Stella - Lloyd Cole who Camera Obscura wrote " Hey Lloyd , I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken " about loves them. Check out the song he wrote that inspired them " Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken ? " 😃
Stella, I loved this video! So fun! The beginning had me cracking up LOL. The Pixies are my favorite so I was ecstatic to find them in your S tier. Loved your description of The Breeders!
great video as always stella! hopefully when I have more time I will listen to the whole discography of all the artists you mentioned, cause I'm missing a lot!
What are some of your favourite Stellar Songs? Stellar Blue - Grateful Dead Stellar Regions - John Coltrane Interstellar Overdrive - Pink Floyd Stellar By Starlight - Ella Fitzgerald Any others you guys can think of??? :)
Pixies trained the audience for Nirvana etc. "Gigantic" got a lot of play on alternative and college radio when it dropped, but not every city had one of those back then. "Monkey Gone To Heaven" gained them even more ears, but fame was slow going for them and the frustrations split them up as they often do for trailblazing bands. Bauhaus were trailblazing too. "She's In Parties" and "Bela Lugosi's Dead" pretty much defined Goth. We played "Kick in the Eye" in the band I was in my senior year of high school. I wasn't a Goth kid -- the style barely existed then -- but I got a kick out of popping and slapping and plucking the bass on that song. I caught Peter Murphy in concert back in 1989 where he played most of those old Bauhaus tunes along with his latest work. It was great. And Nine Inch Nails opened, so even better!
I think more than Pixies too, a couple other 80s alternative that Nirvana lauded also paved the way. And thanks for sharing your anecdote regarding Peter Murphy!
Posh list, thumb up! Still, wanna share my personal musings. "Pale Saints" has so uneven discography - kinda rubbish shoegaze on the first albums and then splendid/non-generic "Slow Buildings" album from 1994. As for A.R. Kane - for me, just a one-hit-wonder ("Lolita"). I would also have included Kristin Hersh/"Throwing Muses" dichotomy in the list - Kristin had a solo career apart from "Muses" on 4AD as well - her "Sunny Border Blue" album is masterpiece!
Great video, Stella. While I don't agree with some of your choices (I very much enjoy all three of your D Tier picks!) we certainly agree on The Cocteau Twins. To me, their music is just transcendent. But you know, we all have different tastes and some things resonate more with others than they do with ourselves. Which is cool.
Very good idea to dedicate a video to this excellent label! The video is very well documented and it makes me want to explore certain groups. You are really funny and adorable.
Captivating video Stella, thanks for this.. For me the greatest 4AD album of all is Kristin Hersh's "Hips & Makers", though I know you covered Throwing Muses here. I would urge you to check out Iron & Wine's output on Sub Pop, that's the real Iron & Wine imo. I think those initial records might change your mind on him :) So glad to see Red House Painters in the top tier, it's inarguable to me too. And Kozelek's song Ruth Marie, also released solo on 4AD, will probably remain my favourite song ever, for always. Oh and P.S., so cool to hear you reference R.E.M.'s early albums, they are beyond special to me too.
Just now watching this. This is an excellent video concerning one of my favorite music labels! I'm glad you brought up Throwing Muses (their first album is one of my favorite albums), the National, Cocteau Twins, and Lush. My only disappointment is that you didn't rate "His Name is Alive". I think if you listen to their third album "Mouth by Mouth" you will want to put them in either "A" tier or "S" tier. "Mouth by Mouth" is a work of art!
You subliminally inspired me to go on a Dead Can Dance binge. There are 4AD bands and then there is DCD. They are so genre defining and IMO have no peers. They are probably closer to more classical music. Their music was so authentic and well produced. I believe they used a large ensemble of classical session players for some of their records. They are not so much a band but musical ensemble and concept. They shunned the "goth" label but they inspired many goth bands and probably led to labels like Projeckt records. Lisa's work on soundtracks like Gladiator and Whale Rider are 2 of the finest musical scores of this age.
Also The Pixies were never groomed to make a hit album live Nirvana, and you would even find them listed as an influence on Kurts writing (and anyone else that came after them)
Obviously, I lean heavily towards 80s ethereal goth than 90s shoegaze-indie in my musical taste, so I naturally adore Bauhaus, This Mortal Coil, and CT. Three of my top bands of all time. I like The Birthday Party, DCD, Xymox, and Xmal Deutschland as well, though they're not my ultimate faves in goth. Lush and Throwing Muses are decent too. My unpopular opinions? I can't stand The Pixies. Maybe because they sound like a less artsy Pere Ubu to me? IDK. I also can't take Bon Iver and Grimes. They just feel try-hard to me... Actually, Treasure by CT and It'll End in Tears by TMC are my favorite ethereal goth albums, along with Christian Death's exquisite Catastrophe Ballet. The ultimate trio of darkest dreaming. I live in those albums.
Kept waiting for the punchline on the Bauhaus slander... then BAM, Bon Iver placed right next to them. Triggered. Your charm and wit make you one clever troll.
I am half way through watching this. Oh, please say you like the Cocteau Twins. I have been trying to convince friends and acquaintances for decades, but with little success. You are totally right about the Breeders and Pixies.
I will accept your opinion on Bauhaus after you swear to me that you have listened to their albums Mask and The Sky’s Gone Out each from start to finish, preferably in a dark room on a rainy day. You might know that Third Uncle is a cover of a Brian Eno song!
That's the bit about Bauhaus- they covered a lot of ground, not to mention some of the best covers, and their entire influence is reduced to one song. Epic song, such that it is, but it also sells them short.
Another great video Stella. In our books, Breeders are S Tier for sure! Also, album covers are soooo important, and such a big part of the magic of 4AD!
4 thumbs up for your S tier choices. My only gripe is the low rating for Dead Can Dance while you rated the boring The National an A. Dead can Dance is not only more intellectual music, but it's also Way more upbeat/uplifting than the dreary The National. :-) Luv ya! ❤🖤
Where do You listen to music? Streming with Bluetooth speaker? Streaming with active Speakers? Streaming with passive Speakers + receiver or amplifier? Cd with amp or receiver? Vinyl? Edison tubes?
S(tella(r)) tier: Cocteau Twins, Pixies, Mojave 3, Belly, Lush. I do like Dead Can Dance. I do not understand St. Vincent. While I do not judge an album by its cover, I do judge a cover. I think it is important, the visual representations. When I was a kid in a (candy shop) record shop, I would spend ages looking at the covers of the records I could not afford to purchase, imagining the music inside. Well, I still do this. I quite like when a PDF is included in digital download music, so I have the cover art. I could never throw a tomato or nuts. I would eat them happily.
Other 4AD bands worth checking out (all from their early 1980’s days): Dif Juz (excellent all-instrumental quartet, you can hear their influence in bands like Explosions in the Sky and This Will Destroy You) In Camera (put out two 12” EPs, later had their catalogue compiled on a Teenbeat CD) Rema-Rema (noisy band that had Marco Pirroni pre-Adam And The Ants) My Captains (their entire catalog according to Discogs is the 4-track 7” EP issued on 4 AD. Joy Division-influenced post-punk like In Camera but heavier, almost grunge-sounding!)
Amazing video Stella! You have such a funny sense of humor, I laughed a bunch of times during the video :) great to hear your subjective opinions about things
I like this idea I hope you a Creation records one next. Where would you put His Name is Alive, Purity Ring and Camera Obscura ? they are all A tier in my book 😌
Hi Stella 🍻 ! My favorite 4AD Bands are Throwing Muses , Cocteau Twins , The National , The Pixies & Dead Can Dance. I like two you left out .. The Hope Blister ( Who covered Dagger by Slowdive ) & The Insides. No big deal that you don't like Bauhaus. I prefer Love & Rockets. Good Job Stella 👍. You say what you mean & mean what you say & I respect that. 👋
Nice vid! ^_^ Totally agree about the Pixies. They were ahead of their time and there just wasn't a good place for them on rock radio, which in the US was a deluge of hair metal, classic rock and overproduced pop. The Pixies fared a bit better commercially in the UK but were still never as big as they could have been. Pixies are just bulletproof, and the Breeders are great too. At least they are getting the respect they deserve these days.
Nice one. 4AD was quite genre defining back in the 80's & early 90's. Cocteau Twins are probably my favorite with Pale Saints and Lush right up there for me all 3 are S/A level. I could see how DCD is not for everyone. I would say check out the video "Toward the Within" with some of Perry's tracks like "American Dreaming" and "Don't Fade Away" and see if your opinion doesn't change. I saw Lisa Gerrard live and it was also quite powerful. 4AD also had an important role in shoegaze with bands like Pale Saints and Lush. I had forgotten that Unrest released a record on 4AD. Unrest's Mark Robinson also created the label Teenbeat which IMO is also another video. I used to go see Deerhunter in an infamous club that existed in Atlanta in the 90's called Lenny's. It was the essence of punk rock and definition of a dive bar. I lived in the same neighborhood as he did for a short period and he is a nice guy. I used to see him around and we walk talk about shoegaze and Stereolab. Lastly, I would say the most impactful 4AD record was the Pixies - Doolittle. It did not quite have the mainstream accessibility that Nevermind did, but it really changed the course of alternative music. The Pixies were probably could have been bigger had it not been for personal and internal issues the band had.
What a delightful video. Very light-hearted. You are laughing throughout the program, and so am I. Lots of fun. I think it's the first video in which I can detect any significant difference in our taste and opinion-at least on some of these bands. Really enjoyable to hear your opinionated rankings of these bands, and glad to see that you continue to keep it all fun. Soon you'll have 10,000 subscribers, and then 20K, and then... You deserve a bigger audience! My personal S-tier 4AD bands, just based on my taste, and not any attempt to be objective about their significance or quality, would be "The National" and "This Mortal Coil" for sure. And, I could see adding Cocteau Twins to that S-tier. I think a lot of these bands are A-tier (I'd put Bauhaus and Dead Can Dance up there, unlike you.). The Pixies probably belong up there, too, but if this is strictly a personal taste thing, I'd put them high B. They have four or five S-tier songs, and a few A-tier and B-tier, but much of their work isn't enjoyable to me, so I'd rate them lower. Thanks for another great video.
Thanks for comment Pro Eric! I guess I have a more pop sound inclination and the bands I rated lower are just not typically enjoyable listen. Haha, some random on FB said I have a bubblegum taste! Anyways, thanks for sharing your opinions!
@@StellasEncounter Music snobbery is tedious. If you like bubblegum pop or enjoy popular music, good for you. Most alternative rock or indie or underground music isn't too serious anyway. If you want serious music, you can listen to Beethoven's Sonata No. 32 in C Minor or a Mahler symphony, and you won't go looking for stimulation by listening to the Archie's "Sugar Sugar" or whatever Rihanna or Miley Cyrus has most recently released. They're different things, and it makes no point to say one is not as good as the other. They are not trying to do the same thing and are not asking for comparison. I like good pop music as well. I like eating ice cream sometimes. I occasionally watch comedy. There is nothing wrong with light-hearted fun and life's little pleasures, and people who complain about it need to find bigger issues to worry about.
Perfect Teeth by Unrest and Me Me Me by Air Miami are so good. 4AD co-released those with Teenbeat, a great pop/experimental label. My favorite 4AD project is His Name is Alive. "Livonia," "Home is in Your Head," "Mouth by Mouth," "Stars on ESP," and "Ft. Lake" are all fantastic records and all of them have so many flavors. There was a 4AD sub-label called Guernica that released maybe a dozen things? I have the CD version of Unrest's "Imperial FFRR" from Guernica and it has a painting by Isabel Bishop on the front and bonus tracks too.
I would have put Lush on the top tier. They were huge in the early 90s. Them and bret anderson seemed to live on the front cover of melody maker for ages. For me the Cocteau twins were the 4ad flagship, they made stunning music.
Hahaha. Love your videos, but putting Bauhaus and Dead Can Dance in D is just sacrilegious. I would also put TV On The Radio and Blonde Redhead (shoegaze, really?) higher up. (And Xmall Deutschland) Cocteau Twins I really liked Garland, but I’m indifferent to the rest except the song Blue Bell Knolls. The melancholy of The National is their trademark, imo. This Mortal Coil was a brilliant idea with mixed results. The rest of the bands I enjoyed a few songs, but not more.
Musically The National have evolved a lot throughout their career, but they...literally sing about the same thing for TWO DECADES! It's almost a deliberate marketing strategy I assume.
Spleen and Ideal by Dead Can Dance is really great. Of course the Pixies are monumental, they were just a little too edgy and art weird for the mainstream. But if they would’ve not broken up they would’ve gotten huge. Forgot about Air Miami, and forgot Grimes is on 4AD, as well as TV on the Radio. I’m glad you mentioned X-mal Deutschland! And I forgot about This Mortal Coil, It’ll End In Tears is one of my favorite 4AD albums. Blonde Redhead are great, you should definitely check them out more. Of course, as you know, Cocteau Twins, Red House Painters and A.R. Kane are my favorites. And good of you to mention v23 and Vaughn Oliver. Best label ever!
Yah, the Pixies were really getting big. Tromp Le Monde was kind of considered a letdown follow-up however and I think the band wasn't getting along. The Breeders probably would have gotten bigger but Kim Deal had some documented legal problems. I don't know the relationship of 4AD and Teenbeat, but I always consider Unrest a Teenbeat band.
DCD Spleen and Idea is quite otherworldly. At times their music transcended beyond what my human mind could comprehend. The ultimate goth group without trying to be quote unquote "goth."
Oh my god, regarding Bauhaus, I've never felt so seen 😭😭😭! I thought I was a factory defect being so deep into post-punk and everything that came from its influence my whole life but thinking Bauhaus were kind of shit! Every time I see another band I love do a cover of "Bela Lugosi's Dead" I want to throw my computer against the wall and then throw UP on it. I used to lie about liking them in high school to the cool older kids because I didn't want to risk alienation because we had every other band in common hah
Hi Stella, how about a video devoted to the Red House Painters? Not much out there on YT. They are kind of forgotten. I was truly obsessed with them during the period of their first three albums.
Absolutely agree Leo, but to be honest I lost interest myself after the Sub Pop records, so maybe Stella hasn't heard the early stuff, which is just incredibly beautiful as you know!
Good on you for giving us you opinion. I can't say I agree with all of your choices, but I don't put anytime into running a youtube channel that is as informative as yours.
100% Agree about Cocteau Twins, they have been in my heart since about 1985, always a healing sound, indeed!... 100% Disagree (always politely)about Bauhaus, one of my favs. they were on the forefront of Goth, I do love me some Goth Rock. The others I'd mostly agree :) As for nuts or tomatoes? I'll ways send you good food, for the great videos 💓
I think album cover plays a bigger roll in how we enjoy albums than we would like to admit. At least for me, it sets the initial aesthetic and story telling setting from the start. There are some albums that i think sound nothing how there cover looks and i often end up not liking the album. idk if its coincidence or not. btw i was sharpening my pitchfork but once grimes got into S tier, all was forgiven
Totally agree with Pixies being in S tier, such a unique band with so many great songs. Grimes is great but she'd be more A or B for me. I need to check out some of these other groups, like the other two S tier bands I haven't listened to. One 4AD band you didn't mention that I like a lot are The Lemon Twigs, they're a newer band that's really nailed the classic rock sound, maybe you'll dig em 🤘😋
Lush are one of my favourite bands of all time! and I must say, the iconicness of Miki Berenyi did play a small part in it. Songs like desire lines and nothing natural changed my music listening
Love Pale Saints too, which was paired with Lush in this video. They didn't have such an impact on my life, I'm sixteen and only really started listening to them this year, but songs like kinky love and sight of you are always in my head
The lead singer of The Passions messaged me the other day! and asked me to watch This Mortal Coil's Song to the siren! I asked for her autograph but sadly she said no can do 😢
I think the problem for the Pixies was that they were a couple of years too early. They were around just in time to influence the later bands that would become huge. Unfortunately by the time Nirvana had become huge, the Pixies were already disintegrating. Also think Nirvana were a better looking band which doesn't hurt commercially.
There is an abyss below bauhaus where one can bury the breeders (aka la bamba) or plasticky bands like the national. Comparisons with rem are absurd. Rest i mostly agree. The truth was in there.
I laughed SO HARD at this video. oh, the Bauhaus controversary. I still carry some love for them from my old goth days. Dead Can Dance - well, Lisa Gerard has an undeniably beautiful voice and their first (kind of industrial goth) album is pretty cool, but I find them kind of pretentious and their cultural appropriation hasn't aged well. On the other hand I love Throwing Muses especially the two albums you played snippets from. I have a signed Kristen Hersh poster that's one of my most treasured possessions, although I can't really listen to their debut album anymore, too hard. But brilliant. And Pod is my favourite record!! Oh, and everyone reading this should check out Lonely Is An Eyesore, one of the best label compilations every made. Also Aldous Harding's record Party is fantastic, so strange, like an alien read up about underground folk music but hasn't never actually heard any
Glad you lolled! Throwing Muses' debut is fantastic, it's shame not many people seem to remember that album? I'll check out "Lonely Is An Eyesore" (ugh at the album name though), thanks!
@@StellasEncounter yeah dude I totally agree, it's one of the best debut albums I can think of, severely under rated. I guess for a lot of people that must have heard it back in the day they just found it too intense? I dunno, personally it got me through a very low period in my life and I can't really go back to it, makes me too sad. But I found it just at the right time so thanks Kristen! bought it for $4 in a bargain bin - I was like, mid 80s 4AD, Ill probably like this.....
@@rorycathcart3281 oh yeah it's a very emotionally intense album. The vocal performance is fantastic! I'm glad you have this album with you during the dark times!
I love Pixies' sound, but when I first heard Surfer Rosa and C'mon Pilgrim, I imagined Black Francis looked more like say, Robert Smith, than he actually does. Their videos were all good, in an R.E.M. "MTV will have to play this, so let's f** around a bit", whereas Nirvana looked like an indie punk band, and MTV played the crap out of their videos because of this. Weird Al probably believes he made Michael Jackson and Madonna famous by parodying their songs, and he did the same to Nirvana... not Pixies. So maybe that's why. Great video! I really like Dead Can Dance and Bauhaus... they're pretentious and artsy, and that is definitely something I associate with 4AD. My favourite 4AD band is probably Ultra Vivid Scene, who was basically one guy, Kurt Ralske, who really nailed early 90's electronic art-rock. The National should record a death metal album and destroy colonialism and the patriarchy. Also, Ian Masters from Pale Saints has some new material out, recording as Spoonfed Hybrid.
Also, next to This Mortal Coil, the most 4AD 4AD band is M/A/R/R/S, which featured members from AR Kane and Colourbox on their 1987 breakout club hit "Pump Up The Volume"
I wonder which st vincent albums you've heard? Her most recent album, Daddy's Home (2021) is a super 70s funk inspired album but I think its just easily her most enjoyable album at least for me personally
Oeh, I am not going to re-rank your effort, but I agree very much with your tiers. Except the following. Iron & Wine I would have placed higher to B. The National lower on the ladder. The Pixies above S✨they are astral. A tier list of Domino Record or Drag City releases next? 🌟 Love your music taste and reviews. Keep m coming🌻
I. A little saddened that you didn't dig DCD more love. If only for the debuted album. I personally love their next 2 but after that that whole World' genre overtook their namesake. But their debute was almost a Cocteau Twin doppelganger with a little World influence mixed in and I'll be damned those chimey, treated guitars and up front post punk bass and the play off of their two vocals. The World' actually enhanced the sound instead of overwhelming it. Love it.
Did you ever listen to Matt Johnsons and The The's 4AD releases? Very different material on 4ad from what would follow later. . . just curious, not a criticism, love the channel.
I love the Breeders. Definite S tier for me. I've tried to like the Pixies, but they just don't do anything for me. Wish I could hear music through the ears of other people in order to hear what they hear and gain their appreciation.
А где же группы Lush и Birthday Party? Кстати есть книга Марка Астона под названием "Выбирая другую дорогу. История лейбла 4AD". В данной книге описаны все группы, которые были выпущены на лейбле 4AD. Советую почитать!
Where are the bands Lush and Birthday Party? By the way, there is a book by Mark Aston called "Facing the other way. The story of 4AD." This book describes all the bands that were released on the 4AD label. I advise you to read it.
It is impossible to cover the bands that represent 4AD in 20mins. But you missed the Birthday Party and the Wolfgang Press. You might also like His Name is Alive, if you are into This Mortal Coil. Bauhaus isn’t technically 4AD band. They left the label after In the Flad Field.
yay - i agree, put bauhaus in D Tier :) bon iver "hipster cringeworthy" - LOL - stellar stella spot on with pixies - yay btw - grimes is super smart a polymath music design tech she can excel in a few areas...the only st vincent song i like is the music video she did w/david byrne. Also i like where you put Cocteau Twins. Yes, best music channel on youtube and there are some good ones. Yours is more fun, entertaining and more informative.
Great video. I'm not too familiar with many of the "classic' 4AD bands so I have some homework to do there. Out of the bands I do feel I know well enough to rank, Pixes and Deerhunter are top, National and TV on the Radio are mid and Bon Iver is bottom. And I tried really hard to like St. Vincent when she first started solo as she was involved in several bands I dug at the time but I just can't connect with her music at all so I suppose she is down there too.
Yeah, I'd say lack of connection is fair to describe St.Vincent. She's obviously skilled and cool, but something is lacking there. Lack of heart and soul I guess?
TBH the one Bauhaus album on 4AD is probably my least favourite of the bunch. I'd agree with D tier for flat field. They do get much more interesting with their beggars banquet releases. Lots more to offer than the pretentious vampire shtick.
As much as I love your videos, you are way off on DCD. Kill the lights and crank up the Serpent's Egg. I am sure you will see the error of your ways ;). Speaking of which, I really should apologise to my old economics teacher for saying that Glen Campbell was shit. I can admit when I make a mistake...
Love this channel and love that you did this video on this legendary label. BUT... I think you have got Bauhaus all wrong. Passing them off as pretentious goth rock is missing a huge (and admittedly rampantly misunderstood) element of the band. Much of what they did was experimental and groundbreaking, tongue in cheek and satirical. They were artsy, to be sure, but they took themselves far less seriously than you make it out to be. Not the first time they've been misunderstood to be sure, but their historical relevance and musical influence alone should have kept them out of the basement. Very entertaining list and couldn't agree more on Cocteau Twins, Pixies, Throwing Muses and Breeders. As a side note, I hope you listened to more than just Ricochet Days. Not their best. Keep up the great work!
This Mortal Coil > Cocteau Twins. I think tmc have a more varied, less precious sound than Cocteau Twins. I enjoy their more minimal songs and their bigger songs and their albums flow really well between those two extremes. Not to say Cocteau Twins are bad, just not as good. I also really dislike some of Cocteau Twin's more whimsical/cute songs, while I have never disliked a tmc song. I despise St. Vince (purposely misspelled). Their music makes me angry, I despise them that much.
Stella - Lloyd Cole who Camera Obscura wrote " Hey Lloyd , I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken " about loves them. Check out the song he wrote that inspired them " Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken ? " 😃
The early Wolfgang Press 12's and first 3 albums can't be beat. Pristine Post-Punk.
Your humor is on point! Love it!
4AD was my entire teens.
Yes, I'm old.
hahahaha
Stella, I loved this video! So fun! The beginning had me cracking up LOL. The Pixies are my favorite so I was ecstatic to find them in your S tier. Loved your description of The Breeders!
Glad you enjoyed!!
great video as always stella! hopefully when I have more time I will listen to the whole discography of all the artists you mentioned, cause I'm missing a lot!
thanks for watching, and you should haha!!
Your videos just get better and better, Stella, even if you did put Bauhaus so low ! Greetings from Nam.
What are some of your favourite Stellar Songs?
Stellar Blue - Grateful Dead
Stellar Regions - John Coltrane
Interstellar Overdrive - Pink Floyd
Stellar By Starlight - Ella Fitzgerald
Any others you guys can think of??? :)
hahahah funny!
stella by starlight - miles davis?
Pixies trained the audience for Nirvana etc. "Gigantic" got a lot of play on alternative and college radio when it dropped, but not every city had one of those back then. "Monkey Gone To Heaven" gained them even more ears, but fame was slow going for them and the frustrations split them up as they often do for trailblazing bands. Bauhaus were trailblazing too. "She's In Parties" and "Bela Lugosi's Dead" pretty much defined Goth. We played "Kick in the Eye" in the band I was in my senior year of high school. I wasn't a Goth kid -- the style barely existed then -- but I got a kick out of popping and slapping and plucking the bass on that song. I caught Peter Murphy in concert back in 1989 where he played most of those old Bauhaus tunes along with his latest work. It was great. And Nine Inch Nails opened, so even better!
I think more than Pixies too, a couple other 80s alternative that Nirvana lauded also paved the way. And thanks for sharing your anecdote regarding Peter Murphy!
Posh list, thumb up! Still, wanna share my personal musings. "Pale Saints" has so uneven discography - kinda rubbish shoegaze on the first albums and then splendid/non-generic "Slow Buildings" album from 1994. As for A.R. Kane - for me, just a one-hit-wonder ("Lolita"). I would also have included Kristin Hersh/"Throwing Muses" dichotomy in the list - Kristin had a solo career apart from "Muses" on 4AD as well - her "Sunny Border Blue" album is masterpiece!
Hips & Makers by Kristin is not only my no.1 4AD album but possibly my no. 1 of all..
Great video, Stella. While I don't agree with some of your choices (I very much enjoy all three of your D Tier picks!) we certainly agree on The Cocteau Twins. To me, their music is just transcendent. But you know, we all have different tastes and some things resonate more with others than they do with ourselves. Which is cool.
Everybody forgets THE THE！
The pixies clan of xymox Cocteau twins Bauhaus the breeders modern English dead can dance !!!!!!!
The best music channel on TH-cam, hands down.
Oh haha that's a bold statement, but thank you!!
@dietcola feedback appreciated thanks!
completely agree -
@@fanstream Agree with what exactly?
never reproduce
Very good idea to dedicate a video to this excellent label! The video is very well documented and it makes me want to explore certain groups. You are really funny and adorable.
thank you :)
Captivating video Stella, thanks for this..
For me the greatest 4AD album of all is Kristin Hersh's "Hips & Makers", though I know you covered Throwing Muses here.
I would urge you to check out Iron & Wine's output on Sub Pop, that's the real Iron & Wine imo. I think those initial records might change your mind on him :)
So glad to see Red House Painters in the top tier, it's inarguable to me too. And Kozelek's song Ruth Marie, also released solo on 4AD, will probably remain my favourite song ever, for always.
Oh and P.S., so cool to hear you reference R.E.M.'s early albums, they are beyond special to me too.
thanks for suggestion, I'd give Mr Iron & Wine another listen!
I'm glad youtube randomly recommended me your channel.
Welcome!
Just now watching this. This is an excellent video concerning one of my favorite music labels! I'm glad you brought up Throwing Muses (their first album is one of my favorite albums), the National, Cocteau Twins, and Lush. My only disappointment is that you didn't rate "His Name is Alive". I think if you listen to their third album "Mouth by Mouth" you will want to put them in either "A" tier or "S" tier. "Mouth by Mouth" is a work of art!
thanks for watching am glad you like it! His name is alive is fantastic!!
Pixies!!! Anyways Great Video, I Never Looked Into The 4AD Label But Now I'm Curious. Keep Up The Awesome Videos!
Great ranking. Lush is high atop the S list for me, so I'm glad you basically nice to them..hehe. Do Dead Oceans label next!
You subliminally inspired me to go on a Dead Can Dance binge. There are 4AD bands and then there is DCD. They are so genre defining and IMO have no peers. They are probably closer to more classical music. Their music was so authentic and well produced. I believe they used a large ensemble of classical session players for some of their records. They are not so much a band but musical ensemble and concept. They shunned the "goth" label but they inspired many goth bands and probably led to labels like Projeckt records. Lisa's work on soundtracks like Gladiator and Whale Rider are 2 of the finest musical scores of this age.
Big Thief are the best thing to happen in sooooooo long!!! Love them so much!
Also The Pixies were never groomed to make a hit album live Nirvana, and you would even find them listed as an influence on Kurts writing (and anyone else that came after them)
St Vincent deserves a Tier of her own she is not even comparable to anyone else, you should listen to her earlier work. Brilliant artist
Absolutely Love Dry Cleaning but their latest seems to be sluggish and uninspired unfortunately
Obviously, I lean heavily towards 80s ethereal goth than 90s shoegaze-indie in my musical taste, so I naturally adore Bauhaus, This Mortal Coil, and CT. Three of my top bands of all time. I like The Birthday Party, DCD, Xymox, and Xmal Deutschland as well, though they're not my ultimate faves in goth. Lush and Throwing Muses are decent too. My unpopular opinions? I can't stand The Pixies. Maybe because they sound like a less artsy Pere Ubu to me? IDK. I also can't take Bon Iver and Grimes. They just feel try-hard to me... Actually, Treasure by CT and It'll End in Tears by TMC are my favorite ethereal goth albums, along with Christian Death's exquisite Catastrophe Ballet. The ultimate trio of darkest dreaming. I live in those albums.
Ooh, and Modern English! One of the best post-punk bands in my opinion.
Kept waiting for the punchline on the Bauhaus slander... then BAM, Bon Iver placed right next to them.
Triggered. Your charm and wit make you one clever troll.
hahaha you don't like Bon Iver?
Love the label and great video!
I am half way through watching this. Oh, please say you like the Cocteau Twins. I have been trying to convince friends and acquaintances for decades, but with little success. You are totally right about the Breeders and Pixies.
I will accept your opinion on Bauhaus after you swear to me that you have listened to their albums Mask and The Sky’s Gone Out each from start to finish, preferably in a dark room on a rainy day. You might know that Third Uncle is a cover of a Brian Eno song!
That's the bit about Bauhaus- they covered a lot of ground, not to mention some of the best covers, and their entire influence is reduced to one song.
Epic song, such that it is, but it also sells them short.
This girl seems like a sweetie pie
Another great video Stella.
In our books, Breeders are S Tier for sure!
Also, album covers are soooo important, and such a big part of the magic of 4AD!
RIP Vaughan Oliver.
Great stuff again!
4 thumbs up for your S tier choices. My only gripe is the low rating for Dead Can Dance while you rated the boring The National an A. Dead can Dance is not only more intellectual music, but it's also Way more upbeat/uplifting than the dreary The National. :-) Luv ya! ❤🖤
Where do You listen to music? Streming with Bluetooth speaker? Streaming with active Speakers? Streaming with passive Speakers + receiver or amplifier? Cd with amp or receiver? Vinyl? Edison tubes?
S(tella(r)) tier: Cocteau Twins, Pixies, Mojave 3, Belly, Lush.
I do like Dead Can Dance. I do not understand St. Vincent.
While I do not judge an album by its cover, I do judge a cover. I think it is important, the visual representations. When I was a kid in a (candy shop) record shop, I would spend ages looking at the covers of the records I could not afford to purchase, imagining the music inside. Well, I still do this. I quite like when a PDF is included in digital download music, so I have the cover art.
I could never throw a tomato or nuts. I would eat them happily.
St. Vincent is S tier for me, but other than that, I definitely relate to your list.
Other 4AD bands worth checking out (all from their early 1980’s days):
Dif Juz (excellent all-instrumental quartet, you can hear their influence in bands like Explosions in the Sky and This Will Destroy You)
In Camera (put out two 12” EPs, later had their catalogue compiled on a Teenbeat CD)
Rema-Rema (noisy band that had Marco Pirroni pre-Adam And The Ants)
My Captains (their entire catalog according to Discogs is the 4-track 7” EP issued on 4 AD. Joy Division-influenced post-punk like In Camera but heavier, almost grunge-sounding!)
... and Clan of Xymox, dutch goth band beetween Cure and New Order.
Bravo, Stella Rocks!
(also, if you haven’t listened to Actor by St. Vincent, you absolutely have to)
Amazing video Stella! You have such a funny sense of humor, I laughed a bunch of times during the video :) great to hear your subjective opinions about things
haha welcome! Glad you lolled!
The tier you never knew you wanted. ;)
I like this idea I hope you a Creation records one next.
Where would you put His Name is Alive, Purity Ring and Camera Obscura ? they are all A tier in my book 😌
I love His Name is Alive, the other two less so. Thanks for watching!
His Name is Alive were also worth mentioning
Hi Stella 🍻 ! My favorite 4AD Bands are Throwing Muses , Cocteau Twins , The National , The Pixies & Dead Can Dance. I like two you left out .. The Hope Blister ( Who covered Dagger by Slowdive ) & The Insides. No big deal that you don't like Bauhaus. I prefer Love & Rockets. Good Job Stella 👍. You say what you mean & mean what you say & I respect that. 👋
Nice vid! ^_^ Totally agree about the Pixies. They were ahead of their time and there just wasn't a good place for them on rock radio, which in the US was a deluge of hair metal, classic rock and overproduced pop. The Pixies fared a bit better commercially in the UK but were still never as big as they could have been. Pixies are just bulletproof, and the Breeders are great too. At least they are getting the respect they deserve these days.
Nice one. 4AD was quite genre defining back in the 80's & early 90's. Cocteau Twins are probably my favorite with Pale Saints and Lush right up there for me all 3 are S/A level. I could see how DCD is not for everyone. I would say check out the video "Toward the Within" with some of Perry's tracks like "American Dreaming" and "Don't Fade Away" and see if your opinion doesn't change. I saw Lisa Gerrard live and it was also quite powerful. 4AD also had an important role in shoegaze with bands like Pale Saints and Lush. I had forgotten that Unrest released a record on 4AD. Unrest's Mark Robinson also created the label Teenbeat which IMO is also another video. I used to go see Deerhunter in an infamous club that existed in Atlanta in the 90's called Lenny's. It was the essence of punk rock and definition of a dive bar. I lived in the same neighborhood as he did for a short period and he is a nice guy. I used to see him around and we walk talk about shoegaze and Stereolab. Lastly, I would say the most impactful 4AD record was the Pixies - Doolittle. It did not quite have the mainstream accessibility that Nevermind did, but it really changed the course of alternative music. The Pixies were probably could have been bigger had it not been for personal and internal issues the band had.
you forgot DIF JUZ from 4AD, a great band
Agreed. Unfortunately, the 80’s were not a great period for instrumental bands.
What a delightful video. Very light-hearted. You are laughing throughout the program, and so am I. Lots of fun. I think it's the first video in which I can detect any significant difference in our taste and opinion-at least on some of these bands. Really enjoyable to hear your opinionated rankings of these bands, and glad to see that you continue to keep it all fun. Soon you'll have 10,000 subscribers, and then 20K, and then... You deserve a bigger audience!
My personal S-tier 4AD bands, just based on my taste, and not any attempt to be objective about their significance or quality, would be "The National" and "This Mortal Coil" for sure. And, I could see adding Cocteau Twins to that S-tier. I think a lot of these bands are A-tier (I'd put Bauhaus and Dead Can Dance up there, unlike you.). The Pixies probably belong up there, too, but if this is strictly a personal taste thing, I'd put them high B. They have four or five S-tier songs, and a few A-tier and B-tier, but much of their work isn't enjoyable to me, so I'd rate them lower.
Thanks for another great video.
Thanks for comment Pro Eric! I guess I have a more pop sound inclination and the bands I rated lower are just not typically enjoyable listen. Haha, some random on FB said I have a bubblegum taste! Anyways, thanks for sharing your opinions!
@@StellasEncounter Music snobbery is tedious. If you like bubblegum pop or enjoy popular music, good for you. Most alternative rock or indie or underground music isn't too serious anyway. If you want serious music, you can listen to Beethoven's Sonata No. 32 in C Minor or a Mahler symphony, and you won't go looking for stimulation by listening to the Archie's "Sugar Sugar" or whatever Rihanna or Miley Cyrus has most recently released. They're different things, and it makes no point to say one is not as good as the other. They are not trying to do the same thing and are not asking for comparison.
I like good pop music as well. I like eating ice cream sometimes. I occasionally watch comedy. There is nothing wrong with light-hearted fun and life's little pleasures, and people who complain about it need to find bigger issues to worry about.
Clan of Xymox is great. Lush goes into A tier for me. Dead Can Dance also A.
His Name Is Alive is so much missed. However the list is great!
i love his name is alive!!
Perfect Teeth by Unrest and Me Me Me by Air Miami are so good. 4AD co-released those with Teenbeat, a great pop/experimental label. My favorite 4AD project is His Name is Alive. "Livonia," "Home is in Your Head," "Mouth by Mouth," "Stars on ESP," and "Ft. Lake" are all fantastic records and all of them have so many flavors.
There was a 4AD sub-label called Guernica that released maybe a dozen things? I have the CD version of Unrest's "Imperial FFRR" from Guernica and it has a painting by Isabel Bishop on the front and bonus tracks too.
Nice to see a fellow Unrest/Air Miami fan here!! they're kinda forgotten.
I would have put Lush on the top tier. They were huge in the early 90s. Them and bret anderson seemed to live on the front cover of melody maker for ages. For me the Cocteau twins were the 4ad flagship, they made stunning music.
That was very funny and entertaining Stella, but St. Vincent in "D" tier, "why I autta".
haha am sorry, thanks for watching!
you should check out the label Library of the Occult if you haven’t already! Ghost Box records as well
Hahaha. Love your videos, but putting Bauhaus and Dead Can Dance in D is just sacrilegious.
I would also put TV On The Radio and Blonde Redhead (shoegaze, really?) higher up. (And Xmall Deutschland)
Cocteau Twins I really liked Garland, but I’m indifferent to the rest except the song Blue Bell Knolls.
The melancholy of The National is their trademark, imo.
This Mortal Coil was a brilliant idea with mixed results.
The rest of the bands I enjoyed a few songs, but not more.
Musically The National have evolved a lot throughout their career, but they...literally sing about the same thing for TWO DECADES! It's almost a deliberate marketing strategy I assume.
Spleen and Ideal by Dead Can Dance is really great. Of course the Pixies are monumental, they were just a little too edgy and art weird for the mainstream. But if they would’ve not broken up they would’ve gotten huge. Forgot about Air Miami, and forgot Grimes is on 4AD, as well as TV on the Radio. I’m glad you mentioned X-mal Deutschland! And I forgot about This Mortal Coil, It’ll End In Tears is one of my favorite 4AD albums. Blonde Redhead are great, you should definitely check them out more. Of course, as you know, Cocteau Twins, Red House Painters and A.R. Kane are my favorites. And good of you to mention v23 and Vaughn Oliver. Best label ever!
Yes exactly, "edgy and art weird" - you described it better than I did. I'll check out more Blonde Redhead, thanks for suggestion and for watching! :)
Yah, the Pixies were really getting big. Tromp Le Monde was kind of considered a letdown follow-up however and I think the band wasn't getting along. The Breeders probably would have gotten bigger but Kim Deal had some documented legal problems. I don't know the relationship of 4AD and Teenbeat, but I always consider Unrest a Teenbeat band.
I'll End in Tears is divinely beautiful! Ethereal goths go!
DCD Spleen and Idea is quite otherworldly. At times their music transcended beyond what my human mind could comprehend. The ultimate goth group without trying to be quote unquote "goth."
@@wlouisharris I love several of their albums, was a little surprised Stella didn’t like them so much.
Please do bossa nova-influenced Mum and Dad before I was born pop. Anything from Brasil, Dusty Springfield, France Gall, Petula Clark, etc.
And Saint Etienne, of course.
great suggestion, I love brasilian musis!!
Scott Walker had 5 albums on 4AD - 2 solo albums, 2 soundtrack albums and a record with Sunn O))).
S Tier, no question.
That's why I own so much of their signed stuff! - C
Oh my god, regarding Bauhaus, I've never felt so seen 😭😭😭! I thought I was a factory defect being so deep into post-punk and everything that came from its influence my whole life but thinking Bauhaus were kind of shit! Every time I see another band I love do a cover of "Bela Lugosi's Dead" I want to throw my computer against the wall and then throw UP on it. I used to lie about liking them in high school to the cool older kids because I didn't want to risk alienation because we had every other band in common hah
Hi Stella, how about a video devoted to the Red House Painters? Not much out there on YT. They are kind of forgotten. I was truly obsessed with them during the period of their first three albums.
I mentioned RHP in the "slowcore" video too, maybe you can check that one out! Love them deeply!
Great Channel - I was surprised with Iron & Wine in C Tier - Their early stuff is S Tier for me - But honesty is what it's all about here 💯
Absolutely agree Leo, but to be honest I lost interest myself after the Sub Pop records, so maybe Stella hasn't heard the early stuff, which is just incredibly beautiful as you know!
Good on you for giving us you opinion. I can't say I agree with all of your choices, but I don't put anytime into running a youtube channel that is as informative as yours.
#underrated on your list deerhunter i knew the label due to Dead Can Dance, for me the D tier on your lists was "the beast"
100% Agree about Cocteau Twins, they have been in my heart since about 1985, always a healing sound, indeed!...
100% Disagree (always politely)about Bauhaus, one of my favs. they were on the forefront of Goth, I do love me some Goth Rock. The others I'd mostly agree :) As for nuts or tomatoes? I'll ways send you good food, for the great videos 💓
hahaha tomatoes pls!
You got it, kiddo! :) Luzz me some tomatoes too!@@StellasEncounter
I love Bauhaus😂
I think album cover plays a bigger roll in how we enjoy albums than we would like to admit. At least for me, it sets the initial aesthetic and story telling setting from the start. There are some albums that i think sound nothing how there cover looks and i often end up not liking the album. idk if its coincidence or not. btw i was sharpening my pitchfork but once grimes got into S tier, all was forgiven
you gave a good explanation regarding album cover, thank you!!
Totally agree with Pixies being in S tier, such a unique band with so many great songs. Grimes is great but she'd be more A or B for me. I need to check out some of these other groups, like the other two S tier bands I haven't listened to. One 4AD band you didn't mention that I like a lot are The Lemon Twigs, they're a newer band that's really nailed the classic rock sound, maybe you'll dig em 🤘😋
Lol @Bauhaus & St Vincent :D
I used to be such a huge Pixies fan in the early 00's - would have put Lush together with Pale Saints in A :)
Fair choices!
always better and better
Lush are one of my favourite bands of all time! and I must say, the iconicness of Miki Berenyi did play a small part in it. Songs like desire lines and nothing natural changed my music listening
Love Pale Saints too, which was paired with Lush in this video. They didn't have such an impact on my life, I'm sixteen and only really started listening to them this year, but songs like kinky love and sight of you are always in my head
Ok, so I heard Victorialand before I heard come on pilgrim. And I think my preference leans the same way except on exceptional days (moods)
The lead singer of The Passions messaged me the other day! and asked me to watch This Mortal Coil's Song to the siren! I asked for her autograph but sadly she said no can do 😢
I didn't realise Kim Deal was in the Breeders!
8:39 The Amps (Kim Deal’s band) should have been included in the list, even if they released only one record.
I admit I was a little sad to see Tune-Yards wasn't on the list. I say they are one of the most interesting and playful of all the acts thus far.
I think the problem for the Pixies was that they were a couple of years too early. They were around just in time to influence the later bands that would become huge. Unfortunately by the time Nirvana had become huge, the Pixies were already disintegrating. Also think Nirvana were a better looking band which doesn't hurt commercially.
nice analysis!!
There is an abyss below bauhaus where one can bury the breeders (aka la bamba) or plasticky bands like the national. Comparisons with rem are absurd. Rest i mostly agree. The truth was in there.
I laughed SO HARD at this video. oh, the Bauhaus controversary. I still carry some love for them from my old goth days. Dead Can Dance - well, Lisa Gerard has an undeniably beautiful voice and their first (kind of industrial goth) album is pretty cool, but I find them kind of pretentious and their cultural appropriation hasn't aged well. On the other hand I love Throwing Muses especially the two albums you played snippets from. I have a signed Kristen Hersh poster that's one of my most treasured possessions, although I can't really listen to their debut album anymore, too hard. But brilliant. And Pod is my favourite record!! Oh, and everyone reading this should check out Lonely Is An Eyesore, one of the best label compilations every made. Also Aldous Harding's record Party is fantastic, so strange, like an alien read up about underground folk music but hasn't never actually heard any
Glad you lolled! Throwing Muses' debut is fantastic, it's shame not many people seem to remember that album? I'll check out "Lonely Is An Eyesore" (ugh at the album name though), thanks!
@@StellasEncounter yeah dude I totally agree, it's one of the best debut albums I can think of, severely under rated. I guess for a lot of people that must have heard it back in the day they just found it too intense? I dunno, personally it got me through a very low period in my life and I can't really go back to it, makes me too sad. But I found it just at the right time so thanks Kristen! bought it for $4 in a bargain bin - I was like, mid 80s 4AD, Ill probably like this.....
oh, and lonely is an eyesore - th-cam.com/video/zfUxN8aJUAc/w-d-xo.html.
@@rorycathcart3281 oh yeah it's a very emotionally intense album. The vocal performance is fantastic! I'm glad you have this album with you during the dark times!
@@StellasEncounter they were all like 16 when they made it as well! Amazing
I love Pixies' sound, but when I first heard Surfer Rosa and C'mon Pilgrim, I imagined Black Francis looked more like say, Robert Smith, than he actually does. Their videos were all good, in an R.E.M. "MTV will have to play this, so let's f** around a bit", whereas Nirvana looked like an indie punk band, and MTV played the crap out of their videos because of this. Weird Al probably believes he made Michael Jackson and Madonna famous by parodying their songs, and he did the same to Nirvana... not Pixies. So maybe that's why.
Great video! I really like Dead Can Dance and Bauhaus... they're pretentious and artsy, and that is definitely something I associate with 4AD. My favourite 4AD band is probably Ultra Vivid Scene, who was basically one guy, Kurt Ralske, who really nailed early 90's electronic art-rock. The National should record a death metal album and destroy colonialism and the patriarchy. Also, Ian Masters from Pale Saints has some new material out, recording as Spoonfed Hybrid.
Also, next to This Mortal Coil, the most 4AD 4AD band is M/A/R/R/S, which featured members from AR Kane and Colourbox on their 1987 breakout club hit "Pump Up The Volume"
I wonder which st vincent albums you've heard? Her most recent album, Daddy's Home (2021) is a super 70s funk inspired album but I think its just easily her most enjoyable album at least for me personally
Actor and Masseduction. I prefer Masseducation over actor. I'll check out her new album you mentioned, thanks!
Oeh, I am not going to re-rank your effort, but I agree very much with your tiers. Except the following. Iron & Wine I would have placed higher to B. The National lower on the ladder. The Pixies above S✨they are astral.
A tier list of Domino Record or Drag City releases next? 🌟
Love your music taste and reviews. Keep m coming🌻
Yes, videos of tier lists of different labels and genres are in my mind! Thanks for watching and your comment! :)
Pixies never got the radio airplay that they deserved is why they didn't make it much bigger..
I. A little saddened that you didn't dig DCD more love. If only for the debuted album. I personally love their next 2 but after that that whole World' genre overtook their namesake. But their debute was almost a Cocteau Twin doppelganger with a little World influence mixed in and I'll be damned those chimey, treated guitars and up front post punk bass and the play off of their two vocals. The World' actually enhanced the sound instead of overwhelming it. Love it.
Did you ever listen to Matt Johnsons and The The's 4AD releases? Very different material on 4ad from what would follow later. . . just curious, not a criticism, love the channel.
What are your S Tier 4AD bands? 😄
I'm so sad with some bans but I had fun :D
glad you did, haha!
I love the Breeders. Definite S tier for me. I've tried to like the Pixies, but they just don't do anything for me.
Wish I could hear music through the ears of other people in order to hear what they hear and gain their appreciation.
Rich blessings
yesss I LOV U
А где же группы Lush и Birthday Party? Кстати есть книга Марка Астона под названием "Выбирая другую дорогу. История лейбла 4AD". В данной книге описаны все группы, которые были выпущены на лейбле 4AD. Советую почитать!
Where are the bands Lush and Birthday Party? By the way, there is a book by Mark Aston called "Facing the other way. The story of 4AD." This book describes all the bands that were released on the 4AD label. I advise you to read it.
Please make more tier lists!!!!
will do!!!
It is impossible to cover the bands that represent 4AD in 20mins. But you missed the Birthday Party and the Wolfgang Press. You might also like His Name is Alive, if you are into This Mortal Coil. Bauhaus isn’t technically 4AD band. They left the label after In the Flad Field.
I love his name is alive. Not into birthday party...!!
Rowland S Howard and Tracy Pew are rolling in their graves. How could you not include The Birthday Party?
yeah, didn't mention them here. I do rememeber they're a 4AD band.
yay - i agree, put bauhaus in D Tier :) bon iver "hipster cringeworthy" - LOL - stellar stella spot on with pixies - yay btw - grimes is super smart a polymath music design tech she can excel in a few areas...the only st vincent song i like is the music video she did w/david byrne. Also i like where you put Cocteau Twins. Yes, best music channel on youtube and there are some good ones. Yours is more fun, entertaining and more informative.
Great video. I'm not too familiar with many of the "classic' 4AD bands so I have some homework to do there. Out of the bands I do feel I know well enough to rank, Pixes and Deerhunter are top, National and TV on the Radio are mid and Bon Iver is bottom. And I tried really hard to like St. Vincent when she first started solo as she was involved in several bands I dug at the time but I just can't connect with her music at all so I suppose she is down there too.
Yeah, I'd say lack of connection is fair to describe St.Vincent. She's obviously skilled and cool, but something is lacking there. Lack of heart and soul I guess?
If 4AD released nothing other than "Head over Heels" and "Surfer Rosa" they would still be considered legendary.
TBH the one Bauhaus album on 4AD is probably my least favourite of the bunch. I'd agree with D tier for flat field.
They do get much more interesting with their beggars banquet releases. Lots more to offer than the pretentious vampire shtick.
As much as I love your videos, you are way off on DCD. Kill the lights and crank up the Serpent's Egg. I am sure you will see the error of your ways ;). Speaking of which, I really should apologise to my old economics teacher for saying that Glen Campbell was shit. I can admit when I make a mistake...
Love this channel and love that you did this video on this legendary label. BUT... I think you have got Bauhaus all wrong. Passing them off as pretentious goth rock is missing a huge (and admittedly rampantly misunderstood) element of the band. Much of what they did was experimental and groundbreaking, tongue in cheek and satirical. They were artsy, to be sure, but they took themselves far less seriously than you make it out to be. Not the first time they've been misunderstood to be sure, but their historical relevance and musical influence alone should have kept them out of the basement. Very entertaining list and couldn't agree more on Cocteau Twins, Pixies, Throwing Muses and Breeders. As a side note, I hope you listened to more than just Ricochet Days. Not their best. Keep up the great work!
4AD 4 Ever !
This Mortal Coil > Cocteau Twins. I think tmc have a more varied, less precious sound than Cocteau Twins. I enjoy their more minimal songs and their bigger songs and their albums flow really well between those two extremes. Not to say Cocteau Twins are bad, just not as good. I also really dislike some of Cocteau Twin's more whimsical/cute songs, while I have never disliked a tmc song.
I despise St. Vince (purposely misspelled). Their music makes me angry, I despise them that much.