force behind their deftly orchestrated tracks paired with the disquiet delivery of the sniping lyrics will never fail to blow me away.
Photo Credit: Astral Elevator
The caustic tones of Kill Your Boyfriend may be ringing in my ears some 24 hours later, but it’s a small price to pay for witnessing such an explosively entrancing set which matched the same decibel-intensity of Swans and My Bloody Valentine.
Their darkly despondent experimentalism finds the perfect balance between Noise, Shoegaze, and Post Punk to offer a level of distinction which aggressively resonates in every note delivered.
With their tribal drumbeats, inventively distorted angular guitar progressions and riotously-charged vocals, getting swept up the energy of their anarchic performance is pretty much non-optional. Even in the basement of an indie venue, they were able to deliver an all-consuming performance that allows you to forget that you’re standing in front of three musicians. There was synergistic chemistry found in both their abrasive stage personas and the delivery of their pummelling eerie rhythmic noise.
Photo Credit: Sean Crossey
Manchester-based poet Leon the Pig Farmer also doused the crowd in his poetic vitriol in between the acts. With the penetrating parables which he’s able to draw from his savage wit and unabashed honesty, each performance cut just as deeply as the last. While many spoken-word artists rely on prosaic methods, Leon the Pig Farmer projects resoundingly raw verses in a way which truly revives the undiluted expression of the beat generation. Whether he’s spitting bars about the graffiti on the Peer Hat toilets or being viscerally honest about his mental health, the weight behind his words leaves an imprint which isn’t easily forgotten.
Perfectly rounding off the night were the guest DJs Kay & Gray with their back to back synoptically eclectic danceable euphoria-dripping earworms. It’s a rarity to hear DJs championing new artists and simultaneously appeasing the crowd. Evidently their needles are on the pulse of some of the best up and coming artists around.
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When you first hit play on a track from an underground artist such as Electric Peace you never quite know what to expect. Turns out, it was probably the best soundscape a fan of the Cramps could encounter. Whilst Electric Peace ran with their own brand of Post Punk Psychedelia, the filthy rolling and grinding riffs were all there infused with the perfect touch of Psychobilly.
The absolute powerhouse of musicians has recently released their latest compilation album ‘Greatest Hits 1981-1985 (Sonic Remix)’. And my God, it’s like stepping back into a more raucous time, where rock was still allowed to be sultry, chaotic and a little bit insane. The authentic feel to the album probably has a lot to do with the fact the original was digitally mastered back in 1985 by the Los Angeles Punks. I for one am eternally grateful that they did.
You can check out Electric Peace’s remastered album by heading over to Spotify now, there are 15 electrifyingly cataclysmic tracks for you to sink your teeth into.
