The Jesus and Mary Chain

Like their heroes, The Velvet Underground, before them, the feedback-soaked songs of The Jesus and Mary Chain inspired generations of bands. Formed in Scotland in 1983 by brothers Jim and William Reid, they released their debut LP, Psychocandy, a collection of ‘60s-inspired melodies hidden under layers of noisy guitar fuzz, in 1985. Riotous fans, 15-minute gigs, and famously surly interviews helped fuel their aura of disaffected cool. Their follow-up, 1987’s Darklands, chiselled away some of the beautiful noise, and the single “April Skies” became the band's biggest hit. Subsequent releases saw them embrace synths (1989’s Automatic) and largely acoustic serenades (1994’s Stoned & Dethroned). The fractious relationship between the brothers blew up while touring in support of 1998’s Munki and the group disbanded the following year. It took nearly a decade for them to reunite and another 10 years to release another LP, 2017’s Damage and Joy.