Austin Music Minute

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April 28, 2023

Austin Psych Fest 2023

By: Laurie Gallardo

The Black Angels. Photo: Pooneh Ghana.

Levitation followers on Instagram got the briefest onsite glimpse on a post last night. “Getting the spaceship ready for liftoff here at The Far Out Lounge and Stage. See y’all tomorrow, can’t wait!” Even that snapshot of the light projection was enough to generate excitement – but those insane pics of everybody losing their s%$t at the kickoff show at Mohawk also helped. (A Place To Bury Strangers, plus The Warlocks, plus Archer Oh, plus Austin’s own Blushing and NYC outfit Gift equals sssick.)

Since its beginnings in 2008, Austin Psych Fest has been in constant evolution, building something special from the ground up simply out of passion for the music. There were no intentions of getting huge or going global, but that’s how the story unfolded. The rebranding into Levitation brought opportunities to take the festival around the world. And now, the founders are getting back to the hometown roots that started it all.

Austin Psych Fest’s three-day event highlights some of the best in psych, dream pop, and all manner of independent music with as much reverence for ‘60s influences as for the wave of the future. The festival opens today at The Far Out Lounge and Stage with headliners Toro Y Moi, Yves Tumor, Mdou Moctar, Automatic and the legendary Acid Mothers Temple, as well as Austin bands Annabelle Chairlegs and Being Dead. Tomorrow features Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Raveonettes, and The Black Angels performing their album Directions To See A Ghost in celebration of its 15th anniversary. And Sunday includes performances by Cuco, Melody’s Echo Chamber, Los Bitchos, Vieux Farka Touré and more, along with Austin bands El Combo Oscuro, Nemegata and Little Mazarn.

More Austin Psych Fest picks on Saturday’s AMM. Stay tuned.


Episodes

October 2, 2023

It Might Get Loud

Earplugs are not optional for this one. The double headliner at Mohawk tomorrow night, Tuesday Oct. 3, is over the top sick. Tokyo heavy sludge masters Boris share an explosive bill with one of the most influential bands in several things heavy, from sludge to grunge, noise to doom, Melvins. Like, what the hell?! Both […]

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September 29, 2023

The Homecoming

Put this in your 2024 calendar, in case you missed out this year. On Sept. 21, Mayor Kirk Watson officially declared the day as David Shabani Day in the City of Austin, presenting Shabani with “a proclamation for their craft and work in the industry both locally and abroad.” This is meaningful for Shabani on […]

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September 28, 2023

Worktape

Truly a Renaissance man. No exaggeration. Songwriter. Musician. Multi-media artist – which you’ll know first hand if you’ve ever been to Mobley performance. And now, in the recent words of Jonny Jukebox, “Are you ready for the next level?” Mobley’s journey takes its next cue from a collection of demos titled Worktape, and that’s exactly […]

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September 27, 2023

Black Rainbows

We’re all guilty of building up expectations. So, you might spin Corinne Bailey Rae‘s latest blazer Black Rainbows and find it something of a departure for Rae, in terms of a style that incorporates R&B, jazz and soul. This one gets loud, bold, experimental in many parts, powered by guitar and unapologetic vitality, all inspired […]

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September 26, 2023

Miles and Miles

Put the go-to retro label aside for a minute. The Heavy Heavy moves beyond that with a multi-layered ‘60s sound on their debut EP Life and Life Only. The way Georgie Fuller and Will Turner channel psych and mod influences with folk and soul in a timeless shimmer feels more instinctive than imitative. Then again, […]

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September 25, 2023

Zachariah…And Pamela Anderson

Truth be told, your nerdy AMM host is drooling like a goblin over Hyperreal Film Club‘s upcoming scary October screenings at Hotel Vegas. This Austin-based film lovers’ club, formed in 2016, does badass pop-up screenings of independent films of every genre at various spots around town, and provides a platform for guest columnists to write […]

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September 23, 2023

Bootcut

The humor is just as beautiful as the damn album, and the album is gorgeous. It starts as soon as you drop the needle on “Girls Bugging Me” on BOOTCUT. You clearly hear Afie Jurvanen, better known as Nova Scotia-based artist Bahamas, attempting to record something, but his young daughters are not having it. “…Can […]

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September 22, 2023

Crew Vs. Crew

In any exploration of the origins of bboy subculture and its crucial role in the development of hip-hop, one of the best rabbit holes to dive into is the work of Bronx street photographer Ricky Flores. The stark black and white imagery from these formative years carries a unique fluidity and exuberance, but Flores was […]

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