KEXP Top 20 song, “I Should be Coming Up (But I Keep Coming Down) by Sky Parade featured with Grand Atlantic on this split 7” of psychedelic pop perfection.
Just in time for their World tour in support of their Top 20 KEXP song, the heady, trance-inducing psychedelic pop of Sky Parade is on full display with their highly infectious tune, “I Should Be Coming Up (But I Keep Coming Down)”. Produced by the Dandy Warhol’s Courtney Taylor and released in hot anticipation of their upcoming World Tour, "I Should Be Coming Up (But I Keep Coming Down)" has been lighting up the switchboard where the single has already climbed to number 20 on the KEXP Radio Chart and the Top 10 on KKBB.
Check out the video and hear the song that’s tearing up the LA clubs right now.
The split single will be available world-wide from the bands on tour and through www.ripple-music.com
"A joyride of dense, churning guitars that sounds like Primal Scream getting Spiritualized!" – L.A. Times
"Sky Parade have found Psych-rock's sweet spot" -- Buzz Bands LA
"Hook-laden genius" -- 90.3 FM
"KKBB Top 10 single!" -- KKBB
"Quite simply, this is a prime slice of psychedelic pop that you can dance to." Terrascope UK
0510 hours. Near total darkness only broken when the low lying clouds part enough to allow a sliver of moonlight. My combat team is currently reconnoitering any activity on the other side of the US/Canadian border from a fortified position located in Peace Arch State Park outside of Blaine, Washington. Our mission is simple. We are to prevent any incursion on US soil by enemy combatants intent on capturing the hearts and minds of our citizenry. I lay my night vision goggles down to receive a new scouting report over my secure radio.
“Lieutenant Penfold, do you copy sir?” “This is Penfold. Did you see anything Sergeant?” “No sir, it’s as quiet as a tomb out here. I think we’re in the wrong spot.” “Stow that talk Sergeant! We know that they’re out there. Keep on your toes. They’ll make their presence felt soon enough.” “Yes sir.”
Outside of my men themselves, two other battlefield monitoring systems were being utilized to ensure that we would not be taken by surprise. Highly sensitive motion and noise detectors were staked out in a line along the border. Also a predator drone circled in orbit high above our position ready to relay real-time visuals at a moments notice. This is our turf, and we’re not giving it up without a fight.
Hold on a second. You’re probably wondering what led to the deployment of troops along a previously peaceful border. Understandable. Exactly one week ago Intelligence discovered a download code included in a disturbingly titled email sent to hundreds, if not thousands, of unsuspecting Americans. The email was ominously titled ‘Your Annihilation is Coming!’ and the included code provided access to a greatest hits package by the Canadian band Annihilator called Total Annihilation. Upon listening to the contents of this music download, our highly trained intelligence specialists immediately understood the havoc these songs would wreak if let loose among this country’s metal loving population. The President was briefed on the situation, the overall alert level was raised to Defcon 2, and my combat team was assembled and airlifted to the most likely combat zone; Washington state (the band calls neighboring Vancouver home).
Annihilator is a thrash metal band. Wait, scratch that. Annihilator is an exceptional thrash metal band. When I first listened to Total Annihilation I was impressed by the variety of songs on offer. While it is true that there were no ballads, indeed nothing even close (and would that really be appropriate for a band named Annihilator?), the song structures were different enough to easily tell the songs apart (something other thrash bands I’ve come across can’t claim). More impressive however was the fact that I found myself fondly humming a couple of the tunes in my head after only two listens. Yes sir, they certainly know how to churn out a memorable little ditty.
The album begins with two songs off of the band’s most recent album. “The Trend” starts things off in the right way with an intricate instrumental introduction complete with ripping guitar solo that leads into the song proper. “Ambush” on the other hand wastes no time before going for the jugular, with the band immediately hitting the hyper speed riffing button. This song reminds of Slayer in all the right ways. Other lightning fast songs such as “Battered”, “Ultra-Motion”, and “Ultraparanoia” that arrive later on in the compilation are guaranteed to give you whiplash with the fantastic guitar dexterity delivering all you can ask for in the notes per minute department.
If pure speed is not your thing however, fear not. Annihilator also has a strong complement of songs that while also fast, don’t rely on that aspect to be memorable. Take “Refresh the Demon” for instance. Someone off the street would be forgiven if they thought they were listening to a lost Primus recording for the first thirty seconds before the thrash element kicks in. “Back to the Palace” punctuates its modern thrash with passages that sound like they belong on a classic NWOBHM album. Plumbing the same vein, “Second to None” at times sounds like an Iron Maiden recording. “The Ritual”, perhaps my overall favorite song here, is built around the strongest groove on the album and features a fantastic sing-along chorus.
Look, I’ll be totally honest. I’ve been listening to a lot of thrash metal recently, some of which quite frankly has been great. Annihilator is the best band of the bunch, hands down. Discovering bands like Annihilator that I was previously unaware of is the best and worst part of being associated with The Ripple Effect. It’s the best in that I have found a new band I can be enthused about. It’s the worst in that I am upset with myself for not knowing about this band till now. Ah, well. Time to order some albums.
0625 hours. The light of dawn is just beginning to disseminate through the rural landscape. Although the arrival of sunlight generally brings some measure of comfort with it, today was different. An increasing sense of dread and paranoia falls over my team to go along with the increased visibility granted by the light. At this point the message we were waiting for comes over the radio. “Team Penfold, be advised. The enemy is advancing on your position. Estimate two minutes to first contact.”
One tense minute passes. Something is very wrong. The predator drone can not detect any incoming heat sources indicating an advancing human enemy. A low din begins to build in the air. My team and I see the tops of trees in the distance being ruffled as if by heavy vehicles brushing them aside while they pass. Still no actual visuals and nothing from the drone feed. The din grows louder. What is happening? Ear-piercing alarms begin going off on each and every detector.
“Lieutenant Penfold, what is this sir? They should be right on top of us!”
Near panic sets in as I realize what is actually happening. “Dear God, it’s riffs. They’re attacking with a wall of riffs!?!? Everybody get down! Cover your ears!”
Unfortunately my orders did not reach everyone in time. Too many good soldiers became Annihilator fans that day. Too many. If you think you can resist the allure of Total Annihilation, point your browser to http://www.earache.com/totalannihilation/ and download the album for free. Good luck citizen.
Every generation has a band that defines their era. Fortunately for my generation, Oasis is that band. Some might argue Radiohead clearly defined the 1990s, while others might say Pearl Jam, Nirvana or even a different band. Only Oasis has consistently remained remarkable all throughout their career thanks largely due to their amazing songwriting capabilities. The early 1990s saw the emergence of alternative and grunge music as mainstream music. When grunge and Nirvana disappeared, Oasis was one band ready to take the torch. Could it really be 15 years ago when I was first introduced to Oasis? As the name of their new singles compilation, Time Flies:1994 -2009, implies, that’s true. Looking at those words on the screen I am still shocked it has been that long. Still, Oasis remains one of the most talented rock n’ roll bands around. The album celebrates Oasis’ entire body of work. Oasis has sold over 70 million records worldwide and their legacy still remains strong even after Noel Gallagher left the band in August 2009. Beginning with their debut single “Supersonic” to the final track “Falling Down,” the album is jam-packed with 26 irresistible singles. Music was revitalized readily by two brothers named Liam and Noel Gallagher in the early 1990s. Oasis breathed fresh air into the music industry and gave birth to Brit pop. Although they despise the term, like the Beatles during the British Invasion of the 1960s, Oasis opened the door for other British pop bands during the mid to late 1990s. Their presence helped open the door for future European pop bands to cross over into America. Magnetic, majestic and mesmerizing, they sold millions of records to become one of the best pop bands in the world. Listening to their music now I can’t help, but get taken back to when I first heard that particular song when I listen to the album. Their breakthrough song, “Wonderwall” is arguably my favorite song, but more importantly, the song that introduced me to Oasis. From the moment the song begins I am immediately transported back in time to fall 1995. Oh, what a feeling! How many bands have that ability? Unlike most contemporary compilations, Time Flies, is an engaging, entertaining and eclectic album that comes across as a concert set list instead of “a greatest hits album.” Energized by memory filled tracks like “Supersonic,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Lyla,” “Live Forever,” etc. this is a definitive album every 1990s music aficionado should own. Call me crazy, but this is a must own album. Time Flies does include two previously unreleased tracks “Lord Don’t Slow Me Down” (2007) and “Whatever” (1994), but for Oasis haters, they will criticize it’s mostly “A” side tracks and misses what the Stop the Clocks album accomplished by having more obscure/ “B-side” tracks. Sure, that’s true, but not everyone is interested in bootleg and/or obscure songs. If you’re an Oasis fan this is a must own for your collection.
There I was, late night, burning the midnight oil in the Ripple office. Reviews to write, press releases to ready, new releases to schedule. Sofi, as always, took her place in her bed to my right, snuggled in amongst the brimming stack of vinyl. But I had no time to dig into that enticing vinyl buffet. Ripple work called to me. An eerie silence tingled my neck.
And then the light came.
Consciousness lost in a second, I awoke, no longer at my desk. The room looked vaguely familiar to me, a place from a distant memory. Rising from my desk, I spun, disoriented, searching for a clue. The familiar call letters KSPC FM blazoned on the wall across, separated from me by a thick layer of glass. Lights flashed in chaotic rhythms, engulfing the switches, knobs and buttons on the mixing board at my hands. A vinyl record spun to my right, pumping the room with moody, atmospheric, neo-gothic psychedelia. Somehow, in some unspeakable way, I’d been transported through time. Inexplicably, it was 1984 again.
And the record spinning was the Jet Black Berries.
Bursting onto the scene in the mid-eighties, the Jet Black Berries were part of the amazing stable of artists attached to the Enigma/Restless label. The Cramps, TSOL, Tex and the Horseheads, 45 Grave, Green on Red, The Leaving Trains, The Pandoras, Redd Cross, Get Smart. Talk about a label that had tapped into a sound, Enigma produced some of the all-time best American dark psychedelia ever released. One band after another, there seemed to be no end to their talent. And on that essential Enigma Variations volume I album, The Jet Black Berries ranked with the best.
Blending a river of never-ending hooks to their blackened atmosphere and a touch of cowboy/western punk, the JBB released three albums in the mid-late 80’s, and contributed a standout track to the classic horror shtick sound track, Return of the Living Dead. Then, like their zombie brethren, they disappeared.
Until now.
As I rose from the desk in my 1984 radio station, I noticed something was different. The JBB spinning wasn’t Sundown on Venus or the soon to be released underground classic, Desperate Fires. The sound was familiar, but different. Hauntingly pulling at a memory, but inspiring in entirely new ways. Ringing of the past, but powered by the energy of the future.
This wasn’t 1984; it was present day and the Jet Black Berries were back and better than ever with a brand new album,Postmodern Ghosts. Reuniting four original members of the band with newcomer singer/guitarist, Johnny Cummings, the JBB had risen from the ether, back to lurk amongst the living. And what an album they’ve put out!
You don’t have to be familiar with JBB’s original incarnation to jump right in with the start of this album. Following a haunting synth and church bell opening, “God with A Gun,” literally erupts from the speakers in searing post-punk psychedelic glory. Riding a guitar passage reminiscent of The Chameleons, “Don’t Fall,” this just may be my track of the year. An outburst decrying people who use religion as an excuse to commit acts of barbarism, “God with a Gun,” isn’t just a great pop song, it’s potent. “Are you sure this is a song you’re ready to sing/if God with a Gun is love, let’s make him king” Johnny sings over a rampaging, bass-heavy, chiming soundscape. Guitars swirl and churn in glittering rivers of texture. Dig that mid-song bass breakdown, the maniacal run across the toms in the post-chorus bridge, the layered harmony vocals, the subtle escalation of pace until the song explodes into that raise-your-hands-in-the-air-and-sing-along-at-the-top-of-your-lungs chorus. I mean seriously, talk about a chorus that can elevate you to that place. That special place where the world around you dissipates and the music enveloping you is all that remains.
But Postmodern Ghosts is no one song wonder. “Ominous” tells the tale of the odd things that happen, the murder and mayhem, that somehow is still a part of the human psyche . . . unstoppable . . . always ready to re-emerge . . . an ominous presence. Now take that message and wrap it up in a post-Church or later day Echo and the Bunnymen vibe of pulsating bass, rising and falling, swirling guitars and you’ll find one of the catchier songs to penetrate your consciousness in sometime. “Pipes of Pan,” takes this Church influence one step further in a rousing, keyboard swept pumper. Johnny even sounds a touch like Steven Kilbey here, singing deep in his range.
Throughout, the sound of the original JBB’s is as refreshing as that breath of yesterday. Roy Stein’s drumming is solid and penetrating, Chris Yockel’s guitar shimmers and sparkles, Mark Schwartz’s keyboards lay down the atmosphere, and Gary Trainer, the main songwriter, drives the whole thing from the back of the bus with his unrelenting, swooping bass. And the new kid, Johnny Cummings is a revelation, fitting into the mix seamlessly. “Welcome to My World,” is another dark psych masterpiece, slow and inviting at times, vicious and intoxicating the next. “Psychic Children of Doom” shows these cats haven’t lost the tongue-in-cheek horror attitude that landed them on the Living Dead soundtrack, and they attach this “postmodern ghosts on the radio,” vibe to a jaunty, muscular rocker. “Invocation” rides an Echo and Bunnymen bass line through swirling mists of tension and mood. “Garden of Delight,” has to be the next single off the album, so effectively mining the still-sparkling Paisley Underground-vibe of yore, married to a hyped-up sound of crashing guitars and smashing drums. Catchy as fuck.
Then there’s “They Walk Among You,” a remade classic from the Sundown on Venus bonus album. Digging into their quasi-cowpunk roots, “They Walk Among You,” is without a doubt the greatest zombie-epic ever penned and performed in song. How this song has avoided being used in a zombie film soundtrack defies all logic and thought. With zombies as hot as vampires these days, I will make it my personal mission to get this song included on some major motion picture. Somewhere.
With the final pulse of the closing punkish rocker, “American Survival” still ringing in my ears, I watched as the radio control panel before me faded away. I re-emerged in 2010, the new JBB album still spinning in my player.
The past is gone, the present is here, the future awaits. And it’s all good.
