The flood of psychedelic releases in the first weeks of summer have abated somewhat compared to recent psychedelic psummers, but there’s always a couple dependable hard working artists who have been cranking out new music at a good clip. This time it’s Ripley Johnson’s (Moon Duo, Wooden Shjips) cosmic Americana/country psych project Rose City Band, and The Honey Pot.

Rose City Band – Earth Trip (Thrill Jockey)

In my review of last year’s Summerlong, I dug deep into the influence of J.J. Cale’s cosmic choogle. Cale’s presence still haunts the studio, but not quite so pronounced, as Johnson delves more into clean sounding, traditional country folk sounds, while still achieving a nicely chilled vibe for summer listening. Rather than choogle into the stratosphere, the third album, Earth Trip, floats and glides along the surface. No doubt the country and psychedelic folk on this album has roots deep into the 50s and 60s (Woody Guthrie, Carter Family, Dylan, Crosby Stills, Nash & Young), but what comes to mind first are the atmospheric vibes of Cowboy Junkies, Mazzy Star, and even gentler moments from the Galaxie 500/Luna catalog. None of those artists made use of pedal steel, but their hushed, understated vocals and riffs did establish an appealing blueprint, which other contemporaries like Magic Castles have drawn inspiration from.

Speaking of pedal steel and country rock, “Lonely Places” almost sounds like it could fit on one of the first three Eagles albums. I have mixed feelings about that. I grew up with country music in the house, and I like some early Eagles okay, but have never lurved it. It’s the the same with that track. That and the upbeat country pop of “World Is Turning” don’t necessarily wreck the vibe, but also ultimately makes Earth Trip my least favorite of the trio of albums. Thankfully the rest of the album finds Johnson’s songwriting as good as ever, with opener “Silver Roses” evoking the anthemic “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” in the most laidback manner possible. “Ramblin’ With The Day” revisits the choogle to give addicts our fix, while “Feel Of Love” and “Rabbit” are satisfyingly spaced out. They don’t move so much as morph, like a cloud, as you revel in the natural beauty that the lyrics evoke. The 9:10 closer “Dawn Patrol” provides the subtle psych jam that was more prevalent on Summerlong. It may be Rose City Band’s lightest and slightest effort, but it’s still essential listening that holds up under heavy playlist rotation.

The Honey Pot – The Secret (Mega Dodo)

Trying to Google The Honey Pot is tricky — just those words or even combined with their fourth album, The Secret (fifth counting the triple compilation Ascending Scales), results in primarily links to a “feminine wash” product of the same name. Add psychedelic band and you get better results. I gave a rundown on the band’s history in the review of Bewildered Jane (2019), and they have since created a site under the Honey Pot Collective umbrella. Don’t be put off by the janky design of the site or the latest album cover that suggests they’re a second rate psychedelic jam band that are ubiquitous at local festivals. The Honey Pot writes top tier, finely crafted psych prog tunes with roots in progressive folk. Their latest album shows them fine-tuning their studio craft and arrangements, getting closer to the rich, lush sounds they hear in their heads and perform live with a fully loaded sound system.

The album kicks off with the title track that flexes those studio chops with an extended instrumental intricately weaving piano with acoustic and electric guitar lines. “Somewhere Between Here And Anywhere” and “I think I Need To Sleep” are the two of the hookiest tunes with memorable melodies. “Waterfalls” is a lovely ballad, and the aquatic theme extends into a mini-suite that includes “Under The Sea,” which begins with shimmering, ethereal folk until it rocks out in the final quarter. “Venice” brings some heavy fuzz guitar to the beach, initially a fairly traditional garage rock tune, until it spaces out with an impressionistic interlude at three minutes before circling back and jamming out on this nine minute epic. “Walk A While” is a country rock tune that seems requisite with every damn band. Whatevs. At least we’ve got “Django’s Tune,” the most full-on trippy track for it’s entire 8:06 playtime.

The Secret may not be quite as packed to the gills with The Honey Pot’s best tunes along the lines of Inside The Whale (2016), but it’s a welcome progression in the band’s development, and shows the band is still primed for a another potential career peak album.

Quivers – Golden Doubt (Ba Da Bing)

After releasing their promising debut, We’ll Go Riding on the Hearses (2018), the Quivers, transplanted from Tasmania to Melbourne, was in the studio initially just to make an EP follow-up to the fabulous “You’re Not Always On My Mind.” They got progressively more ambitious, writing string and choir arrangements, the process slowed down and extended during the pandemic. In the meantime they quickly recorded a cover of R.E.M.’s Out Of Time (1991) in it’s entirety. Any band that can take the atrocious “Shiny Happy People” and make it good is definitely something special. The songcraft of R.E.M., The Chills and The Go-Betweens influence continues, but Golden Doubt’s main accomplishment is packing a devastating emotional wallop of giddy romance and wistful melancholy, with an impact comparable to Hunters & Collectors’ antipodean classic Human Frailty (1986).

Les Grys-Grys – To Fall Down (Norton)
Les Grys-Grys are a French garage psych/surf band, the kind that releases their albums on vinyl via obscure labels, making it extremely difficult to buy digitally or stream. Their self-titled debut from 2019 was finally made available on Bandcamp, but no such luck with their second album so far. At least it’s streaming on Spotify for the moment. I realize there are landfills full of thousands of obscure garage rock from the past half century, but this band is worth seeking out, cuz they’ve got a perfectly balanced raw sound, and a great batch of tunes, kicking off with the smokin’ “I’m Going Back,” and a garage soul ballad that could easily have been a highlight on an early Stones album, “Watching My Idols Die.” | Buy

LoneLady – Former Things (Warp)
I can’t believe it’s been 11 years since Julie Campbell debuted with her post-punk project as LoneLady with Nerve Up (2010). Hinterland (2015) explored more electronic dance punk and funk, and the third album continues that path with consistently engaging results. It’s a deeper, more challenging album with thought-provoking lyrics about the ephemeral nature of dreams and memories, replaced via technology with images that only reflect slivers of past reality.

The Lounge Society – Silk For The Starving EP (Speedy Wunderground)
If this is what rural England has to offer (The Lounge Society came up in West Yorkshire’s Calder Valley), I’ll have more of that please. After their stunning debut 7″ “Generation Game” last year, they were signed to Speedy Wunderground to become part of the freshest roster of post-punk varietals in a while (Squid, Black Country, New Road). While there’s a bit of jittery funk in this punk that flirts the line of being overdone, the band keeps it fresh by exploring slow-burning textures and some complex, proggy instrumental interplay on “Cain’s Heresy.” The video shows American producer Gordon Raphael (The Strokes, Regina Spektor) lingering outside the Working Men’s Club in Hebden Bridge, where he currently lives, and has become a big supporter of the band. They also give a nod to Voidoids/Heartbreakers/Television era CBGB’s, while “Valley Bottom Fever’s” driving blues rhythm has some of Gun Club’s garage noir DNA. This has me slavering for a full length debut. | Buy

SAULT – NINE (Forever Living Originals)
The prolific, mysterious SAULT’s fifth album in two years may be be less formerly ambitious than previous work, but they’ve loosened up with some playful experimentation (“London Gangs” and “Trap Life”), while still tackling heavy subject matter (“Mike’s Story”). I gotta say “You From London” is extremely irritating, and they obviously did that intentionally. I can exclude it and the slight intro, and spoken word portions, which brings the essential repeat worthy listening down close to EP territory, under 28 minutes, a big change from their sprawling epics. A little SAULT is better than no SAULT though. They said it would only be available to stream, buy and download for 99 days before it disappears. I like the idea, underlining the fact that if people stop buying, collecting and curating collections and rather depend 100% on streaming, all their favorite music could theoretically disappear in an instant. It’s available at Name Your Price on Bandcamp, so there’ no excuse not to own it.

Phobophobes – Modern Medicine (Modern Sky)
South London’s Phobophobes have been kicking around for well over a decade, associated with the likes of Fat White Family. Their sharp but dour art rock/garage noir is set on slow burn, this being only their second album after Miniature World (2018). Jamie Bardoph Taylor’s baritone evokes deadpan/dead inside style from The Idiot-era Iggy Pop and, in turn, Nick Cave and Arab Strap. Produced by Killing Joke’s Youth, I wouldn’t mind if the band ventured more into the apocalyptic cacophony of that band and a bit less doleful melodrama, but the band is impressively accomplished by sticking to their own creepy agenda.

Jesuslesfilles – L’heure idéale (Duprince)
Montreal’s Jesuslesfilles’ fourth album since 2010 is probably their best batch of fuzzy post-punk/garage punk/ songs yet. They were under my radar previously probably because they stick to French. Their scruffy sound has consistently bounced between shoegaze and jangle pop throughout all the albums, not pioneering anything new, but establishing their own signature. I’ve noticed that Quebecois culture is far more resistant to using English than the French themselves. That might limit their fanbase, but the music is too good not to find their people.

Top June Releases

1. King Buffalo – The Burden Of Restlessness (Stickman) | Jun 04 | USA | Bandcamp
2. The Narcotix – Mommy Issues EP (Narcotix) | Jun 11 | USA | Bandcamp
3. The Honey Pot – The Secret (Mega Dodo) | Jun 25 | UK | Bandcamp
4. The Telephone Numbers – The Ballad of Doug (Meritorio) | Jun 04 | USA | Bandcamp
5. Massage – Still Life (Bobo Integral) | Jun 25 | USA | Bandcamp
6. Rose City Band – Earth Trip (Thrill Jockey) | Jun 25 | USA | Bandcamp
7. Quivers – Golden Doubt (Ba Da Bing) | Jun 11 | Australia | Bandcamp
8. Takeshi’s Cashew – Humans in a Pool (Laut & Luise) | Jun 04 | Austria | Bandcamp
9. Giant Sky – Giant Sky (Imaginary Friend/Glassville) | Jun 04 | Norway | Bandcamp
10. The Shop Window – The State of Being Human (Shop Window) | Jun 25 | UK | Bandcamp
11. Night Beats – Outlaw R&B (Fuzz Club) | Jun 04 | USA | Bandcamp
12. Nephila – Nephila (The Sign) | Jun 04 | Sweden | Bandcamp
13. Delving – Hirschbrunnen (Stickman) | Jun 11 | Germany | Bandcamp
14. Joe Bourdet – Meadow Rock (Mountain Sounds) | Jun 19 | USA
15. Sleater-Kinney – Path of Wellness (Mom+Pop) | Jun 11 | USA | Bandcamp
16. Les Grys-Grys – To Fall Down (Norton) | Jun 25 | France | Buy
17. L’Rain – Fatigue (Mexican Summer) | Jun 25 | USA | Bandcamp
18. The Lounge Society – Silk for the Starving EP (Speedy Wunderground) | Jun 18 | UK | Buy
19. New Candys – Vyvyd (Fuzz Club) | Jun 04 | Italy | Bandcamp
20. The Dials – Continental Drift EP (Gear Discs) | Jun 25 | UK | Bandcamp
21. Ìxtahuele – Dharmaland (Subliminal Sounds) | Jun 11 | Sweden | Bandcamp
22. LoneLady – Former Things (Warp) | Jun 25 | UK | Bandcamp
23. SAULT – NINE (Forever Living Originals) | Jun 25 | UK/USA | Bandcamp
24. Qlowski – Quale Futuro? (Maple Death) | Jun 04 | Italy | Bandcamp
25. Phobophobes – Modern Medicine (Modern Sky) | Jun 25 | UK | Bandcamp
26. Deiv Id Fuzz – Deiv Id Fuzz ((Playa Atomica)) (Speedy Wunderground) | Jun 19 | Chile | Bandcamp
27. John Myrtle – Myrtle Soup (Sad Club) | Jun 18 | UK | Bandcamp
28. Deathchant – Waste (RidingEasy) | Jun 25 | USA | Bandcamp
29. Ches Smith & We All Break – Path of Seven Colors (Pyrcoclastic) | Jun 11 | USA/Haiti | Bandcamp
30. Black Sky Giant – Falling Mothership (Black Sky Giant) | Jun 10 | Argentina | Bandcamp
31. Lightning Bug – A Color of the Sky (Fat Possum) | Jun 25 | USA | Bandcamp
32. Spellling – The Turning Wheel (Sacred Bones) | Jun 25 | USA | Bandcamp
33. Sinoptik – The Calling (Sinoptik) | Jun 11 | Ukraine | Bandcamp
34. Yat-Kha – We Will Never Die (The Lollipoppe Shoppe) | Jun 11 | Tuva | Bandcamp
35. Siderean – Lost on Void’s Horizon (Edged Circle) | Jun 25 | Slovenia | Bandcamp
36. Pharaoh – The Powers That Be (Cruz Del Sur) | Jun 18 | USA | Bandcamp
37. Matt LaJoie – Creek Baptism (Flower Room) | Jun 18 | USA | Bandcamp
38. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Butterfly 3000 (Flightless) | Jun 11 | Australia | Bandcamp
39. Backxwash – I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses (Grimalkin) | Jun 20 | Canada | Bandcamp
40. Amenra – De Doorn (Relapse) | Jun 25 | Belgium | Bandcamp
41. The Murlocs – Bittersweet Demons (ATO) | Jun 25 | Australia | Bandcamp
42. Delivery – Yes We Do EP (Spoilsport) | Jun 25 | Australia | Bandcamp
43. Dale Kerrigan – Noise Bitch (Ashleigh Nichols) | Jun 25 | New Zealand | Bandcamp
44. Country Westerns – Country Westerns EP (Fat Possum) | Jun 25 | USA | Bandcamp
45. Boss Keloid – Family the Smiling Thrush (Ripple) | Jun 04 | UK | Bandcamp
46. Elara Sunstreak Band – Vostok 1 (Elara Sunstreak) | Jun 18 | Germany | Bandcamp
47. Amythyst Kiah – Wary + Strange (Rounder) | Jun 18 | USA | Bandcamp
48. White Flowers – Day By Day (Tough Love) | Jun 11 | UK | Bandcamp
49. Tremor Ama – Beneath (Salade Tomate Orion) | Jun 11 | France | Bandcamp
50. Den Der Hale – Harsyra (Sound Effect) | Jun 11 | Sweden | Bandcamp

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