VENUS BEADS - Black Aspirin

Artist:  Venus Beads
Album: Black Aspirin
Year:  1991
Genre:  Shoegaze / Modern Rock

When people were busy drowning themselves in My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Catherine Wheel and Swervedriver, most fans of the original shoegaze / alternative rock movement missed out on Venus Beads.  In addition, the blowing up of the alternative, muscular-sounding Seattle scene created a very crowded room for small bands to be noticed. It’s too bad because Venus Beads is my favorite out of the shoegazer lot.  The essentials are all present: swirly, unnaturally overdriven guitars, pop sensibilities and a semi-drab presentation that kept them from being a pure pop band.  Contradictory to their peers, Venus Beads injected heavy amounts of drive and bite into their songs, which, for me, made them much more exciting than the lion’s share of the stare at your shoelaces sect.  I truly enjoy music that has teeth and Venus Beads didn’t mind baring their fangs from time to time.  The hyperactive rhythms are piled on with gobs of guitars that come close to submerging the rest of the band.  Yet, if you peel away the overdrive, you’ll discover there’s a wonderful shadowy Britpop act buried underneath the sonic turbulence.  Whereas their debut, Incision, went for the over-the-top style of guitar overkill found on Jesus And The Mary Chain’s first album, Black Aspirin turns it down a half a notch to let the rest of the band break through.  I can’t get enough of the entire Venus Beads catalog, which only includes 1 full length, this EP and a handful of singles.  It is 100% worth the search for any of their releases. 

Listen to "Blood Orange" here.