Album of the Month - October 2024: Goat - 'Goat'

I must apologize, dear readers. Twice. First, it's the 17th and I'm just posting this now. Sorry. Second, because it's the 17th and for reasons, this post will be short. Sorry. Anyway...

GOAT!!! No, not the acronym. The Swedish psychedelic funk rock collective. I'm a new devotee so I don't have this grand idea of how their new, eponymous album fits in to the entire scheme of the band's existence. I do know that since I was turned on the them last year via their 'Leviation Sessions' and 'Medicine' releases I couldn't wait to hear more and I didn't have to wait long! 'Goat' rolled right in there to keep things groovin'.

Let's see if I can boil this down. Goat use a variety of instruments (They have an album called 'World Music'. This should be no surprise.) to craft these rhythmic exercises in vibe manipulation. That is to say, their use of funky bass lines, psychedelic guitar exploration, primal, soul-aligning percussion, with woodwinds, brass, strings, and maybe some more percussion connects to a certain vibration within oneself. Like the dance of the double-helix winding upwards in syncronicity, 'Goat' induces life. Flowing, grooving, moving your head side-to-side, shoulder weaving back and forth, hips sinuous, mind expanding life.

They do all this with it sounding so organic. Fuzzed out garage rock guitars with maracas? Yes. Some hip-hop style beats? This time at least. Flute solos? Of course. When you leave it on repeat does the snake eat its tail? That's the whole point. As stated in "Frisco Beaver", "Do what you like" and "Do what you need". That's kind of the aura I get from Goat's whole deal. Their output is just as much what they need as what they like. Damned if I like it too. When it gets right down to it, I need it. You do too.



Don't forget about my As I Go October 2024 Spotify Playlist. Way shorter than last month but I was listening to a LOT of Weedian "Trip to" compilations.

Album of the Month - July 2024: Penza Penza - 'Alto E Primitivo'

To be honest I listened to almost no July new releases (in July). I was stuck on a psychedelic music trip. Yawning Man, Colour Haze, Naxatras, Yuri Garagin, Dead Meadow, Causa Sui, and Kungens Man mostly. But that extended trip was partially inspired by my album of the month for July, 'Alto E Primitivo' by Penza Penza. Penza Penza is just one of the projects of multi-instrumentalist Misha Panfilov. It's not metal. It's barely loud. But it's freakin' cool. And instrumental.

Things start off with "Guten Morgen". It's got a a funky vibe with garage rock flavour and some screaming sax. Things get a little dirtier with "Much Sharper, More Focused." The guitars get more garage-y but we don't lose the funky swagger. Everything gets moving, man. Hips, shoulders, head groovin' to the riff. I'm not gonna go song by song here. There's 14 that swing by a little over 32 minutes. Penza Penza aren't sitting on a riff forever. Get in, get funky, get out.



While they may simplify the songs they use a wide range of instruments bringing keys/organs/synths and brass into the mix. I'm not ususally one for brass but here they "fit" and are "not annoying". It varies though. Tracks like "Charlie Loves Garcia" let the organ set the tone while the brass fills in the background amid an easy, breezy sway.

The Bandcamp tags for this release are "experimental jazz punk garage psychedelic" but they forgot "funk" or it's a typo. I read something that labeled them "psychedelic funk" and that's about the feeling I get. I mean, "Midnighter" is pretty funky, dudes. I had it playing one day and I walked into the room and my wife says "now, I don't mind this over most of that other stuff." It's real funky, baby. Smooth jazzy at times with an undeniable fucky swagger. Sexy music.

Anyway, July was hot so I went cool with this month's choice. It's feel good music. You can dance to it. It's psychedelic funk flavoured with garage rock and a generally 60s/70s feel. It's just very, very cool without saying a thing.