SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING OLD - THE ASTEROID NO. 4 - Honey Bee (1998) + THE BILINDA BUTCHERS - Seafoam Green (2011)



I was a 21 year old living in Brooklyn, New York and the year was 1997. I had been going to shows mostly at NYC's IRVING PLAZA venue seeing a number of cool bands such as Stereolab, Ash, The Charlatans UK, Kula Shaker, Wilco (whom I walked out on), etc. I had heard of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and their My Bloody Valentine-like sound and read they were playing at a little bar called Brownies. So off I went to a night that changed my life. Asteroid No. 4 were the first band up and they played a short set that nevertheless blew me away. Been a fan ever since...

 

Here's a lovely instrumental by a band named after My Bloody Valentine lead vocalist (you guessed it) Bilinda Butcher. A new favorite band. They hail from San Francisco.

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW - MY BLOODY VALENTINE - Map Ref. 41N 93W (1996) + SHANA FALANA - IN THE LIGHT (2012)

With the good news that Kevin Shields is releasing a 'new' MY BLOODY VALENTINE record in the upcoming year, after eons of waiting amongst their hunger starved fans, here is one of the last 'new' tracks they released, a cover of a WIRE song on a compilation known as 'Whore' which was released in 1996. Which is simply stratospheric in terms of sound. Let's hope we can soon add My Bloody Valentine to the 'New' Category :-p

 

From more recent pastures we have Rosendale, New York resident (via San Francisco) SHANA FALANA with her dreamy-esque type of modern (at times chant-driven) dreampop that ebbs under your skin and lifts up the wings you didn't know you had. One example being this song, which is one of the most uplifting beautiful songs that I've heard in my young life. A positive vortex of dreampop sound. Pretty cool video shot in upstate NY as well.

RECENT DISCOVERY #1 - CHIMERA - THE DAY STAR EP (1995)

Picked this one up recently at a local Salvation Army. The name seemed strangely familiar so I took a chance with it as it had a dreampop/shoegaze type of presentation. 4 songs with titles such as "2 SUNNY", "LET ME BE AROUND", "CLOSER", &...(wait for it)..."UNTITLED".

The band hailed from Ireland and as I heard the 4 tracks with it's clear (un-shoegazy like) female lead vocals and nice sounding slightly distorted guitars I could swear the light through my blinds started to intensify and the November sun became more robust as if seeking to pull back it's August strength.

This is everything you wanted the Cranbrerries to be (if you ever cared for them, that is). Or what would of happened if the Cranberries vocalist joined up with My Bloody Valentine and they decided to head in a poppier direction. Beauty, sweetness...and light.  

Something Old, Something New - SWERVEDRIVER - FEEL SO REAL (1991) + THE SKY DROPS - GREEN TO RED (2006/2007)

In 1991 there was nothing happening in the US remotely as cool as SWERVEDRIVER. Nirvana were just in their training shorts, their low-fi debut possesing none of the devastating qualities of Swervedriver's powerful debut RAISE. Nothing else in the US at least came close. Like what did you have? Grunge? Please...

From more recent pastures we have Deleware's THE SKY DROPS. Back when MySpace was at it's peak this duo was making a splash in the cyber waters touring throughout the US. Need your MY BLOODY VALENTINE FIX? Step right up, put on your headphones (optional), turn up the volume, sit back relax and PLAY BLOODY LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!