You may remember Montreal’s answer to psychedelic indie rock, Elephant Stone, from our Psychedelic Sunday feature a few months back. If you missed them the last time they came through the Midwest, here’s one more chance to catch them this year.
Elephant Stone make pop music. They don’t try to hide behind obscure genres and call it anything else, they are happy calling it pop. Remember, “pop” is not necessarily a bad word (unless we’re talking about Miley Cyrus or the stuff MTV churns out daily).
Having been raised on the traditional indian music of past decades and the ragas of Ravi Shankar, frontman Rishi Dhir infuses the band with flourishes of Eastern influence by adding sitar and tablas to the mix. The result is a unique form of psychedelic pop that relies as much on its Eastern influences as it does its ’60s pop influences. The band has come to call it “Hindie Rock”.
To help spread the gospel of “Hindie Rock” they recently put out a 12-song compilation called ACID KILLED MY ROCK’N’ROLL: AN INTRODUCTION TO ELEPHANT STONE. The jury is still out on whether acid did indeed kill rock’n’roll, but what is certain is that this album is a perfect taste of what the band has to offer. Here’s an oldie but a goodie you’ll find on this new collection:
Including some prime cuts from their last two full length albums, a few tracks from their first EP, and even a Tom Petty cover, the album is an enjoyable listen for new and old fans alike. Download it for free over at NoiseTrade.
The band as been touring along side friends and fellow Montreal locals The Besnard Lakes this fall and will add Chicago locals Secret Colours to the bill this week at Empty Bottle.
Secret Colours have come to define a big part of Chicago’s psychedelic music scene over the last few years. They were the first band to be featured on our ever popular Psychedelic Sunday series, and have continually produced some impressive albums that rank among my local favorites.
The Besnard Lakes, like many rock acts from Montreal, have fought off comparisons to Arcade Fire, based primarily on the fact that both bands are from the same place and fronted by married couples. Comparisons aside, this band have an ethereal dream pop quality that no other band can touch.
They fit into the psychedelic scene just fine but bring with them these swirling layers of instrumentation that are reminiscent of bands like My Bloody Valentine or Mazzy Star but take on a life of their own on their records and in their live show.
This incredible, and long overdue, meeting of the Montreal and Chicago psychedelic scenes is happening this Wednesday, November 6th at 9pm at Empty Bottle. The event is 21+ and doors open at 8:30pm. Luckily, you won’t have to pay any big wig prices to get in, tickets are available for only $12 online via Ticketweb or $14 at the door. This lineup is too good to miss, get on it.
Elephant Stone Official | Facebook | Twitter
The Besnard Lakes Official | Facebook | Twitter
Secret Colours Official | Facebook | Twitter
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