Psychedelic rock dominated 1960s culture to a bawdy extreme. To the point where most of today’s rock music arguably contains an element of psychedelia. Turn on an Indie Rock music station/playlist and you will no doubt hear fuzz, sitar, wah effects, complex time signatures, a strong keyboard presence, among other elements.
Oh yeah, and the drugs. That was pretty important.
Once the ’60s ended, most of these psychedelic bands developed new sounds, mainly pushing the boundaries of Heavy Metal and Progressive Rock.
In the 1980s, bands heavily influenced by psychedelic rock were considered neopsychedelic. This was due to the fact that they put their own spin on the medium, otherwise they would have been cover bands showing oldies but goodies.
Neopsychedelic music is basically any band after the 1960s/70s that produced a psychedelic sound. Due to modernization and a multitude of new styles, these bands never produced true psychedelia. They were Neo.
Here’s a list of my 10 favorite neo-psychedelic bands from the 1980s:
10. THE DUKES OF STRATOSPHEAR:
Most of the people know the members of this band under the name of XTC. XTC wanted to release a couple of records to pay homage to Psychedelia, but it didn’t fit with their electro disco beats. Cue The Dukes of Stratophear. They were a flash on the screen, releasing a mini-album (“25 O’Clock”) in 1985 and a full-length (“Psonic Psunspot”) in 1987. A cute little artifact: In the credits to XTC’s “Skylarking” album, the band thanked The Dukes for lending them their guitars.
***Suggested songs: “What’s in the world?”, “Your golden dress”
9. THE RAIN PARADE
A short-lived band, active from 1981-1988 (but also recently reformed in 2012), The Rain Parade emerged from the Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles. Jingling guitars dominate the spectrum, calling to mind early Pink Floyd, The Who, and the mid-career Beatles. A little more toned down, but with great uplifting music. Inspiration for what? You be the judge.
***Suggested songs: “I Look Around”, “Look Both Ways”
8. THE GLOVE
Mostly notable for the union of Robert Smith and Siouxsie from The Cure and Steven Severin from the Banshees, this is New Wave Psychedelia. Named after the flying glove in The Beatles’ movie “Yellow Submarine,” The Glove released just one album, “Blue Sunshine,” named after the horror movie of the same name in which people take a form of LSD called ” Blue Sunshine”. and go on a killing spree.
***Suggested songs: “Orgy”, “Punish Me With Kisses”
7. THE LEGENDARY PINK POINTS
One of the rarest of this group. LPD is an Anglo-Dutch band originally from London, who moved to Amsterdam. They’ve put out 40 albums, all of them pretty much outside the mainstream. However, they do have a following and tour regularly. Their ’80s output is mostly synthpop-based psychedelia. Perfect crossover from the 80s/60s.
***Suggested songs: “Sleezo”, “Wall Purges Night”
6. THE SYNDICATE OF DREAMS
Another band from the Paisley Underground and led by Steve Winn, The Syndicate was an ’80s version of The Velvet Underground. With strong, raw guitars plus smooth bass and reverberating drums, Steve Winn rocked out with the sock out of it, achieving instant success in Los Angeles. However, they apparently started having problems with commercial success very soon at the concert. They also opened for REM and U2. Unfortunately, the major label didn’t like a demo of theirs, “Slide Away”, and they dropped A&M Records. apt title
***Suggested songs: “Loving The Sinner Hating the Sin”, “Never Ending Rain”
5. SPACE 3
These English were a bit antagonistic, they chose to play “anti performances”. Peter Kember and Jason Pierce would play their guitars seated with their backs to the audience. They apparently “disenfranchised anyone who happened upon them.” They wanted it to be known that people were there because they understood the band and their music. His audience wanted to be there.
***Suggested songs: “2:35”, “Walkin’ With Jesus”
4. THE SOFT GUYS
Technically more like a ’70s band, but within our ’80s guidelines here since they came into the public eye in 1980 with their release of “Underwater Moonlight.” The psychedelia infused into post-punk was like a love child between The Clash and the late Beatles. One of the rawest on the list, it’s too bad these guys were just a blip on the scene.
***Suggested songs: “I Wanna Destroy You”, “I Got the Hots”
3. SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEE
Directed by Siouxsie Sioux out of London, The Lady and the Banshees were, as quoted by The Times, “one of the boldest and most uncompromising musical adventurers of the post-punk era.” Especially on their third album, “Kaleidoscope”, they explored the psychedelic new wave gothic, bringing synths and sitars together with drum machines to form a dark dissociated trip that, ironically, you want to repeat over and over again.
***Suggested songs: “Desert Kisses”, “Skin”
2. THE CHAIN OF JESUS AND MARY
Brothers Jim and William Reid started this guitar-based noise called Shoegaze in 1983. Take The Velvet Underground, add distorted guitars and drones to the wazoo and violent stage shows, and you’ve got TJAMC. Bands like The Brian Jonestown Massacre had nothing to do with these guys. These people had something to say, a pain amidst the frustrated noise, indistinguishable but operating in the back of the listeners’ minds, metastasizing into a pleasurable understanding.
***Suggested songs: “Just Like Honey”, “Gimme Hell”
1. MY VALENTINE WITH BLOOD
Here comes the noise, and the noise is the drug. Hailed as the Loudest Band on Earth, they actually hand out earplugs to audiences before a show. Their “magnum opus” “Loveless” was released in 1991, considered by many to be one of the best albums of the ’90s, but MBV released a series of records between 1985 and 1989, most notably “Isn’t Anything.” This is the dark side of psychedelia, a precursor to the impressive output of ’90s angst and rage in mainstream music. A dark journey, but one you won’t want to get off.
***Suggested songs: “Lose My Breath”, “Cupid Come”