Gary Higgins headlines Chicago Psych Fest @ The Hideout, Friday

Acid folk legend Gary Higgins kicks off the first night of Chicago Psych Fest 16. Check out the interview link below. 

Chicago Psych Fest 16

Chicago Psych Fest 16 has seemingly upped its own heady game with a rare appearance by stoney-folk deity Gary Higgins! Get tickets for the two-day event at Chicago's venerable Hideout Inn (1354 W Wabansia Ave) right here. 

Friday, March 6

Gary Higgins – The Hideout and Plastic Crimewave via CPF are honoured and thrilled to present this absolute legend, who hasn't left his East Coast haunts for Chicago (or many other places) since 2008. Higgins recorded his beautiful, laid-back, dark/sunny, baroque/fried album, Red Hash, in 1972 Connecticut--and he'll be playing many smokey cuts off the revered private press platter. Reissued by Drag City Records, the now-classic LP was released as Higgins went to jail for dealing weed on March 6, 1973--exactly 53 years before this unique appearance, with veteran collaborator Dave VanDebogart on second lilting guitar. Read the Toneglow interview with Gary Higgins right here. Listen to Gary's classic "Red Hash" album below. See a short clip of Gary performing "Thicker Than A Smokey" with Dave Vandebogart at the Hideout right here. 

Anna Johnson's unique and soaring blend of experimental electronics, Celtic folk, and psyche textures have her playing all over the world. This set will be aided by the local supergroup of Paige Naylor (synth/vox), Ben Baker Billington (drums), and Andrew Scott Young (bass).

The Singleman Affair has been bringing his pastoral take on loner acoustics to recordings and stages since thee early aughts, and he will return to his ele-mental roots with this special set of early material—augmented by double-duty-ing Andrew Scott Young-bass, Don Ogilvie-percussion/vocal duties, and Beth Yates-flute.

DJ Psychedalex Kerner simply has the best astral folkin' stash in Chi-towne, and will keep the dreamy vinyl vibes tight all night.

Saturday March 7

Natural Information Society's revolutionary grooves need little introduction, as they have been on the vanguard of ecstatic minimalism, earthen rhythms, and avant freak-funk since 2010. The longtime quartet of devotional bassist/Guimbri player Joshua Abrams, harmonia-sorceress Lisa Alvarado, percussion wizard Mikel Patrick Avery, and bass-clarinetist Jason Stein will vibrationally transport, ala their latest sidelong-voyage LP, Perseverance Flow. 

Glyders also need no intro, as they have been brandishing their dusty, motorik, groove-laments since 2014. They've brought their live energy and cowgirl in the sands boogie to Drag City as well, for their space-chooglin' LP, Forever.

Shravan Raghuram has been tearing up the regional exploratory music scene on a near sonic pilgrimage level, jamming in a plethora of far-out configurations that range from cosmic jazz, rockist rumble, to honed trances. He'll be appearing in a duo with woodwindist Kevin King, in a setting of drums and flute.

Check out a few clips below. 

Spiral Galaxy's UK tour documented on new cassette Live in Albion II

Spiral Galaxy's Sara Gossett (flute) and Steven Krakow (keys) were joined by various guests on their recent UK jaunt. 

Here's the scoop from Steven Krakow...

So dang excited that my duo with Sara Gossett, Spiral Galaxy has a new cassette documenting our recent UK tour travels! Live in Albion II will be available at The Secret History of Chicago Music: Holiday Happening at The Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia, Chicago) on Saturday (December 16) with Secret History of Chicago Music legends Jeff Lescher (of Green) with the Larks, and the Joy Poppers with Tom Szidon and Jason Batchko! Doors open at 8:30pm with show at 9 pm. Get tickets from the Hideout site right here. 

I can mail order a few of these tapes too, as yeah, this is a sequel to our previous Live in Albion tape, which also captured shows in Scotland/England with special guests! If you ever wondered what Spiral G sounds like backed by a full MoonDrive71 spacejam band with Francis Field and Tristian Watson-O'Brien in Brighton, or with killer bassist Kevin McCarvel and bells/feedback rumbles by Andrew Paine in Glasgow, plus tasty textural guitar by Paul Milne in London, your prayers are answered! 

Get a copy of Spiral Galaxy's new Live In Albion II cassette via Steven Krakow's site right here. 

Kath Bloom joins Damon & Naomi at Chicago's Astral Autumn Daze this weekend

Kath Bloom, Damon & Naomi, Spiral Galaxy, Powers/Rolin and others hit the Hideout on Friday and Saturday. Check the clips!

Steven Krakow's Spiral Galaxy releases limited-edition live album

Sara Gossett and Steven Krakow's Spiral Galaxy live album is now out on vinyl but there's only 100 copies so don't sleep.  

Here's the scoop...

Spiral Galaxy hails from Chicago, IL and includes the talents of flautist/ painter Sara Gossett and guitarist/ machines manipulator Steven Krakow (aka Plastic Crimewave). Together they have created devotional sonic voyages and droney soundscapes with the occasional rhythmic pulse to conjure the textural and kosmische vibe of 70s German seekers like Yatha Sidhra, Emtidi, Popul Vuh, Achim Reichel, Sand, and early Kraftwerk. 

The duo's early live performances quickly set the tone for their future, as they were well noted and received for their meditative drones, captivating mantras, and Eastern influenced experimentation. After producing a handful of cassette recordings of live sets, collaborations, and studio improvisation, Spiral Galaxy released their self titled debut in 2020 on Lion Productions/ Cardinal Fuzz. It was around this time that Sara and Steve visited Rec Room Recording Studios in Chicago to record a set of new compositions, a collection they decided to simply title Live. Initially released digitally by the band and on CDr by Cardinal Fuzz earlier in 2022, Live receives a vinyl release via Altered States. 

Get a copy of Spiral Galaxy's live album – limited to 100 copies – via Bandcamp right here. Watch their Psych Fest 2020 set at the Hideout in Chicago following the track listing below. 

Spiral Galaxy - Live (Altered States 03)

1. Axos 9:22

2. Celestial Omen 8:59

3. Future Fauna 6:58

4. Volo Bog 11:31

Spiral Galaxy w/The Joy Poppers @ Chicago's Hideout, Sunday

Sara Gossett and Steven Krakow's space rock duo Spiral Galaxy return to Chicago's Hideout for an early show starting at 8:30 pm.

Get tickets for the Spiral Galaxy show with The Joy Poppers at the Hideout in Chicago on Sunday right here. 

Happy Birthday Steven Krakow!

Celebrating the birthday of Chicago illustrator, musician, historian Steven Krakow with an interview and Moonrises performance.

That time Plastic Crimewave Sound saluted Hawkwind live

Steven Krakow's crew was joined by Chris Connelly, Bruce Lamont and Traci Trouble for their Hawkwind tribute in 2012.  

Dave Wyndorf's pre-Monster Magnet recordings from 1989 resurface

Guerssen's Galactic Archive imprint is reissuing Mistress of the Perpetual Harvest by Dave Wyndorf's band Acid Reich. 

Here's the scoop from Galactic Archive's Steven Krakow...

SO STOKED to announce pre-orders for this archival LP release of pre-Monster Magnet band Acid Reich! Featuring original MM members Dave Wyndorf (post-Shrapnel), Tim Cronin, and JP McBain, plus Shaune Kelley (Ripping Corpse) and Joe Paone. They recorded a lone cassette in 1989,  'Mistress of the Perpetual Harvest', released on Cronin's Cool Beans tape label. This is the first ever vinyl/digital release on my Galactic Archive imprint and Guerssen Records! 400 copies pressed, 100 hand-numbered on green vinyl. This project has also been in the works for over a year, AND I got to do some of the logos/art on this, and liner notes via some hilarious interviews, so this one is VERY near n dear to my heart--plus some TRULY DEMENTED AND FUZZED PSYCHO-DELICK SOUNDS!!!! (I mean, there's an early Floyd cover too, c'monnnnn)  Check links below to sample a track/pre-order, and for a feature on the always-heady/informative It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine! Huge thanks to Alex Carretero and Tim C for making this all happen!

Have a listen to a cassette copy of Mistress of the Perpetual Harvest right here. 

You can pre-order a copy of the Acid Reich reissue via Bandcamp right here. 

Guitarist Matthew J. Rolin previews The Dreaming Bridge

Hear Ohio fingerstyle guitarist Matthew J. Rolin plays 3 songs from The Dreaming Bridge feat. sweet sleeve art by Steven Krakow. 

Here's the scoop...

“We are living in something of a golden age of fingerstyle guitarists. This glut can be both a blessing and a curse, as it becomes increasingly difficult for even the most discerning of fans to distinguish one player from the next, however capable these players might be.

It is always a pleasure, then, to hear the ways in which the braver and brighter guitarists re-think the tradition from the ground up and recast it in their own image. Enter guitarist Matthew J. Rolin, who plays as if he was born with a dreadnought in his hands. The Ohio-based guitarist’s artistic leaps in recent years are rivaled only by those of Daniel Bachman, another once-precocious player formerly in the John Fahey / Jack Rose mold who has over the years transcended the idiom to create his own singular, deeply personal music. Rolin’s latest LP, the double album The Dreaming Bridge, makes similar strides.

For many practitioners of this style, the first and perhaps most challenging feat is to escape the gargantuan shadow of Fahey. Some do this by adding other instruments or field recordings to their DADGAD ruminations; some opt to play electric. Of course, Fahey did all of those things, too. Better still to have not been directly influenced by Fahey in the first place: Rolin’s initial embrace of the acoustic guitar was inspired not by Fahey himself, but rather by Fahey-influenced guitarists like polymath Jim O’Rourke and trickster prodigy Ryley Walker.

This vicarious influence is exemplified by Rolin’s distinctive, at times irreverent approach to guitar soli. While the influence of Walker’s nimble 12-string probing is evident on tunes like Rolin’s impressionistic “10:30 AM,” and while the guitarist’s patiently unfolding, contemplative “Weeping Willow” indeed recalls O’Rourke’s masterpiece Happy Days, Rolin remains very much his own man, with his own idiosyncratic approach. This is clear from the first notes of The Dreaming Bridge’s opening track “Pinhole,” which introduces Rolin’s affinity for shimmering, almost choral, reverb, the effect doubling as a compositional element. Similarly, on the overtone-rich “Drown,” Rolin’s virtuosic playing is practically a duet with its own echo, an effect deployed not to obscure, but to buoy. This deep attention to atmosphere serves a crucial function on The Dreaming Bridge, which sparkles throughout with a strident, Zen-like focus

Then there are the tunes themselves. Terrific tunes! Like William Tyler—another possible influence—Rolin, despite largely working from the necessarily limited palette of instrumental solo guitar music, thinks like a songwriter. This more traditional approach can be heard on tracks like “Moonlight” and “Backyard Blues” which follow a compositional logic complete with verses and choruses. Rolin performs these compositions beautifully; as a player he is dexterous and dynamic, with a light and agile touch reminiscent of early Will Ackerman or Alex De Grassi.

Album highlight “Hallucinations” features saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi’s keening, double tracked reed work, which at times simulates the sound of a two violins playing cat and mouse between the stereo channels. Rolin wisely cedes center stage to Shiroishi for the track’s first third, supplying gently supportive arpeggios beneath, before the sax fades and Rolin responds. There is something about the unexpected combination of sax and acoustic guitar—not exactly easy bedfellows—that brings to mind both postmodern chamber ensemble Entourage and progressive new age pluralists Shadowfax.

Rolin is joined by partner and collaborator Jen Powers on the meditative and marvelous “When I Could See,” a painterly duet for two dulcimers (one Appalachian, one hammered) that is as rich and transporting as their excellent Powers/Rolin duo LP released last year.

“Bells” (not an Albert Ayler cover), a tone poem for singing bowls, crickets, water, and the ringing of various small bells, eventually gives way to the massive sidelong title track. Structured a bit like a canon, “The Dreaming Bridge” inventively and somewhat impishly simulates aspects of post-Takoma guitar music using some unlikely tools: electric guitar, a looper, and various fuzz and distortion pedals. Note the way the tube-rattling distorted guitar begins substituting for the reverberating whole notes that would typically be the job of the thumb in a traditional Travis picking tune. The sidelong piece, its mood somewhere between apocalyptic and oddly triumphal, gradually builds and crests for over 15 minutes before its waves of stoner tumult and slo-mo tremolo twang begin to recede. We are left with nearly three full minutes of the sound of rushing water cascading from rain gutters. It’s as if the guitarist, satisfied with the web he has just spun, has placed his instrument in its case and has stopped to listen to that other music all around us, and invites us to do the same. You’d be wise to accept this challenge, but not before listening to The Dreaming Bridge, an early candidate for one of 2021’s best guitar records, and Rolin’s finest work to date. Keep two eyes on this guy.” – James Toth

Matthew J. Rolin's new double-album The Dreaming Bridge is slated for release in a pressing of 300 copies on April 30th from Feeding Tube Records which you can pre-order from the label right here. Check out performances of "Drown," "Weeping Willow" and "The Dreaming Bridge" below.