Italy
Album Review: Japan Suicide – Santa Sangre
We recently reviewed an Italian band called Unruly Girls and noted that the Italian rock scene was both healthy and creative. And no better sign of this good health is Japan Suicide, whose new album, ‘Santa Sangre’ was released on Valentine’s Day last week. Citing eighties post-punk new wave influences like The Cure and Joy …
Say Psych: Track Review: Sonic Jesus – Dead Man
Rating: 8/10 Sonic Jesus are one of the most revered outputs in the modern psych scene and are helmed by mutli-instrumentalist Tiziano Veronese who handles all song writing duties, with the lyrical composition falling to Marco Barzetti. Their debut LP Neither Virtue Nor Anger received international acclaim due to its dark, overbearing tones and earlier this year …
Say Psych: Album Review, Lee Van Cleef s/t
I have often found that some of the best music comes out of nowhere. From chance meetings, or unusual situations which present themselves to musician and inspire them. Great music, then, can be fortuitous in its foundation; but takes the vision and skill of the musicians in question to then carry it through. Such a …
Say Psych: Album Review, Anachronicle by Big Mountain County
Big Mountain County began in Rome in 2012, formed initially by members of garage band The Boilers, building up a live reputation on the Italian punk and garage circuit. After self-releasing a single and touring throughout continental Europe the band brought out a well received first album, ‘Breaking Sound’ on Gas Vintage Records. This seemed to mark something …
Say Psych: Album Review, JuJu by JuJu
The very existence of this album is a sad reflection of our times. JuJu is the latest incarnation of Sicily-based Gioele Valenti (Lay Llamas, Herself) who uses the ancient idea of JuJu, the designation of objects, such as amulets, and spells used ceremoniously in West Africa and broadens its to encompass a mix of rhythmic psychedelia, ancient …
Say Psych: Album Review, Lay Llamas by Lay Llamas
The Lay Llamas have been on my radar for a while, a superb live performance at the Liverpool PsychFest in 2014, and a great album, ‘Ostro’, for Rocket Recordings the same year which made our ‘Essential’ list. What I wasn’t aware of what that this had not been the band’s first release, having brought out …
Track: Snow In Mexico – Juno Beach
Out this week on Saint Marie Records is the new, third, EP from Italian electronic duo Snow In Mexico, aka Andrea Novelli and Massimiliano Cruciani. Titled Juno Beach, it sits somewhere between the perfect electronic pop of the Pet Shop Boys, with nuances of Indie Pop and M83 somewhere along the way. Think a more …