Down under has always been synonymous with producing world-class musical talent, from the likes of AC/DC, INXS to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds it seems something is in the water down here and that something may have increased in recent years. These 6 Australian psychedelic rock bands have helped push the music scene over the past eight years which has exploded and seen an export of some excellent groups who are pleasing crowds the world over. Aussie bands are at the forefront of the new psychedelic sound and are paving the way for how it’s supposed to be done. To celebrate this golden age in Australian music, Savage thrills has compiled a list of Psychedelic bands (or psychedelic orientated bands, whatever you want to call it) that you should know of by now.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard





Hailing from Melbourne, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard (Stu Mackenzie, Ambrose Kenny-Smith, Cook Craig, Joey Walker, Lucas Skinner, Michael Cavanagh, and Eric Moore) are a heavy psych rock seven-piece musical outfit boasting a gang of talent and an equally impressive back catalogue. The band is anchored by Stu Mackenzie (guitar, vocals) the principle songwriter, engineer and producer.

Formed in 2010 the group have produced a whopping 14 full-length albums and 4 EP’s. They are known for tackling a few sides of the psychedelic spectrum with their signature heavy riffing but also produce a classic 60’s psych-pop sound. Anglesea and Willoughby’s Beach, the group’s first two EP’s beach saw the development of a dedicated Australian fan base. With the release of I’m in your Mind Fuzz in 2014 and Paper Mache Dream Balloon in 2015 the group saw a rise in international popularity.

In 2017 King Gizzard dropped a stack of musical content with the release of the albums Flying Microtonal Banana, Gumboot Soup, Sketches of Brunswick East (featuring mild high club), Polygwondwanaland, Murder of the Universe, The Tale of the Altered Beast and the EP’s The Lord of Lightning vs Balrog and Han-Tyumi and the Murder of the Universe. The massive amount of music coming out of the King Gizzard camp is rumoured to be attributed to when they are not touring they spend at least three days a week recording music.

Their live act is a spectacle to behold. The group contains two drummers and a definitive stage presence from the seven members. Paired with heavy riffing guitars and the occasional electric harmonic solo, King Gizzard’s live sets are an assault on the senses.

The start of 2018 has been big for the group and has seen them play European and American tours to sold-out crowds and big festival attendances, even reaching as far as Istanbul. King Gizzard put in a solid worth ethic into their music and it really shows. All hail.

The Murlocs





The Murlocs (Ambrose Kenny-Smith, Andrew Crossley, Callum Shorthall, Cook Craig and Matt Blach) are a 5-piece Psychedelic garage blues band based out of Geelong. The band was formed in 2011 and has been popular in Australia since their self-titled debut EP, The Murlocs was released. They have found themselves some well-deserved international attention with the release of their third album Old Locomotive In 2017. Introducing their own brand of psychedelic rhythm’n’blues music to the world stage with their catchy guitar riffs and Ambrose’s bluesy vocal sound.

The group contains two members of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Ambrose Kenny-Smith (Vocals, guitar) and Cook Craig (Guitar) and their latest album, Old Locomotive was produced and recorded by Stu Mackenzie of King Gizzard. If you’re a fan of King Gizz you’ll probably like these guys too.

2018 has seen the group make their touring debut in Europe.

Tame Impala





If you are going to write a list of Australian psychedelic music in recent years Tame Impala is, of course, going to be on the list. They are probably the biggest thing to come out of the Australian music scene in general in the past 10 years and you most likely know who they are.

Releasing the debut album Innerspeaker in 2010, Tame Impala shot to international fame with a colourful and poppy approach to psychedelic music that was incredibly well received by everyone from music fans to critics alike.

The 2012 release Lonerism was another stellar effort which saw Tame firmly put a foot into the worldwide music scene combining psychedelic rhythms with infectious vocals and melodies. Three years later in 2015 after a long wait, Kevin Parker released Tame Impala’s third album Currents, which saw an even wider reach and a more dance orientated and discoesque theme to the music.

Kevin Parker is the sole songwriter and producer of the whole Tame Impala discography. Recording all the music and engineering it himself. The live Tame Impala band consists of Jay Watson (GUM, Pond), Dominic Simper, Cam Avery, Julien Barbagallo and has featured Nick Allbrook (Pond) in the past.

The Tame Impala reach is far and seen the band tour worldwide numerous times to fans as far as South America. After the release of Currents in 2015, the band toured heavily and gathered further attention. This attention allowed Kevin Parker to work and collaborate with artists such as Mark Ronson and even Lady Gaga. In 2018 the signature Tame Impala sound was featured on the rapper Travis Scott’s latest album, Astroworld with the song ‘Skeletons’.

Let’s hope that the news of another Tame Impala album is on the way is true!

Pond

Pond is a four-piece Neo-psychedelic rock group hailing from the Perth music scene in Western Australia. Formed in 2008 the band have been around for a few years, releasing seven albums over that time and winning fans over worldwide. Critically acclaimed and adored, the Pond boys deliver an eccentric mix of music combining elements of old and new psychedelic sounds to create something undeniably modern.

Sharing members with Tame Impala Such as Nicholas Allbrook, Jay Watson and Cam Avery over the years, Pond has a steady flow of well-known and well-equipped Australian musicians coming and going. At the moment the group consists of Nicholas Allbrook, Jay Watson (GUM), Shiny Joe Ryan, Jamie Terry and Joe Ireland.

The past few years have been huge for Pond releasing Man it feels like Space Again in 2015 and their biggest album Burnt Out Star in 2017 (produced by Kevin Parker). The album gathered the group worldwide attention and saw them embark on tour after tour. Pond have made their mark on Europe and the US touring to both continents and are set for a mammoth tour of the US in the coming months. Another great band birthed from the Perth area.

GUM

GUM is another offshoot from the Perth music scene making waves in the psychedelic scene. Jay Watson from Pond and Tame Impala is behind the project combining catchy hooks with a psychedelic dream pop background that results in a unique package of sound.

Releasing four albums since 2014, GUM is a busy man as he manages to handle other projects such as Pond and touring with Tame Impala. The latest GUM album titled The Underdog was GUM’S biggest effort yet and saw a big international response really putting him on the map.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Look I know Unknown Mortal Orchestra aren’t from Australia, but I somehow feel they have to be on this list being that they are from so far down the equator and have taken their unique brand of psych-pop to huge heights. That has to be appreciated and it will be.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra is the creation of Ruban Neilson a New Zealander currently residing in Portland Oregon who used to be in an NZ punk band called The Mint Chicks. The band experienced notoriety in the mid to late 00’s in New Zealand but the wheels seemed to have fallen off somewhere and the band disintegrated never to be heard from again.

Up until 2010, Ruban Neilson had given up on music but then decided to start making psychedelic samples and putting them on band camp under the name Unknown Mortal Orchestra. It wasn’t until he heard a co-worker talking about UMO’s music that he knew anyone listened to it, so he decided to keep going.

Releasing the first full-length UMO album in 2011, Neilson delivered a unique take on psych-pop to an appreciative audience. The group took off from the release of the album and haven’t stopped since. The live members currently consist of Jacob Portrait, Kody Nielson (Ruban’s brother and also the vocalist of The Mint Chicks), Quincy McCrary, Riley Geare and Ruban Neilson himself.

Releasing four full-length albums, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, II, Multi-Love and Sex and Food. UMO has developed a noble fan base and tackled a few different sounds. The first two albums were more psych-orientated and the latter two being more pop and dance orientated. With the exploration of these different sounds, Ruban Neilson has still maintained an unmistakable signature sound.

The group has toured as far as Mexico and Europe and are Set to be touring Australia and New Zealand in September this year. Wouldn’t want to miss out!