Though it's often seen as just a precursor to their magnum opus Loveless, in its own way My Bloody Valentine's Isn't Anything is nearly as groundbreaking as their 1991 masterpiece. Not only was it the most lucid, expansive articulation yet of the group's sound, it virtually created the shoegazing scene and spawned legions of followers. The album's tightly structured songs still bore traces of My Bloody Valentine's previous incarnation as jangly indie popsters, but Kevin Shields and company crafted wide-ranging experiments within those confines. "Feed Me with Your Kiss"'s mix of bruising guitars, drums, and sensual boy-girl vocals define My Bloody Valentine's signature sound, while "All I Need"'s weightless guitars and vocal melodies melt into a heady haze. Shields' unique tunings, tremolo, and miking techniques stand out on "You Never Should" and "Nothing Much to Lose," but Deb Googe's surprisingly funky bassline on "Soft as Snow (But Warm Inside)" reaffirms that all of the Valentines contributed to their innovative sound. Indeed, many of Isn't Anything's disturbingly beautiful highlights come from Bilinda Butcher. On the wrenching "No More Sorry," she sings abstractly pained lyrics like "Your septic heart and deadly hand/Loved me black and blue," barely audible over a swarm of fragile yet menacing guitars, while on "Several Girls Galore" she's sexy, yet dazed and distant; it sounds like she's whispering in your ear outside of a blaring nightclub. The Valentines' dark side is especially prominent on the album, particularly on "Sueisfine," where the chorus slyly morphs from "Sue is fine" to "Suicide." Isn't Anything captures My Bloody Valentine's revolutionary style in its infancy and points the way to Loveless, but it's far more than just a dress rehearsal for the band's moment of greatness.
OK, I finally took the plunge. All I have to say is:BEST. RADIO. EVER.I started by selecting a favorite track, and away I go. I've now become reacquainted with Sloan and Sebadoh, both charter members of the "Bands I need to check out but forget" list. Good times. This looks like the beginning of a beautiful voyage of musical discovery.
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UK based organization All Tomorrow's Parties (ATP) announced today ATP New York, its first east coast festival set for September 19-21 at Kutshers Country Club in Monticello, NY. ??My Bloody Valentine?? The three day Festival curated by both My Bloody Valentine and ATP, will be headlined by My Bloody Valentine in their first US appearance in 16-years and include performances by:MY BLOODY VALENT...
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I know this is going to stir some shit up but oh well, as the MBV song says "Nothing Much To Lose" here. I've been noticing that the same "moggers" keep reappearing on the "Our Daily Picks" feature on the bottom right hand corner of every page of Mog.There are around six "moggers" that regularly get their posts featured:WalterWeissMollifireDJ IviAfficianadoMr. FrostMichael GoldbergI may be miss...
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OK, I finally took the plunge. All I have to say is:BEST. RADIO. EVER.I started by selecting a favorite track, and away I go. I've now become reacquainted with Sloan and Sebadoh, both charter members of the "Bands I need to check out but forget" list. Good times. This looks like the beginning of a beautiful voyage of musical discovery.
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Three unreleased My Bloody Valentine songs. Three. You know what I know, which isn’t much, plus what you know (Johari Window lolz). These songs evidently were recorded sometime between Isn’t Anything and Loveless, and for whatever reason, surfaced just last week. If anyone has more info on this, give me a shout in the comments.The [...]
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Loveless is a masterpiece and all but I really love early sloppy MBV...
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My first impression is that this is the musical equivalent of riding a unicycle. It will unsettle many people with the slightly wobbly din, but others will find it an exhilarating, Emo-ish, atonal adventure. I used to get carsick, so that may give you an idea of what it does for me.What do you think?
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Make another record that is!I played this to some 11 year old kids in my class today. They said it wasn't 'EMO' enough for them. What do I know, eh?
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 "Isn't Anything")
