The 500 - #153 - The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #153
Album Title: The Low End Theory

Artist: A Tribe Called Quest

Genre: East Coast Hip Hop, Jazz Rap, Boom Bap, Alternative Rap

Recorded: Battery, Green Street and Soundtrack Studios, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Released: September, 1991

My age at release: 26
How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #43, rising 110 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Scenario

In 2016, I was grinding through an elliptical workout at the gym, distracting myself with a podcast. That week it was an episode of the longform, interview/conversation program WTF with Marc Maron. Maron’s guest was  Canadian music legend Neil Young, who appears on The 500 list seven times -- as a solo artist and with two groups (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Buffalo Springfield).

Responding to Maron, Young talked about his time as a teen in Winnipeg, which he described as being “in the middle of everything that’s missing.” That cheeky poetic line stuck with me for weeks because of its beautiful ambiguity, artfully critical, yet deeply affectionate.

Winnipeg sits in the middle of the country, practically isolated from other cultural and economic hubs. Its location matches Young’s description, evoking a sense of emptiness in the stark landscape of the Canadian Prairies. Appropriately enough, his thoughtful, sometimes melancholy, lyrics appear to have been the source of his inspiration. For the creative individual, solace can serve as a laboratory in seeking those things that are "missing" and bringing them to life.

Maron and Young pose for a picture after their June. 2016 interview.

A few months after that WTF interview, I probed deeper into the music of A Tribe Called Quest. Someone had recommended their latest release, We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, and it temporarily replaced podcasts as my audio distraction during workouts. In fact, it became a bit of an obsession for about three weeks -- dominating my playlist the same way a record on this list can.

We Got It From Here…, released within a week of the election of Donald Trump to his first presidential term, is a politically charged album that tackles a wide spectrum of social and institutional issues, with sharp lyricism and cultural insight. However, despite its heavy themes, the album also offers hope, emphasizing the power of community, and the importance of intergenerational activism in the fight for justice through art.

I had heard tracks from the group before, including Scenario, Oh My God and, my favourite, Can I Kick It? But, this was the first time I checked out  their discography. For years, I appreciated hip hop from a distance. I recognized its cultural impact, admired its lyrical dexterity, but never felt fully connected. Something was missing.

A Tribe Called Quest (l-r) Jarobi White, Q-Tip,

Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Phife Dawg (2011).

As I read up on the pioneering group, that Neil Young quote flooded back. Their music lifted me to a new level of appreciation of hip hop through its layers of richness that I had needed to make me a full-fledged convert.

Listening to Tribe felt like finding the centre of a map I didn’t realize I’d been drawing. Their music didn’t just fill a gap, it defined the space and time, making me realize my understanding of hip hop had been incomplete.

In short, Tribe’s music, its rhythm, intelligence, activist spirit, clever sampling and jazz-influenced sound, was the bridge to appreciating hip hop. Indeed, I would perhaps have been an ardent fan in the ‘90s had I heard  the group’s first two records, (People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and The Low End Theory). However, I wonder if I was ready for this understanding at that time. Perhaps, Tribe arrived in my life exactly when I was available to receive their message.

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm,
the debut record from A Tribe Called Quest (1990).

The Low End Theory was Tribe’s second album after the group formed in 1985 in Queens, New York. The players comprised Q-Tip (Kamaal Fareed), Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor), Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi White. They met through school and community ties in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

Originally, Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad performed as a duo called Crush Connection, later changing their name to Quest. In 1988, during a friendly game of cards, fellow musician, Afrika Baby Bam (Nathaniel Hall), of the Jungle Brothers suggested expanding the name to A Tribe Called Quest.

This name stuck, cleverly capturing their identity. Alongside Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, Queen Latifah, and others, they helped form the influential Native Tongues Collective (NTC), a loose crew of artists known for thoughtful lyrics, Afrocentric themes, and innovative, jazz-infused productions. Additionally, NTC considered itself an artistic movement that rejected the trend toward violent or materialistic rap. Instead, they promoted positivity, individualism and social awareness while embracing collaboration over competition.

Africa Baby Bam (centre) flanked by the other members of
Jungle Brothers -- Mike Gee(left) and DJ Sammy B.

After a modest debut with People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, A Tribe Called Quest returned a year later with a bold leap forward: The Low End Theory. Released in 1991, the album broke fresh ground by blending stripped-down hip-hop beats with samples from jazz’s bebop and hard bop eras, an unusual and inventive fusion at the time.

Produced by group members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, the record focused on the essentials of drums, bass, and vocals. This minimalist approach set it apart from the densely layered productions typical of early ’90s rap. One of the album’s defining features was a guest performance by Ron Carter, a Grammy-winning jazz bassist renowned for his work with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Roberta Flack and Aretha Franklin. His appearance symbolically and sonically bridged the worlds of classic jazz and contemporary hip-hop.

Ron Carter, still holding down the groove at 88.

Hailed by some as “The Sgt. Pepper of Hip-Hop”, a nod to the revolutionary Beatles album ranked #1 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums list, The Low End Theory is more than just a record. It’s regarded as a cultural blueprint that reshaped hip-hop. So much so that in 2010, the album was added to the U.S. Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, solidifying its status as a work of enduring artistic and historical significance. With its stripped-back production, jazz-infused beats, and seamless lyrical interplay, The Low End Theory challenged conventions. It showed how rap could tackle social issues with intelligence, wit, and humor...all while eschewing most profanity.

We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service was the final record for Tribe. The group disbanded following the death of founding member Phife Dawg in March 2016, due to complications from diabetes. Much of the album was recorded before his passing, and his presence is felt throughout the project. The group saw the album as a way to honor his legacy and contributions. It was also a way to bring a 30-year collaborative project to a meaningful end.

Tribe was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. In their induction speech, comedian Dave Chappelle shared the following:

“Years ago, in a tough time in my life, I read a Chinese proverb that changed my life. It said, ‘The best meal you can cook is made with ingredients that you already have.’ That proverb reminds me of hip-hop. And it reminds me, in particular, of Tribe.”

Tribe were a revolutionary, groundbreaking group whose sound found me, "In the middle of everything that was missing", and, like a good meal, helped nourish my growing appreciation of the art of hip hop.

The 500 - #209 - Ten - Pearl Jam

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #209
Album Title: Ten
Artist: Pearl Jam
Genre: Hard Rock, Alternative Rock, Grunge
Recorded: London Bridge Studio (Seattle, U.S.A.) & Ridge Farm Studios (Surrey, England)

Released: August, 1991
My age at release: 26
How familiar was I with it before this week: Very

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #160, up 49 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Black

When I wrote about Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic by Red Hot Chili Peppers (#310 on The 500), I related the story of a kitchen co-worker nick-named 'Boog' who introduced me to much of the alternative rock music that would become part of the mainstream zeitgeist in 1992. My favourite two discoveries in the spring of that year were, without a doubt, BadMotorFinger from Soundgarden and this week’s feature, Pearl Jam's Ten. Both were among the "Big Four" bands from Seattle who rocketed from small club obscurity to mega-stardom in 1992 -- Nirvana and Alice in Chains occupying the other two slots. Collectively, they have six records on The 500 list. It turned out that Boog, despite his unfortunate sobriquet, was a pretty good judge of music.

Around that time, my future wife and I moved from London, Ontario, to Brampton -- then a smallish city in the Greater Toronto area. As it turned out, I picked up a job with the same restaurant chain I had been the bartender and night manager of in London. However, it was 40 kilometres from Brampton in Oakville. A cassette recording of my Ten CD accompanied me on many of my daily commutes to work. It was also a "go-to" record when we entertained. At the time, my social circle was obsessed with the board game Scrabble and numerous word-battles dominated our evenings -- as we guzzled coffee and poisoned ourselves smoking cigarettes. Being a non-smoker now for more than 30 years, I can't imagine how awful our small Brampton apartment must have smelled – but, it was the ‘90s, we all just accepted that cigarette smoke was everywhere.

Our first "smoky" apartment. "Scrabble Table" at right, coffee maker
visible in kitchen - surprisingly not in use.

Pearl Jam, considered by some to be the most popular American band of the ‘90s, formed as a result of tragedy. Founding members Stone Gossard (guitars) and Jeff Ament (bass) were previously members of Mother Love Bone. However, shortly after the release of Love Bone’s debut record, the group's charismatic lead singer, Andrew Wood, overdosed on heroin.

Devastated by the loss, Gossard and Ament began writing darker, edgier music. Eventually, they connected with fellow Seattle guitarist Mike McCready, whose band Shadow had just broken up. The trio created a five-song demo cassette, hoping it would help them find a drummer and a lead singer. The cassette made its way to San Diego-based vocalist Eddie Vedder who was singing with the band Bad Radio and working part-time at a gas station. Vedder loved what he heard and began recording vocal tracks for three of the songs - Alive, Once and Footsteps. Vedder intended them to be included in a dark, mini-opera he called Mamasan. The themes from that mini-opera canl be heard in the lyrics to Alive and Once (which appear on Ten).  However,, the group opted against making their first record a concept album. The song Footsteps was shelved and eventually released as the B side for the single, Jeremy.

Pearl Jam (1991) (l-r) McCready, Ament, Vedder, Gossard and 
Dave Krusen (drums).

Gossard, Ament and McCready were so impressed with Vedder's vocal and lyrical efforts that they paid to fly him to Seattle to rehearse with the band, which in the meantime had recruited drummer Dave Krusen. A week later, 11 songs were crafted and the band was signed to Epic Records. Ten months later, Ten was released. Originally, the band wanted to be called Mookie Blaylock – the name of a point guard who was playing for the New Jersey Nets in the National Basketball League in 1991. However, the record company insisted they change their name. Blaylock’s jersey number is 10, so the name of their debut album is a nod to him and their original moniker. Over the years, band members have offered several stories about the origin of the name Pearl Jam. It seems the group enjoys fan speculation far more than solving the mystery.

Pearl Jam (1991).

My Ten album is one that I loaded in my CD player hundreds of times in the early ‘90s, and I bought their second record, Vs., the day it came out in 1993. At that time, I suspected Ten might be shuffled to the back of my CD cabinet, retrieved occasionally for a nostalgic spin. Such is the fate of many albums in my collection -- and I don’t think I am alone in doing that.

Another shot of my Brampton apartment - one of my three CD 
racks can be seen - I am sure the Pearl Jam record is in the left column.

However, in the autumn of 1995, I began my Teachers' College studies at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and, unexpectedly, my listening habits gave Ten an auditory renaissance. The 14-hour drive necessitated a litre of coffee and plenty of cassette tapes. I made a number of "mixed cassettes" to keep me occupied, but I also dug through my old collections and Ten found its way into the cassette player in my gray 1990 Chevy Cavalier.

A 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier.

This coincided with what, at the time, seemed like an end to my 10-year romantic relationship when we decided to take a break. The fifth track on Ten was the emotionally heavy ballad, Black. The lyrics, penned by Vedder, reflect on a break-up he had experienced. In the bridge, he sings the emotional lyric:

"I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky, but why? Why?
Why can't it be, oh, can't it be mine?"

In retrospect, I can understand how this might sound a bit maudlin. But, as I drove through the night, on a lonely stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway toward an expensive academic risk that I desperately hoped was the right decision, the song was an emotional gut punch. I won’t say I sang along with the "doo-doo-doo-do-doo-doo-doo" chorus as I cut my way through the Canadian Shield landscape north of Lake Superior -- but I won’t say I didn't. 

The drive from London, Ontario to Thunder Bay.

Because of those long drives, Ten has a special place in my heart. I can lose myself in the incredible guitar solos on songs that include Alive, Even Flow or the tremendously underrated Porch. The lyrics to Jeremy, which were inspired by the tragic death of a high school student who shot himself in front of his English class in 1991, are powerfully prescient and I'll always get a little wistful when I hear Black -- despite the fact that everything worked out. Teachers' College was a smart idea and I reconnected with the girl of my dreams and she is still "a star in my sky".

#The500Blog - #214 - Proud Mary : The Best of Ike & Tina Turner - Ike and Tina Turner

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #214
Album Title: Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner
Artist: Ike and Tina Turner
Genre: Southern Soul, Rock
Recorded: A compilation of material recorded 1960 - 1970

Released: March, 1991
My age at release: 25
How familiar was I with it before this week: Several songs

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #392, dropping 178 places
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: River Deep, Mountain High

The adjective "undeniable" gets bandied about a bit too much when sports and entertainment pundits have exhausted their arsenal of superlatives. However, in the case of singer, songwriter, actress, and writer Tina Turner, it is apropos. Turner overcame obstacle after obstacle to become The Queen of Rock and Roll.

The 2023 posthumously released anthology Queen of Rock 'n Roll
from Tina Turner.

Attempting to capture the powerfully inspiring story of Turner's life in this short post would be a disservice. I recommend the 1993 biopic, What's Love Got To Do With It, or the excellent 2023 documentary, Tina, to learn more about this talented woman's challenging but uplifting life.

However, to summarize, she was born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939 to an impoverished sharecropping family in Nutbush, Tennessee. Her abusive father drove her mother from the home when she was 11 and then abandoned the family two years later.

At 17, she met Ike Turner and joined his band, the Kings of Rhythm. Within a short time, her powerful, gospel-trained voice and sexy, energetic performances made her a crowd favourite. Ike convinced her to change her name to Tina Turner so he could trademark it and manipulate her finances based on that ownership. If she ever left the band, he could simply replace her with another "Tina". This was the first of many acts of control and subjugation Ike perpetrated to maximize the profitability of the young singer. Tina lacked financial education and was paid a paltry weekly allowance of $25 by the domineering Ike, who had now become her romantic partner.

The Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Ike & Tina (rear) 

The couple married and Tina gave birth to two children. Along with two additional children from previous relationships (one from Tina’s and one from Ike’s), they purchased a home in the View Park area of Los Angeles. Despite the challenges of raising a family, Ike kept Tina to a busy schedule of recording sessions, public appearances and constant touring. Ike was a task-master and perfectionist with his band, but things were much worse for Tina.

Ike and Tina's Los Angeles home.

Her first attempt to end their relationship resulted in a savage attack with a shoe-stretcher in which she was badly concussed. The details of the next sixteen years paint a horrific litany of cocaine-fueled psychological domination and physical abuse – throughout which Tina continued to wow crowds with her powerhouse vocal performances and high-energy, sexually-dynamic stage presence -- decked out in outfits that highlighted her envious figure that left little to the imagination.

On July 1, 1976, with only 39 cents and a Mobil gas credit card in her pocket, Tina crept out of a Dallas hotel room after another brutal assault. As her husband slept off his drug-fueled rampage, Tina, then 37, fled across a freeway to another hotel where she pleaded with the manager to give her refuge -- promising payment at a later date.

Tina and Ike Turner shortly before her escape.

Their divorce was finalized in March, 1978. Tina accepted tremendous losses in the settlement; but, she would not relent when it came to keeping her stage name. She knew she would have to preserve "Tina" in order to remain relevant in the cutthroat music industry. However, as a female nearing the age of 40, she was relegated to the status of a novelty or nostalgia act. Regardless, she persisted, appearing on television game shows (The Hollywood Squares) and variety programs (The Donny & Marie Show, The Sonny & Cher Show) in order to remain in the public eye.

Tina appears on The Hollywood Squares.

It was at this time that Tina Turner began showing up on my pop-culture radar. I was 12 and obsessed with television. It was, to me, what TikTok is to my students today. I'll admit, I had also relegated Ms. Turner to the "has been" file -- despite the fact that I did not truly know what a "has been" was. Sadly, she was a victim of a societal standard that puts an expiry date on women in entertainment when they reach a "certain age". In a 2020 analysis of 6,000 actors, Time magazine found that “male actors see their careers peak at the age of 46, [while] female actors reach their professional pinnacles at age 30.”

Then, in October, 1981, Rod Stewart invited Tina to appear with him on Saturday Night Live. Decked out in hotpants and showing off her stunning gams and smoking vocal skill she immediately had my attention. The decision was an intentional and benevolent gesture from Stewart because it helped introduce Tina's talent (and sex appeal) to a new generation -- including me and my friends. Shortly after, she joined The Rolling Stones as an opening act for their American Tour. The SNL video can be seen here.

A screen capture of Stewart and Tuner on SNL. 

In 1984, at 45 years of age, Tina Turner's relentless perseverance paid off. She released her fifth solo studio album, Private Dancer. It featured seven singles, including three that were in the Top Ten, and went on to sell more than 12 million copies. I turned 19 that year and Turner's music and videos were omnipresent. My friends and I were not big fans; but we respected her talent and achievement -- despite not knowing the challenges she had faced. We also had a crush on her -- even though she was older than our parents.

Album cover for Tina Turner's Private Dancer.

The next year, she co-starred with Mel Gibson in the third film in the Mad Max franchise, Beyond Thunderdome. She was perfectly cast as Aunty Entity, the founder and ruler of 'Bartertown' in the post-apocalyptic wasteland depicted in the dystopian, science-fiction film. The movie wasn't great and there were plenty of cheesy lines to ridicule. But Turner was terrific and the sets were impressive. It's one of those films that isn't good, but is good fun.

Decked out in chainmail, Turner as Aunty Entity in 
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.

Turner also had another hit record on the film's soundtrack, We Don't Need Another Hero, which went to #1 in Canada. In 1988 her triumphant comeback reached its apex when she set a Guinness Record for the largest paying concert attendance for a solo artist: 188,000 fans sold out Maracana Stadium in Brazil to see her perform her hits.

Turner performing at Maracana Stadium. Brazil in 1988.

In 1986, at the height of her popularity, she met German music executive Erwin Bach and fell in love. After a 27-year romantic relationship, they married in July, 2013. She and Erwin retired to Küsnacht, Switzerland, with an estimated wealth of $250 million  (U.S.) 10 million times the $25 weekly allowance she was given by Ike for most of her early career. Turner died on May 24, 2023, but her music and legacy of perseverance live on. She was undeniable and, much like the title of one of her biggest hits...Simply The Best.

The 500 - #221 - Loveless - My Bloody Valentine

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #221
Album Title: Loveless 
Artist: My Bloody Valentine
Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Noise Rock
Recorded: February, 1989 - September, 1991

Released:  November, 1991 
My age at release: 26
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, moving up 148 places to position 73
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Only Shallow

"Wow! That haircut makes you look so much younger."

"Geez, you're stronger than you look."

"You write a blog? I wish I had so much free time to do something fun like that."

"You went to The University of Windsor? I was going to go there, before I got accepted at Western."

The backhanded compliment -- casual remarks that seem to say something pleasant about a person, but have a twist easily inferred as an insult. We've all heard them and, likely, we've delivered a few of our own -- either accidentally or intentionally.

From 15 Compliments That Hurt More Than Insults - And
How To Deal With Them. 

There are also positive-sounding words that can be considered pejorative. Referring to someone as "assertive", "sensitive" and "idealistic" might convey they are “bossy”, “thin-skinned”, and “out of touch with reality”. Or imply more admirable qualities, such as "confidence", "thoughtfulness" and "an aspirational spirit".

The blessings and curses of being
highly sensitive.

When looking up the etymology of  "shoegaze" -- a subgenre of alternative rock characterized by a mixture of  loud, distorted guitars and obscure, ethereal vocals -- I discovered it, too, has alternative meanings. Shoegazing can be used as an insult, suggesting a band is uninspired, lacking enthusiasm and energy -- literally the performers staring at their shoes as they play. However, the word also defines an important musical movement that has its roots in ‘70s psychedelic rock, pioneered by Irish-English band My Bloody Valentine (often stylized in all lowercase letters or known by the initials MBV).

MBV are (clockwise from top left) Kevin Shields, Bilinda
Butcher, Colm Ó Cíosóig and Debbie Googe

MBV's second album, Loveless, took more than a year to record, utilizing 19 studios with multiple engineers at the soundboard helm. Much of the record was developed by vocalist and guitarist Kevin Shields who led the sessions as he experimented with sound. Shields used non-standard guitar tunings, digital samples and multiple production effects to create the unique sound that, for many, defines the shoegaze genre. The distinctive sound of Shields’ guitar was achieved by a modification on the instrument to allow him to manipulate his tremolo bar while also strumming. A tremolo bar (sometimes called a whammy bar, vibrato, vibrolo or wigglestick) is a metal rod that extends from the bridge of an electric guitar (where the strings connect on the guitar body). It can be manipulated to bend and distort sound and create effects such as  the scream of a dive bomber, a motorcycle roar, a squeal of delight, or animal sounds.

The first guitar I bought had a tremolo bar. As a 16-year-old hopeful musician, this was important because I wanted to recreate the sounds I'd heard from my guitar idols. Unfortunately, I wasn't smart enough to invest in lessons and the beginner guitar book I borrowed from the library was an inadequate substitute. The guitar I purchased was a Kay, an inexpensive student-grade, entry-level instrument. I got it from Woolco, a discount department located in a nearby mall and paid about $65 for it (about $260 in 2024 currency). It was money painstakingly saved from babysitting gigs and a part-time job where I worked 10 hours a week for $5.52 an hour (significantly more than minimum wage).

The headstock on a Kay guitar.

On the day I purchased it, I rode my 10-speed bicycle to the mall. I am sure I turned a few heads as I pedaled the five kilometres home, holding the guitar by its neck while steering one-handed. Ahh, the passionate impulsiveness of youth. That romantic, idealistic teenager seems like a stranger in a distant memory to me now. However, recalling moments like that guitar-laden bike ride home suddenly pulls him into sharp focus…and I miss him.

My bike ride home from Oakridge  Centre in London,Ont.

 Byron, Ontario

My guitar aspirations were put on pause about a year later when I sold my six-stringed “axe” to a high-school acquaintance. I was nearly thirty, when I returned to learning the instrument, encouraged by the arrival of the internet and a guitar-playing roommate.

My favourite, current guitar - a Jay Turser
acoustic - with no whammy bar.

Loveless went on to become a critical darling and is considered one of the greatest albums of all time on multiple lists (moving up to #73 on the updated 2020 list of The 500). It is also cited as a landmark work in the shoegaze genre. Clash magazine called the record "the magnus opus of shoegaze". Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins told Spin magazine that the record was exciting because "it is rare in guitar-driven music for someone to do something new."

So, what does "shoegaze" connote? It turns out that it carries many meanings. It can be used pejoratively to define a genre negatively. Or it can be understood as an evolutionary step in music technology and sound. However, my researched revealed a more practical etymology. When performing live, a shoegaze guitarist needs many “effect” pedals that can be manipulated with the feet. Consequently, to replicate the "studio sound", shoegazing is a necessity that became the nomenclature for the genre it created.

An array of foot effect pedals by which a guitarist manipulates

the instrument's sound.

MBV only released three studio records but, following a 10-year hiatus, they regrouped in 2013 with the classic line-up from Loveless. They are currently working on new material and Shields has hinted of another "experimental album" and "something more melodic and song oriented." As a new fan, I'll be sure to check both out.