Big Brother & the Holding Company

Big Brother & the Holding Company, formed in the United States in 1965, is a rock band associated with the San Francisco psychedelic scene. Their sound mixes blues-rooted songwriting and vocals with distorted, raw electric guitar and loose, improvisatory arrangements; the group is widely associated with singer Janis Joplin, whose powerful, emotive voice contrasted with the band’s gritty, noisy instrumental textures. They are remembered for energetic live performances and a heavy, garage-tinged approach to psychedelic and blues rock.