SOME GENRES ARE BIGGER THAN OTHERS

I like house music. I also like "neo-psychedelia". What follows is a list of my favorite neo-psychedelic albums from this year. This may or may not be the only list I post this year.

I am refering to this genre by the AMG friendly term neo-psychedelia, which doesn't imply drug use as explicitly as "stoner-rock". Also, it should be noted that bands such as Animal Collective and Broken Social Scene, who almost certainly use drugs and can probably only truly be understood through drugs, are not included, because they don't really make stoner-rock. I mean, neo-psychedelia. And I'm going to count Dungen as a release from last year.



10. Transmaniacon, RTX
9. All-Night Fox, The Howling Hex

Royal Trux split, Jennifer Herrema formed RTX, and Neil Michael Haggerty formed the Howling Hex. Transmaniacon actually came out at the end of 2004 but I didn't really talk about it here. And The Howling Hex released two albums this year, but I haven't listened to the second one yet. RTX is like Royal Trux's Accelerator taken into the realm of cock-rock, in the best way possible, while The Howling Hex is like twee-pop gone very wrong, also in the best way possible.

8. Odditorium or Warlords of Mars, The Dandy Warhols

This album isn't very good, and definitely doesn't stand up to their older albums. But when it gets to the "shut-up-and-play" type parts, it has its moments.

7. Wolfmother [LP], Wolfmother

Unfortunately only available in Australia at the moment. I gave a copy of this to my boss a few months ago. She played it every day until the end of the semester. Listen here.

6. Lullabies for the Paralyzed, Queens of the Stone Age

They aren't worse without the goatee guy. In fact, after hearing this album, I kind of think Nick Oliveri sucks. Watch "Burn the Witch" live here, from their new live DVD, Over the Years and Through the Woods.

5. Take Ecstasy with Me/Get Up, !!!

Fairly self-explanatory. A cover song so good, it doesn't sound like they turned "Take Ecstasy with Me" into a !!! song, it sounds like they turned !!! into a warped Magnetic Fields.

4. Surgery, The Warlocks

Why would a band need two drum-sets? Head Warlock Bobby Heckher says, "I would listen to our tracks and say, 'They need to sound bigger.'" Oh. Good job.

3. The Black Angels [EP], The Black Angels

This band fucking rules. I have a post on them coming up soon.

2. Feathers, Dead Meadow

I reviewed this for Radio K earlier this year, and I still can't describe this album accurately in word. Listen here. You really need to listen to the whole thing.

1. Black Mountain, Black Mountain

This album is amazing. Every song is a departure from the next, yet it still hangs together as a cohesive album. One of my definite favorites (and biggest surprises) of the year. Listen here.