My Bloody Valentine (band)
My Bloody Valentine | |
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My Bloody Valentine at Flow Helsinki in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Dublin, Ireland |
| Genres | |
| Works | My Bloody Valentine discography |
| Years active |
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| Spinoffs |
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| Spinoff of | The Complex |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | mybloodyvalentine.org |
My Bloody Valentine are an Irish-English rock band[6][7][8][9][10][11] formed in Dublin in 1983 and consisting of founding members Kevin Shields (vocals, guitar, sampler) and Colm Ó Cíosóig (drums, sampler), with Bilinda Butcher (vocals, guitar) and Debbie Googe (bass). Their work is characterized by distorted guitar textures, subdued androgynous vocals, and unorthodox production techniques. They are widely cited as a pioneering act in the shoegaze genre.
Following several unsuccessful early releases and membership changes, My Bloody Valentine signed to Creation Records in 1988. The band released several successful EPs and the albums Isn't Anything (1988) and Loveless (1991) on the label; the latter is often described as their magnum opus. However, My Bloody Valentine were dropped by Creation after its release due to the album's extensive production costs. In 1992, the band signed to Island Records and recorded several albums worth of unreleased material, remaining largely inactive.
Googe and Ó Cíosóig left the band in 1995; they were followed by Butcher in 1997. Unable to complete a follow-up to Loveless, Shields isolated himself and, in his own words, "went crazy". In 2007, My Bloody Valentine reunited and subsequently embarked on a world tour. They released the compilation EP's 1988–1991 in 2012. Their long-delayed third studio album, m b v, was released in 2013 to critical acclaim and was supported by further touring.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
sgzwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ McGonial 2007, p. 31.
- ^ Sutherland, Mark (13 March 2013). "My Bloody Valentine Bring the Noise in London". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ^ Reynolds, Simon (1 December 1991), "Pop View; 'Dream-Pop' Bands Define the Times in Britain", The New York Times, retrieved 7 March 2010
- ^ Goddard, Michael; Benjamin Halligan; Nicola Spellman (2013). Resonances: Noise and Contemporary Music. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-4411-5937-3.
The more contemporary Anglo-Irish experimental rock band My Bloody Valentine were notorious for employing loud volumes in live performances; their reunion concerts in 2008 and 2009 were noteworthy for the controversy around the extreme loudness, with earplugs on offer at the doors and some audience members leaving because they felt 'physically distressed' by the noise.
- ^ "Irish alternative rockers My Bloody Valentine have released a new album". BBC News. 3 February 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ "All Tomorrow's Parties festival headliner, My Bloody Valentine, the 1980s Irish post-punk band". New York Times. 22 September 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ "My Bloody Valentine plans to release the long-anticipated follow-up to its shoegaze masterpiece, 1991's "Loveless," the Irish collective's second album". Billboard. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ "My Bloody Valentine back together and recording new material. The Legendary Irish group have reunited and will release an album next year". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ "My Bloody Valentine, Isn't Anything/Loveless EPs. These much-anticipated reissues arrive shrouded in myth, mystery and ambiguity; has there ever been an Irish rock band with so much baggage that fell off the carousel?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ "My Bloody Valentine tease something is coming this week. The Irish band's three studio records to date – 'Isn't Anything' (1988), 'Loveless' (1991) and 'Mbv' (2013) – are currently not available on Spotify". NME. Retrieved 11 August 2025.