This week was spent trying to catch up on listening to November’s new releases, after procrastinating a bit last week. This has actually been a week that I’ve had music on even more than usual for whatever reason. I’ve been doing what I do best, scouring the darkest, dustiest corners of Spotify and music pages on social media for hidden gems.
Somehow, though, I still found time to get through those new releases in my inbox as well as rock out to some old favorites. It probably goes without saying, but this list is going to be a bit on the random side!
Doomcakes’ Most Listened: November 19th
John Garcia – John Garcia
“Stephanie, what’s up with you talking nonstop about all these post-Kyuss bands and the solo careers of its former members lately?” Listen, if there’s a musical rabbit hole to hop down, I will gladly hop down it, particularly if it pertains to Kyuss. And trust me, I can hang out in these rabbit holes for days, emerging a bit dazed but elated, ready to announce my findings to anyone who will listen.
I think it goes without saying that John Garcia is essentially a god in the stoner/doom community. What Ozzy Osbourne is to doom metal, John Garcia is to desert rock. Now, John Garcia has released a handful of solo albums, but his 2014 self-titled debut is my favorite.
It probably goes without saying that this album is full of great songs, some of my favorites being 5000 Miles, Flower, Argleben, and Confusion. I’ll never be afraid to fully own the fact that I’m the girl in the room here, talking about how things make me feel and all that. Female stereotype that it might be, we all have feelings, we might as well own them! Well let me tell you, when I heard the song Confusion, I just stopped what I was doing and stood there, soaking it in, staring, shot through my little heart. Go listen to it, you’ll see what I mean.
Favorite track: Confusion
Pearl Jam – Rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991-2003)
Pearl Jam’s 2-disc greatest hits compilation, Rearviewmirror, just celebrated its 19th release date anniversary. The original release contains an “Up Side” disc, which features that band’s heavy rock songs, and a “Down Side”, which contains all those Pearl Jam ballads that cut way too deep for comfort at times.
This, however, is one of my favorite things about Pearl Jam; the songwriting. I’m well aware that there are memes out there making fun of the fact that it’s incredibly hard to decipher what Eddie Vedder is singing a good part of the time, but once you figure it out…ouch.
On the other side of that coin, the “up side”, you have those super high energy grunge songs that bring to mind the music festivals of the 90s, those amazing live Pearl Jam performances, people jumping around sweaty in their flannel shirts and Doc Martens… I miss that stuff.
Favorite track: State of Love and Trust
Yeast Machine – Rise of the Yeast
This isn’t technically an album, it’s a single, but it’s a single with three tracks of some of the best stoner/grunge you’ll ever have the pleasure of hearing in your life, I promise! Like many of the bands in the underground, Yeast Machine are not only an incredible group of musicians, but also incredibly sweet people.
This single got a major vote from me for the September Doom Charts, and I was so elated when they made it on the September Peroration. Two months later, and I’m still listening to Rise of the Yeast, as well as the band’s older material, which is just as lovely. If you’re anything like me and you live for that stoner/desert/grunge combination, do yourself a huge favor and listen to some Yeast Machine. You can thank me later.
Favorite track: Time is a Weird Place
1000mods – Super Van Vacation
1000mods has been making music for over a decade now, and has become a mainstay in modern stoner rock. I can pretty confidently say that their full length debut, Super Van Vacation, is my favorite album from the band. This is the kind of album that I would recommend to someone if they asked me for a stoner rock album that provides a good representation of the genre as a whole.
Favorite track: Vidage
Wet Cactus – Wet Cactus
Wet Cactus is a self-described alternative rock band that formed in Spain in 2013. I feel like these guys could very easily fit into the desert/stoner/psychedelic rock categories as well. This album is of course worth mentioning because it’s really, really good. However, it’s also worth noting that it’s primarily an instrumental release, with vocals few and far between. As a general rule, I don’t get into instrumental music, as much as I want to sometimes. I find myself really missing those vocals. So if a band can get your girl Doomcakes to listen to instrumental rock, you know they’re good.
Favorite track: The Road
Colour Haze – All
Another primarily instrumental album! Who would have thought? I saved this one for last because Colour Haze’s All did a phenomenal job of ending my week on a good note; a nice, chill note. I’m beginning to think that the world would be a better place if everyone would just take some time each week to veg out to Colour Haze and of course, the glorious guitar playing of Stefan Koglek.
Favorite Track: If
And that’s it for Doomcakes’ Most Listened: November 19th. Let us know in the comments what’s been grabbing your attention lately!
-Doomcakes
