FOR WEEKLY INSPIRATION Why

Posts tagged with psychedelic rock

January 9, 2009 | New Music | There's audio in this post. by Francis Andrews Highly recommended by the LAEM team. |

Past reviews of the Baltimore four-piece Animal Collective have oscillated between jaw-dropping flattery and tight-lipped bemusement. So far, though, no one has knocked their sheer originality and ambition, and for good reason. One of the most distinctive bands of the last decade has managed to marry wild, almost psychotic and nonsensical, vocals and rhythms, cramming them into a tight and undeniably alluring package. Some songs hit the spot, others soar way out into leftfield: but all boundary-breaking bands suffer the same schizophrenic temperaments from time to time. Perhaps their most accessible album to date has just been released, and it’s already been pipped to land at the top-end of Best of 2009 lists. Whilst holding tight to the psychedelic torch they carried through their past work, Merriweather Post Pavillion borrows from that sun-splattered tropical sound being polished in Scandinavia. It’s also calmer and more measured than both Feels and Strawberry Jam, but still instantly recognisable in their unique, avant-garde style.

 

The man who brought us the masterpiece, For Emma, Forever Ago, is soon to release the follow-up EP, Blood Bank. Given the staggering acclaim For Emma received, his approach to the release must have been a nervous one, weighed down by the expectations of an entire music industry and its league of followers. Blood Bank is no disappointment, though: he calls it a ‘palette cleanser’ after For Emma, and it continues its themes of wintery isolation and introspection. The harmonies on tracks like Beach Baby are beautiful, and the production equally exquisite.


ADVERTISEMENT

Several years after they disbanded, one of indie rock’s brightest sparks — Ambulance Ltd — are back. Read more

The work of French Illustrator Chamo is every bit as fun as her name seems to imply. Employing a bright, candy colored, retro feel, Chamo’s illustrations come off feeling like the ultimate feel good joyride.


ADVERTISEMENT

In Los Angeles, in the gas guzzling centre of the Universe, BP has enlisted Office dA to embrace the paradoxical task of creating a green petrol station. Read more

Australian group Pivot have recently signed with the mighty Warp label and — even better (well, for us anyway) — have written a fun Secret Playlist for us. You can see where the many disparate influences have seeped into their latest recording, the beautiful and colourful, O Soundtrack My Heart.

When my uber-creative and slightly eccentric twin brother announced one day that chainmail would be making a return, it only confirmed that he’d missed out on the fashion genes. But after checking out the fingerless chainmail glove in Toby Jones’ new collection — My hands are tied — it now appears he had a legitimate vision. Working a look straight out of a Mad Max scene, Jones’ designs will have us accessorizing in true post-apocalyptic style, using everyday objects as adornment. But you don’t need to be cruising around town in a black Interceptor to appreciate them. Be your own character with chain swinging padlocks and multi-purpose shoelaces. It’s about time you got your hands into something different.

Woohoo! Another flash game that actually tests your cognitive abilities. LightBot is a difficult, but satisfying game in which you direct a little robot using a system of simple commands in order to light up various squares on a grid. The first few levels guide you through the seemingly easy process, but when there are multiple sets of directions requiring you to write what are essentially codes, it can get pretty hairy.

WE'RE RESPECTING

WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST

Thumb

Charlie Immer

Charlie Immer’s pastel-pallete sometimes obfuscates the gory violence in his surreal images. At other times, it heightens the gut-wrenching and visceral effect of his work. Read more

Thumb

Timothy Karpinski

Illustrator Timothy Karpinski sews painted paper together to create his images, giving them a classic look. Read more

Thumb

T-post: the world’s first wearable magazine

So here’s the scoop. Every six weeks, T-post subscribers get a new t shirt issue in the mail, with a news story on the inside and an artist interpretation of that story on the front. Yes, we agree. It’s clever, clever. Read more

Thumb

Almanac Market

Almanac Market in Philadelphia is slightly pricey, but you definitely get what you pay for. Offering fantastic bread, cheeses, produce, and cured meats such as sopressata and pepperoni, it was a great pit stop when my band played in town, and definitely more economical and tasty than hitting a greasy spoon for road snacks.

Thumb

Creative cupcake design

Yum, yum, cupcakes are fun. These creations are so clever, so arty, so damn bizarre that it would almost be a shame to eat them. Almost! Read more


ADVERTISEMENT

Wolfmother. Rock n roll. Mystical lyrics. Heavy riffs. They have a new album out, Cosmic Egg, and we have five copies to giveaway, along with their debut album. To enter, tell us your favorite Wolfmother song and the city you live in. Yo! Two fingered salute. Read more

Based around the iconic album cover, With the Beatles, this tee from Klaus Industries suggests that ‘the Beatles were not only ahead of their time, they were ahead of ours.’ Printed on American Apparel, we’re selling the t-shirt in our online store for just $30. Read more

FOLLOW US

Follow Lost At E Minor on Facebook Follow Lost At E Minor on Twitter

[Advertise here]


WHAT YOU'RE DOING

What are you doing?

CAPTCHA

DISCOVER MORE

SO...


SEARCH: Can't find what you're looking for? Do a search..

IS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?

We hope you're enjoying your time on Lost At E Minor, but it’s not over yet. Got something to share? Tell us about it and we'll look to publish it. If you want to have your work featured on the site, we'd love to hear from you. Pssst, we also have an online store stocking some of the goodies we feature on the site.

If you're a media agency and want to use this platform to connect with our readership, then drop us a line and tell us about it. Oh yeah, and we do digital consulting for cool brands that want to reach the sort of demographic that visits this site.