Post-metal is great for being stoned. This is my favourite. The build-up, release, the vocal. It turns me into mush. I once had a near-religious experience in High Wycombe thanks to the combined power of weed, iPod and this song.
Oh yes, and that reminds me. Here’s another that I reach for in those Rizla moments. Again, it’s all about the build-up then the epic release. Also vocals.
AFTERWORDERS: “Hey Bisto, why haven’t you posted a YouTube link to the whole of Orbital’s The Box EP, its 4 parts arguably the finest example of a 90s dance combo hitting the stoner, psychedelic button (with a splash of doom metal) without picking up a guitar and/or Steve Hillage?”
ME: “Dunno.”
Orbital – The Box Parts 1-4 (well worth 30 minutes of anyone’s time)
The sensationalistic film is a clip from Reefer Madness. Succumb to the demon weed and you’ll want to ….go skinny dipping with some jazz babes. Frightful!
Changing vibes again with some genre bending grooves that are modern but definitely carry a throwback to something old and slightly warped. Kicking off with the stoned funk of…
Over the past 10 years Lindstrom has turned dance music into prog music via a splash of 70s French electronica, Chic and a whiff of weed. He’s often aided and abetted by Prins Thomas who lends his stoner remix talents to this track.
Peter Kruder – one half of Kruder and Dorfmeister – had a brief side project with Peace Orchestra. Like Lindstrom he’s stretching dance/electronic music into something that burrows the groove deeper into your head rather than deeper into the nightclub.
Jon Brooks has had 2 successful incarnations, most recently as The Advisory Circle part of the excellent Ghost Box label. Before then he was King of Woolworths working with a more pronounced love of the groove but keeping that psychedelic pop vibe – with some nods to soundtrack icons like Lalo Schiffrin along the way – that just begs for some mellow head nodding.
I was fascinated to read about those Harlem “teapads” and I just found this article which explains a little more. Scroll down the page until you get to Teapad revival
I’d thought they were something like the brown cafes in Amersterdam. In fact, it was more like priovate parties where people would gather;
“A “tea-pad” is a room or an apartment in which people gather to smoke marihuana… Usually, each “tea-pad” has comfortable furniture, a radio, Victrola, or, as in most instances, a rented nickelodeon. The lighting is more or less uniformly dim, with blue predominating. An incense is considered part of the furnishings….”
Amorphous Androgynous have been knocking around for years as the alter-egos of The Future Sound of London. Often more direct and melodic than FSOL if not quite as edgy, AA have nonetheless created some excellent cosmic space tunes and stoner vibes in electronica. Their more recent efforts – The Cartel Vols 1 and 2 – are bonkers in an excellent way, groovy soundtracks to some kind of psychotic spaghetti western gangster mash-up located somewhere in a jungle of weed grown by Os Mutantes
For 20 years Trans Am have done anything and everything in rock and dance-based music genres. 10 albums in and they’re still hard to pin down, still mutating and jumping streams.
I love Tortoise. Their 1996 ‘Millions..’ album was played to death when I bought it, the first time the whole idea of ‘post-rock’ started to make sense. Here’s something more recent, more ‘straight’ groovy than normal that still works as funk, jazz (but not really jazz funk) psychedelic rock and cosmic rock and as a result has a classy stoned vibe coursing through it all the way.
I posted this not long ago on one of the Compendium threads, but it needs to be included here as well.
Pugh Rogefeldt – “Här Kommer Natten” (“Here Comes the Night”):
Nationalteatern was a theatrical company that started in Gothenburg in the 70s, specialising in writing plays for a teenage audience at recreation centres, with added rock songs. The songs were recorded and released on albums, where the context of the plays were non-existent.
The play that this stoner anthem originally appeared in was probably more anti-drugs than pro, but generations of stoners can listen to it in ignorant bliss…singing along with lyrics about buying drugs and avoiding the cops:
A while back I opened a thread in praise of the boogie – it got zero comments. But to me the boogie definitely qualifies as a stoner groove – particularly if it starts slow and continues the loping groove.
Endless Boogie carry the torch these days but they can be a bit fast. The kings of the boogie were of course John Lee Hooker & Canned Heat together and separately . The Heat did Refried Hockey Boogie parts 1 and 2 taking up an entire elpee plus their is the magnificent boogie they did with John Lee Hooker aon Hooker’n’Heat and of course John Lee’s Boogie Chillun is definitive.
This one is a bit quick for mine but features some nice close ups and some nice opening guitar work from Al Wilson. Canned Heat at Woodstock 1969 “Boogie”
They ticked all the stoner boxes:
Harvest label
John Peel played them to death (and appeared on one of the albums)
The supported the Stones at Hyde Park
Paul Buckmaster was one of the members (he later did all those amazing string arrangements on the early Elton John LPs)
Tracks were usually 20 minutes long
Even more amazingly, it’s claimed that a young Keith Chegwin sings on that Third Ear Band LP. Dunno if it’s true but a Google search throws up several references.
I was listening to the Snowy White compilation Goldtop just yesterday. I don’t need to tell you Twang what a great player he is. Such a great touch and a fine blues feel.
I saw him at the Stables and he was brilliant. At one point the band got quieter and quieter till there was no sound at all and he was effectively playing his Les Paul unamplifed. The number ended….and Snowy said “You couldn’t hear that last bit, but it was BRILLIANT”.. Cue much laughter.
Elbow’s debut single, bought many years ago, oft times sounds like the best thing they ever did. Lovely spacey, dubby, liquid-like groove. The way the song pares back to just the vocals is a gem of an arrangement
Sting & Co. Don’t care what you think about Sting, this is an excellent stoner groove. Particularly like how they all look like they’re auditioning to be the new slimline Top Gear presenters
Jon Lord guests on keyboards for a band trying to break out from its shoegazing tag and perhaps naggingly aware of the sound coming out of new label stable-mates Oasis.
Personally, I’ve never inhaled, ingested or injected anything, ever. But in my late teens I was friends with a gang of stoners who did, more often than not. Their favourite track, going on repeat most nights, was this one; “Boy Crazy” by The Tubes (and it’s still one of my favourite tracks, and bands):
Quay Lewd sporting a mighty appendix down his left thigh…
Some more psych folk from only a couple of years ago. Obviously influenced by the likes of John Fahey and Robbie Basho and the American Primitive sound this acoustic reverie grooves off into a more cosmically funky atmosphere
Sort of power trio with added vibes, keyboard and congas, live-feel performance with a dash of jazzrock, melodic pop sensibility and no little tension. And Swedish.
Oooh yes that’s a blast from the past, back in the exciting 70s my mate had a Janne Schaffer album – we used to joke about him shaffing his yans…great grooving guitarist.
I keep meaning to review one of their albums!
The excellent Dodson and Fogg – A Sweet and Strange Surprise
Woah man….a totally new dimension…page 2!
We win.
But where did Page 1 disappear to?
Still got longs of songs to add to that playlist from Page 1.
There are now 141 songs on it. 14 hours long!
Directly under and to the left of the most recent comment on the thread is a link ‘Older Comments’ which’ll take you back to page 1
Thanks Bisto!
Can’t believe that you are still going strong and posting all this extraordinary stuff, a lot of which I’ve not heard. Wow!
This broad church has many missionaries in a lot of different places. While I’ve been wandering around Harlem, you’ve been to Germany and Norway.
Some new shoegazing
Dead Horse One – By My Side
Post-metal is great for being stoned. This is my favourite. The build-up, release, the vocal. It turns me into mush. I once had a near-religious experience in High Wycombe thanks to the combined power of weed, iPod and this song.
Oh yes, and that reminds me. Here’s another that I reach for in those Rizla moments. Again, it’s all about the build-up then the epic release. Also vocals.
Named after a Funkadelic track?
Check
Undisco Kidd – Damn! I Gotta Go
Camera – Villon
AFTERWORDERS: “Hey Bisto, why haven’t you posted a YouTube link to the whole of Orbital’s The Box EP, its 4 parts arguably the finest example of a 90s dance combo hitting the stoner, psychedelic button (with a splash of doom metal) without picking up a guitar and/or Steve Hillage?”
ME: “Dunno.”
Orbital – The Box Parts 1-4 (well worth 30 minutes of anyone’s time)
WOuld have gone for The Girl with the Sun in her Head…but okay it’ll do 🙂
Sacred Shrines – The Badge and the Gun
Rhyming slang time with the Kinks.
And not just any old cig. A Harry was herbally enhanced.
More from the post-metal end of things
400 or bust!
Let’s all get gay, the stuff is here.
Georgia White sounds like she had a swinging party.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH-gNFhQTTA
and one from the goths.
Last year of university, picnic in Wollaton Park, some special recipe brownies and laying in the sun listening to this. Bliss.
Stoned electronica from Spain (complete with listening instructions)
It’s a wet Manchego cheese delerium
Holögrama – Superman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfTETBAcChQ
Another party girl, Trixie Smith.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBQLYwbE7Jo
The sensationalistic film is a clip from Reefer Madness. Succumb to the demon weed and you’ll want to ….go skinny dipping with some jazz babes. Frightful!
Let’s dry some banana skins.
My Drunken Haze – Reflections of Your Mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY-lV-l6u2w
More groovy Swedes!
Baby Grandmothers – Somebody Keeps Calling My Name
70s German band in not playing Krautrock shocker!
My Solid Ground – Dirty Yellow Mist
Fascinating article. During Prohibition there were about 500 “tea pads” in New York where vipers could indulge in some herbal refreshment.
http://marijuana-insights.com/?p=3543
Or of course they could, like Benny Goodman, go to Texas.
Have we had any Moody Blues yet?
Moody Blues – Legend of a Mind
Dig the flute solo but really DIG John Lodge’s superb bass playing
flute…*runs in opposite direction *
Harlem Saturday night and Bessie ‘s got the munchies.
Changing vibes again with some genre bending grooves that are modern but definitely carry a throwback to something old and slightly warped. Kicking off with the stoned funk of…
Tussle – Warning
Over the past 10 years Lindstrom has turned dance music into prog music via a splash of 70s French electronica, Chic and a whiff of weed. He’s often aided and abetted by Prins Thomas who lends his stoner remix talents to this track.
Lindstrom – Music (In My Mind)
Peter Kruder – one half of Kruder and Dorfmeister – had a brief side project with Peace Orchestra. Like Lindstrom he’s stretching dance/electronic music into something that burrows the groove deeper into your head rather than deeper into the nightclub.
Peace Orchestra – Who Am I
Jon Brooks has had 2 successful incarnations, most recently as The Advisory Circle part of the excellent Ghost Box label. Before then he was King of Woolworths working with a more pronounced love of the groove but keeping that psychedelic pop vibe – with some nods to soundtrack icons like Lalo Schiffrin along the way – that just begs for some mellow head nodding.
King of Woolworths – G Plan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpAZ0anrQGg
I was fascinated to read about those Harlem “teapads” and I just found this article which explains a little more. Scroll down the page until you get to Teapad revival
http://www.vice.com/read/i-just-smoked-legal-weed
I’d thought they were something like the brown cafes in Amersterdam. In fact, it was more like priovate parties where people would gather;
“A “tea-pad” is a room or an apartment in which people gather to smoke marihuana… Usually, each “tea-pad” has comfortable furniture, a radio, Victrola, or, as in most instances, a rented nickelodeon. The lighting is more or less uniformly dim, with blue predominating. An incense is considered part of the furnishings….”
Thanks for explaining where Rob Heron and the Tea Pad orchestra took their name from. @kaisfatdad
Interesting isn’t it @hubert-rawlinson?
I read about them a few weeks ago as they were supporting the Unthanks in Newcastle. So I listened and liked but thought nothing more of their name.
Today we are a little wiser.
Amorphous Androgynous have been knocking around for years as the alter-egos of The Future Sound of London. Often more direct and melodic than FSOL if not quite as edgy, AA have nonetheless created some excellent cosmic space tunes and stoner vibes in electronica. Their more recent efforts – The Cartel Vols 1 and 2 – are bonkers in an excellent way, groovy soundtracks to some kind of psychotic spaghetti western gangster mash-up located somewhere in a jungle of weed grown by Os Mutantes
Amorphous Androgynous – Down The Memory Hole
For 20 years Trans Am have done anything and everything in rock and dance-based music genres. 10 albums in and they’re still hard to pin down, still mutating and jumping streams.
Trans Am – North East Rising
I love Tortoise. Their 1996 ‘Millions..’ album was played to death when I bought it, the first time the whole idea of ‘post-rock’ started to make sense. Here’s something more recent, more ‘straight’ groovy than normal that still works as funk, jazz (but not really jazz funk) psychedelic rock and cosmic rock and as a result has a classy stoned vibe coursing through it all the way.
Tortoise – High Class Slim Came Floatin’ In
Lopes along exquisitely.
Terry Callier – Java Sparrow
I knew there must be a few Italian stoner songs. Then I stumbled across this list. I don’t don’t there are more,
http://www.giornaleradiosociale.it/cannabis-10-canzoni-italiane/
Here’s one of them. No need to translate!
Posting an Italian track made me think of the late great Pino Daniele. That wonderfully lived-in voice fits in very nicely here.
And why not some of the dubby sounds of Almanegretta while we’re here too?
Enjoyed that so much, here’s a second helping of Almanegretta.
Like. Mmm. Yeah. Dude.Like Santana? Caravanserai – all of it, dude. Or Moonflower.
But brother have Europa (Earth’s Cry, Heaven’s Smile).
I posted this not long ago on one of the Compendium threads, but it needs to be included here as well.
Pugh Rogefeldt – “Här Kommer Natten” (“Here Comes the Night”):
Lovely guitar playing by Jojje Wadenius!
Nationalteatern was a theatrical company that started in Gothenburg in the 70s, specialising in writing plays for a teenage audience at recreation centres, with added rock songs. The songs were recorded and released on albums, where the context of the plays were non-existent.
The play that this stoner anthem originally appeared in was probably more anti-drugs than pro, but generations of stoners can listen to it in ignorant bliss…singing along with lyrics about buying drugs and avoiding the cops:
(“Bängen TrÃ¥lar”)
Just one more – Nature, another Swedish band from the 70s, playing “Mystery Brew”.
And the same band in a short live clip, just because I love the intense drummer…
The legendary Bosse Skoglund no less!
You do find some gems Locust.
Jangly guitars are like chocolate to stoners – irresistible
Here’s another Kurt Vile live at a radio station Walkin on a pretty day
Chiz, take 2
A while back I opened a thread in praise of the boogie – it got zero comments. But to me the boogie definitely qualifies as a stoner groove – particularly if it starts slow and continues the loping groove.
Endless Boogie carry the torch these days but they can be a bit fast. The kings of the boogie were of course John Lee Hooker & Canned Heat together and separately . The Heat did Refried Hockey Boogie parts 1 and 2 taking up an entire elpee plus their is the magnificent boogie they did with John Lee Hooker aon Hooker’n’Heat and of course John Lee’s Boogie Chillun is definitive.
This one is a bit quick for mine but features some nice close ups and some nice opening guitar work from Al Wilson. Canned Heat at Woodstock 1969 “Boogie”
The Third Ear Band – Earth (1970)
They ticked all the stoner boxes:
Harvest label
John Peel played them to death (and appeared on one of the albums)
The supported the Stones at Hyde Park
Paul Buckmaster was one of the members (he later did all those amazing string arrangements on the early Elton John LPs)
Tracks were usually 20 minutes long
Third Ear Band.
I think Roger Dean designed one of their album covers.
You’re right! I didn’t know that.
Even more amazingly, it’s claimed that a young Keith Chegwin sings on that Third Ear Band LP. Dunno if it’s true but a Google search throws up several references.
Cheggers Plays Prog!
This. Snowy White playing lead guitar rather than our Pete, but still wonderful. Love the percussion.
I was listening to the Snowy White compilation Goldtop just yesterday. I don’t need to tell you Twang what a great player he is. Such a great touch and a fine blues feel.
I saw him at the Stables and he was brilliant. At one point the band got quieter and quieter till there was no sound at all and he was effectively playing his Les Paul unamplifed. The number ended….and Snowy said “You couldn’t hear that last bit, but it was BRILLIANT”.. Cue much laughter.
Working with a strong nod to P.I.L’s Death Disco here’s The Oscillation with Telepathic Birdman
Lumerians – Burning Mirrors
Lumerians – Burning Mirrors
Gimme Sitar!
Galliard – Ask For Nothing
Ex Primal Screamer becomes David Icke’s best friend and acts like a bit of a cock in the early 90s but still managers to make some half-decent music
Spirea X – Chlorine Dream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Eoj-MqBJZ8
Talking of Primal Scream
Loaded
Cornershop – Who’s Gonna Light It Up?
Play some old!
Magna Carta – Wild Bird
As a bit of a stoner I’d nominate either Massive Attack’s Blue Lines as the most stoner-friendly groove. You can hear the smoke.
Elbow’s debut single, bought many years ago, oft times sounds like the best thing they ever did. Lovely spacey, dubby, liquid-like groove. The way the song pares back to just the vocals is a gem of an arrangement
Elbow – Any Day Now
Sting & Co. Don’t care what you think about Sting, this is an excellent stoner groove. Particularly like how they all look like they’re auditioning to be the new slimline Top Gear presenters
The Police – Walking On The Moon
Jon Lord guests on keyboards for a band trying to break out from its shoegazing tag and perhaps naggingly aware of the sound coming out of new label stable-mates Oasis.
Ride – Moonlight Medicine
This one grooves along for a pleasing seven-plus minutes – The Charlatans Opportunity Three:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MtRmr1Pe3Q
Catherine Wheel lived somewhere too heavy for shoegaze and baggy and too light for grunge. No matter, they made their own noise.
Catherine Wheel – I Want To Touch You
Personally, I’ve never inhaled, ingested or injected anything, ever. But in my late teens I was friends with a gang of stoners who did, more often than not. Their favourite track, going on repeat most nights, was this one; “Boy Crazy” by The Tubes (and it’s still one of my favourite tracks, and bands):
Quay Lewd sporting a mighty appendix down his left thigh…
If Eno had fronted Roxy
Slowdive – Souvlaki Space Station
Daniel Lanois – Still Water
Datura4 – Killjoy
Some more psych folk from only a couple of years ago. Obviously influenced by the likes of John Fahey and Robbie Basho and the American Primitive sound this acoustic reverie grooves off into a more cosmically funky atmosphere
Matt Baldwin – Lindsay and Her Duplicates
Majik Markers – The Diamond Guitar of Tico Feo
Mondo Drag – True Visions
Seeing Stackridge last night reminded me of this:
https://youtu.be/4NuoWEJewek
Stephen Stills – Go Back Home
Manchester’s Dead Sea Apes have a new album out next week. Here’s something they made earlier.
Dead Sea Apes – Regolith
Pram – Play of the Waves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwxBHEmrqLg
Brian Jones would approve:
The Whatt Four – Dandelion Wine
Acoustic and subtle stoner groove? How about a Portuguese acid folk band’s cover version of Kraftwerk’s Radioactivity?
Beautify Junkyards – Radioactivity
Hi @disappointmentbob 🙂
Sort of power trio with added vibes, keyboard and congas, live-feel performance with a dash of jazzrock, melodic pop sensibility and no little tension. And Swedish.
https://youtu.be/4chNQH3oFQs
Oooh yes that’s a blast from the past, back in the exciting 70s my mate had a Janne Schaffer album – we used to joke about him shaffing his yans…great grooving guitarist.
I feel proud of this magnificent thread. I love you all.
We all love you right back, @Twang…
https://youtu.be/olnbwZxjcbI
Antibalas create an excellent groove. Excellent live.