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indigeko · 27 days

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If the end of the world was near

Where would you choose to be?

If there was five more minutes of air

Would you panic and hide?

Or run for your life?

Or stand here and spend them with me?

If we had five more minutes

Would I, could I

Make you happy?

- The End of the World - Rob Dickinson

#aesthetic #lyrics #poetry #music #love quotes #end of the world #romantic #love #writing #letters #i’m new to tumblr #deprived of romantic love so I start imaginging things #hopelessly in love #hopelessly devoted to you #romance #I will be posting original writing soon I promise #rob dickinson #the end of the world

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lovejustforaday · 8 months

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Shoegaze Classics - Ferment

Ferment - Catherine Wheel (1992)

Main Genres - Alternative Rock, Shoegaze

A decent sampling of: Noise Pop, Dream Pop

Oops, I got lazy and procrastinated the last regular "classics" review. Well, better late than never.

For my final entry on this retrospective, before I move on to my select few magnum opuses of first wave shoegaze, I wanted to cover another band that I feel I could recommend to most casual listeners of alternative rock. So today I'll be taking a closer look at the moonlit melodies of early shoegaze's gruffest band, Catherine Wheel.

The Band

Catherine Wheel formed in Great Yarmouth, U.K. in 1990.

They were probably the biggest band of the first wave not signed to Creation Records or 4AD, though Creation Records' Alan McGee certainly tried. Instead, they got signed to American label Fontana Records.

The band's lineup for the vast majority of its duration was Rob Dickinson on vocals and guitar, Dave Hawes on bass, Brian Futter on guitar, and Neil Sims on drums.

When referring to this band as "early shoegaze's gruffest band", I was especially referring to Rob Dickinson's vocals; less of the typical semi-androgynous, zoned out 20 something year old stoner dude, and more like your cool heavy metal uncle singing lullabies to you.

Rob's gentle but husky voice was often placed rather high in the mix when compared to most other shoegaze acts of the time, giving his lyrics more of a central focus. His general musings involve cerebral, abstract mystical-isms, while sometimes being the brooding, angsty kind of poet that was very much dominating the grunge music and alternative rock airwaves in the United States in the early 90s.

In fact, again I have to say that I would've expected these guys to be a lot more successful in the United States given what was happening overseas at the time. Much like Swervedriver, Catherine Wheel were a bit more hard-rocking than their other peers in the scene that celebrated itself, though not really in the same way as the former.

If Swervedriver's thing was shoegaze mixed with noise rock distortion and post-hardcore levels of intensity, then Catherine Wheel's sound was more of a kind of shoegaze rock and roll, more indebted to the hard rock of the previous few decades than other bands. A lot of their melodies have kind of a timeless feel to them.

Their sound is also distinctly nocturnal, even more so than most other shoegaze bands. Ferment and Chrome are LPs meant to be listened to on night walks and bus rides, especially the latter.

EPs happened. Then came the debut record.

The Record

Ferment is Catherine Wheel's journey into the foggiest recesses of the half-waking, half-asleep mind, with loud, opaque walls of sound and glistening electric guitars.

The production of this record has a very washed-out quality, like the entire record was given the acid wash treatment. If that's your kind of thing, you'll love this record. It certainly lends itself well to the "heavy rocking slumber" quality of Catherine Wheel's general musical aesthetic. That being said, one or two tracks here may sound a bit flat by modern production standards.

The record opens with "Texture", a menacing 6/8 splattering of radioactive glowing guitar chords creating a radiant, moonlit shoegazing mosaic. A very bold opener with possibly the most aptly titled song for a shoegazing band ever.

"I Want To Touch You" is, also true to its name, a nervously erotic track that is both enticing and surreal. There's about a hundred ways that a track with this title could go wrong and turn into failed-seriousness or something off-putting, but somehow this ends up working really well with its breezy melody and flashy guitar leads over tingling shoegaze drones. It's a certified banger.

If ever there was a song worthy of the moniker "shoegaze" in its most literal interpretation, then that song would be "Black Metallic". The drowsy-eyed, cerebral introspection of this behemoth of a song is communicated through sonic timbres of pleasantly tender abrasion, perfectly capturing what it would sound like to be quite literally lost in a labyrinth of your own thoughts while staring absently into the apparent abyss of one's own shoes. "Black Metallic" is a masterclass in evoking a state of mind for the listener through well-crafted, gorgeous guitar soundscapes. This is probably among the first two or three tracks that I'd recommend to any of the uninitiated.

Sadly, my one major gripe with this record is that it starts with the excellent three track run that I just mentioned, and then never comes close to picking up that momentum again. And at 38 minutes onward of mostly by-the-numbers shoegaze-alt. rock, the record becomes a bit of a slog to get through.

Mind you, by-the-numbers shoegaze is still something I could very comfortably put on and just vibe to, enjoying it for what it is, but the promise of the first three tracks leaves something to be desired from the rest of the record. Ferment is honestly one of the most front-loaded rock LPs that I can think of.

The title track "Ferment" is fairly transcendent for me until it gets to that effing jumpscare at two minutes and forty eight seconds in (maybe I'm exaggerating for most listeners, but that shit certainly made me jump).

Unfortunately, much like Drop Nineteens' Delaware which I reviewed much earlier on in this series, Ferment is more of a record that I recognize as a classic because of its importance to the scene and the reputation it holds versus my own personal enjoyment of the project as a whole.

I can see why this record really does it for some folks who like their shoegaze loud and heavy, and I do really love those first three tracks and "Black Metallic" in particular is probably one of my most played shoegaze tracks period, having graced me with its blissful textures on many a zero-sleep bus rides into uni after pulling an essay all-nighter (cuz I'm trash like that sometimes). But the rest of it just never lives up to what it could have been for me.

But like I said in the Drop Nineteens review, a lot of shoegazers love this record. So again, I implore you to listen and form your own opinion. All in all, this is still a solid record by my tastes, but then I'm also very biased in favour of shoegaze as a genre of music.

What Came After That?

Catherine Wheel is yet another shoegaze band that did not survive of the turn of the century, though they did release four more records in the 90s.

Truthfully, I'd definitely recommend their sophomore LP Chrome over the debut album, because I feel that it's a more fully-realized project, with a track listing that flows better and contains overall better songwriting ("Black Metallic" notwithstanding).

The only real reason why I didn't opt for covering the follow-up record instead is because I wouldn't exactly call Chrome a shoegaze record in the primary sense; more of a heavy, dreamy alternative rock record with its roots in the scene, with roughly three or four actual shoegaze tracks here and there.

After dropping three more records, Catherine Wheel disbanded in 2000. I haven't really checked the rest of the records out, but going off of the RYM genre tags at least, it would seem the band never really put out another full-on shoegaze record.

Rob Dickinson released one solo record in 2005 after the group disbanded. Nowadays, the dude seems...very much into cars? Not exactly what I would expect from the usual shoegazing crowd, but then there was that one Lush song on their last LP.

Brian and Neil went on to form their own indie band called "50ft. Monster", which funnily enough immediately calls to mind the similarly titled PJ Harvey single. Again, haven't bothered to check this out yet.

I know it may sound like I'm not a big fan of this band based on the score I end up giving this record, but I'd be lying if I said there weren't more than a few great gems in this bands discography. Both of their first two records have a small but pretty loyal following, so I'm gonna strongly recommend you check both of them out and see if either of those records tickles your fancy. Regardless, "Black Metallic" at least is basically god tier shoegaze.

7/10

Highlights: "Black Metallic", "Texture", "I Want To Touch You"

#album review #music review #list #indie rock #shoegaze classics #alternative rock #shoegaze #90s #1992 #catherine wheel #ferment #rob dickinson #brian futter #neil sims #dave hawes

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hailkingcheeto · 11 months

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Porsche 911 “Hollywood Commission” by Singer Vehicle Design

#classic study car #Bahama Yellow #automotive design #Rob Dickinson

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wackus-bonkus-maximus · 2 years

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Hi! I just wanted to share a few songs for the odnlb playlist<3

Adieu Mon Homme - Pomme (it's just perfect for Mari)

Sans Toi - Pomme (same)

Mr/Mme - Loïc Nottet (for Adrien)

I'll Be Good - Jaymes Young (Félix)

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men (Ladynoir)

Je Te Pardonne - Maître Gims ft. Sia (Ladynoir)

The End Of The World - Rob Dickinson (Ladynoir again)

🐈🐞

WOW it's a good day for the odnlb playlist!!

Adieu Mon Homme - Pomme (it's just perfect for Mari)

very sad, i loved it. 10/10, absolute marinette devastation and grief. so good.

Sans Toi - Pomme (same)

more sad marinette time. top tier sadness and desolation. very good for us not so much for her.

Mr/Mme - Loïc Nottet (for Adrien)

VERY sadrien and VERY emodrien. he's dealing with so much & this melody song feels exactly what he'd play on the piano when he's especially Upset.

I'll Be Good - Jaymes Young (Félix)

you know i've heard this song before and liked it but i've never applied it to felix before! i love this perspective on him reflecting on how badly he's messed up lol. he's trying to atone for it by actually making a conscious decision to "be good" to adrien bc he's so aware of how much of this is his own fault.

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men (Ladynoir)

i'm so silly for not putting this song on the playlist sooner. the duet, the hurt/comfort, the mental illness and pining. it really just sings odnlb ladynoir, doesn't it? the screams all sound the same and so does mine as i apply this song to ladybug and chat noir.

Je Te Pardonne - Maître Gims ft. Sia (Ladynoir)

ooh it's so dramatic and romantic with the drums and the tolling bells?? i really don't think there's anything more demonstrative of true love than forgiveness, and ladynoir are so ready to give that to each other just to be together.

The End Of The World - Rob Dickinson (Ladynoir again)

this song feels so apocryphal but omggg it's bleeding ladynoir. there's so much they didn't get to do before they parted, and didn't even get to say goodbye. their separation was a "primal burial" and that hits so deep. but now they're together again in the last stretch of the fight, and FINALLY have a shot at happiness. also i love the theme of breathing ;)))

thanks for 188 ❤️

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rainingmusic · 2 years

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Catherine Wheel - Crank

#youtube #catherine wheel #crank #chrome #chrome album #rob dickinson #brian futter #dave hawes #neil sims #tim friese-grene #shoegazing #alternative rock #music #music is love #music is life #music is religion #raining music #90s #90s music

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visualnoiz · 1 year

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Catherine Wheel 1991 Melody Maker magazine

#brianfutter #neilsims #davidhawes #robdickinson #ukbands #shoegaze #the catherine wheel #phil nicholls #brian futter #neil sims #rob dickinson #david hawes #dave hawes

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agiantmonster · 4 months

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1/5

youtube

View On WordPress

#aGIANTmonster #California #Porsche #Porsche 954 #Rob Dickinson #Singer Factory #Singer Factory Tour #Singer Porsche #Top Gear #Torrance #Youtube

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heavymetal · 8 months

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Priest vs Maiden!

#heavy metal #80s music #80s metal #80's music #80s #80 s music #80’s #iron maiden #judas priest #rob halford #bruce dickinson #hit parader

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heidismagblog · 9 months

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#circus magazine #circus #back pages #music news #rob halford #judas priest #bruce dickinson #iron maiden #lou o'neill jr.#doug pinnick #kings x

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rockstar-pornograffitti · 1 year

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Someone pointed out how Rob and Bruce’s departures from their respective bands are very similar in reason and how it went down and now I can’t stop thinking about it. What makes it even more crazy is I’m 90% sure Priest and Maiden released their new albums with their different singers around the same time as well.

#iron maiden #judas priests #rob halford #bruce dickinson #Bruce did leave after Rob though #and maiden is wasted less time finding a new singer and also Bruce Rejoined maiden before Rob rejoined priest

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hungercityhellhound · 2 years

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This damned song!!

youtube

I love it so much and having Baz+Halford is so fucking awesome.

Nevermind this damned Geoff Tate+Dickinson+Halford version!!

youtube

#rob halford #Sebastian bach #Youtube #bruce dickinson #geoff tate

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asthmaticchicken · 2 years

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I love the idea of telling someone they have a “heavy metal voice” because that could mean Rob Halford, Vince Neil or Bruce Dickinson but at the same time it could mean Lemmy Kilmister or Ozzy Osbourne.

#heavy metal #bruce dickinson #rob halford #lemmy kilmister #ozzy osbourne #vince neil #metal singer

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foxreviewsrock · 2 months

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Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project (Album Review)

Check out my album review of Bruce Dickinsons "The Mandrake Project"

It has been nearly two decades since Iron Maiden’s lead singer, Bruce Dickinson, released a new solo album, and let me tell you, the wait was definitely worth it! “The Mandrake Project” may sound like something out of a Harry Potter novel, but instead this album is based on a unique blend of occult and scientific concepts. Alongside the album, Bruce has also created a 12-part comic book series to…

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longliverockback · 3 months

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Adrian Belew Dust 2014 Adrian Belew Presents ————————————————— Tracks: 01. Intro to Something 02. What Do You Know 03. Happy Guy 04. One Time 05. Hawaiian Cowboys 06. Big Blue Sun 07. Pygmies 08. Neptune Pool 09. Shoe Salesman 10. Superboy 11. Collage for «Girl with Clouds» 12. Still Life with Dobro 13. Neurotica 14. Duck Funk Symphony 15. Antarctica 16. P Type 17. Postcard from Holland 18. Peas —————————————————

Chris Arduser

Dree van Beeck

Adrian Belew

Jean Dickinson

Rob Fetters

Lizbeth Getman

Ellen Gieles

Jerry Hertig

Bill Janssen

Willem van Kruysdijk

Alison Jewer

Larrie Londin

Clif Mayhugh

Bob Nyswonger

Martha Pickart

Mies Wilbrink

* Long Live Rock Archive

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myvinylplaylist · 2 years

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Halford: Resurrection (2000)

Metal-Is Records

#my vinyl playlist #halford #rob halford #patrick lachman #mike chilasciak #ray riendeau #bobby jarzomber #bruce dickinson #pete parada #judas priest #metal-is records #hard rock #heavy metal #compact disc #album cover #album art

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makingqueerhistory · 2 years

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Children's & Picture Books

When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff

Stonewall: A building. An Uprising. A Revolution by Rob Sanders

My Rainbow by Trinity and DeShanna Neal

My Maddy by Gayle E. Pitman

Our Rainbow by Little Bee Books

Middle Grade Books

Melissa by Alex Gino

The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out In The Streets by Gayle E. Pitman

This Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us edited by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby

Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender

Rick by Alex Gino

Young Adult Books

Trans+: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You by Karen Rayne and Kathryn Gonzales

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon

The New Queer Conscience by Adam Eli

Continuum by Chella Man

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

Fiction, Any Ages

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom

Passing Strange by Ellen Klages

Beyond the Pale Elana Dykewomon

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Nonfiction, Any Ages

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen

Marlene by C. W. Gortner

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib

Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies by Ben Macintyre

The Pink Line by Mark Gevisser

The Tragedy of Heterosexuality by Jane Ward

Poetry

Poems by Emily Dickinson

Edward Carpenter’s Collected Works

IRL by Tommy Pico

Nepantla by Christopher Soto

Graphic Novels

A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities by Mady G. and Jules Zuckerberg

Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

Bingo Love by Tee Franklin

Did we miss your favourite? Tell us your favourite book written by a queer author or featuring queer characters below!

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