Sauna Sounds

TRACK(S) REVIEW: "Strange Vibrations" AND "Tales of Brave Ulysses" by Sons of Cream [ ‪@SONSOFCREAM‬ ]
[Released 10/28/2026]

Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Rolling Stones, The Seeds—God knows I love a legacy band. However, when a legacy band is no longer possible for one reason or another (including the passing of original members), I am more than willing to accept a band built upon legacy. Enter: Sons of Cream

If it wasn't obvious, the band is composed entirely of blood relatives of the trio often referred to as "rock and roll's first supergroup"—the legendary psychedelic, blues rock outfit, Cream.

I first became aware of Sons of Cream when Nettie Baker—daughter and legacy protector of legendary Cream drummer, Ginger Baker—posted on her father's legacy page about the group and I was instantaneously obsessed. I needed to hear a studio recording of this band.

My hopes were not high. Not because of who they are, but rather the history of rock icon descendant-based groups. I see no reason to sit here and point fingers, but while those musicians are often very talented, they don't have the correct chemistry to recapture the magic of their parents. I think that part of the equation is too often overlooked. Sons of Cream, however, have that chemistry in spades.

I was going to listen to their cover of "Tales of Brave Ulysses" first. After all, if we're being objective, I only ended up here because of Cream's music. However, the band sequenced their first original song, "Strange Vibrations," as the first track on the single. Always trust the band with their sequencing choices. I'm so glad I listened to this first.

The song immediately establishes the sound of this band—rooted in rock and roll, dipped in psychedelia with just a dash of '80s on top—or that's my interpretation at least—and it works.

The atmosphere is dense with a bright, almost Ron Wasserman-esque guitar tone from Rob Johnson. The rhythm section is tight, especially Kofi Baker's drumming which, much like his grandfather's, catches a pocket quick and never overstays its welcome, with the intensity shifting as needed—and doing so on a dime. Then there is Malcolm Bruce, whose vocal performance sounds so intensely like his father, Jack Bruce, that I was honestly left stunned.

I don't want to make it sound like they are derivative, though. They sound like Cream and I don't think it's overly presumptuous to say that was the goal. So, mission accomplished there, but make no mistake—this band has their own identity and a lot of room to grow. I think what makes this particular song most interesting to me is this slow evolution. We start out squarely in the blues rock area and eventually dive entirely into "don't lick the psychedelic toad" territory by the final third of the track. Put plainly—it's really very good. Whether you're listening because of their connection to Cream or simply because you like "classic rock," you'll dig this.

"Tales of Brave Ulysses" is a whole different can of worms. They don't sound like Cream anymore—they BECOME Cream. I honestly don't even know where to start. Kofi's drumming is absolutely on fire here. Based on these two tracks, I'm already a big fan of his drum rolls and, again, he finds these pockets that (to me) signal that he's a great live drummer. The guitar work sheds the Wasserman skin of the last track and instead becomes late-sixties incarnate. I hear a little Tom Morello in there, but it could simply be the choice of pedals/effects. On this song, Malcolm becomes some beautiful 90:10 hybrid of Jack Bruce and Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother. Also, the choice of vocal effects on both songs really do it for me.

At the end of the day, I am of two minds:

1. Sons of Cream sound like a version of Cream from the multiverse that we didn't get—most things are the same, but many things are different and yet, it's still Cream. I could show their cover of "Tales of Brave Ulysses" to someone and easily convince them that it was Cream.

2. This band is not Cream. They could never be Cream and they shouldn't want to be Cream. They have a lot of potential and after hearing these songs, I very much look forward to hearing their full-length debut and, in particular, their original songs.

I think the "half and half" approach is brilliant and apt. I don't think I've been this excited for a legacy-based supergroup-esque band since Hollywood Vampires back in 2015.

4 out of 5 Creams
🍦🍦🍦🍦

Sons of Cream's debut album—the brilliantly titled "Half & Half"—releases January 15, 2027 via Marshall Records, further grounding the band to rock and roll history.

Pre-order link in the bio!

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#SonsofCream #Cream #Psychedelicrock

1 week ago | [YT] | 0

Sauna Sounds

TRACK REVIEW: "All In My Mind" by The Spyrals [‪@thespyrals‬]
[Released 09/15/2026]

In the short life of Sauna Sounds, we have only featured The Spyrals once, but make no mistake—we LOVE the Los Angeles-based psychedelic garage rock trio.

I personally think their 2012 single, "Disguise," is one of the best psychedelic "nuggets" of the last 50 years and their newest single continues that tradition.

"All In My Mind" is the lead single from the garage and psych rock veteran's upcoming 6th studio album, 'Heavy Smoke.'

The track is a fuzzy and groovy hell of a modern psychedelic nugget. If you look to the comments underneath the music video—which oozes "garage band jam" energy—you'll see multiple people pointing out that this song feels ripped straight from 1967 and, on the surface, they aren't wrong.

All the hallmarks are there: the melody is pop-friendly yet the vibe is DIY. The lyrics are catchy and pleasant, but the aforementioned fuzz and grooves steal the show—the Nuggets™ formula.

Part of this authentic sound is the fact that the band actually recorded the record on an 8-track reel-to-reel. In fact, I expect a lot more of this authenticity throughout the LP, considering that the band recorded most songs as improvised jams. According to the band, "many arrangements took shape almost immediately; first or second takes became the finished performances, with no instrumental overdubs." This is an exciting prospect, to say the least, and I can't wait to hear what else the band has in the chamber.

The song isn't going to change the game or take the world by storm, but that's not really what you want from a garage rock song anyway.

So if you're a fan of psychedelia, garage rock, surf rock or the Nuggets series, this track is undoubtedly going to do something for you and you should give it a spin.

The Spyrals' new album, 'Heavy Smoke,' releases November 27, 2026 via Fuzz Club. [‪@FuzzClubTV‬] Pre-order below!

4 out of 5 Spyrals
🌀🌀🌀🌀

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Pre-order:
thespyrals.lnk.to/heavysmoke

#MusicReview #NewMusic #TheSpyrals #PsychedelicRock #GarageRock

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

Sauna Sounds

TRACK REVIEW: "Before I Break" by Goblyns [‪@goblyns_official‬​]
[Released on 10/01/2026]

While on my way out the door, I was queueing up the new music releases I was interested in, but had yet to hear. Nestled right between excellent singles from current viral crankwave-esque duo Cowboy Hunters and beatdown hardcore savants thrown was the funky psychedelia of Amsterdam/Berlin-based trio Goblyns. This is relevant because those other two singles are some of the best songs released this fall. Which is to say Goblyns had an almost unfair amount of competition to impress me—and yet they did, unequivocally.

The track is the lead single from their upcoming album 'Who Do You Fight?,' which is set to release on November 13, 2026 via Crazysane. [‪@CrazysaneRecords‬​]

The song is a fuzzy, groovy jam that starts with a relentlessly catchy guitar riff that utilizes stereo sound to capture a very specific vibe. A vibe (or genre) that I would perhaps call "slacker psychedelia."

The vocals very much remind me of Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys—or The Last Shadow Puppets fame. A kind of stoned-out crooner bearing their soul via poetic lines and subtle vocal dips.

All in all, this track doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's still a really great wheel and worth a spin if it sounds like it drives in your lane.

4 out of 5 Slackers
🦥🦥🦥🦥

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#MusicReview #goblyns #NewMusic #MusicDiscovery #PsychedelicRock

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

Sauna Sounds

TRACK REVIEW: "How Can I Explain What She Does To Me?" by Sharp Pins [‪@Sharppins‬]
[Released 09-23-2026]

Sharp Pins is the solo project of Kai Slater from Chicago-based indie rock band Lifeguard. Sharp Pins is an interesting case because he doesn't attempt to walk a line between modern indie and classic 60s psychedelic pop/jangle pop, but rather commits to the degree that each album feels sonically tantamount to some Sundazed collection of lost gems of the 60s—or at least it does to the ears of this listener. I believe this is mostly due to the lo-fi production and simplistic but catchy as Hell lyrics and vocal delivery.

The one thing I must highlight is the gleefully lysergic, reverb-dense atmosphere created by the distinct mixing choices. It results in an unusually wide and almost faux-vinyl-like sound that I rarely hear—even in the subgenres surrounding psychedelia, where the atmosphere is so often ≈75% of the puzzle. I believe that it creates a warm, intimate and charmingly authentic sound that anybody who loves late 1960s music could genuinely appreciate and that will appeal to modern indie fans in equal measure.

5 out of 5 Pins
📍📍📍📍📍

Certainly less relevant to the music itself, but aesthetically, this trend continues with Kai frequently borrowing some of the beautiful color palettes that were prominently featured in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

This release functions as one of the first samplings from Sharp Pins' upcoming mini-LP, ‘Electric My Icebox,’ which releases on January 15th, 2027 via Krecs/Perennial. [‪@krecs‬] [‪@PerennialRecords‬]

Side note: Sharp Pins' 2025 album, 'Balloon Balloon Balloon,' is a masterclass in modern, bite-sized, jangly psychedelic pop. One of the best albums of the year by my estimation. Give it a spin!

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#MusicReview #SharpPins #PsychedelicPop #IndieMusic #NeoPsychedelia

1 month ago | [YT] | 2

Sauna Sounds

TRACK REVIEW: “Pipedream” by Marcoca
[Released on 09/11/2026]

Marcoca is a five-piece indie/”psychedelic surf boy” band from Berlin, Germany that is somewhat difficult to accurately describe. Their sound kind of changes from project to project but overall, if I was describing their genre to a friend with a knowledge of music genres, I would call them “exotica-flavored bedroom pop with a bossa nova-inspired rhythm section and psychedelic undercurrents that occasionally goes full Dick Dale.” If I were to describe them in layman’s terms, I would call them, “a sun-soaked surf rock and neo-psychedelia fusion that would sit beautifully alongside The Palms, The Growlers or even Skeggs.” I became a fan of this band back in 2022 and played their song “Magic Drips” on repeat for weeks. So, when I saw they had dropped their new single–the second in support of their new album, ‘Meteo Mirage LP’–I knew it was time we covered them here.

That said, much like the band themselves, “Pipedream” is a bit difficult to quantify in words on a screen. Something you’ll notice about this band is that their music feels very organic–something arguably needed in our current world of artificiality—and very “present,” so to speak. It transports you to this place (usually a beach) and so it sort of needs to be experienced to be understood. That said, I will try my best.

One line in the song accurately sums up the entire “vibe” of the song and that lyric is “Can’t wait to soak my face in the morning sun. Roll with those gentle waves until my thoughts slow down.” First of all, in my opinion, this is relatable and beautifully human. More importantly, just about every note played throughout the track feels very much like the thoughts described by the vocalist Marco Rinke: Not to quote Blake Shelton, but “some beach, somewhere.” What I will say about this song compared to some of the band’s other work is that certain lyric deliveries remind me of early work by The Beach Boys and, in particular, those songs where Mike Love is at the helm. However, unlike those songs, this one has an interesting feeling of melancholia by way of yearning.

The instrumentation is exactly what you’d want, if not expect, from a song like this one. However, where it differs is about two minutes and thirty seconds in, when the vocals end. It is at this point that the keys and the drums hijack the party. First comes a very early-seventies, funk-adjacent solo keyboard lead-in. Then, a few moments later, the rest of the instruments drop back in, but the drums now brandish a decidedly Latin-inspired rhythm and, while all of the instruments are still present, the keys and the drums are now the focal point. It feels very much like a song from the band WAR and this jam, in my opinion, is the best part of the song. Keyboard player Moritz Schütz really takes the spotlight here—even sounding a little bit like Ray Manzarek of The Doors {the GOAT in my opinion} at certain moments. Eventually the other instruments pick back up and by the end of the song, the lap steel even gets some real time to shine.

Overall, I believe this song has a goal and that goal is to create an environment. To successfully construct this environment, the song must project a few things upon the listener including a mood, a vibe and an emotional state. Within this niche of music, there is almost a de facto “checklist” of elements such as a lap steel, lyrics mentioning a body of water, etc. I think Marcoca flawlessly and naturally completes this list, but their environment becomes nearly bulletproof when they subvert expectations and do their own thing, because these types of songs usually don’t have keyboard solos or include nearly 50% of the track lacking vocals. I can’t wait to hear more from this band. It’s been a long time since a beach/exotica/bossa nova-esque band has broken out into the mainstream, but I very much do see that happening again. We can only hope that it does and that Marcoca is the band to do it.

Marcoca’s new album, ‘Meteo Mirage LP,’ releases on October 27th, 2026 via Nice Guys. [‪@NiceGuys‬]

4 out of 5 Beaches
🏖🏖🏖🏖

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#MusicReview #NewMusic #Marcoca #SurfRock #Neopsychedelia

1 month ago | [YT] | 3

Sauna Sounds

TRACK REVIEW: “TAKE IT EASY” by Mother’s Cake [ ‪@MothersCake‬ ]
[Released on 09/11/2026]

We have not yet covered Mother’s Cake in any capacity and that is completely on us. We have for months robbed you of the opportunity of playing their 2024 album, ‘Ultrabliss,’ on repeat like I did and for that, we apologize. So we figure it’s time to correct that error with an official review of the Austrian trio’s new single, “TAKE IT EASY.” The song serves as the second single in support of their upcoming sixth studio album, the optimistically titled ‘WE R ALL GONNA DIE.’

The song begins with a beautifully simple and inherently nostalgia-inducing guitar, bass and drum combo that brings to mind some of Joywave’s work. Perhaps most notably their hit song, “Tongues,” which has a similar rhythm to it. This comparison ends after the intro, though, as in typical Mother’s Cake fashion, the band immediately gets “heavier.” The drumming is more complicated, the guitars get louder and we’re off.

The opening lyrics set the tone: “I said standing straight behind me, shut the fuck up, boy. Give me just a minute to make a choice.” These are brilliant as a hook for a listener who values lyrics. Yves Krismer’s vocal delivery is unique in style, but could perhaps best be compared to a delightful combination of the best parts of vocals from Andrew Stockdale (of Wolfmother) and Sebastian Bach (of VH1 reality show fame; also he was in Skid Row). This style of vocal delivery, while sometimes divisive, can make songs catchy and that is definitely the case here as Yves twists and “whines” {affectionate} through a fuzzy, garage rock-tinged hook before that nostalgic guitar riff returns once again. This leads us into the second verse which features a newly introduced (to this song) Iggy Pop-like bark, as well as some backing vocals/guitar work that remind me of “Tyrant Lizard King” by Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes. This leads to a slow deconstructive fade-out that really makes you appreciate living in a world with stereo sound.

While it may seem that I am making a lot of comparisons to other songs and artists, I want to be explicitly clear on one thing: This band and this song are not derivative, “nostalgia bait” or just a medley of already existing ideas, but rather an amalgamation of the history of this sonic lineage. They are wholly unique in that they embody the spirit of the exact point of intersection between psychedelia and “hard rock,” as it were.

Overall, the song functions as a great second sampling of their upcoming record. I absolutely cannot wait to sit down with it and inevitably review it. I implore anyone reading this who is a fan of psychedelic rock, space rock, crank wave or indie rock more broadly to go and check Mother’s Cake out. I honestly believe this band has a massive amount of crossover potential with mainstream rock fans. I hope that ends up being less of an opinion and more of a premonition, but only time will tell.

“WE R ALL GONNA DIE” releases October 9th, 2026, via their newly established imprint, Esis3-RECORDS.

4 out of 5 Cakes
🎂🎂🎂🎂

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#MusicReview #MothersCake #PsychedelicRock #NewMusic #indiemusic

1 month ago | [YT] | 4

Sauna Sounds

TRACK REVIEW: "Always Faithful" by Black Market Karma [‪@blackmarketkarma‬​​]
(Released 08/28/2026)

In 2026 there have been exactly three songs that jumped to the top (top 10 to be exact) of my "best songs of the year" playlist. The first was "Jet Stream Heart" by Temples [‪@TemplesOfficial‬​​], the second was "Last Munroe Madonna" by The Stingrays [@thestingrayss] and now there is "Always Faithful" by Black Market Karma. The song functions as the lead single off their upcoming LP, 'The Grease Ladder' and holy microKORG, Batman; songs like this are why I can't help but to write about music. It has to come out one way or another.

Before I even get started, I feel that I must establish something that people outside of Black Market Karma's fan base might not know: Black Market Karma I̶s̶ j̶u̶s̶t̶ o̶n̶e̶ g̶u̶y̶ is a Dover, Kent-based, London-formed solo studio project masterminded by multi-instrumentalist Stanley Belton. While playing live shows, however, BMK is a full band.

When the song began playing, the first thing that I heard was a very sixties-sounding "organ"—presumably the Korg microKORG XL+ that the talented Matt Bruce plays in the music video. Soon after, in comes a groovy drum pattern fading in and I knew immediately this was about to be something special. The instrumentation instantly reminded me of the intro to Blue Cheer's underrated gem, "Good Times Are So Hard to Find," which is always a good thing when it never happens. I was actually so taken aback by the first 10 seconds of the song that I actually paused it, grabbed my best headphones and started it again. The tones are warm, retro and inherently psychedelic—if only by conditioning.

About 45 seconds in, the Black Market Prince of Neo-Psyche begins to deliver his signature style of vocals, which, when combined with the type of instrumentation omnipresent in the BMK's discography, creates a swirling, hypnotic atmosphere that immediately calls to mind a musical adaptation of The Joshua Light Show’s legendary liquid-light projections. The guitar work takes on a life of its own as well as it seemingly bounces around and weaves through the song on its own terms. First with a "surfy" sort of sound, but about two minutes in, it transforms into something more like the early work of Keith Richards.

All three of these aspects (organ, vocals, guitar) work in cohesion and yet it's as if they are opposing forces—facing off against each other in this battle that manages to produce a gorgeous wall of sound. A wall made of elements taken from 60s/70s psychedelic rock, but with modern indie rock sensibility that makes BMK one of the most exciting acts on the scene today. It's catchy, but not too poppy. It's psychedelia, but not too trippy. It rocks, but not too hard. In my opinion, this song rides a line rarely even approached in the 2020s. Needless to say, I'm absolutely going to have to review the full album when it arrives.

5 out of 5 Keyboards
🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹

Black Market Karma’s new album, ‘The Grease Ladder,’ releases November 6th, 2026 via Impressed Recordings! [‪@ImpressedRecordings‬​​]

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#musicreview #blackmarketkarma #psychedelicrock #neopsychedelia #musicdiscovery

1 month ago | [YT] | 5

Sauna Sounds

TRACK REVIEW: "I Want Your Love"
by Davy Jones and the Lower Third
{aka David Bowie} [‪@davidbowie‬]
[Released 07/15/2026]

This song was recorded 60+ years ago and lost for nearly as long. It was finally rediscovered in 2021 and in July of 2026, the song was released to the public for the very first time, serving as the lead single for a new archival release entitled "David Bowie: The Shel Talmy Recordings." The full 21-track compilation album releases on September 18, 2026 via Parlophone [‪@ParlophoneCoUk‬]

This track functions as such a unique time capsule in innumerable ways. For starters, it feels like a song lost in time in ways that many archival releases such as this don't. It is of such a specific era and sound. Some bands that instantaneously come to mind are the Van Morrison-led Them, the earliest recordings of The Animals, and the cult-favorite group The Pretty Things. Furthermore, the song possesses qualities that we typically only see in releases today when a new "Nuggets-style" archival album is dropped and contains fully "lost" recordings of virtually forgotten bands. The difference here, of course, is that this band is fronted by the undeniably legendary David Bowie.

Perhaps what is most fascinating is hearing Bowie—known here as Davy Jones—at this early point in his career and already hearing the brilliance behind how his sound would eventually evolve.

Now, while all of this context is very interesting, don't think that my focus on that implies that the song itself is any less interesting. If you like this style of mid-1960s American blues-influenced garage rock, you will likely LOVE (no pun intended) "I Want Your Love." It is two and a half minutes of catchy vocal delivery, excellent drumming, and group vocals. At moments, the song even puts you in mind of early tracks by The Rolling Stones—a high compliment in this context, no doubt. The guitars are shockingly heavy in the song for being recorded in 1965, and the track has a surprising amount of sounds we would later go on to associate with the psychedelic rock scene of the later '60s.

Again, in a word: Fascinating.

Is it the best song of the era? No. Would it have changed the trajectory of the genre if this song had been a hit when it was recorded? Not likely. However, in 2026, a song like this is a breath of fresh air for any music fan who grew up in this era or any fan of the era who discovered it at a different time. If you are a fan of Bowie, garage rock, the British Invasion, or 60s culture, this is a song for you. Which means that it is also a song for me.

4 out of 5 "thirds"
🥉🥉🥉🥉

#musicreview #60smusic #davidbowie #britishinvasion #journalism

3 months ago | [YT] | 2

Sauna Sounds

TRACK REVIEW: "Taste Like Always" by Secret Family
[Released 07/08/2026]

"Taste Like Always" is a fascinating glimpse into the future of Secret Family, a California/Montana-rooted rock band currently based in San Francisco. The track functions as the second single released in support of their upcoming debut album, "Grouse Head Talisman," which releases September 18, 2026 on the excellent independent, NYC-based record label, "Food Of Love," home to Brooklyn psych rock favorites (and personal favorite of mine), Evolfo [‪@EvolfoTV‬].

While the band is decidedly early into their official discography, this song is perhaps their surfiest yet among their officially available material. I was somewhat (pleasantly) taken aback by the number of influences present on this track with tiny elements plucked from genres such as doo-wop, surf rock, post punk, modern indie rock and neo-psychedelia, with an almost pop-like catchiness rarely seen on songs of this nature—certainly those coming in under 3 minutes. The song is this unique mixture of Dick Dale-esque guitars, a first wave post-punk type vocal performance and early-to-mid 2010s surf/doo wop revival energy overall—echoing the sound of some of the greatest acts of the era, such as early works from both The Frights and The Buttertones. This is, of course, my interpretation of their influences more so than a concrete dissection; that being said, the perceived parallels are nearly undeniable and are something that I loved about this track. Hearing that assembled in this way, intentional or not, makes for a unique listening experience.

Overall, I recommend the song to anybody who is a fan of any of the things that I named and I cannot wait to hear what is next from the group.

4 out of 5 Tastes
👅👅👅👅

Pre-order Secret Family's "Grouse Head Talisman" here:

secretfamilytime.com/store

3 months ago | [YT] | 3

Sauna Sounds

Check out the new video from our team member, ‪@Brookiebunie90‬!

#Animation #graphicdesign #webseries #humanart #art

3 months ago | [YT] | 3