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This project has been in my mind for quite a few years and I’m really excited to see it come to life! Relatively Clean Rivers’ sole LP is an album that’s passed around among collectors, heads, bands, and fans as a kind of secret handshake. Those familiar with it almost always count it among their favorites of the more obscured ends of the ‘70s. It’s an album at a crossroads. The cover art screams ‘60s psychedelia, but once inside the world that Phil Pearlman and his assembled crew have created, it’s clear that the album is as much an exploration of frayed strands of folk, country, and Americana as anything else.

I’ve always thought of it as the perfect distillation of Cosmic Americana and, in viewing it through that lens, I assembled a cast of some of my favorite Cosmic travelers to reinterpret the album. Originals of the album are pricey, and it’s never been officially reissued, living in a limbo of bootlegs and needle-drop duplicates. Here though, the album is given a new life through artists with an affinity for its nuance and stellar songwriting.

As I often think of Relatively Clean Rivers as one of the most quintessentially California bands, all proceeds of this compilation will be donated to benefit Music Cares, to help artists dealing with losses from L.A. wildfires.

Raven Sings the Blues is a long running music blog (est. 2006) covering all manner of psych, country, indie, garage, and more. Visit the site at: www.ravensingstheblues.com