Words by Andrew Ryan Fetter
Andrew Fetter has been writing about music for over the last decade and playing in bands for even longer. His latest endeavor was the radio hour, The Noise Kaleidoscope which aired on 99.1FM WQRT in Indianapolis (now on hiatus – past episodes are archived online). On it he covers his personal collection and influences of psych rock from over the last half century, starting with early influences and reaching to its modern incarnations.
This month’s edition of Head Space is bittersweet for two reasons. One reason being we wrap up our exploration of the WITCH’s discography with Zango (Partisan), their incredible release from last year. The other being I am wrapping up my time as your humble navigator through this wild journey. It’s been a joy discovering all these amazing sounds with you, the incredible Off Shelf readers. But, life circumstances have dictated that it is time to move on to other things.
Zango is about a triumphant moment for WITCH as you can get. After decades of obscurity and the complete dissolution of the zamrock scene as a whole, this record is a wonderful reminder that this band is a powerful force in the world. The first two tracks “By The Time You Realize” and “Waile” are both incredible enough to forgive the brief disco chapter of their story and it just gets better throughout. As with all things, the future of WITCH is uncertain. This may be a one time thing or the band may be returning in full force with more new music on the horizon. Either way, Zango is a gift we’re all very lucky to have received.
Connected to previously explored artists in Head Space, the latest album from The Dandy Warhols reminds us all why they were good enough to be the rival band to The Brian Jonestown Massacre. And while BJM definitely beats out the Warhols in terms of frequency and quality of releases, Courtney Taylor I would dare say writes better pop hooks. And the songs on ROCKMAKER(Sunset Blvd Records) give you all the evidence you need. Even the awful-titled “Danzig With Myself” (which features a guest appearance from THE Frank Black) is a pretty great tune.
Another staple in this column has been the Brown Acid compilation series put out by the fine folks at Riding Easy Records, so it’s fitting that we get one last installment for our time together. It still amazes me that this label has been able to unearth 18 volumes of early psych/stoner rock, and from so many unexpected parts of the country. Parchment Farm (from Union Missiouri) bring us “Songs Of The Dead”, while Fargo, ND’s The Pawbrokers contribute their metal-laden “Realize”. All around it’s an amazing addition to this series that I hope continues.
Admittedly, when I realized I would get to cover The Jesus And Mary Chain at least once it made me feel a bit of satisfaction. Glasgow Eyes (Fuzz Club) is a wonderful electro-fuzz rock treat. The Reid brothers have certainly aged well as songwriters, even in just the last 7 years since Damage and Joy. “The Eagles and The Beatles” is probably the closest thing to a misstep that you’ll find. With a riff that basically inverts Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock And Roll” and simply name drops all the bands they like, I’m not exactly sure what they were trying to do, but thankfully it’s over quickly.
When it comes to hazy dream-pop, Still Corners prove once again that they are the best in the biz with their latest release, Dream Talk (Wrecking Light). Tessa Murray’s angelic voice soars over Greg Hughes’ layers of sounds. An equally soothing and haunting combination, particularly with the desert-esque droning on the album’s opening track “Today Is The Day”. And from there, you just float all the way through to the end.
Our very last trip together features four legends of California’s Desert Rock scene. Mario Lalli, Brant Bjork, Sean Wheeler and Ryan Güt have joined forces to bring forth an album that is truly an experience. The album is Folklore From The Other Desert Cities (Heavy Psych Sounds) with the band dubbed Mario Lalli and The Rubber Snake Charmers, these four songs show why each of these members have played such a pivotal role in creating such a powerful sound. Lalli’s sung/spoken poetic ramblings paint a wonderful picture, and the instrumentation picks the colors.