My Bloody Valentine

My Bloody Valentine were an Irish-British shoegazing rock band. Taking their name from a Canadian slasher film, they formed in 1984 in Dublin and continued into the early 1990s. Original members were guitarist/singer Kevin Shields and drummer Colm O'Ciosoig. Lineup during heyday also included singer-guitarist Bilinda Butcher and bassist Debbie Googe.

Related Topics:
Irish - Shoegazing - Canadian - Slasher film - 1984 - Dublin - 1990s - Kevin Shields

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Though they released a handful of EPs during the mid-1980s, only their two official albums Isn't Anything (1988) and Loveless (1991), are considered representative of their sound: a distinct blend of noise rock, ambience, and off-kilter pop. The thick, swirling, multi-layered guitar sound pioneered by My Bloody Valentine would later be termed shoegazer by the British press, a tag that would be applied to a number of new-coming alternative pop-rock or rock outfits of similarly heavily layered and distorted guitars and soft, hushed vocals. The songs were written by Shields and generally featured Bilinda Butcher's vocals, except for 'Touched,' a short instrumental by Colm O'Ciosoig. In 1999 Pitchforkmedia declared Loveless to be the greatest album of the '90s, and Kevin Shields is thought by some to be a sonic genius capable of unmatched noise, all the while retaining a keen melody.

Related Topics:
EPs - Isn't Anything - 1988 - Loveless - 1991 - Shoegazer

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After leaving Creation Records in 1992 and signing with Island Records, the band fell into a creative black hole. Debbie Googe left the band to form Snowpony; she had not played bass on their recordings since You Made Me Realise. Colm O'Ciosoig eventually left and recorded an album with Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star. Kevin Shields sporadically collaborated with other artists, most notably Experimental Audio Research, Curve, and Primal Scream. He revealed in a fall 2003 National Public Radio interview that Island Records quit financing his My Bloody Valentine endeavours after he spent a half-million pounds of their money. Shields reportedly recorded two entire albums with Island but shelved the tapes because they didn't meet his standards.

Related Topics:
Creation Records - Island Records - Snowpony - Hope Sandoval - Mazzy Star - Experimental Audio Research - Curve - Primal Scream - National Public Radio

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As of 2004, My Bloody Valentine were rumored to be re-recording 5 additional tracks for the re-release of 1990's Glider EP, minus Debbie Googe. In 2003, Kevin Shields contributed some music to the score of the Sofia Coppola film Lost In Translation.

Related Topics:
As of 2004 - Glider - Sofia Coppola - Lost In Translation

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Similar bands include The Boo Radleys, Lush, Slowdive, Curve, and Ride. Influences include: The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, Cocteau Twins, late-1970s Wire, The Jesus & Mary Chain, and independent artists such as the Pastels. Kevin Shields has also named The Beach Boys as a personal influence. Whether a follow-up to Loveless will be made is doubtful as Shields is a reclusive perfectionist and refuses to release an inferior album.

Related Topics:
The Boo Radleys - Lush - Slowdive - Curve - Ride - The Velvet Underground - Sonic Youth - Cocteau Twins - Wire - The Jesus & Mary Chain - The Pastels - The Beach Boys

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