Triptides

Triptides (l-r): Stephen Burns, Glenn Brigman, Brendan Peleo-Lazar
(promo photo: Brad Danner)

Triptides playlist

Contributor: Lakshmi Hutchinson

For this Toppermost, I thought it might be fun to share a local band that I love. Los Angeles is known for its history of great psych bands, from 60s artists like the Byrds, the Electric Prunes, and the Doors to Paisley Underground favorites like the Rain Parade and the Three O’Clock. Triptides are part of the current psych scene here, and they draw their influences not only from earlier LA bands, but also British psych and beat groups from the 60s and 70s.

Triptides weren’t always a California band. They started out in 2010 in Bloomington, Indiana, formed by vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Glenn Brigman and Josh Menashe while in college. Their earliest releases are more surf-tinged indie, but after they moved to LA their sound evolved and became more psych influenced. They’ve had a few different lineups based around Brigman and Menashe, but are currently a trio made up of Glenn Brigman (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Stephen Burns (guitar and bass), and Brendan Peleo-Lazar (drums).

I’m starting off my Toppermost with Graveyard, from 2012’s Sun Pavilion. This one’s a lo-fi, melancholy number with a tremolo-laden chorus that gives you a taste of what’s to come on later albums. Be prepared to have this melody stuck in your head for a long time.

Next up is Set You Free, from the Predictions album which came out the following year. With each album their sound gets more refined, and you can definitely notice the difference here. It’s jangly psych pop with a timeless quality – it would be pretty hard to pinpoint what year, let alone decade, this song is from.

Azur, from 2015, is actually the first Triptides album I bought. Wake has an infectious guitar line, and reflects more of their early sun-drenched surf sound. Much like the cover art implies, this record is the perfect soundtrack to an afternoon by the pool. Some of the songs on this album also sound a bit shoegaze, which is an added bonus.

I’m choosing both Invitation and Throne Of Stars from the Afterglow LP. This album showcases a band that has really come into their own. If you love Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, Kaleidoscope, and of course the Byrds, this will be right up your alley. They’re fully open about their influences – you’ll definitely get a sense of familiarity when you listen – but they’ve created really beautiful music from these inspirations that still sound recognizably like Triptides.

My next choice is Flashing Before Your Eyes, off of Visitors. It starts off with a chiming twelve-string guitar, but quickly turns into a more organ-driven, dreamy composition. Like Afterglow, this album benefits from great songwriting, production, and arrangements.

Alter Echoes was the first album to feature the new lineup of Brigman, Burns, and Peleo-Lazar. There were plenty of contenders for my top ten on this one, like opener Another Dream. But I went with the fantastically catchy It Won’t Hurt You, which has some great percussion (including bongos!) driving the tune along.

So Many Days, released in 2022, was a big departure in sound – the album celebrates Laurel Canyon, with the songs leaning into folk and country-rock. The vocals benefit a lot from the more stripped-down sound. Brigman has a great voice, but on previous albums it could sometimes get hidden underneath the reverb. On title track So Many Days his vocals really shine, and give the song a more intimate feel.

My next choice comes from the 2023 album Starlight, which again is much less of a psych album. A jazzy electric piano is the star of this record, and Thought Collector – which evokes the Zombies in a very good way – is one of those tracks with a more laid-back mood. Another standout is the very groovy Unwound.

The last song that I’ve chosen is Orbit, their latest single, which I had the pleasure of seeing them play at a 2024 show here in LA. It unexpectedly rocks out with fuzzy guitars and a heavier sound. I’m curious to see what direction they take from here.

I love being able to share a favorite band that’s still releasing new music and touring. If you do get the chance to see Triptides, go for it – they’re incredible live.

European tour poster 2019 – design Nikki Pickle

Triptides bandcamp

Triptides facebook

Triptides on Curation Records

Triptides biography (AllMusic)

Lakshmi Hutchinson is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. Many years ago she was a college radio DJ, and she once worked at Tower Records in Piccadilly Circus. She loves going to gigs, making playlists, buying too many books, and hanging with her family and tuxedo cat. Follow Lakshmi on Bluesky and Instagram.

She has also written about Cinerama, Donovan, Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci and The Radio Dept. on this site.

TopperPost #1,141