RecommNeds | New Electric Ride, Black Market Karma & More

You can stream this week’s RecommNeds and previous featured releases through these handy RDIO and Spotify playlists as part of the new JamBase channels for each.

These three bands have more than grammatically-consistent names in common…

New Electric Ride : Balloon Age

New Electric Ride’s self-titled debut EP from a year or so ago was a tantalizing teaser – an early RecommNed pick that ensured I’d be keeping my eyes on the rocking Brits and wondering what kind of magic they’d do with a long-player. Well, wonder no longer, their full-length is here, it’s called Balloon Age and it kicks some serious ass. Sure, this is brand new music, but it goes down like it’s been aged 15 years, in a single oak barrel: just the right balance of smooth flavor and bite. Sure, there’s that archaeological psych-rock sound, but this one takes the next step, brimming with all sorts of ideas and surprises.

Spotify: New Electric Ride – Balloon Age
Rhapsody: New Electric Ride – Balloon Age

Black Market Karma : Upside Out Inside Down

It’s entirely possible that sweet psychedelic rock bands grow on trees in the U.K., but as long as they keep growing them like Black Market Karma, I’ll keep listening and passing along the recs to y’all here Stateside. Their newest, Upside Out Inside Down, opens with a nice long, drone-guitar-jam intro and it’s all head-trip awesome from there. With six, seven and eight-minute tracks sprinkled throughout, there’s plenty of room for the music to breathe. I should also note that this album has a track called “Skullgroover” on it. Good shit.

Spotify: Black Market Karma – Upside out Inside Down
Rhapsody: Black Market Karma – Upside out Inside Down

The Phantom Family Halo : Raven Town Witch

Closer to home and on the darker end of the spectrum is Phantom Family Halo, from Louisville. I’ve been trying to spread the word on these guys for a while, mostly because they keep wowing me with their mindbending, horror-film-on-acid music. Their newest, Raven Town Witch, is their best yet, a glorious, psychedelic soundtrack to your spooky nights and dark dreams… best listened to with the lights off.

Spotify: The Phantom Family Halo – Raven Town Witch
Rhapsody: The Phantom Family Halo – Raven Town Witch