Song of the Week: 'Blue Ether'

When I was a teenager, I stumbled upon “Dig!” a documentary chronicling the exploits of San Francisco-birthed neo-psychedelic band Brian Jonestown Massacre. Those who have seen the film may tut-tut and point out it also followed BJM’s frenemies, The Dandy Warhols. While technically true, let’s be real: there’s no legitimate reason to care about The Dandy Warhols.  

Not only did the BJM’s music – which threw shoegaze, folk and garage rock into a sonic blender and served it hot – speak to my particular brand of grungy paisley taste, the band’s towering personalities captivated me. There was Matt Hollywood, the stoic workhorse of the group, Joel Gion, the mischievous Puck-esque sprite and finally Anton Newcombe. In my young mind, Newcombe had a cult-leader-like transcendence that was contemptible and tragic but also alluring.  

All these years later, my love for groups that wield this sort of sound always brings me back to sitting on the floor watching, wide-eyed, as Newcombe blew up his shot at a major label deal onstage at the Viper Room. That documentary, and BJM’s timeless sound, come to mind whenever I press play on a song by The Loons. The band is actually something of a contemporary. It was founded back in the mid-90s and is still releasing music to this day. 

The Loons, “Blue Ether”: The Loons haven’t changed much in the nearly three decades they’ve been putting out music. That’s not a dig, what they have is a solid formula that will probably last another 30 years. “Blue Ether,” finds The Loons doing what they do best, infusing The Kinks-esque 60s revivalism into driving garage rock structures accented by lead singer Mike Stax’s sneering vocals.  

It’s hard not to get excited by a sound so classic that’s executed well. It’s a vibe that’s easy to imitate, but not as easy to make it sound genuine. Luckily for us, The Loons have never had that problem. 

Like what you hear? Check out The Loons at Tower Bar on Saturday, March 30. 

Do you have a “Song of the Week” suggestion? Shoot us an email and a sentence or two about why you’ve been bumping this song lately. Friendly reminder: all songs should be by local artists. 

Jakob McWhinney is Voice of San Diego's education reporter. He can be reached by email at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @jakobmcwhinney. Subscribe... More by Jakob McWhinney