It’s no secret that Australia is home to some of the most dangerous and deadly animals in the world. From snakes to spiders to jellyfish to even things as small as the two-and-a-half-centimeter bull ant, Australia is the kind of place that produces species unlike any other on the planet—the kind of species that can paralyze you with the smallest bite and leave you writhing in pain. As of late, though, it seems some of those powerful creatures are invading America and carrying with them a bite filled with a hallucinogenic venom. Bands like Tame Impala and Pond have emerged as this generation’s revivalist of psychedelic rock, bringing with them a robust punch of trippy sounds and visuals that warp your senses and twist your mind. The latest invaders are the seven-piece outfit known as King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.
Hailing from Melbourne, King Gizzard started out as kind of a joke band with few intentions, but they’ve blossomed into a full-on variegation of mind fuckery. In the five years since their formation, they have been able to lay out seven full albums and two EPs, with two of those releases (Quarters! and Paper Maché Dream Balloon) coming in 2015 alone. Each album has had its own distinct personality with roots tied deep in garage rock, punk and psychedelia giving listeners a different trip with each go around.
With May’s release of Quarters!, the group took the concept of creating four 10-minute-and-10-second-long tracks filled with intoxicating sounds that tease melodies of intricately laid patterns, weaving them through a gamut of nonsensical lyrics and mellow, mind-altering grooves.
In November, they are set to follow up the release of the melodious, groove-heavy Quarters! with their newest approach in the form of Paper Maché Dream Balloon, a bubbly, acoustic collection of experimental short songs that seem more akin to a children’s TV program than the acid-dropping romps of before. You can check out the recently released single and title track below to hear for yourself.
With such an array of material to please their eager fans with, their Portland show on Monday, August 31 should rank high on your anticipation chart. No matter what they choose to play, it’s guaranteed to be trippy and explosive. Just make sure you have buddy system in play in case you can’t take weirdness that’s sure to ensue.
What better way to ramp up before you start peaking than with a nice mild high in the form of Mild High Club, the musical output of Alexander Brettin and his West Coast vibe of waterlogged psych pop. You may have heard his name from his recent 12-string contributions to the latest Ariel Pink disc, but he’s about to drop his own debut album titled Timeline this September and looks to baptize listeners in his sea of wavy, dreamlike bliss. He’s an easy pill to swallow and needs little more instructions than: Enjoy the ride.
