THIS WEEKEND, Sabertooth Micro Fest hits the historic Crystal Ballroom for two nights of psychedelic stoner rock. Here are the Mercury’s top picks for the all-ages-friendly festival:
FRI FEB 3
Skull Diver
Portland indie rock three-piece Skull Diver uses their Bandcamp page as a vision board, listing musical inspirations like Mazzy Star, Portishead and Radiohead alongside Americana, the Grindhouse films, and ’70s psych (a clear theme throughout Sabertooth’s lineup). Their 2015 self-titled debut begins with the sound of a car engine revving, and what follows is an album replete with Americana-adjacent imagery of romantic deaths and nicotine-flavored love affairs. Tracks can be enjoyed for beautiful melodies and moody production, which lends to the escapist feel of this lightly conceptual work. Now Skull Diver is gearing up to release a follow-up called Chemical Tomb—catch a preview at tonight’s show.