Shoegazing from the US???
This is mainly down to the fact of the gorgeous voice of lead singer Britta. She had one of the best voices for this kind of music.
As Iīve only found out recently, Britta seems to be celebrity in her own right, sheīs even got an internet fanclub (check the links lower down the site), and appeared in a movie in 1988 and did the vocals for a cartoon charakter! Amazing....
Yes, itīs possible, and the Belltower were the best example that Americans could do it just as good as the English. Their album "Popdropper" is actually one of the best Shoegazing albums.
Anyway, back to the Belltower and Popdropper: Best tracks are definitely the singles "Outshine the Sun", "Lost in hollow" and "Flight". Another really good song is "One-Dimensional".
I donīt think they released much more after that album, but two of them are now in Fountains of Wayne...erm.....
about In Hollow: MM "... not bad. I think that used to be an insult."
about Popdropper, MM August 1992: "The Belltower are a great band. If you canīt afford to buy Popdropper now, find a friend who can and tape theirs. Five years, ten years hence, when times are better, itīll still be in the racks. You can search it out then. Yes, itīs true, Iīm a fan, and with good reason."
about Popdropper, Select October 1992: "Itīs a measure of American taste that a band so damn fine, so emotionally charged and so American as the Belltower have to come to the UK in search of recognition" 4 out of 5
Live Review, MM November 1992: "If tonight is any indication of what the future holds, it wonīt be long before the Belltower are headlining for an audience of thousands."
Jody, October 1991, MM: "As long as itīs demented, as long as itīs saying something, itīs cool to flirt with pop music."
Belltower records I own:
The Britta Phillips Online Fanclub
