This Old Dog: The Psychedelic Rock Revival
Contents
This Old Dog is a blog dedicated to the Psychedelic Rock Revival. We covers the latest news, reviews and interviews with the biggest names in the genre.
The Psychedelic Rock Revival
Psychedelic music (sometimes referred to as psych rock or 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 and sometimes incorporates elements of other genres, such as folk, electronica, or jazz.
The Return of Psychedelic Rock
In the past few years, there has been a resurgence in popularity of psychedelic rock, also known as “psych rock.” This genre of music was first popular in the 1960s and 1970s, and is characterized by its use of distorted guitars, trippy sound effects, and mind-altering song structures.
The psych rock revival has been led by a new generation of bands that are influenced by the likes of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and The Grateful Dead. These bands are bringing psychedelic rock back to the mainstream with their modern takes on the genre.
Some of the leading bands of the psych rock revival include Tame Impala, Pond, Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. These bands are helping to create a new era of psychedelic rock that is sure to take listeners on a wild ride.
The New Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock made a big comeback in the early 2000s with bands like The Strokes and The Vines. This new wave of psychedelic rock, often called “garage rock revival” or “nu-psychedelia,” was led by young bands who were inspired by the original psychedelic sound of the 1960s. These new bands brought back the heavy use of effects pedals, reverb, and distorted guitars that defined the psychedelic sound.
The Sound of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock is making a comeback. That much is clear. But what does it sound like? Psychedelic rock is hard to define, but you know it when you hear it. It’s the sound of the 60’s and 70’s, when bands were experimenting with new sounds and pushing the boundaries of what rock music could be.
The Psychedelic Sound
The Psychedelic Sound is a subgenre of rock that emerged in the late 1960s. The style is characterized by distorted guitars, psychedelic imagery, and trippy sound effects. The genre reached its peak in the 1967 Summer of Love, when bands like The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane championed the sound.
In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in psychedelic rock, with bands like Tame Impala and MGMT leading the charge. This new wave of artists has taken the sound in fresh directions, infusing it with elements of electronic music and R&B.
The New Psychedelic Sound
Psychedelic rock, sometimes called acid rock, is a style of rock music that was inspired by hallucinogenic drugs. The music is intended to replicate the experience of taking drugs like LSD and mushrooms. Psychedelic rock is often characterized by distorted guitars, sounds from electronic keyboards, andChanges in tempo and pitch. The song structures are often more experimental than other types of rock music, and the lyrics often deal with mind-altering experiences and drug use.
The psychedelic sound reached its height of popularity in the late 1960s, but it has undergone a revival in recent years. Psychedelic rock bands like Tame Impala, Psychic Ills, and Thee Oh Sees have been influenced by the sound of the late 1960s bands like Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, and Jimi Hendrix. These newer bands are often referred to as “psych” or “garage psych” bands.
The Psychedelic Lyrics
The lyrics to the song “This Old Dog” by the band The Psychedelic Furs are an ode to an old, loyal friend. The lyrics are written in a playful, yet heartfelt manner, and they celebrate the special bond between a person and their dog. The song is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever loved and been loved by a dog.
The Return of Psychedelic Lyrics
Psychedelic music’s return to the mainstream has been accompanied by a revival of psychedelic lyrics. Psychedelic lyrics are characterized by their usage of mind-altering substances, hallucinations, altered states of consciousness, and^{1} explorations of sexual identity. Themes often explored in psychedelic lyrics include drug use,^[2] love,^[3] and the meaning of life. Psychedelic lyrics often contain nonsensical or stream-of-consciousness phrases,^[4] which are sometimes interpreted as reflections of the mental state induced by psychedelic drugs. Psychedelic lyrics may also be used to convey political or social messages.
The New Psychedelic Lyrics
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a new form of rock music emerged that came to be known as psychedelic rock. This style of music was characterized by extended improvisation, innovative production techniques, and surrealist lyrics.
Psychedelic rock was heavily influenced by the earlier style of garage rock, as well as the emerging genre of acid rock. Garage rock bands such as The Seeds and The13th Floor Elevators were among the first to experiment with psychedelic sounds. These bands would often use feedback-laden electric guitars and distorted vocals to create a mind-altering sonic experience.
Acid rock bands such as The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd took the psychedelic sound in a more experimental direction, often incorporating elements of classical and Eastern music into their lengthy improvised jams. The lyrics of these bands tended to be more cryptic and psychological than those of their garage rock predecessors.
In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a revival of interest in psychedelic rock, led by bands such as Spacemen 3, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Mercury Rev. These groups updated the sound of psychedelic rock for a new generation, incorporating elements of shoegaze, dream pop, and noise rock.
The Psychedelic Visuals
The revival of psychedelic visuals in rock music has been met with mixed reactions. Some people love it and think it’s a cool, new way to experience music. Others find it overwhelming and prefer the traditional concert experience. Let’s take a closer look at the psychedelic visuals used in rock music today.
The Return of Psychedelic Visuals
The last several decades have seen a resurgence in the popularity of psychedelic visuals, with artists such as Expendable Head and All Seeing Eye regularly creating mind-bending artwork that recalls the glory days of trippy 60s and 70s concert posters. While some accuse these artists of simply riding on the coattails of a nostalgia wave, there is no denying the skill and imagination that goes into these complex pieces.
Psychedelic visuals often make use of bright colors, intricate patterns, and visual puns to create an effect that is both visually arresting and mentally stimulating. The best work in this genre manages to be both beautiful and disturbing, leaving viewers both impressed and disoriented.
If you’re looking for a trip down memory lane, or just want to see some truly wild artwork, be sure to check out the work of today’s leading psychedelic visual artists.
The New Psychedelic Visuals
In the past decade, a new generation of graphic designers has been finding inspiration in the free-flowing, mind-bending visuals of classic psychedelic rock posters.
The term “psychedelic” is often used to describe anything that is visually stimulating, trippy, or out there. But the origins of the word are more specific. Psychedelia is a subculture that began in the 1960s with the use of drugs like LSD and psilocybin mushrooms for spiritual and therapeutic purposes. The visual language of psychedelia was born out of this experimental spirit—it was about pushing boundaries and expanding consciousness.
Psychedelic visuals often feature bright colors, intricate patterns, and organic shapes. They are meant to be visually arresting and to evoke a sense of awe or transcendence.
Today, many young designers are using psychedelic visuals to create powerful graphics for political campaigns, album covers, and fashion brands. By reclaiming this visual language, they are giving it new life—and new meaning.
