Swervedriver: Classic or Dud?

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Curious what made them the weakest shoegaze band live, back then. Saw them in St Paul a couple nights ago and, wow, so much sensory delight, despite a very modest presentation relative to recent MBV or Slowdive. The music's saturation with melodic, ear- and brain-warming detail was never fuller, in any other band.

geoffreyess, Saturday, 14 March 2015 15:49 (nine years ago) link

Just got tickets for the Brooklyn show! Very excited.

Evan, Saturday, 14 March 2015 19:48 (nine years ago) link

The music's saturation with melodic, ear- and brain-warming detail was never fuller, in any other band.

a perfect summation.

mark e, Saturday, 14 March 2015 21:16 (nine years ago) link

Anyone see em this weekend for free with the Church at SXSW?

stop torturing me ethel (broom air), Monday, 23 March 2015 17:41 (nine years ago) link

me! It was an awesome show, was very impressed by the fiery versions of Satansville and Duel. New songs sounded good to.

Free Me's Electric Trumpet (Moodles), Monday, 23 March 2015 17:48 (nine years ago) link

*too

Free Me's Electric Trumpet (Moodles), Monday, 23 March 2015 17:49 (nine years ago) link

Ah lucky you. And though they are past their ... heyday .. would have been fun to see the Church on the bill too

stop torturing me ethel (broom air), Monday, 23 March 2015 23:31 (nine years ago) link

one month passes...

Great video of the SXSW show I went to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joZYZxoOfa0

Free Me's Electric Trumpet (Moodles), Sunday, 26 April 2015 14:49 (eight years ago) link

Really privileging the new stuff here.

stop torturing me ethel (broom air), Monday, 27 April 2015 14:14 (eight years ago) link

This new album is so great for the Spring, I love when releases match their seasons well.

Evan, Monday, 27 April 2015 14:33 (eight years ago) link

three weeks pass...

during my thursday wine excess, i got tix for this sundays show in bristol.

any ilm'rs going : FAP ?

mark e, Friday, 22 May 2015 09:25 (eight years ago) link

one month passes...

Hey, new track via Adult Swim

https://soundcloud.com/adultswimsingles/swervedriver

Ned Raggett, Monday, 13 July 2015 16:32 (eight years ago) link

very nice

too young for seapunk (Moodles), Monday, 13 July 2015 16:40 (eight years ago) link

Dawn, O.P., Swervedriver -- this singles series is in my brain. Let the thread bump also serve as a reminder that "I Wasn't Born to Lose You" is terrific!

geoffreyess, Tuesday, 14 July 2015 21:30 (eight years ago) link

one year passes...

http://www.swervedriver.com/images/Swerve-2017-618.png

Raise and Mezcal Head September Tour 2017:

9/7 Metro, Chicago
9/8 Lee's Palace, Toronto
9/9 Brighton Music Hall, Allston
9/10 Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn
9/11 Union Transfer, Philadelphia
9/12 Back Cat, Washington
9/14 Cat's Cradle, Carrboro
9/15 Terminal West, Atlanta
9/16 The Social, Orlando
9/17 Siberia, New Orleans
9/18 Trees, Dallas
9/19 3ten Austin City Limits Live, Austin
9/21 191 Toole, Tucson
9/22 Casbah, San Diego
9/23 Bimbo's 365 Club, San Francisco
9/24 The Teragram Ballroom, Los Angeles

Bee OK, Tuesday, 13 June 2017 03:11 (six years ago) link

i'm so going, Rise and then a break and then come back to playMezcal Head? heaven!

Bee OK, Tuesday, 13 June 2017 03:11 (six years ago) link

How about.... hell yes

skip, Tuesday, 13 June 2017 03:25 (six years ago) link

Yeah, I'll be going to this

Moodles, Tuesday, 13 June 2017 03:26 (six years ago) link

two months pass...
one month passes...

on my way, pretty excited even if i have been sick all weekend.

Bee OK, Monday, 25 September 2017 02:28 (six years ago) link

one year passes...

New single sounding excellent. I swear they're a better band now than before

imago, Saturday, 27 October 2018 09:15 (five years ago) link

two weeks pass...

Other new single sounding excellent!

imago, Friday, 16 November 2018 14:33 (five years ago) link

I keep forgetting to check it out!

Evan, Friday, 16 November 2018 15:35 (five years ago) link

two months pass...

new album is out this is great!

shoegaze bands on the whole do really well with reunions/comebacks

Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 25 January 2019 16:03 (five years ago) link

yeah I really enjoyed this. title track into theeascending is stunning

imago, Friday, 25 January 2019 16:05 (five years ago) link

Dug their last a lot, and will get this one. Missed them in the day, though I saw many mentions of them in connection with Curve. Think Alan Moulder produced both? Plus they each had a Holy Grail cd rarity back in the day. Going back catalog has been rewarding. "Rave Down" off _Raise_ is a standout.

the body of a spider... (scampering alpaca), Friday, 25 January 2019 17:28 (five years ago) link

Hm, hadn't realized there was a new one. Will investigate.

Ned Raggett, Friday, 25 January 2019 17:31 (five years ago) link

one year passes...

Well here's something fun -- the original version of their debut EP

https://swervedriver.bandcamp.com/album/petroleum-spirit-daze

Ned Raggett, Friday, 17 July 2020 21:04 (three years ago) link

Wow cool! A good read from Mr. Franklin there too re: the band’s early days

brimstead, Friday, 17 July 2020 21:08 (three years ago) link

I have the original CD of this!

Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Friday, 17 July 2020 22:46 (three years ago) link

I do too! Guess when it came to this band, we were a little (wait for it) ahead of the swerve.

henry s, Friday, 17 July 2020 22:55 (three years ago) link

This slower take on "Juggernaut Rides" is very interesting.

Ned Raggett, Saturday, 18 July 2020 21:12 (three years ago) link

We finished the recording and I took a copy with me to Seville in Spain where I was having a week's holiday with my girlfriend. There was strong weed and oranges everywhere and I remember sitting by the ocean listening to these songs while looking across the water at the haze in the distance that was Morocco - I was looking at Africa while listening to our first record!

Mate, that was some strong weed indeed; Is Seville anywhere near the ocean?

All Diacritics Love Ü (Noel Emits), Saturday, 18 July 2020 21:55 (three years ago) link

Sounds nice though. I bought the original EP on CD as well.

All Diacritics Love Ü (Noel Emits), Saturday, 18 July 2020 22:08 (three years ago) link

> Is Seville anywhere near the ocean?

If you're in Seville for a week, taking a daytrip to the Estrecho isn't a big uh... stretch.

Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Sunday, 19 July 2020 00:00 (three years ago) link

Must we be so reasonable.

All Diacritics Love Ü (Noel Emits), Sunday, 19 July 2020 08:05 (three years ago) link

four months pass...

couple of new bside comps on their bandcamp page:

https://swervedriver.bandcamp.com/album/honey-heavens-above

https://swervedriver.bandcamp.com/album/youth-at-the-summit

brimstead, Saturday, 12 December 2020 04:44 (three years ago) link

two months pass...

mezcal head : it really is all that and so much more.
not sure they ever bettered their thing across a whole album as well as they did on this.

mark e, Thursday, 18 February 2021 22:23 (three years ago) link

a mighty mighty sound. they definitely lightened up a bit afterwards. 99th Dream is my favorite

brimstead, Thursday, 18 February 2021 22:32 (three years ago) link

they definitely lightened up a bit afterwards

think this is exactly why i love MH so much.
sonically it's a heavy listen, and they definitely pulled back from the excess after this album.

when quieter moods are required, then for me its all about 'Ejector Seat Reservation' which i genuinely believe to be one of the best modern rock albums ever,
and is a prime target for rediscovery by the Mojo/Uncut crew.

mark e, Thursday, 18 February 2021 22:37 (three years ago) link

All their albums are so fantastic even the new ones are incredible.

Evan, Thursday, 18 February 2021 22:52 (three years ago) link

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

CP Radio Gorgeous (Colonel Poo), Thursday, 18 February 2021 23:06 (three years ago) link

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.

Mr. Cacciatore (Moodles), Friday, 19 February 2021 00:02 (three years ago) link

Also kind of funny to sample an anguished Kurt Cobain.

Mr. Cacciatore (Moodles), Friday, 19 February 2021 00:15 (three years ago) link

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”

brimstead, Friday, 19 February 2021 00:39 (three years ago) link

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.

Mr. Cacciatore (Moodles), Friday, 19 February 2021 00:53 (three years ago) link

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.

swing out sister: live in new donk city (geoffreyess), Saturday, 20 February 2021 05:19 (three years ago) link

That is quite challenging, for sure

Mr. Cacciatore (Moodles), Saturday, 20 February 2021 06:08 (three years ago) link

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

Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 2 March 2021 18:50 (three years ago) link


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