Swervedriver: Classic or Dud?

Dud:- 99th Dream

Definitely one of the better bands of the 90's

I keep on hoping for more pulp-fiction-like stories, a la "Last Train to Satansville". Never happened, though. And I still don't know what to make of _Toshack Highway_ (Adam Franklin's solo joint).

I especially love how you think it's going one way and then it, er, shifts gears into another song and then back again. Bonus points for the chiming major-key guitar riff in between the synth-wobbles and "I'm going down, down to the marketplace..."

US tour dates are leaking out...

From http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2008/03/swervedriver_re_1.html

Henry Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles - May 31 (tickets on sale this Saturday)
Bowery Ballroom, NYC - June 11
Music Hall Williamsburg - June 12

Huh, was thinking about them the other day. Time to revive the old Vervediver supergroup idea if Neil and Rachel aren't busy.

First album = classic.

Great group. I just loaned Raise and Mezcal Head to a friend who hadn't heard them before.

CLASSIC!!!
First album would be even classier ,if re produced/remastered or whatever those boffins do.

The rest weren't bad either.

Search 'Duel', 'The Birds' - and loads of other stuff

When I was so obsessed with all those Septic bands - you know the ones- the NME and Melody Maker had these down as some GAZE band. Wrong.And I fell for it

They rocked

read this as Steendriver: Classic or Dud and was :(

Mezcal Head is one of my favorite albums.

yeah the first album really is incredible, still. a deluxe reissue with all the tracks from the first four EPs as a bonus would be ^_^

that would be perfect. they should do that with all of the albums

i love how like half of juggernaut rides is bsides

vervediver.. rofl

Don't forget Ejector Seat Reservation either. Some of their best songs are on that album.

Mezcal Head is one of my favorite albums.

-- BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Saturday, March 8, 2008 12:36 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Link

^

been listening to it a lot lately

Remember being at Reading, Festering in about , many years ago shunning this great band.

They were on the main stage. My trendy , snobby friends and myself- even worse -turned away, muttering 'fucking shoegazing shit' to go and watch probably somebody pointless like Heavy Stereo or Adorable in the tent.
I remember walking away thinking' What a great riff - what a tune' I can still picture the ugly dreadlocked, long haired pedal fixated tossers, flailing on the mainstage. Should have stayed. Peer pressure

Son Of Mustang Ford rules. There was some free tape with one of the music papers that had a great demo version of that song, I played that all the time when I was 16.

xp i'll rep for adorable!

different approach, though

one thing i love about swervedriver is how jagged their rhythm is.. almost vu-ish.. mixed with all those guitar tones of various colors and textures

mmm

Attention Swervedriver: Come to Seattle.

Duel is just a great rock song. Propulsive. Their songs tend to drag on a bit longer than I'd like at times, though.

I'm glad to hear there's so much love here for the first album! I'm kinda surprised, actually. I've still got my autographed vinyl copy. I think I'll dig that out.

Hmm. The first side isn't as good as the second, methinks. "Sci-Flyer" sounds suspiciously like Ride's "Seagull" in the riff department.

I saw Swervedriver and Adorable on the same bill! Though Swervedriver + Chapterhouse was a better combo. Happy days. I thought "Rave Down" was their best song.

I saw Swervedriver open for Ned's Atomic Dustbin. Odd double bill to be sure.

First time I saw both of 'em as well. VERY odd.

uk show announced.

SWERVEDRIVER play their first British show for 10 years

SEPTEMEBER 16TH at London Scala

Pioneering shoegaze legends Swervedriver have returned from a 10‐year hiatus to play a special show at London’s Scala.
Promoted by Club AC30, the event will see the band performing material from their four previous albums, released on Creation and Geffen.
Swervedriver have left an indelible mark on alternative music, with tracks like ‘Never Lose That Feeling’ and ‘Duel’ earning them a place amongst the alt‐indie greats.
The band will be touring the States later in the year, with the possibility of new material to follow.

'duel' slays.

six by seven supports.

fuck you guys for talking about how much you love this band without even acknowledging all the racist skinhead neo-nazi stuff

Swervedriver =! $krewdriver

I saw them when they came through Seattle a couple of months back. It was cool. I was amazed how little they'd aged.

Saw that Scala gig on my last.fm, might try and make that. Even though I still haven't heard anything since their 1st album, but I loved that when I was 16.

That would be the pre-nazi album, obviously.

fuck you guys for talking about how much you love this band without even acknowledging all the racist skinhead neo-nazi stuff

All I'm saying is watch out when I put Cormega on the blast in a NORE thread.

(yes "the blast" was intentional stfu)

I saw the Austin show a couple months ago, it was really great.

The three Creation albums due for reissue mid-October, with bonus tracks:

Raise:

# Hands
# Andalucia
# Kill The Superheros
# Over

Mezcal Head:

# Never Lose That Feeling
# Planes Over The Skyline
# The Hitcher
# Paris

Ejector Seat Reservation:

# Maelstrom
# The Directors Cut Of Your Life
# Just Sometimes
# Neon Lights Glow

(This last one also has the original hidden tracks.)

Anyone go to the reunion show in London the other week? I went to Black Lips/King Khan & BBQ Show instead.

The first one alone is missing these tracks from their EPs:

Volcano Trash
Juggernaut Rides (!!!)
She's Beside Herself (!!!)
Afterglow
Zedhead
Flawed
Out
Laze It Up
Surf Twang
Deep Twang

Yeah, I was wondering about that. Did most of those end up on the best-of, though?

fuck you guys for talking about how much you love this band without even acknowledging all the racist skinhead neo-nazi stuff

― and what, Thursday, 31 July 2008 14:57 bookmarkflaglink

still one of my favourite ever ILX posts

It's funny, Ejector Seat sounds even more extreme to me, just layer upon layer of blown out guitars. I think it may have thrown their career off track. That one is badly in need of a reissue.

Also kind of funny to sample an anguished Kurt Cobain.

I had built ESR up so much in my mind (was hard to find in the US in the late 90s) that I was kinda let down at the time lol. Love “son of Jaguar e” and “the birds”

I love how they do this escalating thing on songs like "Duel" and "Bring Me the Head of the Fortune Teller" where each successive section introduces an even more impossibly massive guitar sound. It's almost like they are constantly trying to outdo themselves in a guitar arms race.

I Wasn't Born to Lose You still my favorite. '10s Swervedriver > '90s Swervedriver imo (narrowly), though I should probably take that to the controversial opinions thread.

That is quite challenging, for sure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJc1HN2PxXI

remember seeing them in St. Paul a few years ago and still don't remember a British band that dressed so American

Saw them on their first USA tour that he talks about (Soundgarden/Swervedriver/Monster Magnet) which was really amazing.

(though he said it was 1991 but it was in fact spring 1992)

Yeah Swervedriver had hit America twice before that "A&M rocks out" lineup (which I saw as well) -- summer 1991 opening for Ned's Atomic Dustbin in a quick bicoastal stint IIRC then a separate tour near the start of 1992 with Ratcat opening. I saw them next on a Mezcal Head date but sadly never have seen them since.

The Mezcal Head date I saw them on had them opening for Smashing Pumpkins, a pretty good pairing given the Alan Moulder connection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNH7ZngZcIo

Expanded reissue of 99th Dream on deck:

https://swervedriver.bandcamp.com/album/99th-dream-2

CD1 - '99th Dream' remastered extended album
99th Dream 5:27
Up From The Sea 3:24
She Weaves A Tender Trap 3:43
These Times 3:22
Electric 77 7:36
Stellar Caprice 3:47
Wrong Treats 4:24
You've Sealed My Fate 3:53
In My Time 4:32
Expressway 3:33
Behind the Scenes of the Sounds & the Times 7:05
Why Say Yeah 3:14
93 Million Miles From The Sun (..and Counting) 3:30
The Director's Cut of Your Life 4:41
Straight Thru Your Heart 4:06

CD2 - 'Mercury Lounge' - live in NYC 14th Jan 1998
Behind the Scenes of the Sounds & the Times 6:50
Sandblasted 5:01
She Weaves A Tender Trap 3:50
How Does It Feel To Look Like Candy 3:27
Duel 5:16
99th Dream 5:59
The Birds 3:19
Wrong Treats 4:07
Never Lose That Feeling 4:35
Rave Down 6:00
Kill the Superheroes 9:35
For Seeking Heat 3:56
Duress 13:23

CD3 - 'Doremi Faso Latido' - outtakes/demos
Butterfly 4:53
Canvey Island Baby 4:56
Up From The Sea 2:54
Straight Thru Your Heart 4:00
Sciflyer97 5:41
These Times 2:44
Carousel City 4:36
You've Sealed My Fate 3:32
Sea Foam 3:17
Wrong Treats 2:46
Cool Your Boots 4:34
Electric 77 6:54
Behind the Scenes of the Sounds & the Times 5:48
99th Dream (live TV) 5:41
Wrong Treats (live TV) 4:01

ohhhhhh yeahhhhhh!!!

stoked for disc 3

I’ve always wanted to hear the faster version of “these times” that was on the original geffen promo

this looks really cool, very intriguing selection of tracks

I would have included “good ships” over “93 million miles” personally

Had a real nice chat with Adam Franklin for the Quietus for a Baker's Dozen:

https://thequietus.com/articles/33716-adam-franklin-swervedriver-bolts-of-melody-bakers-dozen-favourite-music

Thanks for sharing Ned

Yer welcome!

Ha I did not see that particular Clash record making it, great anecdotes about Shake Appeal and the Swervies first US gig

Love that Bob Mould was an early fan, makes a lot of sense

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7afNL0UGre8

Ned,

On slide 14, the italics after "The Book Lovers EP" are not closed and continue for the remainder of the entry.

spex
macOS Sonoma 14.2.1.
Mozilla Firefox 121.0.1

Your editor,

Stephen Q. Shasta

Yeah caught that — will pass along!

The riffs on ‘Sons of Mustang Ford’ are so great. That whole first Cd is ace.

First two albums including their B-sides are perfect, great stuff.

Proud to say I played Son of a Mustang Ford and Rave Down a lot when Raise came out in the US, on my late night show on an AM carrier current college radio station to like five people.

First 2 albums are classic, but I think Ejector Seat and 99th Dream are also really good.

I absolutely love Raise (and the early EPs) but I could never get into anything on Mezcal Head except "Duel" & "Duress" and I tried some of the records after that and they were not my thing. I feel like I may be an outlier Swervedriver fan.

"Last Train to Satansville" is aces and another excellent B-side also from the second album set:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0v5s8MkuKk

"Scrawl & Scream" was available on the Reel to Real EP that was released pre-Raise (summer 1991?) iirc.

"Last Train To Satansville" is 100% not for me.

I love all of it, but am an outlier insofar as I find the first one the hardest to get into.

Digging this Bolts of Melody album, but such a tease to bring in Besnard Lakes for such a brief appearance!