Psych-rock is classic, sure, but the neo-psychedelia movement in the 90s and 2000s takes the iconic genre and punches it up a bit more. Chaos, carefully controlled and otherwise, reigns with the following four bands. Some take it subtle, slow and groovy, while others have improvised saxophone freak-outs. It’s all part of the psych-rock collective, moving through time and space on infinite musical levels, man.
Dead Meadow
Dead Meadow formed in 1998 and released seven albums. Their first self-titled dropped in 2000 with the most recent release Voyager To Voyager in March 2025. The band consists of vocalist and guitarist Jason Simon and drummer Mark Laughlin, after the passing of bassist Steve Kille in 2024.
On their debut album, there’s meandering guitar work from Simon throughout. He’s accompanied by Laughlin’s solid drums and rich bass from Kille. These elements conjoin into a puzzle box of neo-psychedelia that mirrors 60s and 70s psych-rock. Their work takes shape like the backdrop of a small town historical reenactment. In other words, it mixes old and new in a way that blurs the lines of past and present.
Khruangbin
Khruangbin is a Texas trio blending global influences like 70s Thai rock with nostalgic neo-psychedelia. Here, they create a melting pot of funky grooves. The band is Laura Lee Ochoa on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald “DJ” Johnson on percussion, with all three contributing vocals. In 2024, they released their most recent record, A LA SALA.
Sound-wise, their instrumentals are low and slow, grooving through delectable guitar phrases and supple bass licks. Additionally, vocals glide easily like an airplane through clouds. Indeed, the band is named for this (translated literally from Thai for “engine fly”). A LA SALA is an album you can pull into your driveway to after a long road trip. Late-night darkness pressing against your windows, eyes bleary from opposing headlights on a two-lane road, eager to collapse into your own bed.
Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci
Formed in Wales in 1991, Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci has a name like a psychedelic 60s band your dad would listen to. However, their sound leans lighter and more tender-hearted, taking neo-psychedelia into a gentler atmosphere. The band was formed by Euros Childs on vocals and keyboard, John Lawrence on vocals and guitar, and Richard James on bass, with several other members coming and going. Overall, they released 12 studio albums before disbanding in 2006.
Performing in both Welsh and English afforded Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci a particular whimsy, and they took that and ran with it. They incorporated many elements, from Talking Heads-like controlled chaos (“Poodle Rockin’”) to delicate, breathy declarations (“Stood On Gold”). And then, also, everything in between.
Raccoo-oo-oon
Hailing from Iowa around 2004, Raccoo-oo-oon was into some heavily experimental stuff in their brief four active years. Wild improvisation, seemingly random saxophone blasts, percussion that fills every empty space in your brain where you used to think about things like consistent tempo and composition. Certainly, Raccoo-oo-oon was neo-psychedelia at its most untamed.
Founding members consisted of Andy Spore, Daren Ho, Ryan Garbes, and Shawn Reed. Their 2005 album Behold Secret Kingdom was built on chaos and instrumental freak-outs. The saxophone goes bananas on “Invisible Sun,” almost drowning out the moaning vocals. Essentially, it’s got flavors of IDLES on a lot of acid backed by some guys who got kicked out of their jazz band, and it will actually change your life.
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