"When I talk about psychedelic rock, I don't mean hippie music (like Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, etc.) at all, I mean the all-too-few records produced by teenage bands in the short time between their discovery of hallucinogenic drugs and the end of their particular line of rock evolution. -- Julian Cope, The Teardrop Explodes
Right again.
Psychedelic rock music has taken on a (some would say aptly) nebulous identity since those halcyon days of the Summer of Love, where love was free and LSD was legal. Of course everyone knows what psych IS; every single pop artist of the Sixties took a detour into its murky yet somehow alluring depths during the genre's 1966-1968 heyday, even if most of these acts only stuck around at the party for the space of an album or so.
Still, when psych fiends sit around and talk about the music, it's not the Beatles or even Pink Floyd that get discussed so much. No, our definition of psychdelia, like Julian's, hinges on teenagers banging out aggressive, worldly-yet-innocent freakouts that utilized what some saw as the mind-expanding qualities of certain illegal drugs and the DIY proto-punk aesthetic of the garage. Like rockabilly before it and punk after it, most of these groups went nearly unnoticed in their time, scoring maybe one minor hit if lucky and then fading out after another handful of 45s. But rock and roll, lest we forget, thrives on just such a pioneer spirit. And that never changes, even if the psychedelic movement may have made America look less like itself than ever before.
Wikipedia A solid list of the genre's most important musicians and their best-known songs. A great place to start for the uninitiated.
PsYcHeDeLiC MuSiC A wonderful one-stop site that explores all the psychedelic "scenes" of the Sixties. Good for beginners AND experts.
Calyx The best of the sites which outline the history of the British psychedelic movement, or "Canterbury Scene."
Marmalade Skies An extensive site that deals with all aspects of British psych, including well-known groups who merely dabbled in it.
I Like The Way You Freak Out Knowledgeable reviews of classic garage-type psych.
Psychedelic Albums This site says it best: "Reviews, ratings and reader polls of Psychedelic, Garage, Folk and Krautrock albums past and present."
Psychedelic Records from Bomp! Reviews of rarities that you can buy right from this legendary music mag's site. Check out the Bomp! Bookshelf while you're there for the best psychedelic music books.
Psychedelic-Music.com VERY obscure CD reissues and new sounds from the world of psych.
Psychlists Use the menu on the left side of this site and browse through a comprehensive list of classic 45s from countries around the world!
Searchin' For Shakes Looking for a certain psychedelic or garage song? This updatable database allows you to search by song, band name, album name, label, and city!
Beyond The Beat Generation A radio station which broadcasts only the classic Sixties rarities in streaming audio over the internet.
Technicolor Web of Sound Golden-era psych on internet radio twice a week -- and you can browse their massive playlist!
