10 Psychedelic Rock and Shoegaze Bands You Need to Know

Psychedelic rock and shoegaze are two genres that often get lumped together. And while there are certainly some similarities between the two, there are also plenty of differences.

In this blog post, we’re going to take a look at 10 Psychedelic Rock and Shoegaze bands that you need to know. We’ll explore their unique sound, and what sets them apart from other bands in the genre.

Introducing 10 Psychedelic Rock and Shoegaze Bands You Need to Know

1. The Brian Jonestown Massacre

One of the most influential and prolific bands of thepsychedelic rock revival, The Brian Jonestown Massacre is fronted by the enigmatic Anton Newcombe. Since forming in San Francisco in 1990, the band has released seventeen albums, a feat almost unheard of in the music industry. With a sound that combines elements of folk, country, garage rock, and psychedelia, The Brian Jonestown Massacre is sure to appeal to fans of all genres.

2. The Veldt

Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, The Veldt is a blackgaze band that formed in 2009. Consisting of twin brothers Daniel and Danny Chavis on vocals and guitar respectively, along with bassist Josh Moore and drummer Raymond Richards, the band has released two EPs and two full-length albums. Their music combines the atmospheric sound of shoegaze with the heaviness of black metal to create a truly unique listening experience.

3. Nothing

Nothing is a Philadelphia-based shoegaze band that was formed in 2011 by Domenic Palermo after the dissolution of his previous band, HORSE the Band. After releasing two EPs, Nothing made their full-length debut with Guilty of Everything in 2014. With their mix of heavy riffs and soaring melodies, Nothing has quickly become one of the leading bands in the shoegaze scene.

4. Whirr

Whirr is a San Francisco-based gothic rock band that made their debut with Distortion EP in 2012. Comprised of Nic Nave on guitar/vocals, Alexander Rudolph on bass/vocals, Christopher Devin on drums/percussion, and Sarah Button on keyboards/guitar/ vocals, Whirr creates music that is both dark and dreamy. With influences ranging from My Bloody Valentine to The Cure, Whirr is sure to appeal to fans of gothic rock as well as those who appreciate good songwriting regardless of genre.

5. A Place to Bury Strangers A Place to Bury Strangers is a New York City-based noise rock band that was formed by Oliver Ackermann in 2007. With a sound that has been described as “a wall of noise,” A Place To Bury Strangers creates an intense listening experience that is not for the faint of heart. The band has released four studio albums since their inception, with each one being louder and more abrasive than the last. For fans of My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth

The Brian Jonestown Massacre

The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a psychedelic rock band formed in San Francisco in 1990. The band’s sound combines elements of 1960s garage rock, acid rock, and psychedelic rock, with a modern experimental edge. The Brian Jonestown Massacre has released 17 albums, several EPs and splits, and has been championed by critics for their unbridled creativity and willingness to experiment with different musical styles.

The band is fronted by Anton Newcombe, who is the only original member remaining in the current lineup. Newcombe has been the driving force behind the band’s ever-changing sound, which has ranged from jangly retro-pop to dark and brooding shoegaze. The band’s most recent album, ‘Third World Pyramid’, was released in 2016 to critical acclaim.

The Dandy Warhols

The Dandy Warhols are an American rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1994 by singer-guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holmström. The band’s sound combines elements of pop, art rock, neo-psychedelia, and alternative rock. They were later joined by keyboardist Zia McCabe and drummer Eric Hedford. Hedford left in 1998 and was replaced by Taylor-Taylor’s cousin Brent DeBoer. The band’s name is a reference to American pop artist Andy Warhol.

The Dandy Warhols gained notoriety for their album Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia (2000), which featured the singles “Boys Better” and “Get Off”. The album was well received by critics and achieved platinum status in Australia and the United Kingdom. In 2003, the band released Welcome to the Monkey House, which was a commercial success but received mixed reviews. After a brief hiatus in 2003–2005 caused by personal conflicts within the band, The Dandy Warhols released Odditorium or Warlords of Mars (2005) to critical acclaim. Following a further hiatus in 2006–2008 during which Taylor-Taylor focused on his solo project Duke Spirit, the band returned with Earth to the Dandy Warhols (2008) and This Machine (2012).

The Dandy Warhols have been credited as part of the neo-psychedelic movement that emerged in the early 21st century. They have also been described as space pop and have drawn comparisons to David Bowie, Brian Eno, Talking Heads, Duran Duran, Oasis, INXS, Morrissey and Blur.

The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The group is notorious for their experimental music, wild live shows, and outlandish stage antics. They have released 15 studio albums and won 3 Grammy Awards. The Flaming Lips are often cited as one of the most important and influential psychedelic rock bands of all time.

Mercury Rev

An American alternative rock band formed in the late 1980s, Mercury Rev is known for their unique blend of psychedelic rock and shoegaze. The band’s sound is marked by dense textures, orbital melodies, and ethereal vocal harmonies. Mercury Rev’s critically acclaimed album “Deserter’s Songs” was voted Album of the Year by Mojo magazine in 1998.

My Bloody Valentine

My Bloody Valentine is an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1983. The band’s original lineup included vocalist and guitarist Kevin Shields, bassist DebAideen O’Neill, and drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig. The band released two studio albums, Isn’t Anything (1988) and Loveless (1991), before disbanding in 1997. In 2007, the band reformed with a new lineup consisting of Shields, bassist Manon De Réabsorption, and guitarist Debbie Googe.

My Bloody Valentine is known for its innovative use of guitar effects and studio techniques, as well as its songwriting contributions by Shields. The band was a major innovator of the shoegaze genre of rock music, helping to pioneer the use of samples and spaghetti Western-inspired guitar tones. They were also one of the first bands to use the tremolo arm on their guitars to create “walls of sound”. The band’s sound has been described as “a wash of barely distinguishable melody accompanied by sheets of distorted noise.”

The Jesus and Mary Chain

The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish rock band formed in 1983 in East Kilbride by brothers Jim and William Reid. The band’s sound combines elements of pop, punk rock, and noise rock, and their live shows are known for being particularly chaotic. One of the most influential bands of the 1980s, they have been credited with helping to shape the sound of subsequent alternative rock and shoegaze movements.

The group signed to Blanco y Negro, an imprint of Warner Bros. Records, in 1985 and released their debut album Psychocandy that year. Psychocandy was well-received by critics and was a commercial success, reaching number seven on the UK Albums Chart and number 45 on the US Billboard 200. The singles “Just Like Honey” and “Some Candy Talking” both reached the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart.

In 1988, they released Darklands, which reached number two on the UK Albums Chart; the singles “Happy When It Rains” and “April Skies” both reached number one on the UK Indie Singles Chart. After signing with Creation Records in 1989, they released Honey’s Dead in 1992; it charted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and spawned the singles “Reverence” and “Almost Gold”. The band went on hiatus in 1996 but reformed in 1999 to release Munki; after another break up in 2000–2001, they reformed again in 2007 to tour before releasing Damage and Joy in 2017.

Slowdive

Slowdive is an English rock band that formed in Reading, Berkshire in 1989. The band is composed of Simon Scott, Neil Halstead, Nick Chaplin, and Christian Savill. The band achieved success with their first three albums; Just for a Day (1991), Souvlaki (1993), and Pygmalion (1995) before disbanding in 1995. In 2014, Slowdive reunited to play at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona. In May 2017, the band announced they had signed to Dead Oceans and would be releasing a self-titled album in May 2017.

Slowdive’s sound has been described as “the perfect fusion of shoegazing and pop”. Their music is characterized by ethereal melodies, reverberation, an overall atmospheric sound, and democratic songwriting where each member contributes equally to the composition of the song.

Spacemen 3

Spacemen 3 were an English rock band, formed in Rugby, Warwickshire in 1982 by Pete Kember and Jason Pierce. The group was notable for their use of heavily distorted guitars, drone-like psychedelic rock sound. They achieved critical acclaim and commercial success with their 1991 album Playing with Fire. Spacemen 3 broke up in 1991, but Kember and Pierce continued to record under various names; Kember as Sonic Boom and Pierce as Spiritualized.

The Verve

The Verve were an English rock band formed in Wigan in 1990. The band consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Richard Ashcroft, bass guitarist Simon Jones, guitarist Nick McCabe and drummer Peter Salisbury. Rooted in 60s psychedelic rock and garage rock, the band’s sound encompassed the shoegazing genre of the early-1990s.

The Verve achieved commercial success with their third album, Urban Hymns (1997). The album reached #1 on the UK Albums Chart and has gone on to be certified eight times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. The album included the hit singles “Bitter Sweet Symphony”, “The Drugs Don’t Work” and “Lucky Man”.

Following McCabe’s departure in 1998, the band split. Ashcroft went on to form The Shining before embarking on a solo career; McCabe formed Zoot Woman while Jones and Salisbury went on to join Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. In June 2007, the band reunited for a one-off performance at Glastonbury Festival before officially reforming later that year. The band released their fourth album Forth in early 2008 before going on hiatus again in 2009. In May 2018, it was announced that Ashcroft had Left The Verve for a second time, effectively ending the band.