psychedelia – Queen City Sounds and Art

Strange Fruit, photo courtesy the artists

“Monopolar” by Jakarta, Indonesia’s Strange Fruit eases into motion with hazy harmonics and swelling and resolving textures and tones. The mood is like a downtempo band that got deep into blissed out shoegaze psychedelia. Yes, there is guitar but the whole songwriting aesthetic is more like electronic music and fans of Seefeel, Black Moth Super Rainbow and the more experimental end of Verve will appreciate the most. It’s like a musical break from the overwhelming turmoil of world events which we could all use a little bit of now. It feels like what the late 90s did in the underground music world with a sense of mystery and an ambient hopefulness. Watch the entrancing video for “Monopolar” on YouTube and follow Strange Fruit at the links below. The group’s latest EP Drips, its first release after about a decade-long hiatus, drops April 3, 2026 via Gentle Tuesday Recordings.

Strange Fruit on Instagram

Strange Fruit on Bandcamp

Band of Muses, photo courtesy the artists

Band of Muses infuse its psychedelic single “Cinnamon” with a touch of that hazy Laurel Canyon sound from the 70s. The video utilizes kaleidoscopic imagery while its members are show with a crystal ball and otherwise like Southern California esoteric types, New Age vagabond mystics who generate hypnotic melodies and rhythms that keep you swept up in their colorful, ethereal charms. But around the edges the band trades in choice guitar leads that jangle and transport. Fans of the likes of L.A. Witch with find a similar sonic allure here as well fans of Sky Cries Mary’s more cosmic, expansive compositions. Watch the video for “Cinnamon” on YouTube and follow Band of Muses at the links below.