Texas is unlike any other state in the U.S. The Lone Star State is known for its unique mythology and culture, and few places in America have people who are as proud to be natives. I lived in McAllen, Texas, on the border for a year in my early twenties, which was an interesting experience. There’s something so fascinating about Texas to me, and I returned to the state earlier this year for a trip to Austin with my wife.
Texas is also known as one of the surprising homes of the psychedelic rock movement in the late Sixties and early Seventies. Unlike San Francisco and California, the psych movement in Texas was much more dangerous because free love and psychedelic drugs were treated much differently in a conservative state like Texas.
Nevertheless, bands like the legendary 13th Floor Elevators emerged from Texas, as did groups like Fever Tree, The Golden Dawn, The Moving Sidewalks, and more. Nowadays, Texas’ psych scene centers around The Black Angels, who host the Levitation Festival and Austin Psych Fest every year and provide a stellar lineup of modern neo-psychedelic acts from all over the world.
I decided to compile a playlist of Texas-based psychedelic music, new and old, because of my interest in the Lone Star State and the state’s rich and deep history of psychedelic rock. The playlist features many bands you probably know about, but others that may not be on your radar, such as Slow Draw, Garrett T. Capps, Land Mammal, Future Museums, and more.
I’m no expert on the Texas psych scene, so if I left off a band or artist that deserves inclusion, please let me know. I tried to make the playlist as comprehensive a look at Texas psychedelic music as possible.
If you find a band you like that is still active today (such as Slow Draw), support them on Bandcamp and buy their music. They’ll appreciate it.
Check out the playlist below. Enjoy!
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