Mazzy Star : C or D

^^^ fucking great album. I'm lukewarm about the first and third albums though. The first sounds kind of undeveloped to me, while the third's songs aren't as memorable.

This really is one of those perfect bands who should never, ever blemish their legacy by 'reuniting'

i love mazzy star. the second album is prob the best but i usually feel more inclined to listen to the first. 'halah' indeed is an incredible opener and could even be my favorite song by them

haven't heard the third album tho

Yeah after I posted that last night I listened to STTIMS in its entirety and I'm pretty certain it's just perfect. I do also really like She Hangs Brightly but don't reach for that as often. Never really got into the 3rd album.

Yeah the 3rd album was a huge letdown for me at the time.

First album is a stroke of genius, the perfect mix of druggy/hazy psych and folky beauty.

The only thing letdown I experienced from Among My Swan was due to the godawful title! I don't see where the big quality dropoff claims are rooted, being that it should have been pretty obvious to anyone who had been listening from the beginning (of MS or, better yet, going back to the band's days as Opal) that Roback et al only had a few tricks up his sleeve, which he just cycled through as needed on his albums. As such, any expectations for an evolutionary step forward from STTIMS would have been sorely misguided.

For the uninitiated, check out Opal's Early Recordings. You will not be disappointed.

I don't see where the big quality dropoff claims are rooted

I know every song on STTIMS, but I can only remember one on AMS despite many listens.

I'm still in love with Hope Sandoval's voice. They're music being quite simple I've never understood why I get completely immersed when listening to them. It's like the musical equivalent to heroine for me. And it's not nostalgia fueled either... I started listening to them about 5 years ago. Wish I was there when they still existed.

I don't really care for their homogeneity, either.

hope's warm jets album is way better than the last mazzy record.

I can only remember one on AMS despite many listens

I got 3! 'Flowers in December', 'Disappear' and 'Take Everything'. But yeah, haven't a clue what else was on it.

wow Hope Sandoval announces that a new Mazzy Star will come out.

wow! got a link?

Didn't see that comin'.

Heard something about this today, forget where. I thought it was just a solo release.

eh? all i got was this: http://www.mbvmusic.com/new-hope-sandoval-mp3-blanchard/11677

(new warm inventions mp3)

I got this in my mail today. Sorry bout the formatting...don't have time to fix:

Since the release of Mazzy Star's debut album She Hangs Brightly, Hope Sandoval has defined the sound and style of California psychedelic dream pop. The world took notice when the breakthrough single "Fade Into You" (from sophomore album So Tonight That I Might See) hit the airwaves and MTV heavy rotation. Sandoval's trademark vocals helped to make her a modern day music icon. Now the revered singer returns along side My Bloody Valentine's Colm O'Ciosoig to deliver her long awaited sophomore album Through The Devil Softly on September 1.
Over the past decade, the sought after vocalist has collaborated with artists from across the musical landscape: The Jesus & Mary Chain, Air, Death in Vegas, The Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack and Bert Jansch, to count a few.
In 2001, she joined Colm O'Ciosoig to form Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions and release their debut Bavarian Fruit Bread. Now on Through The Devil Softly, the definitive star of the Paisley Underground scene reignites her trademark sound in an epic journey across the 11-song album. The project continues the laid-back, slowcore sound they are renowned for and places Sandoval's sensuous, hypnotic voice in the forefront. Recorded in both Northern California and the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland, the spare, subtle arrangements reinforce Sandoval's gentle vocal style.
An extensive North American tour is planned for Fall 09, with dates in the UK and Europe to follow.
Grab the lead track 'Blanchard' instantly below:
Blanchard Mp3
Hope Sandoval Myspace
Hope Sandoval Facebook

that's about the Warm Inventions, not Mazzy Star though.

Sorry should have provided the link: http://pitchfork.com/news/35854-mazzy-stars-hope-sandoval-returns-with-new-album

The last paragraph. It does sound a bit vague but yeah this is pretty unexpected.

the definitive star of the Paisley Underground scene

love hope but this is twaddle

mazzy star should release a split single with mbv

the definitive star of the Paisley Underground scene

Of course, it's perfectly safe to make this claim, because Kendra Smith is off the grid.

i guess

i shall take this moment to point out that suki ewers' solo album, derivative of mazzy/galaxie that it is, is completely gorgeous

Hope Sandoval has collaborated with Massive Attack in the past!? What? When?

tis forthcoming apparently

hey this Warm Inventions record is pretty good!

actually a good deal more diverse and dreamier than Mazzy Star, not as monotone in its instrumentation and production style

The new one or the one from earlier this decade? Haven't heard the new one, but I'd dare to say I like the first Warm Inventions record better than *any* Mazzy Star record. Not that I don't like Mazzy ...

the new one, Through the Devil Softly

I like the first Warm Inventions record better than *any* Mazzy Star record

Wow, high praise. I should check that out.

I guess I just think it's a little less one-note than Mazzy was/is. There's some kinda slinky.sexy stuff, some folkier stuff (w/ Bert Jansch!) and some MBV-dronier stuff (the final track). Not that it's all over the map or anything -- still dreamy/sleepy as hell throughout.

anyhoo, these days, if I'm in the mood for Sandoval I'll usually put that one on. If I'm in the mood for Roback I'll put on Opal.

I agree - I listen to both Sandoval albums way more than Mazzy Star. The new one is really nice.

The show was awful, though - she walked off after 3 songs, came back in 20 minutes, did two more songs and then left for good. geez.

the two EPs she released around the time of the first album should not be overlooked - the non-LP tracks are very very good too, particularly 'i thought you'd fall for me'

So, while we were out for a few days, some rather momentous news so if you'll allow me to link to myself here...

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/heardmentality/2011/10/mazzy_star_announce_reunion_si.php

the hardest working band in showbiz is BACK!
excited. clips sound like mazzy star!

(But what did happen to Kendra Smith, anyway?)

most important line in article ^^^

Too kind.

great news, hope they make a new album

wow! excited

Actually quite pleased with the idea of a new Mazzy Star album.

the hardest working band in showbiz is BACK!

p sure that title belongs to MBV iirc

psyched for this btw

Looking forward to this. The clips are excellent (as is the cover). Opal/Mazzy Star are one of the few groups with explicitly blues elements that I truly like!

:D

p sure that title belongs to MBV iirc
i dunno, relatively speaking, MBV have worked their asses off in the past few years.

Magick Power is one for the repeat button. Mind Blowing.

listened to these guys last night. one thing i was wondering -- i remember having So Tonight That I May See (on cassette!) for like a year before "Fade Into You" hit big. Why did it hit big? Was it in a movie or something? Just seemed like a slow. meandering path to a hit single. maybe that suits this band perfectly.

I just listened through the Mazzy-catalogue just the other day. Love them.

RIP
such a great sound, and enduring I still run across new bands of people in their 20s that are clearly influenced by Mazzy Star

so much "dreampop" owes them a huge debt

Mazzy Star were EVERYTHING to me in the early 90s, and led me to the wonders of Opal too. I'm really shocked.

RIP

RIP. She Hangs Brightly is all-time.

some of the druggiest music ever made, it hangs in its own special hazy sweet spot and practically makes the walls drip when it's playing

(meant as high praise)

The guitar tone of "Ghost Highway".

This is horrible news. He meant a lot to the LA scene. RIP

https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2020-02-25/david-roback-mazzy-star-dead

No way... This really sucks. Amazing sounds and moods.

Being quietly destroyed here by Still and Seasons of Your Day - inevitably I spent less time with them than the early records but there's no loss of magic.

Cause of death is cancer. :-((

god these records sound SO GOOD, so much space, great sound, everything

yeah Among My Swan was sounding fantastic last night — I kind of slotted that one as the weakest of their original three records, but I think I was wrong. Just a totally enveloping soundworld/mood.

“I wanted to make music that I felt and if people liked it, fine, otherwise the music would be enough reward.”

Only just heard this news, fucking hell

Extremely good article here, many reflections from friends and collaborators:

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-03-06/david-roback-mazzy-star-susanna-hoffs-opal-cancer

:(
https://reverb.com/item/44135848-1968-fender-telecaster-guitar-blonde-w-bigsby-owned-by-david-roback-44566