Though criminally overlooked in their own lifetime, Galaxie 500 later emerged as one of the pivotal underground groups of the post-punk era; dreamy and enigmatic, their minimalist dirges presaged the rise of both the shoegazer and slowcore movements of the 1990s. The group formed in Boston, MA, in 1986 and comprised vocalist/guitarist Dean... [+] Read More

Though criminally overlooked in their own lifetime, Galaxie 500 later emerged as one of the pivotal underground groups of the post-punk era; dreamy and enigmatic, their minimalist dirges presaged the rise of both the shoegazer and slowcore movements of the 1990s. The group formed in Boston, MA, in 1986 and comprised vocalist/guitarist Dean Wareham (a transplanted New Zealand native), bassist Naomi Yang and drummer Damon Krukowski, longtime friends who first met in high school in New York City before all three attended Harvard University. Wareham and Krukowski initially teamed in the short-lived Speedy and the Castanets, which split after their bass player experienced a religious conversion; upon re-forming, the duo recruited Yang to play bass, although she had no prior musical experience.

Named after a friend's car, Galaxie 500 began performing live throughout Boston and New York before recording a three-song demo tape which they sent to Shimmy Disc honcho Kramer, who agreed to become the trio's producer. After bowing in early 1988 with the singles "Tugboat" and "Oblivious" (the latter track featured on a flexi-disc included in an issue of Chemical Imbalance magazine), they issued their full-length debut, Today, which highlighted the group's distinct, evolving sound pitting Wareham's eerie, plaintive tenor, elliptical songs, and slow-motion guitar textures against Yang's warm, fluid bass lines and Krukowski's lean drumming.

After signing to the U.S. branch of Rough Trade, Galaxie 500 issued its defining moment, 1989's evocative On Fire, a remarkably assured and rich record including the superb singles "Blue Thunder" and "When Will You Come Home." After a limited-edition 7" release featuring live renditions of the Beatles' "Rain" and Jonathan Richman's "Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste," the group returned in 1990 with This Is Our Music, a diffuse collection spotlighting the wry, sunny single "Fourth of July" and a haunting cover of Yoko Ono's "Listen, the Snow Is Falling." Following a subsequent tour, Galaxie 500 disbanded after Wareham phoned Yang and Krukowski to say he was quitting the group.

A few months later, after Wareham formed his new band, Luna, Rough Trade went bankrupt, and with the label's demise went the trio's three albums, as well as their royalties. In 1991, at an auction of Rough Trade's assets, Krukowski purchased the master tapes for the group's music, and five years later the Rykodisc label issued a box set containing Galaxie 500's complete recorded output; a previously unreleased 1990 live set, dubbed Copenhagen, followed in 1997. In the meantime, after first resurfacing under the name Pierre Etoile, Krukowski and Yang later recorded as Damon and Naomi; additionally, the duo served as the rhythm section for the Wayne Rogers-led Magic Hour. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Formed in Duluth, Minnesota in 1994, Low was perhaps the slowest of the so-called "slowcore" bands -- delicate, austere, and hypnotic, the trio's music rarely rose above a whisper, divining its dramatic tension in the unsettling open spaces created by the absence of sound. Initially comprising the husband and wife team of guitarist/vocalist Alan... [+] Read More

Formed in Duluth, Minnesota in 1994, Low was perhaps the slowest of the so-called "slowcore" bands -- delicate, austere, and hypnotic, the trio's music rarely rose above a whisper, divining its dramatic tension in the unsettling open spaces created by the absence of sound. Initially comprising the husband and wife team of guitarist/vocalist Alan Sparhawk and drummer/vocalist Mimi Parker along with bassist John Nichols, Low began as an experimental reaction to the predominance of grunge; Shimmy Disc producer Kramer soon invited the group to record at his Noise N.J. studios, and the resulting demos earned them a deal with the Vernon Yard label.

After re-entering the studio with Kramer, Low emerged with their 1994 debut I Could Live in Hope, a beautiful set spotlighting the trio's hauntingly minimal aesthetic -- even Parker's drum set consisted only of a snare and a hi-hat. Nichols exited the group prior to 1995's lovely Long Division, recorded with new bassist Zak Sally; a subsequent appearance on the Joy Division tribute A Means to an End was later expanded into the following year's Transmission EP, a five-track set also featuring a rendition of Supreme Dicks' "Jack Smith." With new producer Steve Fisk, Low returned later in 1996 with The Curtain Hits the Cast. The Songs for a Dead Pilot EP followed in 1997 and marked their debut for Kranky, where they released such critically-acclaimed albums as 1999's Secret Name and 2001's Things We Lost in the Fire. The late '90s also saw them issue Owl (Low Remixes) and the Christmas mini-album, which featured a cover of "Little Drummer Boy" that became a minor hit when it was featured in the Gap's holiday season commercials in 2000 . The band's brilliant Things We Lost in the Fire arrived in 2001, with the darker, more subdued Trust coming the following year. Two years later, the B-sides/rare tracks collection A Lifetime of Temporary Relief appeared on Low's own Chairkickers Music imprint. For their seventh full-length album, 2005's The Great Destroyer, the group moved to Sub Pop. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The early-'90s New York trio Codeine is one of the founders of the slowcore scene that includes groups like Bedhead, American Analog Set, and Low. Taking audible inspiration from the third Velvet Underground album and scene pioneers Galaxie 500, but adding a more aggressive tone and slowing the tempos down even further, Codeine sounded almost... [+] Read More

The early-'90s New York trio Codeine is one of the founders of the slowcore scene that includes groups like Bedhead, American Analog Set, and Low. Taking audible inspiration from the third Velvet Underground album and scene pioneers Galaxie 500, but adding a more aggressive tone and slowing the tempos down even further, Codeine sounded almost entirely unique at the time. However, their style was immediately adopted by a number of other new bands, some of which do the tense and glacial thing even better.

Codeine was formed in 1989 by bassist/singer Stephen Immerwahr, guitarist John Engle, and drummer Chris Brokaw. Their demo, a tortured version of the Pete Ham/Tom Evans classic "Without You" that stretches the four-minute song out to nine, got the band signed to Glitterhouse Records in Europe and Sub Pop in the U.S. the following year. Their debut album, Frigid Stars LP, was released by Glitterhouse in late 1990 and Sub Pop in the spring of 1991 to generally positive reviews.

A lengthy EP, Barely Real, came out in 1992. Although the record varies Codeine's sound a bit with piano by ex-Squirrel Bait member turned art-rocker David Grubbs (Codeine had toured Europe with Grubbs' instrumental group Bastro) and a noise guitar freak-out by Bitch Magnet leader Jon Fine, plus a cover of MX-80 Sound's "Promise of Love," Barely Real is basically a continuation of the style perfected on Frigid Stars LP.

Beginning in 1991, Brokaw was pulling double duty, playing drums in Codeine and guitar in Thalia Zedek's band Come. Brokaw finally left Codeine in late 1992 to devote his full energies to his other band. After an already planned U.S. tour went ahead with Brokaw's hastily selected temporary replacement, Antietam's Josh Madell, Engle and Immerwahr began auditioning for a permanent drummer who could match their agonizingly slow tempos. Douglas Scharin, a member of the Brooklyn chamber rock quartet Rex (who unlike Brokaw, managed to maintain his dual band memberships), was selected and the newly reconfigured trio spent a summer in Grubbs' hometown of Louisville, KY, tweaking old material for touring purposes and writing new songs.

A single produced by Grubbs, "Tom," was released in the fall of 1993, followed by the full-length The White Birch in April 1994. Slightly more melodic than the earlier albums, but just as languorously paced, The White Birch is probably the group's best record. After an extensive U.S. tour, the trio split amicably to work on other projects. Scharin returned to Rex, then later worked with the instrumental post-rock project H.I.M. and the harder-edged June of 44. Immerwahr started a new band, Raymond. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Following the 1991 breakup of the seminal trio Galaxie 500, drummer Damon Krukowski and bassist Naomi Yang planned to retire from music; stung by the group's bitter disintegration and left without a label due to the bankruptcy of Rough Trade, after issuing a lone 1991 EP under the name Pierre Etoile, the couple opted to concentrate on running... [+] Read More

Following the 1991 breakup of the seminal trio Galaxie 500, drummer Damon Krukowski and bassist Naomi Yang planned to retire from music; stung by the group's bitter disintegration and left without a label due to the bankruptcy of Rough Trade, after issuing a lone 1991 EP under the name Pierre Etoile, the couple opted to concentrate on running Exact Change, the small surrealist publishing house they founded the year prior. Occasionally, however, they dragged their instruments out of mothballs and wrote songs; soon, producer Kramer, who earlier helmed all three of the Galaxie 500 records, contacted the duo about cutting their new material for his label, Shimmy Disc. After repeatedly turning down the offer, Krukowski and Yang finally agreed, and travelled to Kramer's Noise New Jersey studios to begin recording.

Dropping the Pierre Etoile name to work as Damon & Naomi, they issued the LP More Sad Hits in 1991; featuring Krukowski on vocals, guitar and percussion and Yang on vocals and bass, the record continued the ghostly ambience which defined the best work of their previous band while creating a more emotionally expansive backdrop. Following its release the couple again retired, but later turned up as the rhythm section of the Magic Hour. Borrowing the record's title from an old Sonny and Cher album, Krukowski and Yang resurfaced as a duo in 1995 with The Wondrous World of Damon and Naomi; following the breakup of the Magic Hour, they returned in 1997 with the single "The Navigator." Playback Singers followed a year later. The duo collaborated with the Japanese psych-folk band Ghost for their 2000 album, appropriately dubbed Damon & Naomi with Ghost. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Although chosen for its deliberately nondescript qualities, in retrospect the name American Music Club was the perfect moniker for the lauded San Francisco-based band led by singer/songwriter Mark Eitzel: over the course of seven acclaimed albums, the group tied together the disparate strands of the American musical fabric -- rock, folk,... [+] Read More

Although chosen for its deliberately nondescript qualities, in retrospect the name American Music Club was the perfect moniker for the lauded San Francisco-based band led by singer/songwriter Mark Eitzel: over the course of seven acclaimed albums, the group tied together the disparate strands of the American musical fabric -- rock, folk, country, punk, even lounge schmaltz -- into a remarkably distinct and riveting whole, creating a brilliant and cohesive body of work dappled by moments of haunting beauty and impenetrable darkness.

Although born in California, Eitzel spent his formative years in Great Britain and Ohio before returning to the Bay Area in 1980 with the punk band the Naked Skinnies. After the band's breakup, he founded American Music Club in 1983 with guitarist Vudi (born Mark Pankler), bassist Dan Pearson, keyboardist Brad Johnson, and drummer Matt Norelli. Despite the skill and diversity of the other members, Eitzel quickly became the group's focal point: an evocative vocalist and gutter poet capable of composing songs of disquieting honesty and intensity, he was also frequently the band's worst enemy -- a heavy drinker since the age of 16, AMC shows often disintegrated into surreal backdrops for Eitzel's alcoholic rants and self-destructive showmanship, and throughout the group's tumultuous career, his erratic behavior led him to briefly exit their ranks on numerous occasions.

Still, Eitzel quelled his demons long enough for AMC to record their 1985 debut, The Restless Stranger; later disowned by the group, the album does offer a rough outline of their increasingly eclectic sound, and firmly established Eitzel's world view, a harrowing vision of life as seen through the bottom of a shot glass. 1987's Engine honed the formula: the addition of producer Tom Mallon as a full-time member expanded the group's sonic palette, while Eitzel's songs achieved new levels of intimacy as compositions like "Outside This Bar" and "Gary's Song" grappled with the realities of the drinking life.

While American Music Club languished in obscurity in their native country, they earned a solid European cult following on the strength of 1988's California, a frequently brilliant collection highlighted by the shimmering country and folk accouterments which couched fractured love songs like "Firefly" and "Western Sky"; "Blue and Grey Shirt," Eitzel's most heartfelt and powerful composition to date, was the first in a series of devastating chronicles of friends lost to the AIDS epidemic. Still, the album garnered little notice, and their next LP, 1989's United Kingdom, appeared only in the nation which lent the record its name: another superb collection drawing on leftover material and live tracks, it featured "The Hula Maiden," the first recorded fruits of Eitzel's growing fascination with lounge crooning.

After a solo acoustic Eitzel release, 1991's Songs of Love, American Music Club emerged with its masterpiece, Everclear, a remarkable song cycle released to phenomenal critical acclaim (and the usual negligible commercial interest). Still, the lavish praise heaped on Everclear (named in honor of a vicious, 180-proof transparent liquor) finally made the major labels take notice, and a bidding war ensued. After months of negotiations, AMC -- now consisting of Eitzel, Vudi, Pearson, multi-instrumentalist Bruce Kaphan, and drummer Tim Mooney -- signed with Reprise in the U.S. and Virgin throughout the rest of the world, and entered the studio with acclaimed producer Mitchell Froom.

The result, 1993's Mercury, was a typically iconoclastic effort featuring unwieldy song titles like "What Godzilla Said to God When His Name Wasn't Found in the Book of Life" and "The Hopes and Dreams of Heaven's 10,000 Whores" resting uneasily against lush, obtuse gems like "If I Had a Hammer," "Apology for an Accident," and "Johnny Mathis' Feet." Despite glowing reviews, Mercury fared poorly on the charts, and earned virtually no recognition from radio or MTV. In 1994, AMC issued San Francisco, an erratic collection which precariously balanced stark, moving confessions like "Fearless" and "The Thorn in My Side Is Gone" alongside slick pop constructs such as "Wish the World Away" and "Can You Help Me." When San Francisco failed to connect, American Music Club finally dissolved; in 1996, Eitzel issued his proper solo debut, 60 Watt Silver Lining, a collection of torch songs. At the end of the year, he and producer Peter Buck of R.E.M. returned to the studio to record 1997's West. In 2003, Eitzel and Vudi announced that American Music Club were reuniting, and following short tours of Europe and the United States, the group's new album, Love Songs for Patriots, was released in the fall of 2004, with more live shows scheduled in support. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Bedhead was a quintessential indie rock band. What distinguished the group, however, was the way it combined the genre's modest ambitions with careful song construction and rock & roll's sense of grand dynamic excitement. There are no complex structures, highly expressive vocalists, or thrilling improvisations on a Bedhead album, but there is... [+] Read More

Bedhead was a quintessential indie rock band. What distinguished the group, however, was the way it combined the genre's modest ambitions with careful song construction and rock & roll's sense of grand dynamic excitement. There are no complex structures, highly expressive vocalists, or thrilling improvisations on a Bedhead album, but there is the music of a band exceptional at its particular craft. There is often an exquisite buildup in a Bedhead song. On Transaction de Novo the group achieves this both in each song's internal structure and externally as the album progresses. The short "Exhume" steps lightly through typically low-key vocals, a melodic bassline, and a chiming melody. "More Than Ever" follows, entering with lazy drum hits. Bedhead makes every note count and, consequently, a few notes can mean a great deal. Here, the band sketches the melody with minimal guitar; it's the less-is-more approach at its most convincing. "More Than Ever" builds at a relaxed pace only to pull back as its last note is struck. "Parade" creates more anticipation, then delivers with a glorious release. On Transaction, tightly controlled bursts always fit each song's progression, and there is no sense of indie kids toying with noise in the guise of creating a confrontational sound. Bedhead only begins to lose potency on the forceful assault of "Psychosomatica"; few of the group's strengths are evident as the song pounds forward with slices of overdriven guitar.

Bedhead used simple elements, making Transaction de Novo seem effortless, yet when a band like this comes along, there is no denying how special it is. This was the quintessential indie rock band because it delivered some of the best the genre is capable of: workaday vocals that actually work, gorgeous melodies (though uncommercial, this music doesn't have to be indigestible), and dynamics that could crush the listener. Unfortunately, Bedhead broke up shortly after Transaction de Novo, though it's hard to imagine the group perfecting this sound much further. ~ Nathan Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Brooklyn's Rex made an incredible leap forward from its lackluster first album to C, its second and best. Stretching out over 70 minutes, the album is a lush, almost lethargic showcase for singer/guitarist Curtis Harvey's sad songs. Front-loaded with the band's best songs (the stunning "Morning and "Ride Home") and brimming over with tasteful... [+] Read More

Brooklyn's Rex made an incredible leap forward from its lackluster first album to C, its second and best. Stretching out over 70 minutes, the album is a lush, almost lethargic showcase for singer/guitarist Curtis Harvey's sad songs. Front-loaded with the band's best songs (the stunning "Morning and "Ride Home") and brimming over with tasteful string arrangements, C seems to be the record Rex had been trying to make since its inception. Hypnotic and repetitive -- but engaging rather than boring because of it -- this grouping of songs would inspire slowcore imitators, but wouldn't be matched. ~ Josh Modell, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Once again, Rex continue to refine their gentle, meandering brand of emo-core indie rock. Like an Afghan Whigs on Prozac, Rex's third full length features an increased attention on the violins, mandolins and cellos that subtly accompany the quiet, drifting guitars and bass. Although maybe just another twig from a flowering tree, 3 is powerful... [+] Read More

Once again, Rex continue to refine their gentle, meandering brand of emo-core indie rock. Like an Afghan Whigs on Prozac, Rex's third full length features an increased attention on the violins, mandolins and cellos that subtly accompany the quiet, drifting guitars and bass. Although maybe just another twig from a flowering tree, 3 is powerful enough to play loudly, yet gentle and subdued enough for use as a soundtrack to peaceful introspection. 3 builds slowly and brightly like the best of today's burgeoning alterna-country bands. But to call their unique brand of rock music country would be selling it short. This is music with a subtle groove and more instrumental work than vocals. The clarity and crisp production of "One Stew" features guitar moments that recall the gentler side of Led Zeppelin, while the jangly "Balloon" reminds one of a sunny spring day at the fair. Unlike the off-kilter sparseness of earlier efforts, 3 reveals a Rex who fuses the rolling swagger of Palace with the prog-rock of Tortoise. ~ Marc Ruxin, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Movietone's second full album found the band specifically set on low-key performances throughout; no sudden shifts to crushing volume here, more a continued, extended dream of darkly attractive (but not dour) full-band mood-outs. Unlike, say, Mazzy Star or Low, Movietone's interpretation of smoky post-psychedelic jams relies on a definite... [+] Read More

Movietone's second full album found the band specifically set on low-key performances throughout; no sudden shifts to crushing volume here, more a continued, extended dream of darkly attractive (but not dour) full-band mood-outs. Unlike, say, Mazzy Star or Low, Movietone's interpretation of smoky post-psychedelic jams relies on a definite briskness offset by Kate Wright's cool vocals, softly husked but not drowsy, combined with subtle arrangements, tweaks, and experiments to add variety. Whether it's the sudden appearance of piano leads on the opening "Sun Drawing" or the snaky cool of the rhythm on "Night of the Acacias," calling to mind a moody '60s spy movie sequence, often the simplest addition transforms each song into more than the sum of its parts. Rachel Brook's clarinet work is often the secret touch that lends the songs a little something extra or unexpected, as counterbalance to the low-feedback hyperactivity shown on "Useless Landscape." The arrangements are sometimes as stripped down as possible -- nothing but guitar, bass, and piano appears on "Noche Marina," one of the most intensely beautiful moments on a lovely album. Electricity isn't needed to carry the flow of Day & Night or a song's individual power; a buried cymbal fill or two aside, "Blank Like Snow" consists of nothing but Kate Wright and acoustic guitar, her obsessive focus suggesting a more deliberate Nick Drake circa Pink Moon. Slow solo piano, meanwhile, stands front and center on "Summer," with viola-produced drones and Matt Jones' subtle, barely there percussion creating a most unseasonal chill before a sudden uplift of gentle activity reminiscent of Talk Talk's late-period bursts takes the fore. The longest track on Day & Night concludes it, with "The Crystallisation of Salt at Night" finding all the members adding just about everything (including Jones on prepared piano) to create an involving ending for a striking, unique album. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The cover sets the mood well -- a negative black and white shot of some stars, looking even more haunting as a result. As for the album, the tone isn't simply being cold or unemotional, but simply gripped by a deep black mood, where everything seems on the verge of suddenly going wrong or collapsing. There's actually a cryptic warmth in the slow... [+] Read More

The cover sets the mood well -- a negative black and white shot of some stars, looking even more haunting as a result. As for the album, the tone isn't simply being cold or unemotional, but simply gripped by a deep black mood, where everything seems on the verge of suddenly going wrong or collapsing. There's actually a cryptic warmth in the slow tempos and feedback produced from the deliberate strumming and chords from John Engle and Chris Brokaw's guitars. It isn't the narcotic hush of Low -- there's actually a little more relative energy than that! -- or sludgy stoner rock a la Black Sabbath, but something else entirely. Bassist Stephen Immerwahr's vocals lend to that feeling, softly ruminative, sometimes straining, but never sounding self-important or whining (though sometimes the lyrics are creepily macabre -- check out the start of "Cave-In"). If one lets oneself go for the album's general feel, then it all flows together to make a touching, surprising experience, but those seeking variety aren't likely to be happy. It avoids sounding repetitious by virtue of the dynamics -- treat the entire album as an extended mood piece, and it works well. Engle's lead guitar work throws in enough heartbreakingly strong moments to help -- the sudden low swoop on "Pickup Song" is a standout, while the dark, forbidding drones on "Second Chance" are truly chilling. An interesting cover surfaces a few songs in -- "New Year's," cowritten by Bitch Magnet singer Sooyoung Park but not recorded by him until the first Seam album, Headsparks, two years later. Codeine here sound a touch cleaner than elsewhere on Frigid Stars, where the guitars can really sprawl when needed, but Brokaw's drumming and Immerwahr's great delivery mark it out as their version instead of merely a straightforward remake. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide [-] Hide