Psychedelic Rock Is Alive and Well in RVA

Psychedelic rock is a genre that’s often associated with the past, but it’s very much alive and well in the present day. If you’re looking for proof, just take a look at the Richmond, VA music scene. There’s a wealth of talent and creativity on display, and it’s all thanks to the power of psychedelic rock.

Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic Rock is a genre of rock music that is inspired, or influenced by, psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. Psychedelic rock often explores the realm of the imagination, using guitar feedback and distortion, extended solos, and elements of electronic music.

Defining Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It often uses new recording techniques and effects, sometimes produced with electronic instruments, and is intended to provoke an emotional reaction.

Psychedelic rock developed in the late 1960s among British and American musicians who were experimenting with drugs such as LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline, and peyote. The early style was influenced by Indian music, including the sitar (an instrument popularized by the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood”) and tabla (a type of drum), as well as jazz. Psychedelic rock reached its peak in popularity in the late 1960s with groups such as the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Doors, and Pink Floyd.

The Origins of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psychedelia, is a diverse style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Characterized by distorted guitars, mind-altering lyrics, and extended improvisation, psychedelic rock attempted to replicate the mind-expanding experience of LSD.

The earliest examples of psychedelic rock can be traced back to the early work of groups like The Beatles and The Beach Boys. With songs like “Tomorrow Never Knows” and “I Saw Her Standing There,” The Beatles began pushing the boundaries of what was considered pop music. Similarly, The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” made liberal use of sound effects and studio techniques that would become synonymous with psychedelic music.

As the 1960s progressed, more and more artists began experimenting with psychedelia. The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” and Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive” are both examples of early psychedelic rock. By the end of the decade, artists like Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and The Grateful Dead had fully embraced the style, cementing its place in rock history.

Although it fell out of fashion in the 1970s, psychedelic rock made a comeback in the 1990s with bands like Spacemen 3, My Bloody Valentine, and Primal Scream. In recent years, psychedelia has continued to influence modern artists like Animal Collective, Tame Impala, and Wake Up Lucid.

The Resurgence of Psychedelic Rock

In recent years, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of psychedelic rock. This genre of music was first popularized in the 1960s and 1970s, and it is characterized by its use of mind-altering drugs and experimental sound effects. Many well-known bands, such as the Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd, started out as psychedelic rock bands.

The 60s and the Resurgence of Psychedelic Rock

The Resurgence of Psychedelic Rock
It would be easy to mistake the sounds of modern psychedelic bands for the improvisational jams of the Grateful Dead or even early Pink Floyd. But while the sonic template of today’s psychedelia is indebted to its 60s and 70s predecessors, the new wave of bands are decidedly more focused on songcraft than their jam-happy elders. This is evident in the work of Richmond, Virginia’s own White Laces, whose brand of spacey, reverb-drenched rock is as catchy as it is psychedelic.

White Laces’ sound is indebted to classic psychedelia, but frontman Winston Harrison’s songwriting is more in line with contemporary indie rockers like Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing. On the band’s debut album No Floor, released in 2013, Harrison’s songs are immediate and accessible, populated by memorable melodies and ringing guitars. It’s an approach that serves the band well live, where their songs have a tendency to stretch out and explore new territory.

Psychedelic rock may have faded from prominence in recent decades, but thanks to bands like White Laces, it’s showing signs of life in the 21st century.

The New Psychedelic Rock Movement

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “psychedelia,” is a subgenre of rock music that began in the 1960s and was prominent until the early 1970s. The genre is characterized by distorted guitars, extended improvisation, and psychedelic effects.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of psychedelic rock, with artists such as Tame Impala, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, and Thee Oh Sees leading the way. These newer bands have taken the sound of the 60s and put their own spin on it, making it relevant for today’s audiences.

If you’re looking to get into the new psychedelic rock movement, check out some of the bands mentioned above. You won’t be disappointed!

Psychedelic Rock in RVA

Psychedelic Rock is a genre of rock music that is inspired, or influenced by, psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It often uses new recording techniques and effects, and sometimes incorporates elements of other genres, such as acid rock, folk, electronica, experimental rock, and jam band.

The local Psychedelic Rock Scene

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psych rock or garage rock, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The style is typified by a preoccupation with psychedelic experiences and drug culture, manifested in the use of distinctive electronic effects, feedback, distorted guitars and vocals. Psychedelic music often attempts to replicate or enhance the experience of altered states of consciousness, frequently achieved through the use of drugs such as cannabis, psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline and LSD.

The local Psychedelic Rock scene is thriving in RVA with many bands emerging in recent years. Some notable bands include Starlitewrangler, The Nervous Ticks, Ghoul School and Theergic::vibes::collective. These bands are keeping the psychedelic rock tradition alive and well in RVA!

notables bands in RVA

Notables bands in RVA that play psychedelic rock include White Laces, No BS Brass Band, Gull, and Big Mama Shakes.

The Future of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic Rock is a genre of rock music characterized by the use of psychedelic drugs, typically LSD, in an attempt to experience visual and auditory hallucinations, synesthesia, and altered states of consciousness.

The Mainstreaming of Psychedelic Rock

It would be easy to mistake the recent resurgence in psychedelic rock for mere nostalgia. However, while there are plenty of bands mining the classic sounds of the 1960s and ‘70s, there is also a new generation of artists taking the genre in bold new directions. In Richmond, Virginia, a hotbed of activity for this ever-evolving style, some of the most exciting work is being done by a group of close-knit musicians who are pushing the boundaries of what psychedelic rock can be.

The Psychedelic Punk Social Club began informally in 2015 as a get-together for friends who shared a passion for outsider music. “We would all get together and drink beer and listen to records,” recalls guitarist and singer Will Gossard. “Someone would put on something weird and we’d all be like, ‘What is this? I love it!’”

From these humble beginnings, the PPSC has grown into an invaluable network of musicians, artists, and promoters dedicated to carrying on the DIY ethos of punk while expanding upon its sonic palette with psychedelia’s vast array of sounds and textures. At its core is a monthly concert series showcase cutting-edge local, national, and international acts performing at Strange Matter, Richmond’s preeminent venue for underground music.

The Evolution of Psychedelic Rock

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a new type of music began to emerge that would come to be known as psychedelic rock. This style of music was characterized by its use of mind-altering drugs, such as LSD, as well as by its experimental and often hallucinogenic sound. Psychedelic rock quickly became one of the most popular genres of music of its time, with legendary bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones dabbling in it.

However, by the early 1980s, psychedelic rock had all but faded from the mainstream. It continued to be popular among underground and independent musicians, but it was no longer the cultural force it once was.

In recent years, however, there has been a resurgence in interest in psychedelic rock. This is thanks in part to a new generation of musicians who are rediscovering and reinterpreting the genre for a 21st-century audience. If you’re a fan of psychedelic rock, or if you’re simply curious about this unique style of music, here are three bands from Richmond, VA that you should definitely check out.