Mazzy Star



Mazzy Star is an Alternative Rock band from Santa Monica, California, active since 1989. The band is known for its folky, Psychedelic Rock-influenced Dream Pop sound and being a One-Hit Wonder thanks to the song "Fade Into You".

Mazzy Star formed out of the ashes of Paisley Underground band Opal. It is largely based around the creative partnership of guitarist/keyboardist/songwriter David Roback and vocalist Hope Sandoval, with additional contributors being bassist Jill Emery, drummer Keith Mitchell and keyboardist Suki Ewers. Their previous keyboardist, William Cooper, died in 2001.

The band released three albums in The Nineties full of slightly melancholic but somehow still nice-sounding, folky Dream Pop with occasional influences from Psychedelic Rock (especially The Doors) and Shoegazing. The most successful of these was So Tonight That I Might See, by virtue of having their most commercially successful song, "Fade Into You", on it.

Mazzy Star haven't officially broken up but have been on a hiatus since 2000. Sandoval occasionally makes guest appearances on other albums (such as for the Chemical Brothers and The Jesus and Mary Chain) and works (very slowly) with the band Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions (which included Colm Ó Cíosóig of My Bloody Valentine during the latter's hiatus). Roback's moved to Norway and remained really quiet, surfacing for a small acting part in the movie Clean. Sandoval has recently confirmed that Mazzy Star are still together, they're just competing against My Bloody Valentine in the "world's laziest band" contest.

Their song "Into Dust" is apparently the theme for Gears of War 3.

Discography:
 * She Hangs Brightly (1990)
 * So Tonight That I Might See (1993)
 * Among My Swan (1996)

Tropes used by Mazzy Star include:

 * Cover Version: "Blue Flower" by Slapp Happy (on Brightly) and "Five String Serenade" by Arthur Lee (on Tonight).
 * Echoing Acoustics: Especially on Brightly.
 * One-Hit Wonder: "Fade Into You" was their only big hit.
 * Perishing Alt Rock Voice