Rockfour: Supermarket (2000)

So you never heard of Rockfour? You aren't alone. And if you have you already know everything I'm about to say. Rockfour is a psych-rock band from Israel. Their first 3 albums are in Hebrew. This is their first English release. Words cannot describe how amazing this album is. It will blow your mind, I promise you, just do everything in your power to get a copy.

Mirror Mirror: The Society For the Advancement of Inflammatory Consciousness (2008)

I love this album. The closest thing to Piper that you will find out there. This is some way the fuck out there stuff. What a trip! This is one of the best psychedelic albums to come out in the past 40 years. My hat is off to them. They really crafted a masterpiece here.

Caribou: Andorra (2007)

This dude really needs to embrace the psych-genre and get this album out of the "electronica" realm. Much of it is electronic but not in the really lame way that electronic music usually is. This is a great psych-pop album with amazing vocal harmonies, cut-ups, and divine melodies. Any psych fan will find a lot to love here.

Darker My Love: Darker My Love (2006)

Founded by members of hardcore-punk band The Nerve Agents. Strange huh? What does it sound like? Well some pretty spacey droning psych rock. And it's really good for what it's aiming for. Lots of organ, clavinet, and tremelo-vocals. I dig it. 

The Bees: Octopus (2007)

By far one of the best and most talented musical efforts in the past few years. From reggae to funk to psych to spanish-vocals-sitar-latin music this album does it all. This album goes best when just getting high with your friends. Whenever I'm with a bunch of people with different music tastes and don't know what to put on, this album does the trick. Hip-hop fans can dig it, reggae fans can dig it, rock, pop, salsa, psych, indie, alt. This album will be adored by anyone who listens to it. It's just so fucking fun!

The Stone Roses: Stone Roses (1989)

What fascinates me most about The Stone Roses was where they were in the Manchester scene. In Manchester in the 80's and 90's people were taking psychedelics and euphorics and going to clubs for music. By the late 80's and early 90's this scene became extremely superficial because of the simplicity of DJ's playing dance music for people on drugs. The Stone Roses bridged this gap. They played 60's influenced psych-pop-alt-rock that worked for these dance crowds. Wanting to feel the music and have drug induced experiences to it has sadly been reduced to trance music created on a lap top, and the Stone Roses remain one of the last actual bands to be able to gain the attention of the dance-club generation while still remaining innovative and creative (they wrote songs!). What happened? We lost our attention span, and like everything else in this world, people demand instant generic pleasure provided by mindless DJ's. This is an ecstasy album just as much as it is an acid album and maybe that's why it worked. But like many others I'm sure, I long for the day that the drug crowd once again can appreciate ambitious creative music created by musicians and not just computers. 

Billy Nicholls: Would You Believe (1968)

Not as close to Pet Sounds as many people seem to think it is. But still a great album in its own right. Trippy baroque-psych-pop and all so British. I really enjoy this album because there are a lot of good songs on it. Everyone will find something here, I promise. 

Clear Light: Black Roses (1967)

West Coast psych that sounds a LOT like Love. Not overly amazing but has its moments. I don't want to say too much about this album because I haven't given it sufficient time yet, but there are a few tracks on here I often visit. Check it out, this is their only effort and I'm sure there's much more to it than I'm giving it credit for.

Blossom Toes: We Are Ever So Clean (1967)

Forgot about this one for no good reason when I was posting all the 60's stuff and I'm sure I'll be posting a few more that for some reason slipped my mind. This is often sited as the greatest psych-pop effort and in many ways it kind of is. First of all its so happy and goofy. Secondly the songs are all really creative and well written. Very British, very weird. Blossom Toes like many of these bands would start to embrace heavier guitar music on their next album, but on this album they are one of those great forgotten psych-pop bands that deserves everyone's attention. 

The Olivia Tremor Control: Music From the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle (1996)

Recognize the cover? Almost the same image as the one on the post OTC album Circulatory System. This is the first OTC album and I am at a loss for words. Insane creativity, beautiful catchy psych-pop tunes, perfect vocal harmonies. This album has a concept of a pair of girls named Olivia and Jacqueline and some kind of earthquake. It even includes a suite in the middle of it, 9 tracks all titled Green Typewriters. What makes the OTC so interesting to me is how they blur such accessible music with sound collages. This album has a companion piece called Explanation II. It is meant to be played at the same time as the album to get you lost in even more sounds! This album is often compared to the White Album, but I don't think comparisons can ever be useful when talking about this band. From another world.

Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream (1993)

What an album. Billy Corgan was ready to end the Pumpkins if this album didn't break through. Personal problems with relationships, depression, and drug addiction plagued the band and Corgan took most of the recording of this album into his own hands. The result is one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Although this album is usually viewed as one of the pillars of 90's alt music and even an extension of Nirvana's grunge movement, this album is truly a masterpiece on its own. This album is way better then all of those "classic 90's albums." Mellotron, acid-freakout guitar solos, and Billy Corgan's usual beautiful poetic imagery. Billy Corgan was simply too talented and ambitious for any pretentious "music scene." It's really easy to claim Kurt Cobain as the most influential artist of the 90's because he probably was. But that's not a good thing in my opinion. People dug Nirvana for what the represented and for the angst that the youth could easily identify with. But we should really praise the artists who venture off to their own planets to bring us other worldly music that only exists in them. Siamese Dream is much more straight forward than Mellon Collie, but will still provide a clear example of why Corgan is so special. 

The Brian Jonestown Massacre: And This Is Our Music (2003)

This album has a great review from Allmusic.com so I'm just going to post that:

Review

by Jo-Ann Greene

It's futile to try to attempt to describe a Brian Jonestown Massacre album. One doesn't so much listen to their music as experience it, entering into their strange, warped world to wallow in the aural vistas they create. Like a '60s 'happening', it's not what actually occurs that matters, it's the experience itself, the fact of one being part of something greater than one's self, and so it is here with And This Is Our Music. "Keep dreaming, keep dreaming, until it's time to go," BJM sing on "Geezers," and the music builds, swelling into a mighty conflagration of sound that stutters out and into the acoustical love song of "Maryanne," which winds its way into the Star Trek-esque epic romance of "You Look Great When I'm Fucked Up," that comes down with a bang into the psychedelic jangle of "Here It Comes," then falls headlong into the wild tattoo of the beats and salsa sounds of "What Did You Say?" and so on, careening across 17 tracks in all. Musical themes are occasionally revisited, moods coalesce then transmute, a myriad of musical influences emerge, disappear, return, transform. "Can we ever really know where we're going, where we're heading?" the band inquire on "A New Low in Getting High," and with BJM as your guide, the answer is a resounding no. But that is the glory of the band: one never knows where one is, or where one will end up, left lost in their psychedelic haze, pulled into a twangy country and western world, or dropped into another of their endless, timeless ambient soundscapes. It's the musical equivalent of a carnival fun house, one never knows what one will find upon opening the door. Psychedelic they may be branded, but that is only the beginning, there's so much more to be heard and experienced within. No longer so young, but still so brave and totally right on. And This Is Our Music is music for each and every one of us.

The Bees: Free the Bees (2004)

The Bees are amazing. One their second album they stray pretty far from the low-key-chill-jazz-R&B that made up their first album. This album is a classic psych-pop-garage album, with production that will make you swear it was recorded in '66. The Bees really know how to write a good pop song, and they can produce the hell out of them. Not as adventurous as their follow up "Octopus" but still one of the few modern treasures out there.

Josephine Foster & the Supposed: All the Leaves Are Gone (2004)

I am so thankful that I found this album. Josephine Foster's other releases tend to be more on the acid-folk side, as she is associated (in some way) with the new-weird-america people. But this album is one hell of a psych album. It's just really strange. Kind of sounds like a lost Jefferson Airplane album if JA recorded with slightly out of tune guitars with clean tones and sloppy slides. Josephine Foster's vocals on the other hand sound like, well, maybe what Grace Slick's voice would sound like if she recorded while tripping. From the first track on this album you'll be zoned in, especially if you really crave those throw-back albums.

Smashing Pumpkins: Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness (1995)

This may be the only psych list that you find this album on but nevertheless I find it to be very suitable. This is one of my all time favorite albums and uses so many styles that it cannot be categorized usually, but I consider the whole thing to be one of the great psychedelic experience. The songs drift from beautiful classical arrangements to dream pop to gentle ballads to metal, and it's all worth it. Billy Corgan is my childhood hero and is still in many a very special artist. His songs are not limited by any genre or structure and he uses a little bit from everywhere always maintaining his own voice. This album has some simulated sitar sounds, mellotron, and a track (Thru The Eyes of Ruby) that Corgan estimates over 56 guitar layers for. Take the time to get into this album. It is such a rewarding experience.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre: Give It Back (1997)

This is often called the BJM's most accessible album, and in many ways it is. There's a lot of bands out there that try to build entire careers out of ripping off Anton's 3-chord chime-acoustic guitar parts on this album. What separates them is that the BJM's 3-chord tunes are original and interesting. Many bands seem to think that using this formula on every song makes you a psych band. But back to the album, there are some great tunes here. Lots of sitar, excellent guitar breaks, and the coolest bass line ever "Whoever You Are." "The Devil May Care (Mom and Dad Don't)" will give you chills.

Opal: Happy Nightmare Baby (1987)

Here comes David Roback to save the 80's once again. This time with Dream Syndicate's Kendra Smith. This is some spot on psych-rock. I can't see how anyone could not like this album. Take the heaviest droning sounds from Rain Parade, and put some breathy, erie female vocals over it, and you might just begin to fathom the brilliance of this record, just maybe.

Olivia Tremor Control: Black Foliage: Animation Music (1999)

This album is brilliant. Mixing noise collages with excellent psych-pop the OTC create a masterpiece here that could only come from them. When I listen to this album I constantly ask myself, "What the hell made that sound?" You won't ever figure it all out, it's just that far out. This album could be recorded on another planet. Oh, are you familiar with the sounds of harmonizing saws? Yeah, so fucking creative. 

My Bloody Valentine: Loveless (1991)

The defining shoegaze album. But this is some of the most psychedelic drug music ever made. People who bought this in '91 actually thought there was something wrong with their stereos. It will make you feel like your brain is melting in such a good way. This is one beautiful trippy experience that everyone wants to copy, but never can, ever.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre: Methodrone (1995)

The only BJM "shoegaze" album and their first release. But Anton's influences are far more diverse then many of the untalented bands that just capitalized on the genres use of guitar effects and sound textures while ignoring all the joys of songwriting. This album is just as psychedelic as it is shoegazy and there are so many good tunes on here, mainly the BJM favorite, "That Girl Suicide." The first track "Evergreen" sets the bar extremely high for what shoegaze can be. Every BJM album is worth getting, and why not? Until about a year ago Anton gave away all of their albums for free on their website and he still continues to advise fans to download. Get all of their albums, each one is worth your time.

Circulatory System: Circulatory System (2001)

The Circulatory System is essentially The Olivia Tremor Control minus Bill Doss. This album of 22 tracks flows like one long song. The production is impossible to fathom, so original and creative. I've heard this album be called the greatest album of all time, and although that may be slightly overshooting it, I at often times consider it to be a possibility. It's poppy, conceptual, philosophical, comforting, beautiful, textured, and so psychedelic. For me "Lovely Universe" tells the story all of us acid thinkers long to tell to perfection. These guys dig the cosmic reality and know that "we're only made of water, sand, and stone, we're made of joy and make belief, we're only made of sky, and it's true." You will for sure get lost in this album and enjoy every second of it. Pure psychedelic bliss.

Spacemen 3: The Perfect Prescription (1987)

If there is one band that is an obvious influence on the BJM, it's Spacemen 3. This album is a conceptual drug trip. These guys made music with the best of music philosophies, "Taking Drugs, to Make Music, to Take Drugs To." Right on. This album dives deep is so fucking far out. From conversations with Jesus to come down trips, this album has it all. Fans of Spiritualized will enjoy Spaceman J's earlier work. This is minimalist psych done right. 

The Brian Jonestown Massacre: Their Satanic Majesties Second Request (1996)

Ahh... let us now venture into the world of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. This is my favorite BJM release and by far their most psychedelic. Anton Newcombe is a god, and this album will prove that to you. He plays over 80 instruments on it and you can spot most of them although a large sum of them are lumped into the category "weird Chinese shit you never heard of." This album does exactly as it promises and the Rolling Stones should thank Anton personally for calling attention to their shamefully overlooked psych effort "Their Satanic Majestie's Request." This album has many similarities but is way better. The first track "All Around You" prepares you for the introspective journey they are about to take you on. My favorite tracks on this album are the eastern drone ones that feature Anton's amazing sitar work as well as drones provided by all kinds of awesome world instruments. This album has 18 songs and none of them will waste your time. This is one of three albums the BJM put out that year. In a time where most drug music is dominated by extremely boring electronic simulations, the BJM are the perfect cure for us true introspective psych fans. Get this album immediately. If it weren't for Anton, psych would have been bastardized by computer happy hipsters. Thank you Mr. Newcombe, you are a true genius. 

Slowdive: Souvlaki (1993)

Let me declare this now. This is the most beautiful album ever recorded. I will never grow tired of listening to this. Slowdive is considered to be one of the main shoegaze acts, but this album is so beautifully trippy and may just move you to tears. My favorite thing to listen to on a mellow trip or an intense one for that matter. Extremely ambient and textured, this album will blow your mind. Oh it's just so fucking beautiful, you just have to hear it.

The Rain Parade: Emergency 3rd Rail Power Trip/Explosions In the Glass Palace (1983)

If you are like me, you probably usually dismiss the 80's as a decade full of garbage, kind of like the 70's. This album is one of the few exceptions. Absolutely breathtaking. These guys are considered to be pillars in the semi-fictional "Paisley Underground" scene in LA. But not many other groups in that scene should be taken as seriously as Rain Parade. This is the first music project to include David Roback, who went on to form Opal, Rainy Day, and Mazzy Star. Usually if you pick up "Emergency 3rd Rail Power Trip" it will come with their '84 EP "Explosions In the Glass Palace." And for once I agree with putting two works together. Together you get 15 songs that flow perfectly. This is some great 12-String Ric psychedelia. This album is nothing short of a classic and I consider it to be one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Melodic, trippy, and just really well written. Get this album now! Do it!

Joe Byrd & the Field Hippies: The American Metaphysical Circus (1969)

Pretty much the same thing as "The United States of America" but a little more conceptual. Includes some different versions of songs from the previously mentioned album. This is supposed to be "The Album to Trip To." You be the judge. 

The Five Day Week Straw People: The Five Day Week Straw People (1968)

The most impressive thing about this album is that it was written in one week and recorded in one day. But besides that its kind of bland garage-mod-psych-rock. But it still has its moments and is a good relic to claim.

Procol Harum: Procol Harum (1967)

Most of us know the 1st track off this album, "A Whiter Shade of Pale." But that song doesn't really display the full ability of this band. This album displays many different styles that make 60's psych so interesting. There are some really good tunes on this album as well. John Lennon was a big fan.

Nirvana: The Story of Simon Simopath (1967)

The original Nirvana, and no matter how many teary eyed bitchy Kurt Cobain minions complain about it, the better Nirvana. This is one beautiful album full of baroque-psych-pop that, as many of these albums do, tells a story. This albums is so catchy, every song will dwell in your head for ages.

Neighb'rhood Childr'n: Long Years In Space (1968)

San Fran psych from New York. Some decent trippy tunes, but nothing amazing.

Growing Concern: Growing Concern (1968)

Decent San Fran psych. Can't find anything out about it. This album is pretty hard to come by, but is worth a listen, especially if you're a fan of Jefferson Airplane.

H.P. Lovecraft: H.P. Lovecraft I & II (1968)

This is the cover for their second album. I can't find these two album by themselves, they usually come together. Both are strong progressive psych-folk efforts.

C.A. Quintet: Trip Thru Hell (1968)

This is some chillingly dark psychedelia. Just look at the cover! "Trip Through Hell" is just that. Some really spooky music from where else but the midwest. Supposedly this album only sold 700-800 copies when it came out, but thanks to us 60's psych collectors, C.A. Quintet got their respect in the 80's when it was re-released after high demand. There is nothing to compare this album to. Just get it immediately. 

J.K. & Co.: Suddenly One Summer (1969)

Jay Kaye was 15 years old when he hitchhiked from Las Vegas to Vancouver and recorded this lost masterpiece. That should be enough to intrigue you, if not listen to the second track on this album "Fly." The beautiful array of reverse sounds will make you melt.

George Harrison: Wonderwall Music (1968)

The first Beatles solo release is the best in my opinion. No pop tunes here. Just way trippy indian jams that Harrison really pioneers on this album. If you're at all interested in what the Beatles would have been doing if Harrison had more say so, then check out this album. But the best way to hear this album is with the film that it is a soundtrack to. "Wonderwall" is  a psychedelic movie with no dialogue. This album provides the music to it. 

The Pretty Things: Parachute (1970)

The Pretty Things' follow up to S.F Sorrow may not be as intriguing but is still a pretty awesome album and is just as conceptual. This album flows like one long song which keeps you from ever turning it off, that is until the second half. Like all other bands of the time the Pretty Things spend half their time making great psych-rock and the the other half resorting to cheezy mojo-blues garbage. This album got album of the year from Rolling Stone in 1970 and the first half deserves it, but the generic rock that plagues the second half will probably disappoint.

Syd Barrett: The Madcap Laughs (1970)

Most of these songs were written when Syd was still with Pink Floyd. Great songs and some awesome production by David Gilmore. This is a great example of psych-folk. This album is a must have for any psych fan. 

Skip Bifferty: Skip Bifferty (1968)

Really, really solid psychedelic rock. There are pop elements to this album, but it's definitely heavier than most of the stuff on my list. I wish there was more stuff like this. Heavier progressive psych that doesn't completely ignore pop elements. This is a great album, hard to find, but worth getting when you do.

Gandalf: Gandalf (1969)

So Capitol Records destroyed this band. First they made them change their name from Rahgoos to Gandalf to capitalize on the psych trend of the time. They shelved their album 2 years after signing them, then released it with the wrong record inside the sleeve. Damn! That's just enough to destroy a band, and it did. What a shame too, because this is one pretty amazing album. Breathy vocals in the vein of the Zombies, great instrumentation, and trippy effects.

Buffalo Springfield: Again (1967)

Buffalo Springfield's second album is their most psychedelic, mainly because of Neil Young's tender psych masterpiece, "Expecting to Fly." But every song on this album is solid. Also includes "Bluebird" and "Hung Upside Down."

Kaleidoscope: Faintly Blowing (1968)

Kaleidoscope's (UK) second album isn't as psychedelic as their first, but still continues in an interesting direction. One thing this band never lost was their knack for writing great songs. Every song on this album is worth a listen, and some of them are so catchy they will stay in your head for weeks.

The Bee Gees: Bee Gees 1st (1967)

So the Bee Gees started off making better music than their later career would make you think. This is a baroque-psych-pop album that features one of the coolest psych songs ever, "Every Christian Lion Hearted Man." That's about the only real highlight on this album, but the rest of it is pretty decent. 

Arthur Brown: The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (1968)

Arthur Brown went on to be a shock rocker, and kind of was one of the first ones at this point. Pete Townshend helped produce this tripped out psych-funk-R&B-mash of styles debut album. It's pretty crazy and oddly entertaining. The guy did wear a flame helmet during performances. Listen to "Fire."

Ars Nova: Ars Nova (1968)

Once again, ignore the horrible album cover. This is some really interesting classical conceptual music. Kind of medieval, kind of Move-esque. Interesting harmonies, great instrumentation, and some pretty spot on song writing make this a good find.

Twink: Think Pink (1970)

For those of you who don't know who Twink is, let me fill you in. Twink was the drummer for Tomorrow, The Pretty Things, and the Pink Fairies. Twink was one of the most active artists in in early psych music. This album is fucking out there. Way trippy. Some people may not be able to handle it, mind melting. Just check it out.

The Association: Insight Out (1967)

A decent psych-pop effort from the Association. The only song I really care for on this album is their amazing cover of "Never My Love." Makes this album worth while.

The Millennium: Begin

The Moon: Without Earth (1968)

It's pretty difficult to find any info about this album, or to find his album on its own (usually paired with their second album, "The Moon"). But it's a pretty decent psych-pop gem.

Trader Horne: Morning Way (1970)

Really cool acid folk album that makes you think your lying in a field in Camelot. Very interesting instrumentation as well.

The End: Introspection (1969)

This album is a classic produced by Rolling Stone Bill Wyman. Harpsichords, Mellotron, cockne intros. A really solid psych-pop release that deserves far more than it received. "Loving Sacred Loving" is one of my favorite songs.