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LSD/drug inspired lo-fi aesthetic in 80s/90s American alternative music

Started by lipsink, November 24, 2021, 12:48:09 PM

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lipsink

I kinda love the weird lo-fi aesthetic that American bands like Butthole Surfers, Ween etc had in the 80s and 90s. In truth, I find a lot of it sort of creepy. I assume it's LSD inspired. Never taken LSD as I'm way too anxious about having a bad trip or losing my mind but I find the weird druggy, homemade look of this quite fascinating: https://youtu.be/76yWZcsgwF8

It's almost like a redneck take on Monty Python.I'm sure they were all having fun making it and it's a joke but the end result creeps me out for some reason. Anyone recommend any other bands/artists from that era with weird, scary lo-fi videos/songs?

Famous Mortimer

Caroliner - a band who are still almost entirely anonymous (a former member who went on to a career in cartoons and wrote an autobiography mentioned it, but that's about it). I'm not sure they even did any videos, but their albums are right on the weirder end of the things you mentioned. Also, their packaging is bonkers - I have an LP in some hideous piece of wallpaper which is about an inch bigger than all my other LPs.

Sun City Girls - an ex of mine threw out my collection of their very early cassettes when we broke up, which I'm still annoyed by over 15 years later. I'm not sure of their aesthetic as I don't think they did many / any videos, but their music is definitely in this wheelhouse.

Mercury Rev on their first two albums definitely embodied this. Pure psychedelic chaos.



Johnny Yesno

Are you just looking for American bands from that period? Would Cold Hands by Boss Hog fit the bill?


Johnny Yesno

Or how about the work of Helios Creed? For example, the song Martian Sperm and Bagpipes:



Timestamp for the track here: https://youtu.be/JzTpJZsy2po?t=1517

lipsink

Quote from: Johnny Yesno on November 24, 2021, 05:36:59 PMAre you just looking for American bands from that period? Would Cold Hands by Boss Hog fit the bill?


Ah, that's great too thanks.

Was Zappa a big influence on all these bands? I'm trying to work out who the precursor was.

Johnny Yesno

Quote from: lipsink on November 24, 2021, 05:40:38 PMWas Zappa a big influence on all these bands? I'm trying to work out who the precursor was.

Well, Chrome was the precursor to Helios Creed, given he was the guitarist for their best work. Check 'em out. All on Bandcamp now. I recommend everything from Alien Soundtracks to Red Exposure inclusive. Helios wasn't on The Visitation but it's still a great album. The other albums are extremely patchy.

https://chromemusic.bandcamp.com/music

Johnny Yesno

Again, not sure if it's what you're after but it is pretty funny:


chveik

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on November 24, 2021, 02:49:41 PMCaroliner - a band who are still almost entirely anonymous (a former member who went on to a career in cartoons and wrote an autobiography mentioned it, but that's about it). I'm not sure they even did any videos, but their albums are right on the weirder end of the things you mentioned. Also, their packaging is bonkers - I have an LP in some hideous piece of wallpaper which is about an inch bigger than all my other LPs.

Sun City Girls - an ex of mine threw out my collection of their very early cassettes when we broke up, which I'm still annoyed by over 15 years later. I'm not sure of their aesthetic as I don't think they did many / any videos, but their music is definitely in this wheelhouse.

two of my faves. i would add Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 and  Five Starcle Men

BlodwynPig


purlieu

Early Flaming Lips:


Pre-fame Guided by Voices have some utterly bloody weird moments:


And yes, as previously mentioned, Mercury Rev's first couple of records in particular are great examples, although it's mostly bright, sunny sounding stuff. That said, this fits the slightly creeping what the fuck's going on vibe:

Dirty Boy

U.S. Maple spring to mind. The guy's fucking voice!

Also, the even more obscure Steaming Coils (listen to the full album if you can)

Early Mercury Rev also a good shout. Will watch this thread with interest.

Video Game Fan 2000

Quote from: Dirty Boy on November 24, 2021, 08:29:30 PMU.S. Maple spring to mind. The guy's fucking voice!

I was going to post Shorty, Johnson and Shippy's previous band.


Famous Mortimer

There's also stuff like Bongwater, who were probably more art than acid, but there's lots of lovely odd things on their albums. And other bands from Shimmy Disc, like B.A.L.L. and When People Were Shorter and Lived Near the Water.

Greg Torso

Hello, OP. If you are looking for creepy drug-dusted lo-fi psychedelic rawk perhaps I can recommend the Pain Teens. From similar area and era to the Butthole Surfers, and doing the deep-fried skin-flaying guitar whiplash with muffled samples of serial killers and deep south preachers and a bored sounding dominatrix idly threatening to jam a chair leg up your arse.




Personally I prefer their earlier recordings when they were a duo and it was more of a sound collage thing with Bliss Blood reading out medical reports and articles about mass shootings at McDonaldses but they went in a lot of directions (if you want mellow stuff highly check out their cover of The Story Of Isaac)


Greg Torso

Quote from: Video Game Fan 2000 on November 24, 2021, 09:20:54 PMShorty


One of the greatest noise rock punk bands of the 90s. Their cover of Hot For Teacher is fucking amazing (although one of their song titles is er, a little problematic).

Delightfully horrible cover of an old Christian pop banger by Gregg Turkington's band, Zip Code Rapists.


Just to had to the disturbing quality of this, the original was written by a former youth pastor who  has recently been accused of multiple child sex offences going back decades.

Greg Torso

Perhaps sir could be tempted with a little Three Day Stubble... it's hard to find their records on youtube but plenty of hot wet live action.








Famous Mortimer

The drug that inspired this lot was heroin, but "Twin Infinitives" by Royal Trux might be up your street too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpcwA2fJkAw