Grinding Eyes’ favourite Australian psych-rock tracks right now
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17.05.2021

Grinding Eyes’ favourite Australian psych-rock tracks right now

The Sydney psych band spotlight the likes of EXEK, Deafcult, River of Snakes and more.

Hailing from Sydney, Grinding Eyes are a dark psych rock trio that shares members with past and present bands such as The Mess Hall, Treatment, The Laurels, The Holy Soul and Kimono Drag Queens

Their second album, Taste The Monochrome, came together during the quiet of 2020. A uniquely dark-yet-driving experience, Taste The Monochrome is a journey through themes of love, loss, isolation, despair and time travel, set to an ominous soundtrack of psych-rock and shoegaze bound together with luscious atmospherics. 

To celebrate the release of the new record, Grinding Eyes have put together a list of the Australian psych-rock songs they’ve been loving lately. As you can see from the list below, this trio like their psych rock to lean on the dark side.

Keep up to date with all the latest music interviews, news and reviews here.

Peel – ‘Memory Loop’

Peel are a new Sydney psych band who we came across last year. This song, ‘Memory Loop’, really jumped out with its drive and energy – it has a bit of that Primal Scream feel to it. They played at our album launch just recently.

Deafcult – ‘Summertime’

Deafcult is a six-piece band from Brisbane. There are a lot of them, and their live show is absolutely face-melting. They somehow manage to translate that into a very melodic and dynamic recording with floating riffs and layered guitars, and that dreamy ’80s chiming guitar feel.

Ancient Channels – ‘Wave After Wave’

Why do Brisbane bands have so many members? I don’t know, but it works! These guys are a seven piece who we thoroughly enjoyed playing with on our recent trip up north. This song is a lovely bit of hypnotic lo-fi psych pop from 2020 album, Moments In Ruin

EXEK – ‘A Hedonist’

EXEK is a Melbourne four piece who might be best categorised as post-punk or dark-wave. What they do is clever, jarring, dark, deeply surreal and otherworldly. 

Grey Mantis – ‘Reflections’

Old blokes in RSL cover bands with the ability to quote full paragraphs out of Mojo Magazine have given classic blues psych a bad rep. Thankfully there are also bands like Grey Mantis out there smashing it. This song is heavy psych, dynamic and you’ll definitely do that slow head nod thing while you listen. 

River of Snakes – ‘Black and Gold’

River of Snakes probably count as a Melbourne institution by now. This one is from their last album, and manages to be dirgey and catchy at the same time. Love the dark-wave dynamic, raw feel. 

Bliss – ‘Salt’

Bliss is a young Sydney four-piece psych-meets-dream-pop band. ‘Salt’ is a very sweet song. It’s all charming and floaty and laid back and dreamy and we like it a lot.

Grinding Eyes’ new album, Taste The Monochrome, is out now via Poison City Records/Little Cloud Records. 

The band hit Thornbury’s Cactus Room on Friday May 21 and The Tote on Saturday May 22 (sold out) and Sunday May 23. More info at the band’s Facebook page