Written by: Brandon DiSabatino
It is often an arduous, lamentably daunting task to articulate the degree of relevance some artists or individuals have–the volume and bass with which their work or presence may resonate in relation to yourself. I have scarce an amount of people whom I admire in any significant, noticeable way–a paucity of individuals whose contributions and accomplishments could somehow placate an innate, ineffable itch which plagued my persons. When speaking–even cursorily–about these artists and the immutable influence and perverse thrill they elicit, it is all too easy to fall into an unrecognizable string of monosyllables, invectives, hosannas, end-zone-like-shimmies-and-shakes, limb flailing and glossolalia.
I shall make nothing short of a concerted, concise effort to avert these pitfalls and platitudes.
Dean Wareham is an incredibly significant pillar of independent music. Born in New Zealand, he traversed the likes of New York City, Germany and Boston. It is in the final geographic location where he assembled one of the most pertinent, hypnotic and influential bands of the decade (the 80s) with Naomi Yang and Damon Krukowski: Galaxie 500. Typified by slow, laggard, almost narcotic rhythms, whirling melodies and simmering guitar work, Galaxie 500 pioneered and stood firmly at the vanguard of dream pop and shoegaze, though never quite received the notoriety of their contemporaries (the mere fact that a wider audience eluded them is proof of mankind’s ignorance).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IXjuyq_2Tk
After Galaxie 500 disbanded and demarcated into two factions (Damon and Naomi formed a band bearing their names, Dean released an E.P. called Anesthesia), Dean formed the band Luna and signed to Elektra. After Luna’s demise he continued recording with bandmate Britta Phillips, and has recently released a sumptuous record called Back Numbers.
This month, he was charitable enough to grace us with 10 of his favorite albums (off the top of his head, though it should be stated) before departing for the Dean and Britta tour.
See them live at all costs.
Dean Wareham’s Consummate Top Ten Albums Of All Time:
- The Feelies–Crazy Rhythms
- V.U.–Live ’69
- Television–Marquee Moon
- Modern Lovers–Modern Lovers
- Pere Ubu–The Modern Dance
- Suicide–Suicide
- Spacemen 3–Perfect Prescription
- Rolling Stones–Sticky Fingers
- Nina Simone–Here Comes the Sun
- Lee Hazlewood–Love and Other Crimes
