-valis Pick of the Week

Hail Voyagers! New week, new Pick: From San Francisco, The Electric Magpie!
Their debut album, Begins, is out on Lolipop Records.

As their biography tells the tale:
" The Electric Magpie formed after a year long college drop out, constant spasmatic Beatle movie impersonations, and hard caffeine addiction. The outpour of this experience grew its wings, appropriately, and soared deep into the heart of Dave (Maffei's) tidy abode. With the power of will and the current of pride, they electrified their fowl worship and, with a "go-ahead" from Nicholi Tesla, did nest deep into their own tea charged heaven. Witness them now, in the ear canal, and dream of no question more important than "What's for Tea!"

Hunter Stroope and Peter Maffei (plus an ever growing live band) are The Electric Magpie, an avian based, collection of sound. Making music for the sake of sanity, and for the loss there-of. August 2012 saw the live debut of The Electric Magpie at a house party in Oakland, along with the release their first single, "She Said No (To My Love)" with a B-side of "Well Fed Circus Folk". Gigs and more self released music followed, until January 2013 when Lolipop Records in LA released the 2nd Electric Magpie single, "What's for Tea?". This song could be considered the regal anthem of the Magpie, complete with choral backing vocals, electric 12 string frill and the warmth of the sun beaming through the ever loving chorus. "Continuations of the Spy" was the B-side and has a heavy psych-dance-impending doom influence.

They currently belong to LA label "Lolipop Records", and their first album, "Begins" was released on April 15th 2014. Now avalible on Bandcamp/Itunes/Spotify/Amazon.

"The sun isn't yellow, it's magpie!" "

Somewhat shambolic, in the best possible way, are the sounds produced by this California collective. To be expected, in my mind, when a band cites Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel, as well as The Blank Tapes, among others of their feather, as influences. What we do get out of this album is a fun-to-be-had amusement park ride with distorted mirrors and hallways to nowhere.., except that strange corner of your brain where sounds like these are commonly heard. They reside there.
Want to taste what's for tea?




More tea, please!

***
You can listen to the archived stream here; or, hear it this Friday, on The Dead Man's Turn Me On, Dead Man show on Live365, where it's heard every Friday at noon eastern time, as well as Mr. Atavist's Sunrise Ocean Bender show, heard every other Thursday from 11pm to 1 am eastern, on WRIR in Richmond, VA.

Note:
Adding the Pick of the Week to their show is Dogs Got A Bone out of Edinburgh, Scotland, from 10pm to midnight, Mondays, U.K. time, (adjust accordingly,) on Belter Radio. Thanks Col Chant!