5 Modern Psychedelic Rock Bands You Need to Know About
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Psychedelic rock is making a comeback, and there are some great new bands leading the charge. Here are 5 of the best psychedelic rock bands you need to know about.
The Black Angels
The Black Angels are an American psychedelic rock band from Austin, Texas. The band was formed in 2004 by Alex Maas, Christian Bland, and Jake Garcia. The Black Angels have released five studio albums, the most recent being Death Song (2017). The band is known for their dark and gloomy music, which often deals with themes of death and dying.
Origins
The Black Angels are an American psychedelic rock band from Austin, Texas. The group was formed in May 2004 by Alex Maas, Christian Bland, and Alex Turner. They have released five studio albums and one live album. Their name is derived from the Velvet Underground song “The Black Angel’s Death Song”.
The Black Angels have been described as one of the leading bands of the new psychedelic revival movement, alongside offences such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Warlocks, and Spindrift. The group has toured extensively throughout Europe and North America.
Sound
The Black Angels produce a modern take on psychedelic rock that has earned them both critical and commercial success in the indie music world. The band has been together since 2004 and released five studio albums, the most recent being 2015’s “Death Song.” characterized by its dark lyrics, heavy guitars, and driving rhythms. The band has been described as “the missing link between The Doors and Nirvana.”
The Black Angels are from Austin, Texas and are currently signed to Blue Horizon Ventures.
Notable Releases
In 2007, The Black Angels released their debut album Passover to critical acclaim. The record was produced by the legendary Robison, who also worked with the band on 2010’s Phosphene Dream and 2013’s Indigo Meadow. The Black Angels have toured extensively throughout the years, performing at festivals like Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and Bonnaroo. In 2016, they released their fifth studio album Death Song to much fanfare.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a San Francisco-based band led by Anton Newcombe. They are one of the most influential bands of the modern psychedelia movement. The band was originally formed in 1990 and has released fourteen studio albums.
Origins
The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a San Francisco-based band. The group was formed in 1990 by singer/guitarist Anton Newcombe and guitarist/keyboardist Matt Hollywood. They were later joined by bassist Jeffrey Davies, drummer Brian Glaze, and keyboardist/saxophonist Joel Gion. The band’s sound combines elements of 1960s psychedelic rock with garage rock, neo-psychedelia, folk rock, and shoegaze.
The band is named after the Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones and cult leader Jim Jones, who was responsible for the 1978 Jonestown mass murder-suicide. The “Massacre” part of the name is a reference to the 1974 Tate murders carried out by followers of Charles Manson.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre has been through a number of lineup changes over the years, with Newcombe being the only constant member. The current lineup includes Newcombe, Hollywood, Davies, Gion,Glaze, Will Carruthers (bass), RP Hale (drums), Dan Allair (keyboards), Ricky Maymi (guitar), Collin Hegna (keyboards), and Trent Abshier (percussion).
The band has released seventeen albums since their formation in 1990. Their ninth album, Who Killed Sgt. Pepper?, was released in 2006 to critical acclaim from publications such as Pitchfork Media and Rolling Stone.
Sound
While the Brian Jonestown Massacre’s sound has shifted and changed throughout the years, their music has always been marked by a distinctly psychedelic edge. Frontman Anton Newcombe is known for his utilization of vintage guitars and amps, which gives the band’s music a classic ’60s feel. The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s sound is also heavily influenced by krautrock, shoegaze, and garage rock.
Notable Releases
The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a San Francisco-based psychedelic rock band, led by Anton Newcombe. The band was formed in 1990 and has released fourteen albums, five compilation albums, five live albums, thirteen EPs, sixteen singles and two various-artist compilation albums to date. Their first album, Spacegirl and Other Favorites, was released in 1994 on Newcombe’s own record label Tangible Recordings. The group gained prominence after they were featured in the 1996 documentary Dig!, which documented their tumultuous relationship with fellow band The Dandy Warhols.
The band’s sound incorporates elements of 60s psych-rock, garage rock, shoegaze and folk music. Newcombe has been described as a “maestro of 60s revivalism” and a “psych-rock visionary”. He is also known for his use of vintage musical equipment and his eclectic songwriting style.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre has been praised by music critics for their innovative and experimental approach to psychedelia. AllMusic described the band as “one of the most prolific bands of the ’90s”, while Pitchfork called them “one of the most legendary bands of our generation”.
The Dandy Warhols
The Dandy Warhols are an American psychedelic rock band that was formed in 1994 in Portland, Oregon. The band’s sound is a blend of pop, garage rock, and neo-psychedelia. The band’s name is a play on the name of pop artist Andy Warhol. The Dandy Warhols have released nine studio albums, with their most recent being 2013’s This Machine.
Origins
The Dandy Warhols are an American rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1994 by … The band’s name is a play on the name of American pop artist Andy Warhol. … up to album 13 Tales from Urban Bohemia, before releasing a greatest hits album, The Capitol Years 1995–2007.
Sound
The Dandy Warhols sound like The Brian Jonestown Massacre if they were produced by George Martin. That is to say, there’s a similar 60’s/70’s psych rock influence, but The Dandy Warhols manage to sound a bit more polished and pop-oriented. The result is a unique and accessible take on psychedelia that has earned the band a devoted following.
Notable Releases
The Dandy Warhols are an American rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1994 by singer-guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holmstrom. The band’s name is a homage to pop artist Andy Warhol. The Dandy Warhols have released thirteen studio albums to date. The band’s releases have been on Capitol Records, Virgin Records and EMI—all except 13 Tales from Urban Bohemia, Welcome to the Monkey House, This Machine and Distortland which were released on independent record labels.
The Dandy Warhols’ debut album …The Dandy Warhols Come Down was released in 1997 to much critical acclaim including a 9.0 rating from Pitchfork and single “Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth” being nominated for Best Alternative Song at the 1998 Grammy Awards. Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia was released in 2000 as their most “experimental” album to date and received mixed reviews with some critics calling it their best album and others finding it indulgent.
The Dandy Warhols returned to a more pop sound with 2002’s Welcome to the Monkey House which was warmly received by music critics and remains the band’s best-selling album having been certified Gold in the UK and Platinum in Canada. Its singles “We Used to Be Friends” and “Boynton Beach Club” both charted in the UK. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named The Dandy Warhols as one of the top 100 bands of all time.
After taking a break following Welcome to the Monkey House, The Dandy Warhols returned with Odditorium or Warlords of Mars in 2005 which was another success both critically and commercially with lead single “Smoke It”. After its release, drummer Jerry Casale left the band as he wanted to focus on his other project Devo full-time leaving Taylor-Taylor as the only remaining original member of The Dandy Warhols. In 2006, keytar player Zia McCabe also left the band making keyboardist Angela Melkonian their only female member for a short period until she was replaced by Beck Hansen’s wife Marissa Ribisi later that year (Hansen himself would appear on two tracks from …Earth to the Dandys…).
Dead Meadow
Dead Meadow is an American psychedelic rock band from Washington, D.C. The band formed in 1998 and have released six studio albums. Dead Meadow’s music has been described as “stoner rock” and “psychedelic rock”.
Origins
Dead Meadow is an American rock band from Washington, D.C., currently consisting of vocalist and guitarist Jason Simon, bassist Steve Kille and drummer Mark Loughman. The band’s sound incorporates elements of psychedelic rock, stoner metal and classic hard rock. They have released seven studio albums, the most recent of which, Warble Womb, was released in May 2013 by Funeral Party Records in North America, and by Xemu Records internationally.
Sound
Psychedelic rock emerged in the mid-1960s as a subgenre of rock music that was inspired by the use of psychedelic drugs. The sound of psychedelic rock is characterized by distorted guitars, mind-bending sound effects, and trippy lyrics.
The following five bands are leading the charge in modern psychedelic rock:
1. Animal Collective
2. Tame Impala
3. The Flaming Lips
4. Of Montreal
5. Dead Meadow
Notable Releases
Dead Meadow is an American psychedelic rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in 1998. The band consists of Jason Simon (vocals, guitar), Steven Kille (bass) and Stephen McCarty (drums). Dead Meadow has released eight studio albums, the most recent being War on the Saints, which was released in 2016.
The band’s music has been described as “a mix of Black Sabbath’s riff-heavy metal, the Doors’ psychedelia, and Neil Young’s mellow country-rock”, with a “heavy yet melodic sound that recalls the peak years of metal while also remaining firmly grounded in classic rock and psychedelic traditions.”
The Growlers
The Growlers are a psychedelic rock band from Orange County, California. The band was formed in 2006 and they have released six studio albums. The Growlers have a unique sound that combines psychedelic rock with surf rock and garage rock.
Origins
Psychedelic rock, or psyrock for short, is a style of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The genre was pioneered by bands such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Grateful Dead, and it quickly found its way into the pop culture mainstream. Psyrock continued to be popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but it experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1990s and 2000s with bands such as the Flaming Lips, Beck, and Radiohead.
Psychedelic rock is characterized by its use of distorted guitars, extended improvisation, weird sound effects, and trippy lyrics. The genre is often associated with mind-altering drugs such as LSD and mushrooms. Psychedelic rock is also sometimes referred to as “acid rock” or “space rock.”
Sound
Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Rooted in British and American garage rock and beat music of the previous decade, psychedelic rockbands created distorted guitar sounds, sometimes enhanced with feedback, and produced lengthy improvisational jams.
The style is recognizable for its use of reverb and echo effects, sometimes achieved with tape machines, as well as its distinctive whammy bar-driven sound. Psychedelic music often utilizes flanging and phasing techniques. Bands such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Cream, Jimi HendrixExperience, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin are credited with helping to shape the sound and style of psychedelic rocks.
Notable Releases
Since their formation in 2009, The Growlers have released six studio albums, with Chinese Fountain being their most recent release in 2014. The album peaked at #24 on Billboard’s Alternative Albums chart and was praised by Pitchfork, who said it “showcases a band following its muse in whichever direction it pulls them.”
The Growlers’ sound has been described as a unique blend of Psychedelic Rock and Surf Rock, withleaning more towards the former. Frontman Brooks Nielsen has said that the band’s sound is “psychedelic beach goth.”Whatever you want to call it,The Growlers make music that is undeniably catchy and fun, while also being strangely dark and mysterious. If you’re a fan of bands like Tame Impala or The Brian Jonestown Massacre, you’ll definitely want to check out The Growlers.
