It's no wonder why The Zombies asked Mystic Braves to open their L.A. show last year. While the hometown favorites were barely even a blip on their respective parents' radars when Odessey and Oracle was released, the psych-steeped five-piece sounds like they stepped straight out of the '60s. And not in an obvious, someone's-been-studying-their Nuggets-comps-until-the-grooves-give-out sort of way, either. We're talking a richer, fuller plot of references (garage-borne greats like The Electric Prunes, The Chocolate Watchband and The Music Machine) that filter the band's hook-centric purple haze through robust organ rolls, runaway guitar riffs, heat-stroked horns and a rhythm section that can only be described as "restless".
Especially on Desert Island, a scrappy extension of the self-titled debut Mystic Braves dropped in 2013. From the ravenous opening remarks of "Bright Blue Day Haze"—the first song frontman Julian Ducatenzeiler wrote for the outfit, making it their mission statement in more ways than one—right on through the wild-eyed melodies of "Earthshake," the filler-free effort is more aggressive than their last album yet about as immediately accessible as vapor-trailed rock music gets these days. It's sunshine in a bottle, really, which can only be expected from a group with such deep California roots.
"The west coast has it all really—beaches, mountains, deserts, cities, suburbs," explains Ducatenzeiler, who's rounded out by drummer Cameron Gartung, guitarist Shane Stotsenberg, bassist Tony Malacara and organist/tambourinist Ignacio Gonzalez. "Our sound is merely a byproduct of the environments we grew up in and the experiences we had. We're not trying to deliberately channel '60s music, either; we simply write sensible pop songs from the heart with psychedelic textures and tones. It just comes natural to us."
Tour & Echo Residency
Apr 07 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
Apr 14 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
Apr 21 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
Apr 26 - Desert Daze at Sunset Ranch Oasis
Apr 28 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
Apr 30 - Hi Dive - Denver, CO
May 02 - Turf Club - St Paul, MN
May 03 - Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines, IA
May 05 - Silver Dollar - Toronto, ON
May 06 - Middle East - Cambridge, MA
May 07 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
May 08 - Baby's All Right - Brooklyn, NY
May 09 - Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA
May 10 - Beachland Tavern - Cleveland, OH
May 11 - Schuba's - Chicago, IL
May 12 - MOTR Pub - Cincinnati, OH
May 14 - Mothlight - Asheville, NC
May 15 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
May 16 - Alabama Music Box - Mobile, AL
May 17 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX
May 18 - Mohawk Inside - Austin, TX
May 20 - Plush - Tucson, AZ
May 21 - The Western - Scottsdale, AZ
May 22 - Gold Spike - Las Vegas, NV
May 23 - Downtown Container Park - Las Vegas, NV
May 24 - Freaks for The Festival (Pappy & Harriet's) - Pioneertown, CA
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