3 Bands That Are Keeping Psychedelic Rock Alive in the 21st Century

In the mid and late 1960s, psychedelic rock was one of the most popular genres of music in the market. The genre still flourished in the 1970s, but by the time the 80s rolled around, the genre fell into obscurity. Since then, the genre has made a substantial comeback, particularly in the 21st century. That being said, here are three bands that are keeping the tradition of psychedelic rock alive in the 21st century.

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Tame Impala

In the studio, Tame Impala is a one-man band fronted by Kevin Parker. However, on the road, Parker is joined by his bandmates Jay Watson, Dominic Simper, Cam Avery, and Julien Barbagallo. Though we aren’t here to talk about that, we are here to talk about how Tame Impala has helped revitalize the psychedelic rock genre in the 21st century.

In this current day and age of rock music, there is truly no other band or musical project like Tame Impala. Founded in 2007, Parker, under the name Tame Impala, has recorded Billboard Hot 100 hits. Those include “Dracula”, “My Old Ways”, and “Loser”. Furthermore, the one-man show has had three top 10 albums on the Billboard 200.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

We’ve talked about these guys before, and we have no problem talking about them again. They are just that good, and they have an incredible recording catalog to prove it. Founded in 2010, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard stays true to the tradition of psychedelic rock. And they did it while opening their minds for reinvention.

Some of the band’s more notable tracks include “Robot Stop”, “Rattlesnake”, “The Dripping Tap”, “Rattlesnake”, and “The River”. If you’re looking for a band that is tangential to say a Pink Floyd or an Iron Butterfly, well, then, here you go.

Foxygen

Other than Tame Impala, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and Foxygen obtain more of a cult following than a mainstream one. However, the only thing that means is that you may have yet to discover them. Well, that will change after you finish this article. Founded in 2005, Foxygen is a musical duo consisting of members Sam France and Johnathan Rado that heavily leans into the new wave alternative psychedelic genre of the 21st century.

We will spare you our spiel on why these guys are great. Instead, we are just going to tell you to go listen to the following songs: “Shuggie”, “On Blue Mountain”, “The Thing Is”, and “Upon A Hill”. If you want to transport back to 1968 without leaving your couch or your car, then look up one of these songs and press play.

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