Two of Sydney’s finest lift the curtain on their music.

Most of us who have dipped our toes in the Sydney psych scene will be well aware of both Rosa Maria and Misty Lanes. The former are the freakbeaters-in-chief around town and the latter is the side project of Montes Jura guitarist Steven Schouten who has caressed many an ear with smooth crooning and delightfully strummed 12-string.

The two have recently joined forces to release a limited run (150) of split 7-inches through Oracle Records (pre-order here). The record will feature Rosa Maria’s surf-flavoured jam ‘Howlin’ from their forthcoming sophomore record Here She Comes, along with Misty Lanes’ unreleased tune ‘Release Your Love’, that we can guarantee is one of their finest.

And that’s not all – they’ll be playing with some of Sydney’s finest on the Third Eye Stimuli stage at this year’s King Street Crawl, which is going down at Enmore’s Sly Fox – info here.But for now, take a look at some of the music that gets underneath their skin in the best kind of way with Broc Townsend (Rosa Maria) and Steven talking us through some of their favourite psych tracks:

‘Defecting Grey’ – The Pretty Things (Steve)

This track takes so many twists and turns and has all the hallmarks of a 1967 psychedelic rock song – backwards guitars, sitars, fuzz. It’s one of those songs you’ll discover something new with each listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhAjEYqQp1U

‘Take Me To The Other Side’ – Spacemen 3 (Broc)

The opening track to their 1987 album, Perfect Prescription. The album is, quote, “A vision of a drug trip from inception to its blasted conclusion, highs and lows and fully intact”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2CK48l4GM

I’m The One – Anette Peacock (Steve)

Apparently this record was all recorded live and mostly in single takes which blows my mind. She runs her vocals through a Moog synth to get this crazy almost bit-crunched pitchiness that somehow suits her soulful vocals brilliantly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dP4ux-hRek

‘Sticky Fruitman Has Faith – White Fence (Broc)

Tim Presley has such an original sound that I’ve always loved. This is one of my favourites that bends my mind in the right kind of way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HhnWawrobA

‘Transparent Radiation’ – Red Krayola (Steve)

I first heard the Spacemen 3 version of this song and much later on found out it was a Red Krayola cover, I love both versions but The Red Krayola version has Roky Erickson on harmonic so how can you compete with that?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EbQBPPA9kk

‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’ – 13th Floor Elevators (Broc)

Undoubtedly the fathers of psychedelic rock. Tommy hall on the jug and a 15-year-old Roky Erickson. 1966 in Texas of all places. I also heard they kept all their drugs in the jug.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OytJYBfwUk

‘Blue Milk’ – Stereolab (Steve)

On the surface this song sounds really repetitive and hypnotic, which I guess it is but like defecting grey with each listen you’ll discover something new. The subtle textural rhythms that very slowly progress over the 11 minutes and bounce around an almost alarm like two note rhythm track make you focus on a different part each time, something I’ve always loved about Sterolab’s songwriting.

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

‘The Porpoise Song’ – The Monkees (Broc)

A good friend of mine played this to me just the other day and it’s been on rotation ever since. It’s got that real higher power psychedelic feel. Takes you on a nice ride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tVcDpqZNyU

Alexander ‘Skip’ Spencer – War In Peace (Steve)

Alexander ‘Skip’ Spencers record ‘Ora’ has always been a favourite of mine, It’s one of those beautifully tragic records that documents his deteriorating mental state at the time.
The story goes he was admitted to Bellevue Hospital after a delusion-driven attempt to attack his bandmates from Moby Grape with a fire axe. After six months he bailed from the hospital and rode a motorcycle in his pajamas to Columbia Studios in Nashville to record the songs he’d been working on while in hospital. ‘War in peace, what a funny combination?’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ZOjZztGzs

‘Strangers From The Sky’ – Kim Fowley (Broc)

Kim Fowley stood out from the rest through his career. Still does. He really let his freak flag fly and produced some extremely original and inventive music like this one.