Last year was a big one for fans of dreamy fuzz-rock duo Mazzy Star. Turns out they were just on a really long hiatus. But fans who know their flawless albums by heart were glad to have Sandoval and Roback back together as Mazzy Star. A common complaint about Mazzy Star is that many of their songs sound alike. But anyone who has listened to their four studio albums knows that Sandoval and Roback mix country- and folk-tinged dream-pop tracks with bracing psychedelic freakouts that show their roots in the Paisley Underground movement of the s. And as anyone who has included one of their songs on a mix CD or tape can attest, they fall into the category of perfect make-out music, the type now being made by the likes of Beach House and Wye Oak. With Mazzy Star back together after 17 years, we thought we'd count down their 10 best songs. An epic, droning freakout that channels the Velvet Underground and Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, the title track off Mazzy's second album is a reminder of Sandoval and Roback's early work together in the psychedelic rock group Opal.


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Mazzy Star is an American alternative rock band formed in Santa Monica, California , in from remnants of the group Opal. Mazzy Star is best known for the song " Fade into You " which brought the band some success in the mids and was the group's biggest mainstream hit, earning extensive exposure on MTV , VH1 , and radio airplay. Roback and Sandoval are the creative center of the band, with Sandoval as lyricist and Roback as composer of the majority of the band's material. Mazzy Star has deep roots within the Californian Paisley Underground movement of the early s. David Roback, along with his brother Steven, was one of the main architects of leading Los Angeles psychedelic revival band the Rain Parade. Meanwhile, Sandoval—who was in high school at the time—formed the folk music duo Going Home in the early s with fellow student Sylvia Gomez, [5] and played gigs with Sonic Youth and Minutemen. Despite Smith's departure, Rough Trade retained Roback's original record deal, contractually obligating him to supply a follow-up to Opal's debut LP. As a result, Roback and Sandoval continued to tour under the Opal alias for the next two years, during which time they completed production on Opal's planned second album, titled Ghost Highway. Composed mainly of songs written by Roback and Smith, Sandoval stated that she was unhappy with the material, and expressed an interest in wanting to "start something completely new".
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In anticipation of their new album, Seasons of Your Day —which is set for a Sept. With its steady, shuffling rhythms and tried-and-true drowsy vocals, the song is a classic Mazzy Star song that sounds like a daydream in motion. William Reid from the Jesus and Mary Chain guests on this guitar-led track, where his ringing chords rip through the middle of this foggy rock song. My last thoughts, they come to me. This track saw a revival in the last few years when it appeared in a commercial for Virgin Media and on a trailer for Gears of War 3.
The discography of American alternative rock band Mazzy Star consists of four studio albums , two EPs , twelve singles and eight music videos. The band was formed in by vocalist Hope Sandoval and guitarist David Roback , after the disbandment of Roback's previous band with vocalist Kendra Smith , Opal. Lead single "Five String Serenade" was followed by " Fade into You ", which remains their biggest hit to date, and their only single to enter the Billboard Hot The song also charted in Australia , Canada and the UK. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of over a million units, and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry for sales in excess of 60, copies in the United Kingdom. Although never officially released, " Into Dust " appeared on several national record charts after it featured in various advertising campaigns : first by Virgin Media in , and later on the "Dust to Dust" trailer for Gears of War 3