The Top 5 Mexican Psychedelic Rock Bands You Need to Know

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Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

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In this blog post, we’ll be taking a look at the top 5 Mexican psychedelic rock bands that you need to know. These bands are making some of the most innovative and exciting music out there, and they’re definitely worth checking out.

Mexican Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a type of rock music that is inspired by or attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. The music is intended to replicate and enhance the experience of taking psychedelic drugs. Mexican psychedelic rock bands are known for their heavy use of electric guitars, electronic effects, and flamboyant costumes.

History of Mexican Psychedelic Rock

Mexican psychedelic rock, also called Musica psicadelica mexicana, is a blend of Western pop and rock music with indigenous Mexican musical traditions, characterized by extended electric guitar solos and experiments with drug-based lyrical themes. The music emerged in the late 1960s amid the country’s youth counterculture movement known as the Mexican Hippie Revolution, which rejected the government’s system of strict cultural censorship.

Psychedelic rock bands such as Los Brahmanes, Three Souls in My Mind,and Covi Quintana Proyect drew inspiration from Anglo-American psychedelic groups such as the Beatles and Jefferson Airplane. By the early 1970s, Mexican psychedelic rock had begun to enter the international music scene, with artists such as Juan Gabriel and Javier Batiz scoring hits in Europe and Japan. The genre reached its commercial peak in the mid-1970s with a wave of internationally successful bands, including Santa Sabina, Soluna, Fobia, and La Revolución de Emiliano Zapata.

Mexican psychedelic rock declined in popularity following the rise of punk rock in the late 1970s. However, several bands continued to perform and release records into the 1980s and 1990s, including Caifanes, Maldita Vecindad, Jarocho Zoco Ussa,and Delirium Tremens. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in Mexican psychedelic rock among younger audiences.

The Sound of Mexican Psychedelic Rock

Mexican psychedelic rock, or “raga rock,” is a type of rock music that became popular in Mexico in the late 1960s. The sound is characterized by heavy use of electric guitars, bass, and drums, as well as sitar, tabla, and other Indian instruments. The lyrics are often in Spanish, and the music often draws from traditional Mexican folk music and the sounds of Indian ragas.

Some of the most popular Mexican psychedelic rock bands include:

1. Los Dug Dug’s: One of the first Mexican psychedelic rock bands, Los Dug Dug’s formed in 1964 and released their debut album in 1966. Their sound was heavily influenced by the British Invasion bands of the time, as well as Indian music. They’re best known for their song “La Ibanez,” which was used in the film The Big Lebowski.

2. Javier Batiz: Javier Batiz is a singer-songwriter who began his career in the late 1960s. His style blends traditional Mexican folk music with psychedelia, and he’s considered one of the pioneers of raga rock in Mexico. He’s best known for his 1975 album Psychedelicpegasus.

3. Fobia: Fobia is a Mexican rock band that formed in 1986. They’re best known for their hit single “Vivo,” which topped the charts in Mexico and Latin America. Their sound combines elements of punk rock, alternative rock, and Mexican folk music.

4. Niña Pastori: Niña Pastori is a Spanish singer-songwriter who has been active since 1996. She combines flamenco with pop, rock, and Latin styles to create her own unique sound. She’s best known for her albums Sentir (2001) and Casi Un Hechizo (2003).

5. Ely Guerra: Ely Guerra is a Mexican singer-songwriter who began her career in 1997 with the release of her debut album Hombre Invisible. She gained popularity with her second album Lotofire (2001), which won several awards including a Latin Grammy Award for Best Rock Solo Vocal Album.

The Top 5 Mexican Psychedelic Rock Bands

Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the 1960s. Mexican psychedelic rock bands were some of the first in the world to experiment with this new genre of music. These bands combined traditional Mexican music with Western rock and roll to create a unique sound. Here are the top 5 Mexican psychedelic rock bands you need to know.

bandaMS

BandaMS is a Mexican Psychedelic Rock band that has been making waves in the music industry since their formation in 2010. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist, Sergio Lizarraga, bassist Javier Delgado, drummer Oscar Lara, and keyboardist/vocalist Richie Alvarez.

BandaMS has released three studio albums, “En Vivo Desde Monterrey” (2011), “En Vivo Desde Guadalajara” (2013), and “La Nueva Leyenda” (2015), all of which have been met with critical acclaim. The band is known for their high-energy live performances and their ability to fuse traditional Mexican influences with contemporary Psychedelic Rock.

If you’re a fan of Mexican Psychedelic Rock, then you need to check out BandaMS.

La Santa Cecilia

La Santa Cecilia is a seven-piece band from Los Angeles, CA that draws from diverse musical influences including cumbia, rock, rumba flamenca, bolero, jazz and banda. The band’s sound has been described as “Nueva Trova meets Norteño” and “Son Jarocho Punk”. La Santa Cecilia was formed in 2007 by friends who loved music and wanted to share their passion with the world. The band has released three albums: “Treinta Días” (2012), “El Valle de León” (2014) and “Amar y Vivir” (2017). They have toured extensively throughout the United States, Mexico and Europe.

La Santa Cecilia was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2014 for Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album for their album “Treinta Días”. In 2017, the band won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album for “Amar y Vivir”.

Quetzal

Quetzal is a five-piece Mexican band that infuses traditional Mexican music with indie rock, pop, and jazz. They are from Mexico City and have been playing together since 2006. The band is named after the quetzal bird, which is native to Mexico and Central America and is known for its bright plumage. Quetzal’s music has been featured in films and television shows including The Bridge, Frida, and We Are Mari Pepa.

Natalia Lafourcade

With her blend of traditional Mexican ranchera music and modern pop, Natalia Lafourcade has become one of the most successful and acclaimed singer-songwriters in Mexico. She has won multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, and her 2016 album Hasta la Raíz was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album.

Lafourcade was born in Mexico City in 1984, and began her musical career as a member of the all-female band Twist. She released her first solo album, Casa, in 2003, followed by 2006’s Narciso Serratos. Her 2007 album Huésped del Orbe was a concept album based on the work of Mexican writer Amado Nervo, and won Mexico’s prestigious Premio de la Crítica.

Lafourcade rose to international fame with her 2010 album Huérfana de Ti, which won multiple awards and was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year. She followed this with the 2012 live album En Vivo desde el Lunario, which won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

Lafourcade’s 2014 album Mujer Divina – Homenaje a Agustín Lara was a tribute to Mexican composer Agustín Lara, and won three Latin Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. Her 2016 album Hasta la Raíz was another critical and commercial success, winning two Latin Grammy Awards and receiving a Grammy nomination.

Lafourcade is widely considered one of the leading lights of the new generation of Mexican musicians, and her unique blend of traditional Mexican music with modern pop has made her one of the most popular singers in Mexico.

Los Tigres del Norte

Originating from San Jose, California, but with roots in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, Los Tigres del Norte are considered giants of Norteno music. They’ve been playing together for over 40 years and have released over 40 albums, many of which have gone gold or platinum. In 2007, they were inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame. In addition to their success in the Latin world, they’ve also had crossover hits with their English-language songs like “La Banda del Carro Rojo” and “La Jaula de Oro.”

Los Tigres del Norte are known for their socially conscious lyrics that often deal with Mexican topical issues like immigration, drug trafficking, and life in the barrios. They sing about these topics in a way that is relatable and understandable to their working-class fanbase. This has helped them maintain a large and loyal following throughout the years.

If you’re a fan of Mexican music or just want to check out some great Psychedelic Rock from south of the border, then Los Tigres del Norte should definitely be on your radar!

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