Released in 1968 on ESP-Disk Format: LP Style: Chamber Folk, Psych Folk Vibe: Peaceful, Mellow, Psychedelic Themes: War, Nature, Love Instrumentation: Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Strings, Flute, Banjo, Keyboards, Bass, French Horn
Pearls Before Swine – Balaklava Read More »
Originally released on CD in 2005 on Drag City First vinyl pressing – 2009 Format: LP
Six Organs of Admittance – School of the Flower Read More »
Released in 2011 on Underwater Peoples Recorded in 2010 Format: LP
Julian Lynch – Terra Read More »
Originally Released in 2004 on FatCat Records 2011 Reissue on My Animal Home Format: LPx2
Animal Collective – Sung Tongs Read More »
Released in 2007 on Sub Pop Records Format: LP
Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog Read More »
Released in 1968 on Elektra Records Format: LP
The Incredible String Band – The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter Read More »
Released in 1967 on Elektra Records Format: LP
The Incredible String Band – The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion Read More »
Originally released in 2005 on P.W. Elverum & Sun 2015 Pressing, re-mixed and re-designed Format: LP, white vinyl
Mount Eerie – No Flashlight: Songs of the Fulfilled Night Read More »
Warm, mellow Scottish folk with lyrics that border spiritual, philosophical, and fantasy themes. The arrangements are a bit stripped down from their lush psychedelia of previous releases, but still feature a good amount of sitar, organ, Irish harp, and violin to add some color to the vocals and acoustic guitar-centric songwriting.
The Incredible String Band – The Big Huge Read More »
Style: Avant-Folk, Free Folk, Psych Folk
Vibe: Forest, Witchy, Nocturnal, Ritualistic, Earthy, Raw, Nature
Musical Attributes: Dissonant, Droney, Lo-Fi
Fursaxa – Mandrake Read More »
Released on Elektra in 1968 Format: LP Track Notes A1 – Jobs Tears (Uplifting, Morning, Spiritual) “Stranger than that we’re alive” A2 – Puppies (Peaceful, Sitar, Bowed Gimbri, Morning) “Music is so much less than what you are” A3 – Beyond the See (Instrumental featuring organ, harpsichord, whistle, and bowed gimbri A4 – The Yellow Snake
The Incredible String Band – Wee Tam Read More »
Eucalyptus is a beautiful, enveloping excursion of aquatic psych-folk characterized by flowing, hallucinogenic instrumentation, atmospheric production, nature field recordings, and ghostly background vocals from one of my favorite singers, Angel Deradoorian. Avey Tare’s introspective and intimate lyrics mix psychedelic revelations, reminiscing, surreal imagery, and nature/water themes, often leading to profound realizations of a very personal sense of spirituality. The lush orchestrations are arranged by the amazing and unique violist Eyvind Kang, which include woodwinds, horns, strings, and pedal steel slide guitar from Susan Alcorn.
For fans of Animal Collective’s “Campfire Songs” and the slow portions of “Feels”.
Click for full review
Avey Tare – Eucalyptus Read More »
Originally released in 1967 on Elektra 2012 Rhino Pressing, cut from original analogue masters Format: LP
Love – Forever Changes Read More »
Exuma’s first album is a powerful and ritualistic masterpiece of spiritual folk from the Bahamas. Exuma, the Obeah Man, is a master storyteller and preacher, sharing visions, myths, and prayers. His expressive, soulful voice takes on many tones as he delivers his musical sermons, from smooth to raspy, soft to confident. A group of singers, percussionists, whistlers, and toads join him and his acoustic guitar, making me imagine them all circled around a large fire in communal worship and grateful that they let us listeners in on it.
Released in 2006 on Warp Records 2012 Pressing Format: LPx2, 180g, 45rpm
Grizzly Bear – Yellow House Read More »
Released in 2002 on Holy Mountain Format: LP
Six Organs of Admittance – Dark Noontide Read More »
Released in 2015 on Drag City Composed using Ben Chasny’s Hexadic System
Six Organs of Admittance – Hexadic II Read More »
An ethereal and somewhat haunting dream-folk collaboration between guitarist/singer Meg Baird (Espers, Heron Oblivion), and harpist Mary Lattimore, who’s recorded with Fursaxa, Steve Gunn, and others in addition to her hypnotic solo work.
Highly Recommended for fans of Natural Snow Buildings, Cocteau Twins “Victorialand”, Laraaji, and 60’s British & Scottish Folk music
Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore – Ghost Forests Read More »
Released in 2007 on Young God Records Format: LPx2
Akron/Family – Love is Simple Read More »
Lush, beautiful psych-folk with a spiritual jazz fluidity that comes from Larkin inviting her close musician friends to improvise over her passionate songs with harp, trumpet, strings, woodwinds, etc. Think Tim Buckley meets Alice Coltrane
Larkin Grimm – Chasing an Illusion Read More »
Style: Collage-Pop, Glitch-Folk, Plunderphonics
Vibe: Surreal, Psychedelic, Peaceful, Cerebral, Meditative, Philosophical, Spiritual, Uplifting, Warm, Playful, Hallucinogenic
Musical Attributes: Sampling, Electro-Acoustic, Melodic, Sound Collage, Vocal Manipulation
The Books – Lost & Safe (2011 reissue) Read More »
Pastoral psychfolk from guitar master Ben Chasney. Here his serene acoustic fingerpicking is occasionally accompanied by harmonium drones and trippy guitar overdubs, but overall the album is extremely sparse and meditative.
Six Organs of Admittance – Asleep on the Floodplains Read More »
Acoustic-shredder/singer-songwriter ventures out of the jazz-inflected folk-rock territory explored by his last few albums to create something that feels fully himself. Deafman Glance is full of angular left turns, complex structures, airy flutes, jazz detours, and psychedelic atmospheres. A balance of great songwriting, jazz musicianship, and experimental/art-rock tendencies. Recommended to fans of Tortoise’s Standards, Tim Buckley’s Starsailor, and King Crimson’s Red. (Click for full review).
Ryley Walker – Deafman Glance Read More »
Taking a detour from his usual loner-droner psych folk style, Ben Chasney enlists former Comets on Fire bandmates to jam some heavy rock burners with a a cosmic amount of electric guitar shredding, evoking Neil Young & Crazy Horse blasting off on a rocket. The new electric energy brought to this album is balanced out by an equal amount of the fingerpicking prog-folk and meditative acoustic ballads that have been developing in his music since the 90’s. While I will always love his more melancholy, nocturnal records that sound like he’s lost in a forest somewhere, I welcome the fiery energy of Ascent.
Six Organs of Admittance – Ascent Read More »
For fans of eclectic psych rock, communal freakfolk celebrations, and references to Kurt Vonnegut and Pharoah Sanders
Akron/Family – S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT Read More »
