Last week, we looked at Dean Wareham's band, Galaxie 500, and another group that chose exactly the same name. When Galaxie 500 broke up, Dean went on to form Luna. And... you can guess the rest.
LUNA #1
Free Jazz. 1967. USA. Free Jazz. Jazz Free. FrJaeezz. The composer tells us, "This piece is about getting smaller than getting bigger then getting smaller." JFraezez.
LUNA #2
Boston rockers from 1978, formerly known as Orchestra Luna.
LUNA #3
Italian "Space Rock" from 1983. Clearly Luna-tics.
LUNA #4
Spanish synth-pop, also from 1983. Youtube compares their sound to OMD. Can't really hear it myself.
LUNA #5
"Cult dark-wave band" from the former Yugoslavia. I'm guessing they owned a Joy Division record or two. This is what they sounded like in 1984...
LUNA #6
Japanese duo from 1985 who had clearly taken a couple of French lessons before taking over the asylum.
LUNA #7
Rolling Stone described Dean Wareham's Luna as "the best band you’ve never heard of", though I swear I've heard that epithet applied to hundreds of bands over the years, and I've probably used it myself multiple times. They made some fine records between the early nineties and the mid noughties, and apparently they reformed in 2015 and are still touring today.
LUNA #8
Serbian Euro-pop-pop-popsters, formed in 1996, but have released a heck of a lot of "bangers" since then.
LUNA #9
"Funeral Doom Metal" from the Ukraine. I wouldn't have included this were it not for the song title, There Is No Tomorrow Gone Beyond Sorrow Under a Sheltering Mask, which is about as "Funeral Doom Metal" as you get.
I'm going to stop there, although I could go on. And on. And on. Discogs appears to have more than 150 different credits for the name Luna, although a lot of them appeared to be dead ends. Which Luna sends you into orbit?
I am playing #1. I am going to sit through all 5 or so minutes of it, despite it being complete bobbins
ReplyDeleteAbove and beyond the call of duty, as ever, George.
DeleteThat plethora of Lunas combine to make the worst compilation album in the entirety of popular music
ReplyDeleteYes, but what else were you going to do this morning?
DeleteLet the goats out, let the pigeon out, feed dogs and cats, go for a coffee, have breakfast
DeleteSounds like I saved you a load of hard work.
DeleteMost of them weren't good, but not bad enough to put you off your breakfast surely?
DeleteLuna 2 almost did. But I'm happy to report that toast and marmalade were consumed (by me)
DeleteObviously your people are the pick of a not particularly brilliant bunch but I thought #5 were OK. They were from Novi Sad in what is now Serbia and can't have been happy when #8 trashed their legacy.
ReplyDeleteI can confirm that your Luna are still playing. I am visiting New York in September and last night was looking up whether there are decent gigs on while I'm there. They are playing three nights at the Bowery Ballroom the week I am in town.
A good night out, guaranteed - whatever George says.
DeleteI'm going for #2 or #3
ReplyDelete#4's comparison to OMD - I think the comparison begins and ends with the high note synthing.
Also mentioned in dispatches: my youngest Jack Russell Terrier, and the very fine second album by The Aliens