If you’re anything like me you’ve listened to far too much King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and it’s still not enough. Since our boys from down under like to genre hop so much, I thought I’d whip together a recommendations article.
Willoughby’s Beach – Bangers vs Fuckers
Willoughby’s Beach was one of KG’s first outings, and still stands as one of their punkier, rawer records. What better to pair this with than Coach Whip’s Bangers vs Fuckers? The ever-prolific John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees fame has blessed us with an EP that just doesn’t stop. Clocking in at a modest 18 minutes, Bangers vs Fuckers is quick, unapologetically brash, and straight to the point. There’s no filler here. This is simply great garage punk.
I’m in your Mind Fuzz – Fuzz
Mind Fuzz and Fuzz have two things in common. One, their frontmen and associated projects are ridiculously prolific. Between them, KG and Fuzz frontman Ty Segall have released over 30 records, which quite frankly is madness. Two, these two records have a beautiful fuzzy psych rock sound that doesn’t get old on repeat listens. Fuzz leans into stoner rock, with influences from Black Sabbath where Mind Fuzz is a little cleaner with harmonica and even flute sections. Both albums are excellent so if you like one you’ll like the other.
Float Along FIll Your Lungs – Disraeli Gears
While King Gizzard dabbles in most genres, psychedelic rock is their bread and butter. Float Along Fill Your Lungs is their most traditional record which harkens back to the good old days of the hippies and flower power. Disraeli Gears is possibly the most iconic psych rock record from the time, created by the legendary trio Cream. Sometimes it’s good to ground yourself and listen to the classics, that way it’s easier appreciate modern interpretations of the same style.
Paper Mache Dream Balloon – Grave Blockers
From psych-folk with dark lyrical undertones to dark horror folk, the genre jump here is a little further than the others on this list. Paper Mache Dream Balloon sounds almost jolly if you completely ignore the lyrics, but there’s something more sinister hiding beneath. Grave Blockers is what you get if you convert that disturbing tone into a folk album. Environmental field recording sounds, high-pitched drones, and breathy vocals help create a really creepy record that I recommend to those who dare.
Butterfly 3000 – Cosmic Blip
King Gizzard’s first foray into twee, summery electronic music was a hard pill to swallow after microtonal masterpieces KG and LW. However, now I see it as a gateway drug into less conventional Gizz projects and side projects. Enter Pipe-Eye’s Cosmic Blip. Gizz’s own Cookie Craig’s side project retains some Gizzard sentimentalities, like psychedelic dreamy undertones while escaping the chaos. The run time is short, a mere 14 minutes, however, this leads into Pipe-Eye’s further two albums if you like what you hear.
Demos Volume 1-4 – Singles 2007 – 2010
If instead of a well-structured, well-thought-out LP you prefer collections of what-could-have-beens (i.e. records that are essentially different and completely unpolished first drafts), then I highly recommend the above records. King Gizzard have been slowly releasing demo albums full of juicy tracks, with volumes 5-6 coming soon. If you can’t wait until then you can’t beat Singles 2007-2010. It’s jam-packed full of lo-fi garage goodness, with the absolute standout track being the relentless ‘Standing At The Station (Demo)’. It’s unorganised. It’s a mess. It’s 25 tracks of beautiful rough cuts, what more could you possibly want?
Sketches of Brunswick East – Skiptracing
This is cheating a bit, because psychedelic jazz outfit Mild High Club feature on both records, however the comparison still holds up incredibly well. Sketches of Brunswick East crosses into the elevator jazz realm, released in King Gizzard’s incredible 2017 five-album stint. Skiptracing is a smooth ride, recommended for those lazy Sunday mornings where relaxing is top priority. No thinking needed, just enjoyment.
That’s it for now! Mainly because I couldn’t think of more album comparisons. Let me know if you agree/disagree with my recommendations! Maybe I’ll write another one at some point.
