If you find yourself sucked into the psychedelic vortex of Khruangbin, then these bands will surely get feet moving and minds opening. Formed in Texas, the eclectic trio, composed of Laura Lee Ochoa (bass), Mark Speer (guitar), and DJ Johnson (drums), has long been a fixture in the psych rock scene for over 10 years, drawing in loyal followers for their swirl of colorful compositions. Whether jamming on a smooth dub instrumental or bearing their souls through performances aiming straight for the heart, their far-reaching brand of psych rock has no shortage of innovation. Ahead of the release of A La Sala, their fourth studio album, here are six bands, ranging from contemporaries to burgeoning acts new to the scene, who you will love if you’re a fan of Khruangbin.
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Khruangbin is preparing for what’s looking to be their biggest year yet with an expansive North American/European tour and their fourth album, A La Sala, out April 5 via Dead Oceans. They’ve unveiled three singles so far, with the West African-inspired song “Pon Pón” released on March 19.
Editorial feature produced by Sandra Burciaga Olinger, written by David Sosa.
BALTHVS
Psych funk outfit BALTHVS, similarly a trio noted for their fusing of genres from around the world, has quickly made a name for themselves in the four years of their existence. Insistently a psychedelic band, they formed in Bogotá, Colombia, and found themselves performing for local and international crowds in no time. Just recently, Balthazar Aguirre (guitar), Johanna Mercuriana (bass), and Santiago Lizcano (drums) performed in LA at Lodge Room, with other shows lined up for the US and Europe. “Johanna’s Dream” off their debut album MICROCOSM perfectly illustrates the meditative psychedelia they’re naturals in, bringing serenity through guitar strums, laidback drums, and a trembling bassline felt all through your body. “If there’s just a tiny less bit of anger or anxiety because of this work, the task is done, the purpose is fulfilled, there is no other intention beyond this, it is a means to an end,” wrote Aguirre on their website.
LA LOM
Debuting a little under two years ago, the Los Angeles League of Musicians, better known as LA LOM, embodies the city’s lively music scene. The LA natives, originally consisting of Zac Sokolow (guitar), Jake Faulkner (bass), and Nicholas Baker (percussion), specialize in instrumental tracks that you can perfectly imagine playing in the background of a cantina or a bustling backyard party. Although unafraid to venture into other genres, their focus remains on cumbia, music that soundtracked their lives and has subsequently influenced songs such as the atmospheric groove of their last single, “Llorar.” Where they lack vocals, they more than make up for their skill and ability to capture the spirit of L.A. through tracks that feel as though you’re listening in on a group of friends playing for themselves.
Glass Beams
Often outfitted in beautifully jeweled masks and somewhat shrouded in mystery, Melbourne psyche band Glass Beams’ presence matches their music’s mystifying ambiance. They first popped up in 2021 with their Mirage EP, a three-song collection with a glistening yet spellbinding interpretation of krautrock infused with elements of jazz on the title track. Much of their work draws inspiration from founding member Rajan Silva’s heritage, with Glass Beams serving as a love letter to his roots in India. Even for those unfamiliar with Indian music, the resulting songs from Glass Beams seek to transport you through a kaleidoscopic voyage of psychedelic music as mesmerizing as it is nearly impossible not to be intrigued by the veil of mystique.
Kikagaku Moyo
Like their name, which translates to “geometric patterns” in English, Tokyo band Kikagaku Moyo manages to fit elements coming from all sides of psychedelic rock into a style that constantly evolved across their career. Although they went on an indefinite hiatus in 2022, their singles and five sprawling albums over the past ten years make up enough material that few artists or bands accumulate after decades of working. When they first joined forces in 2012, each member of the band brought their own tastes in music that varied anywhere from hard rock to funk, all unique reference points reflected in albums like 2018’s Masana Temples. One of the most impressive aspects of Kikagaku Moyo is the wide array of runtimes in their songs, with tracks ranging anywhere from a standard three minutes to nearly 28 minutes long. But without fail, their stretch in capabilities make them a standout band in the psychedelic scene from ten years ago that is now making its way into the mainstream.
Levitation Room
Perhaps no band title more accurately describes their music than levitation room, an East LA psychedelic band that updates the sonic sounds of the 60s for the still lost in a daze modern age. Entirely self-produced by members Julian Porte (guitar/vocals), Gabriel Fernandez (guitar), Johnathan Martin (percussion), and Kevin Perez (bass), levitation room’s debut EP Minds of Our Own from 2015 acts as a testament to the dreamy feel consistent across their albums. Their recently released album Strange Weather lives up to the band’s name, creating a cosmic atmosphere characterized by weightlessness. The effect of their music is in large part due to their songs’ lucid narratives, which, paired with sweeping production seemingly born out of daydreams, will leave you questioning reality and getting lost in the 60s-soaked nirvana of levitation room.
The Budos Band
After nearly 20 years, Staten Island’s The Budos Band is still going strong while finding new avenues to add to an already vast cosmic background of music. Boasting a borderline orchestral size collective, the instrumental band’s beginnings in 2005 resemble the state of the band today, where the lineup is constantly changing yet never deviating from the Afrobeat-driven sound. Last year’s Frontier’s Edge EP draws a clear through line from when they first began and proves they haven’t faltered in the slightest, packing a brass ensemble loud enough to rival the soundtrack of a Melvin Van Peebles movie on “Crescent Blade.” The Budos Band’s psychedelic approach to their seamless blend of funk, jazz, soul, and so much more is equal parts longstanding and enormous in what they have been able to accomplish, never disbanding after so many years.
