falling in love with the cocteaus again.

..and last night.

so the box set then. in february it's coming out in 2 seperate volumes (for like, a tenner each) usefully bisecting their career into 'the amazing 4ad bits 82 - 90' and 'the boring fontana biot onwards'. which is very nice.

Their music was such an important part of my old life (which is why I've been reluctant to write much about them) and for years I couldn't listen to them - it was too painful - but now, in my new life, I can.

Now that's magic.

Charlie, I recommend following your Cocteau purchases in one direction or the other -- I mean, I'd push like Treasure or at least Blue Bell Knoll on you, but if you want to head in their hot-milky-bath direction, start the other way!

having just uncovered this powerful band quite recently, i'm suddenly confronted with the delightful chore of navigating their back catalogue, and i find myself treading a little carefully so as to not overdose on all the riches at once. i think i'll go with 'treasure' next, and then take it step by step from there. :)

i'll suss out that ep. collection tomorrow i think. particularly since the material is strong.

i know it's been said many times many ways but my god what a band.

You betcha.

damn I haven't listened to the Cocteau Twins in like a year now, time for another obsessed dive

I'm not as big a fan as many around here, but some of their singles -- e.g., Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops -- are near perfect pop songs.

crikey (no sadly not a reunion before anyone gets their hopes up)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/may/01/cocteau-twins-elizabeth-fraser-meltdown

Shitting kittens!

interesting phrase!

Fraser has quietly assembled almost an album's worth of new material, which will form the basis of a 75-minute set with a band including Reece, multi-instrumentalist Thighspaulsandra from experimental band Coil and ex-Spiritualized bassist Sean Cook. Ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett may also feature.

I demand a recording of this as soon as this set is performed.

Yeah, okay, that url made me think the story was about something altogether unpleasant. But good on her!

Meanwhile in the last sentence...

Also appearing at Meltdown will be Marc Almond, Diamanda Galas and Laurie Anderson, with other major names still to be announced

Damn.. This might be something to go to...

Jesus crow. I just saw this pop up on the 4ad FB group and Im all a fluster. If I could rely on it to actually HAPPEN I would be going into hock for tickets to the UK right now, but I cant risk her piking.

And Steve Hackett! wtf. I have to tell my ex, he is going to go mental.

If I could rely on it to actually HAPPEN I would be going into hock for tickets to the UK right now, but I cant risk her piking

It'll happen. Contracts and all that will have been signed. Plus, from the interview she sounds pretty upbeat about it.

I'd say "hooray" because it's not a 'reunion'

Because a 'reunion' is one gig then everyone disappears.

Whereas this seems like a new album/gig, so more likely a beginning of something.

Shitting kittens!

interesting phrase!

― suburban buttshaven cannibal (electricsound), Tuesday, 1 May 2012 02:51 (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

t'was the original title of "Sugar Hiccup" you know..

nice piece with Robin from a Xmas special edition of MOJO last year.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6791081375_2d669f5e8a_o.jpg

just got tickets to the Bath gig

Are you saying they're doing a reunion show??

sorry, no, just Liz

yeah she might do a few CT tracks it looks like. short gig otherwise i'd wager.

Thanks for posting the Mojo piece.

My Bloody Valentine? They were just another little indie band to begin with. Lush interested me more because they could actually write songs and had ideas.

He sounds like he's too insecure to admit how good My Bloody Valentine are. Which - if the case - is sad, considering how satisfied he should be with his own body of work. It wouldn't diminish his band in any way. Then again, maybe that mix of insecurity and competitiveness helped him reach the heights he did with CT?...

The only Cocteaus records that make me cringe are the Twinlights and Otherness EPs (from 1995). Twinlights is acoustic and has violins and shite like that, and Otherness is pointless remixes.

I kind of agree with him about Twinlights; I think the instrumentation wasn't up to par. An intriguing exercise - I don't think it's a failure, by any means... But I consider the Otherness EP to be an essential final jewel in their crown. Just listen to the direction that that EP took their live set in; it was yet another breathtaking step in their evolution.

Example 1: The way it drops out at around 3:20 and resurfaces in remix form is a thing of beauty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iQpaUZP5t4&list=PLA6C6A1D4FF638880&index=3&feature=plpp_video

Example 2: Definitely NOT a pointless remix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXkhpT7wmo4&list=PLA6C6A1D4FF638880&index=4&feature=plpp_video

Oops, video #2 is supposed to be this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXkhpT7wmo4&list=PLA6C6A1D4FF638880&index=4&feature=plpp_video

Argh. Technical ineptitude. Sorry. It's supposed to be a video of Aloysius live from 1996. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't already done so.

He sounds like he's too insecure to admit how good My Bloody Valentine are. Which - if the case - is sad, considering how satisfied he should be with his own body of work. It wouldn't diminish his band in any way. Then again, maybe that mix of insecurity and competitiveness helped him reach the heights he did with CT?...

No, it's because RG was one of that group of people who actually remember MBV as this shambolic live band stumbling round the London scene in the mid to late 80s. As opposed to people who just heard these amazing records coming out of nowhere and presumed they were always that brilliant.

(And I say that as someone who was part of that latter group. But I know quite a few people who remember MBV as an early band, and their later success was, shall we say, unexpected.)

https://open.spotify.com/user/bellaunion/playlist/7E80P0mDTqpCiPbCLVkaUK?si=NTDqk34FTPG0fCIBzjMmfw

A Cocteaus playlist Simon Raymonde made and shared yesterday saying “I coulda chosen any but these just suited my mood”. Surprising either way as he doesn’t talk about his Cocteau past much.

Hope that link works.

Had an In The Gold Dust Rush IPA the other day. The can even looked like it was designed by Vaughan Oliver. It was quite good!

Being in Cocteau Twins from 21-35 years of age, was like riding on a rollercoaster for 1/2 a lifetime. Thrilling at times, then a bit nauseous, then wanting to get off, but realising you can't and gritting your teeth but also finding moments of sad beauty to savour amongst the terror. Here are 13.

Melancholy of the festive season hitting hard! Thanks for sharing Pisces, it's lovely.

(can someone post a tracklisting for those of us who don't spotify? ta)

01. For Phoebe Still a Baby
02. Eperdu
03. Cico Buff
04. Fifty-fifty Clown
05. Watchlar
06. I Wear Your Ring
07. A Kissed Out Red Floatboat
08. Crushed
09. Those Eyes, That Mouth
10. Athol-brose
11. Orange Appled
12. Calfskin Smack
13. Blue Bell Knoll