Lapdog – The Demon
Similar artists: Grateful Dead, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Mac DeMarco, Good Morning, Babe Rainbow
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Lo-fi Rock, Garage Rock
Lapdog takes a queue from the psychedelically-tinged modern guitar bands and proclaims the start of a new era of sonically-powered mind expansion.
We live inside our minds more than ever before. But who controls what goes in and out of ever-shrinking noggins? We might like to think that it’s all the smart things with which we come into contact, such as books, films, and music. But it’s the news, corporate advertising, and social media posts that probably get the most amount of real estate. What to do, what to do?
Why not go cosmic? When in doubt, trip right out. As the Psychedelic Generation has proven to us, there are plenty of places where our minds can go when standing still.
But ample supplies of exploratory music will be needed. Lapdog’s “The Demon,” contrary to its ferocious-sounding name, is psych-rock music with a tinge of country. It’s the kind of music Deadheads would love, the sort of music meant for extended trips and for people who think of rock n’ roll as just another way to spark their imagination.
Damon Smith – Push Right Through
Similar artists: The Black Keys, Dan Auerbach, Jack White
Genre: Blues, Psychedelic Rock
When playing the blues nowadays, there’s a thin line between being old-fashioned and presenting yourself as a maverick. Thankfully, Damon Smith has both eyes open and starring at the future.
The future has to include the blues, right? I mean, just look at the world. Doesn’t it make you want to cry out? And has there ever been a type of music better suited for that kind of emotion than the blues?
Of course, in recent years, from The White Stripes to The White Keys, minimalist, futuristic blues has been all the rage. Damon Smith’s music isn’t quite as stripped back as some of his contemporaries. Instead, the songwriter splashes around plenty of colors. “Push Right Through” brings devil-may-care, eat-em-and-smile humor to life’s troubles. And that’s something that we’ll all need in the future.
