My Bloody Valentine (band)

My Bloody Valentine
My Bloody Valentine at Flow Helsinki in 2013
My Bloody Valentine at Flow Helsinki in 2013
Background information
OriginDublin, Ireland
Genres
DiscographyMy Bloody Valentine discography
Years active
  • 1983–1997
  • 2007–present
Labels
Spinoffs
Spinoff of
Members
Past members
  • Joe Byfield
  • David Conway
  • Tina Durkin
  • Stephen Ivers
  • Mark Loughlin
  • Paul Murtagh
  • Mark Ross
Websitemybloodyvalentine.org

My Bloody Valentine (often stylised in all lowercase or abbreviated as MBV) are an Irish-English alternative rock band formed in Dublin in 1983 and consisting since 1987 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 warped, 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 and one of the greatest rock albums of all time. 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.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference sgz was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ McGonial 2007, p. 31.
  3. ^ Sutherland, Mark (13 March 2013). "My Bloody Valentine Bring the Noise in London". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  4. ^ Reynolds, Simon (1 December 1991), "Pop View; 'Dream-Pop' Bands Define the Times in Britain", The New York Times, retrieved 7 March 2010
  5. ^ Goddard, Michael, with Benjamin Halligan and Nicola Spellman (2013). Resonances: Noise and Contemporary Music. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 70. ISBN 978-1441159373. 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.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Reynolds, Simon. "My Bloody Valentine: The Opposite of Rock'N'Roll". SPIN. Spin. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  7. ^ Petridis, Alexis (27 May 2021). "My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields: 'We wanted to sound like a band killing their songs'". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2023.