Cargo Records

Trowel & Era

Alex Stimmel: acoustic & electric guitars 6 & 12 string guitars, banjo, bass, drums, wurlitzer, analog synth, organ, flute, recorder, kalimba (African finger piano), autoharp, glockenspiel, voice, & tape manipulation

"Apothecary Hymns is the operational alias of Alex Stimmel, who also plays in the Brooklyn rock group, Lonehawk. Mr. Stimmel pulls off classic Syd Barrett moves the way most people pull off socks; combining acoustic and electric guitars to create a folk rock readymade with loner and acid proclivities. Beat that with a stick!"
~Byron Coley, the Wire



"One-man acid-folk-psych sounds...here stalking strange corners of a land somewhere between The Madcap Laughs, 5,00 Spirits and Relatively Clean Rivers. Eerie melodies decorated with some pleasingly freaky guitar lines. He's captured an elusive and unique sound here that really works. My favorite track: "(A Sailor Song)"
~Mike Stax, Ugly Things

"The dreamy, hallucinatory essence of the music is satirically represented by the druggist theme. This interestingly blurs the line between reality and contrivance, fact and fiction."
~Charles Sazabla, Goldmine

"This is much more Syd Barrett in mood then what most cover bands did with Syd Barret's songs."
~Psychedelic Folk (**** [four stars])

"As Apothecary Hymns, Stimmel harkens back to an East Village style of troubadourism that relied on talent without effects and studio gimmickry. AH doesn't fall easily into any categories appealing to fans of contemporary weirdo eclectic artists like the Kill Rock Stars roster and the West Coast folkies like Dearest, Crown."
~Paul Leeds, Culturebunker

"A sparkling fluid and melodic folk rock with supple multiinstrumental playing blending into a bandlike cohesion, with fine psychedelic poetic lyrics starts as an introverted fractured folk ala solo Syd Barrett waking up in a sleepy glade. Slow almost country unfoldings to reach a big electric guitar, bass and drums sections before we return to Syd's meadow."
~George Parsons, Dream Magazine

"Excellent psych-pop reminiscent of The Petals, with a hint of Kitchen Cynics really great stuff."
~Blissaquamarine

Track Listing

1. Abandoned Factories
2. The Father
3. The Marigold
4. The Human Abstract
5. Watching the Bay
6. (A Sailor Song)
7. The Conclusion, In Which Nothing Is Concluded
8. All True Love Is Happiness
9. In The Icy Beds