GRAPHICS BY SARAH HEINEMANN
Festival season is upon us, and it’s time for my favorite one of them all, Austin Psych Fest. It’s still a relative baby, only in it’s sixth year, but boasts a line-up that proves it’s here to stay. For the first time, the event is moving out of a traditional venue and into the great outdoors — Carson Creek Ranch to be exact. They now offer weekend-long camping, the perfect way to really soak up those psychedelic reverberations. Bands don’t start until the afternoon, giving you time to recover each morning before diving back into the fest. Also, if you can get down to Austin on Thursday, be sure to go to Red 7 or The Mohawk for the pre-parties and catch what are sure to be mind-blowing performances by Metz, UFO Club, Allah-Las and Cosmonauts.
“Psychedelic music” is a fluid and wide ranging genre, but this years lineup manages to cast a wide net while still staying true to the psychedelic ethos. This is one of the worldliest festival lineups this year with Sweden’s mysterious Goat, The Holydrug Couple from Chile, Brazil’s legendary Os Mutantes, Japanese experimental heavyweights, Boris, and, bringing it all back to Texas, Billy Gibbons’ first band, Moving Sidewalks.
There are still tickets available, so get yours now and meet me down in Austin for sunshine, all the Lonestar you can drink, babes in crochet and tons of amazing bands.
A- // They’ve put together such an interesting and innovative line up with artists ranging from the 1960′s to 2013. The fest does miss out on some notable new bands such as Tame Impala, Jacco Gardner and Ty Segall. A girl can still dream of My Bloody Valentine headlining!
Deerhunter
Saturday, 11:30pm @ Reverberation Stage
Deerhunter is one of the best bands making music right now. Lead singer Bradford Cox puts on a titillating live show, and it’s your first chance to hear some songs off their new album, Monomania. Watch Cox dressed up as “Connie Lungpin” performing “Monomania” on Fallon earlier this month.
The Black Angels
Sunday, 9:00pm @ Reverberation Stage
Half of The Black Angels are the fathers of Psych Fest and were the catalyst that brought all these great bands back to Austin this April. The’ve mined the back catalogues of countless psych bands from the ’60s and ’70s to create their masterful tunes, and their live shows and visuals are an experience not to be missed.
The Growlers
Sunday, 10:30pm @ Levitation Stage
This is the perfect opportunity to lose your inhibitions with the West Coast kings of surf rock. The Growlers manage to have more fun than just about any band out there and make some of the catchiest tunes around. I’ve seen them play a couple of times in New York and Austin, but seeing them in a festival atmosphere is a million times better than a dark venue. There’s no way you’ll walk away from their show without a goofy grin on your face.
Moving Sidewalks
Sunday, 11:00pm @ Reverberation Stage
Billy Fucking Gibbons.
Night Beats
Saturday, 5:45pm @ Reverberation Stage
Burger Records put out a couple of Night Beats’ tapes, and they opened for The Zombies at SXSW — any band who can hold their own against these legends must be doing something right. They’re coming down from Seattle and are guaranteed to provide the perfect sonic landscape for the setting Texas sun.
White Fence
Sunday, 5:00pm @ Reverberation Stage
White Fence is earning his stripes alongside profilic gararge rock stalwarts, The Oh Sees and Ty Segall. His newest album, Cyclops Reap, is out now on Castle Face Records (John Dwyer of the The Oh Sees label), and last year he released Hair, one my favorite albums of 2012 and an incredible collaboration between Ty Segall and Tim Presley. I have yet to see White Fence live, so this is one show I’ll be in the front row for.
Goat
Sunday, 10:00pm @ Elevation Pavilion
Goat are one of the few bands around who have managed to create a legitimate sense of mystery. Their debut release, World Music, came out last summer and has steadily grown into one of my most loved albums. The music definitely needs to grow on you — on first, second and even third listen, you’re not sure what to make of it. Once you dive into Goat’s world, though, you won’t ever want to leave. I can’t wait to see how they translate their recorded album into a live setting.
Black Bananas
Saturday, 7:30pm @ Levitation Stage
Black Bananas have just released a split 7″ with Black Moth Super Rainbow that I can’t wait to see performed live. Jennifer Herrema is also one of the baddest rockstars out there — she’s collaborated with indie music royalty (David Berman and The Avalanche’s) and was a founding member of Royal Trux. If the Black Bananas music video for “My House” doesn’t get you in the mood for Psych Fest, then I don’t know what will!
Quintron and Miss Pussycat
Saturday, 8:30pm @ Levitation Tent
Amidst so many zoned out, droney shows on the lineup, Quintron and Miss Pussycat are sure to put on one of the most chaotic, sweatiest, insane shows. These two crazy lovers from New Orleans will make you go bananas.
Os Mutantes
Saturday, 11:00pm @ Reverberation Stage
Os Mutantes have been making influential rock ‘n’ roll in Brazil since the 1960′s — many people claim that they inspired Kurt Cobain, David Byrne and Beck Henson. Their masterful mash up of psychedelic rock with Brazil’s tropicalia will make for an unbelievable live show. 40 years later, and they are still one of most innovative bands today.
