Bands influenced by MBV & Sonic Youth

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I know there are a lot of bands out there that are influenced by MBV and Sonic Youth. I was looking for recommendations for some of the best artists that are influenced by these two artists.

― Frank Booth (Frank Booth), Thursday, 26 June 2003 07:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Do you want "influenced by" or do you want "trying to be"?

Mogwai's "Young Team" in one category, The Lily's "In The Presence Of Nothing" in the other, you work out which is which. ;-)

― kate (kate), Thursday, 26 June 2003 07:38 (twenty-two years ago)

so many, off the top of my head:

Trail of Dead
Garbage
Placebo
Smashing Pumpkins
M83

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 26 June 2003 07:42 (twenty-two years ago)

- Blonde Redhead always somehow remind me of SY. They seem to be even artier than SY.
- Yo La Tengo's May I Sing with Me is a little bit like a blend of MBV's shoegazer drones and Sonic Youth noise experiments

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Thursday, 26 June 2003 08:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Yo La Tengo - Painful!

Tonight, Matthew, I will be My Bloody Youth...

― kate (kate), Thursday, 26 June 2003 08:22 (twenty-two years ago)

in the '80 there was a band called A.C.Temple influenced by s.y., maybe they were just a clone...

Band Of Susans was another band influenced by s.y.

i don't like Appleseed Cast, but i must admit that they are very similar to My Bloody Valentines...

― giulio from genova, Thursday, 26 June 2003 08:26 (twenty-two years ago)

''Band Of Susans was another band influenced by s.y.''

haha no.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 26 June 2003 08:32 (twenty-two years ago)

when I was young and easily misled, I often (always!) mistook YLT for SY..

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Thursday, 26 June 2003 08:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Why is it, that whenever I see YLT acronymised (did I just make up another word?) I invariably pronounce it Why-La-Tea?

― kate (kate), Thursday, 26 June 2003 08:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Oasis (the gtr miasma on their debut made it OK for them to be on Creation, and N Gallagher has slagged off SY without provocation a few times so he must've heard them somewhere)

― dave q, Thursday, 26 June 2003 09:00 (twenty-two years ago)

daev 'wins'.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 26 June 2003 09:10 (twenty-two years ago)

don't know them enough but maybe bardo pond (from the other thread).
eleventh dream day could be another candidate. not too noisy though.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Thursday, 26 June 2003 09:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Swans and Cranes

― Chris Clark (Chris Clark), Thursday, 26 June 2003 10:30 (twenty-two years ago)

melbourne's Love of Diagrams do a very good "instrumental Daydream Nation" if that's up your alley

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 26 June 2003 10:34 (twenty-two years ago)

so many

TOO many. List goes on forever but some good candidates have been named.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 26 June 2003 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Hole

― Chris Clark (Chris Clark), Thursday, 26 June 2003 12:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Medicine.

― kate (kate), Thursday, 26 June 2003 12:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Pussy Galore
Primal Scream
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Public Enemy
Neil Young

― Chris Clark (Chris Clark), Thursday, 26 June 2003 12:40 (twenty-two years ago)

schroeder's cat is kinda mbv influenced. i heart mbv rip-offs.

― praying mantis (praying mantis), Thursday, 26 June 2003 13:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Sloan - Smeared
Eric's Trip - Purple Blue
Mean Red Spiders - Stars and Sons
That band that does Anna Is a Speed Freak that Kate is always forced to defend.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 26 June 2003 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Pure. They don't sound anything like Sonic Youth or MBV, they are rockist bubblegum.

― kate (kate), Thursday, 26 June 2003 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Pure. They don't sound anything like Sonic Youth or MBV, they are rockist bubblegum.

I heartily tip Smeared, though.

― kate (kate), Thursday, 26 June 2003 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Also for pure Sonic Youf worship, Sloan's Peppermint ep.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 26 June 2003 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

sy: catpower, the swirlies

― kephm, Thursday, 26 June 2003 14:36 (twenty-two years ago)

swervedriver's early EPs, raise, and "duel" single.

haha i am teh win

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 26 June 2003 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

There was a band from the '90s called the Swirlies who sounded like an exact cross between SY and MBV. Good stuff.

― William R Henderson (Cabin Essence), Thursday, 26 June 2003 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

william!
not only were they mentioned two posts up but they are on tour right now.

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 26 June 2003 15:13 (twenty-two years ago)

(Prime Swirlies: They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days.... Prime Yo La Tengo for these purposes is surely Electr-O-Pura, more so than anything else, even if only for "Blue Line Swinger.")

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 26 June 2003 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

glenn branca ripped off sonic youth unceremoniously.

― Felcher (Felcher), Thursday, 26 June 2003 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

My favourite band influenced by MBV is The Tolchock Trio.

― Rem Lezar, Thursday, 26 June 2003 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Stratford Four

― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Thursday, 26 June 2003 17:59 (twenty-two years ago)

glenn branca ripped off sonic youth unceremoniously.

ha ha no. although they're all contemporaries, glenn branca ripped off rhys chatham, sonic youth co-opted glenn branca.

― fields of salmon (fieldsofsalmon), Thursday, 26 June 2003 18:00 (twenty-two years ago)

for MBV research i'd check out that "guitar" album on morr music from last year (called sunkissed). unabashed MBV worship.

― fields of salmon (fieldsofsalmon), Thursday, 26 June 2003 18:01 (twenty-two years ago)

TIN MACHINE! ha ha ha

― dave q, Thursday, 26 June 2003 18:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Some of Pavement's stuff fits under this category.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Thursday, 26 June 2003 18:06 (twenty-two years ago)

am i the only one not picking up the "sonic youth" vibe from the answers given?

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 26 June 2003 18:20 (twenty-two years ago)

we forgot Boards of Canada who not only have similar sonic textures, but love MBV so much that 'Music Has the Right to Children' uses the Bauhaus font found on most later MBV releases.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 26 June 2003 18:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Well gygax, MBV themselves were clearly influenced by Sonic Youth.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 26 June 2003 18:24 (twenty-two years ago)

sorry to not label my jokes with the word "sarcasm" as a header, but you'll forgive im sure, as im not so funny after all

― Felcher (Felcher), Thursday, 26 June 2003 18:26 (twenty-two years ago)

spencer:

and both for a time were influenced by dinosaur jr.

isn't music just the weirdest!

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 26 June 2003 18:36 (twenty-two years ago)

gygax beat me to it.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Thursday, 26 June 2003 19:31 (twenty-two years ago)

and Dinosaur was of course influenced by SY too! Lee Ranaldo plays on 'You're Living All Over Me'.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 26 June 2003 20:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Nirvana.

― David Allen, Thursday, 26 June 2003 20:16 (twenty-two years ago)

creed

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 26 June 2003 20:16 (twenty-two years ago)

All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors!!! They ripped off Stereolab as much as MBV but they did it pretty well.

― scott seward, Thursday, 26 June 2003 20:18 (twenty-two years ago)

the swirlies is the best answer but they ripped off 'isn't anything' not loveless and i've said it before but the best sonic youth song ever is the swirlies' 'park the car by the side of the road'

― keith (keithmcl), Thursday, 26 June 2003 22:35 (twenty-two years ago)

the first two mercury rev albums. in places, anyway.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 26 June 2003 23:45 (twenty-two years ago)

It's already been mentioned, but some of Pavement's best moments are textbook Sonic Youth.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Friday, 27 June 2003 02:09 (twenty-two years ago)

garbage's "supervixen" is so like "only shallow" it hurts. there are worse songs to rip off, mind you. also, low's "Trust" album has a few MBV-ish tracks. like "tonight" for instance.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 27 June 2003 21:01 (twenty-two years ago)

The German group 18th Dye has a good SY component to their songs.

― nickn (nickn), Friday, 27 June 2003 23:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Clown Down reminds me of both of these bands at times.

― scott m (mcd), Saturday, 28 June 2003 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Unwound certainly have a Sonic Youth influence, even if it is filtered through the lens of hardcore punk and playing on the floor of VFW halls.

― Ian Johnson, Saturday, 28 June 2003 00:33 (twenty-two years ago)

The Lilys' 1992 effort 'In the Presence of Nothing' is as close as you'll get to a Loveless clone.

― Tim Stewart (Tim Stewart), Saturday, 28 June 2003 05:27 (twenty-two years ago)

God, it's in the first answer. My bad.

― Tim Stewart (Tim Stewart), Saturday, 28 June 2003 10:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Neutral Milk Hotel...?

― Andrzej B. (Andrzej B.), Saturday, 28 June 2003 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

manitoba's new album "up in flames" has been compared to "loveless". haven't heard it and don't know the band. anyone a clue if the comparison is justified?

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Sunday, 29 June 2003 14:02 (twenty-two years ago)

the comparison is somewhat justified - it sounds like mbv, spiritualized, mercury rev - except more of an electronica thing.,

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Sunday, 29 June 2003 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

just saw that 'loveless' is being remastered and reissued, 'isn't anything' too.

― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 29 June 2003 22:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I knew they were coming out with vinyl versions, I suppose they decided to go whole hog.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 29 June 2003 22:53 (twenty-two years ago)

it might be heresy but i think loveless needs a remaster. maybe even a remix.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 29 June 2003 23:18 (twenty-two years ago)

i can't speak to mbv, but what exactly is it that connects sonic youth and the bands listed here as influenced by them? do you people all mean 'sounds like' sonic youth? if you mean that, how do they sound like them? and why don't they sound more like them? (mogwai for example: sonic youth?!)

― Josh (Josh), Sunday, 29 June 2003 23:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I never liked the sound of my copy of Isn't Anything. It must be an american issue.(i just checked-it is-a crappy relativity copy) i mean it's night and day on some stuff. plus, it ain't nearly loud enuff.I don't know how they fucked it up so bad. feed me with your kiss sounds abysmal. whereas, the original 12 inch is god on wax. i will spring for new vinyl. definitely. even though my copy of loveless sounds fine i better get a finer copy too.

― scott seward, Monday, 30 June 2003 00:02 (twenty-two years ago)

once I went to a restaurant and ordered some spaghetti, and I really liked the sauce. so I asked the chef for the recipe and then went home and started making my sauce with some of the ingredients from the chef's recipe. I didn't make it exactly the same, though. it turns out what I really liked about his sauce was the bay leaves, so I just started putting more of them in my own sauce.

― Josh (Josh), Monday, 30 June 2003 00:12 (twenty-two years ago)

mmm tasty shoegazing sauce

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 30 June 2003 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

it appears they are only being reissued on vinyl but have been remastered as well, on audiophile records.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 30 June 2003 02:20 (twenty-two years ago)

seven years pass...

just saw that 'loveless' is being remastered and reissued, 'isn't anything' too.
― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, June 29, 2003 5:35 PM (7 years ago)

O_O

― ilxor has truly been got at and become an ILXor (ilxor), Thursday, 2 September 2010 19:59 (fifteen years ago)

great reissues/remasters

― markers, Thursday, 2 September 2010 20:37 (fifteen years ago)

if it hasn't been mentioned already, swirlies. really a perfect blend of sy & mbv, me thinx.

― baddest boy on the internet (kelpolaris), Saturday, 4 September 2010 04:43 (fifteen years ago)

I love how often Swirlies are mentioned in this thread. It was the first thing I thought when I saw the title. But they're one of my favorite bands so I often think of them.

― Evan, Saturday, 4 September 2010 04:54 (fifteen years ago)

yeah i remember you saying so in another thread, you said they were in your top 3. just out of curiosity, the other 2?

― baddest boy on the internet (kelpolaris), Saturday, 4 September 2010 04:55 (fifteen years ago)

Lilys and Guided By Voices!

― Evan, Saturday, 4 September 2010 04:57 (fifteen years ago)

Do you have similar tastes?

― Evan, Saturday, 4 September 2010 05:00 (fifteen years ago)

The Prids. Esp their latest album.

― YOUNG POLLY GERNO'S (Trayce), Saturday, 4 September 2010 05:08 (fifteen years ago)

well it's just what i was wondering. been listening to swirlies non-stop lately since i discovered their entire discography is available for free online, and loving what they've got. but at the same i could never go so far as to saying they're in my top 3 favorites (nothing *wrong* with them, i just don't think they're truly up there)... so i just figured, or was really curious, what yours were and if you had any other ill-heard/underrated bands like the swirlz.

― baddest boy on the internet (kelpolaris), Saturday, 4 September 2010 05:11 (fifteen years ago)

Bardo Pond maybe

― ImprovSpirit, Saturday, 4 September 2010 05:19 (fifteen years ago)

Sure I've got plenty ill-heards. Try "Milf." Don't be put off by the name.

Start here:

http://wilfullyobscure.blogspot.com/2009/06/milf-feasting-on-fried-afterthoughts_20.html

― Evan, Saturday, 4 September 2010 05:54 (fifteen years ago)

And if you love MBV then you should check out early Lilys if you haven't already- they're the only imitators (Swirlies don't imitate beyond a few songs) that understood its not JUST the distortion and reverb that create the magic. They also did their own thing after the first album.

Look for the "Tone Bender" Ep by them and check out the song "Eskimo."

Then check out "Eccsame The Photon Band" Lp if you're looking for something really gorgeous with incredible restraint.

― Evan, Saturday, 4 September 2010 06:01 (fifteen years ago)

dope stuff, thank you very much

― baddest boy on the internet (kelpolaris), Saturday, 4 September 2010 06:20 (fifteen years ago)

No problem!

― Evan, Saturday, 4 September 2010 06:25 (fifteen years ago)

[

been listening to swirlies non-stop lately since i discovered their entire discography is available for free online,

Authorized/legally?

― don't hate the playa, hate the del carmen (Stevie D), Saturday, 4 September 2010 14:39 (fifteen years ago)

yeah! direct from the band itself. http://rcarchives.com/swirlies/discography/index.htm

― baddest boy on the internet (kelpolaris), Saturday, 4 September 2010 15:56 (fifteen years ago)

The Swirlies never really clicked for me, I'm not sure why...

― ilxor has truly been got at and become an ILXor (ilxor), Saturday, 4 September 2010 17:41 (fifteen years ago)

I love how often Swirlies are mentioned in this thread. It was the first thing I thought when I saw the title.

lol me too!

― Baluchistan of Landscape Avocado (Pillbox), Saturday, 4 September 2010 17:47 (fifteen years ago)

Also, Taang! is selling some of their still sealed Swirlies vinyl on ebay. Got mine for 10.50 after shipping and the packaging is great!

― Evan, Saturday, 4 September 2010 21:51 (fifteen years ago)

Glad to see Taang! finally getting a return on their investment.

Funny story that might seem surreal in 2010: I bought a promo cassette of Blondertongue from Venus Records in NYC, before the album came out. Had no idea who the band was, and was blown away by it, so I wrote the record label to ask about the Swirlies. No internet at the time, young ilxors, so info was harder to come by.

Anyway, not long afterwards, I got a call *at work* from a woman who worked for Taang. (I don't know how she got my number...I doubt I put it in the letter, though I honestly can't remember at this point.) She wanted me to know that the label was very concerned about the illegal sale of the promo cassette, and she wanted to know what record store I'd bought it from. I covered for Venus in the face of her tenacious grilling...hope I don't go to hell for it.

― dlp9001, Sunday, 5 September 2010 01:31 (fifteen years ago)

Yeah that does seem kind of alien these days, though I know some labels still make a huge deal out of early sales on new releases.

But it looks like they're trying to get rid of their Swirlies stock. Up to recently, they were only trying to sell lots of 25 copies of each (of two titles) on ebay for $99.99. Now they're putting out individual copies for around $5 each.

― Evan, Sunday, 5 September 2010 01:44 (fifteen years ago)

I mean the whole situation seems alien, not necessarily labels upset over leaks, but I feel like its hard to get too upset when it happens so easily these days.

― Evan, Sunday, 5 September 2010 01:46 (fifteen years ago)

why is it so difficult to find a proper picture of the swirlies? i tend to like to visualize my band playing whilst i listen to them, and i keep inputting bilinda butcher's for the vocals by psychological default.

― lieutenant jimmy john (kelpolaris), Sunday, 5 September 2010 06:21 (fifteen years ago)

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