-valis Pick(s) of the Week

Hail Voyagers!
In an effort to maintain the Summer Solstice compilation as the topmost post here I'm now three weeks behind on posting my Pick of the Week. Here now is remedy. The bands are worthy of your attention, imho.

For this week, July 10 - 16, 2012:

From Somerville, Massachusetts, The Ocular Audio Experiment , the work of Alex Pollock! Titled The Witch's Whispering Tomes (Part 1). An amazing piece of pure BJM-esque, (ca. late '90s,) hypnotism. Throughout the twelve tracks Alex maintains interest varying the shades within. I found it to be true to its aim. I think you will, too. Get it here ! (He's also just released Part 2. Same tracks but in a different style! Can't wait to wrap my Sennheisers 'round that! It's here )


For the week, July 3 - 9, 2012:

From Nevada City, California, The Soft Bombs have released their new album, Embrace The Light !

Though lead by ex-Dora Flood'er Michael Padilla, it's rather astonishing to me to state if I didn't know he was involved I'd fully believe he wasn't involved! Only his sense of texture and the architectonics of a track are clues to his involvement. That's not a bad thing either. What we're left with is an amazing album of material that shows a progression of sound and song structure. While some comparisons are bandied about which I'm none too keen on, they certainly do make the keyboard a prominent device here, thus lending itself to some comparisons to Echo & the Bunnymen, (not a bad thing!) I'm reminded of the best of what Swell did so aptly, too, when listening. Give it a whirl and see what YOU think. Highest recommend.


For the week of June 26 - July 2, 2012:

From Arcata, California, White Manna have just released their self-titled album on Holy Mountain !

Blistering riffs and psychedelic shamanic mantras throughout! You'll scramble for your hookah! Listen to "Sweet Jesus" and tell me it does nothing for you and I'll tell you you're dead and just don't know it...








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 Monday from 1 to 3 am eastern, on WRIR in Richmond, VA.