2015 Neo-Psychedelic Bands (Music Videos and Playlist)

Hopefully I can continue to find these up-and-coming bands that play my favorite type of music -- retro psychedelia. A few on this playlist were released in 2014, but I'm only just finding them now, and I want every one to get the exposure they deserve. Most of the videos are amazing as well.

A written list is below the video embed for your downloading pleasure. Also, if you find anything I missed that you feel should be included, message me and I'll consider it. Have fun!



2015 Neo-Psychedelia by David Ray
1. The Arcs - Outta My Mind
2. Fogbound - Purple Wax
3. The Babe Rainbow - Secret Enchanted Broccoli Forest
4. Mystic Braves - Desert Island
5. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Cellophane
6. Tame Impala - Let It Happen
7. Wand - Flying Golem
8. Magnetic Mind - The Mumbai Butterfly
9. My Drunken Haze - Carol Wait
10. Deerhunter - Snakeskin
11. Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel - Don't Hold Back
12. Pond - Zond
13. Jackson Boone - Moonbeam
14. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Paper Mache Dream Balloon
15. Jacco Gardner - Find Yourself
16. Valet - Lion
17. Enormous Forces - Psychedelic Sauna
18. Fever The Ghost - Source
19. Apache Sun - Silhouettes
20. Dungen - Akt Dit
21. Jackson Boone - Starlit Hymn

Winter Indie Music Playlist 2015

Well, it's not winter yet, but I'm sure everyone could use a break from the heat. Mellow music is easier to find anyway. Here's some good stuff to help you daydream about the reddening of leaves, chimney smoke, snowflakes and all the layers we'll pull on and peel off every day. Enjoy this mix, and let it take you where it wants to. The list is written below.



Winter Indie Music Playlist 2015
1. Tame Impala - I'm A Man
2. Leyya - Superego
3. Porcelain Raft - All In My Head
4. SOAK - Sea Creatures
5. Tanlines - Invisible Ways
6. Actor - Feline
7. Great Lake Swimmers - Zero In The City
8. The Arcs - Stay In My Corner
9. Caitlin Park - Wake Up In A Whirr
10. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-love
11. Dan Mangan & Blacksmith - Vessel
12. The Weather Station - Way It Is, Way It Should Be
13. Other Lives - Easy Way Out
14. Cayucas - Dancing At The Blue Lagoon
15. Flo Morrissey - Sleeplessly Dreaming
16. Gaz Coombes - The Girl Who Fell To Earth
17. Swahili - Vestal
18. Wilco - Magnetized
19. Palehound - Dry Food
20. Mikal Cronin - Turn Around
21. RAC (ft. Katie Herzig) - We Belong

Summer Indie Music Playlist 2015

In the past few years it's taken me longer to put the summer mix together, because finding upbeat indie music has grown increasingly difficult. I sift through literally thousands of songs using BIRP, Rolling Stone, Spin, CMJ, online searches and YouTube playlists. After exhaustive research I'm starting to conclude that the majority of young indie musicians (and their listeners) can only express themselves through sad navel-gazing and wallowing in romantic depression. Admittedly, the technology that was supposed to bring us closer together has often only created vast chasms of distance between us; we're addicted to our phones and computers, scared to go to parties, afraid to reveal our true selves, terrified of ridicule and the dynamics of socialization. The fast music I find is usually neo-Punk Rock or Metal, and it's angry, not happy. Even Billboard's low-brow darlings of Pop, Rap, EDM and Country have slowed their beats down in some sort of corporate hypnosis. And yet there's so much to celebrate at this instant in time- an increasing awareness of equality for women, for oppressed races, for the LBGT community. If you focus on the positive it's a huge damn joyous party for progressive people in America right now, a dawning of a new era. But only if you stay focused on what's amazing about being alive. Don't let the conservatives of Elmore City (that's a "Footloose" reference) kill your buzz, my friends.

Here are ten questions I want you to ask yourself:
1. Was the last song I listened to slow or fast?
2. What was the tempo of the last song I heard on the radio?
3. Was the lyrical content of the last song I listened to happy or sad?
4. When I post songs or listen to songs posted on social media are they usually upbeat?
5. Am I sad or happy?
6. When invited to a social gathering do I usually reply "maybe"?
7. If I reply "yes", do I actually attend?
8. When was the last time I laughed?
9. When was the last time I danced?
10. What are my blessings, my joys, my reasons to celebrate?

This playlist is for you (and it's typed-out below):

SUMMER INDIE MUSIC PLAYLIST 2015
1. Braves Shores - Never Come Down
2. Mumford & Sons - The Wolf
3. Yumi Zouma - Catastrophe
4. Bop English - It Was Beyond Our Control
5. Twenty One Pilots - Tear In My Heart
6. Ader - Landshapes
7. Ash - Machinery (if watching on YouTube, change speed to 1.25 in settings)
8. eLLe beLLe - Knock On The Light (n/a on YouTube...yet)
9. The Derevolutions - Now You Know My Name
10. Leon Bridges - Better Man
11. Cheers Elephant - Airliner
12. Lady Lamb - Billions Of Eyes
13. Late Cambrian - Golden Time
14. Toro Y Moi - Run Baby Run
15. Lower Dens - Societe Anonyme
16. Ratatat - Cream On Chrome
17. LA Priest - Oino
18. Happy Hollows - Astrid
19. Painted Palms - Tracers
20. The Sonics - Sugaree (these guys are in their 70s, btw)
21. Von Sell - Ivan
22. Mew - Satellites

PUNK PLANK: Two-Minute Punk Songs Of The 1970s For Planking

Want amazing abs for summer? Ask yourself if you can do this one activity for a mere TWO MINUTES a day. Get into push-up position (or with your elbows resting on the floor for more balance), and play one of these motivating punk songs each morning for a month. It's okay if you shake all over. It's okay if you can only make it thirty seconds at a time before taking a five-second rest. Keep at it and your core will tighten and you'll start to see real definition. To make things easier I even started with songs that clock-in under two minutes. Toward the end they get a little longer, the longest being 2:10, but by then you'll be loving it.

Plus it's a free music history lesson. Here's the YouTube playlist and, below, you'll find the written version if you want to download the songs yourself. Happy planking!


1. Ramones - Let's Dance
2. Wire - Mr. Suit
3. The Adverts - Bored Teenagers
4. The Undertones - Male Model
5. Stiff Little Fingers - White Noise
6. Weirdos - Pagan
7. X-Ray Spex - I Am A Cliche
8. The Dils - You're Not Blank
9. The Damned - Fish
10. The Clash - Career Opportunities
11. Dead Kennedys - Stealing People's Mail
12. Richard Hell - New Pleasure
13. The Slits - Shoplifting
14. The Vibrators - Bad Time
15. The Germs - Lexicon Devil
16. The Buzzcocks - Orgasm Addict
17. The Dickies - Shake & Bake
18. Generation X - Kleenex
19. The Damned - I Fall
20. The Ramones - California Sun
21. The Rezillos - Glad All Over
22. Sham 69 - It's Never Too Late
23. The Clash - Janie Jones
24. The Skids - Six Times
25. The Avengers - American In Me
26. Richard Hell - Love Comes In Spurts
27. Generation X - Day By Day
28. Dead Boys - What Love Is
29. Wire - Straight Line/Field Day For The Sundays
30. The Undertones - Here Comes The Summer
31. The Damned - Melody Lee

Fantasy Rock & Folk 1967 - 1975

When I was six years-old I first saw Disney's "Fantasia" and was completely enraptured by the "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy" scene, with those fluttering wings, spinning orbs, glowing flowers and the enchanted drowsiness of twilight. Later as a teen, I was transfixed by fantasy novels by Tolkien, Piers Anthony, Stephen R Donaldson and Lord Dunsany. Heavy metal was in its most bloated stage at that time, but had great album cover art and lyrics featuring dragons, elves, fairies, swords and kings. Soon I began to delve backward to the medieval leanings of the post-psychedelic era -- bands like King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Yes, The Moody Blues and Queen had all started out as devotees to fantasy, and their music transported me to the most spectral places. During these times, the world outside my teenage bedroom didn't exist and I felt triumphant and powerful. Here's a list I've been building for years (and am still adding to). It came in handy when I wrote my fantasy screenplay "Vermillion", which was a finalist at L.A.'s Shriekfest in 2012.

I hope the music takes you where it has taken me.




Fantasy Rock & Folk 1967 - 1975
1. King Crimson - The Court Of The Crimson Kimg
2. Yes - We Have Heaven
3. Fairport Convention - Fotheringay
4. Magna Carta - Ring Of Stones
5. Strawbs - Witchwood
6. Bert Jansch & John Renbourn - East Wind
7. Pentangle - Let No Man Steal Your Thyme
8. Incredible String Band - Witches Hat
9. Donovan - Three King Fishers
10. Steve Hackett - The Hermit
11. Renaissance - Black Flame
12. Jethro Tull - Witch's Promise
13. Jefferson Airplane - Embryonic Journey
14. Uriah Heep - The Wizard
15. The Guess Who - Talisman
16. Loudest Whisper - Children Of The Dawn
17. Forest - Blue Bell Dance
18. T. Rex - Trelawny Lawn
19. Anthony Phillips - God If I Saw Her Now
20. Pink Floyd - The Gnome
21. Crosby, Stills & Nash - Guinnevere
22. Strawbs - Dragonfly
23. Gwydion Penderwen - The Wintry Queen
24. The Nice - Flower King Of Flies
25. Thin Lizzy - Eire
26. Mark Fry - Behold The Neirids
27. Led Zeppelin - Battle Of Evermore
28. Emerson Lake & Palmer - Lucky Man
29. Donovan - Atlantis
30. John Renbourn - The Lady & The Unicorn
31. Rush - Rivendell
32. Queen - White Queen (As It Began)
33. The Moody Blues - Are You Sitting Comfortably & Suite
34. Fairport Convention - End Of A Holiday

Hippie Country Music 1966-1974

There was a period during the psychedelic 1960s and 70s when every bohemian musician seemed to take up a banjo or pedal-steel guitar and try to escape into the American wilderness. Even my parents fell for it, and I grew up eighteen miles outside of Garberville, California under towering and majestic redwoods. Certain neo-country albums broke into the mainstream around this time, such as Grateful Dead's "American Beauty", The Byrds "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo", Bob Dylan's "John Wesley Harding" and the whole Allman Brothers catalog, but many bands picked and grinned in obscurity, or played one-off singles. I find this playlist is great for long drives and backyard BBQs. Anyway, here's the stuff that pre-dates Skynyrd, Alabama and the whole Southern Rock movement. Some you'll recognize, others I hope you'll be delighted to hear for the first time.




Hippie Country Music 1966-1974
1. Canned Heat - Goin' Up The Country
2. The Byrds - You Ain't Going Nowhere
3. Grateful Dead - Friend Of The Devil
4. Moby Grape - Hey Grandma
5. Poco - Grand Junction
6. The Flying Burrito Brothers - Devil In Disguise
7. Pure Prairie League - Amie
8. The Byrds - Hickory Wind
9. The Youngbloods - Grizzly Bear
10. The International Submarine Band - I Must Be Somebody Else
11. New Riders Of The Purple Sage - Panama Red
12. The Fraternity Of Man - Don't Bogart Me
13. Allman Brothers Band - Sweet Melissa
14. Buffalo Springfield - A Child's Claim To Fame
15. Gram Parsons - Return Of The Grievous Angel
16. The Youngbloods - Smug
17. The Dillards - Nobody Knows
18. Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay
19. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lookin' Out My Back Door
20. The Byrds - Old John Robertson
21. CSNY - Teach Your Children
22. Eagles - Peaceful Easy Feeling
23. The Beau Brummels - Bless You California
24. New Riders Of The Purple Sage - Sweet Lovin' One
25. Stephen Stills - Don't Look At My Shadow
26. The Byrds - Nashville West
27. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - The Cure
28. The Marshall Tucker Band - This Ol' Cowboy
29. Poco - A Good Feelin' To Know
30. Neil Young - The Emperor Of Wyoming
31. Michael Nesmith & The First National Band - Calico Girlfriend
32. The Everly Brothers - Less Of Me
33. Ian Matthews - Desert Inn
34. John Fogerty - Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
35. Pure Prairie League - Sister's Keeper
36. Dillard & Clark - Train Leaves Here This Mornin'
37. The Byrds - Your Gentle Way Of Loving Me
38. Poco - Fool's Gold
39. New Riders Of The Purple Sage - Rainbow
40. Michael Nesmith & The First National Band - Thanx For The Ride
41. Hearts & Flowers - Rock & Roll Gypsies
42. Gram Parsons - A Song For You
43. David Crosby - Laughing
44. Mason Proffit - Till The Sun's Gone

My Favorite Movies of 2014

I needed to see enough of last year's movies to put this list together. One thing I'll say is the names of movie were more interesting; it's as if the cinema gods heard my prayers (i.e. incessant whining) about dull one-word titles. Anyway, here they are according to my ranking:

1. Whiplash
2. Nightcrawler
3. Guardians Of The Galaxy
4. Interstellar
5. Theory Of Everything
6. Imitation Game
7. Le Weekend
8. Gone Girl
9. Blue Ruin
10. Foxcatcher
11. Skeleton Twins
12. Locke
13. Wild (pretty boring title, eh?)
14. Lucy
15. Birdman
16. The Babadook
17. Under The Skin
18. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
19. Grand Budapest Hotel
20. The Only Lovers Left Alive
21. Snowpiercer

Films of 2014 I'm looking forward to watching: Still Alice, Ida, Selma, Life Itself, Big Eyes, Inherent Vice, Mr. Turner, 20,000 Days On Earth, Citizenfour, Two Days, One Night

Neo-Psychedelic Bands Of 2014

Last year some of the best songs I heard were crafted by artists who were rediscovering the experimental pop sensibilities of the late 1960s. I'm hoping a musical renaissance takes place because of musicians like these, and the next generation learns how to play instruments with virtuosity, pushing the boundaries of sound and visuals toward an ever-expanding consciousness.

At the very least, I recommend you open your ears and minds and have a personal freak-out.

(Support the bands - buy the songs. The list is below, and it fits on standard CD-R)



NEO-PSYCHEDELIC PLAYLIST 2014
1. White Denim - Pretty Green
2. Wand - Broken Candle
3. Coves - Cast A Shadow
4. Temples - Colours To Life
5. King Tuff - Rainbows Run
6. The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger - Animals
7. Quilt - Arctic Shark
8. Thee Oh Sees - The Lens
9. The Budos Band - The Sticks
10. Black Honey - The Taste
11. Ray LaMontagne - Lavender
12. Of Montreal - She Ain't Speaking Now
13. Goat - Hide From The Sun
14. White Fence - Like That
15. Chad VanGaalen - All Will Combine
16. Absolutely Free - Beneath The Air
17. Ty Segall - The Clock
18. Temples - Mesmerise
19. Woods - Shepherd
20. Kelley Stoltz - Kim Chee Taco Man
21. Purson - Death's Kiss
22. Allah-Las - No Werewolf
23. Sturgill Simpson - Turtles All The Way Down

Coachella 2015 Coolest Music Videos

        Normally I post two Coachella playlists per year - one for indie bands and one for electronica - but this year I'd rather celebrate the immense diversity of my favorite music festival, while paying tribute to the filmmakers who made the artists' visions come to life. Thus I've combined both into an awesome video marathon. If you find yourself hating on a particular video or song, just skip to the next and work on your intolerance.
         Also the last video is a documentary on the making of Steely Dan's Aja. Because you also shouldn't be hating Don Fagen and Co, especially if you liked the following bands from last year: Flight Facilities, Poolside, HAIM, Classixx, The Preatures and Pharrell.
         Alright, sit back, cue up your full-screen, and try to ignore any fucking commercials YouTube might post (as if we were a generation that ever fell for advertising).