“There’s 2 elements… music of the whole earth… And the music of the cosmos… that I’ve been sampling from the radiation of the epic events in the universe… From The Big Bang, when God put his foot down and the great groove began.”

Okay, that’s [...]]]> DHR’s Jeff Vincent had the great pleasure of interviewing the legendary Mickey Hart of The Grateful Dead. Wait, great pleasure? Yeah right, more like explosive experience! We talked mostly about cosmic music humming through the endless universe.

“There’s 2 elements… music of the whole earth… And the music of the cosmos… that I’ve been sampling from the radiation of the epic events in the universe… From The Big Bang, when God put his foot down and the great groove began.”

Okay, that’s your little preview, full story hits the streets tomorrow in the Easy Reader newspaper, and we’ll have it here for ya too. The Mickey Hart Band is touring extensively behind the new record “Mysterium Tremendum,” released in April on his own 360° Productions. See full tour schedule here. Thanks for reading!

There’s a wistful mystique surrounding this wonderful album by LA/So Cal psychedelic, shoegazey rock band The Terrapin. As the LP followup to their Kill… EP, innermachine captures the band at both its creative height and melancholy parting of ways.

“The innermachine line-up of the band reached a point where it became difficult for the interpersonal to be separate from the music,” shares Rufo Chan, drummer of The Terrapin. “It was [...]]]>

Terrapin - innermachine. Cover art by Andrew Wilson.

There’s a wistful mystique surrounding this wonderful album by LA/So Cal psychedelic, shoegazey rock band The Terrapin. As the LP followup to their Kill… EP, innermachine captures the band at both its creative height and melancholy parting of ways.

“The innermachine line-up of the band reached a point where it became difficult for the interpersonal to be separate from the music,” shares Rufo Chan, drummer of The Terrapin. “It was difficult to maintain our collective focus, which prevented us from giving the record the promotion we all felt it deserved.”

To be sure, the record’s release in June 2011 went very quiet, effectually attracting little to no press at all. Upon finding proper time to listen to the copy we were forwarded, we became compelled to speak out about this perfectly achieved Swan Song album from the original incarnation of a band laid to rest: Rufo Chan (drums), Alan Passman (guitar), Bill Sanderson (bass, keys, rhythm guitar), Vanessa Lynn (vocals, keys).

“I feel very proud of innermachine,” continues Chan. “I think it was the best representation of that line-up of the band. We labored over those songs for so long that by the time we entered the recording studio we were able to track it relatively quickly. The title “innermachine” to me signifies a driving force within. Your innermachine is what pushes you to achieve, to seek improvement, to better yourself.”

And so with the push of the original band reaching it’s climactic peak, Terrapin’s innermachine thrusts forward by tinkering with the mechanics of the personnel.

Chan elaborates. “The new line-up of The Terrapin still has myself and Alan Passman (guitar) as well as featuring new bass player Tony Ibarra, and new vocalist Xiomara Cornejo. One reason we soldiered on is because of the close relationship both Xio and Tony have had with our history. Tony filled in on bass for us the first time we toured up and down the west coast, and we also used to share a rehearsal space with his old band. As well, the first show The Terrapin ever played was opening for Xiomara’s band In Sepia. She has always been extremely supportive of us, besides being an amazing singer and performer. There was no question as to there being another singer but her.”

And of the effect on the band’s sound and direction?

“Our new music still features the musical elements that made us The Terrapin, but those sounds have had to evolve. If I had to say what the distinction with our new songs is, it’s that the groove is much more pronounced. We will be demoing three songs with producer Alex Estrada in mid-May, and will be doing a monthlong Friday night residency at Casey’s in downtown LA in June. The full line-up of bands should be confirmed shortly, and we should have our demo available by the start of the residency.”

Be up to date with the new Terrapin’s show and release dates on their Facebook page. As a final farewell to honor the former line-up, enjoy the official music video of “Birth Cake,” from their debut EP Kill… (below), and Listen to their LP innermachine here on DHR – don’t forget to grab your FREE download!

Download innermachine now!

South Pasadena psychedelic indie rock band Torches (formerly Torches In Trees) has graciously thrown 3 tracks our way from their forthcoming debut full-length Heads Full Of Rust, which drops May 20, 2012. Details below for the release party.

“Heads Full Of Rust”  Record Release @ The Satellite May 20 w/ Manhattan Murder Mystery, Joey Siara [...]]]> Don’t know if it’s the virility of spring or what, but lately we’re being fantastically loaded up with advance albums, EPs, and singles. And we dig it!

South Pasadena psychedelic indie rock band Torches (formerly Torches In Trees) has graciously thrown 3 tracks our way from their forthcoming debut full-length Heads Full Of Rust, which drops May 20, 2012. Details below for the release party.

“Heads Full Of Rust”  Record Release @ The Satellite May 20 w/ Manhattan Murder Mystery, Joey Siara (The Henry Clay People), Tenlons Fort (members of Avi Buffalo). Free, 21+

Listen to Heads Full of Rust preview now!

We’re proud to announce the inclusion of San Franciscan psychedelic outfit The Spyrals on DHR, courtesy of Los Angeles indie record label Mock Records. This is a double whammy, marking the debut full-length release for both The Spyrals and Mock Records. We’re exceedingly honored to feature an advance copy in our mix.

The Spyrals are pulsating with a strong neo-psychedelic appeal, echoing mid-late 1960′s garage and psych with surf undertones –ala The Great Society, Afterglow, [...]]]>

The Spyrals, out on Mock Records.

We’re proud to announce the inclusion of San Franciscan psychedelic outfit The Spyrals on DHR, courtesy of Los Angeles indie record label Mock Records. This is a double whammy, marking the debut full-length release for both The Spyrals and Mock Records. We’re exceedingly honored to feature an advance copy in our mix.

The Spyrals are pulsating with a strong neo-psychedelic appeal, echoing mid-late 1960′s garage and psych with surf undertones –ala The Great Society, Afterglow, The Misunderstood. A present-day comparison might suggest Allah Las meets VonVeederVeld carried across an eastern wind. One thing’s for sure: The Spyrals are super sick and refreshing. Quite badass, to put it coarsely. But, why don’t you have it your own way? Don’t listen to us; call it yourself, and listen to them.

Listen to The Spyrals now!

Pre-order The Spyrals full-length vinyl debut now, limited to 100!

They’re The Brothers Comatose, and they’re generating some seriously professional music from San Francisco, CA. In conjunction with two dog media, these fine fellows have provided DHR with an advance copy of their new LP “Respect The Van,” due out May 22, 2012. It’s bluegrass, man; it’s folk, old-time, and country; it’s “A Damn Good Time with [...]]]> The band’s interests include, “Banging away on stringed instruments. Singing. Beer. Camping. Hiking. Drinking coffee. Listening to records. Road trips.” We’re so already there…

They’re The Brothers Comatose, and they’re generating some seriously professional music from San Francisco, CA. In conjunction with two dog media, these fine fellows have provided DHR with an advance copy of their new LP “Respect The Van,” due out May 22, 2012. It’s bluegrass, man; it’s folk, old-time, and country; it’s “A Damn Good Time with No BS!” The record release show will be May 19 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.

Listen to “Respect The Van” by The Brothers Comatose now!

Official press release by two dog media

“The good thing about a string band, is that things tend to culminate with dancing rather than elbows flying in a mosh-pit,” says Gio Benedetti of The Brothers Comatose. The original members of the quintet with brothers Alex and Ben Morrison, bonded at Morrison family acoustic music parties before taking a youthful foray into punk and rock bands and ultimately circling back to the music they learned in that living room. They credit both beginnings for the attitude of their current music, and as a testament to their skillful energy – they have already played major festivals including the esteemed Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, The Strawberry Festival and High Sierra. On the new album, Respect The Van out May 22, their music is not a wavering mélange of assorted styles, but decided and strong bluegrass-influenced folk rock.

With thee addition of members Philip Brezina (fiddle) and Ryan Avellone (mandolin) the band aims “to offer a damn good time, with a no-bullshit style that we found in those original living room parties and our live shows,” says Ben. “We tracked everything for the album live in one big room – treating the studio like a stage,” he explains.

As for the name, only a brother could pick it out by observing his sibling. Guitarist and vocalist Ben said when brother Alex Morrison (banjo and vocals) goes into a trance-like stte while playing his banjo, “his eyes roll back in his head like he’s in a coa.” It’s crtainly not indicative of their musi, which doesn’t have any of the indulgent noodling breaks characterized by other string based bands; thought the musicianship is solidly there, it’s given with a communal and inclusive spirite to ing and dance along to. Now, at live shows the San Franciso band i sknown for haning out chopsticks to the audience for participatory percussion on whatever surface is closest.

And while the music is strong and clear, there are some serious themes as in the leasd track “modern Day Sinners,” a Guthrie inspired populist sing-along with shades of 50′s R&B and doo-wop in the harmonie and feel. “I wanted to call ‘bullshit’ of the type of politician or fat radio host that’s giving advice while living a terrible and shameful life, “says bassist and vocalist Gio.

“Scout” was written by Ben as part of “The 52 week club,” a songwriting group that sends out theme a week asa  writing prompt. “It’s my first contribution. I wrote it from an autobiographical perspective of a young boy scout hanging out with his grandpa,” shares Ben. “My grandpa was a nice man some of the time, but could also just be bitter and I always wondered what he was so angry about. This song is about the young scout hanging onto his outh ana hopin gto keep that spirit at the end.”

“120 East” is a harmonic ode to the brotherhood of a band, writen about The Brohers Comatose’s journey to and from The Strawbweery Music Festival. “I wanted to capture the sense of being with your best friends, of bein g willing to trust them and follow them anywhere,” says Gio.

The band wrote a raucous, fiddle tune ode to their 1988 Chevy G20 tour van and called it, fittingly, “The Van Song.” “Phil wrote all the instrumenatal melodies and it didn’t have any official lyrics for a long time, “says Gio. “It saw two rowdy live performances where we all jsut made up verses on the spot. We finally wrote some real lyrics, and had to record it – we love our van in a way that is border-line obsessive.”

“Morning Time” is Ben’s folk-country duet with breakout artist Nicki Bluhm. “It tells of hte ever present struggles between man and woman – the guy wants to maintian his life in the big city with all of its lat nights, bustle and craziness and the woman is ready for a mellower life. It’s a compromise and ultimiately setting aside some quality time in the morming to spend togheter,” shares Ben.

“Feels Like The Devil” is a drop-tumed, resonator-driven shit-kicker that would be at home on any bluegrass stage, while “Pennies are Money Too” is an old-timey instrumental that well illustrates the band’s musicianship.

Desite their name, the band is anything but Comatose. “It’s just one, big, extended Morrison msuic party,” they say. The Brothers Comatose will be playing all spring and summer including April dates in Boise, Portland, Eugene, and Washington State, festival appearances in South Carolina and Wyoming, and all thru California, including the prestigious Kate Wolf Festival. More dates and new videos will be announced soon. -two dog media

Don’t forget to check out their stunning debut LP “Songs From the Stoop.”

Tour Dates: Apr 29: Santa Cruz, CA, May 5: Oroville, CA, May 11: Davis, CA, May 19: San Francisco, CA, May 24: Charleston, SC, May 25: Evans, GA, Jun 2: Felton, CA, Jun 9: Shenandoah Valley, CA, Jun 16: Groveland, CA, Jun 23: Los Angeles, CA, Jun 29: Laytonville, CA, Jun 30: Laytonville, CA, Jul 3: Fort Collins, CO, Jul 4: Boulder, CO, Jul 7: Dolores, CO, Jul 7: Telluride, CO, Jul 19: Kenmore, WA, Jul 20: Bellingham, WA, Jul 21: Bainbridge Island, WA, Jul 28: Kemmerer, WY.

“Sleepy Sun’s miles, months, and days in the van are a tangible presence in Spine Hits, an LP of whimsy, restlessness, and urgency that leaps nimbly from landscape to landscape with ease, irreverence, and a catch-em-before-they-ain’t changeling nature. For the most part, the sprawling Zeppelin-esque epics that defined much of Embrace and Fever have been traded in [...]]]> Brand new album by San Franciscan psychedelic rock outfit Sleepy Sun just added to the mix on DHR.

“Sleepy Sun’s miles, months, and days in the van are a tangible presence in Spine Hits, an LP of whimsy, restlessness, and urgency that leaps nimbly from landscape to landscape with ease, irreverence, and a catch-em-before-they-ain’t changeling nature. For the most part, the sprawling Zeppelin-esque epics that defined much of Embrace and Fever have been traded in for a potent pop-compact framework. But never at the expense of the dodging, juking, and downshifting instincts that set their older long form pieces apart from a thousand other psychedelic drone warriors.

Recorded under the big skies of the California high desert with Queens of Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal alumnus Dave Catching, the jams on Spine Hits are alternatingly precision whittled and moodily muscular…” (Sleepy Sun -Spine Hits- Biography 2012 by Charles Saufley)

Listen to Spine Hits now!

Sleepy Sun. Photo by Brett Wilde.

We are dumbfounded and nearly speechless by the sheer magnitude and brilliance of this momentous event. Our hats are off, and our pull-string beards down, to Moon Block Party for procuring Desert Daze Festival. With more bands than we care to count (maybe like 100 or something), the whole shebang runs 11 days strong at Dillon’s Roadhouse in Desert Hot Springs, Ca. Entry is free with a $5 donation suggested! Unbelievable. Gorgeous.

As it all began a week ago on Apr. [...]]]>

We are dumbfounded and nearly speechless by the sheer magnitude and brilliance of this momentous event. Our hats are off, and our pull-string beards down, to Moon Block Party for procuring Desert Daze Festival. With more bands than we care to count (maybe like 100 or something), the whole shebang runs 11 days strong at Dillon’s Roadhouse in Desert Hot Springs, Ca. Entry is free with a $5 donation suggested! Unbelievable. Gorgeous.

As it all began a week ago on Apr. 12, we’re a bit behind on getting word out and getting our asses out there too. But our sails are up and we’re catching a desert wind out there this Saturday, with a mind for seeing Spindrift in particular. Not to mention Dahga Bloom, Cosmonauts, and all the other rad bands performing. Oh, and a pool party with the Allah Las on Sunday? Too much…

Spin Drift plays the Desert Daze Festival presented by Moon Block Party this Saturday, Apr. 21 in Desert Hot Springs, CA.

Set 1

Foto De Primera Comunion (Los Jaivas, Chile, 1971) Que Me Importa (Miguel y el Comite, Uruguay, 1971) Porque Hoy Naci (Manal, Argentina, 1970) The Sand Man (Laghonia, Peru, 1971) Back (The Spiders, [...]]]> We’ve received several requests for Jeff’s playlist from his recent special edition Latin Psych and Brasilian Tropicalia hour on KXLU’s Levitation Radio. So, for those who care, here it is. (Set 1-2 is actually what we played live on air; Set 3-4 is what more we’d planned, but ran out of time.)

Set 1

Foto De Primera Comunion (Los Jaivas, Chile, 1971)
Que Me Importa (Miguel y el Comite, Uruguay, 1971)
Porque Hoy Naci (Manal, Argentina, 1970)
The Sand Man (Laghonia, Peru, 1971)
Back (The Spiders, Mexico, 1970)

Set 2

Nosotros, Nuestra Arcadia, Nuestra Hermanita Pequña, Gracias Por Los Buenos Ratos (Los Speakers, Colombia, 1968)
Jews Caboose (Traffic Sound, Peru, 1969)
Quero Sambar Meu Bem (Tom Ze, Brasil, 1968)
Tuareg (Gal Costa, Brasil, 1969)
Banho De Lua (Os Mutantes, Brasil, 1969)
Corre A Los Campos (Embrujo, Chile, 1971)
Tao Longe De Mim (Os Brazoes, Brasil, 1969)

Set 3

It’s  A Sin To Go Away (We All Together, Peru, 1972)
La Muerte Del Rey (Blops, Chile, 1970)
Amigo Vuelve A Casa Pronto (Sui Generis, Argentina, 1972)
Cerraron Sus Ojos (Kissing Spell, Chile, 1970)
Vamos Andando, mi Amigo (El Congreso, Chile, 1971)
Cancion De Cuna Para El Niño Astronauta (Arco Iris, Argentina, 1969)

Set 4

Malos Pensamientos (El Alamo, Peru, 1971)
I Can Fly (Pan & Regaliz, Spain, 1971)
Alfômega (Caetano Veloso, Brasil, 1969)
Eu De Adjetivos (Os Novos Bahianos, Brasil, 1970)
Pé Na Estrada (Rubinho E Mauro Assumpcao, Brasil, 1972)
Thank You (Monik, Peru, 197? early 70s)

*Anyone particularly interested in this sort of music is welcome to contact Jeff (who has 100s of these albums) directly at Jeff@dirtyhippieradio.com.

“I sure do appreciate you all [...]]]> DHR received a special correspondence from actress, director, model, and friend Lydia Muijen, who’d been inspired to write for us after experiencing a Todd Snider performance at the El Rey in Los Angeles a few weeks ago. Snider has been hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as “America’s sharpest musical storyteller,” while USA Today called him “A fearless folk-rock troubadour… often hilarious – and always provocative.” We’re happy to share Lydia’s thoughts.

An Evening with Todd Snider

“I sure do appreciate you all coming out tonight, I feel like I know so many of you; but this is for that friend of yours that you dragged out… If you never heard me play before, my name is Todd Snider.”

Todd Snider played at the El Rey last night, here in Los Angeles, supported by Bill Carter and his band featuring Johnny Depp on drums. In the cool crowd that even included Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), it was difficult to spot one person who wasn’t singing along or grooving with the catchy tunes. Snider is an engaging storyteller and great performer, frequently referred to as a modern Johnny Cash, who can get a crowd moving like no other.

Todd Snider at the El Rey with Bill Carter and Johnny Depp. Photo by Lydia Muijen

“I’ve been driving around in this country for more then 18 years,” said the storyteller. “I make these songs up and I sing them for anyone that will listen to them. Some are sad, some are funny, some are short, some seem like they go on forever – sometimes I may rabble on for as long as 18 minutes in between a particular song.”

His cut throat lyrics point to gaping wounds in society while discussing broad social gaps, differences, and clashes. As Snider would say, “Real deep stuff.” He breaks down our complicated socioeconomic situation and delivers it to your doorstep; but not without humble and sarcastic disclaimer.

“I wanna let you know that I also might share some of my opinions with you all over the course of the evening,” he said. “I am not going to share them because they are smart… Because I think you need to know them… I am going to share them because they rhyme.”

Snider’s not in for the political debate; he’s here to make up songs and sing them to anyone that will listen to them.

“I did not come down here to change any o’ y’alls’ minds about anything,” he asserted. “I come down to ease my own mind about everything… It works overtime! That said, thank you all for giving me a chance to do this for you again – if everything goes particularly well this evening, we can all expect a 90 minute distraction from impending doom.”