Back for its second year, the Portland Psych Fest has made good with presenting what's finest in the psych realm along the West Coast. This is exactly what we can expect from this weekened's happenings as well.

Starting tomorrow night and running all day Saturday, Portland Psych Fest features 17 artists and 3 DJs from here all the way down to Mexico, with a couple hailing from Idaho and Chicago. Four artists are slated to represent good ol' PDX, with two performing each night of the fest.

The much adored Jacksoon Boone will be taking the stage Friday along with Zozma, whose witchy psych includes trippy elements pulled from Middle Eastern pop.

Hawkeye's lo-fi indie britpop will surely delight fans of Spiritualized, as their influence can be heard throughout Hawkeye's songs. For a band made up of members of Souvenir Driver and Hollow Sidewalks, the influence makes sense and has only been perfected by the members' all around mastery. 

Portland psych can't really be discussed without mentioning Cambrian Explosion, who even for being in the scene three years have already solidified their place in it. Internal changes within the band haven't hindered them in any sense musically. They'll be on a few slots before headliners Spindrift and will be helping properly close out an intense weekend.

To view the few lineup and purchase tickets, visit the Portland Psych Fest website. Howler opens up the fest at 7:30pm tomorrow, so make sure you come out early.

The San Francisco based all female neo garage rock band, Dirty Denim will be performing at Brick and Mortar Music Hall tomorrow night in support of the Los Angeles based psych western rock band, Spindrift. The Bay Area based band, Mount Vision will be premiering their live tunes for the first time in San Francisco as the band consists of members of the neo psych rock band, Asteroid #4.

Spindrift is bringing a brand new line up into town as Kirpatrick Thomas works with a plethora of California based musicians to perform his "music-to film" style of imaginitive and energetic modern western rock songs. Spindrift puts on a good show!

Head down to Brick and Mortar and support Kymberli's Music Box shows, the great local bands who are performing along with the headliner.

Seasides, DJ Andy Human and Cosmonauts are playing the first night of Sprindrift's two Bay Area shows this weekend. The first show will take place TONIGHT at the Night Light in Oakland. Seasides is a Bay Area-based band highly influenced by '70s glam rock with a little bit of garage rock attitude thrown in. Also playing along Spindrift is Burger Records band, Cosmonauts. This band rejoices in reverb-heavy, trance influenced musical stylings.

The second show, occuring on January 26th at San Francisco’s Brick and Mortar Music Hall features the Cosmonauts, California Raga Association, Cool Ghouls and DJs, Tony the Tyger and Jodie Artichoke. The first band to perform will be San Francisco-based band, Cool Ghouls. Hot off their self titled album release last year, the band is known for crafting catchy psych rock tunes loaded to the brim with harmonies. Next is California Raga Association. If you’re looking for a deeply spiritual experience with psych music thrown in, this may be the band for you. According to the group, California Raga Association is a “musical magickal spell that energetically aligns any computer or stereo it is being played through.”

Los Angeles based, Spindrift can now properly be considered an institution of sorts. Seeking to combine elements of psych rock and spaghetti westerns, they have cultivated a sound all their own. Influenced by bands such as The Doors, My Bloody Valentine and Hawkind from the start, the band has gone above and beyond in their creative endeavors. Nearly 20 years later they have two films under their belt - “The Legend of God’s Gun” (2008) and “Spindrift – Ghost of the West,” which is said to be released this year. By marrying film and music together, Spndrift has proven time and time again their importance in the independent music scene.

That said, be sure to see them live in the Bay Area. You have ample opportunities!  -Erin Dage