Current Psychedelic Rock Bands You Need to Hear
Contents
If you’re a fan of psychedelic rock, then you need to check out these current bands that are carrying on the tradition. From classic sounds to new takes on the genre, there’s something for everyone. So sit back, turn on some tunes, and get ready to trip out!
The Black Angels
If you’re looking for a current psychedelic rock band that you need to hear, look no further than The Black Angels. This five-piece band from Austin, Texas has been making waves in the music scene since their inception in 2004. With their dark and ethereal sound, The Black Angels are sure to transport you to another world.
Band Members
The Black Angels are an American psychedelic rock band from Austin, Texas. The band consists of Alex Maas, Christian Bland, Nate Ryan, and Stephanie Lucas. The group has released five studio albums, two EPs, and one live album. They have toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
The Black Angels were formed in May 2004 by Alex Maas and Christian Bland while the two were attending the University of Texas at Austin. The band’s name is derived from the Velvet Underground song “The Black Angel’s Death Song”. The pair recruited Nate Ryan and Colin Hanks (no relation to actor Tom Hanks) to round out the band’s lineup. The Black Angels released their self-titled EP in 2005 on Light in the Attic Records.
In 2006, the band signed with Blue Horizon Ventures and released their debut album Passover. The album was well-received by critics and was included in several year-end best-of lists. The Black Angels followed up Passover with another EP, Directions to See a Ghost, in 2008. The EP featured the single “You on the Run”, which received considerable airplay on college radio stations.
In 2010, the band released their second album Phosphene Dream to critical acclaim. Phosphene Dream debuted at number 77 on the Billboard 200 chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package. The band toured extensively in support of Phosphene Dream, playing shows with such bands as Spoon, Arcade Fire, Queens of the Stone Age, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
The Black Angels’ fourth studio album Indigo Meadow was released in 2013 to positive reviews. The album debuted at number 39 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned several singles, including “Don’t Play with Guns” and “Evil Things”. Once again, the band toured extensively in support of Indigo Meadow, playing festivals such as Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo as well as headlining their own tours.
In 2016, the band released their fifth studio album Death Song to critical acclaim. Death Song debuted at number 27 on the Billboard 200 chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical). once again touring extensively throughout North America, Europe , Asia ,and Australia .
Music Style
The Black Angels are an American psychedelic rock band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 2004, the band is composed of singer Alex Maas, guitarist/keyboardist Kyle Hunt, bassist Nathan Ryan, and drummer Stephanie Bailey. They have released five studio albums, Passover (2006), Directions to See a Ghost (2008), Phosphene Dream (2010), Indigo Meadow (2013), and Death Song (2017). Their name comes from the Velvet Underground song “The Black Angel’s Death Song”.
The Black Angels’ music has been categorized as neo-psychedelia, garage rock, and krautrock. The band’s sound has been compared to The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, The Stooges, Spacemen 3, Roky Erickson and 13th Floor Elevators.
Notable Songs
“Psychic Wars”
“Black Grease”
“Evil Things”
“Doves”
“Yellow Elevator #2”
“Haunting at 1300 McKinley”
“The Sniper at the Gates of Heaven””Downtown””Bloodhounds on my Trail””Telephone””Poor Wayfaring Stranger””Twinkeyz 3″” Whip”””Theme for an Imaginary Western”””War Party”””Science Killer””Better Off Alone””The First Vietnamese War”””I Hear Voices”””Army Ants in my Pants”””ipper>”
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a psychedelic rock band that was founded in San Francisco in 1990. The band has been through many lineup changes, but the current lineup includes guitarist and singer Anton Newcombe, drummer Joel Gion, bassist Rob Campanella, and keyboardist and singer Ricky Maymi. The band is known for their experimental and eclectic style, and they have been influenced by a wide range of musical genres.
Band Members
The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American musical project and band led by Anton Newcombe. It was formed in San Francisco in 1990. The group was the subject of the 2004 documentary film Dig!, directed by Ondi Timoner, which chronicles their story between 1996 and 2002. The name Brian Jonestown Massacre is a portmanteau of The Rolling Stones’ founder and leader Brian Jones, who died under mysterious circumstances in 1969, and the Jonestown mass suicide of 1978.
[[File:Brian Jonestown Massacre 2016.jpg|thumb|The Brian Jonestown Massacre performing in 2016]]
Current members:
-Anton Newcombe – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion (1990–present)
-Joel Gion – tambourine, percussion (1990–present)
-Ryan Van Kriedt – drums (2012–present)
-Collin Hegna – keyboards (2016–present)
-Dan Allaire – drums (2016–present)
Former members:
-Matt Hollywood – vocals, guitar (1990–2003)
Music Style
The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American musical project and band led by Anton Newcombe. It was formed in San Francisco in 1990. The group was the subject of the 2004 documentary film Dig!, and have gained media notoriety for their tumultuous working relationships as well as the erratic behavior of Newcombe. The collective has released seventeen albums, five compilation albums, five live albums, thirteen EPs, sixteen singles as well as two various-artist compilation albums to date. The Brian Jonestown Massacre is influenced by 60s-era psychedelic music and garage rock.
Notable Songs
Noteworthy tracks from The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s discography include “Vacuum Boots” from the 1996 album Thank God for Mental Illness, the titular track “Straight Up and Down” from the 1998 album Strung Out in Heaven, and “Open Heart Surgery” from the 2000 album Bravery, Repetition and Noise.
Dead Meadow
Dead Meadow is an American psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band’s sound combines elements of psychedelic rock, heavy metal, and punk rock. They have been compared to Black Sabbath, early Pink Floyd, and the Stooges.
Band Members
Vocals, guitar – Jason Simon
Guitar – Josh Cadle
Bass – Steve Kille
Drums – Mark Laughlin
Dead Meadow is an American psychedelic rock band from Washington, D.C., currently consisting of Jason Simon (vocals, guitar), Josh Cadle (guitar), Steve Kille (bass) and Mark Laughlin (drums). The band has been on hiatus since 2014, but announced their return in 2019 with a European tour.
The group’s music incorporates elements of 1960s psychedelic and hard rock music, as well as 1970s metal. They have been compared to bands such as Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer and early-’70s era Led Zeppelin. The band’s sound has also been likened to that of contemporary heavy psych bands such as Sleep andElectric Wizard.
Music Style
Psychedelic rock, also sometimes called acid rock or garage rock, is a type of music that was popularized in the 1960s. It is characterized by its use of distorted guitars, mind-altering lyrics, and trippy sound effects. Psychedelic rock was often used as a tool for social commentary, and many of its songs critiqued the political and social turmoil of the time. Some of the most famous psychedelic rock bands include The Beatles, The Doors, Pink Floyd, and The Grateful Dead.
Notable Songs
Dead Meadow is an American psychedelic rock band from Washington, D.C., United States, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of Jason Simon (vocals, guitar), Steve Kille (bass) and Stephen McCarty (drums).
The band’s sound has been compared to that of the 60s and 70s psychedelic groups such as the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix Experience and early Pink Floyd. They have also been described as “stoner rock” or “psychedelic doom”.
Dead Meadow’s self-titled debut album was released in 2000 on Tolotta Records. The album was recorded live in the studio with no overdubs. It was well received by critics and is considered a classic of the stoner rock genre.
The band’s second album, Feathers, was released in 2002 on Matador Records. It was recorded in a more traditional studio setting with overdubs and featured a more polished sound. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.
The band’s third album, Old Growth, was released in 2005 on Xemu Records. It was recorded in a similar fashion to Feathers but with more emphasis on songwriting and melody. The album was well received by critics and is considered one of the best psychedelic rock albums of the 2000s.
The band’s fourth album, Three Kings, was released in 2008 on Sire Records. It marked a return to the band’s more experimental roots with extended jamming and improvisation. The album was well received by critics and is considered one of the best psychedelic rock albums of the 2000s.
The band’s fifth album, Warble Womb,was released in 2011 on Xemu Records. It continued in the vein of Three Kings with extended jams and improvisation but also featured more concise songwriting and tighter arrangements. The album received positive reviews from critics and is considered one of the best psychedelic rock albums of the 2010s.
The Dandy Warhols
One of the most iconic current psychedelic rock bands, The Dandy Warhols formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994. They began as a garage band with a lo-fi sound, but their sound has evolved over the years into a more polished, pop-influenced psychedelic sound. They’ve released a total of 13 albums, with their most recent, Why You So Crazy, coming out in 2019.
Band Members
The Dandy Warhols is an alternative rock band that formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1994. The band consists of lead singer and guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor, drummer Brent DeBoer, keyboardist and guitarist Zia McCabe, and bassist Pete Holmstrom.
The Dandy Warhols rose to prominence in the early 2000s with their album Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia, which was a critical and commercial success. The band has released a total of nine studio albums, and they continue to be a popular live act.
If you’re a fan of psychedelic rock, then you need to check out The Dandy Warhols. They’re a great band with a long history of making great music.
Music Style
The Dandy Warhols are an American rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1994 by frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holstrom. The band’s name is a play on the name of pop artist Andy Warhol. Wikipedia
The Dandy Warhols’ music has been described as a mix of David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, and Blondie that “conjures up the big budget sound of early-’80s pop radio.” With The Dandy Warhols Come Down in 1997, the group began receiving more attention from the mainstream media and from alternative rock radio stations.
Notable Songs
-“Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth”
The Dandy Warhols are an American alternative rock band, formed in 1994 in Portland, Oregon. The band’s name is a play on the name of American pop artist Andy Warhol.
-“We Used to Be Friends”
The song is from the album Welcome to the Monkey House and was used as the theme song for the television show Veronica Mars.
-“Bohemian Like You”
The song is from the album 13 Tales from Urban Bohemia and was featured in a Vodafone advertisement in 2000.
The Raveonettes
Though they’ve been around since 2001, the Raveonettes continue to produce some of the best psychedelic rock out there. Hailing from Denmark, the Raveonettes are composed of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo. If you’re looking for a current psychedelic rock band to fill that void in your life, look no further than the Raveonettes.
Band Members
The Raveonettes are an Danish-American rock duo, consisting of Sune Rose Wagner on guitar, bass and vocals, and Sharin Foo on vocals and bass. The pair are credited with “creating the crisp sound of ’60s garage with the dreariness of shoegaze.” They met while attending Washington High School in Greenville, South Carolina in the early 2000s.
Both began their musical careers in Los Angeles bands: Wagner in LA Guns and Foo in Little Esther. The Raveonettes were formed after both left their respective bands to pursue a more “straightforward rock sound.” In an interview with Drowned in Sound, Wagner said:
“I think we got really tired of all the bullshit that came along with being in those L.A. bands. We were just kind of over it all and wanted to get back to basics which for us meant two guitars, two people… kind of like no frills rock’n’roll.”
The Raveonettes released their debut album, Whip It On, in 2002. The album was well-received by critics and was followed by 2004’s Chain Gang of Love, which helped the band gain international attention. Since then, they have released six more studio albums: Pretty in Black (2005), Lust Lust Lust (2007), In and Out of Control (2009), Raven in the Grave (2011), Observator (2012), and Pe’ahi (2014).
Music Style
The Raveonettes are a Danish rock duo, consisting of Sune Rose Wagner on guitar, instruments and vocals, and Sharin Foo on bass, guitar and vocals. Their music is characterized by close two-part vocal harmonies inspired by The Everly Brothers coupled with hard-edged electric guitar overlaid with liberal doses of noise.
Notable Songs
The Raveonettes are a Danish noise pop duo, consisting of Sune Rose Wagner on lead guitar, songwriting and vocals, and Sharin Foo on bass and vocals. often cited as one of the earliest examples of the shoegazing genre.
Membership in the Raveonettes has been fluid over the years, with Foo and Wagner being the only constant members. The duo have released eight studio albums since their 2002 debut LP Whip It On.
The Raveonettes’ sound is heavily influenced by 1950s and 1960s American rock and roll and contain strong elements of shoegaze, surf rock, punk rock, noise pop, dark wave and gothic rock. Although often lumped into the “garage rock revival” movement of early 2000s indie music (along with contemporaries such as The White Stripes), The Raveonettes themselves cite their influences as more far-reaching than just garage rock.
The Raveonettes were able to break through to a wider audience with their 2003 single “Attack of the Ghost Riders”, which was used in a commercial for Volkswagen’s Golf GTi. In 2005, they signed with Columbia Records for international distribution of their albums…
