April 21, 2014
Austin, Texas, the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’, has numerous thriving music scenes, but one of the biggest & best is the psychedelic rock that has called the city home since psych-rock’s first heyday in the sixties & seventies. In 2008 The Black Angels (QRO spotlight on) celebrated this with the first Austin Psych Fest, which has become an annual tradition. In 2014, its second year outdoors at Carson Creek Ranch, the festival reaches wide geographically, sonically, temporally, and more, Friday-to-Sunday, May 2nd to 4th:
FRIDAY, MAY 2nd
Reverberation Stage The Black Angels, 12:15 AM – 1:30 AM Austin’s great music scene has many dimensions, but the band that opened up the psychedelic side of the Live Music Capitol of the World is The Black Angels (QRO spotlight on) – oh, and they founded Austin Psych Fest! The group (QRO photos), fronted by Alex Maas (QRO interview), bring the psych-rock of last year’s Indigo Meadow (QRO review) and 2010’s Phosphene Dream (QRO review) to their festival (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), after playing America (QRO live review) & Europe (QRO photos at a European festival). |
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The Dandy Warhols, 10:45 PM – 11:45 PM The Dandy Warhols (QRO photos in Austin) broke out in 1997 behind major label debut …The Dandy Warhols Come Down and hit single “Bohemian Like You”. However, like much of nineties alternative music scene, things declined after that, with post-major records like …Earth to the Dandy Warhols (QRO review) and 2012’s This Machine (QRO review) being a little… passé. Oh, and they play Austin Psych Fest with their co-stars/rivals from the celebrated music documentary, Dig!, Brian Jonestown Massacre (see below)! |
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The Zombies, 9:30 PM – 10:15 PM The iconic Zombies (QRO photos at a festival) pre-date even George Romero’s original Night of the Living Dead. The British pop group (QRO photos outdoors) have been a band for more than fifty years (and do look it – QRO photos), for whom it is always the “Time of the Season”. |
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Black Lips, 8:15 PM – 9:00 PM A band better known for their live show than their records, that’s not just because of the relatively unimpressive recorded material like 2010’s 200 Million Thousand (QRO review) or 2011’s Arabia Mountain (QRO review), but also due to their crazy mishmash of genres and styles on stage (QRO live review). Atlanta’s The Black Lips’ wild live show includes everything from nudity to fireworks – and live animals (QRO photos at a festival). Austin should hopefully let the boys let ‘er rip (QRO photos outdoors), but be rest assured their rabidly loyal fan base will still be crying out for more (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), as they come to APF (QRO photos at an Austin festival) behind their new (and better) Underneath the Rainbow (QRO review). |
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Graveyard, 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM The hard & heavy music in Sweden tends towards the death metal (“We love it because it reminds us of death!” the Swedish consul to Springfield exclaimed, erroneously calling Judas Priest death metal…), Graveyard doesn’t go overboard, but rather stays in the heavy arena (despite their name). |
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Also: Shannon & The Clams, 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM Bone Fur & Feathers, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM |
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Elevation Amphitheatre Woods, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM Like their name implies, Brooklyn’s Woods traffic in outdoor, ‘woods-y’ sounds, but add some freak to that folk with electronica (QRO photos at a festival), most recently with With Light and With Love. They come to Austin Psych Fest for a second time. |
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Peaking Lights, 8:45 PM – 9:30 PM Husband & wife Aaron Coynes & Indra Dunis form the psychedelic pop duo Peaking Lights. They come to Austin Psych Fest for a second time. |
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The Fresh & Onlys, 7:30 PM – 8:15 PM The garage-pop of San Francisco’s The Fresh & Onlys (QRO photos at a festival) has joined the rising garage wave, whether you like it or not. They come to Austin Psych Fest for a second time. |
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Also: Quilt, 6:15 PM – 7:00 PM Gap Dream, 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM Chris Catalena & The Native Americans, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM Hollis Brown, 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM – QRO photos at a festival |
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Levitation Tent Liars, 12:45 AM – 1:45 AM Though 2001’s They Threw Us All In a Trench and Stuck a Monument On Top got Liars (QRO photos outdoors) labeled ‘dance-punk’, they’ve since shifted radically, losing old fans, but gaining new ones (QRO photos at a festival), especially with 2010’s Sisterworld (QRO review) & 2012’s WIXIW (QRO review), including live (QRO photos) and at festivals (QRO photos at a festival). They come to Austin Psych Fest behind March’s Mess (QRO review). |
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Oneohtrix Point Never, 11:30 PM – 12:15 AM Another experimental musician from a city that has tons of them, New York, Daniel Lopatin is the electronic Oneohtrix Point Never (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Also: La Femme, 10:15 PM – 11:00 PM Kadavar, 9:00 PM – 9:45 PM White Hills, 7:45 PM – 8:30 PM Aqua Nebula Oscillator, 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM Roger Sellers, 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM Eagle’s Gift, 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM |
SATURDAY, MAY 3rd
Reverberation Stage The Brian Jonestown Massacre, 12:15 AM – 1:30 AM One of the best psychedelic bands of the last thirty years, The Brian Jonestown Massacre (QRO photos) emerged out of San Francisco (where else?) have endured a tumultuous history for a prolific and consistent output. Oh, and they play Austin Psych Fest with their co-stars/rivals from the celebrated music documentary, Dig!, The Dandy Warhols (see above)! |
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The Horrors, 10:45 PM – 11:45 PM Southend’s The Horrors followed up 2007 debut Strange House with 2009’s Primary Colours (QRO review) and 2011’s Skying (QRO review), as their once-called ‘zombie death punk’ brings new power live (QRO live review). They come to Austin Psych Fest behind Luminous, out the Tuesday after the festival. |
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Unknown Mortal Orchestra, 9:30 PM – 10:15 PM From Portland (QRO photos in Portland), but also New Zealand, Unknown Mortal Orchestra (QRO live review) impressed a lot of ears with their self-titled debut (QRO review), which managed to be avant while also still rockin’ (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Temples, 8:15 PM – 9:00 PM Despite only starting two years ago, Temples (QRO live review) have received press attention in their native England after being called the best new band in Britain (QRO photos at a U.K. festival) by the likes of Noel Gallagher (QRO live review) and Johnny Marr (QRO live review). They come to Austin Psych Fest (QRO photos at an Austin festival) hot on the heels of that heat and February’s debut full-length, Sun Structures (QRO review). |
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Bombino, 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM From the vast Sahara comes guitarist Bombino (QRO mp3 review), who had to flee his native Niger more than once following rebellions by his Tuareg compatriots. At one point, the government banned guitars among the Tuareg, as it was a symbol or rebellion. But peace has more recently come to Niger, which included a massive concert by Bombino, who comes to Austin Psych Fest for a second time. |
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Also: Morgan Delt, 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM Pure X, 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM Steve Gunn, 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM Residuels, 2:15 PM – 2:45 PM Mirror Travel, 1:15 PM – 1:45 PM |
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Elevation Amphitheatre Acid Mothers Temple, 10:15 PM – 11:15 PM Austin Psych Fest brings psychedelic rock from around the world, like Japanese collective Acid Mothers Temple, who come to APF for the second year in a row. |
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Dead Meadow, 9:00 PM – 9:45 PM Originally from Washington, D.C. (though singer/guitarist Jason Simon’s uncle is David Simon, creator of The Wire/famed Baltimore native), Dead Meadow have since moved to Los Angeles, but kept up their eldritch-inspired stoner rock, most recently with last year’s Warble Womb. They play Austin Psych Fest for a third time. |
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The Golden Dawn, 8:00 PM – 8:30 PM Austin’s The Golden Dawn are a would-have-been, should-have-been sixties psychedelic greats, before being scooped by their label and 13th Floor Elevators. Being called derivative of their contemporary drove the group to break up, but their one album, Power Plant, has become such a cult classic that frontman Greg Kinney reformed the band in this century/millennium – and they’re a perfect fit for Austin Psych Fest, which they last played in 2009. |
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Bardo Pond, 6:45 PM – 7:30 PM Philadelphia’s Bardo Pond take psychedelia to the expanses of space-rock and the intimacy of shoegaze. |
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Jacco Gardner, 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM From the Netherlands comes neo-psych keyboardist Jacco Gardner, whose debut single “Where You Will Go” was released in garage label Trouble in Mind Records, the same as Ty Segall (QRO album review). |
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Also: Boogarins, 4:15 PM – 5:00 PM Barn Owl, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM Mark McGuire, 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM Circuit Des Yeux, 12:45 PM – 1:15 PM |
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Levitation Tent of Montreal, 12:45 AM – 1:45 AM There are few acts that do a live show like of Montreal (QRO live review). Kevin Barnes’ epic orchestra (QRO photos at a festival) literally fills the stage (QRO photos at a festival) with a performance more akin to (the actually French Canadian) Cirque du Soleil than indie-rock (QRO live review). The band (QRO photos) emerged out of the Elephant Six Collective to reach serious heights, with 2010’s False Priest (QRO review), 2012′s Paralytic Stalks (QRO review), extras Daughter of the Cloud (QRO review), and last year’s Lousy with Sylvianbriar (QRO review), but they have to be seen live (QRO live review) to be truly believed (QRO photos at a festival) – and are welcome in Middle America (QRO photos at a festival in Middle America). |
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Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks, 11:30 PM – 12:15 PM One of the members of acclaimed experimental act Animal Collective (QRO live review), Avey Tare goes even more experimental when outside the Collective. There was his 2007 album with then-wife Kria Brekkan, Pullhair Rubeye (QRO review), which was released with the songs played backward, and now the hippie/rural/cannibal mix, Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks. |
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Medicine, 10:15 PM – 11:00 PM Medicine came out of the early nineties alternative rock scene in Los Angeles, so of course they appeared in a movie, in their case The Crow, though broke up soon after. There was a brief reunion in 2003 with just frontman Brad Laner and Shannon Lee (daughter of Bruce Lee & brother of late Crow star Brandon Lee), but last year saw not only the original line-up get back together, but also put out a new album, To the Happy Few. |
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MONO, 8:45 PM – 9:45 PM Before post-rock and noise-rock was all the rage in America, Japan had it down pat in bands like MONO (QRO live review), who’ve also played Europe (QRO photos in Europe). |
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The Octopus Project, 7:30 PM – 8:15 PM Another local whose been around the world, Austin’s Octopus Project (QRO photos at an Austin festival) is one of the few instrumental indie bands that’s as riveting to watch as any with a singer (QRO photos at a festival). The Octopus Project bring a refreshing élan to post-rock electronica, such as 2009’s Golden Beds EP (QRO review), 2010’s HEXADECAGON audio-visual project, and last year’s Fever Dreams. They’re also known for their wide range of instruments (and the fact that everyone seems to switch around what they’re playing each time), from guitar to theremin (QRO photos at a festival). And they bring come class whenever playing outdoors (QRO photos outdoors), thanks to their suit & ties – and the Yvonne Lambert’s ballroom gowns. |
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Also: Moon Duo, 6:15 PM – 7:00 PM – QRO photos Zombie Zombie, 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM Destruction Unit, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM Yamantaka//Sonic Titan, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM – QRO photos at a festival Dahga Bloom, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM Perhaps, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM |
SUNDAY, MAY 4th
Reverberation Stage Loop, 12:30 AM – 1:30 AM These days, computers and synthesizers make it easy for anyone to do electronic loops, but back in the long, long ago of the nineteen-eighties, London’s Loop did their loops the old fashioned way. The group broke up in 1991, but saw their legacy and influence only grow bigger as circuits grew smaller, and last year they reunited to co-curate the final holiday camp edition of All Tomorrow’s Parties. Now they hit the festival circuit proper, and are a fitting headliner for the final day of APF. |
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Panda Bear, 11:00 PM – 12:00 PM One of the founding members of Baltimore’s ultra-relevant experimental electronic outfit Animal Collective (QRO live review), Noah Lennox – a.k.a. Panda Bear (QRO photos at a festival) – broke out of the zoo and is now on his own (QRO photos at a festival), with 2011’s Tomboy (QRO review), the follow-up to 2007’s Person Pitch (QRO review). He comes to APF after contributing to Daft Punk’s Grammy-winning Random Access Memories (QRO review), previewing material from the upcoming Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper. |
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The War On Drugs, 9:30 PM – 10:30 PM Claimed to be “Best New Music,” by Pitchfork for their 2011 album, Slave Ambient, The War On Drugs are often known for the jauntily confections of atmospheric guitars and rolling drums (QRO live review). The Philly outfit (QRO photos) later saw member Kurt Vile spin-off for his own successful career (QRO live review), and just followed up Slave with March’s Lost In the Dream (QRO mp3 review). |
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Mikal Cronin, 8:15 PM – 9:00 PM Alt-garage utility player Mikal Cronin (QRO photos at a festival) has emerged as a force in his own right (QRO photos at a festival), most recently with last year’s solo sophomore effort, MCII. |
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Also: Terakaft, 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM Secret Colours, 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM Christian Bland & The Revelators, 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM Charlie Magira, 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM The Young, 2:15 PM – 2:45 PM |
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Elevation Amphitheatre Pink Mountaintops, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM From Vancouver’s hard-grind Black Mountain (QRO album review) collective comes the psychedelic Pink Mountaintops, who play Austin Psych Fest for a third time. |
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Sleepy Sun, 8:45 PM – 9:30 PM Though still only a few years old, San Francisco psych-rock act Sleepy Sun (QRO photos at a festival) has had building critical praise since 2008’s Embrace, and even survived the departure of co-lead vocalist Rachel Fannan in 2010, putting out Maul Tears earlier this year. They come to Austin Psych Fest for a second time. |
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Also: Joel Gion, 7:30 PM – 8:15 PM Kikagaku Moyo, 6:15 PM – 7:00 PM Greg Ashley, 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM Doug Tuttle, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM Fantasmes, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM Mind Over Mirrors, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM |
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Levitation Tent Tobacco, 12:45 AM – 1:45 AM Black Moth Super Rainbow (QRO live review) main man Tobacco plays solo at the Austin Psych Fest. |
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Bo Ningen, 11:30 PM – 12:15 PM Catch the Japanese-born (QRO photos at an Asian festival), London-based (QRO photos at a festival) acid-punk of four-piece Bo Ningen. |
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Earthless, 10:15 PM – 11:00 PM Stretching from krautrock to Japanese psychedelic rock, San Diego’s Earthless span the earth with their instrumental sounds, most recently with last year’s From the Ages. |
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Also: Higgins Waterproof Black Magic Band, 9:00 PM – 9:45 PM TOY, 7:45 PM – 8:30 PM – QRO album review Cosmonauts, 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM Lorelle Meets The Obsolete, 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM Guardian Alien, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM Golden Dawn Arkestra, 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Think No Think, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM |
For festival website, go here: http://www.austinpsychfest.com/
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