Woods - I Was Gone 7" EP/At Echo Lake (2010)

Woods recently released a 7" EP entitled 'I Was Gone' on Woodist.

"...guess this new woods ep is a more unconscious approach to the written song. A side is a 3 part tape collage/head scratcher called 'Days Gone By.' B side features new easy breezy psych rock single, 'I was Gone' and the drugged out tribal child,  'Hang On.' its crunchy. take with some honey slides."

The title song will be on their upcoming album (11th May), 'At Echo Lake', which has recently leaked and is the only track I've heard off the EP. The track is pretty incredible and brings to mind The Byrds, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Bon Iver all in one perfect haze of psychedelia. The track is only 1min 53secs long and leaves you wanting more....and luckily it seems they give you that in their live shows:




Anyway, I've just put 'At Echo Lake' on (which I will be buying!) and after first track 'Blood Dries Darker' I already know this is going to be a favourite of 2010. Take a look at this AWESOME HD live performance of the track and tell me you're not excited to hear this!?

Ganglians

Ganglians are yet another band to emerge from the label that has brought us Woods, Crystal Stilts, Real Estate and Kurt Vile...Woodist. This year saw the band release both a self-titled mini-LP and a full length album ('Monster Head Room'). I haven't yet heard their self-titled mini-LP, but have been listening to 'Monster Head Room' this past hour or so and have thoroughly enjoyed my listening. The first song to really jump out at me was 'Valiant Brave', which kinda reminded me of Devendra Banhart's 'Seahorse' in the way it exploded into life after a gradual build up. The song also includes some killer flute work and has a really great atmosphere. Elsewhere, the rest of the album has some really nice acoustic songs ('Cryin' Smoke' and 'Lost Words') and some general acid-folk/psych style songs that fans of Devendra Banhart, The Beach Boys and Grizzly Bear alike should find appealing. Anyway, time to listen to it again...

"This album is pure naive headphone acid pop to drive to, at least that's what was going through our heads." - Ganglians

Party in the Pines

Party in the Pines was a festival held in California out in the forest at the end of the summer and was presented by Kemado Records, Mexican Summer and folkYEAH!. It featured some of my favourites, including Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Dungen, Vietnam and Kurt Vile. I had never heard of it before I stumbled on a page on Fader TV, who were there and filmed a load of the festival. Check these videos out:

Dungen:



 Kurt Vile:



Woods:



Farmer Dave Scher:



Vietnam: