Snowpony--With a line-up of Deb Googe(MBV),Katharine Gifford(Stereolab,Moonshake)and Kevin Bass(Moonshake),along with John McEntire of Tortoise producing,Snowpony's new album "The Slow-Motion World of Snowpony" may just be the best released this year.Do yourself and all your friends a favour--buy it NOW.You'll love yourself for it later.
the American Analog Set--This Texas band have a superb,dreamy sound....imagine MBV gone minimalist.If you haven't heard them,you need to.
The Magnetic Fields--Experimental bubblegum pop,if you can concieve of such a combo....clever,brooding lyrics and deceptively light music orchestrated
by the one and only Stehphin Merritt;imagine a tinkly music box shaped like a coffin.Go out now and buy 'Get Lost'.If you like Merritt's work,check out Future Bible Heros,The Gothic Archies,and the 6ths.
Placebo--This odd trio,fronted by the ever-sexy Brian Molko,produces the oddest blend of glam,electro-punk,and pseudo-goth,and gets away with it beautifully."Without You I'm Nothing" is an excellent addition to any collection.
the Jesus and Mary Chain--Godfathers of the Shoegaze sound.
Joy Division--This English band set the stage for modern sound back in the late '70s.Often misidentified as a 'goth' band due to occasionally brooding material,JD's influence can be heard from the Jesus+Mary Chain to Ultra Vivid Scene. After lead Ian Curtis killed himself at age 24,the band reformed as New Order.
the Sugarcubes--Iceland's eccentric New Wave pioneers...oh,yeah,and Bjork was in them.
...which brings us to Bjork--Inventive,expressive,unusual....She rocks.
the Smiths--I positively refuse to believe anyone concious during the '80's doesn't know about the Smiths.
....which brings us to Morrissey,another New Wave band member gone sucessfully solo...also,the world's second sexiest man.See above statement about the Smiths.
Portishead--Lush,hypnotic,shimmering TripHop...sound to drift off to.
The Pastels--Mmm....i can't say enough lovely things about Stephen Pastel and his group...excellent cheery-time music,perfect soundtracks for perfect days and an antidote to the not-too-perfect ones.
The Wedding Present--Well-crafted,upbeat (dare i call it?)indie rock.Very nice soundtrack by which to do cheerful things.
Spiritualized--Neo-Mod/electro/'gazy sounds...swirling harmonies,layered sounds...'Ladies and gentlemen,we are floating in space' is a must-have for any collection.
Experimental Audio Research--The new dimesion of sound,headed by Sonic Boom of Spaceman 3 and Spectrum,and comprised of members of God and My Bloody Valentine,among others.You've gotta hear it to believe it.
Flying Saucer Attack--Insanely blissful white-wall-of-sound music.
fourhead--Made of a man,his Casio,his guitar,and a hell of a lot of talent....breathtakingly lovely shoegazy drum and bass sound,almost Seefeelesque.
Seefeel--Pure aural ecstacy now comes in cd/lp format.....electro-shoegaze at its best.
Lush--Layered,glimmery music and dreamy vocals.
Pale Saints--Yet another shoegazy band,but still a damned good one.Music that sounds like dreams.
Chapterhouse--More shimmery shoegaze a la MBV...Their lp Whirlpool is a must-have!! (Scary kitten,no??)
Kitchens of Distinction--Not too well known,K.O.D are a British band who I've heard described as "a dreamy Smiths". I can see that in the lyrics,but the sound is altogether different.
The music is extremely well-written on all their albums,but I would recommend the lp Love is Hell for anyone new to the band.
the Lightning Seeds--Airy,atmosphereic pop....their song "Pure"(off Cloudcuckooland)is,to me, the sweetest love song ever written.
Dead Can Dance--Wow...i don't even know what to call this..ancient music,new music with ancient insturments peformed by two amazing Irish singers,Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry (who has the sexiest voice this side of Kevin Shields and Morrissey.)Blissier than just about everything else around,and certainly more unique!For people new to DCD,i recommend the live album 'Towards the Within.'
Other Bands I Recommend-
going places......
back to MBV
Homepage for Darla Records.....do you really need any other label??
..well,yes---ClaireDeLeon! Records...you need them,too.
..surprise!!more MBV....and it's an ace page....
Best 12 (in no order)
