The Sonic Sofa Podcast: Babylon Tree, Circus Cannon, and King of None

Posted on September 23, 2019 by thesonicsofa

Podcast Transcript: I’m The Purlenaut and you’ve landed on the Sonic Sofa, your home for stoner rock reviews and podcasts. Check out thesonicsofa.blog to read lots of articles and hear some awesome music. This month, we’ve got some new mystical music by Babylon Tree, the psychedelic aura of Circus Cannon, and the head banging hard rock of King of None. So buckle up. Become one with the Sofa, and prepare for liftoff.

First up on the show is Babylon Tree, an instrumental heavy psych band from Athens, Greece. The six member band recently released their debut album, Eastern Tales, which came out on May 30th. On it, the band attempts to capture the sound and aesthetic of the Far-East. Their music is positively Middle-Eastern sounding, employing the use of Persian scales. The album is made up of six songs, each around 8-10 minutes, and each is a richly layered composition. Here’s the second track, called Dunes and Wind.

And that was Dunes and Wind by Babylon Tree, from their debut album, Eastern Tales. Next on the Sonic Sofa, is Circus Cannon, a powerful four-piece psych band from London. The band honed their sound while rehearsing in unused buildings, and ended up producing a sound that is both unique and eclectic. They draw from powerful influences, but produce a sound that’s unique and which adds diversity to the genre. The band’s newest independent release, Ashmedai, came out on July 4th, and is available for free or “name your price” on Bandcamp. Ashmedai contains four songs, each very different from each other, but tied together by the common threads of riffs, trippy guitar leads, heavy bass, and pounding drums. Here’s the fourth track from the EP, Wendigo.

You just heard Circus Cannon with the song Wendigo, from the new EP, Ashmedai. Wrapping up the show is King of None, a hard-rock band from Helsinki, Finland. They produce riffy hard rock, with plenty of stoner and prog-rock elements. Weightless Waters, released on April 28, 2019, is composed of six heavy songs. It’s a high energy ride that is arguably their most polished, mature EP to date. The songs range from four and a half to seven minutes. Each song is crisp and tight and it’s a headbanging, hard rock ride from start to finish. Here’es the second track from the EP, called Worlds Collide.

And that was King of None with Worlds Collide, from their EP, Weightless Waters. Thanks for listening to the Sonic Sofa podcast. Check out the Sonic Sofa on mixcloud.com/purlenaut and thesonicsofa.blog. Please support the bands by buying their music and merch. If you have music or an artist that you think should be featured on the blog or podcast, contact The Purlenaut at thesonicsofashow@gmail.com. Go in peace and rock on, Sofanauts.

The Sonic Sofa Podcast: Elder, Kavod, and Swan Valley Heights

Posted on May 29, 2019 by thesonicsofa

Podcast Transcript: I’m The Purlenaut and you’ve landed on the Sonic Sofa, your home for stoner rock reviews and podcasts. Hop on over to thesonicsofa.blog to read Lots of articles and hear some awesome music. This month, we’re checking out music by Elder, Kavod, and Swan Valley Heights. Become one with the Sofa, and prepare for blast off.

Elder is a four-piece psychedelic, progressive, stoner rock band from Boston, Mass. They have been a powerful force in stoner rock since the release of their self-titled album in 2008. The band has evolved over the years, from a doom-worshiping prototype, to a unique band that has in turn become an influence for their peers. To celebrate the news of their upcoming EP, The Gold and Silver Sessions, I’m going to play one of their earlier releases from their Self-titled album. Here’s Ghost Head.

Kavod is a three-piece stoner rock band from Perugia, Italy. They produce slow moving songs with an emphasis on trance-inducing riffs. Their name is a Jewish word for honor, as well as being a root that means to be heavy. Wheel of Time is their debut recording and was released on April 13, 2019. Go to my blog page at thesonicsofa.blog to read an interview with the band and also check out their bandcamp because they’re selling the EP for half a Euro. That’s basically 56 cents. Here’s a early sis minute track from that EP called Absolution.

Swan Valley Heights is a stoner rock trio from Germany. Even though the band name sounds like an 80’s chick flick, they bring a powerful blend of heavy music with complex song structures, chunky riffs, and clean, melodic vocals. The band’s Self-titled album was released on January 30th, 2016 and they recently announced the upcoming July 26 full length, The Heavy Seed, with the news accompanied by a new 10 and a half minute song. The track features plenty of changeups and cool stoner rock textures. Here’s their new song called Teeth and Waves.

Thanks for listening to the Sonic Sofa podcast. Check out the Sonic Sofa on mixcloud.com/purlenaut and thesonicsofa.blo g. Please support the bands by buying their music and merch. If you have music or an artist that you think should be featured on the blog or podcast, contact The Purlenaut at thesonicsofashow@gmail.com. Go in peace and rock on, Sofanauts.

The Sonic Sofa Podcast: Valley of the Sun, Gandalf the Green, and Brant Bjork

Posted on May 6, 2019 by thesonicsofa

Podcast Transcript: I’m The Purlenaut and you’ve landed on the Sonic Sofa, your home for stoner rock reviews and podcasts. Hop on over to thesonicsofa.blog to read all the words and hear all the sounds. This month, we’re checking out music by Valley of the Sun, Gandalf the Green, and Brant Bjork. Become one with the Sofa, and prepare for blast off.

Valley of the Sun is a stoner rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. The group produces driving desert rock with melodic vocals. Their riffy songs are known for being upbeat and positive. Their new album, Old Gods, will be released on May 24th through Swedish label, Fuzzorama Records. Here’s Means the Same.

Gandalf the Green is a three-piece psychedelic doom band from Huddersfield, England. The band produces heavy, fuzzy, riff-centric music, with strong psychedelic vibes. Their new single, A Billion Faces, was released on March 28. It was recorded in Dec, 2018 in Phipps Hall at the University of Huddersfield. Get ready for some heavy stuff. Here’s A Billion Faces.

Brant Bjork is a multi-instrumentalist from Palm Desert, California. His newest album, Jaccoozzi, was released on April 5, and is being advertised as a sort of lost album. The album was recorded in 2010, but immediately shelved. Bjork had gone to a house in Joshua Tree, CA to record material for his next solo album, but personal life changes as well as feeling burned out from extensive recording and touring caused him to change his plans. Bjork decided to scrap his original project and focus on creating improvised jams. This whole track plays like a psychedelic surf song. Here’s Oui.

Thanks for listening to the Sonic Sofa podcast. Check out the Sonic Sofa on mixcloud.com/purlenaut. Please support the bands by buying their music. If you have music or an artist that you think should be featured on the blog or podcast, contact The Purlenaut at thesonicsofashow@gmail.com. Go in peace and rock on, Sofanauts.