Winter is
definitely here and the colder temps have surely caused a sluggish output of
bonanza material for you all. Sorry about that. It’s not that I am too cold to
write these features up, it’s more of the same old excuse. Busy at work, family
is needy, I am lazy, etc…. However, my listening habits are the easy part to
keep up on. I have not stopped listening. To tell you the truth the more time
goes on the more I seem to listen to new and exciting music and the less I find
myself reflecting on it via this feature on the blog. Anyhow, I will try to be
better at consistency and have a handful of albums to keep your fire kindled in
the meantime.
Old Major – OK
Nothing
screams winter like that Bear on the cover and Old Major have unleashed a beast
of an album on OK. Released back in August it’s been sweltering in my
collection and just recently came back up on the radar after digging back
through the archives and realizing I hadn’t mentioned it yet in the bonanza
feature. Old Major have a very unique twist of different sounds. I described
their last album
out on R.A.I.G. Records as a blend of QOTSA and Red Hot Chili Peppers. That
might not be entirely accurate on OK, but the album surely stands out from the
pack with its eclectic breed of heavy groove.
Slow rumbling basslines, heart throbbing vocals, and mind traversing
atmosphere keeps the pace alive on OK. Not a dull moment. Highly recommended to
get you out of the cliché stoner rock gutter.
Mountainwolf – Absinthe Moon
The latest
album by Mountainwolf maintains that Spongbob album cover pattern, as well as
staying true to a progressive wall of piledriving fuzz they demonstrated on
their debut. This is one epic release I am impatiently waiting for on vinyl.
Mountainwolf
have fermented a potent elixir of downtrodden grunge meets celestial doom on
their latest ‘Absinthe Moon’. This is the kind of album you finish up and feel
like you’ve just awoken from some sort of demented, yet wet, dream, pushing the
repeat button like snooze on a Monday morning. Entrenched with epic groove,
serene riffs and enchanted melody. It’s a grower and a shower.
Bottle – Where Here Is
This one
kind of took me by surprise and gets better with each listen. I can’t help but
be reminded of Witchcraft back when I first discovered them. Bottle has that
occult ring to it and names a song Witchcraft which undoubtedly ode’s the band.
Winter may be here in the states but these Aussies are waxing up there surf
boards and hitting the water to cool down. Wherever you reside, Bottle will
surely sooth you in a good way.
Where Here Is is where it is in the realm of
slow-baked doomy fuzz. Bottle shake up a frothy head of groove guzzled by
mournful croons and occult infused blues. Bottoms up!
Elkhead – Swamp City
Vol. 2
These guys
just do it for me. Can’t believe there isn’t more attention on their bandcamp
page. Why don’t you join in on the fun. It’s about the price of that overpriced
coffee you claim you need. However, listening to good shit like this will keep
you wide awake without caffeine and in an unlimited streaming format and choice
of high quality download type.
Take the
hard rock swagger of Mick Jagger dosed with the druggy haze of Jim Morrison,
shake it up in a barrel of SoCal beach sand and you’ve got the mystic
rockabilly flair of Elkhead. Prime-time psych-ridden grit floating like a rusty
surf board on a tidal wave of whiskey.
Redscale – Set in Stone
This one
immediately caught my attention with it smashing vocal performance and
conceptual song titles. The melodic chorus runs and solos add a nice flair to
the intimidating album cover.
This
album cover describes the sounds within. The muscular vocals drag weighty
metallic riffs barefoot across a petrified atmosphere of fuzz. The songs have
big, fat, catchy chorus's and endless grooves driven by a raspy power vocal.
Smoke Healer – Highway Meets the Sky
Talk about
Ripple Rock, Smoke Healer diagnoses the need for speed and riffs on this stoned
out sexy album leaving you in with the Ripple Quivers. No, they aren’t on
Ripple Music, but we were joking about a new genre category and one thing led
to another our Ripple Nipples were standing on end. I did tell you it was cold
outside, but make sure you don’t change out of those short shorts.
I came
for the denim and stayed for the turbo charged riffs (and denim).
Fire in the Field – War Bonnet
This may
very well be one of my favorite new albums on bandcamp. The guitarist is
something else. One hell of a frontman and what gets me excited about these
guys is they are young, they are ambitious and those little guitar ditties
scattered throughout the songs give this one a vibrant feel.
Not only
does War Bonnet extinguish the flames set by the scorching debut Gypsy Tea
Room, it retains the rock n roll fury with another layer of banging guitar
licks, catchy grooves, and stage commanding vocals. Those guitar freak outs
buried within seal the deal rather nonchalantly.
Sorry if I
bombarded you this round. I was playing a bit of catchup trying to stay warm.
I’ve definitely stocked up on tunes and will have more coming soon including
the Best of Bonanza 2017 edition where I plan to list my favorite bandcamp
finds of the year. Wish me luck there.
-The
Huntsman
Comments
Alicia