As we approach August, the summer release schedule is starting to slow down just a little but quality this week is very high with four fantastic new albums from Wand, Crack Cloud, Robber Robber and Clothing (aka Aakaash Israni of Dawn of Midi and Ben Sterling of Mobius Band) plus Blur‘s Live at Wembley Stadium double album.

This week’s Indie Basement Classic is about as Indie Basement as it gets, involving Saint Etienne, The High Llamas, and Dolly Mixture. Specifically it’s the 1999 debut album from London duo Birdie which conveniently just got reissued.

Over in Notable Releases, Andrew listens to the surprise Jack White album that was given out for free at Third Man stores last weekend, plus Ben Seretan, Sinai Vessel, and more.

For more Basement-related news: Seefeel announced their first album in 13 years; Slowdive will be touring this fall; folks in NYC can go see Stop Making Sense on the roof of Radio City; and Alex Ross Perry’s crazy/awesome-sounding Pavement movie will premiere next month at the Venice Film Festival (checking flights to Italy now).

Head below for this week’s reviews…

ALBUM OF THE WEEK #1: Wand – Vertigo (Drag City)
Wand trade guitar heroics for understated elegance on their first album in five years

It’s been five years since the last Wand album and a lot has gone on in their world since Laughing Matter. The band’s lineup changed significantly — only singer-guitarist Cory Hanson and drummer Evan Burrows remain from their original lineup — and Hanson released two very good solo albums, including last year’s unfortunately named Western Cum. With new members inspiring new sounds, in particular Evan Backer who comes from a music composition background, Wand went back into the studio to quietly blow up their sound. Hanson mostly left guitar duties to Rober Cody and played Fender Rhodes electric piano instead, while Backer arranged strings and horns while the band got inspired by Miles Davis’ electric albums from the ’70s. The result is Vertigo, a record unlike anything they have made before that still retains their Wand-iness. Gone are the guitar heroics and in their place are subtle, simmering arrangements and songs that don’t follow traditional pop arrangements and often flow into seamlessly into the next. This all makes for an “album” album, in the ’70s sense, where you’re meant to listen to the whole thing as a piece. Vertigo is not “difficult” but it does benefit greatly from dedicated listening — it’s a great headphone album — and there are no shortage of standouts, including the syncopated horn blasts of “Mistletoe,” the dreamy, jazzy “Lifeboat,” and the swaying, subtle stunner “Smile.” (There are also plenty of guitars here, just not the towering riffs of their previous records.) Vertigo has a lot of big ideas and impressive moments packed into a mere 39 minutes, but all of them flow naturally and nothing is overstuffed. Ten years on from their debut album, Wand continue to grow and surprise in wonderful ways.

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ALBUM OF THE WEEK #2: Robber Robber – Wild Guess (self-released)
Terrific debut album from this VT band is hard to describe but easy to like

Burlington, VT’s Robber Robber are one of those bands who defy easy categorization. I don’t know if they’re unpigeonholable but they do incorporate a bunch of disparate elements into their off-kilter brand of indie rock. One of the first things you notice on their debut album is the drums; co-founder Zack James has a unique style that is both lithe and powerful where live drumming hits side-by-side with either triggered samples or drum machines. He gives the band a unique backbone that effortlessly slips between easy groove and industrial clank, and locks in step with Carney Hemler’s bass. Then there’s the guitar interplay between singer-guitarist Nina Cates and Will Krulak; their instruments dance around each over, sometimes slashing, sometimes blurring together, sometimes slapping you in the face. Cates’ vocals are chameleonic as well, capable of a breathy coo that lends itself to Wild Guess‘ shoegazier moments (“Sea of War,” “Seven Houses”), but also banshee wails and heavy-attitude snarl. Robber Robber are at their best and most memorable when throwing curveballs — the push-pull mechanics of “Backup Plan” and playful ripper “How We Ball” — which thankfully makes up most of Wild Guess. What genre is Robber Robber? They’ve created their own right out of the gate.

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ALBUM OF THE WEEK #3: Crack Cloud – Red Mile (Jagjaguwar)
It’s a new, subtler, more personal direction for this unique Vancouver group that also marks their first album for a major indie

Vancouver’s Crack Cloud, a true collective who make art and films in addition to arty, cinematic records, are now just a little less DIY; after two self-released albums, they signed to Jagjaguwar (part of the big indie Secretly group) for their third which they made in the US of A, specifically in the California desert around Joshua Tree. Despite being made as an eight-piece (though Zach Choy, Aleem Khan and Bryce Cloghesy are the primary creatives), Red Mile is less sprawling and more focused than either Pain Olympics or Tough Baby. This is their most “rock” record to date, sounding more like a band and less like a post-apocalyptic epic in album form. The lyrics are more down to earth and inward-looking as well. “Imagine that there’s no final act, just adaptations of perpetual mass,” Choy ponders on “Epitaph,” one of the best songs here. “How climactic could it possibly be? A thousand plateaus that we cannot see.”

Choy delivers a lot of memorable, clearly personal, lines on Red Mile. He’s also turning the mirror on the band. “The Medium” dissects the pop song, examines the feeling we get from them and critiques record labels exploiting art. It’s maybe a bit of second guessing their currently label situation while having your cake and eating it too as they swipe melody and beat from the classic “Be My Baby” playbook. It works though, and here’s just a snippet of the lyrics:

when feeling low
you go out to a show
and you sing along
it’s somewhere to belong
you find your place
to heal at your own pace
in grimace or in grace
play it as it lays
when feeling dread
it gets you out your head
you feel a raging need
to sense the weight of the beat
wear the pain
anger on display
and someone smells a profit
cause everybody loves it

The album ends with “On the Red Mile,” one of the prettiest songs Crack Cloud have ever done that seems to not only tie the record in a poignant bow but also sums up what Crack Cloud, full survivors and recovering addicts, are all about: “The facts are a matter / Of fiction on platters / Served to reduce strife / In this pulsating crack of life.” Some may miss the wild swings, the raging, and rage-filled dance anthems of records past, but Red Mile is no less powerful in its intimacy.

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Clothing – From Memory (Water Level)
L’Rain, Amber Coffman and some very inspired production make this electronic duo’s debut much more than off-the-rack nu-R&B

Aakaash Israni of Dawn of Midi and Ben Sterling of Mobius Band/Cookies have been working on music together for a decade, and friends for longer, but their debut as Clothing is only out now. What took so long? They spent a lot of time trying to find the right vocal collaborators. From Memory features a lot of talent in front of the mic — Amber Coffman (Dirty Projectors), L’Rain, Anna Wise (Kendrick Lamar’s “These Walls”) and Elliott Skinner (Thirdstory) — and they spent even more time reworking the songs once the singers laid down their vocals. It’s hard to argue with the results. Israni and Sterling have crafted startling, immersive electronic arrangements that both perfectly suit the singer and make the whole album gel together. Their synths bubble like lava, oozing perfectly around the voices as the beats skitter in waves and the bass lurches against it. “Kingdom,” one of three songs with Coffman, is joyous and danceable but it’s “Still Point,” featuring L’Rain, that sends shivers of elation with ethereal layers of harmony. Clothing resemble off-the-rack nu-R&B but it’s clear the construction and thread count are of a much higher quality. If there’s a fault here it’s that From Memory may be too short (29 minutes), but to continue with the fashion metaphors, they clearly follow the famous “less is more” advice from Coco Chanel: “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take at least one thing off.”

While on the subject of style, From Memory‘s artwork is terrific and is by Bráulio Amado whose distinctive work has also been used by Amyl & The Sniffers (Comfort to Me), Róisín Murphy, Django Django and more.

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Blur – Live at Wembley Stadium (Parlophone)
Britpop classic after Britpop classic played in front of 150,000 fans at one of the most famous venues in the world

Blur bassist Alex James says their two July 2023 gigs at Wembley Stadium were the “best shows we’ve ever done.” That may be true, though part of that may be the adrenaline high of performing to over 150,000 fans total across the shows, but just listening to LIve at Wembley Stadium, you can tell they were having a much, much better time than they did at Coachella this year. “Obviously we’ve been waiting for this moment all our lives,” Damon Albarn tells the roaring crowd after “Beetlebum” early in the set, and that is definitely no overstatement. Of course, Wembley offers a greatest hits set, plus a few from last year’s excellent The Ballad of Darren, and the energy levels stay high from “There’s No Other Way” through the Britpop bangers (yes, Phil Daniels was on hand for his parts in “Parklife”) and melancholy ballads (“To the End,” “This is a Low”), to the curtain call of “The Universal.” While I’m not sure how often I’ll listen to this, it does make me excited for To The End, the documentary about the shows, and also represents an amazing body of work.

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Indie Basement Classic: Birdie – Some Dusty (Slumberland)
This week’s installment looks at the underrated and underheard debut from the duo of Debsey Wykes and Paul Kelly; it just got a very nice 25th anniversary reissue

Debsey Wykes and Paul Kelly met in the early ‘90s when they were both playing as part of Saint Etienne’s live band. Debsey, who fronted teenage cult band Dolly Mixture in the early ‘80s, was singing backup (and co-lead on early single “Who Do You Think You Are?”); Paul had been in Byrds-inspired London band East Village and played guitar in Saint Etienne but was transitioning to being a designer, brand specialist and filmmaker. (Both continue to work with Saint Etienne and Kelly has collaborated on many feature documentaries with the band, including one on Felt/Denim frontman Lawrence). Paul and Debsey fell in love and often fantasized about what kind of band they would form together. That dream would be realized with Birdie. “I think a lot of people thought our talk of a band was just a cover so that we could hang out together,” said Kelly. “I think it was a bit of a shock to our friends when we actually started making records together.” Their 1999 debut album, steeped in ‘60s sunshine pop, was out of step with any current trends but made the most of the duo’s best qualities, namely Debsy’s pure, heavenly voice. Some Dusty is lazy day music full of classic pop melodies, colored in by acoustic guitar, mellotron and other vintage organs, plus real strings (arranged by High Llamas’ Sean O’Hagan) and the occasional trumpet, but always with Debsey’s vocals at the center. Her crystal clear tone has just a touch of melancholy, giving the album a warm, wistful feel that recalls classic Burt Bacharach. Gorgeously downbeat, dreamy numbers like “Dusty Morning” and “Blue Dress” are intercut with a few bright blasts of sunshine (“Laugh,” “One Two Five”). Free of any electronica or other late-’90s signifiers (ok, comparisons could be made to The Cardigans), Some Dusty didn’t attract a lot of attention from the press at the time but has aged beautifully over the last 25 years. Slumberland’s new reissue – remastered from the original tapes and featuring new liner notes from chickfactor’s Gail O’Hara and lots of rare photos – brings a lost classic back into our lives.

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Top 20 Shoegaze EPs of the Early-’90s

20. Bleach – Snag (1991, Way Cool Records)

Formed by brothers Neil and Nick Singleton, Ipswich, UK's Bleach unfortunately ran out of songwriting steam before they released their first album. (Hey, it happens, just ask Elastica.) The band managed to deliver one terrific EP that showcased their moody style, with guitarist Neil providing the haze and bassist Nick providing the mood. Like a lot of shoegaze groups of this era, singer Salli Carson's ethereal vocals seemed more like an equal element of Bleached's sound, as opposed to a focal point. "Bethesda," with its tom-heavy drumming is especially good, as is "Dipping." Extended listening: the cover art is the most distinctive thing about Bleach's 1992 album Killing Time, but it's the only one of their releases on streaming services.

19. Medicine – 5ive (1993, Creation)

Led by Brad Laner, who spent time in the '80s in L.A. cult post-punk band Savage Republic, Medicine were arguably the U.S.'s best shoegaze band, with a firm grip on melody, noise and dynamics, and they weren't afraid of sampling or dance culture. They also had rare bonafides for an American band; they were signed to Creation in the UK. (Rick Rubin's American Recordings put out their records at home.) The 5ive EP, also known as Come Here to Drink Milk, takes the tremolo-heavy title track (originally on their debut album) and pairs it with the ragged version of "Time Baby" (not the version with Liz Fraser & Robin Guthrie), searing slow jam "Lime 6," and the quasi-industrial "Wrought." Extended listening: The Sounds of Medicine EP has the Cocteau-ized version of "Time Baby" from The Crow soundtrack, plus "stripped and reformed" versions of other songs, but the 1993 sophomore album The Buried Life is Medicine at their best.

18. The Telescopes – Flying (1991, Creation)

Having got their start in the mid-'80s, The Telescopes predate shoegaze but were part of the dark neo-psych scene that included Spacemen 3 and Loop (who they shared a split 7" with in 1988). By their fourth EP for Creation, 1990's Flying, The Telescopes had blasted off most of the white noise in favor of groovy psychedelia that put them somewhere between The Stone Roses and Ride, but frontman Stephen Lawrie was always on his own sonic plane. With layers of 12-string guitars -- acoustic and electric -- Flying's title track is one of their best pop songs, while "High on Fire" heads deep into outer space and "The Sleepwalk" showed they could confidently compete with their Creation labelmates that were getting much more ink in NME. Extended listening: 1990's Celeste EP features an amazing 10-minute version of the title track that's worth the price of admission.

17. Blind Mr. Jones – Eyes Wide (1992, Cherry Red)

Their fondness of flute gave Blind Mr. Jones the reputation of being the shoegaze Jethro Tull, but this band from Marlow, UK were one of the more underrated groups of the era, with a distinctively British sound, a decided goth streak, and consistently memorable, melodic (New Order-esque) bass lines. There are no wind instruments on the Eyes Wide EP but it does feature Slowdive's Neil Halstead who gifts the record with some of his transcendent guitar cloud cover. All four songs are terrific. Is your favorite Ride song "Decay" from Nowhere? You should definitely investigate Blind Mr. Jones further. Extended listening: Compilation Over My Head collects everything Blind Mr. Jones recorded, including the Crazy Jazz EP that featured Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood.

16. Adorable – Sunshine Smile (1992, Creation)

While they owed more to Echo & the Bunnymen or House of Love than My Bloody Valentine or Ride, Adorable were signed to Creation Records, peppered their very catchy songs with guitar noise and got not entirely unfairly lumped in with the shoegaze scene...even if frontman Peter Fijalkowski bristled at the word in interviews. One thing's for sure: "Sunshine Smile" was a hell of an introduction that sounds like its title, a wonderful guitar-drenched pop song with a slinky slowburn intro that gives way to a massive guitar riff chorus. The two b-sides -- melancholy-drenched ballad "A to Fade In" and the Madchester-leaning "Sunburnt" -- are great, too, as is the cover art which uses imagery from The Passion of Joan of Arc. Extended listening: The Sistine Chapel Ceiling EP takes its title track from Adorable's debut album, Against Perfection, and adds three good b-sides, especially "Everything's Fine."

15. Catherine Wheel – 30th Century Man (1992, Fontana)

Released in the last week of 1992, this limited edition EP was a step up, sonically, for Catherine Wheel who had never sounded so confident and powerful, giving fans a taste of what they might get with 1993's Chrome. This is probably a controversial pick, given that three of the four songs here are covers, but Catherine Wheel seriously deliver the goods with these killer takes on Scott Walker's "30th Century Man," Husker Du's "Don't Wanna Know if You Are Lonely" and Mission of Burma's "That's When I Reach for My Revolver." Their cover of "30th Century Man" is particularly inspired, while the other two merely rip (while they make them their own). The EP's original, "Free of Mind," is great too. Extended listening: If you just want great Catherine Wheel songs, the Black Metallic EP has four of them, including the title track which was a Modern Rock Radio hit in the U.S.

14. Kitchens of Distinction – Drive That Fast (1990, One Little Indian)

Kitchens of Distinction would probably be classified as dreampop these days; Julian Swales was up there with Robin Guthrie and Neil Halstead for being able to coax out gorgeous waterfalls of sound from his guitar, but bassist/frontman Patrick Fitzgerald was a confident frontman who had a lot to say. (They were probably closer to The Sound or The Chameleons than to Ride or Lush.) Released as a precursor to their second album, Strange Free World, "Drive That Fast" is one of KoD's best-ever singles and the EP's other tracks are all good, with the dark, boozy "These Drinkers" and a piano rendition of single "Elephantine" being standouts. Runner up: The Elephantine EP has the full-on swirling version of the title track, plus three worthy other tracks.

13. Lilys – A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns (1993, spinART)

Kurt Heasley has reinvented Lilys a few times over the last 30 years, but the group began as noisy indie rockers who pulled equally from late-'80s Creation Records and Dinosaur Jr's freak scene. This wonderfully titled EP has some of Lilys' catchiest songs, including "Ginger" (which inexplicably ended up getting used in a 2007 Cadillac commercial), "Any Place I've Lived" and "Jenny, Andrew and Me." It's one of their best releases and, sadly, also one of the rarest...out of print, not on streaming services, and used copies are hard to come by. Extended listening: Lilys' debut single, "February Fourteenth," is a real ripper.

12. Verve – All in the Mind (1992, Hut)

Before they became Britpop stars with “Bittersweet Symphony” and “Sonnet,” The Verve were just Verve (they had to add the "The" after legal threats from Verve Records), a band from Wigan, England who made out-there, super-groovy psych rock. The group pretty much disowned the title track of their debut EP moments after releasing it, but what do they know? “All in the Mind” is a propulsive space-hopper jam that really shows off Nick McCabe’s incendiary fretwork, Simon Jones’ deeply melodic bass, and the indispensable, jazzy style of drummer Peter Salisbury. The other two tracks -- the beautiful “One Way to Go” (featuring a great vocal from Richard Ashcroft) and dreamy “A Man Called Sun” -- are more indicative of where The Verve would go on their debut album, A Storm in Heaven. Extended listening: The Verve E.P. was the band's introduction to the U.S., taking tracks from their first three singles/EPs, including "A Man Called Sun," and edits of their tripped-out A-sides "Gravity Grave" and "She's a Superstar."

11. Swervedriver – Duel (1993, Creation)

Another band who got better when they burned off some of that haze, Swervedriver made a massive leap between their first album, Raise, and their second, Mezcal Head. A big part of that was a new lineup of the band -- which included a much-improved rhythm section of drummer Jez Hindmarsh and bassist Steve George -- that could really rip. But it was also better songs and more muscular production courtesy producer Alan Moulder who was very busy in the early '90s. (He probably worked on half the records in this list.) The soaring, roaring "Duel," arguably the album's finest moment, is backed with two killer B's: the majestic "Planes Over the Skyline," and starry eyed "Year of the Girl," both of which have Jez going full Keith Moon. Extended listening: Standalone single "Never Lose That Feeling," which would be tacked-on the U.S. edition of Mezcal Head, was actually the last record the original lineup of the band made. The EP version melts into the dubby "Never Learn," making for a very worthy 11 minutes.

10. Chapterhouse – Mesmerise (1991, Dedicated)

In the UK, there was a lot of cross-pollination between shoegaze, acid house and the Manchester scene, and few groups pulled all those together as successfully as Chapterhouse. Coming just a few months after releasing their debut album, Whirlpool, the four-song Mesmerise EP -- which is is sometimes listed as a single -- features two great examples of their blissed-out style: the title track, which blasts out thick waves of synthesizers against a piano hook, was as much a Madchester anthem as anything else; while “Precious One” rides a bongo-fueled groove. There’s also the swirling, ambient “Summer Chill” and the windswept guitar haze of “Then We’ll Rise.” Extended listening: 1990’s Freefall EP falls a little more into space rock territory, but “Falling Down” -- which uses The Soul Searchers’ "Ashley’s Roachclip" drum break sample heard in Eric B & Rakim’s “Paid in Full,” Milli Vanilli's “Girl You Know it’s True” (and on many, many, many other records) -- pointed to the direction they would soon be heading.

9. Curve – Blindfold (1991, Anxious)

Curve were an interesting group, as both Toni Halliday and Dean Garcia had been around for a while in the industry; Dean was a live member of The Eurythmics in the early-’80s, and they were both in short-lived ‘80s band State of Play, who made one record and then broke up. Dean played on Toni’s 1989 solo album, and then they decided to take another whack at a group, perhaps taking My Bloody Valentine’s “Soon” as an influence, mixing hazy guitars with dance music. With Halliday’s powerful pipes it was an alluring combination. Alan Moulder, who they’d worked with in State of Play and on Halliday’s solo album -- and who was THE shoegaze engineer -- was the de facto third member of the group. Curve released three EPs in 1991, all of which are great but the first, Blindfold, is the best with the seductive single "Ten Little Girls"  featuring something no other record on this list has: rapping. Extended listening: Curve’s second EP, Frozen, is also killer, featuring “Coast is Clear” -- one of their best-ever tracks. All three of their 1991 EPs were collected onto the Public Fruit album.

8. Velocity Girl – Velocity Girl (1993, Slumberland)

While mainly known for its influential punk scene, Washington DC also had a thriving indie rock scene in the late '80s and early-'90s that was heavily influenced by the UK's C-86 scene and labels like Creation, Cherry Red and 4AD. Velocity Girl, in fact, were named for Primal Scream's song on C-86, and played a similar style of very fuzzy janglepop. The group included former Black Tambourine member Archie Moore and, originally, Bridget Cross who, when she left to focus on Unrest, would be replaced by vocalist Sarah Shannon. The band's gift for melody, and love of shambolic, noisy guitars, is evident on this EP that collects songs from three early 7"s. "My Forgotten Favorite," which would turn up a few years later on the Clueless soundtrack, is the obvious standout (and arguably VG's best song), but the other five songs are equally stellar. Extended listening: Velocity Girl were more fond of 7"s than EPs, but their 1993 debut Copacetic (released, like all their albums, on Sub Pop) has held up well, and gotten better with age.

7. Ride – Today Forever (1991, Creation)

Released just a few months after their debut album Nowhere, the Today Forever EP takes Ride out of the hazy murk and into cleaner production without sacrificing their signature swirl. The EP also shows a growing confidence in songwriting and arrangements, like with the powerful, deliberate “Sennen.” Today Forever was never released in the U.S., and is unknown still to a lot of fans, though three of its four tracks found their way onto the American "Vapour Trail" CD maxi-single...but it leaves off one of Ride’s prettiest songs ever, “Today.” Extended listening: Ride’s 1989 debut EP contains classics “Chelsea Girl” and “Drive Blind.”

6. The Boo Radleys – Lazarus (1992, Creation)

Like a number of shoegaze bands, The Boo Radleys spent a couple years hiding their musical skill and good songwriting behind a wall of MBV-inspired noise. This resulted in some great music but when they came out of their shell, they got even better. Released not long after their wilfully dissonant Everything’s Alright Forever LP, the Lazarus EP felt a bit like seeing the band with a new pair of glasses. The signs had been there all along for The Boo Radleys, but all four songs here are a step up in every way. “Lazarus” would show up on 1993’s Giant Steps, but without the long, dubby EP intro that pays off so well when the song roars into focus. It's also amazing they'd delegate songs as good as "Petroleum" and "At the Sound of Speed" to b-side material. Extended listening: 1991’s Every Heaven EP is pretty fantastic with a nice balance of melody and roar, and has one of the Boos’ best-ever songs, “The Finest Kiss.”

5. Slowdive – Holding Our Breath (1991, Creation)

While clearly influenced by the Cocteau Twins' shimmering style, Slowdive didn’t really sound like any other group from the original shoegaze era, with an oceanic guitar swell that remains unique and mysterious. “Catch the Breeze,” which would also show up on their 1991 debut album, Just for a Day, is an all-time classic but the rest of this EP is just as captivating. Rachel Goswell’s ethereal harmonies on “Shine” will never not send shivers down your spine, and their cover of Syd Barrett's "Golden Hair" is rather titanic. Extended listening: Slowdive’s debut EP, Morningrise, nods to the band’s ‘80s goth youth while pointing toward the direction they’d soon head.

4. Moose – Jack (1991, Hut)

If it wasn't for Moose, this list might have to be called something slightly different, as the word "shoegaze" was first used in a Sounds review of one of their early gigs. That is probably enough to warrant an inclusion here, but luckily Moose were a great band who carved out a distinct corner in The Scene That Celebrates Itself. Their first of three 1991 EPs, Jack, was as dissonant as they got, but underneath the bandsaw guitars were melodies rooted in a classic songwriting style that owed as much to Burt Bacharach as the Velvet Underground. That would bubble up to the surface more as the band progressed, but you can hear it on both "Ballad Of Adam & Eve" and "Boy." The EP kicks off with the awesomely drony title track, and wraps with moody ballad "I'll Take Tomorrow." Extended listening: By the release of their third 1991 EP, Reprise, they were already halfway to the breezier style they'd adopt for XYZ and subsequent albums, and it features the gorgeous, country-ish ballad "This River Never Will Run Dry." Songs from Moose's early EPs were cherry-picked for the Sonny and Sam EP, the only record Moose ever got released in America. Criminally underrated, I

3. Pale Saints – Flesh Balloon (1991, 4AD)

In between their first and second albums, Pale Saints added singer-songwriter-guitarist Meriel Barham to their lineup, changing the dynamic of the group for the better. She made her debut on this EP, singing lead on a playful, dreamy cover of Nancy Sinatra's "Kinky Love." The whole EP is fab, though, with the sprawling, dramatic "Hunted" -- which would show up on second album In Ribbons -- and is one of the best examples of the group's unique mix of beauty and noise. There's also a demo of "Hair Shoes," which shows up in full studio version on In Ribbons, but the real standout here is spectacular instrumental "Porpoise." Extended listening: 1990's Half-Life Remembered is pretty great too, especially "Half Life" which toys with Madchester beats. The title track is great.

2. Lush – Mad Love (1990, 4AD)

Cocteau Twins’ Robin Guthrie was behind the boards for this four song 12” that remains the perfect distillation of everything Lush did so well. Quintessential Lush song “De-Luxe” leads the EP that also includes the equally wonderful dreampop track "Thoughtforms" both of which feature Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson's signature guitar and vocal interplay. plus great minor chord slashers “Leaves Me Cold” and “Downer.” Lush made many great records during their brief run, but if you can only have one, make it this. Extended listening: Lush’s debut, the six-song Scar mini-LP is excellent too, if a little rough around the edges. You don’t have to choose, either: Gala compiles Mad Love and Scar, plus a couple other tracks, on one album. It's also hard to argue with picking up Ciao! Best Of Lush which includes their dabblings in Britpop (like the title track which was a duet between Miki and Jarvis Cocker).

1. My Bloody Valentine – Tremolo (1991, Creation)

While My Bloody Valentine’s 1990 Glider EP features their danceable classic “Soon,” the 1991 Tremolo EP has an overall higher hit-count, and sees Kevin Shields and the rest of the band continuing to break new ground. Tremolo features the swirling, transportive “To Here Knows When,” the beautiful “Swallow,” glide guitar ripper “Honey Power” and the churning, Brian Wilson-esque “Moon Song.” Nearly 30 years later, listening to this dazzling EP's four songs will have you wondering "How did they make this?" and "are my stereo speakers functioning properly?" A must-own companion to Loveless. Extended listening: Then again, Glider does have “Soon.” Get them both!