Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground is a musical genre that originated in California. It was particularly popular in Los Angeles, reaching a peak in the mid-1980s. Paisley Underground bands incorporated psychedelia, rich vocal harmonies and guitar interplay, owing a particular debt to 1960s groups such as Love and the Byrds, but more generally referencing a wide range of pop and garage rock revival.[1]
Paisley Underground
Early to mid-1980s, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Davis in California
California scenes[edit]
Southern California[edit]
Pat Thomas has described the Paisley Underground sound as a "marriage of classic rock and punk."[5] Although there were accomplished musicians among the groups, the scene was also rooted—as was the punk rock that preceded it—in an inspired amateurism described as "a punk D.I.Y. ethic."[5]
The Dream Syndicate, for example, combined influences from the Velvet Underground, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Crazy Horse, and Creedence Clearwater Revival with the energy of punk, influencing other musicians who "wanted to move on from pro forma p‑rock but keep the intensity."[6][7]
Green on Red came on as a cousin to the Doors, Rain Parade a melodic melding of Love, The Beatles, Big Star, and The Velvet Underground, the Long Ryders honored Gram Parsons and Buffalo Springfield, The Three O'Clock owed debt to the Bee Gees and the Monkees, the Bangles recalled the Mamas & the Papas, and so on.[8] The 1970s Memphis-based cult band Big Star, whose "September Gurls" was covered by the Bangles, was also influential, as were Britain's Soft Boys. John Hoffs, best friend of David Roback and brother of Susanna Hoffs was an idea contributor to starting a unique new sound, a Paisley Underground all girl band.
Paisley Underground bands frequently shared bills, socialized, and collaborated on side projects. For example:
Related scenes[edit]
The Paisley Underground movement was paralleled in other parts of the world by genres such as New Zealand's Dunedin sound, whose chief exponents (such as The Chills and Sneaky Feelings) were often cited as directly comparable to Paisley Underground bands. A related genre of 1980s guitar rock is named jangle pop after the ringing, light guitar sounds, such as those of R.E.M., that also often featured in Paisley Underground music.[2]
Although many of the Paisley Underground groups released at least one album on a major label, by far the most commercially successful band to emerge from the movement was The Bangles, who had several mainstream hits in the 1980s, reaching #1 in the United States with the single "Walk Like an Egyptian" in 1986.[14]
The movement's influence on 1980s contemporaries, such as English bands The Teardrop Explodes and Echo & the Bunnymen,[15] and Seattle's The Green Pajamas,[16] has been noted. In the mid-1980s, Prince was notably influenced by the Paisley Underground sound: not only did his 1985 album Around the World in a Day have a more psychedelic sound than any of his previous or future work, but he also named his record label (Paisley Park Records) after the movement, wrote "Manic Monday" for the Bangles, and signed The Three O'Clock to his label.[17]
As the Paisley Underground bands of the 1980s broke up, some of their members came together in new combinations which continued to record through the 1990s and later:
Other currently active recording artists who are cited as influenced by the Paisley Underground include the Allah-Las,[2] Exploding Flowers,[19] Mercury Rev, The Gentle Cycle (led by latter Rain Parade member Derek See), and Grandaddy.[17]
In 2005, Rhino released Children of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the Second Psychedelic Era, 1976–1995, a four-CD box set which anthologized many Paisley Underground and related bands. The title referred to the original 1972 compilation Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968, whose music influenced the bands featured on Children of Nuggets.[20]
Revival and band reunions[edit]
2013 saw a series of reunions among the original Paisley Underground bands. After 25 years of turning down reunion offers, The Three O'Clock reformed after being presented with a chance to play at the 2013 Coachella Festival.[21] Michael Quercio (vocals/bass), Louis Gutierrez (guitars), and Danny Benair (drums) were joined by new recruit Adam Merrin (keyboards).[21][22] The group played both weekends of Coachella, appeared on the late-night talk show Conan, embarked on a brief concert tour, and released several archival recordings.[22]
In December 2013, four reunited Paisley Underground bands – The Bangles, The Three O'Clock, Dream Syndicate, and Rain Parade – played a concert together at The Fillmore in San Francisco, followed by a benefit concert at The Fonda Theatre the next evening in Los Angeles.[23]
According to Steve Wynn in an April 2014 interview, all four reunited bands remain active, and continue to tour separately.[24]
In late 2018 the four bands collaborated on a Yep Roc Records album, 3 x 4, where each of the four bands performed one song each that had been originated by each of the three other bands.[25]