What a year it’s been for psych rock, noise rock and other largely guitar-based music that doesn’t strictly fit into either of those categories but JR Moores likes to crowbar into these columns because he likes the sound of it.
There’s been so much going on, in fact, that there were loads of stories that didn’t even make their way into Columnfortably Numb over the last 12 months. For instance…
As part of their comeback launch, The Jesus Lizard encouraged us to embrace a “Rack summer”. This was defined by its carefree, party girl, unashamed-to-be-messy, let-it-all-hang-out attitude. David Yow to a tee, admitted an envious Charli XCX.
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. threatened to sue Donald Trump after he stopped taking questions at a campaign rally, choosing instead to dance along to all 36 minutes of ‘Recurring Dream & Apocalypse of Darkness’. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris failed to win the presidential election despite the support of an 18-track digital compilation by R.E.M. and endorsements from several current members of The Polyphonic Spree. Plus alumni.
Dame Helen Mirren repeatedly expressed her sadness that Ron “Pigpen” McKernan never lived long enough to benefit from giffgaff data bundles and Jimi Hendrix didn’t get to order a Five Guys bacon burger through the Uber Eats app.
Fans expressed disappointment when Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing system increased the attendance fee for Träd, Gräs Och Stenar’s two-day residency at Cafe OTO to upwards of £48. They paid anyway because it’s not every day you get to watch these reformed legends of the Swedish prog counterculture.
There were also several excellent records released. Here’s JR Moores’s top 10 psych-rock(ish) albums of 2024. He’s put them in alphabetical order rather than establish an awkward hierarchy. His New Year’s resolution is to stop referring to himself in the third person.
Bitter WishCandle FingerCarbon
There were, as usual, a number of psych rock LPs released this year with one long jam on each of their sides. What made Candle Finger stand out? The bass player from Bardo Pond. The drummer from Kohoutek. Some other bloke on guitar. Each piece is gloopy in its own way. The first one is mellow, initially, and grows much harder, before settling back down into the hot-rocked sofa. The crunchier second side is phat from the beginning and mostly stays that way, deceptive mid-lull aside, until the trio find their way to what looks like a logical outro.
FirefriendRcknrllCardinal Fuzz
Columnfortably Numb tends not to cover live albums because that’s one way to narrow down its prospective items. An exception was made for Rcknrll because Firefriend hadn’t been covered before and the record, well, rcks hrd. It’s full to the brim with fuzz, feedback and strung-out post-Spacemen 3 swagger. There are ample reasons here to buy tickets to see them, if you get the opportunity. They’re based in Brazil. Don’t forget to pack earplugs for safety.
Fu ManchuThe Return Of TomorrowAt The Dojo
In a manner of speaking, Fu Manchu just do what they do, repeatedly, to consistently satisfying effect. As such, these Blue Cheer throwbacks have never shown heaps of interest in trying out new ideas. This time, they did. They thought, “Have we ever recorded a double album, dude? Don’t remember doing one before. Let’s give it a shot, man.” Except they didn’t really. They wrote a 50-minute set, full of brilliant songs like they usually write (if not better), and spread it across two LPs at 45rpm. Rock your socks off? Your Royal Blood-branded knee-highs will be scurrying to the safety of the nearest mousehole.
God BulliesAs Above So BelowReptilian
As Above So Below might not be a God Bullies album, depending on whose side you take. This was explained at length when it came out. It’s a blooming good record, though, even if it could be filed under Thrall or Pig Harvest or Mike Hard And The Cops In Plain Clothes. It snarls and lurches at targets including warmongering bastards, sermonising hypocrites, gullible morons, fascist plonkers and the corrupt moral bankruptcy of virtually everything on the planet. One song features severe use of the word “HELP” screamed over and over again. Most relatable chorus of 2024.
Island ApesIsland ApesGod Unknown
Island Apes play a deliciously grungy mode of space rock, as if Nirvana had leaned further into their admiration for those acid-sprinkling nutjobs Butthole Surfers, instead of being Seattle’s answer to Pixies. Or, alternatively, if Butthole Surfers, by the time of their final album, hadn’t turned into Smash Mouth. Island Apes have chunky riffs, swirly whirly sound effects and vocals so manipulated they don’t seem quite human. What more do you need?
Silver ScrollsMind LinesThree Lobed
Silver Scrolls are Polvo members Dave Brylawski and Brian Quast. They play rock music. Intelligent, winding, compelling rock music with plenty of detours. Plus, fun and thoughtful narratives where the lyricism’s concerned. You could call it post rock. They prefer to think of themselves as exploring “all the rocks”. What, even cock rock? Gang Of Four were supposed to have enacted the permanent musical penectomy in about 1979. Mind Lines does host some nifty lead guitar indulgences. See ‘Visiting The Twelfth Bar’, for example. But it’s all very tasteful.
Sunburned Hand Of The ManNimbusThree Lobed
On reflection, the response to Nimbus was weirdly subdued. It was even written off, by some, for its alleged uneventfulness. What on earth drew anybody to that conclusion? Beat poetry backed by hums, gurgles and chimes? The wild-eyed and wonky folk music of ‘Ishkabibble Magoo’ and ‘Lily Thin’? The supreme not-quite-space-rock, more like splodge rock, of ‘The Lollygagger’? The desert rocking digression, ‘Walker Talker’? I am aghast with indignation.
Terry GrossHuge ImprovementThrill Jockey
Terry Gross’ second album shoots off with locomotive force via ‘Sheepskin City’. Listen to this distortion-loaded cosmic beast at full volume and it’s like being blasted in the face with a 5000 watt hairdryer for seven minutes. ‘Sales Pitch’ and ‘Effective Control’ boogie in an equally powerfully manner. ‘Full Disclosure’ is more of an abstract, mid-album palette cleanser which verges on skronk. Huge indeed.
ThankI Have A Physical Body That Can Be HarmedBig Scary Monsters
“I want the kind of fame where I can become a CIA asset,” sings Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe on ‘Do It Badly’. It is possible that, as elsewhere on Thank’s latest album, he is being sarcastic. If it’s that celebrity rung you’re aiming for, you want to get Aaron Dessner on co-writing duties and ask your management team to arrange a lucrative collaboration with BTS. You don’t want to be shouting about fungus and dental plans, or predicting on record that “one day I will die in a freak noodles-on-toast-related accident”. Maybe rein in the ridiculously harsh, synth-aided, scatter-drummed noise rock as well. You nutters.
Weak SignalFine12XU
New York’s Weak Signal write beautiful tunes, with smart yet never fustian lyrics, and play them like they couldn’t give a flying flip whether anybody is listening to them or not. There is no one out there, right now, who is doing this type of thing as well as Weak Signal. No, not even MJ Lenderman. Whoever the hell that is. They should be hailed from the rooftops as absolute treasures.
