psych Archive
29 Apr 2019
Album Review: Chocolate Watchband — This is My Voice
Exemplars of 1960s psychedelic garage rock, San Jose, California’s Chocolate Watchband nonetheless suffered greatly at the hands of the band’s label and (to a lesser extent) producer. Over the course […]
03 Apr 2019
Purple Image: Funk-Psych Lost and Found, Part Two
Continued from Part One… First setting up in Adams’s basement, the new group began work. To insulate the sound and avoid annoying the neighbors, Adams says, “I put out an […]
02 Apr 2019
Purple Image: Funk-Psych Lost and Found, Part One
The late 1960s and early ‘70s provided inspiration for young musicians around the globe. In the wake of the success of bands like the Beatles and Rolling Stones – and […]
26 Mar 2019
Hundred-word Reviews, March 2019 Part Two
Yesterday I covered ten albums in 1000 words. Today I’ll do the same. All titles are new or recent releases. Shumaun – One Day Closer to Yesterday I love me […]
11 Mar 2019
They Showed Us: ‘The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands’ at 40
This feature is now serving as the basis of a longer, more in-depth discussion of the album in a chapter of Bill Kopp’s upcoming book, What’s the Big Idea: 30 […]
17 Jan 2019
Asheville’s Top 10 for 2018
2018 has brought forth a bumper crop of superb albums in every genre from artists local (or with strong connections) to Asheville and the surrounding region. Any of these 10 […]
16 Jan 2019
No Way Out: The Curious Case of The Chocolate Watchband (Part Three)
Continued from Part Two… “I can’t think of too many bands that manage to build a reputation through as small a body of work,” says Palao. “When anybody looks at […]
15 Jan 2019
No Way Out: The Curious Case of The Chocolate Watchband (Part Two)
Continued from Part One… The punky ethos of Watchband songs like “Are You Gonna Be There (At the Love-in)” and “Let’s Talk About Girls” was no put-on; the band could […]
14 Jan 2019
No Way Out: The Curious Case of The Chocolate Watchband (Part One)
(Note: An edited version of this feature appeared in Record Collector Magazine.) Throughout the history of popular music, certain managers, producers and promoters have been wiling to engage in a […]
09 Jan 2019
Hundred-word Reviews for January 2019
The backlog is threatening to get unmanageable once again. As a kind of editorial pressure release valve, here’s a quick look at ten worthy albums that have recently crossed my […]