“Psych” (Used 21 times)

Even in the biggest pile of horse crap, there's gotta be pony somewhere. When Hurricane Sandy turned the freeform radio station WFMU into an island, damaging valuable equipment and sinking their annual record fair fundraiser, one of the bright post-storm rainbows was an incredible night of music at the The Bell House in Brooklyn.

The Hurricane Sandy Relief benefit featured outstanding performances from Arrington De Dionyso of Old Time Relijun, followed by the Dot Wiggin Band, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and Texas psych/gospel legends-rediscovered The Relatives. At the show, WFMU's comeback story paralleled the journeys of many of the evenings performers.

If you're not following the growing popularity of The Relatives, you should be. Their music and resurrection story were recently featured in the New York Times and on NPR, which means your mom might be calling to ask you about them soon. The long story short is that after 30 years, they are just now releasing their first full album of original work (available for streaming here), and it seems the world is finally ready to embrace a sound I've seen best described as "Jesus on LSD." 

Also performing that night was another comeback kid, Dot Semprini aka. Dot Wiggin, the lead singer of '60s all-female group The Shaggs. Depending on whom you ask, they were either the best band of all time or the worst. One of their classically controversial songs "My Pal Foot Foot" closed off their set that night. It's an ode to Dot's lost cat that will either make your brain hurt or remind you why Dot holds the place she does in Rock and Roll history.

As you enjoy these live sets, take a moment to send dry thoughts and financial support in the direction of the station these bands came out to celebrate. The WFMU 2013 Marathon is underway, and it's a chance to say thank you to the station that helps you discover incredible music throughout the year and who parents this very archive.
 

Live at WFMU's Benefit Concert at the Bell House January, 2013
The Relatives

Live at WFMU's Benefit Concert at the Bell House January, 2013
Dot Wiggin Band

Live at WFMU's Benefit Concert at the Bell House January, 2013
Arrington de Dionyso 

Dumbo Gets Mad’s track "Radical Leap" is a lazy psychedelic dream of crunchy guitars, a bouncing bass line, and a butterfly stroke in the roughest river off to the tallest waterfall. Radical Leap makes me feel okay with the coming frigid winter, it makes me feel okay with change, to fly off the tallest waterfall to a totally new place. Get lost in it.

You can now stream their full length album "Quantum Leap" for free on Soundcloud or Bandcamp. While you're listening, check out the album's writeups in Impose and Art Wedndesday, and purchase the CD/Vinyl from Bad Panda.

Dumbo Gets Mad at: Free Music Archive | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

From Berlin´s underground Camera is heavily influenced by 70s Krautrock bands like Neu and Can and have been playing spontaneous guerilla-like shows in U-Bahn stations all over the city. They were at Festsaal Kreuzberg opening up for the mighty Trans Am aswell as several festival appearances including performances with Neu´s very own Michael Rother. Having just debuted an album you should (if in Berlin) try and catch them live by going to one of their shows. The music is psychedelic, hypnotic and intense.

Fortunately they also travel outside the underground tunnels of Berlin and showed up last December in Amsterdam for the Solaris Fest at Plantage Dok. Noise Problems was there and caught it all on´tape. Check out the whole voyage here at the FMA. Camera rules.

SECRET JANE camped over at No Beer Hasketon played with With The Family Elan, The Doomed Bird of Providence, Mahony,Tiger MCs, (((oh dear, The Hillmisters,  and Vague Arrows.