Garage punk icon
Ty Segall's influences run from vintage psychedelia to first-generation punk, but a thread that runs strong in his music is one that might not seem so obvious.
Segall is a serious fan of
T. Rex, Marc Bolan's band that evolved from spaced-out folk-rock to high-stepping glam-infused boogie, briefly becoming one of the biggest British acts of the '70s in the process. In 2011,
Segall paid homage to
T. Rex with the EP
Ty-Rex, in which he served up scrappy, lo-fi versions of tunes from the
T. Rex back catalog that ran Bolan's elemental, riff-dominated melodies through
Segall's buzzy guitar style and sweetly sneering vocals. A playful and entertaining gesture from one musician to a fallen hero,
Ty-Rex originally was released as a six-song EP, with Ty-Rex II, a single featuring two more
T. Rex covers, following in 2015. In late 2015, Goner Records reissued
Ty-Rex with the two tracks from Ty-Rex II, adding a cover of "20th Century Boy" as a bonus. ~ Mark Deming