#10 Let The Festivities Begin! – Los Bitchos
Although this is Los Bitchos’ debut record, anyone paying attention to European psychedelic will already be well familiar with their cumbia-style funky goodness. Coming from the depths of the London underground, Los Bitchos has worked with the likes of Altin Gün and the kind people at LEVITATION France. This is such a fun record to listen to. One can’t help but burst into sudden dance. Los Bitchos clearly listen to a lot of world music, they take inspiration from Turkish, Columbian, and Greek musical traditions, with a healthy splash of surf rock. Expect more great things from this band.
#9 Anemoia – Spaceface
Spaceface describes themselves as a retro-futurism dream rock band…whatever that means. I would probably say they make groovy pop music and they jam just a little bit. Nonetheless, this is another fun record. Between catchy hooks and funkin’ it up, Spaceface creates massive atmospheric spaces and instantaneous rhythm changes that keep the listener on the edge of their seat. There are also some pretty sick tones from guitarist Eric Martin. Did I mention one of the founding members, Jake Ingalls, is also in The Flaming Lips? That should tell you all you need to know about the vibes Spaceface brings to the table.
#8 Get Lost and Other Dimensions – Helvetia
The simplest way to describe this record is raw. Helvetia specializes in creating musical textures and atmospheres, which is exactly what this record is all about for me. They often find themselves doing some slow-core rocking, only to develop into a massive aching riff. One thing about this record I simply cannot get over is the tone. Helvetia seriously has some of the best sounding guitars in the game. They can do whatever they want, and it’s probably pretty good.
#7 Jaguar Sound – Adrian Quesada
Adrian Quesada is one of the most important musicians around today. He’s been nominated for a Grammy seven times for his work in the Black Pumas. And Jaguar Sound brings the heat. The general sound of this record is psychedelic soul, but there are extensive string arrangements and features from the sound of the funkiest bands around like Ikebe Shakedown and Neal Francis. One of my favorite things about this record is the percussion. The drums bite and the misc percussion throughout the record fills in all the blanks. It’s the kind of funk that’s slow and intentional, seemingly effortless. Oh, AND the album cover is sweet.
#6 Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms, and Lava – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
My relationship with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard is complex and ever-changing. The King Gizzard of 2017 is long gone it seems. But this record is pretty neat! There’s a good amount I don’t like about this record, but that mostly speaks to a larger change in the King Gizzard sound. When this record is good, it’s really good. What this record does really well is the cool and collected jazzy psychedelic, very reminiscent of Quarters, with enough of the classic gizz riffing to keep the heads happy. This isn’t a very good introductory gizz record, but it stands out amongst their recent Butterfly 3000 and Omnium Gatherum.
#5 Live In Colorado – Bobby Weir & The Wolf Brothers
How lucky we are to still have Bob Weir dropping music and kicking ass in 2023. At this point, Bobby has seen it all, and the music he makes today is a collection of that. The Wolf Brothers have always been one of Bobby’s more country-sounding bands, but this record blurs the line between all of Bobby’s interests. This record features significant pedal steel guitar, as well as a sizable horn section keeping the funk going. The mix is crisp and clear, the band is cookin’, what’s not to like?
#4 Estrela Acesa – Sessa
Oh my god, this album is divine. Sessa is the ultimate chiller. This record features more of the same from the Brazilian singer-songwriter: silky smooth guitar, breathy eerie vocals, and tight percussion. Everything Sessa does is pure gold. He pursues very specific sounds in each track, ranging from imitation rain to clean-cut grooves. This record is absolutely gorgeous.
#3 Ali – Vieux Farka Touré, Khruangbin
I already loved Khruangbin and Ali Farka Touré, so when I first heard about this record I just about lost my mind. Vieux is the son of Ali and has learned a lot from his father. The guitar playing on this record is top-notch, some of the best of the year from anybody. Khruangbin is famous for working with some of the best international musicians out there. Their work with dub-master Scientist and their Late Night Tales compilation are helping to define world music for the future. This album has no equal in 2022.
#2 Live from South Channel Island – Mildlife
I had no idea who Mildlife was before this record showed up in my inbox. All I saw was a pretty sick-looking album cover and some good “recommended if you likes”. What I didn’t know is that this record would send me spiraling into a dance band rabbit hole, which I have yet to recover from. This record is funky and jazzy, but it is so much more. It uses a lot of synth loops and filters to create these almost EDM/techno-esq lines. Mildlife is full of musicians who know exactly what they want, and nothing stops them from getting it. Songs are fluid and intentional with pretty wild solos. There are a lot of ocean sounds from around the island used as well, which I particularly enjoyed. This record is funky, psychedelic, sleek, and modern. The world of psychedelia is only just beginning to hear from Mildlife.
#1 Buckaroo Bank – The Mauskovic Dance Band
Remember that dance band rabbit hole? Yeah. Almost everything I liked about the Mildlife record is taken up to another level by these guys. It leans more into the EDM/techno than Mildlife, reminiscent of Patrick Cowley and some recent Altin Gün. The synths are punchy and enveloping, the guitars are machines, and the percussion keeps you locked in. I have no idea how to describe the vocals but I adore them. This band does not sound like anyone else, and this record is endlessly fascinating. The sampling possibilities are endless as well. Buckaroo Bank does it all.
DJ Dogmouth
Keller Welton