LSD and the Search for God hit the Northern California coast in 2005, dosing San Francisco with hypnotic shows built upon swirling guitars, otherworldly drones, fuzzed-out pop melodies, and dreamy vocal harmonies.
As early reviews drew comparisons to My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Spacemen 3, Yo La Tengo, and Sonic Youth, the band developed a must-see reputation within the underground psych and shoegaze scene.
LSD’s self-titled debut EP (Mind Expansion Records, 2007) sold out prior to its official release date. It continues to earn critical acclaim and frequently appear on shoegaze “Best Of” lists. It was twice reissued on vinyl (Deep Space Recordings, 2008, 2015), twice on cassette (Cellar Door Tapes, 2015), and tracks were featured on three compilations: Mind Expansion Vol. 1, M.E. Vol. 2, and Australian nugazer compilation Take Me on the Wildest Spree (Rubber Records/EMI, 2008).
LSD’s second release, Heaven Is a Place (Space Age Recordings, 2016), captures a snapshot in time soon after Ricky Maymi (Brian Jonestown Massacre) temporarily joined the band on drums. Like the self-titled EP, Heaven garnered critical acclaim and frequented many Best Of lists. Pop Matters calls it, “a long-awaited sermon for the faithful and a blazing induction for new converts,” while Primal Music says it’s “another astonishing collection of five psychedelic stories glistening with the same spaced out ingredients that blew my mind way back in 2007.”
Artists
LSD and the Search for God
LSD and the Search for God have become a cult band in their own right. Their sound weaves heavily around the shoegaze genre with both front-man Andy Liszt and guitarist, Chris Fifield congregating about 50 effects pedals between them, this positioned the duo as both elegant dancers as well as musicians - it was a real multi-discipline art.As LSD and the Search for God took to the stage, faces curiously gazed upwards as the mass of effects pedals and musical equipment was packed tightly onto a stage that held five of the members of the group. Swirling jitters began to emerge from Fifield’s amplifier before the group came crashing in behind it, hurtling through tracks from the new EP. Songs such as ‘(I Don’t Think We Should) Take It Slow’ demonstrated their accuracy in finding the groove and the ease as to which LSD could capture the crowd’s imagination and attention. Bodies swayed in time with the gentle, fuzzy washes that wrapped their loving arms around you, it was a hazy red wine moment that was ultimately so immersive it had the potential to transport you to other realms. The set bended and warped through psychedelic bliss, fuzzy wah effects shaked and vibrated the volume and sound of the guitars, every movement, tap and shimmy on-stage was essential, demonstrating the exceptionally careful musicianship of the duo. Songs such as ‘Starting Over’ evidenced the sensitive, delicate approach that LSD can often take. Crazed and incensed punters at the front of the crowd dictated spaces to writhe themselves around in, one chap took to taking his top off, letting his spilling gut loose and continuing to throw his head towards the monitor, just incase it was not loud enough. It’s characters like this that make gigs so exciting, he personified the cultish appeal that LSD have and put some real endearment into the show. LSD and the Search for God came about and then instantly descended into obscurity allowing them to be every hipster’s hard-on. What they proved tonight though was their utter worth and credit to the shoegaze genre, they add their own, distinct flavour on a genre that can often be so overwhelmed with try-hards. After meeting them as a group afterwards, a perfect way to summarise is to mirror the words of Liszt and yell, “Right on, LSD!” Tom Churchill, Brighton's Finest Selected Press Quotes: "The San Franciscans’ washed-out guitarscapes and affectionate, blanket-warm melodies resemble My Bloody Valentine jamming with Yo La Tengo." --The Big Takeover "It was a night of exceptional intrigue and quite literally, an other-worldly performance. The set bended and warped through psychedelic bliss. Crazed and incensed punters at the front of the crowd dictated spaces to writhe themselves around in, one chap took to taking his top off, letting his spilling gut loose and continuing to throw his head towards the monitor, just incase it was not loud enough."