On Our Radar: Dopey's Robe tunes in with a psychedelic flourish for "Psycho"

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      Good God, starting with the title, there’s so much that’s right with “Psycho” that we don’t really know where to start.

      Let’s kick things off with the fact that the members of Vancouver’s Dopey’s Robe had themselves filmed in a freaky-styley solar-powered vehicle for the web site known as Jam in the Van. (The “van”, known officially The Jam Van!, actually looks more like modified tour bus, but that's nitpicking).

      Admirably, the Vancouverites piled into the “van” in Joshua Tree, California following an appearance at the psyche-tastic festival known as Desert Daze, which took place in October.

      You ever been to Joshua Tree California in October? The average temperature that time of year is 82 degrees Fahrenheit (which, in communist-speak, means a hellish 28 degrees Celsius). While it’s possible The Jam Van! is using solar panels to run a Pioneer WYS012-17 air conditioner, it’s just as likely that the members of Dopey’s Robe were prepared to suffer for their art. Imagine filming a video stuck in what feels like a rolling Eazy-Bake Oven, which might explain why drummer Matt “Mort” Munn decided to go shirtless.

      Speaking of getting baked, that doesn’t look like a Lost Vape Therion DNA 166 at the beginning of “Psycho”, so let's posit that Dopey’s Robe is enjoying the fact that California is one of the states where you can now get perfectly––and legally––rip-snorting high. 

      As the insanity unfolds in "Psycho", try not to be overly freaked out by the fact that the guy playing the shakers looks like the living reincarnation of everyone who ever played in the pre-’73 Stooges. Don’t bother wondering why the singer is wearing sunglasses indoors; instead, consider that Lou Reed never once removed his Ray-Bans during the entire recording of the Velvet Underground’s White Light/White Heat

      On the bigger picture front, give props to whoever decided to decorate The Jam Van! in a fashion that might best be described as Flaming Lips rec-room chic. And don’t forget to close your eyes every now and then to marvel at the way that “Psycho” sounds like the Jesus and Mary Chain in a switchblade alley fight with the Oh Sees!

      On its Facebook site, Dopey’s Robe bills itself as a band “Plucked from an orchard in Vancouver BC, a toothless puppeteer takes a bite of a poison apple placed on a platter for everyone with a taste that must not be wasted.” There's no point attempting to top that descriptor here. 

      So tune in after you've chased a tab of Orange Sunshine with two cups of Purple Jesus, with the caveat that you may end up quitting your day job, investing in a Vox amp, and then relocating to Joshua Tree, California. After all, that's not only going to boost your chances of landing a spot on the next Desert Days festival, but also of getting a gold-gilded invitation to an afternoon aboard The Jam Van!

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