My Bloody Valentine

It's the reunion that keeps on giving. In 2008 the revered and impossibly influential Valentines – led by notoriously eccentric guitarist Kevin Shields – reformed, and now they've finally produced new material in the form of an album, 'm b v' (read our review here). Originally formed in 1984 as a sort of Cramps/Birthday Party hybrid, the outfit eventually made their name with a distinctive use of saturated reverb, pitch-bending and distortion, along with the infamous deafening volume at which they played live. Their 1991 LP 'Loveless' was a benchmark, opening the flood gates to the shoegazing likes of Ride, Slowdive, Chapterhouse et al. MBV, however, are the real magisterial deal. If you're lucky enough to see them, don't be too proud to accept the free earplugs that will be available on the door.