News & Updates — psych

One of the great figures in early psychedelic rock, Sky Saxon and his band The Seeds were very influential on the West Coast garage rock scene. From Salt Lake City (govt name: Richard Marsh), he moved to Los Angeles and started recording doo-wop under the name of Little Richie Marsh in the early '60s before forming a band called The Soul Rockers. The Seeds started in '65 and "Pushin' Too Hard" was a big hit in '67. In the '70s he started hangin' with Father Yod and Source Family, producing music for the cult. Shortly before his death he collaborated with...

Happy birthday to the visionary Cuban trombonist/composer/producer Juan Pablo Torres. He made some very funky Latin jazz both in and outside of Cuba, and some of his albums stand as some of the most "fucked-up" or psychedelic-aligned music you'll ever hear from the island. Aside from his own masterpieces, you can hear him with Paquito D'Rivera, Gilberto Santarosa, Hilton Ruiz, Arturo Sandoval, Tata Güines and others. He also led the groups Estrellas de Areito, Algo Nuevo and played in the groundbreaking Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna.

Since the release of Big Mean Sound Machine's fourth album Runnin' For The Ghost, released in April on Peace & Rhythm (North & South America) and Blank Slate (Europe & Asia), the band has continued touring relentlessly, winning new fans every time out with their avant-afro-psych-funk. The album has gotten a lot of radio play and excellent support from publications & blogs such as Downbeat, Afropop Worldwide, Okay Player, Global A Go-Go, Afrobeat Blog, Funkish, Grateful Web, Brooklyn Vegan and more. Word on the street is that this is one of critic's favorite albums of the year. We're also pleased...

I must give respect to that counter-cultural icon of The Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, on his day of birth. I was never a big fan of the Dead, although they certainly have their fine moments and I have a lot of respect for what they built and accomplished. But one of the best aspects of the band had always been Jerry's presence and his beautiful psychedelic guitar style. He could play also pedal steel and banjo, had a distinct singing voice, and his love for music allowed him to dip into many different styles, from folk-rock to garage punk, free...

On Monday July 24, at 9:30 pm come see LOCOBEACH in Brooklyn! Every Monday night at Barbès the Tropical Vortex series showcases bands and DJs who specialize in variations on tropical sounds from Latinolandia and elsewhere. This week Peace & Rhythm recording artist Locobeach brings a new tropical hybrid of psychedelic cumbia & disco (with a little electro, dub, funk, chicha & surf thrown in for good measure) featuring members of Los Crema Paraíso, La Muy Bestia Pop, and Chicha Libre. Plus Peace & Rhythm DJ Crew Andujar & Bongohead will spin a Rumba Sicodélica set between sets and after!  Barbès 376 9th St. (corner of 6th Ave.), Park Slope, Brooklyn NY 11215 Tel:...