Heavy psych trio from Chicago with lots of repetitive groovy fuzz bass and wah-wah guitar. Think if Les Rallizes Dénudés mixed with Jimi Hendrix. Raw psychedelic freakout jams recorded live.
Burnt Hills – The Moon of the Sky (2010)
“This is the sound of burnt hills, the smell of burnt hair, the black musical smoke from a burning methlab in an abandoned trailer park, a glorious blown out, burnt out, drug addled freak rock free for all. Imagine the Dead C if they had grown up in Modesto, skipping school and doing lots of speed in the 7-11 parking lot, or if they had spent their formative years in Texas in the early eighties smoking pot and huffing glue. Or imagine a Hawkwind practice space jam session moments after each band member received a partial frontal lobotomy. How about a playground fight between Liquorball and Faxed Head, the ‘Ball armed with flaming wadded up balls of black aluminum foil and the ‘Head flinging guitar picks dipped in lighter fluid and an rusty guitar strings. Weird and wonderfully fucked up. Fans of freaked out psychedelic punch ups, dizzying clattery outsider free rock and getting super high and diving head first into a huge pile of drums and guitars will feel right at home.”
Dom – Dom / Devil’s Grandma (1972)
Improvised set from obscure German group with lots of wah-wah and fuzz.
Residual Echoes – California (2006)
“The Residual Echoes were formed by Adam Payne after he moved to Santa Cruz and met the encouraging forces of Ethan Miller (Comets on Fire) and Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance). They have blossomed into one of that city’s finest groups. Their sound is a vibrant collage of everything that has ever happened in music, all deftly manipulated and manicured by Mr. Payne into some of the most farfreaking-out jams ever heard.”
Skullflower – Ruins (1990)
“Led by guitarist Matthew Bower, the highly prolific Skullflower boasted the largest cult following of the bunch, with a sound based on sludgy, Black Sabbath-style riffs overlaid with feedback, fuzzed-out guitar noise, and throttling rhythms, all played at an ungodly volume. Always an improvisational outfit, their textured noise freak-outs grew increasingly free-form over the course of their career, moving farther and farther away from even loose definitions of “rock.” Skullflower claimed a broad range of influences in addition to the aforementioned Sabbath: heavy psychedelia (Blue Cheer, et al.), Krautrock, classical avant-gardists (John Cage, Steve Reich, Terry Riley), early industrial music (Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten, Whitehouse), and noise rockers from the American indie world (Sonic Youth, Big Black, the Butthole Surfers).”
Temples – Temples (2009)
Slow improvised stoner doom played by finnish group. Think if Sons of Otis made jamming central part of their music. Massive heavy riffs flavored with psychedelic solos.
Drahk Von Trip – Drahkish Waters (2007)
“DRAHK VON TRIP is a six piece band from Malmö, Sweden, performing progressive psychedelic acid rock. This is strongly influenced by 70’s prog and spacerock with female vocals, featuring ethnic sounds, blended with expressive lyrics. The music and lyrics create various moods and a suggestive feeling, often built up through a soft and floating shape into an intensely wild and chaotic state. The process of creating the music together starts with free form jams.”
Mighty Baby – Live in the Attic (2009)
“UK act MIGHTY BABY was formed in 1968, featuring several members of the newly disbanded outfit The Action… In later years archival concert recordings have surfaced from time to time, capturing a band keen on improvisation while performing live.”
Strange – Raw Power (1976)
“Strange is a psychedelic rock band from the 1960s from Orlando, Florida led by Terry R. Brooks. Terry is one of those guitarists who have made the solo his life goal, just like Randy Holden, Jimi Hendrix, Wilburn Burnchette, but not out of narcissism or anything like it just because the instinct of guitar genius allows them, when the muse strikes to improvise and create incredibly personal and unrepeatable weaving of sounds.”
Rävjunk – The Freaky Guitar Album (2002)
I can’t believe this Sweden band is from 70s. They started as proggy proto-punk and later switched to space acid jamming reminiscent of Earthless. Overall sound beyond any words and so much ahead of that time. Amazing psychedelic improvisational journey to outer space.