Incredible String Band, The

If any musical combo ever meshed perfectly with the times it was the Incredible String Band. And here's the proof: their 1966 debut, The Incredible String Bann their '60s heyday, the Incredible String Band were a brilliant evocation of the Aquarian idealism and anything-goes experimentalism of their time. On their self-titled 1966 debut, its 1967 followup The 5000 Spirits Or Layers Of The Onion, and the seminal 1968 classic The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter, the innovative Scottish visionaries - led by singer/guitarists Robin Williamson and Mike Heron as its two constants - merged ancient Celtic folk traditions with exotic Eastern instruments and psychedelic flights of fancy. The result was utterly unique music that perfectly captured the spirit of the era in which it was made. In recent years, these classic albums have served as a source of inspiration for a new generation of alt-folk artists who've embraced the Incredible String Band's free-spirited eclecticism. Echoes of the group's influence can be heard in such prominent young acts as Fleet Foxes, Devendra Banhart, and Joanna Newsom and Animal Collective. But, to the ISB's new fans and longtime admirers, there's no beating the originals - now restored to their original glory on deep-grooved, high-definition Sundazed vinyl!