Tame Impala on "Brain-Squelching" Music, S.F. Psych, and Trying to Make Guitars Not Sound Like Guitars

Though it hasn't quite reached the level of recognition achieved by histrionic Aussie blooze-rawkers Wolfmother, Perth's Tame Impala seems poised to deliver its lush, tuneful brand of psychedelia to a global audience. Led by guitarist, singer, and songwriter Kevin Parker, the band shared some common ground with Wolfmother's epic riff stomp on its debut 2008 EP, occasionally hinting at what Cream might have sounded if George Harrison ditched The Beatles to join Clapton and company.

By the time Parker put the finishing touches Tame Impala's first full-length album Innerspeaker two years later, the band's sound had evolved into a far subtler creature. With elements of shimmering dream-pop and hypnotic drone helping put a modern twist to Parker's mind-expanding vision, Innerspeaker earned its place on plenty of year-end Best Of lists. The band's meticulously layered sound also made Tame Impala a live favorite with a string of sold-out headlining shows and a celebrated appearance at Coachella last year.

Parker and the newly expanded five-piece line-up of Tame Impala return to the Bay Area this weekend, playing Outside Lands at 1:50 p.m. Saturday afternoon on the festival's main Lands End stage. All Shook Down caught up the guitarist last week shortly after he arrived in the U.S. for several North American dates, including an appearance at Lollapalooza in Chicago, to discuss Tame Impala's forthcoming new album, Lonerism, (out October 9 on Modular Records), playing festivals, and San Francisco's psychedelic heritage.