Posts Tagged ‘Psychic Temple’

PSYCHIC TEMPLE – ” Houses of the Holy “

Posted: December 21, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Two years ago, SoCal studio cultist Chris Schlarb, a.k.a. Psychic Temple, announced a new project in which he would collaborate with four completely different artists for each side of a double album. He called it “Houses of the Holy”  which made sense, coming after albums titled I, II, III, and IV — and introduced it with a fun EP of desert-singed garage-pop tunes made with Los Angeles’ Cherry Glazerr. The full 2-LP adventure, rolled out this last September, features those songs plus some jazzier moods with cornetist Rob Mazurek’s Chicago Underground trio; along with paisley-hued psychedelic rock with the Dream Syndicate; and big-band backpack rap with local MC Xololanxinxo.

All those sounds hang together with the logic of a long, weird dream, thanks to Schlarb’s instinct for unlikely musical connections. As a generous celebration of what can happen when you put a bunch of talented people together in one room — in this case, Schlarb’s Long Beach, California, studio, Big Ego  “Houses of the Holy” was all the more welcome this lonely year.

The concept is pretty cool. Basically, I take over an existing band on each side and we write and record together.
Cherry Glazerr (Side A)
Chicago Underground Trio (Side B)
Dream Syndicate (SideC)
Xololanxinxo (Side D)
 
Psychic Temple - Houses of the Holy
 
The first single, “Why Should I Wait?” with The Dream Syndicate is out now and you can pre-order the album over at Bandcamp today. I’m really proud of this record. If you take a listen, please let me know what you think. The vinyl is especially fun since each side is its own thing, but together its like the album is a mini box set. “Lightning” I particularly keep playing. It makes me feel like it could have been a song in an old old dream I had trouble remembering until I hear it and I can almost recall it again. Give the album a good listen and I think you’ll find something to enjoy.

Psychic Temple off the album ‘Houses of the Holy’ out on Joyful Noise Recordings.

PSYCHIC TEMPLE – ” Turn Off The Lights ” Terry Reid Guests

Posted: December 21, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Chris Schlarb loves big records with bigger ideas, and doesn’t hesitate to ask big names to appear on his own, like Wilco’s Nels Cline, Minutemen’s Mike Watt, Cynic’s Paul Masvidal and Muscle Shoals bassist David Hood. Modeled somewhat on that Muscle Shoals approach, Schlarb is old-school when it comes to studio musician mojo, where players of various ages and experience can combine for a creative awakening. In the last couple years, he’s even opened his own studio, BIG EGO, in Long Beach, Calif.

Schlarb’s new record under his Psychic Temple moniker, IV, refines the unclassifiable, yet quintessentially Southern California vibe explored on last year’s III. The romantic “Turn Off The Lights” is one of three duets that Schlarb sings with Terry Reid, the English guitarist with a voice of a gritty angel (just listen to 1969’s “Superlungs My Supergirl” for proof). Reid has long lived in L.A., and here channels his now-worn, but still soulful voice into a dexterous workout of a classic California pop song.

In this studio video, you can see them backed by a roster of high-end jazz musicians like drummer Chad Taylor (Chicago Underground Duo), Dave Easley (Brian Blade Fellowship) working the pedal steel like a sitar, bassist Steuart Liebig, Hammond organist John Clement Wood and percussionists Danny Frankel and Tabor Allen. It sounds like something that might have come out of composer David Axelrod’s brain, directed and arranged for his dream band.

IV on  Joyful Noise Records.

From Psychic Temple – ‘IV’
on Joyful Noise Recordings