Psychedelic Rock Makes a Comeback with an Errie Twist

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Psychedelic rock is making a comeback with a new twist. These errie new tracks are sure to send chills down your spine.

The 60’s and the Origins of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s. The term is often used interchangeably with “acid rock”. Psychedelic rock is inspired by psychedelic culture, and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. The music is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs, often achieved through the use of extended feedback, distorted guitars, and Electric Light Orchestra-style string arrangements.

The Beatles and the British Invasion

When the Beatles came to America in early 1964, they brought with them what would become known as the “British Invasion.” The Beatles and other British bands such as the Rolling Stones and the Animals introduced a new style of music that combined elements of rock, pop, and blues. This new sound quickly caught on with American audiences, and by the end of the decade, British bands were some of the most popular acts in the world.

The Beatles also played a significant role in the development of psychedelic rock. Psychedelic rock is a style of music that is characterized by its use of electronic instruments and effects, extended improvisation, and unusual or avant-garde sounds. The Beatles’ 1966 album Revolver is widely considered to be one of the first psychedelic rock albums, and their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is often cited as the genre’s defining work. Psychedelic rock would go on to have a significant impact on popular culture in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly in the United States.

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

In the mid-1960s, Ken Kesey, a writer associated with the Beat Generation, became interested in psychedelic drugs after hearing about the work of Harvard psychologist Timothy Leary. Kesey and his friends, who called themselves “The Merry Pranksters,” began to use LSD and other drugs as part of their own personal experiment. They also began to attend Leary’s drug-fueled parties at Millbrook, his estate in upstate New York.

In 1966, Kesey and the Pranksters traveled across the country in a school bus painted with psychedelic colors and patterns. They held “acid tests,” parties where attendees took LSD and experienced the drug’s effects in a communal setting. These parties were an important early step in the development of psychedelic rock music. The Pranksters’ bus became a symbol of the counterculture movement, and their use of LSD popularized the drug among young people.

The acid tests were also influential on the Grateful Dead, a band that was closely associated with the Pranksters. The Dead’s early music was strongly influenced by blues and folk, but as they began to attend the acid tests, they began to experiment with longer, more improvised jams. This new style of music would become an important part of their live performances and would eventually come to be known as “psychedelic rock.”

In 1967, the Grateful Dead released their eponymous debut album, which contained some of their earliest experimental jams. This album helped to popularize psychedelic rock and cemented the Dead’s reputation as one of its pioneers. Today, the Grateful Dead’s music continues to be an important influence on bands that are exploring new sounds and pushing musical boundaries.

The Comeback of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock made a comeback in 2016 with the release of the album “A Moon Shaped Pool” by the band Radiohead. The album was a critical and commercial success, and it signaled the return of psychedelic rock. This new wave of psychedelic rock is characterized by its eerie, dark, and atmospheric sound.

Tame Impala and the New Psychedelic Sound

Tame Impala is an Australian neo-psychedelic band founded in 2007 by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. The group began as a home recording project for Parker, who writes, records, performs, and produces the music. As of 2015, Tame Impala consists of Parker on lead vocals and guitar, Jay Watson on drums and backing vocals, Dominic Simper on synthesisers and backing vocals, and Cam Avery on bass guitar and backing vocals.

The band’s 2010 debut album, Innerspeaker, was certified gold in Australia and well received by critics. The 2012 follow-up Lonerism was also acclaimed; at the ARIA Music Awards of 2013, Tame Impala won Best Rock Album for Lonerism. Their third album Currents was released on 17 July 2015 and also received critical acclaim; it won Album of the Year and Best Pop Release at the ARIA Music Awards of 2015.

Since their formation while students at Perth’s Curtin University in 2007, Tame Impala have slowly become one of psychedelic rocks most heralded new acts. For a three piece band they make an incredible amount of noise; walls of densely layered sound that owes more to the late 60s/early 70s innovators than it does to any contemporary version of psych rock.

The Errie Twist

Psychedelic rock, long associated with mind-altering drugs and the hippie counterculture of the 1960s, made a comeback in the 1990s with a new generation of bands that blended the old style with more modern sounds. These “neo-psychedelic” artists retained the Acid Rock roots of their predecessors while adding elements of Shoegaze, Indie Rock, and Britpop. The result was a style of music that was both familiar and fresh, offering a new take on an old favorite.

One band that epitomized this new sound was The Flaming Lips, whose 1995 album Zaireeka was an experimental masterpiece that featured four CDs playing simultaneously. The Lips were not alone in their psychedelic revival;other notable bands included Tame Impala, Animal Collective, and MGMT.

The 1990s were a decade of change, and psychedelia was no exception. With the rise of neo-psychedelia, the old sound was given new life, and it continues to evolve to this day.

The Future of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic Rock made a huge comeback in 2019 with a new Errie twist. This sound is a mix of traditional Psychedelic rock with a modern touch. The new sound was made famous by the band, “The Erries” and has been taking the music scene by storm.

The New Psychedelic Movement

Though it’s impossible to predict the future, it seems likely that the new psychedelic movement will continue to grow and evolve. We may see more bands experiment with traditional folk instrumentation, or incorporating elements of electronic music. We might also see a return to the more overt social and political commentary of the early psychedelic era. Whatever happens, it’s sure to be an exciting time for fans of psychedelic rock.

The Return of the Psychedelic Sound

Psychedelic rock, often shortened to psyrock or psysynth, is a form of rock music that evolved out of the mid 1960s style of British and American garage rock, and is closely associated with the subculture that surrounded it. The genre is generally distinguished by its use of swirling colors, trippy lyrics, heavy distortion, and extended improvisation. Psychedelic rock reached its peak popularity in the late 1960s, but has since undergone a series of reincarnations, most notably in the form of neo-psychedelia in the 1970s and 1980s.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in psychedelic rock, with bands such as Tame Impala, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and The Black Angels leading the charge. This new wave of psychedelic rock is often characterized by a return to the classic sounds and styles of the genre’s heyday, but with a modern twist that incorporates elements of electronic music, shoegaze, and dream pop.

If you’re looking to explore the world of psychedelic rock, then check out our list of essential albums below. From classic releases to modern day masterpieces, these are the records that you need to hear.

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