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COLLEEN GREEN - 'I WANT TO GROW UP'
Formats
HAR085 - LP
098787308518HAR085CD - CD
098787308525
Details
Growing up. As a prospect it can be terrifying, sad, and worst of all, inevitable. But on I Want to Grow Up, her second album for Hardly Art, Colleen Green lets us know that we don't have to go it alone. This latest collection of songs follows a newly 30-year-old Green as she carefully navigates a minefield of emotion. Her firm belief in true love is challenged by the inner turmoil caused by entering modern adulthood, but that doesn't mean that her faith is defeated. With a nod to her heroes, sentimental SoCal punks The Descendents, Green too wonders what it will be like when she gets old. Throughout songs such as "Some People," "Deeper Than Love," and the illustrative title track, the listener has no choice but to feel the sympathetic growing pains of revelatory maturation and the anxieties that come along with it. Sonically the album is a major change for the LA-based songwriter, who has come to be known for her homemade recordings and merchandise. Her past offerings have been purely Green; testaments to her self-sufficiency and, perhaps, trepidation. This time, she's got a little help from her friends: the full band heard here includes JEFF the Brotherhood's Jake Orrall and Diarrhea Planet's Casey Weissbuch, who collaborated with Green over ten days at Sputnik Sound in Nashville, TN. I Want to Grow Up is an experience, not unlike life: questioning, learning, taking risks. And in true CG fashion, a quote from a beloved 90s film seems the perfect summation: "Understanding is reached only after confrontation."
Tracks
1. I Want to Grow Up
2. Wild One
3. TV
4. Pay Attention
5. Deeper Than Love
6. Things That Are Bad for Me (Part I)
7. Things That Are Bad for Me (Part II)
8. Some People
9. Grind My Teeth
10. Whatever I Want
Press
Audio & Video
SALEM'S POT - 'LURAR UT DIG PA PRARIEN'
Formats
EZRDR-022 - LP
603111-986111
Details
"Haunting tunes, resin-coated riffs and grooves that will expand the lungs so far you'll cough and get off. I'm getting the feeling this shit might even be soul- stealing." The Sludgelord "It's like a Hammer House Of Horror psychotic death trip through the mind of Aleister Crowley. Dark, groovy and to the uninitiated fantastically creepy." Ride With The Devil Following in the footsteps of astral concept albums of the 1970s, over three tracks of sprawling heavy psychedelia ...lurar ut dig på prärien offers the listener little chance of escape. Summoning the writhing sounds of demon fuzz and distant death knells the opening swell of 'Creep Purple', a 14 minute purge of lo-fi garage metal riffs and lysergic comedown finds Salem's Pot setting out their stall from which to peddle the darkest of doom. Loose, low slung and inspired by the legends of Sabbath and the extended jams of Hawkwind 'Dr Death' and the pounding 'Nothing Hell' complete the unholy trinity of tracks replete with lyrics that propel the listener into worlds unknown. Atmospheric realms populated with weed and witches in a reality as miserable and malevolent as it mind-bending and majestic. Salem's Pot: Mentor Mike - Organ, Cult Leader Nateonomicon - Guitar, Accordion, Howls Pre-historic Pete - Bass, Howls The Eagle - Drums, Percussion, Shruti-box
Tracks
Press
Audio & Video
OLD MAN'S WILL - 'S/T'
Formats
EZRDR-020 - LP
603111985916
Details
Hailing from Umea, Sweeden. Old Man’s Will has out done themselves with their debut record originally released on TransSubtrans in October 2013, re-released by Easyrider. New artwork done by the very talented Sterling Bartlett. The band has already created a name for themselves by consistent touring and energetic live shows and features Klas Holmgren of Gin Lady on guitars, the talents of singer Benny Aberg, Tommy Nilsson on bass and drummer Gustav Kejving. Old Man’s Will has created an instant classic that stands on its own next to some pretty heavy bands like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Humble Pie. Old Man’s Will is in the same lane as Graveyard & Witchcraft…70s influenced guitar rock.
Tracks
1.Ellington
2.The Cauldron
3.Sea
4.Why Deprive Me
5.Smidesvals
6.Judgement Day
7.Evil Woman
8.An Ennobling Evening
9.Lidhem
Press
Audio & Video
SPIRAL SHADES - 'HYPNOSIS SESSIONS'
Formats
EZRDR-028 - 2xLPs
603111-986319
Details
It starts with a singular idea and a willingness to forge ahead against all traditional odds. 2 years and 4000 miles later, Norwegian guitarist Filip Peterson and Mumbai based singer-songwriter Kushal Bhadra deliver what is arguably one of the best straight up 70s doom / proto-metal revivalist albums of 2014. SpiralShades Spiral Shades’s Hypnosis Sessions is the Peterson/Bhadra brainchild conceived from a shared love of 70s occult rock aesthetics and the mindset to play from the heart and not the head. But that’s not to suggest that “heady” doesn’t describe the duo’s take on heavy psychedelia, just check out the 12+ minute centerpiece to this 9-track opus ‘Grim Rituals’ which deftly displays a plethora of labyrinthine slow groove hooks and extended harmonic minor solo jams; but despite a certain degree of required calculation and studio wizardry to bring this album to fruition, Spiral Shades maintains a collective philosophy centered on musical artistic integrity and an authentic sound that harkens back to the days when bands like Cream, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath were more than just subjects of name dropping aspirers of classical cool. The Peterson / Bhadra back story is rather unique actually; both have been disciples of all things 70s, heavy, and obscure, relying on internet clips and word of mouth to discover new and old school musical influences and to post and share their respective talents. A similar interest in and reverence for musicians like Wino and John Gallow (among others) laid the foundation for a lasting friendship and “intuitive chemistry” that’s apparent throughout the album.
Tracks
Press
Audio & Video
THE WELL - 'SAMSARA'
Formats
EZRDR-034 - LP
603111986913EZRDR-034CD - CD
603111986920
Details
Samsara, the first full-length long player from Austin, TX’s heavy psych trio The Well. Well versed in the bluesy, proto-metal of Blue Cheer, Sabbathian heaviness and all manner of dark and ominous psychedelicacies that span the course of forever, The Well are a force to be heard. Built around spectacular riffs and the dual vocal power of bass player Lisa Alley and guitarist Ian Graham the trio has been showcasing Samsara live since their signing to the LA based label RidingEasy Records earlier last year. Gathering exceptional praise for their unholy fuzz and furious approach to rock’n’roll The Well, well truly put the power into “power trio”. For fans of early Kyuss / Fu Manchu / Blue Cheer.
Tracks
Press
Audio & Video
THE PICTUREBOOKS - 'IMAGINARY HORSE'
Formats
EZRDR-035 - LP
603111986715EZRDR-035CD - CD
603111986722
Details
On their new release, Imaginary Horse. the German duo kick out thumping, muscular riffs. At their core, the duo takes cues from the blues-based sledgehammering of Scott Asheton. But then, on the even nastier cuts like "Your kisses burn like fire," the band gets grimey and wallows in low, rumbling reverberations that would make any Amphetamine Reptile band proud. This is vicious, modern rock and roll. Like Royal Blood if they recorded for Am Rep in 1989. Heavy two piece rock action!
Tracks
Press
UK tour March 2015 with The Answer
Audio & Video
SLOW SEASON - 'MOUNTAINS'
Formats
EZRDR-038 - LP
603111987217EZRDR-038CD - CD
603111987224
Details
Press “play” on Slow Season‘s second full-length album MOUNTAINS, and you might just forget what era you’re in. It could very well be the sixties, seventies, or now. It almost doesn’t matter though because this is hypnotic, heavy, and howling rock ‘n’ roll that defies both musical and temporal categorization. The Central California quartet – Daniel Rice (vocals, guitar), David Kent (guitar), Hayden Doyel (bass), and Cody Tarbell (drums) – scale new heights, while recognising where it all began. “I’d love for people to wonder if this record is actually from 1969,” grins Cody. “We wanted to capture that spirit. That was the goal.” In order to do so, the musicians holed up in Cody’s home studio, which actually doubles as his parents’ garage, and cut Mountains ten tracks throughout the course of early 2014. Inspiration struck, they actually recorded the songs live on reel-to-reel tape. Eschewing the digital mindset of today and not even uttering the words “Pro Tools”, everything was caught on analog, giving the music a crackling kinetic energy. “I like everything associated with reel-to-reel,” Cody goes on. “I love the sound. I like the mojo that comes along with it.” They lock in during the album opener and first single, Sixty-Eight. It snaps into a bluesy riff and bombastic beat before Daniel lets out a soaring refrain and a screeching solo roars. “We wanted to nod back to Led Zeppelin,” the vocalist says. “We managed to get this really big sound in the garage. It’s very organic and natural. The subject matter is pretty gnarly, and I’d encourage everyone to take a close listen to the lyrics.” That mystique carries over to the hazy Synanon, which details the exploits of a mountain cult nearby where the boys reside. Meanwhile, Endless Mountain drives forward on robust guitars and propulsive drums. It also reflects the overarching theme inherent within the title. For fans of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, the Datsuns, BLack Crowes… ROCK!!!