Genre: shoegaze
For those who don’t know, My Bloody Valentine formed in the 80s and have been the go-to band for shoegaze fans ever since. Taking inspirations from bands such as New Order and Sonic Youth, MBV’s unique sound is mixed with soft male-female vocals, slowly progressing chords, lots of distortion and a crazy drummer.
MBV’s typical approach involved trippy background images that perfectly encapsulated the essence of their songs along with a matching light show. The show was hypnotising, drawing you in and spitting you out at the end, along with an extraordinary amount of feedback. Even with earbuds in I could feel the pain. A slow build up meant the band kicked it at the end and went all out, whacking the amps up and playing harder and louder. Despite the slow moving sounds and subtlety of the effects, MBV kept interest and even with the one guy who thought jumping around was a good idea stood right in front of me, I enjoyed the show no end. The lights, images and of course, the sounds drew you in like a hypnotist’s eyes and when the spell was broken, everyone looked at each other in shock and awe; such amazement.
The new album is currently hanging around YouTube, but all their other released material can easily be found on Spotify e.t.c..
For a more modern take on shoegaze, see Deptford Goth or Wye Oak. Within the typical era, also see The Smiths and Husker Du.
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