OTHER MUSIC EXCLUSIVE! Debut self-titled EP from San Francisco's Lumerians, who bring us this heady mix of psychedelic soundscapes and lysergic melodies via these five tracks of fuzzed-out, organ-driven drone rock. Much to be loved by fans of Spacemen 3, Loop, Psychic Ills, and space-trippin' in general!

Here we've landed this exclusive download from Lumerians, and I still can't give you much more biographical information about them other than San Francisco is their home base and that you may also be able to find this EP in limited pressed vinyl somewhere, and only if you look really hard. But the slight mystery enshrouding the band is apropos given the group's penchant for crafting slow building, crepuscular psychedelia that pulls from the late-'80s/early-'90s era of taking drugs to make music to take drugs to. It's the kind of music that you want to listen to at twilight, or dawn even, when small patches of glowing reds and oranges break through the gray backdrop of the sky. The enigmatic singer's stoned melody in the opening track, "Corkscrew Trepanation," recalls J. Spaceman, as organ and guitar drone through a single chord with the bass being the main source of propulsion. "Turquoise Towers" takes a more atmospheric turn, completely vocal-less as washes of synths and white noise undulate atop a hypnotizing circular rhythm, the sustained notes of the vibraphone making the piece ever more haunting. "Orgon Grinder" continues down the one-organ-chord path of the other songs, but the hues are brighter here, the female singer's airy melody cutting through the shimmering din of gliding vibrato guitars and fuzzy keyboard. There's much to be loved in these five songs by fans of Spacemen 3, Loop and even early Stereolab, not to mention more recent carriers of the psych-torch, like Psychic Ills and San Fran's Wooden Shjips. At the same time, Lumerians have found their own trip, good stuff. [GH] (January 11, 2008)