1.
Woven Bones - Tussin Blues A new track from our favorite Texans, Woven Bones. The song was originally considered as an alternate B-side to the wonderful
Janie 7" but they wound up going with "Let It Breathe" instead. Heavy as the syrup that shares its name, the tack is a perfect example of just why we've been so excited about Woven Bones all along. An excellent preamble to their upcoming album on HoZac in May.
2.
Moon Duo - Dead West Pt. IIAnother new song, this time from haze wrangling Californians Moon Duo. Ripley sent us over this track that acts as a sequel to "Dead West" from the band's Sacred Bones EP,
Killing Time. Part II plays off a similar theme as its predecessor, but goes even deeper into the murky depths until finally bursting through with corroded guitar squelch that shakes the track's foundations.
3.
Gary War - Highspeed Drift (Live on Me + You)This version of "Highspeed Drift", recorded live on the radio program Me + You, both eschews some of the original's watery psychedelics and picks up the tempo. Thus the band turns the track into a buzzing guitar burner completely different from the version that appeared on
Horribles Parade. Definitely a great version of this album favorite.
4.
Thee Oh Sees - If I Stay Too LongDwyer and Co. turn in a fuzzed up version of Big Wheel's "If I Stay Too Long". Honestly I wasn't even familiar with the original version, but had always heard it done by The Creation. Thee Oh Sees tear up both versions and completely make it their own, leaving the clean driven strums that mark those versions laying by the wayside in favor of the redline fuzz rumble and sweet/scuzzy harmonies that we've come to love them for.
5.
XYX - Tal (Live @ KDVS)A powerhouse track from our favorites from south of the border, XYX. The band laid down a version of this unreleased song at California radio station KDVS. Ferocious and ecstatic as usual, the band rumbles through an amphetamine whirl of bass and a flurry of percussion topped as always with the furious wail of Anhelo.
6.
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - That Time of Day (Live on 106.7 PBSFM)Australian heavyweights Eddy Current Suppression Ring have definitely turned out some of our favorite albums over the last couple of years so we were pretty excited when they sent over this live radio session of the title track from their
That Time of Day 7". As springy and jagged as the original and cutting quickly to the core of their 77/80 punk roots, the this is just a further example of how these guys can totally bring the bite live.
7.
Flight - Throw The WaterThis Mississippi project has been steadily creeping into daily rotation around RSTB and their S/T 10" on Killshaman was definitely one of our favorites of last year (though it only made us wish it was longer every time). As usual he brings a ton of fuzz crumbling down on our heads, but underneath that distorted veneer lies a catchy chunk of rock that pounds with sweat and drums and tortured strings. A classic bit of Flight if we ever heard one. Just more fodder to add to hope for an album soon.
8.
Christmas Island - Bed Island (Demo)It seemed like we were on the edge of our seats all last year waiting for Christmas Island's debut record to come through and blow us away, which, naturally it did as soon as it hit the turntable. Followed shortly by an unstoppable 7" for Captured Tracks, it seems the band could do no wrong last year. This demo version of "Bed Island" from their
Blackout Summer LP gives some insight into the construction of one of the album's key tracks. A rougher cut for sure, with the focus mainly on Brian and a guitar, but it bears the obvious sketches of a classic track.
9.
Sonny and the Sunsets - She Plays Yo Yo With My MindAnother great exclusive track from a band we love. Sonny was one of the first to respond to our call for tracks for the new comp and we instantly fell in love with the laid back shuffle of "Yo Yo". Its pure Sonny; smirking, swinging and easy to keep on repeat. In short this track sums up everything we loved about the band's recently released album on Soft Abuse. A clean driven gem amongst a sea of distortion here, but somehow Sonny's easy smile rings louder than most any amplifier ever could.
10.
Sore Eros - Shook Life A new one from another of last year's favorites, Sore Eros, encapsulating perfectly their mix of haunting atmospherics and shimmering pop. Building slow into a wall of shifting tones, "Shook Life" digs in and expands in your brain until it fills every crevice with Robert Robinson's spectral vocals. An essential piece of the ever evolving Sore Eros puzzle.
11.
Amen Dunes - Lips Touch/IDONTWANNAGOTOWARLast year's
Dia firmly rooted Amen Dunes on our radar and luckily we were able to track him down and nab this excellent new track for the compilation. Actually the track is a two part suite that combines the eerie throb of "Lips Touch", pulsating along in its own disconcerting calm; with the ecstatic explosion of "IDONTWANNAGOTOWAR". Just as with the preceding album, these tracks show the many sides that work themselves into Amen Dunes' vast palette.
12.
Sun Araw - I'm Gonna Cross The River Jordan (Traditional)Closing out the compilation is a track from one of our perennial favorites around here, Cameron Stallones' Sun Araw. When Cameron told us me he was sending over a version of the traditional hymn "I'm Gonna Cross The River Jordan" it almost seemed too good to be true. How could it have taken this long for the waters of psych and gospel to finally cross paths? So in turn Gospel-Psych is born and this version enters itself excellently into the Sun Araw canon; as absorbing and atmospheric as anything he's recorded. Originally laid to tape during the session for
The Phynx and just finally making its appearance here.
