Cocteau Twins

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Grangemouth, United Kingdom (1979 – 1997)

Cocteau Twins (The name taken from an obscure song by fellow Scots Simple Minds) were an innovative and influential Scottish band. They built a sound based on woozy atmospherics and singer Elizabeth Fraser’s unmatchable vocals, most of which featured lyrics of made-up words and words plucked at random from the dictionary.

Forming in 1979 in Grangemouth, Scotland, their first release was Garlands in 1982 on 4AD Records, which was received well. Founding member Will Heggie left the group in 1983 and soon joined fellow Grangemouth band Lowlife. The bands second full-length, Head Over Heels, did enjoy more commercial and critical success than their first.

In 1983, the two remaining members, Fraser and Robin Guthrie, were part of the first album recorded by This Mortal Coil, a supergroup put together by Ivo Watts-Russell, head of 4AD Records. The pair had a hit with a cover of Tim Buckley’s Song to the Siren, and met Simon Raymonde, who joined the band on bass.

In April ‘84 they released Pearly Dewdrops’ Drop, the 12-inch that included The Spangle Maker. It was their first to reach the national top 40. When it peaked at 29 they were asked to play Top Of The Pops, but turned it down.

The 1984 album Treasure followed, peaking at 29 on the UK album chart.

A musical sidestep was to follow, as the Twins recorded a collaborative effort with composer Harold Budd, The Moon And The Melodies in 1985, and then a year later their next album, Victorialand, was recorded without Raymonde (who was working on the second This Mortal Coil album) or drums.
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Popular tags: dream pop, shoegaze, post-punk, ethereal, alternative  See more

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  • adf_1277

    This band is a portal to another dimension. [3]

    8 hours ago

  • CaseyDeAnn

    This band is a portal to another dimension. [2]

    13 hours ago

  • funcionalismo

    Beautiful Beautiful band..

    Wednesday evening

  • CaseyDeAnn

    Aaaaah, I'm really glad I finally downloaded this. Definitely addicting

    Tuesday evening

  • Matthew69

    Donimo is the best !!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Sunday morning

  • blackmailman

    great group

    last week

  • Caspien-See

    Моя самая любимая группа. Настоящее сокровище!

    last week

  • RussellChap

    Liz sings like a 'Sugar Hiccup'

    11 days ago

  • Sentenzia22

    ███┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘ ┘┘┘┘┘┘ █┘┘█┘┘┘┘┘┘██████┘┘████████┘┘██████┘ █┘┘█┘┘┘┘┘██┘┘┘┘██┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘██┘ ┘┘┘██ █┘┘█┘┘┘┘┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘█┘┘ ██┘┘█ █┘┘█┘┘┘┘┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘█┘┘ ┘┘┘┘█ █┘┘█████┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘██┘┘┘┘██┘█┘┘ █████ █┘┘┘┘┘┘█┘██┘┘┘┘██┘┘██┘┘██┘┘██┘ ┘┘┘█┘ ████████┘┘██████┘┘┘┘████┘┘┘┘██████ ┘ ███┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘ ┘┘┘┘┘┘ █┘┘█┘┘┘┘┘┘██████┘┘████████┘┘██████┘ █┘┘█┘┘┘┘┘██┘┘┘┘██┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘██┘ ┘┘┘██ █┘┘█┘┘┘┘┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘█┘┘ ██┘┘█ █┘┘█┘┘┘┘┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘█┘┘ ┘┘┘┘█ █┘┘█████┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘██┘┘┘┘██┘█┘┘ █████ █┘┘┘┘┘┘█┘██┘┘┘┘██┘┘██┘┘██┘┘██┘ ┘┘┘█┘ ████████┘┘██████┘┘┘┘████┘┘┘┘██████ ┘ ███┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘ ┘┘┘┘┘┘ █┘┘█┘┘┘┘┘┘██████┘┘████████┘┘██████┘ █┘┘█┘┘┘┘┘██┘┘┘┘██┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘██┘ ┘┘┘██ █┘┘█┘┘┘┘┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘█┘┘ ██┘┘█ █┘┘█┘┘┘┘┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘█┘┘ ┘┘┘┘█ █┘┘█████┘█┘┘██┘┘█┘██┘┘┘┘██┘█┘┘ █████ █┘┘┘┘┘┘█┘██┘┘┘┘██┘┘██┘┘██┘┘██┘ ┘┘┘█┘ ████████┘┘██████┘┘┘┘████┘┘┘┘██████

    12 days ago

  • MyAlifib

    Treasure of my soul

    15 days ago

  • JustChewIt

    для меня они самое потрясающее открытие за последнее время, просто бриллиант в мире музыки)

    17 days ago

  • harpooner

    If you want to get into cocteau twins it depends upon what you want! Their earlier material is darker, heavier with a much more goth vibe and heavier and echoey percussion (drum machines) their later stuff becomes poppier but not necessarily lacking, nono... Blue Bell Knoll is quite good! Treasure is probably my favourite (very dark and very layered, it stands out to me the most).. Victorialand is really cool and underrated and I think they forgo base and percussion on that album for more soundscape/ambient oriented territory.. Heaven Or las Vegas is very good and Cocteau Twins at their most lush, mature and poppy, dream-like in a more accessible way... Aikea-Guinea and the Dials ep are both really great too! They`ve got some awesome gems on their ep`s and compilations that you won`t find on their albums

    18 days ago

  • annataro

    <3

    19 days ago

  • Yoshida-Kun

    I listen to Heaven or Las Vegas everyday on my way to work. <3

    21 days ago

  • MiloDC

    I'd say Blue Bell Knoll sums them up the best [2]

    21 days ago

  • terrenceL

    needs more gulag

    22 days ago

  • Paranoidbird

    This band is a portal to another dimension.

    22 days ago

  • LightsOfBohemia

    @fenkee: Yeah they used "Crushed" and maybe some other song in the film Mysterious Skin, but I don't recommend that movie if you're too sensitive or have a weak stomach.

    22 days ago

  • LightsOfBohemia

    @fameuxcoups: I'd say Blue Bell Knoll sums them up the best, but to each their own.

    22 days ago

  • ticklemynausea

    Garlands and Head over heels.

    23 days ago
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