When you think of psychedelia you may think of The Yardbirds, The Beatles, and others from the '60s. In later years I can say The Smiths, How Soon Is Now is a psychedelic rock song with that fuzzy guitar sound. I'm happy that many up-and-coming bands are playing psychedelic rock to large audiences. King Buffalo from Rochester, NY is one such band that has been making its mark since 2013.
The trio consists of vocalist/guitarist, Sean McVay, Dan Reynolds on bass, and Scott Donaldson on drums. They describe their music as heavy psych and I have to say it grooves. They have gained a large international following through their hard work. Their songs may be eerie but their beautiful melodies are what stand out especially on their debut EP, Orion in 2016. Listen to the song, Kerosene, that bassline, and the guitar sound just rock. Since then they have released 5 EPs with each one having its distinct and haunting art covers. This band's music is loud and atmospheric in nature which has many people who have seen them admit they were never psychedelic rock fans before but they are now. I may not have checked them out live yet, but just hearing their music and sound has me convinced. This past December(2021)they released their latest album titled, Acheron. The album was recorded during the pandemic in an underground cave and since there was a brook running through it they incorporated the sounds of water throughout their record. This band is totally independent and does everything themselves. I love that they also release their records on vinyl which is great news for us vinyl collectors. They will be on tour starting in March with their first show at the club Brooklyn Steel here in Brooklyn, NY. Check out this hard-rocking band and support independent music and musicians. Happy listening!
Shadows
