Podcast Transcript: You’ve landed on the Sonic Sofa, your home for stoner rock reviews and podcasts. This month, we’re checking out music by Weedpecker, Geezer and Sageness. Become one with the Sofa, and prepare for blast off.

First on the show is Weedpecker. There is an amazing output of heavy stoner rock from Poland. At the forefront of this onslaught stand bands like Dopelord, Weedpecker, Major Kong, and Spaceslug. Seasoned veterans of their trade and talented in the art of producing massive sounding stoner rock compositions, they recently joined forces to independently release a 4 Way Split, allowing each band to showcase their unique take on the genre. The record was released on February 1st. Rise Above, by Weedpecker, is the third track on the EP. This track would fit in perfectly with their third full length release, simply called III. The trickling, watery guitar effects and ethereal vocals create rich patinas of psychedelic sound and the progressive qualities of this composition make it stand out on the record. Here’s Rise Above.

Spiral Fires, by Geezer

Spiral Fires, the new EP by Kingston, NY band, Geezer, is a four-song psychedelic masterpiece. It is equal parts heavy blues and spacey walls of effects, and it switches back and forth effortlessly between infectious groove patterns, trance-inducing jams, spacey interludes, and heavy riffs. The result is 25 minutes of captivating music that will reward repeat listens. Up next on the show we’re featuring the first track, Spiral Fires Part I. Flowing waves of synth start up the double header and seem to set the tone for a spacey synthesizer voyage, but then a fuzzy guitar riff kicks in and is soon joined by the equally heavy bass and drums, laying down a fat, bluesy, three-quarter-time groove. Pat Harrington’s gritty, low-register vocals are perfectly suited to the crunchy riffs, and Harrington definitely knows his vocal range limits and works well within those confines. Here’s Spiral Fires Part I.

Wrapping up the show is Sageness, a heavy-psych trio from León , Spain. The band produces instrumental, psychedelic music with healthy doses of stoner and post-rock. Akmé, their second full length after their self-titled album in 2017, was released on February 23rd. Rich textures and complex arrangements characterize the songs. Ethereal guitar parts overlay in-the-pocket drum and bass grooves. Parts of the album have progressive qualities, and everything on the album is listenable and enjoyable, with the haunting guitar melodies more than taking the place of vocals. Our next song, The Thought, is a sprawling, nine minute composition. It’s the second track on the album. It opens with heavily driving bass, spacey effects and ethereal guitar sounds, while the drums lay down a lively, funky beat that holds the song elements together. The band alternates between jams that allow the song to breathe, and moments of progressive syncopation. Great use of the wah pedal is made later in the song, and there are moments towards the end of the song when the guitar leads even have a surfy vibe that is just fun to be carried away on. Here’s The Thought by Sageness.

Thanks for listening to the Sonic Sofa podcast. Check out the Sonic Sofa on mixcloud.com/purlenaut. Please support the bands by listening to and buying their music. If you have music or an artist that you think should be featured on the blog or podcast, contact the Purlenaut at thesonicsofashow@gmail.com See you next month. Go in peace and rock on, Sofanauts.