The best thing about the moody debut album from S.F. band Zodiac Death Valley is that it you can't pin it down. Its standout track, "Cincy, OH," is a piano crawl heavy on smoky atmosphere and bad feelings, like Tom Waits after a particularly rough night. Another highlight, "Hail Hail December," sounds like what would have happened if the Doors had come after '70s punk. Meanwhile, "Look Alive" could be a B-side off the last Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album. Considering the breadth and fire captured on the initial effort from these local boys, we're interested to see where they'll go. (SF Weekly)
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The music of San Francisco's Zodiac Death Valley straddles the line between psych-rock, pulsing new wave, freak-folk, and the sun-beaten pop of Dire Straits. It's an infectious combination, aided largely by impeccable songwriting. The band's music is nothing if not filled with memorable hooks and substantial melodies. These are hefty songs, carrying with them a kind of weight and import that isn't usually found in the usual roundup of psych-inflected groups. Plodding, chugging rhythms are accompanied by drunken guitars. Sprightly keyboards lend levity and a beatific tone to songs that seem to build for long stretches of road, alone in a car. Zodiac Death Valley comes across as a fully formed band, with a palpable clarity of spirit and vision.
Word on the street is their live show rules. Bonus.

By Rev. Adam McKinney
Weekly Volcano, Tacoma, Washington