In 1982, Cocteau Twins released their debut album Garlands. For this Scottish band of Robin Guthrie, Will Heggie and the amazing vocalist Elizabeth Fraser, this was the beginning of a new sound on the path to becoming one of the most influential artists of the era.Soon after the debut album, founding member Heggie would leave the band and be replaced by Simon Raymonde prior to the third album, the 1984 genre defining, Treasure.From the early works of the band, Cocteau Twins earned critical praise for their sound as the band pioneered the music styles known as “dream pop” and “ethereal wave”. Not only did this group define new genres of music and also influence the music world and countless artists that followed, but they additionally created a singing style with lyrics of no known language where the voice was more like an instrument. This episode of our podcast tells the story of the formation of the band, their early years, and the music through the time of their third studio album, 1984's Treasure.
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The Gun Club - The Legacy of Jeffrey Lee Pierce
Led by vocalist and guitarist Jeffrey Lee Pierce, the post-punk band The Gun Club blended punk music with blues and other American roots music influences to become one of the first of the early days of post-punk to fuse those genres. Formed in 1979, The Gun Club became a fixture of the Los Angeles underground scene and would create seven studio LP’s during their history, starting with the blues filled 1981 album, Fire of Love.Started by Pierce along with guitarist Kid Congo Powers, the band would go though many members over the years contributing to the evolving music styles, but the band was always fronted by Pierce. The Gun Club continued until Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s death in March of 1996 at age 37. The pioneering Pierce’s legacy continues to inspire many artists today, and that has been well represented as part of The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project.In this podcast episode, we tell the story of the early years of The Gun Club, their music, and the legacy of Jeffrey Lee Pierce.
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R.E.M. - Document and Green
Document was the fifth studio album from R.E.M., but the first album with producer Scott Litt, who would co-produce this 1987 album and the next five albums with the band. This album, with such classic songs as "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" and "The One I Love", would help move alternative rock to the mainstream. In 1988 the band would sign with Warner Brothers after their longtime relationship with the independent label I.R.S. Records and release the sixth studio album, Green. This album would become their biggest selling record to date as R.E.M. experimented with new instrumentation and studio elements.In this episode we will tell the story of this Athens, Georgia band during the time of these two albums, along with the music that helped define alternative rock and it's mainstream acceptance.
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20:32
The Slits - Not Your Typical Girls
The Slits were one of the first all-female punk bands and one of the pioneering bands of the post-punk era as they blended reggae and dub with punk music. Formed in London in 1976, the band's unique style and music was represented in their 1978 debut album, Cut, that has been called one of the defining releases of post-punk. The highly influential album included the songs that challenged societal norms, in particular the anthem song, “Typical Girls”, a song that questioned traditional ideas about femininity.The Slits would end their original run in 1982. However, in this span The Slits made a lasting mark and influence on the future of many young female rockers, and an impact on several musical movements, most notably the Riot Grrrl movement of the early 1990’s. In this episode we will tell the story of how the band formed, their music of the early years, and the influence and impact on music.
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Soft Cell - Memorabilia and Some Bizarre Years
The English synth-pop duo of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist Dave Ball, better known as Soft Cell, created one of the most successful singles ever, "Tainted Love", followed by the influential 1981 debut album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret."Memorabilia", released just after Soft Cell signed with the independent label Some Bizarre Records, has been recognized as a pioneering song of the synth-oriented techno or acid house genre that would follow later in the decade. This podcast episode tells the story of the band’s early years with Some Bizarre Records, including the incredible debut album and the follow up albums from the band through 1984.
About Inside the Milky Way - A Look at Early Alternative Music
A podcast that takes a look at the development of alternative music in the 80's with a focus on post-punk, goth, dark wave, electronic, industrial, and synth. The episodes feature stories, background, and discussions of artists, contributors, music, themes, and events of the early alternative era.
The title of our podcast is based on the alternative song from 1988 by The Church, "Under the Milky Way".
Listen to Inside the Milky Way - A Look at Early Alternative Music, A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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