The Special Pillow: The Special Pillow Meets the Space Monster

photo: Mitch Rackin

Hoboken's underground psych rock quartet The Special Pillow offer a choice selection of quirky pop topped off with a wicked sense of humour on their new The Special Pillow Meets the Space Monster EP. The band's songwriter Dan Cuddy laments the passing of time (Three On A Sundial, but he is also curious what the future might have in store (A Certain Level Of Uncertainty).

Stand-out track Fond And Foggy is augmented by a jazzy baritone saxophone courtesy of Cheryl Kingan and Steven Levi working a double shift on cornet and valve trombone. It is the perfect soundtrack for a boring grey day turning into something way better as the sun pokes through the mist. They turned That's The Way It's Got to Be by Scottish band The Poets into a freaky avant-rock showcase, creating an unrelenting back beat that packs a punch.

HCTF premiere - The Special Pillow: Three On A Sundial

photo: Mitch Rackin

Hoboken's underground psych rock quartet The Special Pillow show how it's done when a track is in need of some start-and-stop shehanigans. Their latest single Three On A Sundial pokes fun at true-and-tried time signatures like only seasoned musicians are able to pull off without things falling apart. Recommended if you like Frank Zappa in a demented power pop guise.

The Special Pillow: Fond And Foggy

Hoboken's finest underground psych rock quartetThe Special Pillow come out swinging on their new single Fond And Foggy. The band's songwriter Dan Cuddy knack for coming up with a rollicking melody is augmented by jazzy baritone saxophone courtesy of Cheryl Kingan and Steven Levi working a double shift on cornet and valve trombone. It is the perfect soundtrack for a boring grey day turning into something way better as the sun pokes through the mist.

The Special Pillow: Mind Wipe

Hoboken psych rock quartet The Special Pillow are having fun with modern day nuisances, first world problems and technological possibilities lurking around the corner on their new EP Mind Wipe. They are trying to cope with websites asking visitors to prove that they are not a robot (Access Denied), seriously considering to start with a clean slate - the title track - and fearing that the environment will be fighting back (Organic Panic) wearing the cloak of a sunny side up wordless chant (and flamingos making a racket). It is all done with tongue-in-cheek lyrics, culminating in the self-deprecating closing track Another Tragic Chorus.

They have been part of the underground scene for longer than they care to remember, releasing a steady flow of high-grade, melodic pop albums that have gained them a following that will stick by them. Relying on word-of-mouth has made them a critic's favourite and maybe someday the rest of the world will take notice and get them their well-deserved recognition.

The Special Pillow: "Mind Wipe" video

Hoboken psych rock quartet The Special Pillow have posted a video for Mind Wipe, the title track from their forthcoming new EP, Mind Wipe, due for release on August 12 via Zofko Records: "() a jangling, upbeat song about starting over after all the bad stuff has been erased from memory - on a voluntary basis, mind you".

» specialpillow.com

HCTF review of Mind Wipe.

HCTF premiere - The Special Pillow: Access Denied

Hoboken psych rock quartet The Special Pillow have unveiled their new single, Access Denied, a track from their forthcoming new EP, Mind Wipe, due for release on August 12 via Zofko Records. They poke fun at life on the internet, with technology asking website visitors to prove that they are not a robot, not being able "to continue as a guest" and running up against yet another wall of user-unfriendly measures. Infuriating, yes, but they are quite chipper about it, taking it in stride, with the brass contributions of guest players Steve Levi (cornet) and Cheryl Kingan ( baritone saxophone) from The Scene Is Now as the icing on the cake.

The Special Pillow: Mind Wipe

Hoboken psych rock quartet The Special Pillow have unveiled the title track from their forthcoming new EP, Mind Wipe, due for release on August 12 via Zofko Records. It is a jangling, upbeat song about starting over after all the bad stuff has been erased from memory - on a voluntary basis, mind you. They recorded it at Brooklyn's Deep Dive studio, a facility that has vintage gear and digital under the same roof. It is run by engineer Mitch Rackin.

The Special Pillow: World's Finest

Hoboken eclectic indie rock quartet The Special Pillow have cram forty years worth of psychedelic rock influences into their new EP World's Finest. Aided by a bunch of friends the total amount of instruments played is quite high, but it all fits.

Whimsical lyrics and catch melodies are the band's forte, delivered with a totally at ease attitude that belies the intricacy of the music. They leaned on the groove of Spanish Bombs by The Clash for I Woke Up - a tune that can make getting out of bed and face the world a little easier - go all out baroque-op for the title track, and the dreamy strings for the pastoral Monday's Puzzle take an unexpected turn in an extended coda. After 25 years The Special Pillow are sure what they want to sound like: timeless pop with lyrics that dig deep and scratch where it hurts if necessary.

The Special Pillow: "I Woke Up" video

Hoboken's finest eclectic indie rock quartet The Special Pillow have made a video for I Woke Up, the lead single for their new EP, World's Finest out on June 26th via Zofko Records: "They leaned on the groove of Spanish Bombs by The Clash (...) , a tune that can getting out of bed and face the world a little easier". The clip was made by Chris Mahoney.

» specialpillow.com

HCTF review of I Woke Up.

HCTF premiere - The Special Pillow: I Woke Up

Hoboken eclectic indie rock quartet The Special Pillow will release their new album World's Finest on June 26th. They leaned on the groove of Spanish Bombs by The Clash for the new single I Woke Up, a tune that can make getting out of bed and face the world a little easier. As underground favourites for longer than they care to remember they continue to cater to fellow musicians and a small but vocal fan base, who will be pleased to know that the wait for a follow-up for their Sleeping Weird album is almost over.

HCTF's best of 2018 (5-1)

• 20-16
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• 15-11
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• 10-6
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• 5-1

» Best of playlist

» Listen here

HCTF's annual list of the 20 albums that will be in regular rotation for many years to come. As per usual many genres are represented. This blog covers a lot of ground and it shows in this eclectic, final tally.

Today: countdown from number 5 to 1.

Please shop at your local record store, buy directly from the artist, attend live shows. Don't block anyone's view with with your phone (better still, switch it off altogether). Shut the fuck up while the band is playing. Educate your friends. Word-of-mouth can't be beat as the prime source to discover new music.

The Special Pillow: Sleeping Weird

The Special Pillow play psych-pop music with inroads into roots rock, drones, noise, and West Coast harmonizing. With a resume like that the underground is the place where they will find an audience and they have done so since they were founded in Hoboken, NJ, 20 odd years ago. Their latest album Sleeping Weird finds them exploring their favourite genres, mixing them up, pulling it apart and reassembling it again to create concise songs. They love to jam, but always keep it short.

There is a looseness and free-flowing spirit in the music. Lyrically they take cues from The Kinks and They Might Be Giants. They can be sardonic (All My Exes Live in Vortexes), harsh (Flaming Skull) and in awe of things (A Billion Years Ago). The title track is a mash-up of The Jim Carroll Band and Fairport Convention: energetic garage rock and violin driven folk within the same song. With their sixth album chock full of eclectic goodness they confirm their status as an essential underground band.

HCTF premiere - The Special Pillow: Gilded Shrug

The Special Pillow have been flying under the radar for more than 20 years, playing delicate psych-tinged dreamy songs that in an alternate universe might have raising them to the stature as the rightful heirs of The Creation, early R.E.M., and The Kinks. Will their new album Sleeping Weird finally get them long overdue wider recognition? Listen to the HCTF exclusive stream of Gilded Shrug and find out. It's a great song about getting rid of things you couldn't care less about.

Sleeping Weird will be released on July 25th.

» specialpillow.com