Album Review: Melvin’s Holiday, by Lewis and the Strange Magics (Plus Interview)

Posted on September 27, 2019 by thesonicsofa

Lewis and the Strange Magics are a heavy-psych band from Barcelona, Spain. The band produces groovy, stylish, psychedelic music, with strong funk and jam undercurrents. The band just released their third full length, Melvin’s Holiday. The album is a followup to the 2015 full-length Velvet Skin, the 2017 full-length Evade Your Soul, and the 2018 EP, The Ginger Sessions.

Melvin’s Holiday was independently released on September 6, 2019. It’s a concept album made up of nine, 1960’s and 70’s inspired, sexy, velvety, groovy, shag-carpeted tracks. Even the artwork by Shaun Miller is a throwback, with its retro style and filmy look. The album tells the story of Melvin, a rich man who divorces his wife and takes off on holiday in the Mediterranean, where he seeks happiness but finds only loneliness.

Musically, the entire album is catchy and easy to listen to, with plenty of creative guitar and keyboard tones. The lyrics are melodic and catchy, roughly comparable to the style of Ric Ocasek of The Cars. The album carries echoes of bands such as Pink Floyd, The Eagles, and Steely Dan, but with the psychedelic style and attitude that makes Lewis and the Strange Magics completely one of a kind. Get ready to sink into a velvet sofa and be carried away with the smooth flowing tracks. To help me get a better idea of the band’s song writing process and influences, I caught up with band leader and multi-instrumentalist, Luis Pomés, for the following interview.

The Sonic Sofa (TSS): Can you tell us a little bit about your recording process?

Luis P (LP): For this album we recorded everything in my home studio, with an audio interface to the computer and some microphones. Everything is digital but we tried to find an old/vintage sound.

TSS: What insight can you give us about the album’s lyrics and the Melvin character?

LP: My first intention was to do an album with songs that had a common theme: a summer and decadent atmosphere. I liked this concept and then when I was working on the final steps of the composition I realized that I could connect the songs by creating a character who lives all of the experiences that the lyrics show. So, I created the rich man, Melvin, and I changed some of the words to make a kind of rock opera. I think I got the idea of this concept, among other things, from a Roxy Music song that describes the decadence of a rich person who has a mansion but no one to share it with.

TSS: What is the band’s songwriting process and how does jamming play a part in it?

LP: I write everything in my mind, then I usually record some demos, or I explain the ideas to my band-mates to make a kind of jam. This last process was the one we used in our previous release, The Ginger Sessions EP. Sometimes I record a song without a definitive demo, making the arrangements while I’m recording, and this is why some tracks can have a jam band sensation.

TSS: What are the band’s influences, both musical and otherwise?

LP: All music I enjoy can be an influence, but for this album I think there’s a lot of Roxy Music, Funkadelic, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, heavy-psych in general, and cult movies from the 70s, both for the general atmosphere of the film or from their soundtracks. For example, the track Carpet Sun is a direct tribute to erotic movies soundtacks from those years, and the whole album is very cinematographic.

“groovy, stylish psychedelic music”

The album opens with Melvin (2:51), a short track featuring hand percussion, smooth organ tones, a crisp drum sound, and some tasty wah pedal. A Funky feel, harmonized vocals, and some jazzy brass tones make this a catchy intro track. Next up, Sad in Paradise (3:48) brings a tight, progressive, fuzzy riff. This track stands out among the others with straight up catchy vocals and a hook-filled chorus. Don’t miss the cool stereo effects of the double guitar lead.

Jazzy drums and organ set the tone for The Answering Machine (2:11), and heavy effects on the vocals and a crisp ride cymbal gives the song a San Francisco jazz feel. Fashion Siren (5:31) has a great sounding snare drum and crisp, Steely Dan-like tones on guitar. Probably one of the catchiest songs on the album, with creative keyboard lines and a funky, eclectic chorus, self-referencing the band’s “Strange Magic” in the lyrics.

Carpet Sun (2:21) features a dreamy intro, with some great layering and effects from the keyboards. Synthy and velvety, this short musical interlude is a nice, reflective break in the action. Following up, Village’s Wizard (4:32) is a nice, percussion heavy track, with easygoing keyboard tones and guitar and a smooth, Latin-jazz feel.

Driving classic-rock riffs and catchy, love song lyrics set the stage for Only a Fantasy (4:13). This track features a great keyboard lead with some interesting scifi-esque tones. Lounge Decadence (2:27) opens with a great bass line and the song employs plenty of Latin style rhythms. And closing the album, Afternoon on the Sand (6:28) starts off soft, with great sounding vocal harmonies before shifting to a swingy, bluesy style to finish off the album.

Melvin’s Holiday is an album that should be listened to straight through, from start to finish, for the full effect. The album is currently available for digital download on Bandcamp, and hopefully we’ll see a vinyl release in the coming months. Make to support the band by listening to their music and buying their merch. Thanks for reading The Sonic Sofa. Go in peace, and rock on, Sofanauts.

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.