Staff Picks

 Psychocandy was released in 1985, and marks the debut album for The Jesus and Mary Chain. The biggest influences for the Jesus and Mary Chain were punk legends The Velvet Underground and The Stooges, and also pop legends Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. The resulting sound is dark and bare, but ladened with sugary melodies. On Psychocandy, they implement just one style, one trick if you will, but oh man it is a great one. The feedback is turned up as high as it goes, and the echo is plentiful. With this album, The Jesus and Mary Chain caused a movement in shoegazer and britpop, as more and more bands began to use the echo sound that is so perfect on this album.