Dean Wareham on the album “there has never been anything else like”
Fans of late 1980s and early ‘90s indie rock will be familiar with Galaxie 500. Shortlived yet highly influential, the band, formed by Dean Wareham in 1987, honed a gorgeous, minimal, dream pop sound. Led by Wareham’s charming vocals, which often veer into unpolished territory, Galaxie 500 continue to garner a dedicated following despite disbanding in 1991.
The band released three albums, including the beautiful On Fire, which contains some of their most recognisable songs, such as ‘Blue Thunder’ and ‘Strange’. Galaxie 500 came to an end when Wareham decided to leave the band. He explained to Pitchfork, “Galaxie 500 broke up because it was time. We broke up as a result of internal contradictions. Columbia Records was interested in signing us, but the making of the previous album had been very difficult – and clearly we weren’t getting along – so why should we continue to sit in a room and make music together?”
Since then, Wareham has featured in several different projects, notably another dream pop band called Luna, featuring The Feelies’ Stanley Demeski and The Chills’ Justin Harwood. The lineup shifted over the years, soon coming to include Britta Phillips. The musician eventually married Wareham, and the pair have continued to collaborate with each other through the Dean and Britta project, releasing four albums and several film scores.
Wareham might not be a household name – unless your house loves dreamy indie rock – but he has consistently released innovative and impressive music for the past few decades. From New Order to Spacemen 3, Wareham has taken inspiration from a variety of bands. However, there’s one that he believes to be incomparable. Talking to Louder Than War, Wareham discussed his love for Young Marble Giants’ Colossal Youth, their only studio album.
The band formed in Wales in 1978, taking inspiration from glam rock and krautrock bands rather than punk, despite its dominance in the United Kingdom during the period. Thus, their sound stood out in contrast to many of their contemporaries, blending synths with rich basslines, although their instrumentation was rather minimal. Young Marble Giants acted as a precursor for many late ‘70s and ‘80s twee indie pop bands, such as Marine Girls and Heavenly.
The band might have only released one album, but it left a significant impact on Wareham. He explained, “Apparently, this album was recorded in three days (the same amount of time that we spent on Galaxie 500’s Today LP). There has never been anything else like it.”
He added, “My friend Dave Rick once said to me that if a band sounds like no other band you’ve ever heard, then they must automatically be good. He may be wrong, but this one illustrates his point.”
Listen to Colossal Youth below.
