3AM Doomscroll

Birds In The Ground

Birds

Punch

Falling, falling was written for a very special person. [:

Falling, falling

Either/Or

Say Yes

Beach House

Lovelier Girl

Apple Orchard

When I See the Sun

Summer Dresses (SOS Demo)

Seasons of Your Day

I’ve Gotta Stop

In the Kingdom

Common Burn

Broken Girl

August 10

Bavarian Fruit Bread

Lose Me On the Way

Suzanne

Drop

Peel Dream Magazine is the nom de plume of New York City-based musician Joe Stevens. A nod to BBC Radio 1 legend John Peel, arbiter of all things underground, Peel Dream Magazine is highly evocative of a certain strain of independent music. Stevens harkens back to the early 1990s, when The Velvet Underground resurged as an inspiration to a new set of bands wielding synthesizers, off-set guitars, and a political bent. The Peel Dream experience is defined by a gentle, fuzzy psychedelia —it’s a hypnotic bit of mod-ish lo-fi pop, recalling the best of early Stereolab, Lilys, and other shaggy haired kids with vintage fuzz pedals, slim trousers, and good record collections.

Written and recorded over a four-week period in the fall of 2017, Peel Dream Magazine’s debut album "Modern Meta Physic" fixates on the New Age universe of the Catskills region of New York. Stevens deals in esoteric bohemian fare — Far East philosophy, Native American tradition, mid-century modern cool — as he appraises the world according to privileged urban expats who increasingly call the upstate paradise home.

Leading off the album, "Qi Velocity" is a metronomic take on French pop that yields to a lush chorus reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian. “Deetjen's," named after the much-loved bed & breakfast in Big Sur, would fit snugly on Unrest's best Teen Beat material. "Due to Advances in Modern Tourism" displays a soft take on Neu!, while the organ that enters could be a sly wink to Steve Reich's "Four Organs.”

There is an economy to these tracks — everything is distilled down to it’s essential elements, no gestures are wasted, no superfluous ornamentation taking up space. While Stevens is more than happy to show his influences on his sleeve — mind you, they're great influences — it's clear Peel Dream Magazine isn't just a “sound." The guy can write songs. Where he goes next is anybody's guess.

Modern Meta Physic

Peel Dream Magazine - Shenandoah

I’ve Gotta Stop

Mazzy Star

Recent comments

Hazelnut

mrsquirrel420

violinsviolins

JoshM

Related tracks