Wicked Hemlocks

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H-Monthly - Melding 60's psych-pop and even a dash of the Silver Apples' experimental drum-meets-synth barrage, NYC's Wicked Hemlocks have found a nice niche between the psych-rock of the past and modern freak-folk and indie pop. While drugs are recommended, they're certainly not a pre-requisite for a listen to Quill of the Mad; amidst all the psychedelic freak-outs and experimental noise touches, there is also a melodic backbone of soothing vocal harmonies and even some funk and folk to keep the sober folk at bay.
For example, the tribalistic percussion and animal samples that creep through the opening of "Western Front" are complimented by a chorus of "oohs" that hold the song together, and the entertaining cover of the Pointer Sisters' "Number Count" pits a fuzzed-out bass-line against a spastic update of the original numerical melody ("one, two, three, FOUR, five!"). We also find songs like "Jakowah," a triumphant folk-rock gem laced with sugary vocals, and the inspiring choral breakdown of "Braided."
This is not to say the album doesn't have its share of more challenging songs; the aural nuances of "Telepathy De Nature" will make listeners feel like they're in some Dali-esque world where solid objects melt into liquid sonic textures, and the last minute of "Beneath Their Feet" is certainly not for everyone – if there were a theme song to being buried alive, it might sound like this.
For a debut effort, Wicked Hemlocks have tapped into the mad scientist that hides inside them, mixing a maniacal concoction of tripped-out sonic elements and broken pop melodies into a glowing vial of potent freak-out juice that your ex-hippy dad could never have wrapped his mind around back in the day. But maybe you can…-Bill Dvorak
Good For: Breaking through to the other side, counting your hairs, showing your pops what the new drugs are like, bus drivers, Topanga Days.
Bad For: Wicca meetings, ballet enthusiasts, Disneyland rides, breakdancing on the Promenade.



NPR - Wicked Hemlocks experiment wildly with a number of sounds, from funk to chaotic, noisy rock. On their latest CD — the appropriately-titled Quill of the Mad — the group uses heavy effects to bend and warp songs into '60s-flavored psychedelia, similar Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd or the Silver Apples.
The opening track, "To Be Extremist" has an driving drum beat with some touches of jangling tambourine. "Telepathy De Nature" is an abrasive track with some added electronics, while "Braided" sounds calmer with a surprising minute-long choral arrangement.
Quill of the Mad includes a brilliant and completely surprising cover of the Pointer Sisters' "Number Count." Fans of Sesame Street will likely remember the bass-driven funk song as the soundtrack to a cartoon pinball machine on counting.
The album was released on the Brooklyn independent label Stick in Your Spokes Records.