The Warlocks - Phoenix

The Warlocks have been making a name for themselves for several years with their own brand of psychedelic rock - a swirling grind that conjures the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, Spaceman 3, Neu!, Can, and early Pink Floyd. They deliver the sounds and sights from their powerful, hallucinatory world that these synthetic times need and would do well not to ignore. At the vortex of the Warlocks' cross-fire hurricane - two drummers, four guitarists, bass and keyboards - is guitarist / bassist / lead vocalist Bobby Hecksher. He writes all of the band's songs, which range from fourteen-minute gotterdammerung assaults to pastoral acoustic-strummed meditations; from amazing pop to addictive guitar mayhem that anchors the trip. Hecksher was in the Brain Jonestown Massacre for a while, a few years ago, and also played on Beck's Stereo Pathetic Soul Manure album, so you know he's no fly-by-night. They've toured the US extensively and released two fine EPs on the Bomp label, but the Phoenix Album is by far their finest work to date. A preview Phoenix EP, clocking in at over an hour, collects two songs from the full length album, "Baby Blue" and "Stone Hearts," as well as a number of otherwise unreleased yyyyeah-yuh.