Roy Harper - Stormcock (1971)

There really is no better introduction Roy Harper's world than this early 70's acoustic-prog epic. Harper began his career in the english folky Donovan camp, but by the time he released Stormcock (I have no idea what the title implies but it sounds fucking dangerous) he was stretching his acoustic folk ballads into unending verses of psych exploration. If you're hoping for a chorus or two, good luck. Harper offers up plenty of melody, but nary a repeated line in these 6 min plus jams.

"The Same Old Rock" is a perfect example of this approach. Harper divides the 12 min excursion into multiple movements. For the first 6 minutes we are treated to an enjoyable, minor key folk ballad. A few overdubbed acoustic guitars and some impassioned singing (and what sounds a bit like Led Zeppelin III riffs). After the halfway point, however, the song quietly veers off into reverb drenched pools of harmony, that sound thoroughly West Coast. By 9 minutes we are in full on, droning, swirling eddies of sound that would make Panda Bear pull out the old poncho and get down. It all ends with some aggressive acoustic strumming and descending bass string lines. Stormcock indeed!

Ofege - Try and Love (1973)

This album is the first reissue project on the new Academy LPs imprint, which is an offshoot of the generally awesome Academy Records store in Williamsburg Brooklyn. A group of secondary school teenagers from Lagos, Nigeria cut this record in the early 70's. With guitars chiming in the forefront, the band romps through a set of killer Afrodelic psych-rock. Apparently it was a huge success in Nigeria when it was released, and it is not hard to see why. These dudes prove there was more to the Afro rock sound than endless Fela funk jams.

V/A - Boogaloo Pow Wow (2008)

Mid 20th century Latin jams from New York's fertile uptown music scene. Get in the mood for Spring with this one...

"...rare and classic selections in different latin styles from the ’50s and ’60s. Packaged with relatively brief liner notes but nice artwork and a cover photo by Bruce Davidson... As a culture, Boogaloo Pow Wow… offers a glimpse into a world in which Cuban and Puerto Ricans rule, with the occasional Yankee contribution. This is best represented by the closing track "Feelin’ the Pain" by Dianne & Carole (along with their uncredited band, The Latin Whatchamacallits), an imaginary theme song for a world inhabited by Upper East Side debutantes and Puerto Rican musicians. The ladies, sounding almost fragile in their struggle to be heard and stay on key at the same time, sing lilting, neo-Bacharachian harmonies over what may be the album’s most classically boogaloo rhythm track, equal parts La Habana and Detroit. The song offers a prescient nod to what’s kept ladies like Adele and Amy Winehouse busy, only with less Latin tinge and more Limey sass." - Dusted Magazine

Exuma -Exuma I (1970)

So here is a post after such a long time away. For some reason, this album brought me back from the dead and compelled me to share this. I came across this gem at a great blog. I really don't have too much wisdom to drop on this one, other than it sounds fresh to my ears. Apparently a group from the Bahamas in the 70's that had a penchant for psych/weirdness. There is a bit of folk, rock, tribal beats, Richie Havens-esque gruff vocals, soul shouts, plucked acoustic geetarrrr, and copious amounts of tambourine - the shit really works.