One minute The Action were the ultimate mod cult band, belting out exuberant Anglicised approximations of Tamla/soul material in clubs across the country, the next they’d shed singer Reggie King and mutated into questing countercultural adventurers Mighty Baby.
Under the leadership of guitarist Martin Stone, they would become increasingly insular as four of the five band members converted to Islam and they moved slowly towards a more improvised sound. By the end of 1971, fasting for Ramadan had left them almost too weak to perform onstage, at which juncture they came to the reluctant conclusion that rock’n’roll and the Muslim faith were incompatible…
Adult Cinema is a remarkable one-man project helmed by multi-instrumentalist Mike Weston. A winning blend of Meddle-era Pink Floyd, beguiling psych-folk and classic rock riffing. Mike Weston is an accomplished songwriter and musician who deserves a wider audience. Adult Cinema manage to negotiate that precarious edge, nodding a head back to the fine music of the past, and yet also making sounds and songs that are vibrant and contemporary. This is an Adult Cinema that hosts modern sonic movies that we all need to hear.
One minute The Action were the ultimate mod cult band, belting out exuberant Anglicised approximations of Tamla/soul material in clubs across the country, the next they’d shed singer Reggie King and mutated into questing countercultural adventurers Mighty Baby…
Baby Grandmothers were a short-lived Swedish band, but one of the most prolific and unique psychedelic, modal, experimental power-trios to emerge out of the Scandinavian psychedelic underground-scene in 1967. Although hailing from Stockholm, Sweden they only released a single in Finland, which has since become one of the most sought after pieces of vinyl from the era. Baby Grandmothers were formed out of the legendary R&B / beat band T-Boones in the summer of 1967. T-Boones are probably best known for their “At the club/King of the Orient” single which is one of the best, and most collectable, out of the Swedish garage beat-era. Guitar-wiz Kenny Håkansson joined the band in 1965 and with the group down to a trio they drifted into the psychedelic sounds of the time and in August 1967 released the single “I Want You”, which definitely was the first hard-rock recording ever made in Sweden…
One minute The Action were the ultimate mod cult band, belting out exuberant Anglicised approximations of Tamla/soul material in clubs across the country, the next they’d shed singer Reggie King and mutated into questing countercultural adventurers Mighty Baby.
Under the leadership of guitarist Martin Stone, they would become increasingly insular as four of the five band members converted to Islam and they moved slowly towards a more improvised sound. By the end of 1971, fasting for Ramadan had left them almost too weak to perform onstage, at which juncture they came to the reluctant conclusion that rock’n’roll and the Muslim faith were incompatible…
Behind the 8 Ball (1965). Behind the 8-Ball was Baby Face Willette's second album for Argo and - unfortunately - the last one he would record as a leader, for reasons that aren't well-documented. Compared to his past releases, Behind the 8-Ball is short on original compositions (only two of eight tracks), but the emphasis here is more on Willette's deep roots in gospel and R&B, two circuits he worked extensively during his pre-Blute Note dues-paying days. This perhaps accounts for the brevity of the album - only two cuts top the five-minute mark - but it also provides a chance to hear Willette at his most soulful, playing the music he grew up with…
Probably the greatest set in Baby Face Willette's all-too-slim discography, Stop and Listen matches the organist with the hugely sympathetic team of guitarist Grant Green and drummer Ben Dixon (the same trio lineup who recorded Green's debut LP, Grant's First Stand). With no saxophonist this second time around, it's just Willette and Green in the solo spotlight, and they play marvelously off of one another. As a soloist, Willette has a nimble, airy touch, and though he owes no debt to the modal style of Larry Young, he has a greater melodic imagination than many of his instrument's straight blues players…
With their debut LP The Future Is Our Way Out the Chicago-based 5 piece share a body of work that spans genres and eras, merging the lavish romanticism of mid-century pop with the frenetic energy and spiky intensity of early-millennium indie, all centered on singer Wes Leavins’ hypnotically crooning vocal work. One listen and you'll fall in love with their charming, swooning and shimmering sound that gives nods to The Smiths, Roy Orbison and The Smoking Popes.
Probably the greatest set in Baby Face Willette's all-too-slim discography, Stop and Listen matches the organist with the hugely sympathetic team of guitarist Grant Green and drummer Ben Dixon (the same trio lineup who recorded Green's debut LP, Grant's First Stand). With no saxophonist this second time around, it's just Willette and Green in the solo spotlight, and they play marvelously off of one another. As a soloist, Willette has a nimble, airy touch, and though he owes no debt to the modal style of Larry Young, he has a greater melodic imagination than many of his instrument's straight blues players…