Get Ritualistic With Mondo Drag

Mothership lands in the middle of a corn field in Iowa, leaves crop circle in shape of a bong.

By Fred Mills

Now HERE's the kind of frammin' on th' jim-jam all us hemp farmers at BLURT can get behind: Iowa-raised garage, psych, space, sludge and stoner rock. The name is Mondo Drag and the game is, in the parlance, "extended psychedelic blues guitar jams and haunting vocals over heavy, steady bass lines and thumping percussion." Or so they tell us. When was the last time you set the controls for the heart of friggin' Iowa?!?

But the band is signed to Alive Naturalsound Records, to that's a pretty good barometer of their ability to grok the musical fullness. New Rituals is the album title and it's due out next week, Jan. 26, at fine CD emporiums and online digital retailers everywhere. There will also be a limited-to-500-copies red vinyl edition.

Free MP3: "Love Me (Like a Stranger)"

The band: Johnnie Cluney (drums/vocals), Nolan Girard (rhythm guitar/vocals), John Gomino (keyboards/saxophone), Dennis Hockaday (bass), and Jake Sheley (lead guitar). They further pledge allegiance to Pink Floyd, Pentagram, Blue Cheer, Hendrix and, just for a contemporary reference, Sonic Youth, so you know they've got their heads screwed on just right.

Catch ‘em on tour:

Feb 26 @ Vaudeville Mews w/ PENTAGRAM
Feb 6 @ White Lightning Warehouse - Iowa City, IA
Feb 9 @ Off Broadway - St Louis, MO
Feb 10 TAB - Carbondale, IL
Feb 11 @ Al's Bar - Lexington, KY
Feb 12 @ Springwater - Nashville, TN
Feb 13 @ Wall Street - Murfreesboro, TN
Feb 14 @ Loudhouse Coffee - Greenbrier, TN
Feb 15 @ Blue Rock Tavern - Cincinnati, OH
Feb 16 TAB - Indianapolis, IN
Feb 17 @ The Mopery - Chicago, IL
Feb 18 TBA - DeKalb, IL

Feb 20 @ RME Hall - CD RELEASE SHOW