I mean, how can you even argue? It’s pretty much a scientific fact that Thee Oh Sees-frontman and Castle Face-founder John Dwyer knows his psych-rock. And it’s also fairly indisputable that, because of his roles in those two particular institutions, dude’s pro’lly seen and heard about a metric fuck-ton of bands along the way. So when you hear me tell you that Dwyer “came back from a Thee Oh Sees tour talking about a fantastic band he’d played with from Detroit called Mountains and Rainbows,” you’ve basically got no choice but to nod your head automatically, get out there, and CONSUME that band’s media. Luckily, I’m here to make it easy for you. Let’s go.
Despite kicking around for the better part of a decade already, the Detroit-based four-piece’s debut LP, Particles — a pretty intense and sprawling “double LP worth of frantic guitars, quaking vocals and pulsing psychedelic rock” — is only now seeing the light of day (it comes out May 20 via Castle Face). In order to inject some spontaneity to the proceedings, band members Andrew Barrett, Ryan Harroun, Jeffrey Thomas, and Matt Ziolkowski recorded the album in a secluded lake house in scenic Chelsea, Michigan. And according to Dwyer, this allowed the band’s studio work to mimic their live-show tendencies to “go all over the place” (which, yes, in psych-rock, is a fucking good thing). A glance at the tracklisting certainly seems to corroborate that statement, seeing as how it contains, in addition to titles like “Fancies,” “Ma’am (I Like Your Daughter),” and “Dad Rock!,” not one… not two… not three… but FOUR tracks titled “Beach Jam” (which again, yes, in psych-rock, is A FUCKING GOOD THING).
And speaking of good things: today, they’re premiering a new track to help wet your ears’ whistles (or whatever!) for the album’s release. It’s called “With Beefheart,” a swirly-twirly syncopated stomp of dizzying proportions that MAY or MAY NOT feature the ghost of Don Van Vliet on lead-everything. You’ll just have to listen down below and decide for yourself.
Particles tracklisting:
01. AM 580
02. See How They Run
03. How You Spend Your Time
04. Treat Your Mind
05. Sycamour Tree
06. Dying To Meet You
07. With Beefheart
08. Particles
09. Fancies
10. Beach Jam #1
11. Ma’am (I Like Your Daughter)
12. Beach Jam #2
13. Dad Rock!
14. Visions Of Sanity
15. Beach Jam #3 - Kingston ‘67 - (Take Me To The River)
16. I’m A Peaceful Man
17. Faulter
18. Beach Jam #4
More about: Mountains and Rainbows, Thee Oh Sees
