Liverpool Psych Fest
We have a weird feeling Liverpool is going to overtake our bodies, swallow us whole, and spit us out into a sea of psychedelic bliss over at The Liverpool Psych Fest.
When researching crowd surf locations for her Panda European Crowdsurfing Tour, ListenSD’s Rachel Frank started looking up bands that would also be touring Europe in September. Having the Desert Daze lineup as their guide, Rachel and ListenSD photographer Francesca Tirpak came across this psychedelic haven of bands in Liverpool called the Liverpool Psych Fest. Here are some of the groups they are PSYCHED to see 😉
1. L.A. Witch
L.A. Witch are like The Ronettes’ first removed stepsisters that have been turned into witches and will fuck your shit up with their fuzz-infused, gritty yet harmonic sounds. These babes will make you channel your inner dark psych-wave fixation with hints of the desert dust blowing in your face, while putting on a damn good live show. If your baby makes you miss them at the Liverpool Psych Fest, you’ll probably want to kill them.
2. Jane Weaver
We fell in love with this British pop queen when we heard her song “Don’t Take My Soul” off her 2015 album, The Silver Globe. Her intoxicating vocals backed by up-tempo beats will make you move your feet and lose your mind.
3. Ducktails
Ducktails is the solo project of Matthew Mondanile, founding member of Real Estate. Ducktails’ smooth melodic sounds will take you on a journey to your ex-lover’s house to fall in love again and then realize why you broke up in the first place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7vvvuo4R2o
4. The Black Angels
If you were to drip honey on a fortune teller’s magic 8 ball and lick it slowly off while wishing all your dreams to come true, you’d be watching The Black Angels live. With their name taken from The Velvet Underground song, “The Black Angels Death Song,” these guys have revived the 60s while adding their own sexual energy. If you check out any of their albums, make it Passover–it’s pure bliss.
5. Guantanamo Baywatch
These swampy garage surf rats know just how to make you dance. Guantanamo Baywatch took the beach, added some hits of LSD, cowboy boots, and some Beetlejuice flare to created some of the best jivey psych-rock. If you brought board shorts and haven’t washed your hair in a week, we highly recommend checking these guys out at The Liverpool Psych Fest.
6. Weirds
Hailing from Leeds, the birthplace of goth punk music (and where Francesca has called home for the last year), “doom pop” band Weirds always gives a good show. Their recently released indie rock debut album, Swarmculture, hits all the right places. Their straightforward approach allows for them to be an enjoyable listen, and their in-your-face, interactive showmanship sucks in anyone willing to thrash around on the floor, soaked in sweat and reverb.
7. Cosmonauts
Los Angeles locals Cosmonauts released their most recent album, A-OK!, just about a year ago. Drawing from more progressive, mature, and modern sounds but still interlaced with the same punk vibes from earlier releases, this four-piece offers everything an underground surf punk show rife with Californian archetypes anyone could wish for. Ramble, a new EP released this past spring, shows us a new side of the band with an even further deviation towards house and psychedelic pop that’ll be wondrous to hear played live.
8. Once & Future Band
NorCal prog-psychedelic wizards Once & Future Band have mastered taking mid-70s influence and placing unexpected twists upon it. Jazzy melodies sparkle, glimmer, and give the album its catchy lightness, but darker undertones, psych-rock elements, and messages about lost love keep you intent to listen to the end. All in all, Once & Future Band lives up to its name, somehow remaining timeless and unique all at once.
GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE LIVERPOOL PSYCH FEST HERE. IT WILL DESTROY YOU.