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 dream pop 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’sSong 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 minimalist 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.
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 minimalist 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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Top Albums
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Treasure
Cocteau Twins
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Heaven or Las Vegas
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Four-Calendar Cafe
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Lullabies To Violaine - Volume 2
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Shoutbox
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MyAlifib wrote:
Treasure of my soul
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JustChewIt wrote:
для меня они самое потрясающее открытие за последнее время, просто бриллиант в мире музыки)
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harpooner wrote:
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
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annataro wrote:
<3
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Yoshida-Kun wrote:
I listen to Heaven or Las Vegas everyday on my way to work. <3
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MiloDC wrote:
I'd say Blue Bell Knoll sums them up the best [2]
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terrenceL wrote:
needs more gulag
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Paranoidbird wrote:
This band is a portal to another dimension.
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LightsOfBohemia wrote:
@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.
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LightsOfBohemia wrote:
@fameuxcoups: I'd say Blue Bell Knoll sums them up the best, but to each their own.
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ticklemynausea wrote:
Garlands and Head over heels.
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fameuxcoups wrote:
what album should i start off with?
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Paloma_1987 wrote:
Me encanta
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RaabMC wrote:
soooooo good
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rumsthenewwater wrote:
Cocteau Twins 3am sesh. Makes waking up in the morning eternally pleasing.
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alexmcr wrote:
head over heels is so good. they use some music by them in the movie mysterious skin
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Crazium wrote:
I just don't know where to start
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the_raytownian wrote:
I believe there was a CT song in The Doom Generation as well.
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Static_Spencer wrote:
@fenkee The Lovely Bones. "Alice" was used there.
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Sonicjr01 wrote:
@fenkee: As far as I know only one movie called Judge Dredd used the song Need Fire.
Videos
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Play
Fifty-Fifty Clown
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Play
[Cocteau Twins] Cherry Coloured…
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Play
~ Violaine
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Play
Heaven or Las Vegas - Cocteau…
1 shout
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Recent Activity
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Dekidex and ninivilla added Cocteau Twins to their libraries. 7 minutes ago
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roxamaria wrote about Cocteau Twins in Cast the Dice - Mixtape #22. 2 hours ago
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drinkmyeyeball added Cocteau Twins to drinkmyeyeball’s library. 6 hours ago
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DEATH_OF_FIRE tagged Cocteau Twins with ethereal, dreampop, darkwave and 7 other tags. 6 hours ago
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gabeblinko, lovelikeblood11, kishasanchez and 16 other people added Cocteau Twins to their libraries. 15 hours ago
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eucaine wrote about Cocteau Twins in a deleted journal. Tuesday afternoon
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HolyKatana added Cocteau Twins to HolyKatana’s library. Tuesday afternoon
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Nick8t, LyssAhhh, lauramag91 and 3 other people added Cocteau Twins to their libraries. Tuesday afternoon
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Nick8t tagged Cocteau Twins with ‘dream pop’. Tuesday afternoon
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vermeyer tagged Cocteau Twins with ‘love’. Tuesday afternoon
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