The New Wave Psychedelia Is a Trip: The 60s Reincarnated

Time Machine: How Psychedelia is Being Reincarnated into Modern Music

The groovy sounds of the 60s made it back into our speakers and ears. Hazy synthesizers, echoing voices, kaleidoscope backdrops, peace and love make up the new psychedelic rock wave that has taken the past decade by storm.

We found the top 4 bands living in the new psychedelia, and are bringing them to you. Mainstream and underground, this movement is all around. Check out these far-out artists:

The influences: psychedelic rock bands of the 60s and 70s

Temples

This four-piece group emerged from a small English town called Kettering, and sold out venues before they even first performed together. They may be brand new, but this band attract an audience that spans the generations: youngsters experiencing psychedelia for the first time and older heads taking a trip back 20 years.

Masters of 60s vintage pop... Temples

They capture the essence of the 60s down to the details. On the records, Temples have an almost airy and dreamy quality, but live they venture into borderline heavy acid-punk territory. Their image is iconic. They emulate the sounds of the 60s. They have the talent, and what more can you want?

Reminiscent of LSD much?

Temples truly brings back the 60s psychedelia with their image. Just looking at a picture, nobody could tell whether they were going to the club or the disco. You can't deny the evidence. Singer James Bagshaw is a straight reincarnation of T. Rex's Marc Bolan:

Listen to Temples' new single "Certainty" here, which is currently out now on iTunes and Spotify.

Tame Impala

Tame Impala is the psychedelic gem of Australia, and continues to win awards and nominatios for their psychedelic inspired records. Like many others, Tame Impala's sound channels the early Beatles, and it's no surprise that "Strawberry Fields" could fit nicely into their album Lonerism. 

Bringing psych-rock mainstream

Their own website describes them as “the movement in Orion's nebula and the slime from a snail journeying across a footpath,” belonging to the genre of “psychedelic hypno-groove melodic rock.” Their words, not mine.

Check out Tame Impala's song Elephant here:

Foxygen

These California sweethearts could have been the original flower children and nobody would have known a difference. They embody the entire hippy movement in one duo, flower crowns and all. Foxygen is highly influenced by avant-garde and psychedelic music, and shows it in their highly experimental music style. 

The band has gained a reputation for its unhinged live shows and maniacal behavior of lead singer France. They expanded in 2014 for their recent album's tour to a 9-piece band complete with back up dancers and additional singers.

We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic

Listen to their dreamy sound here with "San Francisco," but be sure to check out other icons like "Cosmic Vibrations" and "Shuggie": 

MGMT

MGMT has already broken through into the mainstream with hits like "Electric Feel" and "Kids," but not everyone is familiar with their more experimental material. MGMT have been called "theatrical glam rockers", "space rock nutters" and even - by NME - "makers of alien music". They describe themselves as making "future 70s music," which is not far from the others. 

Hello you young psychedelic souls... MGMT

Brooklyn band MGMT takes on the classic role of drug-fueled deviants, even if they may not be as hard as they seem. Van Wyngarden thinks people accuse them of being "wild druggies" just because their 30-second iTunes preview for the hit song "Kids" includes references to heroin, cocaine, and profanities. However, the band still talks frequently about use of LSD and magic mushrooms during their musical studies at Wesleyan University.

Raise your hands if you are on drugs

For their 60s psychedelic reincarnation, just listen to "Siberian Breaks," which sounds like it was taken straight out of a Jefferson Airplane album:

Do the harmonies sound familiar?

Of course it sounds familiar, because it's already been done, but aren't mad. Imitation is a form of flattery, and we are overjoyed that the psych sound is making its return to the music scene. 

Looking for even more of a new music fix? Check out Rough Trade Records' website https://www.roughtrade.com/ for more info

The Artist You Didn't Know You Needed: Tom Rosenthal

5 Songs You Need to Hear from Tom Rosenthal

by Phoebe North

Have you ever felt a bit empty inside? Like you're missing something? Something that would complete you?

Looks like today's your lucky day, because we found it for you.

And you can thank this man

Tom Rosenthal is an English singer-songwriter from London who delivers "short, expertly crafted pop songs" and we love it. Since the beginning of his career in 2011, Rosenthal released three albums as well as a few EPs. Don't mix him up with the English comedian Tom Rosenthal, especially because he's been known to feature in a couple of the music videos. 

Here are our top 5 songs from Tom Rosenthal:

1. Watermelons

We can start off with this song about ~watermelons.~ The video features a man cavorting around the British countryside in a watermelon costume, and you will laugh the entire time. The music video shows off England's beauty in all of its cloudy glory.

If you watch closely you can tell the video was inspired by the lyrics: “It’s watermelon time, I said boom boom boom boom boom boom boom. It’s watermelon time, I said boom boom boom boom boom boom boom. It’s watermelon time, I said boom boom boom boom boom boom boom. It’s watermelon time, I said boom boom boom boom boom boom boom. It’s a fruit based love.”

Simplicity at its finest

2. Hey Luis Don't Bite Me

Think back to the World Cup. Does Luis Suarez ring a bell? How about biting? Check this article if you need your memory refreshed. Rosenthal tries to get inside Suarez's twisted head, and gets some interesting insight.

"A psychoanalyst's dream-You gotta lie down-Tell them what it means-Maybe they can work it out-Maybe no one can work you out." Tom please tell me what this means.

3. Big Little Mistakes

This tune is amazing for several reasons: for one, the melody is actually brilliant. If you swapped out the lyrics for something a bit more typical, it could easily be a radio hit. I wouldn't discount this song as mockery, though. The lyrics really make you think, man.

"Your parents had sex-Maybe you were planned-Maybe you were told that you were planned-But the world can now confirm-That you were the quickest sperm." Great insight, Tom.

4. Oh Kim (Jong Un)

Rosenthal gets political in the best way possible. It is less a mockery of Kim's reputation, and more of a serenade. Check out his similar work, "Karl Marx in the Bath." It's a beautiful ballad, really.

"It's time to take a break mate-It's never to late mate to say you've made a mistake... I know you wanna play with the big boys-but please don't throw your big toys out of the pram oh Kim." 

5. Don't You Know How Busy and Important I Am?

Whenever your boss or demanding friend wants you to do something for them and you aren'y in the mood, just show them this video. Or you can always use this music video for inspiration, because I'm sure you are very busy and important too.

"Oh I'm too busy to finish thing song-I'm too busy to dance-Too busy to cry-Too busy to die-Too busy to see the chance." Once again beautiful lyrics craftily fit into an eccentric pop song, good work Tom.

Find more from Tom Rosenthal on his Youtube Channel, Spotify, or Apple Music