With Thirteen Tales Portland's the Dandy Warhols hit the perfect groove that allowed them to remain alternative while toying with the mainstream. Repetitively named frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor struts his influences with pride, the most obvious reference point being Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground. Terrifically trashy.
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B.R.M.C. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 2001 [Virgin]
Difficult to categorise San Francisco outfit now based in LA. There are elements of white noise, garage, 'shoegazing', space rock, blues and post-punk. Regardless, it's all done with a level of creativity that has these guys in the upper echelons of their stylistic influences. Perhaps 'Whatever Happened to My Rock n Roll (Punk Song)' says it all.
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Witchcraft Witchcraft 2004 [Rise Above]
Swedish doom metal practitioners specialising in recreating authentic sounding early-Sabbath take-offs. To achieve this the album was recorded in a basement using vintage instruments. They generally get the guitars about right, but frontman Magnus Pelander is no Ozzy Osbourne. Even the album artwork is Sabbath-reminiscent.
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Feathers Dead Meadow 2005 [Matador]
A stoner band from Washington DC that combines hard rock and classic psych into a Tolkien-esque mix of mythical imagery. Feathers is their fourth album and first to feature an expanded four-piece lineup. It is certainly their most commercially accessible record to date, even venturing into quieter contemplative passages in places.
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Passover The Black Angels 2006 [Light in the Attic]
The Black Angels play a sort of dark neo-psychedelic acid rock that both Ian Curtis and Roky Erickson would be proud of. Hailing from deep in the heart of Texas, the band gets its name from one of the Velvet Underground's blacker offerings and uses a stylised image of Nico on its logo. A solid debut that augers well for the future.
Anyone looking for a delightfully bouncy set of 60s retro pop with a tinge of psych would be hard-pressed to pass up this album. Although invited into the Elephant 6 collective, the band is far too traditionally folk-influenced have ever really fit in. The only real question that remains is whether or not this is a side project or a fully-blown band.
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Astronomy for Dogs The Aliens 2007 [EMI]
Rising from the ashes of the trip-hopping Beta Band, the Aliens play an evocative style of pop psych that finds its roots firmly in the 60s. The standout track here is the magnificent 'I Am the Unknown', but there is plenty to like about the rest of the palette. The band occasionally struggles with frontman Gordon Anderson's poor health.
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Fables From a Mayfly Fair to Midland 2007 [Serjical Strike]
Struggling for labels, critics have tagged this Texan outfit as everything from neo-prog to 'folk metal'. Their legendary live shows regularly slay 'em all in the Lone Star state, which is really saying something given the breadth of musical talent on offer. One really needs to have a listen to get some idea of just how versatile these guys are.
