Antiochus
Member
Hey, aren't you that guy that tried to make this thread once?
Why yes, and it was indeed a ill timed creation. Nonetheless, rest assured, everything is in order now, and this will be a proper thread.
What’s the reason for this?
To introduce a long forgotten yet great band and their music to the community here, no more, no less. Hopefully all music listeners can find and enjoy something of interest here.
Alright, alright. If you are of the TL
R type, then scroll down to the "Horror Head" secion and click on the Youtube link. Then you'll understandNever heard of them. So who/what are they again ?
You most likely have, just not knowing their names. Levity aside, with the possible exceptions of 40 years olds active during the UK alternative scene
c. 1991-1992 or American college ravers c.1997-1998, probably no one else have heard of their materials in any shape or form other than the Spiderman trailer
from 10 years ago, but that’s another story....
Simply put, a shoegaze/alternative duo composed of singer Toni Halliday and bassist Dean Garcia who, very briefly, thrived in the early 90's before
"disappearing" down the memory hole for good.
More complicated, though they started off as a duo, they quickly became a full blown 7 member band
(in addition to Toni and Dean, they had Debbie Smith-guitar, Alex Mitchell-guitar, Steve Monti-drums, Rob Holliday-guitar, and Stephen Spring-drums)
for 3 years (1990-1993) before dissolving completely. After two years however, Toni and Dean made amends and reformed back as an exclusive duo again (1996-2005).
So, uh, why should we care about them at all?
Because they made some of the best alternative and shoegaze music back in the nineties. They may (may) even be one of the best indie rock/electronica bands ever
(but I’ll let your ears decide on that). Their output should not just be of interest to any alternative music fans, but also present day indie aficionados,
or people who just like good music in general.
Despite not being originators of their respective genres, they were one of the most talented and masterful expositors of it, and were fearless in expanding its boundaries.
Though they started off as purely a noise pop and alternative outfit , throughout their career other various genres and styles such as shoegaze, industrial, dance punk,
electronica, trip hop, goth, break beat, big beat, electropop,and minor elements of dream pop and psychedelia were articulated with skill and finesse few other bands can match.
Also, they sound alot like Garbage.........four years before their debut.
Alright, impress us then. It better be good.
Worry not. There are so many things to go over, yet so little time. For this reason the OT will focus on their more critical releases first.
Subsequent updates will delve to other noteworthy EP/Single material. Let us start from the beginning
In the spring of 1991, Melody Maker, (the former Pitchfork of Britain), received an anonymous tape of four tracks, listened to it, and promptly declared it
"single of the week" and "this year's best news", a month before it was even released. Similar positive responses were to be found at NME and Sound magazine
as well. This group of tracks became known as the Blindfold EP.
Ten Little Girls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ProMC3LB4PM
This is the debut single that put Curve on the map in the UK indie scene. From the outset they established a hard hitting alternative sound spliced with rapping
and Toni’s cold vocals. Much of it was derived from the then fashionable Madchester scene. Though critically favorable at the time, it has aged dramatically and
does not much measure up with their later output. Still, it has air of audacity that will prove to be indispensable.
No Escape from Heaven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=925lc-W7MGk
This is the star of the Blindfold EP. Here Curve engages in a subgenre, noise pop, they will eventually be reknown for in the next 2 years.
Toni’s vocals show her soothing and seductive side, beguiling the listener with the swirling guitars that create a layers of sound for an upbeat journey.
Though stylistically a bit dated, it has aged much better than expected.
In May of 1991, just two months after the Blindfold debut, Curve relased the Frozen EP. Critical appraisal was again positive,
with NME calling it “fucking brilliant”. This, my friends, is where the going starts good. Really good.
The Colour Hurts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv9NKUiKR4U
Curve, having skimmed the surface of noise pop last time, now dive confidently and show their complete mastery of it.
Despite the relatively simple synths and beats used, the result is a futuristic direction that would fit right in as a soundtrack for an extraterrestrial vacation.
This knack for using relatively conventional means to make music sounding 4-5 years into the future will prove to be of Curve’s greatest strengths and downfalls.
Coast is Clear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9QXT5fPoaw
Heavy, merciless beats with deep sounding bass woven into a dance punk pattern. Toni’s vocals serves a valuable counterbalance to smoothe out the edges
and bring this into an alluring, alternative dance track that works equally well on the mosh pit and the dancefloor. One of the finest alternative songs during its peak years (1990-1992).
A mere four months after the Frozen EP, the band turned out yet another collection, this time known as the Cherry EP .
It would be redundant to repeat what the UK indie press or the alternative community thought at the time.
I will simply say this one of the best alternative music EPs ever released , capable of squaring off with against
Nirvana’s “Hormoaning” or My Bloody Valentine’s “Tremolo”. So good was this EP, that it earned Curve an unfortunate epithet of being solely an EP band.
Two of the best alternative and shoegaze pieces ever made are in fact in here:
Clipped: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-loNpejR758
Taking what they have learned in Coast is Clear, Curve alters the formula somewhat to create a lighter, meaner form that, though lacking in bass and dance impact,
more than makes up for it in its kinetic, soaring atmosphere that can lift the listener straight up a skyscraper.
Cherry:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y55MhPputFc
Though Curve was not primarily a shoegaze band, the noise pop of their two earlier EPs made them realize just how interrelated those two genres can be.
Cherry is their first foray into it, and the noise pop layer is transformed to a gnashing tempest. Toni’s vocals undergoes a significant development as she goes
into a more ethereal, dream pop range. A fitting listen for any down , depressing, or just plain hung over days.
With their triumphant trifecta of 1991, Curve was on a roll, and anticipation from fans and critics was running high for their inevitable album sometime next year.
Curve has shown themselves to be masters of the alternative rock and noise pop EP machine, and also demonstrated ample ability with shoegaze.
What would their first album reflect then? As it turns out, all of the above three, and much more, when Doppelganger was released March of 1992.
Doppelganger is as attractive a listen as any of Curve’s EPs. It is also not for the faint of heart or faint of ears. Curve took all the alternative, noise pop, shoegaze they have
and smashed them together with other edgier elements while pushing it to the limits. The layers of sound are thicker, more formidable and indeed more menacing than ever before.
Toni’s vocals alternate from the gentlest murmurs to the most ghostly hums to the most defiant outbursts. The bass is truly the standout here, never letting up and
always driving a sense of forboding. An air of crimson disturbance hangs over this album, and even the cover art of discarded, disemboweled dolls seem to illustrate that fact.
At the time of release, critics were split regarding the merits of it, some praising it for its relentless power, others criticize it for sounding the same note virtually from start to finish.
The latter part is somewhat true, but it can be conceptualize instead as a dark, cohesive journey from start to finish. A true dark horse masterpiece of the 90’s,
perhaps one of the decade's best. There are no weak tracks, and four stand out especially (for maximal effect, please feel free to turn up the volume knob):
Doppelganger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT0dGTNtODc
Curve took their base of noise pop, and mercilessly upgraded it with heavy doses of goth, industrial, and electronica. The layers of noise now becomes a black sea of sirens
and bubbling angst. The result is a seamless whole that is both dark, melodic, tragic, and outright frightening in its power. Is it nightmarish shoegaze, or perhaps one of the
best industrial rock made in the 90’s ? A question with no easy answers.
Lilies Dying: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrDgbI11Gfc
Best listened straight after Doppelganger. Though similar in some ways to Clipped, this track hone’s Toni’s vocals to deeper levels, and the overall effect is
more kinetic and propulsive. If Clipped lifted you straight to the stratosphere, Lilies Dying is what you will be listening as you plummet back down to earth.
Fait Accompli: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZO8eCE3cyM
Why this song isn’t one of the all time arena rock classics is bewildering, because it more than amply serves that role and then some more.
Curve jettisons shoegze and noise pop and went for all out industrial and alternative dance here. It is filled with all the bells, hooks, and whistles in its melodies and beats.
Crowd pleasing aspects at 0:44 and 1:52 should have listeners jumping out their seats, and the chorus at 3:19 is especially sublime.
In fact, this piece is more than competitive with the very best from the likes of say, U2 or Depeche Mode. But all that pales before the next song.
Horror Head: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdX5KKQDRwg
Ladies and Gentleman, there are alot of superlatives one can say of this track, but it is well deserved.
If there is one, just one, take home message, just one song to remember from this entire thread if you do not have the time and patience for others, this is it.
This is Curve at their very best, the peak and apex of their abilities and prowess.
Though at a glance this seems to be a usual shoegaze song, closer listens reveal subtle touches that elevates it dramatically. Dean’s bass guitar and the electronic synths
gives a industrial impact serve to accentuate the powerful unease that pervades the song. Toni’s vocals is at her best here, from long, lavish cries to a breathtaking breakdown
around the 1:54 mark. A perfect sense of fragile, nostalgic beauty yet gothic menace is conveyed. The combination of the layered bass guitar and vocals results in an
almost psychedelic effect.
This is not only one of the best alternative/shoegaze pieces from the 90's, but perhaps inadvertently, one of the most perfect pop songs ever made as well.
I will take rest here and note the density of quality material they put out during this one year timeframe (1991-1992).
With the release of Doppelganger, the band went on a UK wide tour that later expanded to America in the summer of 1992, where they played alongside Spiritualized
and the Jesus and Mary Chain. A little over a year later, their second album ,“Cuckoo” , was released in September of 1993.
Cuckoo represents a departure from their origins. In contrast with Doppelganger’s syncretic approach, very little noise pop and shoegaze is evident in here,
and even the alternative rock takes a back seat. The band decided to focus instead on concentrating and intensely developing their nascent industrial and electronica
direction they’ve picked up in Doppelganger, with dance punk added to the mix.
To be honest, Cuckoo is not an easy listen. In the process of incubating their newfound mix of industrial and electronica, they’ve sacrificed the various instant hooks,
melodies, and even parts of Toni’s vocal range that Doppelganger had in spades. Even for seasoned indie listeners the threshold can be high.
What Curve gained, however, was their most daring, forward, and innovative sounding album in their career.
Sonically it easily surpassed most of what their peers were doing the first half of the 90’s.
Crystal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gVJ2jwWBGk
Men are from Mars, Womean are from Venus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOQX4v5c6u4
In both tracks above, Curve has preserved their standard thick layer of sound, but have distorted somewhat with added fresh electro beats to achieve some of the
slickest industrial rock created. The bpm almost resembles techno on certain points. Here a cinematic scope comes through, and Men from Mars Women from Venus
can serve handsomely as background to a cyberpunk chase scene.
Cuckoo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFj97DVmhxU
The cinematic sheen is further emphasized here, with noticeable electronic distortion of Toni’s vocals to achieve industrial rock both hard hitting yet floating
and wistful at the same time. The upgraded soundscape delivers a timeless quality rare for tracks of the early 90’s.
If this was inserted as a closing song for a sci -fi movie in the past decade such as Avatar or Prometheus, no one would bat an eye.
Left of Mother: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pttrmc5z5D0
The centerpiece of Cuckoo. Curve engages in the most dense and complex production they’ve ever done, with flowing strings, beats, guitars, and background vocals
to produce a haunting aerial spectacle. Compared with other tracks on Cuckoo, Toni’s voice is back in center, and her chilling monologue is as effective as ever.
In some ways the production work anticipates the various EDM developments in the future. This song is easily 4-5, if not 8-10 years, ahead of its time.
Even today one can scarcely be able to tell its age.
I will note this track and the album appeared a year before Nine Inch Nail’s seminal Downward Spiral and 2 years before Radiohead’s The Bends.
The price of making Cuckoo, however, was much higher than simply sacrificing some accessibility. It did poorly in the commercial radio market and the official UK charts,
where as Doppelganger managed to chart all the way to the 11th position. Critical reception again proved to be mixed, with some praising its technical achievements
(though not recognizing just how far Curve went), others not comprehending it at all. At the same time, the band went on a brutal cross UK and European tour that left them
exhausted and drained. Perhaps underlying tension between the members reared up as well.
In any case, citing the hectic and punishing lifestyle they've led for the last year, the band officially broke up in early 1994
(Toni would later comment they nearly went crazy during that time). For the next 2 years, members went their separate ways...............
(To be continued !)
