On the eve of Sydney’s BAD Friday festival, we were hunting after the kind of tunes that are just bad to the bone. You know, grit-your-teeth, bang-your-head, down-a-bottle-of-Jack-and-see-ya-in-the-mosh BAD.
So, we asked the shrieking, the shaking, the downright razor-skating frontman of Psychedelic Porn Crumpets to help us out. Take it away, Jack.
Need a playlist that puts hair on your chest? Rock out to 10 tracks that thump like nothing else, courtesy of Psychedelic Porn Crumpets’ Jack McEwen.
Abbe May – Mammalian Locomotion
Abbe May’s 2011 debut album Design Desire is still one of my go to albums. It’s gritty, tone heavy rock ‘n’ roll that heavily influenced my guitar playing growing up.
This track has everything; a huge intro, a dreamy vocal melody, clever lyrics and a wailing guitar that sinks deep into your bones. Needs to be played loud. It’s a gem.
The Love Junkies – Black Sheep Blues
Another of Perth’s greats. This track has one of the greatest drops in (Dave Grohl voice) RAKKK History!!!
We were lucky enough to support these lads down in Bunbury and it’s even heavier live. Good group of humans too.
Dark Bells – Wildflower
Dark Bells only released five songs in 2013 and then broke up, which broke my heart. The lead signer has one of the most amazing voices in psych music. I don’t know what they’re up to these days but the first EP they released had me doing backflips.
It’s a heavier Melody’s Echo Chamber, which is froth central.
Pond – Giant Tortoise
Another one of Perth’s heroes. Giant Tortoise is mega, there’s nothing like it really. Pond changed the game for me with Hobo Magic. Going back to Sabbath roots, heavy prog, ’70s metal origins to add their unique flavour of psych to the modern era.
Giant track, tortoise friendly.
Nirvana – Breed
The be-all and end-all of riff heavy rock. Music started with Nevermind for me, it was the first CD from my old man’s collection that I loved and still love to this day. An absolute game changer for all musicians.
The Black Angels – Deer-Ree-Shee
Dark, melodic, heavy psych rock anyone? This tune is gargantuan. The Black Angels have mastered their own unique sound and by jove it’s massive.
You get lost so quickly, from note one you’re instantly whisked away with a beautiful sitar drone and then demolished with a thudding bass line that makes drugs seem useless.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Gamma Knife
Biggest band in the world right now? These fellas are breaking every record and creating some of the greatest music this side of the millennium. I got into them after I heard Head On Pill back when Float Along was released and it changed me. I picked the guitar back up and dreamt of being in a band again.
They’ve only gotten better since then, Mind Fuzz is a masterpiece and Nonagon is worthy of being album of the decade.
Tame Impala – Desire Be Desire Go
There was a point where all I listened to was Tame. The EP and Innerspeaker was playing on repeat in my car, then Lonerism came out and my world evolved. There’s so much to enjoy, the idea of the album went back to The Beatles and everyone started creating flavours rather than overly produced “rock” garbage.
Kevin Parker single handily got music back on track, I’d be pretty safe in saying everyone who writes psych music post-2012 was inspired by Tame Impala’s early work.
Marilyn Manson – The Fight Song
Back in the days when all I did was read Metal Hammer and watch Kerrang, the ’00s were exploding with experimental genres, giving birth to some of the best music that has ever been written.
Marilyn Manson was one who is still firmly placed in the public eye, a unique character that wrote socially deranged and politically charged bangers that get your blood boiling, face contorting and heart springing with what kind of world we’re living in.
Accompanied by Trent Reznor as a producer, anything was possible. Darkness got darker, heavy got heavier and a generation of individuals learnt to think for themselves.
Black Sabbath – Hole In The Sky
Now to cap it off it where it all started. Black Sabbath changed everything, probably the most influential band to ever bite a bat. It’s raw, it’s loud, it’s intriguing and it will never get old.
War Pigs must have blown minds back in its day! For me though Hole In The Sky still gets me to that next level, a pretty good effort after fifty-odd years.
Honourable mentions
Rage Against The Machine – Testify
Sleep – Dopesmoker
Witch – Seer
The Dead Weather – Hussle & Cuss
Mars Volta – Goliath
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets play BAD Friday 2018 on March 30 alongside a bunch of legends . Tickets are still going, so grab yours here.
