Chris DeLine

The name Magic Castles conjures up mythological tales of wizardry and adventure. As such, when imagining what a band by that name might sound like, it wouldn’t be out of line to predict a booming prog-rock amalgamation of extended keyboard solos intricately woven between booming guitars and lyrical blasts delicately recalling the stories of knights and their heroic battles against nature’s most furious creatures. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, as the Minneapolis-based group project gently distorted vocal harmonies over a soothing psychedelic cloud. Magic Castles’ new album, Dreams of Dreams of Dreams, was recorded on two-inch tape rather than a digital master, the recording process further adding to the layered density of the band’s sound. Joining them at this CD-release show will be Vampire Hands, Daughters of the Sun, and Denver, Colorado’s Woodsmen. 21+.

[This critics’ pick was originally published by City Pages.]