Slovenly Recordings label mates Acid Baby Jesus and Hellshovel teamed up on Tuesday at Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco for a frenzied night of hard-hitting psychedelic rock. To dust of a dated expression, both bands have a sound that’s completely far out. But that’s not to say that they should be lumped together sonically. On the contrary, each group approaches psychedelia with their own set of influences and bag of tricks.
Hellshovel take their cue from the likes of The 13th Floor Elevators and other early American garage rock bands. Lots of dueling guitar leads pumped through cranked up tube amps, along with impressive three-part vocal harmonies. Their set was characterized by emotionally potent, short and straightforward songs. Acid Baby Jesus, on the other hand, lean more towards the experimental. I liken them to The Monks, and at times even Frank Zappa. Their rowdy, driving sound is held steady by an undercurrent of Farfisa organ and solid drumming, allowing the other members to enter and exit the cacophony at will. Both bands put on an engaging, entertaining performance, and combined they make excellent show.