Tag: psychic ills

Virginia Trance Announce Vincent’s Playlist

Leave a comment

I’m a big Psychic Ills fan, so I’ve always been closely following Virginia Trance, the side-project of Scott Ryan Davis. He’s just announced a new record for the project, Vincent’s Playlist, and does so with this sprawling ode to Lou Reed stretching over 5 minutes. To a certain degree, patience is the name of the game with this tune; it almost entrances the listener on first listen; your repeat listens will begin to reveal details like the saxophone and its correlating guitar lines. This song feels like it’s an experiment in the craft of songwriting, with the album promising to incorporate a few rough edges, but here it’s all about the undeniable allure of good old guitar rock. Vincent’s Playlist drops on May 8th via BYM Records.

Another Great Track from Psychic Ills

Leave a comment

psychicFor some reason I hadn’t realized until today how much I was looking forward to listening to the new album from Psychic Ills. While they still adhere to some of the psychedelic vibes, their new effort has this sprawling country vibe to it. The edges are slightly darkened, longing, settling the listener into a vibe of contemplation as the song unfolds…slide guitar and all. The group will release Inner Journey Out on June 3rd via Sacred Bones Records, and you can bet I’ll be in line waiting to pick it up.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/263650855″ params=”color=00aabb&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

New Music from Psychic Ills

Leave a comment

pyschicillsI like when bands quietly release tracks, knowing that the strength of the song will draw people in to their work…which happens to be the case with this new Psychic Ills tune. Listening to it, it feels like the band have sort of taken on the Spiritualized approach, turning from one sound into the darkened R&B/soul influenced folk outfit. This tune really has the feeling of Western expansion, gradually letting the song flow through your speakers. Sacred Bones Records will be releasing Inner Journey Out on June 3rd, and it looks to be one of those records you quietly enjoy, then buy copies for your friends.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/258658851″ params=”color=00aabb&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Rad Music Thursday — In Austin That Is

Leave a comment

austin-skyline-mark-weaverIt’s a weird world in Austin building up to SXSW.  We get some good shows, but a lot of traveling acts just postpone the inevitable of a week of belligerence and loud tunes.  Luckily, Thursday night has all kinds of great shows you can skip around to, or catch in full, all featuring promising acts that us folks at ATH adore.  Here’s a brief spotlight on where you can head if you’re into live music. Read more

New Hit from Psychic Ills

Leave a comment

Man, this band is really becoming something special. Psychic Ills have a new record that is set to come out early next year on Sacred Bones, and our first listen has me really excited.  It’s almost like the group has transformed into a psychedelic version of Spiritualized, using that strummed guitar, a bit muted, and including foggy vocals that lightly rest atop the instruments; it’s all juxtaposed with an organ that haunts the background of the track.  

You can check out a video of the song HERE.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/52316615″ params=”show_comments=false&auto_play=false&color=ff7700″ width=”100%” height=”81″ iframe=”false” /]

SXSW Preview: Psychic Ills

Leave a comment

Ready for more SXSW rock?  Well, the Psychic Ills aren’t necessarily going to bring you straight ahead rock n’ roll; the band has done lots of experimentation with their sound since their inception in 2003.  Most recently, they released Hazed Dream on Sacred Bones Records, signaling a slight departure from their more traditional sound. It’s definitely going to get lumped into the psychedelic genre, which is probably an easy descriptor, but I laud the band for their vast experimentation over the years.  I hear bits of Spiritualized in songs like “Mind Daze” from their recent release, yet the song evokes different qualities depending upon your own personal tastes.  In reading their bio, you’ll see that the experiments and testing of waters doesn’t just revolve around their efforts in music, but extends to their association with very art mediums while living in NYC.  You lump that in with all their musical trials over the last several years, and you’re in for a fascinating show that will definitely leave you wanting to follow them around Austin for the week. 

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/02-Mind-Daze.mp3]

Here’s a list of their shows, for you stalking plans:

TUE 3/13 @ Whiskey Room (Sacred Bones event)
WED 3/14 @ Elysium (Sacred Bones official evening showcase, 12 AM set)
THU 3/15 @ Urban Outfitters,  2 PM set
                     @ Spiderhouse/29th Street Ballroom (Austin Psych Fest party, 6 PM Set
SAT 3/17  @ Red Eyed Fly (Strange Victory/Village Voice/The Wick party, 3 PM set)