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Blktop Project

I’ve been a fan of Tommy Guerrero since I was 13 years old, 1987 – the year I picked up on skateboarding. The Bones Brigade were in their prime and Guerrero was my favorite skateboarder. During that year my friends and I watched The Search For Animal Chin at least 100 times. His flaming dagger deck was one of my very first rides.

Flash forward to 2004 when I was reintroduced to Tommy Guerrero as a musician on this very site in a post by site founder Sean. Now, 12 years later Tommy is still at it with his new band BLKTOP PROJECT featuring Josh Lippi and fellow skaters Ray Barbee, Chuck Treece and Matt Rodriguez.

Recorded live over two days, their new album, Concrete Jungle is a loose, grooved-out, rocker of a record with a great jam session feel to it. Check the stream of “A New Line” below for a taste. It’s a real rump shaker.

Concrete Jungle is out today through Guerrero’s own Too Good records and available to buy from his Bandcamp page.

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New Boss

Fuzzy, hook-driven, psych pop goodness is what you get when you fire up New Boss’s solid new release Home Problems. Check out the title track below, then head over to Funny / Not Funny Records’ site and snatch yourself a copy. Enjoy.

New Boss – Home Problems from Home Problems (2016)

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Woods

Brooklyn’s Woods are back with their outstanding 9th LP, City Sun Eater in the River of Light. Taking the best parts of almost every genre of music out there and adding it their already wonky, folk-psych sound, Woods have created a groove-driven (dare I call it “groove-psych”), psychedelic rock masterpiece.

Check out the head bobbing beat of “Can’t See At All” (below) for a mere sampling of how cool this album is.

City Sun Eater… is out now and available on whatever media suits your fancy from WOODSIST Records – I highly, highly recommend it.

Woods – Can’t See At All from City Sun Eater in the River of Light (2016)

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Radiation City

Portland-based Radiation City recently dropped their third LP and first with Polyvinyl Records. Synesthetica is a hook-driven, electro-pop gold mine – the deeper you dig into the album the more rich stuff you find. Check out one of many standout tracks “Milky White” (below) for a taste.

Synesthetica is out now and available in all formats from Polyvinyl.

Radiation City – Milky White from Synesthetica (2016)

Radiation City FB

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Sea Pinks

Belfast trio Sea Pinks play an infectious style of hook driven, fuzzy pop that I can’t get enough of. Their new LP, Soft Days, has had me bouncing around the house for weeks, it’s one of my favorite listens right now. Check out the fuzzed-out, jangly guitars of title track “Soft Days” (below) for a sample.

Soft Days is out now through CF Records and available to buy on their Bandcamp page.

Sea Pinks – Soft Days from Soft Days (2016)

Sea Pinks FB

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WRAY

Shimmery guitars over pounding drums and dark throbbing bass lines, somewhat reminiscent of The Cure’s early releases, is what Birmingham, AL trio, WRAY,  bring to the table on their sophomore release Hypatia. Give the title track a spin below, it’s killer post-punk meets shoegaze goodness.

Hypatia is available now from Communicating Vessels. You should get your hands on it now.

WRAY – Hypatia from Hypatia (2016)

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The Missing Souls

Garage soul stompers The Missing Souls are a 4-piece band out of Lyon, France. Their debut U.S. single features their snarly, lo-if take on two lost gems from the 60’s — Oscar & The Majestics’ “Got To Have Your Lovin'” and Lindy Blaskey & The Lavells’ “You Ain’t Tuff”. Both tracks rule!

Get this bad boy now from Hidden Volume Records. Enjoy.

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Cian Nugent

Night Fiction is Irish guitarist Cian Nugent’s third album, but his first in the role of singer-songwriter. Those familiar with his previous, mostly instrumental work will not be disappointed as Cian’s guitar skills are prevalent throughout the album. Check out his noodly guitar work on opening track “Lost Your Way” (below) for a sample, it’s definitely one of the standouts from the album.

Night Fiction is out today (01.29.16) on Woodsist Records. It’s a great listen, you should check it out.

Cian Nugent – Lost Your Way from Night Fiction (2016)

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The Madcaps

I missed on the Madcaps debut self-titled last year, I will not make that same mistake twice. These rockers out of Rennes, France play a sugary sweet brand of fuzzy garage pop tunes that could come off of any of the old Nuggets compilations of psych/garage songs from the 60’s. Their ode to the Taco Truck could be our founder, Sean’s theme song.

Below are two songs for your listening pleasure, “Too Big for Your Boots” from their new album, Hot Sauce, and “Emily Vandelay” from last year’s debut. Both are great examples of what these guys can do.

Hot Sauce is out now on Howlin’ Banana Records. Enjoy.

The Madcaps – Too Big For Your Boots from Hot Sauce (2016)

The Madcaps – Emily Vandelay from S/T (2015)

The Madcaps FB

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Magic Shoppe

Jangly, reverbed, lo-fi, psychedelic, fuzz are just some of the adjectives I would use to describe Boston’s Magic Shoppe. Their newest EP, Interstellar Car Crash, is a wall to wall psychedelic gem, sure to alter your state of mind with it’s reverbed guitars and hypnotic vocals. Check out “City Alight (Yeah)” below for a taste.

Interstellar Car Crash is out on February 5 through Optical Sounds, I highly recommend it.

Magic Shoppe – City Alight (Yeah) from Interstellar Car Crash (2016)

Magic Shoppe FB

Magic Shoppe Bandcamp