13th Floor Elevators | Artist

The 13th Floor Elevators were a Psychedelic Garage Rock band formed 1965 in Austin, Texas, by Roky Erickson (vocals, guitar), Stacy Sutherland (guitar, vocals), Tommy Hall (jug, guitar), Benny Thurman (bass, violin) and John Ike Walton (drums). They were one of the earliest bands to be described as "psychedelic" and their first two albums The Psychedelic Sounds (1966) and Easter Everywhere (1967) are considered to be early classics of the psych genre. Erickson left after the first two albums when, facing a felony charge for marijuana possession, he chose to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital rather than serve a prison term. The band carried on until 1969, releasing one more studio album Bull of the Woods (1969), and a live album in 1968. Erickson returned to music after a lengthy recuperation period and carried on with a successful solo career. Fellow Texan Janis Joplin was a close friend of the band in the early days. She opened for the band at a benefit concert in Austin, and considered joining the group prior to heading to San Francisco and joining Big Brother and the Holding Company. Recommended archival compilations include 2009's Sign of the 3 Eyed Men and Music of The Spheres from 2011. As a point of historical interest, in 1967 Roky Erickson was a roommate of future cult country musician Townes Van Zandt. Erickson insisted that he join the Elevators on bass, even though he was a guitarist who had never played bass before. Van Zandt auditioned for for the band but was rejected.

Artist Website: internationalartistsrecords.com

Featured Albums: 13th Floor Elevators

Related Artists: Roky Erickson, Cold Sun