David V. D'Andrea: Ulver album art (photo by Roger Johnsen)

Posters & Packaging: David V. D’Andrea’s Psychedelic Haunts

The connection between visual and auditory art seems natural to graphic artist David V. D’Andrea, who notes KISS album artist Ken Kelley, Metallica’s merchandise designer Pushead, and Dischord Records founder and designer Jeff Nelson as fundamental influences. “The artists I looked up to when I was young were all music based,” he says. “Early on I saw the music and visuals as one in the same.”

Since the early 1990s,  D’Andrea has gradually become a staple in the West Coast music scene. Growing up, D’Andrea produced zines and fliers – generally in the DIY fashion of Xeroxing – for a variety of underground bands in the Oakland, California area. By the mid-’90s, the artist’s work began to receive well-deserved attention: D’Andrea soon had a commission for an album cover.

David V. D'Andrea: Swans poster
David V. D'Andrea: Swans poster

Masters of Reality to release Pine/Cross Dover on September 14

Masters of Reality has been creating art and music for nearly 20 years, with plenty of musical accomplishments collected along the way. The duo has worked with Rick Rubin, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, and collaborated with Stone Temple Pilots, Twiggy Ramirez, SOULWAX, and many others.

Straying from the emphasized improvisation and rhythm of its previous albums, Masters of Reality’s new full-length album, Pine/Cross Dover (out September 14 on Cool Green Recordings), combines elements similar to the punk-rock playfulness of Public Image Limited and the technical mastery of Mahavishnu Orchestra.

An Albatross: Kinetic, Epic Psych-Grind

In addition to adding psychedelic and poetic passages, An Albatross has finally captured its powerful live performances with its newest full-length, An Albatross Family Album.

BPM Counter: 24 Hour Party People’s Weekly Picks

Mark Knight: Toolroom Knights 2xCD (Toolroom)(UK)

Probably one of the best mixes of the summer comes from one of the fastest rising stars in dance music — the Kent-based Mark Knight. The Toolroom Knights series has actually been pretty uneven up to this point and I’ve found myself more irritated by the obviousness of some of the programming like on the Gabriel & Dresden installment and the overkill bombast of others like Martin Ten Velden than the delight of the small smattering of actual Toolroom releases appearing in the series.

The Gutter Twins: An Element of Truth

The Gutter Twins was first created out of a collaborative joke, but blossomed naturally into a serious gig. Now, with one album under their belt, Mark Lanegan of Queens of the Stone Age and Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs discuss a long-term partnership.

Saviours: Heavy Metal’s Salvation

While metal has finally reached the mainstream, Oakland’s Saviours do their best to drive it back underground. Recorded entirely on tape, its second record Into Abbadon recalls a time when metal was genuinely feared.

Natural born musicians Jaguar Love

Former Blood Brothers guitarist Cody Votolato is patient when explaining what Kombucha is—he is even kind enough to spell it out. “It’s a fermented mushroom drink. We drink Kombucha and write songs.” “We” refers to Votolato and bandmate/singer/keyboardist Johnny Whitney, who, following The Blood Brothers’ breakup, have joined forces with guitarist/drummer Jay Clark of Pretty Girls Make Graves to form Jaguar Love.