Mushroom with Eddie Gale – Joint Happening
(CD) Hyena Records HYN9359, 2007-06-26

Tracklisting :
01. Peace
02. I Don't Need To Fight, To Prove I'm Right - I Don't Need To Be Forgiven
03. I Was Torn Down At The Dance Place - Shaved Head At The Organ
04. Border Crossing
05. Selling Oakland By The Pound
06. Our Love
07. The Spirit

Links :
myspace.com/mushroomoakland
paisleypop.com/mushroom
myspace.com/pat_thomas (Mushroom leader)
hyenarecords.com/mushroom_jointhappening.htm
hyenarecords.com/mushroom.htm
myspace.com/hyenatherecordlabel
Complete discography on wellers.demon.co.uk

Alison Faith Levy & Mushroom – Yesterday, I Saw You Kissing Tiny Flowers
(CD) 4 Zero Records FZ003, 2007-05-26

Tracklisting :
01. Electric Muse (2:25) | go download MP3
02. Josh Pollock (11:05)
03. Clay Alison (6:00)
04. Gas, Grass Or Ass – Nobody Rides For Free (5:20) | sample | go download MP3
05. You Laugh At Me Because I'm Different, I Laugh At You, Because You're All The Same (7:07)
06. Kraut Mask Replica (22:37)
07. Ocean Beach (5:54)
08. The Sun Machine Is Coming Down And We're Gonna Have A Party (6:53)

Note : Limited edition of 1,000 copies.

Info :
The 'space rock Eartha Kitt' joins the maverick San Fran psych-groove masters with a combination of studio and live performances.

Links :
myspace.com/alisonfaithlevy
myspace.com/pat_thomas (Mushroom leader)
4zerorecords.co.uk
myspace.com/4zerorecords
Free MP3 Downloads on indiestore.com/4zerorecords
Complete discography on wellers.demon.co.uk

Alison Faith Levy & Mushroom – Gas, Grass Or Ass – Nobody Rides For Free
(CD-Single) 4 Zero Records FZ002, 2007-02-05

Review :
Whoa! A new Mushroom release is always a BIG event in my book. I've already warned my fellow friend and collegue Mr Moo (the only other current psychedelic music specialist in France I know) that I had received their new single, extracted from an upcoming album, his answer was immediate and crystal clear: "You bastard!". Not that Mr Moo will ever hate me, he just knows about Mushroom, their incredible recordings to sip acid too, and the collectability of all their releases.

This CD-Single is like the rest of their discography: HARD TO FIND. A hundred copies only were pressed, and most of those were sent to DJs and reviewer, so I don't think he'll buy this one easily on Amazon. Very specialized record shops might carry it or order it for you, shops such as Bimbo Tower near Bastille in Paris for example (who also carry the Rather Interesting releases from Atom Heart when they're issued... contact them on bimbo.tower.free.fr).

The album, "Yesterday, I Saw You Kissing Tiny Flowers", should be released soon (mid-May)... We'll keep you up-to-date with the latest info don't worry.

The opening track of the single is a groovy psychedelic soul jazz ride, with organ, flute, drums, percussions and saxophone, all jamming like furious Wacky Racers while Alison Faith Levy is preaching in the background. Now that's what I call "I can't wait for the album" pressure! Exclusive to this release, previously unreleased bonus tracks are rare live recordings from 2002 and 2004, two softer jam-jazz pieces, more of a end-of-trip thing. You can hear people chatting in the background, so we can guess it's all small venues.
Djouls

Tracklisting :
01. Gas, Grass Or Ass – Nobody Rides For Free (5:20) | sample
02. Half A Mile From The Country Fair (7:34)
03. She's So Phased Out (8:40)

Links :
myspace.com/alisonfaithlevy
myspace.com/pat_thomas (Mushroom leader)
4zerorecords.co.uk
myspace.com/4zerorecords
Free MP3 Download of "Gas, Grass Or Ass – Nobody Rides For Free" on indiestore.com/4zerorecords
Complete discography on wellers.demon.co.uk

Mushroom - Really Don't Mind If You Sit This One Out
(CD) Four Zero Records FZ001, 2006-03-13

Tracklisting CD :
01. Klonopin (17:57)
02. Kyle Loves A Funny Bunny (10:48)
03. The Reeperbahn (18:12)
04. My Brain Hurt Like A Warehouse, It Had No Room To Spare (8:29)
05. Philip Seymour Hoffman (6:31)
06. Why Do Most German Booking Agents Have Brain Damage? (14:55)

Note : Vintage live recordings from maverick San Fran instrumental space-rock psych-groove masters - Limited edition of 1,000 copies.

Caroleen Beatty (with Mushroom) - You're Only As Pretty As You Feel
(CD) Black Beauty Records BB72009, 2005-08-23

Tracklisting CD :
01. Use Me 6:48
02. Sally Go Round The Roses 4:51
03. The Flesh Failures 3:37
04. Pretty As You Feel 6:25
05. Toady 7:57

Credits :
Caroleen Beatty (vocals)
Erik Pearson, Tim Plowman (guitar)
Ralph Carney (pocket trumpet)
Matt Henry Cunitz (Wurlitzer piano)
Brian Felix (Clavinet)
Ned Doherty (bass instrument)
Pat Thomas (drums)
Dave Mihaly (congas)
Alison Levy (background vocals)

Various (alias Mushroom) - Black Beauty Presents... Soul Sisters - The Sights & Sounds of the African-American Underground
(CD) Black Beauty BB72007, 2005-06-21

Tracklisting CD :
01. Some Jive Ass Wasting My Time (7:50)
02. Theme Song from "The Turtle" (9:05)
03. Oh My, No White Boy Ever Done Me Like That Before (15:42)
04. Theme from "Chocolate Cherry" (9:19)
05. Music from "Copper Cuties" (4:51)
06. Samantha's Song (3:07)
07. Jam Back at the Ho' House (3:03)

Mushroom - "Glazed Popems"
(Black Beauty 2004)

Mushroom est un collectif de San Francisco influencé par King Crimson (période "Lark's Tongues In Aspic", etc.), Miles Davis (période "Dark Magus", "Black Beauty") et Soft Machine ("Third"), très jazz/rock psychédélique/rock progressif, donc. Il tourne autour du batteur Pat Thomas (alias Patrick O'Hearn sur les albums précédents), auprès duquel on retrouve régulièrement Erik Pearson (guitare, sax, flûte), Dave Mihaly (percussions, marimba), Ned Doherty (basse), et de nombreux invités. Leur psychédélisme avancé, aux couleurs folk et mélodiques, nous faisait obligatoirement penser à leur pendant anglais, Super Numeri, groupe pastoral signé chez Ninja Tune, de la même façon que Super Numeri évoque irrémédiablement Mushroom, mais apparemment les deux formations ne se connaissent pas. Ce n'est pas faute de leur avoir envoyé des emails à ce sujet mais bref... Toujours est-il que Mushroom revisitent avec ce double CD leurs influences musicales anglaises, Pentangle, The Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention, Richard and Linda Thompson, etc., à l'aide de guitares acoustiques (c'est une première pour Mushroom), pour en quelque sorte leur album de "psychedelic roots folk anglais", tout en rèveries lysergiques.
Il ne reste plus qu'à espérer que Super Numeri sortent un album de rock psychedelique californien...

links :
• Download MP3 "Tin Foil Hat"
• Ecouter quelques MP4 (nécessite Quicktime 6) (bas de page)
"Tonite Let's All Make Love in Oakland" (from "Glazed Popems") 2.2 Mo
"Dusty Groove" (from "Oh, But They're Weird & They're Wonderful") 2.5 Mo
"L'Auberge" and "Sunday Morning, Seven a.m. on San Pablo Avenue" (from "Glazed Popems") 3.4 Mo
"(Hats Off to) Bert Jansch" (from "Glazed Popems")
"I Got a Line on You" (from "Mad Dogs & San Franciscans") 3.0 Mo