My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything

My Bloody Valentine are arguably, simultaneously the most overrated and underrated band ever to grace us. They’re absolutely adored by a vast section of the indie crowd and considered to be one of the most influential acts for the current shape of new bands emerging. However they are constantly disregarded when it comes to the mainstream name checking sessions for “most essential bands of the last twenty years”. My way of looking at the situation is as follows. Take away the pretentious uber-fans and take away any preconception of just how important the band are and what are you left with? You’re left with one of the proudest accomplishments that the “shoegaze” scene managed to cough up. The two My Bloody Valentine records I’d put near the word “flawless” (Isn’t Anything & Loveless) really are the epitome of all that was fantastic about the late 80s, early 90s too-cool-for-you independent music scene. The fantastic use of distortion and feedback to compliment these incredible melodies and vocal harmonies. The composure on songs such as “Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside)”, the way the track becomes more and more intense whilst still holding on to this incredible tune really does justify any importance that this band is said to have had.

I remember hearing My Bloody Valentine for the first time, about seven years ago now. An older family member let me borrow his back catalogue because he thought I could do with some help in the music taste area. At the time I fuckin’ hated them. I didn’t get them at all. It was just so different to the diet of stadium rock and third rate hip-hop that I’d been living on. Funny then that a few years later upon listening to “Isn’t Anything” again, they’d become one of my all time favorites. It was after I’d moved away from the grunge bands that were my bible and had started getting in to Spiritualized and J&MC that it really hit me, just how influencial and beautiful this band are.

I’ve chosen to post some tracks from “Isn’t Anything” as opposed to “Loveless” mainly because I consider it to be the less widely known of the two. You must own a copy of “Loveless”, right? Hate to tell you what to listen to but if you don’t, you’re missing out.

My Bloody Valentine - Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside)
My Bloody Valentine - You Never Should

Buy Isn't Anything at Amazon

Bonus: To make up for the fact that most of our readers already own this album and just sat through me explaining something they were already well aware of, here’s My Bloody Valentine live In San Francisco, 92.

there was a live set here but it expired