The 2013 winner of best My Bloody Valentine recreation goes to Wildhoney. Like Me features bent notes, squalling guitars, gales of feedback, clattering drums, bone-crunching riffs, disembodied vocals and a tune blasting straight up into space.
My Disguise and Super Stupid on this 7" ep are just as strong. If Wildhoney can write an album this good, then they'll get at least the deserved attention that Jonanna Gruesome, the 2012 winner of best My Bloody Valentine recreation, are getting this year.
My Bloody Valentine, since you asked, are doing quite well in 2013's recreation of themselves, but let's face it, mbv is no Isn't Anything. And using Isn't Anything as year zero is what this game's all about.
Agree about mbv ... I'd go further and say that it's no 'tremolo' either, although if they'd just released (say) the first four tracks as an EP, back in 199X when they were clearly recorded, it might have provided some impetus for a decent full album. AS it is, I get to track 6 and just switch it off.
ReplyDeleteYour previous comment (currently MIA) said 'pre-Sebadoh', which I guess is Dinosaur Jr, and that's a fair point, because they definitely created a template of melody and mayhem whose influence continues.Sometimes they're overlooked in favour of MBV, but we shouldn't forget that much of MBV's magic came from repositioning the American art/noise underground. As for mbv itself, I'm similarly unimpressed. .
ReplyDeleteAh, just noticed that your previous comment was about Robert Scott. Confused readers can
ReplyDeleteread all about that. Sorry for the confusion, and thanks for raising these points.
No worries, I often find it hard to keep track of comments across posts :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking to your mbv post, I remember reading it previously but couldn't think of anything to add at the time (except, isn't the last track on mbv completely daft? I just cannot understand how anyone takes it seriously as a song ... and yet, and yet ... they do).
Wonder 2? It does take the 'swap the amp for a Hoover' ethic a bit far. And I know playing it backwards is meant to disorient, but, yes, they were far more effective when their disorientation simultaneously challenged and engaged. It's over-thought and overwrought.
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