Tame Impala: The Hallucinations of Psych Rock Live On
I admit, I have a one-track mind. What I mean is, with Lollapalooza in Grant Park just two weeks from tomorrow, I can think of little else music-wise. Despite my complete list of the top 10 acts I want to see at Lolla, my search through the line-up is not yet complete. With more than 100 bands on the bill, there’s a lot to sift through.
In previous years I’ve attended Lolla with only a partial understanding of what bands would be there, which led to varied experiences — some wonderful (hello, Beats Antique), and some thoroughly unimpressive (sorry, Cee-Lo). This year, I want to be prepared.
I wasn’t ready to discover Tame Impala. Their sound — psychadelic rock straight of the 60s — is produced by relative children, 20-somethings from the isolation of Perth, Australia. The vast, empty space of their home echoes in their music, which smacks of space rock. It will be an awesome scene to lounge and rock out on Friday afternoon as the festival gets ramped up. And after the festival we’ll only have to wait a couple months until October 9, when their new LP Lonerism drops in the U.S. on Modular Recordings. Their 2010 debut LP Innerspeaker is a solid effort already, so I can’t wait to see what they do with the new resources their growing notariety and gig strength has gained them. This is an important sophomore effort.
If you ever barricaded yourself in your room to listen to the trippy undertakings of the Dead or the Beatles, Jimi or Jefferson, then check these kids out. The group hallucination lives on.