Psychedelic

At the peak of the British Invasion of the early 1960s, American folk music was working its way into youth culture; the revolution was at hand. Bands began to shift their focus from traditional rock 'n' roll subject matter -- girls, cars, and sex -- toward both the social issues and the drugs of the day. Guitarists added fuzz to the British sound, creating dreamy, spacious textures. The influences of Free Jazz were felt as well, as musicians explored improvisation and Eastern music. Hear Roger McGuinn's Indian-influenced opening guitar notes in the Byrds' "Eight Miles High," or George Harrison's sitar. Vocal choruses were loaded with echo, the lyrics tackling social protest and surrealist imagery. Today, acts from all over the world play music directly descended from psychedelia, from the Athens, Ga.-based the Apples In Stereo to the British Bevis Frond, to the creative Noise Pop group the Flaming Lips.