Diving back into the 90's tonight with seminal Dreampop/Shoegaze/Alternative practitioners Lush and a session they recorded at the BBC on February 12, 1990.

Lush were always in my Top 5 list of favorite 90's bands and, in my opinion, still sound as fresh as they did 20 years ago.

Here's what they play:

1. Leaves Me Cold
2. Hey Hey Helen
3. Breeze

I don't think they made as big an impression on the U.S. as they did in their native UK but that isn't to say they weren't an astounding and highly influential band during their period of time together. It was under sad circumstances they broke up and one wonders what they would be doing if they were still together now. But I guess you can make that speculation about most bands who came and went in a comparatively short period of time.

And if you've never heard them before they're new to you and, by all means, hit the "play" button.

I thought I would end the week and start the weekend off with one of the most influential, yet somehow glossed over bands of the Shoegaze movement, Ride.

Ride formed in 1988 and quickly spearheaded what became known as Shoegaze; an ethereal mix of noise, guitars and haunting vocals. This was one of those bands you got stoned and listened to over and over. They had more success in the UK than they did in the U.S. (again, for no good reason - something I say a lot when talking about under-appreciated bands of any decade).

They eventually dropped Shoegaze in favor of more alternative Rock, while still maintaining an output of great albums and a small but loyal following. They eventually called it quits by the time the 90's were almost over (1996) and went separate ways and to different fortunes.

Tonight it's a BBC session recorded on February 4, 1990 and features three songs from that session:

1. Like A Daydream
2. Dreams Burn Down
3. Perfect Time

I realize it's been twenty-two years since that session happened and it still sounds fresh to me.

You may agree or you may not. But it's here to check out in any case.

Welcome to the weekend.

Another in the seemingly endless procession of bands that broke up too soon, never made it out of the starting gate or just had bad luck.

The Impossibles are almost totally unknown, but were an important part of that early 90's phenomenon known as Madchester. The duo, consisting of Lucy Dallas and Mags Grundy, had three singles issued which had the hand of My Bloody Valentine among other Madchester luminaries in on production chores. And lots of potential.

But, like many bands with lots of promise and potential, they came and went in a flash. Lasting for a little over a year before disappearing from the scene, not to be heard from again.

Tonight's track is their second single. Delphis has been highly regarded by collectors as a favorite of the three singles issued by them. Didn't make much dent in sales, so their label Fontana abandoned the cause late in 1991 and all we're left with is a handful of singles.

Seems to be more the rule than the exception with groups, even now. Some things just don't change.

Depending on who you talk to, the word Shoegaze was a term used in either admiration or derision. The same sort of thing Indie had in the 1980's - you either loved what Indie represented or hated it as a bunch of pretentious swill.

Slowdive was probably most closely aligned with another Shoegaze band My Bloody Valentine. Added to their already complicated status was the additional assignment of Dream Pop - a genre of music that embraced electronics and loud expanses of guitars, and something you appreciated by smoking an awful lot of dope in the process.

Slowdive were together from 1989 to 1995 and had moderate glimmers of success during that years. Unfortunately, most of the Press weren't on their side and went to great lengths trashing their live gigs and album releases.

They did tour the U.S., in 1992 as support for Blur. And again, like their UK success, their U.S. success wasn't what was hoped for.

Tonight's track is off their second ep, Holding Our Breath. Catch The Breeze made the indie charts in the UK and was one of their early successes.

Sadly, the band broke up and went their separate ways in 1995. They have since morphed into other groups and have gone on to other things, including some solo projects.

On the whole, Slowdive have weathered the proverbial sands of time rather well. And whatever ill-will was generated by the press during the time has faded from memory, and at least it's possible now to be objective and appreciate what was attempted during a time when Music was going through a lot of changes. And those changes were fighting for recognition at the time and they don't seem that earth-shattering now.

Sounds rather tame and dreamy by comparison.

I first ran a track by The Telescopes on The Roundtable back in 2009. It was a track off their first ep issued in 1991. Tonight it's a return to The Telescopes, only this time it's from their third album (High'r n' High'r), issued in 1992 with two tracks, Flying and Yeah, running into each other as they did on the original album. Flying was first issued as an ep in July of 1991 and apparently entered the UK Charts shortly after.

As I said in my 2009 entry, The Telescopes have disbanded and re-grouped several times and have changed personnel over the years, but they are still together, having recently performed at the ATP (All Tomorrow's Parties) I'll Be Your Mirror Festival in London this past July.

But tonight it's a track that has always been a favorite and may hit a few familiar chords here and there with you. If not, it's a new experience worth checking out.

I ran a track from an earlier Kitchens Of Distinction ep last year around this time and there's not a whole bunch more I can add, aside from the fact that Indie and Shoegaze were getting toeholds with audiences in the early 90's and Kitchens Of Distinction were at the forefront - bridging that nod to the 80's with heavy emphasis on synthesizers while exploring new avenues in the area of Indie and Electronica. Still, they were more influential among other musicians of the period than they were with audiences, certainly not with mainstream audiences in the U.S. - but they ultimately had something to say, even if it is being recognized some twenty years later.

Tonight it's a track off their 1992 album The Death Of Cool, which was released in the States on A&M. It failed to make much dent in the U.S. market but it did well in the UK and gave the band some hope they weren't chasing after something impossible. 4 Men is the second track on the album.

Maybe we'll look at the 90's this week. Some interesting stuff that may have gone overlooked.

Sadly, another band making much further inroads overseas than in the States. Curve were a UK duo that managed to capture the perfect combination of Shoegaze and Electronica and turn it into an influential form that has been expanded on and refined over the years. But Curve were at the ground floor and in 1991 it was uncharted territory.

Unfortunately the band went through a few breakups and withdrawals in the 90's, before putting it on its first major hiatus in 1994. A brief regrouping in 1998 yielded an internet-only album and then a final breakup for good in 2005.

Tonight's track comes from an ep issued in 1991. Frozen is the title track off the ep and its typical of the strong direction they were pursuing around this time. To say they were underrated and under-appreciated at the time would be a mild statement. That they are being rediscovered and re-examined now is a good sign. Better late than never, as they say.

Poor timing is timeless. When Delaware shoegaze outfit Smashing Orange got together they had no idea another band named Smashing Pumpkins was getting about ready to do the same thing.

In that decade of the 90's when Independent and Shoegaze were coming into their own, Smashing Orange were probably one of the best domestic exponents of that sound without question. A sadly under-appreciated and neglected band, Smashing Orange lasted long enough to issue four albums before calling it a day mid-decade. Glass Bead Game was their second album and it barely dented the charts of playlists. Maybe because Smashing Pumpkins had quickly become a household name and Smashing Orange got lost in the shuffle, barely out of the starting gate.

Tonights track is off The Glass Bead Game and actually it's two tracks that blend in together. Indians Say and Look Behind You. Prime Examples of a band with lots of potential but just a victim of bad timing.

I was just reading that Secret Cities is playing Toronto this week at NXNE (June 17th and 18th), and word has it of some rumored upcoming dates in Europe. Pretty exciting stuff for a band from Fargo, North Dakota - but then, why not?

Secret Cities is, in a word, wonderful. They've been making inroads of late, with a very infectious blend of Experimental, Indie and Alternative and getting good word of mouth going. And, as has been the case with most bands going this route, playing everywhere they can in order to get the word out. And so far it's been working just fine, having gotten some very good reaction to the recent SXSW festival.

Tonight it's a track off their new album Love Crime. Chasing Shadows is a nice slice of sonic tapestry that is a spot-on introduction to the band if you aren't already familiar with them.

Hopefully in the coming days/weeks there will be some live stuff available from them at NXNE and I will be more than happy to share them with you. Fingers crossed.

But in the meantime, check them out and crank this one up. Dreamy is the word you're looking for.

There's always at least one band that sneaks by and you fail to notice. I confess I wasn't really aware of East Village until just recently, when I heard their 1993 posthumously released album Drop Out. Aside from having something of a cult following now, they had a cult following then, having gotten started in the early 1980's before calling it quits in 1991. But like so many of bands from that period (and other periods throughout Pop Music history), they got lost in the shuffle and were totally overlooked in the U.S.

Until a few days ago when their label Heavenly Recordings put up some of their tracks on Soundcloud and winning a new batch of fans in the process.

Tonight it's a track off Drop Out. When I Wake Tomorrow is just a great track that is so reminiscent of many of the influential 60's bands (i.e. Buffalo Springfield for openers) that it's baffling East Village didn't get the recognition they deserved.

In the interim, their albums have been going for the price of a small office building in some collectors circles. Some of their material has recently been reissued in Japan and it's gaining a whole new generation of fans who missed them the first time around. Myself included.

So if you've ever heard about East Village, but never actually heard anything from the band, now's your chance. You might also want to check out Heavenly Recordings Soundcloud page for more tracks by them. Like me, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.