01 Galaxie 500 (Galaxie 500 and related artists)
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This article is from the The Galaxie 500 and related bands FAQ, by Andy Aldridge andy@aald.demon.co.uk with numerous contributions by others.
01 Galaxie 500 (Galaxie 500 and related artists)
Galaxie 500 were a magical three piece comprising of...
Dean Wareham (guitar/vocals)
Naomi Yang (bass/vocals)
Damon Krukowski (drums)
Seminal is a word often bandied about in describing certain
influential groups and their works. And sadly, I must use the
hackneyed word in an attempt to convey the underrated greatness
that was Galaxie 500. Like the Velvet Underground before them,
Galaxie 500 didn't have a large contemporary audience, but they
had a profound effect on almost everyone who listened to them.
And just as the Velvet Underground are credited as the prodigious
founders of a new movement in rock and roll, the same can be said
of Galaxie 500.
Like contemporaries such as Hugo Largo and the Cowboy Junkies,
Galaxie 500 took a slower approach to constructing and performing
their music. And with Shimmy-Disc founder and producer Kramer at
the helm of the mixing board, Galaxie 500 managed to achieve a
unique sound that both captivated and repulsed critics and
reviewers.
Often brought up in reference to a "slow" movement in rock and
roll today, bands such as Low, Sugar Plant, and Mazzy Star owe an
obvious debt to Galaxie 500. Unfortunately, as with many
intensely creative groups, differences between Dean and Damon &
Naomi led to their premature disbanding. Dean went on to form
Luna, and Damon & Naomi continued on together, under the name
Damon & Naomi.
Maybe, just maybe, if we're lucky, 20 years from now there will
be a Galaxie 500 reunion concert (if the VU can do it, so can
they, damn it!). Until then we have a legacy of three flawless
albums to get us through.
Gary Ruisinger <gruisinger@CCTR.UMKC.EDU>
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