Mystic Braves might be rooted in the psychedelic scene of the 1960s, but the band’s moment is happening right now. Based in Echo Park, Los Angeles—home of a white-hot garage band revival of which the Braves are at the forefront—this five-piece musical sensation started out as a hobby, but for the musicians involved has become much more.
And while the group—made up of Julian Ducatenzeiler on guitar and vocals, Tony Malacara on bass and vocals, Shane Stotsenberg on guitar and vocals, Cameron Gartung on drums and Ignacio Gonzalez on organ and tambourine—isn’t straying far from what Ducatenzeiler describes as a “a blend of influence and sound that is unprecedented in contemporary music,” there are certainly some changes afoot.
Since the early days, Mystic Braves have gone on to release two full-length records—both recorded at Lolipop—and a single and have played extensively to ever-increasing crowds in Southern California and beyond. And the goodwill that their first songs garnered has never gone away.