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Neo-Psychedelia

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Neo-Psychedelia

AKA: Neo-Psych • 14,870 releases

Developments in Psychedelia since the early 1980s, building on the drug-inspired styles developed in the 1960s.
Read more Neo-psychedelia is a broad term referring to developments in Psychedelia since the early 1980s, building on the drug-inspired styles developed in the 1960s. The term initially referred to Post-Punk and Jangle Pop artists like The Soft Boys and The Church who brought in influence from Psychedelic Pop and Psychedelic Rock, combining clean electric guitars and pop songwriting with the use of reverb, distortion, or other effects. Through the decade, neo-psychedelia would parallel developments in Alternative Rock, including a mid-1980s scene in California known as the Paisley Underground, and a Space Rock Revival led by groups like Spacemen 3 and Loop. In the late 1980s, it would also contribute to the psychedelic sound of the Baggy scenes, which combined a surreal sonic environment with the upbeat rhythms of Alternative Dance and a drug-fueled rave culture, and was a major influence on Primal Scream's landmark 1991 album Screamadelica.

The 1990s featured several strains of neo-psychedelia, though all still remained fairly rooted in its Rock beginnings. In the UK, Shoegaze built on neo-psychedelic techniques and the similarly reverbed Dream Pop, along with the guitar distortion of Noise Pop, to become its own fully fledged genre, but there were also artists like Spiritualized and The Verve with a more purely neo-psychedelic sound that focused on studio effects and grandiose arrangements. Neo-psychedelia would also become a major factor in the American underground with a variety of interrelated styles, from the Elephant 6 collective and The Brian Jonestown Massacre's 1960s pop worship to Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips, whose psychedelic sound was initially noisier and less refined, before shifting to more orchestrated and experimental styles in line with their British counterparts.

The focus of neo-psychedelia would shift in the 2000s, with greater use of Electronic instruments, synthesizers, and effects by artists like Broadcast and, later in the decade, Fuck Buttons. At the same time, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti and James Ferraro defined an offshoot of neo-psychedelia that would come to be known as Hypnagogic Pop, whose grimy, lo-fi sound hearkened back to the 1980s. Another key figure in 2000s and later 2010s neo-psychedelia would be Animal Collective, whose eclectic sound drew from Psychedelic Folk before shifting in a more experimental, electronic-inflected direction which often pushed the boundaries of the genre beyond its Pop and rock roots.

In the 2010s, neo-psychedelia continued to be a force in alternative and even popular music, as artists like MGMT and Tame Impala found major success. The more electronic side of the genre would also be a major influence on the rise of Chillwave, which in turn was an influence on the dreamy, reverb-laden sound of Cloud Rap. At present, neo-psychedelia encompasses a wide variety of styles of music and influences, but these are unified by their common origin and similar usage of instruments and effects to create their psychedelic sound.

Top-ranked albums

See full chart

#1

Long Season
Fishmans
#2

Quebec
Ween
#3

Bocanada
Gustavo Cerati
#4

Diamond Jubilee
Cindy Lee
#5

무너지기 (Crumbling)
Mid-Air Thief 공중도둑
#6

Vision Creation Newsun
Boredoms
#7

Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern
Lil Ugly Mane
#8

The Soft Bulletin
The Flaming Lips
#9

Strawberry Jam
Animal Collective
#10

Ceres & Calypso in the Deep Time
Candy Claws

Years active

Neo-Psychedelia

Discography

14,870 Releases

1 2 ... 250 Next

Release Date

Avg Ratings Reviews

No Fun
No Fun

1978 EP

22 Ratings 3.51 Average

3.51 22 22
Occupied Territory / Skill
The Desperate Bicycles

1978 Single

77 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.42 Average

3.42 77 77 2 2
My Geraniums Are Bulletproof
The Deep Freeze Mice

1979 Album

299 Ratings 7 Reviews 3.32 Average

3.32 299 299 7 7
Sleeping Gas / Camera Camera / Kirkby Workers Dream Fades
The Teardrop Explodes

1979 Single

144 Ratings 5 Reviews 3.55 Average

3.55 144 144 5 5
A Can of Bees
The Soft Boys

1979 Album

1k Ratings 19 Reviews 3.49 Average

3.49 1k 1,179 19 19
Bouncing Babies / All I Am Is Loving You
The Teardrop Explodes

1979 Single

123 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.60 Average

3.60 123 123 3 3
Alpha Jerk
Twinkeyz

1979 Album

60 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.39 Average

3.39 60 60 3 3
Map Ref. 41°N 93°W / Go Ahead
Wire

1979 Single

838 Ratings 11 Reviews 4.10 Average

4.10 838 838 11 11
The Psychedelic Furs
The Psychedelic Furs

1980 Album

3k Ratings 45 Reviews 3.56 Average

3.56 3k 2,642 45 45
Sister Europe / ****
The Psychedelic Furs

1980 Single

254 Ratings 4 Reviews 3.80 Average

3.80 254 254 4 4
Dalek I Love You (Destiny) / Happy / This Is My Uniform
Dalek I

1980 Single

54 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.75 Average

3.75 54 54 2 2
Near The Soft Boys
The Soft Boys

1980 EP

86 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.73 Average

3.73 86 86 1 1
Underwater Moonlight
The Soft Boys

1980 Album

6k Ratings 99 Reviews 3.69 Average

3.69 6k 5,726 99 99
Mr. Clarinet / Happy Birthday
The Birthday Party

1980 Single

217 Ratings 3.78 Average

3.78 217 217
Mink Dress / Office Skills
Plasticland

1980 Single

16 Ratings 3.27 Average

3.27 16 16

1 2 ... 250 Next

Lists

RYM Ultimate Box Set > Neo-Psychedelia (Discs 3 + 4) 2021-07-08T19:18:01Z

Samarama 30 items
RYM Ultimate Box Set > Neo-Psychedelia 2020-02-11T00:37:56Z

MarilynRoxie 2 lists 46 items
Alternative RYM Chart: 2024 2024-04-10T04:08:34Z

Andreeee 7 lists 25 items
The Flaming Lips Ranked 2024-04-09T00:23:21Z

Melanzest 17 items
Fishmans Albums Ranked 2024-04-05T08:34:48Z

OfflineButNot 6 items
Música Psicodélica Brasileira 2024-04-03T03:00:50Z

thecatspyjamas 187 items
Crisp pop 2024-03-22T02:40:07Z

Sarubadooru 87 items
Menagerie: Animal Collective Albums Ranked 2024-03-20T19:18:39Z

jaycublee6 35 items
Animal Collective Ranked 2024-03-11T22:19:55Z

derbymusic 12 items
Ranked: Animal Collective 2024-02-20T20:05:35Z

itsgonnabemae 13 items
the sky is on fire 2024-02-20T00:28:27Z

n0tl0ngn0w 8 items
Psychedelic Indie Albums😵🌈🎸 2024-02-07T03:38:24Z

doliverjohn 7 items
AC Ranked 2024-01-09T20:26:52Z

willykrelson 11 items
Neo-Psychedelia 2024-01-09T17:49:29Z

vipero16 9 items
Animal Collective Canon 2023-12-30T09:43:54Z

DrDickPhD 34 items

Features

Sonemic Selects: Psychedelic & Surreal

A psychedelic and surreal mix of tracks designed for shuffling and discovery presented by Rate Your Music / Sonemic. Including Primal Scream, Jimi Hendrix, Fishmans, and more.

Sonemic Selects: Neo-Psychedelia

The top neo-psychedelia, with Animal Collective, Tame Impala, Soft Boys, Melody's Echo Chamber, Mazzy Star, and more rated highly by the Rate Your Music / Sonemic community with member reviews.

Hierarchy

See all genres

Psychedelia
Umbrella of styles intended to replicate or enhance the altered state of consciousness brought on by the use of psychedelic drugs, originating in the 1960s.
- Neo-Psychedelia
- - Hypnagogic Pop
    Originating among 2000s underground artists referencing the sounds of 1970/1980s pop culture through hazy, low-fidelity production.
  - Paisley Underground
    Emerged in Los Angeles in the early 1980s, featuring the energy of Power Pop and New Wave adorned with retro Psychedelia.
  - Psichedelia occulta italiana
    Extracts elements of texture-based Rock and other texture-based music into a brooding, mysterious, subtly malignant atmosphere reminiscent of the collective memory and popular media of Italy.
  - Space Rock Revival
    Type of Neo-Psychedelia that draws from the aesthetics and expansive sonic palette of Space Rock combined with the more minimal, back-to-basics approach of the Post-Punk era.

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Contributions

Contributors to this page: velvet_elvis81 goeie_oko StudentOfEtherium yaheg Disciple_of_WTF

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