Stoner

Very little is known about Stonewall, a band believed to have been based somewhere in New York. It released its debut seven-song album, Stoner, in 1974. It was a private pressing, eventually becoming an extremely rare collector’s commodity. But thanks to the reissue wizards at Akarma Records, this hard rock gem has been resurrected from obscurity. “Right On” opens with rootsy tube-amp tones and chugging rhythms, suggesting that these guys may have been slightly older dudes bringing warmed leftovers from the late-'60s party to this early-'70s outing. Or Stonewall may have been younger guys with an uncommon appreciation for the previous generation's music. This is even more apparent in “Bloody Mary,” where the studied harmonica solos suggest that the members may have grown up listening to English longhairs playing blues rock. Singer Francis Crabb’s nasal-inflected sneer suits these songs well, even in the more psychedelic moments (like the mellow and intricately arranged “Solitude” and the slightly proggy “Atlantis”). The standout track “Outer Spaced” is hard-driving, bellbottomed biker rock, replete with a grinding Hammond organ.