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When we think back to the Shoegaze era, many of us mourn the fact that some of our favorite bands will never reconvene. Cocteau Twins had just started their own label and bought a studio space when they broke up over irreconcilable differences in 1997. Lush called it a day after the tragic loss of drummer Chris Acland in 1996. Emma Anderson later formed Sing-Sing, but Miki Berenyi just disappeared (breaking the hearts of countless shoegaze fanboys, no doubt, who had massive crushes on her), until last year's surprise appearance with Hard Skin. However, some dreams came true: My Bloody Valentine toured and recorded brilliant new material in 2013 after a 20 year absence. Now Slowdive is on a huge tour this year, and may record again as well.
Slowdive only produced 3 albums, but Rachel and Neil started Mojave 3 after the Slowdive breakup in 1994. Rachel released a solo album in 2004, Waves Are Universal. Some of the other members hadn't even picked up their instruments since their last gig in Toronto twenty years ago this month.
Apparently, the reformed group is sounding good live, and getting some serious love from fans and critics. The Guardian said their "unexpected return may prove one of this year's most welcome surprises." Here they are performing earlier this week at the first gig of their tour:
Rachel is quite active on Twitter, and the band has an official Instagram page.
Twiggy, one of the first international supermodels, was called "The Face of '66," and she seemed able to do almost anything by 1967, including sing. By 1972 she had won two Golden Globes for her role in the musical, The Boyfriend, but her earlier pop records have an adorable, quirky charm that render them quite distinctive.
"When I Think of You"
"I used to be a thing; I'm a person now."
I've always thought the comparison of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones was ridiculous, they are two completely different entities. For those of us who are old enough to remember, the real rivals of The Beatles during the early days of the second British Invasion were The Dave Clark Five, and time has certainly favored the former of the two in that battle of the bands. The thing that really bothers me though, is the stereotype of the Stones as the rockin' bad boys and The Beatles as charming pansies. So, let's test that theory with these performances from the 60's (and I promise I won't even bring up "Helter Skelter"). I think the Stones' performance is completely live, while the Beatles video has live vocals and the instruments on tape.
The Rolling Stones: "Lady Jane."
And now, "Revolution," from The Beatles:
So, that's that. There is even a new book by John McMillian called, Beatles vs. Stones, which I haven't yet read, but plan to. By the way, I'm not trying to take anything away from the Stones. I think their (Jagger and Richards') observations on society and class were more acute than The Beatles' ("19th Nervous Breakdown," "Mother's Little Helper,"even "Satisfaction"). But after the firing and death of Brian Jones, the Stones sort of became their own tribute band, especially after Sticky Fingers.
Oh, and here are the real contenders, Ladies and Gentlemen: The Dave Clark Five!!
Over the last couple of weeks I've bought every release by Dum Dum Girls.The lo-fi aspect of Dee Dee's earlier work sounds practically experimental in nature. Without vocals or drums, some of those early tracks could almost be mistaken as something by Christian Fennesz.
The new album by Dum Dum Girls, Too True, is slick, glamorous, and lush, filled with reverberant magic spaces. More glaze than daze.
Dum Dum Girls evoke a few things at the same time: I hear Phil Spector, the Ronnettes, 70's punk, and some 80's Indie Pop. Dee Dee prefers the Stones from the Brian Jones era, which I am totally sympathetic with. I love how Kristin Welchez decided to become a character, which she would call Dee Dee Penny, who plays in an imaginary band called Dum Dum Girls, before she even had a band.
Anyone who's followed Dum Dum Girls from the beginning is aware of Dee Dee's development from bedroom 4-tracker, to signing to Sub Pop, to fronting a full touring band, to performing on major network TV (Letterman). You've no doubt loved the dichotomous nature of her work: innocent/gritty, sunny/dark, tuneful/noisy, retro/au courant. Too True is a major leap forwards, which might not please her oldest fans, but I appreciate her desire to create something as rich and sophisticated as she did with this album.
Here's a good example of Dum Dum Girls' love of opposing points of view, from the 2010 debut album, I Will Be. They dance (kind of) on a summery, psychedelic beach. The video is full of overexposed, pretty pastel colors; but they are dressed as if for a funereal, in black leather and lace:
Here is the title track from the new album. It's so swoony and alluring (both the video and the song); almost sounding like Cocteau Twins meets The Cure, mixed with some late period Siouxie and the Banshees thrown in for extra enchantment, and there's nothing wrong with that.
I've always loved Lesley Gore. Not sure why, but it may be due to having seen this at age 11:
In this interview from 2009(?) she mentions a couple of my most favorite "girl singers," June Christy, and Anita O'Day, as big influences on her, so maybe that also explains why I love LG.
A friend of mine (Hi Jayne!) heard this on the radio and wanted to share it with me. I'm not an expert on LCD Soundsystem, but I really appreciate James Murphy's work. A lot of his music sounds like a parody of something you've already heard, a bit of post punk, a bit of New Wave, but it's so well put together that it's fresh and irresistible. I find the humor and vulnerability in his work very endearing.
Murphy speaks in this interview on how he experienced a life of failure before going into psychotherapy. He forgets to mention how he turned down an invitation to write for Seinfeld just before it became a global phenomenon; that was a biggie. But eventually he was able to play Madison Square Garden with his band, before he broke it up. In typical fashion, he thought that was perhaps a big mistake, after the fact, of course.
James Murphy on failure:
Here's the song that he refers to in the interview: "Losing My Edge":
Let's watch the band as they start their day when, later that night, they will be playing at what appears to be the Bowery Ballroom (I think this really captures the ambiance of downtown):
Disco Infiltrator:
