Editing Garage rock (section)

==Social milieu and stylistic features==
[[File:The D-Men 1964.JPG|thumb|[[The D-Men]] (later [[The Fifth Estate (band)|the Fifth Estate]]) in 1964]]

The term "garage rock", often used in reference to 1960s acts, stems from the perception that many performers were young amateurs who rehearsed in the family garage.{{sfn|Shuker|2005|p=140}}  While numerous bands were made up of middle-class teenagers from the suburbs, others were from rural or urban areas or were composed of professional musicians in their twenties.{{sfn|Abbey|2006|p=74}}{{sfn|Flanagan|2014}}

Referring to the 1960s, Mike Markesich commented "teenage rock & roll groups (i.e. combos) proliferated Everywheresville USA".{{sfn|Markesich|2012|p=5}}  Though it is impossible to determine how many garage bands were active in the era, their numbers were extensive{{sfnm|1a1=Markesich|1y=2012|p=49|2a1=Nobles|2y=2012|2p=21}} in what Markesich has characterized as a "cyclonic whirlwind of musical activity like none other".{{sfn|Markesich|2012|p=9}} According to Mark Nobles, it is estimated that between 1964 and 1968 over 180,000 bands formed in the United States,{{sfn|Nobles|2012|p=21}} and several thousand US garage acts made records during the era.{{sfn|Markesich|2012|p=49}}{{efn|On page 49, Markesich mentions that the book's core discography (consisting almost exclusively of US acts) includes approximately 16,000 recordings made by over 4500 groups.  Release dates for records generally range from 1963 to 1972 (with several later exceptions), but the vast bulk of the discography is composed of records released between 1964 and 1968).}}

Garage bands performed in a variety of venues.  Local and regional groups typically played at parties, school dances, and teen clubs.{{sfnm|1a1=Markesich|1y=2012|1p=16|2a1=Tupica|2y=2013}}  For acts of legal age (and in some cases younger), bars, nightclubs, and college fraternity socials also provided regular engagements.{{sfnm|1a1=Markesich|1y=2012|1p=16|2a1=Fensterstock|2y=2013}}  Occasionally, groups had the opportunity to [[Opening act|open at shows]] for famous touring acts.{{sfn|Nobles|2012|p=75}}  Some garage rock bands went on tour, particularly those better-known, but even more obscure groups sometimes received bookings or airplay beyond their immediate locales.{{sfn|Nobles|2012|pp=75, 83–88}}  Groups often competed in "[[Battle of the Bands|battles of the bands]]", which allowed musicians to gain exposure and a chance to win a prize, such as free equipment or recording time in a local studio.{{sfnm|1a1=Markesich|1y=2012|1p=20|2a1=Hicks|2y=1999|2p=25|3a1=Lemlich|3y=1992|3pp=17–18, 30}}  Contests were held, locally, regionally and nationally, and three of the most prestigious national events were held annually by the Tea Council of the US,{{sfn|Lemlich|1992|pp=17–18, 30}} the [[Music Circus]],{{sfnm|1a1=Lemlich|1y=1992|1pp=17–18, 30|2a1=Tupica|2y=2013|3a1=Markesich|3y=2012|3p=20}} and the [[United States Junior Chamber]].{{sfn|Markesich|2012|p=20}}

Performances often sounded amateurish, naïve, or intentionally raw, with typical themes revolving around the traumas of high school life and songs about "lying girls" being particularly common.{{sfn|Shuker|2005|p=140}}  The lyrics and delivery were frequently more aggressive than that of the more established acts of the time, often with nasal, growled, or shouted vocals, sometimes punctuated by shrieks or screams at climactic moments of release.{{sfnm|1a1=Shuker|1y=2005|1p=140|2a1=Tupica|2y=2013|3a1=Bogdanov|3a2=Woodstra|3a3=Erlewine|3y=2002|3p=3}}  Instrumentation was frequently characterized by basic [[chord (music)|chord]] structures played on electric guitars or keyboards often distorted through a [[Distortion (music)#1960s: fuzz, distortion, and introduction of commercial devices|fuzzbox]], teamed with bass and drums.{{sfn|Hicks|1999|pp=18–22}}  Guitarists sometimes played using aggressive-sounding [[Barre chord|bar chord]]s or [[power chords]].{{sfn|Hicks|1999|pp=17–18}}  Portable organs such as the [[Farfisa]] were used frequently and harmonicas and hand-held percussion such as [[tambourines]] were not uncommon.{{sfn|Roller|2013|p=119}}<ref>{{cite web|title= Garage Rock Revival|website= AllMusic|url= http://www.allmusic.com/style/garage-rock-revival-ma0000012343|access-date= November 11, 2015|archive-date= November 12, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151112003445/http://www.allmusic.com/style/garage-rock-revival-ma0000012343|url-status= live}}</ref> Occasionally, the tempo was sped up in passages sometimes referred to as "raveups".{{sfn|Hicks|1999|p=31}}

Garage rock acts were diverse in both musical ability and style, ranging from crude and amateurish to near-studio level musicianship.  There were also regional variations in flourishing scenes, such as in California and Texas.{{sfn|Hicks|1999|pp=23–24, 53–54, 60–61, 67}}  The north-western states of Idaho, Washington and Oregon had a distinctly recognizable regional sound with bands such as [[the Sonics]] and [[Paul Revere&nbsp;& the Raiders]].{{sfnm|1a1=Blecha|1y=2009|1pp=x, 169–188|2a1=Campbell|2y=2004|2pp=213–214}}