The YMG's were one of the most idiosyncratic groups in that crazy, mixed-up world that was post-punk. Their style was entirely original, without any visible touchstones. They stripped songs down to their barest essentials. A simple guitar strum, an organ whine and a clicking drum machine was all that was needed, making a chilly, atmospheric kind of pop. Add to that, Allison Statton's approach to vocals was an emotionally detatched, cool style, that only added to the creepy factor. They released one album, Colossal Youth and three EPs. The EPs were later put on the album, and reissued. Their incredibly small oeuvre has proved massively influential, and was one of post-punk's first cohesive statements.

The pop equivalent of a zen painter's landscape -- a few casual strokes and all the rest is implied.

-- Graham Lock, N. M. E.

Just to add a bit to Shoegazer's excellent writeup, the Young Marble Giants were:

They formed around 1979 in Cardiff, Wales and were quickly signed to Rough Trade. They broke up after only two years, in 1981, shortly after their first (and only) American tour. According to the liner notes the name "Young Marble Giants" came from a book on Greek sculpture.

Discography:

The definitive website for the Young Marble Giants is at:
    http://appelstein.com/ymg/

I read that Kurt Cobain loved the Young Marble Giants (not that Nirvana sounds much like them at all.) Colossal Youth is another album that I looked for for a long time because the Rough Trade CD came out about the same time that Rough Trade went under. Fortunately I was able to find a French(?) import at Amoeba Records in Berkeley a couple of years later. Yeah, when I found it I was dancing in the aisles.

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