The longer I’ve been running The Third Eye, the more I’ve noticed a massive crop of new psychedelic bands emerging from Los Angeles. I don’t know much about the current psych scene in L.A., but judging by the reviews I’ve done, it seems like The City of Angels is bursting with psychedelic creativity today.
I know a bit about the history of psych rock in L.A., but I’m no expert on it. The Laurel Canyon neighborhood in the Sixties was a legendary hotspot for the new countercultural music, as plenty of eventually iconic musicians gathered there, including Frank Zappa, Jim Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Gram Parsons, and many more. By the ‘80s, the Paisley Underground took over.
San Francisco is better known for its history in psychedelic music, but plenty of great psych-rock has come from Los Angeles, too. It makes sense that Los Angeles would have so many excellent psych bands and a thriving music scene in other genres, given that it’s the second-largest city in America, with a population of roughly 3.9 million people as of 2020.
What’s going on in L.A. psych-rock today? I’m not exactly sure, but I knew enough to compile a new playlist of the best new L.A. psychedelia featuring bands and artists like Charles Moothart, Meatbodies, Levitation Room, Triptides, and Morgan Delt. I knew about some of these artists, while others I had just discovered while scouring through Bandcamp.
Some under-the-radar acts I discovered included The Killing Floors, Cloudland Canyon, and Communicant. Some bands aren’t from L.A. but have ended up there. Dead Meadow got their start in Washington, D.C., but they’re based in Los Angeles now. The same goes for Frankie and The Witch Fingers, which formed in Indiana, of all places, but now calls L.A. home. I’m open to suggestions, so let me know about any other L.A. psych bands to add to the list.
Check out the Spotify link for the playlist below. If you’re a psych band in Los Angeles and want a spot on the playlist, hit me up!
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