2017’s Best Psychedelic Rock Bands

Discover the best psychedelic rock bands of 2017, according to music experts.

The Growlers

Biography

The Growlers are an American band formed in Dana Point, California in 2009. The band currently consists of singer-songwriter Brooks Nielsen, lead guitarist Matt Taylor, keyboardist/guitarist Kyle Straka, rhythm guitarist Scott Montano, drummer Nick Murray, and bassist Anthony Braun Perry. They are currently signed to Beach Goth Records and their sound has been described as a mix of country-influenced rock with psychedelia and garage rock.

The Growlers’ first album, Are You In or Out?, was released in 2009 on Everloving Records. Their second album, Hot Tropics, was released in 2010. This was followed by Hung at Heart in 2013 and Chinese Fountain in 2014. In 2016, the band released City Club, which debuted at Number 5 on Billboard’s Alternative Albums chart. The Growlers have also released a number of EPs and singles, the most recent being “Night Ride” in 2017.

The Growlers are known for their eclectic live shows, which often feature costume changes, props, and puppets. They have toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Music

The Growlers are one of the best psychedelic rock bands around. Formed in 2006, the band has released six studio albums, with their latest, “Hung at Heart”, released in 2013. They are known for their unique blend of surf rock, garage rock and psych rock, as well as their catchy melodies and spooky lyrics. If you’re a fan of psychedelic rock, then you need to check out The Growlers!

Thee Oh Sees

Thee Oh Sees are an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of primary songwriter and core member John Dwyer, alongside Tim Presley, Nick Murray, and Brad Caulkins. Thee Oh Sees sound is an eclectic mix of various rock genres including garage rock, psychedelia, and noise rock.

Biography

Thee Oh Sees are an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1997 by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John Dwyer. Thee Oh Sees have released seventeen albums, the most recent being Orc (2017). The band currently consists of Dwyer, bassist Tim Hellman, keyboardist/percussionist Paul Quattrone and guitarist Tom Dolas. Drummer Dan Rincon has also been a frequent collaborator with the band.

Thee Oh Sees sound has varied significantly over the years, originally starting as a garage punk band before evolving into a more psychedelic and garage rock sound. The band is known for their energetic and often chaotic live shows.

Thee Oh Sees were one of the leading forces in the San Francisco garage rock revival of the early 2000s. In 2009, they signed to In the Red Records and released their album Help. This was followed by a series of albums that solidified their status as one of the most prolific psychedelic rock bands of their era: Castlemania (2011), Carrion Crawler / The Dream (2011), Putrifiers II (2012) and Floating Coffin (2013).

Music

Thee Oh Sees are an American garage rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of John Dwyer (vocals, guitar), Timothy Hellman (bass), Dan Rincon (drums) and Paul Quattrone (drums). They have released thirteen albums, two split albums and one live album. Thee Oh Sees sound is ever-evolving, as they began as a largely lo-fi and garage punk band, but have since steadily moved towards a more psychedelic rock sound.

The band’s musical style has been compared to that of 1960s garage rock bands such as The Sonics and The Standells, as well as more contemporary garage rock acts such as Ty Segall and White Fence. They have also been described as “psychedelic hypno-punk”.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is an Australian psychedelic rock band that formed in 2010. The band consists of seven members who all contribute to the songwriting and instrumentation. The band has released eight studio albums, three of which have charted on the ARIA Albums Chart.

Biography

From their formation in 2010 to their break-through year in 2017, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have been one of the most prolific and experimental bands around. The seven-piece outfit from Melbourne, Australia play a wide range of genres including psychedelic rock, garage rock, and even metal.

The band’s 2017 album “Flying Microtonal Banana” was nominated for Best Psychedelic Rock Album at the 60th Grammy Awards. In 2018, they followed up with the even more experimental “Polygondwanaland”, which they gave away for free. Their 2019 release “Infest the Rats’ Nest” took a heavier approach, with some songs featuring machine gun-like percussion.

The band has gained a large following for their unconventional methods, such as using microtonal tuning (which uses intervals smaller than those found in standard tuning) and playing instruments from different cultures. They are also known for their marathon live shows, which often include multiple sets and varied setlists.

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard continue to push boundaries and challenge expectations with each release. They are one of the most exciting bands around today, and are sure to be making waves for years to come.

Music

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is an Australian psychedelic rock band formed in 2010 in Melbourne, Victoria. The band consists of seven members who all play a variety of instruments, including guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, and saxophones. They have released eight studio albums, four of which reached the number one spot on the ARIA Albums Chart. The band is known for their energetic live shows and their often chaotic and improvised songwriting.

Allah-Las

Allah-Las are a Psychedelic Rock band from Los Angeles, California, United States, formed in 2008. The band consists of Miles Michaud (vocals, guitar), Pedrum Siadatian (guitar), Spencer Dunham (bass), and Matthew Correia (drums).Their self-titled debut album was released on October 2, 2012, on Innovative Leisure. The band’s music has been described as “a bright, sun-kissed sound that recalls the California pop of the 60s.”

Biography

The Allah-Las are an American garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2008. The group consists of Miles Michaud (vocals, guitar), Pedrum Siadatian (guitar), Matthew Correia (drums), and Spencer Dunham (bass). They have released four studio albums on Innovative Leisure, the latest being LAHS, released in October 2018.

The band’s name is derived from a brand of Moroccan hashish called Allāh-las.

Music

Los Angeles-based quartet Allah-Las emerged in 2012 with a sound that was indebted to the jangly 12-string guitar pop of the 1960s as well as the reverb-drenched surf rock of the decade that followed. The group’s self-titled debut album, produced by Nick Waterhouse collaborator Robcampbell, was released in September 2012 on Innovative Leisure. The album garnered strong reviews, and the band spent much of the next two years touring in support of it. In 2014, they returned to the studio with Nick Waterhouse to record their sophomore set, Worship the Sun. The album was preceded by a single for “Ferus Gallery,” and saw release in September 2014. ~ Matt Collar

White Fence

If you’re a fan of psychedelic rock, then you’re in for a treat. This year has seen some great new bands emerge onto the scene, and one of the best is White Fence. Hailing from Los Angeles, White Fence is a five-piece band that knows how to create catchy, mind-bending tunes.

Biography

White Fence is a Psychedelic Rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band was formed in 2009 by Tim Presley and has released six studio albums. White Fence’s music is characterized by its lo-fi, garage rock sound and Presley’s nasally, high-pitched vocals. The band is known for its prolific output, with Presley estimating that he writes a song a day.

White Fence’s first album, White Fence, was released in 2010 on the Woodsist label. The album was recorded in Presley’s home studio and was self-produced. The album was well-received by critics and established the band’s garage rock sound. White Fence’s second album, Is Growing Faith, was released in 2011 on the Drag City label. The album was recorded in a professional studio and expanded on the sound of the first album with more psychedelic elements.

White Fence’s third album, Cyclops Reap, was released in 2013 on the Castle Face label. The album continued to explore psychedelic sounds and received positive reviews from critics. White Fence’s fourth album, For the Recently Found Innocent, was released in 2014 on the Drag City label. The album marked a shift away from the psychedelic sound of previous albums and explored more pop and R&B influences.

White Fence’s fifth album, Joy!, was released in 2016 on the Drag City label. The album saw the band returning to their garage rock roots and received positive reviews from critics. White Fence’s sixth and most recent album, Livin’ In Sin EP, was released in 2017 on the Burger Records label. The EP consisted of four tracks of demo recordings that were not included on any previous albums.

Music

Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as “rock and roll” in the United States in the 1950s, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style which drew heavily from the genres of blues, rhythm and blues, and from country music. Rock music also drew inspiration from jazz, folk, and classical music. Musically, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass, drums, and one or more singers. This type of rock was first made popular in the 1950s.

The term “rock” was first used in reference to rock music by publications such as Billboard magazine and Rolling Stone magazine. In the early 1950s, when Funk & Wagnalls published its first edition of Encyclopedia Britannica under the editorship of William Benton (later U.S. senator), there was no separate entry for “rock music”. The first edition defined “popmusic” as “the variety of light orchestral or vocal music having consumer appeal”. In subsequent editions (1950–55), Funk & Wagnalls expanded its coverage of pop to include more rock-oriented groups such as Bill Haley & His Comets and Elvis Presley’s band.