white noise about the same but JMC did it first. saw their 1st london gig at the living room followed by the garden club, 3 johns (when the argument over William kicking the amp of the support acts guitarist in the trees was falsely reported as a riot, but everything was so dull then it was a good move), the fire station on the old kent red, North london poly or uni, ica, etc. they were phil spector/suicide with white noise. went on their 1st uk tour with them and there were pathectic attempts to recreate 'riots' by a clueless audience. they were really exciting and inspirational and different to everyone else live for about 3/4 months.
MBY were an art rock band who were very powerful but never had the anarchic and uncompromising edge of JMC. Also saw them a lot, they used wierd guitar tunings and some roadie who used to swap their guitars every tune they played, which i found a bit poncey. JMC just turned the amps on 10 and kicked them over then threw the guitars across the stage. MBV were trying to innovative but were heavily in debt to sonic youth at the time.
MBV possibly made better records but as I don't really want to listen to either group again and have not heard either for about 20 years as I discovered Curtis Mayfield very shortly afterwards and took the chosen path, i'll reserve judgement in hindsight on who has come off best over time, if either. At the time however, JMC were first and better at their early peak as they were genuinely quite shocking.
both groups were more interested in eating crisps and playing scrabble than living it up like Iggy.
The fire engines were better than both put together anyway.
And the pop group were better than the fire engines.
I don't really want to listen to either group again and have not heard either for about 20 years as I discovered Curtis Mayfield very shortly afterwards and took the chosen path
The Internet always makes me feel like there's something wrong with me for not turning my back on my "old" music when I get into some "new" music. The main reason my record collection is so huge is because I still like what I used to like, even though I like other things now. I still have most of my 80's records from high school, and even re-bought a bunch of them later on, in fact my copy of Psychocandy was a re-buy in the late 90's because my original copy had been destroyed.
Is this really as unusual as you people make me think?
I've had to go back and pick up the nostalgic stuff over again -- at least what I think is good.
I didn't grow up in the 80s, yet I listen almost exclusively to mopy, 80s British rock bands nowadays. When I was growing up, I went deep into one band's catalogue, then another's, and so forth. No breadth. When I go back now, it's picking up every album by whatever band I was fond of from younger years.
I don't really want to listen to either group again and have not heard either for about 20 years as I discovered Curtis Mayfield very shortly afterwards and took the chosen path
The Internet always makes me feel like there's something wrong with me for not turning my back on my "old" music when I get into some "new" music. The main reason my record collection is so huge is because I still like what I used to like, even though I like other things now. I still have most of my 80's records from high school, and even re-bought a bunch of them later on, in fact my copy of Psychocandy was a re-buy in the late 90's because my original copy had been destroyed.
Is this really as unusual as you people make me think?
No, I know exactly what you are talking about. I don't think we are weird. What does seem strange is people who sell (me) all the stuff they "used" to be into & then totally deny that phase of taste/life ever happened for them.
Shoegaze meets the hip rave scene was the zenith of this shit.
primal scream gets the gasface
Not the first two albums. The rest can go in the nearest dumpster.
What as up with that album where they tried to be the Black Crowes?? That seemed a weird one off side step.
The first two albums are side-steps. First one is run-of-the-mill, jangly, wannabe Smiths, fey lyrics affair, which I have a weakness for. Second one I get the BC comparison, but the ballads are what sell that album to me.
Psychocandy is an undeniably landmark album, I don't listen to it often but everytime I do I'm back in the summer of 1985, working my first job and blowing my ears out with that in my Walkman. The combo of ultra-poppy melodies and abrasive noisy guitars has never been done better. Loveless has some great moments, but this one isn't close in my book.
I'll ride for the Cocteau Twins as well, fuck y'all.
I don't really want to listen to either group again and have not heard either for about 20 years as I discovered Curtis Mayfield very shortly afterwards and took the chosen path
The Internet always makes me feel like there's something wrong with me for not turning my back on my "old" music when I get into some "new" music. The main reason my record collection is so huge is because I still like what I used to like, even though I like other things now. I still have most of my 80's records from high school, and even re-bought a bunch of them later on, in fact my copy of Psychocandy was a re-buy in the late 90's because my original copy had been destroyed.
Is this really as unusual as you people make me think?
Dreamweapon was their CD I probably listened to the most
Dreamweapon is rad. Playing With Fire was always my favorite, but I really don't think they made a bad album. I even like the cheesy dance side of Recurring. I haven't really felt the need to listen to them since hearing all the records they basically copied, but I still like 'em.
I don't really want to listen to either group again and have not heard either for about 20 years as I discovered Curtis Mayfield very shortly afterwards and took the chosen path
The Internet always makes me feel like there's something wrong with me for not turning my back on my "old" music when I get into some "new" music. The main reason my record collection is so huge is because I still like what I used to like, even though I like other things now. I still have most of my 80's records from high school, and even re-bought a bunch of them later on, in fact my copy of Psychocandy was a re-buy in the late 90's because my original copy had been destroyed.
Is this really as unusual as you people make me think?
don't get me wrong, i'm not condemning this period/type of music, I was just somewhat involved and spend 4/5 years with it all day long and I burned out on it. I have not heard either of these groups for about 20 yrs so I don't know how they stand the test of time. I didn't play or own their records at the time anyway so i've not exactly turned my back on them. I'd be interested to hear them again.
speaking of 4AD, i was trying to listen to the Cocteau Twins the other day too. Ms. Fatback walked in and said, "Why are you listening to Enya?" LOL. The same day I threw on some Dead Can Dance. It sounded ridiculous.
Loveless is the most overrated record of the last 20 years... and i've thought that since it came out... having rode HARD for Isn't anything & You made me realize (and the other singles leading up to lovelss) i was NOT killed by Loveless... and all these years later it has still NEVER killed me
J&MC - Les Rallizes Denudes make those doods sound like the partridge family
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
The whole shoegazing thing kinda passed me by, as I was too busy trying unsuccessfully to put together a band that sounded like Mantronix-meets-the-Clash until Mick Jones beat me to it anyway. But down the years I've warmed to MBV more than JAMC, although JAMC probably have the more memorable tunes.
Dont forget the early Telescopes...WAY underrated (not talking about their milquetoast Creation stuff) their early releases are FIRE "7 # disaster" "Taste"...if you are a fan of Psychocandy, Loveless, tuneful noise in general...you will dig.
Being a guitar noise dork and recording 4 albums that every reviewer threw the "Loveless" comparisons at(except Fred Mills, the only reviewer who ever saw our Kraut influences sticking out like a sore thumb)I gotta ride for Loveless, its a guitar skull fuck...dude hit the genius mark as far as guitar/tone/noise a few times on that LP.
And as far as lumping Psychocandy in with shoegaze, I actually see it as the forerunner to what the neo garage dudes call "budget rock" nowadays...Spector esque/post doo wop early rock songwriting with noisy guitars (King Khan and BBQ show, etc)
I never really got into JMC or MBV. I did however, have What's this for from a random flea market haul. It was a good record.
Odd Nosdam takes a pretty big cue from these guys. The soundtrack that he did for the Element video is entirely facemelt (most notably, when the drums get crankin). You can download a bunch of tracks free off his myspace.
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
J&MC - Les Rallizes Denudes make those doods sound like the partridge family
Whoa! Is this the first ever mention of Les Rallizes on the Strut?
I went on a mission to find as much of their shit as I could after reading Julian Cope's fascinating account of their history in his excellent "Japrocksampler". The whole smacked-out, echo-drenched, wall-of-feedback vibe takes time to get used to, but I actually find it strangely soothing after a while.
Comments
You are tripping, my friend.
Shoegaze meets the hip rave scene was the zenith of this shit.
MBY were an art rock band who were very powerful but never had the anarchic and uncompromising edge of JMC. Also saw them a lot, they used wierd guitar tunings and some roadie who used to swap their guitars every tune they played, which i found a bit poncey. JMC just turned the amps on 10 and kicked them over then threw the guitars across the stage. MBV were trying to innovative but were heavily in debt to sonic youth at the time.
MBV possibly made better records but as I don't really want to listen to either group again and have not heard either for about 20 years as I discovered Curtis Mayfield very shortly afterwards and took the chosen path, i'll reserve judgement in hindsight on who has come off best over time, if either. At the time however, JMC were first and better at their early peak as they were genuinely quite shocking.
both groups were more interested in eating crisps and playing scrabble than living it up like Iggy.
The fire engines were better than both put together anyway.
And the pop group were better than the fire engines.
The Internet always makes me feel like there's something wrong with
me for not turning my back on my "old" music when I get into some
"new" music. The main reason my record collection is so huge is because
I still like what I used to like, even though I like other things now.
I still have most of my 80's records from high school, and even re-bought
a bunch of them later on, in fact my copy of Psychocandy was a re-buy
in the late 90's because my original copy had been destroyed.
Is this really as unusual as you people make me think?
they made better records than either MBV or JMC - being a rippoff group notwithstanding of course.
I didn't grow up in the 80s, yet I listen almost exclusively to mopy, 80s British rock bands nowadays. When I was growing up, I went deep into one band's catalogue, then another's, and so forth. No breadth. When I go back now, it's picking up every album by whatever band I was fond of from younger years.
primal scream gets the gasface
I ride.
Not the first two albums. The rest can go in the nearest dumpster.
I'll ride for Ride. Tried to revisit JMC a while back and wasn't feeling it too much.
jmc ain't on the level like dat for me
Dreamweapon was their CD I probably listened to the most
The first two albums are side-steps. First one is run-of-the-mill, jangly, wannabe Smiths, fey lyrics affair, which I have a weakness for. Second one I get the BC comparison, but the ballads are what sell that album to me.
I'll ride for the Cocteau Twins as well, fuck y'all.
Naw. You're not alone. Nostalgia rules man.
Love MBV of course. This song is the shit. I didn't see the legendary tour w/ Dino Jr. an 'em, but I think this is the song they'd go off on:
Dreamweapon is rad. Playing With Fire was always my favorite, but I really don't think they made a bad album. I even like the cheesy dance side of Recurring. I haven't really felt the need to listen to them since hearing all the records they basically copied, but I still like 'em.
"Recent times have seen a renewed interest in the genre, among so-called "nu-gaze" bands."
don't get me wrong, i'm not condemning this period/type of music, I was just somewhat involved and spend 4/5 years with it all day long and I burned out on it. I have not heard either of these groups for about 20 yrs so I don't know how they stand the test of time. I didn't play or own their records at the time anyway so i've not exactly turned my back on them. I'd be interested to hear them again.
Riding Hard.
Like crink said, the better of this genre has aged very well. I find myself going back to it all the time. Probably more than anything from that era.
What I really love is how much of this stuff came out on 12" single. Damn those sound good!
I been riding for the Pale Saints recently.
J&MC - Les Rallizes Denudes make those doods sound like the partridge family
Being a guitar noise dork and recording 4 albums that every reviewer threw the "Loveless" comparisons at(except Fred Mills, the only reviewer who ever saw our Kraut influences sticking out like a sore thumb)I gotta ride for Loveless, its a guitar skull fuck...dude hit the genius mark as far as guitar/tone/noise a few times on that LP.
And as far as lumping Psychocandy in with shoegaze, I actually see it as the forerunner to what the neo garage dudes call "budget rock" nowadays...Spector esque/post doo wop early rock songwriting with noisy guitars (King Khan and BBQ show, etc)
Odd Nosdam takes a pretty big cue from these guys. The soundtrack that he did for the Element video is entirely facemelt (most notably, when the drums get crankin). You can download a bunch of tracks free off his myspace.
Whoa! Is this the first ever mention of Les Rallizes on the Strut?
I went on a mission to find as much of their shit as I could after reading Julian Cope's fascinating account of their history in his excellent "Japrocksampler". The whole smacked-out, echo-drenched, wall-of-feedback vibe takes time to get used to, but I actually find it strangely soothing after a while.