Mazzy Star mp3

Mazzy Star was a dream pop/alternative band formed in 1989 from a band called Opal, a collaboration of guitarist David Roback (of the eighties paisley underground group Rain Parade) and bassist Kendra Smith (of Dream Syndicate fame). They were later joined by Smith's friend Hope Sandoval as the vocalist. Kendra Smith soon left the band.

The first Mazzy Star album, She Hangs Brightly was released in 1991. This album was, perhaps, more guitar-centric than later efforts. However, the characteristic echo-effect on the vocals, the limited instrumentation, and the stripped down sound, which would become their trademark sound, was already present on this album. The track "Be My Angel" appears to be the musical inspiration for "Fade Into You", and the rock roots of the band are evident on "Blue Flower". While not a commercial success, this album did establish Hope and David as a unique band with a sound that has been often imitated.

Their second release, So Tonight that I Might See, represents a limited change in the sound from the first album. Here, the tracks are a bit more processed and a little less gritty. "Fade into You" became a staple of mid-1990s teen dramas, movies, and represented the kind of gentle angst that was missing from the currents of grunge. Continuing with the general theme of quiet, contemplative songs, this album became a staple on college radio stations.

The third Mazzy Star album, Among my Swan, fits perfectly in line with the previous two albums. However, there is less reliance on the echo effect that was nearly ubiquitous in all previous tracks. Hope's voice is paired with simple acoustic instrumentation that marks most of the tracks. The guitar and harmonica accompaniment on "I've Been Let Down" is a prime example of this. These tracks are not markedly different in sound or feel from either of the first two albums.

Although the band never officially broke up (it is dormant), Sandoval would go on to found the band Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions, and appear on recordings by Bert Jansch, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Chemical Brothers, Air and Death in Vegas.

Taken from Wikipedia.org