Carlton Melton @ The Winchester Gate

 

I was lucky enough to get to see the fabulous Carlton Melton for the second time in less than a week, and they were, again and as one would expect, truly phenomenal. This time it was closer to home at another of my favourite pub/venues, the fantastic Winchester Gate in Salisbury. What I wrote regarding Carlton Melton and the qualities of their King Arthur performance remains true for tonights' gig, I'd only be repeating myself, and anyway I've already used all the available superlatives to describe this prodigious bands performances. The only difference I'd say was that whereas the Arthur performance had a wild frenetic nature to it, this evenings' was a more considered and focused affair; viva la difference I say, both were far out. It was also a treat to see Carlton Melton supported by Salisbury band Carpet. I've seen Carpet 3 times (?) previously, each a unique experience as they appear to have a wonderful fluid nature to their sound and performances; tonight they were joined by a nervous looking fellow singing in Hindi, damn fine stuff, the cultural mix of electronic psych and traditional style vocals worked well. Check Carprt out here. 

All in all another wonderful evening, great venue, two superb bands and the fine company of friends old and new; again my cap is doffed to all who made this evening the respite from modernitys' tribulations that it was.

Carlton Melton @ The King Arthur Glastonbury

Until this evening I'd not been to a gig since the outbreak of 'rona', so it was a real joy to be back at my favourite pub/venue, the King Arthur in Glastonbury; to see psych rocks' finest Carlton Melton create their magic. If you get the opportunity to catch Carlton Melton live don't hesitate, you'll not be disappointed. Carlton Melton are Andy Duvall on drums and guitar, Clint Golden on bass, Rich Millman guitar and synth, and Anthony Taibi also on guitar and synth. For me the essence of Carlton Melton's music is it's immersive nature which is dialled up to 11 live. Tonight's performance epitomized that, although differently to previous shows I've attended which have had an ethereal nature, whereas tonight’s performance had a more driven nature. An evolution in sound which is reflected in their phenomenal new album 'Turn to Earth'. At the core was Andys' drumming which had an affecting tribal vibe to it, organic and shamanistic, which along with Clints' solid bass lines drove the rich rhythmic groove which under pinned this evenings' performance. If you've seen Carlton Melton live you know to strap yourself in and prepare to be taken on an aural trip, their music has the capacity to create a collective flow state, and tonight was no exception. Every track was delivered masterfully with gusto, driven hypnotic drone all solid psyche rock riffs and rhythms had the audience moving, it was smiles all round, every track receiving enthusiastic applause. Right on! Out front Richs' performance was electric, delivered through his bold and energetic stage presence, throwing himself and his guitar into the music tonight literally had him lying on the floor amongst the crowd. I know not how. Importantly though he was okay, and with smiles all round he crawled back on stage as Dead Otter's Omar Aborida picked up the guitar and filled in for him. I'd previously seen Carlton Melton as a three piece, tonight was the first time I've seen Anthony perform live; I've enjoyed his contributions in White Manna and DDT (two bands I'd thoroughly recommend), he delivered an impress live performance. The band looked like they were enjoying the performance as much as the audience were. Then sadly, all too soon, as with all good things, it was over; as the music faded we were returned to reality, all the better for our journey.

 

Genuinely you couldn't fault tonight’s performance, capital show all round, Carlton Melton were outstanding. In fact everything about this evening was perfect. I mentioned Omar, that's as Dead Otter were one of two other bands on the bill along with Thee Crow, both also acquitted themselves magnificently delivering exceptional performances. As for the Arthur I love it, great staff, friendly clientèle and a wonderful atmosphere which makes the traveller feel like a local; the sound guys do a great job too. I doff my cap to all involved in thoroughly uplifting evening; I for one feel better for it.

DDT Freshwater

 

DDT return with their second album release 'Freshwater', and what a corker it is too. DDT (Dieter, Duvall and Taibi) are a merging of members of Carlton Melton and White Manna, two exceptional bands in their own rights, though when combined...well, far out. Also on this release, the added talents of messrs Rich Millman and Nicholas Talvola.

Freshwater differs greatly from it's predecessor 'Enter the Bend', although as you'd imagine is equally engaging listening. The opening track 'divided attention' is a 60's acid soaked beauty, all shamanistic drums, spacey reverb and echo, then it's off at speed courtesy of some lovely tripped out spacerock psyche following the 'ley Lines'. The acid kicks back in as we meet the 'Stick figures', all jazzy tones and rich spacey textures melting into a psychedelic pool of eerie in 'always return', through which the hypnotic shamanistic drums are again 'unearthed'. Smashing! Side one is akin to the Carleton Melton gig experience, an aural journey, it flowed beautifully.  Side two has an all round heavier sound to it, opening to the distorted guitars and pounding rhythm of 'Set Alight', a nice heavy psyche sound, the tone is set. 'Crows Know', is a tasty slice spacerock psyche. Whilst 'Dynamo' is just that, an intense driving track. 'Marking the Clouds', offers a brief psyche jazz distraction before 'The Second Third' drops like heavy gravity, droning guitar and electronic textures conjuring the discordant ominousness of a 70's cult film soundtrack, which ends the album in reverberating distortion.  And....wow! What a fabulous album, man, absolutely marvellous from start to finish, DDT have created a wonderfully rich psychedelic gestalt from myriad psyche family facets. An album with more than a hint of 60's/70's psychedelic attitude, and plenty of heft to boot; all performed by exceptional musicians...what's not to love.  The whole package is a beautiful thing too, you can lose yourself in the stunning artwork on the outer sleeve, and the vinyl, what a cool coloured splatter, quality pressing as well. Part of the vinyl experience has always been the sleeves, a nod needs to go out to artists who keep that experience a rich one, from the photo above you see that the feast DDT serve is not just for the ears. Check it out on Bandcamp or at Drone Records.

DDT 'Enter the Bend'

Cor blimey! This is really good, man. The fruit of a mind meld between members of psychedelic big hitters Carlton Melton and White Manna, 'Enter The Bend' by DDT (Dieter, Duvall and Taibi) is bloody marvellous! Enter the Bend is all rich organic flavours, heavy with psychedelic drones, deeply hypnotic shamanic trancey rhythms, with myriad streams of trippiness intricately woven  throughout, earthy as f*ck too. Enter the Bend picks you up and carries you off, time dissipates as you immerse yourself in the aural world DDT have crafted for our listening pleasure, the musicianship of all involved is, of course, top shelf. And, when the needle finally runs out of groove, you're left wanting more. I played it through four times in a row on receipt, and with each play I was drawn in further. It's a meditation, man. It's a quality pressing too, the vinyl comes in either a groovy splatter of ‘Multiple Greens’ (named after one of the tracks on the album) or classic black, all packaged in a sturdy sleeve and with a colour insert. Enter the Bend is surely one of the best releases of the year, check it out, it doesn't disappoint. This is the good shit, and no mistake!

Carlton Melton Mind Minerals

West Coast psyche-rockers Carlton Melton (Andy Duvall, Rich Millman and Clint Golden, all masters of psyche) are a band of consistency, they're constantly producing top quality sounds, you know, the good shit. Release after release the band produces music of the highest quality which has the power to transport you, open a door and let your mind fly. Take their most recent release 'Mind Minerals' (I picked up a copy at their recent Salisbury gig), it's the 'dogs', man, and I can't get enough of it. It's an album that makes you sort of greedy and selfish. Greedy because you want more of it, you seek out opportunities to listen to it. I've been particularly enjoying listening whilst out walking, its expansive soundscapes suit the outside, it's great walking music (it's great lying down music too, mind, and of course there's the added warmth of the record). And selfish because you really don't want to be disturbed while you're listening to it, you just want to immerse yourself, savour every morsel. It may be a double album, though its time altering qualities means it feels as if it's over far too soon. There is an easy solution though...play it again. Mind Minerals seamlessly swings from driven psyche rock riffs that have your head bobbing and feet tapping to powerful droney hypnotic soundscapes which have you pinned against the walls of your mind like a centrifuge, building the pace before propelling you out into space, or wherever your mind takes you. Don't take my word for it, listen and know. It's a groovy meditation, man.

Buy yourself a copy here https://www.normanrecords.com/records/168824-carlton-melton-mind-minerals

Carlton Melton @The Winchester Gate 25.2.18

It was just over two years ago that we'd seen American psyche-rockers Carlton Melton perform in Salisbury, and tonight they were back. Anticipation was high, as their performance in 2015 was an extraordinary evening, really, something else, and the opportunity to see them again had been a long time coming. Tonight they were playing at The Winchester Gate, a great little venue, no really, it is a little venue, though with great charm, atmosphere and low beams; Andy (Duvall, drummer/guitarist) came a cropper on one of them, gave himself a nasty knock. The Winchester Gate is one of those venues where the stage is barely higher than the floor, and being set in a small room, it makes for an intimate performance. Support was local psyche band Carpet, who may have only played one track, but it was a bloody long one, and good too.  Unfortunately being at the back I saw nought, though what I heard I enjoyed. After the support, as folk went off to the bar, we took the opportunity to secure a position front and centre. Of course, it was a good choice, allowing us to see the band working their magic at close quarters. And magic it certainly was; I suppose you could describe them as musical shaman. These three unassuming guys are accomplished masters of the deep psyche sound-scape and hypnotic drone, and there's more, their heavy psychedelic meditations are punctuated by tracks with solid rock riffs and rhythms; a fantastically complementary juxtaposition. Take their most recent release 'Mind Minerals', a beautiful album which from the opening track grabs your imagination, hypnotizes you, then four sides later you're back in the room, wondering where you were for the last hour and a half, but knowing you were all the better for it.  Don't take my word for it, buy it!  Anyway, I digress.  Interlude over, three guys with guitars take to the stage and immediately work on opening the portals to their somewhere out there musical dimension; Rich Millman (guitar/synth), Andy Duvall (guitar/drums) and Clint Golden (Bass). The scene set, we're off on our magical journey.  Andy is now behind the drums (he'll periodically move forward with his guitar again) and is bashing out some driving rhythms. Clint is doing what bass players often do, staying in the shadows, ensuring the rhythms are maintained and clean, an anchor in this reality, which he does with masterful understatement Whilst Rich plays sublime guitar, periodically twiddling knobs and pushing keys creating a synth canvas for his guitar to glide over. These guys are skilled professionals, but more importantly than that, you can see and feel the passion for their music in their performance. I know the venue was small, but still, their sound filled it to bursting, you weren't so much listening to the music as immersed in it. Standing directly in front of Rich I got to really appreciate his skill as a guitarist, as seemingly effortlessly he made his guitar make the most wonderful sounds. Andy too, moving with ease from guitar to drums and back again, looked blissed out (I suppose that could have been concussion, kidding!). They all looked like they were enjoying performing as much as we were enjoying the performance. I couldn't tell you the titles of the tracks they played, I'm rubbish like that, though be assured it was from start to finish solid gold, not a minute was filler, with each track receiving enthusiastic applause. As with all good things, all too soon it was over, safely returned to the room the audience was all smiles.  What a fantastic evening, and what lovely guys, no pretension, happy to chat with the audience, sign stuff and importantly for a band of their calibre and standing, prepared to play an out of the way tour date in a smaller venue. Kudos.  Thanks to Carlton Melton (and The Winchester Gate) for a memorable evening, I hope it's not so long before their return this time.  

For Nepal

Some months ago I heard Evil Hoodoo planned to release a charity record for the victims of the earthquakes in Nepal. It sounded like a great idea and there were some good bands on board. So I ordered a copy. Well, it has arrived and a thing of beauty it is too. I didn't know many of the bands, and the ones I did were through a friend who knows his psyche music onions and who I think has probably seen most of them live (I've only seen Carlton Melton  live, and they were an audio treat and a half). If the rest of the bands are as good live as they sound on this, well! You get 4 sides of great tracks, from great 14 bands and on nice coloured vinyl too, giving never sounded so good. Kudos to all the bands involved, and Evil Hoodoo for getting made.  

Carlton Melton + The Neighbourhood Strange + Carpet @ The Old Ale House, Salisbury

 

You'd think listening to most radio stations or what the television radiates, that our current musical landscape was entirely populated by auto-tuned generic corporate pulp. Though step outside and look beyond the barren musical landscape the media promotes and you find that that is not the case, and that there's a wonderfully rich musical world going on out there in independent venues and at small festivals. Take Carlton Melton. A good friend of mine, who's in the know on things psychedelic, turned me on to Carlton Melton and when an opportunity to see them perform life locally arose, naturally I took it.  

Carlton Melton are a three piece heavy psych band from the West coast of America: Andy Duvall on drums (although starting and finishing on guitar), Rich Millman on lead (and synth/keyboard) and bass man Clint Golden. Their set started slowly with a hypnotic number of guitar and synth, setting the stage and gently sliding you out of one reality and into the Carlton Melton-verse. Then boom!, and we were off, carried by Andy's heavy drumming and Clint's rhythmic bass we were off down the colourful psychedelic tunnels created by Rick's frantic guitar noodlings. Far f*cking out, man. Carlton Melton really know how to rock. Andy bashed away at the drums like a man possessed, Rick wasn't still long enough to get a clear shot of him, in fact, I think he was actually fazing in and out of our reality and Clint, well, Clint's conscientious deep bass vibe kept the band safely tethered in this reality.  They all appeared to be loving it; the crowd were certainly loving it, it was a sea of smiley fly catching faces, blown away by the sonic storm emanating from the stage. We were served a feast of deep psychedelic fare until we returned to where we started, with the band playing a hypnotic guitar and synth number. Then, all too soon, it was over and we were back in the room. Afterwards I took the opportunity to talk to the guys and thank them, what nice fellows, very humble. They all said they'd be back in April, so there's a date for your diary. Carlton Melton nice guys doing top shelf psychedelic music; does what it says on the label.

There were also two support bands on the bill. The first were a band called Carpet, I have to be honest and I'm ashamed to say that I wasn't paying much attention to them and so can't really do a review of justice, although what I heard sounded fine. Next were The Neighbourhood Strange. The Neighbourhood Strange sounded to me like an old style 60's psychedelic garage band, with short, fast paced numbers played with a real retro feel to them and tons of gusto. That's no criticism, I thoroughly enjoyed their set which was delivered very competently.

And the venue? The Old Ale House in Salisbury, a venue of the type I've described and enthused about in previous gig posts, a smallish, friendly pub venue with friendly staff, a good atmosphere and a willingness to put on a wide range of bands. All round a great night. I'll certainly keep my eye out for Carlton Melton and The Neighbourhood Strange, both well worth venturing out for; as well as keeping my eye on who's playing the Old Ale House.