Weedeater was born the mid-’90s, in Wilmington, NC, originally taking shape as a side project of vocalist/bassist “Dixie” Dave Collins, who was otherwise engaged with sludge metal cult favorites Buzzov*en at the time. However, upon that band’s official demise in 1998, Collins was free to concentrate his efforts on Weedeater, which released two sludgecore albums to kick off the new millennium: 2001’s And Justice for Y’All and 2002’s Sixteen Tons, both produced by stoner specialist Billy Anderson. Collins later decided to tour briefly as bass player for Bongzilla and also found time to lend his four strings to Wilmington neighbors, Sourvein, but continued to work with Weedeater guitarist Shep and drummer Keko, touring relentlessly over the years, with the likes of C.O.C. and Alabama Thunderpussy. Busy as he was, Collins and co. finally got around to recording their third long-player, God Luck and Good Speed, which was release through Southern Lord in 2007. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi

Based out of Iowa, Telekinetic Yeti is a two-man band that delivers sonic brutality melded with psychedelic doom wizardry, forged by the worship of the almighty riff and honed by relentless touring and dedication to their craft.

Creating music as cryptically enchanting as it is heavy, you wouldn’t guess that the impressive cacophony pouring out of the speakers like molten, metal syrup is being produced by only two people. Founder and guitarist Alex Baumann explains, “Originally I decided not to have a bass player purely for logistical reasons, itwas just another schedule to work around, another person who’s boss could tell us we can’t tour, but then I started seeing it as a challenge, like let’s see how heavy we can make it with just two people.”

That started grabbing peoples’ attention. Relentless touring and playing pretty much any club that would have them, the band set sail on their epic voyage, selling their debut album Abominable out of their van and cutting their teeth in the underground playing hundreds of shows. All the while receiving rave reviews of their live performance as well as their first release, which landed at #2 on the doom charts and stayed right there formonths. The Sludgelord called the eight-song album “a f***ing monster from start to finish,” and The Obelisk, including the album in their year-end, best of list, dubbed it the “debut of the year,” and said “it could have been another band’s second or third record for the level of cohesion on display.” The video for “Stoned and Feathered” quickly racked up a few hundred thousand views and counting. It was at this time that Telekinetic Yeti caught the attention of Ozzy Osbourne bass player, Blasko, who named Abominable on his “5 favorites” list. People were starting to catch on, and soon thereafter Telekinetic Yeti would be invited to tour extensively with some of the best heavy rock bands in the business, including Clutch, Black Label Society, Red Fang and Weedeater.

Now the band finds itself in a much different, auspicious position, and with the help of famed producer Phillip Cope (Baroness, Kylesa, Damad, Black Tusk et al), Telekinetic Yeti returns with their eagerly-anticipated, second full-length album, Primordial.

With this release, the band takes their game to a whole new level. Primordial explores themes as diverse as evolution, sorcery, black magic and the contradictions of the gloriously uplifting yet simultaneously melancholic human condition. “I wanted to write something that was an appropriate intro to the album, that brought to mind an early earth setting and featured atmospheric elements as well as some droning, sparse simplicity and lyrically, simple imagery regarding the dawn of humankind and creation of the first tools.” explains Baumann of the title track.

As it unfolds, the album evolves into a cathartic exploration turning themes into tangible sounds and haunting fugues. Says Baumann regarding the inspiration behind “Beast”: “This song is about wanting to escape thesocietal constraints that keep us on the wheel, toiling away, indefinitely. It’s also about questioning authority figures, or really
anyone that claims to have all the answers.”

Matured songwriting, creatively brutal riffs and an exercise in monstrous tones make this listen an immersive experience taking you back to explore and appreciate the primordial ooze that we all came from. Telekinetic Yeti has partnered with stalwart Indie label, Tee Pee Records.

Telekinetic Yeti is:

Alex Baumann – Guitar/Vocals
Rockwel Heim – Drums

Hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas, and possessing a voice the Onion A.V. Club warns “knocks your brain into the back of your skull,” Adam Faucett has drawn comparisons from Tim Buckley to Cat Power to Otis Redding.

Called “one of the greatest, most thoughtful lyricists the state has to offer,” (Arkansas Times) Faucett has again pushed the borders of his “part folk, part blues, part elemental rock stomp, part unidentifiable cosmic holler” (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) with the release of It Took the Shape of a Bird, a record of his most personal, unbodied, and darkly beautiful songs to date.

Faucett began performing solo in 2006 when the demise of Russellville, Arkansas-based band, Taught the Rabbits, pushed him toward Chicago. He returned to Arkansas in 2007 to record his first solo album, The Great Basking Shark, and began touring nationally. 2008’s Show Me Magic, Show Me Out followed, featuring Faucett’s band, The Tall Grass, and a relentless tour schedule soon led to shows with Jason Isbell, Damien Jurado and Lucero.

2011 saw the release of More Like A Temple, which received praise from outlets including American Songwriter, Paste Magazine, No Depression and Uprooted Music Review. Temple also gained overseas support, landing at #14 on the EuroAmericana chart and received 5 stars from Altcountry.NL, bringing Adam to Europe for the first time.

2014’s Blind Water Finds Blind Water—Faucett’s first release with Last Chance Records—was named to American Songwriter’s “Top 50 Albums of 2014,” and found him back in Europe. In addition, he spent time as international and national tour support for Chuck Ragan, Austin Lucas, King Buzzo, The Bottle Rockets and Pallbearer.

Faucett’s latest record, It Took the Shape of a Bird (Last Chance Records), is available on all platforms and was named to Pop Matters‘ “Top 20 Americana Albums of 2018. His fifth solo album, it’s also his most personal and heaviest. From opening track “King Snake,” it wastes no time immersing the listener into a world of murky storytelling fueled by true, though often skewed accounts, wherein Faucett’s moving, heartrending melodies breathe life into a cast of tragic and historic characters and locales: a World War II-era orphan, Louisiana gris gris girls, a biker’s funeral procession, a friend struggling with faith and addiction, and even the Mackay Bennett—the ship which recovered most of the bodies from the Titanic disaster.

Bird delves deep into the spiritual and examines the creation of art, and the artist. Its backdrops are disparate, ranging from rural Arkansas to the dust clouds of deep space. And its moments of lilt are bolder due to its darker turns.

WIZZO, the enigmatic quartet from the Chicago, United States, has emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Their sound is characterized by a clever mix of fuzz and groove progressions, guided by a hypnotic voice that carries the listener through their melodic and solid songs. With influences from bands such as Failure, Kyuss, Red Fang, Torche, Alice In Chains, Queens of the Stone Age, this band has created a unique sound. Despite their enigmatic nature, the band has a clear direction, showcasing their creativity and musical prowess. This quartet is one to watch as they continue to evolve and innovate.